District Newsletter
February 15, 2021
Calendar
2/15: Presidents Day, No School
2/15 - 2/19: Winter Recess
2/18: Finance Committee Meeting
2/22: Randall PTO Meeting
2/23: BOE Meeting
2/25: Policy Committee Meeting
2/26: Purim
Emergency Closing Days
Some quick facts:
  • The district is required to have 180 days of instruction for students.
  • If the district falls below 180 days of instruction the state cuts funding.
  • Because of the nature of the calendar, the way it was developed last year and other conditions our calendar this year started with only three days to potentially use.
  • The district declared an emergency closing day on December 17. After that, we had two remaining to use.
  • On Monday 2/1, with weather expected, it was decided to switch to a remote learning day for students on Tuesday 2/2.
  • On Wednesday 2/3, an emergency closing day was announced. This leaves the district with one emergency closing day with much of the winter ahead.

If all of the allotted days are used and the district goes over a day, it will have to be made up. There are several options where a day can be made up, none of them are ideal. The district could use the day before Memorial Day or take a day away from Spring Recess. Thankfully, we have the option of doing remote learning to avoid using emergency days and having to make them up if we go over.

The administration understands that students and staff love snow days. They love them as much as you do! Everything will be done in an effort to preserve our scheduled vacation days.
Scripps Spelling Bee Update
The top 30 spellers have been been announced for The Post-Standard | Syracuse.com Spelling Bee area finals.

Due to the pandemic, the students this year took the written test online. They had 30 minutes to complete 50 questions. They took the exam between Jan. 23 and 25. The winning students scored the highest among more than 100 students who registered for the written qualifying exam. They will compete next online on March 24.
 
The winner will compete in the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is scheduled for the summer of 2021. An exact date is expected to be announced later this month. 
 
Gabriel Mendiola, a 7th grader has moved on in the competition to the next round. Go Gabriel!
Junior High SPCA Drive
This year, the Junior High Student Senate selected a community drive on which to focus, and as a school decided to help the local SPCA. The SPCA has a wish list on their website. JH students decided to work to fill that need. Cortland JH 7th and 8th grade students and staff started the drive in December, but due to switching to remote learning, the drive was cut short. Once in person learning resumed, it was decided that the SPCA drive would continue throughout the school year. Students are extremely passionate about this drive and want to work on it through the remainder of our school year. To date, 123 items have been collected and delivered. Thanks go out to Stacy Rice who is making the deliveries (several loads) to the local SPCA on McLean Road.
KC Staff Make Donation to the Purple Pantry
Alex Shaffers’ Purple Pantry is now a well known part of the Cortland Enlarged City School District. All students in grades 7-12 can stop by for a “grab and go” bag of food or they can select items from a wide variety to take home. Recently, the Kaufman Center (KC) staff found out that there was a need for certain items in the pantry. A two-week campaign was organized to collect those items and KC staff were very generous in their donations. Food items along with cash collected, were delivered to Alex and Mr. Zarcone on one of the first sunny days of January! Alex was very thankful for the donations and is very pleased that the Purple Pantry will continue to supply students and local families with food items even after Alex graduates!
Wi-Fi On Cortland School Buses
The Cortland Enlarged City School District is very excited to be installing new Wi-Fi units on four of its school buses. The Wi-Fi will allow students to use their Chromebooks and other devices while riding to and from school. This access will be invaluable when students ride the bus to sporting events and long trips.

Potentially, the buses could also be used as a mini community Wi-Fi spot for areas that don’t have Wi-Fi. While testing out one of the buses equipped with Wi-Fi, the range was easily more than 300 feet. With such a strong range a bus could be used at a sporting event so that students not competing could do homework or save stats for a particular game in real time.

We’re testing the system on one bus now, but the other units will be installed soon. Students will be the ultimate test as to how useful the system is and if it could be incorporated into all of the buses in the future.
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