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• Albion – 456 West Ave. (585) 589-4936 
• Arcade – 25 Edward St. (585) 492-5265 
• Batavia – One College Rd. (585) 343-0055 
• Dansville – 31 Clara Barton St. (585) 335-7820 
• Lima – 7285 Gale Rd (585) 582-1226 
• Medina – 11470 Maple Ridge Rd. (585) 798-9765 
• Warsaw – 115 Linwood Ave. (585) 786-3010

Le Roy's Holy Family School closed its doors for the last time a couple of weeks ago, but the school will long be remembered for the outstanding staff and students who graced its hallways and classrooms, for the positive community atmosphere it enjoyed, and for what it meant to local families during its 123-year history.

Photo courtesy of Kelly Hansen

There were 10 students in the final graduating class of the school at 46 Lake St., which was attached to Our Lady of Mercy Parish and served pupils in pre-K through eighth-grade. Students came not only from Le Roy, but also from elsewhere in Genesee County as well as Wyoming, Livingston and Monroe counties.

Photo courtesy of the Le Roy Historical Society

The school has seen a lot of changes -- including a change in its name -- since it was first staffed by the Sisters of Mercy more than 120 years ago (see the  timeline of milestones at the end of this story). Throughout all of these changes, its tradition of academic excellence and thriving school family remained much the same.

People who were part of the Holy Family community are filled with sadness, but also with fond memories and hope for the future.

Here are some stories that give an idea of just how special a place Holy Family was:

Michael Ficarella

Michael Ficarella, of Batavia, was hired as a sixth- through eighth-grade teacher at Holy Family School for the 2011-2012 school year. It was his first full-time teaching job.

"I couldn't have picked a better school to start (teaching)," Ficarella said.

He talked about the supportive team of teachers who welcomed and helped him throughout the year.

"From real early on, they were always coming by my room to see how I was doing, offering pointers on how to make this or that lesson better or how to make the classroom run smoother, etcetera."

In addition to teaching science and social studies, Ficarella also worked with younger students in the school's after-school program. During his brief time at Holy Family, he got to know a lot of kids.

"The students were great," he said. "They were well-mannered, very eager to learn and took pride in their school."

He mentioned the eighth-grade field trip to Washington, D.C., on which the kids were "phenomenal."

Despite losing his job his first year teaching, Ficarella said he is "absolutely 100 percent" glad of the experience and has no regrets.

The Hansen Family

Photo courtesy of Kelly Hansen

One of Ficarella's students was Alex Hansen, who was part of Holy Family School's final graduating class. He attended the school from kindergarten through eighth-grade.

"(The graduation) was bittersweet," said Kelly Hansen, Alex's mother. "What we were witnessing was never to take place at Holy Family School ever again."

"There were many 'lasts' over the past few months. It was very difficult for everyone as the adults tried to make the last days of school the best they could possibly be."

Hansen said that the decision she and her husband made to send Alex to Holy Family was "curious to some because we live in Batavia."

"The answer is never an easy one," she said, "but it always contains the same elements. The high test scores, great word-of-mouth, a place where God could be mentioned without fear of ridicule, not to mention a stellar reputation within the community for more than one hundred years."

She and her husband were also impressed with the parish to which the school was connected, which was called St. Peter's at the time.

"I'm not sure there would be a way to calculate the grand sum from the parish that has kept the school afloat for 123 years," she said.

Photo courtesy of Our Lady of Mercy Parish Secretary Sue Bobo

Of course, the school environment was also a major factor in the decision.

"We were impressed with what we saw the day we first visited," Hansen said. "Children holding the door for us as we came and went, walking down the halls and having students greet us without an adult to prompt them, students standing and greeting adults as they entered a classroom -- all this left us knowing that we were making the right decision for our family."

Second-grade teacher Patty Page is pictured with her granddaughter at a Halloween party at Holy Family School. Photo courtesy of Sue Bobo.

As for the teachers, their "commendable dedication" has left an impression on Hansen.

"Many teachers at (Holy Family School) have taught for 20 or more years," she said. "Catholic school teachers are state certified yet make a small fraction of what their public school counterparts do. They clearly are not in their chosen profession for the money -- it is something they do because they love it."

She sees this as part of a pattern of sacrifices that everyone involved in the Catholic school system makes for what they consider the greater good.

"Most families who choose to send their children to a Catholic school quietly go without things other families take for granted so that their children may reap the abundant benefits," she said.

"We’ve had the same car over the course of all nine years (of Alex attending Holy Family School). It is a bit rustier and a lot noisier. It has driven from Batavia to Le Roy hundreds of times, often carrying multiple students to one event or another."

"To pay for education that could otherwise be obtained for free at a public school is a bizarre choice to some," she said. "But for us it was the only option we could imagine. Anyone familiar with Catholic education knows about the sacrifices made in order for it to be possible."

The Winters Family

Photo courtesy of Bryan Winters

When first-grader Anna Rose Winters learned that her school would be closing, she was very sad. But then the first question that came out of her mouth was: "What are the uniforms like at St. Joe's?"

Anna Rose, like other Holy Family students, will attend St. Joseph School in Batavia in the fall.

"She went through the normal grief stages," said her father, Bryan Winters. "There were tears, but then she very quickly started to incorporate St. Joe's."

Winters was on Holy Family School's Finance Committee for several months, which put Anna Rose in a "unique situation."

"She's a smart kid -- she could read the writing on the wall," he said. "We were honest with her from the beginning that her school could close, but we'd try our best."

And try they did. According to Winters, who makes his living raising money for the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, the committees formed by parents to help save the school "were doing all the right things."

"It's remarkable how much money we were able to raise with the time constraint," he said. "But there were a lot of needs-based scholarships (and other expenses that could not be met with the current student enrollment)."

Like his daughter, Winters also went through the grieving process. But he has a "very great feeling" about St. Joe's and is optimistic about Anna Rose's future.

"(Of course), there are families who have been at Holy Family for three or four generations," he said. "Their grieving process is probably longer, and that's understandable. But I need to think of the best interests of my daughter. We're going to get fully involved in St. Joe's."

Bryan and Kate Winters moved to Le Roy from Monroe County a few years ago. Holy Family School was the main reason for their move.

Having just started a family, they wanted to move to the country to give their kids (they have two younger children in addition to Anna Rose) some "breathing room." But they also wanted to make sure the kids received a Catholic education.

"We looked around Western New York and the Finger Lakes region," Winters said. "We toured different schools in Livingston and Monroe counties, and even some in Erie County."

They were very selective in their search, because everything in their lives is a "distant second to our kids."

When they went to an open house at Holy Family, "that sealed the deal."

"That was where we knew we felt at home (at Holy Family)," Winters said. "We learned about the different programs and the curriculum -- they had a very rigorous program. We liked the student-teacher ratio. It was primarily for that reason that we moved to Le Roy."

With three years as a Holy Family parent under his belt, Winters still sings the school's praises loudly.

"It blows my mind that there were people around here who didn't send their kids to Holy Family," he said. "They must not have known what we had there."

Pictured Principal Kevin Robertson with Mrs. Page's second-grade class. Photo courtesy of Sue Bobo.

Like Ficarella and Hansen, he touted the supportive atmosphere the school offered.

"We could call or email any time, and (the issue) was taken care of," he said. "There was a real family feel, whether it was students with teachers or families with teachers. It was an open community."

Part of this openness was the teachers' willingness to share personal stories with their students.

"Every once in a while Anna Rose would share a story at dinner about a teacher's dog, or about Mrs. So-and-So's son getting into a certain college," Winters said. "The fact that these teachers would recognize (for example) that a first-grader wants to hear stories about a dog means a lot. It goes back to that feeling of family."

Winters' wife is a teacher, so the two of them "have a pretty good pulse on what a good teacher is."

"And these teachers -- they had it," he said.

And the students weren't bad, either.

"The Holy Family slogan was 'Teaching Tomorrow's Leaders,' and I think that's what they were doing," Winters said.

He commented on how the kids would hold doors for people and demonstrate politeness in other ways.

"All that stuff goes above and beyond two plus two," he said. "It was about more than just standardized testing; the focus was on growing the student as a person. It was built into the curriculum."

Anna Rose is excited about going to St. Joe's, but she and her family will always have fond memories of Holy Family School.

STORY CONTINUES after the jump (click the headline to read more):

A Brief History in Pictures

Holy Family's original name was St. Peter's School, after the church with which it was affiliated (St. Peter's Church became Our Lady of Mercy Parish in 2008). The school was placed in the charge of the Sisters of Mercy, who lived in Batavia and commuted every day by train the first year.

A photo of St. Peter's academic department in the early 1900s. Photo courtesy of the Le Roy Historical Society, originally published in the Le Roy Gazette.

St. Peter's grew significantly between its founding in 1889 and 1955, when it was expanded to serve the children of both Catholic parishes in Le Roy (the other one being St. Joseph's Church). At that point, it was renamed "Holy Family School."

Note: Unless otherwise specified, all of the following were published in the Batavia Daily News and obtained courtesy of the Le Roy Historical Society:

Photo published in the Holy Family School Newsletter

Over the years, Holy Family slowly made the transition from a parochial school to a regional school. Hansen said that by the time it closed, "only 40 percent of the students were from Le Roy, with remaining students coming from Wyoming, Livingston and Monroe counties."

Regional schools have different requirements than parochial schools, including, according to Hansen, a "suggested class size (of) 20-25 students per grade level."

Take that, the fact that the school was staffed by state certified teachers instead of religious sisters receiving a modest stipend (which kept tuition costs low), and the population decrease in our area, and you get a good idea of the reason for Holy Family School's closure.

For more information on Holy Family School's history, please see the timeline at the bottom of this story.

Here are some pictures of the school through the years, courtesy of Sue Bobo and the Le Roy Historical Society:

Graduating class of 1957

Graduating class of 1965

Graduating class of 1978

Thank you to the interviewees, Sue Bobo and the Le Roy Historical Society for the information and pictures.

Timeline: Holy Family School:

• 1849 -- Rev. Edward Dillon founds St. Peter's Catholic Church in Le Roy.
• 1852 -- Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald, Rev. Dillon's successor as pastor, begins collecting funds to enlarge parish in response to rapid membership growth.
• 1857 -- Temporary parish school established by Rev. James McGlew in the church basement.        
• July 1889 -- Work is begun on new school behind St. Peter's Church (now called "the annex").
• Sept. 2, 1889 -- St. Peter's School opens, with the Sisters of Mercy recruited to teach.
• Early 1900s -- St. Peter's School has enrollment of 260 students.
• Feb. 14, 1907 -- Most Rev. Charles H. Colton, bishop of Buffalo, administers Sacrament of Confirmation in Le Roy; large number of Italian-American residents ask for their own "National" (or ethnic) parish.
• Feb. 16, 1907 -- Bishop Colton sends Rev. Joseph A. Gambino to establish St. Joseph's Church.
• 1913 -- Significant improvements to St. Peter's Church and School.
• 1955 -- St. Joseph's and St. Peter's unite to build a new school building to serve all Catholic children in Le Roy. Upon completion, St. Peter's School is renamed Holy Family School.
• Sept. 23, 1956 -- Holy Family School is officially dedicated by Most Rev. Leo R. Smith, an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo.
• 1965 -- Gymnasium is built in the school.
• 1989 -- Holy Family School is run mostly by laypeople rather than nuns.
• 1993 -- Barbara McVean becomes the first layperson to serve as principal of Holy Family School.
• 1990s -- 2000s -- Holy Family School begins to serve students from other communities as neighboring Catholic schools close.  Children from elsewhere in Genesee County as well as from Wyoming, Livingston and Monroe counties attend the school.
• 2008 -- St. Joseph's and St. Peter's merge as Our Lady of Mercy Parish.
• 2009 -- 2010 -- Under diocesan plan, Holy Family School transitions from parochial to regional school.
• 2011 -- Parents establish the Holy Family School Finance/Fund Raising Committee to try saving the school from closure.
• 2012 -- Holy Family School closes in spite of valiant student, parent and teacher efforts.
• June 8, 2012 -- The Holy Family School Choir performs for the last time in public at the Le Roy Bicentennial Celebration; receives standing ovation.

Previous coverage of Holy Family School:

Mancuso's hosts Holy Family School, of Le Roy, for Catholic Schools Week

Pictures: Holy Family and St. Joe's kids

Students at Holy Family learning and having fun with art

Text and photos submitted by Steve Ognibene.

Today at Jackson School, friends, family, teachers and staff had their awards assembly and also payed tribute to Shawn Clark principal of Jackson who will move next fall to Batavia High School. 

Many students spoke about Mr. Clark and his contributions over the last four years as principal. They recounted how he was a great proponent of down with bullying and how he served to instill in them all the values that they will carry into the future. 

There was a photo slide show of Mr. Clark with students. They ended with farewells, hugs, but not goodbyes, as they will see him someday at the high school. This afternoon followed with a school-wide picnic day and outdoor fun with bounce houses.

It was a ceremony of celebration more than remembrance as the students and staff of Robert Morris School said goodbye to their decades-old institution and walked into a new future of consolidated classes at three Batavia city schools.

"They're excited and they're ready," said Robert Morris Principal Diane Bonarigo of the students who walked out of the doors of Robert Morris for the last time today. "They'r in a very good place. It's important that we close our year knowing that they will be looking forward to going to their new school next year."

The district's consolidation plan will make Jackson a pre-K through first-grade school and John Kennedy will contain classes for second, third and fourth grades. Fifth-graders will move to Batavia Middle School.

Bonarigo said students felt more comfortable with the transition after a series of open houses where they ran into friends from other schools that they met through sports and other activities and realized they will now all be in the same school.

"We will be one city school family," Bonarigo said.

The U.S. flag flying outside of St. Joe's School had gotten so tattered that teacher Marianne Clattenburg thought it needed replacing. She mentioned it to Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Hawley offered to deliver a new flag to the school.

Today, Hawley was joined by a group of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders to raise the flag for the first time.

After talking with students a bit about the importance of the flag and sharing a little bit about state government, Hawley and the students hoisted the new flag high upon the pole.

When the students found out their picture was going to be on The Batavian, they were thrilled and some wanted to be sure their names were included, so here they are: Shawn, 3rd; Rachel, 3rd; Tegan, 4th; Jocelyn, 4th; Andres, 4th; Bella, 5th; Garrett, 4th; Gabby, 4th; Vincent, 5th; Marlea, 5th; Faith, 5th; Jace, 3rd; Benjamin, 3rd; Spencer, 5th; Tori, 5th; Megan, 4th. Their teacher today was Karen Green.

Press release:

The Board of Education is proud to announce our unanimous selection of
Mr. Mark Alexander as the next superintendent of the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District. Mark began his career as a third-grade teacher at the Churchville-Chili Central School District before joining the faculty at Oakfield-Alabama in 2000. He was promoted to the position of elementary principal in 2008.

Mark has also served as an adjunct instructor at Genesee Community College where he was awarded the prestigious National Institute of Staff Development and Organizational Development Award for Excellence in Teaching and Leadership.

Mark earned degrees in mathematics education and curriculum specialization at the College at Brockport before pursuing his certification in school leadership through the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. 

Mark has served in many leadership positions while a member of the Oakfield-Alabama team, including: chair of the Safety, Health and Wellness Committee; Anti-Bullying Committee member; past chair of the District Advancement Team; past chair of the Career Day Committee; and past president, treasurer, and Negotiations Team member of the Oakfield-Alabama Teachers’ Association.

Most importantly, Mark is an educational leader who has a demonstrated record of commitment to the children of this community, their families, support staff members, teachers, administrators and the broader school community. He is a leader of great character, passion and intelligence.

The board would also like to take this opportunity to express our community’s gratitude to Chris Todd for his outstanding leadership over the past five years. We wish Chris and his family well as he begins his new position as district superintendent of Oswego County BOCES on June 1. We also would like to welcome Mr. Ed Orman, our interim superintendent, who will stay on board with Oakfield-Alabama through our transition in leadership.

Mr. Alexander is a uniquely talented educational leader who will be leading a wonderful school system. He attended and graduated from Oakfield-Alabama and has deep roots in our community. The board looks forward to welcoming Mark and his family with great anticipation and enthusiasm.

Please join us in welcoming Mark on Tuesday, June 12 for a light refreshment reception, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Middle-High School Community Room.

Long before there was a John Kennedy in the White House, there was a John Kennedy in Batavia.

Before there was "Profiles in Courage," there was "Individual Instruction" and "The School and the Family."

Before PT109, there was the Civil War and a young man born in England, who moved to Iowa and joined the Union's cause.

The John Kennedy of Batavia was an educator, a veteran of the War Between the States, and a preservationist, saving the Holland Land Office from assured destruction.

"I don’t think people associate the name of John Kennedy School with the right individual," said County Clerk Don Read, an avid history buff, especially of Genesee County. "Many people don't know that the John Kennedy in the history of Batavia certainly occupies a place in education history and the history of Genesee County. Not many people of his stature have come out of Genesee County."

And that's why there's a school in Batavia with brass Helvetica letters on its brick facade that reads, "John Kennedy School."

The school opened in 1956, and now there's some talk of changing its name, perhaps to Batavia Intermediate School.

The subject came up at Monday's school board meeting and the board seems to be considering the idea.

Board President Gail Stevens said she will support whatever the community wants for the names of it schools (Jackson School is also up for grabs).

"I’m all for giving the community a choice," Stevens said. "They’re the stakeholders in the school, the parents, the teachers, the students. If the community wants change, then I'll represent the community."

While the decision to consolidate schools -- leading to the closure of Robert Morris -- was driven by financial issues, what the schools are named is purely a matter of community choice and Stevens said she didn't want to impose her viewpoint on that choice.

The issue came about, according to Board Member Phil Ricci, because a group of parents brought the issue to the board.

According to Ricci, the parents were concerned that students transferring from Robert Morris would join community schools with community identities, and potentially feel left out of the mix.

Changing school names is a matter of changing brands and getting all of the students involved, Ricci said.

"I think the primary thing to understand is that it isn't so much changing the name of the school," Ricci said. "The way of doing business, the way the schools are run, the way we're deliving educational services is being changed."

The former names no longer fit, Ricci said, especially if you consider the name of JK to be John Kennedy Elementary School.

On the district's Web site, that's the name of the school. On the school building itself, it's simply John Kennedy School.

Ricci said there is a push by some parents to change the name to Batavia School or Batavia Intermediate School. 

Another option, Ricci said, one he favors, is John Kennedy Intermediate School, and some have suggested, he said, Batavia Intermediate School at John Kennedy.

Both Stevens and Ricci said the cost of a name change would be minimal, and there are no concrete plans right now to institute a name change.

The board will discuss it further at its next meeting, Stevens said, and decide what to do from there.

The idea of dropping John Kennedy caught the attention of local historians and preservationists.

The board of the Holland Land Office Museum voted Tuesday night to oppose the change.

"You would  be taking away the history of the community," said HLOM Director Jeff Donahue. "The man should be honored because of the great work that he did for this area and for education in general."

Local author, localist and lover of Batavia Bill Kauffman was chagrined at the idea of Batavia once again turning its back on its history.

"Modern Batavia's besetting sin has been its disregard, even contempt, for Batavia's history," Kauffman said. "The catastrophic urban renewal of the 1960s and '70s was the most spectacular example of this. Renaming Batavia's schools would be yet another -- and wholly unnecessary -- case of the city wiping out its past and severing its connection to those who have gone before. As a proud alumnus of John Kennedy, I really hope that great little school on Vine Street retains its name."

John Kennedy was born Sept. 17, 1846, in England. He was one of 14 children. His father brought the family to New York hoping for work on the Erie Canal, but after Mrs. Kennedy heard nothing of her husband, she packed up the family and moved to Greeley, Iowa.

After the Civil War, Kennedy returned to Iowa where he became a school superintendent, soon gaining recognition for his innovative education techniques.

Kennedy spoke to educators in New York on a couple of occasions, and then the fairly new Batavia City Schools District invited Kennedy to become its second superintendent.

Over the next 23 years, Kennedy led the district, creating a number of innovations in education, such as teacher's aides and a style of teaching that offered encouragement to students rather than direct help.

In 1894, Kennedy learned that the former Holland Land Office, which had been a private residence, was going to be torn down and its bricks sold to Henry Ford for reconstruction of the building on his estate in Michigan. Kennedy started a "penny drive" to raise enough money for a down payment on the property. When he reached that goal, other community members pitched in to complete the purchase and donate the building and land to the county.

"Kennedy realized the significance of the building and because of him, we still have the Holland Land Office today," Donahue said.

Ricci said if the school name is changed, none of the history will be lost. Everything on and in the building of historical value will be preserved, he said.

"I'm fine if it's Batavia Intermediate or John Kennedy Intermediate," Ricci said. "I'm not trying to be blase about it, because I know it means something to a lot of people, but the history that goes with that school is all inside of it. It all stays. The name on the building needs to fit the new brand.

"We have three cultures in three different schools. What we call the schools needs to reflect what goes on in the schools. That doesn't mean we have to get rid of John Kennedy as the name, but possibly add to it; John Kennedy Intermediate school."

FOOTNOTE: Ricci was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy, and subsequently won a seat outright on the board. But because he came in second in the voting, he won't be able to officially vote on anything until July. As top vote-getter in the election, Gretchen DiFante assumed the vacant seat on the board.

Press release:

District parents and students are encouraged to attend Open House events at the Middle School, John Kennedy, and Jackson building sites. 

We hope to have parents and students tour the buildings where students will attend next year and meet some of the staff. Also, this is a great time to sign up for newly forming parent groups at each of the schools. 

Details are as follows: May 30 -- Next year’s fifth-graders and their families are welcome to tour Batavia Middle School. Short presentations will occur in the school auditorium at 4 and 5:45 p.m. Refreshments will be served and tours will be informal. Be sure to sign up to participate in the parent group for parents of fifth- and sixth-grade student. Also,the YWCA will be at the middle school on both days with information on their after-school child care program for the 5/6 House.

Next year’s second-, third-, and fourth-graders and their families are welcome to tour John Kennedy School. Short presentations will occur in the school auditorium at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served and tours will be informal. Be sure to sign up to participate in the parent group for parents of second-, third-, and fourth-grade students.

May 31 -- Next year’s sixth-graders and their families are welcome to tour Batavia Middle School. Short presentations will occur in the school auditorium at 4 and 5:45 p.m. Refreshments will be served and tours will be informal. Be sure to sign up to participate in the parent group for parents of fifth- and sixth-grade students. Also, the YWCA will be the middle school on both days with information on their after-school child care program for the 5/6 House.

Next year’s pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first-graders and their families are welcome to tour Jackson School. Short presentations will occur in the multipurpose room at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served and tours will be informal. Be sure to sign up to participate in the parent group for parents of pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first-grade students.

Shawn Clark, current principal of Jackson School in Batavia and soon-to-be principal of Batavia High School, got bullied Thursday night. Teachers and students ganged up on him, as parents looked on, in a church no less.

The sham was a demonstration called a "bullying circle," used to help educate people about how bullying tends to work in a school environment.

Clark spoke to the community at Batavia's First Presbyterian Church about a new district-wide anti-bullying initiative.

According to Clark, the district is using the popular Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, which has more than 30 years of research behind it.

The vast majority of students who make up that "middle ground" -- that is, those who are neither bullies nor bullied -- is a key focus of the program.

"Most kids want to (help the victims)," Clark said, "but they don't know how."

It is very important, Clark said, for teachers and students to know how and when to respond to incidents of bullying.

"Research shows that when no action is taken, empathy goes down over time."

People then think that either bullying is no big deal or it's the victim's fault, and the problem gets worse.

This program, he said, educates kids and adults on what they can do to help stop bullying in its tracks.

At Jackson, a group of staff have formed a committee called Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports to help build a positive, comfortable and friendly environment where every student can feel safe and welcome.

Once per week, the committee facilitates classroom discussions wherein kids can engage in face-to-face interactions with each other and discuss what's going on in their lives. They can talk about anything from problems at home to what they did on vacation.

"The point is to cultivate a family environment where the kids can feel safe talking about issues," Clark said.

Another function of these discussions, according to Clark, is to encourage an atmosphere of empathy. In talking about this, he made a distinction between sympathy, which is a feeling, and empathy, which is a "learned skill."

"Sometimes if the kids who are bullying know what's going on in the victims' lives, then they'll see them as human beings who deserve respect."

When asked if he has seen a difference as a result of these types of intervention, Clark replied: "Absolutely."

"The kids feel much more comfortable coming to adults and talking to them about their issues (including those that can be symptoms of, or precursors to, bullying)," he said. "And when we get the kids to work things out, the problems tend to be so much more minor than if we had let them go. (This way) we can take care of them before they escalate into something more serious."

The district's bullying prevention initiative has had its critics, though. Clark said that some people have suggested to him that what staff members really should be doing is "toughening kids up" so that they can fend for themselves.

According to Clark, it's not that easy.

"Research shows that kids who are bullied are so traumatized by it that they can't help themselves," he said.

Bullying can cause problems in kids' lives that make it very hard for them to stick up for themselves. The trauma resulting from bullying can lead to psychological disorders like anxiety and depression, and can even cause physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea and trouble sleeping.

Problems like these can, in turn, lead to frequent absence from school, which negatively impacts the student's overall academic performance.

Another challenge is the stigma attached to "snitching," or telling on a bully. But Clark maintains that there is a huge difference between "tattling," which means telling on others because you want to get them in trouble, and "informing," which is a way of keeping people safe.

"I never understood the (anti-snitching) mindset," Clark said. "It's okay to ignore the situation when someone is being bullied, but it's wrong to tell an adult about it?"

For Clark, this is all about rights.

"Do the kids at our school have the right to come to school and get an education without having to be afraid? I think the answer is yes."

But the concerns surrounding the reality of bullying don't just apply to the victims. Clark also talked about the risks bullies themselves face.

"(Bullying) can be a sign of a behavioral disorder that can escalate," he said. "Kids who bully are four times as likely to be convicted of crimes (by their 20s). They are also four times as likely to join gangs."

He speaks from experience, having formerly taught at an elementary school in inner-city Rochester. One of his former students has since joined a gang, and was recently killed.

As far as what people can do to reach out to kids who bully, Clark warned against the temptation to assume that they are outcasts who need a boost in self-confidence.

"The bullies might be the most popular kids in school," he said. "Many times, a lack of self-confidence is not the problem -- they have too much self-confidence."

These kids tend to have good leadership abilities, but they use those skills in a negative way.

Principal Clark appealed to citizens to do their part to help eradicate this scourge of mistreating others.

"If you have sons, daughters, nieces, nephews or friends in the Batavia schools," he said, "just talk to them about bullying. The more people talk about it, the better. The more information we can get out there, the better."

In addressing parents, Clark pointed out the role modern technology -- which he called the "new playground" -- has in the whole bullying phenomenon.

"It's so much harder for kids to escape bullying now than ever," he said.

Whereas bullying used to be more or less confined to the schools, now bullies can reach their victims through computers, cell phones, etc. Even at home, over the weekend, and on vacations, someone can make comments about a schoolmate on Facebook or send him/her a harassing text message.

"Parents should monitor what their kids are doing," Clark said. "The kids are not necessarily doing anything wrong, but someone else might be doing wrong to them."

Clark noted the very positive, caring environment at Jackson Schooland and its great group of students, teachers and staff.

There are more than 400 kids at Jackson, and Clark knows them all by name.

Clark's talk was part of a free spaghetti dinner hosted by Peaceful Genesee, a coalition of local community members and organizations dedicated to fostering nonviolence as a way of life in Genesee County.

Photos taken by Steve Ognibene

GCC President Jim Sunser is going through his first budget process with the college and he told county legislators Wednesday that he would rather not, at this stage, be asking the county for more money.

But, he said, for the sake of maintaining the quality of the institution, the county needs to provide another $50,000 in funding.

The proposed $37 million budget also anticipates the first tuition increase in four years -- raising the price for full-time students by $75 per semester.

"Any new president in his first year as an administrator would enjoy having the luxury of coming to the legislature or the students in the community and saying we're not going to increase funding from any source," Sunser said.

"But I don't think that would be in the best interest of the institution or the students we serve. We're developing an extremely austere budget as it is. I think it's important to take a look at these adjustments so we can maintain the quality of the academic program and the student services we provide."

Sunser met with legislators during the Ways and Means Committee meeting, which GCC hosted in its board room.

Chairwoman Mary Pat Hancock said of course the legislature would like to do everything it can to support the college, she isn't sure the money will be available to increase the county government's share of funding.

The county is looking at $1.8 million in increases in mandates expenses such as Medicaid, health care and pensions, which far exceeds any tax increase the county could enact without the State Legislature overriding the tax cap law.

Plus the county is looking at a multimillion bill to repair roads and bridges, some of which will soon be unsafe for autos to driver over.

"These are the things that are frustrating for legislators, because these are the kinds of initiatives we would like to support," Hancock said. "These are very difficult times."

Sunser said the $50,000 increase in the county's share of funding would still represent only about 5 percent of the county GCC's budget.

He said that given the fact that Genesee County's share is the lowest in the state for any single-sponsor community college, the county faces the possibility of losing control of the college without an increase in funding.

As a single-sponsor college, all of the trustees are local residents appointed by the legislator who have a keen understanding of the community's educational needs, Sunser said.

It's possible in the current economic environment that state officials will look at that 5 percent funding level and conclude the county has an outsized amount of authority over the college for the small size of the contribution.

"I want to make sure folks in Albany and else where understand how supportive Genesee County is of the college," Sunser said. "The legislature, the community and the board of trustees devote an inordinate amount of time supporting the college in all kinds of ways. That's a relationship I would like to maintain."

The budget includes 2.75-percent pay increase for faculty and staff, which is mandated by current union contracts.

While the county share of GCC's budget is the smallest in the state, GCC also keeps its budget lower than other community colleges, Sunser said. 

Typically, GCC professors earn less than they might at other nearby community colleges, and that has been a problem recently as the college has tried to get accreditation for its new veterinarian tech program.

The accreditation agency is concerned that while the college has qualified instructors now, the college is not paying salaries that are competitive enough to retain the faculty and then replace them if they leave, which would render students in the program without qualified teachers.

Rep. Kathy Hochul was in Batavia today, making three stops, including one at Batavia High School, where she presented an award to Siena Pullinzi, winner of the annual NY-26 Congressional Art Competition.

Hochul noted that Siena beat out students from five other counties in the district.

Siena's artwork is to be displayed in the halls of the Capitol for the next year. She will also now have the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., to participate in a ceremony for Congressional Art Competition winners.

While at the school, Hochul stopped by both art classes that were in session and stopped to talk with several students, noting their good work and encouraging them to continue on with art.

At one point she stopped and said, "I can just feel the creativity in this room."

Besides BHS, Hochul spoke at a luncheon at Terry Hills for Independent Living of Genesee Region and this afternoon will visit Arctic Refrigeration, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce’s 2011 Business of the Year.

This is the stone pathway that leads into Alexander Elementary School's outdoor classroom (see the May 2 article, "New classroom will give Alexander students a place to learn in the great outdoors," for more details).

On Wednesday, the school held an open house for community members. A group of fifth-grade volunteers manned the various learning stations and explained to visitors what each one was all about.

The path led to a bridge that fords a stream, which visitors crossed in order to reach...

...Station B: "The Gathering Area," which McKenna Moran described as a "beginning and ending point" for students and teachers.

Here are some more close-up pictures of what that will look like:

This area will also include a storage bin for educational materials about nature, as well as for stories about nature written by the students.

"We find that when kids come out into nature it opens up their creativity," said teacher Ellie Jinks, who affirmed that the outdoor classroom can be used for all academic subjects.

Kolbee Koch and Jacob Przybylski had the job of explaining the "Messy Materials" station, which will give kids the opportunity to engage in unstructured play. Koch said it will also include "seasonal materials," such as pumpkins.

Alyssa Dudley and Haley Alvord hung around to talk about the "Building Area," which is where students will be able to work on their math, visual and spatial abilities by building models "on a scale impossible indoors" (according to Dudley) using blocks and other natural materials.

Taya Townley manned the "Wheeled Toy Area," which is kind of self-explanatory. The photo below gives an idea of what it will develop into.

Nick Allen staffed the "Sand and Dirt Digging Area," which will have a large, in-ground planter surrounded by stone in the center. Students will use this space for "digging, planting and plant care" opportunities.

Paige Cumming's job was to help showcase Station L, where kids will hone their "music and expressive movement" abilities. This area will include a 100-square-foot, handicap-accessible stage and two installed musical instruments.

Cumming said that students will also be able to use this space to put on performances.

And here is the "Bird Watch Area," which is for the observation of wildlife. Landscapers will plant a variety of vegetation to attract wildlife, in addition to installing bird feeders and similar structures.

As an additional educational perk, the classroom includes signs identifying the types of trees that grow there:

(This is a Norway spruce. The letters on the sign were more visible before the picture was resized.)

The school district is working on this project with the help of the Nebraska-based organization Nature Explore. This will be the first certified Nature Explore outdoor classroom in Western New York, and it is designed to benefit students of all learning styles.

But it is not meant only to benefit the school district. According to Sheila Hess -- an Alexander parent and employee of Conservation Connects, which is also involved in the project -- people in the community will be encouraged to use this space as well (for picnics, a place to bring the kids, etc).

For more information, visit the Alexander Central School District's Outdoor Classroom Page.

Supplemental Photos

A drawing of what will eventually be the arch of entry:

Footprints in the pathway:

What started as a Pepsi Challenge award for a new playground has evolved into something much more ambitious at Alexander Elementary School.

Rather than build just another set of swings, slides and monkey bars, faculty at the school have started an ambitious project to build an outdoor classroom.

"There's a lot of the research out there no indicates that kids don’t get enough time outside," said Ellie Jinks, the teacher behind the push for the $50,000 Pepsi grant, but after doing more research, realized the money would be better spent starting an outdoor classroom.

Jinks noted that research shows that children who don't play and learn outside are more susceptible to obesity and later in life, substance abuse.

Principal Matt Stroud also thinks it's important to get children outside more often.

"I know with my own kids at home we try to push them outside as much as possible, but in a school setting it sometimes gets pushed to the wayside," Stroud said. "This is just a great opportunity to get them back to what kids used to do."

Phase one of the project -- which must be completed to specification for the area to be certified as an outdoor classroom -- has 10 stations, with each having a different learning focus.

The goal of the outdoor classroom is to offering learning experiences in not just nature and science, but math, music, art, reading and physical education.

"The focus really is on learning," Stroud said, "but there will also be unstructured play time."

The Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation are helping with the planning of the outdoor classroom, but once construction is complete, Dimensions will also provide teacher training and professional development to help Alexander's educators get the most out of the four-acre classroom for the kids.

While the elementary school has pushed the initial effort for the classroom, it's not intended to be just a young-child learning and play area. Once the focus shifted from a playground to an outdoor classroom, teachers from the high school were also brought into the planning process and the classroom is designed to meet the needs of students all the way through 12th grade.

Jinks, who teaches pre-school, hopes the classroom will give students a chance to explore, to learn cooperation, but also develop an appreciation for nature.

"When my pre-schoolers go out now they just want to step on all the bees and kill all the ants," Jinks said. "We talk about protecting nature and why we want to protect it, so we hope that will be an outcome of the classroom."

To complete all three phases, it will take more community support, Jinks said. The school is actively looking for volunteers to help with the project, as well as donations of money and material.

At 6 p.m., May 9, the school will host a community open house, when residents can see first hand what the outdoor classroom is all about and learn how they can contribute. The school is located at 3314 Buffalo St. in Alexander.

For more information about the Alexander outdoor classroom, click here.

Top photo: Pre-school students Deacon, Catrina and Rachael check out some of the animal prints pressed into the concrete walk way at the entrance of the outdoor classroom.

Jinks and Stroud

Deacon on the wheel toy path.

It was Deacon's birthday Tuesday, and when asked how hold he was, he happily showed us. He's 5.

Voters in the Batavia City School District will be asked to approve a 1.99-percent increase in the tax levy May 15, Superintendent Margaret Puzio said Tuesday following a public hearing on the proposed 2012-13 school district budget.

The budget -- at least on paper -- increases spending to $40,086,732, up $720,687 over the previous year.

But Puzio said the increase can really be attributed to changes in accounting rules.

In fact, district spending will decrease, according to Gary Stich (top photo), who made part of the budget presentation.

The 1.99-percent increase in the levy is still well under -- according to state formulas -- the property tax cap. The district could have increased the levy by 2.59 percent and still been below the cap, Puzio said.

The budget will include an allocation of $330,000 in anticipated state aid to cash reserves, which have beed depleted in recent years because of increased mandated costs and less state aid.

At one time, the reserve was $1.5 million. This year it dropped to $55,000.

The reserve is necessary to help cover expenses when there's no revenue coming in during the summer months, or to deal with budget-breaking, unannounced cuts in state aid, which has happened at least once in recent years.

One of the biggest mandated expenses for the district is payment into the state's teacher retirement fund, which in recent years has gone from a $916,000 contribution to a $1.9 million contribution.

"That's almost $2 million in expense and it has a huge impact on the district," Stich said. "Again, we have no control over it."

About 45 percent of the district's funding comes from state aid, and another 45 percent from local taxes. 

Last year, a big part of the difference was made up by dipping into reserves.

The district will realize cost savings this year from school consolidation, Puzio said.

At the same time, the distirct is restoring some programs cut in the past year, include the Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) program and some music programs.

To help students compete in the fast-evolving job market where written communication skills are more critical than ever, the district will focus more education resources on core state standards, which means more text study in all classrooms.

New teacher and principal accountability standards are also being implemented, by state mandate, including a requirement that principals spend 70 percent of their time with teachers in classrooms.

Also on the ballot May 15 is a measure to change student transportation rules, putting all middle-school students on the same transportation eligibility standard.

This will mean an additional 120 students will be eligible for bus transportation, but only about half of the current eligible students use school transportation, so the district doesn't know yet how many new riders will use the bus.

The change is necessary because of the school consolidation plan.

There are also five candidates in the election for three school board positions. The candidates are Gretchen DiFante, Phill Ricci, Gail Stevens, Gary Stich and Dennis Warner.

Polls on May 15 are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and locations are John Kennedy Elementary School and Batavia High School.

The Elba Elementary Central School will operate under the supervision of an interim principal for the remainder of the school year, according to District Superintendent Jerry Piwko.

Last month, the school board was unable to reach a consensus on who to hire permanently for the position and two weeks ago, Tom Cox, a retired administrator from Lyndonville, was placed into the job temporarily.

A new recruitment and interview process won't start until the school year closes, Piwko said, adding that he hopes a new principal can be hired by August, if not sooner.

"The sooner the better, and we'll go from there," Piwko said.

The position has been vacant since early December, when former principal Jason Smith resigned to accept a superintendent's job in Lyndonville.

"Jason is a great person and a great administrator and he was offered a great opportunity," Piwko said.

The process used to try and find a replacement for Smith involved a faculty search committee, a second interview community, parental involvement and the final two candidates interviewed with Piwko.

However, at their April meeting, the board was unable to come to an agreement on hiring a candidate.

Piwko said the process will be reviewed and he anticipates using a similar process this summer.

Press release:

Batavia Downs Casino will continue to enhance education, both of the sport of harness racing as well as classroom academics, by continuing its scholarship program for its third consecutive year.

The $7,500 one mile Dash for the Cash will be held on Saturday night, Sept. 15.

Five area high school seniors from the graduating class of 2013 will participate. The schools can use any criteria they wish to pick their students. This year’s participating high schools are Batavia, Notre Dame of Batavia, Elba, Pembroke and Alexander.

Kaley Falkowski of Batavia High School with professional Jim Mulcahy alongside won the inaugural event. Last year Elizabeth Shuknecht representing Elba High School with professional Jim Graham took top honors.

Beginning in August, the five participating students will attend at least five training sessions at the track with their professional to learn the safety and skills needed to drive a racehorse. Then between the fourth and fifth live harness races on Sept. 15, they will line up behind the starting gate and compete for scholarships checks of $3,000, $2,000, $1,200, $800 and $500.

“The enthusiasm in the crowd leading up to the race is amazing and it brings an entirely different demographic to the racetrack,” said Todd Haight, general manager of live racing. “These kids train very hard and definitely come away with a better understanding of our sport.”

Again the scholarship event is co-sponsored by the horsemen, breeders and owners of Western New York through the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State, the Western New York Harness Horsemen's Association, Buffalo Raceway and Batavia Downs Casino.

Batavia Downs Casino, America's oldest lighted harness track, opens for its 66th racing season on Monday, July 23, for 72 racing dates with a new post time of 6:25 p.m. Racing will be conducted on a Sunday afternoon, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night basis in August. For more information, visit www.bataviadowns.com.

John Kennedy School kicked off a reading program today with a "Dancing with the Stars" contest in the school's auditorium.

The stars were faculty and staff dressed up as characters from popular children's stories, from Shrek to Snow White and Puss 'n' Boots.

It was a full, multi-media event with rehearsal videos and zingers from the judges.

Children earn tickets to vote for their favorites by completing nightly reading assignments with their parents.

It's Kicks Butt Day and members of the Pembroke Intermediate School SADD Club (Students Against Destructive Decisions) protested at their school against the marketing tactics of Big Tobacco wherein cigarette companies deliberately target teens as potential customers.

Photos submitted by Aaron Brown.

Summary of the school board meeting provided by Batavia City School District:

Highlights from the BCSD Board of Education meeting on March 12, 2012:

Parent Shares Concern Regarding Consolidation
A parent addressed the Board of Education, voicing concerns regarding the proposals for consolidation and cutting programs. In regard to consolidation, her concerns were about people losing their jobs and about test scores decreasing as class sizes increased. In addition, claiming that Batavia is growing, she felt the District will need to reverse the decision soon in order to accommodate an increase in students. In regard to cutting programs, she also cited concern for people losing jobs, keeping students involved in productive activities, and providing students withoutlets for accomplishments that enhance their college applications. Her recommendation was to avoid consolidation and cuts to programs, move administration functions to the Middle School (rather than fifth graders), have a voluntary pay freeze, and have staff increase their portion of paying for benefits to 20%.

Students Voice Support for Music Department
Five students addressed the Board to show support for the Music Department. In addition to mentioning the fun and enrichment of participating in musical productions and performances, several emphasized that the District’s music program had helped them identify what they wanted to pursue as a career and had offered opportunities for achievements and recognition that helped them stand out on college applications. Two are pursuing careers in music, with one majoring in Music Education and Performance at Ithaca College, and the other majoring in Fine and Performing Arts at Genesee Community College. Noting that cuts were made to the music department during the past two years, several mentioned that, although they were graduating, they would like underclassmen to have the same opportunities to grow in skill and confidence that they were given. All were particularly grateful and complimentary to music teacher Daniel Grillo, who they said has been an inspiration and mentor as well as a skillful teacher of music.

Update on 2012-2013 Budget Preparation
Business Administrator Scott Rozanski provided an update on the District's preliminary spending plan for the 2012-2013 school year, presenting a “roll-over” budget, or one in which minimal adjustments to the services provided in 2011-2012 (current)school year were made. This roll-over budget amounts to $40,622,313.

As noted previously, one significant change in expenses is an accounting change which affects the budget total but not the tax levy: in the past, instead of budgeting for such expenses as post-retirement and unemployment, those items were charged directly to the reserve funds - regarded somewhat as a sidebar to the budget. Now both are added into the budget figures as both an expense and a revenue, creating a larger number in both columns but no impact on the tax levy. Partly as a result of the accounting change, the budget shows an increase in expenses of $1.256 million or 3.19% over the current 2011-2012 school year. When the accounting change (which represented about two-thirds or $850,000 of the increase), is factored in, the real increase is about $403,000 or 1%.

The consequent tax levy needed to close the gap between roll-over expenditures and lessening revenue from such sources as State Aid, shows an increase of$980,957, or 5.515%. This amount is well over the District’s tax cap limit or threshold of 2.59%.

As mentioned in previous reports and news articles, the Tax Cap legislation is referred to as a 2% Tax Cap, when in reality, the “2%” figure is only one of the factors used in an eig determine each school district's and municipality's allowable tax levy increase that requires simple majority approval. Anything over that allowable limit or threshold requires a supermajority (60%) voter approval to pass. The School District’s Tax Cap Threshold is 2.59%; any higher increase requires a super majority of voter approval.

In order to bring the budget down to within range of a 2% to 2.59% tax levy increase, between $520,074 (for the 2.59% threshold) and $625,241 (for a 2% limit) would need to be cut from expenditures.

In providing direction to Mr. Rozanski on how to proceed with the budget, Board members agreed that preserving programs to whatever extent possible was a high priority. With that in mind, they opted to support a budget that does not exceed the allowable threshold increase of approximately 2.59%. This, they noted, will still require cuts totaling slightly more than a half-million dollars.

Board of Education Legislative Committee Chairperson Patrick Burk indicated that members of the NYS Assembly are working to restore approximately $178 million in aid through a more equitable basic Foundation Aid formula, while members ofthe NYS Senate or working to earmark $200 million in Gap Elimination Adjustment aid. Whether either of those efforts will succeed is unknown, and our budget preparation uses the projected figures released by the governor’s office.

School Consolidation Update
Superintendent of Schools Margaret Puzio requested that the Board provide direction on the much-discussed consolidation of schools. Weighing the difficulties and reluctance expressed by some families affected by the change against the educational efficiency and benefits of having grade levels in the same building and the financial benefits of being able to preserve more programs for students, the Board adopted the following resolution:

WHEREAS, the Batavia City School District has invested heavily in its facilities as an important vehicle through which it delivers its quality educational program; and
WHEREAS, Board of Education is charged with ensuring that District buildings are being deployed in the most efficient manner in order to provide the best possible educational opportunities for students at the lowest possible cost; and
WHEREAS, the Batavia City School District Board of Education has officially established the Buildings and Grounds Committee as a sub-committee of the Board to make recommendations regarding the condition and use of District facilities; and
WHEREAS, the Buildings and Grounds Committee is composed of a number of individuals including Board of Education members, District administrators, and a certified architect; and
WHEREAS the Batavia City School District Board of Education referred to the Buildings and Grounds Committee (June 7, 2011) the review of a possible building consolidation process that included the possible closing and reorganization of specific buildings for the purpose of increasing efficiency and reducing operational costs; and
WHEREAS, at various times public forums were held to obtain community input related to multiple options for building consolidation; and
WHEREAS, a final report was presented by the Buildings and Grounds Committee to the Board at the February 6, 2012 meeting, recommending the clustering of elementary grades Pre-K through 4 in two elementary buildings and 5th grade at the Batavia Middle School; and WHEREAS, the Board of Education has determined that it is in the best interest of the community to adopt the recommendations contained in the Batavia City School District Consolidation Feasibility Study.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS - the Robert Morris Elementary School shall close effective June 30, 2012, and Jackson Elementary will be converted to a facility housing primary students in grades Pre-K through 1, and John Kennedy Elementary will be converted to an elementary facility housing students in grades 2through 4, and 5th grade students will be educated at the Batavia Middle School. District administrators and necessary to effectuate the assignment of affected students who previously attended each school to another school building. While details of the plan have yet to be worked out, parents who are registering their child(ren) for kindergarten are still asked to so at their neighborhood elementary school.

Superintendent’s Report Superintendent of Schools Margaret Puzio reported briefly on several other items:

* Petitions     for election to one of the seats on the Board of Education are now     available and can be picked up in the Administration Building’s Business     Office. * Student     Artwork is on display in Richmond Library, with a celebration of the     artists scheduled for this Friday at 6:50 p.m. * The     Administration Building, currently up for sale, has had many showings,     much interest, but no offers to date. * There     have been inquiries about utilizing one of our school buildings if     consolidation was to take place; now those inquiries can be pursued. * Friday,     March 16, will be a full day of staff development, with the focus being on     implementing the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) adopted by NYS.     The Staff Development focus will be on Common Core Literacy, with specific     attention on “Deconstruction of Common Core Standard” for identifying     learning targets, cognitive load, learning progression, and daily objectives;     “Close Reading” for making sense of complex text; “Building Academic     Vocabulary” for acquiring and comprehending more sophisticated vocabulary;     and “Writing to Respond to a Text-Dependent Prompt” for attending to persuasive and explanatory writing that utilize reasoning and evidence,   organized in logical ways. (The Common Core State Standards Initiative     is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association     Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The     standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school     administrators, and other experts, to provide a common understanding of     what students are expected to learn, and a clear and consistent framework     to help all children become well-prepared for college and the workforce     through rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills.)

Post-Graduation Report
Administrator of Student Assessment/Data Analysis Pam Buresch presented a summary of the District’s Post-graduation Report, obtained through working with the National Students Clearinghouse (NSC), a not-for-profit organization that tracks student enrollment in colleges. Ms. Buresch noted that tracking this information helps the District evaluate our academic programs and curriculum to assess their value in helping District students to be college andcareer ready, to align coursework with college and work expectations, and toensure a rigorous curriculum where students are prepared to succeed in a global economy and society. NSC tracks such things as the percentages of college enrollment; the timetable for enrollment (immediately after graduation orlater); the types of institutions attended - public or private, two-year or four-year; whether the institutions are in-state or out-of-state; the rate of freshman to sophomore year “persistence” (whether students return after freshman year); degree completion rates and timetables; and the most common institutions for enrollment.

Some ofthe findings indicate that college enrollment is typically in the mid-70% range, that our students are more likely to enroll in public institutions, aremore likely to enroll in-state, that enrollment has been higher for four-year institutions than two-year, and overall persistence rate is about 85%.

For more details, the full National Student Clearinghouse report is available on theBatavia City School District web page: http://www.bataviacsd.org/documents.cfmby clicking on the file folder labeled “District Forms and Publications,” then on the file folder labeled “District Information,” then on the document labeled “National Student Clearinghouse Graduation Report.”

District Calendar for 2012-2013
Deputy Superintendent Christopher Dailey announced that the calendar committee finalized the District Calendar for 2012-2013. It is available on the District’s website.

News from Batavia High
Student Ex-Officio Board Member Taylor Harkness reported to the Board that auditions for the High School play are scheduled, and that spring sports are starting. She also passed on a request that the Board look into inequity of improvements that have been made to the VanDetta Stadium site, noting that the boys’ locker room has received some updates and cosmetic improvements while the girls ’locker room has not, and still has, for example, only one bathroom stall. The matter was referred to the Buildings and Grounds Committee which will meet next week.

Press release:

Genesee ARC is accepting applications for the Genesee ARC Mary Anne Graney Memorial Scholarship Program. Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to high-school seniors interested in working in human services, special education or related fields.

Applications for the 2012 program are available at high school guidance offices throughout Genesee County or at the Genesee ARC website at www.gencoarc.com. Completed applications must be submitted by the April 1 deadline. Winners will be recognized at the Genesee ARC Annual Banquet & Awards Ceremony May 18 at the Clarion Hotel. The scholarship is named in memory of Mary Anne Graney, a special education teacher, who died in 2004.

The scholarship program began in 2006, when one $1,000 award was presented to Pavilion native Caylin Clark, now a teacher at St. Joseph School. During a recent interview, Caylin talked about what it was like to receive the scholarship recognition.

Where did you go to school and what did you study?

After graduating from Pavilion High School, I went on to SUNY Geneseo.  I graduated with a degree in childhood special education, and I also obtained an additional certification in math for grades 7-12.

Can you share your thoughts about being the first winner of the Genesee ARC Scholarship program?

Being the winner of the Genesee ARC Scholarship was a great experience. The money helped pay for some of my schooling. It was incredible to get a scholarship from Genesee ARC because I really enjoy the field of Special Education.

How long have you been teaching at St. Joseph School and what do you teach?

This is my second year teaching at St. Joe's and I teach sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade math.

What other activities have you participated in that support people with disabilities?

During my freshman year of college I got involved in Special Olympics and have been very involved ever since. I coach four sports per year (basketball, floor hockey, volleyball and softball), traveling with the team for both regional and state level events. In addition to coaching, I also help run some events for the Genesee Region. The events include basketball skills, softballs skills and one track meet per year. I dedicate a lot of my time to Special Olympics and I really enjoy it.

Do you have any words of encouragement for seniors thinking about applying for Genesee ARC Mary Anne Graney Memorial scholarship program?

APPLY! Don't let the fear of not getting an award keep you from trying for it. I wasn't expecting to get it, but I applied anyway and it worked out really well for me. Also, if the students are majoring in education I highly recommend getting multiple certifications, special education, in particular!

Anyone with questions on the scholarship or application process may contact the scholarship chair, Genesee ARC Director of Development Shelley Falitico at 343-1123 or sfalitico@rochester.rr.com.