Weekly E-Newsletter from the Superintendent of Schools

Volume 3, Issue 10 (November 4, 2022)

Video Update: https://youtu.be/CHJwh6qp2ac

UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

CULTIVATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

With the school year in full swing, it is important to get back to the basics on safety. As you know, safety is our highest priority. It is something we continue to discuss, but rarely in the context of student behavior. Our Code of Conduct plays an extremely important role in cultivating a safe environment. This document establishes expectations and responsibilities for students, staff, and visitors. It also clearly articulates the consequences for violations. The restrictions and requirements in the Code of Conduct are there to protect everyone’s health, safety, and welfare.

With this in mind, I want to make our families aware of some ongoing struggles with the Code of Conduct in our district and ask that our families take this opportunity to join with us in educating our students about the importance of not engaging in these violations. E-cigarette use is a prime example. We have seen an increase in e-cigarette use among adolescents nationwide. Over the last few years, the emergence of e-cigarettes has created a grave threat to public health. The dangers of e-cigarettes has been worsened as other illicit drugs are now commonly used in these devices. One of the greatest challenges with e-cigarettes is how easy they are for many young people to obtain and conceal. We must all work together to confront this challenge. As a district, we will always have a zero-tolerance policy toward e-cigarettes of any kind because of the grave health risk they represent. If a student is found with an e-cigarette on district property or a school bus, that student will be held accountable and face consequences. This can include being barred from riding the school bus, which is a privilege that students can lose by violating the Code of Conduct.

We will take this same zero-tolerance approach to any actions or behavior that jeopardize the health, safety, and well-being of any students or staff. This includes bullying. There are many resources students and families can turn to when bullying takes place. Our DASA (Dignity for All Students Act) webpage has information on who you can turn to when bullying occurs, including DASA coordinators in each school and an anonymous bullying reporting form. We must remind students that we have amazing professionals who are ready to help. Students should never take matters into their own hands. That could put them in jeopardy of having to be held accountable and face the consequences of their own actions.

Please have these conversations with your children and always be ready to turn to the school or district if you need assistance. As a district, we will always do whatever we can to support our students and families. Resources include your child’s school counselor or our Family Support Center (716-874-8510), which can connect you with amazing programs that are here to support you.

REMINDER: There will be no school Tuesday,

November 8th (Superintendent Conference Day) and

Friday, November 11th (Veterans Day)

Kenmore West: Today will be the second day of Kenmore West’s fall play, "A Piece of My Heart." It debuted yesterday and will continue at 7:30 p.m. today and tomorrow at Kenmore West. All tickets are $10. This award-winning production, written by Shirley Lauro, tells the true stories of six courageous women sent to Vietnam and their struggle to make sense of a war that irrevocably changed them and a nation that shunned them. It features the music and soul of a tumultuous era in our history. The show is directed by Diana Gruninger with lighting design by Chris George. Tickets/reserved seating is available online at theaterwest.booktix.com.

Kenmore East: Today will be the opening night of the Kenmore East High School fall play, "Cinderella: The Real Story.” The production will take place at 7 p.m. today and tomorrow at Kenmore East High School. Tickets are $8 presale and $10 at the door. The show is directed by Dana Dougle. The play, which was written by Rayven Craft, John Maclay, Austin Nelson, and Emma Swain, is a new take on an old classic that tells the forgotten stories hidden in the fairy tale we all know so well. Hilarious, imaginative, and powerful, this play is specifically designed to be performed by young performers.

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!

Jan Richardson, Foremost Leader on Guided Reading, Returns to Ken-Ton

Teachers and students in our elementary schools benefited from an amazing opportunity on October 25th and 26th as our Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership welcomed Dr. Jan Richardson back to Ken-Ton. Dr. Richardson is a reading specialist and education consultant who’s often considered America’s leading expert in guided reading. The best-selling author has written a collection of materials to help students become better readers. Her sessions appealed to teachers in grades K-3, providing them with 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. Read the story here.

Hundreds Attend District Harvest Festival at Edison Elementary

Hundreds came to Edison on October 20th to enjoy the district’s first-ever Harvest Festival! The event featured a wide variety of activities/games, prizes, vendors, an assortment of free food and treats (including homemade zucchini bread, fresh popcorn, and string cheese from Upstate Farms courtesy of the American Dairy Association North East), and produce bags for every family. The event also featured special guests Troy Wagner and Peter Wagner from Wagner Farms in Sanborn, which is where the Food Service Department gets much of its fresh produce. It was spearheaded by Nicole Zugelder, Edison PE teacher, and Kim Roll, KTUFSD Food Service Director. Guests were asked to bring optional donations of food and enough items were donated to supply 11 families in need with food boxes. Click here to view more photos from the event.

KE Celebrates Hall of Fame Inductees at Annual East vs. West Game

Congratulations to the Kenmore East High School Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2022! They were honored at a special banquet on October 20th and celebrated the following evening at the annual Kenmore East vs. Kenmore West Varsity Football game at Adams Field. Inductees were Mark Arnone ('10), Jack Blanch (Coach), Felisa Brown ('01), Adam D’Ambrosio ('91), Kenneth Halliwell ('95), Adam Johnson ('98), Michael Mellott ('94), Joelle Pollak ('10), and the 2012 Boys Hockey Team. Visit our Hall of Fame page to learn more about each inductee.

New Farm to School Grant Opportunities for Month of November

Through a Farm to School grant, the Ken-Ton School District is excited to offer new opportunities for students this month. November's theme is "Thankful for Farmers” and students will see New York butternut squash, roasted broccoli/cauliflower, roasted brussel sprouts, fresh carrots/dip, coleslaw, and a dutch apple pie on their lunch menus this month. There are also two additional opportunities for students:

• Third graders at all five of our elementary schools can now sign up for a take-home baked apple kit. The deadline to sign up is November 17th with kits being sent home on November 30th. You can sign up by clicking here.
• All grade levels are eligible to enter a T-shirt design contest that will go along with our theme of the month, "Thankful for Farmers.” Entries must be completed by a Ken-Ton student and are due by November 11th with the winner announced on November 14th. You can learn more about what needs to be included and how to submit the designs by clicking here.

Students/Staff Across Ken-Ton Participate in ‘Big Apple Crunch’

On October 27th, students and staff across the district took part in the state-wide "Big Apple Crunch.” All across NYS, students and staff planned to take their first bite of an apple at exactly 2 p.m. that day. Here in Ken-Ton, our Food Service Department brought boxes of apples to buildings so students and staff could join in. The goal of the initiative was to celebrate the fall harvest season, support local farmers, and encourage healthy choices. You can find more photos of students and staff throughout the district taking part in the Big Apple Crunch in our Facebook gallery.

PE Teachers Treat Students to Amazing Halloween Experience

As Halloween approached, physical education teachers worked extremely hard to provide their students with a truly unique Halloween experience during physical education class. Our Physical Education Departments are always trying to create new ways to get kids active while having fun. At several schools, Gr. K-4 students were able to enjoy different Halloween-themed stations during their gym periods. Stations included ghost knockdown, “booling,” and rock wall climbing. At Edison and Hoover Elementary, they also featured a decked-out wellness room where students rode scooters through a "spooky adventure" complete with music, lights, and Halloween-themed decor. Read the story here.

Students Clean Up Niagara Shoreline Trail

Thank you to all the students from Kenmore East and Kenmore West who took part in the October 22nd clean up of the district’s section of the beautiful Niagara River Greenway Shoreline Trail. The effort was led by Lisa Davidson, Instructional Support Specialist for Science, and a representative from Casella Recycling. Several students from Kenmore East's National Honor Society walked the one-mile stretch of the Shoreline Trail which Ken-Ton adopted last year.

Staff Get Creative for Halloween

All across the district, staff joined students in coming up with creative costumes to celebrate Halloween on Monday, October 31st! You can find many more photos on our Facebook gallery.

RECOGNITION: PHIL AGUGLIA

This week, we recognize Kenmore East Band Director Phil Aguglia, who is one of 25 music teachers in the U.S. to be named a semifinalist for the 2023 Grammy Music Educator Award. He is the only music teacher from Western New York and one of only three music teachers in New York State to be selected for this distinction.

Mr. Aguglia is one of many outstanding music teachers who have made Ken-Ton a "Best Community for Music Education" every year since 2011. He has taught music at Kenmore East since 2002. He facilitates countless opportunities for students to perform and enrich the school and community. He has organized multiple band trips to New Orleans, their first of which received nationwide attention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he planned many creative ways to continue his students' progress. Additionally, Mr. Aguglia regularly facilitates visits and guest artist programs with prominent musicians and composers from across the country and collaborates to promote the importance of music education.

The Grammy semifinalist field will be narrowed to 10 finalists in December. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to receive the Music Educator Award at a ceremony during GRAMMY Week. We are extremely proud to see one of our own music teachers chosen for this distinction. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Aguglia. We wish him luck for the next stage of the competition!

CELEBRATING SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST APPRECIATION WEEK

On Monday, November 7th, we will celebrate the first day of School Psychologist Appreciation Week, which takes place until November 11th. This national observance gives us a chance to show our appreciation for School Psychologists, who play an extremely important role in our schools. Their training equips them to provide psychological evaluation and facilitate direct mental health services for students. They frequently work one-on-one with students, providing direct intervention and support. They also regularly consult with teachers, school counselors, school social workers, administrators, and families to enhance support services and school-wide practices. They represent a key component of our social-emotional framework.

In Ken-Ton, our school psychologists are James Cook, Michelle Corieri, Beth Cornwell-Crawford, Katherine Guyton, Catherine Hazelton, Alan Thomas Horowitz, Valerie Knoll, Carmelina Konrad, Christine Metzger, Amy Meyers, Seana Murphy, Tara Petrozzi, Kate Polly, Kathleen Roche, Lawrence Scott, and Katie Wojcik. We are extremely fortunate to have such an outstanding team of professionals who work so hard to enhance social-emotional wellness and well-being, which benefits all students. Thank you for all that you do!

CELEBRATING ACCOUNTING & FINANCE STAFF APPRECIATION DAY

On Thursday, November 10th, we will celebrate Accounting & Finance Staff Appreciation Day. This national observance recognizes the vital role accountants and other finance-related staff play in businesses, organizations, and operations which we interact with daily. We are using this day to recognize the hard work of our Business Office. They are responsible for overseeing all expenses/revenue, meticulously planning for expenditures, and making sure every dollar spent is properly accounted for. They play a key role in ensuring that the district is meeting its fiduciary responsibility to our taxpayers and adhering to all state and national accounting requirements. In a district the size of Ken-Ton, which has a $176 million annual budget along with $75 million in capital expenses and $20 million in grant awards, this is a colossal undertaking. Nevertheless, Ken-Ton is known for its extremely strong financial standing and exceptional fiscal management.

Our Business Office team is led by Assistant Superintendent for Finance Nicole Morasco and includes the following dedicated individuals:

• Denise Crowley, Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent for Finance
• Kristine Giliforte, Accounts Payable
• Carla Krueger, Accounts Payable
• Aimee Meloon, Junior Accountant
• Kari Pernick, Purchasing
• Kelly Rainy, Purchasing
• Amy Smith, Grants
• Jean Weglarski, District Treasurer
• Diane Vogt, Retired Accountant
• Ann Milazzo, Payroll
• Andrea Sceider, Payroll
• Elaine Tartick, Payroll (Retired)

Please join me in recognizing our Business Office team for their amazing work which facilitates everything we do for our students!

UPCOMING DATES

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.

• Friday, November 4th - Saturday, November 5th:
• Kenmore West Fall Play (7:30 p.m.)
• Friday, November 4th - Saturday, November 5th:
• Kenmore East Fall Play (7:00 p.m.)
• Tuesday, November 8th:
• Superintendent Conference Day (No School)
• Board of Education Meeting (6:30 p.m. at Kemore Middle)
• Friday, November 11th:
• Veterans Day (No School)

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