October 2018 District Newsletter
October Dates
  • 10/08: District Buildings Closed for Columbus Day
  • 10/16: Community Transition Committee, 5:30 p.m.
  • 10/16: Board of Education Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
  • 10/19: PD Day, No School for Students
  • 10/23: Board of Education Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
  • 10/31: Elementary Schools Harvest Festivals
Instrument Donation Drive
The value of the arts in education is something Cortland Enlarged City School District takes very seriously. The District believes that every child deserves the opportunity to play a musical instrument. Studies have shown that music makes kids smarter, improves the quality of their education, and helps to teach them the skills necessary for success later in life.

In times when other instrumental music programs are shrinking and being threatened due to budget constraints, the program at Cortland is thriving. Students are enjoying the positive educational benefits of playing in the band and orchestra. Participation is at an all time high and the programs continue to grow exponentially each year.

This unprecedented success also has its challenges. Acquiring instruments for each school during these tough economic times is difficult. Not all students can afford to rent or buy an instrument and our inventory in the District is quickly shrinking with additional participation. Help keep music alive for everyone in our schools and consider donating an instrument for our students!

Perhaps you have a saxophone or trumpet in your attic that hasn’t been used in a while. Maybe you know someone who has a violin gathering dust. If you have an instrument that we could put to use, please click on the  Instrument Donation form and fill out the required information to schedule a drop off of the instrument. If you don't have a used instrument to donate, you can make a monetary donation that will be used to purchase instruments. Read more...
Transition Planning
The first meeting of the Transition Planning Committee was September 17th at 5:30 p.m. in the Kaufman Center. The second meeting is scheduled for October 16th at 5:30 p.m. The goals for the committee are:
  • Plan for the cultural integration of students into “new” schools in September 2019
  • Identify opportunities to create a common identity for schools within the District
  • Suggest activities and systems to ensure smooth transitions for students from school to school
  • Suggest activities and systems to ensure smooth transitions for families from school to school
The group discussed some of the ways to create a sense of unity and cohesiveness across the District when we make the transition to three elementary schools. Minutes from the committee are linked to the  Transition Webpage . The committee meetings are open to the public!
United Way Day of Caring
During the month of September, students at Randall and Virgil Elementary Schools brought in non-perishable food items for the annual United Way Day of Caring, which was held on September 26, 2018.

Melissa Holl’s third grade class was the leader of the campaign at Randall Elementary School. Melissa’s students talked to the entire student body in an all school morning meeting and encouraged students to bring food in. With their encouragement, each class at Randall Elementary reached their goal of bringing in 15 food items. Melissa said, “I feel the United Way Day of Caring helps the students become leaders. They have learned how to put others first, speak in front of others, and come together or synergize for a cause that matters. The students are so excited that we exceeded their school wide goal of 210 items- we collected 394 items! My class also helped unload and sort the items in Beaudry Park. The children’s excitement is amazing and we love participating in this campaign each year.” Read more...
Transportation Crunch
Heading into the 2018-2019 school year, our transportation department is still facing a severe shortage of drivers. We have been actively attempting to recruit drivers via our website, social media, and face-to-face at school functions such as concerts and open house events. Despite our efforts, we have not received enough interest to fill the immediate vacancies.

The bus driver shortage situation is not unique to Cortland; as other schools around the state and nation are also faced with the same dilemma. Here at Cortland, we have attempted to put a temporary fix or bandaid on the problem by having mechanics and office staff drive buses on a regular basis, which takes them away from their maintenance and office responsibilities. Read more...

Come Drive With Us!
Love to drive and spend time with children? Then this is the job for you! How much driving you do is up to you: regular runs, field trips, and/or sports runs. Paid training is provided. We follow the school schedule, so if school is out of session so are you! There is nothing better than driving around the beautiful Cortland countryside. You can make a positive change in a child’s life by taking them to and from school in the coolest ride around. Call us today at #607-758-4123 or interested parties can email Betty Bentley (Transportation Supervisor) at bbentley@cortlandschools.org.

We Offer Paid Training!
Minimum Requirement is NYS Drivers License!
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