- The Susquehanna Valley High School Chorus, Concert Band and Orchestra have been invited to perform in New York City March 27-29, 2015. The Concert Chorus will perform at the Statue of Liberty, and the combined Concert Band and Orchestra will perform at Lin- coln Center. Between perfor- mances, students will travel to Broadway to see a performance of Phantom of the Opera, and will tour the Statue of Liberty, El- lis Island, Radio City Music Hall, the Top of the Rock, and the 9-11 Memorial. They will also be taken on guided tours of Manhattan, China Town and Little Italy. “This is an incredible once-in-a-lifetime performance opportu- nity for these students, and we are really honored to have been invited,” said band director Meggan Olds. “The kicker has been the cost - we have been fundraising to assure that every student that wants to go is able to af- ford it!” Saber Views January 2015 Susquehanna Valley Central School District “A Great Place to Live and Learn!” Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 3 Conklin, NY Saber Views Susquehanna Valley Central School District P.O. Box 200 Conklin, NY 13748 (607)775-0170 Fax: (607) 775-4575 On the web: www.svsabers.org Resident The Susquehanna Valley School Board continues to search for a successor to retiring Superintendent Gerardo Tagliaferri. In December, the board reopened the search after the candidate selected, Joseph Dyer, informed the district that he had decided to remain at his current position as superintendent of the Tuckahoe School District on Long Island. At that time, board president Robert Strick announced that the search would be reopened, and that the board, in reviewing its options, would discuss the potential need for an interim superintendent until a per- manent successor can take the helm. “Even though we had to resume the process, the time already spent has been very productive for our board,” Strick said. “It has helped us identify and focus on the attributes that we think are critical to finding the right person to lead our school district. This is a great school district with an established record of sound leadership. I have every confidence that we will continue to be an attractive option for potential superinten- dent candidates.” Update on search for superintendent Bus referendum scheduled for February 10 When the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, the Elmira Starr- Gazette and The Ithaca Journal announced their fifth annual Elite 24 foot- ball team, there were some familiar names included. Three Susquehanna Valley Sabers seniors - Lain Zembek, Bruce Canady, and Adam Clark - were selected by the three newspapers’ sports staffs. The Elite 24 con- sists of 24 players from the Section 4 Football Conference. In addition, each of the three newspapers selected an All-Region squad, made up of players from teams in the respective newspapers’ circulation areas. The newspapers wrote of linebacker Zembek: “multi-faceted ath- lete - had a huge hand in SV’s resurgence; orchestrated at the line of scrimmage, then went ahead and read and whacked and covered - just plain answered the call.” Zembek won high praise from competing coach- es for his physical play and ability to cover a lot of ground on the football field. Canady did it all for the Sabers this past season. His ability to play multiple positions well was among the complimentary things the Sabers’ skipper had to say in the newspaper profile. “He’s a specimen of versatil- ity,” was how Sabers coach Mike Ford summed up this Defensive End/ Tight End/Running Back/Wide Receiver/Linebacker/Punter. The sports staff also praised Canady’s speed: “burst off the line of scrimmage with the snap of the football and pursuit of the ball carrier set him apart. Team leader in sacks, made 72 tackles and was among the premier punters in the section as SV returned to the Section 4 playoffs.” Clark, who played on the Sabers offensive line, was named to the All-Region team representing players from the Binghamton Press & Sun- Bulletin’s circulation area. Susquehanna Valley School District voters will go to the polls in February to consider a bus purchase proposition. The referendum, Tuesday, February 10, 2015, between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., would authorize the district to purchase one 72-passenger bus, two 66-passenger buses, and one wheelchair bus at a total cost not to exceed $441,000.00. As part of the District’s ongoing bus replacement plan it is not anticipated the purchase will increase the tax levy. The dis- trict will be sending detailed information to residents in the coming days. Voters who require an absentee bal- lot may apply for one at the Office of the District Clerk, 1040 Conklin Road, P.O. Box 200, Conklin, New York 13748. A request for an application must be received by the District Clerk or a designee of the Board of Education at least seven (7) days before the vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the ab- sentee voter or by the day before if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the absentee voter. Absentee ballots must be received by the District Clerk or designee not later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the vote. Sabers trio named to Elite 24 and All-Region Football teams Canady Zembek Clark The Big Apple awaits! Sabers singers, musicians invited to the big stage
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The Susquehanna Valley Central School District - “A Great Place to Live and Learn!” January 2015
The Susquehanna Valley High School Chorus, Concert Band and Orchestra have been invited to perform in New York City March 27-29,
2015. The Concert Chorus will perform at the Statue of Liberty, and the combined Concert Band and Orchestra will perform at Lin-coln Center. Between perfor-mances, students will travel to Broadway to see a performance
of Phantom of the Opera, and will tour the Statue of Liberty, El-
lis Island, Radio City Music Hall, the Top of the Rock, and the 9-11 Memorial. They will also be taken on guided tours of Manhattan, China Town and Little Italy. “This is an incredible once-in-a-lifetime performance opportu-nity for these students, and we are really honored to have been invited,” said band director Meggan Olds. “The kicker has been the cost - we have been fundraising to assure that every student that wants to go is able to af-ford it!”
Saber ViewsJanuary 2015
Susquehanna ValleyCentral School District
“A Great Place to Live and Learn!”
Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDPermit No. 3Conklin, NY
Saber ViewsSusquehanna Valley Central School DistrictP.O. Box 200Conklin, NY 13748(607)775-0170Fax: (607) 775-4575On the web: www.svsabers.org
Resident
The Susquehanna Valley School Board continues to search for a successor to retiring Superintendent Gerardo Tagliaferri. In December, the board reopened the search after the candidate selected, Joseph Dyer, informed the district that he had decided to remain at his current position as superintendent of the Tuckahoe School District on Long Island. At that time, board president Robert Strick announced that the search would be reopened, and that the board, in reviewing its options, would discuss the potential need for an interim superintendent until a per-manent successor can take the helm. “Even though we had to resume the process, the time already spent has been very productive for our board,” Strick said. “It has helped us identify and focus on the attributes that we think are critical to finding the right person to lead our school district. This is a great school district with an established record of sound leadership. I have every confidence that we will continue to be an attractive option for potential superinten-dent candidates.”
Update on search for superintendent
Bus referendum scheduled for February 10
When the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, the Elmira Starr-Gazette and The Ithaca Journal announced their fifth annual Elite 24 foot-ball team, there were some familiar names included. Three Susquehanna Valley Sabers seniors - Lain Zembek, Bruce Canady, and Adam Clark - were selected by the three newspapers’ sports staffs. The Elite 24 con-sists of 24 players from the Section 4 Football Conference. In addition, each of the three newspapers selected an All-Region squad, made up of players from teams in the respective newspapers’ circulation areas. The newspapers wrote of linebacker Zembek: “multi-faceted ath-lete - had a huge hand in SV’s resurgence; orchestrated at the line of scrimmage, then went ahead and read and whacked and covered - just plain answered the call.” Zembek won high praise from competing coach-es for his physical play and ability to cover a lot of ground on the football field. Canady did it all for the Sabers this past season. His ability to play multiple positions well was among the complimentary things the Sabers’ skipper had to say in the newspaper profile. “He’s a specimen of versatil-ity,” was how Sabers coach Mike Ford summed up this Defensive End/Tight End/Running Back/Wide Receiver/Linebacker/Punter. The sports staff also praised Canady’s speed: “burst off the line of scrimmage with the snap of the football and pursuit of the ball carrier set him apart. Team leader in sacks, made 72 tackles and was among the premier punters in the section as SV returned to the Section 4 playoffs.” Clark, who played on the Sabers offensive line, was named to the All-Region team representing players from the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin’s circulation area.
Susquehanna Valley School District voters will go to the polls in February to consider a bus purchase proposition. The referendum, Tuesday, February 10, 2015, between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., would authorize the district to purchase one 72-passenger bus, two 66-passenger buses, and one wheelchair bus at a total cost not to exceed $441,000.00. As part of the District’s ongoing bus replacement plan it is not anticipated the purchase will increase the tax levy. The dis-trict will be sending detailed information to residents in the coming days. Voters who require an absentee bal-lot may apply for one at the Office of the District Clerk, 1040 Conklin Road, P.O. Box 200, Conklin, New York 13748. A request for an application must be received by the District Clerk or a designee of the Board of Education at least seven (7) days before the vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the ab-sentee voter or by the day before if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the absentee voter. Absentee ballots must be received by the District Clerk or designee not later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the vote.
Sabers trio named to Elite 24 andAll-Region Football teams
Canady Zembek Clark
The Big Apple awaits!Sabers singers, musiciansinvited to the big stage
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Saber ViewsA publication of the Susquehanna Valley Central School District
SVCSD Mission Statement:“The Susquehanna Valley Central School Community is committed toproviding a caring, equitable environment with high expectations for
learning. We encourage the development of critical thinking,self esteem and responsible citizenship.”
Gerardo Tagliaferri, Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Renee Stalma, Assistant Superintendent of Schools
Board of EducationRobert Strick, President • Mary Haskell, Vice-President •
Jordan Jicha • Raymond Storm • Robert SullivanSuzanne Vimislik • Joseph Walker
Writer/Editor/Photographer: Jim Hull
2014-15 SVCSD Board of Education and Chief AdministratorsSeated (left to right): Dr. Renee Stalma, Assistant Superintendent, Robert Strick, President, Mary Haskell, Vice-President, Gerardo Tagliaferri, Su-perintendent. Standing (left to right): Joseph Walker, Raymond Storm, Robert Sullivan, Jordan Jicha, Suzanne Vimislik.
A Message from the Superintendent
The Susquehanna Valley Board of Education meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the board room adjacent to the SV District Offices in SV High School. Additional special meetings may be scheduled during the year. Any additions or changes to the board’s meeting calendar will be publicized. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. At each meeting, there are two opportunities for public com-ment on agenda items and non-agenda items.
2014-15 SV Board of Education
It is with great pleasure that we present to you this edition of Saber Views. In the pages of this newsletter you will find a great deal of information and photographs, showcasing our students and staff participating in the many events and activities that define our school dis-trict as a great place to live and learn.
As we make our way through the 2014-15 school year, we find ourselves grappling with a number of familiar challenges. The develop-ment of the 2015-16 budget is well underway. Our team has been hard at work, carefully reviewing our expenditures and anticipated revenues in preparing a budget that will meet our needs for the next fiscal year. We are continuing to prepare for work related to the $3.2 million capital project approved by voters December 10, 2013. We are still on track for work to commence this summer, with projected completion in the fall. As you may remember, this project will be funded with a com-bination of state aid and use of the district’s capital reserve fund, with no anticipated impact on school taxes. Work will include replacement of the entire roof at Brookside Elementary School, along with asbestos abatement of corridor floor tiles, electrical upgrades at Richard T. Stank Middle School, and - at SV High School - replacement of a portion of the floor, a new theatrical lighting system and upgrades to the original house lighting system in the auditorium, replacement of student lockers, and classroom renovations to improve and relocate high school technology and pre-engineering programs. As you saw on the front page of this publication, we will be put-ting before you a bus purchase referendum February 10. A safe, efficient transportation system is vital to our mission, and this involves periodi-cally replacing older buses with new ones. I encourage you to learn the details of this referendum and exercise your right to vote on February 10 between 12:00 and 9:00 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. I’ve been extremely proud to see our athletic program enjoying a very successful year. Many team and individual accomplishments are chronicled in the pages of this newsletter, and I commend our athletes, coaches, and parents for their ongoing dedication to excellence. I also applaud our music staff, student musicians and parents for working so diligently to stage winter concerts when weather disrupted the original schedule. Our music department staff is second to none, and our students gave performances they can be proud of. This is to be the last time I will communicate with you as superin-tendent in this column. As you know, I am retiring at the end of January. Over the last 27 years at Susquehanna Valley, it has been my privilege to work with an outstanding group of administrators, teachers, support staff, board members and parents as we have all strived to prepare students for “grade 13.” It has always been my goal as an educator to provide lead-ership in doing what is best for kids and for the organization for which I’ve served. It is my hope that over my career, I have positively impacted both. Thank you for your support and I wish you the best in the years ahead.
Gerardo Tagliaferri, Superintendent of Schools
New leadership post for former SV board president Ruffo
Sandra Ruffo, who served on the Susquehanna Valley school board for 18 years - 15 as president - has assumed a new educational leadership post. Ruffo was elected in September 2014 as Area 4 Director of the New York State School Boards Association. She began her two-year term January 1. As Area 4 director, Ruffo will represent Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Onondaga,
Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins Counties on the NYSSBA, an organiza-tion that provides advocacy, training and information to school boards in support of their mission to govern the state’s public schools. In addition to her time on SV’s board, Ruffo has served since 1995 on the Broome-Tioga BOCES Board - the last ten as president.
Richard T. Stank Middle School was well-represented in the B.A.E. Mathalon Competition, December 6 at Vestal Middle School. SV
fielded two out of the twelve teams.Team A:Sean Bronson, Kay-la Miller, Hope Sav-ercool, Dylan Gaska, Jonathon Cerretani, Alex Fedo, Caiden Hogan.Team B: Mercedes
Stiner, Joey Mayglothling, Karim Al-Khalidi, James Mullen, Caro-line Bunt, Matthew Casado, Barbara Hill. Coach: Andrea Gresko. The competition consisted of seven 15-minute rounds, with stu-dents working in teams to solve math problems. In an additional round, students worked in-dividually to solve problems without assistance or even a calculator. The R.T.S. teams placed 5th and 7th.
RTS students flex their math muscles
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In show business - and, apparently in education, it’s “who you know.” Students in Mary Therese Ostanek’s science classes at Rich-ard T. Stank Middle School are giving “tanks” for some-one their teacher knows. As Mrs. Ostanek tells it: “In science we were study-ing density of different mate-rials, etc., and we got on the topic of synthetics and started talking about acrylic and how they use it to construct fish tanks in the TV show Tanked. I happen to know the producer of the show and contacted him to see if we could send a video of 8th graders asking questions.” For those unacquainted with Tanked, it’s a show that airs on Animal Planet that follows two brothers-in-law as they run the largest
aquarium manufacturing com-pany in the nation, Las Vegas-based Acrylic Tank Manufactur-ing (ATM). As it turns out, not only was it o.k. for Ostanek to send a video, but teacher and students alike were surprised and pleased
to receive a video in return, featur-ing the stars of the show, Wayde King and Brett Raymer, answer-ing all the sub-mitted questions. Ostanek showed the re-sponse video to her students at the end of November. The Tanked stars also sent pictures and other memorabilia. For Ostanek, her friendship with the producer of the show pro-vided a unique opportunity for some outside-the-ordinary teaching. “This is a real-life engineering application of science for my students,” she said.
RTS science students ‘tank’ful for answers
Twenty-five Susquehanna Valley students joined nearly 600 of their peers from 19 surround-ing school districts at the annual Southern Tier Construction Ca-reer Day October 8. The daylong event gives young people an op-portunity to experience firsthand what awaits them in construction careers. The event was held at the Broome County Highway De-partment facilities in Chenango Bridge and featured exhibits by a number of construction-related organizations and schools, as well as heavy equipment demonstra-tions. Many of the students actu-ally got the chance, under super-vision, to operate equipment such as bulldozers, backhoes and dump trucks. Construction Career Day introduces high school students to a range of career opportuni-ties in the construction industry.
SV High students explore construction careersThe event was orga-nized by a consortium of groups, including the New York State Department of Trans-portation, the Broome County highway De-partment, Broome-Tioga Workforce New York, Broome-Tioga BOCES, and several lo-cal companies and trade unions involved in the construction industry. The program is directly supported by the Federal High-way Administration through the NYS Department of Transporta-tion, which provides grants to fund the program around the Em-pire State. This grant covers bus-ing, insurance and lunch. In ad-dition, Broome-Tioga Workforce New York provides grant funding to offset the costs of the event.
There is no cost to the schools. In addition to Broome County, the program is currently offered in Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica. Susquehanna Valley stu-dents who attended: Andrew Rudy, Alex Bange, Jason Lakin, Jordan Major, James Shea, Nick Miller, Daniel Griffiths, Vince Dellacorino, Damion Bur-gess, Jeff Correll, Austin Win-
ans, Nick Giles, Hunter King, Nicholas Schwenz, Joshua An-drade, Geoffrey Sutliff, Kayla Henry, Trevor Harder, Austin Theodoroff, Chance Johnson, Jacob Edgington, Cameron Pat-ton, Robert Pierson, Eric Naro, and Preston Brown.
November 10 was a big day at Brookside Elementary School - the official launch of this year’s PARP (Parents as Reading Partners) Pro-gram. This year, Brookside PARP
organizer Beth Bieber invited a pair of local authors, Marcus Mohalland and Jan Lewis Ze-lesnikar to help launch PARP by (you guessed it) READING! The pair talked about how they
came to create their “Silly Nomads” books, based upon Marcus’ years growing up in Jamaica. They signed and distributed copies to Brookside students and had some help from a couple of young men to “act out” scenes from their book. At Francis P. Donnelly Elementary School, students and staff spent most of the month of November diving into book after book to celebrate PARP. While they take read-ing seriously at Donnelly El-ementary, they also know how to have fun! This year’s theme of Riding the Reading Wave gave PARP organizers a chance
to get really creative. With the help of a team of “professional” hula dancers, FPD kicked off this year’s edition of PARP in a big way with a Hawaiian-style luau, complete with a vacation of the mind to the islands.
Reading takes center stageat Brookside, F.P. Donnelly
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The annual Mathways to the Stars Program at Richard T. Stank Middle School has wrapped up for this year. Once again, it featured many
activities and projects, including creating solar system posters, like the ones Kolton Gardner (pictured left) and Alex Fedo (right) are displaying. There was also the annual visit from the DigiDome - a mobile planetarium.The Mathways to the Stars closing cer-emony was held Oc-tober 29. This year’s
participants (pictured below before entering the DigiDome) were: Karim Al-Khalidi, Sean Bronson, Ethan Brusso, Caroline Bunt, Maresa Burr, Madison Dorunda, Jack Dyson, Alex Fedo, Kolton Gardner, Dylan Gaska, Payton Gendron, Barbara Hill, Caiden Hogan, Joseph Mayglothing, James Mullen, Lisa Prmar, Jes-sica Roon, Marisa Sarantapoulos, Hope Savercool, Emily Trudell, Lara VanPutten. Co-Advisors: Andrea Gresko, Michael Pixley.
Mathways to the Stars at RTS
The Brookside Elementary School cafeteria was transformed into a bustling Italian restaurant Thursday, November 13. The Brook-side PTA-sponsored event attract-ed hundreds of hungry patrons who feasted on a delicious pasta dinner, prepared and served by Brookside staff, students, and PTA volunteers. This annual event has become one of the most popular on the Brookside calendar.
The Susquehanna Valley High School Chapter of the National Honor Society inducted fifteen new members during a ceremony Novem-ber 13 in the high school auditorium. Chapter President Alexis Rolston welcomed those gathered for the ceremony and led the Pledge of Alle-
giance. Gerardo Taglia-ferri, Superintendent of Schools, offered opening remarks, along with SV alumnus Kacy Zelesnikar, in a special section devot-ed to the voices of past, current and new mem-bers. Carly Hattala and Katherine Mosher rounded out that trio of voices. Officers Alexis Rolston, President, David Matthews,
Vice-President, Julia Allen, Secretary, and Carly Hattala, Treasurer talk-ed about the NHS tents and lit the ceremonial NHS candles. NHS Co-Advisor Katherine Hattala then introduced this year’s inductees, who lit candles, received the NHS pin and a congratulatory handshake from NHS Co-Advisor Gianni Cordisco.
National Honor Society Members in attendance: Julia Allen, Kent Boatman, Justin Caroway, Maria Christoff, Carly Hattala, Ian Lupole, David Matthews, Madison O’Dea, Alexis Rolston, and Jor-dyn Williams. 2014-15 Inductees: Julia Black, Meghan Evans, Mira Hailu, Emily Harding, Natalie Hogan, Emily Howland, Megan Howland, Mary Kate Lindemann, Tyler Miller, Katherine Mosher, Joseph Os-good, Kaitlyn Stewart, Kashawn Stroman, Christina Waite, and Lain Zembek. Musical selections were provided by the Senior High Orchestra under the direction of Eileen Miller.The orchestra: Violin 1: Michael Christian, Jade Fiess, Emily Hard-ing*; Viola: Carolyn Jones, Amanda Miller, Erin Oakley, Brian Lord, Brianna Mott; Violin 2: Adriana Giammarino, Giannino Giamma-rino, Christian Kilmer, Payton Prince, Marisa Whitman; Cello: Ian Lupole*, Keelin Laskaris, Joshua Shore; Bass: Erik Bovee, Nick Sch-wenz. *National Honor Society Member
SV High School NHS Induction Hundreds enjoy Brookside Pasta Fiesta
Francis P. Donnelly Elementary School2014 - 2015 5th Grade Honor Roll
1st Quarter
Sierra Cook • Madison Deyo • Andrew GerrehyKatelyn Howe • Payton Lloyd • Kyleigh Lord
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The Susquehanna Valley Wall of Fame committee hosted the 6th SV Wall of Fame class induction, Saturday, October 25, 2014 at the SV High School football field. Eight former athletes, one coach, and four teams were recognized for their outstanding athletic accomplishments during their Sabers careers. The induc-tion ceremony took place at half-time of the varsity football game versus Windsor. A reception fol-lowed in the high school gym.
2014 Athlete Inductees:Brenda Rader-Matias – Class of 1990 Patrick Bado – Class of 1989Steven Kaminsky – Class of 1972Meredith Mullins – Class of 2004Rachael Wiggins – Class of 2004Erik Boveé – Class of 1998Ted Storti – Class of 1975Andrew Whalen – Class of 20042014 Coach Inductee:Ron Simkulet – Golf2014 Teams: 1978 Boys Cross Country,
New additions to the Sus Valley Wall of Fame
1993 and 1994 Girls Bowling, 1998 Boys GolfThe committee welcomes anyone to pick up a nomination form to help select the 2015 Wall of Fame Class.
Adalet Kurtulus • Junior High Area All-State ChorusJared Basmajian • Junior High Area All-State Band
Julia Black • High School Area All-State ChorusRoberto Jensen, Tyler Miller • High School Area All-State Band
Carolyn Jones, Erin Oakley • High School Area All-State Orchestra The Junior High Area All-State students traveled to Cortland on November 7-8, 2014 to perform in regional honors ensembles under the direction of top conductors from across the Northeast. They spent Friday night and Saturday morning rehearsing, and shared their performance Sat-urday afternoon at Cortland Junior/Senior HS. The High School Area All-State students will travel to Ithaca Col-lege on Friday and Saturday, January 30-31, 2015. The students will per-form with the top high school students from NYSSMA Regional Zone 3, including schools from Broome, Cayuga, Onondaga, Cortland, Tomp-kins, and Tioga Counties. Students will be under the direction of leading conductors from around the country, rehearsing together all day Friday and Saturday. The weekend will culminate in a performance in Ford Hall at Ithaca College on Saturday, January 31, 2015 beginning at 2:00 p.m.
Bravo! to star Saber musicians Saber Stage Productions to present classic SV High School’s drama club - Saber Stage Pro-
ductions - will present the timeless classic The Wizard of Oz, March 20-22, 2015 in the high school auditorium. Cast and crew are busy at work creating the yellow brick road that leads to the magical city of Oz, and they’re hoping to take full houses with them. Show times Fri-
day, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 are 7:00 p.m., curtain on Sunday, March 22 is at 2:00 p.m.
Francis P. Donnelly Elementary kindergarten students recently got an up-close look at a very important tool during Fire Prevention Week. Members of the the Kirkwood Volunteer Fire Department visited the school with their fully-equipped fire truck.
Fire Prevention Week at F. P. Donnelly
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In October, a contingent of SV High School students joined peers from 16 regional school districts at Teen Traffic Safety Day at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. The event, hosted and sponsored by the Broome County Traffic Safety Program, STOP-DWI Program and State Farm consisted of a full day of fun and educational traffic safety activities and presentations. The Battle of the Belts pitted teams of four students (wearing their team t-shirts) against one another as they tried to buckle up faster than their com-petitors. Students also used a simulator to safely experience the dangers of tex-ting while driving, and donned Fatal Vi-sion Goggles to feel the effects of drugs and alcohol on their ability to drive. Attending from SV: Katie Mosher, Nate Rose, Ellie Olsen, Lexi Stettinius, Austin Hardy, Devyn Free-man, Maura Hanrahan, Alex Whit-ney, Jason Lakin, Luke Sutton, Cait-lyn Mizerak and Chris Surace.
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Doors around Susquehanna Valley High School were dressed up in their holiday best, thanks to SV High’s chapter of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). SADD sponsored a door decorating con-
test, calling on homerooms to incorporate a timely SADD message, discour-aging young people - and others - not to drink or text and drive. In addition to decorating
doors, SADD members took WBNG-TV’s “Eyes Forward” Don’t Text and Drive Pledge. Students who signed the pledge this season put their names on a mitten to be hung on the Friendship Line at the high school.
Susquehanna Valley winners (L-R) Vance Cokely, Francis P. Donnelly Elementary and Amanat Dhillon and Anthony Palmieri of Brookside Elementary were among the 27 elementary students who were presented awards for their creative entries in YES! Safe Choices for Kids’ Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest. (Photo courtesy of Preston Evans, YES! Safe Choices for Kids Program Coordinator).
Three elementary school students from Susquehanna Valley are among 27 winners in this year’s YES! Safe Choices for Kids Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest. Over 1,000 elementary school student artists from Broome, Chenango and Tioga counties submitted entries. Winning posters were designed by Brookside Elementary School students Amanat Dhillon and Anthony Palmieri, and Francis P. Don-nelly Elementary School student Vance Cokely. The 27 winners were recognized recently at a reception held at the Binghamton Senators Arena Club. Each of the young artists was pre-sented with a personalized certificate and a gift card. YES! Safe Choices for Kids (www.YesSafeChoices.org) is a part-nership between Senator Tom Libous and Lourdes Hospital. YES! works to help kids in our area learn skills they need to resist using alcohol and drugs. YES! also provides parents with useful tips and fun activities they can use as starting points in talking about substance abuse with their kids. Red Ribbon Week is one of the oldest and largest drug prevention programs in the nation. The tradition of displaying Red Ribbons is a sym-bol of intolerance towards the use of drugs. Students used their creativity and knowledge about the dangers of alcohol and drugs to design original artwork for the YES! Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest.
Holiday decorations carry sobering message Young SV artists are YES! winners
Members of SV High School’s S.A.D.D. chapter.
October 21, a number of SV High School students traveled to Dou-bletree by Hilton in Binghamton for YES! Ignites! - a day of training to help prepare middle school and high school students for Peer Lead-ers presentations they will make - in Susquehanna Valley’s case - at Brookside and Francis P. Donnelly Elementary Schools. The YES! Safe Choices for Kids! event featured a number of speak-
ers familiarizing middle and high school students with the tools they’ll need to make effective presentations to their younger peers. Presenters offered insight on public speak-ing skills, some sobering statis-tics on young people’s some-times dangerous and destructive behaviors and being a positive role model, not just to younger students, but to everyone with whom they come into contact.
SV Students participate in YES! training
Sabers are driven to learn traffic safety
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SV Fetes Senior Athletes, ParentsAt the conclusion of each sports season, the SV Sabers Athletic Department honors senior athletes at their final home game/match, along with their parents/guardians. Below are images from the Fall 2014 Senior/Parent Recognition Ceremonies. Senior athletes, families and coaches are congratulated by Superin-tendent of Schools Gerardo Tagliaferri and SV Director of Athletics Denise Wickham.
Football: Jacob Bunts (Daniel Bunts and Andrea Paugh), Bruce Canady (Maria Doty), Adam Clark (John Clark and Claudine Tierno), James Farrow (Brian And Kimberly Megquier), Jake Hawley (Scott and Jennifer Edwards and Matthew and Karen Hawley), James Holler (Jim and Teresa Holler), Byron “Marquis” Jackson (Donna Serette and Byron and Brandy Jackson), Matthew Jones (Craig and Patty Jones), Jared Kachmar (Ed and Lisa Kachmar), Alexander Kane (Kevin and Kate Kane), Jack LaMantia (Thomas and Sharon LaMantia), Ian Lupole (Jamie and Maria Lupole), David Matthews (Dave and Erin Matthews), Tyler Miller (Bill and Christine Miller), Derrick Richards (Michael Richards and Shannon White-sell), Theodore Storti (Michael and Casey Storti), Jared Vroblefski (David and Angela Vroblefski), Jeremy Yager (Alexandria Yager), Lain Zembek (Jeff Zembek and Lisa Donovan). Head Coach: Mike Ford.
Boys and Girls Cross Country: Richard Buchanan (Richard Buchanan), Jason Lakin (David and Rose Lakin), Caitlin Mizerak (Jack and Eileen Mizerak), Mack-enzie Ottens (Brian and Donna Ottens), Alexander Whitney (Brian and Cathlene Whitney). Coach Grace Tabeek.
Girls Swimming and Diving: Emily Corbin (Francis and Tina Corbin), Maura Hanrahan (Larry and Joyce Hanrahan), Michaela Karpiak with parents Michael and Melissa Karpiak. Head Coach Teresa Steflik.
Golf: Jared Fletcher (Joe and Mary Ann Fletcher), Kory Harder (Charles and Carmella Hard-er; Glenn and Teresa Gregory), Dakotah Pritchard (Kyle Pritchard and Debra Biden). Coach Mary Shea.
Girls Tennis: Julia Allen (Terry Allen and Ann Turner-Allen), Holly Bjalme-Evans (Michael Ev-ans and Kirsten Bjalme-Evans), Maura Cleary (Richard and Megan Cleary), Clare Mastronardi (James and Kelly Mastronardi), Clare Osborn (Tim and Barbara Osborn), Maddie Wooden (Jef-frey and Cherie Wooden). Coach Marion Foley.
Boys Soccer: Justin Caroway (Duwayne and Paula Caroway), Kyle Kovach (Mark and Kathy Kovach), Ryan Lehtonen (Jon and Brenda Lehtonen), Anthony Micalizzi (Mike and Lisa Micalizzi). Coach Ted Hudock.
Courtney Beauter (John and Kandy Beauter), Lina Francavilla (Paul and Carmen Fran-cavilla), Kiana Gardinor (Brett and Jennifer White, John Gardinor and Caylene Schilling), Madison O’Dea (Thomas and Kelly O’Dea), Katarina Stockton (Dana and Teresa Stock-ton), Jordyn Williams (Jack and Jackie Williams). Coach Sara Gorton.
Cheerleading: Mikala-Lyn Eldred (Bill Sisler and Tyna Eldred), Alycea Graham (Shannon and Daren Graham), Ashley Lane (Grandmother Kathy Lane, mom Betty Adams), Sherry Ortloff (Debra and Federick Ortloff), Maria Tambascio (Steve Tambascio), Destiny Tyler (Keith and Theresa Bo-vier), Megan Wagstaff (Eric Wagstaff and Tonya Bado). Coach Mary Clark.
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The Susquehanna Valley Central School District - “A Great Place to Live and Learn!” January 2015
At Susquehanna Valley High School, Lisa Chavez’s Basic Food Prep classes prepared a Thanksgiving feast for faculty and staff, putting their culinary skills on full display for a wonderful meal. Students were responsible for every facet of the event: from preparation and menu planning to cooking, decorating, hosting and cleaning up. Students were asked to invite
one teacher or faculty member of their choice as a way of saying thank you. At Richard T. Stank Middle School, the holiday season provided two opportunities to welcome our district’s se-nior citizens to enjoy a time of socializing,
musical en-tertainment, and hearty
meals cooked and served by middle school students and staff. Our guests seemed very appreciative for the Thanksgiving luncheon in November and the
Holiday luncheon just before the winter break, which featured a visit from a jolly old elf in a red suit!
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Richard T. Stank Middle School2014 - 2015 Honor Roll
First Quarter
6th GradeKarim Al-Khalidi • Peyton Anderson • Isabelle Bedrin •
Sean Bronson • Thomas Brusso • Caroline Bunt• Nathan Burns • Maresa Burr • Cheyanna Clauson •Kyle Coddington • Patrick Cooper • James Cortese• Mara Donnelly • Madison Dorunda • Jack Dyson •
Kirstyn Dyson • Alexander Fedo • Peyton Finch• Jayden Foxx • Kolton Gardner • Dylan Gaska •Payton Gendron • Juliana Green • Daniel Hailu
• Paige Harper • Logan Haskell • Barbara Jean Hill •Caiden Hogan • Jacob Ianuzi • Jacqueline Kane
• Nicholas Layman • Trevor Lezotte • Joseph Mayglothling • Skylar McClain • Kayla Miller • Gregory Mullen •
Lisa Parmar • Nathan Paugh • Savanna Ponder• Bella Pope • Lucy Ramirez-Patterson • Allison Reifler •
Halsten Rockwell • Jessica Roon • Marisa Sarantopoulos •Hope Savercool • Christopher Sears • Kayla Shafer• Faith Smith • Mercedes Stiner • Kara Swartwood
• Joseph Sharak • Kelsey Shea • Ciera Smith •Mason Spottek • Gabriella Toombs • Madison Tuttle •
Daniel Wager • Brianna Wasko • Rachel Weyant• Nathaniel Wickham • Kevin Williamson • Jenna Yezzi
Students, staff say welcome and thankswith holiday feasts
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The Susquehanna Valley Central School District - “A Great Place to Live and Learn!” January 2015
As an audience of family and friends looked on, the RTS Middle School chapter of the National Junior Honor Society inducted twenty new members Wednesday, November 5. Chapter President Jarred Freije was at the helm of the induction ceremony, leading fellow chapter officers Quincy Gray, Dan-iel Wager, Benjamin Crisman and Audrey Howell in explaining the tenets of the NJHS:
Scholarship, Citizenship, Leadership, Service, and Character. The ceremony also featured musical se-lections from the 7th and 8th grade band and mo-tivational remarks from
RTS Middle School Principal Roland Doig. Reciting the pledge and receiving certificates and mem-bership cards this year: Amber Lynn Adams, Erin Clow, Darren Dietrich, Marco DiRosa, Brooke Rose Holmberg, Nathan Kick, Na-than Kuhnke, Aidan Lupole, Cayla Perez, Leanna B. Ricci, Sierra Root, Emily Rudock, Joshua Rudock, Kyle Spisak, Logan Stettin-ius, Michael Swiderski, Zachary Taro, Ava Travis, Dylan James Vanderbilt, and Leilani Zamora. Co-Advisors are Ms. Jennie Sher-man and Mr. Eric Holmberg.
National Jr. Honor Society Induction at RTS Middle School
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There was some serious business going on in room 36 at SV High School just before the winter break. Like something right out of an epi-sode of NCIS, students in Sharon Repp’s Science III: Forensics class were helping to solve a homicide. In a lab titled Murder and a Meal, students performed a series of four macromolecule tests for fats, proteins, glucose and starch. Their objective: determine where the “victim” had eaten his last meal. In her lab instructions, Repp wrote: “Central to identifying the indi-vidual who commit-ted this crime is establish-ing where the victim was the day of the crime so that detectives can question the i n d i v i d u a l s with whom the victim came into contact. An autopsy was performed on the victim has revealed that the victim ate just prior to the time of death.” Students tested the victim’s “stomach contents” (actually a concoc-tion Repp whipped up in a blender) to narrow down from three choices which restaurant the victim patronized. Upon questioning the victim’s friends and fam-ily detectives working the “case” learned that the victim enjoyed eating at Davis Brother’s Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings and Avanti’s Restaurante, where the victim loved to go for a night of bread, olive oil and pasta, and - as tests confirmed - the victim ate his last meal.
Danika Dykeman and Kyle Novobilski find that macromolecule
testing sometimes involves unpleasant
sights and smells.
Working the case are: Austin Mooney (left) and Jesse Caskey, Damion Colwell and Robert Conklin (below).
SV high students use forensics training to help solve crime
Brookside Elementary School2014 - 2015 Honor Roll ~ 1st Quarter
FOURTH GRADEDakota Byron • Elliyana Dattoli • Sofie Dyson • Colin Fish •
Aiva Gendron • Isabella Giammarino • Ryan GuilfoyleBenjamin Holicky • Claire Holler • Elizabeth Kick
Mason Lawrence • Daniel Leighton • Mason MatiasSamuel Micks • Francesca Murray • Ian Phillips
Thomas Ricci • Ryan Rychlewski • Troy SchneiderJenna Smith • Jacob Staff • Timothy Stank
Nicholas Stilloe • Graciana ThompsonAdrienne Vanderburg • Adrianna Winseman • Eric Yingling
The second grade at Brookside Elementary School organized a “mitten tree” for our whole school family to participate in during December 2014 - the month of Kindness. Organizer Beth Bieber said, “We col-
lected 26 hats and over 100 pairs of gloves, which were donated to local children, the Wyoming
conference, and the Family Enrichment Net-work to help kids in our area!
Warming holiday hearts and hands at Brookside Elementary
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The Susquehanna Valley Central School District - “A Great Place to Live and Learn!” January 2015
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SV High School 2014 - 2015High Honor Roll • First Quarter9th Grade: Joshua Andrade, Alyssa Barrett, Jared Basmajian, Evelyn Bennedum, Preston Brown, Kelly Cady, Sarah Coddington, Alexis Dietzen, Nathan Dirig, Alexis Drake, Danielle Duke, Parker Fanara, Sara Figura, Adriana Giamma-rino, Nicholas Giles, Kristian Gilg, Carter Gray, Hannah Haskell, Michaela Haskell, Olivia Heater, Kayla Henry, Joseph Hoskins, Emily Jacobs, Zoe Johnston, Sean Kane, Sophia Kilmer, Kyle LaVergne, Padraig Lupole, Nicholas Miller, Abi-gail Olsen, Sophia Pappas, Heather Rigo, Kianah Rodriguez, Dusty Root, Kendal Ryan, Rebekka Stewart, Jared Tyler, Christian Yoder
10th Grade: Christina Cebula, Thomas Coe, Dominique Columbus, Timothy Cooper, Shyanne Daye, Rachel Feltz, Brianna Gaska, Vivian Gates, Olivia Gorman, Mallory Gregory, Ethan Hanrahan, Erika Harder, Emily Harding, Austin Haskell, Jessica Hawley, Nicole Hoffman, Carolyn Jones, Caitlyn Knapp, Courtney Knapp, Joseph Kosik, Ariel Levene, Joshua Nichols, Erin Nolan, Ellie Olsen, Jason Opela, Tiffany Ostrowsky, George Pappas, Payton Prince, Andrea Ro-bilotti, Evan Salisbury, Jennifer Santi, Emily Shafer, Allisaundra Stank, Allyson Steen, Mikkala Todd, Jazmyn Toombs, Mirella Tucci, Brandon Vosbury, Shannon Wheeler
11th Grade: Jhane’ Basmajian, Meghan Bjalme-Evans, Julia Black, Doris Brown, Kevin Cady, Celia Clifford, Elizabeth Cooper, Ellen Cullen, Matthew DePersiis, Heather Donnelly, Alexandra Ferrante, Paige Finch, Marisa Fiorentino, Tyler Gulick, Dinah Haniff, Natalie Hogan, Susan Hoskins, Emily Howland, Megan Howland, Gillian Hulbert, Adrianna Kib-bler, Zachery Knewasser, Linnea Kolanda, Keelinn Laskaris, Mary Lindemann, Vincent Malandra, Cameron Manchester, Nicholas McGrath, Katherine Mosher, Joseph Osgood, Katelyn Page, Molly Robinson, Nathaniel Rose, Lyndsey Stein-brecher, Alexia Stettinius, Lucas Sutton, Kasey Tokos, Christina Waite
12th Grade: Julia Allen, Courtney Beauter, Holly Bjalme-Evans, Nicholas Blakeslee, Lincoln Boyle, Mitchell Buch-anan, Richard Buchanan, Miranda Buckland, Jacob Bunts, Justin Caroway, Whitney Carter, Michael Colwell, Anthony Dellacorino, Brittni Duke, Miranda Ferris, Kiana Gardinor, Lindsay Gregory, Kory Harder, Carly Hattala, Jake Hawley, James Holler, Matthew Jones, Kyle Kovach, Jason Lakin, Ryan Lehtonen, Ian Lupole, Christopher Marcello, Clare Mas-tronardi, David Matthews, Anthony Micalizzi, Tyler Miller, Logan O’Connor, Madison O’Dea, Sherry Ortloff, Alexis Rolston, Rachel Smith, Katarina Stockton, Theodore Storti, Megan Wagstaff, Jordyn Williams, Lain Zembek
SV High School 2014 - 2015Honor Roll • First QuarterGrade 9: Kaleb Allard, Corey Bond, Anbrouse Buckley, Kayla Burns, Danielle Charlton, Vincent Cooper, Genevieve Cortese, Nathaniel David, Dakota Daye, Gabriella DiRosa, Jacob Edgington, Andrew Gaffney, Harrison Gage, Brittany Garrow, Giannino Giammarino, Abby Gilbert, Connor Hadfield, Trevor Harder, Joseph Hardy, Christopher Harold, Ma-liah Harper, Kelsi Hayes, Reshawn Henry, Jonathan Holmberg, Thomas Horan, Charles Howell, Graciela Jensen, Chance Johnson, Hunter King, Alyssa Lasky, Holly Manchester, Kaylin Marean, Tomoaki Joey Mayormita, Nicholas Merrell, Shelbie Merritt, Dominic Micalizzi, Hillary Morgan, Andrew Mosher, Brianna Mott, Olivia Parker, Robert Pierson, Bar-bara Reynolds, Kaitlin Rodriguez, Abigail Rose, Zoe Rowse, Alex Russell, Nicholas Schwenz, Daniel Sheridan, Solena Slater, Mallory Smith, Travis Smith, Deanna Spafard, Jessica Steinbrecher, Noah Sussmann, Geoffrey Sutliff, Austin Theodoroff, Isaac Valentine, Mackenzie Wagstaff, Shawna Zawiski, Rebeckah Zitzmann
Grade 10: Haley Anderson, Mikaela Atwater, Jordan Bado, Dalton Brown, Mark Buchanan, Patience Buckley, Samuel Chapman, Anthony Cortese, Darian Dix, Thomas Donnelly, Dante Esposito, Alex Ewanow, Grayson Fanara, Robert Farrow, Abigail Finch, Brad Finch, Giuseppe Giammarino, Daniel Griffiths, Ervina Halilovic, Timothy Hawley, Amber Hession, Elizabeth Hrehor, Sydney Lister, Brinden Lord, Shalyse Lucas, Devin Mangan, Brooke McBride, MaryEmma McRae, Jason Moelder, Kaneisha Newborn, Hailey Osterhout, Jordan Paugh, Parker Reifler, Ryan Reifler, Erika Rob-erts, Robert Rolston, Mason Shimer, Joshua Shore, Nathan Smith, Amy Storti, Mackenzie Stringer, Jenna Urso, Jeremy Walker, Jordan Wheeler, Marisa Whitman, Alexandria Williams
Grade 11: Elisabeth Axton, Mikayla Bond, Rachael Burford, Jordan Campbell, Christopher Comerota, Paul Deeley, Car-oline Donnelly, Alexandra Drake, James Fish, Ryan Fletcher, Devyn Freeman, Torriana Graham, Mira Hailu-Martinez, Austin Hardy, Emily Heater, Kobe Jaworski, Roberto Jensen, Hannah Johnson, Jessica Kilmer, Joshua Kipp, Shyanne Knapp, Hannah Kuhnke, Shayna Lee, Trisha Meloling, Matthew Merrell, Alexis Miller, Nicholas Miller, Greggory Mor-gan, Paul Morris, Kyle Novobilski, Renee Percival, Timothy Schackne, Jesica Schmidt-Harty, Derek Snedeker, Kaitlyn Stewart, Kashawn Stroman, Christopher Surace, Hannah Taylor, Trevor Terboss, Gair Ulma, Justin Wheeler, Sara Yezzi, Tori Zurn
Grade 12: Alexander Bange, Monica Blewett, Kent Boatman, Samantha Campbell, Michael Christian, Adam Clark, Robert Conklin, Emily Corbin, Rocco DeAngelo, Gabriella Dellacorino, Mikala-Lyn Eldred, James Farrow, Jared Fletch-er, Lina Francavilla, Alycea Graham, Brock Hadlick, Maura Hanrahan, Matthew Hassig, Kaitlyn Hession, Byron Jackson, Alexander Kane, Michaela Karpiak, Jack LaMantia, Ashley Lane, Jordan Major, Derek Mendoza, Abigail Merriam, Shauna Meyers, Kimberly Miller, Caitlin Mizerak, Brianna Molyneux, Brenden Naro, Clare Osborn, Mackenzie Ottens, Andrew Pickering, Derrick Richards, Bailey Rought, Andrew Rudy, Jessie Smeltzer, Maria Tambascio, Destiny Tyler, Krista Vandgrifft, Jared Vroblefski, Alexander Whitney, Maddie Wooden, Morgan Yager
Ian Lupole earned his 150th win in the January 6 wrestling match versus Chenango Forks. The
milestone career varsity victory came over CF’s Jimmy Dyer in the 132 lb. weight class. Ian, who was profiled as a Scholar-Athlete of the Week by Time Warner Cable News in December 2013, has now learned he has been selected to be a WBNG-TV Academic All-Star!
Mat milestone for Saberwrestler Ian Lupole
Twelve Brookside Elemen-tary School students are off to see the moon! They’ve been chosen to participate in NOVA Science pro-grams at Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal. NOVA Science - part of Kopernik’s Science Talent Search - provides extra enrichment through-out the elementary school years for students interested in science. Programs encourage students to work and think like scientists as they explore the world around them. They emphasize creativity, teamwork and independent learn-ing, and teach students to draw on Science, Technology, Engineer-ing and Math resources to solve problems in the real world.
Brookside participants:NOVA 3 - Heidi Brusso, Parker Davidson, Syria Frank, Ian Hard-er, Carly Lewis, Dylan RootNOVA 4 - Dakota Byron, Joshua Frear, Lauren Hannigan, Ka-tie Leighton, Ben Mosher, Cody Olds NOVA 4 Honors Science Program “Exploring the Moon” - in this workshop, students will be-come lunar scientists and inves-tigate the Moon’s environment. Using Kopernik’s extensive col-lection of Moon maps and data, students will find a suitable spot for a Moon Colony, then find out how craters are made. If it is clear, they will observe a Crescent Moon through Kopernik’s telescopes.
For Brookside dozen, the moon awaits!
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The Susquehanna Valley Central School District - “A Great Place to Live and Learn!” January 2015
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On behalf of the Susquehanna Valley Central School District, we would like to thank the following community members and or-ganizations for their generous donations to our annual Holiday Drives. Your kindness helped make the holidays brighter for many families who live in the district. We hope you have a happy and healthy New Year. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness. We could not have done it without you!
Brookside Elementary School Staff and Teachers, RTS Middle School Staff and Teachers, SVHS Staff and Teachers, Gearcor, Ves-tal Walmart, Jennifer Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. DeMane, Mrs. Elizabeth Hayes and family, Conklin Forks United Methodist Church Willing Workers, Kirkwood United Methodist Church, Conklin Kiwanis Queens, St. Mary’s of Kirkwood Knights of Columbus 11062, Kirkwood Fire Department, Kirkwood Town Hall, The Children’s Place, Oakdale Mall, Mr. and Mrs. Bill and Cathy McGow-an, Brackney Inn, SVHS Bowling Team, SVHS Booster Club, SVHS Student Council, SVHS Peer Leaders, SVHS Drama Club, SVHS Class of 2015, SVHS National Honor Society
Sincerely, Anita Barry, Brookside/Donnelly School Social Worker Daniel Kosick, RTS Middle School Social WorkerHeather Fitzgerald, SVHS School Social Worker
“The gifts are all greatly appreciated. It’s wonderful to know that there are kind and generous people that help the less fortunate. God Bless and Merry Christmas and an amazing New Year.” - Thanks, a grateful family
“Thank you to who helped with the Thanksgiving and Christmas gifts. You are all angels. I wouldn’t have been able to make the holidays special for my daughter without your help. So again thank you. God Bless you all.”
An SV Holiday Season to Remember
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The Susquehanna Valley Central School District - “A Great Place to Live and Learn!” January 2015
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Susquehanna Valley High School graduate Jamillah Rodriguez (Class of 2011) returned to her alma mater to speak to high school students about her experiences teaching and traveling in South Korea. Jamil-lah, who currently attends Stony Brook University, spent a year in that country after winning a prestigious scholarship offered by the South Korean government. During the talk she shared stories, as well as pic-tures, about the country’s food, customs, school, and entertainment. Jamillah now speaks fluent Korean and will be graduating in May with a B.A. in Linguistics. SV High School librarian Pat Westgate spon-sored the event.
SV grad shares tales of teaching, travelIt’s been a remarkable year thus far for SV High School senior Jordyn Williams. On October 11, Jordyn was crowned 2014 Home-coming Queen during a ceremony at half time of the Sabers varsity football rout of Oneonta. A short while later, Jordyn earned a new accolade: Scholar Athlete for Time Warner Cable News (formerly YNN). TWC’s Ted Goldberg and Brian Mueller combined to put together a wonderful profile on Jordyn. A well-deserved honor for one of SV’s finest.
Well earned kudos for two of SV’s finest
David Matthews is a leader on and off the field. This three-sport
varsity Saber athlete’s dedication, motivation and work ethic earned him recognition as a WBNG-TV
Academic All-Star. They’ve also earned him the respect of his
coaches, teammates, AND class-mates. Dave manages to balance
success on the hard court, the dia-mond and the turf with academic
achievement. His 97 GPA has him currently ranked in the top ten of
the SV High School Class of 2015. Rebecca Barton, who dominated girls’ bowling for the Sabers before her graduation (Class of 2006), has now been to the top of the bowling mountain: she just rolled her first 300 game! It happened January 4 at Valley Lanes in Great Bend, Pa. during the First Annual Big Dog Scratch Tournament. “My games were 189-300-200-225-231-267 for 1412 to put me at first seed,” Becca reported. “I
lost to Keith Buck 206 to 224 and got second place.” After leaving SV High, Becca went on to bowl for Mohawk Val-ley Community College and then Medaille College in Rochester. She graduated with a masters in business in May of 2010 just 3 weeks after her father passed away unexpectedly. Her dad, Rob Barton, was the owner of Valley Lanes, and Becca has kept the busi-ness running since his pass-ing. “He was her men-tor and teacher,” said mom Sandy Travis. The two of them shared not only a love of bowling, but a love of the outdoors. They were attempting to hike all of the high peaks in the Adirondacks.”
Another mountain conquered for former star Saber bowler Becca Barton
Students in Susquehanna Valley High School’s Liberty Partner-ship Program have been plenty busy this school year. Recent activities have ranged from volunteering at the annual Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) Client Dinner, to touring the sites in New York City to beautifying the river walk in downtown Binghamton. SV’s LPP students worked with students from the Binghamton University Center for Civic Engagement at the annual STAP dinner, set-ting up, serving, and cleaning up. STAP staff, clients, and families were impressed with the hard work our students put in. They served more than 150 sit down dinners and pre-pared almost as many take-out din-ners. Participating were Alycea Graham, Michaela Karpiak, Ol-ivia Parker, Shawna Zawiski, Kim Miller, and Barb Reynolds. Over the winter break, SV’s LPP students traveled with counterparts from Binghamton and Owego to New York City for a day-long tour. Stops included Columbia University, Central Park and Times Square. For many of the students, it was their
first time in the Big Apple. Partici-pating were Colby Cochran, Olivia Parker, Howie Farrow, Mikkala Todd, Michaela Karpiak, Alycea Graham, Hailey Osterhout, Shel-bie Merritt, Thomas Coe, Sarah Amey, Shawna Zawiski, Barbara Reynolds. LP students from SV and Owego volunteered with local artist Emily Jablon to complete an extensive mo-
saic mural along the Binghamton River Walk Trail. After learning the ba-sics of working with tiles and grout, LPP stu-dents jumped in, and the finished result was spectacular! SV Students involved: Kim Miller, Bailey Rought, Lizzie Moelder, Dominique Columbus, Hailey Osterhout, Gabby Jefferson, Brooke McBride, along with SV LPP Alumni Brooke Osterhout and Claudia Fernandez. SV’s LPP advi-sor is Tracy Parker.
SV LPP students are getting involved!
Francis P. Donnelly Elementary School 3rd graders learned about engineering thanks to
Kopernik Observatory. Kopernik brought an in-teractive Lego Workshop that enabled students to build and program me-
