New Boys Lacrosse Coach

I would not normally write a blog about a new head coach of an athletic program, but considering how long Coach Messere guided our Boys Lacrosse program (as well as how many people came to recognize him over the weekend at his retirement gathering), I felt it was appropriate to let the entire community know who will be taking over as the Boys Lacrosse Coach.

We had excellent applicants for the position, and I appreciate the efforts of our hiring committee, our Athletic Director, Mike Burns, and the time of all the references we checked! We were looking for someone who will provide stability and leadership, is student focused in both on and off the field development of our student athletes, understands college pathways for lacrosse and has the connections to help student athletes to get opportunities, and someone who respects the tradition of excellence that West Genesee Lacrosse has come to enjoy.

We found all of those characteristics, and more, in our new Boys Varsity Lacrosse coach, Shaun Smith. Coach Smith started the lacrosse program in the city of Syracuse in 1996, and is currently the lacrosse coach of Corcoran High School. Along the way he has helped young men from a variety of backgrounds to find unity in their team and mission. He values academics and athletics, has coached a multitude of other sports as well, runs very successful off-season and summer camps, has been recognized and rewarded for his efforts, and has a winning attitude.

Coach Smith is also a long time District resident, and understands the expectations of West Genesee athletics as he had a son, Ryan, play both hockey and lacrosse for us and his daughter, Brianna, swam for West Genesee.

We expect that Coach Smith will hit the ground running and make an immediate impact. His stability, vision and experience make him a great choice to replace a legend in Coach Messere.

Congratulations to Coach Smith. He will begin lacrosse operations late next week.

Systems Check

I often equate the school year to a plane ride, and this time of the year is systems check time. This is when we kick the tires, walk around the aircraft, and figure out what is needed in order to have a successful flight. Right now things are looking good. The Marching Band got a great start, summer school and summer camps are nearing completion, and we have concluded the annual Board of Education Retreat.

Our data from the completion of last year is very positive, with a District record of 94.5% June high school completion rate (it will be higher after we account for our August graduates), which sets us up nicely to challenge the first year of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which replaces the old No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). I will present much more about this when all of us are geared back into thinking about school.

Mid-summer is also when we have completed both the Boys and Girls John Pepper Lacrosse Tournaments. The boys and girls were very successful and the boys weekend that we just had also served as a great time to bid a final farewell to Boys Lacrosse coaches Mike Messere and Bob Deegan. Somewhere between 700 and 1,000 former and recent players, parents, and community members spent Saturday night reminiscing and celebrating the careers of our coaches culminating with a large retirement dinner that was held at SRC Arena. Our Athletic Director, Mike Burns, also a former player, spoke to the crowd and gave Coaches Messere and Deegan custom made and inscribed Native American lacrosse sticks. Congratulations to them! Also, we are getting closer to completing the process to find our next Boys Lacrosse coaches!

If you still aren't convinced that we are just past the mid-point of summer, take a look at "Fred." Fred is a regular at my favorite golf course and he has seen me hit some great shots, and plenty of junk shots as well. He really doesn't show any emotion either way.  If you don't have this blog to read, or a calendar to tell you it is the beginning of August, you have Fred and his antlers that are "in the velvet", which is nature's way of telling us that there is still some summer left; but we should start thinking about the fall. Hopefully, Fred makes it through the fall and winter, and I can then grab another picture of him around this time next year!

I hope that you have gotten a chance to rest a little and recharge. Keep enjoying this beautiful weather, and I will start writing a little more about back to school starting next week.

Thanks for reading!

Chris

Mid-July Check In

A Busy Summer at Home: I usually travel to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a week each summer but was unable to go this year. Not a huge deal because the weather here has been a mirror image of the weather down there. The only thing missing here in Syracuse is, well, you know, the ocean; but the Fingerlakes are no second banana!

You know it is mid-summer when you are able to buy $3 advance New York State Fair tickets, and the enrollment at many summer camps is down a little due to family vacations! My wife and I have significantly lucked out with the weather as we attend the concerts at the Lakeview Amphitheater. So far this year it has been Dave Matthews, Foreigner, and Weezer (I know, I am dating myself) which was last night.

Mid-July is also my wedding anniversary, so Happy Anniversary to the person who has stuck by me from my student teaching days until now; 24 years! Being the spouse of a superintendent is not for the thin-skinned. She has been the most special piece of the puzzle all these years. More importantly, she has been a great mom and partner!

A Busy Summer at Work: People ask me what I do over the summer. Well, besides hiring, firing, negotiating contracts with vendors, planning, designing the vision and path of the next school year, accommodating new Federal and state directives, rolling the budget over, starting Capital projects; not that much. We also hosted BOCES summer school, work camp, and Parks and Recreation programs.

Advanced Placement Exams: I want to give some kudos to the students who were able to academically achieve this past school year. Exams aren't everything, but Advanced Placement exams are taken nationwide, are very rigorous, and the higher the score can mean a greater chance that it will transfer to many colleges and universities. The students found by following this link scored a "5" on those exams (the highest score possible). They and their families should be very proud of their achievements; I know I am!

I hope you continue to enjoy this great stretch of weather, and I will write again soon!

Chris

Early Summer Check-In

I hope you are beating the heat! I am trying and am in NO way complaining about it; that's for sure. I am again thankful that we have air conditioning in all of our buildings. With summer recreation underway and Summer School about ready to launch, it is certainly nice to have.

I am writing just to give you a quick update on three things that will get buried if I wait two or three more weeks.

WorkCamp Update: The first is that we were very thankful to have the WorkCamp workers and in our community last week. I had a chance to spend time with the adult volunteers and student workers last Wednesday and it didn't take long to see why they are such a benefit to any community. They were upbeat, enjoyed the work they were doing for those in our community, and were very thankful for the support they have received from everyone. They shipped out of the high school on Saturday, and I certainly wish all of them well.

Will Supreme Court Ruling Impact Us? The second thing is that the Supreme Court ruled in a case called Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31.The bottom line of the over 80-page decision is that employees will no longer be forced to pay a union as a condition of employment. We have excellent relationships with our unions, also called associations. For us, this decision doesn't have a positive or negative impact; it will be business as usual. The complete "Janus" decision can be found at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/16-1466_2b3j.pdf.

Mental Wellness Education: The third thing is that the New York State Education Department approved regulations to mandate mental wellness education in schools for the next school year. In essence, schools MUST offer mental health education in physical education and health classes to include detection of mental illness warning signs, coping strategies, and how to get help.

This will be nothing new for us to add at West Genesee. Our mental health education is already delivered in health and physical education classes; and in every other class as well. We have counselors, psychologists, and social workers who help support the education that is given both in assemblies, regular classes, and in small class settings.

To me, it just does not matter what type of mental wellness education is offered, it is all about developing relationships with students. Every employee in the District MUST want to get to know the students they work with so they can best detect when something isn't quite right. Relationship building is also important when it comes to helping students to find coping strategies or to find ways to get further help. I think we do an outstanding job with that and it is one of the big reasons why we are considered one of the smallest large schools around. A podcast that we helped NPR with regarding this mandate can be found at http://wrvo.org/post/first-nation-new-york-requires-mental-health-information-curriculum.

That gets you caught up as of now! I hope you are able to enjoy July 4th with family and friends.  Thanks to all of our servicemen and women past and present for giving us a reason to celebrate our independence.

#Wildcatpride!

Chris

Enjoy the Summer!

As I walked to each of the elementary schools on Thursday I was greeted by chalk drawings and well wishes for a great summer.

We had a very good school year. Rolling backwards from a fantastic graduation ceremony, we gained ground academically once again; got ahead of mental wellness, safety, and substance use action; and most importantly, we watched your children grow!

Summer 20 years ago meant I wouldn't see students again until varsity sports started in late August. With Parks and Recreation, camps, summer school, driver's education, and sports, I am sure to see many of your kids this summer at one of the schools. This is not a bad thing as long as they are also getting a chance to regroup and recharge!

You may see some unusual traffic at the high school this week. Workcamp is in town from last night through Saturday. and we are hosting about 400 multi-denominational teenagers as they go out each day into the community to repair homes for the elderly and less fortunate. Most, if not all, local businesses are also pitching in to help feed and entertain them while they are here. This is a really positive and great thing for our community, so be sure to welcome them if you see them.

I will be working all summer but will slow this blog down to about once every two weeks throughout the summer. Please accept my best wishes for a wonderful summer, and I will see you soon.

Thanks again for your continued support!

Chris

Congratulations!

I hope that everyone had a great Father's Day. Like many dads, mine taught me some things that helped get me through to adulthood; and other things that will last a lifetime. One pro tip was not to put my fingers near snapping turtles, like the one pictured that I saw yesterday while running on the Onondaga Creekwalk. In all seriousness, thanks for everything, Dad.

We held our graduation on Saturday and it was as beautiful as ever. I have known the seniors for a really long time, so it was really tough to let them go. I thought that the student speeches were excellent (mine is below), and the musical selections were really inspiring.

It was also really cool to watch Kimberly Sacco cross the stage and receive her diploma, 30 years after her classmates did. She was in the Class of 1988 but could not graduate due to a bone cancer diagnosis. Shaking her hand on the stage was a very emotional moment.

It was also really heartwarming to watch our Executive Principal, Shannon Coholan, preside over her very first high school graduation. This was number 18 for me overall so there are things that I take for granted. Ms. Coholan got to breathe it all in for the first time and it was really nice to see her very proud parents up in the stands. Congratulations to all, and a special thanks to Andy Perry for directing the music, and to Becky DeCesare, Eliza Spaulding, and Leandra Kovalchik for working with the seniors all year.

Today is going to be really warm, and we are very lucky to have air conditioning. We will make sure that the students stay cool and safe. Luckily the rest of the week looks to be a little cooler.

Thanks and enjoy the week!

Chris

GRADUATION SPEECH – Saturday, June 16, 2018

Good Afternoon, and Congratulations to all of our seniors and thank you to all of our parents for sharing your greatest gift with us. If you are here for your first graduation, I want to ease your concerns and reassure you that my speeches are always four minutes or less, or your next one is free.

Graduates, having known you for so long I have been able to watch you grow, learn, and develop your personalities and character. To say that I am proud of you is an understatement. You were tremendous role models, ambassadors, and examples for our younger students, as well as our community.

When I think of all of the experiences and time we have shared together, I want to leave you with two thoughts that are unique to you and your class as a whole.

First, I am always asked to “describe the senior class.” At Senior Ball, we enjoyed a really cool fireworks show. There was one in particular that launched up and had a pulsating light as it rose. It went higher than the others, and I could feel the suspense building in all of us. When it exploded, it was bright and vibrant, more so than the other fireworks we had seen. Then, little rockets shot out of the glowing light. In a nutshell, that firework best describes you as a class; bright, vibrant, explosive, and memorable.

Second comes a cautionary tale. When I started running years ago, I used to see the finish line and would actually slow down a little because, why not? I was almost there. Other runners would pass me before the finish, and I did not give it much thought.

At one race, after a particularly tough training season, I saw the finish line and my brain started to tell me to slow down a little. My heart and body took over from there and I sprinted through the finish, passing people along the way. I worked just as hard as every other runner if not harder, why should I let them win?

The moral of the story is that while you have excelled, this is NOT the finish line. Consider it a water stop. Life only has one true finish line - so my advice is to enjoy the ride and every milestone that you will cross, but also to keep the hammer down and have no regrets! You have too much to offer to the world to not give your best throughout your life’s journey!

Congratulations to the Class of 2018, thank you, and good luck!

Taking the High Road

Athletics Updates: I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend. The weather could not have been better! You know you have had a successful spring sports season when we are still competing in June. Our track and field state runners did very well for themselves over the weekend. Carly Benson earned 1500m medals at the state competition: 4th place in the D1 Public School category and 8th place in the Federation Championships. Emily Young finished in 12th place in the 800m at the state competition and the 4x100 relay team placed 14th. We could not be more proud of them!

As I was watching our Boys Varsity Lacrosse team play Ward-Melville, I was wondering to myself which college lacrosse teams they could beat. We have some exceptional, all-American talent on our team. They gave it their all; it was just not enough. I congratulate them on a great ride! Also, I appreciate the support they received along the way, especially everyone who made the trip to St. John Fisher, considering many of you could have watched it at home.

As Coach Mike Messere's legendary tenure comes to a close, I did want to comment about this season. First, we wish Coach Messere and Coach Deegan well in their retirement, and the process to secure replacements will begin right after graduation. As the Superintendent, you never know where your next challenge will come from, and one of those challenges came from the lacrosse season this year.

When you have a legendary multi-generational coach, public opinion about "how things should be," really varies, and it can make for divisive conversations. It also puts kids in the middle. I have known our senior players since they were in second grade, and the underclassmen even longer. I know their character because I have watched them develop it. I have watched them succeed, fail, and learn for a long time. I was not there for the interview after the game because I did not have a field pass, but somewhere in that interview, the players were characterized as being quitters. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I strongly disagree.

I think there was a disconnect for sure between the players and coaches, but the fact that the kids had every opportunity to say something negative when they had their time with the media and didn't, says a lot. It speaks to their character. They took the high road. They also had to endure the intense pressure of trying to win with the watchful eyes of prior generations on them constantly. No other group of kids will be asked to do that. They were given a challenge, accepted it, and showed their heart all season. I wish them the very best, and they have plenty to be proud of.

Seniors Visit their Elementary Alma Mater: Last week was the last week of classes for high school students. The seniors carried on the tradition of visiting their elementary schools on the actual last day and it was a heartwarming time for the students and their elementary teachers. They were also great role models for the younger students!

Graduation is Almost Here: Graduation is Saturday, June 16, and we are looking forward to another great ceremony. There will be someone graduating on Saturday from the class of 1988. Yes, you read that right. Let me explain.

Kimberly Sacco was a member of the class of 1988. She was very involved in school, participated in just about everything, and was a great student. Just prior to graduation, she was diagnosed with bone cancer and she had to immediately undergo treatments. Because of this, she never officially crossed the stage to receive her diploma.

Fortunately, she was able to beat cancer and for the past nine years has been an important member of our Board of Education. She will be retiring from the Board of Education at the end of June. We thought it would be fitting for her to attend graduation and receive her diploma on the 30th anniversary of her diagnosis, and as her career on the Board of Education comes to an end.


Graduation is about the whole class, so if you are attending you will recognize her by the asterisk next to her name. She will process with the students and receive her diploma exactly as every other student will. Congratulations and thank you to Kimberly for her service and perseverance!

A Busy Week Ahead: This week is super busy. There are final exams at the high school, field trips at the middle and elementary schools, the Athletic Awards Reception on Tuesday night, and the Onondaga County Safety committee meeting on Thursday! Thanks and enjoy the week!

Chris