Weekly Update from the Office of the Superintendent
Volume 2, Issue 7 (September 17, 2021)
A WONDERFUL START

Earlier today, the Board of Education and I spent the morning at Hoover Middle School. We started with a meet-and-greet where we were able to get to know many of the teachers and staff and then visited classrooms to observe the wonderful work taking place in the school. It was amazing to see our staff so energized and passionate and to see students engaged in their learning. A special thank you to our Board of Education members, President Matthew Chimera, Vice President Dr. Thomas Reigstad, Trustee Lesley Battaglia, Trustee Todd Marquardt and Trustee Jennifer Morrow, for taking the time to visit Hoover Middle and for your tireless support and dedication to the students, staff and families of our District. A special thank you also to Principal Elaine Thomas and Assistant Principals Marco Galante and Michelle Jaros who facilitated the visit.

The year is off to a wonderful start. Parents, please don't forget to ask your children what they learned and what accomplishment they are proud of that day. This may seem like a small task, but it is so important in maintaining our Ken-Ton growth culture. Together, we will keep our kids on the trajectory of continuous reflection in a growth mindset.

BOARD MEETING RECAP

This past Tuesday evening at the Board of Education meeting, I highlighted where we are as a district with COVID-19 testing. You can view the presentation here: youtu.be/BdG9gC7H7JI?t=4794. We discussed our partnership with Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) to provide in-school COVID-19 testing as an additional layer of mitigation to keep students, families and staff safe. Remember, testing is 100% voluntary and only students whose families sign up to participate will be tested. Just to recap, this encompasses two different types of testing: surveillance testing and proximal testing. For surveillance testing, 10% of students whose families volunteered and signed up for testing will be tested on a weekly basis. For proximal testing, which occurs in a classroom where a positive case has been identified, all volunteering students, except close contacts, will be tested. As a reminder, both tests will consist of a self-administered oral swab. Remember, once you volunteer for testing, you will not be notified every time your child is tested. For more information on testing, please visit www.ktufsd.org/testing.

As I discussed Tuesday, although we are laying the groundwork for surveillance and proximal testing, our primary focus is a different type of testing: staff screening testing. New York State now requires all staff be tested each week. Staff have the option of opting out of testing if they are vaccinated. We have worked in partnership with our bargaining units and ECDOH/BOCES to determine how best to meet this requirement and explore options. We asked all staff to complete a mandatory attestation as to whether they can provide evidence that they are fully vaccinated. This has indicated a very high percentage of Ken-Ton staff are vaccinated. Those who aren’t will undergo weekly COVID-19 testing consistent with this new requirement.

One final reminder: It is extremely important that families are always honest on the daily attestation. If a child is symptomatic, they must stay home. It is vital for families to be honest on the daily attestation and keep children home who shouldn’t be in school if we are to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and keep our schools open for in-person instruction.
NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Wednesday marked the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed each year from September 15th to October 15th. September 15th is of monumental significance because it is on this date that the nations of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua all celebrate their independence from Spain followed by Mexico, Chile and Belize soon after. It is a chance to celebrate Hispanic history, culture and legacy. We will use this opportunity to highlight individuals of Hispanic origin who have had a profound impact on America and the world.

We start this week with Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, one of the most important figures in Hispanic history. He was born in 1753 in Mexico which was ruled by the Spanish Empire at the time. He was a priest and a professor who worked to help the poor and rural people of his area grow their own crops and become self-reliant in defiance of Spanish authorities who sought to protect Spanish imports. On September 16, 1810, he rang his church bell and delivered his famous speech, the "Cry of Dolores," that called upon the people to rise up in rebellion. This triggered the Mexican War for Independence. He led tens of thousands of civilians in battle against the well-trained and armed Spanish troops. Although he was defeated and later captured and executed, Mexican independence was achieved 11 years later and he is considered the Father of the Nation.

Over the next 4 weeks, please take time to educate your children about the importance of honoring and celebrating the culture, history and contributions of those of Hispanic origin.
RECOGNITION: ADAPTIVE PLAYGROUND
A major component of the ongoing Capital Project is a new Adaptive Playground which is now open at the Hoover Complex. This facility is specially designed to be a safe and inclusive place of play for children of all abilities. Not only has it provided a great option for classes at the Hoover Complex, but all families are able to use this space after school and on weekends. This was an incredible addition to our community and I wish to recognize some of those who worked hard to pave the way for our new Adaptive Playground:

  • Nicole Morasco, Assistant Superintendent for Finance
  • Tim Ames, Director of Facilities
  • Brett Banker, Director of Health, Recreation, Physical Education and Athletics
  • Michael Muscarella, Director of Elementary Education
  • Michael Huff, Hoover Elementary Principal
  • Danielle Frye, Hoover Elementary Assistant Principal
  • Adaptive Physical Education Teachers Joe Bennett, Kate Bennett and Sara Ark
  • Special Education Teacher Michelle Phillips-Morella
  • From our architectural partner, CPL: Anne Dafchik, Brian Trott, Kyle Drummer, Norm Gardner and Brittany Nowicki
  • From Campus Construction: John Robinson and Nicolas Humphrey
  • Dawn Stinner, President of the Special Education Parent/Teacher Organization
  • Playground Design Consultant Linda Culliton

To all of these individuals, and to everyone else who helped promote and support the Capital Project, thank you for making our new Adaptive Playground possible. Every child deserves to have access to a place where they can play, have fun and interact with other children and that’s what our new Adaptive Playground is all about.
Thank you for reviewing this information. As always, we remain Ken-Ton Proud, Ken-Ton Strong, and Ken-Ton Moving Forward!

For previous editions of the Ken-Ton Weekly Connection, visit www.ktufsd.org/connection