Batavia City school administrators and teachers presented art awards Friday evening to students at the Richmond Memorial Library in the district's annual art show. The student art will be on display at the library for the remainder of the month.
The Batavia City School District continues to adopt technology as part of the learning process and coursework, IT Coordinator Jeff McKinney told the school board during its meeting Tuesday night.
His presentation was followed by demonstrations of some of the robots and programming projects students have been working on this year.
McKinney said 2,000 Chromebooks have been deployed to students. Students have visited more than one million websites. There are 266 active Google classrooms and students are creating 50,000 new documents each month.
Internet access has become so critical to the educational process that McKinney has come up with a plan for a backup bandwidth provider so that if the primary provider goes offline, teachers and students don't lose access.
"I'm really proud of where we're going and what we've done," McKinney said.
He said a key advantage of the STEM program currently in place is it helps students learn through discovery and studies show students retain new knowledge better when it comes through discovery.
It isn't always the teacher teaching anymore, either, said Melissa Calandra, a STEM teacher at John Kennedy Elementary School.
"It's kind of hard as a teacher not to know all of the answers but that's the world we live in now," she said.
Other faculty participating in the presentation, Katelin LaGreca, JK Library Media Specialist, Karen Shuskey, JK ACE Teacher, and Marie Martell, JK Computer Literacy/Math AIS Teacher.
Top photo: Phoebe Beal, grade 3; Brock Bigsby, grade 3; Ryan Bigsby, grade 3; Ella Shamp, grade 4; Landon Hamilton, grade 4;Tosh Spilberg, grade 4.
The Batavia City School District Board of Trustees honored several people at the start of Tuesday's meeting with certificates of appreciation for the difference they're making at the Batavia schools.
Above, Board President Pat Burk with Lucy Lefevre.
Amelia Tripp
Luca Garland
Landon Minuto
Ottoniel Ramirez-Garcia
Camden Reimer
Members of the STAR staff.
Detective Richard Schauff
If parents notice an increased police presence at Batavia City Schools, it's not in response to any specific threat, Superintendent Chris Dailey said today in a letter sent home with students after school.
"This is meant to be a positive and proactive step as our police department continues to look for ways to engage with our students in prevention and support," Dailey wrote.
The letter addresses heightened concern in the community about school safety after last week's shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and reports of a student last week who officials believed made verbal threats at the BOCES campus.
The letter may be in response to numerous social media posts asking questions about more police officers on and around local campuses and unconfirmed rumors of threats made on social media specific to local schools.
"Our country is recovering from the tragedy in Parkland, Florida," Daily wrote. "It is only natural to have questions about the safety and security of our students and staff in BCSD.
"There are stories from time to time of students potentially threatening to do violent acts at our schools," Dailey continued. "We, along with the Batavia City Police Department, always look into any allegations of this sort and have found no credible threats against our district."
Dailey said the district is actively involved in emergency response and planning with local law enforcement.
The events in Florida, he said, provide an opportunity to review procedures and plans and make adjustments as necessary.
To read the full letter, click here.
Submitted photos and press release:
At the Batavia City School District Board of Education meeting on Feb. 6, several students and staff members were presented with achievement awards for their exemplary work and contributions.
Nathaniel Barber is an Outstanding Student!
In recognition of his demonstrated kindness, compassion, and respectfulness to all staff and fellow students, kindergartener Nathaniel Barber was presented with an Outstanding Student Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.
He was nominated by Kelly Heizmann, Lucille DiSanto, and Shannon Reiss who wrote, “At six years old, Nathaniel is a model of the core beliefs we hope to instill in our students at Batavia City Schools. Nathaniel comes to school every day with a smile on his face and ready to learn. No matter how challenging the task, Nathaniel approaches everything with a positive attitude and puts forth his best effort.
"During his busy days, there are times Nathaniel has to leave a task incomplete to attend one of his therapy sessions; when he returns to class, he is not only ready but wants to finish the work he left behind. This is just one example of his strong work ethic. Nathaniel takes newly learned skills from a therapy session and independently applies them to all areas of his school day.
"For example, it is not uncommon for him to independently use or correct his pencil grip in speech therapy to the correct way that he was shown in occupational therapy. Anyone who knows Nathaniel would tell you that he is respectful, compassionate, and kind to all. This is shown in his respect to our school and others by following directions and classroom rules.
"Often times Nathaniel will rub the shoulder or put his arm around a peer who may be struggling or having a difficult day. You can count on him to try to encourage or cheer up others. His kindness is seen by all who know him. His positive attitude, eagerness to learn, and happy state of mind are infectious to all of us who are lucky enough to know and work with him.”
Savahanna Vanderveer is an Outstanding Student!
In recognition of her kindness, compassion, and respectfulness to all staff and fellow students of the Batavia City School District, Savahanna Vanderveer was presented with an Outstanding Student Award by Board of Education president Patrick. She was nominated by Mary Kanaley and Eileen Peterson, who wrote, “Kindness and perseverance are just two character traits that come to mind when thinking about Savahanna. She brings a smile to everyone's face and a positive attitude to the class with her friendly, bubbly personality. She is always looking for more ways to help friends and teachers. Savahanna works hard in all areas and tries her best in everything she does. Mrs. Kanaley and Mrs. Peterson are so proud to nominate Savahanna for this award for all she has done to be a wonderful friend and student this year!”
Jeremy Mettler is an Outstanding Staff Member!
In recognition of his valuable contribution to the staff and students of the Batavia City School District, BHS Social Studies teacher Jeremy Mettler was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.
He was nominated by Dr. Corey, who wrote, “Mr. Mettler is very passionate about at-risk students. He organized a poverty simulator exercise for Middle School and High School teachers so that they would learn more about how it feels to live life in poverty.
"The event was well-received by all and brings a new level of awareness about the needs of many of our students. He will help facilitate future events for teacher aides and all teachers.”
Jessica Levins is an Outstanding Staff Member!
In recognition of her valuable contribution to the community, staff, and students, Jessica Levins was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.
She was nominated by Kelly Garner, who wrote, “Miss Levins works in the Counseling Center as a counseling assistant and also spends one day a week interning as she works toward her bachelor's in social work and eventually a master's in school counseling.
"In November, she was asked to help with the annual holiday donations at the High School. In addition to calling every family to procure wish lists, Miss Levins created all of the stars for our BHS Giving Tree, organized every donation that came in, and kept in constant communication with the families we helped this holiday season.
"She spent much of her own personal time to accomplish these tasks, made her own generous gift donations to the cause, and also helped deliver the gifts to families.
Miss Levins truly went above and beyond to make a difference for our families who were most in-need this holiday season.
"Because of her outstanding and selfless work, we were able to provide clothing, shoes, toys, and wrapping paper for 37 students from 13 different families this holiday season. From her outstanding connections with our students, to her work as a freshman class advisor, and now this incredible gift to our community -- Jess genuinely takes care of BCSD each and every day.
Jessica Levins and Kelly Garner are Outstanding Staff Members!
For going above and beyond to provide support to those in need, and for their compassion and leadership while serving others, Counseling Center assistant and intern Jessica Levins and BHS counselor Kelly Garner were presented with Outstanding Staff Awards by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.
They were nominated by Mark Warren, who wrote, “Kelly Garner and Jessica Levins stepped up to organize a Giving Tree for the High School staff to purchase gifts for District students in need. Their efforts allowed families in the District to help provide clothes and "wish" items to their children during the holiday season. The faculty and staff did an excellent job supporting the program, but without Mrs. Garner and Miss Levin’s compassion and leadership, it would not have been as successful.”
Ann Marie Wood is an Outstanding Staff Member!
In recognition of her valuable contribution to the staff, students, and community, Ann Marie Wood was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.
She was nominated by Andrea Smith, who wrote, “Mrs. Wood serves as a substitute in many positions throughout the District. She willingly takes on the job with a smile and handles any position with dedication and enthusiasm, regardless of the challenges she may face.
"She comes to the Middle School to sub in the offices, as an aide, and even as a teacher. Mrs Wood recently served as a substitute for my Spanish classes at BMS and I could not have asked for a better person.
"Ann Marie is dedicated to the students and staff of BCSD and to the Batavia community. We are blessed to have her as part of our staff!”
The Board of Education for Batavia City Schools approved two additional tax exemptions for veterans owning homes in the school district.
The Cold War and Eligible Funds exemptions have been available as exemptions for county, town and city taxpayers but the school districts have only recently been able to pass the exemptions.
There are currently 75 veterans in the district who are eligible for an exemption on property taxes for their Cold War service to the nation. Five veterans are eligible for the Eligible Funds exemption.
The Eligible Funds exemption is an exemption on a portion of the purchase price of a house paid for with veterans benefits.
The veterans exemptions will be in effect for the 2018-19 school year.
"We have been advised by Genesee County that veterans who are eligible are being encouraged apply for them -- i.e. see their local assessor, even if they are currently receiving the exemption from the county, town or village," said Scott Rozanski, business administrator for the district.
"There is a March 1 deadline each year for any applications. They would only need to apply once, not each year while residing in the same address."
Cold War veterans are eligible for up to a $6,000 reduction in assessment for tax purposes, and Eligible Funds veterans can get taxable assessed value reduction of up to $5,000. In both cases, the exemptions can be offset by other exemptions.
Using a detection device to identify students who might have been drinking at high school dances is nothing new, said Batavia City Schools Superintendent Chris Dailey, and previous uses have gotten no pushback from students or parents.
Yesterday, The Batavian published a picture of Batavia High School receiving two new wand-like devices that act as breathalyzers to help school officials identify students who may have been drinking prior to arrival at a school dance or other social function where they might be used. The publication of the picture raised a lot of questions among readers about the legality and ethics of such devices.
Dailey said the district's first priority is the safety of the students.
"Ninety-nine point nine percent of our kids don't generally show up under the influence, so it's rather a moot point to them," Dailey said. "They're not thinking we're trying to take away their rights and we're not trying to take away their rights. We're trying to provide a safe environment for all. It's all about safety for us."
All of the complaints that surfaced after yesterday's picture publication surfaced online, Dailey said. There have been no calls to the district office and he met with high school officials today and there was no mention of complaints at the high school.
The wands donated to the school by STOP-DWI and local law enforcement are not at all invasive, Dailey said, unlike the previous alcohol sensor used by the school, which was only used if a student was suspected of drinking. The wands, Dailey said, can detect a potential use of alcohol by a person in a group of people.
"Alcohol consumption by students is something that is illegal and is not tolerated," Dailey said. "We want to make sure we provide the safest possible environment for all of our students."
That's critical, Dailey said, when you have 200 to 300 students coming together for an event.
If a student is found under the influence of alcohol at a school event, the first step, Dailey said, is to make sure the student is safe. Next, school officials call the teenager's parents.
"We reach out to the parents," Dailey said. "(the student) is not allowed to leave if under impairment and we will work with the parent so the child will learn from the mistake."
There isn't necessarily disciplinary action taken against the student.
"(It) depends on the situation," Dailey said.
As for whether the sensors violate students' rights, Dailey said, any student or parent who might be concerned about it are free to not attend the school function.
"If people choose not to come to the dance because of it, that's their choice, absolutely," Dailey said.
After more than a year of design and planning, construction on several capital improvement projects in the Batavia City School District is set to begin in less than a year.
Voters approved the $26.7 million improvements, which will be accomplished without a tax increase, last March.
Marco Marascio, a project manager with Campus Construction Management in Pittsford, and Tracy Conshiser-Uy, an architect with Wendel, in Buffalo, updated district trustees Tuesday night on the construction plans.
The biggest of the projects is the demolition and reconstruction of Van Detta Stadium.
Demolition will begin, Marascio said, in the fall of 2018. The area will be fenced off and also include storage of construction equipment. The new stadium will consist of pre-built grandstands and a press box and these will be wheeled in and assembled on site.
Construction will be completed by September 2019, Marascio said.
At the high school, restroom and auditorium renovations start in April 2019 during the spring break and work should be completed by August of that year. Roof work begins in June and will be finished by November.
At the middle school, auditorium renovations begin in October 2018 and will be finished by December. The fitness room is scheduled for February 2019 through April 2019. The music room in April 2019; the attendance office in June 2019; interior renovations from December 2018 through August 2019; exterior improvements begin in June 2019; asphalt shingle roof in May 2019; and HVAC modifications in May 2019, completed by August.
At Jackson School, flooring replacement, window replacement, boiler room work, and toilet room renovations in April 2019 and all completed by September 2019.
At John Kennedy School, classroom addition and toilet room renovations are from October 2018 through April 2019. Gymnasium improvements also begin in October 2018 but will take until November to complete. The auditorium demolition is in December 2018. Window replacements begin April 2019.
The work at Richmond Memorial Library includes restroom renovations, painting, floor replacement, reading room lighting, upgrade to the fire alarm system, and landscaping. All of that work is scheduled for December 2018 through May 2019.
Marascio said that where work is performed on campus during the school year, construction workers will either have a separate ingress and egress from the student entrance to the construction zone or they will be instructed to remain in the construction zone during any time students are out of classrooms.
The Batavia City School District Board of Trustees handed out its monthly awards at the start of its meeting Tuesday night.
Sarah Gahagan and Lindsey Leone – Outstanding Staff Award
I just wanted to pass along praise for Sarah Gahagan and Lindsey Leone for their hard work and dedication to making the B-Squad program a success. My son participated in the program and he learned so much from it. Sarah and Lindsey perfectly balanced physical fitness, community involvement, career development, and social responsibility with this program.
They kept the participants motivated and taught life lessons that would be hard to duplicate in a classroom setting. I imagine they spent a significant amount of their personal time on this program and wanted to recognize their efforts with the administration. Please know that they are assets to BCSD and the City of Batavia who have made a difference in the lives of these young men. -- Nominated by Jill Halpin, Parent
Shirley Boyd – Outstanding Staff Award
Shirley always goes above and beyond for all students; not just the ones she works directly with in the inclusive classroom. She is patient and very receptive to the students’ needs. She takes on additional responsibilities that are not required of her throughout the entire school. She is more than willing to assist the teachers she works with directly and those that she does not. Shirley takes time out of her personal schedule to build relationships with students that need it most. She is truly an amazing individual we are blessed to have her on board. --Nominated by Laura Kaczmarek & Cindy Morgan
The board also presented a proclamation to Caryn Wood for the Drama's Club's successful production of "Sally Cotter and the Censored Stone." The proclamation cited the cast and crew and said the show "exceeded all expectations of a high school drama performance, bringing laughter, jest, and extreme entertainment to the audience it gathered for this event."
A student at Batavia High School has contracted viral meningitis, a contagious but not fatal virus, according to Chris Dailey, superintendent of Batavia City School District.
Dailey informed parents in the school district through a memo released today.
Here's Dailey's statement:
This is to inform you that a Batavia High School student has been diagnosed with viral meningitis. It is caused by a virus and is not fatal. It can be caused by any one of the common cold or intestinal viruses. The difference is, it affects the lining of your spinal cord and brain. It is spread by person-to-person contact, or a cough, just as the common cold virus is.
The symptoms of meningitis can be fever, stiff neck and tiredness, along with a sore throat, cough or intestinal symptoms.
If your child complains of any of these symptoms, he/she should follow-up with their own physician.
The best way to keep healthy is to wash your hands regularly and not share drinking bottles.
Photos and write-ups provided by Batavia City Schools.
In recognition of his friendly manner and willingness to help out his fellow classmates, Batavia Middle School student Andrew Jursted was presented with an Outstanding Student Award by Batavia City School District Board of Education President Patrick Burk at the Board meeting on Oct. 3.
He was nominated by Mr. Grillo, principal of Batavia Middle School, who wrote, “Andrew has helped with new students. He always has a smile on his face, and is a good role model. He offered to switch his locker to help another student be closer to his classes. He is a good friend and very helpful to his teachers.”
In recognition of his valuable contribution to the administration, staff, and students of the District, Director of Health, Physical Education and Interscholastic Sports, Michael Bromley was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Batavia City School District Board Board of Education President Patrick Burk at the Board meeting on Oct. 3.
He was nominated by Superintendent of Schools Christopher Dailey, who wrote, “Year in and year out, Mr. Bromley oversees one of the most accomplished athletic programs for young women and men in Section V and New York State. Batavia City School District teams are regularly recognized for academic success, athletic championships, and sportsmanship. Mr. Bromley has worked for the District for 18 years, lives in the community, and can be seen at multiple athletic events both in and out of our District. Mr. Bromley is a great example of Taking Care of BCSD!”
In recognition of their valuable contribution to the students of the Batavia City School District and the Youth Bureau’s Parks Program. Susan Presher, on behalf of herself and her summer staff, was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Batavia City School District Board Board of Education President Patrick Burk at the Board meeting on Oct. 3.
They were nominated by Coordinator of Assessment and Instructional Services Julia Rogers, who wrote, “Mrs. Presher applied for the USDA Grant (National Summer Food Service Program) this summer and was awarded it. This grant fed children (under the age of 18) breakfast and/or lunch at the District’s Extended Year and TEAM Literacy Programs, and the Youth Bureau's Parks Program (held at Lions, Lambert, John Kennedy, Farrell, and Williams Parks, as well as at the Youth Bureau). The variety of food offered and the ease of accessibility garnered the appreciation of the parents and children, as well as the entire staff of these programs. Students were able to focus on reading and math during Extended Year and TEAM Literacy because they were not focused on being hungry.”
When this year's seniors at Batavia High School are handed their diplomas this spring, they will see a familiar face, a face they've known since they were kindergarteners in the City School District -- Paul Kesler.
This winter, Kesler will end a 13-year run as the principal of John Kennedy School and become principal of Batavia High School. He was appointed to the new position tonight by the school board. He begins his new position Dec. 22, the first day of Winter Break.
His 16-year-old daughter, now a sophomore at BHS, but also once a student at JK, also approved of the move.
"I wasn't sure how she would react but she got a big smile on her face and she said, 'Dad, kids that went to John Kennedy, they still talk about John Kennedy. They really respect you.' So when your own daughter feels like it's a good thing, that's pretty confirming."
Kesler also got a ringing endorsement from Superintendent Chris Dailey during the board meeting.
"You have a lot of people behind you," Dailey said. "You’re going to do great things. Your dedication to your community and your school is outstanding. We can only expect great results, so no pressure. But, hey, you do the great things you do here at John Kennedy at the high school, the high school will have the same kind of results we’ve seen here."
Kesler, originally from Utica, started his teaching career in Rochester. He was a kindergarten teacher, a second-grade teacher, a reading specialist and an instructional coach for three years before moving to Batavia.
He has a daughter who is a junior at Boston University, two children attending BHS, and a child who is a student at JK.
Two weeks ago, after setting aside all the prior principal applicants, the district hired Dennis Kenney as interim principal. His contract runs through Dec. 21.
Dailey said when the initial search for a new principal didn't turn up the perfect match, he thought about the criteria the district sought in a candidate and realized they already had the perfect candidate in the district with Kesler.
One hallmark of Kesler's oversight of JK is his promotion of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and he's looking forward to continuing that effort at the high school level.
"I think you know we always have the instructional challenges of a small city district, especially in the performance of some economically disadvantaged students, particularly in the areas STEAM," Kesler said. "Those are some of the areas that are a challenge for any small city district. I'm excited about having that connection between what we do in the elementary school all the way up through high school."
There's really only one downside to moving to BHS, Kesler said -- leaving behind the staff and faculty at John Kennedy.
"I don't cry much but I was very close today as I told staff after school," Kesler said. These are just fantastic people. You know, they've been part of my family. My whole experience in 13 years in Batavia has been here. That's going to be the struggle, saying goodbye."
The students at John Kennedy School raised $555 for new library books and Principal Paul Kessler paid the price.
As a "reward" for the students, Kessler spent the day in jail.
Students, such as third-grader Anthony Nesbitt, took turns as guards to ensure he didn't escape.
The pre-lunch crowd passing the jail was pretty merciless. "You stay locked up, Mr. Kessler," more than once said as they walked in their class lines.
"The kids are having fun with it," Kessler said. "So are some of the teachers."
Press release:
In recognition of her academic perseverance and successful accomplishments, Batavia High student Julieth Caceres was presented with an Outstanding Student Award by Board of Education President Patrick Burk at the Board meeting on September 19.
She was nominated by Courtney Turcer, a teacher of English to speakers of other languages, who wrote, “Julieth sat for both the Global and Earth Science Regents on the same June day, for a total of 12 hours, from 8:30 a.m. to nearly 9 p.m. Unfortunately, she failed both exams. Despite the grueling day, she decided to try both exams again in August when they would be given on consecutive days rather than the same day. This time, she walked in with confidence and a positive attitude and she passed both Regents!
"While this is a great accomplishment for any student, for Juli, this is huge. She moved here three years ago from Colombia and did not speak a word of English. There are not many students who would persevere for 12 hours through two Regents exams in the same day – and then, as Juli did, continue to be positive and return to try again. She is truly worthy of recognition.”
In recognition of her valuable contribution to the staff and students, Middle School teacher Michelle Woodward was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education President Patrick Burk at the Board meeting on September 19.
She was nominated by Mrs. Lindsey Heassler, sixth-grade social studies and reading teacher, who wrote, “Mrs. Woodward is an extremely hard-working, motivated, and dedicated sixth grade teacher who goes above and beyond her normal obligations for students. She works with students after school on a daily basis and runs various student clubs.
"For many years, she has served as the sixth grade coordinator at the Middle School. In this role, she organizes fundraisers, field trips, and handles grade level finances. This is an extremely large undertaking, and she shoulders the responsibilities with accuracy and expertise. Colleagues would not be able to do many of the extracurricular activities with their students without Mrs. Woodward’s valuable contribution of time and skill.”
In recognition of her valuable contribution to the staff and students at John Kennedy, teacher aide Michelle Nanni was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education President Patrick Burk at the Board meeting on September 19.
She was nominated by special education teacher, Mrs. Neumann, who wrote, “Ms. Nanni is flexible and willing to support the special education teacher and team of professionals who strives to meet the needs of all John Kennedy students. She has a positive demeanor, and is genuine and kind to all whom she encounters.”
Photos by Kathie Scott, Batavia City Schools.
Batavia City Schools continue to exceed state averages for the graduation rates for children with special needs.
Trisha Finnigan, director of special education and alternative education, updated the school board on special education in the district during Tuesday night's board meeting.
For 2015-16, the state average graduation rate of 55.39 percent. The City Schools rate was 60.9 percent.
That's consistent with prior years, going back to 2005-06 when the state was 37 percent and the local rate was 46.4 percent. In 2014-15, the state rate was 50.48 percent and the local rate was 57 percent.
Also, Finnigan said, the district is having some success with students that state doesn't count as "graduated," though she thinks they should be counted.
"The truth is, and I've talked about this before, is that, for example, some of our students that have some pretty significant cognitive limitations and can't earn a Regent's diploma. They now earn what's called a skills and achievement commencement credential. It's evidence that we've prepared them for, ideally, employment or work toward a realistic postsecondary plan. We don't get credit for those in our graduation rate and it actually counts against us. It's something that any time I can give feedback to the state about, I do."
Students also have until their 21st birthday to graduate, but when a student needs more time, the state doesn't count those eventual successful graduations in the district's graduation rate for special education.
"I think many of you had pleasure last year to meet a young lady who needed until January after her senior year to graduate, but she did it," Finnigan said. "That counts against us."
In other measures, 80 percent or more of special education students in Batavia are spending at least 66 percent of their time inside of regular classrooms. That exceeds the state standard of 58.2 percent.
As of this morning, Dennis Kenney is the new interim principal at Batavia High School.
Kenney fills the vacancy left when Scott Wilson accepted a position in Churchville.
The school district reviewed several candidates to replace Wilson on a permanent basis but has decided to extend the search.
Kenney will serve as principal until Dec. 22.
The school board approved his contract in executive session at the start of last night's meeting.
A resident of Warsaw, Kenney has 40 years in education and recently retired as a principal at Iroquois Central Schools, where he worked for 12 years.
His first 18 years in education was with the New York State Division Youth, which is now Child and Family Services, working in residential facilities with kids who had serious emotional issues and learning disabilities.
He's also been a principal at Barker, an assistant in Albion and Canandaigua and served for two-and-a-half years as superintended in Perry.
He has three sons and was on vacation in Virginia Beach with eight of his grandchildren when he got the call from Superintendent Chris Dailey asking if he would be interested in interviewing for the interim position.
"They'll find me a very visible high school principal and very approachable," Kenney said. "I'd like the parents to know that my door is always open, and staff, to come and see me on anything. The students, too. I think we have a great school district here and the high school has a great faculty, good assistant principals, and we're going to work together and keep moving forward."
The Batavia City Schools community is mourning the loss of Lorne Brudz, a student at Batavia High School, who passed away this morning.
The death was announced today on the school district's homepage and Superintendent Chris Dailey sent a letter to parents.
"Our entire school community is mourning the loss of this wonderful young man," Dailey wrote in the letter.
Dailey informed parents that counselors, teachers and support staff are available to assist students, teachers, and parents. He suggested parents talk with their children about the death as it affects people in different ways.
The school district was not informed of the cause of death.
Among the districtwide goals for 2017-18, City Schools Superintendent Chris Dailey told the board at last night's meeting, the district will strive to communicate better and engage more with the Batavia community, improve student writing, improve the use of technology and maintain a solid budgeting process.
Goal #1 he said is communication and engagement with the community, which will include recognition of outstanding alumni, more use of social media, increased use of volunteers and promotion of academic, athletic, art and music achievements.
"We have kids and staff who are doing amazing things all the time," Dailey said. "We need to do a better job celebrating it in our community so they know what’s going on in all aspects of our school."
Improving student written communication is the second goal, Dailey said. At every grade level, the district needs to put more focus on helping students become better writers.
“We’ve had college professors share with us that our kids need to learn to write better," Dailey said. "We take that very seriously. As a group, this year we’ve committed to common benchmarks across the district in each grade where our kids will do written responses and work on improving their ability in writing.”
Over the past couple of years, students and teachers have been given Chromebooks, each with access to a group of Google tools known as Gsuite. The district has provided more training and will continue to provide training to teachers, on the use of Gsuite in classrooms. As a third goal, this will continue to be a priority he said because it helps bring STEAM into each district building. (STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, (and) Mathematics.)
"That’s where the jobs are coming in our region," Dailey said. "(The students) need to know what’s out there."
The district has a solid budgeting process, Dailey said. Its budget ambassador program is even being copied by other school districts around the state now as a way of getting the community involved in the budget process.
As a fourth goal, Dailey wants to improve this process. Last year, he spoke before eight community groups about the budget. His goal this year is to double that number.
The district will continue to work to keep the tax levy below the tax cap level, which helps ensure residents are eligible for state rebates. The district will also look for other sources of revenue.
"Our goal is to pass (the budget) with a super majority of 60 percent or higher to show the community does support what we’re doing financially to advocate for their students," Dailey said.
As a stretch goal, what Dailey calls the "Columbus Day Goal," is to have 100 percent of the teachers set up with their own Web pages on the district site that they are updating regularly. This is a great resource for parents, he said.
Common Core spring results show improvement for Batavia City School Students, a point Superintendent Christopher Dailey emphasized during a conversation today, but that isn't the most important stat he looks at in evaluating student proficiency.
The most important number to him, he said, is the district's 95-percent graduation rate.
"The tests are supposed to be an indicator of graduation readiness and I've yet to see that kind of link because we graduate a lot of kids who go on to do great things," Dailey said.
In English Language Arts, the district improved from a 34-percent pass rate last year to 36 this spring. The statewide pass rate is 40 percent, but Dailey noted that in both ELA and Math, City Schools perform on par with other small city school districts.
In Math, the district improved from 36 percent to 38 percent with a 40-percent statewide rate.
In ELA, 40 percent of the girls passed and 29 percent of the boys. The pass rate for girls in Math was 35 percent and 40 percent for boys.
The test was given to students this spring in grades three through eight.
Dailey said Common Core provides more data points to measure how the district is doing and what it might need to address to meet the educational needs of students, but it isn't the only data point.
"If you look at like schools, we're doing OK, but not good enough," Dailey said. "We still need to improve and we will."
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It's been a busy summer in the Batavia City School District, with new teachers and aides being hired, planning for the capital improvement project, custodial staff getting buildings and grounds ready for a new school year, and a search for a new principal for the high school. And after all that, Superintendent Chris Dailey said he just can't wait for the school year to start Sept. 7.
"What I'm really excited about is our kids are starting to come back into school," Dailey said. "It's too quiet in July. Yes, we've had summer school here but it will be nice to have all our kids back soon. We're really excited to get everybody back."
One of the big pending tasks is replacing Scott Wilson as principal of Batavia High School.
Wilson left to become principal in Gates-Chili, where he taught for 13 years. He's maintained a residence just a block-and-a-half from the school.
"He took an opportunity to go back home where he where he started, so that gives us another opportunity to her great educator here at the high school," Dailey said.
The application deadline is Aug. 16 and there's been a lot of interest in the job, Dailey said.
"We've had a flurry of applications in the last week and we're expecting between 30 and 40 candidates," Dailey said. "We will thoroughly vet them, get down to one or two to share with the faculty for opening days and then hopefully have someone in place before September when students come back."
There will also be a new principal at Jackson Primary School this fall, with Kia Evans taking over for Diane Bonarigo. Bonarigo, who retired, is filling in as the interim principal at the high school until a replacement for Wilson is hired.
Fall sports teams start practice on Monday and teachers are already starting to prep their classrooms.
Students and parents won't see many changes at the schools, other than a lot of new faces among faculty and staff.
"We've had some amazing additions to our faculty," Dailey said. "The impact that will have on our kids is going to be amazing. At the end of this month, we have new teacher orientation and I'm just really excited to get these people involved with our kids."
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