Communications

Through a multitude of programs, activities, events and partnerships, the South Orangetown Central School District is committed to active community engagement in our schools. A variety of tools are used to communicate with students, staff, families and our community about the great things happening in our schools--and to encourage their participation!

2023-2024

SOCSD Update: Summer 2024

SOCSD Update: Spring 2024

Continuing Education Catalog: Spring/Summer 2024

Special Publication: For Parents of Children Ages 1-5

SOCSD Update: Fall 2023

Continuing Education Catalog: Fall 2023/Winter 2024

Guide to the School Year: 2023-24

Media Requests

All media inquiries are to be directed to the Office of the Superintendent of Schools at (845) 680-1012. Per Board of Education policy, the Superintendent of Schools is the sole authorized spokesperson for the District. 

Branding Guidelines

Official branding of the South Orangetown Central School District, Tappan Zee High School and Tappan Zee Athletics may be used only by the District, schools and its PTA/TZ Red & White partners with administrator consent and in accordance with the following conditions:

• Logos may not be used in any manner that expresses or implies that the South Orangetown Central School District, Tappan Zee High School and/or the Tappan Zee Athletics Department has any affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement, certification, or approval of any external organization, product, service or company.
• Logos may not be superimposed on other letters or symbols.
• Logos may not be altered or deformed in any way and must appear exactly as shown in the original file.  Elements, proportions and relationships must not change.
• Logos must always be displayed in horizontal orientation.
• Logo colors may not be changed.
• Graphics or text should not be crowded around the logos.

Any and all use of branding must positively represent and reflect the South Orangetown Central School District’s mission and values.

Campus Visits and Student Privacy

External individuals and organizations may visit our schools during the instructional day for non-public events or activities at the discretion of building principals and the superintendent for clearly defined, curriculum-related purposes.

External individuals and organization visitors may not invite media, take photos or make video or audio recordings of students or staff during these visits. 

School/school district communications coverage is not guaranteed for visits by external individuals or organizations at non-public events during the school day. Should school/school district coverage be provided, photos/video/audio of the visitor(s) only may be shared publicly via official school/school district communications platforms.

In the event that visit coverage by the school/school district includes photos/video/audio of students, media releases which explicitly describe how the photos/video/audio will be used by the associated external individual and/or organization must be signed by parents/guardians of participating students and obtained prior to the visit. Students who do not wish to participate at the time of the visit may not be forced to do so, even if their parent/guardian has provided consent. 

In the event that visit coverage by the school/school district includes photos/video/audio of staff, media releases explicitly describing how photos/video/audio will be used by the associated external individual and/or organization must be signed by participating staff members. Staff members may opt not to participate.

Coverage of non-public activities and events which include educational partners will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Recognition of Students and/or Staff

Recognition of school district students and/or staff by external individuals or organizations should be conducted outside of the instructional day at events organized, managed and hosted by those entities. 

In rare instances, the Superintendent's Office may organize an event involving external entities, staff and students at which photos/audio/video may be taken. Additional parent/guardian consent as described above is required.

Public events hosted by SOCSD, such as commencement ceremonies, school concerts, athletics events, theater productions, are considered open to the public and outside photographers/videographers and external organizations are not governed by school district regulations or policy.