Batavia City Schools Superintendent Chris Dailey reads to students at Jackson Primary School on Thursday night during the school's reading night, part of its annual Parents as Reading Partners Program.
This year's theme is "Wild About Reading at the Jackson Primary Zoo."
Molly Corey reading.
Linda Conway reading.
Students and parents playing Zoo Bingo.
Press release:
Jackson Primary’s Parents As Reading Partners (PARP) program was introduced with the traditional and always-entertaining play by staff for the students. This year’s theme is Wild About Reading and, in the opening performance, the students were confronted with a lot of confused behavior among the residents of Jackson Zoo.
With monkeys eating potato chips, giraffes roaring about their prowess at protecting the zoo while lions are playfully dancing nearby, and polar bears mistakenly caught in a warm exhibit area while elephants are freezing in theirs – there is a lot of craziness at the Zoo.
But there is hope! Between now and March 29, Jackson students can read with a partner at home for 15 minutes or more each day, and that will bring some facts – and order – back to the Zoo, helping the animals return to their proper foods, activities and habitats.
While this year’s goal is to restore order to the Zoo, the goal every year is to build excitement for and a love of reading that not only contributes to academic success but also enriches students’ (and their reading partners') lives immeasurably.
Students at Batavia High School will participate in a nationwide high school student protest tomorrow called March for Our Lives in response to mass shootings on school campuses, most notably the murder of 17 students Feb. 14 in Parkland, Fla.
Students will stand outside the school for 17 minutes starting at 10 a.m. in honor of the 17 students killed in Parkland.
The school district is allowing the protest to go forward and has requested Batavia PD station a police officer at the school to ensure the safety of the students, Chief Shawn Heubusch told WBTA this morning.
"We’re there to support the school district in any need that they have," Heubusch said. "They’ve given them (the students) a chance to participate in this national walkout and we support them in any way we can. As far as it being right or wrong, I don’t have an opinion on that. I just want to make sure that the children remain safe."
Senior Sydney Atchinson has taken a leadership role in organizing the local protest and invited local media to cover it.
Joan Elizabeth Seamans, who recently dropped out of the Democratic primary for the NY-27 race, also sent out a press release notifying area media that the protest would be taking place at several WNY high schools and that it will be coupled with a voter registration drive, encouraging students who will be 18 by Nov. 6 to register to vote.
“I am very proud of our youth here in WNY and throughout the country who are ready to use their voices to fight for change. They have demonstrated a fierceness we haven’t seen in decades" said Seamans, founder of YVYV NY (Your Voice Your Vote NY). "It will be interesting to see how this new and energized voting block uses their passion to influence legislation."
Seamans said the event has been organized by Women's March Youth EMPOWER, an affiliate of the Women’s March.
Heubusch also discussed the issue of school resource officers in Batavia City Schools.
The discussions, he said, have been ongoing for many years, not just since the Feb. 14 shooting.
"We certainly hope we will eventually be able to supply a school resource officer to the district," Heubusch said. "Currently we are prevented from doing that by some fiscal limitations for not only the city but as well as the school district. Part of that ongoing discussion is to develop ways to be able to pay for these positions if they do come to fruition.
"We support the idea of having a school resource officer in our district, if not more than one. It’s just a matter of getting down to the brass tacks of paying for that position and funding it long term."
Press release:
“The growth mindset of this district was what really attracted me to Byron-Bergen,” said Byron-Bergen Elementary School’s new Assistant Principal Betsy Brown. “The approach to education is innovative and forward-thinking. I’m so impressed with the opportunities our students have here.”
“We’re fortunate to have an administrator with Betsy’s depth and experience,” said Elementary School Principal Brian Meister. “She is a great addition to our team, and I think she will bring a wonderful combination of commitment, caring, innovation, and humor to her role.”
Brown has 15 years of experience in elementary education. She came to the district from Avon Central Schools, where she supported students and staff as a literacy coach for three years. Prior to that, she taught third and fourth grade, and kindergarten.
Brown holds a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and a Master of Education degree in literacy, earned at the State University of New York at Geneseo. Her administrative coursework was completed at the University of Rochester.
Getting to know the students has been Brown’s first priority. She has been meeting them all, one classroom at a time.
“I don’t want them to be nervous around me,” she said. “It’s important that students know that I am always here to help them.”
“I’m particularly excited about the Character Education program here,” she said "I love the enthusiasm our students have for supporting one another and keeping their school safe. From classroom visits, I can see that the teachers do an amazing job of teaching students in ways that are fun and engaging."
“I really am passionate about English Language Arts (ELA),” she said, “and Byron-Bergen has a great Reading Recovery program for early intervention. I’m looking forward to supporting our teachers with that and helping them continue to build a strong ELA program that incorporates the latest standards."
Brown was an active member of the video coaching professional development team at Avon, and will continue her activity as a coach at Byron-Bergen.
“Byron-Bergen has been the regional leader in offering video coaching as a way for teachers to grow and to improve their teaching methods,” she said. “Teachers here have embraced the technology, and students are benefitting from the results.”
Open communication, Brown believes, is an essential part of any school. She is looking forward to meeting families and parents and working with them to ensure an exceptional school experience for their students. She encourages parents to call or stop in.
“We have an active social media presence on Twitter and Facebook, too,” she said. “They provide a window into all the activities students are doing in the classroom.”
The community can follow the assistant principal on Twitter @MrsBetsyMBrown.
Batavia High School's sixth annual Mr. Batavia contest is Friday, March 23rd, at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. Contestants have been in rehearsals for weeks for the annual event.
Here are this year's contestants and their charities of choice:
Previous winners are: Jon Currier (2017), Ross Chua (2016), Jordan Fluker (2015), Spencer Hubbard (2014), Lee Johnson (2013).
Press release:
Renowned ballerina Aesha Ash encourages Byron-Bergen students to dream bigger.
Ballet star Aesha Ash told the hundreds of students at Byron-Bergen Elementary School that when she was growing up in Rochester, “there were no princesses or fairies that looked like me. There were no magical creatures, unicorns or swans that looked like me.”
When she dreamed of being a ballerina, she was told that there were no black ballerinas and that she would never succeed. She dreamed anyway, and she did succeed. She was accepted to the legendary School of American Ballet where she was chosen to join the New York City Ballet when she was 18 — one of the first black dancers in the corps.
How did this world-famous dancer and winner of the National Women’s History Museum's 2016 Women Making History Award, come to be in Byron-Bergen? Fourth-grade teacher Alyson Tardy heard about Ash’s Swan Dreams Project, which was founded in 2011. This project uses powerful imagery to counter negative stereotypes of race and socio-economic background and inspire children to dream bigger.
Tardy thought that Ash’s message would be a great tie-in to the school’s character education program. She invited Ash and coordinated the special visit. Students surprised their visitor with a hallway lined with artwork featuring swans of many shapes and colors.
“The art is so beautiful,” Ash said. “I’m honored that the kids welcomed me this way.”
At the crowded assembly, Ash shared her story with attentive students, beginning with her passion for dance and her determination to become a ballerina.
She explained how she was part of Rochester’s Urban Suburban program, and constantly faced questions and misunderstanding from peers about her background and city neighborhood. Her family was not rich; she told the story of borrowing toe shoes for her first tryout. Even when Ash became a professional ballet dancer, she felt a sense of not belonging, of being different.
“All my life, I’ve fought to change perceptions and dispel myths — for myself, my family and my Rochester community,” she said. “The more that people told me that I couldn’t do something, the more I wanted to do it.”
Ash’s professional dance career lasted 13 years. It included eight years with the NYC Ballet along with performing in the Bejart Ballet in Switzerland and Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, and with many other companies as a freelance artist.
She and her family currently live in California where she is working to make the Swan Dreams Project an afterschool program. She hopes to open a studio where she can teach ballet to children who are not able to afford lessons.
The Swan Dreams Project video she shared with Byron-Bergen students can be found here.
Press release:
Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. hosted a meeting last week with Genesee County school superintendents, local police officials, local government representatives, along with state representatives Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer, to discuss school safety concerns and the viability of having School Resource officers within each school district.
"School Resource officers can play an important role in our school districts, from helping to resolve conflict to preventing tragedies," said Senator Ranzenhofer.
"I fully support placing these officers in our local school districts, and I have been working to secure state funding to expand School Resource officers in Genesee County and across New York State. I commend Sheriff Sheron for his leadership on this issue, and I will continue to work with him to keep our children safe."
While it was the consensus of most of those in attendance that there should be a School Resource Officer in each school within the county, concerns were expressed of how to fund the position and identifying the source of this funding.
The attendees discussed a variety of possible federal, state and local options and agreed to explore funding sources to offset the cost of the potential School Resource officers.
“I was pleased to meet with Sheriff Sheron, local educators and community stakeholders to discuss how we can increase school safety," said Assemblyman Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia). "The state needs to take action to help our schools become the most secure and comfortable environments they can be.
"We need to look at working with retired law enforcement and veterans in our schools because our children’s safety should be our number one priority.”
Currently, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office has School Resource officers at the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership’s (BOCES) Batavia Campus (for the past 15 years) and in the Byron-Bergen Central School District (for the past three years).
Additionally, the Village of Le Roy Police Department provides a School Resource Officer to the Le Roy School District, and the Batavia City School District has security aides within its facilities.
During the meeting, representatives from Genesee Valley Educational Partnership’s (BOCES) Batavia Campus and the Byron-Bergen School District spoke highly about the advantages of having a School Resource Officer.
They explained that it not only provides a safe environment for the students and faculty but also provides for direct interaction and guidance with the students.
Both officials agreed that the benefits of having a School Resource Officer far outweigh the expense associated with the position.
“When we started our SRO Program 15 years ago, the prevailing question was, 'Why?' " said Christopher Hayward, Le Roy Police Chief. “With everything that has happened in the last 15 years, and sadly will continue to happen, the question has to be, ‘Why not?' "
Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch stated, “the City Police Department remains dedicated to the safety and security of all schools within its district. The time has come for the lawmakers in this state to step up and allow school districts to utilize their aid in establishing programs that make sense on a local level.
"This type of flexibility would go a long way to allowing each district in Genesee County to partner with local law enforcement to provide a School Resource Officer.”
Sheriff Sheron stated that it his goal to establish a School Resource Officer in all county schools to ensure the safety and protection of the students and faculty.
“Although the cost associated with placing a School Resource Officer in the schools is significant, I believe the safety and security of our children should be of the utmost precedence,” the sheriff said.
Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies will be visiting schools on a regular basis and assist during school safety drills. This will aid in familiarizing Deputies with the school’s faculty and students along with the layout and procedures of each school.
Submitted photos. Top photo, Deputy Matt Butler, resource officer for Byron-Bergen, discusses his job with officials.
Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, left, Sheriff William Sheron, right.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley
The Batavia City School District continues to adopt technology as part of the learning process and coursework, IT Coordinator Jeff McKinney told the school board during its meeting Tuesday night.
His presentation was followed by demonstrations of some of the robots and programming projects students have been working on this year.
McKinney said 2,000 Chromebooks have been deployed to students. Students have visited more than one million websites. There are 266 active Google classrooms and students are creating 50,000 new documents each month.
Internet access has become so critical to the educational process that McKinney has come up with a plan for a backup bandwidth provider so that if the primary provider goes offline, teachers and students don't lose access.
"I'm really proud of where we're going and what we've done," McKinney said.
He said a key advantage of the STEM program currently in place is it helps students learn through discovery and studies show students retain new knowledge better when it comes through discovery.
It isn't always the teacher teaching anymore, either, said Melissa Calandra, a STEM teacher at John Kennedy Elementary School.
"It's kind of hard as a teacher not to know all of the answers but that's the world we live in now," she said.
Other faculty participating in the presentation, Katelin LaGreca, JK Library Media Specialist, Karen Shuskey, JK ACE Teacher, and Marie Martell, JK Computer Literacy/Math AIS Teacher.
Top photo: Phoebe Beal, grade 3; Brock Bigsby, grade 3; Ryan Bigsby, grade 3; Ella Shamp, grade 4; Landon Hamilton, grade 4;Tosh Spilberg, grade 4.
The Batavia City School District Board of Trustees honored several people at the start of Tuesday's meeting with certificates of appreciation for the difference they're making at the Batavia schools.
Above, Board President Pat Burk with Lucy Lefevre.
Amelia Tripp
Luca Garland
Landon Minuto
Ottoniel Ramirez-Garcia
Camden Reimer
Members of the STAR staff.
Detective Richard Schauff
Article by Drew Muehlig. Photo by Dan Carnevale.
High school graduation rates increased slightly across New York in 2017 -- to 80.2 percent, up from 79.7 percent in 2016, according to data released Wednesday by the New York State Department of Education.
And some Genesee Region schools had a lot to do with that.
Elba, Lyndonville and Pembroke high schools all boasted 97-percent graduation rates last year, while Attica (94 percent), Pavilion (93 percent), Le Roy (93 percent), Alexander (91 percent), Batavia (91 percent), Byron-Bergen (91 percent), Holley (91 percent) and Kendall (90 percent) all came in with more than 90-percent commencement numbers.
Elba saw the biggest increase in graduation rates, climbing from 89 percent in 2016.
Elba’s superintendent, Keith Palmer, attributes the results to the school’s size and the teacher-student relationship building over time.
“Given our small size and low student to staff ratio, the faculty is better able to work with students one-on-one or in small groups,” Palmer said. “This allows for knowing and responding to individual student needs as well as developing meaningful relationships.”
For a complete list of 2017 graduation rates click here.
The Elba Central School Drama Club presents "The Wizard of Oz" this weekend.
Shows are at 7 p.m., Friday, and 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday.
Tickets are available at the ECS district office and Roxy's Music store in Batavia. Advance tickets are $6 for students and seniors, $8 for adults. They are $10 at the door.
Students from Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School who are participating in Sandy Auer's pottery classes traveled to Rochester today for the class's annual visit to the Flower City Arts Center, where they could experience throwing pottery for a first time on a pottery wheel. The students then work with Mrs. Auer one-on-one in class throwing their own pottery pieces.
"It's a great experience for the students," Mrs. Auer said.
Photos and info provided by Byron-Bergen High School.
Press release:
Children who reside in the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District and who will be 4 years old by Dec. 1, 2018 are eligible to be registered for our Universal Pre-Kindergarten program for the 2018-2019 school year.
The children attend five days per week, each day, for 180 days, at no cost to you.
Transportation is provided for students who are 4 years old. Students that start the program at 3 years old must be transported by the family until they turn 4 years old.
We will have full-day and half-day classes available. Full day hours are 8:35 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and half day hours are 8:35-11:30 a.m.
Registration packets have been mailed. If you do not receive a packet by Feb. 12, please call the elementary office at 585-948-5211, ext. 3211, or email kfisher@oahornets.org to request one.
Registration paperwork needs to be returned by mail or in person to the Elementary Office by March 9. Space is limited so please return your paperwork as soon as possible in order to avoid being placed on a wait list.
Alexander Central School hosted a Health and Wellness Fair on Thursday night sponsored by Alexander United Teachers.
Meghan Ripstein said the organization was looking for a way to give back to the community and she hoped families and vendors would find something at the fair that they could get involved in or find something missing from their lives.
She said the response was beyond expectations.
"We have a great turnout," she said. "We have so many incredible vendors here and so many people have given so much. I’m very impressed and overwhelmed by the support that we’ve gotten."
Using a detection device to identify students who might have been drinking at high school dances is nothing new, said Batavia City Schools Superintendent Chris Dailey, and previous uses have gotten no pushback from students or parents.
Yesterday, The Batavian published a picture of Batavia High School receiving two new wand-like devices that act as breathalyzers to help school officials identify students who may have been drinking prior to arrival at a school dance or other social function where they might be used. The publication of the picture raised a lot of questions among readers about the legality and ethics of such devices.
Dailey said the district's first priority is the safety of the students.
"Ninety-nine point nine percent of our kids don't generally show up under the influence, so it's rather a moot point to them," Dailey said. "They're not thinking we're trying to take away their rights and we're not trying to take away their rights. We're trying to provide a safe environment for all. It's all about safety for us."
All of the complaints that surfaced after yesterday's picture publication surfaced online, Dailey said. There have been no calls to the district office and he met with high school officials today and there was no mention of complaints at the high school.
The wands donated to the school by STOP-DWI and local law enforcement are not at all invasive, Dailey said, unlike the previous alcohol sensor used by the school, which was only used if a student was suspected of drinking. The wands, Dailey said, can detect a potential use of alcohol by a person in a group of people.
"Alcohol consumption by students is something that is illegal and is not tolerated," Dailey said. "We want to make sure we provide the safest possible environment for all of our students."
That's critical, Dailey said, when you have 200 to 300 students coming together for an event.
If a student is found under the influence of alcohol at a school event, the first step, Dailey said, is to make sure the student is safe. Next, school officials call the teenager's parents.
"We reach out to the parents," Dailey said. "(the student) is not allowed to leave if under impairment and we will work with the parent so the child will learn from the mistake."
There isn't necessarily disciplinary action taken against the student.
"(It) depends on the situation," Dailey said.
As for whether the sensors violate students' rights, Dailey said, any student or parent who might be concerned about it are free to not attend the school function.
"If people choose not to come to the dance because of it, that's their choice, absolutely," Dailey said.
Today was the Holiday Give Back Day for students at Batavia Middle School who traveled throughout the community visiting more than a dozen organizations and businesses to thank them for their support of BMS and education.
Two of the visits were to Batavia PD and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.
The students presented a bag of gifts and cards made by the students.
The first year that seniors at Batavia High School could paint personalized parking spaces was a big success, representatives of the Class of 2018 told school board members at Tuesday's meeting.
They recommended the board approve the same project for the class of 2019.
Not only were there no problems, the project raised $795 for the senior class.
“That’s probably one of the easiest fundraisers ever,” said Senior Mikey Lullo.
There were 35 spaces painted and 19 spots reserved by students.
Several faculty members wanted to get in on the act, offering as much as $200 to have their parking spaces painted by a student, but since that wasn't part of the agreement the senior class had with the board, the class declined to sell those services.
Mikey said that was one of several recommendations this year's class had for the Board of Education.
First, the biggest recommendation was that the Class of 2019 be allowed to move forward with the same program.
The students also recommended that seniors be given a whole week to get their spots painted. Two days isn't enough time when students have sports activities starting up that time of year, family vacations wrapping up, and jobs. Some students found it hard to fit in painting on just a Thursday and Friday. That meant some of them painted over the weekend, which technically was against the rules, but Lullo said the board should consider that there were no problems as a result and all of the students (many accompanied by parents) were respectful.
The few problems encountered by the students were minor, the students said. Lauren Leone said one time some garbage got left behind but other students took care of it right away. There was also an incident after the first snowfall where one student parked in another student's spot, but that was quickly resolved. Nobody purposefully caused a problem with another student over parking.
The project was also successful, Mickey said, because it helped raise senior class spirit.
"It was so great," she said. "Even though I didn’t paint a parking spot, I was just there helping other people, and it was so relaxing, just getting to paint and be with each other before senior year started."
Photo: Amand Patel, Lauren Leone, Mikey Lullo, and Kiara Cherry.
The Batavia City School District Board of Trustees handed out its monthly awards at the start of its meeting Tuesday night.
Sarah Gahagan and Lindsey Leone – Outstanding Staff Award
I just wanted to pass along praise for Sarah Gahagan and Lindsey Leone for their hard work and dedication to making the B-Squad program a success. My son participated in the program and he learned so much from it. Sarah and Lindsey perfectly balanced physical fitness, community involvement, career development, and social responsibility with this program.
They kept the participants motivated and taught life lessons that would be hard to duplicate in a classroom setting. I imagine they spent a significant amount of their personal time on this program and wanted to recognize their efforts with the administration. Please know that they are assets to BCSD and the City of Batavia who have made a difference in the lives of these young men. -- Nominated by Jill Halpin, Parent
Shirley Boyd – Outstanding Staff Award
Shirley always goes above and beyond for all students; not just the ones she works directly with in the inclusive classroom. She is patient and very receptive to the students’ needs. She takes on additional responsibilities that are not required of her throughout the entire school. She is more than willing to assist the teachers she works with directly and those that she does not. Shirley takes time out of her personal schedule to build relationships with students that need it most. She is truly an amazing individual we are blessed to have her on board. --Nominated by Laura Kaczmarek & Cindy Morgan
The board also presented a proclamation to Caryn Wood for the Drama's Club's successful production of "Sally Cotter and the Censored Stone." The proclamation cited the cast and crew and said the show "exceeded all expectations of a high school drama performance, bringing laughter, jest, and extreme entertainment to the audience it gathered for this event."
Le Roy's Alex Wynn is Yale-bound. The high school senior has won a full scholarship to the prestigious university from QuestBridge.
Wynn is among 918 students selected by QuestBridge for a 2017 National College Match scholarship that sends high-achieving, low-income students to top universities.
U.S. News and World Report ranks Yale as one of the top three universities in the nation. Yale counts among its graduates presidents (both Bushes, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford), world-renowned actors (Meryl Streep, Paul Newman, Jodie Foster), and business leaders (Indra Nooyi, CEO of Pepsi, John E. Pepper Jr., CEO of Walt Disney Co.), along with leaders in many industries and professions.
Alex said she learned about QuestBridge during her junior year and decided to join more than 15,000 other high school students who would seek a QuestBridge scholarship.
The process included a visit to Yale, which helped convince Alex that Yale was where she wanted to go if given the chance.
"Yale has been my top school ever since I was afforded the opportunity to visit last June," Alex said. "Despite my love of the school, its low acceptance rate made me believe that I never would actually be accepted, let alone be offered a full scholarship. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to be able to attend my dream school for the next four years, nor can they describe how incredibly excited I am for this amazing opportunity."
She will major in Chemical Engineering.
"I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a student of Alex's caliber in the first year of my career as a school counselor," said Austin Dwyer, a counselor at Le Roy High School. "On the very first day of school, Alex introduced herself to me and informed me she was applying to a National College Match Program that included some of the most selective schools in the entire country.
"Alex has been an outstanding self-advocate for herself, especially throughout the extensive application process of this program. Alex is truly a 'go-getter' when it comes to accomplishing something, whether it is in the classroom or an extracurricular commitment, and has been a great role model for our students."
Principal Tim McArdle said Alex has worked hard and the school is proud of her.
"Alex's commitment to academic excellence coupled with a passion for participation in music, athletics, and other extracurricular clubs, along with service in our community has made her an ideal Oatkan Knight whose journey is inspiring," McArdle said. "She has pushed herself in the classroom to always challenge her intellect and fulfill her love of learning.
"Evidence of her success can be found all over our school from helping launch our Knights' Tech Desk to excelling in her AP courses to performing in our marching band and musical pit. We are very excited for her and her family; it is truly life-changing, and we are so proud! I would like to thank QuestBridge for their commitment to college-bound students across the country."
Photo: Alex Wynn, taken Saturday night at Le Roy's Christmas Tree lighting.
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