Weekly Update from the Office of the Superintendent

Volume 2, Issue 40 (June 17, 2022)

There Will Be No Video Update This Week

JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY:

MONDAY, JUNE 20TH

There will be no school on Monday, June 20th, and district offices will be closed in celebration of the Juneteenth holiday. Juneteenth takes place on June 19th each year but will be observed on Monday since June 19th is a Sunday.

The history of Juneteenth goes back to the end of the Civil War in 1865. Although fighting effectively ended in April of that year with the surrender of the largest Confederate armies, it wasn't until June that the news finally reached far-off Texas, the last Confederate state to fall to the Union. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in the coastal city of Galveston, the largest city in Texas at the time, with 2,000 Union soldiers to enforce Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in order to free slaves throughout the state. There were an estimated 250,000 slaves at the time since many Southern slaveholders had fled to Texas during the war as Union armies advanced.

Since 1865, June 19th has been celebrated as “Juneteenth” to celebrate General Granger’s arrival in Galveston. Also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, Juneteenth became a state and national holiday in 2021. It’s purpose is to commemorate the end of slavery in America. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the importance of continuing the fight against injustice and inequity.

PRINCIPAL/ASSISTANT

PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENTS

Please join me in congratulating the following individuals who will be taking on new school leadership positions this summer:

• Mr. Trevor Brown was appointed to the position of Principal of Kenmore East High School. Mr. Brown has served in several district leadership positions including Assistant Principal at Kenmore West (2021-present) and Kenmore East (2018-2021).
• Marco Galante was appointed to the position of Franklin Middle School Principal. Mr. Galante has served in several district leadership positions including Assistant Principal of Hoover Middle School (2018-2022) and School Support Specialist at Franklin Elementary School (2016-2018).
• Mr. Michael Haggerty was appointed to the position of Assistant Principal at Hoover Middle School. Mr. Haggerty has served in several district leadership positions including Assistant Principal at Franklin Middle School (2015-present), Kenmore Middle School (2010-2015), and Hoover Middle School (2009-2010).

END-OF-YEAR REMINDERS

• Graduation: This evening, we will celebrate our Big Picture Program Class of 2022 at the Big Picture Graduation. The Kenmore East graduation will be held Saturday, June 25th at 6 p.m. and the Kenmore West graduation will be held Sunday, June 26th at 2 p.m. These ceremonies will be returning to Kleinhans this year and we are excited to celebrate our graduating seniors.
• High School Exams: Kenmore East and Kenmore West are administering Regents Exams and local exams so students will only attend school for their exams. Exam schedules can be found on the high school websites. The last day of exams will be Thursday, June 23rd followed by Regents Rating Day on Friday, June 24th.
• Middle Schools: The last day of school for fifth-grade students will be Tuesday, June 21st. The last day for sixth- and seventh-grade students will be Thursday, June 23rd.
• Elementary Schools: The last day of school for students in Grades K-4 will be Tuesday, June 21st.

RETIREE RECEPTION

On June 14th, we were proud to honor a total of 55 members of the Ken-Ton School District faculty and staff who will be retiring by the end of this school year at the annual Retiree Reception. These staff represent a combined 1,427 years of service to our students!

KENMORE EAST: Kenmore East High School Band Director Phil Aguglia is one of only four music teachers in Upstate New York to be named a quarterfinalist for the 2023 Grammy Music Educator Award. A total of 207 quarterfinalists nationwide out of nearly 1,500 nominations have been selected for this distinction. The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. Mr. Aguglia has been the Kenmore East band instructor since 2002. He works extremely hard throughout the year to facilitate opportunities for students to achieve new levels of success, perform in the community, and collaborate with other school music programs. Many of Mr. Aguglia's students have gone on to successful careers in the music industry and have been selected for prestigious regional and statewide ensembles. Mr. Aguglia is the owner and craftsman for a company that specializes in making custom-fitted batons that are used by conductors throughout the world and has been named the JazzBuffalo Music Educator of the Year multiple times. He is also very active in Music is Art, a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the community through access to music.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: Students in elementary schools across the district as well as the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program at Hamilton Elementary had a wonderful time participating in Flag Day events on Wednesday. Students gathered in auditoriums for patriotic assemblies and paraded through the neighborhood with flags and other patriotic attire. Flag Day is observed on June 14th each year to commemorate the adoption of the "Flag Act" by the Second Continental Congress on June 14th, 1777. It was this resolution that declared the American flag to include thirteen alternating red and white stripes and one white star for each state against a blue field. It's an important day for elementary schools as students show their appreciation for the American flag and what it represents.

LINDBERGH ELEMENTARY: The Lindbergh Elementary School Library received a generous donation of beautiful bags for students who borrow books to read over the summer to carry their books in. The bags are environmentally friendly and will be used for years to come. The bags were sewn by community members Chris Zimmer and Peggy Brown who are part of the Mission Committee at Deerhurst Presbyterian Church. The Lindbergh Elementary community is grateful for this special gift that will help to encourage our students to keep reading all summer long!

HOOVER ELEMENTARY: On June 9th, Hoover Elementary School hosted a special Career Day/Dress for Success event to give students the chance to learn about different careers. Professionals from the community presented to third-grade and fourth-grade students and spoke about their careers. Students were then able to choose between being a police officer, dentist, ski manager, welder, yoga instructor, and physical therapist. Students had a great time learning about different careers. Thank you to all those who facilitated this opportunity for our students!

FRANKLIN MIDDLE: On June 7th, the enrichment classes at Franklin Middle and Hoover Middle participated in their first-ever civics seal presentation. Forty-one students worked all quarter on investigating a problem, the laws associated with it, and a possible solution that could work in the community that we live in. Some of the topics they investigated in their 30 presentations were bullying prevention, eating disorders, gun violence, and endangered wildlife. This project was in conjunction with a new program at Ken-Ton Schools. Starting this year, students at both of the high schools will be able to attain a distinction on their diploma called the Seal of Civic Readiness. This middle school project will count as part of the seal for when these students graduate in 2027.

RECOGNITION: COLLEGE-BOUND

STUDENT ATHLETES

This week, we are proud to recognize the following Kenmore East High School student athletes who have signed their letter of intent to compete at the college level next year:

• Joshua Henderson, University of Maine Presque Isle, Baseball
• Jacob Coburn, Stonybrook University, Football
• Jacob Lexner, Utica University, Football
• Jason Orlando, Hilbert College, Football
• Caleb Frye, Hilbert College, Volleyball 
• Madison Esmond, SUNY Fredonia, Softball

These students were recognized at a signing ceremony led by Director of Athletics Brett Banker and our coaches on June 14th. These students represent the elite among high school athletes who move on to compete at the college level. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, fewer than 6% of high school athletes are accepted into NCAA Divisional Programs.

RECOGNITION: STUDENT BOARD REPRESENTATIVES

We are extremely proud to recognize two members of the Class of 2022: Giulia Zanghi from the Big Picture Program and Andrew Roland from Kenmore East High School. Giulia and Andrew served this past year as our Student Representatives on the Board of Education. They also helped coordinate and lead the District Leadership Council. This initiative brings together student leaders from all of our middle and high schools to share best practices, provide feedback, encourage student leadership, and foster district-wide connections.

At the June 14th Board of Education meeting, which was their final meeting as Student Representatives, County Legislator Lisa Chimera presented Giulia and Andrew with a legislative proclamation recognizing them for their contributions and service to the students of our District.

Please join me in congratulating Giulia and Andrew for the outstanding job they did representing our students on the Board of Education!

UPCOMING DATES

• Wednesday, June 15-Friday, June 24: High School Regents & Local Exams
• Monday, June 20: Juneteenth Holiday (no school)
• Tuesday, June 21: Last Day of School for Gr. K-5 Students
• Thursday, June 23: Last Day of School for Gr. 6-7 Students
• Friday, June 24: Regents Rating Day