Weekly Update from the Office of the Superintendent

Volume 2, Issue 38 (June 3, 2022)

There Will Be No Video Update This Week

ACADEMIC & ATHLETIC

ACHIEVEMENTS

The end of the school year is always a very special time as we celebrate our students’ progress and achievements. This year is no exception. I have had the opportunity to attend many wonderful events over the past couple of weeks where our high school students have been recognized for their outstanding academic accomplishments. There will be many more opportunities in the days to come, culminating with the Big Picture, Kenmore East and Kenmore West graduations later this month. These are milestones we should all celebrate. Everyone can take pride in what our students have achieved during their Ken-Ton journey.

Top 3 Students: On May 19th, I attended the 42nd annual Scholastic Achievement Recognition Dinner (SARD) with Kenmore East Interim Principal Joseph Greco, Kenmore West Principal Dean Johnson, and Board President Matthew Chimera to celebrate the top three students from both high schools. The students were Patrick Reilly, Mykayla Pielich, and Aydan Schultz from Kenmore East and Hannah Viana, Kerri Derner, and Julia Cipolla from Kenmore West. They were honored alongside 237 of their peers from high schools throughout Western New York. This is an annual event organized by the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association (E-NSSA), of which I am a member.

NTHS Induction: On May 19th, Kelly White, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Leadership & Instruction, and Lisa Cross, Director of Secondary Education, had the honor of attending the Erie 1 BOCES National Technical Honor Society Induction Ceremony. These students are all enrolled in a two-year Career & Technical Education (CTE) Program. To be inducted into the NTHS, students must be nominated by their teacher, have a 90 or higher average in their CTE course, and maintain an overall GPA of 85 or higher. Big Picture Program student Ava Renner was inducted into the NTHS along with Kenmore East students Adrianna Carbonell, Alyssa Kurzdorfer, Mallorie Landseadel, Frank Manzella, Kyla Minton, Tucker Morris, Alex Ptak, Jessica Simpson, Avah Siranni, Anjalee Torres, Haley Vance, and Kaelyn Wagner and Kenmore West students Shakhia Andrews, Aniyah Buchanan, Mia Flitt, Leah Fron, Camila Kelly, Quinn Kullerkupp, Abhishak Mangar, Zoe Nebrich, Jason Orlando Jr., Julia Pfalzer, Isabella Schmidt, Sara Stilwell, and Jessica Thompson.

Academic Recognition Events: Kenmore East and Kenmore West cap off the school year with inspiring celebrations of the academic achievements of Grades 8-12 students:

• On May 25th, more than 60 members of the Kenmore West Class of 2022 were honored at the Senior Awards Ceremony. These students were honored for earning dozens of different school and department awards, scholarships, and other recognitions. This included approximately $100,000 in scholarship awards.
• Numerous Kenmore West students from Grades 8-12 were honored at the Academic Recognition Night on June 1st.
• Numerous Kenmore East students from Grades 8-11 were honored at the Undergraduate Awards Night on June 2nd.
• Kenmore East High School will hold its Senior Awards Night to recognize members of the Kenmore East Class of 2022 on Wednesday, June 8 at 6:00 p.m.

Many other great events will be taking place over the next three weeks in celebration of our Big Picture Program, Kenmore East, and Kenmore West:

• June 13th: Kenmore West High School Athletic Awards Night (6:30 p.m.)
• June 14th: Kenmore East High School Athletic Awards Night (7:00 p.m.)
• June 17th: Big Picture Program Graduation (7:00 p.m.)
• June 25th: Kenmore East High School Graduation (6:00 p.m. at Kleinhans)
• June 26th: Kenmore West High School Graduation (2:00 p.m. at Kleinhans)

KENMORE WEST SENIOR WALK

On Thursday, June 2nd, Kenmore West High School organized its annual Senior Walk. Students in kindergarten through fourth grade at Holmes Elementary, Hoover Elementary, and Lindbergh Elementary (all of whom will one day attend Kenmore West) were proud to recognize and cheer on our graduating seniors as they paraded through the hallways. Initiated by Principal Dean Johnson, this event creates some of the most cherished memories for members of the graduating class. More importantly, it inspires our young students to work hard and formulate goals now which include graduation.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: Edison Elementary hosted a district-wide Elementary Wellness Night on Thursday, June 2nd. This free family-friendly event, which was coordinated by Edison Elementary PE teacher Nicole Zugelder, included a wide array of vendors, many fun indoor/outdoor activities, prizes, giveaways, goodie bags and more. Students enjoyed a variety of activities such as making 3D paper sculptures, sports challenges, garden-to-go planting, a book swap, sensory fun exploration, therapy dog meet-and-greets, rhythm/dance, a guessing jar, Championship Martial Arts, and much more.

KENMORE WEST: On May 26th, the amazing and inventive work of Kenmore West High School seniors in the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Program was showcased during the Senior Capstone Project Presentation. Engineering Design and Development students were there to discuss, demonstrate and present information on their senior capstone projects. Their assignment was to survey their classmates and identify a problem they would then set out to solve through a new product or concept. The projects included reconverting space in the building into a specially designed senior lounge room, a spill-proof top for pop cans, a cooler rack to keep items dry, a combination shower head and soap dispenser, an extendable spoon rest that prevents cups/bowls from spilling, an easy and quick cleaning device for fingers while snacking, and a top for hot drinks with a fan installed for cooling.

HIGH SCHOOLS: Six Kenmore East and Kenmore West students were honored by Independent Health and Business First in a list of Western New York “Community All-Stars.” This program recognized a total of 96 high school seniors who make the community stronger, healthier, and a more inclusive place to live. Students were recognized in the area of Community Involvement, Diversity and Inclusion, and Wellness. From Kenmore East, the students were Madison Steinkirchner (Community All Star), Neshiah Alston (Diversity and Inclusion All Star), and Ava Incorvaia (Wellness All Star). From Kenmore West, the students were Victoria Day (Community All Star), Jaiden Marra (Diversity and Inclusion All Star), and Julia Cipolla (Wellness All Star).

LINDBERGH ELEMENTARY: Third-grade students at Lindbergh Elementary School had a wonderful time touring the Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve on May 23rd. Reinstein Woods is a 292-acre preserve in Cheektowaga which includes beautiful forests, wetlands, ponds and hiking trails as well as an environmental education center. It is home to many species including white-tailed deer, mink, beavers, waterfowl, red-tailed hawks, pileated woodpeckers, and great blue herons. The field trip was made possible through the support of the Lindbergh Elementary PTA.

HIGH SCHOOLS: A total of nine Kenmore East and Kenmore West spring athletic teams were honored by the NYS Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) for earning the Scholar Athlete team distinction for demonstrating excellence in the classroom. Varsity teams must carry a cumulative team average of 90 percent or higher to earn the NYSPHSAA Scholar Athlete team distinction. From Kenmore East, the teams were Baseball, Boys Tennis, Girls Lacrosse, Girls Outdoor Track/Field, Softball and Unified Basketball, and from Kenmore West, the teams were Boys Outdoor Track/Field, Boys Tennis, and Softball.

LINDBERGH ELEMENTARY: Lindbergh Elementary School fourth-grade students did a phenomenal job at the fourth-grade concert on June 1st. The concert featured the fourth-grade orchestra led by Gabrielle Moore, the fourth-grade band led by Miranda DelBello and the fourth-grade chorus led by James Holden. It also featured a scene from "Seussical" directed by Mr. Holden and first-grade teacher Laura Waggoner.

KENMORE EAST: Kenmore East High School hosted its annual “Join the Winners” celebration on May 20th. Join the Winners is a school-wide initiative to help children and teenagers struggling with addiction. It culminates in Join the Winners Night, a fun-filled evening of activities in the Kenmore East gymnasium. It’s a homegrown Kenmore East initiative spearheaded by science teacher Bob O’Connor since 1994 with all proceeds going to the Kids Escaping Drugs telethon to benefit the Western New York Renaissance Campus. It’s one of the biggest events of the year with hundreds of students participating in a multitude of fun, fast-paced challenges and activities, everything from balancing cups on pizza boxes to mattress relays, in which they compete as individual grade levels against one another. It was a wonderful opportunity for the entire school to come together and support a very worthy cause.

RECOGNITION: LISA DAVIDSON

& GINA MUROFF

This week, we are proud to recognize two members of our talented teaching staff who received regional recognition this week: Lisa Davidson and Gina Muroff.

Lisa Davidson, Instructional Support Specialist for Science, was recognized by the Western Section of the Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS) with the Gr. K-8 Outstanding Teacher Award. This organization represents science teachers throughout the western region of NYS and she was one of only two educators to receive this distinction. Lisa plays an integral role in science instruction at the elementary, middle, and high school level. She supports the work of our science teachers at all grade levels and has been instrumental in implementing new science curriculum as well as numerous educational activities and initiatives.

Gina Muroff, a Family & Consumer Sciences teacher at Kenmore West High School, was recognized by the Western North region of the NYS Association of Family & Consumer Science Educators, as winner of the Promising New Professional Award. This award is given to FACS teachers with at most five years of teaching experience who have demonstrated outstanding effectiveness as educators and dedication to the profession of Family & Consumer Sciences.

Lisa and Gina are shining examples of how our staff continue to be recognized as the best of the best for their talents and dedication.

RECOGNITION: COLLEGE-BOUND

STUDENT ATHLETES

This week, we were also proud to recognize the following Kenmore West High School student athletes who have signed their intent to compete at the college level next year:

• Carissa Buyea, Ice Hockey and Lacrosse, Buffalo State
• Charlie Marzec, Football, Alfred University
• Evan Davies, Football, UB
• Jason Vullo, Soccer, Hilbert
• Kayleen Jenkins, Gymnastics, SUNY Brockport
• Leah Fron, Softball, St. John Fisher College
• Sean Hargrave, Men's Basketball, Division 2 CUNY College of Staten Island

These students were recognized at a signing ceremony led by Director of Athletics Brett Banker and our coaches. These students represent the elite among high school athletes who move on to compete at the college level. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, fewer than 6% of high school athletes are accepted into NCAA Divisional Programs. (Kenmore East student athletes will be honored at a signing ceremony which will take place within the next couple of weeks.)

UPCOMING DATES

• Wednesday, June 8: Gr. K-7 Early Release Day
• Wednesday, June 15-Friday, June 24: High School Regents & Local Exams
• Monday, June 20: Juneteenth Holiday (no school)
• Tuesday, June 21: Last Day of School for UPK & Gr. K-5 Students
• Thursday, June 23: Last Day of School for Gr. 6-7 Students
• Friday, June 24: Regents Rating Day