Weekly Update from the Office of the Superintendent
Volume 2, Issue 15 (November 18, 2021)
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‘Love the Skin You're In: A Celebration of Humanity’
Tuesday was a momentous day as our Art Department celebrated the opening of a groundbreaking exhibit at the Family Support Center. The exhibit is entitled "Love the Skin You're In: A Celebration of Humanity.” It features work that celebrates and explores the beauty of diversity by students of all ages from Franklin Elementary, Franklin Middle, Hoover Middle, Kenmore East and the Big Picture Program.
The exhibit was inspired by the photographic work of artist Angelica Dass who challenges the labels associated with race such as “white,” “black,” and “red” by reflecting on the true color of skin. Toward the end of the 2020-21 school year, Ken-Ton School District Art Coordinator Denise Carr, Family Support Center Director Janet Cerra, and art teachers Elaine Korczykowski, Jennifer Leone, Gina McCartney, Lisa Mihelbergel and Matthew Sagurney embarked upon a collaborative undertaking to bring this concept to Ken-Ton School District art classes. The art teachers worked during the summer to coordinate the multi-faceted exhibit. Each teacher developed the curriculum that would be introduced in their art classes at the start of the 2021-22 school year. The artwork itself is breathtaking, and this work has prompted important conversations about racial identity, humanity and diversity.
The Ken-Ton School District Art Department specifically chose the Family Support Center as the site for this exhibit. The Family Support Center is a unique District-run program which provides family counseling and many other special-emotional support services for hundreds of families each year. The artwork will be on display at the Family Support Center until the end of November and then at the Ken-Ton School District Administration Building through December.
You can view online photo galleries and more information about this amazing exhibit here.
Breakfast With the Board
As we announced last month, the Board of Education will hold the first “Breakfast with the Board” community forum on Saturday, December 4th beginning at 9 a.m. It will take place at the Kenmore Middle School Building, 155 Delaware Road, in the Community Room. All members of the Ken-Ton community are welcome and invited to attend. The forum is designed to provide parents, residents, staff, and any other members of the community a chance to ask questions or discuss topics of their choosing. Guests are encouraged to come early so as to not miss any part of the discussion.
For the purposes of providing light refreshments, please RSVP using this form so we can get an accurate count of attendees. If you have a topic or question you wish to be addressed, please use the form so we can make sure adequate time is available for all questions of those in attendance.
Vaccination Opportunities
As previously announced, we will be holding our first vaccination clinic for students ages 5-11 tomorrow (Friday, November 19th) at the Hamilton Elementary Building in partnership with Rite Aid. Because spots filled up so quickly, staff worked fast to plan an additional vaccination opportunity in partnership with Brighton Eggert Pharmacy, which will take place Tuesday, November 23rd at Hamilton. The sign-up link has been sent to families via text message and email. There are still spots open for those interested in signing up. If you did not receive the sign-up link or need any help signing up, please email web_help@ktufsd.org. Remember, a parent/guardian must be in attendance and you must sign each child up separately if bringing multiple children.
We continue to emphasize that the COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory. We are only providing this as an option for families who choose to have their children vaccinated. It is a family decision. We thank our partners at Rite Aid and Brighton Eggert Pharmacy who have made both of these opportunities possible for those who wish to participate.
Updated Quarantine Guidelines
We learned on Thursday that the Erie County Department of Health is changing its quarantine protocols for students who are identified as a close contact. ECDOH will now allow individuals in quarantine to be released after the completion of Day 7 (i.e. on Day 8) as long as they meet certain conditions, namely:
- A diagnostic COVID-19 test with a specimen collected and tested within 48 hours before the end of the planned quarantine discontinuation (i.e. on the fifth day after last exposure) – is negative; and,
- No symptoms are reported during daily monitoring.
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Each week, we will highlight some of the exciting things taking place in our schools. Be sure to follow the Ken-Ton School District on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@ktufsd) for more school highlights! |
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More than 30 Kenmore East students in teacher Nicole Pauly’s Street Law in America class recently traveled to the Erie County Crime Lab and the Buffalo Police Department to examine how forensics and computers are used including DNA and ballistic reports to solve crimes and catch criminals in Buffalo and Erie County. It was an amazing experience for these students and special thanks goes out to the Assistant District Attorney's Office and Community Prosecution and Training Bureau Chief Danielle D'Abate for facilitating this trip. |
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We were proud to learn that Kenmore West Library Media Specialists Liz Aszkler and Mary Kamela recently presented at the annual New York Library Association (NYLA) Conference. Their session, entitled "Civic Online Reasoning in the Library," highlighted a new curriculum they have been piloting at Kenmore West which helps students develop skills related to evaluating information they find online and identifying misinformation. Ms. Aszkler and Ms. Kamela presented to nearly 100 library and information professionals from across the state on this framework as well as interactive cross-curricular units they developed for Kenmore West. One additional note about Ms. Kamela: she also appeared on “Jeopardy” within the past few days! Considering how difficult it is to get accepted as a contestant on the show, we are so proud of Ms. Kamela's achievement. Great job making us Ken-Ton Proud on the national stage! |
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Several Kenmore East and Kenmore West students took part in the O’Connell & Co. Theatre production of “All Together Now” at the Ken-Ton Elmwood Commons (former Philip Sheridan School) this past weekend. “All Together Now” is an international theater event for local theater companies to raise funds to support their programs. The production, which is performed on the same days worldwide, includes songs from a variety of Musical Theatre International productions. Great job to everyone involved! |
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Earlier this month, Edison Elementary students and staff celebrated Strega Nona Day which is inspired by the beloved children's book “Strega Nona.” Classes throughout the school read the book and members of the Junior Master Gardener Club hung signs around the school. The cafeteria also served special pasta sauce made with ingredients grown in the school's garden (which includes a section named the Strega Nona Garden) including tomatoes, onions, basil, and garlic. Special thanks to Laura Loncar for helping to combine literacy in the classroom, food grown in the Edison garden, and delicious meals served in the cafeteria into a terrific student experience. |
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On Friday, November 12th, approximately 50 Kenmore West seniors and their class advisors woke up early to share breakfast together and enjoy the sunrise over Crosby Field. They were joined by several members of the Town of Tonawanda's Community Services Bureau led by Capt. Joseph Milosich and our own School Resource Officer Vincent Christiano. It was a very special experience and they hope to make this an annual tradition at Kenmore West. |
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RECOGNITION: SCHOOL-RELATED PROFESSIONALS |
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This week, we celebrated School-Related Professionals (SRP) Recognition Day. This special day is celebrated throughout New York State to recognize the efforts and contributions of school support staff such as bus drivers, food service workers, custodial/maintenance staff, technology staff, teacher aides, monitors, nurses, and office/clerical staff. We also shared the following video which summarizes some of their everyday work and the vital role they play in our schools:
All of our students' education and growth would not be possible without our School-Related Professionals and their tireless dedication to their craft. Please take a moment today to reflect and appreciate the work of our incredible support staff and thank you to all of our School-Related Professionals for all that you do for our students and our district.
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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!
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