P.O. Box 68, 17 School Street, Peru, NY 12972 - (518) 643-6000

Parents, guardians and day care providers will kindly mark your calendar as a reminder that school is not in session from May 24th - May 28th due to a scheduled holiday break and unused snow day.  Students are not required to be in attendance on that Friday, Monday and Tuesday.

Peru’s 3rd annual health fair was a success for all students kindergarten through second grade!  There were new presentations this year and every child brought home a goodie bag with health related items, such as toothbrushes, pedometers, and bike flashers, to name a few.  There were seven different stations for our youngest elementary students to take part including Zumba, Healthy Snacks, Fitness Fun, Dental Health, Safety First, Hand Washing, and the Martial Arts.  Parents, teachers, and children rotated to each station to hear about or participate in healthy ideas.   It was such an exciting event that we’ve already begun preparing for next school year.

Peru Central School District was recently awarded a grant in the amount of $1,000 from the Foreign Language Enhancement Fund.  A large portion of these monies was used to support one of St. Augustine's weekly soup kitchen meals on April 10th.  Seventh and eighth grade students, currently enrolled in Spanish courses, spent the day preparing an authentic Spanish meal which consisted of an orange and almond salad, Spanish potato omelets, turkey meatballs with rice, and almond cakes!  Some students, along with their parents, returned that evening to serve and sample some of the cuisine.  Special thanks to Mr. Dave Viti for assisting Ms. Emma DeLucas and Ms. Lacy Branch with this amazing event.

Pictured below, along with Secondary School Administrators Mr. Christopher Mazzella and Ms. Cheryl Felt,  are the Top 10 percent of the 2013 graduating class, as measured by grade point average.  These students are slated for county-wide recognition and Peru School Board recognition this spring, prior to graduation.

Congratulations to all on their exemplary academic accomplishments!

Students from Peru, as well as several other local districts, participated in the Ithaca Gospel Festival Invitational on April 13th.  They joined students from New York City, Boston and Maryland to perform a concert of traditional Gospel repertoire, led by Dr. Keith Hampton.  After two hard days of rehearsal, they played to a packed house at Ithaca's Ford Hall.  Please see http://www.ithaca.edu/music/live for a video recording of the performance.  Congratulations to these very talented students!

Spirit Days occur four times a year for the students in our Kindergarten, First and Second grades.  They gather together and sing our school song, “Be The Best You Can Be.”   Each grade level participates by showcasing some aspect of their school days.  Different grade levels perform at a designated Spirit Day.  At the latest Spirit Day, on March 27th, first graders sang a recycling song to remind everyone that everyone can help the Earth by recycling. 

Students studying French and Spanish in Peru CSD, members of National Art Honor Society, and their chaperones traveled to Europe in April on a whirlwind tour through Rome, Florence and Paris.  Our young travelers are pictured below at the Coliseum in Rome where Gladiators once fought.   Together our travelers  moved across Europe by plane, train, bus, boat, subway, elevator, escalator, and automobile.  During their travels, they visited St. Peters, Vatican, Roman Forum, Coliseum, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Borghese Gallery, other historical locations and a collection of architecturally significant buildings.  Despite the blistering pace, our students really got a taste for Europe and an appreciation for different cultures.

Thirty-five students were inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) on March 21st.  They were selected based on grade point average, scholarship, leadership, service and character.

Congratulations to all of the inductees!

Seventh and eighth grade Spanish Club members put on a performance of the bilingual children's book Abuela ("Grandma") for the kindergarten class on March 25th. A narrator read portions of the book aloud while other students acted out each part completely in Spanish. Students used their knowledge of the language to help write the script using words and phrases that they have learned during their time in Spanish class.

Fourth grade students at Peru CSD recently studied Pablo Picasso in their Art classes.  The students explored "cubism" and painted pictures inspired by the works of Picasso.  Below are portraits that were created by students Abigail Bennett, Dylan Eagleson, and Timothy Multop.

The North Country Cultural Center for the Arts (NCCCA) is currently hosting an exhibit of middle and high school student artwork.  The exhibit runs until April 13th and can be viewed at the NCCCA at 23 Brinkerhoff Street in Plattsburgh.  Eight students from Peru Central are participating in the exhibition.  Pictured below are two students who received an award and one that received an honorable mention at the March 15th opening reception.  A fourth Peru CSD student, not pictured, also received an award.

Congratulations to all who are participating with their exceptional display of artwork! 

Teachers and students from local schools attended the second annual 'I Stand Against Bullying Awards' (ISAB) event in Plattsburgh on Wednesday, March 6th.  The event, hosted by Safe Schools, Healthy Students, recognized student filmmakers in their fight against bullying.  The event creates awareness, which can potentially help prevent bullying.  Peru Central submitted three video clips, which were all given "honorable mention" and were showcased to the audience in a video montage.  In addition, three Peru CSD students were nominated for Best Actor awards.  Pictured below is one of the nominated students who received one of those awards.

Congratulations to all who participated!  Together, we are taking a stand against bullying at Peru Central School District.

The Children's Health Insurance Connection (CHIC) is sponsoring a Child Health Plus information and screening day on March 21st from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM at Adirondack Health Institute at 65 Court Street in Plattsburgh.  Please click here for more information.

On March 9th, the first North Country Jr. Iron Chef Competition was held at St. Lawrence University in Canton.  Seventeen teams from Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties participated in developing healthy recipes using a combination of local and USDA foods that could be prepared in a school cafeteria.  The teams cooked their recipe and presented it to a panel of distinguished judges - including school administrators, food service personnel, elected officials, and local restaurant chefs.  Featured below is team "Peru Blue" preparing their stuffed zucchini recipe.

Congratulations on a job well done!

On February 12th, Peru Elementary School students celebrated their 100th day of school during the 2012-2013 school year.  Pictured below are some of the Kindergarten students who participated in the celebration.

Peru CSD is restructuring its school organization and administrators.  The purpose of the plan is to raise student achievement, build professional capacity, and maximize the use of district resources. 

Where there were four separate building principals, there will now be two.  The middle school and high school become one secondary school, grades 7-12.  The primary and intermediate schools become one K-6 elementary program.  This will promote smooth transition of students across grade levels and ensure greater program continuity.  Each of the two school buildings will have an associate principal. 

There will still be an office of special education although this role will be expanded to support more students.  An office of curriculum, assessment, and professional development has been created without adding an administrator.  This office will coordinate district-wide efforts to improve and align instruction to the benefit of student learning.

Please see the presentation "Restructuring Peru CSD Leadership Team" for more information.

On February 12th and 13th, students in the Elementary School held a Jump Rope for Heart event.  Students jumped to raise awareness of the benefits of being active and staying fit. Money raised by the event will help individuals in our community learn how to avoid heart disease and stroke and also helps our local patient care.

Congratulations to our young jumpers who raised over $4,500!

Congratulations to the eleven students who took part in the 60th Harvard Model United Nations conference held in Boston from Thursday, January 31st to Sunday, February 3rd.  Over 2,700 hundred students from twenty-three states and thirty-seven countries attended and debated topics ranging from refugees to the legality of drone strikes.  Peru's delegation worked hard, strove for consensus, and helped lead their committees to topic resolutions.  Great job to all members of Peru's 2013 Harvard Model United Nations team!

On January 26^th, our District hosted a regional gathering of student delegates for the opportunity to interact with area State legislators, ask informed questions, and learn more about the landscape of NYS politics.

The event was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Plattsburgh area, which is a nonpartisan volunteer organization.  

In attendance were State Assemblywoman, Janet Duprey of Clinton County (shown below with Peru CSD students), Assemblyman Dan Stec of Essex County, and State Senator Betty Little.

Our youngest readers continue to grow and gain confidence.  Evident in their smiles is the joy these children have for learning.

The group of Kindergarteners pictured above recently visited their Principal, Mr. Atchinson, to demonstrate their reading skills.  As they read, not all of the words came easily; however, each had the skills and stick-to-it-ness to sound the words out successfully.

Mr. Atchinson also shared a recent experience with second graders in the lunch line.  Their teacher was playing a math game with the children in the line.  The teacher asked  her students to solve basic math problems without pen or paper.  The young learners relished the challenge saying with enthusiasm, “give us another one” over and over until it was time for them to get their lunches.

The children in the Peru Central School District have a bright future ahead of them.  Mr. Atchinson noted, “the skills they are developing now are far beyond any who have walked these halls before them. I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to see what goes on here every day.”  A good education is built on the foundation laid by the parents at home and primary teachers in school.

Keep up the excellence work everybody.  It makes all the difference!

At the January 8th Board of Education meeting, students and team leaders of the Secondary School Positive School Environment Teams (PSET) had the opportunity to share their exciting initiatives underway at our school. Team leaders spoke of their introduction of the Dignity for All Students Act and the newly formed PSET during initial presentations to students, faculty, and parents; this has recruited participation from all members of our school community.

Each Positive School Environment Team is comprised of students, faculty, and parents who meet monthly.  During these meetings, members are given opportunities to share their ideas for encouraging an accepting and empowering school culture and community.  One student expressed how all students must feel understood and respected in order to promote a sense of belonging in our school.  The teams have formulated monthly themes, activities, and displays to promote the purpose of PSET and have encouraged a collaborative effort among many student organizations. Another student shared her hope to reach out to elementary students as positive role models to encourage respect, tolerance, and acceptance.

As a school community, we mourn the loss of the twenty-six lives in Newtown, CT as a result of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.  Similar to other schools across the nation this past week, we conducted a thorough review of security protocols to assure that school remains a safe place for our greatest resource, the children of Peru.  A copy of the letter from the Superintendent that was mailed to families regarding school preparedness can be found here.

District Safety Plan

IMPACT Online

Thrive -
Clinton County
Community Partnership