FUTURE READY PROJECT SHOWCASE | |
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On Thursday, February 29th, a group of teachers demonstrated innovative projects as part of the second annual Ken-Ton School District Future Ready Project Showcase. The event, which took place in the Kenmore Junior/Senior High School Community Room, was the culmination of months of hard work by 11 teachers who participated in the Future Ready Project Design Team this year. These talented educators spent several weeks developing innovative instructional activities incorporating technology, engineering, or computer science topics that can be replicated in elementary/middle school classrooms everywhere in order to inspire students to become “future ready.”
The program was supported by the NYS Education Department Smart Start Program. In partnership with the Tonawanda City School District, the Future Ready Project Design Team is one component of our district’s NYSED Smart Start grant program which provides funding for professional development opportunities grounded in the NYS Computer Science & Digital Fluency Standards. Nine Ken-Ton teachers along with two from TCSD participated on this year’s team. They were led by our Director of K-12 Education Anne Martell, who coordinated the initiative, and our Instructional Support Specialists for Technology, who provided programming support in the classroom. These 11 educators engaged in professional development and then came up with their own ideas for unique classroom activities that leverage instructional technology to engage students in critical thinking and collaborative learning.
Through the Smart Start program, the teachers received grant support to help bring their ideas to life in their own classrooms. The Future Ready Project Showcase provided the opportunity to demonstrate these activities outside of the classroom environment for the very first time. Teachers also showcased their project design process, materials/supplies used, and student outcomes. Participants were:
- Alex Bianchi, 1st-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary (“Lasers and Lighthouses”)
- Robyn Brydalski, 3rd-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary (“Butterfly Migration”)
- Marjorie Julkowski, 8th-grade ELA teacher at Kenmore West (“Bringing Student Memoirs to Life!”)
- Natalia Kim & Catherine Clark, TCSD (“Content Vocabulary Practice”)
- Amanda Martin, 1st-grade teacher at Edison Elementary (“Algorithms in Our Daily Lives”)
- Aaron Scoccia, music teacher at Franklin, Edison, and Lindbergh Elementary (“Creating Music in Soundtrap”)
- Kerry Smith, Instructional Support Specialist (“Algorithms in Our Daily Lives”)
- Rebecca Thompson, librarian at Franklin Elementary (“Building Bridges”)
- Allison Wilson, school counselor at Kenmore West (“Computer Science Career Exploration”)
- Susan Zummo, RtI teacher at Franklin Middle (“Surveys from Students”)
This exciting program was just one small part of a five-year $1.1 million grant secured by Ken-Ton and TCSD through the Smart Start Program. The goal of the initiative is 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.
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From left, Natalia Kim, Aaron Scoccia, Alex Bianchi, Rebecca Thompson, Robyn Brydalski, Anne Martell, Catherine Clark, Mary Beth Flatau, Allison Wilson, Susan Zummo, Amanda Martin, Kerry Smith, and Marjorie Julkowski. | |
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MEALS ON WHEELS
Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending time with a wonderful organization that makes a tremendous difference in our community: the Ken-Ton Meals on Wheels. This organization provides an affordable meal service for hundreds of people who are unable to shop regularly or prepare their own healthy food. For some clients, their interactions with the compassionate and caring volunteers of Meals on Wheels is the only social interaction they experience on a regular basis.
Everything Ken-Ton Meals on Wheels does is all thanks to the selfless volunteers who devote their time and energy, as well as the outstanding leadership of people such as Executive Director Jessica Nowak, Assistant Director Dan Wiles, and Volunteer Coordinator Jennifer Jetter. Everyone involved in Meals on Wheels is a shining example of what makes our community so special. I truly enjoyed my experience delivering meals and I encourage everyone to consider volunteering your time for this wonderful organization which has such a positive impact on people in our community.
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CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
As we continue our month-long celebration of Women’s History Month, we focus on the namesake of Buffalo's Lovejoy neighborhood: Sarah Lovejoy. Mrs. Lovejoy lived in Buffalo with her husband Joshua and their 12-year-old son Henry in the early 1800s. During the War of 1812, British forces crossed the Niagara River and attacked American troops stationed in Buffalo in retaliation for an earlier engagement that resulted in the burning of a British-held village in Canada. The engagement took place on December 30, 1813 and was known as the Battle of Buffalo. During the battle, Mrs. Lovejoy became one of the only civilian women killed during the War of 1812.
As British forces advanced, most men went to the nearby Village of Blackrock to take a stand while others evacuated the area. Mrs. Lovejoy was one of the few who stayed behind. Despite warnings from neighbors, she refused to flee because she did not want to allow British troops to break into her home and steal or destroy her family’s belongings. She also thought she wouldn't be attacked as a civilian, though she did send her 12-year-old son to hide in the woods as British forces approached. Mrs. Lovejoy was killed as British allies entered her home and she bravely tried to prevent them from taking her family’s most treasured possessions.
Mrs. Lovejoy’s son became a well-known surveyor later in life and it was he who was responsible for naming a street after his mother, which gave rise to the name of the Lovejoy neighborhood and city council district.
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SAFETY TIPS FOR FAMILIES:
CAR SEATS
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Car seats and booster seats provide protection for infants and children in a crash, yet car crashes remain a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. That's why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it's so important to choose the right car seat and use it correctly every time your child is in the car. The NHTSA provides the following guidelines to assist families in selecting the right seat:
- A rear-facing car seat is recommended beginning at birth until the child reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. The NHTSA recommends keeping children in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible.
- A forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether is recommended for children as young as 1 and as old as 7. Children should remain in the forward-facing car seat until he/she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer.
- A booster seat is recommended for children as young as 4 and as old as 12. Children should continue to use a booster seat until a seat belt fits properly without one. For a seat belt to fit properly, the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.
You can read all of the NHTSA’s recommendations, which includes detailed information on each of the different car seat options, on their website.
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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! | |
Lindbergh Students and Staff Come Together to Support PE Teacher Kelly Strong | |
On Monday, Lindbergh Elementary School students and staff came together for a very special PBIS assembly called "The Lindbergh Strong Game Show Assembly.” The assembly was to honor and show support for Lindbergh physical education teacher Kelly Strong, who was diagnosed with advanced mantle cell lymphoma and is currently halfway through her five-month chemotherapy regimen on her journey towards recovery. Several weeks ago, 26Shirts released a special limited edition T-shirt to honor Kelly and raise money to assist her with medical expenses. During the assembly, 26Shirts Founder Del Reid presented a check for $5,384 to Kelly, who surprised students and staff by coming to the assembly and updating them on her progress. It was great to see her and we're so excited to welcome her back in the fall! | |
Board of Education Visits Hoover Middle School | |
On Wednesday, Board of Education members, Superintendent Sabatino Cimato, and other district administrators visited Hoover Middle School as part of their monthly school visitations. The visit began with a meet-and-greet before school followed by visits to classrooms to see students/staff in action. The group also had the opportunity to see first-hand some recent improvements that have been made to the building such as enhancements to the gymnasium and the school’s new fitness center as well as ongoing construction taking place in the library. | |
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Kenmore East Student Takes Part in Prestigious Carnegie Hall Honors Performance Series
Kenmore East senior Anna Weinert earned an incredible opportunity to showcase her musical talent. Anna spent a few days in February playing as a cellist in the Carnegie Hall Honors Performance Series String Orchestra in New York City. The Honors Performance Series is an audition-only performance organization that was established to feature talented young musicians on stage at one of the world’s most famous music halls, Carnegie Hall. Following a challenging audition process, Anna was accepted into the Performance Series as second chair in the cello section and was able to work with acclaimed conductor Catherine Birke and perform in a concert at Carnegie Hall. Read more about Anna’s achievement here.
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Hoover and Franklin Middle Compete in 2nd Annual Volleyball Tournament | |
On March 5th, students and staff from both middle schools competed in the second annual Hoover Middle vs. Franklin Middle volleyball tournament in the Kenmore Junior/Senior High School gym. For this event, which has now become an annual tradition, both schools compete against each other in a friendly competition with the winner taking home the trophy for the remainder of the school year. This year’s competition also featured some friendly family rivalry with Franklin Middle Assistant Principal Laura Wagner facing her cousin, Hoover Middle Assistant Principal Chrissy Zona. Franklin jumped to an early lead winning the fifth-grade game, and Hoover came back and won the sixth-grade game. In the final game of the night, the Hoover seventh-graders had a big comeback led by students Elise Bindert and Amelia Mock, which won the school the competition for the second year in a row. Special thanks go out to everyone who made this opportunity possible for our students and the many families who came out to cheer our students on. | |
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District Celebrates Three 2nd-Grade Students Born on Leap Day
Ken-Ton Schools celebrated three special birthdays on Thursday, February 29th which included the only three Ken-Ton School District students who share a Leap Day birthday. Coincidentally, all three were born on February 29th, 2016 and are in second grade: Brenden Blose and Jacob Bickel at Edison Elementary and Sofia Thur at Lindbergh Elementary. In a district the size of Ken-Ton, the odds of having three Leap Day birthdays among our second-graders is less than 1% (1 out of 100), which made it an even more special day for our schools!
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Edison Students Enjoy Fun Activities Before School
The Edison Elementary School “Extras” program is in full swing for the month of March. Each morning, there is a fun activity led by staff for students to participate in before school. This month's activities include a dance party, story time, friendship bracelet making, Legos, garden activities, coloring, St. Patrick's Day card making, Pokemon trading cards, games, and Zingo. It is a terrific opportunity for students to engage with one another and get the school day off to a great start.
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Schools Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday | |
Schools found many different ways to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday, which took place Saturday, March 2nd and was observed this week. First-graders at Edison Elementary School took part in the national "Read Across America" campaign by getting comfortable in the hallways and enjoying some reading material together as a group. Additionally, our school cafeterias celebrated with a special lunch menu consisting of Horton's Cherry Blossom Chicken, Seussville seasoned rice, Yertle the Turtle carrots, Lorax broccoli, Sam I Am milk, Sneeches Peaches, and One Fish Two Fish Goldfish. | |
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FBI Specialist Visits High Schools to Speak About Internet Safety
On Friday, March 1st, Kenmore East High School and Kenmore West High School were excited to welcome back Kimberly Smith, a Community Outreach Specialist for the FBI of Buffalo. Ms. Smith led a special presentation for both schools' eighth-grade students and discussed the importance of internet safety and privacy and the dangers of some social media apps. She also showed examples of cases she has worked on from right here in WNY.
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RECOGNITION: UNIFIED BOWLING | |
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This week, I wish to recognize an amazing group of student athletes: the Kenmore East and Kenmore West Unified Bowling Teams. Both teams competed in the Section VI Unified Bowling Culminating Event on Monday and Tuesday. The event took place at AMF Airport Lanes and was a wonderful way to finish up the season. All of our athletes performed exceptionally during their final matches of the season. Additionally, the Kenmore West team won the Section VI Championship; Kenmore West students Evan Szpara won the Sportsmanship Award and Nate Fuller won the Cross Training Character Award; and Kenmore East students Emily Malek won the Sportsmanship Award and Ta Myah Tubbins won the Cross Training Character Award.
This was the third year for our Unified Bowling program and it has been a tremendous success. It’s always wonderful to see athletes of different abilities join together with each student using his or her unique skills to contribute to the team. That's what Unified Sports is all about.
Monday and Tuesday’s matches were the culmination of an amazing season for both teams. The Kenmore East team under coaches Trish Penetrante and Bob O’Connor and the Kenmore West team under coaches Kim Zuccari and John Haynes did a phenomenal job all season, demonstrating outstanding teamwork and sportsmanship. We could not be prouder of the way these student-athletes represented Ken-Ton and for all their hard work this season. They truly made Ken-Ton proud!
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RECOGNITION: ANIYAH MUNGO | |
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This week, I wish to recognize another athlete who has made Ken-Ton proud: Kenmore West High School senior Aniyah Mungo, a member of the Kenmore West Indoor Track Team. We were extremely proud to see Aniyah compete in the NYS Public High School Athletics Association Indoor Track Championships last weekend! Aniyah had won the Section VI Championship in the 300 meters on February 17th, earning a place at the New York State meet. With a time of 41.36 seconds, Aniyah also set a new Kenmore West High School record. Please join me in recognizing Aniyah for her achievement!
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Monday, March 11th
Tuesday, March 12th
- Board of Education Meeting & Budget Work Session (5 p.m. at Kenmore Junior/Senior High)
Monday, March 18th - Friday, March 22nd
Tuesday, March 19th
- Gr. K-4 Report Cards Posted to Parent Portal
Thursday, March 21st
- Elementary School Early Release & Parent/Teacher Conferences (12:40 p.m. dismissal)
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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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