Weekly Update from the Office of the Superintendent

Volume 2, Issue 32 (April 22, 2022)

Video Update: https://youtu.be/d9zEmorsAmw

2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR REGISTRATION

As we look forward to the start of the 2022-23 school year in September, we encourage all families with children who are eligible for Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) or Kindergarten to make sure they are registered for school. This is a great time for students to begin their educational journey in Ken-Ton and the first step is registration.

We are excited to once again offer both a free full-day and half-day UPK Program through our partnership with the YMCA. This was the first year we offered a full-day UPK option hosted at our reopened Hamilton Elementary building. This new design has proven to be a tremendous success. The traditional classroom-based UPK framework focuses on the introduction of academics while enhancing socialization, physical activity, communication, and creative thinking.

Ken-Ton families, especially those just starting out, are able to take advantage of this full-day program for pre-kindergarten students. This enables these children to benefit from full-day instructional programming while many of these families are able to save on the costs that they would have otherwise incurred for childcare. Hundreds of families took advantage of this new full-day program as well as the traditional half-day option. As a result, students as well as their families are now better prepared for the start of kindergarten in September.

Families are strongly encouraged to register for UPK by the May 27th deadline. There is a limited number of seats available, and a lottery will be used if the number of registrations exceeds the number of seats prior to May 27th. If there are still open seats after May 27th, registration will continue on a first-come first-served basis.

We are excited about our continued investments and enhancements in K-4 instruction. All of our elementary schools already feature outstanding core academic programs as well as music, art, physical education, Gifted/Talented Education and much more. Next year, we will be adding a new cutting edge STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) curriculum. We are also making significant investments in safety, security, and social-emotional support services. Students entering kindergarten next year will also be among the first to benefit from our ongoing Capital Project, which includes improvements in all of our buildings and facilities. State-of-the-art classrooms and instructional spaces coupled with new secured entranceways, an adaptive playground, improved water quality, enhanced pick-up/drop-off patterns, and upgraded athletics/physical education facilities are just some examples. They will also benefit from the historic expansion of instructional technology which has taken place over the past two years, providing a device for every student to use in school.

We encourage families to register as soon as possible. There is a great deal of planning that takes place for each school year and much of this planning is dependent on knowing how many students will be enrolled in each individual school and grade level. It also ensures that each student has access to the supports they will need beginning in September.

Our Central Registration Department has worked hard to streamline and simplify the registration process. Information about the registration process, answers to frequently asked questions, and access to our online registration system can all be found on the Central Registration website at www.ktufsd.org/registration. Registration can also be completed by appointment at the Administration Building, located at 1500 Colvin Boulevard. Remember: Children who will be 4 years of age on or before December 1, 2022 are eligible for UPK and children who will be 5 years of age on or before December 1, 2022 are eligible for kindergarten.

We are extremely excited to welcome all new students into our family and to watch them grow as individual learners and contributing members to our community.

HOOVER ELEMENTARY: At Hoover Elementary, students in Mrs. Madison Almeter’s & Mr. Greg Koudounas’ class spent the month of March becoming research experts by presenting on topics of their own interest. The students were challenged with selecting their own topic, researching finding and identifying reliable sources, creating written reports on their subjects, preparing a presentation, and then delivering their presentation for the rest of the class. They chose a wide range of topics such as endangered animals, ecosystems, and sharks and did an amazing job seeing this project through from start to finish. It was amazing to see what the students were able to accomplish and their impressive work was compiled into a Google Slideshow which you can access here.

KENMORE EAST & KENMORE WEST: Be sure to check out the Ken-Ton School District Athletic Department's Winter Newsletter which includes amazing highlights of our Kenmore East and Kenmore West teams and athletes. The Athletic Department did a fantastic job compiling this information. The newsletter includes information on what's new in athletics including the new Kenmore East and Kenmore West Unified Bowling Teams and the opening of the new Kenmore East turf athletic field. It also includes highlights from the winter season including Kenmore/Grand Island Girls Ice Hockey (Section VI Champions), Kenmore Girls Bowling (NFL Champions), Kenmore Boys Bowling, Boys Swimming, Kenmore East Track & Field, the NYS Gymnastic Champions (hosted by Kenmore West) and Section VI Rifle Championships (hosted by Kenmore East), Scholar-Athletes and other individual/group distinctions. Our teams and athletes made us proud!

KENMORE WEST: Students in Kenmore West High School technology teacher Kevin Day’s Construction Systems class did an amazing job on their final project: a magnificent contribution for the Buffalo Rotary Club. Students completed a series of design briefs, market research, materials cost estimates, and then constructed four units from scratch. It was a community project that allowed the Kenmore West career and technology education students to collaborate with a construction management company for a Work-Based Learning project. Participating in the project were Anthony Amodeo, Phillip Belles, Kholton Black, Gavin Brooks, Landon Calvert, Evan Davie, Reagan Fredricks, Camila Kelly, Joseph Meciszewski, Dylan Mirabella, Zaire Mobley, Connor Nice, Joshua Perry, Chloe Reid, and David Timmerman. Great job to the entire class!

LINDBERGH ELEMENTARY: Students at Lindbergh Elementary School recently had a wonderful time participating in a "Minute to Win It" assembly. The event was part of Lindbergh's Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (PBIS) program. Students were able to earn the opportunity to compete in various activities for prizes by demonstrating and modeling excellent behavior in school. The event was held April 8th and was a great way to kick off winter recess!

KENMORE WEST: The Kenmore West High School Counseling Department organized its very first Career Expo on April 6th as students came together to explore a wide variety of different post-secondary career options. The event was a tremendous success and students greatly enjoyed the opportunity to learn about job opportunities for their future careers. The Counseling Department now plans to make this an annual tradition. Participating employers were Isaac Heating and Air Conditioning, National Fuel, Tonawanda Parks & Recreation, NY State Police Troopers, Howard Hanna Real Estate, Northtown Automotive, Gabe's Collision, Operating Engineers Union, Electrical Workers Union, Northland Workforce Training Center, Delaware North, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Kenmore Volunteer Fire Department. Thank you to all of the companies who participated and facilitated this opportunity for our students!

RECOGNITION: DENISE CARR, MICHAEL MUSCARELLA & GINA SANTA MARIA

This week, we are extremely proud to celebrate three individuals from our Ken-Ton family who have achieved professional distinction due to their outstanding efforts on behalf of our students, families, staff and community: Denise Carr and Michael Muscarella, who will receive the Western New York Educational Service Council (WNYESC) Award of Excellence, and Gina Santa Maria, who will receive the Erie County Association of School Boards (ECASB) District Clerk Service to Education Award.

WNYESC Award of Excellence Recipients:

Denise Carr is a visual arts teacher at Kenmore East High School and serves as the Ken-Ton School District Art Coordinator. In this capacity, she is actively involved in all aspects of the Gr. K-12 art curriculum and program and has worked tirelessly to make Ken-Ton one of the best districts for art education. She is recognized for her work providing opportunities for students to express their creativity and be recognized for their artistic achievements and accomplishments. Examples include the annual Student Artist Reception and partnerships with local art galleries. She has also initiated many different collaborations which have resulted in amazing large-scale community art projects or exhibitions such as a year-long collaboration with Oshei Children's Hospital, the recent “Love the Skin You’re In” exhibit, and a partnership with local municipalities to paint murals decorating storm water drains in key locations in town. Denise will win the WNYESC Award of Excellence in the Teacher Category.

Michael Muscarella has served as the Ken-Ton School District's Director of Elementary Education since August 2018, and he previously served for many years as Principal of Lindbergh Elementary School. Mr. Muscarella is recognized for his commitment to collaboration with teachers, staff, and families which has been evident throughout his career. He is also highlighted for his continuing work serving as a coach and leader for our elementary school principals and his work supporting instruction during the pandemic. He has been instrumental in numerous initiatives which have had a tremendous impact on student programming including our partnership with the YMCA, our full-day Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program at Hamilton Elementary, the implementation of Scholastic Literacy, English as a New Language programming, ongoing curriculum enhancements, and our District Capital Project. Michael will win the WNYESC Award of Excellence in the Administrator Category.

ECASB District Clerk Service to Education Award:

Gina Santa Maria has served as Secretary to the Superintendent and District Clerk for 7 years. She plays a critical role in facilitating school/district operations, managing the annual Budget Vote/Board of Education Election, and ensuring public participation in school district governance and adherence to state requirements. She has made numerous enhancements to Board and district operations. She initiated all aspects of the transition to Board Docs, an information management system for all of our Board of Education meetings, which improved transparency and access to information. Gina also oversaw the transition to our new state-of-the-art Board of Education meeting room at Kenmore Middle School. During the pandemic, Ms. Santa Maria facilitated the transition to fully virtual Board meetings and managed the 2020 vote which was conducted entirely by absentee ballot (with more than 12,000 ballots cast). She has also facilitated trainings and collaboration with other district clerks in our area and has served as a mentor for new clerks throughout the region. For this reason, Gina was nominated by not only Ken-Ton but other school districts as well.

Please join me in congratulating Denise Carr, Michael Muscarella and Gina Santa Maria for their professional achievements. They have made Ken-Ton proud!

UPCOMING DATES

• Saturday, April 30: Breakfast With the Board (9 a.m. Kenmore Middle School Community Room)
• Week of May 2: Teacher Appreciation Week
• Tuesday, May 10: Board of Education Meeting & Budget Hearing (6:30 p.m. Kenmore Middle School Community Room)
• Friday, May 13: Elementary School Gr. K-4 Early Release Day (12:40 p.m. Dismissal)
• Tuesday, May 17: Budget Vote & Board of Education Election (7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hoover Middle School - Use Sheridan Drive entrance)