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Weekly E-Newsletter from the Superintendent of Schools
Volume 3, Issue 25 (March 10, 2023)
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UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT | |
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NEW YORK STATE ACCOUNTABILITY RESTART
New York State will soon be releasing new accountability information for schools and districts across the state, which is a requirement under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA was adopted by Congress in 2015, replacing the No Child Left Behind Act, and governs federal K-12 public education policy throughout the country. Last year, the NYS Education Department received approval to restart its accountability system for the 2022-23 school year in order to address disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to modify its framework for evaluating and supporting schools. Under the state’s ESSA plan, schools and districts are now identified as one of the following:
- Schools:
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Local Support & Improvement (LSI): These schools are considered to be in “good standing.” Continuous improvement is driven by the district.
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Targeted Support & Improvement (TSI): These are schools that are identified as needing improvement in at least one student subgroup and must follow necssary steps to achieve an LSI designation.
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Additional Targeted Support & Improvement (ATSI): These are schools that are identified as needing to follow additional steps to achieve an LSI designation.
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Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI): These are schools that are identified as needing to make signficant improvement to achieve an LSI designation.
- Districts:
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Local Support & Improvement (LSI): These districts are considered to be in “good standing.” Continuous improvement is driven by the district.
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Target Districts (TD): These are districts which have at least one school identified as TSI, ATSI or CSI, or any district-wide subgroup that meets the identification criteria for two years in a row.
For the 2022-23 school year, these designations will be based on the following measures: student academic achievement, progress of English language learners, chronic absenteeism, and graduation rates. Beginning next year, designations will also be based on student growth, academic progress, college, career, and civic readiness, and out-of-school suspensions. These different measures are examined in each of 10 different “subgroups,” which are categories of students based on race/ethnicity, English language proficiency, disability status, and economic status.
Accountability is an extremely important part of our educational system. It indicates areas in need of improvement, thereby providing a guide for school districts to make informed decisions on their allocation of resources. Gr. 3-8 NYS assessments and Regents Exams are factors that impact a school or district's accountability designation, so test participation can have an impact on a school or district’s overall performance. Over the past few years, we have seen significant improvements in NYS testing. Tests are no longer timed and the testing window was shortened from three days to two days at the elmentary level. Additionally, accommodations have been facilitated for students with disabilities and computer-based testing has been implemented. New York State also has new graduation pathway options which provide students greater flexibility in achieving their ultimate high school goal which is graduation.
The new accountability designations are expected to be released by NYSED next week. We will keep our families, staff, and the community informed in the near future as we receive this information and begin to plan based on the results.
WELLNESS WEEK: MARCH 13-17
We are very excited to kick off Wellness Week, which will take place this Monday, March 13th through Friday, March 17th. Organized each year by the Ken-Ton School District Wellness Committee, Wellness Week is a week-long observance that emphasizes the importance of health and wellness for students and staff. This year’s motto is "Challenge Yourself to Be Well." Each day has a theme and a related challenge:
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'Make Someone’s Day' Monday: Put extra effort into being kind to others.
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Try-It Tuesday: Try a new healthy fruit or vegetable for a snack.
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Workout Wednesday: Engage in 5 minutes of exercise each hour.
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Thirsty Thursday: Replace unhealthy drinks with water.
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Friday (Superintendent Conference Day): Step it up and get a few extra steps.
All across the district, an assortment of different activities and initiatives have been planned by school wellness teams to help students and staff on their own wellness journey. For example, Edison Elementary is organizing a "sweet treat" bar and self-serve spa in the Wellness Room on Wednesday for staff. In lunchrooms, our Food Service staff will be incorporating strawberries and kiwi on Tuesday, which will introduce many students to a fruit they’ve never tried before. Franklin Elementary is hosting a Family Bowling Night on Thursday, which will include mindfulness and mental health activities by the PTA. Additionally, counselors are providing daily mindfulness activities for students and staff to practice during the school day. In all schools, staff will be counting their steps and competing in a walking challenge.
Wellness Week reflects our commitment as a district to supporting our students, staff, and families in living happier, healthier lives. It is important for us to focus on wellness not just for ourselves but for those around us and those who depend on us. Please join me in taking advantage of all the different opportunities next week will bring.
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March is National Nutrition Month and this week we are focusing on the importance of keeping your children safe when sending them to school with a packed lunch. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides the following tips for packed lunches:
- Begin with safe food. Perishable (refrigerated) food including meat, poultry, and eggs must be kept cold at all times. Food should not be left out at room temperature more than 2 hours or more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F.
- Keep everything clean. Before beginning to pack lunches, make sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item.
- Don’t cross-contaminate. Always use a clean cutting board. When using a cutting board for food that will not be cooked, such as bread, lettuce, and tomatoes, be sure to wash the board after using it to cut raw meat and poultry.
- Keep cold lunches cold. Insulated, soft-sided lunch boxes or bags are best for keeping food cold. To keep lunches cold away from home, include at least two cold sources. You can use two frozen gel packs (not smaller than 5 by 3 inches each) or combine a frozen gel pack with a frozen juice box or frozen bottle of water. When packing the lunch, place them on the top and bottom of the perishable food items to keep them cold.
You can read more about packed lunch preparation safety here.
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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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Ken-Ton Welcomes ‘Free Hugs’ Founder Ken Nwadike Jr.
The Ken-Ton School District and the Town of Tonawanda Youth, Parks & Recreation Department were excited to bring Free Hugs founder Ken Nwadike Jr. to Kenmore East and Kenmore West on Wednesday to share his inspirational message with students. Mr. Nwadike told the story of his own personal journey from homelessness to becoming a nationally known peace activist, whose videos have received hundreds of millions of views. He emphasized the importance of spreading kindness and promoting positive change in the world. Following the event, students and staff were excited to join Mr. Nwadike in selfies and small-group conversations. Later that day, he also spoke at a public event at Franklin Middle School which was open to the community. Read the story here.
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Kenmore West High School to Present 'Fiddler on the Roof’ March 16-18
Kenmore West High School is proud to present their winter musical "Fiddler on the Roof” on Thursday, March 16th; Friday, March 17th; and Saturday, March 18th at 7:30 p.m. This timeless, iconic production has been brought to life under the direction of Diana Gruninger with vocal direction by Jessica Leary, choreography by Kevin Leary, music direction by Kenneth Belote, and lighting design by Chris George. Tickets are $10 for students/$12 for adults pre-sale and $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance at theaterwest.booktix.com.
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Board Members Visit Big Picture Program at Kenmore Middle
On Thursday, I was joined by members of our administrative team and Board of Education for a visit to our Big Picture Program at Kenmore Middle School. We had the opportunity to get to know Big Picture faculty and staff during a meet and greet and then visit classrooms utilized by the new Big Picture middle school-level program, which began this year. We also had the opportunity to observe a presentation by one of our extremely talented Big Picture students.
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Franklin Middle & Hoover Middle Join Together for Volleyball Matches
Students and staff from Franklin Middle School and Hoover Middle School came together on Tuesday evening for some friendly competition on the volleyball court. The event consisted of four matches in the Kenmore Middle School gymnasium, one for fifth grade, sixth grade, seventh grade, and each school’s Modified Volleyball Team. Students and staff both took part in the competition as spectators in the stands cheered them on. Hoover Middle took home the trophy but it was a fantastic and memorable time for all involved.
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Food Service Department Honors Dr. Seuss’ Birthday
The Ken-Ton School District Food Service Department under the direction of Food Service Director Kim Roll had a little bit of fun with the day’s lunch menu in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday on Thursday, March 2nd. Students were treated to “Horton's cherry blossom chicken,” “Seussville-seasoned rice,” “Yertle the Turtle carrots,” “Lorax broccoli,” “Sneeches peaches,” and “One Fish, Two Fish Jello.” Students greatly enjoyed these creative menu options and many got into the Dr. Seuss spirit and dressed up for the occasion as well.
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Holmes Staff Find Fun Ways to Teach Students to Measure Length
March 3rd was “Fry-Day” for some Holmes Elementary School first-graders as teacher Katie Cannon and teacher aide Michael Hetzel found a very creative way to teach students about ordering lengths from shortest to longest using real-life situations. For the lesson, they used one of the students’ favorite foods: French fries. Best of all, students were able to enjoy some French fries after the lesson to celebrate the end of a learning-filled week.
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Ken-West Science Classes Show Off What They’ve Learned by Making Rock Candy
Students in science teacher Arianna Troutman’s science classes at Kenmore West High School recently showed off their knowledge and understanding of Earth materials by making rock candy from scratch. The process of making rock candy involves dissolving sugar in water to create a supersaturated solution, which solidifies into crystals as it cools. The shape and size of the rock candy crystals are determined by factors such as temperature, pressure, and impurities, much like how these factors influence the formation of minerals.
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Big Picture Students Showcase Women’s History Month
Students in the Big Picture Middle School Program had the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents in celebration of Women’s History Month. Several eighth-grade students under the supervision of art teacher Jen Leone teamed up with the Kenmore Library to create a library display case project for the month of March. Students were given complete control over the theme of the project, and wound up highlighting various women in our history – both historical and contemporary. They featured extremely influential individuals such as Harriet Truman, Cristeta Comerford, Sally Ride, Althea Gibson, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
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Ken-Ton School District Hosts NYSPHSAA Gymnastics Championships
We were extremely proud to see Kenmore West High School once again the site of the NYS Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Gymnastics Championships this past weekend. It is a major honor for a school district to host one of the statewide championship competitions, giving us a chance to showcase our district and facilities for athletes and visitors from across the state. It was a major undertaking to set up the gym and equipment after school on Friday and then to clear the space and have it ready for school again by Monday morning. Kenmore West was also proud to host the B1 and B2 Girls Basketball semifinals last week as well.
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CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH | |
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Today, as we continue to celebrate Women's History Month, we recognize a hero of the American Revolution: Margaret Cochran Corbin. She was born in 1751 in the dangerous Pennsylvania frontier. She was orphaned at the age of 5 after losing both her parents and raised by her uncle. At the age of 21, she married a Virginia farmer named John Corbin. When the Revolutionary War began, Mr. Corbin enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia as part of an artillery unit. Like many women at the time, Mrs. Corbin accompanied her husband to war to assist at camp and care for wounded soldiers.
During General George Washington’s defense of New York City in summer 1776, Mr. Corbin's unit was stationed at Fort Washington on the northern tip of Manhattan Island, where it defended the Hudson River. When General Washington retreated from Manhattan Island in October 1776, Fort Washington was not abandoned and the soldiers there remained, as it was believed to be impregnable. The British launched a surprise attack against Fort Washington a few weeks later. During the desperate battle to defend the fort, Mrs. Corbin stood by her husband's side as British troops advanced. When he was shot and killed by enemy cannon fire, Mrs. Corbin heroically took his place and kept the cannon firing against the advancing British. She too was hit by cannon fire three times, suffering life-threatening injuries to her arm, chest, and jaw before the battle was lost and the fort surrendered. Nearly 3,000 American soldiers were captured in what was a devastating blow for the Continental Army at the time.
After the capture of the fort, British doctors saved Mrs. Corbin’s life and she was eventually paroled and released. Her wounds never fully healed. She lost all use of her left arm and struggled financially. On July 6, 1779, the Board of War of the Continental Congress heard her case and granted Mrs. Corbin half the monthly pay of a soldier for life in recognition for her service and disability. This made Mrs. Corbin the first woman to receive a U.S. military pension.
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RECOGNITION: UNIFIED BOWLING | |
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The power of unified sports was on full display on Monday as the Kenmore East and Kenmore West Unified Bowling Teams competed in the season-ending Section VI championship tournament at AMF Airport Lanes in Cheektowaga. The Kenmore East team under coaches Keith Brophy and Bob O'Connor and the Kenmore West team under coaches John Haynes and Kim Zuccari performed exceptionally at the competition. The Kenmore West team was also named the Section VI divisional champions. As always, it was amazing to see so many Kenmore East and Kenmore West students of different abilities join together with each student using his or her unique skills to contribute to the team. That's what Unified Sports is all about.
This was the second year for Ken-Ton’s Unified Bowling Program and it has been a tremendous success. Monday’s tournament was the culmination of an amazing season for both teams. We could not be prouder of the way these student-athletes represented Ken-Ton and for all their hard work and sportsmanship this season.
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RECOGNITION: NYS MASTER TEACHERS | |
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This week, we are proud to recognize two Kenmore West High School teachers, math teacher Dawn Brown and physics teacher Jennifer Gazdovich, who were recently selected for the New York State Master Teacher Program. This is one of the highest honors that a New York State educator can achieve.
The Master Teacher Program is a professional network of public school teachers with a passion for inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders. Ms. Brown and Ms. Gazdovich were two of 221 educators across the state who have now joined the Master Teacher network. To become a Master Teacher, one must demonstrate outstanding knowledge of the STEM curriculum and a deep understanding of teaching practices. Becoming a Master Teacher requires at least four years of teaching experience in the STEM field. Potential candidates must go through a rigorous application process that begins in April and lasts until October. Candidates must provide transcripts, information about professional activities, submit recommendations, and take an exam. They are also interviewed, provide a presentation, and engage in a discussion with other candidates. While the process is rigorous, they say the end result is worth it.
Please join me in congratulating Ms. Brown and Ms. Gazdovich for their 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, March 13th - Friday, March 17th
Tuesday, March 14th
- Budget Work Session (5 p.m.) & Board of Education Meeting (6:30 p.m.) at Kenmore Middle
Thursday, March 16th
- End of 2nd Trimester (Gr. K-4 & Big Picture)
Friday, March 17th
- Superintendent Conference Day (no student attendance)
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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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