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The Byron-Bergen Bees are Far West Regional champions after beating Section VI's Wilson 2-1 in Boys Soccer on Friday in West Seneca.

The Bees advance to the Final Four of the state championship tournament in Class C. Their first game is at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Goshen High School (about 4 1/2 hours from Batavia). They will play either Fabius or Seton Catholic in the semifinal.  Seton Catholic is the #1 ranked Class C team in the state.

On Friday, Jack Farner scored the first goal with an assist from Colin Martin.

Colin Rea, who missed nearly all of the regular season with an injury, scored the second goal with 16 minutes left in the game.  It was his first goal of the season.

The Bees enter the state tournament with an 18-2-1 record.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro

Byron-Bergen beat Cuba-Rushford/Hinsdale 4-0 on Wednesday night at Geneseo in the Class C crossover game.

The Bees now advance to the Far West Regional to take on Wilson, the Section VI Class C champ, in the Far West Championship at 5 p.m. on Friday at West Seneca Senior High School.

All four goals for the Bees were scored by Jack Farner (#8).  Assists went to Colin Martin, Noah Clare, Braedyn Chambry and Cody Carlson. 

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

With each of the first two goals the Holley Hawks scored, the Byron-Bergen Bees had an answer to tie the game, but in overtime, the Hawk's third overtime goal ended the game and ended the Bees' hope of advancing further this postseason.

Byron-Byron Bergen lost the Class C crossover game at Geneseo High School and the right to play in the Western Regional Championship to Holly 3-2.

For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.

Byron-Bergen soccer fans are now celebrating two sectional championships in the same weekend after the boys team defeated #1 seed East Rochester 1-0 for the Class C2 crown.

The lone goal was fired in by forward Jack Farner, with an assist from Colin Martin, in the third minute of the game. Martin MacConnell, along with the Bees defense, held the Bombers scoreless the rest of the match.

On Friday, the girls' team beat Keshequa 4-3 in overtime to the Class C2 title.

Coach Ken Rogoyski said, "The last time that the boys and girls teams were sectional champions in the same year was 2002 (21 years ago).  They also both won in 2001. And before that, in 1981 (21 years prior to the 2002 win).  Coincidentally, the girls tied their match on Friday, sending them into overtime with 21 seconds left in the game."

The Bees, now 16-2-1, will face Cuba-Rushford/Hinsdale on Wednesday night, location TBD.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro

There's no doubt that it was a team effort, but Jack Farner was a standout in Byron-Bergen's sectional semifinal win over Addison in Geneseo on Wednesday, scoring four goals.

The Bees won 6-1.

In a regular season match in September, Addison beat Byron-Bergen 3-2 so the Bees went into the game knowing they had to beat a tough opponent if they wanted to advance in the Class C1 tournament. 

"Addison is a very good team," said the Bees' head coach, Kenneth Rogoyski. "The score is not a reflection of the game. Possession was maybe a tiny bit in our favor, but it was pretty even. They played the ball in our half as much as we played the ball in they're half. The score is not a reflection, but rather, we just did better things with the ball. We handled the ball and managed the ball better."

As part of the offensive onslaught, Colin Martin had two goals and two assists, Jesus Aragon, two assists, and Braedyn Chambry, one assist.

"Jack Farner, a junior on our team, had his best game," Rogoyski. "He's been phenomenal this season. And today, he wants to take it to another level."

Farner's success was made possible, Rogoyski noted, by the players around him.

"Every great forward has some great playmakers and we were feeding him some great balls, Rogoyski said. "That's 

every great forward has some great playmakers, and we were feeding him some great balls. That's the credit to our midfielder, Colin (Martin)."

With a record now of 15-2-1, Byron Bergen, the #2 seed, faces East Rochester, the #1 seed, for the sectional title in a match to be played at Avon High School on Saturday at 2 p.m.

"I'm excited," Rogoyski said. "I can't wait. I can't wait for Saturday. It's gonna be tough to have to wait three days. I want to play a doubleheader tonight. We're ready."

For more photos or to purchase prints, click here.

Gananda didn't score a goal until the second minute of Tuesday's Section V Class C2 semifinal in Girls Soccer at Pittsford-Sutherland, which sort of felt like an accomplishment to Byron-Bergen Head Coach Wayne Hill.

"Last year, we played them (in postseason) and they scored in the first 10 seconds," Hill said after the Bees' 4-1 win. "We knew they're going to be pressing hard and fast early. I felt good that we didn't get scored out in the first minute. But they banged in one in the second minute."

Despite the quick strike, the Bees held their composure.

"We stayed level-headed," Hill said. "We stayed true to our game plan and weathered a little bit of a storm and then we played our game, and we took control of the game."

It didn't take long for Mia Gray, who already has more than 100 career points through her sophomore year, to even the tally with a high, long lob, followed by a goal by Grace Diquattro (who also got the assist on Gray's earlier goal).

"They (Gananda) score a lot of goals," Hill said. "They're used to winning. They're used to scoring a lot, and I think that variable gave us a little bit of an advantage when they got down."

A penalty kick by Megan Jarkiewicz that just tipped off the fingers of Gananda's keeper, Olivia Moskal, as it arched over her head, gave Byron-Bergen a 3-1 lead and two goals up can be huge in soccer.

It seemed the Bees had increasing control of the game as it went on, though Hill said he thought Gananda had about a 55 to 45 percent advantage in control.

"We capitalized better," Hill said. "I thought it was a nice even game. I'm happy to see that kind of game."

In the second half, Libby Starowitz knocked in a bullet from about 30 yards out to give the Bees the 4-1 lead, which proved decisive.

Two of Byron-Bergen's goals sailed high over Moskal, and that was by design, Hill indicated.

"We watched some game film and thought maybe we could hit something high," Hill said. "We switched up a couple of our free-kick takers. Megan Jarkiewicz hasn't taken a free kick all year and scored on one tonight. That makes me feel good that, you know, she was able to step up and do what she needed to do at the right time."

Mia Gray, one of the team's top scorers, stayed back more in a defensive formation against Gananda and that was by design, Hill said.

"Grenada has two very, very good center mids (midfielders)," Hill said. We had to play a little bit more defensively in the middle of the field so that they just didn't start steamrolling us. So yeah, Mia and Libby were both back a little bit more, and that left our strikers a little bit more alone. So we weren't so striker-driven like we normally are. And we just needed to help out our defense a little bit."

Even though Gananda came in as the #1 seed and Byron-Bergen the #4 seed, this win wasn't an upset, Hill said. He noted that some observes have called C2 "the bracket of death" because of its depth.

"There were so many teams at the start of this C2 bracket that all realistically had a chance," Hill said. "In the last game, we played a number five seed that had 14 wins. That's incredible. Usually, the number five is about a .500 team. So there's a lot of quality teams in this. I don't know if at any point, there's an upset just because each league is tough. Each league exposes people to different situations. We see that this month. We see that the schedule that we played has prepared us for this. So to say that there were any upsets? I don't think so. I think everybody's pretty fair."

Next up for Byron-Bergen, the Section C2 final against #3 Keshequa on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Gates-Chili.

For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.

Using artful ball handling and precision passing, Byron-Bergen picked apart Alexander's defense and notched its 13th win of the season in Girls Soccer, beating the Trojans 6-0.

Scoring:

• Makenzie Hagen, assisted by Mia Gray 
• Emma Starowitz, assisted by Mia Gray
• Mia Gray, unassisted
• Mia Gray, assisted by Libby Starowitz
• Grace Diquattro, unassisted
• Makenzie Hagen, assisted by Mia Gray

Nova Pocock and Natalie Prinzi combined in goal for the shutout.

"We do have very talented players," said Head Coach Wayne Hill when asked about his team's quality play. "They’ve put a lot of time in over the years working on their skills. We have an excellent JV and modified program with equally fantastic coaches. They prepare our kids to succeed at each level."

The Bees, with one regular season game left at home on Friday against Wheatland-Chili, are 13-3 and seeded #4 in Class C2. 

All three losses for the Bees game against higher-class teams -- 2-0 to Class AA Our Lady of Mercy, 4-1 to Class A Aquinas, and 5-4 against Class B Nichols.

"We’ve played a difficult schedule this year, which we are hoping prepares us for a successful postseason," Hill said.

Last season, Byron-Bergen went into the post-season undefeated and didn't lose until the state championship semifinal game in Cortland.

For more photos or to purchase prints, click here.

Press Release:

There are some new faces in the halls at Byron-Bergen Elementary School this summer. 20 graduate students from SUNY Geneseo are participating in the Summer Reading Clinic, part of SUNY Geneseo’s Reading and Literacy Graduate Program. The clinic pairs a graduate student, many of whom are working teachers, with a school-aged student. Together, they set literacy goals and develop strategies to achieve them.

Alexis Hamlin is a graduate student participant. She teaches 7th and 8th grade where she encounters many students who struggle with foundational literacy skills. “By the time they get to 7th and 8th grade, we don’t have time to work on basic skills,” said Hamlin “I’m in the literacy program specifically to get a better idea of how my students struggle and the basics of their skills. I want to incorporate other instruction that will target those skills and close that gap between their reading level and their grade level.” 

Participant Stephanie Wall believes in the value of one-on-one literacy work to give students the tools they will need for their next grade level. She started the clinic by doing assessments, looking at students’ past work, and talking with the student. She uses those components to set goals. “I think this program is helping kids,” said Wall. “It’s one on one, me and them for an hour and a half. There are no other distractions, so I think it has been very helpful for some of the students.”

Isabelle Selvek was eager to participate in the clinic because summer is the only time she has for fieldwork. She is a full-time second-grade teacher, but her future career aspirations rely on completing her master’s degree. The clinic is one of the last requirements she must complete for her degree. “My hope is to move into a literacy teacher role in the future, but this program also allows me to move into a high school setting.”

“It really is a win/win,” said Byron-Bergen Director of Instructional Services Betsy Brown. “The clinic allows educators to complete the hours needed for their degree programs and our students have access to high- quality one-on-one literacy instruction which not only helps prevent loss of skills due to summer slip, but also gives them the tools they will need to excel in the fall.”

The Byron-Bergen students are not the only ones benefiting from the Summer Literacy Clinic, though. These teachers will take the skills developed at Byron-Bergen back to their home districts and classrooms. 

“This program gives us time and opportunities to do fieldwork,” said Hamlin. “This real-world experience makes it more meaningful when we apply the skills we are learning in our own classrooms.”

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

Justin Deleo led a cow past the playground and across the Byron-Bergen Elementary School campus as part of the annual Farm Day celebration. Justin and his cow were joined by goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, rabbits, tortoises, horses, more cows, and hundreds of Byron-Bergen Elementary School students. 

Farm Day was created as a tool to introduce the school community to the agricultural economy surrounding the campus. Despite the rural setting, many Byron-Bergen students do not know a lot about working farms.

“It is important to ensure that elementary students have a general understanding of the domestic animals and plants which surround them in their communities,” said High School Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor Jeffrey Parnapy. “Farm Day also creates interest and curiosity in agriculture, which leads to exploring agricultural career choices.”

Justin is President of the Byron-Bergen FFA Chapter and a member of the Genesee County 4-H Dairy Club. “I like teaching people about agriculture,” said Deleo, who emphasized safety. “Everyone has different animals here so it’s important to learn how to be safe. A cow is not like a dog. If you run up to a cow, it might kick you, and you could really get hurt.”

Students moved from tent to tent with excitement. Older students ran with full-grown goats on leashes as though they were dogs, while baby goats were held on students’ laps like cats. Younger students delighted in petting ducks and bunnies as pigs snuffled the ground, completely unaware of the interest they generated. 

Third-grade students Leanna Dietz and Brooklynn Sandow excitedly discussed the pigs who looked like piglets but were full-grown. Fellow third-grade students Naomi Allen and Scarlett Smith liked the bunnies the best, and Emily Davidson’s favorite animal was the German Shepard K-9 Officer from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation visiting with a handler and Byron-Bergen alumnus Officer Fay Fuerch.

Over by the playground, Cocoa, a Nigerian dwarf goat, and her two kids, Sandy and Potato, were also crowd favorites. “We use the goats for milk,” said sixth grader Riley Boland. “One time, we made ice cream.” Her family has a hobby farm that includes Lavender Orpington chickens.

Nearby, eighth-grade FFA member Michael Holley displayed eggs in different sizes, shapes, and colors while younger students guessed what kind of animals might have laid them. “I’m showing the younger kids how the eggs are produced and what we feed the chickens,” said Michael, who oversees letting out and bringing in the chickens daily at his family’s farm.

Michael was eager to participate in Farm Day, as was seventh-grade student Ava Williams. She let the younger students pet her cow, Lucky. “I have been working with him for the last few weeks, and he loves to be outside,” she said.

“I think Farm Day is valuable,” said eighth-grade FFA member Taylor Lundfelt. “It’s an informative day. It’s a good day for kids to learn.”

While the cows and pigs are the stars of the show, Farm Day is not all about animals. Students learned the difference between hay and straw, touched and compared different kinds of animal feed, and were given baggies with sunflower seeds in peat moss pellets, ready to be planted at home.

“Our students love to come to Farm Day because not only do they recognize the high school kids, but they love to look at the animals and ask questions,” said third-grade teacher Colleen Hardenbrook. “It’s a great opportunity for us to get outside and connect with the community.”

Photos courtesy of Gretchen Spittler

Press Release:

On June 3rd-June 4th from Dusk to Dawn the Byron-Bergen Track & Field team hosted their second Over Night Relay. Students started running the track at 8:46 p.m. and stopped at 5:34 a.m.

Both boy's and girl's teams had a baton that they had to keep moving at all times throughout the night. Each hour there were fun activities occurring as well. 

The results:

• The girl's team ran 305 laps, totaling 76 1/4 miles
• The boy's team ran 356 laps, totaling 89 miles

Photo submitted by Ashley Hill

Press Release:

On Monday, May 1st, to kick off Teacher Appreciation Week, the Bergen Business and Civic Association handed out cookies to the teachers at Byron-Bergen Central School District to show love and appreciation for all that they do. 

Spoonful of Sugar Sweets created these beautiful and delicious cookies, and we handed them out from her vintage 1964 camper-turned-sweets truck. 

"We were thrilled to bring lots of smiles to the educators and staff that are such an important part of not only our families, but the whole Byron-Bergen community," said Nicky Russell.

Photos submitted by Nicky Russell

Press release:

Karson Crocker has long hair. Almost 14 inches. Sometimes he gets mistaken for a girl. Sometimes he has trouble fitting it all inside his football helmet. But he’s not ready to cut it -- yet. He has a little more work to do.

In the summer of 2020, the then Byron-Bergen second-grade student watched a video online of a young girl who had lost her hair during cancer treatment. She was upset because of her appearance and how she was being treated by her peers. Crocker was sad for the girl and, after discussing it with his mom, decided to grow out his own hair long enough to make a wig for a child.

Almost three years later, Crocker has a shiny, blonde mane of hair. Now in fourth grade, he shared his plans to donate his hair with his classmates through a brief presentation explaining his project and how he became interested.

“I’m donating because I saw a video that inspired me,” said Crocker. “I’ve been growing my hair for three years.”

“Kids can lose their hair for a lot of different reasons,” said Crocker’s teacher Janna Carney. “Karson’s hair will help to make wigs so that they can have hair. It’s pretty special.”

“I like the words ‘good cause’”, said one of his classmates. After the presentation, the class discussed it and agreed that Crocker’s project is an admirable cause.

In a couple more inches, Crocker’s hair will go to Wigs for Kids, a not-for-profit organization that provides free wigs to children 18 and under who have lost their hair due to a medical condition or treatment.

“A new wig for a child can cost from $3-5,000,” said Jeanne Hurt, a fundraising and development specialist with Wigs for Kids. “Our organization uses human hair and monetary donations to provide wigs for children at no cost.”

Along with his hair, Crocker is raising $1,800 to sponsor the wig. This money will go toward the actual creation of the wig and delivery to a child experiencing medical-related baldness.

“Karson has a heart of gold to spend so much time and energy to help another child feel happier,” said Hurt. “Maybe he can help inspire others to donate their hair as well.”

“Are you going to do it again?” asked Crocker’s classmate.
After this donation, Crocker plans to grow his hair out again, and by 2026 could be ready to help another child.

March 31, 2023 Contact: Gretchen Spittler Byron-Bergen Communications Specialist (585) 794-6340

To learn more about Crocker’s hair donation journey and fundraising effort, click here.

Submitted photos.

Press release:

Press Release:

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit #576 of Le Roy has selected a local High School Junior girl to attend this year's Empire Girls State the week of July 3rd at SUNY Brockport.

Victoria Rogoyski of Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School has been selected to attend. As part of the premier ALA program, citizens of the New York Girls State will study local, county, and state government processes during this five-day nonpartisan political learning experience.

Victoria was selected to attend Girls State based on selection criteria through the Auxiliary unit and/or high school, which includes being in the top 1/3 of her class, along with consideration given to scholastic achievements, leadership, character, honesty and physical fitness. Her mother, Brandie Rogoyski, works for Le Roy Central School District. The Botts-Fiorito unit is happy to be sponsoring a girl with a local connection.

ALA Girls State attendees, known as “citizens,” receive special instruction in parliamentary procedure and organize themselves into two mock political parties. The young women then campaign, hold rallies, debate, and ultimately vote to elect city, county, and state officials. Once elected to office, delegates are sworn in and perform their prescribed duties. Attendees not elected to office are given appointments and visit the offices of those elected to share their viewpoints as citizens.

Every spring, approximately 25,000 young women across the country are selected to attend ALA Girls State programs in their respective states. Two outstanding citizens from each of the 50 ALA Girls State programs are then chosen to represent their state as “senators” at ALA Girls Nation held in Washington, D.C. in July.

Article based on press release submitted by BOCES.

Area students will participate in a two-day business pitch competition at the WNY Tech Academy in Bergen at the end of the month.

Five teams from local schools will participate in the "March Madness Einstein Days" competition.  

After two days of preparation, including research, planning, developing strategies, and developing their pitch, they will have eight minutes to sway judges that they have the best pitch and best technology-based business idea.

This event taps skills in public speaking, marketing and social media, and entrepreneurship, according to organizers.

"Einstein days are important for our program and students because they offer a full day for students to immerse themselves in team building, STEM activities and exposure to Work Based Learning opportunities," said Catherine Bennett, principal of the academy. "These three areas are a major focus of our school culture.  Einstein Days are offered one to two times per month for full days so we can devote our efforts in fostering the importance of that work.  It provides students with project-based STEM experiences, exposure to our business and industry partners and the career pathways they offer.  And each Einstein Day has an element of fun, collaboration and team play, so students bond as a tight school community."

The event is a hit with students.

"Einstein day isn’t just a normal day at Tech Academy," said one of the students involved, David Tetreault, a senior at Caledonia-Mumford High School. "It builds us young adults to communicate, value team bonding, and, most importantly, leading by example. These days make us prepare for proper management, communication and how to be amazing workers. I couldn’t even imagine a better way to do this. Taking one day out of the month to bring everyone together and put it into a fun-filled, learning environment is the most important and perfect way to do it."

On Einstein Day, regularly scheduled classes are on hold, and students participate in a variety of different lessons that range from career development to STEM to team building.  Through collaboration across courses and grade levels, students develop skills such as effective communication, creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution.

"What do students get out of this event? Well, students will tell you they get a fun day off from classes," Lindsay Warner, a teacher at the academy. "What they really are getting is workplace readiness skills. Our students engage in critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. They have to develop communication skills, collaboration, leadership, and social skills to work effectively as a group.  They have to think, be innovative, show confidence, and even a little competitiveness. These are all traits that employers in any industry would look for in potential new hires. You can train for technical skills. The ability to resolve conflict, work effectively with others, take direction, show initiative... those things aren't as easy to develop on the job,” explained Teacher Lindsay Warner.

The Western New York Tech Academy is an Early College High School (P-TECH) that serves 13 regional school districts in the region. The school offers a curriculum that emphasizes college-level coursework and unique learning opportunities to prepare students for high-skill, financially stable careers in growth industries. Students attending the academy can complete all necessary coursework for a high school diploma and also earn an Associate of Applied Science degree through Genesee Community College. 

While teams are presenting their pitch to the judges, the remaining teams will be participating in a March Madness competition, which consists of various games, puzzles, and problem-solving exercises throughout the academy wing at Byron-Bergen High School, earning points to supplement their pitch scores. 

Press release:

“This is careers. It's all about working with people. Bring your chairs up closer!” Christopher Kemp, Director of Mathematics and Engineering Science at Genesee Community College, addressed a group of Byron- Bergen High School students clustered at the back of the Technology classroom. In getting the students to move to the front of the room, Kemp summed up Career Day perfectly: It’s all about working with people.

In February, Byron-Bergen alumni and local professionals visited the Jr./Sr. High School to participate in Career Day. The event featured a full morning of workshops and panel discussions developed to help students think about their future goals. The event was organized by Byron-Bergen College and Career Counselor Rob Kaercher in collaboration with administration, faculty, and community members.

“It’s great for the students to start thinking about options and setting goals for after graduation,” said Kaercher. “Setting career goals now may influence their course of study in high school or the extracurriculars in which they participate – even if that path is designed to help keep options open for students who aren’t sure, yet.”

The day included 16 presentations from over 25 participants. Topics ranged from financial literacy to trade unions to entrepreneurship to the military to comparing two- and four-year colleges. The young alumni panelists were able to offer insight about continued education and acknowledge when you might need to set new goals.

“I participated in legal academy in high school because I thought I wanted to be a police officer, but it turned out that I didn’t like it. So, I changed my course of study to Exercise Physiology,” said Class of 2017 graduate Grace Campbell. “When I thought about what I could do with that degree, I decided to get my teaching certification, and now I teach physical education and health at the Elementary School. The kids are fun, and I really enjoy it. Changing paths was a good decision.”

The professional alumni panel all agreed on the value of extracurricular activities. “As fun as your extracurricular activities are, they add value,” said Liberty Pumps Chief Financial Officer Dennis Burke. “Those activities teach you to get along and interact with other people.”

Amy Mercovich, owner of Bergen Family Chiropractic, agreed. “In school, I participated in a lot of extracurriculars: student council, clubs, and sports. They taught me how to lead, delegate, and manage people. That’s a big skill set to develop.”

Other presentation topics included engineering, communications, law enforcement, study abroad, agriculture, education, civil service, goal setting, computers and technology, and the non-profit sector.

March 2, 2022 Contact: Gretchen Spittler Byron-Bergen Communications Specialist (585) 794-6340

“Working in a non-profit is supporting something bigger than myself,” said George Eastman House Publications Manager and Creative Director Amy Schelemanow. “There are lots of different jobs at museums: scientists, object handlers, lawyers, accountants, facilities. It’s not just people in the arts.”

Career Day was a chance for students to ask themselves who they want to be, and who they want to work with and start setting goals for their paths to the future. “Whether they envision themselves working with children, in an office, on a farm, in a factory, in healthcare, or from home, the goal of Career Day was to start the conversation,” said Kaercher. “I’m grateful for our supportive community of alumni and local professionals for taking the time to help guide the next generation of Byron-Bergen graduates.”

The following companies, organizations, and educational institutions were represented at the Byron-Bergen Career Day: Kircher Construction, Bergen Chiropractic, Gillam Grant Community Center, Corporate Flooring Innovations, Army National Guard, Tompkins Bank of Castile, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Genesee Community College, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Monroe Community College, Genesee County Human Resources, SUNY Brockport ROTC, GCASA, Charred Flags, George Eastman Museum, North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, Liberty Pumps, the FBI, Porter Farms, and Byron-Bergen CSD. 

Press release:

In February, students in sixth grade as well as several clubs and student organizations celebrated the accomplishments of Black individuals, both historic and contemporary, throughout a day of learning.

Highlights included a demonstration from special guests, pianist and composer Timothy Digba Ogunbiyi and dancer and choreographer Solange Rodrigues, followed by a group presentation by High School students Dayanara Caballero, Deborah Catalino, Malachi Smith, Roman Smith, Solomon Smith, Joshua Tardy, and Ava Wagoner.

Ogunbiyi and Rodrigues collaborated on an improvised performance that conveyed the emotions of sadness, anxiety, confusion, and happiness. At the conclusion, each performer gave a brief presentation about their careers in the arts and the decisions which brought them to their current success. They also led individual break-out sessions with smaller groups of students after the performance.

Ogunbiyi is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, where he planned to become an engineer until deciding to dedicate himself to music. He has studied classical and jazz piano and is currently a doctoral candidate in piano performance at the Eastman School of Music. He kicked off the assembly in a combined performance with the Byron-Bergen Jazz Ensemble and discussed improvisation during his break-out session.

Rodrigues is from Greece, New York. She began dancing at the age of three and completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance with a concentration in choreography from SUNY Purchase in 2020. She currently teaches dance and fitness classes in the Rochester area, is a member of several performing dance troupes, and is moving to Brooklyn to join the Pocket Fuel Groovers, a dance company founded by her brother.

“I want to thank Mrs. Alyson Tardy for coordinating this excellent presentation for our students,” said Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School Principal Ashley John Grillo. “It was an absolute treat to have such highly trained professionals share their music and dance experiences with our students.”

Sixth-grade teacher Alyson Mercedes Tardy also hosted the High School students’ presentation in her classroom. The students discussed segregation, and representation and introduced the movie “Hidden Figures.” They talked about historic and contemporary Black individuals who many of the younger students had not heard of or could not recognize, important figures in history and culture who are, in a way, hidden. Some of the featured individuals, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, the students knew right away. Others the younger students could not identify, such as Mae Carol Jemison, the first Black woman to travel in space; civil rights activist Claudette Colvin; and Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony Award-winning actor James Earl Jones Students even struggled to identify basketball legend Michael Jordan. While learning about these and other important Black individuals, they were given the opportunity to consider who each is and why they may be less well-known than other individuals.

After a discussion of these hidden figures, the day ended with a screening of the 2016 award-winning feature film “Hidden Figures.” It is the real-life story of a female team of Black mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. Despite their important contributions, they remained widely unknown for decades.

As the day ended, the participating students had experienced jazz, musical improvisation, and dance improvisation, learned about important Black individuals and historic events and were given the opportunity to consider the importance of representation in history and contemporary culture.

“It was a great day at B-B celebrating Black History Month,” said Grillo. 

Press release:

On Feb. 15th, Senior Libby Piper and Sophomore Jade Wolff participated in the 2023 Poetry Out Loud Semifinal Competition held at Buffalo State University. The event was co-hosted by the Western New York Writing Project. Piper and Wolff had previously advanced to this round after winning the Byron-Bergen School-Level competition. During the event, they competed against students from around the Western New York area including schools such as Brighton High School, the Westfield Academy, and Jamestown High School.

During the first two rounds of the competition, the students were required to recite two poems: one poem needed to be 25 lines or fewer and the other must have been written before the 20th Century. Piper recited William E. Stafford's Traveling Through the Dark and Ella Wheeler Wilcox's Friendship After Love while Wolff recited Carl Sandburg's I am the People, the Mob and Edgar Allen Poe's To Helen. The students were evaluated on categories such as physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, and accuracy.

After the first two rounds, three students were selected to advance to the third round and recite a final poetry selection. Piper was selected and recited Jeffrey Skinner’s The Bookshelf of the God of Infinite Space. After the final scores were tabulated, Piper was named the Western New York champion.

With this award, Piper has earned the right to move on as one of only 20 students from the state of New York and compete in the Poetry Out Loud New York State Finals held at the Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, NY on March 11, 2023. The winner of this competition will advance to the 2023 Poetry Out Loud National Finals to be held May 8-10th in Washington, DC. 

Press release:

Byron-Bergen’s defending interscholastic mathematics champions have topped their division for the fourth year in a row. Led by veteran coach, and math teacher Jon DiLaura, the Bees finished in first place out of 14 schools, and six members were named all-stars. The six all-stars will compete at the state tournament in April.

“These 20 students genuinely worked as a team,” said DiLaura. “They show up for practice and really help each other.”

The math league members agree that teamwork and friendship play a role in their success.

“The best part is the people who participate in math league,” said senior Frank Hersom. “We have a great team and it is nice to see our hard work pay off.”

“We always find ways to make math league fun,” said senior Zoey Shepard. “I would tell any younger student who is thinking of joining to absolutely do it. I’ve met some wonderful people and learned a lot.”

“I like to challenge myself and extend my knowledge of math,” said 10th grader Connor Moran. “The best part of it, however, is definitely hanging out with the team afterward.”

The math competitions take place over a series of rounds. The competitors solve math questions in advanced topics such as logarithms, trigonometry, systems of equations, and matrices. The test results are tabulated based on a point system.

“I am most proud of our team this year for getting so many individuals to the state competition,” said 10th grader Jackson Lundfelt. Lundfelt was awarded a medal for achieving the highest overall score in this season’s competitions. “The best part about mathletes is the high stakes competition and the lunch with friends afterward.”

“I am very proud of our Math Team,” said Jr./Sr. High School Principal Ashley John Grillo. “It is great to see students take so much pride in excelling in Mathematics. Our students have worked very hard to be the best in this area. Congratulations to this outstanding group of students on their accomplishment.”

For younger students who might be interested in joining the team, Lundfelt offers this advice. “Don’t be intimidated or afraid to join. We have meetings where we are able to learn all the skills we need beforehand.”

“I would tell younger students to 100% join their math league team as it is a wonderful opportunity,” Connor added. “I am proud of everyone on the team for being able to take home the trophy again, for the fourth year in a row.”

Shepard summed it up. “The best thing about math league is the team.” 

Submitted photos.

Press release:

Debbie Slocum was an elementary classroom teacher for over two decades before she learned about instructional coaching. Her interest began in 2013 when she was teaching third grade, and the District introduced an instructional coaching program. “I fell in love with the process immediately,” said Slocum. “I had been teaching for 24 years at that point and had never seen myself teach.”

Slocum has now been an Instructional Coach at Byron-Bergen for seven years. That first interaction led her down a path that included participating as a panelist in a national webinar hosted by Swivl, a company that produces technology for reflective teaching practices. The webinar entitled “Building Trust Through Reflection: A Discussion with Swivl” featured Slocum and two other panelists, Mandi Olsen and Brenda Tonanek, both K-12 Instructional Coaches.

The Instructional Coaching program is a 1-on-1, confidential process where teachers video record classroom lessons. The lessons are then analyzed by an Instructional Coach for certain data. Data could include the number of times students are given an opportunity to respond, the amount of time given to students to respond, and the time the teacher is talking compared with the time students are responding. The analysis will include positive aspects of the lessons as well as areas for improvement.

In the Swivl webinar, Slocum compares instructional coaching to looking in the mirror. “You look in the mirror every single day. You see your reflection, and you fix what you don’t like immediately. And sometimes you will go and get a second opinion. So, when you reflect, you’re looking not at your appearance but your teaching.”

Slocum implements the Elementary School Instructional Coaching program, where she has a 95% voluntary participation rate. Diana Walther, the Jr./Sr. High School's Instructional Coach, also boasts an almost 90% participation rate.

“Obviously, we want to improve student learning,” said Walther. “Instructional coaching helps replace ‘one and done’ professional development. It provides consistency. That reflective practice is so powerful, and it’s all about what the teachers want to get out of it. The data can point to areas for improvement, and then I can present strategies to strengthen those areas, and then we can reflect again and again. It’s pretty cool.”

“Teachers are life-long learners,” said Slocum. “This program gives them the opportunity to reflect and grow year after year. It’s a continuous priority because everything’s changing. Our expectations for the kids keep changing. Technologies keep changing, and the culture is changing. There’s a need for continuous reflection to keep up with the changes.”

February 10, 2023 Contact: Gretchen Spittler Byron-Bergen Communications Specialist (585) 794-6340

In addition to implementing the Instructional Coaching program at Byron-Bergen, Slocum and Walther run the training at Genesee Valley Education Partnership (GVBOCES) for the GLOW region instructional coaches cohort. They were asked to take on this role in 2019. This cohort has about 20 instructional coaches who gather three or four times per year.

“Byron-Bergen made an early commitment to instructional coaching,” said Superintendent Pat McGee. “As such, our team is on the forefront of not only the regional movement but the national movement. I am very proud of Mrs. Slocum and Mrs. Walther and the impressive contributions they make to our District and to the practice of instructional coaching.”