Cairo Fox-Feuer was reading in the hallway one day last year as Colleen Lynch was walking by.

“Without hesitation, she sat down at the desk next to me and asked me about the material I was reading,” the senior said of Red Hook High School’s assistant principal. “We ended up having a conversation for half an hour in which she inquired and helped me to synthesize and apply the material to her experience and our everyday life.”

Many students, up and down Red Hook’s hallways, have a similar story of the quiet awareness and support the assistant principal exudes each day. It’s one of many reasons why the School Administrators Association of New York State has announced Lynch as its 2026 New York State Secondary School Assistant Principal of the Year.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Warden called the award “a tremendous honor,” which recognizes Lynch’s “leadership, innovation, and deep commitment to students.”

The award is given annually to a middle or high school assistant principal who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, strengthened school culture, and ensured high-quality educational opportunities for all students.

Weeks into its first winter since adding electric school buses to its fleet, the Red Hook Central School District Transportation Department has been pleased with how its new vehicles have performed, keeping students comfortable even on the coldest northern Dutchess mornings.

The two electric vehicles are on the roads regularly, and the department has been working with outside experts to maximize their usage. 

“The heating systems have been functioning well, even during snowy conditions,” Director of Transportation Anthony Curcio said. 

The district is eagerly anticipating the arrival of four more electric buses, each acquired for just $13,000 after New York State Energy Research and Development Authority grants and reimbursement incentive programs through the state Education Department; combined, the six buses cost the district roughly $75,000. 

The first bus, EV145, went into service on Earth Day last year, April 22, with EV146 following soon after. Their performance even now in winter, Curcio said, has proven the district can continue the transition to electric vehicles without reason for concern. The four incoming buses will also have an even larger battery capacity, he said. 

“It’s a learning curve,” Curcio said. “Every day we run them we learn something new.” 

Registration for Mill Road Elementary School's pre-kindergarten for the 2026-27 school year is open.

Any student who is registered with all documents submitted before March 1 is guaranteed a seat in the program.

Students registered after March 1 will be placed on a wait list and will be given a seat in the program in the order in which registration was completed until all classes are full.

Principal Dr. Brian Boyd and Assistant Principal Mrs. Kristen Strothmann will be hosting a brief informational session in the Mill Road PK-2 cafeteria 4 p.m. Jan. 29 to review the pre-K program and clarify steps to register.

"We are thrilled to have expanded our pre-K program last year,” Boyd said. “These early years are absolutely foundational to a child's educational journey, and we're proud to provide more families in our community with access to high-quality early learning experiences that set students up for success."

The free, full-day program runs five days a week and operates on the district's calendar. Our curriculum-based program blends play, socialization and structured learning, and aligns with state standards for pre-K instruction.

Students must turn 4 years old by Dec. 1 of the enrollment year to be eligible.

For more information, visit https://mres.redhookcentralschools.org/enroll-in-pre-K

The Red Hook Central School District community on Jan. 9 celebrated the completion of the Jack Lewis Memorial Gymnasium renovation project with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Red Hook High School.

Before the Raiders boys basketball team hosted Saugerties, a contingent of district and school leaders, members of Jack Lewis’ family, members of the Raiders Sports Club and boys basketball players took center court. The group included Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Operations Dr. Erin Hayes; Facilities and Operations Director Scott Rajczi; Principal Dr. Kyle Roddey; Board of Education President Kelly Borrelle, Vice President Erin Misasi and Clerk Heather Paschal; and others.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Warden and Athletic Director Tom Cassata offered comments before senior Colby Benassutti cut the ribbon with oversized scissors.

Cassata called the renovation project “a dream of mine since I started here.” The gymnasium’s floor and bleachers were original to the school’s opening more than 60 years ago; the floor has been repaired numerous times over the years and the bleachers were out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project, approved by residents in a special vote in October 2024, cost roughly $825,000. It included a new floor, new bleachers and new paint for the room. A knee wall, where formerly there was a stage, was also removed and a new student section sponsored by the Sports Club now stands in its place.

Linden Avenue Middle School’s outgoing eighth-grade class took an important step toward becoming Red Hook High School’s incoming freshman class Friday.

The students took a trip down the sidewalk to the high school Friday morning for a transition session in which they ultimately made preliminary selections for their elective classes and academic tracks next year.

The students heard from Principal Dr. Kyle Roddey, members of the Student Services staff, and several teachers from such departments as English, music, technology and social studies. Junior Tatiana Feiden also spoke about the benefits and support offered by the Mentoring Club, which eases the transition to high school.

Throughout, Roddey stressed the importance of building skills and making full use of the high school’s offerings.

“Every day, there’s new technology breakthroughs. The world is changing. Jobs that have been steady, consistent jobs for 100 years are vanishing, like that,” Roddey said. “You all need to be thinking like, ‘What skills do I need to be successful?’ … The great thing is, in this building, you get access to so many different opportunities, whether through clubs, classes, all sorts of experiences. Each and every one of you can graduate in four-and-a-half years with a tremendous skillset.”

Near the outset, School Counselor Nicole Schmidt walked the students through the minimum requirements to graduate so they had a better understanding of where in their schedules they have options to customize their learning experience through options for fulfilling requirements, electives and specialized graduation pathways.

While the presentation did not go into depth on every program and elective offered – students were handed informational packets to read about each – the high school staff connected the dots of which classes freshman year can lead to which specialized classes as a junior and senior.

In addition to the many options in traditional subjects like English, Roddey and the teachers discussed several unique programs in theater, computer science and hands-on technology, including the planned additional courses coming next year in cybersecurity and a CTE pathway in welding.

“We offer so many things here that other small schools just don’t do,” Roddey said. “The options that you have aren’t ones that other kids at other schools our size have.

“When I talk about getting skills and strengthening all the things you offer to the world and making yourself more marketable, or just being able to create beautiful art or fix something around the house, which a lot of adults struggle with,” he said. “I don’t want any of you to look back in 5, 10, 15 years and say ‘I wish I left high school having taken advantage of more opportunities.’”

Red Hook High School staff and students spent time in early December explaining how the International Baccalaureate diploma program works to the Class of 2028 members and families.

IB Coordinator Diana Decker, with the help of 10 full IB diploma candidates, held a parent and student meeting at the school Tuesday night, and student-only informational sessions during lunch periods Thursday.

The school this year expects a record number of Class of 2026 members to graduate with a full IB diploma; 35 students are on pace to do so in the spring and another 35 juniors are on that path for 2026-27. 

Decker walked parents and guardians through the requirements of an IB diploma, the differences between the IB approach and traditional high school courses, the “DP Core” components and the benefits of joining the program. The “DP Core” is a trio of requirements outside of traditional academic subjects, which include the Theory of Knowledge course; “Creativity, Activity and Service,” which encourages students to connect the IB way of thinking to involvement in extracurricular activities and community service, including a service project; and an “extended essay” on a topic of the students’ choosing.

Decker called the core “the really cool part” of IB. “It’s really aimed to broaden your experience outside of the classroom. It helps you make connections between the classes that you’re studying and then also gives you an opportunity to think about who you are as a whole person and the kinds of things that you do outside of school.”