The Year was 1994...

Not Since 1994--Girls Basketball Team Wins Sectional Title: In 1994, my wife and I got married, a gallon of gas was $1.09, and The Lion King was the big movie for kids. Snoop Dogg and Bon Jovi ruled the music charts, and Rugrats and The X-Files were popular television shows. The year 1994 was also the last time that the West Genesee Girls Varsity Basketball team won a Sectional Championship. That all changed on Saturday when the girls defeated Liverpool in the Allyn Gymnasium at Onondaga Community College.

They are frightening to watch from a competitive standpoint. They don't say a lot when they play, but their defense is just fierce and NOTHING seems to rattle them. On offense, they all seem to be good outside shooters, and when they can get the ball inside they have no fear of being fouled as they try to make a basket. In other words, they are rolling. Oh, and you aren't going to find a better team of role models who always display great sportsmanship. I do not think they are done either. This is a special group that is on a mission. They play Shenendehowa next Saturday, March 11, in the Allyn Hall Gymnasium at Onondaga Community College starting at 4:00 p.m.

I am very thankful to all who were able to make it to the game. Yes, parking was a challenge due to how many other events the college was hosting, but the reality is that the venue is very convenient for us, and I very much hope that we will have an even bigger crowd to see them play next week. Congratulations to the lady Wildcats!

Celebrating Different Cultures: The 9th Annual District Culture Fair was also held on Saturday and it seems like the more years we hold the event, the more cultures are represented! It is so great to catch up with the dozens of community members who bring artifacts that are close to them and their families to share with students so they can learn and enjoy. There are too many volunteers to thank without missing someone so thank you to all, and we are already planning for our tenth anniversary event!

Hockey Update: The hockey team ended their season in overtime at Shove Park on Saturday in front of a sold-out arena. Some of you who are reading this who graduated in the 1980's or 1990's might not think much of a sold out gym or arena but back then the school had nearly three thousand more students than today. School spirit is at the highest point I have seen it in my nine years here and that does translate to achievement in the classroom, higher daily attendance, and fewer tardies. All of this is a recipe for success!

March is Music in our Schools Month: You all know how spoiled we are by our Fine Arts program so you can't go wrong attending any concert; but a great one was held last week called the Choral Festival and Art Exhibit. The art pieces were fantastic and you can't beat over 350 singers on one stage! Hats off to all, and there are plenty of other shows to get to this month!

High School Administration Update: Two years ago I wrote about a restructuring of our high school administrative team and moving away from assistant principals and to an executive principal/building principal model. The purpose was to give each administrator in the building full decision-making authority for students and staff so our large high school would feel much smaller to those in it. The plan was also to create a smooth transition for when Dr. Copeland, high school principal for fifteen years, decided to retire.

The Board of Education did receive and approve Dr. Copeland's retirement letter for the end of this school year, and it is important to recognize that during his time, he graduated over seven thousand students and worked with tens of thousands of parents in our community. As he wraps up his career this spring, be sure to congratulate him when you see him either at school or around town. He hopes to volunteer helping Veterans in his retirement, and we certainly wish him well!

Busy but good week ahead. See you around!

Chris