West Genesee District e-Newsletter
July 29, 2022
Message from the Superintendent
Dear West Genesee Families,
As the summer months continue, I hope you have had the opportunity to enjoy the many events and opportunities that our community has to offer at this time of year. Summer concerts, recreation programs, local parks and playgrounds, and outdoor dining are just a few of the highlights to look forward to at this time of year.
The District is also very busy during these months. Summer camps in the areas of Athletics, Fine Arts, and Science are a few of the many opportunities for students to participate in an area of interest and to enjoy interacting with their friends. We continue to work cooperatively and enjoy a strong relationship with the Town of Camillus Parks and Recreation Day Programs hosted in our school buildings.
Our staff has also been very active. The instructional staff are learning and planning for the upcoming school year. A number of workshops, team planning, and reshaping of programs are evidence of a culture of continuous improvement. Notable is our ongoing work with Professional Learning Communities (PLC) including year-two of work with Solution Tree consultants. Our building teams and District committees remain committed to processes that impact programs and student success.
Kudos to our custodial and grounds crew that work tirelessly to support summer programs. This group also takes on the annual task of caring for facility needs that are imperative to our success during the school year. If you have ever walked the hallways of a school in the summer, you would see the monumental task of moving furniture and equipment to assure a complete overhaul to maintain the high quality of our buildings.
On Monday, August 15, the District will host a Job Fair from 2:30-6:30 p.m. This will be held at Stonehedge Elementary School and it is an opportunity for those interested to explore joining the West Genesee CSD team in a variety of areas across the District. Further details will be coming soon and will be posted on our website. Please save the date and consider attending or sharing this information with others interested in job opportunities within our school community.
Please continue to look to our e-Newletters for updated information and recognition. In addition to well-deserved kudos below (check it out!), please be sure to see important information on our new student management system, summer food support, and registration information.
Sincerely,
David C. Bills, Superintendent of Schools
Students Receive Perfect Scores of 100
Click here for the list of students which also includes students with perfect results for World Languages Examinations.
Students Earn 5’s on Advanced Placement Examinations
Thirty-two WGHS students had a total of thirty-five perfect scores on their Advanced Placement examinations in May. Congratulations!
Announcing Advanced Placement Scholars
New Student Management System Information
The student management system (SMS) transition is underway and new families are starting to login and use our SMS, Synergy. Over the next few weeks the District will ask families to update information (phone numbers, email addresses, emergency contacts, call order, custody, digital equity survey, etc.) within Synergy.
With any system change it is good practice for all users to gain access and verify information and make changes as necessary. We will roll this out by building. Please see the ParentVUE activation email schedule below:
ParentVUE Activation Email Schedule by:
- Split Rock Elementary School: 7/30/2022
- East Hill Elementary School: 8/3/2022
- Onondaga Road Elementary School: 8/8/2022
- Stonehedge Elementary School: 8/12/2022
- West Genesee Middle School: 8/15/2022
- Camillus Middle School: 8/19/2022
- West Genesee High School: 8/24/2022
Families with students in multiple buildings will be able to update all of their students information and will not need to wait till specified building scheduled activation release date. Once you have submitted your changes, the Central Registration office may contact you with questions.
Thank you in advance for your patience as we verify and update information. It will be important that all families activate their ParentVUE account as this will give you access to student schedules, attendance, busing information and much more. Please look for future communication regarding downloading the ParentVUE app! Accounts do need to be activated prior to logging into the app.
The information above is also available from the website by clicking here.
Summer Food Support Information
Many students enjoy breakfast and lunch at school on a regular basis. It is understandable when families find it challenging to provide those meals during school vacations. Please note the following free lunch and food pantry information.
Food pantries partner with the Food Bank of CNY to provide low cost, nutritious food to those in need. The following is a list of food pantries and services available in our community to assist families. To find your appropriate food pantry location and to sign up, contact the Interreligious Food Consortium (IRC) weekdays at 315-474-8855 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Their website is: http://www.ifccny.org/.
For more information regarding food pantries and a local free brown bag lunch program, click here.
USDA Summer Meals
USDA works closely with states to ensure that children who receive on free or reduced-price school meals can get the nutrition they need when schools are closed – whether during summer break or unexpected closures during the school year. Through USDA’s summer meal programs, approved sites in communities across the country can serve meals to kids up to age 18 at no cost. Families can use this tool to find directions to nearby meal sites, as well as their hours of operation and contact information.
Find a summer site in your community with our Summer Meal Site Finder mapping tool.
Call 1-866-348-6479 to find a site near you.
USDA Free Meal Program Ending
The Federal child nutrition waivers that allowed all students access to free meals ended on June 30, 2022. This means that West Genesee CSD will no longer be able to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students for the 2022-2023 school year.
Families who qualify for free or reduced price meals must complete a meal application for the 2022-2023 school year and meet income qualifications in order to receive free meals. Households who do not qualify will need to resume paying for breakfast and lunch.
Meal applications can be submitted online here. If you are unable to complete the application online, a copy will be mailed to families in August.
Meal prices for 2022-2023: Breakfast $2.00; Lunch $3.00
Fall Sports Registration Information
Information to register for fall sports is now available. Here is what you need to know:
The Athletics Department offers the convenience of online registration for athletic sports sign up and clearance through Family ID.
- JV/V Fall Sports – Registration Opened- 7/22/22; Practices start- 8/22/22
- Modified 7/8/9 Fall Sports – Registration Opens- 7/29/22; Practices start- 8/29/22
A parent/guardian can register by clicking on this link: https://www.familyid.com/organizations/west-genesee-central-school-district.
Sign-ups on familyid.com are 30 days prior to the start date.
Reminder: District Discontinued Blackboard Mobile App Last Year
Just a reminder that last summer the District stopped offering its Blackboard mobile app. The District had decided to discontinue the app since the District website is mobile responsive and has translation capabilities (which was not offered from the app.); we now use Tip411; and we shifted to SchoolMessenger to send communications.
Although it is no longer supported, if you already had the app on your cell phone the calendar may still be functioning. We cannot, however, guarantee that the calendar information is feeding correctly from the District online calendar.
Also, as we don't have access to update the mobile app home screen, the Supply Lists and Summer Reading Lists on the mobile app are not the latest. You can find the latest versions of those documents on the website from the appropriate school links section.
Are you Receiving All of our Communications? Helpful Tips about the SchoolMessenger Communication System:
- To be sure that you are receiving all emails sent from the District/schools/teachers please periodically check your spam/junk/promotions folder for emails with @westgenesee.org, then mark that they are not spam/junk/promotions.
- To be sure that you are receiving text messages this year from WGCSD or your school(s) Text a "Y" or "Yes" to 67587
If you still have questions about receiving emails and/or text from WGCSD please email them to publications@westgenesee.org.
School Supply Lists for 2022-2023 are Available from the Website!
Did You Know? School Supply Lists for 2022-2023 are available on the website by clicking here.
They are also available from each School's homepage in School Links.
Summer Reading Lists for Grades 5-12 are on the Website!
- WGMS Summer Reading Lists for students going into Grades 5-6
- CMS Summer Reading Lists for students going into Grades 7-8
- WGHS Summer Reading lists for students going into Grades 9-12
These lists are also available from the School Links section from each school's homepage and from the school library homepages.
West Genesee PTA/PTO District Council is Again Sponsoring a School Supply Drive
For 13 years, West Genesee PTA/PTO District Council has been collecting and providing school supplies to students in need.
If you have questions about our program, or to register to receive supplies in the fall, contact us at wgschoolsupplies@gmail.com or click here to fill out the google request form.
DYK: There are Mental Health Resources on the District Website?
Are you or someone you know struggling?
West Genesee Mental Health Resources: https://sites.google.com/westgenesee.org/mentalhealthresources/home provide information for help, hope, and healing.
Connect with a mental health professional at West Genesee High School or your school and within your community.
WGCSD is Looking to Hire Transportation Staff
West Genesee CSD is hiring regular bus drivers, substitute bus drivers, and substitute bus attendants.
Inquiries about these positions can be sent to Debbie Price at dprice@westgenesee.org.
Adult Education Teacher Opening
We are looking for a certified Driver’s Education Teacher for our summer and after school Driver’s Education Programs. Appropriate NYS certification is required.
Please contact Lynn Magoulas (lmagoulas@westgenesee.org) in the Adult Education Office for more information.
Upcoming Events
- August 3, 2022 BOE Audit Committee Meeting-5:30 p.m.
- August 3, 2022 BOE Meeting-6:00 p.m.
- August 17, 2022 BOE Public Hearing-District Safety Plan-6:00 p.m.
- August 17, 2022 BOE Meeting-6:00 p.m. (Immediately Following the Public Hearing)
- August 31, 2022 BOE Meeting-6:00 p.m.