50th Annivesary Celebration!
(Click for more information)
Hall of Fame Seeking Nominations!
The Mount Markham Hall of Fame was established in 1994 during the school district’s 25th anniversary to honor graduates of Bridgewater, Leonardsville, West Winfield and Mount Markham. Nominations are encouraged on behalf of graduates who have made a significant contribution to their field of work, in community service, in leadership. All of our Hall of Fame Inductees are role models for current and future Mount Markham students.
Nominations are due by April 1. The nomination form can be accessed via this link, and can be submitted to the district office. Questions about the application and process may be shared with pberry@mmcsd.org.
Dr. Berry to Retire
On January 14, the board of education accepted Dr. Berry’s resignation for the purpose of retirement. Dr. Berry will work through July.
Under Dr. Berry’s leadership, the school district has achieved progress in many areas. Asked about his service to Mount Markham, Dr. Berry shared “a superintendent cannot be successful without the support of a great board of education and a great faculty, staff, administration and school community. We have worked together to provide students with opportunities to learn and increase skills that will enable them to succeed. Additional Advanced Placement and free College Now courses, the restoration of the Agriculture Education and FFA programs, more opportunities in art, music as well as adding staff to support student wellness are among the many things for which we can take pride. Our graduation rate is strong and our graduates are succeeding in college and in the world of work. We have invested in quality professional development opportunities for our staff and we have made an investment in the security of our campus with the addition of a School Patrol Officer. Through the SMART school plan we developed, we strengthened our network infrastructure and Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing us to support a 1:1 Chromebook initiative for students in grades 7-12. We managed a $12.9 million capital project and received the community’s support to renovate the middle school technology classroom, add a greenhouse to support the Agriculture Education program and make improvements in our bus garage. We’ve been busy and I’m proud that we have focused upon doing what is right for our students and have made decisions that I believe our community could support and afford. I am proud that our budget plans have been supported and we gained community support to establish a capital reserve that will assure that the district’s next capital project has no impact on local taxes.”
“It is bittersweet to share this news” added Dr. Berry. “I have had the pleasure of dedicating my professional life over the last 30 years to serving students and school communities. It has been meaningful and very rewarding. I have enjoyed the opportunity to live in and serve the Mount Markham school community. This is a special place with so many wonderful assets and so many wonderfully dedicated people. Thank you, all!”
Sandra Sherwood, Herkimer BOCES District Superintendent, will guide the search for Mount Markham’s next Superintendent of Schools. A search brochure and application are available by selecting the links below. The community will be asked to participate in the process later this spring. The board hopes to appoint the new superintendent in May with an August 1 start date.
January News + Notes
The latest edition of 'News and Notes' has been posted, and can be viewed by clicking here or visting the 'Document Archives' section of the Superintedent's Corner. We'll link to and post any documents that we share, so that you can download them for your own reference, or view the documents right within your internet browser.
Thank you,
Dr. Paul Berry, Superintendent
1:1 Initiative, Greenhouse, New Staff
The start of school is just days away! Deep down, students, teachers and particularly parents are excited! The new school year always provides the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues and focus upon the great work of teaching and learning.
This school year, students in 7th and 9th grades will be the first to engage in a 1:1 Chromebook initiative. Students and teachers will be collaborating to use the power of the internet to support and enhance learning.
In November, our Agriculture Education Program will unveil its new greenhouse! The program, beginning its third year after a nearly thirty year dormancy, will use the greenhouse to support its work in plant and animal sciences.
Finally, the beginning of each new school year initiates important transitions for many students and staff. Over the summer, the administrative team in collaboration with teachers leaders and school support staff have welcomed more than a dozen new teachers and support staff to campus. We are grateful for all of the efforts to support the transitions of the newest members of our community! Welcome to Mount Markham and welcome to the 2019-2020 school year!
