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Weekly E-Newsletter from the Superintendent of Schools
Volume 3, Issue 12 (November 17, 2022)
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UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT | |
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SCHOOL CANCELED FRIDAY
There will be no school tomorrow (Friday, November 18th) due to the severe winter storm that is expected to impact all of Western New York. This closure includes all after-school and evening activities that are scheduled for tomorrow. Please note that after-school and evening activities and sports will proceed as normal today (Thursday, November 17th) unless otherwise noted. Please stay tuned for additional updates, which will be posted here on the district website. We will keep the entire community informed as this storm progresses. We are publishing the Connection today instead of tomorrow due to the cancellation tomorrow.
This is a good opportunity to reinforce what procedures are followed when schools need to close due to inclement weather. The goal is always to make the decision to close schools the day before, providing families more time to plan. Due to the unpredictability of weather in our area, though, it will sometimes be impossible to make this determination until the early morning hours. Families will always be notified as soon as a decision is made. This information will be shared via text message, robocall, Parent Portal, email, social media, the district website, and the news media. I encourage all families to make sure your contact information is up-to-date so you receive our text/robocall messages. You can do so at ktufsd.org/ParentPortal.
We started this school year with four "emergency days" in the calendar. The amount of emergency days fluctauates from year to year based on the requirement of continuing to meet the NYS-mandated 180 days of attendance (after tomorrow, we will have three emergency days remaining). We never know how many snow days will be necessary during the winter, so we have a contingency plan in place should additional days be needed. If we exhaust our allotted number of emergency days, we will shift to remote learning in order to meet the 180-day requirement. It is important for students and families to be prepared should this happen. If we have to shift to remote learning, students would engage in school work as follows:
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Gr. K-2: Google Meet link will be posted in Seesaw
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Gr. 3-4: Google Meet link will be posted in Google Classroom
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Gr. 5-12: Google Meet link will be posted in Google Classroom or Canvas
During remote learning days, teachers will use these platforms to facilitate interactive instruction and direct contact with students, who will follow a regular school schedule. Attendance will be recorded just like a normal school day. It is important for all families to be prepared for this eventuality. Every time we anticipate a snow event, all students will be directed to bring home their device and charger. Once again, we will not shift to remote learning until we have exhausted our supply of emergency days.
The decision to close school is one of the most challenging decisions a Superintendent has to make. Factors in our decision making include total snow accumulations, road conditions, wind chill, and anticipated daytime snowfall especially during arrival and dismissal times. The safety of our students/staff is paramount and will always be the driving factor in this decision.
GR. 5-12 REPORT CARDS POSTED
First-quarter report cards for students in Gr. 5-12 are now posted and available for viewing in Parent Portal. It is extremely important for all families to monitor their child’s academic progress. You can find the link to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal at www.ktufsd.org/ParentPortal. On this page, you will also find instructions on how to access the Portal app on a mobile device, update your household/contact information, find your child's report card, request an activation key, and more. If you do not have a Campus Parent Portal account, please email ICportal@ktufsd.org.
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IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ATHLETES & FAMILIES
Please take five minutes to watch this video which was shared by Section VI. The video was created by an organization that promotes respect and positive treatment toward sports officials. Referees and sports officials are a crucial part of athletics and it is becoming more and more difficult to find and retain people to serve in these positions. This is partly due to negative incidents that occur at games and competitions by athletes, family members, spectators, and coaches toward referees or other sports officials. Organizations such as these are hoping to inspire conversations about why it is so important to always show respect and empathy toward those officiating games and competitions, which is what this video is all about. We all must be part of the solution.
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Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms for school-age students. Snapchat is not meant to be used by children under the age of 13, though children can bypass this by providing a false birthdate. Snapchat allows users to communicate with others by sending messages, photos, and video. Posts can be made public or limited so that only specific people can see them. Messages disappear after a designated period of time. A danger of Snapchat is that it makes it easier for teens to engage in bullying, abuse, harassment, and inappropriate behavior. It is also difficult for families to monitor what their children are posting and seeing on Snapchat. Users might also find that messages they intended to be private were duplicated through a screenshot or screen recording and shared with a larger audience.
Snapchat now includes parental controls through its newly developed Family Center. Among other features, these parental controls will allow you to see who your children are messaging and connected with. It also allows you to report concerning accounts. Snapchat has published a “Parents Guide” to help families understand this platform and how to use the new parental controls. You can access it here.
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The Ken-Ton School District was featured in the November 11th Brian Graham podcast "Achieving Joy and Mastery in Public Schools." The episode features 3 unique Ken-Ton programs: the Family Support Center, Teacher Mentor Program, and Staff Development Center. Access the podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2041840/11629933
It also appears on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music (search for "Achieving Joy and Mastery in Public Schools" and look for episode 9 - "KenTon Supports").
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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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Highlights from the Fall 2022 Athletics Season
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In Cross Country, Sidney Morris from Kenmore East finished 3rd overall in the Section VI Class B Championship on November 4th while Max Stinner from Kenmore West was the Niagara Frontier League (NFL) champion and placed 7th in the Section VI Class A Championship. Both qualified for states. Jorja Smith from Kenmore East finished 8th overall, just barely missing an opportunity to compete at states. Additionally, the Kenmore West Cross Country team finished 6th overall, their best finish in years.
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Kenmore West Football had an outstanding year, finishing the regular season 6-2. They defeated McKinley 15-12 in the Section VI quarterfinals to earn their seventh win. They ultimately lost to Jamestown, the eventual Section VI champions, in the semifinal game.
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The Kenmore Girls Swimming and Diving team won the NFL Championship for the third straight season. The team went on to finish 7th in the Section VI Championships. Kenmore East 8th grader Amelia MacKinnon won 2nd place in the 50 free and 4th place in the 100 butterfly at the Section VI Championships, earning a place in the NYS meet. She also placed 5th and 3rd in those events respectively at the state qualifier meet. Cadence Pisa from Kenmore West won 4th place in the 100 backstroke at the Section VI Championships; she also placed 5th in the 100 backstroke and 6th in the 200 IM at the state qualifier meet. Additionally, Amelia and Cadence along with Olivia Boicourt and Emma Jones from Kenmore West won 2nd place in the 200 free relay at the Section VI Championships and, at the state qualifier meet, placed 6th in the 400 free relay and 8th in the 200 free relay.
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Lindbergh Presents 4th Grade Musical: ‘A Year With Frog & Toad KIDS'
On November 16th, students at Lindbergh Elementary School were treated to an in-school performance of the 4th-grade musical "A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS." The show is directed by Jamie Holden and Laura Waggoner with several teachers, staff, and parent volunteers helping with make-up, set design, costumes, and other key components of the musical. The show is adapted from the Broadway hit which was nominated for three Tony awards. Based on Arnold Lobel's well-loved books with a jazzy, upeat score, this whimsical show follows two great friends - the cheerful, popular Frog, and the rather grumpy Toad - through four fun-filled seasons. Opening night is scheduled to take place today (Thursday, November 17th). A second performance scheduled for Friday, November 18th will be rescheduled.
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KE Band Welcomes Special Guest Artist & Erie County Wind Ensemble
On November 15th, Kenmore East band students had the opportunity to work with special guest Chris Tedesco, a WNY native who has been counted among the best trumpet players in the Los Angeles music scene since 1987. He's been credited in countless TV shows and movies including "Homeland," "Batman Begins," and "The Greatest Showman." Before heading to Los Angeles, Tedesco freelanced in WNY in the Artpark Theater Orchestra, which allowed him the chance to play with members of the Buffalo Philharmonic, the National Ballet of Canada, and the Martha Graham Dance Company. Also, on November 8th, the Kenmore East Band Program was proud to host the Erie County Wind Ensemble for a special concert event at Kenmore East. The Erie County Wind Ensemble and Kenmore East Wind Ensemble performed separately and combined at the end for a performance of "Until the Scars" by John Mackey.
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Sabres Players Visit KE for Best Buddies ‘Friendsgiving’ Event
Two players with the Buffalo Sabres visited Kenmore East High School on November 15th to spend time with students in the school’s Best Buddies club. Sabres centre Peyton Krebs and defenceman Owen Power signed autographs, played games, and posed for photographs with students for their “Friendsgiving” celebration. The event featured dancing, the limbo, a photo booth, and more fun activities. Best Buddies is dedicated to creating opportunities for people with disabilities. Kenmore East was among the first schools in WNY to be home to a Best Buddies chapter. In just a short time, it has become a special part of the Kenmore East community, providing opportunities for students of all abilities to forge new friendships and build an even more welcoming and inclusive school community. Click here to view photos from the event.
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US itek Partners With Ken-Ton For Internship & Job Opportunities
US itek is a local information services company which provides internship opportunities for both Kenmore East and Kenmore West students in the areas of business, IT, and cybersecurity. Interns get to interact with staff, clients, and vendors to gain real-world experience, often shadowing real projects and business meetings. US itek has already hired five graduates of Ken-Ton through their participation in the district's internship programs and Information Technology/Computer Networking Career Academies. Pictured here is, from left, Jim Mendola, Kenmore West Internship Program coordinator; Dan Hark, a 2022 graduate of Kenmore West High School and a former intern who is now employed by US itek as a Computer & Network Support Specialist; and Natalie Gazzo, a senior at Kenmore West and current US itek cybersecurity intern. Thank you to US itek for providing these wonderful opportunities for our students!
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Holmes Elementary Teacher Receives Buffalo State College Award
We were proud to learn that Holmes Elementary School teacher Tracy Caruana was selected as a recipient of the Exceptional Cooperating Teacher Award from Buffalo State College. The award is given annually to an outstanding cooperating teacher who collaborated with the Exceptional Education department at Buffalo State College and who demonstrates excellence in mentoring Buffalo State teacher candidates. Tracy received her award on Saturday, November 12th at the 27th Annual Recognition and Awards Reception of the Exceptional Education Department at SUNY Buffalo State. As a recipient of this award, Tracy’s name was added to a plaque that is located at Buffalo State College.
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Hoover Elementary School HSA Hosts Apex Fun Run
The Hoover Elementary Home School Association (HSA) held its amazingly successful Apex Fun Run on October 27th. The program was about more than just raising money for the school. It was also about building character and leadership skills. Students learned important strategies such as being willing to go out of one's comfort zone, adapting and adjusting to different situations, being serious about meeting his/her goals, being positive, encouraging others, and recognizing what makes us all unique. The effort kicked off as all students and staff came together for a building-wide pep rally, culminating with the Fun Run event on Thursday, October 27th.
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Franklin Elementary Students Participate in Boys on the Right Track 5K Race
Weeks of hard work by eight Franklin Elementary School students culminated in their first Boys on the Right Track 5K run on November 5th. The team was coached by Alex Bianchi, Becky Kobielski, Jordana Montani, and Larissa Gramza. Boys on the Right Track is a non-profit youth organization for boys ages 8-13. Participants develop social and emotional skills including communication, collaboration, and resilience through a nine-week running program that prepares them for a noncompetitive 5K race. Great job to everyone involved!
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RECOGNITION: SCHOOL SAFETY TEAM | |
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Since September, a core group of staff from the Transportation Department Safety Team has visited every elementary classroom to teach all students about school bus safety. It’s a yearly process the Safety Team leads to ensure students have the knowledge they need to be safe whenever they are using the school bus. This applies for all students regardless of whether they take the bus to school each day, since all students will ride the bus at some point (such as field trips).
These presentations are provided for students attending Ken-Ton Schools as well as non-public schools in Ken-Ton because our Transportation Department provides busing for these students. Each presentation takes approximately 40 minutes and is specially tailored to students’ individual age groups. The Safety Team members discuss how to be safe on the school bus, how to enter and leave the bus, and how to cross the street safely, as well as topics such as bullying and stranger danger. Most importantly, students learn to always listen to the driver and how to be safe in the “danger zone” - the areas around the school bus where they are out of sight of the driver. For example, students learn never to retrieve an item from the danger zone if they drop it.
The Safety Team members who have been leading these presentations are Angel Adams, Julie Bauer, Kathy Blake, Scott Buyea, Peter Erick, Jill Grodesky, Janet Guarino, Elizabeth Hessler-Magrum, Lisa Johnson, Jeff Lawson, Marie Orjek, Danielle Ostrokolowicz, Patti Pfetner, Christine Santora, John Sperrazza, and Bob Watkinson. Please join me in recognizing these individuals for their outstanding work!
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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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- Friday, November 18th:
- Gr. 5-12 report cards posted on IC Parent Portal
- Wednesday, November 23rd - Friday, November 25th:
- Thanksgiving Recess (No School)
- Wednesday, November 30th:
- Middle School Early Release & Parent/Teacher Conferences (12 p.m. dismissal)
- Special Education PTO (SEPTO) Meeting (6:30 p.m.)
- Thursday, December 1st:
- Middle School Parent/Teacher Conferences (evening)
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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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