As the Leaves Turn

I can honestly say that I have never been sick for so long. It seems like this gloomy weather has been around as long as my cough! Every time I think I am turning the corner I start to feel bad again. I am hopeful that my antibiotics, fluids, and rest will finally put an end to this!

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know that I like to boast about our professional, family oriented staff.  Another example of my pride for our staff came on Friday when one of our parents got a flat tire in a busy spot in one of our parking lots. I just happened to be walking from one building to another and saw that this person and her four year old son were trying to reach someone to come and help them. 

I called over to our bus garage and asked to see if any of the mechanics could come over and give her a hand. Within moments Ken Gillett arrived in the "tow bus" full of tools. He hopped off the bus and the first thing he did was introduce himself to the four year old young man who really wanted to know how Mr. Gillett was going to change the tire. Like a true gentleman and professional he had the right tools, jacked up the car, changed the tire and then asked if the four year old wanted to "help" him lower the car back down. I wish my picture could have captured the smile on the young man's face when he helped to lower the car. The parent and child then gave their "thank you's" and headed on their way. Kudos to Ken for not only lending a hand but for effortlessly showing his care for the parents and the kids. Thank you!

On October 12 we celebrated the success of Dillon Peterson (pictured at left with Sargent Preston and Captain Gonzales from the U.S. Army Syracuse Recruiting Post) who was chosen to be in the United States Army Marching Band. He will play his tuba in the U.S. Army Senior Bowl on January 7, 2012, in San Antonio. We are fortunate to have students achieve this level of success on a fairly consistent basis and we wish him the best of luck!

We have also found a way to partner with the Skaneateles Central School District to give our lady hockey players an opportunity to play for their high school team.  While parents will be responsible for the financial commitment for this opportunity, it is the first time that I can find on record where West Genesee female hockey players are able to play on a full female high school hockey team. We have approximately twelve girls who are going to participate and if you have a daughter interested in this opportunity there will be an informational meeting held in the high school career center on Tuesday evening, October 18, at 6:00 p.m. Thanks to Mike Burns, our athletic director, for taking the puck and skating with it (pun intended) once the Skaneateles superintendent and I were able to strike a deal. Best of luck to the girls on this new endeavor.

Lastly, I wanted to let you know of a new way to keep track of sex offenders that are currently living in our District. The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office has a website where you can submit your name and information and if there is sex offender activity or other matters of public safety, the website will notify you by text, e-mail, or phone.  If you are currently a subscriber of our SNN system, this Sheriff's Office system works in a similar way. The link for the website is http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/nyalert.htm.

Have a wonderful and productive week.

Chris