West Genesee School District
October 26, 2023
Message from the Superintendent
Dear West Genesee Families,
Friday, October 13 was the culmination of Homecoming at WG High School and included a very spirited Pep Assembly. Musical chairs with group help, faculty trivia, incredible student-dancers, a talented DJ, and a game of Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes made the event much fun. (You really would need to see this version of Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes in person as written words would not amply describe it!)
A highlight was “Shoot-Out Cancer”, a team competition of basketball three-point shooting to raise awareness and raise funds to fight Breast Cancer. Dan Thome, owner of the Wildcat Pub and Rick Roberts a radio personality from 93Q, led teams to shoot baskets for the cause. A guest surprise participant, Lawrence Moten, all-time leading scorer in Syracuse University Basketball history and former NBA player, joined both teams. Aside from a great time, Mr. Thome announced a donation of $2,000 toward defeating Breast Cancer and $2,024 to WGHS Senior Class year-end celebrations.
Special guest Chris Arnold was present. He is the father of Paige Arnold of Paige’s Pajamarama which is an event connected to Paige's Butterfly Run, Inc. a 501c3 non-profit in Syracuse, NY whose mission is to support current and future pediatric cancer patients in Central NY. The previous Friday, October 6, students and staff throughout our District wore their pajamas to school for this special cause. Mr. Arnold spoke from the heart to our students in thanks for their efforts and that of our community.
Thank you to all who coordinated and participated in this effort that included several schools from our area. The history of this effort is student-led. This year’s WG Student Council, including Izzy Gardner, President, Cassie Walsh, Vice-President, Addie Foster, Publicity Director, Sonya Dunham, Secretary, and Dillon Collier, Treasurer seek no credit, but are deserving of our thanks. The event started locally with a couple of area high schools, grew to alliances, and has become an event with full district participation in many cases. It is truly inspiring.
Many are touched personally, in some way, by cancer. For me, one example is Delaney, an energetic and strong-spirited 10 year old who has been through more than anyone should, particularly so early in life. Her mom Kelly, a former student of mine, heard about our Pajamarama effort and said “What a tremendous way to shed light on pediatric cancer, all while having some fun!!! Bravo to those Districts participating.” Delaney also said “thank you”.
There could be no finer example of #WildcatPride and #WGStrongerTogether! Well done, Wildcats!
David C. Bills
Superintendent of Schools
Pictured above from the CMS cast of Once on this Island is in the front row, from left to right, are Sarah Friers, Charlotte Hall, Molly Fisselbrand, Josephine Carkey, Madison Potaczala, Evelyn Dimmel, and Clada Balcum. Standing on the floor, from left to right, are Caroline Sperduti, Brianna Popp, Alaina Schuessler, Parker Thomas, Kenneth Kirby IV, Zoey Hess, Emily Corrente, Layla Meany, Kyle Hagadorn, Lucinda Skinner, Mason Tuttle, and Lincoln Millar. Standing on the platform, from left to right, are Nikola Jakimoski, Adelyn Borsz, Claire Heaphy, and Anna Borsz.
Camillus Middle School Presents the Musical - Once on this Island
Mark your calendars for this exciting upcoming musical at CMS; Once on this Island on November 2-3 at 7:00 p.m. and November 4 at 2:00 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the show, and tickets are $10 general admission.
The West Genesee Central Schools Fine Arts Department and Camillus Middle School proudly present Once On This Island, a coming-of-age musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. It is based on the 1985 novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy, a Caribbean-set retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Little Mermaid.
The CMS Musical Production Team includes; Don Schuessler (Director/Musical Director/Producer/Lighting Designer), Heather Molina (Choreographer/Assistant Director), Cindy Kissane (Costumer/Properties/Assistant Director), Jeffery Bowe (Set Builder/Painter), Jenny Gettino (Production Assistant), and Selma Salmons (Seamstress).
Click here to read the full article with the cast information.
Marching Band Competes in Regional Competition/NYS Field Band Conference Championship is this Weekend!
Congratulations, Wildcats! 2nd Place at the Annapolis USBands regional competition! Proud of all your hard work!! Great job to our students, staff, and pit crew!! #GoWildcats #WildcatPride
Reminder: The 34-time NYS champions will perform their 2023 program THIS Sunday, October 29, at 8:59 p.m., when the NYS Field Band Conference Championship is held at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Wildcats will perform in the National Class with Drum Major Cooper Corcoran leading the 99 member band. The awards ceremony, featuring all of the National Class Bands assembled on the JMA Dome turf, will be at approximately 10:17 p.m.
National Class Competitors include bands from Arlington, Baldwinsville, Brentwood, Cicero-North Syracuse, Lancaster, Liverpool, and Victor. The schedule for the other schools performing in different classes can be found on the conference’s website at www.nysfbc. org.
Micron Representative and an OCC Professor Talk to Students at WGHS
On Tuesday, October 17 Professor Gino Duca from Onondaga Community College and Melanie Lewis from Micron talked to technology students at the high school about some opportunities available to them as a result of partnerships between our District, OCC, and Micron.
One of the courses the students learned about was receiving credits for the Electromechanical Certificate or AAS degree at OCC by taking Technology Courses and how it can lead to future career opportunities at Micron and other industries. Below is information about the program that was shared with the students.
Electromechanical Certificate at OCC/WGHS
This certificate is focused on troubleshooting electrical and mechanical systems. Key skills include:
Learning how electrical signals are used to control automated devices
Applying mechanical & hydraulic systems to provide motion & function
Problem solving techniques
Round it all out with safety principles, reading blueprints, using precision measurement tools, and general education. Students will then be prepared to work in the field of manufacturing and automation. We have local industry partners, including Micron, for their next steps.
The ELM certificate requires 24 total credit hours (18 credit hours can be completed at West Genesee High School with our technology classes.)
Change to 2023-2024 District Calendar
Please note that the Board of Education voted at their meeting on October 18 to adjust the West Genesee CSD Calendar to move the Half-Day of School for Students-Superintendent's Conference Half-Day from April 10, 2024 to April 8, 2024.
This change is to accommodate a total Eclipse due to occur on April 8 during student dismissal time at some of our schools.
Click here to view/print the updated calendar as posted to the website under the Calendar area.
Sign-Up For Coffee and Conversation About Pending Purchase of Property
At the Board of Education Meeting held on September 20, information about a pending purchase of property (Westvale Golf Course) by West Genesee Central School District was shared. Note: The purchase is contingent on approval via a public vote.
Coffee and Conversation Sessions
Please join us for a Coffee and Conversation session to discuss the upcoming land purchase. (If you would like to submit a question, please email it to publications@westgenesee.org at least one day prior to your chosen session.)
- Tuesday, September 26-3:00pm-HS Library-COMPLETED
- Tuesday, October 10-8:00am-CMS LGI--COMPLETED
- Tuesday, October 24-6:00pm-HS Library-COMPLETED Click here to view a PDF of the presentation presented at that session
- Wednesday, November 8-6:00pm-HS LGI
- Friday, November 17-1:00pm-HS Auditorium
- Tuesday, November 28-7:00pm-*HS Auditorium- *Community Forum –Land Purchase and Capital Project
Please click here to register for a Coffee and Conversation session.
For meetings occurring during school hours, please plan to check in at the school main entrance (where there will be a list of people registered).
Note: Parking at the high school during school hours may be challenging, so please either try to carpool and/or you may need to park near the shopping center.
Meet our New WGIS School Patrol Officer: Officer Harrington
We would like to welcome Officer Robert Harrington on a full-time basis to West Genesee Intermediate School working with both students and staff.
He received a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Niagara University. Harrington then went on to a stellar 17-year career in law enforcement with the Syracuse Police Department where he has served the last nine years as a Detective for the Investigation Division. Prior to retiring from the SPD, Officer Harrington was involved with the Crisis Response Unit as a member of the Hostage Negotiation team. He has also served our country in the United States Army as a 2nd/1st Lieutenant.
In addition to being a West Genesee School Patrol Officer he has four nephews that attend schools in the District.
Principal McGrath shared, “Officer Harrington brings an invaluable skill set, experience, and personality to WGIS and we welcome him to our family!"
Meet our School Nurses: This Week...Daron Comes
We would like to introduce you to Daron Comes who is the new nurse at West Genesee Intermediate School.
He is a Keuka College graduate, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Comes started his career as a med-surg nurse at St. Joseph’s hospital.
He grew up in Mexico, NY, where he wrestled for 13 years. In his spare time, he enjoys long walks with Porter, his standard poodle, and spending as much time as possible with his daughters Ella(9), Hadley(6), and his wife Allison.
Daron is excited to get to know the students and staff at West Genesee Intermediate School!
WGCSD Food Service Receives Farm to Table Grant Along with a Consortium of CNY Schools
October is National Farm to School Month and therefore was perfect timing to hold a press event on Wednesday, October 18 where several schools in Onondaga County came together at Edward Smith Elementary School in the Syracuse City School District for the announcement of Farm to School Grants awarded to local schools.
In addition to West Genesee Central School District, Syracuse City, Baldwinsville, Liverpool, and North Syracuse School Districts have recently each received a grant that allows their Food Service departments to purchase fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables directly from New York State and specifically Onondaga County. These schools unofficially make up Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA) Farm to School Working Group.
To help us coordinate all of this, we will partner with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)/Harvest NY https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-cooperative-extension. We have a CNY Farm to School Coordinator, Lizzy Cooper, who has helped to facilitate and support our initiatives.
The grant was awarded to each school by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) who entered into a collaborative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), to administer the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS).
The Onondaga County Division of Purchase invited vendors to bid on various Farm to Fresh products. As a result of the bidding process, the school districts will be purchasing produce from Russo Produce (Syracuse), Reeves Farms (Baldwinsville), Headwater Food Hub (Ontario, NY), and Dagele Brothers Produce (Florida,NY).
On the third Wednesday of every month, all CNY participating school districts will offer a Farm to School menu featuring produce from local and NYS farms. September featured fresh corn on the cob, while October featured concord grapes and NYS potatoes. Upcoming menus will feature butternut squash, peas, acorn squash, cabbage, carrots and strawberries. Funds may also be used to purchase minimally processed local meats and dairy products.
Our goal is to continue to partner with local producers to support the local economy and improve the quality of our students' diets. At West Genesee, we currently menu local apples, Upstate Niagara milk and Caz Tortillas, in addition to products from the other New York vendors listed above.
Mark Your Calendars! WINTER 2023 – 2024 Sports Start Dates
- JV & Varsity Winter Sports-11/13/23
- Modified: Boys 7/8 Swimming, Girls 7/8/9 Basketball, 7/8 Wrestling-1/8/24 (Winter 2)
Sign-ups/Registrations on the website at Sports Registration are available 30 days prior to the start date.
NYS School Public Relations Association (NYSPRA) Publications Contest Results are Announced
NYSPRA Awards are given at three levels: Award of Excellence; Award of Honor; and Award of Merit. The awards were announced last week and certificates will be sent out to all winners. Congratulations!
Emergency Closing Information is Important
Announcements about school closings, delayed openings, or early dismissal will be posted on the News Headlines section of the District website home page. They will also be broadcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the following stations which you can access by clicking here.
SchoolMessenger communications software allows us to send emails, texts, and make phone calls. (Phone calls will be used for emergency situations only.)
Parent/Guardians and staff will NOT need to sign-up to receive information from schools that you are registered for in ParentVue. (You will have the option to opt-out if you choose not to receive emails, texts, and/or phone calls. To receive texts, you also have to opt-in per the instructions in the Tips article below. )
New Website and Mobile App
We have redesigned the West Genesee website and took into consideration the information shared in the results of the survey we distributed in June. It is now easier to find items directly related to your school from that school's homepage. It is also very mobile responsive and easy to find items from your phone. However, if you have questions about the new site, please email them to publications@westgenesee.org.
In addition to the new website, we have also launched a new mobile phone app to communicate to students, parents, and community members about West Genesee news, upcoming events, and other important information. The West Genny app is available to download free from the Apple App store or the Google Play store. For more information about the mobile app, click here to view a video about the app.
This app is different from your ParentVUE app which you will continue to use to communicate with teachers, check on schedules, and other items that relate directly to your specific child(ren).
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.
WGCSD is Needs Substitute Teachers
West Genesee CSD is hiring substitute teachers. We are accepting applicants that are both certified and non-certified (with a Bachelor's degree).
Inquiries can be made to Human Resources at (315) 487-4555.
WGCSD is Hiring!
West Genesee CSD is looking to a hire a Local Area Network Technical Support Analyst.
Inquiries can be made to Bill Roberge at (315) 487-4677 or wroberge@westgenesee.org.
Special Education Teaching Assistants are Needed at WGCSD!
West Genesee CSD is hiring Special Education Teaching Assistants; both full-time and part-time positions are available.
Inquiries can be made to Human Resources at (315) 487-4555.
Upcoming Events
- November 1, 2023 Board of Education Meeting-6:00 p.m.- High School Library
- November 8, 2023 Coffee and Conversation-High School LGI-6:00 p.m.
- November 10, 2023 Veterans Day - No School
- November 17, 2023 Coffee and Conversation-High School Auditorium-1:00 p.m.