August 2018 District Newsletter

Summer Dates

8/01 - 8/16: Regents Review Classes at Cortland High School
8/28: Barry Welcome Back Social
8/28: Randall Meet & Greet/PTO Ice Cream Social
8/29: Smith K/1 Meet-the-Teacher Night
9/03: District Buildings Closed for Labor Day
9/04: Welcome Back Staff
9/04: Virgil K/1 Sneak Peak
9/04: Parker Back-to-School BBQ
9/05: First Day of School for Students

Visit the 2018-2019 Calendar

Tools for Learning: Classroom Supplies

Cortland Enlarged City School District is committed to high levels of learning for all students. We strive to provide engaging and equitable learning environments for everyone. So that all students have everything they need for learning, the District will continue to provide all of the supplies and equipment needed for our classrooms. Families do not have to purchase supplies for their children to bring to school.

Experience informs us that families are often frustrated by the financial burden and difficulty in meeting the different requests of multiple teachers. At the beginning of the school year, families are often purchasing apparel as well. Easing the stress and burden of school supplies can help.

The District has identified the supplies necessary for classroom learning. We are able to leverage the power of bulk purchasing to purchase necessary supplies for a fraction of what families would have to spend on their own. Therefore, we do not ask families to purchase the supplies. Through a combination of taxpayer support, state and federal money, and community support all students will have the supplies they need, ready in the classroom. All materials that students need for school, with the exception of backpacks and art smocks, are provided.

Fuel For Learning:

Community Eligibility Program Expands to Grades 7-12

In an effort to ensure that all students are afforded an optimal learning environment, the district will provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade.

The District will be extending the Community Eligibility Provision of the The Healthy and Hungry Free Kids Act which is a federally-funded program, to all students K-12. Last year the program only serviced students in grades K-6. Francis Zaryski, School Lunch Manager said, “extending the program to all students in the Cortland City School District and BOCES programs, will give all students the opportunity to receive benefits regardless of household income.”

The savings to our families are significant, as each family will save up to $750 a year for each student. A la carte options will still be available for students which can be purchased using cash or My School Bucks.

Kim Vile, Business Director at the Cortland Enlarged City School District said, “We are excited to provide breakfast and lunch to every student K-12 at no cost to the student or their family. The research shows student engagement, academic performance, and attendance increases when students nutritional needs are met." Read more..

Books in The Park

Family Reading Partnership of Cortland County hosted "Summer Reading at the Park" at Randall School Park on Wednesdays in July. Children and families were able to choose free books to read at the park and to bring home to keep. "Summer Reading at the Park" took place at Randall Park, near the Summer Lunch Program. This was the second year of the project.

The mission of Family Reading Partnership of Cortland County is to encourage pleasurable family literacy experiences from birth and to provide children in the community with access to books. Read More...

The Transition to Three Elementary Schools

Early in June, after more than a year of study and community participation, the Board of Education decided to transition to three elementary schools beginning in the 2019-2020 school year: Franklyn S. Barry Elementary School, F. E. Smith Elementary School, and Randall Elementary School. The Board determined that Barry will house grades K-2, Smith will be comprised of grades 3 & 4, and Randall will be comprised of grades 5 & 6. We have begun to prepare for the transition to three elementary schools.

While it is premature to make any announcement at this point, it is anticipated that both the Virgil and Parker buildings will continue to be used by the community, although in a different capacity than as a public school.

A District committee will be formed to advise the district on the development of an elementary vision. The committee will consider traditions, celebrations, logos, images, identities, etc. of our elementary schools.

Informational meetings will be held in each of the five existing buildings to review the transition plans with families and to answer any questions.

The District’s facilities study webpage will be changed to reflect timely information about the transition.

Transportation plans will begin to be readied in the fall, after we get this school year started. Prior to the development of specific routes, families will be asked to provide information about any before-school and/or after-school care arrangements. Students will be transported from/to any of the other schools for before/after care.

Coordination with before-school and after-school care providers will begin well in advance of the reconfiguration. This will allow the providers to make any adjustments to their approval documents to prepare for any additional children.

#WeAreCortland

There are many ways to stay in touch with the Cortland Enlarged City School District. Each month, the District and all schools publish a newsletter. These newsletters are sent to you via email to the email addresses we have on file (please call your school office to update your email address if there are any changes).

Our website, cortlandschools.org, continues to be the hub of information. News stories are frequently posted and that is where you can find District and school calendars. Contact information and links to departments and services are are also available on the website.

In addition to the website, we employ a service called SchoolMessenger to quickly send out information about school closures or other important timely information. Messages go out in the form of phone calls, emails, and/or text messages. Anytime there are changes to phone numbers or email addresses, please let your school office know.

We also use social media to keep you informed of news and events. Each building has a Twitter account that you can follow, as does our art, theatre, music, and athletics department. The District has an overall Twitter account, too. Schools also have Facebook pages. We use the hashtag #WeAreCortland. Here is the list of accounts: