Reminder: In observance of Veteran's Day, there will be no school on Friday, Nov. 10. We will see you again on Monday, Nov. 13!
NEWS RELEASE from Cairo-Durham Central School District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 9, 2023
Cairo-Durham Alumni Awarded Semi-Professional Soccer Franchise
CAIRO, NY – The Cairo-Durham Central School District is excited to acknowledge Cairo-Durham High School alumni Hannah Esslie (‘22) has been awarded a semi-professional soccer franchise to compete at Level One in the United Women’s Soccer League.
Playing their matches at SUNY New Paltz, the Hudson Valley Crusaders will add a Level One team to its already existing Level Two team. With the addition, owner/player Esslie, 19, now runs a franchise in the second-highest level of women’s soccer competition in North America, just below the National Women’s Soccer League.
“It is really exciting to represent Cairo-Durham at this level. When I tell people where I am from, the response I receive 95% of the time is ‘where is that?’ Cairo is a super small-town but I'm grateful to call it home,” Esslie said. “I take pride in being from Cairo and it is encouraging to see the growth throughout the town in recent years and I hope I can contribute to that in even just a small way.”
Esslie credited various Cairo-Durham staff members for their influence on her and ability to continuously find ways to improve in and outside of the classroom.
“My time at Cairo-Durham provided me with the confidence and the freedom to be able to take on something like this. Much of the faculty at Cairo-Durham, and I'm sure still are, advocates for the students. Teachers like Ms. Jones, Ms. Manoli, Mr. Pisano, and Mr. Corbett, I know first-hand, push their students to achieve more and be their best,” Esslie said. “The confidence that these teachers and many more inspire in students has the power to create many more Cairo-Durham success stories.”
Calling the shots on the sideline is Mitchell Kazanjian, a 2015 Cairo-Durham High School graduate. Kazanjian said his Mustang pride follows him wherever he goes, especially on the playing field.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to pursue what I am passionate about at such a high level. I feel fortunate to be part of the program Hannah has built and it’s funny to me how we both graduated from Cairo-Durham,” Kazanjian said. “Even though my wife is a biology teacher at Greenville, I still wear my Cairo-Durham sweatshirts whenever I go to Greenville events with her!”
Superintendent of Schools Michael Wetherbee is proud of both alumni’s contributions to the sport of soccer, representation of Cairo-Durham and is excited for the future of the Crusaders.
“I am a firm believer that athletics teach countless life skills such as accountability, teamwork, dedication and perseverance,” Wetherbee said. “To have two alumni of Cairo-Durham Central School District now leading the charge of a semi-professional soccer franchise representing our geographic location with an upward trajectory is something to be very satisfied with.”
Esslie’s two pieces of advice to current Cairo-Durham students are to be grateful for being in this area and to never settle.
“You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to; it just takes the effort. I know it is cliche but you will excel beyond anything you can imagine if you just have the work ethic and find your passion,” Esslie said. “I went to private school in Albany for many years before attending school here. When I came to Cairo, it seemed like there was this general idea that things here are not the greatest and people complain about what we lack instead of taking advantage of all of the amazing opportunities that we have. Cairo-Durham has so many great teachers that want to help you grow, so many sports and clubs that you can pursue and make successful. Make the most of where you are and make something out of where you are.”
###
The Cairo-Durham High School Class of 2024 is hosting a Mustang Holiday Ornament fundraiser! Place your order(s) by Dec. 1, 2023 to receive your ornament(s) by the holiday break!
Reminder: In observance of Veteran's Day, there will be no school on Friday, Nov. 10. We will see you again on Monday, Nov. 13!
The Cairo-Durham Central School District is proud to announce its partnership with Care Solace in offering mental health and substance use services and providers for students and staff.
With a network of over 350,000 providers and services, Care Solace will help you find the right help at the right time, 24/7/365. Care Solace’s services are available at no cost to you — and all of your information is kept completely confidential. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance.
Scan the QR Code, call (888) 515-0595 or visit www.caresolace.com/cairodurham to view options.
You can access Care Solace services in three ways:
- Call 888-515-0595 at any time. Multilingual support is available 24/7/365. A dedicated Care Companion will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.
- Search anonymously to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at www.caresolace.com/cairodurham
- Contact your school health professional, and they will submit a referral on your behalf.
No matter what you're experiencing, there is hope and help. We are confident that our new partnership with Care Solace will help us build a healthier, more vibrant school community.
If you have a life-threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8. Care Solace is not an emergency response service or mental health services provider.
The Cairo-Durham High School Class of 2025 is hosting "Brushes and Bites", a fundraiser where you can paint your own ‘Frosty Friends’ with instruction led by Cairo-Durham art teacher, Mrs. Little, while enjoying some delicious bites.
Space is limited. Sign up by QR code or the link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/...
The Cairo-Durham High School Class of 2024 is hosting a Mustang Holiday Ornament fundraiser! Place your order(s) by Dec. 1, 2023 to receive your ornament(s) by the holiday break!
The Cairo-Durham High School Class of 2025 is hosting "Brushes and Bites", a fundraiser where you can paint your own ‘Frosty Friends’ with instruction led by Cairo-Durham art teacher, Mrs. Little, while enjoying some delicious bites.
Space is limited. Sign up by QR code or the link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/...
Spooky, silly and entertaining: Our Cairo-Durham Middle School/High School staff rocked their Halloween costumes on Tuesday!
The Cairo-Durham High School Class of 2024 is hosting a Mustang Holiday Ornament fundraiser! Place your order(s) by Dec. 1, 2023 to receive your ornament(s) by the holiday break!
The Cairo-Durham High School Class of 2025 is hosting "Brushes and Bites", a fundraiser where you can paint your own ‘Frosty Friends’ with instruction led by Cairo-Durham art teacher, Mrs. Little, while enjoying some delicious bites.
Space is limited. Sign up by QR code or the link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/...
The Cairo-Durham Central School district wishes you a Happy Halloween!
The Cairo-Durham Central School District is accepting applications for the following position:
- Speech/Language Therapist
For more information, please view the attachment!
The Cairo-Durham High School Class of 2025 is hosting "Brushes and Bites", a fundraiser where you can paint your own ‘Frosty Friends’ with instruction led by Cairo-Durham art teacher, Mrs. Little, while enjoying some delicious bites.
Space is limited. Sign up by QR code or the link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/...
CDHS students in Mrs. Manolli's college-level Physics class recently participated in a "Break-Out Box Challenge"!
Abigail Brandow, a senior student at Cairo-Durham High School and the Questar III BOCES New Visions program, has spent a great portion of her 2023-24 school year student teaching at Cairo-Durham Elementary School in Mrs. Russell's class!
The New Visions "Pathways in Education" program is designed to support aspiring young teachers who are passionate about teaching and working in elementary schools. As part of her coursework, Ms. Brandow travels daily to attend classes at the University of Albany and spends time on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the classroom!
The Girls Varsity Volleyball Team lost their last match of the season last night to Germantown 3-1. The girls played a great match and can't wait until next season.
Looking to catch the Mustangs in action? Here is the athletics schedule for the week of October 23, 2023:
Monday, October 23
- Girls Modified Volleyball at Greenville at 4:30 p.m.
- Girls Varsity Volleyball vs Germantown at Coxsackie-Athens at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, October 24
- Cross Country at Schodack State Park at 3 p.m. (leaving at 1:15 p.m.)
- Girls Modified Volleyball at Albany Leadership at 4:30 p.m.
- Girls Modified Soccer vs Chatham at CDHS at 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 26
- Modified Football vs Green Tech at CDHS at 6 p.m.
The Girls Varsity Volleyball Team defeated Albany Leadership 3-1 last night for their first win of the season. The girls were ecstatic after their win and can't wait for their next game on Monday night at Coxsackie vs Germantwon at 7:00 PM.
Colin MacGiffert, a member of the class of 2024 at Cairo-Durham High School, has been recognized as the Student of the Month for September 2023. Described by his teacher, Mrs. Allison Manoli (pictured), as “motivated, focused and a hard working student with the ambition to succeed in all his endeavors.”
Colin’s dedication to academic excellence is evident through his membership in the National Honor Society, band, chorus, interact club, student council, varsity soccer, varsity volleyball, varsity track and field. He considers himself as a hard working student who can struggle at times but will overcome those struggles. Colin believes this is why his teachers likely chose him as student of the month. Colin attributes his selection as the Student of the Month to the fact that he is willing to go the extra mile to learn. He is comfortable asking questions in class and is good with time management. Colin gives himself time to study and do homework despite a busy schedule. Colin is currently taking a challenging course load of AP classes which he consistently achieves outstanding grades.
Beyond his academic pursuits and looking toward the future, Colin aspires to go to college to study kinesiology and pursue a career in the health science field. An interesting fact about Colin, is that he participated in Youth and Government for two years and was able to propose two bills in the House and Senate! Cairo-Durham is proud to honor students like Colin, who set a good example for all of our students!
