Congratulations to the Class of 2010

Twenty-five high school seniors graduated on Wednesday, February 3, from Middletown High School in a ceremony held in the school's theater. Congratulations to all graduates and their families. To view a list of 2010 graduates and photos, click here.

Free income tax services available

Thanks to the combined efforts of the United Way of Orange County, the Hudson Valley CASH Coalition, 2-1-1, and Middletown High School, free tax services will be available for qualifying Orange County residents this February and March. Interested residents should call 2-1-1 to schedule an appointment. Please note, a Community Day will be held on February 27, where no appointment will be necessary.

Middies boys’ basketball team undefeated

The Middletown varsity boys’ basketball team is on its way to its first undefeated regular season in school history.

Off to a 13-0 start, the team has no shortage of talent this season. From go-to players Nick Smith and Rob Hueston to defensive stoppers Mike Smith and Phil Medero, the Middies are showing a big turnaround from last year—they won just three games in 2008-09. Click here to read more.

Leadership Institute teaches students about legislative process

Five Middletown High School students were recently honored for their participation in the Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute—a statewide program to educate students on New York State's legislative process. They include: Jennifer Rodriguez, Marelim Tlacoapa, Stephania Hernandez, Kevin Jimenez, and Juan Soriano. Click here to read more.

High schoolers compete in Poetry Recitation Contest

The words of Edgar Allan Poe, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, and Maya Angelou, among others, were heard Wednesday night as more than 25 Middletown High School students participated in the third annual Poetry Out Loud Contest. Twelfth-grader Sadie Isseks was named the winner, followed by second-and third-place finishers Laura Griffin and Leannette McPhatter, also seniors at the school. Click here to read more.

High schoolers make the grade

Middletown High School recently recognized students for making the High Honor Roll and Honor Roll for the first quarter. Click here to view students that made the grade!

Don't be caught out in the cold! Tune in for closings and delays

With winter weather underway, it's important to know where to tune in for school closings and delays. Parents are encouraged to log on to the district Web site and tune in to Channel 20, and local radio and television stations listed here.

Students selected to perform at Carnegie Hall

Middletown High School juniors Jack Rifkin and John D' Alessandro will participate in the 2010 American High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. The duo will head to New York City from June 23-27 to perform on the CBS Early Show and at Carnegie Hall as part of the Honors Chorus. Click here to read more.   

Drug sweep conducted at school

Middletown High School was the site of a drug sweep on Tuesday, December 8. The sweep, which was conducted randomly in an ongoing effort to keep Middletown school buildings drug-free, turned up a small amount of marijuana. The discovery was the first at the school—in searches past, no drugs were found.

According to Ken Haverlan, director of security, health, and safety, 11 K-9 police units from Middletown and the surrounding areas searched all lockers and public areas of the high school while it remained on lock-down/lock-out mode. K-9 units hit on two lockers, however only one locker contained drugs.

According to school officials, appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken. In addition, the City of Middletown Police Department is currently investigating the matter.

The District has conducted random drug searches since 2005 at the high school.

District launches SchoolMessenger

Keeping students, parents, and the community informed isn't just important—it’s a priority in Middletown. As a result, the district has launched SchoolMessenger—a notification system that delivers voice, e-mail, and SMS messages to users on matters such as attendance, events, and district emergencies. To read more about the service and learn how to create a SchoolMessenger account, click here.

What's new with the flu?

With health officials expecting the seasonal flu and H1N1 virus to impact schools and communities, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued recommendations and precautions parents can take to help their child from contacting the seasonal flu and H1N1 virus. Click here to read more.

Students and staff serve up Thanksgiving meal for those in need

For Thanksgiving, more than 100 Middletown students, staff, and volunteers served up turkey and all the trimmings to those in need during the district's second annual Thanksgiving Day Brunch held at Middletown High School. Click here to read more.

Chess team takes second place at competition

Middletown High School's chess team placed second overall at Kingston's annual chess tournament held during the weekend of November 21. The team, which competed against 25 other high schools from across the state, also had members place second, third, and fourth at the competition. Congratulations to: Angelo Ariza, Melissa Barajas, Laura Cabrera, Paulina Cabrera, Richard Cibu, Javier Diaz, Joel Diaz, Oswaldo Espinosa, Daniel Garcia, Yuridia Hernandez, Gustavo Ibarra, Abisai Jimenez, Wilfredo Jimenez, Andrea Leon Maria, Raul Martinez, Silvestre Martinez, Rodolfo Nieto, David Ramos, Jorge Mario Restrepo, Laura Rodriguez, Samuel Rodriguez, Arturo Vazquez, Carlos Vazquez, and Walter Zhunio. To read more about Middletown's chess team click here.

 Helping kids navigate the college application process
College Planner and Scholarship Guide online!

Selecting a college to attend after high school is one of the most important decisions many teenagers will ever make. To help make the journey from high school to college a bit easier, the guidance department and the College and Career Center offer various programs and publications to help students choose which school is right for them. Click here to read more.

High schoolers selected to All-County Chorus & Band

Nineteen Middletown High School students have been selected to take part in the 2010 Orange County Music Educators' Association's High School All-County Chorus and Band. They include:

Jessica Markman-Soprano
Leslie Tucker-Soprano
Jordan Wilkinson-Soprano
Chloe DeRocker-Alto
Angelica Marrero-Alto
Macia Pickett-Alto
Matthew Baez-Tenor
Martin Briones-Tenor
Davon Clarke-Tenor
John D'Alessandro-Tenor
Kambreyll McCoy-Tenor
Jack Rifkin-Tenor
Jeremy Torres-Tenor
Carlos Anchundia Bass
Trevor Coleman-Bass
Jared Keller-Bass
Mario Morales-Bass
Kevin Randolph-Bass
David Spencer-Euphonium (Band)

Academies hold annual Internship Provider's Dinner

Academy of Finance (AOF) and Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) students are gaining valuable real-world work experience thanks to the Academies’ Internship Program, which grants students paid internships in the fields of finance and information technology.

As a thank you to those businesses that provided student internships this past summer, the Academies held an Internship Provider’s Dinner on Thursday, October 29, where the following internship providers were recognized: Affinity Advantage, Allstate Insurance, Boys and Girls Club, Crystal Run Village, First Rate Exterminators, McDonalds, the Middletown Board of Education, Middletown Cares, Orange Regional Medical Center, Our Kids Day Camp, Provident Bank, Shop Rite, SUNY Orange, Target, Town of Wallkill and Westar Plumbing.

Since 1997, more than 300 AOF and AOIT students have been placed in paid internships— earning more than $650,000.  

Students Band Against Drugs 

In an effort to promote Ribbon Week, held October 23-31, and encourage students to participate in drug-and-alcohol-free activities, Middletown High School  held its second annual Band Against Drugs Concert. The concert, held Friday, October 23, featured live musical performances from Middletown students and staff members, ranging from rock to classical to pop music.

Students participating in the event included: Stephanie Grant, Krystal Coleman, Justin Luchesse, Umberto Napoletano, Eric Roberts, Justin Luchesse, Jack Rifken, Tim Fitzgerald, Michael Zeffiro, Chelsey Samoila, John D’Alessandro, and Jeremy Torress.

Professionals inspire high schoolers

On Friday, October 9, Middletown High School celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by inviting Hispanic professionals from the community to speak to students about their careers.

From Board of Education member and banker Mr. Edwin Estrada to Mr. Baerga, a retired pharmacist, to Ms. Nancy Curasi, a real estate agent, to Sergeant Kevin Reyes and Officer Steve Mercado, to Dr. Juan Lopes, a retired superintendent and the Regional Director for UCLA Management, students were all ears as professionals spoke about the importance of education and their selected career paths.

Parade kicks off fall sports season

Student-athletes, club members, administrators and Board of Education members, along with the Middletown community, gathered for an evening of celebration on Friday, September 25, to kick-off the fall 2009 sports season. Click here to read more and view photos.