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Weekly E-Newsletter from the Superintendent of Schools
Volume 3, Issue 26 (March 17, 2023)
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UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT | |
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FUTURE READY PROJECT SHOWCASE
Teachers from the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda and City of Tonawanda school districts have teamed up with the NYS Education Department Smart Start Program to explore and develop innovative new lessons which can be modeled in elementary/middle school classrooms. These exciting and creative activities incorporate technology, engineering, or computer science topics in order to inspire students to become “future ready.”
The first-ever Ken-Ton School District Future Ready Project Showcase, which was held on Thursday, March 9th, was the culmination of months of hard work by a dedicated team of educators who set out to design their own innovative lessons. Teachers had engaged in professional development and lesson design in their spare time, receiving grant support to help bring their ideas to life. Eight different Future Ready projects, which demonstrated design thinking and instructional innovation to prepare our students for the future, were on display at the Future Ready Project Showcase, which took place at Kenmore Middle School. Grounded in the new NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards, these projects leveraged instructional technology to engage students in critical thinking and collaborative learning.
“It was amazing to see how these projects developed and the unique direction each teacher took in designing their future ready project,” said Dr. Anne Martell, Director of K-12 Education who is spearheading the Smart Start initiative. “It is exciting to hear how these projects engaged students in learning.”
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Presenters included Alex Bianchi, Patrick Carr, Mary Beth Flatau, Andy Lueth, Amanda Martin, Dave Rogalski, and Kerry Smith from the Ken-Ton School District. Kim Honec and Laura Schmidt from the Tonawanda City School District joined the team as well. Their projects, plus other instructional resources created as part of the Smart Start grant program, will be available on our district website for all NYS educators at www.ktufsd.org/SmartStart.
The purpose of the program is to develop, implement, and share innovative programs that provide professional development and support to increase expertise in computer science, engineering, and/or educational technology among teachers for grades K-8. The goals of the program are to increase digital literacy and digital citizenship skills in preparation for the regional workforce and inspire students to enroll and graduate from the Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathways programs that include computer science and information technology.
This exciting program was one small part of a five-year $1.1 million grant secured by the Ken-Ton and City of Tonawanda school districts through the Smart Start Program to give teachers the skills needed to educate students how to live safely and productively in a digitally-dominated world; how to effectively utilize technology to create, research, communicate, and collaborate; and to increase the number of students graduating with computer science skills. The local Smart Start collaboration began last year with 76 teachers joining the first cohort of educators who focused on digital literacy and digital citizenship as well as future-ready learning to promote workforce readiness.
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Next week is National Poison Prevention Week, which seeks to raise awareness of poison prevention nationwide. This is an opportunity to highlight the dangers of poisons for people of all ages and promote community involvement in poisoning prevention. SafeKids.org provides the following guidance for families to protect children from poison:
- Keep household products stored safely to prevent poisoning. Young kids are often eye-level with items under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, so make sure household cleaning products and personal care products are away, out of children’s reach and sight.
- Keep all household cleaning products in their original containers. Also, when buying products, look for child-resistant containers to help prevent poisoning to children.
- Read and follow product labels. Check for ingredients that can be harmful to kids and make sure you use and store products according to the label. Kids can get into things quickly, so remember not to leave cleaning products or personal care products unattended while you are using them.
- Remember products that might be harmful to kids. Check your home for products like cleaning supplies, liquid laundry packets, personal care products, plants, pesticides, alcohol, and medicine.
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Save the Poison Help number in your phone and post it visibly at home (1-800-222-1222). Specialists at poison control centers provide free, confidential, expert medical advice 24 hours a day. They can answer questions and help with poison emergencies.
You can learn more poison control tips here.
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SCHOOL & DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS | |
Each week, we will highlight some of the exciting things taking place in the district. Be sure to follow the Ken-Ton School District on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@ktufsd) for more school highlights! | |
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Jersey Mike's Subs Fundraiser on March 29th Will Support This Year's West Fest Event
On Wednesday, March 29th, the new Jersey Mike’s Subs location in the Town of Tonawanda will be supporting this year’s West Fest event by donating 100% of proceeds from sales that day to benefit the event. This new Jersey Mike’s Subs location, at 3611 Delaware Avenue, celebrated its grand opening on March 15th. West Fest, which is scheduled for Monday, June 12th, is a huge event which brings together all Kenmore West students and staff for a day-long celebration including dozens of fun activities.
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Schools Celebrate District Wellness Week | |
All week, schools have been observing Wellness Week, a week-long celebration of wellness throughout the district. Students and staff were challenged with a different theme each day including carrying out acts of kindness, trying a new healthy fruit or vegetable for a snack, engaging in 5 minutes of exercise each hour, replacing unhealthy drinks with water, and getting extra steps. A variety of activities and events also took place. For example, the Food Service Department served fresh strawberries and kiwi to students for lunch. At Lindbergh Elementary, students had a chance to try raw fresh vegetables like snow peas, sugar snap peas, green beans, and baby carrots during Physical Education class. Hoover Elementary staff were treated to Yoga in their wellness room earlier this week. And Edison Elementary School featured an amazing Wellness Spa which included a "make your own bouquet" station, nail polish bar, hand scrubs, herbal tea, sweet treats, and a complimentary gift cart. | |
Gifted/Talented Students Compete in Invention Convention | |
On Tuesday, fourth-grade students in the Ken-Ton School District Gifted/Talented (G/T) Program competed in the Invention Convention. It’s an annual event in which students in the G/T Program are tasked with brainstorming ideas and concepts for new devices or products. They come up with answers to questions such as the background of the invention, the parts and materials needed to create it, who would benefit, and what makes it different. Students from all five elementary schools as well as parochial schools in the district took part. A total of 15 finalists will be announced and they will compete in the WNY Invention Convention, which takes place in April at the Buffalo Museum of Science with winners then moving onto the national event in Detroit. Click here to see photographs of all the students’ presentations. | |
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'Collegial Circles' Help Guide New Ken-Ton Teachers
Ken-Ton School District educators are always looking to better themselves, challenge their students, and create an engaging and beneficial learning environment. That’s why something called “Collegial Circles” is becoming an extremely important part of our Ken-Ton mentoring program. A Collegial Circle is a professional learning community made up of educators who are committed to improving their practice. Teachers get the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues, solve problems, share their expertise with others, and ultimately deepen their knowledge of teaching and learning. Click here to read the story.
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8 Ken-Ton Athletes Recognized by the Niagara PAL & Section VI | |
A total of eight Ken-Ton School District athletes were recognized last weekend at two different events. Six student athletes were recognized at the Niagara Police Athletic League (PAL) Awards Banquet including Maria Colosimo, Henry Morris, and Trevin Wickland from Kenmore East and Nate Fuller, Delia Lake, and Ian Wirth from Kenmore West. Additionally, two bowlers (Jake Willard and Kaelynn Weber) competed at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Bowling Championships and both bowlers were named NYSPHSAA sportsmanship award winners for Section VI. | |
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Edison Elementary Kindness Challenge Culminates With School-Wide Dance Party
Throughout the month of February, Edison Elementary School spent time tracking all the kind acts by its students after challenging them to complete 1,000 acts of kindness by March 3rd. They then used a creative display called the "Kindness Thermometer" to motivate students toward reaching their goal. They not only reached that goal but exceeded it. As a reward, the entire school came together for a 10-minute school-wide dance party in the hallways on Thursday, March 9th to celebrate all of the kindness that had been displayed in the hallways and the classroom. Great job Edison students!
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Teachers Explore New Classroom Strategies at Computer Science & Digital Fluency Workshop
On Thursday, March 9th, representatives from all Ken-Ton schools attended a Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards workshop. The goal was to inspire a new generation of tech-savvy learners and empower educators to integrate some new strategies in the classroom. Staff members were broken up into groups and rotated through eight different stations which involved five different core concepts: impacts of computing, computational thinking, networks and system design, cybersecurity, and digital literacy.
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Kenmore West Student Earns Regional 'Youth of the Year' Distinction
Kenmore West student Bryce Chatham was recently recognized as a Youth of the Year by the Erie-Niagara Sunrise Exchange Club. The award goes to a Kenmore West student each year who has made a positive impact on others. The Erie-Niagara Exchange Club, which meets weekly over breakfast, is a group of friends and neighbors who come together to find ways they can work to improve our community. Award recipients are typically those who exhibit leadership and community service. Bryce is a senior honors student who is in the aviation program and recently attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Congratulations Bryce!
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Franklin Elementary Students Explore ‘Reinventing Reality’ Exhibit at Buffalo Museum of Science
Fourth-grade students at Franklin Elementary School had a blast exploring the Buffalo Museum of Science on Tuesday. A total of eight classrooms visited the museum and were lucky enough to enjoy the special exhibit "Reinventing Reality." This exhibit allowed students to experience virtual reality, learn how to create their own virtual reality worlds, and use their senses to explore these alternate spaces.
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CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH | |
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This week, we highlight one of the most influential women of the mid-Nineteenth Century who lived in Western New York for many years: Abigail Powers Fillmore, the 13th First Lady of the United States. Less is known about Mrs. Fillmore than other First Ladies, but she was a lifelong advocate for literacy and education and her contributions continue to this day.
Abigail Powers was born in Stillwater, New York in 1798. Her father, the leader of a local church, died when she was two years old and left behind a large library which helped Abigail's mother teach her how to read. Abigail quickly developed a deep love for literature and she became extremely knowledgeable in a variety of subjects. She became a school teacher at the age of 16, working in her spare time to continue advancing her education. Early in her career, she met future president Millard Fillmore and they were married in 1826. Mr. Fillmore was working as a lawyer in East Aurora at the time. Although female teachers were expected to leave the teaching profession immediately after marrying, Abigail continued to teach until the birth of her first child in 1828.
The family moved to Buffalo in 1830 where Mr. Fillmore was emerging as a prominent attorney and politician. He was elected as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1832, Comptroller of the State of New York in 1847, and Vice President under Zachary Taylor in 1848. Mr. Fillmore rose to the presidency in 1850 when President Taylor died a year and a half into his first term, making Mrs. Fillmore the 13th First Lady of the United States.
The Buffalo Presidential Center, which is dedicated to advancing knowledge of New York's contributions to the U.S. Presidency and national affairs, has worked to preserve Mrs. Fillmore's legacy. An exhibit about Mrs. Fillmore was highlighted in 2022 during Women's History Month. Mrs. Fillmore played an important role in President Fillmore’s administration, though physical ailments limited her contributions. She was the first First Lady in our nation’s history to have previously pursued a career. Mrs. Fillmore’s most noted achievement is considered to be the establishment of the White House Library. Mrs. Fillmore was appalled that there was no library in the White House when she first arrived in Washington D.C. and she successfully advocated for Congressional authorization to establish the library. It was there that she hosted some of the most prominent writers of the time such as Charles Dickens and Washington Irving and the library continues to operate to this day.
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RECOGNITION: ECMEA MUSIC FESTIVALS | |
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Over the past couple weeks, the Ken-Ton School District was extremely proud to host the Erie County Music Educators Association (ECMEA) Elementary Music Festival and Junior High North Music Festival, which took place at the Franklin Complex. It was a tremendous honor for our district to host the annual music festivals, which brought students, teachers, and families from across Erie County to our district. The Elementary Festival took place March 4th and March 15th and the Junior High North Music Festival took place March 10th and 11th and both went off without a hitch. This was a tremendous undertaking and there are many people whose contributions made this possible including:
- Franklin Middle School music teacher Kristen Hill, host coordinator for both festivals
- Music teachers Ciaran Krueger and Matthew Purks-Morris, who co-chaired the Elementary Red Chorus; Jessica Leary, who co-chaired the Junior High North SSA Chorus; and music teacher Jill Neuhaus, who served as guest conductor for the Junior High North SSA Chorus
- Franklin Middle School Principal Marco Galante
- The Ken-Ton School District Music Department led by coordinator Laura Anderson, who also sold concessions with parent Gennie Vitko from the Music Boosters
- The Franklin Middle custodial staff, which did a phenomenal job setting up, tearing down, and everything in between
- Food Service Director Kim Roll, Cook Manager Maria Marano, and the entire Food Service team which provided meals for students and staff
It is always wonderful to see Ken-Ton as the host site for events such as these, which give us a chance to showcase our schools and community for people from all across Western New York. Great job to everyone involved!
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Visit www.ktufsd.org/calendar to access website calendars and Google calendars with
up-to-date event information for the district and each of its schools.
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Wednesday, March 22nd
- Elementary School Parent/Teacher Conferences (Evening Only)
Thursday, March 23rd
- Gr. K-4 Report Cards Posted on IC Parent Portal
Monday, March 27th
- Elementary School Early Release & Parent/Teacher Conferences (12:40 p.m. Dismissal)
Tuesday, March 28th
- Budget Work Session (6:30 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School)
Wednesday, March 29th
- SEPTO Meeting (6:30 p.m. at US itek)
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Thank you for reviewing this information. As always, we remain Ken-Ton Proud, Ken-Ton Strong, and Ken-Ton Moving Forward!
Sabatino Cimato,
Superintendent of Schools
For previous editions of the Ken-Ton Weekly Connection, visit
www.ktufsd.org/connection
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