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UNIFIED BASKETBALL ASSEMBLY
Monday was a very special day as students and staff gathered in the Kenmore East gymnasium to cheer on the Kenmore East and Kenmore West Unified Basketball Teams. It was the first time our Unified Basketball teams squared off during the day for a school-wide pep rally. Our goal is to make this event an annual tradition. It was a proud moment as players from each team were introduced prior to the 11 a.m. tip-off and all players demonstrated extraordinary sportsmanship during the game. The gym was packed with Kenmore East students as well as staff from both schools and it was wonderful to see them cheering on both teams during the game. Alison Wakefield, a senior at Kenmore East, did an amazing job performing the National Anthem and both teams joined together during halftime to dance the “Cupid Shuffle.” It was truly one of the highlights of the year, creating memories that will last a lifetime for players and spectators alike.
We are proud of our Unified Basketball players: from Kenmore East, Anna Alfearie, Connor Bladin, Michael Bly, Kevin Carney, Joss Cayton, Tee-Jay Chatmon Jr., Ivy Hays, Owen Long, Maggie McCarthy, Alex Mitchell, Patrick Ohanrahan, Ricky Papaj, Alex Ralston, Kubrick Santercole, Quentin Santercole, Damien Santiago, Destinie Smith, Bella Urso, Collin Vesperman, Alison Wakefield, and Trevin Wickland, and, from Kenmore West, Sophia Balsano, Mark Baxter, Isabelle Bourgeault, Presley Cerda, Christopher Dozier, Nathaniel Fuller, Jack Johnson, Rachel Kelting, Tyler Mrozik, Peyton Nunn, Avery Plante, Sarah Seyfang, Peter Sherry, Alexander Stinner, Addisyn Van Dewater, and Olivia Van Dewater. We are also proud of our Unified Basketball coaching staff: Keith Brophy and Bob O'Connor (Kenmore East) and Dan Hannon, Ryan Hogan, and Jeff Martin (Kenmore West).
Unified sports allows students of different abilities to take part and compete with each player using their own unique skills to contribute toward the team. Five players from each team competed at a time during the game, rotating to allow all students the opportunity to play and contribute to the team’s overall success. That’s what makes unified sports so special. It isn't about how each player does individually or who wins. It's about everyone coming together and enjoying the game. According to Special Olympics Project Unify, unified sports also promotes a more inclusive environment, breaks down stereotypes, and fosters relationships between students. Unified sports was first brought to Ken-Ton during the 2020-21 school year by our Athletics Department led by Brett Banker, Director of Health, Physical Education, and Athletics. Now, it encompasses two sports: Basketball and Bowling.
We were grateful to have Mr. Jeff Russo from WKBW Channel 7 on hand to cover this special event and you can find his story by clicking here. The momentous event was also streamed by both WNYAthletics and the Ken-Ton School District Athletics Department. You can view it at the following link:
youtube.com/live/ogiYdqJCcpk
E-NSSA SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT RECOGNITION DINNER
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On May 18th, I attended the 43rd annual Scholastic Achievement Recognition Dinner (SARD) with Kenmore East Principal Trevor Brown, Kenmore West Principal Dean Johnson, and Board Vice President Lesley Battaglia to celebrate the top three students from both high schools. The students were Abby Wojnowski, Robert Flores, and Amanda Sansone from Kenmore East and Fox Besch, Ella Valente, and Jack Gradzewicz from Kenmore West. They were honored alongside their peers from high schools throughout Western New York. This is an annual event organized by the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association (E-NSSA). Special thanks go out to Ken-Ton area donors who were among many sponsors who helped make the event possible: the Kenmore-Tonawanda School Employees Association (KTSEA), Lawley, Masiello, Martucci & Associates, and US itek.
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Understanding what to do as a bystander when someone around you faces an emergency medical situation can make the difference between life and death. There are steps anyone can take regardless of their level of training to assist before the arrival of emergency responders. These can be challenging and overwhelming situations. Even for those who are trained, remembering the correct first aid steps – and administering them correctly – can be difficult. The American Red Cross has created this simple step-by-step guide for checking an injured or ill person:
- Check the scene for safety, form an initial impression, obtain consent, and use personal protective equipment (PPE).
- If the person appears unresponsive, check for responsiveness, breathing, life-threatening bleeding, or other life-threatening conditions using shout-tap-shout. Check for no more than 10 seconds.
- If the person does not respond, responds but is not fully awake, is not breathing or is only gasping, or has life-threatening bleeding or another obvious life-threatening condition:
- Call 911 and get equipment, or tell someone to do so. Then, give care based on the condition found and your level of training and continue your check to determine if additional care is needed. For a person who is unresponsive and not breathing, start CPR and use an AED immediately if at all possible.
- If the person is responsive or responds to stimulation and is fully awake and does not appear to have a life-threatening condition:
- Interview the person (or bystanders, if necessary), ask questions about signs and symptoms, allergies, and medications and medical conditions. Do a focused check based on what the person told you, how the person is acting, and what you see. Do not ask the person to move if you suspect a head, neck, or spinal injury. Do not ask the person to move any area of the body that causes discomfort or pain. As you check the person, take note of any medical identification tags.
- After completing the previous step, call 911 and get equipment, or tell someone to do so (if needed). Then, give care based on the condition found and your level of training.
You can find more information about first aid steps and additional resources on the American Red Cross website.
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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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Schools Find Different Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day
In recent weeks, schools found many different ways to celebrate Mother’s Day. For 20 years, Lindbergh Elementary teacher Thomas Perryman has held a Mother's Day Tea for the mothers and mother figures of students in his class and this year was no exception. The class celebrated with their loved ones and enjoyed snacks, refreshments, and special gifts. At Hoover Elementary, Samantha Page's kindergarten classroom held a Mother’s Day celebration which included students reading books they made about their mothers, then guests were challenged to try to pick out which “Super Mom” portrait they thought was theirs. And at Franklin Elementary, Kate Overton's and Amelia Morton's kindergarten classrooms also held a Mother's Day Tea Party with mothers and mother figures invited to enjoy snacks, refreshments, and create a fun Mother's Day craft.
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KE, KW & Big Picture Students Take Part in WNED ‘Day of Healing & Restoration’
On Friday, May 12th, students from Kenmore East, Kenmore West, and the Big Picture Program participated in WNED’s Educational Day of Healing and Restoration which was live streamed to honor those impacted by the racially motivated mass shooting at Tops. Students Miriam Al-Obaidi, Alexis Casselman, Erika Droesler, Kerry-Ann Lewis, Ava Piatt, Emily Pytlewski, Maria Ramos, Tilynn Robinson, and Vanessa Tarpy participated alongside students from the Buffalo Public Schools. They were part of a healing circle led by Dr. Donald Grant, a student-led roundtable discussion, and they also wrote inspiring messages on a remembrance wall. Additionally, our students performed two musical pieces in a clarinet trio. Special thanks go out to Lisa Cross, Executive Director of Secondary Education, as well as staff members Kelly Lambert, Laura Anderson, Alex Sowyrda, Joseph Lorentz, Zack Pinti, and Jill Pickering. It was truly a beautiful experience. You can watch the segment on the WNED YouTube page.
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District Wellness Festival Takes Place June 1st
On Thursday, June 1st, the Ken-Ton School District will be hosting its Wellness Festival at Edison Elementary. The event is free and open to all Ken-Ton School District students and families. Guests will enjoy games in the gymnasium, craft stations in the cafeteria, garden activities, the district’s blender bike, free harvest bags, vendors, and more. The district is planning three different time slots based on last name to help with traffic. Times are A-H: 5:00 to 5:40 p.m.; I-P: 5:50 to 6:30 p.m.; and Q-Z: 6:40 to 7:20 p.m. Those who aren't able to make their assigned time slots may choose a different time to attend. All children attending the festival must be supervised by an adult. Guests are asked to consider bringing an item to donate that can be used for indoor/outdoor recess carts in elementary schools. These items can be new or gently used and can include things like Lego blocks, games, sports equipment, sensory objects, etc. Click here for more information about the event.
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Town of Tonawanda Police to Host Kids Fishing Derby on Sunday, June 25th
The Town of Tonawanda Police Department will host a Kids Fishing Derby on Sunday, June 25th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Aqua Lane Park for children ages 16 and under. The event is free and prizes will be given for first, second, and third place. Pizza and refreshments will be served at 12 p.m. To register, visit www.ttypr.com and click on the link for "Online Registration/Tee Time" to access the online registration portal and use code 318010.
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6 Edison Elementary 1st-Grade Classrooms Hatch Baby Chicks
First-grade classrooms at Edison Elementary are carrying on a three-year tradition that gives students a great lesson in kindness, respect, and patience. A total of six classrooms have spent the last few weeks experiencing and understanding the process of hatching chicks. Each classroom received six eggs to incubate, all graciously provided by art teacher Wendy Yengst’s sister-in-law, who owns a farm on Grand Island. The Edison PTA also bought incubators and hatching equipment for the five classrooms who needed supplies. Throughout the hatching process, the students learned about the life cycle and development of a chicken, respect for living creatures, and animal care, and were able to see the chicks hatch before their very eyes. Click here to read the story.
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Holmes Elementary Students Visit Buffalo State University
On May 10th, students at Holmes Elementary once again visited Buffalo State University for an all-day field trip that coincided with the theme of “Sports Stars and Champions.” Students began the day in the school’s sports arena, where they were greeted by Benji the Bengal and others from Buffalo State Athletics. They rotated through five different stations, which included a tour of the pool, fitness center, and training room, as well as hands-on sports stations run by student-athletes. They also had the chance to ask the athletes any questions they had about Buffalo State and being a collegiate athlete. Click here to read the story.
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Holmes Partners With Linde to Support Buffalo STEM Awareness Organization
Back in February, students in the after-school Linde Mentoring Program held a bake sale at Linde, raising $800. With an additional donation from Linde, they were able to donate $1,300 to Buffalo-area Engineering Awareness for Minorities (BEAM). Members of BEAM followed up and visited Holmes Elementary School on Wednesday for a presentation which showcased their dedication to increasing diversity in the STEM field. They also helped students create a kaleidoscope with their mentors from Linde.
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District Holds 2nd Community Bus Tour & Breakfast With the Board Event
Thank you to all those who joined us for Saturday's bus tour of Ken-Ton and Breakfast With the Board event! The 90-minute tour passed by dozens of places including current and former school locations, parks, neighborhoods, historic sites, landmarks, major employers, and other places of interest in the community. Special thanks to our Board of Education members and to our wonderful bus driver, Joe Sorrentino. Guests learned about the history of the town, village, and school district going all the way back to the early 19th Century then were able to enjoy a hot breakfast inside the Kenmore Middle Community Room.
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Hoover Middle Students Express Appreciation for Teachers
Last week, Hoover Middle School counselor Rebecca LaRoach emailed students seeking positive words and gratitude for teachers. She ended up receiving over 100 responses with kind and thoughtful letters of thanks that have been shared with teachers throughout the week. As a special treat, teachers were randomly selected to have a special appreciation lunch with the students who nominated them, courtesy of La Hacienda Brighton.
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Kenmore East Student Spearheads Instrument Collection Drive
Do you have any gently used instruments at home? If so, a Kenmore East High School student can take them off your hands. As part of an Eagle Scout project, Owen Shotwell will be collecting gently used instruments (no pianos or organs) at the second annual Riverfront Jazz Festival on June 11th. The event is taking place from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Niawanda Park Band Shell. Donations will go to Music is Art, a program that has placed over a half million dollars' worth of musical instruments back into the Western New York Community.
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RECOGNITION: JAYDEN GERSITZ | |
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This week, we recognize an amazing young man who is being praised for his quick thinking and willingness to go above and beyond following a medical emergency after school: Jayden Gersitz, a fifth-grade student at Franklin Middle School.
On Tuesday, May 9th, Jayden was riding his bike to a modified baseball game taking place at the field next to the Franklin Middle School Complex. A spectator at the game was experiencing a medical emergency at the time and Jayden’s uncle, who is a firefighter with the Kenilworth Fire Department, was in the process of responding. Learning of the situation, Jayden immediately took action to assist his uncle by racing his bike to his uncle’s car to retrieve a radio so that paramedics could be contacted. When paramedics arrived, they did not know the precise location and entered a different parking lot and field. Seeing this, Jayden hopped back on his bike and sped over to the paramedics in order to direct them to the right place.
The incident should serve as a reminder that a medical emergency can happen at any time and the actions of bystanders like Jayden can make a tremendous difference. We were extremely proud to learn of his actions. When he heard that someone needed help, he didn't hesitate to offer whatever assistance he could. He also remained level-headed during what was certainly a stressful situation. His actions may have made a major difference in the outcome of the situation. Great job Jayden!
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RECOGNITION: BRETT BANKER | |
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On Wednesday, we were extremely proud to see Brett Banker, Director of Health, Physical Education, and Athletics recognized as the Section VI winner of the 2023 NYS Athletic Administrators Association Judith Ann Knight Positive Change Award. This award is given to an athletic director who has demonstrated a passion to enhance positive change, strong leadership skills, and the ability to mentor. It's also given to those who contribute to various state and national organizations that support high school athletics.
Mr. Banker was extremely deserving of this distinction. He has served as our Director of Health, Physical Education, and Athletics since 1992. During this time, Mr. Banker has been devoted to expanding athletic programming and opportunities for all athletes. One of Brett’s greatest achievements was bringing unified sports to Ken-Ton, which is now thriving. He also worked tirelessly to advance the sport of girls ice hockey in WNY. Additionally, he has been extremely active at the regional, state, and national level. He has held many leadership positions including three terms as Section VI President and two terms as NYSAAA President. In 2019, the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association honored Mr. Banker for earning his certification as a Master Athletic Administrator, making him one of a very small elite group to attain this professional level. In 2021, he was one of only 30 directors in the country chosen for the organization’s Cohort Leadership Program, and then, in 2022, he was awarded the national organization’s Award of Merit.
Please join me in congratulating Mr. Banker for this professional achievement!
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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, May 29th
Thursday, June 1st
- Regents & Local Exams (Gr. 8-12)
Tuesday, June 6th
- Gr. K-7 Early Release Day
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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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