Dear Port Chester Family:

As we enter this season of gratitude and reflect on the Thanksgiving holiday, I find myself both humbled and deeply grateful to serve such an incredible and proud community. Over the past three years in the Port Chester School District, we have witnessed significant changes and accomplishments that have united us in our mission to provide the best for our students.

Together, we have addressed major challenges and made impactful changes in a relatively short period of time. We’ve enhanced security, built strong partnerships with community organizations, and created events like our Rams Reunion and Community Resource Fairs that bring us closer together. Initiatives such as My Brother’s Keeper, The Principal’s Promise Academy, Port Chester Pearls, and Rams Rising have helped create safe spaces where our students can learn about self-confidence, accountability, and community pride.

We have also established after-school programs that provide much-needed support and interventions in literacy and mathematics. Our partnerships with organizations like the Carver Center have expanded opportunities for our students. Our communication has improved significantly through channels such as the Ram Gram, social media, board meetings, and ParentSquare—enabling us to lift the voices of our community, elevate agency, and increase transparency.

As evidenced by our recent academic update and data-driven culture, our students are showing remarkable growth. Many of us already know that the Port Chester School District is unlike any other in Westchester County, and we continue to strive for excellence as we move steadily toward continuous improvement. Our high school is now recognized as one of the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and we were also honored with an award for being one of the outstanding music communities. Through the strong curriculum and best practices we have implemented over the past three years, we are living our mission of #SuccessForAll and looking to New York State's Portrait of a Graduate to shape our students' futures.

Indeed, it takes a village to raise and educate a child, and we are honored to do this work together with you. I hope you can hear the pride and gratitude in this letter, and I want you to know how thankful I am for your continued partnership.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Thank you for everything you do. I am deeply grateful and honored to have the privilege of serving as your leader. Please remember, I am always just a phone call away if you need anything at all. We have a great team, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish this school year.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Aurelia Henriquez
Superintendent of Schools

Date Added: 11/26/2024