Chester Union Free School District

10/13/2026

Fire Safety Week came to life at Chester Elementary School! Last Friday, our CES students enjoyed a special visit from our local firefighters, who brought their fire trucks and shared important lessons about fire safety and emergency preparedness! Students had the opportunity to learn firsthand from the heroes who help keep our community safe.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to our local firefighters and all first responders for their courage, dedication, and service to our community! We are grateful for all you do to protect, educate, and inspire our young learners!

10/09/2026

It Takes a Village! Last night’s Family Instructional Academy (FIA) brought our CUFSD community together for an evening of connection, collaboration, and support!

Families joined us for “It Takes a Village: Connecting Families to CUFSD Resources,” where they had the opportunity to connect with our dedicated PTA, PTSA, and SEPTSA representatives, learn about the many programs and resources available to support their children, and receive hands-on assistance navigating ParentSquare, ParentVUE, and Bound.

A special THANK YOU to Danielle MacFarlane and Elizabeth Johannes from our Food Services Department for providing families with delicious meals and an opportunity to learn more about our school food and nutrition program! Families experienced firsthand the nutritional value of the meals we serve and learned about the important role nutrition plays in supporting student health, wellness, and learning.

We also extend our appreciation to Kwalin Gonzalez from our Technology Team for providing technology support and helping families navigate our digital communication tools, and to Michael Doucette for introducing families to Bound, our athletic app, and helping them learn how to stay connected with Chester Academy athletics.

A heartfelt thank you to our PTA, PTSA, and SEPTSA representatives, who partnered with Mrs. Dayanara Garcia to coordinate this special event. Their collaboration, dedication, and shared commitment to supporting our families helped make this meaningful evening of connection, learning, and community engagement possible!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the evening a success! When our schools, families, and community partners come together, we build stronger connections and create more opportunities for our students to thrive.

Because it truly does take a village, and we are grateful to be part of one!

10/09/2026

A standing ovation for Chester Academy’s very own Joey Veltri and William Peterman, who have been selected to perform in the prestigious Area All-State Mixed Choir!

Earning this honor is no small feat! Joey and William were selected from a competitive pool of talented student musicians representing six counties. Their outstanding NYSSMA scores, including sight-reading and solo performance assessments, earned them a place among the region’s accomplished vocalists.

The two will represent Chester Academy at the Area All-State Festival on November 20–21, 2026! We couldn’t be prouder of their dedication, musical talent, and hard work. Congratulations, Joey and William! Keep making Chester proud!

10/09/2026

A little fairy-tale magic with a hilarious twist is coming to Chester Academy! The Chester Academy Drama Club is hard at work preparing for its fall production of The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon! Rehearsals are underway, and our talented cast is bringing familiar fairy-tale characters to life through line memorization, blocking, and plenty of theatrical fun. Get ready for a fast-paced comedy that puts a hilarious spin on classic Brothers Grimm fairy tales!

Mark your calendars! Join us on Friday, November 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM or Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 7:00 PM. We can't wait to share the laughter, creativity, and magic with our school and community. Come out and support our talented student performers!

10/07/2026

The Chester UFSD Board of Education will hold its meeting tonight, Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Chester Academy Auditorium. We invite our families and community members to join us!

Special Presentations:
• Jennifer Capicchioni — Nugent & Haeussler, PC
• Interscholastic Athletic Facility Update — LAN Associates, The LA Group & The Palombo Group

cufsd BOE Meeting

10/07/2026

🧡💙 CUFSD Family Instructional Academy is back! 💙🧡

Join us tomorrow, Thursday, October 8 at 6:30 PM in the Chester Academy Cafeteria for:

“It Takes a Village: Connecting Families to CUFSD Resources”

Meet the Groups, People & Programs Here to Support You! Families will have the opportunity to connect with PTA, PTSA, and SEPTSA, learn about resources, and get support navigating important communication tools:

ParentSquare – School & district communication
ParentVUE – Grades & student information
Bound – Athletics & events

And of course, refreshments and treats will be provided by Chester Academy Food Services!

Come connect. Come learn. Come be part of our village! We hope to see you there! RSVP on ParentSquare if you haven’t done so already. Feel free to reach out to Mrs. Dayanara Garcia if you have any questions. Children are welcomed.

10/05/2026

Our Varsity Wrestling Team put their strength to the test today at the Hudson Valley Plane Pull Competition, raising money and awareness in support of Breast Cancer Awareness! 💗

They competed alongside teams from across the Hudson Valley, and even got in on some Toilet Bowl Racing fun! Way to represent Chester with strength, teamwork, and heart!

09/29/2026

Learning Is in Full Swing in First Grade at CES!

Our first graders have already learned SO much in their first month of school, and they are showing us that learning can be meaningful, creative, and fun!

In Literacy: Students are learning to express themselves through memoir writing. They reflected on their own experiences and wrote their very own “My Short Moment Story,” using their words to capture a special moment from their lives.

In Mathematics: Our first graders are building their math thinking through collaborative math discourse! Students rolled dice, counted, stacked cups, and worked together to create and solve math sentences. Along the way, they practiced counting, representing numbers, explaining their thinking, and learning from one another.

From sharing their stories to explaining their mathematical thinking, our first graders are building strong foundations as readers, writers, mathematicians, and collaborators. We can't wait to see where their learning takes them next!

09/29/2026

Our Chester Academy students participated in Fearless! Hudson Valley’s “Chalk About Love” activity. In collaboration with Ms. Busigo, students used creativity and powerful words to help raise awareness about teen dating violence and promote healthy, respectful relationships.

During lunch and recess, students grabbed some sidewalk chalk and helped color our community with respect, kindness, and positive messages. From colorful artwork to messages of kindness, our students showed that their voices can make a difference.

We are proud of our students for using their creativity to spread an important message: Healthy relationships are built on respect, trust, kindness, and communication.