We are very proud of our Recreation and Parks Department in New Castle, where there is something for everyone. We have one of the finest art workshops in Westchester County, along with a wide range of children’s programs from infants to toddlers and pre-schoolers as well as a very successful dance program. Looking for camp? We offer Summer Camps for children ages 4 through 8th grade along with Specialty Camps such as Soccer, Lacrosse and Basketball. Annual events include the much loved Halloween Ragamuffin Parade, a free Fishing Derby and a very challenging 10K Road Race which traverses the hilly terrain of New Castle. In cooperation with the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, we offer a series of summer concerts at Recreation Field. We have our fair share of youth sports here in town as well; youth athletic programs include Baseball/Softball,
Lacrosse, Soccer, Field Hockey,
Football, Wrestling and Basketball.
For more info, call 914-238-3909 or visit mynewcastle.org
Robert O. Snyder
Superintendent of Recreation & Parks
rsnyder@mynewcastle.org
Exploring our Grand Parks
One of New Castle’s greatest draws is its natural beauty with its very own network of parks and sanctuaries. For the outdoor enthusiast, the Town boasts an award winning park system, states Snyder. “We are proud of our 549 acres of parkland which comprises seven separate parks and two preserves.” Town parks and preserves include Amsterdam, Burden, Gedney, Glazier, Millwood Park, Recreation Field, Sunny Ridge, Warburg, and Whippoorwill, with facilities including hiking trails, ball fields, and playgrounds.
The Saw Mill River Audubon Society, with headquarters at 275 Millwood Road in Chappaqua, maintains eight local wildlife sanctuaries. Two in particular, Pruyn Sanctuary and Pinecliff Sanctuary, are ideal for a leisurely country walk. Trail maps are posted at each site and the trails are open to the public from dawn to dusk.
Pruyn Sanctuary (pronounced Prine), 92 acres off Route 133, has three miles of wide open walking and running trails. Public Parking is available at both entrances, the garden entrance at the Pruyn home (off Route 133, two miles east of Millwood or just before the train entrance at the end of Woodmill Road.
Following the Fern and Pruyn trails will take you on a dirt road with sections of boardwalk through a pond, arboretum, and a butterfly and hummingbird garden. There’s enough terrain change to make this an interesting walk requiring moderate endurance. If you prefer something less rigorous, try the Pinecliff Sanctuary at the end of Pinecliff Road in Chappaqua. This site offers a quarter mile of wheelchair accessible boardwalk, allowing everyone the chance to experience nature. Benches and interpretive signs dot the path taking you through a pond and red maple swamp, a especially rich habitat of local birds. Stroll through in ten minutes or repeat the loop, or try the additional half mile of upland trails which connect to the boardwalk.
New Castle also maintains several area parks ideal for walking and running include Gedney and Whippoorwill Parks. Gedney Park, the less remote of the two, has a year round comfort station, and a popular playground. Whippoorwill is populated with wildlife so be cautious.
And whether you are rollerblading or just looking for the perfect place to push a stroller, your best best is the 26-mile North Country Trailway maintained by the Westchester County Department of Parks. A popular section of the trail starts in Millwood. Public parking is just off Route 133, near Millwood Town Plaza. Take the well paved path north to the trailway bridge where you’ll be surrounded by natural beauty. Walkers, bikers, hikers and in line skaters are all welcome. Use caution where the road crosses public roads. For trail maps and parking information, visit westchestergov.com
Promoting the idea of “service above self,” the Rotary Club consists of neighbors, friends and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in our community. As one of their many ways of carrying out this mantra, Rotarians raise money to fund various charitable organizations and causes, including the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund, the Food Bank of Westchester, the Open Door Foundation, and End Polio Now. The club typically hosts a guest speaker at each of their weekly luncheon meetings, associated with a given organization, who will elaborate on their cause, to which the club could consider for a donation at the end of the year.
If this all seems exciting to you, the good news is that applying for membership is easier than ever! Rates are offered at four different fixed stages (full, active, friend, and guest), so if it looks like your busy schedule won’t allow you to attend every meeting, you can still be considered as a Rotary Club member! Note: While any New Castle community member may become a Rotarian, all must be approved by members of the current Rotary group.
The Chappaqua Central School District is a nationally renowned suburban school system characterized by highly motivated students, a well-educated and talented staff, and an actively involved parent community. We have a strong, interdisciplinary academic program and remain committed to providing an excellent education for all students in Chappaqua. The Chappaqua Central School District provides an education for the future. Our students communicate, collaborate and create in supportive, rigorous learning environments. They become confident critical thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators. We are transforming education as we know it by creating active learning environments where students are working cooperatively toward a common goal, exchanging ideas, and relying on one another to create a product or arrive at a solution that is greater than the contribution of any individual. Our students perform well on the Regents exams, SATs and other measures of academic achievement, and our schools consistently rank among the top schools in the county, state and the nation.
THE CHAPP APP
The District’s three elementary schools serve approximately 1,360 students in grades K through 4. Each school fosters a love of learning in a nurturing environment that promotes mutual respect and encourages social responsibility. The emphasis is on higher-level thinking skills with the development of essential skills to provide a strong foundation for students to become life-long learners. The schools are organized in heterogeneous classes with comprehensive support services and technology integrated into the curriculum. The instrumental music program (lessons and group instruction) begins in fourth grade, with students selecting from a variety of string, woodwind, and brass instruments to play as they embark on their exploration of band or orchestra participation.
Elementary teachers nourish students’ emotional lives and guide their social development, instilling in them an appreciation of self-worth, of individual difference, and of global interdependence. They help them learn how to manage freedom and to act ethically so that each may become a responsible, contributing member of a global society, and are supported in their work by a variety of special area teachers as well as teaching specialists. While responsible for covering the District’s challenging curriculum, teachers are encouraged to use their individual talents and interests for the benefit of their students.
The end result is a caring and nurturing child-focused environment with student projects and artwork covering just about every inch of the hallways.
Seven Bridges Middle School 
The middle schools also embrace a team-teaching philosophy, with staff meeting daily to discuss student needs, curricular and instructional issues, and to communicate with parents and support personnel. Students practice creativity and are committed to learning and growth. They are good writers and speakers who express themselves well in many media, and are open minded and at ease collaborating and cooperating with others. They study core subjects and take courses in technology, computers, art, music, physical education, health and family and consumer science. Foreign language instruction begins in the 5th grade when students have the option of taking Latin, French, or Spanish.
Horace Greeley High School 
Greeley students are self-motivated and highly engaged as they are taught to think critically and collaborate to solve problems in all courses. In addition to core subjects (most students take English, social studies, math, science, and foreign language classes through their senior year,) students are committed to the fine and performing arts and have an opportunity to take any number of the dozens of electives offered–including shared online courses, a science research course, independent study, and the senior experience internship program. Over two-thirds of the student body participate in more than 85 clubs and organizations, publish two student newspapers and play on over 70 sports teams.
Greeley has an iLab, a maker space, and a visual arts lab. These student-centered learning environments support small and large group instruction, independent study, and team collaboration. Students can roll up their sleeves and actively participate in problem-based learning, divergent thinking and knowledge creation.
The L.I.F.E. School (Learning Independently From Experience) is an alternative high school on the Greeley campus for approximately 60 juniors and seniors. L.I.F.E. utilizes innovative strategies of teaching and learning, and students play a major role in designing their learning experiences, which include internships, independent projects, and other off-campus experiences.
District-Wide: Learning to Look art appreciation program, Young Writers’ Workshop, the Chappaqua STEM Fest, parent education programming & R21K (Raising 21st Century Kids), special education programming and advocacy related to public education.
Middle Schools: Cultural enrichment, grade level social events, theater programs, special school events such as International Day, Career Day for 8th Graders and talent shows, as well as support for school clubs.
Horace Greeley High School: Annual Art Show, Community Service Expo, support for student activities such as the SHARE Blood Drives and Midnight Runs; Freshman Orientation, trips/socials, Freshman pasta dinner, Sophomore & Junior events such as New Driver’s Orientation and College Night, Senior Year activities such as Senior Barbeque, Beach Day, Health Day, Color Wars, Graduation Party and Annual Reunion.
It is my pleasure to describe our outstanding school district. The Ossining Union Free School District, nationally recognized for its award-winning and innovative programs, serves about 4,900 students in six schools that are organized by grade level: Park Early Childhood Center (pre-kindergarten and kindergarten); Brookside School (grades 1 and 2); Claremont School (grades 3 and 4); Roosevelt School (grade 5); Anne M. Dorner Middle School;