West Genesee District e-Newsletter
December 9, 2022
Message from the Superintendent
Dear West Genesee Families,
Slowing down is a concept that is understood, but often feels a bit out of our grasp. We know the cliché expressions to “take in the scenery”, “stop and smell the roses”, “enjoy the view”, and more. Athletes let “the game come to them”. Musicians focus on composer’s metronome markings. Artists step back. Writers take a break. Drivers break sooner and travel more slowly. (Okay, that last one was a reminder of the upcoming winter driving safety tips.)
“Slow living is about intention, spending more time on things that are important and less on things that aren’t”
-Brooke McAlary
This quote, from best-selling author and podcast host Brooke McAlary, identifies intent and prioritizing what is important while recognizing our day to day experiences. Perhaps we can be more cognizant of surroundings and prioritization of time and how we spend it.
Aesop’s fable “The Hare and the Tortoise” concludes with “slow and steady wins the race”, a reminder of purpose and priority, among other lessons. The story serves to show a steadfast approach and commitment to cause.
As we head into a time that is busier with events, celebrations, traditions, and perhaps time spent with those important in your life, be sure to take a pause and capture its importance. Within the seemingly hectic pace and the extended days, promise yourself to reset and focus on the positive. Share with others the gift of slowing down and appreciating a moment.
Now please enjoy this edition of the e-Newsletter with examples of the points of pride in our schools. Be sure to also utilize the West Genesee CSD Calendar to find the many opportunities to enjoy and support our students and experience why they are of vital importance to our community.
Thank you for being West Genesee Stronger Together!
David C. Bills
Superintendent of Schools
Pictured above from left to right are James Manard, Olivia Frizzi, Logan Battaglia, Sean Alvaro, and Angus Tarolli.
WGHS Musicians Selected for the NAFME All-Eastern Ensembles
Five West Genesee High School musicians have been selected to perform in the NAFME All-Eastern Honors Ensembles.
The following students were selected:
- Olivia Frizzi – Mixed Chorus
- Sean Alvaro – Mixed Chorus and Band/trombone (has selected band)
- Logan Battaglia – Band/mallet percussion
- Angus Tarolli – Band/bass trombone
- James Manard – Band Alternate/euphonium
They will perform in the 2023 Eastern Division Honor Ensembles program that will take place on April 13-16, 2023 in Rochester, NY. Congratulations!
Music Students are Selected for Senior High All-County Concerts
Forty-two West Genesee High School musicians will perform in the Senior High All-County Festival on January 6-7, 2023 at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. The senior high group includes grades 10-12. Congratulations!
Click here to read the full article listing the names of the musicians.
Happy Holidays from West Genesee Central School District
On behalf of the Board of Education and the Administration of the West Genesee Central School District, we wish you a Joyous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! The wonderful artwork was provided by WGHS students Alexis Peck (artwork pictured above) and Coralista Ruge (artwork pictured below). Great job!
It Happened at School...Creation of T-Shirt with Mental Health Message
The WGHS Let’s Get Down to Business class, taught by Ms. Murray allows students to go from an idea, to creation, to pricing, to marketing and selling of the product; basically every step needed to become an entrepreneur. The High School Counseling Department collaborated with the Let’s Get Down to Business class.
Carly Fura and Emilie Shoults created the design with input from Mrs. Buckman, WGHS Counseling Department Chair. The 988 number is the National Suicide Hotline number, the butterfly represents Morgan’s Message and the back of the shirts read, “You Matter, your story isn’t over" with a semicolon and a heart. The semicolon has been a symbol for suicide awareness to show that with a semicolon you need to pause but not stop and that your story continues on.
You will see these shirts throughout the District in the counseling offices. Our hope is that they will generate conversation and awareness to not only the 988 hotline number, but also to Morgan’s Message and Suicide Awareness. If you are struggling do not hesitate to reach out to the 988 hotline number or to our school counselor.
Student Achievement, Recognition, and the Future of Class Rank
A team of stakeholders (representation from parents, students, teachers, counselors, and administrators) have resumed a review of alternative ways to recognize student achievement for West Genesee graduates.
This work, which began as a Strategic Planning focus area in 2021, continues to look at the diminishing role that class rank has in the college application and acceptance process. For example, the most recent release of SUNY Cortland's admission pool showed that two-thirds of applicants came from high schools that no longer rank graduates based on grade point average. Therefore, the college did not consider any applicant's class rank when considering acceptance.
Alternative models for recognizing and honoring student achievement (other than class rank) are under exploration. If you would like more information about this team's work, please contact Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Brian Kesel at 315-487-4564.
West Genesee Strategic Planning Climate Survey
Our District values your feedback! We are currently surveying West Genesee Central School District families in order to gain insight into your perception of our schools and District effectiveness. To ensure we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We want to know what you think.
To administer these surveys, we have partnered with Panorama Education to conduct our 2022-2023 Family Survey. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your responses confidential. The survey shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete, and will be a valuable source of information for us as we work to make our schools and District as good as they can be.
You may complete the survey online through December 16 using a computer, tablet, or smartphone by visiting the following building-specific websites. For example, if you have a child that attends Camillus Middle School, please be sure to open the CMS link. If your children attend different schools within the District, you are welcome to complete a survey for each building.
School Family-School Relationships Survey Links
We thank you in advance for your thoughtful, anonymous responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact our Strategic Planning Co-Coordinators:
Robert Leo, Director of Professional Learning: rleo@westgenesee.org
Deb Ratcliff, Assistant Principal, Stonehedge Elementary: dratcliff@westgenesee.org
Meet our School Patrol Officers: This Week...Officer Mark Flint
We would like to welcome back Officer Mark Flint as the full-time School Resource Officer (SRO) to West Genesee High School.
Officer Flint has been the SRO of West Genesee High School for 3 years. Officer Flint is a Graduate of Homer High School, went to OCC for a year and then graduated from Alfred State with an Associates in Applied Science (Computer Art and Design). Officer Flint started his police career in the City of Cortland in 2005 and then transferred to The Town of Camillus Police Department in October of 2007. Officer Flint is a member of the Crisis Intervention Team (C.I.T.), a Road Patrol Officer and a Bike Patrol Officer. Officer Flint has been a police officer for 18 years.
In addition to being the SRO of West Genesee High School Officer Flint is the father of 3, and two of his children attend West Genesee Schools.
Principal Klefbeck shared, “Officer Flint is a part of our WGHS Wildcat family. He spends most days getting to know students in our building and working to build those relationships. As a result, our students see Officer Flint as someone they can rely on, and they seek him out in times of need. Officer Flint has spent time in classrooms this year sharing his experiences with students and answering questions. He is often sought out by those interested in a career in law enforcement. Having Officer Flint in our building brings comfort to both students and staff. He comes to work with a positive attitude and welcomes our students to the building each morning. We are so appreciative of Officer Flint's commitment to WGHS and the District. We are lucky to have him!”
Reports Cards Opening Soon for WGMS and Elementary Schools
Report cards are electronically accessible in ParentVUE. In addition to this digital format, ParentVUE also has a printable PDF version in case you wish to print it out. Report cards for WGMS and all elementary schools will be available on December 17, 2022.
If you are not able to access your ParentVUE account, please use the following link. Once there you can click the forgot password link.
If you need to activate your account, please email: centralregistrar@westgenesee.org. We will be happy to assist you from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Kindergarten Registration Starts in December
Kindergarten Registration for the 2023-2024 school year will open on December 14 and will go until March 31, 2023.
Watch for registration information on the Central Registration webpage. If you have any questions, email the Central Registrar at centralregistrar@westgenesee.org, or call Central Registration at (315) 487-4683.
When registering, parents should be prepared to upload the following:
- proof of residency (ie. mortgage or property statement or signed lease agreement)
- proof of immunizations
- proof of age
A physical examination is also required and a dental certificate is requested for entry into kindergarten. These examinations should be done up to one year prior to the first day of school. Children who enter kindergarten this fall must be five years of age on or before December 1, 2023.
Sports Wrap-Up for Fall 2022 Recognizes Athletes
The Sports Wrap-Up is a section from the Communicator that is published at the end of each athletic season. This section lists all of the teams, comments from coaches, and awards received by the athletes.
Fall 2022 Athletes are Scholars
To receive a Scholar-Athlete Team award, 75% of the roster must have a GPA of 90 or above.
Congratulations to the nine teams who qualified: Boys Golf, Boys Soccer, Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Girls Soccer, Girls Swimming/Diving, Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis, and Cheerleading.
#GoWildcats #WildcatPride
Mark Your Calendars! WINTER 2022 – 2023 Sports Start Dates
- Modified: Boys 7/8 Swimming, Girls 7/8/9 Basketball, 7/8 Wrestling-January 9, 2023 (Winter 2)
Sign-ups/Registrations on familyid.com are 30 days prior to the start date.
Looking for Holiday Gifts? Purchase Tickets to the WGHS Musical!
West Genesee High School will present Nice Work If You Can Get It, by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark, LLC., on February 2 - 4, 2022.
A hilarious new screwball comedy, Nice Work If You Can Get It pokes fun at the Prohibition era in a clash of elegant socialites and boorish bootleggers, all set to the glorious songs of George and Ira Gershwin. Highlights from the score include "Fascinating Rhythm," "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Sweet and Low Down," "Delishious" and the title song. (Description credited to www.concordtheatricals.com).
Tickets are $15, all seats reserved, and are available by clicking here. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Fine Arts Office.
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 television 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 do NOT need to sign-up to receive information from schools that you are registered for in ParentVue. (You may opt-out if you choose not to receive emails, texts, and/or phone calls. Also, although you do not need to sign-up to receive texts, you do have to opt-in per the instructions in the Tips article below. )
For more information go to the website and click on Communications from the Connect section of the home page.
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 now on Instagram!
WGCSD is Looking to Hire Transportation Staff
West Genesee CSD is looking to hire regular bus drivers, substitute bus drivers, and substitute bus attendants.
Inquiries about these positions can be sent to Debbie Price at dprice@westgenesee.org.
Hiring a Registered Nurse
WGCSD is hiring a full-time nurse to float between the buildings within the District.
Inquiries about this position can be sent to Deb Balcourt at dbalcourt@westgenesee.org.
WGCSD Seeks a Maintenance Worker
To apply go to https://www.westgenesee.org/staff-resources/job-opportunities/current-job-openings/ to fill out the application (https://www.westgenesee.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/StaffResourcesSupportStaffApp.pdf) and bring it to the District Office (300 Sanderson Drive-behind Stonehedge Elementary).
Please call 315-487-4630 with any questions.
Upcoming Events
- December 21, 2022 Board of Education Claims Audit Sub-Committee Meeting - 5:15 p.m. - High School Library Classroom
- December 21, 2022 Board of Education Meeting - 6:00 p.m. - High School Library
- December 26-30, 2022 No School-Holiday Recess
- January 2, 2023 No School-Holiday Recess