She said she appreciates the diversity and size of the Binghamton City School District and loved meeting and working with many children from different backgrounds and ethnicities.
What did she say she is most excited to do in her retirement?
"Sleeping in past 5:40 in the morning!"
Congratulations Carol! #BPatriotProud
👏 | We're celebrating our BCSD retirees! Melanie Valencia is retiring as West Middle School's Band Director after 28 years. She came into the position after Bernie Shifrin recommended that she apply, and since then, she said she loved working with the wide set of demographics within the district.
Melanie oversaw many ensembles at Binghamton City School District throughout the years, including small ensembles at BHS, the Patriot Marching Band, and various ensembles at West Middle School. She was also the musical director, band director, and chorus director at West Middle School.
"The kids are the reason I went into and stayed with teaching band," she said. "The highlights were the concerts and festivals that the students participated in - their smiles at the end of their accomplishments said it all."
Outside of her teaching, she is an acclaimed working musical artist selected to perform at the National Flute Association Convention 2024 and 2025, a member of the Universal Jazz Big Band, director of the Blue Velvet Big Band, The Parlor City Flute Ensemble, SIlver and Steel Duo, Silver and Ivory Duo, M and M Flute and Harp Duo, Horizon Jazz, and a member of Sum Doubt ska band, Basin Street Jazz Band and reed player in local musical orchestras. She was a featured performer on Ulysses Kay's Aulos for solo flute and chamber orchestra with the Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007.
In her retirement, she intends to travel, visit friends, garden, sail, make more music collaborations, and take classes in language, art, and music.
Congratulations Melanie! #BPatriotProud
"My Horace Mann Family of coworkers has been a huge part of my life for 33 years. We have worked together through trials and triumphs as a great faculty, an extended family...allowing all the kids to be successful."
Dyan is looking forward to spending time at the lake and learning some new hobbies. Congratulations, Dyan! #BPatriotProud
🎨🪱| It's Imagination Adventure season at our Elementary schools!
Students at MacArthur, Coolidge and Franklin enjoyed hands-on creative arts, physical education, STEM, music, and nature activities throughout the school today for our special summer camp. This included a special demonstration by Cornell Cooperative Extension on how worms create compost! #BPatriotProud
Heather Pepper finishes her career as a Literacy Teacher at West Middle School after 33 years of teaching.
Over the years at BCSD, she taught Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades, 6th grade AIS in ELA and Math, and was a literacy teacher for 7th & 8th grades. She followed in the steps of her mother, who was also a Binghamton teacher.
"My most special moment is having the opportunity to teach the children of my former students," Pepper said. "Seeing generations come full circle is a joy that is hard to put into words."
In her retirement, she plans to still substitute teach and work part-time in a nursing home as an Activities Director in addition to traveling and spending time with her family and precious grandchildren.
Congratulations, Heather! #BPatriotProud
📝 | Registration for the Fall 2026 Athletics season is open now! Students in grades 7-12 can visit binghamtonschools.org/athletics for details and to sign-up! #BPatriotProud
You can register for the following workshops here:
http://tinyurl.com/4jkvrs5x
Please note that transportation to and from these workshops is not provided #BPatrotProud
Attend to get free bike helmets and backpacks for the next school year, along with free ice cream and more! #BPatriotProud
Students at East Middle School are currently world-building for their upcoming Dungeons and Dragons campaign that they will play alongside other RPGs and board games in the first year of this new Summer Camp hosted by English teacher Madison Bussmann #BPatriotProud
Join the BCSD swim teams at Recreation Park Monday through Friday, 8 am to 10 am throughout the month of July. All students currently on the modified or varsity swim teams are welcome to attend, as well as any students who are interested in joining our program! #BPatriotProud
📺 WATCH | Binghamton High School's salutatorian, Tatev Dadian, used her address at the 2026 Commencement ceremony to remind everyone about the importance, and power, of kindness ➡️ https://youtu.be/0vL3rVfBFHM #BPatriotProud
