Wayland-Cohocton High School
November News and Notes
Principal's Message
I have to say that I cannot believe we are about to enter the month of December. When I took this position and made my way back to Wayland-Cohocton, I honestly never thought we would be making it this far into the year without major issues. But, here we are, still chugging along. With the uptick of cases in Steuben county and our surrounding area, we need to refocus our efforts to staying healthy. Remember to wear a mask, socially distance and avoid large gatherings. It is critical to controlling the spread and allowing our students to continue to attend in person.
Please don't forget to fill out your SNAP portal health screening every morning. This is important for keeping our learning community safe and remember, if your child is experiencing any symptoms, they should not be in school. A simple running nose can lead to major problems here at school if a positive result comes of it.
This time of year is typically festive and fun-filled. Unfortunately, this can also be a difficult time of year for some students. We want you to know we are here to help. Often extreme changes in mood or behavior can be strong indicators that something more is going on. If your child is experiencing this, please don't hesitate to reach out.
We continue to be so proud of the work our students are doing. Their resiliency is to be commended. Keep encouraging them to push forward!
Take care,
Jason Oliver
Darnell LaPlant
Specials Area Student of the Month
Front Row: Elijah Currier & Ashley Feely Back Row: Charlotte Coats & Audrey Vosburgh
Essay by Matthew Burritt
My mother once told me that ever since I was able to walk I was running, and for a large chunk of my childhood, it came easy to me. But then again it was never too far a distance; my elementary gym teacher only ever had us run about one hundred meters out to the chain-link fence that surrounded the playground and back, and we were done running for the day. When fitness testing came around in middle school, my P.E. teacher had us run the mile but this still wasn’t too much of a challenge for me and I would usually come in at least the top five. Running seemed like it was always going to take minimal effort on my part.
When seventh grade came around, I was super excited to be able to finally start running cross country, just like my older sister Morgan and my brother Jacob before her. For the most part, practices were enjoyable and were a great time to hang out with my two best friends, Andrea and Kathryn. As our first-ever meet approached, we discussed the one and a half-mile race we were to run, a distance none of us had ever gone before. It was uncharted territory and I was revving to see what it was like.
The day of my first meet was a hot and sunny fall day, and in the words of the rest of my team, this was going to suck. Already sweaty from the bus ride over and our warm-up, mine and the other modified teams lined up at the white spray painted line in the middle of the grassy field. We all stood waiting for the shrill of the whistle and when it came dozens of feet began rising from and crashing to the ground. After I got around the first field, most of the race was inside the woods, which felt much cooler than the unshaded area at the start.
As the race reached the one-mile mark, I began to feel exhausted and mentally strained for motivation. I felt my legs getting heavier and heavier, and my throat becoming dryer and dryer as I continued to run, until that was all I could think about. I desperately began to think of ways that would allow me to stop and walk. Eventually, what felt like the best thing to ever happen, my shoe untied which I used as an excuse to stop. Numerous people were able to pass me and I ended up finishing my race minutes after when I should have finished.
I walked away from the finish line and walked up to my coaches where they asked why I had come in so late. After I had told them I stopped to tie my shoe they scolded me saying that you don’t stop during a race for any reason, unless injured, even if the pace is slow. I knew what I did wasn’t ideal and stopping didn’t even make me feel better. I wanted to do better and I realized that my mindset was flawed, if I wanted to do better for myself then I’d have to stay positive and believe that I could.
This mindset is what got me into sectionals my freshman year on the team, the race distance bumped up to a 5k. My coach decided since three of my teammates and I were neck and neck the whole season, whoever came in first at the county race would go to sectionals. The day was a perfect day for running, cloudy but still the ideal temperature. I kept telling myself the whole race that it was almost over, even if it wasn’t and I kept myself going through the pain because I knew my body was capable of more than my mind was telling me. Even though I was exhausted and out of energy I willed myself to one last burst of speed to the finish line. I remember hearing the crowd cheering and yelling as I passed a few more guys before the finish. The moment felt glorious as I walked as fast as I could towards my mom who told me I ran my best pace ever.
Wayland-Cohocton High School
Email: joliver@wccsk12.org
Website: www.wccsk12.org
Location: 2350 NY-63, Wayland, NY, USA
Eagle Athletics Update
All seasons have now concluded and we are anxiously awaiting decisions regarding the upcoming winter sports seasons. Boys swimming and modified swimming have all been given the green light to begin practicing. As of this update, winter sports are slated to begin practicing on January 4th. Please remember that things change almost daily and we will continue to inform our student-athletes and parents as things progress. We will have our fingers crossed and will hope for the best this winter.
Please join the athletic department on congratulating the following Fall Varsity Athletic Teams on achieving the Scholar Athlete Award. In order to achieve this award 75% of the team's average must be 90% or above.
Congratulations to:
Varsity Girls Soccer: GPA of 98.99
Varsity Girls Tennis: GPA of 95.81
Varsity Girls Swimming: GPA of 93.36
Varsity Girls Cross Country: GPA of 93.11
Varsity Boys Soccer: GPA of 93.08
Varsity Boys Cross Country: GPA of 92.44