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FINISHING STRONGLY
With the 2023-24 school year winding to a close, it’s important for all families to have conversations with their children about how important it is to finish the year strongly. For Gr. 8-12 students, next week will be the last days before the start of Regents and Local Exams beginning Friday, June 14th. Just like a runner at the end of a race approaching the finish line, students must dig deep and finish strongly. There are many things families can do to support their children and make sure they hit the ground running next week:
- Stay up-to-date with your child's educational progress and assignments through Infinite Campus Parent Portal and Canvas. Make sure you both know of any missing and upcoming assignments.
- Make sure you and your child know which exams they will need to attend and the time/day they will take place. Make sure they arrive on time so they have plenty of time to finish the exam. Keep in mind, Regents Exams have very strict entry times.
- Strongly encourage your child to prepare and study for their exams as best they can.
- Make sure your child gets a good night's rest, eats a nutritious breakfast at home or participates in our breakfast program at school which is free for all students, and has all the supplies they will need prior to exams.
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PROM SAFETY
The Kenmore West Senior Prom takes place today and the Kenmore East Senior Prom takes place Friday, June 14th. Educating our students about how to stay safe on prom night has been a priority for our district. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 1,340 people under the age of 21 die in alcohol-related crashes each year and one-third of alcohol-related teen traffic fatalities occur during the months of April, May and June.
There are many factors that make prom night the most dangerous time for teenagers to drive. This includes the relative inexperience of teen drivers, distractions from the excitement of the evening, driving late at night, the presence of other teenagers in the car (which doubles the risk of a crash), the temptation to text while driving to coordinate activities and discuss the night’s events, the potential for alcohol or other substances that impair driving to have been consumed, and the possibility that students will be driving while tired. Every year, we hear about tragedies that occur in communities across the nation on prom night. We do not want to see anything like this happen in our community.
Beginning this year with Kenmore West, we deployed a vehicle which was severely damaged in a car accident outside the school as a powerful visual reminder of what’s at stake for students and families. I want to personally thank Transit Towing and Recovery which kindly donated the vehicle and arranged for it to be transported.
Please be sure to have conversations with your child about how to stay safe on prom night and consider what you can do to help. You can read more about prom safety tips in the May 17th Weekly Connection.
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COMMUNITY BUS TOUR
The next Ken-Ton School District community bus tour will take place Wednesday, July 17th at Kenmore Junior/Senior High School (155 Delaware Road, Kenmore). The bus will depart promptly at 6 p.m. from outside the Community Room at Door #9 (north side of the building). The tour will take approximately 90 minutes and will pass by numerous locations of historical significance for the Town of Tonawanda, Village of Kenmore, and Ken-Ton School District. The bus tour will conclude at approximately 7:30 p.m.
The bus tour is free and open to all school district residents. Registration for the bus tour is required since seats will be limited. Seats will be provided on a first-come/first-serve basis and a waiting list will be maintained if needed. You can register for the bus tour by clicking here. Registration confirmation and updates will be sent via email so it is important for participants to provide an active email address. If you have any questions or are unable to complete the registration form, you can email pfanelli@ktufsd.org or call 716-874-8400 ext. 20699.
We are very excited to once again offer this opportunity for our community and educate residents on the rich history of our school district. I hope you will consider joining us!
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On June 4th, we were proud to honor a total of 70 members of the Ken-Ton School District faculty and staff who will be retiring by the end of this school year at the annual Retiree Reception. These staff represent a combined 1,871 years of service to our students! Although we are saddened to be losing such outstanding members of our staff, we wish them the very best in the next chapter of their lives. Click here to access the full list. | |
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SAFETY TIPS FOR FAMILIES:
TICK SAFETY
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 |  | With warm weather upon us and students spending a lot more time outdoors, the NYS Education Department (NYSED) has been taking steps to educate families about the dangers associated with ticks and tick-borne disease. According to the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH), Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in NYS, though there are other serious diseases spread by ticks as well. According to the NYSDOH, ticks live in shady, moist areas at ground level. They cling to tall grass, brush, and shrubs, usually no more than 18-24 inches off the ground. They also live in lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woods and around old stone walls. Once a tick gets on the skin, it generally climbs upwards until it reaches a protected area. In tick-infested areas, your best protection is to avoid contact with soil, leaf litter, and vegetation. However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work, or otherwise spend time in the outdoors, you can still protect yourself by taking the following precautions:
- Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
- Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and your shirt into pants.
- Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors.
- Consider using insect repellent.
- Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Walk in the center of trails. Avoid dense woods and bushy areas.
- Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
- Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
- Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
- Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets) and remove ticks promptly.
Click here to find other NYSED resources for protecting yourself and your children from ticks and tick-borne illnesses.
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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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Student Board Representatives Lead Final
District Leadership Council Meeting
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Last week, the District Leadership Council wrapped up its final meeting of the school year led by Board of Education student representatives Maria Ramos Rua and Sriya Natajaran. These two students were joined by approximately 20 other students from Kenmore Junior/Senior High School, Kenmore East High School, Kenmore West High School, Franklin Middle School, and Hoover Middle School. The group's goal is to encourage student voice and leadership as well as finding ways to make district-wide connections. The meeting began with a trivia game that covered topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) before the students broke into two different group circles. They then took part in an activity that involved creating a holiday-based celebration while also overcoming a specific obstacle like lack of funds or lack of space. The student board representatives are to be commended for doing such an amazing job facilitating the group! | |
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Ken-Ton Ensembles Perform Exceptionally at Darien Lake Music Festival
Our students performed exceptionally at last weekend’s Darien Lake Music Festival with several ensembles taking first-place finishes. The event included ensembles from throughout Western New York performing in front of judges and ranked based on their performances. All Kenmore West High School ensembles, which were led by Ken Belote and Laura Anderson, earned an “outstanding” rating. The Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Blue Devil Big Band earned first-place honors in their divisions while the Concert Band placed fourth overall out of 14 bands participating. Special honors included Abby Holmes earning Best Soloist and the Blue Devil Big Band earning best saxophone section. The Franklin Middle School Band and Orchestra also received “outstanding” ratings with the orchestra, led by Amanda McCormick, earning second-place honors and the band, led by Michael Ihde, beating their score from last year. (Kenmore East ensembles will be competing this weekend.)
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Kenmore East Senior Earns Highest Girl Scout Honor
Natalie Monteleone, a senior at Kenmore East High School, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor among Girl Scouts with only six percent of members earning this distinction nationally every year. Gold Award Girl Scouts are ones who have helped fix a problem in their community or made a lasting change in their world. Natalie created a project titled “Let’s Have Fun Together” in which she created, advertised, and hosted a puzzle drive. She ended up collecting more than 1,500 games to benefit the Cradle Beach community. Natalie has been in Troop 30875 for eight years. At Kenmore East, she has been a member of the Kenmore East Unified Bowling team and performed in Dance Club for the first half of the school year. She is also involved in Best Buddies and the Kenmore Special Olympics Track and Field team. Read the article here.
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Magnificent Artwork on Display at Big Picture Program Art Show | |
On Wednesday, May 22nd, students from the Ken-Ton Big Picture Program at Kenmore Junior/Senior High School showed off their artistic talents during the school's art show. A wide range of artistic creations was on display including drawings, paintings, collages, pottery, and papier-mache projects. Guests were amazed at the extraordinary talents of our student artists and their magnificent quality of their contributions. You can see additional photographs on the district's Facebook page. | |
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Students & Staff Devote a Saturday to Cleaning Up Edison Community Garden
Students and staff in the Edison Elementary community recently devoted a Saturday to cleaning up the Edison Community & Children’s Garden, a magnificent outdoor space on the south side of the campus. Students and their families including current and former members of the Edison Gardeners Club which maintains the space spent approximately two hours weeding, planting, and cleaning up different parts of the garden. The Edison Community & Children's Garden was established more than seven years ago and provides opportunities for the Edison students and community members to observe and enjoy nature and learn about gardening. The group is made up of third- and fourth-grade students who meet once a week to work on and maintain the garden. Edison was also grateful to receive support from the Ken-Ton Closet.
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Student Engineering Projects On Display at Engineering Design & Development Showcase
The Kenmore West High School Technology Department recently hosted its annual Engineering Design & Development Showcase. The exhibit featured students in the Kenmore West Project Lead the Way (PLTW) pre-engineering program and was a part of the students' capstone coursework. Students worked in teams to develop a solution to an open-ended engineering problem. They then showcased their projects and shared their findings and solutions. Students did an amazing job identifying a wide range of real-life problems and nuisances and then designing very creative ways to solve them. You can see photographs of the students’ projects on the district’s Facebook page.
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Lindbergh Elementary Hosts World Food Celebration
Lindbergh Elementary School recently provided a wonderful opportunity for students and families to come together and learn about different cultures. Several families in the school community came together for a World Food Celebration. Each family brought a dish to share with many different countries represented like Bangladesh, Nepal, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen, Bosnia, Myanmar, Korea, and more. It was a great night for laughter, camaraderie, and delicious food.
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Elementary School Students Take Part in Annual Girls on the Run 5K
Students from Holmes, Franklin, and Edison Elementary School recently had the opportunity to take part in the annual Girls on the Run 5K. The race took place at the University at Buffalo North Campus. Ken-Ton was proud to have three schools involved this year with Edison being the newest school to form a team. The Edison group of 15 girls was led by coaches Julie Beiter and Kaitlyn Good. They joined a team of 18 girls from Holmes Elementary led by coaches Tracy Caruana and Jennifer Conway and 15 girls from Franklin Elementary led by coaches Amanda Regan, Erik Kroll, Marissa Kasper, Jessica Mang-Morris, and Laura Sutter. All three teams were practicing for months leading up to the race. Some of the schools also had parents participating in the Girls on the Run Parent Run Club, an online-based 5K program designed to help the parents/guardians of GOTR participants stay fit, healthy, and motivated. Click here to read the story.
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Franklin Elementary Students Showcase Historical Figures for ‘Living Museum’
The third-grade hallway at Franklin Elementary School was recently lined with students who did a fantastic job depicting famous and historical figures as part of the annual “Living Museum” showcase. Students were challenged to choose an important or influential figure and research their life, work, and contributions. They were asked to do their best in depicting and dressing like this individual and then prepared a brief introduction and summary for guests which included staff, families, and other Franklin Elementary students. All students are to be commended for doing such an amazing job with the project.
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Kenmore East Senior Wins WNY Counselors Association Scholarship
Congratulations to Kenmore East High School senior Austin Paluch for receiving the High School Counselor Association of Western New York Scholarship! Austin plans to attend SUNY Buffalo State University in the fall. Applicants for this scholarship must be a current high school senior, plan to attend a four-year college or university in New York State, plan to major in social work, psychology, or a counseling-related field, have a GPA of 85 or above, and take part in extracurricular activities. Austin beat out seniors from schools all across WNY for this scholarship. Great job Austin!
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Lindbergh Students Explore Different Types of Communities for Classroom Project
Second-grade students in Lisa Mitchell's classroom at Lindbergh Elementary recently did a fantastic job presenting their community museum projects. This is an annual project for Ms. Mitchell's classroom which challenges students to study different types of communities such as urban, suburban, and rural. Using Pebble Go, a curriculum-connected research tool, and other library resources, students researched their assigned community and created informational booklets and a visual model. Students then presented about their communities and research to staff, students in other classrooms, and even their parents who were invited to see all their hard work. You can see photographs of some of the students and their projects on the district’s Facebook page.
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RECOGNITION: KENMORE EAST & KENMORE WEST ART STUDENTS | |
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This week, we recognize several outstanding student artists at Kenmore East and Kenmore West.
A total of four students received awards at the annual Niagara PAL (Police Athletic League) Fine Arts competition which took place at Lewiston-Porter High School. Students were competing against their peers from numerous other high schools throughout Niagara and northern Erie County. Each student had their artwork displayed and received an engraved trophy for their distinction. The following students were honored:
- Sophia Puma from Kenmore East (Gr. 12), Fritz Proctor Visual Art 2D Award
- Emily Dee from Kenmore East (Gr. 12), Fritz Proctor Visual Art 2D Award
- Castiel Frye from Kenmore East (Gr. 12), Thomas Hamilton Jr. Photography Art Award
- Eva Deeb from Kenmore West, Digital Art Award
Additionally, two students earned distinctions at the inaugural Villa Maria College Student Art Competition, which brought together students from throughout Western New York. A total of 15 Kenmore East students traveled to the competition with art teachers Denise Carr and Meagan Sheppard. Using their own art supplies, they were challenged to create a work of art on the spot over a period of two hours with the theme "Music in Motion." The following students won awards in the "Emerging Artists" category:
- Chloe Christman (Gr. 8)
- Madison Mihalics (Gr. 8)
Please join me in congratulating these outstanding students for their achievements!
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Tuesday, June 11th
- Board of Education Meeting (6 p.m. Kenmore Junior/Senior High)
Friday, June 14th - Wednesday, June 26th
- High School Regents & Local Exams
Wednesday, June 19th
Friday, June 21st
- Last Student Day for Gr. UPK-5
- Big Picture Program Graduation (7 p.m. Kenmore Junior/Senior High)
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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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