Spry Newsletter
May 1st, 2020
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Web: http://www.websterschools.org/spry
Morning Show: http://www.websterschools.org/districtpage.cfm?pageid=1321
Engagement is the Key
Hi Spry Families,
We hope you are all safe and well.
This week I want to highlight a couple of things below besides the governor closing schools for the remainder of the year.
- Course Recommendations for current 6th and 7th graders are visible on the Parent Portal. Information and directions are below.
- 8th Grade course recommendations will be communicated out from the High School.
- As remote learning continues, we would like to remind parents/guardians about the Parent/Student Portal and how they can update their information to ensure they receive notifications in a timely manner. There is information on this below.
- 7th Graders (8th Grade Washington DC Trip). There is a third fundraiser currently taking place on-line (information below).
- This coming week is staff appreciation week. I know it is hectic, but don't hesitate in sending a quick not to a teacher or staff member in appreciation for all the work they do.
- Don't forget about teacher office hours where students can get extra help on work (schedule below).
I know we are heading into week three of new learning. This morning I met with my staff and emphasized the importance of balance. Balancing our student workload with the students basic needs at home during this time. We encourage students to stay engaged in the work and continue to form some healthy habits around completing work with devoted time and structure as much possible. New learning activities/assignments continue to go out each Friday for all classes.
Please be patient as we work through logistical questions that I know you will now have with classes cancelled for the remainder of the school year. We will be working on plans for all those things and communicating out as we set those plans.
We are also thinking of our graduating Seniors today as lawn signs went out and up across town this late morning/afternoon.
In caring,
Jim
MS Course Recommendations - IC Backpack
May 2020
Hello Spry families of 6th and 7th grade students.
Starting May 1 you should be able to see your child’s 2020-2021 course recommendations in the Parent Portal.
Your child’s course recommendation file is located in the “Campus Backpack” on the portal. Campus Backpack can be located and accessed using the Menu tab on the left hand index and selecting More then Backpack on your portal homepage. Please see the screenshot below to help you find the location.
Accelerated course placement is determined using multiple measures that include current teacher recommendation, quarter 1 & 2 grades, and NWEA testing. 7th grade students who accelerate in science will learn science concepts from both the 7th and 8th grade curriculum and will take High School Regents Living Environment in 8th grade. Students who are accelerated in math will take HS Regents Algebra in 8th grade. The grades earned in Regents Living Environment and Regents Algebra are recorded on the student's high school transcript.
Courses required by the Committee on Special Education may not be included in course recommendations at this time. Once the Committee meets to complete annual reviews, adjustments in courses will be made.
Attention 6th grade parents: Literacy/LiteracyR/Read 180/System 44 requests are still being determined as we review multiple data sets throughout the course of this year to ensure your child is accurately placed. You will be notified of your child’s placement later in August.
Our school counselors are available as a resource for you and your child. If you have any questions about course recommendations or selection, please contact your child’s teacher or school counselor to discuss at your earliest convenience.
Link to portal: https://infinitecampus.webster.websterschools.net/campus/portal/webster.jsp
Sincerely,
Cindy Dickinson Red House Counselor Cynthia_Dickinson@webstercsd.org
Jason Jugovic Blue House Counselor Jason_Jugovic@webstercsd.org
Lisa Paap White House Counselor Lisa_Paap@webstercsd.org
May 2020 From the Board Column
April 25, 2020
9:00 a.m.
“I am always doing that which I cannot do in order that I may learn how to do it.”
Pablo Picasso
We hope this message finds our One Webster family well and coping with the changes wrought by COVID-19 as well as they can. We’re settling into this new reality and a few short weeks ago when we may have been shocked by lines of people wearing masks just to enter Wegmans, like so many other adjustments, we do what we have to do.
We are all doing things we don’t know how to do, and we are learning. We are inspired by the stories we hear of teachers and staff and how they have adapted to online instruction and devised creative ways to stay connected to their students. We are awed by parents who have taken on the role of educator and continue to support their children’s learning. We are proud of students who have risen to the challenge to succeed despite obstacles and disappointments. Their motivation will help them grow in ways they couldn’t have imagined. Finally, we are grateful for the leadership and collaboration of our district’s administrative team led by Carmen.
There was no preparation for the roles we find ourselves in and we sincerely hope everyone can find the strength and inspiration to continue. Sunshine calling us outdoors is an immense benefit; people are outside walking and enjoying our beautiful community.
We continue to conduct the district’s business, and along with all the other New York State school boards, we await further guidance from the governor regarding the annual budget vote and board of education elections. The latest date of early June looks increasingly unlikely.
Please take a moment to thank yourself for all you are doing, because it is making a difference. Each day gives us yet another chance to persevere, to challenge ourselves to new tasks, and to take care of each other.
Sincerely,
Tammy Gurowski
Linda Dioguardi
Mike Alt
Sue Casey
Maria Rigillo
Jan Strege
Mike Suffoletto
For additional information, please visit Webster CSD’s Coronavirus Info web page.
Staff Appreciation Week
Parent/Student Portal – Your Go-to Resource
As remote learning continues, we would like to remind parents/guardians about the Parent/Student Portal and how they can update their information to ensure they receive notifications in a timely manner.
During at-home learning, Webster CSD’s Parent/Student Portal remains parents’ go-to spot for information regarding their student(s).
The district uses this secure, password protected, web-based program to send important emails, phone calls, and texts throughout the year. Parents may update their email information through the portal by clicking on the Contact Preferences tab. The tab enables parents to decide the ways they receive important school and district messages and the types of messages they wish to receive. (Please note that your carrier’s message and data rates may apply if you choose the text option.)
New this year on the Contact Preferences tab, parents may also request changes to phone numbers used to receive IC messages. Simply edit the new phone number in Contact Preferences and save ALL edits. You will then receive a note in your IC process inbox (not your regular email inbox) letting you know whether your requested phone number change has been approved. PLEASE NOTE that changes to existing Parent & Student Portal home addresses must still be made by emailing your school principal who will provide you with the proper forms to complete.
You can find the Parent/Student Portal as a quick link on your child’s school website (and the district website websterschools.org at Parent & Student Portal).
Individuals who need their IC activation code or who have questions should contact ICPortal@webstercsd.org.
Parents and students can download the portal app to their electronic devices to make monitoring the portal more convenient. Please note that changes cannot be made to the Contact Preferences tab using the app.
Awards and Merit
One area that we did continue through the limited time we have been able to access our building is 8th Grade Merit. 8th Grade Merit letters, directions, and applications are being mailed out this week for those students in 8th grade that qualify. If you have any questions, please email my administrative assistant, Beth Vandyne at beth_vandyne@webstercsd.org.
Hi Spry Students and Families,Dealing with the uncertainties and changes to life routines during these days of Covid 19 is challenging for all students and their families. The use of technology continues to be a very important part of our lives- now more than ever during this uncertain time! One of the goals of the school district is always to continue to help students build healthy relationships with technology. In addition, the district wants to continue to support parents with understanding the abundance of information that the technology world has to offer to students so they can help their own child(ren) navigate and use technology safely. The following websites are currently providing free resources for parents and students during the pandemic. Common Sense Media highlights topics specific to Covid 19, such as “Help Your Family De-Stress During Coronavirus Uncertainty” and “How to Help Kids Sort Fact From Fiction About Coronavirus.” We hope you find these resources informative and helpful!
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
https://www.cybercivics.com/press
Also, as noted last week, mental health staff (school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers) will have office hours Tuesdays 1:15-1:45 and Fridays 10:45-11:15. During these office hours, we will be ready to answer questions and/or provide resources to you by email. We will also be checking our emails at other times during school days and school hours, but our office hours provide specific times when we will be immediately available.
Our direct emails are listed below along with the number for the 24- hour mental health hotline through Monroe County.
Monroe County Mental Health Hotline
1-585-275-5151
https://www2.monroecounty.gov/mh-emergency-resources
Red House: Cindy Dickinson (School Counselor) Cynthia_Dickinson@webstercsd.org
Cathy Stephan (Social Worker) Catherine_Stephan@webstercsd.org
Sam LaMere (Social Worker Intern) lamere_samantha@roberts.edu
Tara Terzioglu (School Psychologist) Tara_Terzioglu@webstercsd.org
White House: Lisa Paap (School Counselor) Lisa_Paap@webstercsd.org
Tricia Mungo (Social Worker) Patricia_Mungo@webstercsd.org
Heidi Harbeck (School Psychologist) Heidi_Harbeck@webstercsd.org
Blue House: Jason Jugovic (School Counselor) Jason_Jugovic@webstercsd.org
Chris Iorillo (Social Worker) Christine_Iorillo@webstercsd.org
Michelle Mylott (School Psychologist) Michelle_Mylott@webstercsd.org
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Your Spry Mental Health Team
Important Fundraising Information for 7th Graders for the 8th Grade DC Trip - Please Open the Link
Webster Schools Website Information
Important Information Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Message from Mr. Gumina
April 17, 2020
2:00 p.m.
Dear Webster CSD Titans and Warriors,
I’m hoping that this note finds your family healthy, safe, and adapting as best you can to working and learning together from home. For our students, that may mean figuring out how to write essays and calculate math equations from a bedroom or kitchen table “classroom”. And for parents, you’re helping your pre-teens and teens manage their health, well-being, and academics in ways that none of us ever anticipated during this school closure. I want to thank you for that. I also know that we’re all doing the best that we can. I mentioned this earlier in the week, but your best (and your children’s) may change from hour to hour and day to day. Please hear me again when I stress that this is okay. I am thankful for your continued support of your children and our district.
I’m reaching out this afternoon regarding the district’s grading plan and grading rubric for staff and families as we navigate our newest phase of learning. Please understand that it is important that we journey through these uncharted territories together and with our students’ learning, growth, and well-being in mind. As you are aware, Regents Exams have been cancelled for the year and it is now each district's responsibility to devise a plan to award credit for courses. To that end, it is imperative that we implement phase II in such a way that is fair, opens up new learning to students, gives them opportunities to demonstrate their learning, and allows them to earn credit for the courses in which they are enrolled. Our district’s instructional team has collaboratively worked to develop the following for your children as new material is introduced in their classes:
Webster CSD Secondary Schools’ Grading Plan
Webster CSD Secondary Schools’ Grading Rubric for Staff and Families
In an effort to make it easier for students and families to manage their work, our staff, to the best of their abilities, will be sending out the majority of the week’s lessons and assignments on the Thursday or Friday before (with the exception of next week when it may come out Monday or Tuesday). We strongly encourage students to make a schedule in order to accomplish their assignments. In addition, staff office hours for students to get additional support will be sent to you (and to our students) from your school’s principal.
Should you have additional questions regarding the grading plan, the grading rubric, or earning course credit, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child(ren)’s principal or assistant principal (email addresses available on Parent Portal). They are more than happy to guide you and your children through the “learn from home” process and the new grading plan and rubric.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to partner with us in your child’s education. That partnership is of critical importance at all times and even more so now. I continue to hear from so many of you (and your children!) who model what true resilience looks like when faced with difficult life circumstances. I’m learning from all of you, too, and am grateful for those lessons. #WeWillGetThroughThisTogether
Sincerely,
Carmen Gumina
WCSD Superintendent of Schools
* PLEASE NOTE: You have received a message from the Webster Central School District. Due to the time sensitive nature of the information, the message has been sent in English. Should you need assistance translating the message into your preferred language, please email your child's principal and he/she will arrange for an interpreter to call you back. Please include the best phone number at which you may be reached.
Spry Middle School Subject Office Hours
Show Choir
Show Choir auditions were supposed to be held in May. Due to the coronavirus, we have decided to hold live auditions in the fall - it will be much more fun to learn and audition in person! If you are interested in auditioning, we would love to know that so we can reach out to you. If you are in a music class, please let your music teacher know, or contact Laura D'Angelo directly to her email: Laura_D'Angelo@websterschools.org
You do not need to be in a music group or class to participate in Show Choir. Details will be forthcoming! Thank you so much - and we hope to see you in the fall!
Webster Public Library Newsletter at the link below.
Spry’s April 2019 Yoga Challenge is NOW Spry’s 2020 Challenge!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qxd7M8Wfw8HS0WXE4Ua3jzZe5Zx9iRGucHDU49L39UM/edit?usp=sharing
2019-20 Yearbook Sales
Yearbook Sales
Don't miss out - purchase your Spry 2019-2020 Yearbook online. Go to www.jostensyearbooks.com to order yours today!