Back to School 2022-2023 

We are excited to welcome back our students, teachers, parents and staff for the 2022-2023 school year. This will be our second full year of in-person classes and activities and we are thrilled to be making some final adjustments to regain a sense of normalcy, positivity and progress in our district. 

A Soft Reset

A few years back, when I joined Ardsley as its new Superintendent, I shared my view that Ardsley is a gem of a school district - something to value, cherish and appreciate. Over the last few years when we were in crisis mode, we protected the gem by taking steps to implement new learning strategies, COVID-19 safety protocols, and phasing into a split session model. During this tumultuous time, our students showed how resilient and amazing they are, our parents were great educational partners, our teachers, staff and administration dramatically changed their approach to work to focus on the safety, well-being, and optimized education of the students, and the Board of Education was sage and steadfast.

Now that we have returned to a more normalized school schedule of in-person classes and after-school activities, it is critical that we proceed this year with a soft reset to move from protecting the gem to polishing it. For Ardsley Schools, a soft reset means incorporating lessons learned throughout the pandemic and re-prioritizing efforts and follow-through at a high level to position us even better moving forward.

We will maintain the best things in our district, reflect, re-establish communication norms and channels, and re-define district priorities to ensure that we are improving and enhancing the district. A key driver and facilitator of this progress will be clear communication, working stronger together and optimal stakeholder engagement. By moving forward with a soft reset, we are repositioned to polish this gem of a school district and make it shine brighter than ever. 

Targeted Efforts

Over the course of the 2021-22 school year, we targeted Federal relief funds toward expanded academic and emotional support for our students at all grade levels. With the additional funding, we added new in-classroom and school-wide positions and staffing and increased professional development for all staff that focused on supporting students. At Concord Road School, teacher aide positions were added and provided training in small group instruction for literacy and mathematics. Ardsley Middle School benefited from after-school support for English as a New Language (ENL) students. Also, at Ardsley High School library hours were extended and additional lunchtime math support. Both the middle and high school programs will be expanded in the 2022-23 school year.

We expanded the after-school hours of our counselors and psychologists during the 2021-22 school year to enhance the emotional support available to all students. We will continue these supports, as needed, and look at longer-term solutions to better understand the evolving needs for social and emotional support coming out of the pandemic.

This summer, we resumed professional learning and development opportunities to pre-pandemic levels and intensity. In June, building-level teams in all three schools developed strategies and resources to better support students that will be shared with the entire faculty this fall. We focused on a Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) that emphasized the teacher's role as the first to respond when students struggle. Projects in High School Guidance, Regents Level Science, 7-12 World Language, and Literacy K-12 all moved forward this summer as well.  

Strategic Planning

Our 2022-2023 Strategic Plan will be launched at the Opening Day Convocation with faculty and staff on August 31 and establish four areas of priority: Learning & Achievement, Social & Emotional Learning, Student/School Life, and Learning Environment. Goals and objectives will encompass the areas identified through initial Strategic Planning. As we recoup and recover we will also place a concerted effort to enhance our culture/climate in buildings. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Over the last year, we formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to develop recommendations to advance diversity, equity and inclusion as a priority in our schools. The main focus of our work is to create a welcoming and affirming environment for all students at all schools and continue teaching students to think critically, gain knowledge from multiple perspectives and learn how to express themselves openly. As part of one of the committee’s recommendations, we created a Strategic Planning DEI Initiative in each building to ensure that each building will foster and implement proactive changes to best serve its school, faculty & staff, and families. 

Current Project Planning

This past May, the voters overwhelmingly passed a proposition for a capital project to replace some aging heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) infrastructure. This project includes adding air conditioning to select spaces and introducing ultraviolet C (UVC) filtration in our classrooms and large gathering areas such as cafeterias. This $2 million project aligns with the District’s strategic plan by upgrading our air quality and providing a healthier and safer learning environment for students and staff. 

Long Range Planning

Our Long Range Planning Committee is narrowing in on a thoughtful Capital Project plan. The projects will occur on all of our campuses and take enrollment/demographic studies and projections into consideration to ensure current/future instructional programs are addressed. Timing is critical here, due to the retirement of debt service in 2025:

• Winter, 2023/2024: Seek voter approval
  
  

• Winter, 2024: Finalized plans submitted for state approval.
  
  

• Upon gaining approval: Secure bonds and  go out to bid
  
  

• 2025: Construction begins
  
  

This fall, we will seek community feedback to ensure the plan meets the needs and desires of the district. This is an exciting undertaking and opportunity and I appreciate the community's support. 

We value the participation and volunteerism of the community and hope that you will like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter, update your information in the Parent Portal, attend board meetings, performances, sporting events and open house evenings and more!

On behalf of the board of education, central office, administration, and all the teachers, staff and faculty, we hope you enjoyed a happy and healthy summer and look forward to seeing you during the school year.

Dr. Ryan Schoenfeld

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Our Mission

Building on a tradition of academic excellence and success for every student, we cultivate passionate learners and informed global citizens who actively influence their world.

Our Guiding Pillars

Academic Excellence 

Maximizes personal potential and inspires collective achievement, so mastering curricular content is only the starting point and learning is tailored to needs, strengths, and interests.

Success for Every Student

is measured in a variety of ways. Our view of success reaches beyond academic performance and encompasses resilience, flexibility, tenacity, curiosity, creativity, empathy, determination and athletic and artistic expression.

Passionate Learners

Take full advantage of learning opportunities.  They assume responsibility for their own learning, have the courage to explore and take the initiative to discover their interests. They are self-motivated, demonstrate confidence, collaborate freely and share their discoveries.

Global Citizens

Engage in an active inquiry to acquire knowledge that reflects the depth and breadth of the collective human experience. They influence their world by making positive, proactive choices about what to do with what they know to collaboratively effect change.

We believe the success of our district involves the collective efforts of talented and caring faculty, administration and staff, dedicated Board of Education, enthusiastic students and involved parents. Together, we can guide our students to be successful in life, take civic responsibility, be caring and respectful individuals, and become healthy contributors with a lifelong desire to learn. 

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Our Schools

The Ardsley Union Free School District is a great place for students to gain the foundation needed to grow into tomorrow’s business and cultural leaders. Our extensive and broad curriculum, complemented by many after-school offerings, provides students with the opportunity to pursue their individual interests and natural talents, and maximize their learning potential while in the District. The Ardsley School District is made up of three schools:

 

• Concord Road School (https://www.ardsleyschools.org/concord) offers full-time kindergarten through 4th grade and fosters a respectful environment that nurtures creativity, encourages perseverance and inspires the motivation to learn. It is accredited as a National School of Excellence.

• Ardsley Middle School (https://www.ardsleyschools.org/MS) a National Blue Ribbon school, serves grades 5-8 with accelerated programs in math, science and world languages as well as a series of enrichment classes.

• Ardsley High School (https://www.ardsleyschools.org/HS)  a four-year public high school offering a complete program to prepare our students intellectually, socially, and emotionally for the world ahead. Students engage in a rigorous academic program, more than 50 clubs and organizations, a three-season athletic program, and visual and performing arts programs. Ardsley High School is accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and the Tri-States Consortium of Accredited Schools and is a voting member of the College Board.