Pelham School District

06/05/2026

🎶 Bravo to our Middle School Musicians! 🎻🥁🎤

We are incredibly proud of our talented middle school band, chorus, and orchestra students for putting on such outstanding spring performances this past May!

These annual concerts are always a highlight of the school year—a wonderful opportunity for our student musicians to showcase their hard work, dedication, and artistic growth. Needless to say, they absolutely delighted our audiences of proud family members, friends, and community members! 👏✨

A huge, heartfelt thank you goes out to our phenomenal directors for guiding our students every step of the way:
🎵 Maria Abeshouse (Chorus)
🎵 Raffi Froundjian (Orchestra)
🎵 Andrew Van Bochove (Band)

📸 Want to relive the magic? Head over to the Middle School website to view the full photo gallery from the performances: https://pms.pelhamschools.org/our-school/ms-news/2026-spring-concerts

06/04/2026

✨ Celebrating Culture, Community, and Talent! ✨

Our middle and high school students experienced an incredible celebration of culture on May 21, thanks to a fantastic collaboration between the Mandarin Program and the PMHS Asian Club! In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, our school community came together for two spectacular cultural arts performances.

🎭 The Highlights:
Students were mesmerized by a traditional, high-energy Sichuan Face-Changing performance!

Our own talented students took the stage, showcasing beautiful traditional and contemporary singing, dance, and instrumental acts.
The energy in the room was absolutely electric! ⚡ Our students loved seeing different Asian cultures proudly represented on stage.

Beyond the amazing entertainment, the event fostered a deep sense of community and belonging, with many students already asking how they can get involved in the next event!

🙌 A Massive Thank You! This meaningful experience wouldn't have been possible without the incredible generosity of the Pelham Education Foundation (PEF). Thank you, PEF, for sponsoring this program and continuously enriching our students' education!

Take a look at some moments from the day! 👇📸

06/02/2026

📱✨ Keeping Our Kids Safe Online: Actionable Tips for Pelham Families! ✨📱

In a world where technology is always changing, staying ahead of digital safety can feel overwhelming. Earlier this year, Pelham parents and staff came together for an incredibly eye-opening "We Are Pelham" parent education session with digital parenting expert Sarah Gallagher Trombley (founder of Digital Mom Media and former Snapchat executive).

Whether your kids are playing video games, texting in group chats, or asking for their first social media accounts, Sarah shared realistic, actionable advice for K-12 families.

Here are a few powerful takeaways from the presentation:
🔹 The "Open and Notorious" Texting Policy: Keep device use out of bedrooms! Sarah recommends requiring all texting and gaming to happen in shared, public spaces at home so parents can easily pop in.

🔹 Start Social Media Slowly: Thinking about letting your child try an app? Download it on your phone first. Watch how notifications come in and see what features they care about before moving it to their own device.

🔹 Beware of "Hidden" Chats: Cyberbullying frequently happens in elementary school group chats, and online in-game chats (like in Roblox or Fortnite) leave kids highly vulnerable.

🔹Remember the Opportunity Cost: When kids get wrapped up in screens, they miss out on real-world experiences—being outside, nature, and face-to-face friendships.

Building digital safety isn't about banning technology entirely; it's about setting boundaries, using the right parental controls, and navigating it together.

👇 Want to watch the full presentation and get Sarah's specific third-party app recommendations? Click the link below to watch the video and read the full recap on the district website!

🔗 https://www.pelhamschools.org/district/about/district-news/pps-news-story/~board/district-news/post/sarah-trombley-gives-tips-on-safe-texting-as-part-of-we-are-pelham-education-series

06/01/2026

🥍 CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND! Let’s go, Pelicans! 🥍

Big congratulations to the PMHS Varsity Girls Lacrosse team for reaching the Section 1 Class C Championship Game! 🏆

They are taking on Rye High School, and we need a sea of Pelham pride in the stands to cheer them on to victory!
Here is everything you need to know for tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2:

🎓 4:30 PM | College Athletics Signing Day
Come celebrate our incredible student-athletes as they commit to playing at the next level! 📍 Where: Pelham Middle School Gym

🎉 Lacrosse Community Send-Off!
Immediately following the signing ceremony, we’ll wish the Varsity Lacrosse team good luck as they board the bus!

🥍 7:00 PM | THE MAIN EVENT: Section 1 Class C Championship
📍 Where: Nyack High School 🎟️ Pack the stands, wear your Pelham blue and gold, and let’s bring that championship trophy home!

Let’s show the section what Pelham pride looks like! See you there, families! 💙💛

Go Pelicans! 🦅

05/29/2026

Big news for our Pelham family! 🏆 🌟

Earlier this year, two of our very own Pelham Middle School 8th graders, Michael D’Amico and Norah Eappen, were honored for their incredible writing and empathy in the Lifting Up Westchester annual essay competition!

This wasn’t just any writing prompt. Students were challenged to dive deep into local issues like housing, food insecurity, and youth development, then propose innovative ways to build stronger emotional connections within those programs.

The Winning Ideas:

Norah (3rd Place): Focused on the power of building bridges through both sports and academics. ⚽️📚

Michael (2nd Place): Wrote about a "Big Brothers/Big Sisters" initiative, wisely noting: “If kids have strong relationships with adults, their trauma can be fixed.” ❤️

We are so proud of these students for using their voices to brainstorm real-world solutions for our community.

05/28/2026

Tree Planting & Local History at Prospect Hill!

To commemorate Arbor Day 🌳, Prospect Hill students from all grades headed outside for a special ceremony commemorating the Battle of Pelham. The students gathered near the plaque commemorating the Revolutionary War battle ⚔️ as members of the student government recounted facts from that day.

Then, the students helped plant a Baldwin Apple Tree 🍎 in honor of Colonel Loammi Baldwin, who commanded one of the Continental regiments alongside Colonel John Glover during the battle.

Special thank you to Town Historian Art Scinta for securing the tree as well as our teachers and PTA volunteers! 🙌

05/27/2026

✨ Lived History at Pelham Middle School ✨

Earlier this year, our 8th graders had the profound honor of meeting Hanne Holsten, a Holocaust survivor who witnessed Kristallnacht at just 8 years old. 🕊️

Bringing history off the page and into our classrooms, Ms. Holsten’s visit provided an invaluable perspective to our students as they study the Holocaust and read Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night. We are so grateful to Ms. Holsten for her courage in sharing her story of survival, sparking deep discussions, and inspiring our students to lead with empathy and kindness.

Let’s continue to work together to make the world a better place. 🌍💙

📖 Read the full story here: https://pms.pelhamschools.org/our-school/ms-news/news-story/~board/pelham-ms-news/post/holocaust-survivor-recounts-history-with-ms-8th-graders

Middle School students were visited by Hanne Holsten earlier this year.

05/21/2026

🏆 ICYMI: We Have a National Teacher of the Year at Prospect Hill!

In case you missed the big news, our very own Nicholas D’Ambroso, Physical Education Teacher at Prospect Hill Elementary, has been named the 2026 National Elementary School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America! 🌟

Being chosen as the top P.E. educator in the entire country is a monumental achievement. After winning at the state level (NYSAHPERD), Mr. D’Ambroso stood out on the national stage for his mastery, heart, and his famous promise to the community: "Whatever you need."

"Nicholas is one of those teachers you wish every child got to have in his or her life." — Stephanie A. Morris, CEO of SHAPE America.

From fostering confidence and kindness in the gym to mentoring the next generation of teachers, Mr. D’Ambroso embodies the excellence of . While he calls this a "team award" for our incredible PE department, we know his individual impact on our students is second to none.

Read more about Nick’s journey from Prospect Hill to the national stage on our website!

🔗 https://www.pelhamschools.org/district/about/district-news/pps-news-story/~board/district-news/post/prospect-hills-nick-dambroso-wins-national-pe-teacher-of-the-year

05/20/2026

🦁 From the Classroom to the Wild! 🦓

Middle School students in Mrs. Kitay's just took science to a whole new level! After diving deep into our unit on ecosystems and habitats, the students headed to the Bronx Zoo for a hands-on, real-life learning adventure. 🌿✨

Throughout the day, our young explorers:

🦒Investigated diverse animal habitats up close.
💧Observed how different environments provide the essential resources animals need to survive.
🌏Connected classroom theories to the real world by discussing the complex factors that keep an ecosystem thriving.

A Special Guest Appearance! 🎓

The day was made even more meaningful as our very own Principal Ms. Sabia joined the class for one of her final field trips of the 2026 school year. The students were absolutely thrilled to share their discoveries and laughs with her!

It wasn't just a trip; it was a day of making memories that will last a lifetime. Check out some highlights from our wild day below! 👇

05/19/2026

📣 Kids Vote Now Open! 🗳️✨

Calling all our K-5 leaders and change-makers! It is officially time to head to the Middle School front lobby for the annual Kids Vote.

We’ve got four big contenders on the ballot this year, but only ONE can win. Which school-wide celebration will earn your vote? 🏆

🎮 Game Day
🏃‍♂️ Extra Recess
👔 Dress Like a Grown-up Day
😴 Pajama Day

The Details:
📍 Where: Middle School Front Lobby
🕒 Deadline: Polls close tonight at 8:00 PM sharp!

Polls will continue to be open in the Middle School Gym for registered voters to cast ballots on the Proposed 2026-27 School Budget and elect two candidates to three-year terms on the Board of Education until 9pm!