Weekly Update from the Office of the Superintendent
October 30, 2020
This week, I had the opportunity to engage directly with parents and parent leaders at three different forums. First was the District Parent/Teacher/Student Association (PTSA) meeting on Monday, followed by the first meeting of our new Parent Cabinet on Wednesday. Additionally, we held our sixth parent question-and-answer session yesterday, which had more than 100 parents participating and hundreds more watching afterwards. You can access recordings of all of our parent Q&As, including yesterday’s, on our Parent Meetings page.

When I took on the position of Superintendent, a major priority for me was enhancing communication with parents and families, and empowering them to play a greater role in decision making. Through the Ken-Ton Weekly Connection, I have sought to keep our parents up-to-date on district-level planning, while our regular Q&As give them the opportunity to ask any questions and engage directly with our district administrators.

Our new Parent Cabinet is meant to compliment these initiatives. It brings together representatives from each of the schools’ Parent/Teacher Associations (PTAs) and Home School Associations (HSAs), as well as the PTSA and the Special Education Parent Teacher Organization (SEPTO). I will meet with the leadership of all of these groups on a regular basis. This will provide the opportunity to share best practices, answer questions, and keep them updated on important issues at the district level. They will then be able to engage with their members at the school level and relay information and questions.

Our parent groups are outstanding organizations that play a critical role in our school district community. They work tirelessly to offer new opportunities and experiences for our students, foster stronger relationships between our schools and families, and play an active role in school-level planning. Thank you to everyone in our school district community who have taken on leadership roles in our parent groups. Thank you also to those of you who volunteer your time and efforts to support their work.

Our parents and families are our most important partners, and I look forward to continuing to work with all of our parents to strengthen this partnership. As we confront the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must have the will to face this head on and the wisdom to do it together.

At the Parent Cabinet meeting and Thursday’s Q&A, I provided an overview of some opportunities and challenges we are facing:

Hybrid Phase-In:
  • We are on track to phase in Gr. 2-5 on Nov. 16. We were excited to welcome back our Gr. 2-4 Group A students for the elementary school orientation on Wednesday, and will be welcoming Group B next week Wednesday, Nov. 4. Our Gr. 5 students in our middle schools will have their orientation during their Group A and Group B first day of instruction.
  • We are continuing to explore the possibility of advancing our target date of Jan. 4 for Gr. 6-12. We are working through several challenges, particularly transportation and technology, but we are hopeful that we can bring those students back earlier (at some point between Thanksgiving Recess and Winter Recess).

Winter Athletics:
  • The winter sports season is quickly approaching. Winter sports are Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading, Ice Hockey, Indoor Track, Rifle, Wrestling, and Boys Swimming. We are currently awaiting a determination by the NYS Public High School Athletics Association (NYPHSAA) regarding which sports will be approved, and will communicate more information at that time. Additionally, we will review all safety protocol recommendations and make our internal determinations on how and if we will proceed. Stay tuned for more information.

Daily Health Screening:
  • I once again wish to thank all of our families for your diligence in completing the daily health screening each day before sending your child to school. For our Gr. 2-5 families who will be returning on Nov. 16, this will be sent via email each day of in-person attendance at 5 a.m. Please plan on making this part of your morning routine.

COVID Dashboard:
  • The NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) is sharing the numbers of COVID cases in schools and districts through daily school reporting. Under NYSDOH requirements, our schools are required to report the total number of students/teachers, and the number of those who have tested positive for COVID-19. They are also required to distinguish between those who are fully remote or virtual, and those who are following a hybrid schedule and are physically present in the building.
  • These numbers are displayed in a dashboard which you can access on our website under the “Reopening” tab or at www.ktufsd.org/dashboard. Simply choose the “Public Schools” option, and search for “Kenmore-Tonawanda UFSD” to see all of our schools displayed.
  • Reminder: We will only send letters informing our community of positive cases for individuals who have been physically present in buildings. In other words, a person who tested positive but who had been in virtual learning will not result in a letter being sent home, but this will be reported on the state website via the COVID dashboard.

Bus Driver/Attendant Shortage:
  • Because of the circumstances of the pandemic and the enormous demands on our Transportation Department, we are currently facing a shortage of bus drivers and attendants. This is a major challenge as we prepare for the return of Gr. 2-5 students and work to advance the start date for Gr. 6-12 students. We are in the process of initiating an aggressive campaign to recruit drivers and attendants.
  • They play a vital role in our district, and are the first and last professionals our students interact with each day. Driver positions also offer competitive pay and excellent benefits. If you are interested in learning more or know someone who is, the Transportation Department can be reached at 874-8611.
Health Screening: Hoover Elementary Takes Top Spot

Last week, we recognized Edison Elementary School, which had the highest percentage of families completing the daily EdVista health screening, with 94%. This week, we are pleased to recognize Hoover Elementary School, which has stolen the top spot with a completion rate of 96%! Edison and Lindbergh weren't far behind, both with 94%.

We are also pleased to recognize Kenmore West High School, which had the greatest one-week increase in the completion rate, going from 75% to 81%.

I wish to thank all of our families for doing such a great job completing the daily health screening. Keep it up! It is the most important thing we ask of our families to help us keep our community healthy.
RECOGNITIONS
This week, we are very excited to recognize two members of our outstanding teaching staff: Tom LaRussa and Melissa Perryman. We often receive positive feedback from parents and families regarding the incredible job our teachers have been doing, before and during the pandemic. One of those parents was Samara Hutcheson, whose son Mycah had Mr. LaRussa and Mrs. Perryman during the 2019-20 school year, Mycah's final year at Lindbergh Elementary.

“Mycah had the absolute pleasure of being in their class at Lindbergh last year, and it was an absolutely amazing class,” she said. “For it to be his last year at Lindbergh (and our family’s last year there after 13 years!) it was so sad for us to end virtually and not be able to see them in person.”

Last week, Mr. LaRussa and Mrs. Perryman asked Samara if they could meet with Mycah over Google Meet to check in on him and see how fifth grade is going.
“So many teachers have really been really incredible (I could easily make a very long list!) but Tom and Melissa really are just so special,” she continued. “Mycah went from a student who hid under the desk during a Superintendent visit in the classroom at the start of the school year, to one who was nominated for a leadership award and received the President’s Award for Academic Achievement. While of course a lot of this had to do with the growth he had personally, so much of it was due to their love and instruction.”

I am so grateful to Samara for reporting back on her experience with these two outstanding teachers. This kind of testimonial is a reminder of the wonderful job our teachers do and how they have such a profound impact on our students and families each and every day. It’s also a reminder of the profound impact our students have on our teachers. Mycah may never forget Mr. LaRussa and Mrs. Perryman, and they will certainly never forget Mycah. I invite any parents to reach out to me at scimato@ktufsd.org if they have a similar story to tell!
Thank you for reviewing this information. As always, we remain Ken-Ton Proud, Ken-Ton Strong, and Ken-Ton Moving Forward!

For previous editions of the Ken-Ton Weekly Connection, visit www.ktufsd.org/connection