Appreciating Memorial Day
The older I get, the more I appreciate Memorial Day. Over the years I have had a chance to meet families of those killed in combat, and have heard many stories from veterans about their comrades who did not make it out of Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. It is easy for us to say that others made sacrifices for our freedom, but it is another thing to feel the loss, emptiness, pride, and sadness of families who have had to go without so that we can go with.
I will say that I am very proud that our students recognize both those who we have lost for our freedom and those who are still with us. A great example is the annual Memorial Day Parade in the Village of Camillus. Our students don't march "just because" they march with a purpose. My sincerest thank you to those reading this who lost a loved one in defense of America.
Another Kaleidoscope in the Books: Thursday was our annual Kaleidoscope concert at the Civic Center, and it did not disappoint. We had a great crowd on hand as well. My first few years I used to sit in the audience and watch everything, but these days I like to be backstage or side stage helping the kids get on and off the stages for their performances. The coolest feelings are closing the side door of the stage and then listening to the kids when the curtain opens for the first time and then listening to the audience gasp in joy and awe when the curtain opens for the finale, and every performer is on stage. Very, very cool stuff and congratulations to all who participated!
Athletics Update: I would like to congratulate the Boys Baseball and Girls Softball teams. These baseball and softball Wildcats are role models. They know their importance to the younger students, they are polite, regimented, and do things the right way. They actually have FUN while they are playing, and the teams are tight. Both teams came up just short, but they did not hang their heads. They congratulated the winners, appreciated the fans, were a little bummed out, but carried themselves very well, just as you would like your own kids to do. Congratulations to the boys and girls, their coaches, and their families for doing things the right way.
Since the last time I wrote, we did have some great performances from Nick Bove on the golf course, who placed 3rd at the NYS Qualifiers and scored well enough to move onto the NYS Championships this weekend at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at Cornell University. Also, the tennis duo of Matthew Mannara/James Plunkett placed 3rd in their NYS Qualifiers and will be moving on to the NYS Championships as well at the National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY. In track and field, senior runner Carly Benson broke a couple school records over the course of the week in the 1500m and 3000m and became a Sectional Champion in the 3000m. Good luck to those athletes in the NYS Competitions as well as the Girls and Boys Lacrosse teams that are still competing for Sectional Championships. Congratulations to all!
Impact of a TV Show: I do want to make you aware that season two of "13 Reasons Why" is on Netflix. The series is about a realistic school community and in season one, a student committed suicide and there was also a sexual assault.
During season one, our counselors saw an increase in the number of students who wanted to talk about their feelings. Season two (spoiler alert) features student suicide, sexual assault/rape, and a student who brings guns to school. Yes, you read that correctly. I might suggest that you check in with your middle or high schooler to see if they are watching season two and just keep an eye on them or listen if they want to talk. There is national outrage at Netflix about the series, but I do not see that changing anything.
There is also a video game about to be released where players can be school shooters or SWAT Team members. Again, I wish I was making this up. There are a lot of resources out there to help you speak to your children about these types of programs and games and our counselors are always available.
Happening this Week: This week we will be recognizing our retirees. Our District has been successful due in large part to the lack of turnover, so many of our employees are retiring with 25 years of experience or more. Congratulations on much deserved retirements!
Thanks and enjoy the week-
Chris
Another Kaleidoscope in the Books: Thursday was our annual Kaleidoscope concert at the Civic Center, and it did not disappoint. We had a great crowd on hand as well. My first few years I used to sit in the audience and watch everything, but these days I like to be backstage or side stage helping the kids get on and off the stages for their performances. The coolest feelings are closing the side door of the stage and then listening to the kids when the curtain opens for the first time and then listening to the audience gasp in joy and awe when the curtain opens for the finale, and every performer is on stage. Very, very cool stuff and congratulations to all who participated!
