SUPERINTENDENT'S NOTE
"The Olympics of Schools"
Olympics... A time for world athletes to come together and perform in front of an international audience, showing off years of work and preparation, all of which will be judged in a matter of minutes for some events, and just seconds for others. I am always impressed by the attention to detail, the small nuances the champions of the sport bring that set them apart from the rest of the field. Take figure skating. As I watched each athlete perform in the men’s short skating program, I noted each being asked to complete a series of components that are graded on technical merit and overall artistry. I watched as the skater would perform the triple and quadruple axels and lutzes, flying sit spins, along with other required components. When they were done, they skated off the ice to their coach, the shadow behind the scenes that worked diligently to build the program that would provide the skater the opportunity to stand on the podium at the end of the night.
At first, every skater’s program seemed amazing to me… I was taken in by the overall athleticism, the height of the jumps, and the movement on the ice. As the program went on, however, I began to notice subtle nuances that made one skater stand out over another. Maybe it was the height of the jump or the landing on the single blade. Maybe it was the hand and arm placement during the triple axels or the tight spins. Maybe it was the determination to perform a component that came in at a difficulty level that few of the other athletes dared to attempt. It was some of it. It was all of it. It was subtle, but yet, so obvious. It was the work of an Olympic champion.
Schools all across the country go through their own Olympics year after year. Our scholar "athletes" come in on the first day in September, ready to perform all the components of math, ELA, science, and social studies, world languages, business courses, technology, and arts. And schools put together the program for these students to be engaged in throughout the course of the year where their technical merit is assessed and improved upon, components are added as each student’s ability grows, and artistry and perfection are added to make it a well-rounded educational experience. The students begin to excel and master the content, as their "coaches" work behind the scenes, in the shadows, providing feedback and assistance.
To the initial observer, all learning can look the same, regardless of the school. But, as one takes a deeper dive into the programming being offered, the components being placed on the scholars, the technical skill-building exercises that help drive the students toward mastery, and the artistry the students are able to put together in their finished product, there are some districts that just begin to stand out. It is those subtle nuances of challenging students to take on the more difficult task so that their minds "are blowing smoke" as they work. It is the programmatic opportunities and class projects that get students so excited about learning that they are pinnacle performers, whether it be through a group project, a musical or artistic performance, or an individual assignment where the student "nailed it." It is the confidence-building through the technical work that lends itself to students going after the dual enrollment courses and the college diploma while still in high school, participation in STEAM programming, investing in the Career and Tech programs that will pave the way for their future careers, or getting so engaged in an elementary science project that they forget they are learning. All of it lends itself to that district rising to the top and getting the medal over the others.
Thank you Groton Community, for being that district that has spent the time, energy, focus, and dedication to be one of those schools that have built-in the components, technical merit, and artistry into student learning so that our scholar-athletes are in a position to go for the gold medal. Our coaches (faculty and staff) have devoted their life’s passion of teaching to the child. And our athletes have responded as they work toward the opportunity to go out on the world stage of life, perform, and land on that podium as a champion.
~Margo Martin
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CAPITAL PROJECT UPDATE
Since getting voter approval from the community in early December, the District has been working with its architects and construction management firm to get all final drawings and plans approved through New York State Education’s facilities planning office. Presently our plans are in the process of their final review by SED’s project manager. I would like to provide the community with an update on the progress of Phase I: Ross Field and GES.
In anticipation of the lead time that some of the materials will require, and in an effort to keep the project on schedule for a fall 2022 completion, we have decided to go through state contracting for part of the work being done at Ross Field. As such, we have received state contracting prices and signed tentative agreements for the A-Turf, bleachers, and lighting work to be done by contractors separate from the site work that will go out for bid as soon as we get the go-ahead from SED. This has allowed us to get our projects in these companies’ queues for the spring, as well as start to place orders for the materials that will require extensive lead time. One of those longer lead times involves the bleachers, where we are being told product is taking up to six months from the date of order to arrive on site. At this time, we believe we will be able to have all work completed at Ross Field with the exception of the press box. The materials needed for that part of the construction are presently 50 weeks out from delivery, which would mean a January of 2023 arrival on site. Although not ideal, I am confident we can creatively come up with a plan to allow for filming of games, and coaching from above, while we await final construction of that portion of the project. We have stressed to the construction manager and architects that it is our goal to have a playable surface by September 2022. If some of the amenities are not quite complete, we can work around those issues. Getting our athletes on this new surface, however, is a priority.
Site work at Ross Field will begin as soon after the bid award date as weather permits. The baseball field site work will not commence until after the spring sports have come to an end (mid to end of May). Be watching for future updates in upcoming e-newsletters and at BOE meetings.
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"Life is a bowl of cherries" with Kelley Neville leading the way!
Thank you for all you and your staff do!
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CREAM OF THE CROP
Many food service directors would take one look at the amount of paperwork required to apply for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) grant and give up before starting. Not Kelley Neville. Despite being short-staffed and having to manually enter over 800 students into the system because of a software glitch, Kelley rolled up her sleeves and completed the lengthy application so that our students could continue to receive FREE breakfasts AND lunches for the next FIVE years!!! Having someone who cares so much about our students, families, and community is a blessing to us all!
Kelley Neville has gone above and beyond in every way since joining the District. Behind the scenes, Kelley is busy planning, ordering, and scheduling meals each month. With the shortage in the food supply chain, she has had to be both persistent and creative to continue to provide our students with healthy and delicious meals. During mornings she is busy prepping with her staff and at meal times you will find her checking students out with a friendly smile (under her mask:) In her spare time she is spearheading various initiatives with the Groton Harvest grant, running summer feed programs, and orchestrating culinary boot camps for her staff.
She is always looking for ways to improve and do more. Now that she is finally running at full staff, she is looking forward to bringing back things like the "Chef's Corner" and the after-school dining club.
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PAYING IT FORWARD
Addie Clore and Abby Thomas, junior members of the Farm Bureau and active FFA members in Tompkins County, raised money for local school lunch programs! Addie Clore presents Kelley Neville with a $1,000 donation!
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SMILE... FREE DENTISTRY DAY!
In honor of "Dental Health" month, we are excited to announce that we have reconnected with Finger Lakes Community Health to provide our GES students (UPK-5) with a FREE dental visit at school on March 8! Parents, you don't have to take time off of work to take your kids to the dentist, the dentist is coming to them! For more information refer to the letter sent home or check our website. Please return the dental permission sheet ASAP!
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RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET?
Please take the survey below to help in determining where government and industry are lacking in access to reliable and high-speed internet, and to help bring attention to the areas still suffering from this digital divide.
Click on the link below to take the survey:
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ART STUDENTS OF THE MONTH |
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Silas St Clair, 4th Grade &
Harper O'Neil, 4th Grade
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Richard Ingram, 7th Grade |
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PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING
One half of the school year is behind us. We are seeing marked decreases in many of the behaviors we were seeing in the beginning of the school year. The teaching staff is looking forward to helping our students improve their academics during this third marking period. Many of our teachers work with students after school, during study halls, and at lunch to help them. There is also the After School Study Hall from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday for students to receive extra help. There is a late bus for students to ride home on for all of those days. Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teachers to ask them how you can help your student at home with their homework, classwork or tests and quizzes. We are here to help!
~Brian Kavanagh, Principal
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COMMUNITY ADVISORY UPDATE
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) has been meeting monthly since December to discuss and problem solve some of the issues the community brought forward during the meeting that was hosted by Superintendent Margo Martin in November. During our first meeting we took the information and suggestions that the community talked about that night and we prioritized them. The committee decided that the top three priorities we should be focusing on are:
- Informing the Board of Education that they see a need for a School Resource Officer in the school.
- Developing a survey for students and parents regarding the culture and climate of the school.
- Creating a communication plan to ensure parents have all of the necessary information needed to navigate the different platforms we use for educating students (ie. Google Classroom, SchoolTool).
The BOE was briefed about the priorities identified by the CAC. Currently, the CAC, which is comprised of parents, teachers, and a student representative, has divided into two subcommittees to work on the surveys and the communication plan. We will continue to keep our families informed of the progress we are making.
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SOCIAL MEDIA & MENTAL HEALTH
The 9th-grade ECHS students participated in a workshop called, "How Social Media Affects Your Mental Health?" Students and staff were invited to take a survey prior to the workshop to gather data about social media usage. In the workshop, students had the opportunity to discuss reasons why they think anxiety and depression are on the rise worldwide. They looked at nine major reasons, many of which related to being disconnected.
In groups, students work together to come up with their own definitions of mental health and a list of negative effects of social media on mental health. The survey results were shown and students could see that instead of interacting with people or situations, they are disconnected for many hours of their day. Apps on their cell phones were used to determine how much time they spent weekly on their phones and on specific apps. Using their findings, students came up with one positive change they could implement to their social media usage. 10th Grade ECHS students will attend a similar workshop on March 3rd.
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
STEAM students are working with former Groton graduate and local business owner, David Dow, to gain real-world experience. After hosting Mr. Dow for an informal consultation meeting to learn more about his business, A Burger Shack & More, Communications and Media Arts students put their graphic design skills to the test in a logo creation project. Students later presented their logo designs to Mr. Dow and received constructive feedback that sent them back to the drawing board. Mr. Dow suggested a combination of several students' designs which forced them to collaborate to create the final product. With the final design complete, the Building Trades students have since taken over with constructing the physical sign for the business. Be on the lookout for the new, student-created signage and logo for A Burger Shack & More this spring!
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GROTON PLACES IN SkillsUSA
The TST BOCES Career and Tech Center SkillsUSA Chapter had seventeen students compete in various contests related to their Career and Tech class. Brennan Brockway represented Groton High School in this event in Diesel Equipment Technology. Brennan earned 2nd place in this competition. Way to go Brennan! We are proud to have you represent Groton!
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INDOOR TRACK
Although we are a small school, this year our Indoor Track team has been competing against large and small schools. Despite that challenge, we had a couple of athletes who consistently placed in the top six. Dylan Sedorus in the 55 meter, 600 meter, and the 300 meter events and Carter Naginey in the 600 meter, 1000 meter, and 300 meter events. Both boys were on the Section IV Leaderboard. In the Section IV Class Championship meet, Sedorus placed 7th overall in the 300 meter and 8th overall in the 600 meter. What a great finish!
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BOWLING
It has been a fun and successful year for the bowling team. The boys placed third this year at the IAC championships. They were led by senior, Jason Rabenstein, with a total of 659 and freshman, Mike Brehm, with a total of 609. Rabenstein finished 4th overall and Brehm finished 11th. The boys ended their season with a record of 46-26. The girls were led by sophomores Emily Cargian and Lacie Hilker. Cargian averaged 153.9 and Hilker averaged 152.9. The girls ended their season with a record of 48-24.
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GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL
Our girls finished with a 5-11 record with some key wins over Dryden, Odessa Montour, Lansing, Newfield, and Candor. They will be losing 2 key seniors, Makayla Lockwood and Abby Dykeman with 7 of their 9 players returning next year. Abby Dykeman earned several awards through the IAC including 2nd team small school North IAC team, Honorable Mention for the Senior game, and also earned IAC Academic team honors by having a GPA of 90 or higher for her three and a half years in high school. Elisa Allen was also named Honorable Mention for IAC Small School North.
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VARSITY WRESTLING
The Wrestling team has had a successful year with a team record of 8-5 overall and 4-1 in our league, which put them in second place. There were five individuals who placed in sectionals including Donnie Mitchell (2nd), Aidan Shufelt (3rd), Isaac Allen (5th), Jeter Neff (6th) and Darian Mitchell (6th). Mitchell and Shufelt both earned a spot to wrestle in the State Championships in Albany. Mitchell went 1-2 but was one match short of placing. Shufelt made it to the semi-finals and went on to take fifth place! Great season boys!
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BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL
The boys' team qualified for sectionals as the #11 seed. They played the first-round game of the state tournament at Delaware Academy in Delhi but unfortunately fell short, and that game ended their season. Mason Slade was selected to the IAC All-Star 2nd team and Kael Eldred was named an IAC Academic All-Star with a 91.71 GPA.
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Congratulations to Dylan Sedorus for committing to Wells College for soccer! |
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WONDER SPACE IS OPEN
The Wonder Space at GES is the perfect place to help your kids start their 'school' experience off on a positive note. This space is designed specifically for Groton children to access books from the day they are born until they enter kindergarten. Kids and parents will love the welcoming space and leaving with a bag filled with books for home! Parents of youngsters feel free to stop in and visit the Wonder Space with your littles! The Wonder Space is in Room 46 - the main office can direct you. For more information please contact Erin D'Antonio (edantonio@grotoncs.org).
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TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM
Environmental Education at its Best
Through this hands-on experience, elementary students learn about environmental conservation by raising trout from eggs to fry. In the process, they monitor the tank water quality, study stream habitat, and grow a better understanding of ecosystems. They will finish the program by releasing the trout in a state-approved stream.
This summer there will be a fly fishing camp for interested students to gain further knowledge of trout in their natural environment including the food they eat, predators, and overall wildlife management by DEC. Stay tuned for more information on this opportunity for kids to pursue a love of the outdoors.
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Making candles with 2nd graders while studying states of matter. |
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Physics in motion with the Hess cargo plane activities. |
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CHARACTER CASH
As educators, we are constantly looking for "teachable moments" to reinforce positive character traits. This year, GES is taking it a step further. Staff are on the prowl looking to catch kids doing great things. Students who show respect, kindness, responsibility, teamwork, self-control, integrity, and perseverance in challenging situations can earn "character cash" to be spent at the school spirit store.
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COME HAVE FUN WITH US IN THE HS GYM!
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COUNSELOR'S CORNER:
POSITIVE SELF-TALK
In recognition of Valentine's Day, we hope the information below is a friendly reminder of the importance of love and positivity for the most important person - YOU!
During this time of year as we are navigating days filled with less sunlight, and much colder temperatures, sometimes our motivation to get things done can be negatively impacted. We may feel extra stress, especially when we are not able to engage in some of our stress-relieving activities (ex. walking outside because it's too cold). As a result, we can get down on ourselves, and begin to think and feel negative.
One strategy to help reduce negative feelings, and increase motivation and resiliency is positive self-talk. Positive self-talk is the conversation and thoughts that we have with ourselves, that make us feel good about ourselves. It's like having an optimistic voice in our head that always looks on the bright side.
Everyone can benefit from improving their positive thinking skills. The idea is that by changing your thinking, you can control your emotions and your actions. Positive thinking skills often start with positive self-talk, this means using the voice in your head to say positive things about yourself or a situation.
An example of negative self-talk could sound like, “There is a math test on Monday, but I will probably fail it so there is no point in studying.” Try reframing this into something more positive such as, “I am going to study the best that I can for this test so that I am as prepared as I can be.”
Changing just a few, yet, powerful words in your internal dialogue can leave you feeling much more positive and confident!
Other examples of positive self-talk statements include:
I am capable of so much.
I believe in myself.
My mistakes help me learn and grow.
I can get through anything.
The next time you catch yourself thinking negatively, remember to be kind to yourself and try to turn your negative thoughts into more forgiving and positive ones, YOU are worth it!
For more information and examples please see the articles and videos below:
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GROTON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
WWW.GROTONCS.ORG
400 PERU ROAD, GROTON, NY 13073
(607) 898-5301
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