Home

As the holiday season approaches, we’re reminded of the importance of caring for those who may be facing challenges. For many years, the Lenape faculty, staff, students, and families have come together to brighten the holidays for local families by providing gifts and support. This tradition continues to be a meaningful experience—not only for the recipients, but for everyone who takes part in giving.

This year, we are excited to continue this meaningful tradition. We will be

accepting donations of new, unwrapped gifts through December 15. An Amazon

Gift Registry titled Lenape Holiday Drive 2025 has been created with specific

requests from families. Gift cards to clothing, grocery or department stores are also

a wonderful option. Donations may be dropped off at the Lenape front entrance

with our front desk monitor. If you purchase an item from the Amazon Gift

Registry, you may choose to have it shipped directly to the school. Please note that

we cannot accept used items. Thank you in advance for your kindness and

generosity in supporting this special project.

See the Amazon wishlist here

Grade 3 students in Mrs. Wilcox's class at Lenape Elementary School have become pen pals with a Year 3 class in Dewsbury, England, and the excitement is already contagious!

Students have been eagerly writing and receiving letters—learning about the hobbies and school life of children their own age across the world, and discovering how much they have in common.

This year-long project not only shows students that writing can be fun and meaningful, but also helps them explore new places, cultures, and perspectives. Through each exchange, students build connections, strengthen their communication skills, and gain a broader understanding of the world around them.

The New Paltz Middle School Student Council has continued its long-standing tradition of supporting families in need, raising more than $4,300 to provide Thanksgiving food baskets for District families.

This year’s Turkey Trials, which celebrates this accomplishment, brought out an impressive 285 students who showed up with big energy and even bigger creativity—forming teams with names like “Zombie Bros,” “The Turkeyanators,” and “The Benchwarmers,” with many great costumes to match. Students faced off in a series of fun, spirited challenges, including:

Duck, Duck Water Bottle Flip

Rock Paper Scissors Six Seven

Musical Dots

Dodgeball with a twist

A huge thank-you to local businesses for donating prizes and supplies to help create a fantastic event! This cherished tradition continues to showcase the generosity, teamwork, and community spirit that make New Paltz Middle School truly special.

On November 19, students in Renée Salamone’s two Grade 8 French classes found a creative—and delicious—way to celebrate the upcoming holiday while deepening their understanding of French language and culture!

For “Frenchgiving,” an event the students dreamed up themselves, class time kicked off a new learning unit on French foods, which taught the students how to make authentic French crêpes. They practiced the art of swirling the batter in a pan and using electric crêpe makers before enjoying their freshly made treats.

But the action didn’t stop there. In addition, the language enthusiasts in both classes came together for a lunchtime feast, featuring a wide variety of dishes—some tied to the students’ own cultural heritages and others simply favorites they wanted to share. Among the offerings were spaetzle with gravy, Mexican flan, Thai tofu bites with peanut sauce, mini croissants, cannoli dip, and more. Yum!

“The planning, preparation, participation, and pure enjoyment was wonderful,” said Ms. Salamone. “It was a great opportunity to sample new foods and learn about culture, connection, and personal backgrounds.”

Happy Frenchgiving!

Students in Jenny Denman’s and Nicole Sullivan’s Grade 8 English classes had an unforgettable experience this fall—meeting local author Joe Wallace and getting hands-on, professional advice for their own creative writing!

Mr. Wallace visited New Paltz Middle School on October 28, sharing stories from his decades-long career, which includes magazine articles on science and health, books on dinosaurs and baseball, noir short stories, and his first novel, “Diamond Ruby”—a historical tale about a teenage girl who plays baseball in 1920s Brooklyn.

Students, currently working on their own creative pieces, eagerly asked questions about Mr. Wallace’s writing process before signing up for small-group and individual workshop sessions. During these sessions, Mr. Wallace’s approachable and often humorous style made students feel at ease as they shared works in progress—from ideas to first drafts.

His advice was practical and inspiring, as he urged students to focus their ideas, plot their stories, and explore “why” they chose a particular topic. He also gave the young writers a pep talk, encouraging them to keep pursuing their ideas. “What makes this topic important to you?” he asked. For those writing about sports, he told them to “put yourself in the game.”

Students were also encouraged to continue sharing drafts via email for ongoing feedback. Completed pieces will enter the Grade 8 contest, with the opportunity to advance to the regional competition that is run by Scholastic. In past years, many New Paltz Middle School students have entered and earned recognition at the regional level—and have even advanced to national recognition.

We can’t wait to see which stories stand out this year!

A Hauntingly Good Performance!

Congratulations to the Middle School Band for leading the New Paltz Halloween Parade this year! With their spirited rendition of “The Addams Family” theme song, the band members, marching front and center, set the perfect tone for the festive night.

Thirty talented student musicians marched proudly alongside enthusiastic community members who joined in on the fun — a fantastic display of teamwork, talent, and Halloween spirit!