education

Photos and information provided by St. Joe's:

Throughout the month of October, St. Joe’s National Junior Honor Society held a fundraiser to collect items for All Babies Cherished. Items and monetary donations totaled more than $300. Some items collected included diapers, wipes, pacifiers and baby clothes. Co-advisers Mr. Landfried and Mr. Bowman along with the NJHS students were invited by All Babies Cherished Director Sue Sherman to visit the office to see how their organization operates and where the donations go.

Twenty Native American schoolchildren were at Jackson School this morning to share about their culture through dance and a presentation by an adult leader.

Hailey Kirkpatrick, one of the winners of City Fire's annual fire safety poster contest, got a special ride in a fire truck to Batavia Middle School today with firefighters Greg Ireland and Matt Pillsbury.

Yesterday, Xavian Cramer got a ride to John Kennedy School and tomorrow Lillian Clarke gets a ride to Jackson School.

Press release:

Tiffani Brown receives Outstanding Student Award. She was nominated by BMS teacher Sarah Gahagan, who wrote, Tiffani is an eighth-grade student who shows dedication, perseverance, dependability, and a positive attitude in everything she does. She is one of 19 original founders of the BMS Girls on the Run team, hasn’t missed a single session, and always arrives on time and prepared. She partakes in every race, volunteer activity, and community-sponsored Girls on the Run event. Tiffanie has become so much more confident over the course of three years and many of her teachers think it’s because of this club. She is a great role model to her peers for her positive attitude and has developed her natural talent of working with others.

Maria DiMartino receives Outstanding Employee Award. She was nominated by Assistant Principal Maureen Notaro, who wrote, Maria DiMartino is a very special person. She is a classroom aide, often helping some of our most difficult students, and she goes above and beyond to make every child successful in school. She develops close relationships with the students and also supports them emotionally. The Board and Middle School are very fortunate to have such a dedicated employee.

Muriel Burns receives Outstanding Community Member Award. She was nominated by Assistant Principal Maureen Notaro, who wrote, Recently, one of our students from BMS was walking in the rain, late to school, and with no coat. A woman pulled over and offered him her umbrella. She asked him where he went to school and he said Batavia Middle School. She called the school, spoke to Julie Tybor, and asked us to get his sizes. Ms. Tybor called her back after the counselor provided his sizes. The next day Mrs. Burns returned to school with a brand new coat, three pairs of gloves, a back pack, and a blanket. The next day she returned with boots, hats, and nearly a dozen pairs of socks for him. The smile on the child’s face was priceless. This child does not have it easy, and she truly made his day.

Superintendent of Schools Christopher Dailey was invited to become a member of the National Center for Education Research and Technology (NCERT), an organization comprised of a maximum of 85 prominent school district superintendents as well as select corporate leaders from education-related industries. NCERT’s goal is to network creative and innovative thinkers who are leaders in education with the leaders of the industries they depend upon for products and services, technology, and research. The group focuses on contemporary issues of interest to school districts.

School Board Recognition: In honor of NYS School Board Recognition Week (celebrated this year from Oct. 24-28), several District organizations made donations to local charities in the Board’s honor. The JK Parent Teacher Group made a $50 donation to the Michael Napoleone Foundation, the Jackson Home School Association made a $50 donation to United Way – Community Action, the Batavia Clerical Association made a $50 donation to the United Way for the BCSD Backpack Program for BCSD students, and the Batavia Teachers’ Association made a $200 donation to the Salvation Army’s Backpack Program for the BCSD students. The New York State School Boards Association sponsors School Board Recognition Week to recognize school board members for their commitment to New York public school children and the crucial role they have within a school district.

Photos by Kathy Scott.

Press release:

Batavia Middle School is hosting a Family and Community Night from 5-6:30 on Thursday, Nov. 17.  This year’s theme is “Warm the Night” and FREE hats, mittens and scarves will be distributed. Enjoy a FREE light supper of soup and bread with Timbits and coffee, courtesy of Tim Hortons.

There will also be a FREE bicycle raffle and you’ll also receive a FREE basket raffle ticket at the door, one raffle ticket for EVERY family member!

Prepare to be dazzled by former Harlem Globetrotter, Corey “The Dribbler.” Plus, the Batavia Police Department will be on hand to license bikes in the gym and give you a coupon for a FREE bike helmet from Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle.

Gain insight into the opportunities to learn how to support your child this year and help your children succeed. See you there!

Event Date and Time: 5-6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17.

Pictured: Instructional coaches of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership with Jim Knight, director of the Kansas Coaching Project. (Courtesy of Jim Thompson.)

A new program for the improvement of teaching techniques has begun to take root in the Genesee Valley Boces school districts. The new program connects educators with trained coaches who review video footage of teaching sessions and provide commentary and advice to improve quality and effectiveness.

Jim Thompson, director of Instructional Coaching Services at Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, began installing the program during the 2014 school year. The program has since grown from 10 teachers in its first year, to being used in over nine districts in the area. Jim has worked as the primary coach since its inception, and is currently working on training educators in each district to become coaches themselves.

“We strive for excellent instruction, every day, in every classroom, for every student. That is our true north.” Thompson said, quoting his mentor Jim Knight, director of the Kansas Coaching Project at the University of Kansas.

The program itself involves several stages. First, teachers will meet with coaches, in order to establish goals and develop a positive relationship between them. Next, the teacher submits a 15-20 minute video clip from a teaching session. The coach will then review the video multiple times, implementing time-stamped commentary, concluding with a meeting and review session with both the educator and coach in person.

Thompson emphasized the importance of the teacher-coach relationship in the program, as well as the program’s non-evaluative nature, confidentiality and volunteer basis.

“The program is built on strong relationships and trust. We set up a relationship with teachers which not only generates trust, but also promotes a willingness on the part of both the teacher and coach to reflect on instruction and help improvement.”

One school in which the program has found a receptive home is in the Byron-Bergen district, where superintendent Mickey Edwards has instituted it in both the secondary and elementary levels. As of now, 40 percent of teachers in the school have participated in video coaching, and the school has begun training its own coaches.

“We offer it to teachers to help them improve on their craft and delivery,” Edwards said. “At Byron-Bergen, teachers are not done learning yet.”

Edwards compared the program to the model presented by sports film study, saying that watching yourself teach and seeing what you do well and what you need to improve on – terms which the program refers to as “glows and grows” – is an eye-opening experience.

Diana Walther, an eighth-grade English teacher from the school, is currently being trained as a coach for the district. As an educator who has seen the program from the perspective of a teacher as well as a coach, she claims that it was one of the most effective professional development programs she has been a part of.

“It draws your attention to things you’ve never thought of before,” she said. “Personally, I speak very quickly, so slowing down was something I needed to improve a lot.”

Walther also echoed Jim Thompson’s emphasis on the teacher-coach relationship. “Each session begins by getting to know each other,” Walther said, “in order to identify goals.”

Deborah Slocum, another coach from the Byron-Bergen district, says that her experience in the program also led to her desire to get involved.

“I had an epiphany, it was the most valuable professional reflection I’ve had over the past 24 years of teaching.”

The school has enjoyed the benefits of the program, so much as to implement it into their quarterly evaluation process. Each teacher goes through four annual evaluations, which often include a supervisor sitting in on a class. This option allows teachers to present a video session with a coach as one of their four evaluations.

“This ties into a growth model, where teachers can hone their craft,” Edwards said.

In the future, Edwards hopes to increase the size of the program to include many more coaches within the district.

“I’d like to see one in each content area, and a few at the elementary level.”

The program is in what Edwards referred to as a “fledgling stage,” and it will be evaluated at the end of the school year.

It's full steam ahead for academics at John Kennedy School, according to Principal Paul Kesler, who delivered a progress report to the Batavia City Schools board at Tuesday night's meeting.

On standardized testing, John Kennedy students are outpacing their peers in other districts, Kesler said.

Kesler completed a comparison of third- and fourth-grade students among 16 similar-sized cities and JK's third-graders have the highest English Language Arts scores and second highest in math. For fourth-graders, they rank third and fourth in ELA and math.

"As you can see from the pattern," Kesler said standing in front of a bar chart, "there's really a straight line year after year in terms of small cities."

The third-grade class is the first to pass through the district since the realignment of schools before their kindergarten year.

Kesler also compared JK results with the 22 other districts in the region and JK students are in the 80th percentile in ELA and 90th in math.

On another math test, 35 percent of the students tested at level 4, which Kesler said was impressive.

"I'm really proud of that because now it's no longer just our top A students who performing at that high level," Kesler said. "It's really all of our students are moving along."

Kesler, who is in his 12th year at the school, praised the work of the school's staff and thanked the district board for helping him recruit and hire talented teachers.

The school also undertook an aggressive STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts/design and math) curriculum this year and Kesler said it's going well so far.

There have been three STEAM sessions for the students and STEAM topics are being worked into other parts of the curriculum.

For example, students are going to read "Charlotte's Web" this year, so there will be corresponding instruction on insects and how spiders build their webs, which gets into engineering.

"It's exciting," he said. "When the kids get excited, I get excited."

As for the future, with the district now supplying each student with Chromebooks, there's no longer a need for a computer lab. The plan, Kesler said, is to turn the former computer lab into a STEAM lab and a maker space. It will be a paperless space, he said. For example, the desktops will be white boards, which students can use for their calculations. 

Le Roy High School opened its new maker space for students yesterday afternoon with some introductory information from Jennifer Bertrand, instructional technology coach, and some hands-on time with some of the materials already in the space, including Legos and Bloxel, a kit for making computer games.

Bertrand said she proposed the idea of maker spaces at the high school and elementary school in Le Roy because she saw other schools doing it and attended conferences where ideas for starting such spaces were presented.

"So I thought Le Roy really needs to get on board about having its own maker space," she said.

A committee was formed to help move the idea forward and the district received a $2,000 grant to help get the maker space up and running.

Students volunteer to participate in the extracurricular activity. They are given space, time, resources and instruction on creating a variety of projects that hit on science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), creativity, and problem-solving.

"If you have a student who is struggling academically or just doesn't like school, but, oh, man, they're so creative when it comes to engineering or when it comes to creating something, we want to tap into that and build on that because those skills are going to transfer everywhere in their life," Bertrand said.

The community can support the project through donations, especially of supplies, such as Legos and arts and crafts supplies, as well as expertise and tours. Bertrand said community members can contact the school if they're able to assist.

Press release:

Students from the Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School got a close look inside several of Genesee County’s leading advanced manufacturing facilities recently. Teacher Jay Wolcott’s Manufacturing Systems class visited four companies to assess the local job market, learn about pay and benefits, see potential job opportunities, and hear about the skills employers are looking for. Host companies included Bergen’s Liberty Pumps, along with Le Roy businesses Aluminum Injection Mold (AIM), PCORE Electric Company, and Orcon Industries.

Company representatives explained the varied career opportunities available at manufacturing companies like these, including jobs in assembly, engineering, sales, marketing, and management. Students came away with the understanding that successful job applicants must have strong skills in basic math, problem-solving, and communication, along with, at minimum, a high school diploma or GED. Each company visited stressed their support for job-specific training and college course work.

Students toured the Liberty Pumps facility, experiencing the machining of pump housings, powder coat finishing, assembly, inspection, packaging, and finally, the global shipping process. At AIM, they followed the prototype manufacturing process from the initial customer design requirements to machining of the aluminum injection mold and molding of plastic parts.

PCORE manufactures bushings for the high voltage electric transformer units used by power companies. Students observed a demonstration using electricity to check for defects that took place in a completely dark lab that concluded with electrical humming and flying sparks. At Orcon, a custom industrial packaging company, students observed firsthand the need for problem-solving skills in all areas of the operation.

Using their experiences with the participating companies, students completed a technical report assessing the job opportunities at each company, concluding with their opinion on the best job fit for them.

The career exploration trip was arranged with the help of the Genesee County Business Education Alliance (BEA).

Press release:

Every Monday afternoon the students at St. Joseph Catholic School engage in different hands-on STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) activities that tie into their current studies.

Recently, Mrs. Case's kindergarten class took part in a fun science experiment. Each student chose an object from their classroom and placed it in a tub of water to see if their item would sink or if it would float. Mrs. Fischer's fourth-grade class has been learning the difference between vascular and non-vascular plants. Recently they did an experiment with celery that showed them how colored water can travel through the vascular tubes changing the color of the celery.

Members of the anniversary alumni committee for the St. Joe's Drum and Bugle Corps presented a $1,000 check to St. Joe's today, proceeds from the group's fundraisers for the school.

The Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1932 by Father Kelly and today alumni are members of the Mighty St. Joe's Drum and Bugle Corps of Le Roy and the St. Joe's Brass Ensemble of Batavia.

"We wear the name with pride," said Bob Wielgosz, director of Mighty St. Joe's "St. Joe's means a lot to us."

Pictured are Wielgosz, Tom Cecere, Karen Green, principal of St. Joe's, Pat Bishop, and Frank Panepento.

Paulie Guglieamo, owner of Guglieamo's Pasta Sauce and a radio personality in Rochester, was the celebrity chef at the Culinary Arts Program at BOCES yesterday.

Guglieamo shared with students how he started his business and talked about some of the challenges and pleasures of starting and owning your own business. He then took the students into the kitchen and showed him how he makes his pasta sauces, which are based on recipes developed by his grandmother during the Great Depression and use garden-fresh ingredients.

He encouraged students to follow their passions as they set themselves on a path toward their eventual careers.

"If you have passion and you truly love it, you can do it," Guglieamo said.

Guglieamo's sauce is now sold in Wegmans, Tops and other retail outlets throughout the northeast. He said he's succeeded because of the passion he has for his product.

"When you actually have something that is an extension of you -- that's my brand, that's me, that's my actual phone number, I put my cell phone number on every jar we sell -- you can't possibly fail," Guglieamo said. "I cannot not sell this jar of sauce. I can't walk into a store and not sell it."

When Guglieamo was first starting his radio career, he was in sales.

"I was very, very, very bad (at sales)," he said.

If a customer offered an objection, he didn't have an answer, but now, selling his own product, he has all the answers.

"I have the answers to everything because this is my life, this is my baby right here," he said.

Le Roy's junior high students participated in the school district's second annual Class Up the Community day on Tuesday.

"I cannot thank our students and staff enough for the hard work and positive attitude they showed all day in our community," said Principal Tim McArdle. "The day represents an amazing learning opportunity about service and helping others, which is the backbone of our country. Now more than every we have to take any opportunity possible to pass on these values to our students!"

Students and staff worked at the following locations: Le Roy Historical Society, Machpelah Cemetery, St. Francis Cemetery, Le Roy Ambulance Base, Methodist Church, Police Station and nine private residences. After the work was done, students enjoyed their lunch outdoors at school and had time for outdoor games and to play on the Le Roy Town Rec huge inflatable. 

To end the event, students watched a video of the pictures that were taken throughout the day! 

McArdle thanked Lynda Lowe, who was the event director, and the junior high staff, bus drivers, cafeteria staff and buildings and grounds staff, "for all of their hard work and efforts to make this day a reality."

Community members donated rakes or loaned rakes for the projects.

"This is a wonderful learning experience for our students, a huge thank you to the community as well as our students and staff for making today a big success," Lowe said.

There were 197 students in the seventh and eighth grades participating, along with 24 staff members as well as bus drivers and building and grounds crew members.

Photos and information courtesy Tim McArdle.

Press release:

Affordable Colleges Online (AC), an informational resource for online learning and college affordability, released its ranking for the 2016-2017 Best Online Colleges and ranked Genesee Community College number one in the New York State community college category.

Under the specific ranking methodology, AC uses independent data provided by IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) created by the National Center of Education Statistics to help determine its ranking. Qualifying colleges were evaluated based on the:

• Published tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students;

• Number of online programs offered for two year degrees or certificates;

• Student-to-faculty ratio;

• Percent of full-time and first-time undergraduate students receiving financial aid;

• Average amount of institutional aid received.

Under this criterion, GCC scored a 91.63 overall, with 15 degrees or certificates available to earn online and more than 100 online courses available each full semester. Student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1, and tuition and fees are below $5,000.

"Online learning at Genesee Community College is not only an area of perpetual growth and development, but it is a point of collegiate pride at GCC," said Craig Lamb, Ph.D., dean of distributive learning at GCC.

"We are continuously reviewing GCC's coursework, curriculum and academic programs as well as students' needs and interests, and also the overall career marketplace to determine which new programs and classes we should develop into an online opportunity. It is both an art and science, and involves a very careful analysis to ensure online students are receiving the same quality education with rigor and engagement. We are delighted that AC has recognized our efforts."

Introduction to Food Processing Technology (FPT101) is one of the newest online courses, and it will be offered during the 12-week spring semester running Feb. 13 through May 13.

In addition, GCC currently offers 15 different online associate degrees, and the next session of online courses is scheduled during the Winterim session that begins Dec. 12 and finishes Jan. 6. From the History of Rock and Roll to Female Role in Film, and more than 10 other courses, students of all ages can make the most of their between-semester break.

An in-depth look at the Most Affordable Online Colleges in New York for 2016 can be seen here by clicking on the two-year college tab: http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/online-colleges/new-york/.

In order for universities to qualify for this ranking they must be a public or private not-for-profit accredited institution. Ranked schools must offer at least three online associate degree programs with an annual tuition fee less than $5,000.

Founded in 2011, AC Online www.AffordableCollegesOnline.org provides quality data and information about pursuing an affordable higher education. As a free resource, it offers materials and tools covering diverse topics such as financial aid and college savings, opportunities for veterans and people with disabilities and online learning resources. Higher education institutions that have developed online learning environments that include highly trained faculty, new technology and resources, and online support services to help students achieve educational and career success are a particular focus.

Turning math into playtime was the theme of Family Fun Night at Jackson School last night. 

The elementary schoolchildren and their parents were given a booklet with math problems to solve, and then they went through various game boards to help them solve those problems.

Prizes were award to students who successfully filled in their booklet with the correct answers.

A consolidation plan enacted by Batavia City Schools four years ago has led to cost savings in some key areas, Sandra Griffin, now a retired principal from Batavia Middle School, told the school board at Tuesday's meeting.

Overall, personnel costs have decreased by $31,000.  

The first year of consolidation, in 2012-13, there was a $1.2 million cost savings, but since then the district has added new staff or AIS support and personnel for arts and music. Even so, there has been a payroll savings each year since consolidation.

When consolidation was implemented, district administration moved from its offices on Washington Avenue to offices at Batavia High School, closed Robert Morris School and shuffled grade levels between Jackson, John Kennedy, and Batavia Middle School.

One of the biggest areas of cost savings was in operations and maintenance, which is down $414,000.

Unemployment costs are down $103,000.

Utility expenses are down $292,700.

The one area of increase is bussing, which has jumped $484,000, the result of a more open bussing policy which has mean 305 more students are able to take a bus to and from school.

Academically, Batavia High School is in good shape, Principal Scott Wilson told school board members at Batavia City Schools regular meeting Tuesday night.

Last year, the high school hit a 95-percent graduation rate and Wilson is pleased with regularly hitting a 90-percent-plus rate, but repeating 95 percent will be a daunting challenge, he said.

In eight of the 10 regents exams, the school has improved its passing rate. He said there as been a steady growth in improved scores, especially in math, where staff has invested more time and resources.

"I'd like to see a higher passing rate, but a slow and steady climb is continuing to sharpen the saw," Wilson said.

He described the passing rate for students in advanced placement classes as "healthy."

Last year, 49 percent of students went on to a two-year college and 25 percent to a four-year college. Wilson would like to improve those numbers, but, "those are good numbers and very healthy for us."

About 19 percent of graduates leave school, after study at BOCES, with skills to enter the workforce in a trade.

The introduction of Chrombooks into the classrooms has gone over well with students and parents, Wilson said.

"All you have to do is walk the halls and see the progress in action," Wilson said.

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has announced $55,000 in state funding to establish a new joint agriculture education program for Oakfield-Alabama Central and Elba Central School districts.

The mission of the new program is to encourage more high school students to explore agriculture and consider a career in the industry.

“This important program will serve as another tool for educators to cultivate student development and success, and I am proud to have been able to jump start this new program," Ranzenhofer said. "Now, our students will have better opportunities to learn more about agriculture and be inspired to start a career in the industry."

The start-up funding will cover equipment, field trip expenses, instructional resources and materials, and instructional salaries. Enrolled students, in grades nine through 12, will experience classroom instruction, hands-on projects and opportunities to visit local businesses with a connection to the agriculture industry. The program will be administered by and located at the Oakfield-Alabama School District.

“We appreciate the support of Senator Ranzenhofer in this new program. Our students are surrounded by agriculture and now have the opportunity to learn about the careers of the industry. We hope the program will motivate some of our graduates to remain in the area as well,” said Oakfield-Alabama Superintendent Mark A. Alexander.

Agriculture and its related industries are the number one economic driver for Genesee County and New York State, and industry demand for a properly trained workforce is greater than ever. According to the Land O' Lakes Foundation, food production in the next 50 years will need to be higher than the prior 500 years.

Senator Ranzenhofer’s office received letters of support from the local agriculture industry, including: Cornell University Cooperative Extension Genesee County; Lamb Farms Inc.; CY Farms LLC; East Pembroke Grange; Wayne E. Phelps Ent. Inc.; Offhaus Farms Inc.; and Z&M Ag and Turf.

The Oakfield-Alabama Board of Education will publicly recognize Senator Ranzenhofer for his efforts to establish the new program during tonight’s board meeting.

Press release:

The Alexander Central School District’s Board of Education (BOE) has named two finalists for the district’s next Superintendent.

Reed Pettys, president of the Alexander Central School District’s BOE, said he is pleased with the high-quality candidate pool and is enthused about the potential the two finalists have to offer.

“Our district has a great reputation in the educational community and the Board anticipates a difficult decision, with superior candidates in contention," Pettys said. "We are eager to find a strong individual who believes in our district’s mission and is an educational expert who can guide our schools into the future."

The two finalists are Teresa Gerchman and Catherine Huber, Ed.D.

Gerchman is currently the Chief Schools Officer for Innovative Schools in Wilmington, Del., a position she’s held since 2014. Gerchman served as the Director of Achievement in both the Northeast and Pacific Regions for Edison Learning Inc. from 2006 until 2014. During her tenure with Edison Learning, she led a team as part of the Hawaii Alliance where she supported the restructuring of nine schools and provided focused support to increase student performance levels.

In her role as Academy Director for the Charter School of Science and Technology in Rochester, Gerchman was responsible for 1,110 students in grades K-8. Her career includes serving as Curriculum and Assessment Director for the Charter School of Science and Technology, Science and Technology Teacher Leader for Spencerport Central Schools, and math and science teacher for Spencerport Central Schools and Beacon High School. In 1987, Gerchman began her work in education as math and science teacher for Seton Catholic Central High School in Binghamton.

She holds a Bachelor of Science from the State University College at Buffalo, and a Master of Science in Secondary Chemistry/General Science from the State University College at Cortland. Gerchman earned a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from The College at Brockport.

Huber presently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda (Ken-Ton) Union Free School District. She previously served as Director of Secondary Education for Ken-Ton Union Free School District. Huber was the Director for the Center for Professional Studies for D’Youville College from 2013-2015. She spent eight years as Principal of Northwood Elementary School in West Seneca Central School District. Huber served as the Coordinator of K-12 English Language Arts for Frontier Central School District.

From 1999-2002, she was responsible for staff and curriculum development at Erie 1 BOCES. Her teaching experience is vast and ranges from middle school to college-level. Huber taught at Canisius College as an adjunct professor in the Graduate Program. She started her career in education in 1996 as a middle school English teacher in the Iroquois Central School District.

Huber holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Ithaca College; a dual Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership and English Education from Canisius College; and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from D’Youville College.

The finalists will visit the district on Oct. 17 and 18. Gerchman will visit on Oct. 17 and Huber on October 18. Meet-and-greet forums, which are open to the public, will be held each day at Alexander Middle-High School in the auditorium from 3:40-4:15 p.m. Final interviews with stakeholder groups and the BOE will follow the meet and greet forums. The anticipated start date for the new Superintendent is Jan. 2.

Kevin MacDonald, district superintendent of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, who is acting as search consultant, said the Board has developed and implemented a process that will help determine the best candidate.

“This is a rigorous search process,” MacDonald said. “Finalists will visit at the district, and go through another round of interviews. The process concludes with the Board meeting to make a final decision.”

Yesterday was "Make a Difference Day" for Batavia High School seniors, who volunteered around the community in various projects. 

Places where seniors volunteered included the Batavia Agri-Business Child Development Center, Batavia Peace Garden, Crossroads House, the Genesee County Nursing Home, Genesee County Park & Forest, the Youth Bureau, GO ART!, Habitat for Humanity and the YWCA.

Info and photos from Tom Redband.