Red Hook Central School District

Red Hook High School is going to celebrate the end of the 2025-26 school year together on Wednesday, with the help of our supportive community.
All students and staff from the school are invited to take part in a year-end barbecue at the Town of Red Hook Recreational Park from 11:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. All areas of the rec park, with the exception of the pool area, will be open to attendees, only. Here’s what to know:

Entertainment:
The event will have two massive bouncy-house obstacle courses thanks to the generosity of the Red Hook Education Foundation, in addition to numerous games and other field day activities set up for students to enjoy. The Student Council is coordinating additional activities.
Yearbooks will be distributed and current 11th grade students will be able to sign up for their senior parking spots.

Food:
The district will be cooking hot dogs and burgers for all students. Additionally, the Red Hook PTSA and the Raiders Sports Club are sponsoring three different food trucks and ice cream.
We could not be more grateful to the PTSA, Red Hook Education Foundation and Raiders Sports Club, as well as the many community members who donated to them in support of us, for helping make what will surely be an event for all to remember.

Seniors (graduates) driving:
Since our 12th graders are now considered graduates, they are allowed to drive to the rec park and can arrive anytime after 11:30 a.m. Seniors may leave the event prior to 2 p.m. but cannot return once they leave the event.

Transportation for all other students:
Students in grades 9, 10, and 11 may not drive to the rec park. These students must take buses from the high school to the event. Students should arrive to the high school by 11:25 a.m. to board buses and have their attendance taken.
Any students who require a later pick up based on morning testing will have access to a shuttle which can bring them from St. Christopher’s School to the rec park after morning testing. There will be a few later departures for students who have extended time.
A shuttle will be available to bring students from the rec park back to the school at 12:30 p.m., and 1 p.m., for any students who need to leave the event early. These families should ensure that their students have transportation home from the high school if they wish to leave early.
Students who wish to walk or ride their bikes to the rec park may do so, but only if they arrive with a note from a parent/guardian giving them permission. No students may ride e-bikes to the park, or to school.

This has been a most unexpected and unorthodox end to the school year, but our students and staff have handled it with professionalism, grace and understanding. We look forward to being able to thank them all with this end of the year party, and once again extend our deepest gratitude to the community for helping us make for a memorable end of the year.

Two days ago, Red Hook High School’s senior class wore red caps and gowns to celebrate graduating to the next big step in their lives.
On Monday, it was the members of Red Hook’s kindergarten class wearing the caps and gowns while doing the same.
Mill Road Elementary School honored its young learners moving up to the first grade at a pair of kindergarten ceremonies at the school.
Parents and family gathered to watch the kids walk, one-by-one, through a center aisle and take their spots on stage in the PK-2 cafetorium. The students performed “One Small Voice” by singing – and signing – the words. Later, music teacher Allison Budd led them through another song, “One Little Bud.”
“To see the growth you have made this year is nothing short of incredible,” Principal Dr. Brian Boyd, who led the ceremonies, said. “We are so proud of you.”
The student received a diploma from their teacher, with each student given an individual chance to hear their name called and walk across the stage before posing for a photo.
“You are ready,” Assistant Principal Kristen Strothmann told the students of moving up to first grade. “You are capable. You are smart. And, you are kind.”
Afterward, the junior graduates returned to their classrooms for refreshments with family and photo opportunities.

Red Hook High School’s FLEX class and BOCES PEAACE class students celebrated the end of the school year with a talent show Monday morning.
The students showed off a wide variety of skills, with some singing, others dancing and even playing the piano. Mari Ruiz Hernandez, one of a couple FLEX students who graduated Saturday, provided a speech on what her time in Red Hook has meant.
They were assisted by several schoolmates from the high school, as well, including senior Felix Wainwright, who served as emcee.
The students also had a pair of group performances, playing “Rainbow Connection” and singing and dancing to “We Will Rock You,” and “I love Rock and Roll.”
The talent show was originally planned to be held in the Performing Arts Center, but relocated due to the high school’s temporary closure. Still, the students filled Mill Road Elementary School’s grades 3-5 cafeteria with energy and enthusiasm, to the delight of family, friends and many staff members.

Visit https://rhhs.redhookcentralschools.org/Commencement-2026 for everything from Saturday's Class of 2026 Commencement, including a video of the day, a 90-photo gallery and a recap of the messages conveyed by speakers.

We’re looking forward to a great commencement ceremony for Red Hook High School’s Class of 2026 this morning!
The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. outside Linden Avenue Middle School. Join us if you can. Or, you can watch a livestream of the ceremony at

RHHS Commencement 2026 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

With a red carpet across the stage and excitement in the air, 100 future middle school students said goodbye to Mill Road Elementary School Thursday morning.
Mill Road held its 5th Grade Celebration with a pair of moving up ceremonies inside the 3-5 cafeteria centered around the students. At each, members of the student council offered comments reflecting on their experiences at the school, while thanking their teachers, building leaders and families.
“Today is about so much more than just moving on to LAMS. Today, we’re celebrating six incredible years of growing up, discovering new things, making amazing friends and creating unforgettable memories, right here at Mill Road Elementary School,” the members read at the top of both ceremonies.
After performing Woody Guthie’s “Dusty Old Dust” from risers in front of the stage, the fifth graders returned to their seats to prepare to walk across the stage. More than just reading off a list of names, the school’s special areas teachers took turns introducing each student with personal details like favorite memories, favorites foods and life aspirations. Then, the student walked the red carpet to receive their certificate and handshakes, hugs or high-fives from Principal Dr. Brian Boyd, Assistant Principal Kristen Strothmann and their teachers.
When all the names had been read and the papers had been handed out, the families moved to the grades 3-5 gymnasium, where the PTA had supplied refreshments and art projects were on display to be taken home.
Take a look at some of the photos from the day here.

Red Hook High School’s commencement exercises Saturday would be held at Rhinebeck High School’s performing arts center in the event inclement weather forces plans for an outdoor ceremony to change.
School leadership chose its alternate location after consulting with the senior class officers and considering generous offers from several of our northern Dutchess County neighbors. We are grateful to Rhinebeck for offering its space, which would allow the ceremony to be held as nearby to our families as possible.
As long as weather cooperates, the ceremony will be held as originally planned on the lawn in front of Linden Avenue Middle School, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 20.
There would be no limit on how many people could come watch the outdoor ceremony; attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets on which to sit. If the ceremony is held at Rhinebeck, each graduate would be limited to three tickets.
The celebrations for the Class of 2026 kicked off Tuesday with the annual Senior Walk Through and barbecue. The celebrations for Red Hook High School, in general, will continue beyond graduation, as will the process of remediating the building itself. Read more on those and other topics below:

Schoolwide celebration
We are continuing to plan a schoolwide party for Monday, June 22, from 11:30-2 p.m. at the Red Hook Recreation Park and the PTSA is raising funds to purchase elements that would turn it into a bash to remember.
“Even though the recent fire cause disruptions to RHHS year-end events, we are glad to see that the school is planning on a party to celebrate the ending of the school year with its entire RHHS community,” the PTSA said in a statement. “We need your support!!”
The PTSA is seeking to provide food trucks, refreshments and other activities. You can donate to the PTSA through this link: https://www.givebacks.com/donate/redhookptsa, or through Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/Cydney-Shapiro
During the party, all areas of the park will be private with the exception of the swimming pool. Food, music and games are already planned, and yearbooks will be distributed.

Remediation update
We’re continuing to make progress remediating the high school building itself, with important strides made this week. Our cleaning partners, Advanced Disaster Recovery, notified the district this morning that all hallway ceiling tiles have been replaced. Other recleaning on the first floor, which could not happen until those ceiling tiles were replaced, is also underway.
The company has been working on cleaning the impacted hallway bathrooms, and expects that cleaning to be complete Wednesday.

Regents testing resumes Wednesday
As a reminder, all Regents exams for the majority of Red Hook High School students will be held at St. Christopher’s School at 30 Benner Road. A small number of students with specific testing accommodations may be scheduled to test at Linden Avenue Middle School or Mill Road Elementary School; those students and families will be contacted directly by their counselor or teacher.
Morning examinations will begin at 7:45 a.m., and afternoon examinations will begin at 11:45 a.m. Students should arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of their exam. Regular morning and afternoon bus transportation will be provided to St. Christopher’s, and breakfast and lunch will be available.
Necessary non-Regents final examinations are being scheduled through individual classes. Please consult with your teachers if there is any question about if and where you would attend a final exam.

Jazz Festival Wednesday
The district Jazz Festival, rescheduled from earlier this month, will be held on LAMS’ front lawn at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 17. We encourage the community to bring their lawn chairs and relax in the grass while listening to music from the Mill Road Jazz Club, LAMS Jazz Band, high school Vocal Jazz Ensemble and high school Instrumental Jazz Ensemble.
As a reminder, LAMS’ Eighth Grade Moving Up Ceremony, which was scheduled for June 25 at the high school’s Performing Arts Center, will also be held at the middle school instead, at 5 p.m. The ceremony will be held on the middle school’s front lawn in the style of the high school commencement if weather allows; otherwise, it will be held in the cafeteria.

We’re planning on having an amazing final 10 days of the school year despite all that has happened in the past month. We are incredibly thankful for the ongoing support from the community, which was evident at today’s Senior Walk procession, as well as the PTSA’s efforts to build onto our June 22 party, and will surely be an overarching theme of our year-end celebrations.

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Don’t forget: This morning is the Class of 2026 Senior Walk and you can help make it extra special around 9 am by lining Routes 199 and 9 to show your support!

On the last day of classes each year, our graduating seniors engage in a Senior Walk, in which they travel by school bus to Mill Road Elementary and Linden Avenue Middle schools and walk the hallways one last time, before participating in a senior barbeque and celebration.

This year, we’re asking for the community’s help in celebrating our graduates by lining the sidewalks along their bus route and painting the town red with support. Here’s how:

The school buses that will carry students from the high school to Mill Road Elementary School will have an official es**rt from the Red Hook Police Department and three of our district’s fire companies.

The buses are expected to leave the high school at 9 a.m., traveling east on Route 199 before turning north on Route 9.

As a reminder, no spectators are allowed on school grounds, so the parade begins at the high school’s entrance and extends through the center of the village.

We’re inviting everyone to wear your school colors, make posters and take to the sidewalks to help us celebrate the resiliency and excellence of our soon-to-be graduates.

After the walk through of LAMS, the students will ride to the Red Hook Recreation Park pool area for a private barbeque. The location was selected in consultation with the senior class officers.