We are proud to announce Max Paul as Valedictorian and Siddharth Nair as Salutatorian for the Yorktown High School Class of 2026. Please join us in celebrating these two exceptional students and their remarkable achievements.

Max Paul, Valedictorian

What are your academic plans for next year?

In college, I plan on majoring in pre-med or biology, in order to fulfill my life-long ambition of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. 

What are your favorite subjects and what do you enjoy most about them?

Throughout high school, I’ve enjoyed most classes, but, without a doubt, my favorite classes have been AP U.S. History and all my science courses; regarding APUSH, I found learning about all the intricacies of American history to be extremely fascinating, and I greatly enjoyed all the interesting, funny conversations. As for the science classes, I especially enjoyed the labs, which enabled me to learn the content while also having fun with my friends.

What extracurricular activities have you been involved in?

In terms of sports, I’m a member of the Yorktown High School tennis team. In school, I’m the co-president of the National Honor Society and a member of the Science Olympiad team, Math Honor Society, Social Studies Honor Society, National Science Honor Society, and the Big Buddy Program.

Which accomplishments are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of being a part of the undefeated league-champion tennis team and the Science Olympiad team, which, over the course of the last three years, has won the regional competition twice and qualified for the state competition three years in a row.

Who or what has inspired/motivated you the most in your education?

All of my teachers have inspired me to continue striving to further my education, both in the classroom and outside of school, something I’m extremely thankful for. Additionally, I would like to thank my family and friends for continually supporting and motivating me throughout this process.

What is your favorite memory at Yorktown CSD?

During elementary school, my favorite school memory was playing football with my friends during recess, whereas, during high school, it was either the Science Olympiad field trip to the State Competition or attending football games with my friends.

Siddharth Nair, Salutatorian

What are your academic plans for next year?

In college, I’m excited to pursue electrical engineering and computer science, especially the dynamic between artificial intelligence systems and the hardware and resource requirements necessary to support them. I also look forward to continuing my CS+Environmentalism research, which I have been pursuing for two years thus far.

What are your favorite subjects and what do you enjoy most about them?

Generally, mathematics is the highlight of my school days (between periods 1 and 8) because it provides a space, isolated from my other troubles, where I can just sit down and lock in and tackle each problem one by one. Additionally, I love helping others, and I get to do a lot of that in math classes! This year, my physics class comes close to being more enjoyable than my math class, simply because at the moment it has more interesting math. But math will always be my common denominator (hah get it).

What extracurricular activities have you been involved in?

I lead a handful of clubs at YHS: Robotics, Science Olympiad, Math Honor Society, and Tri-M. (listed in descending order of enjoyment) (just kidding). Plus, I am very involved with music. I play in almost every orchestra in YHS, and some that are outside of YHS, as a violinist; and I play piano for the Jazz Band, and for myself. Outside of school, I volunteer through tutoring — you guessed it — math.

Which accomplishments are you most proud of?

Honestly, I am most proud of finishing my AP U.S. History DBQ on time. On a more potent note, I’m very proud of my research: I think it has a lot of potential to do great things for this community and others, and I’m excited to see where I can take it.

Who or what has inspired/motivated you the most in your education?

Mrs. Cavallo!! She was my fifth-grade teacher (now she is a sixth-grade English teacher at the middle school), and an absolutely phenomenal teacher and person. My love for reading was kickstarted in her classroom, with so many good books and series (Giver! Alex Rider!) She also had a bunch of fun twists and turns for every subject she taught, whether it was math or esperanza rising, that made EVERY DAY in fifth grade enjoyable. Mrs. Cavallo, if you’re reading this, I honestly can’t thank you enough for that and I know you’ll continue inspiring kids the way you inspired me seven years ago.

What is your favorite memory at Yorktown CSD?

Apart from the entirety of fifth grade, and probably the entirety of high school, one specific memory I have actually happened this year. It involved the back room in science research, three other seniors, an atrocious home experiment presentation, and a completely clueless sophomore. I won’t name names. Probably the funniest thing I’ve experienced.

The Yorktown Central School District is proud to announce the successful completion of its annual financial audit for the 2024-2025 school year.  The outcome was an unqualified, or “clean,” opinion for both the basic financial statements and the extra classroom activities report, representing the highest level of assurance and confirming the accuracy of the District’s financial statements. 

The auditors once again acknowledged that no areas of improvement were identified, citing the District's strong internal control systems and meticulous accounting of taxpayer dollars. The Business Office, led by Assistant Superintendent Lisa Sanfilippo, received commendations for its excellence in monitoring and maintaining sound financial practices.

Thank you to our dedicated Business Office and the Audit Committee for their hard work and commitment, ensuring the District’s continued financial integrity.

The audit reports are available on the District's website: https://sites.google.com/yorktown.org/businessdept/audits

The Yorktown Central School District extends its heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Jackie Carbone, who attended her final meeting on October 6 after 20 years of dedicated service on the Board of Education.

Elected in 2006 during a time of significant turnover in both administration and board leadership, Jackie quickly became a steadying presence. She served as board president for 18 consecutive years, providing the stability and direction that helped guide Yorktown through two decades of consistent growth and progress.

One of her first major actions as a trustee was leading the search for a new superintendent, resulting in the hiring of Dr. Ralph Napolitano, who would go on to become the longest tenured superintendent in district history. Dr. Ron Hattar, who has served as superintendent for the past nine years, credited Jackie’s leadership as being instrumental in “righting the ship.”

Dr. Napolitano returned for Jackie’s final meeting to recognize her contributions, describing her as “extremely bright, highly motivated, and a non-stop worker. She loved children and she saw the board’s responsibility to serve every single child. She had a moral compass, but more importantly, a moral fiber.”

As both board president and a longtime member of the District’s Steering Committee, Jackie played a key role in two successful capital bond initiatives and oversaw numerous projects that have strengthened Yorktown’s schools. Throughout her two decades of service, she missed just one meeting — a reflection of her deep commitment to the district and its students.

“I don’t think I realized how much I love this district until I decided to step away from it,” she said. “I really do love this district.”

Pictured: Dr. Ralph Napolitano (Superintendent of Schools, 2007-2017), Jackie Carbone (BOE Trustee, 2006-2025), and Superintendent Dr. Ron Hattar

We are proud to announce that five Yorktown High School seniors — Akhil Bollimpalli, Jashvi Desai, Jack Falk, Siddharth Nair, and Connor Ropke — have been named semifinalists in the prestigious 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program!

This honor places them among the top 1% of high school seniors nationwide. Out of more than 1.3 million juniors who took the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT, only about 16,000 students earned this distinction.

Semifinalists now move forward in the competition for nearly $26 million in scholarships that will be awarded in the spring. About 95% are expected to advance to Finalist standing, with roughly half earning the title of National Merit Scholar.

Congratulations, Akhil, Jashvi, Jack, Siddharth, and Connor!

A student-driven project is making a world of difference for student drivers.

Downing Park’s commuter lot, better known by students and staff as the “C Lot,” was paved this summer thanks in part to the efforts of the newly formed Superintendent's Student Council.

Created in fall 2024 by Superintendent Ron Hattar, the middle school and high school councils were designed to amplify student voices and take on meaningful projects. At the high school, 16 student representatives focused on the C Lot, which is owned by the Town of Yorktown and operated by YCSD during school hours. The council raised concerns that uneven pavement and missing striping created safety issues for upperclassmen who park there.

“We unanimously agreed that paving the C Lot would benefit the student body not only today, but for many years to come,” said senior Patrick Reardon, a member of the Superintendent’s Student Council.

Senior Lauren Tamburelli added, “Since it was something that directly affects so many students, we felt it was important to take on. It was a necessary capital improvement, and we saw it as an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on student safety and daily life."

With the help of Dr. Hattar, the students secured a meeting with Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman and Highway Superintendent Dave Paganelli. During the discussion, students advocated for paving both the upper and lower levels of the lot, as well as the entry ramp. The town agreed to move forward, with paving completed in August. The lot was also striped with spaces and directional arrows.

“The students made such articulate, passionate cases for paving the C Lot, and we’re so grateful to the town supervisor and highway superintendent for not only hearing the perspective and concerns of our students, but agreeing to pave the C Lot at the town’s expense,” said Dr. Hattar. “The students are incredibly happy and proud that they were able to influence such an important change in our community. This was student-driven, and we really respect our students for advocating for something they believe in.”

For council members, the payoff went beyond a smoother parking lot. They said the project created a safer environment for student drivers and gave them a sense of accomplishment in leaving behind a lasting improvement.

“It felt unreal driving in the C Lot for the first time since the paving,” said senior Gillian Grabowski. “It was so rewarding to see that we made this happen. It only started as an idea that we brought up in our meetings, but we took the steps to get this done. It's also been so gratifying to hear other students' reactions and the way it has brought everyone together to celebrate. It was wonderful to see the school administration and town officials come together, listen to students, and find a solution.”

Paving the C Lot was the council’s most visible achievement, but it was only one of several goals the students identified. Both the middle school and high school councils will resume their work in the 2025-26 school year, continuing to tackle projects and issues identified by students.

Innovation is thriving in the Yorktown Central School District!

Our Innovation Grants (iGrants) program was recently named a 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 by Character.org, a national organization that honors effective initiatives promoting character development in schools.

Launched in the 2023-24 school year, iGrants give our faculty and staff the chance to pitch their own ideas and receive funding for curriculum-driven projects that promote critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.

Since then, iGrants have helped students run their own coffee cart, work with service dogs to build social-emotional skills, create and market food-truck concepts, design Disney-style attractions, and produce broadcasts using a professional green screen. Other projects have included a forensic science and genetics lab investigation in middle school, an elementary school garden, flexible seating at the high school, special glasses for all students to view the solar eclipse, and a playground communication board for non-verbal students.

We can’t wait to see what amazing ideas our teachers will come up with in the 2025-26 school year!

“The ASL program has taught me things I didn’t even know I wanted to learn about,” said rising eighth grader Joselyn Perl. “It has exceeded my expectations in many ways.”

Yorktown Central School District’s new American Sign Language (ASL) course wrapped up its first year with strong student engagement and growing excitement. Introduced last fall at both the middle and high school levels, the program is already set to expand in 2025–26 to offer more classes and reach more students.

Taught by Ms. Molly Dineen-Carey, the course covers the fundamentals of ASL — grammar, vocabulary, and conversational signing — while also exploring the culture and experiences of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Classmate Aislinn Downes added, “By learning ASL, students can connect with deaf and hard-of-hearing peers, which helps everyone feel seen and valued. It also encourages respect for Deaf culture and can even lead to future career opportunities. Overall, ASL builds a more inclusive, respectful, and connected school environment.”

A highlight of the year was a collaborative event in May with Ossining students, featuring immersive ASL activities and a panel discussion with members of the Deaf community. The event gave students a chance to apply their learning in a real-world setting.

“The panelists were the first Deaf people I’ve met,” said rising eighth grader Allison Xiao. “It was an amazing experience to see professionals come together and share real-life perspectives.”

“The ability to learn ASL and speak to Deaf people has been such a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” added classmate Olivia Rodman. “I’m so happy I got to be part of the program in its first year.”

For many students, the course sparked a lasting appreciation not only for the language, but for the people who use it.

“Each person’s signing reflects their experience, personality, and thoughtfulness, which makes ASL truly unique,” said rising eighth grader Sophia Daskaleas. “I wanted to experience a fun subject full of learning, and this program went beyond my expectations, even helping me in other subjects like English and Social Studies.”

Students are already looking ahead to September, eager to continue their studies, expand their vocabulary, and deepen their understanding of Deaf culture.