Locust Valley Central School District

December 23, 2025

Dear Locust Valley school community,

I hope this letter finds you all in good spirits and health ahead of the holidays. As I reflect on the past several months in our district, it is clear to me that our community is highly invested in our students’ success and their growth as individuals.

I am thankful that our students and staff have taken to the Leader in Me program and are showcasing their leadership skills throughout the district. I have seen students find their voice and look for ways to help their peers find theirs, as well. I saw evidence of this during our winter concert season, as high school music honor society students helped behind the scenes to run the middle and intermediate school shows. I also saw it in the incredible generosity our Falcon family showed during Pack the Pantry, donating so much to our local food shelters to ensure that their neighbors can have a special holiday season. I certainly saw it in the alumni who visited us this week, returning with news of their incredible college and career achievements. I am confident I speak for the entire school community when I say how proud I am of these students and their achievements this year.

I know that this is just the beginning and that 2026 will see more of these amazing moments, but for now, I encourage you to rest, relax and enjoy the company of your loved ones. I cannot wait to see what is in store for next year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kristen Turnow
Superintendent of Schools

Last week, the Bayville Intermediate and Locust Valley Intermediate bands, choruses and orchestras closed out the district’s winter concert season with beautiful performances for elementary school students during the day and the community in the evening.

The fifth graders made the short trip over to Locust Valley High School’s Howard A. Schmock Auditorium and performed on the same stage as their inspiring peers. Once again, these groups and the conductors and instructors showcased the incredible hard work they’ve put in since the start of the school year and inspired the younger elementary school students to join the amazing music program in the near future.

Thank you also to the Tri-M Music Honor Society students who supported the middle and elementary school students all concert season, running the sound and lights and emceeing and organizing the stage.

As part of the Pack the Pantries initiative throughout the district, each school collected a particular set of items to help stock The Village Church and St. Gertrude’s Church before Thanksgiving. Each school donated dozens of items such as canned fruits, vegetables and soups.

Over at Bayville Primary School, students and staff found a way to make their cereal collection a fun event. In late November, students filled the gym and were in awe of the sight of the over 350 cereal boxes they collected lined up and ready to be set down like dominos. As spirited second grade students Patrick McGoldrick and James Stiso got ready to push down the respective sides, Bayville Intermediate School student Parker Merten got the gym crowd hyped with a drumroll.

“We want every family in every house to be able to enjoy a breakfast together,” Principal Ross Cohen said. “When we work hard and try our best it is important to celebrate each other and say thank you to everyone who helped to support our community members this holiday season!”

The Locust Valley High School Interact Club took home second place in the Fourth Annual Recycling Bin Design and Painting Contest for Rotary Interact Clubs from the Evan R. Libit Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee.

The Locust Valley club submitted their design showcasing the beauty of New York waterways. For their work, the club was awarded a plaque and presented with a $300 donation to support the club’s efforts this year.

Locust Valley Middle School students stepped into the spotlight on the mini-theater stage on Dec. 15 to test their mettle and showcase their hard work studying for the annual spelling bee. The 17 students did an amazing job handling the pressure and helped make it a memorable competition. Seventh grader Sailor Esteves emerged as the winner after 26 rounds, earning the right to continue into the Scripps regional competition in early February.

Choruses, bands and orchestras from Locust Valley Middle School and High School showcased their abilities and growth as musicians and vocalists at the winter concerts from Dec. 4-11.

Students who picked up a new instrument for the first time in September, as well as seasoned student-musicians, showed their continued growth, mastering new selections over the past few months. The winter performances celebrated the excitement of the holiday season and brought smiles to the faces of many community members.

The music department continues to grow as a whole, with dedicated efforts from students and staff alike being highlighted with accolades such as 2025 being the seventh consecutive year the district earned the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants.

The deadline to register for the universal pre-K lottery is this Friday, Dec. 19. Forms are available on the site at the link below. Children eligible for September 2026 universal pre-K must be four years old on or before Dec. 1, 2026. Forms can be submitted electronically or physically to the administration building at 22 Horse Hollow Road, Locust Valley. Please email registrar@locustvalleyschools.org with any questions. The lottery will be livestreamed on Thursday, Jan. 22, with the results posted on the registration page of the district website the same night.

https://www.locustvalleyschools.org/page/universal-pre-k-registration

On Dec. 4, Locust Valley Middle School and Locust Valley High School students worked afterschool to create “Get Well” cards for children in local hospitals. Students hoped to inspire these children with messages of hope, admiring their perseverance and strength.

The high school’s Pre-Health Club, Italian Club, Hispanic Club, Italian Honor Society members, as well as the middle school seventh grade basketball team joined forces to work with the Cards for Hospitalized Kids nonprofit group to spread joy and hope through the uplifting, homemade cards.

Locust Valley and Bayville students took part in relaxing holiday activities with the school community. On Dec. 4, Ann MacArthur Primary School students decorated gingerbread houses, which were provided by the Locust Valley Elementary Parents Council, with their friends and family. On Dec. 10, the high school’s Interact Club visited Bayville Primary School to help Ms. Murnane and Ms. Parshley’s students create gingerbread houses of their own.

Since she was in second grade, Tiffany Ruffo-Scott wanted to be a teacher; she just wasn’t sure what subject she would cover. As she progressed through middle and high school, playing the saxophone in band class, she found her calling to be a music teacher. She’s now in her 12th year as a music teacher and her ninth in the Locust Valley Central School District.

During her time in the district, Ruffo-Scott’s classes at Bayville Intermediate and Locust Valley Intermediate have been beloved by students for her passion and unique classroom staples, such as “Band Bucks,” which students can save up for good classroom work and participation and cash in for experiences like using a golden music stand, teaching the last five minutes of class or sitting in the part of the class of their choice. Her Band Karate program in the classroom shows their progress as students as they move up from belt to belt, giving her students, especially her fourth graders, more confidence in their growth.

“The special thing about music is that we’re creating this emotional bonding experience,” Ruffo-Scott said. “It’s not just memorizing something out of a textbook.”

Ruffo-Scott loves to put her music students in positions to succeed and lead. Concert preparation is one of the most exciting moments of the year, as fifth grade students progress from September to December before showcasing their efforts and growth at the winter concerts.

“We bite off little bits that we can chew and take it slow but we always get there,” Ruffo-Scott explained.

The spring concert provides a different challenge as it includes both the then-seasoned fifth graders and the newer fourth graders. To assist in acclimating the fourth graders, Ruffo-Scott pairs each of them with a fifth grader as a stand partner.

“That process is rewarding to see because they really are working together, and they see that we’re one, big team,” Ruffo-Scott said. “I know I can count on the fifth graders to step up and show leadership to guide everybody.”

That model has seen students grow as leaders and musicians, with the BI band members seeing high-level successes such as receiving a gold medal at NYSSMA majors in 2024 and earning a Superior rating with a score of 98 at the Long Island Music Festival in June 2025.

For Ruffo-Scott it is a surreal and beautiful experience to see students she taught in fourth and fifth grade continue their musical pursuits into middle and high school. Last year, she chaperoned for the high school trip to Disney World where she saw seniors who were part of her first class in the district performing and succeeding. Also, in 2025, James Martyn, one of Ruffo-Scott’s students from her demo class before she was even hired by the district, chose her to join him on stage as he was recognized as a Top 15 student.

“That’s the beauty of a small district like Locust Valley,” Ruffo-Scott said. “We get to see everybody grow up. I’m hoping to one day teach my current students’ families.”

In the meantime, Ruffo-Scott will help her own children find a love for music. She already has the trumpet and flute picked out for her 4-year-old, Bennett, and 2-year-old, Scarlett, respectively.

Locust Valley High School students donated 36 pints of blood during a drive on Dec. 5. The donations will go to New York Blood Center, which estimates that each pint can save up to three lives.

Thank you to all the students and staff members who gave blood or donated their time to help everything run smoothly!

Last week, elementary school students shopped for their loved ones at the annual Holiday Boutiques. The Bayville Elementary Parents Council and Locust Valley Elementary Parents Council created stores at Bayville Primary School and Ann MacArthur Primary School, respectively, giving students opportunities to pick up unique gifts to show their friends and families that they are thinking of them during this holiday season.

The Locust Valley High School student government is happy to invite all district families for a holiday movie night on Monday, Dec. 22, at 6 p.m., at the Howard A. Schmock middle school/high school auditorium for a screening of “Elf.”

Individual tickets are $5 both online and at the door, but you can get a ticket and a snack box for $8 for ordering through ParentSquare at the link below. The ticket and snack box package is $10 at the door. We hope to see you all there as we head into the holidays!

https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/64568290

The student musicians of Locust Valley and Bayville are ready to showcase their talents and spread holiday cheer with the 2025 Winter Concert Series. All performances will take place at the Howard A. Schmock Auditorium at the middle school/high school.
The middle school gets the show on the road with the sixth grade performance on Thursday, Dec. 4, and the seventh and eighth grade show on Tuesday, Dec. 9, both at 7 p.m. The high schoolers will also welcome community members to the auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. Locust Valley Intermediate and Bayville Intermediate students will welcome family and friends on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and Tuesday, Dec. 18, respectively. Both shows will start at 6 p.m.

If you cannot attend in person, all concerts will also be livestreamed through the LVTV YouTube Channel at the link below and in our social media bios.

https://www.youtube.com/@locustvalleyhsfilmandtv7373

Last week, students throughout the district celebrated Thanksgiving in their own unique ways. Ann MacArthur Primary School kindergartners welcomed family and friends for a Thanksgiving performance and feast. Bayville Primary School second graders were served classic Thanksgiving meals and desserts by the Bayville Elementary Parents Council. The middle school hosted a Friendsgiving event, and the high school enjoyed food with classmates and their teachers.

Just ahead of Thanksgiving, Locust Valley High School student Francesco Allocca has plenty of people that he is grateful for. After suffering a cardiac arrest during varsity basketball tryouts on Nov. 17, Allocca was resuscitated by his coaches and school staff, and treated by medical professionals at Glen Cove Hospital and Cohen Children’s Medical Center. On Nov. 26, Allocca and his mother Pia reunited with those heroes at Glen Cove Hospital’s Pratt Auditorium.

“Performing CPR and using that AED was absolutely lifesaving,” Glen Cove Hospital’s Emergency Department Chairperson Dr. Mityanand Ramnarine said of the school staff and EMS workers’ efforts. “When it comes to cardiac arrests, we know that every second matters.”

The team at Glen Cove Hospital received Allocca on the night of the incident and cared for him before he was then sent to Cohen Children’s Medical Center for additional treatment.

“Francesco’s case shows how a coordinated chain of care, from the school staff to EMS to hospital specialists, can truly save a young life,” said Dr. Cheryl Taurassi, pediatric intensivist at Cohen Children’s Medical Center.

Basketball coaches Andrew Siegel, Andrew Bock and Ben Martinez, as well as other coaches Brian Lorusso and Elliot Aramayo, leaned into their CPR and automated external defibrillator training and stabilized the student in mere minutes. Head Custodian and Locust Valley Fire Department chief Artie Sandstrom, paramedic Scott Sila and firefighter and Locust Valley teaching assistant Michael Sabatino arrived on scene quickly and assisted the coaches. These heroes and community members are breathing a bit easier after seeing Allocca out of the hospital.

In the wake of that terrifying night, the Locust Valley Central School District immediately ordered seven more AEDs and announced it will seek ways to expand CPR and AED training to more of its building staff, as is already required for all coaches.

“The AED was located right outside the gymnasium. In an emergency, you cannot be looking for an AED,” Locust Valley Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kristen Turnow said. “To increase the survival rate, a three-minute response time is critical. This is why the strategic placement of AEDs is crucial to outcomes.”

With Francesco now home, the Allocca family is ready to enjoy a quiet Thanksgiving.

Students in Jessica DiPardo’s high school class, who spent the past few weeks conducting experiments, presented their processes and findings to classmates on Nov. 24. Six students walked their class, as well as Ms. Bluestein’s and Ms. Garrison’s classes, through their methods in projects that ranged from dropping different items to see which would fall the fastest to creating their own lava lamp at home.

Congratulations to Tyler Banks, Maneet Bedi, Christian DiPaola, Mikayla Pacini, Matteo Santoro and Celine Smith for showcasing your incredible work!

It’s showtime! The Locust Valley Jesters are proud to present their rendition of “Clue: High School Edition” tonight and tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at the Howard A. Schmock Auditorium at Locust Valley Middle School/High School. The cast and crew have worked incredibly hard on this project for months and are excited to showcase their talents to the community. Tickets are $10 at the link below and $12 at the doors.

https://cur8.com/39980/project/135037

Whether it’s in her lively classroom, after school with Model UN or doing official scoring at Falcons games, Dr. Michele Gaglione is always putting her best foot forward and acting as an incredible role model for her students.

Dr. Gaglione has been a mainstay of the community long enough to see some of her former students become her new colleagues in the high school. Every day, she makes new memories with her students and Model UN club members, encouraging them to express passion for their interests and continue to improve and grow every day.

After more than 20 years in Locust Valley, Dr. Gaglione recounts her journey as an educator in this staff spotlight. Go to the news feed of the district website to read more about this beloved teacher.

https://locustvalleycsdny.sites.thrillshare.com/article/2553043