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CELEBRATING MEMORIAL DAY
Schools will be closed tomorrow (Friday, May 24th) and Monday, May 27th for Memorial Day Recess. I encourage everyone to take some time to reflect on the meaning and importance of Memorial Day and to reinforce this with your children.
The history of Memorial Day goes all the way back to the aftermath of the Civil War, which was the deadliest war in American history killing more than 600,000 soldiers. Across the country, communities began observing designated days dedicated to mourning and honoring those who lost their lives during the conflict. This was originally called Decoration Day because of the practice of visiting veterans’ graves and decorating them with flowers and flags. New York became the first state to recognize it as a statewide holiday and by 1890 every state in the nation had done the same. Following World War I and World War II, which resulted in the deaths of more than 500,000 soldiers combined, it was expanded to include all national wars and officially renamed Memorial Day in 1967, taking place the last Monday of May.
As educators, we take our responsibility of teaching students the meaning and importance of Memorial Day very seriously. We must never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and lost their lives protecting the freedoms we all enjoy today. That is what Memorial Day is all about. There are different ways we can honor these men and women, whether it’s attending Memorial Day activities, visiting veterans’ memorials and graves, supporting veterans in our community, or paying respects to those who lost a loved one serving in the Armed Forces.
As you enjoy the long weekend with family, friends, and loved ones, please take a few moments to remember our fallen veterans and reflect on their sacrifices. They truly are our greatest American heroes. Most importantly, have conversations with your children about why it is so important to honor this day in such a way.
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BUDGET VOTE & BOARD ELECTION RESULTS
Thank you to everyone who took part in Tuesday’s Budget Vote and Board of Education Election. We were pleased to see the budget and supplemental capital project approved with an overwhelming majority. The proposal to rename the Kenmore East Natatorium after former coach Lee Herbst was also approved and we congratulate Fred Floss (pictured here) for being elected to our Board of Education. As always, we thank the community for its support!
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SAFETY TIPS FOR FAMILIES:
STAYING SAFE IN THE SUN
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Warm, sunny days are finally here and it's great to see so many opportunities for children to get active and play outside. Any time children are spending time outside, it's very important for families to take precautions to safeguard them from the sun. Sunscreen can help protect the skin from sunburn and some skin cancers but only if used correctly. HealthyChildren.org provides the following tips for choosing and using sunscreen:
- Use a sunscreen that says "broad-spectrum" on the label; that means it will screen out both UVB and UVA rays.
- Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 (up to SPF 50). An SPF of 15 or 30 should be fine for most people.
- If possible, avoid the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone because of concerns about mild hormonal properties.
- For sensitive areas of the body, such as the nose, cheeks, tops of the ears, and shoulders, choose a sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
- Use enough sunscreen to cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, feet, hands and even backs of the knees. Rub it in well.
- Put sunscreen on 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors. It needs time to absorb into the skin.
- Use sunscreen any time you or your child spend time outdoors. Remember that you can get sunburn even on cloudy days because up to 80% of the sun's UV rays can get through the clouds. Also, UV rays can bounce back from water, sand, snow, and concrete.
- Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming, sweating, or drying off with a towel. Because most people use too little sunscreen, make sure to apply a generous amount.
You can read more about helping your children stay safe in the sun 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! | |
The Power of Unified Sports Showcased at Kenmore West vs. Kenmore East Unified Basketball Game | |
Monday, May 20th was a very special day as the annual Kenmore East and Kenmore West Unified Basketball Game took place in the Kenmore West gymnasium. The gym was packed with students, staff, families, friends, and even elementary school students who came to cheer the teams on. We were excited to see Kenmore West junior Abigail Holmes perform the National Anthem before the game and the Kenmore West cheer team and Kenmore East dance team kept the crowd entertained during timeouts and at halftime. Congratulations to Kenmore West student Avery Plante and Kenmore East student Jordan Cannarozzo for earning the game’s MVP honors. One thing that made it such a special day was the inclusion of two Ken-Ton elementary special education classes from Hoover Elementary School and Holmes Elementary School. Students cheered the teams on throughout the game and were able to then stay and ask the athletes questions. Click here to see more photos from this amazing event. Click here to see footage of Ta Myah Tubbins making an incredible shot. | |
Student Artwork On Display at Kenmore East Fine Arts Festival | |
The artistic talents of Kenmore East High School students were on full display on Thursday, May 9th during the school’s annual art show. Everything from drawings to pottery to paintings was set up all throughout the auditorium. Congratulations to the following students for winning special awards: Hardest Worker: Violet Zimmerman, Morgan Tobin, Ellie Santiago, Arianna George, Lily Ward, and Hari Balakrishnan; Up & Coming Superstar Artist: Aluna Dixon, Ariana Curry, Lily Piazza, Kasia McGregor, Aryssa Barry, and Niha Rai (Resh); Best Painting: Angelina Herrera; Best Drawing: Allie Gartz; Best Series: Castiel Frye; Artist of the Year: Sophia Puma; Best in Show: Jodie Lynn Farr; Best Sculpture: Emmet Squire; Best Photo: Owen Shotwell; Best Up & Coming Photographer: Jordan King; Best Animation: Shannon Spence; Best Digital Illustration: Jing Hui Lin; Best Illustration: Emily McMahon; Best Graphic Design: Sawyer Lombardo; and Best Digital Multimedia Art: Grace Mayle. | |
Students Celebrated at Kenmore West Art Show | |
Thank you to everyone who attended the Thursday, May 16th Kenmore West art show and made the event such a tremendous success. Drawings, pottery, paintings, and more were proudly displayed in the school's library and in the hallways outside. Congratulations to the following students for winning special awards: Best in Show: Emily Rotando; Principal's Choice: Mia Winkler; Best Drawing: Layla Geiman; Best Painting: Em Dee; Best Photography: Eva Deeb; Best Multimedia: Maddie Burt; Best 8th Grade: Sofia Scarcello; Most Innovative: Ryan Burks; and Best Mixed Media: Emily Rotando. | |
Lindbergh Students Show Support as Classmate Participates in Cystic Fibrosis Walk | |
A lot of silly and crazy hats could be seen at Lindbergh Elementary on May 16th but it was all for a great cause. Students had the opportunity to donate $1 to wear a silly or crazy hat of their choice and were also encouraged to wear purple which is the color of the Cystic Fibrosis ribbon. All of the proceeds from the May 16th Silly Hat Day went to a kindergartener who has Cystic Fibrosis and participated in that weekend’s Cystic Fibrosis Walk. It was inspiring to see so many students and staff helping out a classmate and showing their support. | |
Big Picture Program Students Celebrate Mentors at Luncheon | |
It was another successful year for Ken-Ton Big Picture Program students as they get a glimpse into a variety of different career paths thanks to businesses and professionals in the Ken-Ton community. The annual Mentor Luncheon took place May 16th as local businesses and organizations were recognized for mentoring a Big Picture student and assisting them in learning more about different career pathways. In total, Big Picture students worked a combined 20,000 hours in the field this year. A big thank you goes out to the many mentors in our area and to those who attended the luncheon including 26 Shirts, Alford's Angels, Arc Iron Creations, Buffalo Museum of Science, Colvin Brighton Child Care Center, Delaware Camera, Ken-Ton Chamber of Commerce, Ken-Ton Closet, Kenmore United Methodist Preschool, Ken-Ton Meals on Wheels, Mojo Market, Orville's Home Appliances, Ripen With Us Child Care, Scott's Diesel Solutions, SPoT Coffee, Sweeney's Garage, Sweet Em’s Cake Boutique, Warren's Auto Tech LLC., and many Ken-Ton School District staff members across the district. | |
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NYSUT President Visits Big Picture Program
On Friday, May 17th, we were excited to welcome Melinda Person, President of the New York State United Teachers, who came to Ken-Ton to visit the Big Picture Program at Kenmore Junior/Senior High School. She toured the program with Kenmore Teachers Association President Jeff Orlowski and even had the opportunity to take part in a restorative circle with Big Picture juniors as they reflected on the last few months and looked ahead to their senior year.
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Middle Schools Welcome Incoming 5th Graders During School Visits
Over the next two weeks, fourth-grade students from all five Ken-Ton elementary schools will be visiting both Hoover Middle and Franklin Middle. This gives fourth graders the chance to walk the hallways they'll be walking next school year, check out the new environment, and learn about all of the things they have to look forward to. For example, on Tuesday, two fourth-grade classes from Lindbergh Elementary visited Hoover Middle School. Students were split up into small groups and were led around the school by current middle schoolers. Afterward, the groups met in the cafeteria and fourth graders had the chance to ask the older students questions relating to next year's transition. Some of the questions involved lockers, homework, and even activities and clubs that will be available to them.
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Kenmore West Ensembles Perform for Band Teacher’s Final Concert
The night of Thursday, May 16th was bittersweet at Kenmore West High School as the Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Band took to the stage for an amazing spring performance for the Kenmore West community. What made this such a special night was that it was band teacher Kenneth Belote's last concert before he retires at the end of the school year. We wish him the very best of luck in this next chapter.
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RECOGNITION: KAREN WHITELAW &
LEE ANN VOGT
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We were extremely proud to learn that two members of our Board of Education, Trustees Karen Whitelaw (right) and Lee Ann Vogt, have been recognized through the NYS School Boards Association (NYSSBA) Recognition Program. This program is designed to acknowledge those school board members who strive to continually expand their governance knowledge and skills. This initiative reflects NYSSBA’s motto that “better school boards lead to better student performance.” The recognition program includes different achievement levels which are reached over time by accumulating points through participation in NYSSBA trainings, workshops, events, and activities.
The Ken-Ton School District is very fortunate to have such dedicated individuals on our Board of Education. Please join me in recognizing Trustee Whitelaw and Trustee Vogt for their outstanding achievement!
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Friday, May 24th - Monday, May 27th
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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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