What a Year!

As the dust settles on another successful school year we should all pause to reflect on what happened during the past 180 days. We have ridden on a roller coaster of emotions and at times we certainly had to look ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves what we are made of. Through the high points and the low points of the year one thing stayed constant and that was pride in our school and our community. What other local District was making national headlines for their academic, athletic, and fine art achievements while also leading a national discussion about fiscal problem solving during challenging times?

All of this said, we MUST stay strong as a community and recognize that while we will face even more adversity next year, we are equipped to handle it. We will need to make changes to how we run our school, what programs we offer, and how we deliver services and some of those decisions will not be popular (even in my own house) but they will need to be made nonetheless. It will be very important for you as parents to stay connected to the school through this blog, our new e-newsletter, Twitter, or open meetings that we will hold so that you can have the most up-to-date and factual information. We will need to support each other so that our community continues to be the desireable place to live that it has become.

I am going to take a couple of weeks off from posting and tweeting but that does not mean that I will not be at work. Feel free to e-mail or call if you have questions or comments, and I would like to sincerely thank you for your continued support.

Please accept my best wishes for a safe and happy Summer!

Chris

Gear Down and Time for Landing

We are six days away from high school graduation and as I reflected over the past school year it is difficult not to notice that we just went through something pretty special. Pick a topic and we handled it with grace and professionalism. Our students were able to shine in every situation they were placed into and our staff did some unprecedented things to help us keep as many opportunities for students as possible.

I think it would be nearly impossible to agree with every decision we made this year because we had to make so many of them, but I am grateful for the respect everyone has shown during the many discussions that we have had. Trust is a very powerful thing, and I am equally thankful that we have mutual trust and open communication. We will face many other significant challenges in the days and months ahead and it is very important for all of us to stay focused on what is most important; the students.

This week will be a blur. We have assemblies, graduation rehearsal, the athletics banquet, all kinds of paperwork, finals, and more paperwork.  Getting into classrooms will also be fun and I can't wait to visit.

Have a great Summer....

Chris

Changes To Student Transportation For Next Year

If you have ever wondered why some of our buses have so few students on them, the answer is that the State Education Department has required us to "provide a seat" for each child whether they ride the school bus or not. With the current condition of the economy in New York State, the State Education released a memo which can be found here: http://www.nyssba.org/index.php?src=news&submenu=on_board&srctype=detail&category=Advocacy%20Alert&refno=1758 that clarifies their new stance on pupil transportation. In summary, it indicates that schools should be doing everything in their power to maximize the number of students on school buses as well as efficiency of school bus routes.

With this information we are changing our transportation practices and procedures for next year.  You will be receiving a letter home over the next few days that outlines these changes, but in a nutshell here they are:

1.  Parents will need to return the letter being sent home if they would like transportation to be provided for their children.

2.  Bus stops (especially in housing developments and other areas of lighter traffic flow) will be spread out over slightly longer distances.

3.  Private and parochial students will ride to school with West Genesee students and will then shuttle to the various private and parochial schools in the area.

4.  Students who have requested a bus for them but then do not ride for ten consecutive days without a medical or other approved reason will be dropped from the route.

It will take most of the summer to organize bus routes using this new methodology but the result will be more students on school buses and more efficient bus routing. Your only homework as a parent is to make sure that you RETURN the transportation request letter AS SOON AS POSSIBLE but no later than June 27th.

If you have questions please contact Jerry Williams, our Director of Transportation at 315-487-4576 jwilliams@westgenesee.org or Paul Pelton, our Assistant Superintendent for Management Services at 315-487-4563 ppelton@westgenesee.org.

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Chris

A "Rock/Hill"ing Good Time

This past weekend was quite busy. First Rachel, Ben, Sam, and I participated in the first and hopefully annual Rock/Hill Triathlon. This was a mini-triathlon created by the physical education teachers at both Split Rock and East Hill for fifth-grade students to promote wellness. The first leg was to do eight "laps" in the pool then bike three miles and then finish with a half mile run. Needless to say, I probably finished last in every category but it was great to see so many students and staff participating. The hope was (and now is) to expand this to other buildings and grade levels and also to involve parents in the activities as well. I very much appreciate all of the time that the adults put into this event, and I am already looking forward to next year.

We then went downtown and enjoyed the Taste of Syracuse. We really enjoy the many downtown events that are held each year and I truly believe that a vibrant downtown is one of the keys to a vibrant city and surrounding areas. There were big crowds and parking was a challenge, but it was nice to see thousands of people out and about considering it feels like we have just been through eight months of winter. I also enjoy good food and music and there were plenty of both to go around!

This week will be very busy as well. We have the high school senior awards night, the last concert for my middle-schooler who will be in the high school next year, and the state semi-finals for girls lacrosse to name a very few of the things that I will be in attendance at during the week. We are also finishing up classes at the high school, reconfiguring Stonehedge Elementary, and continuing to work on our budget plans for next year.

I hope to be able to write again during the week so that I can better keep track and keep you updated on all that is happening this week.

Take care and I will write again soon-

Chris

Things That I NOW Understand

In 2008 I attended my first Kaleidoscope. I had no idea what it was about or really what it entailed. As an incoming superintendent I was more concerned with the management and operations side of the evening. Is there enough parking, will grandparents be able to find seats, who are these people shaking my hand? Remember that I came from a much smaller school district (how small was it?) so small in fact that I used to pull the bleachers out for basketball games and set the final alarm for the night. I had to take care of all of everything at every function. So I really did not get a chance to enjoy the actual student talent the first time I attended Kaleidoscope.

The next year I realized that my role in a larger school is much different, and I got to really watch the student talent and then understood why the evening was called Kaleidoscope. Last year was a treat because I would actually talk to people, know my role, and enjoy the show.

This year I got a little adventurous and explored back stage, the balconies, and the basement before the show. There is a lot going on to make this show happen. There are groups rehearsing in about every usuable space, students in each one of the buildings, staff coordinating what goes on when and where, and how they will get from spot to spot. Now that I think I have a full understanding about ALL that goes into Kaleidoscope, I owe Mr. Davern and his staff an ALL CAPS THANK YOU for making such a production come to life. While ever pleased with the talent and our students, I just am in awe of how it all gets put together...while I comfortably sit in the audience.

Last week we had Channel 9 come to school to do a feature called the "School Buzz".  Chris Brandolino featured a BOCES/West Genesee student who helped me cook breakfast, the Girls Lacrosse Team, our Academic Decathlon Team, and our Marching Band/Alumni Band as they prepared for the Memorial Day Parade.  The links to each feature can be found here:

  - School Buzz at West Genesee: Chris Brandolino Cooking with Dr. Brown 5-27-11  

  - School Buzz at West Genesee: Chris Brandolino with the Academic Decathlon 5-27-11  

  - School Buzz at West Genesee: Chris Brandolino with the band 5-27-11 

  - School Buzz at West Genesee: Chris Brandolino Learns Lacrosse 5-27-11

Last week we also had what has now become known as "The Silly String Incident" at our high school which also made the news. The long and the short of it is that about 18 students decided to spray silly string everywhere and on everyone during a class change. That probably would have been it if they had stopped when they were told to,  but they did not. This lack of respect and act of insubordination, not to mention the disruption to the building and safety issues that it caused, resulted in suspensions.

I have been criticized by some for even talking to the media about this incident and not just either denying that it happened or giving a "no comment".  People need to understand a few things. Since the invention of text messaging the concept of the "no comment" is gone. When something happens within our organization it is seconds before I hear about it from the media. Giving a no comment when it isn't a matter of personnel or confidential in nature number one isn't true and number two would not be in our best interests. 

We have developed an excellent relationship with the press as seen through the hundreds of positive articles and news spots that we have received. We are a large organization and it would be pretty irresponsible of me or the media to think that we would NEVER have a negative incident occur. Lastly we are very successful and very large. This combination makes us a media magnet no matter what. I am just happy that we have such a great relationship with all of our media outlets because when something happens good or bad I am contacted to I can provide the facts. Believe me, I would much rather stay away from the cameras and headlines, but it is important to control the message or the message will control us. The next time a situation arises and I give the facts keep track of how long the story is in the media cycle. Do the same for any other organization that hides information, provides the "no comment" quote, or is generally not helpful and see how long their story remains in the media cycle. Enough said.

Lastly, the Memorial Parade was outstanding. Every five years our Marching Band Alumni gathers and marches in the parade. This was my first year being able to see this take place and it was outstanding!  Just under 500 alumni marched and they were loud, on time, and in tune.  It made me very proud to be the leader of such a great organization. The student marchers were also equally impressive and they quickly made their way back to show center to watch their role models finish the parade.

Enjoy your week. I am going to be bouncing between sporting events, Board meetings, and assemblies so I should be plenty busy!

See you around-

Chris

Some Very Special Olympics

You might think this is trivial, but I was so happy to see one of our students reach 25" in the standing broad jump at the Special Olympics last week.  25". You might give a polite "that's great" or give me a goofy look and wonder why I am so excited about that. Well as it turns out, I watched this same youngster three years ago at the same Special Olympics and he could not walk at all. He had to be pushed in a wheelchair for the wheelchair race because he could not use his legs. His doctors, parents, therapists, teachers, and fellow students have all helped him over the past three years to accomplish this awesome feat and if you ask him, he will tell you that he plans to do the foot race next year.  Incredible.

These past few weeks have been "step back and recognize" weeks. We passed the budget and then proceeded to lay 52 people off. The staff who are left are now finding out where they might have to be moved to in order to help fill in gaps from colleagues who will not have jobs next year. Staff are also scoring tests, preparing for finals, and watching their livelihoods be attacked by state and business officials eager to make education run exactly as a Fortune 500 company. To say that they and I are stressed is an understatement, so taking an hour to watch a few dozen of our gifted youngsters at the Special Olympics was a real treat.

Later this week we will be holding our 36th Annual Kaliedoscope Concert at the Civic Center. With the status of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra unknown, this evening will be a treat for those looking for the best of the arts. I will be sitting proudly in my seat and enjoying a beautiful evening of music. You can get tickets (I am sure it will sell out) from the fine arts office at 315-487-4612 or at the main office in the high school.

This weekend is Memorial weekend. While we will not have Friday off as we traditionally have (we used too many snow days), this doesn't mean that we shouldn't recognize all of those service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we enjoy. The Camillus Memorial Day Parade will feature nearly 490 Marching Band alum marching with our students, Veterans and others. This should be a wonderful celebration of our freedom and I hope to see you there.

Have a great week and I hope to see you at one of our many events.  I will also try to post again later in the week.

Chris

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Multi-Tasking!

We are knee deep in assessments, AP Exams, Regents review, and the budget. If we could harness all of the stress that everyone is under and convert it to usable energy we could probably power the Town of Camillus for a month. Hang in there!

A dozen students and I had the unique opportunity to be invited to Governor Cuomo’s “People First” speaking tour held at Onondaga Community College earlier in the week. His topics included a tax cap, ethics reform, and same sex marriage. As a superintendent I learned that the Governor is not going to stop until he has placed a cap on taxes at 2%, period. School residents would be able to vote over the 2% cap with a 60% majority vote. This means that as soon as the budget vote is over on May 17, that we will immediately begin planning for 2012-2013 and beyond, with the 2% tax cap figure as a boundary. That will be fun. Not.

The students learned that the Governor is an excellent speaker and that he can fire up a crowd over all topics, both popular and unpopular. Almost all of our students were able to shake his hand and have a few words with him after the speech and one of our students took the opportunity to ask the Governor what his stance was on hydro-fracking. How awesome is that! To his credit the Governor responded that hydro-fracking is a controversial topic that he was not prepared to take a stand on either way at this time until he receives more information. Fair enough I thought, and he treated our student with dignity and respect. A learning experience for all.

Our Student Dignity Team met earlier in the week and after much discussion and presentations we have decided to use the Olweus Bullying Program as our research-based anti-bullying program. This program will now be formulated to be District wide and will incorporate responses from our bullying survey as well as other proven programs that have been successful in our different buildings. This program will also allow us to comply with the Dignity for All Students Act that needs to be enacted by September of 2012. Our next steps will be to lay out the planning for implementation and to also take a look at policies that may adjust our “Codes of Conduct”. While there is still much work to be done, selecting a program is a major first step.

For a variety of reasons our Parent Teacher Associations and Organizations are hurting for volunteers. A down economy usually is the major cause as more parents have to devote additional time to work, second jobs, and child care. If you are able and willing to help, please contact Liz Mossotti at 315-487-2467 or by e-mail at wgcouncil@westgenesee.org.

With recycling still a big topic you might wonder why it sometimes appears like we do not recycle. I asked the exact same question when I saw plastic recyclables being dumped into the same trash can as the regular garbage even though we had separated the plastics into the “blue bins” that have become synonymous with recycling. After a little rummaging around (pun intended) we learned that our garbage removal service takes all of the trash and recyclables to their facility where it is re-separated and sent to the dump or to be recycled. While I have not been given a good enough explanation for me as far as why our separating the trash in house isn’t good enough, please understand that our refuse is separated and recycled at “the plant”.

We continue to struggle with residency cases. In a down economy people who have lost jobs or people who just don’t like the school district that they are living in try different ways to have their children attend our schools. Our Board policy clearly states that in order to attend our schools a child MUST reside in the District. We do have some cases where children are homeless and living with relatives in the District and some students who have an aunt, uncle, or grandparent in the District who have full custody but any other situation is a violation of our Board policy. If you suspect situations of children attending our schools who do not live in the District, please let me know so we can investigate and take action if we are able. Thank you.

There was a major change to the transportation regulations recently that calls for schools to fill school buses in so much as possible by NOT providing a bus stop for students who chronically do not ride the bus. We will follow-up with a letter, but essentially what this means is that if your child drives or is driven to school on a regular basis we will not “hold a seat” on the bus for them without advanced notice to our transportation department. This will allow us to better route our buses to fill them and to run even more efficiently. We will also be altering how we transport parochial and private school students in response to this change as well, and we will be providing information to parents of parochial and private school students before the end of the school year.

Last evening was the High School Honor’s Dinner. What a wonderful night. Social Studies teacher Sam Dance gave an inspiring and thoughtful address and parents had a chance to relax and congratulate their children for their academic successes.

Tomorrow evening is the Senior Ball. My wife and I figure we have chaperoned seventeen of these so far and we have had a wonderful time at each of them. I am always proud of the behavior of our students on this night, and I am also very thankful for all of the parents who volunteer to help out at the after party held at the high school. I remember walking into the after party last year and the temperature outside was close to 80 degrees. We will have another beautiful night for our students this year. If you have a son or daughter attending please remind them (without nagging of course) to make good decisions, to have fun, and to celebrate being young.

Sorry for the long post. Have a great weekend and talk to all of you soon.

Chris