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Weekly E-Newsletter from the Superintendent of Schools
Volume 3, Issue 5 (September 23, 2022)
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UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT | |
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ON THE CUTTING EDGE
OF NUTRITION EDUCATION
On Thursday, I was extremely excited to be joined at Kenmore West by Assemblyman William Conrad, Board of Education President Matthew Chimera, Director Brett Banker, Principal Dean Johnson, and more than 20 students to announce a new initiative that will put the Ken-Ton School District on the cutting edge of nutrition education. As a result of collaborative efforts, Assemblyman Conrad has secured a $50,000 grant which includes innovative new programming that will bring certified nutritionists into our schools and athletic programs as well as provide more AEDs (automated external defibrillators). You can read the press release here and view the press conference here.
For students, the importance of nutrition cannot be overstated. It is well known that diet plays a critical role in athletics, but it is also the cornerstone of a student’s success in the classroom. This new program that Assemblyman Conrad initiated will connect certified nutritionists with our coaches, student-athletes, and their families to educate them on various topics related to good nutrition and diet. Through our physical education, health, and wellness programs, this instruction will extend to all students in Grades K through 12. Additionally, this program will enable our Food Service Department to expand offerings, providing healthy options for student athletes to bolster their performance.
Ken-Ton is proud to be among the first districts in the region to pilot such a program. Not only will this benefit our students here in Ken-Ton, but it also has the potential to be a model for other communities.
Additionally, the funding secured by Assemblyman Conrad will enable the district to purchase more AEDs, which are used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Just as good nutrition is the proactive foundation for student performance, access to AEDs provides a reactive safety measure for all students, staff, and community members in our facilities in the event of a tragedy. We hope to never have to use them, but it is reassuring knowing that we have the tools that can give us a fighting chance.
Measures such as these often go overlooked but are critical supports and save lives. For this reason, I want to once again thank Assemblyman Conrad for his support for this program.
IMMUNIZATION ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES
The Erie County Department of Health is offering immunization services for students who need assistance getting immunizations that NYS requires for school attendance. These are available for students who meet all of the following criteria:
- They need immunizations in order to continue attending school
- They are uninsured, underinsured, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or covered by CHIP (Child Health Insurance Plus), Medicaid or managed Medicaid
- They are not able to make vaccine appointments with a pediatrician or family medicine doctor
ECDOH can provide the Chicken Pox (Varicella), Hepatitis B (Hep B), Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Meningitis/MCV4, Polio, and Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) vaccines. Appointments are required and start on September 21st. Families can call 716-858-7687 ext. 5 to make an appointment and are asked to leave a clear message with the child’s name, date of birth, and the vaccines needed. The ECDOH Immunization Clinic is located at the Jesse Nash Health Center, 608 William Street in Buffalo. Click here for more information.
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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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District Welcomes 3 New Administrators
The Ken-Ton School District is proud to announce three additions to its administrative team:
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Kari Schultz, Director of the Family Support Center: Kari Schultz is a licensed Mental Health Counselor who has worked in the field of mental health services since 2008. She has worked for Catholic Charities and was an adjunct professor for Niagara County Community College. For the past seven years, she has worked for Niagara County in a number of capacities, most recently as a Senior Licensed Clinician and Senior Planner.
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Erin Myers, Holmes Elementary Assistant Principal: Erin Myers has been a School Social Worker since 2009. She comes to us from Lewiston Porter where she spent six years at the Primary building and one year at Lew-Port High School. Myers previously worked at Kenmore West, Hamilton, and Holmes Elementary between 2009 and 2015.
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Gretchen Sukdolak, Interim Director of Special Education (Out-of-District Placements): Gretchen Sukdolak joins us from Cheektowaga Central where she has spent the last 20 years in various capacities: high school and elementary school assistant principal, elementary and middle school principal, and, most recently, Director of Pupil Personnel Services and Special Education.
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Big Picture Program Celebrates
Hispanic Heritage Month
For Hispanic Heritage Month, students in our Big Picture Program collaborated on an amazing art project to celebrate diversity among students. It consisted of a project board that hangs on the third floor of Kenmore Middle School and celebrates Frida Kahlo, a prominent figure in Hispanic culture. Six students worked on the project along with Spanish teacher Casey Peglowski and art teacher Jen Leone. On the bulletin board, you’ll find the face of Frida Kahlo, facts about her life, and how her work impacted the world. You can read more about Kahlo below as this week’s Hispanic Heritage Month featured individual. Click here to read the story.
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Holmes Hosts Welcome Back Celebration | |
In celebration of the start of the school year, Holmes Elementary School helped all Gr. K-2 students feel welcome at a "welcome back" celebration on September 16th. Students, families, and teachers gathered together to enjoy the beautiful afternoon and have fun, make new friends, meet neighbors, and spend some quality time together! | |
RECOGNITION: CONNECTLIFE PARTNERSHIP YIELDS RECOGNITION FROM KEN-TON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | |
From left, Carl Calabrese, Master of Ceremonies for the Ken-Ton Chamber of Commerce 50th Anniversary Jubilee; Cathy Piciulo, Ken-Ton Chamber President/CEO; Board of Education President Matthew Chimera; and Superintendent Sabatino Cimato. Photo courtesy of Carl Gerace Photography. | |
From left, Superintendent Sabatino Cimato; Kenmore East Principal Trevor Brown; Kenmore East teacher Rimme St. George; Kenmore West teachers Leanne Schmitz and Kim Mahone; Board of Education President Matthew Chimera; Kelly White, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Leadership & Instruction; and Director of Secondary Education Lisa Cross. | |
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On Friday, the Ken-Ton School District was proud to be recognized by the Ken-Ton Chamber of Commerce with their Large Business of the Year award. The award was presented at a luncheon on September 16th as part of the Ken-Ton Chamber’s 50th Anniversary Jubilee. It's an award given to a business/organization with a history of long-standing success and significant economic contributions to the region.
We were nominated for this distinction by ConnectLife, Western New York’s blood bank and eye, organ, and tissue donation center, due to our high schools’ long standing partnership with the organization. Today, I wish to recognize three individuals who have spearheaded this partnership: Kim Mahone, Leanne Schmitz, and Rimme St. George.
For the past 12 years, students and staff at Kenmore East and Kenmore West have partnered with ConnectLife to organize blood drives in our high schools. Kim, Leanne, and Rimme have been the driving force behind organizing these blood drives. Since the district first began partnering with ConnectLife 12 years ago, our students and staff have been responsible for donating more than 1,750 units of blood. According to ConnectLife, that represents nearly 5,300 lives right here in Western New York that have been impacted by the students and staff of our two high schools.
This is one of countless ways our students, families, and staff come together to give back, support the community, and help those in need. We see examples of this throughout the year in all our schools. Through these acts, big or small, our students, staff, and families continue to forge a legacy of generosity and service.
Please join me in recognizing these three outstanding educators and all those who have supported the ConnectLife blood drives.
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CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH | |
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This week, we celebrate Frida Kahlo, a groundbreaking Mexican artist best known for her work in the 1930s and 1940s. She was the first artist of Hispanic descent to sell a painting for more than $1 million and is widely seen as one of the most recognizable female artists in history.
Kahlo was born in 1907 in a village outside Mexico City. She enjoyed art and drawing from a very young age. She intended to go to medical school but was involved in a horrific bus accident at age 18. She nearly died and the injuries she suffered necessitated more than 30 medical operations and resulted in her experiencing chronic pain throughout her life. She channeled her suffering into her artwork, learning how to paint and using her body cast as a canvas. That was the beginning of her career as an artist.
Kahlo is best known for her self-portraits that combined realism and fantasy to deal with such themes as identity, gender, the human body, and death. Her work remained largely unknown until the late 1970s and she is now revered across the globe for her artistic achievements. She is recognized as one of the most significant artists of the 20th Century and one of the most important individuals in Mexican culture.
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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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- Tuesday, September 27th:
- SEPTO Meeting (6:30 p.m.)
- Wednesday, September 28th:
- Gr. K-7 Early Release (12 p.m. dismissal for Gr. 5-7; 12:40 p.m. dismissal for Gr. K-4)
- Friday, October 7th:
- Early Dismissal Drill (all schools dismiss 15 minutes early)
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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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