BOCES

Three BOCES culinary arts students -- Liliana Espinoza, Tristan DiLaura, and Alexa Wolcott -- have had their heads in the clouds the past few months, dreaming up a meal that NASA astronauts might find comforting while they wait in quarantine before their next flight into space.

Their idea: Something with a Tex-Mex flair to suit the cuisine of Houston, where astronauts spend a lot of time.

The challenge: The meal must be low in calories, sugar, fat, and sodium.

Here's what they cooked up: A shrimp fajita with red lentil tortillas and a creamy avocado sauce; a side of cilantro lime cauliflower rice, and a Mexican chocolate brownie.

If they met the challenge, they could be among the final 10 teams to fly to Houston to prepare their meal for another panel of judges and the chance for a top-three finish, which comes with college scholarships.

Watch the video to see how they put their meal together and what they have to say about it.

Press Release:

Are you an imaginative student who is creative, and likes to be innovative by experimenting with new technology and art? Put your talents to work and create your best work for the 2022 Digies Digital Media Festival. The Digies is an annual digital media conference and festival run by the School Library Service, a program of the Genesee Valley BOCES. The mission of the Digies is to strengthen the digital media continuum between Pre-K-12 schools, higher education, and professional institutions.

This competition recognizes student potential in an annual festival format and draws student entries from throughout the region and the Upstate New York area. Submissions for this year’s annual contest are now being accepted. Students are encouraged to submittheir work that is completed from April 1, 2021, through the deadline of April 8, 2022. All entries must comply with the ethics and copyright guidelines of the festival. Entries can come from schools, public libraries, and arts councils in Western New York. The competition is divided into four genres; audio, graphic arts, interactive, and video. In each genre, submissions are judged per age category; grades PreK-3, 4-6, 7-9 and, 10-12. Interested in learning more? Visit digies.org for more information.

 The Digies Media Festival is made possible by the School Library System, Model Schools, and Media Library Services of Genesee Valley BOCES in collaboration with the librarians and technology coordinators of the
region.

The winner of the 2021 Digies grades 10-12 Graphic Arts category is Michelle Jefferson, from
Dansville CSD. Her artwork is titled Neon Lights.

Press release:

The Genesee Valley (GV) BOCES School of Practical Nursing proudly graduated 24 students at a ceremony held on October 8 at Celebration Church in Leicester, New York. Brianna Spuck was named valedictorian of the class, and Magdalena Lendzion was recognized as the salutatorian. Instructors Marisa Dale, Jackie VanNorman and Janet Green assisted throughout the ceremony. Heidi Mix, Regional Medical Programs Coordinator, was also on hand to congratulate students and recognize them for all of their hard work and commitment.

Mix shared some thoughts about how this class weathered the challenges of learning during the pandemic.

“This class was our first class to be able to transition back to the classroom and clinical facilities. Coming back into the classroom allowed for a more normal school environment which then, in turn, created some strong bonding to take place amongst the students,” Mix said. “If I have to describe this particular class as a whole, I would say they functioned as a team and respected their instructor as a team does their coach. They worked hard for her and also had some fun together.”

During the ceremony, Dale gave some parting words of wisdom to the graduates.

“As nurses, you have a responsibility to do what is right for your patients.  You have to love what you do and have a passion for your work. Stay involved, and contribute. Positivity and knowledge have power,” Dale said.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, John Cima, Lead Coordinator for the GV BOCES Adult Education Program, announced that each student would receive a credit for payment of their NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) exam. These payments to students are made possible due to Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding.

Graduates of the program must complete a 12-month, 1,200-clock hour program that is certified by the New York State Education Department. Graduates of the program receive a certificate of completion of licensed practical nursing.

The program is designed to prepare graduates for the NCLEX-PN Examination for licensure as a Licensed Practical Nurse. This course is offered in three different sites located in Batavia, Rochester Tech Park in Gates, and Mount Morris, New York. For more information about this program, contact the Adult Education/School of Practical Nursing at (585) 344-7788.

The graduates are:

• Taylor Alexander
• Nickesha Anderson
• Emily Antonucci
• Jasmine Avery
• Thomas Brado
• Jasmine Collier
• Lisa Dumuhosky
• Samantha Feldmann
• Lauren Forsyth
• Carey Hewitt
• Ashley Houck
• Camille Hunter
• Brandi Jackson
• Laura Koehl
• Magdalena Lendzion
• Taylor McPherson
• Megan Peterson
• Portia Read
• Jenna Scaccia
• Isaeyah Smith
• Brianna Spuck
• Nevin Steward
• Andrea Wetherwax
• Brianna Wolfe

Photos: Top photo:  Brianna Spuck, valedictorian of the class, (left) with Heidi Mix, Regional Medical Programs Coordinator.  Bottom photo:  Heidi Mix, Regional Medical Programs Coordinator (right), recognizes Magdalena Lendzion as the class salutatorian.

Press release:

Today, at approximately 12:45 p.m., a school bus carrying Batavia Career and Technical Education students to the Building Trades house project site, was involved in an accident. In order to avoid hitting a car, the bus swerved, went off the road and into a ditch. The accident occurred on Route 98 in the Town of Alexander.

EMS responded to the scene, along with GV BOCES Administration, School Resource Officer, and the school nurse. The bus driver was not injured. All students are being evaluated at the accident scene by EMS and the school nurse.

The students are being evacuated from the accident scene and returned to the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center.

“The safety and security of our students is of utmost importance; hence we are taking every precaution possible,” said Kevin MacDonald.

Update, 11 p.m.

Alice Ann Benedict, Batavia City School District Board of Education president, explained that the "confidential search" for a permanent superintendent means that the board is not advertising for candidates.

"We have qualified candidates we will be interviewing," she said. "Candidates who have expressed interest in the position."

She said there will be an opportunity for the district and community to express the requirements they would like to see in a superintendent.

"The Board would never consider hiring a superintendent without input from all stakeholders," she added.

---------------------

Around three dozen Batavia City School District students have signed up for “virtual learning” in 2021-22, the district’s interim superintendent reported to the board of education Thursday night.

Scott Bischoping said that Genesee Valley BOCES will be providing remote learning for students in grades six through 12 while the Livonia Central School District will do the same for pupils in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Bischoping, noting that the current number of students opting for remote learning for all grade levels is 35 to 40, said “that fluctuates because our counselors are working with families, and we want to make sure we vet their decision to make sure they fully understand what is going to happen, how it’s going to happen …”

He said teachers at both locations are working to get the process set up by the start of school next week.

Genesee Valley BOCES and Livonia will provide Chromebooks to their respective students, Bischoping said, adding that the yearly cost per student will be around $8,500 for grades six through 12 and $6,000 for kindergarten through fifth grade.

Bischoping said that federal funds for COVID-19 will be used to pay for this service.

“We’re using – indirectly or directly – funds from the federal government for catching up to pay for that and it will not impact our regular budget,” he said. “It makes a lot of sense for us to use funds for those families who want their kids home because of those health reasons.”

In a brief update of the school’s reopening plan, Bischoping said most of the protocols and guidelines are the same as last school year, predicting there shouldn’t be any issues of “things are going OK.”

No one from the public spoke during a two-minute public hearing.

Bischoping said the reopening plan is on the district website, where public comments can be posted.

Batavia City School District Return to School Guidelines | Batavia City School District (bataviacsd.org)

On the wearing of face coverings, Bischoping said not much has changed other than some loosening of restrictions concerning chorus and band.

Unvaccinated teachers and staff, per a New York State Department of Health mandate, will have to submit to COVID testing on a weekly basis, he said. Those who want to opt out of testing will have to prove they have been vaccinated by contacting the school nurse.

He said that rapid tests will be on hand.

“We’re not going to ask people whether or not they have been vaccinated. We’re going to ask them to report their status to the nurse if they’d like to get out of the testing,” he explained.

Board President Alice Ann Benedict asked about the busing situation.

Business Administrator Scott Rozanski said that in light of a national shortage of bus drivers, the district is planning to combine students from John Kennedy Intermediate and Jackson Primary onto one bus and students from Batavia High School and Batavia Middle School onto one bus.

“In the past, each school had their own buses,” he said. “We have limited drivers … and that’s the best option that we can do at this point in time.”

Benedict also asked about school cleaning schedules, with Bischoping replying that cleaning will take place regularly but without “the same hyper-vigilance about contact as we did before because we realize that isn’t the transmitter or carrier of the virus that we had worries about last year.”

“Certainly, personal hygiene, student hygiene and hand washing … and us making sure that we do clean things on a regular basis, that hasn’t changed.”

In other developments, the board:

• Heard from Benedict that Kevin MacDonald, district superintendent of Genesee Valley BOCES, who is acting as the consultant in the search for a permanent superintendent, has requested to attend the next board meeting, scheduled for Sept. 16.

Benedict said the board is learning toward conducting interviews outside of Batavia, possibly at the Le Roy BOCES building. She said they will be looking to set up dates for the interviews and encouraged board members to make themselves available.

Bischoping suggested the board send information about what is being called “a confidential search” to the staff and teachers so they are informed of the process.

An email to Benedict seeking comment on the search process was not returned at the time of the posting of this story.

• Approved the appointments of Ann Worthington and Leandra DiRisio as supervisors of attendance at John Kennedy and Batavia Middle School, respectively.

Press release

Students in the inaugural Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp graduated Thursday, with four of them preparing to enter full apprenticeship programs and a fifth heading to a technician training program.

Participants split their days at the boot camp's six-week electro-mechanical technician training program between on-the-job training at local employers and hands-on training on Amatrol equipment in the Genesee Valley BOCES expanding electro-mechanical lab.

The boot camp is supported by the Genesee Valley BOCES, Rochester Technology Manufacturers Association, Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program, SUNY Genesee Community College, American Apprenticeship Initiative of Western New York, GLOW Workforce Development Board, Genesee County Economic Development Center and other partners.

Top photo: Front from left, Tom Pelino, Cole Sullivan, Jack Duyssen, and Eli Hopkins; back, Maggie Poray, GV BOCES Batavia Campus executive principal; Chris Suozzi, GCEDC; John McGowan, GCC; Rich Monroe, ElectroMechanical Trades Instructor at the GV BOCES Batavia Campus ElectroMechanical Trades instructor; Jon Sanfratello, GV BOCES director of Instructional Programs; Bob Coyne, RTMA; Rich Turner, FLYAP.  Matthew Bills also graduated from the Boot Camp. Photo by Alecia Kaus.

“Masking is the big issue.”

In five words, Pavilion Superintendent Kate Hoffman this morning summed up what other high-level administration officials at Genesee County school districts are thinking as they contemplate their reopening plans when classes resume on Sept. 7 or 8.

The Batavian reached out to public school superintendents and Notre Dame Principal Wade Bianco to gauge their progress in articulating what restrictions, if any, will be placed on pupils and staff.

During discussions with the officials contacted, it was reported that a Zoom meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. today with Kevin MacDonald, Genesee Valley BOCES district superintendent, to communicate updates on COVID-19 case data and to try to reach a consensus regarding protocols and procedures.

School leaders also have been consulting with Paul Pettit, Genesee/Orleans public health director, for additional guidance on testing, vaccination and other health-related topics.

“We have gone over some guidance following CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommendations,” Hoffman said. “For us, I’m still formulating our plan. A couple things that I know are likely to happen – we will move to a 3-foot social distancing and we will not be offering a remote option this year.

“We do some opportunities for our high schoolers for a BOCES-run program, but that’s has limited slots for that, so we’re really working through things and trying to see if any guidance does come down from state ed (the New York State Education Department) to see what that entails.”

Currently, superintendents are indicating that they don’t expect any executive orders or mandates coming out of Albany, but things could change if there is a reorganization at the top of the NYS Department of Health.

“It’s my understanding that everything (from the state) are recommendations this time around,” Hoffman advised. “More local decision-making.”

All superintendents said they will be sending out information to the staff and community electronically on their websites and via letters, but none have scheduled in-person meetings with parents yet.

On masking, Hoffman said she’s aware that it is the primary concern of all involved.

“We have some families that are strongly against masking and we have some that are strongly encouraging masking,” she said. “Unfortunately, I’m aware that any plan that we put out is not going to satisfy every single person. My hope is that we do the very best for our students and we approach this with a good dose of common sense and we listen to the people who know the numbers.”

Hoffman mirrored what other superintendents said when it comes to putting out a plan that is flexible in case the landscape changes in either direction.

“I believe our plan will be flexible enough to adjust if the number of COVID cases in our area go up, then we adjust to that; if they go down, then we adjust in the opposite way.”

Comments from other superintendents are as follows:

Scott Bischoping, Batavia High School:

"We’re still in the development of those regionally; still meeting with other superintendents," he said. "As you have seen from the national sort of news how this is traveling – changing very significantly, so we’ve held off on finalizing any planning until we get a further view of it."

Bischoping said Batavia plans on returning with students' in-person learning, so at this point, it's down to the masking requirements.

As far as meetings with parents, he said it may be done on a school building basis.

“We may even do those on a building level rather than a full district level because there would be nuances of those requirements and expectations for different buildings," he offered. "Most would be the same and we will communicate that electronically in letter, but with meetings we have not decided yet whether to do one with the full district or with various groups. Obviously, athletics will be different and will have their own meeting."

He said local districts have the "benefit" of seeing what other states are doing.

"We want to get a good look at that over the next couple weeks before we settle on anything," he said.

John Fisgus, Oakfield-Alabama:

Fisgus said that he anticipates releasing O-A's reopening plan by Friday afternoon, which likely will be the first document that will go out to the public. Previously, he sent out a survey to both staff and the community to gauge residents' feelings on face coverings.

"We certainly will be back five days a week in person; we were that all last year, so that's not a question at all," he said. "The big question for us is the masking."

Gretchen Rosales, Elba:

"Our goal is to develop a plan that meets academic, social, emotional and safety issues of the students and the staff. We have to carefully balance the wishing of our community with the CDC guidelines," she said. "The process is pretty intensive but it's important so it will take a little bit of time. We're working collectively to come up with something."

Rosales said she is expecting to begin the 2021-22 school year with 100 percent in-person learning, but is aware of the public's concerns over masking.

"I think that everyone is just waiting for final guidance and then we can make our plan and go from there."

Merritt Holly, Le Roy: 

Holly noted the number of "moving parts" in the process, especially considering what has happened with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

"The interesting part is that I don't know, with the administration change in Albany, if the DOH now will put something out at the 12th hour before we start in September," he said. "So, that's always hovering and hanging. Even though they said they wouldn't, was that Governor Cuomo telling them to do that?"

At the local level, Holly said that today's meeting with MacDonald will hopefully "piece some things together and to find out what other districts are thinking about."

He said he initially thought to release his plan next week, but may wait as more and different information is disseminated.

"Really, what I think that it comes down to is that the mask requirements will be the biggest thing," he said, reiterating the common theme.

Plus, students need to be in school five days a week, he said.

"We can't go back to a remote or hybrid learning model," he said. "That's just not good for kids."

The Gary Hammond Golf Tournament returned to Le Roy Country Club on Monday after having to miss a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 92 golfers who participated had a chance to see firsthand the fruits of the event that has raised $137,500 for the Holowach Memorial Scholarship Fund over its 32-year history.

That’s because Batavia High School graduate Haylee Thornley, recipient of the first-place $2,000 scholarship in 2021, accepted the invitation to share her academic achievements and goals at a luncheon following the four-person scramble tournament.

The Holowach Memorial Scholarship Fund is named for Charles “Chuck” Holowach, Ed.D., who served as the district superintendent of Livingston-Steuben Wyoming Board of Cooperative Educational Services from March 1982 until his untimely death in December 1988.

The golf tourney is named in honor of Gary Hammond, a retired assistant superintendent for the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, who served the district for 16 years.

Hammond was among the participants in the event, which now is coordinated by Charles DiPasquale, director of Adult Education, and Leslie Yorks, business and finance manager, both at Genesee Valley BOCES.

Thornley, while thanking the scholarship committee, emphasized “determination and perseverance” in her speech. She stated that she has decided to pursue a doctorate in Physical Therapy at Daemen College in Buffalo after suffering anterior cruciate ligament tears in both knees while playing sports.

“After tearing my ACL twice, resulting in three surgeries and years of physical therapy, I knew it was the profession I wanted to pursue,” she said. “Therapy requires a great deal of mental toughness and resilience that everyone may not be able to find within themselves.”

Graduating in the top 10 percent of her class with a 98.96 average, Thornley said that her enrollment in the Genesee Valley BOCES Health Academy, instructed by Laurie Napoleone, was a key factor in helping her to prepare for the six-year program at Daemen. She also plans to pursue a double minor in Biology and Business.

“Even though this year looked extremely difficult due to COVID, Mrs. Napoleone gave us the knowledge and skills we needed in order to move on to college and begin our health professions’ programs,” she said.

Thornley said the Health Academy offered 21 college credits through health and social sciences courses, and provided hands-on training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), emergency response and clinical teaching.

“Through Health Academy, I was able to shadow physical therapists and work with patients at Jackson Elementary School, Village Physical Therapy and the PT department at United Memorial Medical Center,” she said. “The knowledge and hands-on experience that Health Academy offered ... allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of patient care, treatment and the daily routines that exist in healthcare facilities and communities.”

A Trustee Scholar winner from Daemen College, Thornley is the recipient of numerous scholarships, including those from the Batavia Business & Professional Women’s Club, Lions Club, Kay Dean Memorial and Genesee Region USBC.

Holowach Scholarships are given annually to assist outstanding career and technical education students with college expenses. The selection process includes written application, teacher recommendations, and a personal interview with the selection committee. Selection criteria includes citizenship, financial need, dedication to and achievement in his/her chosen field.

Other Holowach Scholarship recipients this year are as follows:

Batavia CTE Center

Karly Smith, Oakfield-Alabama. Enrolled in the Justice Academy, she plans to study study Psychology at Roberts Wesleyan College and hopes to become a Crisis Intervention Psychologist and work for a law enforcement agency.

Daniel Gersitz, Attica. Enrolled in the Precision Machining Program, he plans to attend Alfred State College in the fall and study Machine Tool Technology. 

Mount Morris CTE Center

JoAnna Regatuso, Mount Morris. Enrolled in the Agriculture Production Program, she will attend Morrisville State College to study Equine Science, with a career goal to train horses.

Angelita Clark, Geneseo. Enrolled in the Health Dimensions program, she plans to attend Genesee Community College and study Nursing, aspiring to become a nurse or physician's assistant.

Siobhan Costello, Keshequa. Enrolled in the Agriculture Production Program, she will attend Houghton College in the fall to study Equestrian Studies: Barn Management.

Photo: From left, Leslie Yorks, Genesee Valley BOCES business and finance manager; Charles DiPasquale, Genesee Valley BOCES director of Adult Education; Haylee Thornley; Julie Donlon, Genesee Valley BOCES deputy superintendent; Kevin MacDonald, Genesee Valley BOCES district superintendent. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Submitted photo and press release:

Ryan Ditacchio is the commander of the Glenn S. Loomis American Legion Post 332 located in Batavia. As the head of this American Legion Post, Ditacchio purchased five flags that represent the five branches of the Military Armed Services of the United States of America, the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

These flags were purchased to display at various events that take place throughout Genesee County. But Ditacchio had no way of properly displaying flags, so he asked Jeff Fronk, Auto Body instructor at the Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center, if there was a way that students could create a flag display pedestal stand.

“For years, we at the Legion, have been talking about creating a display stand that would showcase these flags that represent each branch of the Armed Services. But this display needed to be portable so we could bring it to the various community events around Genesee County. When I approached Jeff, he was 100 percent behind this idea of the students creating something,” said Ditacchio, who is also the teacher’s aide for the Auto Body Program at the Batavia CTE Center.

Ditacchio and Fronk approached a few other CTE Instructors and the project took off. This week-long undertaking was the result of collaborative efforts from different Batavia Career and Technical Education Center Programs. Metal Trades/Precision Machining students created the insignias, Conservation students crafted the wood platform, Metal Trades/Welding students bonded the piping to hold the flags. Auto Body students buffed, polished and sealed the insignias. 

Since the end of June, the flag display stand has traveled throughout Genesee County for various county events and is now located outside the St. Jerome Center in Batavia. 

Andrew Geyer is the Metal Trades/Welding Instructor at the Batavia CTE Center. He noted how projects like these provide important teaching lessons for students. 

“We (the CTE Instructors) were able to give our students some insight into each of the branches of the Armed Services and what it means to serve our country,” Geyer said.

“This was an awesome collaboration and truly engaged our students,” Fronk added. 

The result of this hard work is not just a five-flag display stand, but a gift to the community that has a lasting meaning that will live for years to come.

The Batavia Career and Technical Education Center is a program of the Genesee Valley BOCES. It operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State. 

Photo: From left, Batavia CTE Center instructors Jeff Fronk, Rodney Staats, Ryan Ditacchio and Andrew Geyer with the flag display stand.

On Tuesday, the Elba Central School District’s Board of Education (BOE) announced it has named Gretchen Rosales as the district’s next superintendent. Rosales is expected to begin in her new post mid-August.  

“I am thrilled to continue my service to the Elba Central School District in the new role of Superintendent," Rosales said. "I feel a great responsibility to the school and community, as my roots are here.

"I am looking forward to collaborating with other schools in the area to further the needs of rural schools, while focusing on the traditions of the Elba community. Now is an exceptional time to be a leader in education; I am humbled and excited to take on this position."

School Board President Michael Augello said Rosales possesses the key qualities that the board is seeking in a superintendent. 

“As a visible and engaged leader, we are confident that Gretchen Rosales is the best choice for our district. We look forward to working with Gretchen as we deliver the best education possible for our students,” Augello said. 

Rosales is the principal of Elba Junior/Senior High School, a position she has held since 2019. Previously, she was the assistant principal of Alexander Middle/High School. From 2015-2017, she served as an instructional support specialist and middle school department chair at the Kendall Central schools.

Rosales began her career in education in 1998 as an English as a Second Language Teaching Assistant/Long-term Spanish Substitute for Elba Central schools. Her teaching experience is extensive in both the private and public-school systems.

Along with teaching at Elba Central Schools, she has taught at St. Anthony’s School, El Campo High School in Texas, and Kendall Central Schools. Rosales also taught at the college level and was an adjunct instructor at Genesee Community College.

Her specialized training includes restorative practices in instruction and discipline, and creating inclusive schools and trauma-informed teaching.

Rosales has many honors and awards including as the two-time recipient of the Kendall Junior/Senior High School Teacher of the Year Award. She earned the HEB Excellence in Education Award while teaching in Texas. 

Rosales earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, as well as, a Master of Science in Spanish and Secondary Education from SUNY Geneseo. She holds two Master of Science degrees from SUNY Stony Brook, one in Higher Education Administration and another in Educational Leadership and Administration. She holds New York State Certifications in Spanish 7-12 and as a School District Administrator. Rosales also earned her teaching certifications in Texas in Spanish 6-12 and English as a Second Language K-12. 

Kevin MacDonald, District superintendent of Genesee Valley BOCES, acted as the search consultant and noted that the search process was a true collaboration between the Board of Education, district staff and community.

Image: A first-place Graphic Arts creation, grades 10 to 12, by Michelle Jefferson from Dansville Central Schools called "Neon Lights."

Submitted image and press release:

The DIGIES is an annual digital media conference and festival run by the School Library Service, a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.

The mission of The DIGIES is to strengthen the digital media continuum between Pre-K-12 schools, higher education and professional institutions. The DIGIES recognizes student potential in an annual festival format and draws student entries from throughout the region and the Upstate New York area.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this in-person awards’ ceremony was canceled. Emilee Williamson and Andrea Fetterly, library technologies’ specialists, coordinate this conference. Fetterly said despite the pandemic, this year’s festival drew a number of entries.

“We are excited to celebrate the amazing creativity and skill demonstrated by the participants in this year's DIGIES festival," Fetterly said. "Despite a much different school year with remote learning and other extraordinary circumstances, students continue to achieve great success."

Congratulations to these imaginative students!

Audio

Seventh-ninth Grades

• First Place: Gadge Savastano -- "Irregular Time" -- Mount Morris Central School
• Second Place: Harper Antonucci -- "Right Side Up" -- Geneseo Central School

10th-12th Grades

• First Place: Matt Sullivan -- "The Digies Beat" -- Wildwood Education Center GST BOCES
• Second Place: Desinee Woodworth -- "Fade Out" -- Dansville Central School
• Third Place: Benjamin Scoins, Devon Vaughn, Ainsley Czechowicz -- "Shooting for a Cure" -- Pembroke Central School

Graphic Arts

Pre-K-third Grades

• FIRST PLACE: Aiden Palmer -- "Aiden Catches the Rainbow" -- Pavilion Central School

Fourth-sixth Grades

• First Place: Mrs. Sylor’s 5th Grade Class -- "Class Portrait" -- Livonia Central School
• Second Place: Madelyn Burnett -- "Burning Bush" -- Southwestern Central School
• Second Place: Avery Boor -- "Stitch Digital Drawing" -- Avon Central School
• Third Place: Evie Walters -- "Comfortable Cat" -- Livonia Central School
• Third Place: Zuli Mayer -- "Shy Smile" -- Lancaster William Street Central School

Seventh-ninth Grades

• First Place: Aniya Ellsworth -- "Digital Mosaic" -- Eden Middle/High School
• Second Place: Gregory Martin -- "Virtual Gallery" -- Rush-Henrietta Central School
• Third Place: Parker Baldwin -- "Virtual Gallery" -- Rush-Henrietta Central School

10th-12th Grades

• First Place: Michelle Jefferson -- "Neon Lights" -- Dansville Central School
• Second Place: Anna Wojtas – "Bridge" -- Brockport Central School
• Third Place: DezaRay Burley -- "New World" -- Wildwood Education Center GST BOCES

Interactive

Pre-K-third Grades

• First Place: Mrs. Leanord’s first-grade class (Ace Friday, Brianna Gilmore, Kylie Greenway, Tyler Hanvey, Evelyn Holmes, Isabella Jackson, Aubrie Jordan, Michaela MacPherson, Kate Rehberg, Gavin Rubert, Atticus Salogar, Luna Santangelo and Frankie Tirabassi) – "Animal Adaptations" – Avon Central School
• Second Place: Caydence Chappius, Maggie Driscoll, Adelyn Duryea, Callaghan George, Reed Jaros, Charlie Chesnes, Ruby Kyle, Nora Lane, Kenna MacPherson, Conlan McLaughlin, Emma Moran, Donivan Welch, Isabella Tumminelli, Jeremiah Jordan) – "Animal Habitats" – Avon Central School
• Third Place: Morgan Arber, Briella Bailey, Brooke Clinton, Logan Gaczynski, Evan Hill, Madelyn Hindle, Malcolm Lincourt, Annalisa Murphy, Connor O'Dea, Emily Oyler, Patrick Powers, Layla Price, Kaiden Kellman – "Habitats" – Avon Central School

Fourth-sixth Grades

• First Place: Julianna Lawson, Annabelle Bajus, Adeline Timothy – "All About Dogs" – Keshequa Central School
• Second Place: Emerson Currin, Reese Koukides, Cora Weaver – "Snoop Pups" – Le Roy Central School
• Third Place: Mrs. Dorey’s Fourth Grade Class – "Museum of Invention" – Livonia Central School

10th-12th Grades

• First Place: Dylan Lewis – "Minecraft World" – Cassadaga Central School
• Second Place: Anna Burkhartzmeyer, Madeline Cherwonik, Samuel Coyle, Patrick Farrell, Abigail Foley, Dia Gauthier, Eliza Gonzalez, Claire Gratto, Nicholas Nealon, Samantha Place, Laine Ramsay, Colby Reixinger, Natalie Smith, Leia Thibaut – "The Pandemic Publication" – Brockport Central School
• Third Place – Sean Pies – "High Flyin Vinyl" – Batavia City School

Video

Pre-K-third Grades

• First Place: Cooper Clark – "Jellyfish" – Livonia Central School
• Second Place: James McMahon – "Commercial for an Electric Scooter" – Geneseo Central School
• Third Place: Ethan McMahon – "Commercial for Roller Blades" – Geneseo Central School

Fourth-sixth Grades

• First Place: Emilia McMahan – “Rainbow Bird” Claymation – Avon Central School
• Second Place: Sunny Quinn, Lilianna Pragle – "How NOT to Wear a Mask" – Livonia Central School
• Third Place: Halie Hassell – "Changing the World" – Le Roy Central School

Seventh-ninth Grades

• First Place: Adam Dolph – "Insane Trick Shots" – Alexander Central School
• Second Place: Anna Holt, Zoey Wallace, Chloe Hennings – "Roasty Toasty Toaster" – Alexander Central School
• Third Place: Andrew Lindboom – "Travel Video Paris" – Southwestern Central School

10th-12th Grades

• First Place: Jacob French – Cookie Jar – Geneseo Central School
• Second Place: Ashlyn Kreiss – Two’s a Pair – Pittsford Sutherland Central School
• Third Place: Charlotte Raith – Study Break – Pittsford Sutherland Central School

About the School Library Service

It is a program of the Genesee Valley BOCES. GV BOCES operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State.

Submitted photo and press release:

Henry Schafer is a young man who sets a goal and is not afraid to work hard to achieve it. This senior from Notre Dame High School in Batavia is enrolled in the Electro-Mechanical Trades Program at the Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center.

Henry was recently awarded the Electrical Association of Western New York’s (WNY) School-to-Work Scholarship for $500. According to the Electrical Association of WNY, the money is to be used toward the cost of tools for individuals seeking a career in the electrical trade.

After graduation, Henry plans to attend Alfred State College of Technology to study Electrical Construction and Maintenance Electrician. His long-term goal is to, “Work as an electrician to take care of myself, my family, and keep a roof over our heads.”

Rich Monroe is the instructor of the Electro-Mechanical Trades Program at the Batavia CTE Center.

“Henry’s growth has been remarkable," Monroe said. "He came into this program as a very timid person. Last summer, he had a co-op job with Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning where he was able to use the skills that he learned in this program. Henry has a tremendous work ethic.”

Henry is currently in a work co-op program with Bonduelle in Bergen where he is gaining valuable on-the-job experience. This worldwide food processing company has three locations in New York State. 

“I’m learning how to fix motors and ballasts," Henry said. "So much of what I learned in this program is helping me in this co-op."

This humble and shy young man has many accomplishments. He is a member of the National Honor Society at Notre Dame High School and also a member of the National Technical Honor Society at the Batavia CTE Center.  He has been a recipient of the Notre Dame High School Anima Christi Award, and is also a scholar athlete for both cross-country and swimming.

Henry was awarded the New York State Triple C Award, which recognizes the courage, character, and commitment of New York State’s outstanding students.

In Henry’s free time, he volunteers at St. Michael’s Church as an altar server and usher, and helps in his church’s Clothes Closet.  

The Electrical Association of Western New York established a School-to-Work Scholarship in 1998. All applicants are judged on academic achievement in school and personal characteristics by an independent panel of area school educators.

The Electro-Mechanical Trades Program is offered at the Batavia CTE Center, a Genesee Valley BOCES program. GV BOCES operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State.

Photo from left: Rich Monroe, instructor, Electro-Mechanical Trades Program; student Henry Schaefer; and Maggie Poray, Student Services coordinator, Batavia CTE Center.

Above, Jon Sanfratello, executive principal GV BOCES Batavia Campus, presents the First Place Charles Holowach Memorial Scholarship to Haylee Thornley (right), a Health Careers Academy student from Batavia CSD.

Submitted photos and press release:

The Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center is proud to announce the achievements of its seniors. They received recognition at an awards ceremont Thursday night.

The 20 award winners, their programs, home schools and scholarships received, are noted below.

James Burns -- Building Trades, Pavilion CSD, Livingston Associates Award

Travis Fagan -- Building Trades, Batavia CSD, Blakeslee Memorial Award

Zachary Friedhaber -- Electro-Mechanical Trades, Attica CSD, James P. Donnelly Award

Daniel Gersitz -- Metal Trades, Attica CSD, Charles Holowach Memorial Scholarship

Troy Helsdon -- Building Trades, Batavia CSD, Doug Dayton Memorial Award

Nicole Hume -- Metal Trades, Alexander CSD, Gene Haas Foundation Award, Master Manufacturing Scholarship, Student of the Year – Monday/Tuesday

Dontrell Jenkins -- Criminal Justice, Oakfield-Alabama CSD, Student of the Year – Thursday/Friday

Travis Kauffman -- Building Trades, Attica CSD, I. J. Radesi Memorial Award

Isaiah Merrell -- Culinary Arts, Batavia Academy/Byron-Bergen CSD, Chef Russell Bugbee Memorial Award, Josh Mouery Memorial Award

Chase Pangrazio -- Metal Trades, Batavia CSD, Batavia Rotary Scholarship

Emma Raines -- Health Careers Academy, Alexander CSD, School Related Personnel Award

Bryce Ratajczak -- Building Trades, Attica CSD, Paul Levins Memorial Award

Kaiel Robinson -- Electro-Mechanical Trades, Le Roy CSD, James P. Donnelly Award

Henry Schafer -- Electro-Mechanical Trades, Notre Dame High School/Batavia CSD, Roy H. Turnbull Memorial Award

Matthew Schroeder -- Electro-Mechanical Trades, Adult Student, Livingston Associates Award

Karly Smith -- Justice Academy, Oakfield-Alabama CSD, Charles Holowach Memorial Scholarship

Cole Sullivan -- Electro-Mechanical Trades, Le Roy CSD, Electro-Mechanical Trades Alumni Award

Haylee Thornley -- Health Careers Academy, Batavia CSD, Charles Holowach Memorial Scholarship

Timothy Walsh -- Building Trades, Batavia CSD, Pullinzi Family Scholarship

Justin Wight -- Building Trades, Oakfield-Alabama CSD, Batavia Rod & Gun Club Memorial Scholarship

Below, Chef Tracy Burgio (left) presents Isaiah Merrell with the Chef Russell Bugbee Memorial Award and Josh Mouery Memorial Award. He's a Culinary Arts student from Batavia Academy/Byron-Bergen CSD.

Below, Bethany Ricci (left), GV BOCES instructor, presents the Student of the Year Award -- Thursday and Friday to Dontrell Jenkins, a Criminal Justice student, Oakfield-Alabama CSD.

Below, Bethany Ricci (left), GV BOCES instructor, presents the Student of the Year Award -- Monday and Tuesday to Nicole Hume, a Metal Trades student from Alexander CSD. 

Submitted photos and press release:

Genesee Valley BOCES students as high school seniors have the opportunity to meet with area companies about jobs and career opportunities. 

Tuesday afternoon students from the Electrical Mechanical Program at the Batavia CTE spoke with Turnbull HVAC (photo above) and HP Hood (photo below) representatives about career opportunities for students completing training at the CTE.

The event is being sponsored by the Genesee County Business-Education Alliance, Genesee Valley BOCES Batavia CTE Campus and the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

A recipe created by three students in Genesee Valley BOCES’ culinary class has been selected as one of 10 finalists in the NASA HUNCH Culinary Challenge.

Isaiah Merrell, a senior from Byron-Bergen Central School; and Alexa Wolcott and Sara Logsdon, juniors from Pavilion Central School, participated in the national competition to create a meal for the astronauts in space.

According to information from Maggie Fitzgibbon, in Public Relations at BOCES, the students’ recipe hit a home run with the judges.

This is the fourth year Genesee Valley BOCES culinary students have participated in the competition, but the first time they have been a top finalist. Fitzgibbon said the competition was started by NASA more than 20 years ago to involve high students.

In a normal year, up to 80 schools might participate, but due to COVID-19 this year, only 26 teams competed, she said. The competition was canceled completely last year.

Recipe was Judged on Taste, Texture, Aroma, Appearance

During the challenge, the team of students prepped, prepared and served their recipe to a panel of local judges, who scored their recipe based upon taste, texture, aroma and appearance.

The scores were sent to the Johnson Space Center’s Food Lab in Houston, Texas, where they will be scored against the other teams from around the United States. The teams with the top 10 scores will move into the final round of the competition, which is expected to take place within the next few weeks. If chosen, their recipe could be sent to the International Space Station for astronauts to enjoy.

Chef Tracy Burgio, Culinary Arts instructor at the Batavia campus, shared how this team of students collaborated and were persistent in creating their recipe.

“This was a process of trial, error, reformulating and much tasting,” she said. “Isaiah, Alexa and Sara were determined to make this recipe the absolute best it could be. They did an amazing job preparing, cooking and presenting their recipe. I’m so proud of all their efforts.”

The panel of judges included Bill Hayes from Turnbull Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning; Tom Turnbull from Genesee County Chamber of Commerce; Eve Hens with Genesee County; Jorden Strapp with Genesee Valley BOCES; Ann Valento from Genesee Community College; Pauly Guglielmo, founder and CEO of Guglielmo Sauce; Denise Newman, Artesano bakery manager at the Rochester Institute of Technology; Christine Grout, senior development officer at St. Ann’s Community; Maggie Poray with Genesee Valley BOCES; and chef Jason Ball from Main Street Pizza Company.

Fitzgibbon reported that Hayes said he doesn’t like sweet potatoes, but that dish was so delicious that he ate it all.

NASA's Nutritional Restraints Don't Make Things Easy

Guglielmo, of the Guglielmo’s Sauce food development company, said his company has launched a number of new products over the last few years, and he understands the restrictions placed by NASA.

“It’s very difficult to work with these nutritional restraints set by NASA,” he said. 

The judges asked many questions of the team. Isaiah revealed how they arrived at their recipe.

“We were given the food category and guidelines from NASA HUNCH,” Isaiah said. 

The students said they put their heads together to develop their recipe. Each year the competition has a theme, and this year’s was comfort food.

“We wanted to make something we had growing up,” Alexa said. “We thought about it being winter and what food we leaned on to feel good.”

“We also wanted something unique to our region,” Isaiah said. 

Adding sweet potatoes to shepherd’s pie was a new twist, and it was achieved with a lot of trial and error, the students said. They are sweet and they wanted the dish to be savory.

They chose sweet potatoes because regular potatoes are too high in fat, Isaiah said. 

“The recipe took weeks to perfect,” he said. “I can’t even count how many times we made this recipe and changed ingredients. Even the day before the judging we added two other ingredients to boost the flavor.”

Their recipe had to contain no more than ¾ teaspoon of butter, 150 milligrams or less of sodium, and be between 200 and 400 calories. 

“We interpreted this recipe to have subtle flavors,” Sara said. “But we did add garlic.”

Recipe to be Processed and Packaged to Eat in Outer Space

Sara added that only certain ingredients could be used due to the recipe having to be processed and packaged for space travel and for astronaut consumption onboard the International Space Station.

The students’ sweet potato shepherd’s pie contains pepper, olive oil, onion, ground turkey, tomato paste, garlic, fresh oregano, frozen peas, frozen corn, carrots, fresh basil, rosemary, low sodium turkey broth, water, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, red wine vinegar and butter.

The students met with a chef in Louisville, Ky., via Zoom, who tried to replicate their dish from the NASA competition. 

“We documented every step for him,” Isaiah said. 

“The students participating in this challenge had a great opportunity to learn about NASA, what astronauts can eat in space, and why recipes need to be made a certain way, as well as all of the nutritional values that need to be tracked while living on the International Space Station,” said Jon Sanfratello, executive principal of the GV BOCES Batavia Campus.

“Over the years, NASA has been a great partner with our programs and has provided our students many learning opportunities.”

The top 10 winners will each receive a scholarship. The next level of the competition will choose the top three recipes, and those students will receive a bigger scholarship. Students whose recipe is the top winner will receive an all-expenses-paid scholarship to Sullivan University in Louisville.

Top photo: Chef Tracy Burgio points out meat options to three students in her culinary class at Genesee Valley BOCES who developed a recipe for astronauts. From left are Alexa Wolcott and Sara Logsdon, juniors at Pavilion Central School; and Isaiah Merrell, a senior from Byron-Bergen Central School.

Bottom photo from left: Alexa Wolcott, Isaiah Merrell and Sara Logsdon, students in the culinary class at Genesee Valley BOCES, and their instructor, Chef Tracy Burgio.

Photos by Virginia Kropf.

Photo below (submitted), the sweet potato shepherd’s pie, which three students in the GV BOCES culinary class created for NASA.

Submitted photos and press release:

Booker T. Washington once said, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else." This saying rings true when describing a project that Metal Trades and Collision, Custom and Restoration programs at the Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center recently completed to benefit a student.

Geordan Mitchell, a junior from Caledonia-Mumford High School, is a student in the Metal Trades Program at the Batavia CTE Center. Geordan is disabled and in a wheelchair.

Both Andrew Geyer and Rodney Staats, the Metal Trades instructors at the Batavia CTE Center, worked to develop modified lessons for Geordan, but they still wanted to develop a way that Geordan could work with all the machines in the Metal Trades shop.

They met with Maggie Poray, the Student Services coordinator at the Batavia CTE Center, to brainstorm ideas. She asked the instructors if there was a way to construct something so Geordan could reach the equipment in a manner that was easier for him.

“The instructors and I met and discussed many different ideas on how we could give Geordan more access to all the equipment in both the Welding and Precision Machining shops," Poray said. "We knew that we had to be creative in how and what was developed, and most importantly, whatever was developed had to be safe."

Geyer and Staats reached out to Jeff Fronk and Ryan Ditacchio, the Collision, Custom and Restoration (CCR) Program instructor and teacher aide, respectively, and asked for their assistance. 

That evening, Ditacchio was searching (online) for equipment for his personal use and came across a cart that had a lift. Ditacchio thought this might work if it could be modified for Geordan’s use.

“I showed the (online) posting to Jeff, Andrew and Rodney," Ditacchio said. "We agreed that this could be a possibility but we knew that we weren’t sure how we could make this purchase. I reached out to the owner, explained the story and he gladly donated the cart."

Ditacchio picked up the cart from this donor, who asked to remain anonymous, and brought it back to the Batavia CTE Center.

Then the work began. 

“We had to figure out a way to make it moveable so we could make it tall enough for Geordan and also move it from machine to machine," Geyer said. "I contacted our Operations and Maintenance foreman and he gave us four caster wheels. A new wooden platform was added, the welding students joined the wheels, made a few brackets, cleaned it up, and then we sent it over to the CCR shop for a custom painting."

The cart has a ramp so Geordan can push himself onto the platform, which rises up and down. The cart moves easily for access to machines throughout the shop, and it also has a work table for Geordan to place tools. 

“When I first saw the cart, I was shocked. I was excited because now I can finally easily touch the buttons on the machines,” Geordan said with a big smile on his face.

“Last September, we constructed a table so Geordan could learn and practice his welding skills," Poray said. "This cart will now allow Geordan access to all the machines in the Metal Trades shops,” Geyer said. “We want to give Geordan the best experience possible and this new mobile lift is the perfect solution."

Geordan recently completed a project, a set of metal dice.

“Now, I’m working on a step shaft,” Geordan said.

“This is a practice project that helps the students understand how to use a lathe and helps students practice their skills,” Staats said.

This new cart has given Geordan new opportunities, which has renewed his enthusiasm. 

“I’m definitely happier to come to school,” Geordan said.

“He’s more independent and more self-sufficient, and we see the difference,” Staats said. 

Both Staats and Geyer agree that Geordan always gives 100-percent effort in both the Welding and Precision Machining programs.

“He has a great attitude toward everything,” Geyer said, to which Staats nodded in agreement. 

Fronk emphasized the importance of building relationships with students to understand their needs and the need to be creative when developing solutions to assist students.

“We would do this for any student who needed assistance,” Fronk said. “We would love to be a resource for anyone who might need something like this. We also will be adding more features to the cart to make learning even easier for Geordan.” 

Geordan has set many goals for himself.

“I plan to get a job and work as a welder,” he said. 

There is no doubt that this determined young man will achieve his goals.

Top photo: Geordan Mitchell works at a machine in the Metal Trades shop while in a specially designed cart crafted for him.

Below, back row from left: Ryan Ditacchio and Jeff Fronk, Collision, Custom and Restoration Program teacher aide and instructor, respectively; Andrew Geyer, Welding instructor and Rodney Staats, Precision Machining instructor. Front row, Geordan Mitchell. 

Above: the Culinary Arts team -- from left Alexa Wolcott, Isaiah Merrell and Sara Logsdon -- answers questions from the judges.

Submitted photos and press release:

In mid-March, three Culinary Arts students from the Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center participated in the national NASA HUNCH* Culinary Challenge.

According to the judges’ feedback, Isaiah Merrell, Alexa Wolcott, and Sara Logsdon hit a home run with their creation called "Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie"! Isaiah is a senior from Byron-Bergen High School, and Alexa and Sara are both juniors from Pavilion High School.

During the Challenge, this team prepped, prepared and served their recipe to a panel of judges, who scored their recipe based upon taste, texture, aroma and appearance. The scores from the competition were sent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and will be scored against 26 teams from around the United States.

The teams with the top 10 scores move onto the final round of the competition which will be held in the spring at NASA in Houston. If chosen, their recipe could be sent to the International Space Station for astronauts to enjoy. 

Chef Tracy Burgio is the Culinary Arts instructor at the Genesee Valley BOCES Batavia Campus. She shared how this team of students collaborated and were persistent in creating their recipe.

“This was a process of trial, error, reformulating and much tasting! Isaiah, Alexa, and Sara were determined to make this recipe the absolute best it could be," Burgio said. "They did an amazing job preparing, cooking and presenting their recipe. I’m so very proud of all their efforts."

The panel of judges asked many questions of the team, which the students answered confidently. Isaiah shared how the team arrived at their recipe.

“We were given the food category and guidelines from NASA HUNCH," Isaiah said. "We brainstormed and came up with the idea of Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie."

The recipe process took weeks to perfect.

“I can’t even count how many times we made this recipe and changed ingredients," Isaiah added. "Even the day before this judging, we added two other ingredients to boost the flavor."

When asked about why some of the ingredients were used, Culinary Challenge team member Sara explained.

“The theme this year is comfort foods and we interpreted this recipe to have subtle flavors, but we did add garlic!” Sara said.

She also noted that only certain ingredients could be used in the recipe due to the recipe’s need to be processed and packaged for space travel and for astronaut consumption onboard the International Space Station.

Overall, the judges’ feedback was positive. 

Pauly Guglielmo, the owner of Guglielmo’s Sauce, a food development company, was one of the judges. Over the last few years, Guglielmo’s company has launched a number of new products.

“It’s very difficult to work with these nutritional restraints set by NASA -- I understand!” he told the students.

Jon Sanfratello is the Executive Principal of the GV BOCES Batavia Campus. He noted how this program provides new and unique learning opportunities for the participating students. 

“The students participating in this challenge had a great opportunity to learn about NASA, what astronauts can eat in space, why recipes need to be made a certain way, as well as, all of the nutritional values that need to be tracked while living on the International Space Station," Sanfratello said.

"Over the years, NASA has been a great partner with our programs and has provided many students many learning opportunities.”

The list of judges included: Bill Hayes, Turnbull HVAC; Tom Turnbull, president, Genesee Chamber of Commerce; Eve Hens, Genesee County; Jorden Strapp, GV BOCES; Ann Valento, GCC; Pauly Guglielmo, Guglielmo Sauce; Denise Newman, Artesano Bakery Manager, Rochester Institute of Technology; Christine Grout, senior development officer, St. Ann's Community; Maggie Poray, GV BOCES; Chef Jason Ball, Main Street Pizza Co.

*NASA HUNCH (High schools United with NASA to Create Hardware) was founded as a means of giving high school students new educational experiences by producing many needed elements for the International Space Station. The NASA Culinary HUNCH program gives high school students the opportunity to develop food items for astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Each year a new theme is developed. Students create new dishes considering food processing procedures and nutritional requirements in order to meet the standards of the NASA Johnson Space Center Food Lab.

Recipe for Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie (photo above)

Yield: 1 Serving

Calories: 329

Total Fat: 10.1 Grams Saturated Fat: 0.6 Grams Sodium: 163 Grams

Dietary Fibers: 7.1 Grams Sugar: 6.1 Grams

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. Sweet Potato
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Onion
• 1/4 lb. Ground Turkey Meat
• 1 1/2 tsp. Tomato Paste
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic
• 1/2 tsp. Fresh Oregano
• 1/8 cup Frozen Peas
• 1/4 cup Frozen Corn
• 1/4 cup Carrots
• 3/4 tsp. Fresh Basil
• 3/4 tsp. Rosemary
• 1/2 cup Low Sodium Turkey Broth
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/4 tsp. Thyme
• 1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• 3/4 tsp. Butter

Procedure

Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2 - Place sweet potatoes in a large pot with boiling water. Cook the potatoes until tender.

Step 3 - Drain the potatoes and mash. Season with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Step 4 - Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Mix in the onions and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes. Then add garlic and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes.

Step 5 - Add ground turkey and water, crumbling the turkey into small pieces. Cook until all meat is brown.

Step 6 - Stir in tomato paste, carrots, peas, corn, chicken broth, fresh basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes to allow liquid to reduce.

Step 7 - Spread mixture into cast-iron skillets. Top with mashed sweet potatoes. Put in the oven.

Step 8 - Bake for 10-15 Minutes.

Step 9 - Place in a broiler to crisp up the sweet potatoes for 1-2 minutes.

Step 10 - Garnish with thyme and serve.

Photo below: Culinary Challenge judge Pauly Guglielmo, owner of Guglielmo Sauce, rates the students’ culinary creation. 

About the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center

It is a program of the Genesee Valley BOCES. GV BOCES operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State.

Press release:

Following steadfast support for New York’s colleges and universities throughout the pandemic, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced that the recently signed American Rescue Plan includes an estimated $2.6 billion for New York’s public, private, and proprietary institutions of higher education.

In Genesee County, Genesee Community College is expected to get $9.1M and Genesee-Livingston-Steuben-Wyoming BOCES is expected to get a total of $662,000. The total allotment for the Finger Lakes Region is almost $164M.

Schumer said that public and nonprofit schools will use half of their award on emergency financial aid grants to students to help them with college costs and basic needs like housing, food, and healthcare.

The other half of the funds will allow institutions to provide additional student support activities, and to cover a variety of institutional costs, including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll. Proprietary schools must use their awards exclusively to provide financial aid grants to students.

“As New York’s colleges, universities, and students face over a year of unprecedented hurdles, they do so at a steep cost that it is our responsibility to address and overcome. In prioritizing the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff, New York’s higher education institutions have ripped massive holes in their budgets and are now facing down financial devastation – and we simply can’t let that happen,” Senator Schumer said.

“As Majority Leader, I was proud to make funding for New York’s higher education institutions and students a top priority, and the American Rescue Plan will deliver this much needed $2.6 billion in assistance to help our world-class institutions through the crisis, get students safely back to classes, and get campuses across the state back to ‘normal’.”

This funding announced today is in addition to the $2.4 billion Schumer secured for New York’s institutions of higher education in the past COVID-19 relief bills. In total, Schumer has secured over $5 billion for New York’s colleges and universities in the past year.

Submitted photos and press release:

On Monday, March 8th, Staff Sgt. Haven Armstrong and Staff Sgt. Joeseph Coburn, representing the National Guard recruiting office, brought a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle -- an up-armored military Humvee -- to the Auto Body class at Genesee Valley BOCES in Batavia.

This event was intended to inform students about the different careers that the National Guard has to offer within the fields of mechanics and engineering, as well as inform them about the college benefits offered in the National Guard.

“Staff Sgt. Armstrong and I do events like these at schools throughout the GLOW region," Coburn said. "Often times we try to find high school juniors and seniors that are interested in the trades, and inform them about the benefits of being in a trade in the National Guard.

"Normally the goal is to match up people who are already heading down a career path with a military occupational specialty like we did here with Mr. (Jeff) Fronk's Auto Class and bringing one of our vehicles and myself who was a mechanic for the military.

"Many people think that everyone in the military is signing up to grab a weapon and fight on the frontlines and although sometimes that is true, that is almost more of an exception than a rule. Most of our career field’s deal with things like engineering, mechanics, logistics or medical and the National Guard offers sought after training in all of these fields.

"Personally, as a military trained mechanic, I got hired over individuals with more work experience and degrees because I had military experience on my resume. Once an employer sees that, they know the individual is going to show up ready to work hard and be a professional. This is very much the message that we try to portray to these young adults.

"A lot of people are also confused about the college benefits we have. For instance the National Guard will pay for someone to go to a state school for free and possibly even give them a housing allowance (this is how I got my bachelor's at zero cost to me). This is why it’s so crucial we talk to people at the high school age so they have all the info before making major life decisions.

"The students also really seem to respond positively when we show up with something cool like a military HMMWV. Mr. Fronk's class in particular was very excited to be able to get their hands on something most only see in movies and they had a lot of awesome questions. Over all I would say this event was a major success with almost half of the class requesting information about how they can learn more about joining the National Guard.”

With the first selection in the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program draft, Oxbo International of Byron New York selects Morgan Coniber, a senior welder from Le Roy High School.

Sound like something you’d hear from the commissioner of the National Football League?

Actually, those were the words of Dale Pearce, program director of Curriculum Development and Apprenticeships for the FLYAP, at Wednesday’s “Signing Day” school/business partnership event at the Genesee Valley BOCES Batavia Campus.

Educators, business people and family members gathered together – as organizers spaced the proceedings over a couple hours to comply with COVID19 regulations – to honor 19 GV BOCES students who signed “letters of intent” for job shadowing and/or paid internship opportunities with six local companies.

The businesses participating were: Amada Tool America, Batavia; Turnbull Heating & Air, Batavia; Bonduelle USA Inc., Oakfield, Bergen, Brockport; DP Tool & Machine, Avon; O-At-Ka Milk Products Co-Operative Inc., Batavia, and Oxbo.

While Coniber was designated as the No. 1 pick, the order of selection was determined by a random draw.

“Everyone is a first-round pick; everyone is a first overall pick,” said Rich Turner, director of Workforce Development for the Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association, which coordinates the program with Monroe Community College with sponsorship from RG&E and the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation.

“We’re just doing a random selection just to fit the kids’ schedules and the businesses’ schedules. We just want to make sure that everyone is celebrated equally.”

Julie Donlon, assistant superintendent at Genesee Valley BOCES, said the school started the “Signing Day” several years ago “in an effort to bridge the gap between schools and businesses, and really to promote our business partners and show that we’re making efforts in preparing youth for the future workforce. Since then, it has grown and now we have several business partners.”

Students involved in the program go through an interview process and, after that initial step, are matched to a company based on their vocational program, said Jon Sanfratello, executive principal of the Genesee Valley BOCES Batavia Campus.

“We had more than 30 kids who did that … proceeding to the matching day,” Sanfratello said. “And now, we are at the ‘Signing Day.’”

Sanfratello said the 11^th-graders receive a job shadow at the particular company and the following year they get a paid internship with the company.

“The company really is able to take a look at a student for a couple years and really invest in him or her,” he said.

Twelfth-graders earn a paid co-op with their specific company and have a chance to eventually obtain an apprenticeship and become a full-fledged employee.

“We’re taking kids out of high school and trying to groom them towards what companies in the area need,” Sanfratello explained. “Students get 200 hours and get around $13-14 per hour. Compensation coincides with the FLYAP, which receives grant money and other funding to sustain the program.”

Turner said the FLYAP is designed to build the pipeline with local students entering advanced manufacturing trades.

“So, MCC will help work with the school districts,” he said. “We help with Genesee Valley BOCES, Monroe I, Monroe II, Edison Tech; we’ve also been in Orleans Niagara BOCES, and we’re hoping to go to the Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES in the next month or two.”

The program is in its second year and included Genesee Valley BOCES students for the first time, Turner noted.

“We had 32 draft picks in Monroe County last week and tonight we’re going to have 19 draft picks from Genesee Valley BOCES -- a huge accomplishment,” he said. “It’s an NFL Draft-style event. We want to really celebrate the kids and all of their accomplishments as well as the businesses that are giving them the opportunities.”

The list of students in the program, their home districts, Career & Technical Education programs and employer are as follows:

• Morgan Coniber, a senior from Le Roy High School, is enrolled in the Welding Program. She signed with Oxbo for a co-op program as a Welder.
• Nichole Hume from Alexander High School, signed for a CNC Machining co-op with Amada. Nichole is a senior enrolled in the CNC Machining Program.
• Cole Sullivan is a student in the Electromechanical Trades Program. He is a senior from Le Roy High School who signed for an Electromechanical Technician co-op with Oxbo.
• Nathan Stokes, a senior from Batavia High School, is a student in the CNC Machining Program. Nathan is already working in a CNC Machining co-op program with Amada.
• Dan Saeva, a junior from Batavia High School, is enrolled in the Metal Trades Program. He signed for a Welding job shadow program with Oxbo.
• Madison Brandes is a junior who is enrolled in the Metal Trades Program. Her home school is Le Roy High School. She signed for a CNC Machining job shadow with Amada.
• Luke Rindell from Batavia High School is a student in the Electromechanical Trades program. This senior signed with Oxbo for an Electromechanical Technician job shadow program.
• Kaiel Robinson is enrolled in the Electromechanical Trades Program. This senior from Le Roy High School signed for an Electromechanical Technician co-op program with Turnbull.
• Adam Risewick, a junior from Le Roy High School, is a student in the Electromechanical Trades Program. He signed with Oxbo for an Electromechanical Technician job shadow program.
• Jaden Pocock, from Byron Bergen High School, is a student in the Electromechanical Trades Program. This senior signed with Turnbull for an Electromechanical Technician co-op program. 
• Eric Offhaus is a student in the Welding Program. This junior from Pavilion High School signed for a welding job shadow with Oxbo.
• Henry Shafer attends Notre Dame High School in Batavia. Henry is a senior in the Electromechanical Trades Program. He signed for an Electromechanical Technician co-op with Bonduelle.
• Zach Vanderhoof, from Le Roy High School, is enrolled in the Electromechanical Trades Program. This junior signed with O-AT-KA for an Electromechanical Technician job shadow program.
• Zach Friedhaber is enrolled in the Electromechanical Trades Program. This senior from Attica High School signed with Bonduelle for an Electromechanical Technician co-op program.
• Jacob Beale, a junior from Elba High School, is enrolled in the Metal Trades program. Jacob signed for an Electronics Technician job shadow program with O-AT-KA.
• Sara Lis is enrolled in the Metal Trades Program. This senior from Pavilion High School signed for a Pipefitter job shadow program with Bonduelle.
• Lillias Bell is a junior from Caledonia-Mumford High School. She is enrolled in the Metal Trades Program and signed with DP Tool for a CNC Machining job shadow program.
• Alex Lynn is enrolled in the Electromechanical Trades Program. This junior from Caledonia-Mumford High School signed with DP Tool for an Electromechanical Technician job shadow.     
• Anthony Lippert is a junior from Livonia High School who signed with DP Tool from a Machine Builder job shadow.

Photo collages courtesy of Maggie Fitzgibbon, Genesee Valley BOCES.