CRUSADER CONNECTION

to the 2025-2026 school year!

A MESSAGE FROM Mr. Jason McElroy, MWHS Principal

Dear Monroe-Woodbury High School Families,

Unbelievably, January is already here, and we have reached the midpoint of the 2025–2026 school year! I hope all MWHS families enjoyed Winter Break and had time to relax and spend meaningful moments with loved ones.

Today, January 16, 2026, marks the end of our second quarter and first semester. Next week begins our testing block week. Information, including schedules and transportation details, can be found here.

January can be a stressful and overwhelming time for many students as we close out the first semester. With finals, midterms, and Regents exams approaching, we want to remind students and families that a variety of academic, social, and emotional supports are available. Please do not hesitate to reach out to a school counselor, administrator, or teacher if support is needed.

While the holiday season has come to a close, I am excited to share many of the wonderful activities that took place at MWHS in December. Please take some time to review the highlights below and celebrate the incredible opportunities and experiences our students continue to participate in.

Important dates & information to keep in mind (more info below):

January 19 - School Closed, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 20 - 23 - HS Regents Exams

January 23 - End of Second Quarter

January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Warm regards,

Jason McElroy

Principal

Monroe-Woodbury High School

Information Corner

The Anxious Generation Speaker

Katherine Martinko

Monday, 2/2 @ 6PM in the HS Auditorium

Katherine Martinko

Monday, February 2

6:00 PM

HS Auditorium

On Monday, February 2, MWHS welcomes Anxious Generation Speaker Katherine Martinko; Writer, Editor and Author of Childhood Unplugged: Practical Advice to Get Kids Off Screens and Find Balance (2023) and creator of a fast-growing Substack newsletter called The Analog Family. Her passion for helping parents resist the technological takeover of kids’ lives is not just professional; it is personal, too. She has three kids in elementary, middle, and high school, so she knows exactly what every other parent is dealing with!

In collaboration with the Monroe-Woodbury PTSA, this event kicks off The Anxious Generation book club. As a community, we will come together to read the book and engage in meaningful discussions on how its themes impact our students, families, and school community, while exploring ways to better support the well-being of our children in today’s digital age.

The Anxious Generation book club will meet on the following dates:

February 23
March 16
April 6
April 20

The book club will meet at 6:00 p.m. at the HS in Computer Lab A.

***Please CLICK HERE if you are interested in participating!***

Join us at 6:00pm in the high school auditorium on February 2 for this enriching community assembly! 🏫📶

School Closed - MLK Jr. Day

Reminder, all Monroe-Woodbury schools will be closed on Monday, January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Class of 2026 Yearbook Information

Seniors, be sure to take note of our latest important yearbook info! 👉

Grab & Go Bags

In an effort to ensure students are arriving to class on time in the morning while still being able to have breakfast, we are working with Food Services to offer a Grab and Go option.

Cafeteria lines with be shut at 7:05am, with Grab and Go being the option from 7:05am on.

In the event students arrive later than period 1, Grab and Go bags will be available in the Nurses Office.

Yondr Pouch Inventory Check complete

During homeroom on Thursday, January 8, and Friday, January 9, we completed our first inventory of our Yondr pouches. We would like to thank our teachers and students for their collaboration and cooperation in completing this large task.

Students who did not have their pouch will be provided a new pouch to be prepared as we move into Semester 2.

Just a reminder, each student may receive two pouches at no cost. A third pouch and beyond come with a $30 charge. 📳📵

Early Morning Communications

As we head into the winter months, we are reminding all M-W families to please have arrangements in place for your child in the event of a 2-hour delay, early dismissal or school closure, and to make sure your child is aware of these alternative plans.

SchoolMessenger is the district’s primary parent/guardian notification system. As always, parents and guardians may receive important notifications from the if there is a change to the student schedule or if school is closed, we will notify families by 5 a.m. via email, phone or text (if opted in, see instructions), based on preferences selected on the Parent/Student Portal. Information will also be posted on the district’s website, Facebook page and Instagram account.

Stay warm and Happy December, Crusaders! 📲☃️

The Spotlight

CLub Spotlight

Kids Changing the World Club

On Thursday, December 11, the Kids Changing the World club (KCW) at the high school delivered new and unwrapped toys to the Town Hall in Monroe. The toys they collected are being donated directly to the Toys for Military Tots 2025 campaign. All donations made through this program are benefitting both active and veteran military families in Orange County.

KCW also ran its annual Hats for Hope Drive during the last two months of 2025. KCW, along with the help from the Crochet for a Cause club, either collected or created new cozy hats and donated them to the Garnet Health Cancer Center. These hats are given out to cancer patients during the colder months so that those undergoing cancer treatment can stay warm.

On Sunday, January 4, these hats were delivered by KCW club advisor Mr. Agro, and KCW president Gregory Grisar. Accompanying them were two KCW alumni that returned from college to participate in the delivery as they had done for four years as KCW members themselves. Thankfully, lessons learned in high school about giving back endure beyond graduation! ❄️💜

Class Spotlight

Special Education Visits ETAP

Mrs. Matise and Ms. Dunning visited our Exploring Teaching as a Profession (ETAP) students to share their work and the needs, laws, and roles of Special Education educators and services with our budding future educators! The students loved learning with them, asked some great questions, and are now talking about including special education in their future plans for certification and career visions.

A message to Support Services:

"Thank you SO MUCH for all your efforts and coordination to make time to come to our 11th cohort of the Exploring Teaching As A Profession class to share with students the mystical, magical, and mesmerizing work you do!

They were blown a way by you all! (Stephanie, I shared your role afterward - thank you for attempting to be there in person - I know it's hard and things come up, so your intent alone speaks volumes!)

As ever, students have NO idea the variety of services a school district offers, and even when they think they have some ideas, they are always amazed by what folks in those roles do. When I listen to you all, I often think the whole school should know! Even just from a standpoint of potential careers in service, which many are interested in, they just don't know where/how to start imagining outside first responders and classroom teachers.

So, much gratitude for you all, for all you are and do on the daily, and for making time to share your genius with our pre-pre-service educators!" ♥️💜

Class Spotlight

International Foods: Spice Blend Competition

On Thursday December 18, students from Mrs. Lee’s International Foods classes participated in a Spice Blend Competition. Each kitchen group was assigned a spice blend that they made from scratch, and using that blend, they created appetizers, entrees, and desserts.

Members from our Administration, Faculty and Staff were the judges for the competition. Even though only one team would win for each class, based on the reactions of the judges, all of the student chefs really showcased their culinary talents and it was a very impressive performance!🌶️🥵💜

Student Activities are in full swing at MWHS!

Music Dept. spreads joy

A big thank you to our Music Department teachers and their students for filling our halls with joy and music before Winter Break. Our band, orchestra, and choral students traveled throughout the building and across the district, showcasing their talents and spreading holiday cheer. 🎼✨

VETERANS APPRECIATION CLUB FOR WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA

On Saturday, November 13, members of the Veterans Appreciation Club proudly participated in Wreaths Across America at the Cemetery of the Highlands, joining communities across the nation in honoring our fallen heroes. Wreaths Across America began in 1992 with a simple yet powerful mission: to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach the value of freedom to future generations.

Members of the club placed wreaths on veterans’ graves as a sign of gratitude and respect, taking time to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who served our country. This meaningful experience allowed students to connect with history while demonstrating the club’s ongoing commitment to honoring veterans and preserving their legacy.

SADD Club

On Wednesday, December 3 (rescheduled due to snow closing on Tuesday) the SADD club hosted a tabling event during lunch periods for students to make and exchange beaded friendship bracelets. Students gathered around the table to design their own bracelet kits so they could create a bracelet to give to a friend in celebration of Giving Tuesday. The club also encouraged members to donate an unwrapped toy to be collected in support of the Toys for Military Tots 2025 county-wide campaign.
♥️💜

VOICE ENSEMBLE TAKES THE STAGE AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

On Monday, December 12, the MWHS Voice Ensemble traveled to New York City to perform on the iconic stage of Radio City Music Hall. Congratulations on this amazing achievement! We are so proud of you!! 🎶🎄💜

Orange County Arts Council Human Rights Exhibition

On Monday, December 15, our Senior Art Majors were recognized by the Orange County Arts Council for their visual interpretations of one of the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The recognition ceremony was held in Orange Hall at the SUNY Orange campus in Middletown. Click here to view the artwork featured in the exhibit. 🎉💜🎨

🏊‍♀️🏃‍♀️‍➡️🤼‍♀️⛷️📣🏋️🏀 ATHLETICS 🏀🎳🏒⛷️🤼🏃🏊‍♂️

Winter sports in full swing

Winter sports are in full swing at Monroe-Woodbury HS!

Basketball and wrestling teams are competing hard. Skiing and bowling athletes are showcasing their skills across the section. Cheerleading continues to add spirit, school pride, and intricate skills to their winter competition season.

A big congratulations to Kelly Sullivan who placed 4th and Elijah Brown who placed 5th at the prestigious Eastern States Wrestling Tournament! 🤼🏅

Fall scholar athlete teams

All eight MWCSD fall varsity teams received the remarkable honor of being named Scholar Athlete Teams by NYSPHSAA. Team recognition is earned when the top 75% of a team’s roster achieves a combined GPA of 90.0 or higher. Go, Crusaders! 👏💜

DEPARTMENT UPDATES, INFO AND MORE!

School Counseling office

Check out the news from the School Counseling Department!

Newsletter

ACT

The ACT will be administered at MWHS on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

PE newsletter

Check out the December Newsletter from the Physical Education Department!

food services

Free Meals for all students during the 2025-2026 school year!

All students enrolled at Monroe-Woodbury Central School District are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch in school at no charge to your household each day of the 2025-2026 school year.

All students will be able to participate in these meal programs on the first day of school without having to pay a fee or submit an application. All schools provide a breakfast program for students upon entry into school and a lunch program for students in the cafeteria.

School meal programs offer breakfast and lunch meals that meet strict federal nutrition standards, aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and are planned with student preferences in mind. If packing food from home, students can add to their home brought lunch at no cost by choosing at least three of the five items offered, (e.g., low fat milk, proteins, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits), one of which must be a vegetable or fruit. We invite students to show their support for their school food service program through participation.

View message for families regarding 2025-26 school year

View message for families regarding 2025-26 school year (en español!)

Attendance

It is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to notify the school attendance office within at least 24 hours following the absence of their student and to provide a written excuse within five (5) school days upon the student’s return to school.

Meet our new attendance clerical, Arlene Kelly! Please email hsattend@mw.k12.ny.us regarding attendance.

The Nurse's Corner

We hope you enjoyed the winter break and are ready for a healthy & happy 2026!

We are continuing to see the flu, norovirus, rsv and pneumonia; please continue to keep your child home with fevers, vomiting, diarrhea and associated symptoms - see link below

Link: When to keep your child home

The New York State Department of Education requires that all 9th and 11th grade students and New Entrants have a physical exam. A valid physical for this school year is one performed on or after September 1, 2024.

Additionally, per NYS law, we will be screening all 11th grade and new entrant students' vision and hearing if not done and documented on their physical exam and we will be screening all 9th grade male students for scoliosis if not documented on their physical.

There is also a new New York State mandate for all 12th graders to receive a booster dose of the Meningococcal A, C, W, Y vaccine (Meningitis A). To be valid for 12th grade, the vaccine must have been received at 16 years or older.

When you are scheduling your child's 11th grade physical exam appointment, please ask the provider if your child is due for a Meningitis A vaccine..

If your student has had a physical, please ask the provider's office to either:

Fax: (845) 460-6078 or

Email: Lisa Sassi or Leslie Dimas

Link for Forms and more info from the Nurse’s Office

If you have any questions regarding this information, please don't hesitate to contact us at (845) 460-7000 ext. 20801.

Sincerely,

Lisa Sassi, SNT and Leslie Dimas, RN

HS Bell ScheduleS

MWHS bell schedules

Class periods are 41 minutes long. Passing time between periods is four minutes.

Transportation

Visit the Parent Portal to view transportation information.

Library report

Click here to view December's Library report!

School messenger

As of August 20, 2024, School Messenger has replaced Swift K12 as the district’s parent notification system. As always, parents and guardians may receive important notifications from the district via email, phone call, or text.

NEW with School Messenger:

Parents and guardians must “OPT IN” to receive text messages via School Messenger. It’s easy and quick! Please take care of it right away!

How to OPT IN to receive text messages:

Text “Y” to the number: 67587 from the phone number you have registered to your Student’s Profile as a contact.
You will receive a text message confirming you have registered to receive text notifications: “You’re registered 4 SchoolMessenger notifications. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help.”

Please note: If you DO NOT “OPT IN” for text notifications, you will NOT receive text notifications. You will only receive phone calls or emails. We encourage you to make your selection as soon as possible to ensure smooth communication with no interruptions.

INformacion Importante

Recordatorio de School Messenger (padres/tutores):

A partir del 20 de agosto de 2024, School Messenger ha reemplazado a Swift K12 como el sistema de notificación para padres del distrito. Como siempre, los padres y tutores pueden recibir notificaciones importantes del distrito por correo electrónico, llamada telefónica o mensaje de texto.

NOVEDADES CON SM:

Los padres y tutores deben “OPTAR” para recibir mensajes de texto a través de School Messenger. ¡Es fácil y rápido! ¡Por favor, ocúpese de ello de inmediato!

Cómo OPTAR para recibir mensajes de texto:

Envíe un mensaje de texto con la palabra “Y” al número: 67587 desde el número de teléfono que haya registrado en su perfil de estudiante como contacto.
Recibirá un mensaje de texto que confirmará que se ha registrado para recibir notificaciones de texto: “Está registrado para recibir 4 notificaciones de SchoolMessenger. Responda PARE para cancelar, para recibir ayuda”.

Tenga en cuenta: si NO “OPTA” para recibir notificaciones de texto, NO recibirá notificaciones de texto. Solo recibirá llamadas telefónicas o correos electrónicos. Le recomendamos que haga su selección lo antes posible para garantizar una comunicación fluida y sin interrupciones.

Recordatorio de School Messenger (personal):

A partir del 20 de agosto de 2024, School Messenger ha reemplazado a Swift K12 como el sistema de notificación del distrito. Como siempre, puede recibir notificaciones importantes del distrito por correo electrónico, llamada telefónica o mensaje de texto.

NUEVO CON SM:

Debe “OPTAR” para recibir mensajes de texto a través de School Messenger. ¡Es fácil y rápido! ¡Por favor, ocúpese de ello de inmediato!

Cómo OPTAR para recibir mensajes de texto:

Envíe un mensaje de texto con la palabra “Y” al número: 67587 desde el número de teléfono que haya registrado en su Perfil de estudiante como contacto.

Recibirá un mensaje de texto que confirmará que se ha registrado para recibir notificaciones de texto: “Está registrado para recibir 4 notificaciones de SchoolMessenger. Responda STOP para cancelar, HELP para recibir ayuda”.

Tenga en cuenta: si NO “OPTA” para recibir notificaciones de texto, NO recibirá notificaciones de texto. Solo recibirás llamadas telefónicas o correos electrónicos. Te recomendamos que hagas tu selección lo antes posible para garantizar una comunicación fluida y sin interrupciones.

Comidas gratis - Recordatorio -Todos los estudiantes, en el año escolar 2025-2026

Todos los estudiantes inscritos en el Distrito Escolar Central Monroe-Woodbury son elegibles para recibir un desayuno y almuerzo saludables en la escuela sin costo para su hogar todos los días del año escolar 2025-2026.

Todos los estudiantes podrán participar en estos programas de comidas el primer día de clases sin tener que pagar una tarifa o presentar una solicitud. Todas las escuelas ofrecen un programa de desayuno para los estudiantes al ingresar a la escuela y un programa de almuerzo para los estudiantes en la cafetería.

Los programas de comidas escolares ofrecen desayunos y almuerzos que cumplen con estrictos estándares federales de nutrición, están alineados con las Pautas dietéticas para estadounidenses y se planifican teniendo en cuenta las preferencias de los estudiantes. Si traen comida de casa, los estudiantes pueden agregarla a su almuerzo traído a casa sin costo alguno eligiendo al menos tres de los cinco artículos ofrecidos (por ejemplo, leche baja en grasa, proteínas, cereales integrales, verduras y frutas), uno de los cuales debe ser una verdura o una fruta. Invitamos a los estudiantes a mostrar su apoyo al programa de servicio de alimentos de su escuela mediante la participación.

Ver mensaje para familias sobre el año escolar 2025-26 (en espanol)

NYS Distraction-free learning

The Distraction-Free Schools New York State law, which was passed as part of the 2026 state budget, aims to promote student mental health and student success by prohibiting student use of personal electronic devices from the time students arrive at school until dismissal. This law goes into effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

The law applies to students in grades UPK-12 and bans the use of smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds, wireless headphones, and other internet-enabled devices. School-issued devices are exempt and will continue to be an important instructional tool in the classroom.

At the Board of Education meeting on July 23, the Board approved the Students and Personal Electronic Devices Policy. This policy addresses how the law will be enforced in our schools, as well as exemptions and exceptions. Families may request an exemption under specific circumstances, such as for documented medical or disability reasons. If you believe your child qualifies for an exemption, please complete the online Exemption Request form. All requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the district's Exemption Review Committee. Submission of this form does not guarantee approval, but it is the first step in the review process.

For more information, visit our Distraction Free-Schools page.

Check out the demonstration video below for our building guidelines on how we are utilizing "Yondr" pouches for secure device storage during the school day.

In an effort to be fully transparent and keep all stakeholders informed, we want to clearly outline the consequences associated with this new policy. Please review our progressive discipline steps here:

YONDR

Damaged/Lost/Stolen Yondr Costs/Consequence(s)

Pouch 2: (Replacement #1) - No Cost + phone call home + device held for the day
Pouch 3: (Replacement #2) - $30 Fee + phone call home + device held daily until fee is paid

Yondr Vandalized Costs/Consequence(s)

Pouch 2: (Replacement #1) - No Cost + phone call home + device held for day + After-School Detention (Vandalism infraction)
Pouch 3: (Replacement #2) - $30 Fee + phone call home + device held daily until fee is paid + ISS 1 Day (Vandalism infraction)

No Pouch with a phone present upon on arrival

First Offense: Device held for day / Parent phone call
Second Offense: First offense consequence + Parent must pick up device
Third offense+: Second offense consequence + After-School Detention (Insubordination infraction)

Cell Phone During School Day - all offenses require a parent/guardian to pick up the device

First Offense: Parent phone call & Parent must pick up device
Second Offense: First offense consequence + After-School Detention (Insubordination infraction)
Third Offense+: First offense consequence + ISS 1 Day+ (Insubordination infraction)

**Device pick-up window for parents**

2:30pm - 5:00pm