Not Quitting My Day Job...

Talented Students and Staff: The day before Passover began and before Easter was celebrated, I was a rockstar, along with a few of my coworkers. Yes, you read that correctly, and rock star equals super cool! It all went down at the West Genesee High School Talent Show.

Students displayed actual talent all night long and then during the judging, "we" showed up. We consisted of Mr. Kesel (vocals) and me (guitar/vocals) from the District Office, Mr. Stachnick (drums) and Mr. Mercer (bass) from Fine Arts, and Mr. Ficarra (guitar) from the high school. We selected a couple of songs that students and parents would know and sing along to, that we could actually play, and that we could turn up the volume on and really "rock" out. Too much fun!

We did this four years ago also, and when you are semi-talented like us, the element of surprise is helpful. Probably the best part of the night was really getting the crowd into the songs, singing, and jumping around. This very short clip shows all of that happening on the sides of the stage while the same thing was happening out in the crowd. It took me until about 1:00 a.m. to settle down. Not to worry though, we aren't quitting our day jobs anytime soon. If you were there, thanks for putting up with us and who knows where and when we will strike again!

Forum Last Week: We had a very well received West Side Support Network event last week regarding substance use disorder and mental wellness. The guest speakers (Dr. Ross Sullivan, Dr. Kristin Botwinik, Camillus Police, Gayle Mallore, and Jordan Eubanks) were just phenomenal.

In addition, the Prevention Network held a session called "Hidden Mischief" for parents only, that was very well received. They set up a mock teenage bedroom and placed 71 clues to drug use and mental wellness in the room and groups of five had five minutes (the time you get to search your child's room most of the time) to find as many clues as possible. The maximum number located was 24 (I only came up with 21). At the end, the Prevention Network staff showed us what we had missed and why. Eye opening to say the least. Thanks to all for an informative and powerful evening.

State Budget Update: Elected officials came to an agreement on the New York State budget on Saturday. The state budget did not hurt us in the sense that the budget plan we developed included what we thought they would add to the budget for education, but I was a little disappointed that there was no money earmarked for any type of security staff or equipment. This means that we will continue to lobby our legislators for seed money for resource officers while we shore up the plan for a "Proposition 4" on our District budget to take care of the building hardening measures that we have been talking about. I have four safety meetings this week, two local, and two countywide, so I hope to have made some headway in getting us some resources by the end of the week.

Engaged Students: I had some really great classroom visits last week also. It was fun to watch Kindergarten students learn about water; upper elementary students learn about the circle of plant life; middle students learn to sew; and high school students dissect chicken wings. All three groups had their "a-ha" moments, and it is a great reminder that with the proper classroom management, instruction, and care, ALL students can be engaged in their learning!

Showing Appreciation: West Genesee is a close-knit family. The staff would tell you that the students will tell you that. Everyone has a genuine care and appreciation for one another and that really showed last week at the high school pep rally. The students invited the bus drivers to the gym and then surprised them with a huge ovation and thank you. The drivers were overwhelmed to say the least. It was a good day!

Safety Meetings: Quick meeting reminders for the week. The West Genesee School Safety Committee will be presenting to PTA/PTO/PTSA groups on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. in the West Genesee High School Large Group Instruction Room. All are welcome.

I will be holding an Onondaga County Safety Task Force subcommittee meeting earlier that day for teachers/students and parents (similar to our own February 28 meeting) on Tuesday from 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Syracuse City School District Professional Development Center on Fayette Street. All parents/students/teachers in Onondaga County are welcome to attend that meeting as well.

Thanks and enjoy the week!

Chris