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Weekly E-Newsletter from the Superintendent of Schools
Volume 3, Issue 16 (December 22, 2022)
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UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT | |
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SCHOOLS CLOSED FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23RD
Schools will be closed tomorrow (Friday, December 23rd) because of the blizzard warning which will be in effect from 7 a.m. tomorrow morning to 7 a.m. Sunday. This closure includes all after-school/evening activities and sports that are scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. Please note that after-school/evening activities and sports will proceed as normal today (Thursday, December 22nd) unless otherwise noted. As a reminder, school will also be closed for winter recess from December 26th through January 2nd, so we will see our students return on Tuesday, January 3rd.
As I outlined in the December 9th edition of the Weekly Connection, we currently have four emergency days remaining in our calendar. This is because the two days taken in November will not count against our school district for the purpose of reaching the minimum 180 days of attendance due to the State of Emergency declaration by the Governor. After tomorrow, we will have three days remaining. If we exhaust our allotted number of emergency days, we will shift to remote learning in order to meet the 180-day requirement set by New York State.
Please stay safe over the next few days and follow all recommendations of weather forecasters and local officials. Also be aware of the locations of local warming stations, which includes the Hoover Complex. I wish students, families, and staff a very happy and restful winter recess!
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With severe winter weather once again returning to the area, I encourage all families to have conversations with your children about how to stay safe, especially when children venture out into the snow to travel or play. Caring for Kids, an organization dedicated to informing parents and families about important topics related to their child’s health and well-being, provides the following winter safety tips:
- Children shouldn’t play outside alone. Establish a buddy system with one or more friends and have them look out for one another. Children younger than 8 years of age should always be supervised outside.
- Never send children outside unsupervised in extreme weather conditions such as snowstorms.
- Choose play areas away from roads, fences, and water.
- Take extra caution when crossing or going nearby roads. It might be hard for drivers to see children if they have snowy or frosty windows. Icy roads can also make it difficult to stop. Never cross streets between parked cars. Always cross at the crosswalk and make sure you are visible to drivers.
- Building snow forts and tunnels can be fun, but this activity should always be supervised by an adult. Forts and tunnels can collapse and suffocate children.
- Don’t play on roadside snow banks. Snowplow drivers or other drivers may not see children.
- Stay away from snow plows and snow blowers.
- Check often to see that your child is warm and dry.
- Consider keeping them indoors whenever the temperature or the wind chill is reported to be -16°F or lower. At these temperatures, exposed skin is subject to frostbite at a very rapid rate.
- Wear a hat because a lot of body heat is lost through the head.
- Keep ears covered at all times to prevent frostbite.
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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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Numerous Students Chosen for Highly Selective Statewide Ensembles
The Music Department was once again well represented as numerous musicians were chosen to be a part of various statewide ensembles. This included Conference All State, Area All State, the Capitol University Honor Band, and the Buffalo State Honor Band. All of the musicians chosen for each ensemble had to go through a highly-competitive audition process. Click here to see the list.
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Kenmore West Foundations Committee Help Students Acquire Gifts for Loved Ones
The Kenmore West High School Foundations Committee helped many Kenmore West students find wonderful gifts for their families and loved ones. Through its annual Holiday Market, students are able to "purchase" holiday gifts using tickets they earned for exhibiting good character and promoting a positive school environment. Students in the Work Study program prepared the shop while teachers volunteered to wrap gifts. All items, from board games to clothing, were donated by staff members as well as more than 40 local businesses.
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150 Families Attend Edison Elementary Bedtime Story Night
The Edison Elementary Bedtime Story Night on Friday, December 16th was a tremendous success. Approximately 150 families came to school dressed in their pajamas for a night of stories, activities, and more. Students traveled around to different classrooms where they were read a holiday story with a corresponding fun craft in each room. Milk and cookies were also served. A big thank you to teacher Katherine Hannigan and the many teachers and staff members who made this event possible.
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Remax Hot Air Balloon Assembly Comes to Hoover Elementary
As a way to give back to the community, Hoover alumnus and Kenmore West graduate Colleen Collier sponsored a Remax Hot Air balloon assembly at Hoover Elementary School on December 19th. The presentation included ties to math, science, and cooperation. After the presentation, students were able to enter the inflated balloon, sit inside, and learn more about what it takes to fly the balloons. The event was made possible by Ms. Collier, a member of the Remax staff.
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Kenmore East Street Law Classes Tour Police Department
On December 16th, the Kenmore East High School Street Law classes visited the Town of Tonawanda Police Department to tour the building as well as the courtroom. Captain Joseph Milosich talked with students about how they can become a police officer then went over other careers in the Town of Tonawanda Police Department. He also explained the different town services the station provides to the community. It was a great opportunity for the students to learn more about the department and careers in law enforcement.
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Kenmore West Ensembles Perform for Hoover Elementary & Middle Students
Hoover Elementary and Middle School students enjoyed some fantastic holiday music during a concert on Thursday featuring two bands from Kenmore West High School. The Kenmore West Wind Ensemble directed by Ken Belote and the Blue Devil Big Band directed by Laura Anderson both performed for students in the auditorium. The goal of the concert is to provide an amazing holiday experience while also inspiring interest for future high school students and showing them the benefits of being involved in the high school music department.
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Hoover Middle Staff Donate New Books for Students to Enjoy
Thanks to the generosity of Hoover Middle School staff, nearly 150 books were donated to raffle off to students in the days leading up to the holidays. As part of the initiative, teachers and staff purchased new books during the Scholastic Book Fair and donated them for the raffle. During English Language Arts class, students were able to use tickets they had earned to try and win a chance to get their favorite book. Thanks to them, dozens of students will now have a great new book to read during the holidays.
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Kenmore East Seniors Host Polar Express Movie & Activity Night
On December 9th, the Kenmore East High School Class of 2023 held its annual Polar Express Movie & Activity Night. There was ornament making, cookie decorating, and sing-alongs, followed by a showing of Polar Express. Kenmore East seniors loved the excitement they brought to the younger children in our community who attended the event. All proceeds will benefit the Class of 2023.
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Edison & Franklin Middle Host Door Decorating Contests
At Edison Elementary and Franklin Middle, the creativity and holiday spirit of teachers, staff, and students was on full display this week as both buildings hosted a door decorating contest. For Franklin Middle, it is a yearly tradition; for Edison Elementary, this was the building’s first-ever contest. At Edison, winners were Rebecca McPartland's kindergarten class with their Buffalo Bills-themed wonderland and Dean Judy's fourth-grade class with their celebration of diversity. You can see all the doors featured in our photo gallery here.
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RECOGNITION: PHIL AGUGLIA | |
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Today, we recognize Kenmore East High School Band Director Phil Aguglia, who has made history as one of the first Western New York music teachers to be named a finalist for the 2023 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Mr. Aguglia is one of only 10 music teachers in the U.S. to earn this distinction. More than 1,200 nominations were sent in for this year’s award. Mr. Aguglia is one of three finalists from the state of New York and the only one from Western New York. The award, presented by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum, recognizes current educators who are committed to making a significant contribution to the music education field.
Mr. Aguglia began teaching at Kenmore East High School in 2002. He is part of a district-wide music department that’s been designated as a Best Community for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation for 12 straight years. Throughout his career, Mr. Aguglia has been involved in dozens of collaborations, has received 30 nominations or awards for excellence in teaching (including a nomination for People Magazine’s Teacher of the Year in 2012), and has hosted more than 100 guest artists.
Throughout the year, Mr. Aguglia facilitates countless opportunities for his students to perform and enrich Kenmore East and the larger Ken-Ton community through their music. He has organized multiple band trips to New Orleans, their first of which received nationwide attention as they assisted with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he planned many creative ways to continue his students' progress including virtual collaborations and weekly concerts outside his home.
Mr. Aguglia's nomination was announced on the CBS Morning Show. The award recipient will be announced during GRAMMY week. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Aguglia for this incredible distinction and in wishing him luck in the final round of the competition!
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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, December 26th - Monday, January 2nd:
- Winter Recess
- Tuesday, January 10th:
- Board of Education Meeting (6:30 p.m. Kenmore Middle School)
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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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