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Weekly E-Newsletter from the Superintendent of Schools
Volume 3, Issue 15 (December 16, 2022)
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UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT | |
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TOUR OF KEN-TON & BREAKFAST WITH
THE BOARD
At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, we announced an exciting upcoming community event which will take place on Saturday, January 28th. We are thrilled to invite members of the community for a school bus tour of Ken-Ton followed by breakfast with Board members and myself along with some district administrators. The goal of the event is to educate community members about our historic school district community and share a meal and some conversation.
The bus will depart promptly at 9 a.m. from outside the Community Room at Door #9 (north side of the building). The tour will take approximately 90 minutes and will pass by numerous locations of historical significance for the Town of Tonawanda, Village of Kenmore, and Ken-Ton School District. Following the tour, participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a hot breakfast inside the Kenmore Middle School Community Room. It’s important to note that participants have the option of attending only the tour, only the breakfast, or both.
This event is free. Registration for the bus tour is required since seats will be limited. It is important to note that we will be utilizing one of our school buses, which our students use every day. We hope to provide this opportunity for as many community members as possible. Since other opportunities will be offered for district staff members later this year, the bus tour is open to Ken-Ton School District residents who are not employed by the district at the present time. Seats will be provided on a first-come/first-serve basis and a waiting list will be maintained if needed. We have now provided this tour on several different occasions for our staff members and we can proudly say that it has not only been well received, but some have commented about how much they've learned from it.
You can register for the bus tour and/or breakfast here. Registration confirmation and updates will be sent via email so it is important for participants to provide an email address. If you have any questions or are unable to complete the registration form, you can email pfanelli@ktufsd.org.
Members of our Board of Education (President Matthew Chimera, Vice President Lesley Battaglia, Trustee Todd Marquardt, Trustee Jennifer Morrow, and Trustee Paul Spors) and I are very excited to offer this opportunity for our community. I hope you will consider joining us!
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Families should always educate themselves and be aware of any apps and programs their children are using on computers and mobile devices.
The Colorado Information Analysis Center, which is operated by the State of Colorado, has issued a Situational Awareness Bulletin regarding a popular new app called Gas, which many people may not be aware of. The targeted audience of this app is high school students. Users are able to choose their school/grade level and connect with friends and peers and then vote on their peers in polls.
The CIAC advised that Gas is only available through the Apple iPhone store and not the Google Play Store, but counterfeit versions have been uploaded there to defraud customers. The CIAC notes potential privacy/safety concerns with this app. For example, there is no mechanism to verify one's school. Anyone who selects a school is able to see the names of other users recorded as attending that school. Additionally, there are no parental controls. Social-emotional concerns are also addressed in the bulletin. According to CIAC, Gas has the potential to cause social media addiction, stress, anxiety, and cyberbullying, and some students may experience low self-esteem or depression based on the result of polls.
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SCHOOL & DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS | |
Each week, we will highlight some of the exciting things taking place in the district. Be sure to follow the Ken-Ton School District on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@ktufsd) for more school highlights! | |
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Board Visits Lindbergh Elementary & Observes Engagement Strategies
On Friday, December 9th, the Board of Education visited Lindbergh Elementary for a meet-and-greet and tour of the building led by Principal Ann Maccagnano. Board members had the opportunity to learn more about the building’s rich history, including the tunnel which runs under the parking lot connecting the main building with the smokestack structure. Board members were also able to observe new engagement strategies which Lindbergh teachers are using during classroom instruction. These new strategies have been extremely successful in maximizing engagement and increasing student achievement.
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Guided Reading Expert Dr. Jan Richardson Returns to Ken-Ton to Work With Teachers
The Office of Curriculum, Leadership, and Instruction was once again pleased to welcome Dr. Jan Richardson back to the Ken-Ton School District on Monday and Tuesday. Dr. Richardson is a reading specialist and education consultant who’s often considered America’s leading expert in guided reading. Over the course of the two days, Dr. Richardson worked one-on-one with Gr. K-3 teachers, providing a model for the planning and instruction phase of guided reading. Dr. Richardson also brought in students during the sessions to give teachers a hands-on and visual experience.
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15 Kenmore East, Kenmore West Teams Honored With Scholar Athlete Distinction
A total of 15 Ken-Ton School District fall sports teams were honored by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) as Scholar Athlete Teams for their hard work on and off the field. From Kenmore East, teams were Boys Cross Country, Boys Golf, Boys Volleyball, Competitive Cheer, Girls Soccer, Girls Swimming & Diving, Girls Tennis, and Girls Volleyball. From Kenmore West, teams were Boys Golf, Competitive Cheer, Girls Cross Country, Girls Soccer, Girls Tennis, and Girls Volleyball. The combined Kenmore East and Kenmore West Gymnastics team also earned this distinction. Additionally, a total of 198 individual students were honored as Scholar Athletes. Click here for more details.
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Hoover Middle Class & Substitute Teacher Coordinate Talent Show
Friday, December 9th was a very special day for a handful of 5th grade students at Hoover Middle School as they said goodbye to their weeks-long substitute teacher, Mrs. Rizzo. Mrs. Rizzo thought they should have some fun on her last day as the classroom's substitute teacher, so she and the students decided to coordinate a "talent show.” Acts included taekwondo, origami, and comedy. Mrs. Rizzo has been subbing in the Ken-Ton School District for four years and will still be around the building for the rest of the school year.
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All 10 Schools Do Their Part to Give Back to the Community
It’s the season of giving and many of our Ken-Ton students, staff, and community are doing their part in making sure this holiday season is a joyous one for all. There have been countless examples of this at all 10 schools including food drives, toy donations, gift giving, community service initiatives, and direct support for families in need. You can check out all of the ways our schools are showing their appreciation and love for others. Click here to read the story.
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RECOGNITION: NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS | |
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Today, we recognize four Ken-Ton teachers who have earned one of the highest distinctions in teaching. Shannon Pariso, a health teacher at Franklin Middle School, earned her National Board Certification. Three other teachers, Robyn Brydalski at Franklin Elementary School, English teacher Jenette Costello at Kenmore East, and Franklin Middle music teacher Michael Ihde, earned their recertification.
Ms. Pariso is the 25th current or recently retired Ken-Ton educator who has earned their National Board Certification, which is considered the gold standard in teaching. It is a performance-based peer-review process similar to board certification in medicine. Earning National Board Certification is a rigorous process which includes written entries, exams, and video submissions, and can take one or two years. There are four components of certification: an assessment of the candidate’s subject area knowledge, evidence of differentiation in instruction, video recordings of classroom instruction, and evidence of being an effective and reflective practitioner of teaching practices. Board-Certified Teachers are now required to earn recertification after five years, and Ms. Brydalski, Ms. Costello, Mr. Ihde are among the first Ken-Ton teachers to earn their recertification.
Ken-Ton is among the districts in New York State with the highest number of National Board-Certified teachers, and has one of the highest percentages of its teaching staff who have earned this distinction in the western region of New York State. This is in part because of a support structure created several years ago by Kenmore West math teacher Amy Klose and retired instructional support specialist Kathleen Reiser, which has received help from the Ken-Ton Staff Development Center and New York State United Teachers.
Please join me in congratulating these outstanding educators for earning this extraordinary professional distinction!
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Visit www.ktufsd.org/calendar to access website calendars and Google calendars with
up-to-date event information for the district and each of its schools.
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- Monday, December 26th - Monday, January 2nd:
- Winter Recess
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Thank you for reviewing this information. As always, we remain Ken-Ton Proud, Ken-Ton Strong, and Ken-Ton Moving Forward!
Sabatino Cimato,
Superintendent of Schools
For previous editions of the Ken-Ton Weekly Connection, visit
www.ktufsd.org/connection
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