There is no "I" in Team

If you were like me this weekend you overworked yourself and are now sitting at work sore but with a sense of accomplishment. I would like to give a plug to the Onondaga Creek Walk, and look forward to when Onondaga Lake is cleaned for real so that when I reach the end of the trail the view will be absolutely incredible. Not quite as amazing was the mess on all of the streets downtown after the St Patrick's Day parade, and I am thankful to all of the workers who spent a lot of time cleaning up in time for the Monday morning commute.

Winter Sports: We received some excellent news last week in a couple of different areas. First, five of our winter sports teams received the Scholar/Team Award from Section III Athletics. The teams were Hockey, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Girls Indoor Track, and Boys Indoor Track. Girls Cheerleading also met the requirements, although not recognized by the state. This means that as teams, their cumulative averages were 90% or better. I am always proud to receive these awards because it continues to show that we put academics first. Congratulations.

Pink Slime-What is this?:  We also received word that the beef that we serve DOES NOT contain the additive known as "Pink Slime".  Pink Slime has gotten some press lately and parents want to know if their children are being exposed to this ingredient. To learn about pink slime, click here (there are also other articles via a quick Internet search),  but rest assured that the school food we serve, including the $50 per week that my kids spend on it, is safe and tasty.

Redistricting Information Available on Website: If you are not aware, our new website has a section that is completely dedicated to our redistricting study. You can find that section by clicking here  or by clicking on Redistricting Information under the Quick Links heading on the right hand side of our home page. Through a series of meetings, the committee has worked very diligently and are well on their way towards finalizing some recommendations. Those suggestions will then be considered by our consultants as they draft a final plan to present to the Board of Education in late May or early June.

Hoops for Hope: This week is going to be plenty busy and will end for me on Friday with a staff versus student basketball game at the high school. I always look forward to this and my goal is to score a few points, have fun, and embarrass my kids who will be playing as well. I am up for the challenge and hope to find success in achieving my goals.

Update on Recent Bomb Threats: I have been asked by several people about how we are handling the recent bomb threats that have occurred, and how we will be handling things moving forward. These questions are very fair. The best way to answer those questions is to say that we are not going to celebrate those who have been caught. I think knowing that the culprits are still in city jail two weeks after the events says it all. Going forward, we will continue to take any threats very seriously while minimizing disruption to the educational process. 

It is very possible that students may choose to "copy cat" their peers. If and when this occurrs, the school safety plan will be used in conjunction with local authorities. We do not use a consistent process each time for what I hope are obvious reasons.  Social media, parent contact, or media notifications will not be used each time unless we feel that a situation is a true threat and information needs to get out to people to keep them informed. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact me and know that I appreciate your continued trust and support.

Enjoy the week.  It is going to be busy, nice, and greener by the day.

Chris