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Weekly E-Newsletter from the Superintendent of Schools
Volume 3, Issue 8 (October 14, 2022)
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UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT | |
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BOARD MEETING RECAP
At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, I provided an update on some challenges we are facing with the ongoing Capital Project. You can view this update here. As you know, the unprecedented increase in construction costs have had a significant impact on all phases of the project, especially the work taking place in Phases 2B and 3. The challenge we face is that school districts can’t exceed the dollar amount of voter-approved capital projects (for the current project, the limit is $75 million).
We remain firmly committed to doing this work right and making every component of capital improvement a success in every school to the greatest extent possible. We will maintain this commitment for our entire community. With this in mind, we have to be flexible in our thinking for the parts of our community that are scheduled to be completed at the end of this round of capital improvement, Lindbergh Elementary School and Kenmore East High School. As a result of increased costs, it will be impossible to accomplish this within the limitations of this original $75 million Capital Project budget, so we are adapting and adjusting our planning.
Our team is continuing to work extremely hard to find opportunities to offset and minimize construction costs. We intend to complete all scheduled work at Kenmore East (including water pipes, single point of entry, and the new bus loop) and the health/safety initiatives planned at Lindbergh (single point of entry and water pipe replacement) as part of our final phase of this current capital project. We intend to address other components at Lindbergh including the classroom addition in a subsequent Capital Project proposal. This will be presented to the Board of Education and voters for consideration within the next two years. In this way, we will ensure that the planned construction at Kenmore East and Lindbergh remain prioritized. It is also important to note that Lindbergh needs major renovations in order to address space, safety, and transportation issues. Additionally, a new capital project proposal will continue to address ongoing needs throughout our entire district.
I sincerely appreciate the patience and cooperation of our community as we continue to implement the Capital Project and navigate these challenges.
SAFETY/SECURITY INITIATIVES
Also at Tuesday’s Board meeting, I provided a brief update on school safety and security. As you may be aware, recently we conducted random wanding at Kenmore East and Kenmore West. As part of this process, all students entering the school building were scanned with metal detector wands while their bags were searched. This was done as a proactive measure and families can expect this to continue randomly, without notice. The district will continue to implement layers of mitigation necessary to ensure the safest environment possible while maintaining a warm and inviting culture. This is our focus with the random wanding and this will remain our focus as we share information on new safety/security initiatives and protocols in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
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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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All Families Invited to Participate in District Harvest Festival
All families are invited to attend the Ken-Ton School District Harvest Festival, which will take place Thursday, October 20th at Edison Elementary School. The event will feature fun games, activities, crafts, vendors, taste tests, and free harvest bags for each family. Times are based on last name as follows (families may choose a different time slot if theirs does not fit their schedule): A-H: 5:00-5:45 p.m.; I-P: 6:00-6:45 p.m.; and Q-Z: 7:00-7:45 p.m. The event was made possible by a Farm to School Program grant secured by Food Service Director Kim Roll and Edison Elementary physical education teacher Nicole Zugelder. If you have not done so already, families are asked to provide the number of people who will be in attendance. The link to RSVP can be found here.
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New Hot Chocolate Milk Machines Deployed in Elementary Schools
This week is National School Lunch Week and two elementary schools kicked it off by treating students to hot chocolate milk thanks to the Food Service Department and the American Dairy Association North East region. Food Service Director Kim Roll received a grant through the Association last year that allowed her to purchase two hot chocolate milk machines which are now able to be used in all elementary schools on a rotating basis. These machines were first used at the middle schools with extremely positive feedback from students. They were brought to Lindbergh Elementary and Franklin Elementary on Tuesday for the students to enjoy as part of National School Lunch Week. The Food Service Department also helped get students into the mood by incorporating this year’s theme of “Peace, Love, and School Lunch" into their daily operations. Read the story here.
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Ken-Ton Community Welcomes German Exchange Students
For more than 15 years, the Ken-Ton School District has had a fantastic partnership with the Franken Gymnasium, a high school in Zulpich, Germany. This partnership has allowed both schools to introduce their students to a new culture and provide a first-hand look at education in a different country. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted international travel, a group of German students from the Franken Gymnasium made their way to Western New York to spend approximately two weeks at Kenmore East and Kenmore West. The students spend time learning, touring the Buffalo area, and most importantly, building relationships. Read more about this partnership here.
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Staff Speak at Professional Development Conference
Several staff members were at Buffalo State College last week for the Professional Development School (PDS) Conference. The goal of the conference is to develop a partnership between local colleges and K-12 schools to recruit, educate, retain, and support high-quality educators. This year’s conference highlighted the partnerships, collaborations, and innovations in districts throughout Western New York. Several members of our Ken-Ton staff spoke at the conference including Holmes Elementary teachers Jeff Bellanca and Tracy Caruana, Kenmore East teachers Julia Borgisi, Denise Carr, and Kristina Craig, and Hoover Middle art teacher Gina McCartney. Topics included increasing content-based literacy strategies in the field of science, addressing the nationwide teacher shortage, developing opportunities and relationships with future teachers, and educating about the importance of art education. Read the story here.
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Hoover Middle School Class Prepares Delicious Soups to Celebrate 'Soup Month'
October is “Soup Month” and the class of Hoover Middle School teacher Kristen Coley is celebrating by preparing a different soup recipe each week for staff. At the start of the week, the students make a grocery list that they bring with them to a local grocery store. The rest of the week is spent preparing and making the soup. This teaches the students how to read recipes, measure ingredients, safely chop vegetables and other food items, cook the soups in a crock pot, portion and package the soup, and clean up afterwards. This week’s soup also let students take advantage of the Farm-to-Table initiative. The class had the opportunity to visit Greg’s U-Pick Farm in Clarence to pick peppers for their soup. Read the story here.
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KW Girls Soccer Players Express Appreciation for Staff
On Thursday, the Kenmore West High School Varsity Girls Soccer Team held their Staff Appreciation celebration before their home game to honor approximately 20 members of the school staff. Players had the chance to invite a staff member who has touched their lives and honor them before the game. This was a wonderful opportunity for the players to express their appreciation for these staff members. It was also a reminder of the impact our staff has on the lives of our students.
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Firefighters Teach Hoover Elementary Students About Fire Prevention
Wednesday was Fire Safety Day at Hoover Elementary and there's no better way to learn about fire prevention than from our local firefighters. Thanks to the Brighton Volunteer Fire Company #5, students had the opportunity to learn about fire safety and see their equipment and vehicles up close. The department, which has operated since 1930, operates three stations and serves 7.1 square miles within the Town of Tonawanda. Students greatly enjoyed asking questions, touring the fire trucks, and learning about their equipment.
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RECOGNITION: BOARD OF EDUCATION | |
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Every year during the third week in October, school districts throughout New York State celebrate School Board Recognition Week. Its purpose is to recognize the efforts and service of those who choose to serve on boards of education. Recognizing and appreciating the importance of their work should be a year-round endeavor, but this week gives us an opportunity to highlight our five elected Board of Education members and the outstanding work they do on behalf of our community.
“The board of education is a uniquely American institution,” states the NYS School Boards Association. “A school board member takes on one of the most important citizen responsibilities.”
In Ken-Ton, this responsibility falls upon the five members of our Board of Education: Board President Matthew Chimera, Board Vice President Lesley Battaglia, Trustee Jennifer Morrow, Trustee Todd Marquardt, and Trustee Paul Spors. These five individuals volunteer their time in service to the students, families, and staff of our district. Many people are unaware of what they do in addition to attending monthly Board meetings. Behind the scenes, our Board members advocate on behalf of our community and district, stay up-to-date about important district issues, attend a multitude of committee meetings, participate in trainings, collaborate with Board members from other districts, visit schools, attend events, meet and interact with community members, represent our district on the Erie County Association of School Boards, and much more. These are not paid positions and our Board members devote countless hours of their time in service to the students, families, and staff.
Ken-Ton is extremely lucky to have such a dedicated and committed Board of Education. Please join me in recognizing their contributions and expressing our appreciation for their tireless service to our community.
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CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH | |
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This is the final week of Hispanic Heritage Month and today we celebrate the legacy of the late Agustin "Pucho" Olivencia, who was considered the patriarch of Buffalo's Puerto Rican community until his death in 1997.
Mr. Olivencia was born and raised in Puerto Rico and, like many others from his native country, came to Buffalo as a migrant worker in 1951. He worked in various factories then became a counselor for the New York State Department of Labor a community liaison for the University at Buffalo's Educational Opportunity Center. He became heavily involved in assisting fellow Puerto Ricans in Buffalo. He built a network of employers, government officials, and judges, and leveraged this network to help people in the Puetro Rican community find jobs, housing, food, and navigate legal/personal issues. He became President of the Puerto Rican American Community Association and devoted his life to assisting the Puerto Rican community in any way he could.
In the mid-1960s, he spearheaded an effort to build the Puerto Rican Center, which continues to play an important role in the Buffalo community. It was later renamed the Agustín “Pucho” Olivencia Community Center in his memory and it remains dedicated to preserving the Hispanic culture, customs, history, and traditions for future generations.
Mr. Olivencia spent the last years of his life living in Puerto Rico, but he will always be remembered for the incredible impact he had on countless Buffalonians. You can learn more about the Agustín “Pucho” Olivencia Community Center here.
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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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- Saturday, October 15th:
- Kenmore West Homecoming (parade: 1 p.m.; varsity football game vs. North Tonawanda: 2 p.m. at Crosby Field)
- Thursday, October 20th:
- Kenmore East Hall of Fame Induction Banquet (5:30 p.m. at Classics V Banquets)
- Friday, October 21st:
- Kenmore East vs. Kenmore West Varsity Football Game (7 p.m. at Adams Field)
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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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