March 2012 A community where learners excel! Newsletter Newsletter Vol. XII, No. 7 Board of Education: Don Edwards-President; Jack Sines-Vice President; Spyros Dimatos, Melissa Stephens, Judy Warner Acting Superintendent of Schools-W. Edward Ermlich Associate Superintendent for Curriculum/Instruction, Health/Safety Matters & Special Education-Kathleen Dixon CF student musicians hit the right notes CF art students’ creativity shines T he Chenango Forks Art Department is pleased to announce that four high school and two middle school students won awards in the 69th Annual New York/Pennsylvania Scholastic Art Awards program at the Arnot Art Museum. is is an enormous achievement since the competition received 444 works for judging and only 131 received awards. Eighth-grader Olivia Haskell was awarded a gold key, the highest honor. Only 16 works received a gold key. Rachel Bouton, Rachel Burdick, Sarah Maximowicz, Olivia Park and Linnae Corgan also received honorable mentions. Students were honored at an awards ceremony in Elmira. Following the ceremony, the Scholastics ’12 exhibition was unveiled at an opening reception. Congratulations to these students on receiving this prestigious recognition. -Keith Rosko, HS art teacher Garrett Krisko & Kenoa Tio-first chair. Front: Ken Starr & David Stermer. Back, l-r: Steve Maximowicz,Taylor Powers, Riley Walsh. Olivia Haskell and her award-winning artwork. More photos on page 3. Front, l-r:Taylor Kimble, Brandy Engel, Lindsay Humphrey, Noelle Valla, Ethan Nelson. Back, l-r: Chris Roberts, Justin Lake, Mark Slocum, Logan DePersiis, Benjamin Haskell, Daniel Gridley, Anthony Bowersox. Unavailable for photo: Hannah Hall, John Moses. 7-9 All-County Band 10-12 All-County Band High School All-County Chorus
Transcript
March 2012 A community where learners excel!NewsletterNewsletter
Vol. XII, No. 7
Board of Education: Don Edwards-President; Jack Sines-Vice President; Spyros Dimatos, Melissa Stephens, Judy WarnerActing Superintendent of Schools-W. Edward Ermlich
Associate Superintendent for Curriculum/Instruction, Health/Safety Matters & Special Education-Kathleen Dixon
CF student musicians hit the right notes
CF art students’ creativity shines
The Chenango Forks Art Department is pleased to announce that four high school and two middle school students won awards in the 69th
Annual New York/Pennsylvania Scholastic Art Awards program at the Arnot Art Museum. Th is is an enormous achievement since the competition received 444 works for judging and only 131 received awards.
Eighth-grader Olivia Haskell was awarded a gold key, the highest honor. Only 16 works received a gold key.
Rachel Bouton, Rachel Burdick, Sarah Maximowicz, Olivia Park and Linnae Corgan also received honorable mentions.
Students were honored at an awards ceremony in Elmira. Following the ceremony, the Scholastics ’12 exhibition was unveiled at an opening reception. Congratulations to these students on receiving this prestigious recognition.
-Keith Rosko, HS art teacher
Garrett Krisko & Kenoa Tio-fi rst chair. Front: Ken Starr & David Stermer. Back, l-r: Steve Maximowicz, Taylor Powers, Riley Walsh.
Olivia Haskell and her award-winning artwork.
More photos on page 3.
Front, l-r: Taylor Kimble, Brandy Engel, Lindsay Humphrey, Noelle Valla, Ethan Nelson. Back, l-r: Chris Roberts, Justin Lake, Mark Slocum, Logan DePersiis, Benjamin Haskell, Daniel Gridley, Anthony Bowersox. Unavailable for photo: Hannah Hall, John Moses.
7-9 All-County Band 10-12 All-County Band
High School All-County Chorus
March 20122 DistrictDistrict
Health insurance… It may be just a phone call away
The Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network of South Central New York, Inc. is collaborating with 65 public schools in our eight-county region to identify and
enroll children eligible for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program ( CHIP), more commonly known as Child Health Plus, (CHP), in New York.
For more information, or to enroll your children, visit the “Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network at www.mothersandbabies.org or call 607-772-0517 or 1-800-231-0744.
You can also call any of our school nurses to learn more about this health insurance option.
Energy management provides potential savings to district
Budgets are tight. Energy costs continue to rise. Is there a way to help cut costs in school districts’ energy bills? Th e TST BOCES says yes. TST BOCES off ers
an energy management service and, last January, Chenango Forks School District contracted for a part-time (.20 FTE) coordinator, Chris Santospirito.
We all recognize that our core mission is to provide a quality education to the children of our community. Excessive payments to utility companies contribute nothing to this core mission. Th e primary focus of the service is to reduce utility consumption to the lowest possible levels, while having little to no impact on the education process. Additionally, due to the current fi scal crisis, districts are being asked to do more with less. Th erefore, the focus is basically on the no cost- low- cost opportunities that might have been overlooked.
A signifi cant part of the service is tracking current and historical utility use and analyzing the results of previous conservation eff orts. Using software tools such as Energy Watchdog (online utility use tracking), EPA Portfolio Manager (online benchmarking), and a variety of measuring tools, building operations staff and district administration are provided with valuable data about building performance and help provide a measure of accountability for the energy impact of capital projects.
In addition to looking at equipment and controls, energy coordinators spend a signifi cant amount of their time educating staff , students, vendors and the public about what they can do to contribute to making our schools more energy effi cient.
After an analysis of the district and experiences with four other districts in the area that have implemented this service, it is expected that the district could potentially save 15 to 20 percent in energy costs. Th ese potential savings may be found in lighting control, temperature control and improved HVAC schedule management.
Additionally, savings can be produced through educating and teaching staff about the real cost of opening windows during heating season, leaving lights on in empty rooms, and not turning off electronic equipment at the end of the day.
Th is service has been available for two years, and three local districts, Trumansburg, Johnson City and Candor, have saved thousands of dollars in that time frame. With the help of this service and the expertise of our energy coordinator, it is believed the Chenango Forks district will also see a signifi cant savings. If you have any questions about this service or what the district is doing to fi nd ways to continue to save money on energy costs, please contact business offi cial Kathy Blackman at 648-7564 or at [email protected].
-Linda Myers, communications coordinator
Cindy Bucker, CF Elementary School: 648-7531
Michele Adam, CF Elementary School: 648-7522
Kara Zimmerman ,CF Middle School: 648-7551
Vicki Moschak, CF High School: 648-7521.
-Kathleen Dixon, associate superintendent for curriculum/instruction,
health/safety matters & special education
TST BOCES energy coordinator Chris Santospirito.
3March 2012 DistrictDistrict
Talent show benefi ts fl ood victims
On a snowy Friday evening, January 13, a Flood and Disaster Relief Benefi t & Talent show was held at the high school. Proceeds from this event will go directly to Chenango Forks families who were
aff ected by fl ood or disaster.
Th e show was arranged by Nancy Wildoner and had a wide and diverse array of talent. Performances included the HS Jazz Band, the CF Drama Club, the Dance Connection, various instrumental solos, Irish dancing and our very own Drew Allport. As part of the event, artistic videos, along with an art display, were supplied by Keith Rosko. A great time was had by all.
A special thank you to all of the students, volunteers and faculty who made this event possible. A thanks also goes out to the families who donated gift baskets as well as the following businesses for their donations: Best Bagels, Cup a Joe’s, Kathy’s Hallmark, Maines, Nirchis Original Italian Pizzeria, Starbucks, Sonic and Weis.
-Lena Hurd, talent show coordinator
Students Bethany Wallen, left and Noelle Valla help out at the talent show.
Front, l-r: Kelly Saroka, Elizabeth Price, Jacob Pierson, Ryan Simmons. Back, l-r: Lyndsey Stone, Tara Grospin, Olivia Haskell, Nicholas Dimatos, Trevor Borchardt.
March 20124 DistrictDistrictSuperintendent Robert Bundy retires
At the Chenango Forks Board of Education meeting held on November 10, 2011, the Board accepted Superintendent Robert Bundy’s notice of intention to
retire, eff ective January 2012.
Mr. Bundy began his career in the district in 1979 as a high school industrial arts teacher. During that time, he also served as the assistant swim coach and junior varsity softball coach for seven seasons. In the mid-1980s, he was employed as CF’s director of communications and curriculum development. One of the major components of this position was publishing the CF Newsletter, for which he won numerous awards for photography and journalism. During that time, he also started the Chenango Forks Summer Enrichment Program, which was in place until summer 2010 when the district eliminated the program due to the economic downturn.
In the late 1980’s, Mr. Bundy balanced his position as director while serving as assistant principal of Harshaw. Following his appointment as principal of the school in 1987, he implemented the concept of shared-decision making through consensus, instituted Reading Recovery, added a Universal Pre-Kindergarten program, updated the early childhood curriculum, initiated good early literacy practices, and involved the staff in the literacy collaborative.
In 2000, Mr. Bundy assumed the principalship of Kenyon, where he introduced the literacy collaborative and instituted changes to move the building toward heterogeneous classrooms and full inclusion of the special education population.
During the summer of 2001, Mr. Bundy became CF’s assistant superintendent of schools. In his new position, he was responsible for implementing the “No Child Left Behind Act.” He also instituted the District Literacy team, as well as
the District Math Team that ensures vertical alignment in the K-12 curriculum and assists teachers in moving their practice from procedural to more conceptual teaching. As assistant superintendent, Mr. Bundy also helped form the building level literacy Teams. Th e Chenango Forks Comprehensive District Educational Planning Team (CDEP) was also formed under Mr. Bundy’s leadership. Th e CDEP team is responsible for setting the district’s educational goals to improve our students’ achievement on an annual basis.
Over the next decade Mr. Bundy took on a number of initiatives. After being named superintendent in February 2005, he continued the district’s commitment to K-12 literacy by adding K-12 literacy leaders in each building. He continued supporting full inclusion of students with disabilities through the implementation of Academic Intervention Services (AIS) and housing BOCES Oak Tree program classrooms at Chenango Forks.
As technology grew, Mr. Bundy supported technological growth in the district beginning with laptops for teachers and Smartboards in classrooms, followed by the distribution of iPads to staff and students. Under Mr. Bundy’s leadership, in 2010, a capital project was completed, which included upgrades to all buildings as well as the completion of the new all-purpose stadium and turf. In his fi nal years, he helped to implement the state RtI (Response to Intervention) initiative in grades K-12, which replaced AIS. RtI allows students to get additional help and guidance as they progress through their education. He also facilitated the consolidation of the two elementary schools (Harshaw and Kenyon) into one elementary school, Chenango Forks Elementary.
Th e Board and district wish Mr. Bundy well in his retirement and thank him for his 32 years of service to the students, staff and community in the Chenango Forks School District.
-compiled by Linda Myers, CF communications coordinator
Update on superintendent search
The Chenango Forks Central School District Board of Education is in the process of searching for a new superintendent, with the anticipated start date of July 1.
Th e board is using the search consulting services of Broome-Tioga BOCES District Superintendent Allen D. Buyck, who has met with the board on several occasions to develop the process and establish the desired characteristics of our next superintendent.
Th e superintendent position has been advertised and applications were due to Buyck by February 17. A fi nal list of candidates is
expected to be ready for board review by mid-March, with the fi rst round of interviews beginning soon afterward. Th e board will be assisted in the interview process by committees comprised of parents and other local residents as well as staff members and students.
Final interviews are scheduled to take place in mid-April, enabling the board to make an off er to the top candidate by April 30.
-Kathy Blackman, business executive
5March 2012 DistrictDistrictPTA at the Forks
Thank you to everyone who helped make our Gertrude Hawk fundraiser a success. Your generous support assists in funding the PTA’s programs and activities. Orders can still be taken
online through the end of March.
We are excited about our People as Reading Partners (PARP) Program this month. Rafe Martin will be our visiting author. He has written many wonderful books that will interest readers of all levels. Th e Scholastic Book Fair and PJ Night will also be included in the festivities. PJ Night will be on Friday, March 30. Many thanks to the PARP Committee for organizing and planning such a great program for our school. We are in need of someone to assist us with our PARP basket raffl e. If you are able to help us, please contact Christine Webb at the number below.
High school seniors should note that applications for the two $500 PTA scholarships will be available soon. More information will be coming soon.
Whether or not you are a PTA member, we hope you can join us at one or both of our upcoming meetings, March 6 at 6 p.m., and April 3 at 3:30 p.m., both in the CFE library. It’s never too late to join our PTA. Contact membership chair Laurie Forker at 648-9715. Our membership form is also available on the district website.
Call or email any of our 2011-12 PTA offi cers with questions, comments or suggestions. We’d be glad to hear from you.
Education meeting, W. Edward Ermlich was appointed as interim superintendent. He will serve in this position until June 30, 2012, replacing Robe r t Bundy, who retired eff ective January, 2012 after nearly 32 years working for the district.
Before retiring, Ermlich served as superintendent of Chenango Forks from 1993 to 2001. Previously, he was superintendent for the Bainbridge-Guilford and Middleburgh school districts and principal of the Marathon Central Junior-Senior High School. He began his career in education in 1965 as a secondary social studies teacher in the Bainbridge-Guilford School District and taught for 13 years before becoming an administrator. He also served as dean of students and chair of the social studies department during that time.
During his retirement, he served as interim superintendent in 2005 at the Windsor Central School District.
A native of western Pennsylvania, he received his bachelor of science degree from California (PA), State College, his masters from SUNY Oneonta, and his administrative certifi cation from SUNY Cortland.
The graph to the left shows the time frame for various components of the consolidation study between Chenango Forks and Chenango Valley
school districts.
If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Blackman, CF business offi cial, at 648-7564, or [email protected].
-Kathy Blackman, business offi cial
March 20126 Chenango Forks ElementaryChenango Forks Elementary
Healthy heart, healthy you
A healthy person usually has a healthy heart and students in third- through fi fth-grades made that the theme of the February recognition assembly-Healthy Heart, Healthy You! Special area teachers were responsible for putting together the assembly and they chose
this theme for the month of February because it is Healthy Heart Month and Jump Rope for Heart Month.
Teachers used iPads to make videos of students doing active things in their special area classes. Students danced, climbed the ropes, did yoga in P.E. class, created hearts in action in art class, and sang songs and played instruments in music class, all with a healthy heart theme.
During the assembly, student MC’s performed and did a great job. Th e entire program was a great “heart hit!”
-Debbie Abbey, CFE art teacher
Bells are ringing in music
The bells were ringing during Cindi Ferranti’s kindergarten music classes as students learned songs by playing
hand-held bells.
Th e colorful bells represented diff erent notes and, with some direction from Ferranti, students performed familiar melodies such as “Mary had a Little Lamb,” Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” and “Old MacDonald had a Farm.”
Th e fi ve-day unit covers the national music standards on performing, which includes playing instruments alone and in a group, as well as reading and notating music.
-Linda Myers, communications coordinator
Sign up for pre-k & kindergarten
If you have a child who will be four or fi ve years old on or before November 30, 2012, they are eligible for the CF pre-k or kindergarten programs. If your child will be six-years-old on or before November 30, 2012, they must be registered for kindergarten for the upcoming school year. Forms will be available for preregistration on our website and at the CFE offi ce
and we will begin accepting them on March 1.
Parent information night will be May 7.
Orientation dates are May 9, 10 and 11, by appointment.
Please note: If your child is currently enrolled in the pre-kindergarten program at CFE for the 2011-12 school year, your child will automatically be enrolled for kindergarten beginning in September 2012. If you have any questions please contact the CFE offi ce at 648-7580.
-Nicole Knapp, CFE principal
Students perform “YMCA” during the assembly.
Third-grader Aspen Allen works on her heart.
Gabrielle Backman plays a bell. Alyssa Specchio rings her bell.Al S h h b ll
I wanted to sit and write about how wonderful the iPad deployment went last month, share how CFE is using the new technology in the classrooms, and what a diff erence
it’s making. Yet, as I walked through the hallways I heard students from ages four to 11 engaged in conversations on how long they got to use them, when they would get to use a given app again, or how their teacher used them compared to their friends’ teacher. Suddenly, it dawned on me that while I could tell you about the way we will be using the iPads in an academic setting, the real magic could only come from the mouths of our students. However, here are the facts about the use of iPads at CFE:46 teachers were trained in proper use, care and integration of iPads in the classroom.Four iPad carts were distributed to our four classroom hallways for charging and syncing of iPadsMac Books were distributed to grade levels for use in developing new curriculum and texts for classroom use.
150 iPads were integrated into classrooms for student use.
While the facts alone are astonishing, here’s the real magic from the students who are using them every day. Th eir answers to what they like about the iPads makes all the work worth it.
Liam Carnegie, fi rst grade, said, “We use them so we can learn a lot of stuff . We can use them as a center. My favorite part is we play with them and they teach us math games.”
Ethan Trevett, fi fth grade, said, “Th ey are more interactive than a textbook because you can do way more things than just turn a page.”
Cadence Kelly, Pre-k, said, “It’s fun. We get to count with the butterfl y.”
It reminds us that learning should be fun. -Nicole Knapp, CFE principal
PARP at CFE
It’s March and you know what that means…PARP is here! Our annual People
as Reading Partners (PARP) program begins March 1 with a kickoff event and calendars for students and parents to track reading through the month.
On March 6, we welcome renowned storyteller and author Rafe Martin. Martin is a graduate of Binghamton University and is the author of more than 20 books, including favorites like “Will’s Mammoth,” “Th e Rough-Faced Girl,” and “Th e Storytelling Princess.”
After a month of reading (and writing) activities, PARP will conclude with our annual evening celebration on Friday, March 30. Th is year, PJ Night will combine with Art/Literacy Night for an action-packed evening fi lled with art displays, a staff play featuring a student-created and Rafe Martin chosen ending, a book fair, and basket raffl es. All PARP activities are sponsored by the PTA. Th ere are many opportunities for volunteers to get involved so if you are interested in volunteering your time, please contact PTA Vice-President Christine Duff y-Webb at duff [email protected].
-PARP Committee
Morning Program at CFE
Our Morning Program character theme for March is enthusiasm. March is also when we celebrate PARP and Music in Our Schools Month. Reading and music make
a very enthusiastic combination and we’re teaching the students that the word “enthusiasm” means being really interested and excited about something. We hope our students are enthusiastic about reading and music. What are you enthusiastic about?
To celebrate Chenango Forks Elementary’s enthusiasm for reading and music this month, our talented students and staff will share music and songs and we’ll all also sing songs about books, such as “Word by Word” by John Simon.
Please join us for Morning Program on day 6 at 9:05 a.m. in the CFE auditorium. Come share our enthusiasm. We hope to see you there.
-Nicole Laura, K-3 library media specialist
CFE March dates3/1-30 PARP month3/2 Dr. Seuss Birthday celebration3/6 PTA mtg., @ 6 p.m., CFE library3/16 SCHOOL is in SESSION for ALL students3/20 CFE site council mtg., @ 2:35 p.m., CFE library3/30 PJ & Art/Literacy Night
Rafe Martin.RR ff MM i
March 20128
“Caught with Character”Chenango Forks ElementaryChenango Forks Elementary
It’s who you are. It’s what you do. It’s the way you live your life. Character counts!
Tracey Moppert’s kindergarten class
Rachel Bender’s 3rd-grade class
Vince Allio’s 5th-grade class
Jen Sanford’s 4th-grade class
Stephanie Zajac’s 2nd-grade class
Pati Maus’ 1st-grade class
9March 2012 Chenango Forks ElementaryChenango Forks ElementaryStudent wins poetry award
Declan Houlihan, fifth-grader in Chenango Forks Elementary, was recently awarded fi rst place in the grades 3-6 category in Th e Young Voices Foundation
2011 Young Voices of America Speak Th rough Poetry Contest. Young Voices Foundation is a Round Hill, Virginia-based educational non-profi t organization established to inspire, mentor and educate young writers.
As a fi rst prize winner, Declan received a $75 award and his winning poem was published on the Young Voices Foundation website at www.youngvoicesfoundation.org.
His poem, below, was written last year in fourth-grade in Jen Sanford’s class during a poetry unit. Declan’s mother encouraged
him to submit his poem to the contest, which received more than 1,000 entries from around the country. Th e contest is open to all U.S. students in grades kindergarten through 12.
The Young Voices Foundation promotes mentoring young writers K-12. They sponsor a variety of writing contests, literary awards, workshops and writer’s groups.
-Linda Myers, communications coordinator
Boating on Dorchester LakeMany a ripple indicates a boat fl oating on the water.
Two fi gures dwell upon this boat, father and son.A fi sh line fl oats in the air, lands on the water, is reeled in - nothing.
The boat lurches forward to a bank with fallen trees, and thick with plant life.Stop. Cast. Into the weeds. Reel in. No fi sh.
Cast. Into the weeds. Reel in. No fi sh. Again. No fi sh.
Then the long row back to shore.On the bank, a family awaits their arrival.
A lunch soon after.In a short time, the fi gures are back on the water.
Floating as if weightless upon the water.Upon this second trip without a rod, without a hook,
Everything but nothing,Except the two fi gures.
Father and son.
Fifth-grade concert a hit
The Chenango Forks Elementary Chorus and Band gave their fi rst concert performance on January 18 to an enthusiastic audience. Th e
fi fth-graders in both groups worked hard to prepare their selections, and their work shined in musical selections ranging from traditional to Olympic to patriotic. Teachers Cindi Ferranti and Drew Allport are looking forward to another great performance on May 2. A special thanks to the parents of the students involved in chorus and band for their continued support.
-Linda Myers, communications coordinator
Samuel Forker, back, and Briana Walker play the fl utes.
Michael Sehn, left, and Nicholas O’Neil perform.
Declan Houlihan.D l H lih
March 201210 Middle SchoolMiddle SchoolStudent of the month
3/2 MS/HS 25-week report card period3/5 Site Council mtg., @ 2:15 p.m.3/6 PTA mtg., @ 6 p.m., CFE library
3/16 SCHOOL is in SESSION for ALL students3/30 MS/HS 30-week report card period
Middle School March dates
Front, l-r: Kyra Salinkas (Band 8-J. Dybas), Megan LeVasseur (Regents Earth Science-L. Brooks), Elisabeth Syron (Home & Career Skills 8-L. Breck), Kelly Saroka (Spanish IB-J. Pepples & Technology 8-L. Baxter). Back, l-r: Kenoa Tio (French I-J. Myers), Alexandra Yoest (Art-J. Russell), Nick Markham (P.E. 8-P. Derr), Jared Maslin (Science 8-A. Brennan & Spanish IB-J. Pepples), Kevin Solomon (Information Literacy-M. Santacrose). Unavailable for photo: Julia Rhodes (English 7-K. Taylor & Home & Career Skills 7-L. Breck), Katilyn Donahue (Social Studies 7-C. Spencer), Logan Blakeslee (Science 6-T. Udra).
Front, l-r: Lyndsey Stone (Science 7A-A. Brennan), Konnor Brown (P.E. 7-P. Derr), Matt Allen (Art-J. Russell), Ryan Ehrets (Band 7-J. Dybas). Back, l-r: Megan Maus (English 8-M. Zappia), Maya Reynolds (Information Literacy-J. Russell), Morgan Madison (Math 7-D. Lynch), Alyssa House (P.E. 7-J. McMullen), Alexander McRoberts (Home & Career Skills 6-L. Breck & Written Expression-P. Kamp), Dan Crowningshield (P.E. 6-P. Derr). Unavailable for photo: James Stethers (Academic Achievement 8-R. Fortier & Home & Career Skills 8-D. Daniels).
Front, l-r: Shawn Orton (Math 6-T. Sanford), Jack Belmore (Written Expression-M. O’Hearn), Ethan Stocum (Band 6-J. Dybas). Back, l-r: Jordyn Watrous (Technology 6-L. Baxter), Shelby Rose (Music 6-N. Wildoner), Laura French (Science 6-T. Vermaat). Unavailable for photo: Bryan Heller (Science 7-C. Church), Casey Clements-P.E. 8-P. Derr).
We are past the half-way mark to the school year and one question to ask is,
“Have you really looked at your child’s agenda?”
It appears to be a simple calendar at fi rst glance, a way for your middle-schooler to write down homework assignments or jot down when a specifi c quiz or test is to be given in a certain subject. However, it is much more than that. Our agenda has an enormous amount of resources to keep our middle-schoolers on track in all aspects of their life. Students can use the Periodic Table of Elements in science, refer to the literary elements when studying various types of literature in English class, remind themselves what operation they have to do fi rst when using order of operations in math, as well as help them with geography in social studies. Th ere is also a section titled “Destination Character,” which examines and reinforces positive character traits, including the top three middle school rules of being respectful, responsible and reasonable (controlled) to ourself and others. Please take the time to examine this with a critical lens, as well as encourage your child to use it as a multi-purpose tool to help them stay on track in all aspects of their middle school life.
-Lori Pourby, MS principal
Students play volleyball
It’s fun, competitive and, most importantly, a good way to exercise and spend time with friends. Intramural sports allows students to play a variety of team sports after school, giving them time
to stay fi t and be with friends.
Volleyball just wrapped up with a competitive match between “Good Source of Fiber” and “McMuffi ns.” “Fiber” beat “McMuffi n” in two out of three games to win the championship. As always is the case, it is better to have a good source of fi ber than a McMuffi n. Congratulations to both teams.
-Paul Derr, MS P.E. teacher
Front, l-r: Kenoa Tio, Trevor Borchardt, Elena Shelepak, Jordan O’Hern. Back, l-r: Nick Markham, Robert Pinataro, Caleb Link, Megan Maus.
In eighth grade, students work on a number of projects during their health education curriculum. One
of their favorites is making hats for fi rst-grade students that contain “anti-drug” messages.
Th e eighth-grade students learn about drugs, their dangers and the dangers of
Alaijah Cheeseman works with fi rst-grader Shaylee Meier on her worksheet.
using them. Th en, eighth-graders design a personalized hat for a fi rst-grade student with anti-drug messages written on it.
As a class, the eighth-graders visit the fi rst-grade classrooms to deliver the hats and to work with the fi rst-graders on
worksheets that teach about the dangers of drug use.
A special thank you to the PTA for donating money to purchase the hats.
Th is is a fun project that both groups of students look forward. Not only do they learn about the dangers of drugs, but they each make a new friend that day, too.
-Karen Shapiro, MS health teacher
Drug-free hats send message
Kassidy Bloom, right, helps Kathryn White with her worksheet.
Anthony Silvanic, left, and Ty Bender discuss drug-free messages.
March 201212 Middle School/High SchoolMiddle School/High School
Students airbrush with a pro
Making a living creating art is not easy but it is an achievable goal if you’re willing to work hard. Th at is what Don Dana, professional airbrush artist at Lincoln Technical Institute (LTI)
in Connecticut, told students during a recent presentation to high school art students.
Dana talked about the importance of education and why it’s important, no matter what profession someone wants to go into, and how to make a living as an artist. He discussed his business, how to work with customers and the hours he works in order to be successful. He told the students, “As an artist, I am not always home with my family. Sometimes I am on the road working for a client, which takes me away from my home. Th ose are the kinds of things you, as students, need to understand.”
He then talked about the specifi cs of airbrushing and how it is not limited to T-shirts but can be used in a variety of ways, including in the automotive industry. Dana then demonstrated a few airbrushing techniques and then gave students the opportunity to try their hand at airbrushing.
LTI off ers programs and certifi cations in automotive, auto body, diesel tech and HVAC systems. Ginny Shishler, LTI high school admissions representative, said, “In my opinion, it’s (airbrushing) going to just get bigger and bigger. People always love custom airbrushing because it’s done completely by hand. It’s not computerized and it’s something that is very artistic and sentimental to both the artist and the customer.”
Students save an egg
Students in Alison Sheridan-Brennan’s seventh-grade advanced science class learned how to save an
egg from smashing. After learning about gravity, motion, speed and momentum, they applied that knowledge to making an egg-saving car.
However, the car wasn’t just any car. It had to be designed to protect an egg from the impact of a crash. Students used everything from Styrofoam and Legos, to tissue boxes and milk cartons to create their vehicles. Th ey learned that the egg needed to be protected from all angles and strapped in to prevent it from cracking during a crash.
Alex Pinney’s car won fi rst place with a speed of 151.2 cm/sec and Aidan Houlihan won second place with a speed of 129 cm/sec. Th e best looking cars went to Tara Grospin and Julia Rhodes. All the students put forth a great eff ort in making their cars.
-Alison Sheridan-Brennan, MS science teacher
Senior Sarah Maximowicz gets some tips from Don Dana on airbrushing.
Laura Haley shows her airbrush art. The top was created by Don Dana and the bottom is Laura’s creation.
-Linda Myers, communications coordinator
13March 2012 High SchoolHigh SchoolMark your calendar for After-Prom Party fundraising events
The Chenango Forks After-Prom Party is a wonderful experience for our junior and senior students and their guests. To make this event happen, it takes the
combined eff orts of our students, parents and community. Please mark your calendar for our upcoming fundraisers and join us in making this year’s After-Prom Party the best ever. Your support is essential to its success.Th ursday, March 15 - Deadline date to submit spring clothing sale orders to school offi ces. Order forms are available on the school’s website on the After-Prom Party page (Parent Resources section).March 1-26 - Java Joe’s Coff ee sale. Order forms are available on the APP page.Friday, March 23 - Gance’s To Go, 11:30 a.m-6:30 p.m. @ Th e Scrapbook Connection on Route 12 (old St. Rita’s parking lot).Monday, April 2 & Wednesday, April 18 - Doug’s Fish Fry, 11 a.m-6 p.m. @ the Chenango Bridge Fire Station on Kattleville Road. Call ahead orders before 4 p.m. at 423- 5996. Information is on APP page.Monday, April 23 - Spaghetti Dinner at the Brass Lantern Tavern on Route 12A, 4-7 p.m. Tickets will be sold in advance and at the door. A basket raffl e will also accompany the dinner.
Late April/Early May 2012 - Car wash. Location to be determined.Wednesday, May 2 - Wendy’s Night. 5-8 p.m. at Front Street location. Both eat-in and drive-thru orders apply to fundraiser. Forks stadium umbrellas ($25) and embroidered lanyards ($5) are still available while supplies last. Contact Sheila Sullivan at 648-5430.
Th e After-Prom Party is a safe, substance-free party open to all Chenango Forks juniors, seniors and their guests following the prom. Th e party is held at the high school and features refreshments, games and entertainment such as a hypnotist, bounce houses and photo booth. Th ere is also a wide assortment of prizes for CF juniors and seniors, which may include laptops, GPS systems, digital cameras, Wii systems, X-Box systems, iPods, dorm refrigerators, balloon rides, cash awards and more.
Please support the After-Prom Party by supporting our fundraisers or making prize or monetary donations. If you have any questions, would like to make a donation or would like to get involved, please contact Sheila Sullivan at 648-5430 or check the Chenango Forks website at www.cforks.org and click on “Parent Portal” and “After-Prom Party Committee” for our postings. You can also “friend” us on Facebook—look for “Chenango Forks After Prom.”
Computer-aided design class off ers free BCC credit
Are you planning to attend Broome Community College (BCC) in the near future? Do you know that the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) class off ered at Chenango Forks High School has BCC articulated credit attached at no
cost to you?
Once you successfully complete the CAD class and maintain a B average or better, students may use this class to replace Engineering 151 or use the class to fulfi ll an elective at BCC. Once you attend BCC for one semester, you may then transfer the credit earned from this class to another college at that time.
So, even if you are not going into the engineering fi eld, but plan on attending BCC, this class could be fi nancially benefi cial to your long-range secondary education plans. See Gray Reid or the high school guidance offi ce for more information.
-Gray Reid, HS technology teacher
MS/HS Bands Pops ConcertMonday, March 19, 7 p.m.
HS auditorium
-APP committee
Senior Lindsey Crawford works on a project during CAD class.
March 201214 High SchoolHigh School
Principal’s message Bullying: Th e new teenage pandemic
School bullying statistics in the United States show that about one
in four kids in the U.S. are bullied on a regular basis. Between cyber-bullying and bullying at school, the bullying statistics illustrate a huge problem with bullying and the American school system.
Surveys indicate that students in grades six through 10 are most likely to be involved in activities related to bullying and about 30 percent of students in the United States are involved in bullying on a regular basis either as the victim, bully or both. Additionally, the same surveys show that cyber-bullying is becoming increasingly commonplace at school as well as at home and elsewhere.
Th ese trends are having a serious impact on learning and overall school environment. Th ey are worthy of our attention. Because of the growing number of students who are being aff ected by bullying in Chenango Forks, our students, parents, school personnel, law enforcement and community resources are being called upon to help confront bullying and the dangers associated with it.
An administrative, staff , student “Frontline Task Force” has been created at Chenango Forks High School to establish a comprehensive plan to take on the issues associated with bullying and cyber-bullying. Th is team fi rst convened in December and has been working in conjunction with other district initiatives to bring an end to this abusive behavior.
Here are some facts on bullying:
School bullying statistics:77% of bullied students are bullied verbally or mentally.14% of these victims have a severe or bad reaction to the bullying, such as low self-esteem, depression, school anxiety and suicidal thoughts.20% of students report that they are responsible for bullying their peers.50% of students fear harassment in school bathrooms.
Th e majority of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 believe they have seen student-to-student violence grow.
Go to www.bullyingstatistics.org for more information.
Cyber-bullying...What is it?Sending mean messages or threats to a person’s email account or cell phone.Spreading rumors online or through texts.Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or websites.Stealing a person’s account information to break into their account and send damaging messages.Pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person.Taking unfl attering pictures of a person and spreading them through cell phones or the Internet.Sexting or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person.
Go to www.bullyingstatistics.org for more information.
Cyber-bullying statistics from the i-SAFE FoundationOver 50% of teens have been bullied online.Over 50% of teens have engaged in cyber-bullying.Over 33% of teens have experienced cyber threats online.Over 25% of teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or Internet.Over 50% of teens being cyber-bullied do not tell their parents.
From the Hartford County Examiner1 in 10 teens have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken of themselves without permission, often using cell phone cameras.1 in 5 teens have posted or sent sexually suggestive or nude pictures of themselves or others.
Th ese statistics are frightening, yet we can help stop bullying if we all work together to recognize what it looks like, where it happens and what we can do to stop it.
Please feel free to contact me at 648-7544 if you have any concerns or suspect that an incident of bullying may be happening in our school. We want to know and we want to do what we can to prevent it and stop it.
-John Hillis, HS principal
15March 2012
Student of the monthHigh SchoolHigh School
High School March dates3/2 MS/HS 25-week report card period3/5 Site Council mtg., @ 2:20 p.m.3/6 PTA mtg., @ 6 p.m., CFE library3/16 SCHOOL is in SESSION for ALL students3/16 & 17 BCMEA Festival III @ Anderson Center3/19 MS/HS Bands Pops Concert @ 7 p.m.3/23 & 24 BCMEA Festival III @ Anderson Center3/30 MS/HS 30-week report card period
Boys lacrosse fundraisersFriday, March 2: Gance’s fi sh fry & steak dinner fundraiser from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Chenango Bridge Fire Station Wednesday, March 14: Wendy’s Night from 5-8 p.m., at the Upper Front Street location. Saturday, March 31: Trivia Night, from 7-10 p.m., at Geneganselet Golf Course.
SeniorsRachel Bouton (PreCalculus-A. Biddle) & Andrew Collyer (AP Biology-T. Giovenco).
March 201216 Home of the Blue DevilsHome of the Blue Devils1 Gordon DriveBinghamton, NY 13901
Nonprofi t OrganizationU.S. Postage PAID
Permit No. 155Binghamton, NY 13901
Meetings & Reminders
2/29 BOE mtg., @ 7 p.m., HS library3/6 PTA mtg., @ 6 p.m., CFE library3/6 & 7 CFCA spring sports sign-ups3/11 Daylight savings time begins3/12 CFCA board mtg., @ 7 p.m., HS lecture 13/16 School is in session for ALL students3/19 MS/HS Bands Pops concert @ 7 p.m., HS auditorium
Acting Superintendent of SchoolsW. Edward ErmlichAssociate Superintendent for Curriculum/Instruction, Health/Safety Matters & Special Education Kathleen DixonBusiness ExecutiveKathy BlackmanCommunications CoordinatorLinda Myers
ECRWSS Postal Patron
Transportation reminder
Private school transportation requests are due by April 1. Please send requests to Jerry Hartman at 1 Gordon Drive, Binghamton, NY, 13901. If you have any
Petitions for the Board of Education seat to fi ll the expired fi ve-year term presently held by Jack Sines may be obtained from Dawn Phoenix, district clerk.
Th e new term will expire on June 30, 2017. Petitions must be returned to the district clerk, located in business offi ce, no later than 5 p.m. on April 16, 2012. Th e minimum number of signatures required is 25.
-Dawn Phoenix, district clerk
Learn to be a board member
If you’re interested in becoming a school board member, the Broome-Tioga School Boards Association is sponsoring a “Prospective Board Member Workshop.”
Date: March 29, 2012Time: 7:30 p.m.Location: Broome-Tioga BOCES435 Glenwood RoadBinghamton, NY 13905Instructional Support CenterConference Room A
Th e workshop will cover challenges in dealing with special interest groups, expectations of colleagues and administrators, legal responsibilities and election procedures. A panel of current school board members will answer questions and take-home material will be provided. Preregistration is recommended. To register, contact CF district clerk Dawn Phoenix at 648-7564.
For more information about the workshop, contact John Paske at 766-3807 or [email protected]. To download information go to www.btboces.org/sba.
-Dawn Phoenix, district clerkLike us on Facebook. Look for us at Chenango Forks Central School District. Th is is the offi cial Facebook page for the district. Information on activities, events,
and other district happenings will be posted as they come up. -Linda Myers, communications coordinator
