April 2018 District Newsletter

Spring Events

4/03: BOE work session, 6:30 p.m.
4/04: Understanding diploma and credential options for students with disabilities, 5:30 p.m.
4/10: Regular BOE meeting - Adopt 2018-19 budget, 6:30 p.m.
4/16: BOCES administration budget vote and potential building closure vote (this meeting is on a Monday as required by the state for the BOCES administration vote), 6:30 p.m.
4/23 to 4/27: Spring recess, no school for students and staff
5/08: Public hearing on the 2018-19 budget, 6:30 p.m.
5/15: 2018-19 Budget vote and BOE elections, 6:30 p.m.
5/22: Regular BOE meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Students taking questions about the 7 habits on Leader In Me Day at Randall Elementary

Visit the District Calendar

Spring Sports Season Preview

Although winter continues its tight grip on Central New York, Cortland Athletics has already made the transition to spring with several varsity programs kicking off action over the past few weeks. The final stretch of the academic year promises to be jam packed with excitement, so be sure to make your way out to a game, meet or match this spring and cheer on our Purple Tigers!

With schedules just starting to get underway, we sat down with all of our varsity head coaches to get an outlook on their teams for this coming season. The following rundown will give you a sneak peek inside the season for several of our spring athletics programs. Read More...

Facilities Study Update

As the Board of Education continues to wrestle with the issue of our District’s facilities, many questions come up. The Board has been asking questions. So, too has the community. The Board has prepared a list of questions and answers that will be shared with the community and on the District’s website . Some of the many questions include:

Why is the Board looking at a possible school closure?
What was the essential question for the committee and the consultants?
Which schools were considered for closure?
Was moving the sixth graders to the JSHS considered?
What are the costs associated with closing a school(s)? Not closing a school(s)?
What ideas have been discussed to increase revenue?
What have we done to cut costs?
How much would we save if we close a school(s)?

The Board will continue to study the consultant’s summary, the feedback provided by the community, and other data before making a decision about our schools. This is the schedule of upcoming Board meetings:

4/03: BOE work session
4/10: Regular BOE meeting - Adopt 2018-19 budget
4/16: BOCES administration budget vote and potential building closure vote (this meeting is on a Monday as required by the state for the BOCES administration vote)
5/8: Public hearing on the 2018-19 budget
5/15: 2018-19 Budget vote and BOE elections
5/22: Regular BOE meeting

Click Here for School Closure Q & A

Visit the Facilities Study Website

Safety and Security Upgrades

Safety and security continues to be a priority and we are continuing with upgrades to our facilities. The interior and exterior surveillance cameras at the JSHS have been updated through the Safe Schools Act which allows us to receive reimbursement for much of the expense. At Barry Elementary we also took advantage of the Safe Schools Act and installed a lockdown door in the sixth grade wing commonly known as the “cluster.”

The District wireless network now includes a secure guest network for our students and guests to log on to with their own personal devices while ensuring we are keeping our internal data protected from potential threats.

Staff, students, and guests are being reminded to utilize our single point of entry when arriving at school. We are also asking for everyone’s help to keep all doors secured. We’re adding signs to all exits to remind everyone not to open doors for others. We continue to utilize our computerized system which allows our guests to enter the building after providing their driver’s license and our system conducts a quick scan. We expect our staff to wear Cortland ID badges and we ask our guests to wear the visitor name tag.

Deeper Learning Project

Learning is going deeper in Cortland! With an increased focus on student engagement through designing lessons, units and projects, Cortland Enlarged City School District is pleased to announce the Deeper Learning Project. This project is in collaboration with Instructional Support Services at OCM BOCES. Teachers from around the District have volunteered to be a part of this exciting project.

The Deeper Learning Project creates a supportive and collaborative environment for staff to plan a project that has the following essential design elements: addresses learning standards, is cross curricular, answers a question or concern, incorporate student voice and choice, involves community organizations, and finally displays a public product. Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge or skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question. Read More...

Countdown to Graduation

As spring inches closer and the days grow longer, graduation draws near. The Class of 2018 has many exciting opportunities to look forward to this spring, including prom, the senior trip, and graduation.

Senior class advisers Amy Johnson and Christine Andrews have been working with the Senior Class President Cooper Swartwout, Vice President Kathleen Starr, Treasurer Sophia Reyngoudt, and Secretary Ben Andrews to plan a senior year that will be remembered forever.

Cooper Swartwout said, “I wanted to be Senior Class President because I thought it would be cool to plan events like prom and the senior trip. I think these events are important because it is a way for people to get out of their comfort zone and maybe hang out with people that they usually wouldn’t. Senior trip is super important because this may be the last time we can do something like this with our friends and maybe you have never traveled with your friends.”