Stories from

St. James Episcopal Church is having a pasta dinner and basket raffle on Jan. 16 for a seventh-grader who has Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Brandon Johns attends Batavia Middle School and was diagnosed last October. He has gone through a series of powerful chemotherapy sessions and now radiation treatments, all at Strong Hospital in Rochester.

There are so many expenses that insurance does not pay for.

So please join us at 4:30 p.m. on Monday in the Parish Hall. Dinner includes spaghetti and meatballs, salad, dessert and beverage. Cost is $10 for adults, $8 for students and 5 yrs. and under free. Eat-in or take out. (Dinner is until 7 p.m. or sold out.)

Many items have been donated for the basket raffle, which will be held the same afternoon. Anyone who would like to donate items may call Carol Queal at 343-5177 or the church at 343-6802.

The church is located at 405 E. Main St. in the City of Batavia.

Research suggests that gifted and talented students are more likely to reach their full potential if they are immersed in an enriched curriculum that matches their aptitude rather than their age. In order to assist the GLOW region in providing such opportunities, ACE Programs of Genesee Community College is pleased to announce a new program available to students demonstrating early signs of high potential in math and science.

The Math Science Preparatory program for students in seventh and eighth grade will be taught by full-time GCC math and science faculty and expand upon the NYS math and science standards with content designed to prepare students for the academic rigor of college level science and mathematics.

Students who successfully complete the two-year program will be eligible to participate in the Accelerated College Enrollment STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Enrichment Program at GCC, including an option to complete an associates (AS) degree in Engineering Sciences within months of high school graduation.

The goal of the preparatory program is to provide students with the opportunity to prepare for successful participation in this accelerated course of study.

Participating in any of the ACE Programs allows students to gain transferable college credit at a greatly reduced tuition rate (a third of the regular in-state tuition charged by GCC). ACE programs have always provided opportunities for exceptionally motivated students to achieve enough college credits to potentially earn an associate degree. But the STEM enrichment program will be the first opportunity for high school students to pursue a specific AS degree through GCC.

Although there are many gifted and talented students who would benefit from this type of preparatory instruction, ACE can only select 48 participants for the first semester of Math Science Prep to ensure the highest quality experience for each student.

All applicants must be nominated by a math or science teacher and approved by a school counselor or principal. Nominations must be submitted by March 15. Students will be invited to complete the application process after review of the nomination. The application deadline is March 30. Those accepted into the program will be notified by May 1 and activities will begin during the summer of 2012.

While the ACE Programs office has shared this information with all area middle schools and is seeking nominations, parents and students are encouraged to be proactive and submit the nomination by contacting the ACE Programs office or their school counselor. Additionally, GCC will award two students one-year scholarships to the program through the first annual GCC sixth grade Math/Science Scholar awards.

For more information contact: Karlyn M. Finucane, program specialist, ACE Programs, 343-0055, ext. 6320, or email kmfinucane@genesee.edu.

Cazenovia College recently released names of students honored for academic achievement during the fall semester of 2011. The college is home to about 1,000 degree-seeking students; those named to the Deans' List have achieved a 3.5 or better grade-point average for all courses attempted, and have earned 12 or more academic credits during the semester.

Among the honorees is Chelsie M. Hume, of Le Roy, a senior working toward a bachelor of science degree in psychology.

Cazenovia College, founded in 1824, is an independent, co-educational, baccalaureate college near Syracuse, offering a comprehensive liberal arts education in an exceptional community environment. For more information, visit www.cazenovia.edu.

GO ART! is holding an Open House to recognize artists participating in the new exhibit: "The Art of Healing: Surviving Psychological Trauma." It will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 13 at GO ART! Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia.

The exhibit is open now through Feb. 27 in the Bank of Castile Main Gallery at GO ART! It features a variety of artists from Genesee and Orleans counties. The artists use art to express their pain, hope and healing in the process of recovering from trauma.

At 6 o'clock during the Open House, a brief presentation will be given on the healing aspects of art by Bobbie Noto, director of Wellness at Genesee Community College in Batavia. Noto’s role is to help move the college culture toward healthier choices in physical, financial, emotional, social and academic areas.

She organizes training sessions and outreach activities for the college community and oversees a Wellness Center available to campus students. She also works as an art therapist in private practice.

Noto has an advanced degree in Clinical Art Therapy and has national certification as an art therapist. She was previously employed as an art therapist with Genesee County Mental
Health Services and has worked in college counseling and graduate-level education.

We have invited her to offer some perspective on the art included in this exhibit.

Please join us for this complimentary event, open to the public. For more information, please contact GO ART! at 343-9313, info@GOart.org, or visit www.GOart.org.

GO ART! exhibits are supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Interested parties, mark your calender:

Oakfield-Alabama Central School District is hosting a “town hall style” meeting on bullying beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 in the middle/high school auditorium. The purpose of the meeting is to educate and engage parents and community about the serious issue of bullying.

The community is invited to learn more about bullying, what our district is doing about it, and what they can do to help. The format of the meeting will consist of a presentation on bullying, current legislation, school programming, various local agencies that can assist, and a Q & A period.

This is an informational meeting and not a forum to address specific incidences of bullying. Those should be addressed through the administration.

Refreshments and child care will be provided.

For more information contact Sara Wilkosz (swilkosz@oahornets.org) 948-5211, ext. 3304,
or Mark Alexander (malexander@oahornets.org) 948-5211, ext. 3203.

Winter Story Times at the Richmond Memorial Library start Tuesday, January 10th!

Here's the line-up starting next week:

• Toddler Time -- Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. (walkers – 3 years)
• Early Tot Time -- Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. (walkers – 3 years)
• Tot Time -- Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. ( walkers -- 3 years)
• Preschool Party -- Thursdays at 10 a.m. (ages 3 to 5 years)
• Pajama Primetime -- Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. (all ages)

To register or for more information call the library 343-9550, ext. 4, or stop in at the Children's Room desk during library hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Parents may also register online: www.batavialibrary.org <http://www.batavialibrary.org/>

Group size is limited.

Press release:

In keeping with Genesee Community College's ongoing mission of prioritizing student success and giving them a competitive edge across all curriculum, a new course called Creative Problem Solving will be offered exclusively at the Batavia Campus.

It will focus on the interactive elements involved in deliberate creativity and innovation; specifically the creative person, the creative process, the creative product and the creative environment. It can enhance job security and long-term economic stability in the Innovation Era.

CPS190: Creative Problem Solving is a three-credit, 12-week elective and will be offered Feb. 13 through May 12. It's open to students in all curriculum and academic programs.

Students interested in this course are encouraged to register quickly since seats are limited. It will be taught by adjunct instructor Michaelene Dawson and offered on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 1:25 to 3:15 p.m. To apply for classes visit www.genesee.edu/Apply.

Further emphasis on individual application for personal and professional growth will be developed throughout the course. The goal is to recognize, understand and nurture each student's creative potential.

Students will use the creative problem-solving (CPS) process through a prototype project. First, the CPS students identify and explore a difficult problem or challenge, and apply the CPS process toward a workable prototype solution.

At the culmination of the course, students present their identified problem and challenge, and explain how the CPS process lead to their prototype resolution. An oral presentation is shared with their fellow students and other interested parties.

"Whether students wind up working in manufacturing, health care, business or the service industry, creative problem solving is a skill that all employers are seeking," said Lina LaMattina, director of Business Skills Training of The BEST Center.

"Both Business Week and Fortune magazines have proclaimed innovation is key to achieving a strategic advantage in today's rapidly changing global marketplace. Through CPS190, GCC students will develop new leadership skills, helping them navigate and thrive under all economic conditions. In the end, creative problem-solving skills create better thinkers and citizens in the communities in which we live."

A new Dodgeball League is forming in Pembroke. This league is for people 18 and over. League play starts Jan. 21 and runs every Saturday night for seven weeks. A dozen teams will be excepted with a maximum of 10 people per team and a minimum of six people.

Registration with payment is due by Jan. 13. Cost is $200 per team. If you do not have a team, we can put you on a team that needs players at a cost of $20. For all information go to www.pembrokedodgeball.com.

The league is a fund raiser for PYA Pembroke Indoor Soccer.

Kelsey Diehl, of Elba, was named to the Deans' List at Savannah College of Art and Design for fall quarter 2011. Full-time undergraduate students who earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or above for the quarter receive this recognition.

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution offering degrees in more than 40 areas of study, as well as minors in nearly 60 disciplines.

Corfu resident Susan Schultz, Ph.D., has received an information literacy award from St. John Fisher College in Rochester.

She is associate professor in the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. School of Education and the 2011 recipient of the Second Annual Dr. Mark Szarejko Faculty Information Literacy Award.

She was nominated by Wendy Paterson, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education, who described Schultz as a visible and enthusiastic champion of information literacy on campus and in the teaching profession.

"Dr. Schultz has embraced information literacy as a way to develop teacher candidates to be efficient and effective educators contributing to student learning in their own practices," said Melissa Jadlos, director of Lavery Library. "She is committed to the purposeful integration of information literacy standards across the program curriculum."

This award is sponsored by Lavery Library and the winners are chosen by committee.

Erin O'Connor, of Stafford, has been selected to participate in the Gettysburg College Musical Group. She is a member of the Wind Symphony.

For almost 100 years, Gettysburg College students have been performing in musical groups at Gettysburg. The college has a long tradition of excellence in performance and offer a variety of music ensembles - choral, band, orchestra and jazz for students to join.

With a student body of approximately 2,600, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park. The college was founded in 1832.

Press release:

Administrators at Genesee Community College and Medaille College in Buffalo have created an articulation agreement expanding the opportunity for international students to transfer associates degree credits earned at GCC toward a bachelor's degree from Medaille College.

With this updated agreement, courses and program requirements are defined so that international students can make a smooth transition to their desired baccalaureate program at Medaille.

Currently, more than 100 international students from 27 countries are pursuing their academic goals at GCC. The contributions made by these students, both socially and academically, have significantly enriched the diversity and culture of GCC.

This articulation agreement enables international students to take advantage of unique opportunities and benefits such as knowing the recommended course selections that secure acceptance into a four-year program at Medaille. Upon successful completion of the outlined requirements in the agreement, students will be guaranteed admission to Medaille in their desired major.

Genesee Community College offers several programs that align well with many of Medaille's degree programs. The ideal pathway from GCC to Medaille for internationals students is GCC's Liberal Arts and Science: General Studies (A.S.) program. In addition, Accounting, Business Administration, Communications, Criminal Justice and Sport Management are other program-specific options for international students.

"After graduation, many of our international students choose to continue their education here in the United States," said Patrick Walter, GCC transfer coordinator. "This agreement will aid so many of our students from around the globe in achieving their dreams of higher education."

Genesee Community College has transfer agreements with more than 45 different institutions. For further information, please contact Patrick Walter at 343-0055, ext. 6430, or go to: http://www.genesee.edu/Transfer.

Maria J. Brockenshire, daughter of Norman and Mary Brockenshire of West Batavia, has graduated from online Kaplan University with a bachelor's degree in Nutrition.

She also graduated from Provo College in 2009 with an associates degree in Medical Assisting. Brockenshire is a 2005 graduate of Genesee County's BOCES GED Program.

She currently resides in Tonawanda and is employed at People, Inc.