Monday, April 30

Gettin' down at the prom

Here's a shot of our own Freddy the Falcon gettin' down with his bad self.  The kids had a bunch of fun.  Thanks to all the advisers and other super folks for a great event.
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Day of Service

We had some kids working in the garden and other places during the recent STEPS day of service.  If you'd like to see a great collection of garden pictures, click here. 
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Falcon Flyers on Tuesday
Just a reminder that the Falcon Flyers trip is on Tuesday. With smaller class numbers, it should give remaining kids a chance to catch up with work in many cases.

Faculty meeting Tuesday
In the library.  Please be there at 2:30 sharp. We have a guest who will speak for 5 minutes or so.

Funding the Future assembly on Wednesday
Remember that we have the assembly on Wednesday the 2nd. To maximize student engagement, I could use as much help as possible in the aud.  Any and all help with all grade levels would be highly appreciated.  It should end up being a fun and meaningful assembly for our students.

We will give you printed schedules for the assembly. Thanks for your help with this.


APPR update
This is from the SAANYS - School Administrators Association of NYS)

Master schedule update
The high school portion of the 18-19 master schedule should be in place within a few weeks. Things are progressing smoothly, and the pieces are fitting together quite nicely. I'd love to have all things like duties/preps/team time done by early June, but we'll see.  I'd rather share it when it's complete, so it will be a while.

Articles

   4 Tools for Teaching Teamwork and Collaboration in the Classroom

   Don't Panic: Fostering Student Engagement with Engineering Design

Products

ASCD Quick Reference Guides

Friday, April 27

May 2nd Assembly Schedule

Please see the schedule below. We will print this out and insert into mailboxes. 

MS teachers: Please let me know if you see any issues with testing pertaining to this schedule.

May 8 Health Fair Schedule
Please click the title for the health fair schedule. Instead of reversing periods 5-10 like we did on the last half day, we'll need to run periods in regular order because of the evacuation drill. This will allow regular lunch periods to run. Please send any suggestions to me or Anne G. Thanks Anne and Ken!

BOCES weekly bulletin
As always, some great opportunities.

School avoidance meeting
The Racker Center is sponsoring a follow up meeting on school avoidance.  See the link.


REAL (Responsible for Every Action in Life) group

From: Olivia Catalano
Date: April 25, 2018 at 5:08:15 PM EDT
To: Olivia Catalano
Subject: Re: Seneca County Youth Development-Ovid Group

Hello,

Just a reminder we are staring our REAL (Responsible for Every Action in Life) group up next Thursday May 3rd.  We will meet at Ovid Community Health (in the conference room). This free program will provide youth a safe place to discuss bullying, LGBTQ, Safety, communication, relationships and more. We will also provide snacks.

Youth should pre-register by calling or texting me at 315-521-0249. We need at least 10 youth to run this group. Please share far and wide.

Best,
Olivia Catalano, BS
Family Planning Health  Educator & New York State Certified Application Counselor

Geneva Community Health
601 B Washington Street
Geneva, NY 14456
Office: 315-787-8132


Just for the heck of it - Route 66
Sue and I are planning a road trip out west. I couldn't find Route 66 on a map, so I plugged a question into Google and found this.
https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2241/where-is-route-66/

Monday, April 23

Health Fair Schedule for May 8
Please click on the link in the title.  Any suggestions, please send to Anne Guinan.

May 2nd Funding the Future
I'll be building a schedule this week.  The show starts at 1, so the schedule will be similar to a pep rally schedule.  There will be around 35 Romulus high school students in attendance.

Staff handbook updates

A couple of additions:

• A new Appendix R - Communication.  I put the district communication guide along with the info I sent out last week about missing students. I'll be adding more as time allows.  Please let me know of any suggestions. 
• Appendix G - Stay or Go Plans along with lock down for special areas.  

Calendar meeting, June 21 in the flex lab
We'll have our annual calendar meeting on June 21st.  I'll be sending an email to last year's attendees.  Just getting some advanced notice out. We'll meet at 1.

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Need a desk?  

This desk is was in the storage room next to the physics room (Ron A's old room).   Chad is moving into that classroom next year, and the science department has been cleaning it up.  They don't make 'em like this any more.  A little dated, but sturdy as a rock.
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YIKES!

Science Rummage "Sale"

Need some goodies? Talk to Brad, Chad, or Rachelle. They have quite a load on their hands. At least one teacher has found relics with some historical significance.
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New Posters for Halls

I had a bit of money left over, so I purchased some inspirational posters.  The first ones are hanging up near the board room.  Some others will be going up soon.  Most of them will go in the high school for now.  I also hope to hang some student artwork on permanent display. If someone has any other ideas how to make the walls a little more exciting, please let me know.



NYS Middle School Association E-Blast
April edition


Reading, Writing, and Rigor
A new book from ASCD.



BOCES important dates for remainder of year

From Jeff @ BOCES:
As we near the end of the year I wanted to get you the important dates for your students at the Career and Tech. Center.  These include our Industry Assessments, CTE Finals and end of year ceremonies. Thanks and have a great day!
~Jeff

Spring 2018 NOCTI & End of Year Testing Schedule
April 24, 2018 - Early Childhood and Culinary Arts Written
April 24, 2018 - Auto Body Written
April 25, 2018 - Cosmetology Written
April 25, 2018 - Welding Written
April 25, 2018 - Early Childhood Practical
April 25 - May 1, 2018 - Auto Body Practical
April 26, 2018 - Criminal Justice Written
April 26, 2018 - Heavy Equipment AM Written
April 26, 2018 - Heavy Equipment PM Written
April 30, 2018 and May 7, 2018 - Cosmetology Practical
May 2 - 3, 2018 - Culinary Arts Practical
May 2 - 4, 2018 - Welding Practical
May 2 - 4, 2018 - Criminal Justice Practical
May 7 - 9, 2018 - Heavy Equipment AM Practical
May 7 - 9, 2018 - Heavy Equipment PM Practical
May 7 - 11, 2018 - Serv Safe Testing - Culinary Arts Students
May 16, 2018 - Digital Media Adobe Exams
May 21 - 25, 2018 - Nurse Assisting Written and Practical
May 29 - 30, 2018 - Computer Tech Practical
May 30, 2018 - Animal Science Precision Written Exam
May 30 and May 31, 2018 – CTE Final Written Exams for AM and PM students
May 31, 2018 - Auto Tech ASE Exam
May 31 - June 1, 2018 - Computer Tech Written
June 5 & 7, 2018 - Math and Science Final Exams for Pull Out Sections

End of the Year Schedule
May 23, 2018 – NTHS Induction Ceremony – Smith School Gym (TST Campus) – 1PM
June 1, 2018 - World of Work Picnic - Myers Park - 10-2
June 11, 2018 - Last day of CTE classes for AM and PM students
June 11, 2018 - Awards Ceremony for PM students (during afternoon CTE class time)
June 13, 2018 - CTE Awards & Completer Ceremony - Ithaca HS Kulp Aud 6:30pm (new event this year that combines our Completer Ceremony and Awards Ceremony into one event)

Thursday, April 19

PD schedule for Friday
Please check the schedule one more time.  A few changes have been made and locations added. Please let me know if you see any issues.

BLERT - committe members needed
I'm having a Building Level Emergency Response Team (BLERT) meeting tomorrow.  The problem is that I only have 2 teachers being represented tomorrow.  If anyone would like to be part of this important group, please let me know.  I would welcome some new faces.


Communication on missing students
A teacher saw me yesterday and made a very good point about kids missing from classes, so I'll clarify expectations here.  I'll also put this in the staff handbook.

• If you have a student who is not scheduled to be in your location (your room, learning lab, guidance, nurse, etc.), call the scheduled location right away.  
• Sending the student back to class with a pass is essential, but communication beforehand is also essential. 
• This practice should be the same for everyone in all locations. 

If you have any questions or other suggestions, please let me know. Thanks. 

Art field trip on April 25 (not 24)
I had Fran's Johnson Art Museum field trip on the wrong day in my calendar tab.  That's fixed now.  Sorry about that.

Debate at the State: Cornell vs. Harvard

Join Cornell Speech and Debate and the ILR School at Cornell University for a lively debate to advance civil discourse! Debaters from Cornell University and Harvard University face off to examine the question, “Is technology driving us in the wrong direction?” with CNN’s S.E. Cupp, Cornell ’00, moderating. Please note, the views expressed during this debate do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the debaters.

I got this info at my recent HS principals meeting.  Looks like fun.  I'll also let students and parents know.


BOCES News

BOCES weekly bulletin

BOCES Tribune (student news)

Regional Demonstration Classrooms

I received this email the other day.  Please let me know if you're interested.

The TST Regional Demonstration Classrooms for 2017-2018 are open for the spring and we would love to have your teachers experience this unique PD model before we sunset the initiative in June. I am writing because I have two classrooms open: Strength Conditioning and a student-centered/project-based Technology classroom.

I am looking in particular to reach out to PE/Health teachers and Tech/FACS, though any teacher would benefit from the focus on learning targets, formative assessment, and student self-assessment alive in these classrooms.

Please encourage your teachers to sign up for a half-day session in the upcoming months. Here is a link to the schedule of openings and links to MLP (Frontline)  which we keep as current as possible.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IGQjOD_OG-VeGTr5qZifTY-h0rVc3PRsaJ9zjBX-1Eg/edit

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you!
Jennifer Gondek
Instructional Specialist for Inclusive Education
Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES


Opportunities

ENGINEERS TEACHING ALGEBRA brings an engineer into your classroom for a STEAM focused experience conducted in the belief that a wrong answer is better than no answer and that persistence and imagination are integral problem solving tools. Since 1994 ETA has worked with over 100,000 students in 1,800 schools, 38 states, for more information see

website http://engineersteachingalgebra.com

video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTru9drjQ7Y

Math is not a subject, it’s a necessary language

Followed, a book on social media I received an email from the author, Cory Alexander: I’ve actually got some great early feedback and a few schools are working on implementing my book in to their curriculum. Plus, a couple book clubs have already used it as their monthly reading. By your social media presence, I kind of figured you were the one to reach out to when it comes to social media problems with your students. Sincerely, Cory Alexander High School Guidance Counselor m: 973-619-3266 a: 7 William St., Montclair, NJ 07042 w: www.followedthebook.com  e: cory@followedthebook.com

Copyright © 2018 Harlem Press, LLC, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Harlem Press, LLC 7 William st Montclair, NJ 07042

Monday, April 16

PD schedule for Friday
Please click the link and review your line (sorted by department). Missy and I have worked on this together, and we believe it's looking pretty good.  Aides and assistants are at the bottom.  Email me or Missy for any needed changes or for questions.  If you see a link in a particular cell, the link will take you to a document, which in many cases is open for just you or a few people.

April 23 assembly special schedule: Save a Life Tour

For next Monday the 23rd, HS students need to report to their regular C day first period for attendance and announcements. After that, they should proceed to the auditorium.  Please accompany your students. The special schedule below is in the "schedules" tab of the master.

Team 7/8 will be working on Second Step during the assembly.  I'm assuming Team 6 will be doing a project of some type (please let me know on that).

STEPS Day of Service: Saturday April 21

Please talk this up to kids (see link in title).  This is a great way to serve the community and to get some needed community service hours. My wife Sue and I will be heading up the garden clean up, and we have some other projects like road clean ups going on. 

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STEPS Sustainability Forum - May 15

The STEPS organization is planning a night of presentations and meetings at the elementary school.  Please consider attending.  Let's think of some ways our school can get involved. Click the title for more info. 

The New York State Regents exams are just around the corner, and educators can help students prepare for them with Regents Review 2.0, a free service presented by New York's public broadcasters. 

District Administration News

I like the format of their newsletter, and I'll share more of them with you.  Please check it out. 

Wednesday, April 11

Upcoming Events:

April 23 - Save a Life Tour (HS only)  See link for company details. We will have an assembly schedule, so periods will be shortened by just a few minutes.  Students will have access to driving simulators during learning labs or lunches. The assembly schedule I have in the master is currently for middle and high, so I'll be modifying it for this event.

May 2 - Funding the Future Show  This is a program that's being brought to us free of charge.  The special schedule is done, so I'll share it next week.

May 8 - Health Fair

May 11 - Jared Campbell (MS only).  Jared has been with a few times to great reviews. He will be visiting the Middle School along with the Elementary School. A modified MS schedule will be shared shortly.

Memorial Day Writing

Good morning,

I am Clara Artley I am in charge of this years Memorial day parade and services.

I am wanting to have school students write a little note of "what they feel Memorial Day is to them, the meaning". Names can be on them or not. I will be having some read out loud and others on a screen.I ask if you can ask teachers to participate and I will pick up 8th May as to give IT time to put together video.  Any questions please feel free to call me or email me. I am available 5am to midnight.

Thank You

Clara Artley

607-227-8464

Caskid6@hotmail.com 

Consultant available for large projects

At a recent high school principals' meeting, we met Jim Dessauer. He helps schools to plan relatively large projects that would otherwise be difficult for one person to handle. He will facilitate an initial overview session with teachers who may be interested on two dates, to give folks flexibility in working within their schedules.

I was impressed with his experience, and I believe he could help you to get a project you've been dreaming of off the ground. Please see this linked document for more information on what Jim does. 

MLP signups: Tuesday, April 17th from 4:00 - 5:15 or Wednesday, April 18th from 4:00 - 5:15.

Building Assets, Reducing Risk (BARR method)
Thanks to Christa for sharing this article the other day.  We're doing some of this, but we can always look to do more. Feel free to read this worthwhile article. Thanks.


2 drawings for 2 cigarettes - Okinawa 1945
For all you history buffs out there, I thought you might get a kick out of this. My mom just gave me some drawings that my dad had framed some years back.

My dad was a Navy Seabee, the construction specialists of the Navy. He paid a Japanese POW 2 cigarettes for these beautiful drawings. I've always loved them, so my mom gave them to me. If you click on the picture, you should be able to make out what he had put on the plaque.

BOCES FFA Goat Yoga
You read it correctly - goat yoga.  If you're looking for a novel way to have some fun, this might be it. Jeff from BOCES shared this with principals.  Check it out if you dare.

Clarification on E-cigarettes
I am meeting with each high school class to clarify our position on e-cigarettes.  I have also added the dark red text below to the tobacco section of our student handbook.  Any questions, please let me know.

• TOBACCO/TOBACCO PRODUCTS: In accordance with federal law, the use and possession of tobacco products of any kind is forbidden at anytime including all events or activities held in the building.  Violators will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the "High School Discipline Plan" and may be subject to criminal or civil proceedings.  Items such as e-cigarettes, vaporizers, and related paraphernalia are also prohibited under this section, and are subject to the same consequences as tobacco.

Looking for furniture upgrades?

The title is a link to a School Specialty site for furniture.  Even though our building budgets have not grown over the last few years, we still had some money left over to buy some standing desks.  After looking at the pages linked above (or other sites), feel free to contact me about any ideas you might have for your rooms.

BOCES news, April 10

BOCES news, April 3


From NYSED

Increasing Youth Participation in Democracy

• To help prepare students for a lifetime of civic engagement, New York State is working to increase voter registration throughout the State by offering more opportunities to register to vote. Students who are U.S. citizens, NYS residents and turn 18 in the year 2018 are able to pre-register to vote while they are 17 years old. They may only participate in elections—Federal, State and local—if they are 18 by the date of the election. 
• New York State is making it easier for students to register to vote – either by paper form or online by visiting Register to Vote in NYS.  If your school/class would like to participate in this effort, you can request voter registration forms from your local county Board of Elections  (contact information available at County Boards of Elections) and/or direct students to visit Register to Vote in NYS for other registration options.
• If your school encounters any issues in obtaining forms, please call 518-486-4433.

Monday, April 2

Upcoming Events:

April 23 - Save a Life Tour (HS only)  See link for company details. We will have an assembly schedule, so periods will be shortened by just a few minutes.  Students will have access to driving simulators during learning labs or lunches. The assembly schedule I have in the master is currently for middle and high, so I'll be modifying it for this event.

May 2 - Funding the Future Show  This is a program that's being brought to us free of charge.  I will make a special schedule for this day, so minimal class time will be lost.

May 11 - Jared Campbell (MS only).  Jared has been with a few times to great reviews. He will be visiting the Middle School along with the Elementary School. A modified MS schedule will be shared shortly.

Date TBD (early May) - Seneca County Sheriff Mock Crash   This annual event is sponsored by the Sheriff's office.  It's after the prom this year, but the learning experience will be valuable.  I will speak with Team 11/12 about it this week.
*See note below.

May 8 - Health Fair

* All events are listed on the calendar tab of the master with the exception of the Seneca County event. That will be posted there once the date is set. If we were able to get the fire department to help with our own mock crash event, we wouldn't need to run older kids up north.  I'll keep you informed on that.


PD Schedule for April 20
Please click the link in the title to check this out.  This is preliminary, and I'm looking for input from you.  Among some other things I have yet to insert, I will find time to work in a BLERT meeting.  Please be in touch as I'd like to help make this day as beneficial as possible.


Various calendars linked from the master
We all have to deal with a lot of calendars.  I'm trying to make this a bit easier for everyone, so I've linked various calendars from the calendar tab of the master.

It's tough to put everything into one calendar, especially considering things like athletics and building use.  In the master's calendar tab, everything to the left of the gray bar is linked from both school pages in the MS/HS planner.

Hopefully this helps a bit.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.

United Way's Taste of Spring

Anyone up for a good party? If I sell 10 or more of these, everyone's net cost would be $30 each.  Unlimited food and drink.  Let's get some Falcons up there; should be a lot of fun.  Here's the link, and let me know if you're interested. 

Possible assemblies
David Flood
I have one speaker booked so far for next year.  I'd also like to consider David Flood, with your help of course.  Please take a look at the page linked in his name.

Bring Change to Mind
I was watching CBS Sunday Morning a couple weeks ago and heard the story of Glen Close and her sister, who dealt with mental illness. Ms. Close started an organization called Bring Change to Mind.  The story mentioned that her organization does school programs, so I contacted them.  Feel free to check the link in the title.

From NYSED

Middle Level CTE changes
NYSED recently allowed more flexibility for 7th and 8th grade CTE offerings.  Our course offerings and teacher available are strong, so I don't see any needed changes at this time, but I thought you should be aware of the change. Click on the title for the state memo. 

Classroom materials available for National Donate Life Month

• April is National Donate Life Month recognizing the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation. The New York State Education Department, the Donate Life New York State, and stakeholders partnered in making resources on organ, eye and tissue donation available to school districts.
• In fall 2017, work was completed with organizations that promote organ and tissue donation to develop model curriculum, useful lesson plans and current instructional resources on the importance and value of organ and tissue donation.
• To access the classroom materials, visit the New York State Center for School Health.

FYI
Science Education Update

• New resources have been posted to support science standards implementation including the Spring 2018 Science Education Update Presentation and the New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards Implementation Roadmap and Roadmap Overview.
• All available resources are located at New NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards . It is encouraged that this link and the description above be shared with all applicable parties to facilitate the transition process.
• Questions regarding the provided science resources may be directed to the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, at 518-474-5922 or emscurric@nysed.gov.

Some interesting books
Feel free to check out these ASCD book offerings.  If there is something you would like to get, please let me know.