Calling all DHS Students - Kindness Week is coming up!!

Congratulations to our NYSSMA Zone 3 Area All-State student musicians! Due to a combination of their outstanding performances and scores in the Spring 2025 NYSSMA Solo Adjudications, these three Dryden student musicians were selected to perform in one of the select Instrumental or Choral ensembles at this year's NYSSMA Sr. High Area All-State Festival. They rehearsed and performed with other talented and dedicated musicians across New York State on Friday, January 30th and Saturday, January 31st at the Ithaca College School of Music. Congratulations Esther, Natalie, and Ava- way to represent Dryden!!! 💜🎶🦁 Student Musicians Include: Esther Songput (Flute 1, Concert Band), Ava Adams (Bass, Mixed Chorus), and Natalie Warwick (Soprano, Treble Chorus)

We're Hiring:
Come Join the #LionPride!!

Long-term Regular Substitute
Music Teacher 6-12 (Vocal/General)

For more information:
https://www.dryden.k12.ny.us
607-844-5361 x7

To apply, visit: https://olasjobs.org/job-details/DRYN0366596-0040

This week is National School Counseling Week!

Our school counselors make a difference every single day, and we applaud their caring dedication and commitment to our #LionPride! 💜

👏 Thank you to our counselors for all you do! 👏

Together let's show that Dryden Has Heart!

Good Afternoon, This is Joshua Bacigalupi, Superintendent of Schools for the Dryden Central School District. This message is for Freeville parents and staff. Shortly, after 11:00 AM, the fire alarm went off at Freeville Elementary School. The alarm was triggered by steam escaping an oven during lunch preparation. Students and staff sheltered in the church next door. We are very grateful for such good neighbors. At approximately 11:30, students returned to the building and continued with their day. I am grateful for the staff at FES who did an amazing job ensuring our students were safe despite challenging circumstances, including the weather. I am also grateful for our Facilities Department and the Freeville Fire Department for their quick response to today’s incident. Please take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Always…#Lion Pride!

Students, Staff, and Families,

Due to the extreme cold weather advisory for tomorrow, our district will operate on a one-hour delay with a bus advisory. A one hour delay means the bus will come one hour later in the morning. and school starts one hour later than it normally does. If you bring your child to the before school program or drop your child off at school, you should do so one hour later than you normally do.

Why are we not closing or doing a two hour delay?

The temperatures are not going to moderate during the day. In the morning, afternoon, and evening the temps will be the same, so closing for the day or delaying for a longer period is not going to provide any additional relief.

In addition, if the District is closed tomorrow it would be the third weekend in a row that was a three day weekend in which some students are missing meals and without a relatively warm environment not to mention the additional disruptions to learning.

The delay is primarily to ensure that the Transportation Department has a little extra time to get buses started, running, and warm. Due to the multiple days of extreme cold temperatures in the morning this has been increasingly more difficult and we would prefer not to take any chances tomorrow.

A one hour delay will offset any transportation issues but have a minimal impact on the day.

What if I feel it is too dangerous to send my child to school?

We absolutely respect your right to keep your child home tomorrow. You are the parent and get to make that decision.

What is a bus advisory?

When a bus advisory is in effect a Dryden Central School District bus will pull over to pick up any students they see walking even if the distance between the child and school does not typically qualify for a transportation route. In addition, we encourage students to wait inside their home or in a car with a parent until the bus pulls up to the bus stop. Buses will wait a bit longer at stops tomorrow. Please let your child know about the bus advisory and make sure they understand that if a bus stops to offer them a ride, that they should not board the bus until they have checked the side of the school bus to make sure it says "Dryden Central School District".

Please be aware that, because of the bus advisory , bus routes may experience slight delays.

All schools will be open, and we look forward to welcoming students into a warm, safe environment for the day. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these challenging weather conditions.

Please take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Aways....
#LionPride,
Josh Bacigalupi

Congratulations to the wrestling team competing in the IAC Championships on Saturday in Watkins Glen. 🥳 Earning first place victories, both Destiny Ryant and Oscar Brotherton are now IAC Champions! Will Woodard and Lucas VanSlyke both took 4th. Gaven Valenti getting on the podium at 5th. Great job to every wrestler!! 🦁🐾 #LionPride

Good Afternoon, This is Joshua Bacigalupi, Superintendent of Schools for the Dryden Central School District. Tomorrow, Monday, January 26, 2026 all schools in the Dryden Central School District will be closed. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Always... #LionPride!

🌍✨ Today our Intermediate students at DES went international!
Hawke Gelder, an 11th-grade German exchange student, shared his journey to the USA — from meeting his host family and playing sports, to loving school spirit and discovering new favorite foods.
Students asked some GREAT questions and learned that:
🧀 Yes, they do have mac and cheese in Germany
🏓 Table tennis is Hawke’s favorite sport back home
❤️ And while he’s thankful for every experience here, his hometown in Germany is still his favorite place in the world
A wonderful reminder of how learning from one another helps us see the world a little bigger. Danke (that's "thanks" in German) Hawke, for inspiring us today! 🌟

We're Hiring!

DCSD is looking for Teacher Aides

Interested? Apply on Tompkins County Civil Service website at:
https://www.tompkinscivilservice.org/civilservice/apply/9393

Join the #LionPride!

Congrats to our amazing Lions that have earned spots in this year's Seneca-Tompkins Music Educator Association's Winter All-County Choral Festival! Please join us in wishing them luck at their performance this weekend in Groton! #LionPride

Good Afternoon, This is just a reminder that all schools and offices will be closed Monday, January 19, 2026 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday. #LionPride!

Freeville Elementary School PTA Fundraiser Night coming up next week! #LionPride

DCSD 100 Day Celebration coming up in February! 🦁 💯

Good Morning, DCSD external phone lines are down at this time. The District can make internal calls, but is not able to place or receive calls external calls. This is not a District issue but a provider issue. The CNY Regional Information Center (RIC) is working to correct the problem. Please do not wait until the last minute today to make any transportation changes, please email multiple people early at the school and not just the teacher to let them know of a dismissal change as a teacher may not be able to check email until the end of the day. Please take care of yourself. Take care of each other. #LionPride, Josh

These students were nominated by their teachers for consistently demonstrating our core principles of being Responsible, Respectful, Safe, and Kind. We are proud to celebrate the students pictured, who exemplify these values and contribute positively to our school community. Congratulations!

Picture 1 - all of our December Nominees (from left to right):
Grace H, Yuki T, Bailey W, Liam J, Theo S, Ben R, Zack H, Axel N, Kayleb S, Savannah S, Josephina R, Kairi R, Emmalee F (not pictured: Tzapporah J, Colton L)

Picture 2 - 6th Grade December Students of the Month:
Zack H & Bailey W

Picture 3 - 7th Grade December Students of the Month:
Liam J & Kairi R

Picture 4 - 8th Grade December Students of the Month:
Yuki T & Theo S

Good Evening, Today at approximately 12:00 PM, the fire alarm went off at the MS/HS campus. The fire was contained to a relatively small space starting in a trash can in a bathroom, and was extinguished by the Dryden Fire Department. We could not return to the building because the alarm would not reset and was continuing to send trouble codes indicating possible further issues. A technician from Johnson Controls (the vendor that oversees the District’s fire alarm systems) was able to come out this afternoon, and reset the alarm. The Fire Department has turned the building back over to the District. The Environmental Health and Safety Officer from TST BOCES who the District works with to stay in compliance with all things health and safety related has cleared the building for school tomorrow and shortly the appropriate paperwork will be filed with the state documenting the incident. The Environmental Health and Safety Office has determined the building is safe. The single stall bathroom involved in today’s incident will remain closed and locked the remainder of the week. The District along with our District Safety Personnel and New York State Police are investigating the incident. All schools in the DCSD will open in person and on time tomorrow. The entire staff and your children PK-12 were outstanding today as everyone worked to be flexible, supportive, and work together to move through the day. I publicly want to acknowledge the Public Safety Officers at TC3, the TC3 staff, as well as all of our first responders for their work. Thank you for all your strength and grace under fire (no pun intended). Please take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Always…. #LionPride, Josh

All PK-5 buses are on the road at this time. #LionPride!