The SchoolGram is the  award-winning  newsletter of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District. The SchoolGram is presented in e-newsletter format for the convenience of readers and easy access on computers and mobile devices. Sign up to receive the SchoolGram in your inbox or view past editions on the web at  www.ktufsd.org/SchoolGram .

COVID-19 Closure Update:
June 10, 2020
Message from the Superintendent
This will be the final regular COVID-19 closure update of the 2019-20 school year, though we will continue to communicate with our school district families as needed. This will also be my final update as Superintendent of Schools, as I will be retiring at the end of this month. I have been honored to serve as Superintendent, and I thank you all for your support and hard work over the past three and a half years. Please join me in welcoming Sabatino Cimato, our new Superintendent of Schools, who was appointed by the Board of Education and will begin in this position on July 6.

We began publishing these weekly updates and messages beginning on Sunday, March 22 after the very first week of the COVID-19 closure. The situation was rapidly developing, and there was a great deal of information to communicate with families. We also wished to highlight the amazing work taking place by our students, families, and staff. Over the past 12 weeks, it has been truly inspiring to see all of your hard work and efforts during this unprecedented situation. You have all demonstrated extraordinary resilience and resourcefulness in meeting this challenge.

There is a great deal of work ahead. Faculty, staff, and administrators are busy closing out the 2019-20 school year, planning for the reopening of our school district facilities, and making preparations for the 2020-21 school year. There are still a lot of unknowns, but I am certain that the challenges ahead are nothing this community cannot overcome.

Looking back to those early days in March, as this public health crisis began emerging here in the U.S., it would have been difficult to imagine what lay before us. It was one of the greatest challenges our school district community has ever had to face, and we faced it together. To our students, families, and staff, please accept my sincere thanks for all of your cooperation, patience, and hard work. I wish you all the very best this summer.

- Steve Bovino,
Superintendent of Schools
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Board Completes Superintendent Search
Pictured here is current Superintendent Steve Bovino, right, and Incoming Superintendent Sabatino Cimato, left.

The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District is excited to announce that the Board of Education has appointed Sabatino Cimato as the new Superintendent of Schools beginning July 6, 2020. Following an extensive search process that began in October, Mr. Cimato will take the place of retiring Superintendent Steve Bovino.

Mr. Cimato grew up in the Town of Tonawanda, where his participation in the Summer Musical Theater Workshops inspired him to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at Buffalo State College and his Master of Science in Educational Administration at Canisius College. He began his career as a 5th- and 6th-grade teacher at the Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy in Buffalo and then a Supervisor of Elementary Education for Buffalo Public Schools. At BPS, he went on to serve as Assistant Principal at Grabiarz School of Excellence, Principal of North Park Middle Academy, and then Principal of Hutchinson Central Technical High School.

In 2015, Mr. Cimato was appointed to the position he holds today as Associate Superintendent of School Leadership. In this position, Mr. Cimato has helped lead the Buffalo Schools into a renaissance as graduation rates have climbed to a 16-year high while 10 new innovative high schools and programs have been completely reimagined and redesigned under his leadership.

To learn more about Mr. Cimato, visit the following page:
Fall Sports Sign-Up (Varsity, J.V. & Modified)
If you are are a student or a parent/guardian of a student who is interested in signing up for fall sports, including modified sports, junior varsity, and varsity, please use the online form which you can find on the Athletics Department website at www.ktufsd.org/athletics or directly at www.ktufsd.org/FallSports .

Fall sports include:
  • Varsity or JV Cheerleading
  • Varsity or JV Boys/Girls Cross Country
  • Modified Cross Country (Gr. 7-8)
  • Varsity Field Hockey
  • Modified Field Hockey (Gr.  7-9)
  • Varsity or JV Football
  • Modified Football (Gr. 7-8)
  • Varsity Golf
  • Varsity Girls Gymnastics
  • Varsity or JV Boys/Girls Soccer
  • Modified Boys/Girls Soccer (Gr. 7-8)
  • Varsity or JV Girls Swimming
  • Girls Tennis
  • Varsity or JV Boys/Girls Volleyball
  • Modified Boys/Girls Volleyball (Gr. 7-8)
Other Important Information & Updates
Item Retrieval:
The schools have communicated information to parents/guardians regarding item retrieval, which took place last week and this week. This information can be found here: Item Pick-Up/Drop-Off Information . If you miss your assigned date/time, please contact your child’s school as soon as possible.

Return of Technology Devices:
Borrowed devices such as iPads, Chromebooks, and HotSpots will be dropped off on June 15-16 at the breakfast/lunch delivery locations (same location you picked up your device). Date and time will depend on the student’s last name.
  • June 15 8-11 a.m. Alpha A-F
  • June 15 1-4 p.m.  Alpha G-L
  • June 16 8-11 a.m. Alpha M-R
  • June 16 12-3 p.m. Alpha S-Z
Locations (same location you picked up your device):
  • Hoover Middle Door #25
  • Franklin Elementary Parking Lot
  • Holmes Elementary Door #1
If you anticipate your high school student will be attending summer school, please retain your device. We will collect devices from summer school students at the end of the summer school period. If your student is not recommended for summer school and you have retained your device, we will provide instructions for these devices to be returned. If you have lost the device, please notify our Technology Department at 871-2050. Lost or severely damaged devices may be subject to a replacement fee.

Graduation Celebrations:
Kenmore East High School, Kenmore West High School, and the Big Picture Program are looking forward to celebrating the Class of 2020 as scheduled (Big Picture on Tuesday, June 16; Kenmore East on Saturday, June 27; and Kenmore West on Sunday, June 28). The schools worked in partnership with their student leadership to plan a unified celebration for their Class of 2020 graduating seniors.

It was recently announced that Gov. Cuomo will allow commencement ceremonies of no more than 150 people. The 150-person limit would include faculty, staff, students, students' families, and other guests. The traditional commencement ceremonies typically draw 1,500-2,000 participants, which would necessitate 10 or more separate commencement ceremonies (for each high school). In order to celebrate the Class of 2020 as one unified group, the high schools will be moving forward with their planned celebrations.

Breakfast/Lunch Service:
Free breakfast/lunch meals will continue to be served to families from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at these five locations until Friday, June 26:
  • Franklin Elementary School
  • Holmes Elementary School
  • Hoover Elementary School
  • Sheridan Parkside Youth Center
  • Former Roosevelt Elementary Building (Kinsey Avenue)

Summer Access to Online Resources:
Elementary and middle school students will be able to continue accessing all the great learning programs they’ve already used in distance learning on their home devices. Students may continue to log in through Clever ( www.ktufsd.org/clever ) to access the following programs:

Elementary (Grades K-4):
  • Scholastic FIRST
  • Scholastic WORD
  • Scholastic Literacy Pro
  • Zearn
  • IXL
Middle (Grades 5-7) & Gr. 8:
  • iReady (Math and Reading)
  • NewsEla (Social, Science, and Reading)
  • Sora (Reading)
  • World Book (Reading)
  • IXL and Zearn (Grade 5)
Student use of these learning resources will not be graded, required, or monitored. Any parents and families may, at their discretion, choose to use these tools in order to reduce the risk of academic regression that typically takes place during the summer months, and to ensure that your child is ready to hit the ground running in September. While teachers will not be available to answer questions, or provide instruction, our technology support desk will be open to help with any technology related questions. You may contact them at 871-2050 or Tech_Support@ktufsd.org . For more information, click here:

High School Summer School Information:
The Summer High School Program for students in grades 9-12 will take place through online and remote learning. Classes will take place every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday beginning Wednesday, July 8 and ending Thursday, August 13. This program is available for residents of the Ken-Ton School District who attend public or non-public schools. All information on the program, registration, courses, and more can be found on the summer school website at the following link:

Budget Vote & Board of Education Election Update:
In accordance with Executive Order 202.39 , one additional week is being provided for ballots to arrive by mail. Completed ballots must be received by 5 p.m. June 16, 2020. (Unmailed ballots cannot be dropped off after 5 p.m. June 9, 2020.)
Congratulations Retirees!
We are proud to honor a total of 56 members of the Ken-Ton School District faculty and staff who will be retiring by the end of this school year:
  • Audene Affuso, Account Clerk Typist, Student Services
  • Judy Lynn Anthony, Elementary, Franklin Elementary
  • Michael Bailey, Math, Kenmore East
  • Nancy Bartkowski, Teacher Aide, Franklin Elementary
  • Susan Battaglia, Teacher Aide, Lindbergh Elementary
  • Barbara Battaglia, Director of Data Research, Administration
  • Jack Blanch, Math, Kenmore East
  • Karen Bly, Cook Manager, Kenmore East
  • Karen Boehm, German, Hoover Middle
  • Cynthia Brodfuehrer, Elementary, Edison Elementary
  • Karen Brooks, FACS, Hoover Middle
  • Linda Burton, Teacher Aide, Franklin Middle
  • Tracy Butler, Special Education, St. Amelia's
  • Billie Carlson, Teacher Aide, Franklin Elementary
  • Janet Conrad, Food Service Helper, Kenmore West
  • Ralph Critelli, Science, Kenmore East
  • Lee Derby, Stores Clerk, Administration Building
  • Pamela DiGangi, Counselor, Kenmore East
  • Barbara Diocedo, Teacher Aide, Kenmore West
  • Laura Dombrowski, FACS, Hoover Middle
  • Robert Durrell, Cleaner, Buildings & Grounds
  • Emma Edwards, Bus Driver, Transportation
  • Jeanne Ennis, Speech, Hoover Elementary
  • Patricia Ensminger, LMS, Edison Elementary
  • Darcy France, Special Education, Kenmore West
  • Gayle Gallisdorfer, Bus Driver, Transportation
  • Mary Gemmer, Elementary, Lindbergh Elementary
  • Linda Gianturco, Reading, Hoover Elementary
  • Gary Giglia, Security Aide, Kenmore West
  • Pamela Hanny, Elementary, Edison Elementary
  • William Hineman, Elementary, Hoover Middle
  • Edourad Koeppel, Music, Franklin Middle
  • Jamie Kubala, Art, Hoover Middle
  • Denise Kurtz, Teacher Aide, Franklin Elementary
  • Paul Laduca, Music, Kenmore West
  • Margaret Lane, Music, Hoover Elementary
  • Teresa Lucinski, Clerk Typist, Kenmore West
  • Lawrence Mendola, Stationary Engineer, Buildings & Grounds
  • Susan Miller, Clerk Typist, Food Service
  • Catherine Miller, Counselor, Lindbergh Elementary
  • Gayle Molenda, French, Hoover Middle
  • Nancy Mooney, Senior Clerk Typist, Student Services
  • Judith Myers, Food Service Helper, Franklin Elementary
  • Deborah Naples, Teacher Aide, Edison Elementary
  • Lynn Pettapiece, Clerk Typist, Kenmore East
  • Randy Ramaekers, PE, Kenmore West
  • Charlene Rizzo-Schwob, Special Education, Franklin Middle
  • Cecelia Rosiek-Bauer, Social Worker, Edison Elementary
  • Richard Scaduto, Art, Kenmore East
  • Robert Scheuneman, Bus Driver, Transportation
  • Laura Sexton, FACS, Hoover Middle
  • Richard Sinibaldi, Head Custodian, Buildings & Grounds
  • Caroline Wagner, Remedial Reading, Lindbergh Elementary
  • Marcia Wiewiorski, Teacher Aide, Kenmore West
  • Tracy Wilson, Elementary, Franklin Elementary
  • Daniel Yox, Science, Kenmore East
All of our retirees will be honored at the annual Retiree Reception, which has been postponed due to the pandemic and is expected to be held in the fall.
Student, Staff & Family Updates
Ken-West Art Department Launches 2020 Student Art Exhibition

Our school buildings may be closed, but art teachers are finding new ways to showcase student artwork digitally so that everyone can enjoy and appreciate their amazing work from home using a computer or tablet.

The Kenmore West High School Art Department was proud to present the 2020 Student Art Exhibition. A digital art gallery has been expertly produced by scanning individual pieces and then compiling them into a digital exhibition using an innovative tool called Exhibbit. This tool elegantly mimics important attributes of an art gallery experience, where visitors can explore exhibitions and compare works of art in their actual size, from any distance or angle. This provides a stunning virtual showcase of the students’ work, replicating the experience of a physical art gallery in a digital 3D environment.

“The Kenmore West High School Art Department could not let this unprecedented year come to a close without proudly celebrating the amazing accomplishments of our student artists, especially our seniors,” said art teacher Amy Veltri, who launched the 2020 Student Art Exhibition last week. “The Kenmore West Art Department proudly welcomes you to join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our student artists. This exhibit showcases our senior artists, in addition to a sampling of works from our up-and-coming underclassmen.”

By simply clicking the following link on a computer or tablet, guests can browse among all of the amazing works and view each individual piece up close with all the accompanying details:


The exhibition features senior artists Jennica Anzalone, Isabelle Burns, Yahir Roman-Casillas, Autumn Cowan, Morgan Day, Jared Dias, Hope Falzone, Olivia Guarino, Carolyn Herritt, Winta Kidane, Alexius Lafalce, Lucas Marcotte, Adelina Metz, Dylan Perry, Julianna Persico, Thun Phyo, Oliver Pitcher, Adau Shol, Jade Smith, Victor Baez Soliz, Luke Toney, Andriy Vakolyuk.
3 Ken-Ton Coaches Honored by Section VI

In all of Section VI, there is just one coach in each sport who is honored with the annual Sportsmanship Award. In addition, each league is asked to select a male and female honoree. The Ken-Ton School District is very proud to announce that this year a total of three of our coaches have received such honors. Congratulations to Chris Watson (nominated by gymnastics chair Joe Buscaglia), Marty Madore (nominated by indoor track sport chair Pete Szymanski), and Kyle Pray (tennis/ice hockey, submitted by the Niagara Frontier League), all of whom will receive their award at the annual Recognition Dinner scheduled for Wednesday, September 30.
11 Students Take Part in Virtual WNY Invention Convention

Students from public and non-public elementary schools throughout the Ken-Ton School District took park in the Ken-Ton School District G/T (CLASS) Program's second annual Invention Convention on March 4. A total of 15 finalists were selected for the Western New York Invention Convention which was to take place in May. This year, because of the pandemic, it took place virtually, with students submitting video showcases of their inventions.

Gifted/talented (CLASS Program) teacher and Ken-Ton Invention Convention coordinator Patricia Rosenhahn was very proud to announce that 11 students had taken part in the virtual competition, and several of them were recognized and distinguished for their projects:
  • Makayla Wilkins ("Dancing Suitcase") from Edison Elementary won second-place overall in the Gr. 4-8 category. She won one week of in-person or virtual summer camp donated by "Camp Invention," and she is also among the top five finalists who will attend the virtual National Finals hosted by the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation in Dearborn Michigan which will take place on July 2.
  • Evey Sciandra from Lindbergh Elementary was highlighted for her explanation of her "Marker Inker.”
  • Oriana Landrigan-Frograso from Franklin Elementary with the "Adjustable Swingset" won Best Universal Product.
  • Collin Delmar from Hoover Elementary with his "Cake Cutter 2000" won Best Cooking Product.
  • Maximus Carter from Edison Elementary with his "Diet Sensor" won Most Visionary.
All of the students did a phenomenal job representing and showcasing their inventions in the videos and will receive a T-shirt. All the students recognized, along with a video of the virtual awards ceremony and the videos submitted by each of the 11 finalists, can be found here:

New Items Added to Online Store

Brand new items have been added to the online store including a variety of apparel/item options and designs for Kenmore East, Kenmore West, Franklin Middle, Hoover Middle, and elementary schools as well. This includes gifts for the Gr. 4 and Gr. 7 “moving up” milestones, Class of 2020 commencement, and Father’s Day. Proceeds from this sale will benefit the Ken-Ton Closet. Orders will be processed continuously and will be delivered directly to customers' homes (no person-to-person contact). Orders should be delivered within 7-10 days, but the store will try to accommodate any last-minute Father's Day orders. Visit kenton2020.itemorder.com/sale to see all the different options and to place an order, and email questions to nctees@gmail.com.
Hoover Elementary Hosts Virtual Spirit Week & Field Day

The annual Hoover Elementary School Field Day is always a wonderful way to celebrate the end of the school year. With schools closed, the committee that normally works so hard to plan all the Field Day fun and activities decided to replicate the experience virtually through a brand new “HO.P.E.” Field Day event.

“Although it’s not exactly how we envisioned Field Day when our committee began planning, we are super excited with how it turned out,” said PE teacher Heather Ratka, a member of the Field Day committee.

They started with a spirit week with daily themes that relate to PE lessons as a way to prepare for the big day on Friday, June 5. Students sent in pictures showing themselves participating in the daily themes as the week went on. Behind the scenes, teachers were very busy making videos for a torch relay to kick off the games, building a virtual classroom with activity stations filmed by the Hoover Hoots Committee Club, planning Zoom meetings for students and staff to participate in virtual lunch bunches and scavenger hunts as a way for them to be together, and collecting pictures of their fourth graders through the years to create a tribute video to end the day.

Students received the link to the virtual Field Day which included a link to the torch relay video, 16 activity stations filmed by the Hoover Hoots and PE teachers, a martial arts class from community partner Jindo Martial Arts, and many fun facts and activities they were able to click on and explore. There was even a score card and a form they could complete to receive a certificate for participating, which will be posted in Class Dojo, ClassTag, and the PE Google Classroom as well as the Hoover PE Facebook page.
The team plans to put together a final video compliation to be shared with the students as a send-off for summer recess. You can check out the Field Day webpage at:

The children of the Colbert family have been working hard on their distance learning activities and assignments during the closure. Even the little ones are getting in on the learning. Pictured here are Clara Colbert, a fourth-grade student in Mrs. Smith's class at Hoover Elementary; Hudson Colbert, a first-grade student in Mrs. Fogarty's class at Hoover; and their younger brothers, 3-year-old Owen and baby Lawson.
Five students in Mrs. Schildwaster’s Foods II course at Kenmore East recently went above and beyond course requirements and took the National Restaurant Association's Servsafe Food Handlers Course earning their certification. This certification demonstrates to employers that they are prepared to work in the restaurant industry with their knowledge of cross-contamination and allergens, time and temperature requirements, cleaning and sanitation regulations, and other food safety elements.
Ken-East Students Perform Exceptionally in National French Exam

At the end of April, six Kenmore East students participated in the National French Exam. It is a very difficult exam contest which is given across the country. This year, it was particularly challenging with the school closure and limited preparation. Paige Denman ranked sixth in Western New York and 31st in the nation on the Level 4 (11th grade) exam. Andrew Roland ranked ninth in WNY and 20th in the nation on the Level 3 exam. Other students who achieved very good results on the Level 3 exam were Erin Donnellon, Gracie Flynn, Jessica Neubert and Venezia Ayalew. Congratulations to all participants.
The Franklin Middle PTA usually sponsors field trips and other fun events for students at the end of the school year. Since the year was cut short by COVID-19, the PTA found another way to celebrate all of the FMS students in a special way. When students came to pick up their locker belongings, they were also given numerous gift certificates for local businesses. These included a $5 gift card to McDonalds, a free small cone or Dilly bar at Dairy Queen on Brighton, and a card for three games of bowling at Tonawanda Lanes when they open. There were a few other goodies included as well. Special thanks to the PTA for all of their support for the students at FMS.
As the year winds down and we look forward to the Class of 2020 commencement celebration, the members of the Counseling Department thought it would be fun to share their own high school graduation photos. This was their most recent weekly message to the Kenmore East High School staff to provide support and encouragement to their colleagues during this difficult time. “Though this year has had many challenges, some unprecedented, it has been our honor to share and muddle through it with all of you,” the message read. “We are Ken-Ton Strong.”
Thanks to the generous support of the Franklin Middle PTA, teachers and staff delivered signs and class T-shirts to all 7 th -grade graduates of Franklin Middle School. Franklin Middle wishes all of its 7th graders luck and happiness as they transition to Kenmore East next year!
Kenmore East parent Melody Hays reached out on Facebook with this message for the Kenmore East Special Education staff: “There is something so remarkably special about each one of them. Despite schools being closed, they have still gone above and beyond to keep our kids connected and feeling loved. They still meet each Thursday with the dance group and continue to hold online practices through Google Meets. There are simply no words to describe how incredibly lucky we feel to get to work with them. All, Mrs. Struckmann, Mrs. Louth, Ms. Stranahan, and the rest of the team are the most amazing team of people and have done so so much for our kids in that department.”
The COVID-19 closure didn’t stop Edison Elementary School teacher Katrina West’s second-grade class from enjoying their Room 209 Talent Show. This year, their talents were captured on camera and compiled into a video for all to see. Presented in order are Ms. West, Gianna Uzialko, Ms. Fineis, Peter Hughes, Ilija Vagic, Brynne Roalsvig, Griffin Oldenburg, Kolten Fridmann, Gavin Dennahower, Mrs. Quinn's kids, Rebecca Kopec, Frank Vacanti, Charley Hamlett, John Fiorella, Isabella Ford, Siena Galante, Braelynn Miller, Sydney Torchia, Artan Islami, Jacob Tapia, Adalyn Lask, Madison Kuhlman, and Hayden Fromm. Check it out here on Google Drive .
Hoover Elementary Students Observe Butterfly Life Cycle Up Close

Hoover Elementary School teacher Lisa Chiavaroli was recently able to receive funding for a DonorsChoose.org distance learning project through a couple of generous private donors and dollar-for-dollar matched funding by Sonic Drive-In during the COVID-19 closure. The initiative was started by DonorsChoose in order to help meet teachers needs during the pandemic.

Chiavaroli was able to provide the same science observation of the life cycle of a butterfly for her second graders as if they were right there in class by posting photos and videos daily on ClassDojo, and during Zoom classes. As an added and personalized bonus to this project, they were not only provided with a class set of caterpillars to monitor as a group, but each child also received his/her own caterpillar to name and observe. Chiavaroli was able to send each child a daily picture of their personal caterpillar, contained in its own cup, and they could use the activity sheets provided with this kit to record on and upload to electronic portfolios. Using Class Dojo Class Story, Chiavaroli plans to show a video of the final release of the butterflies when they are ready.

“I feel like this is such a positive symbolic tribute to the ending of their 2nd grade year,” Chiavaroli said. “ It also ties together the Symbolic Migration Project we started in October, in which they sent paper butterflies to Mexico. Now they are sending out new butterflies into the world.”
The Lindbergh Elementary School staff shared their ninth and final inspirational message to their students and families as the school year winds to a close. Check it out on the Lindbergh Elementary Facebook page .
Mrs. Boehm's and Mrs. Haseley's class enjoy Friday Game Day each week, which has continued during the COVID-19 closure. After they finished playing Gimkit, guests demonstrated their school pride by holding up their brand new Kenmore West T-shirts!
At Lindbergh Elementary, students in Mrs. Murdola’s class had a lot of fun with their “Flat Mrs. Murdola,” inspired by the book “Flat Stanley.” She sent the project home as a fun activity to add to their Google Classroom and as a writing project as well. Students have been writing about their adventures with their “flat teacher,” and take photos of other fun activities as well. They also share their adventures at their Zoom meetings, where students have been taking each other “around the world” on Google Earth. Students have been sharing places they have been or would like to go. Each student navigates their virtual trip via Google Earth, and tells their classmates all about the destinations. Pictured here is one of the students, Hayden, showing all the adventures he has enjoyed with “Flat Mrs. Murdola.”
Cameron Lillis, a kindergarten student from Korri Hall’s class at Lindbergh Elementary School, recently took advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoyed some reading outside on the front porch. His book of choice was "Pete the Cat's Trip to the Supermarket" by Kimberly and James Dean.
Every year, Lisa Siegel, Hoover Middle PE teacher and Kenmore West Boys Tennis coach, delivers special gifts to the graduating seniors on the team. This year, there was only one: Krish Patel. “He is an amazing young man who will be going to UB in the fall to study Physics,” she said. “I have known him since I was his Physical Education Teacher at Hamilton Elementary School. I have watched him grow and mature throughout the years. He has been my captain for the past two years and he started playing on the KW Boys Tennis Team as a Sophomore. He has been such a terrific role model for all my players, both on and off the courts."