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Since 2023, Mr. Wellington has served as Head Custodial Supervisor at Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, where he supervises 27 custodial staff members and oversees the cleaning and maintenance of 20 buildings across two campuses totaling about 350,000 square feet. He is currently providing leadership and support for a $21 million capital project at PNW BOCES. His work there has also included coordinating an energy performance contract with building management system upgrades, window and door replacements, lighting retrofits, and a ground-mount solar array, introducing a new inventory and work order system, and helping convert a largely part-time cleaning staff into a fully full-time team.

Mr. Wellington's career in school facilities began at Mount Pleasant, where he worked as a cleaner at Columbus Elementary School from 2014 to 2016. He later served as Custodian in the Wappingers Central School District, Senior Custodian in the Greenburgh Central School District, Maintenance Mechanic in the Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District, and Maintenance Mechanic and Head Custodian in the Valhalla Union Free School District, taking on greater responsibility with each role.

Mr. Wellington met with Dr. Giarrizzo, Assistant Superintendent of Business Margaret Modugno, and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Peter Rufa, and then with a search committee of 13 administrators, teachers, parents, clerical and custodial staff. The committee unanimously recommended him. Members were impressed by his thorough, confident answers and his even temperament, and they noted he would likely be a strong communicator who values the health and safety of students and staff. A committee member who worked with him at Columbus described his work there as thorough and dedicated.

"Chris's references told us he is bright, hardworking, and organized, and that he holds contractors accountable while bringing a systems approach to his work," said Dr. Peter Giarrizzo, Superintendent of Schools. "They described a collaborative leader who works closely with principals to understand the needs of their buildings, and someone who consistently shows good judgment. As we move through a period of construction and transition, I am confident Chris will provide steady direction to his team and to our leadership team as we maintain and plan for the future."

Mr. Wellington holds an Associate of Arts degree in Humanities and Social Sciences from Dutchess Community College and an Associate of Applied Science degree in School Facilities Management from Mohawk Valley Community College.

The Mount Pleasant Central School District welcomes Mr. Wellington back to the Wildcat family and looks forward to his leadership of our facilities team.

Students entered the competition by taking the PSAT/NMSQT, and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation identified the 50,000 highest scorers nationwide, designating about 16,000 as Semifinalists and naming the remaining 34,000 Commended Students.

Commended Students scored at or above the national Selection Index cutoff but below their state's Semifinalist threshold; while they won't continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, the honor still places them among the top scorers nationwide.

We’ve been back for almost 3 weeks, but we still have that amazing beginning-of-the-school-year feeling! Thank you to the hundreds of families who shared over 250 First Day photos with us this year. We’re off to a great start, and it is going to be a great year, Wildcats. Watch the video here.

Westlake High School senior Oliver Wu has been named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist!

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced its 2027 list of semifinalists on Wednesday, September 9. Oliver, pictured here with WHS Principal Dr. Brady, joins a group representing the top 1% of high school seniors nationwide. Semifinalists now compete for a share of nearly $24 million in scholarships awarded to about 6,700 students.

To advance to finalist status, Oliver will submit an application including his SAT or ACT scores, an essay, and a recommendation from a high school official. Finalists are chosen based on academic record, leadership, school and community involvement, employment, and honors received.

Ninety-one (91) students at Westlake High School have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program (AP) Exams, plus thirteen (13) students have earned the AP Capstone Diploma.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18 percent of the nearly 1.8 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award.

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP Exams. 

• Forty-one (41) students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. These students are Alayna N. Avezzano, Ethan X. Bach, Keira G. Borello, Isabelle M. Chacko, Christopher Chae, GianMarco C. DelDuca, Lucas R. Finkel, Brady L. Fitzgerald, Tycho A. Force, Luke J. Gilbert, Jessica G. Hammeral, Lauren A. Hammeral, Connor M. Higham, Nareh Hovsepyan, Elise N. Hurdis, Jason P. Kraus, Giuliana M. Malaj, Charlotte Malone, Yunnig Mao, Giana Marchese, Matthew T. Montuschi, Thomas Morrone, Nathaniel M. Nolan, Nathaniel M. Ortiz, Yash Parikh, Cecilia R. Park, Gianluca Persampieri, Logan A. Pineiro, Amelia I. Pintavalle, Christina E. Rodrigues, Valerie R. Rufo, Owen Samoyedny, Sean Samoyedny, Ella S. Savino, Gabriella Segarra Y. Segarra, Serena Y. Shim, Elizabeth L. Singh, Jonathan Thomas, Bethany H. Tsoi, Jozsef Varadi, Oliver Wu.
   
• Sixteen (16) students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. These students are Maya Abbatantuono, Marlena M. Balic, Massimo L. Bucklin, Shayla Cassidy, Finian Dempsey, Chloe Deur, Alejandro Escobedo, Zoe G. Gallarello, Christopher R. Gute, Chloe A. McKeon, Massimo Poccia, Molly E. Schutt, Madelyn Sergeant, Andrew P. Szeszko, Milla R. Uzovich, Mason R. Walpole.
   
• Thirty-four (34) students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher. The AP Scholars are Saud Ali, Makayla R. Battista, Diana Beato, Isabella F. Celentano, Jason D. Chiera, NinaMarie E. Ciccone, Maeve Coyne, Mia Coyne, Nicholas F. DiNapoli, Jacquelyn DiPaolo, Jaiden D. Dominguez, Holly J. Elespuru, Joseph T. Horan, Aidan Kelly, Sophie S. Keolamphu, Matthew Ludwiszewski, Isabella N. Miele, Aanya Mishra, Jake R. Moschetta, John T. Nichols IV, Grayce K. O’Dell, Gianna E. Parrotta, Isabella Pastilha, Maria R. Paternostro, Erlene Prasad, Brooklynn T. Shaw, Christian Short, Connor J. Smith, Lucas Speros, Rocco Valente, Emmie E. Varco, Lauren G. Vinci, Maeve K. Walsh, Alexandra Zrowka.
   
• Thirteen (13) students were granted the AP Capstone Diploma by earning scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on 4 additional AP Exams of their choosing. The AP Capstone Diploma recipients are Christopher Chae, GianMarco C. DelDuca, Brady L. Fitzgerald, Jessica G. Hammeral, Jason P. Kraus, Giuliana M. Malaj, Charlotte Malone, Giana Marchese, Nathaniel M. Nolan, Yash Parikh, Cecilia R. Park, Bethany H. Tsoi, and Oliver Wu.