schools

A 14-year-old girl who earlier today reportedly told Batavia School Superintendent Margaret Puzio that she had been abducted as she walked to school, made the whole thing up.

Batavia Police just announced that based on an extensive investigation, including assistance from the Child Advocacy Center and the Batavia City School District, they have concluded the girl fabricated the abduction story in order to alter facts regarding her whereabouts.

The investigation continues regarding the girl's actual whereabouts and her activities during that time.

Previously:

• Reports coming in of child abduction in Batavia School District
• Allegedly abducted girl safe, but police looking for suspect
• Whether girl was actually abducted remains in question

More than a dozen parents have contacted The Batavian in the past 15 minutes saying they've received calls from Margaret Puzio, superintendent of the Batavia School District, informing them that a student in the district was abducted this morning.

Det. Rich Schauf is currently investigating the case and is not available for an interview at this time and all media calls about the case are being referred to Schauf.

At this time, no further information is available about this case.

UPDATE 2:22 p.m.: WBTA's Geoff Redick reached Puzio by phone and Puzio told Redick that "the child is with police." She refused further comment. The child, according to the pre-recorded message automatically phoned to parents this afternoon from Puzio, said the child was abducted this morning while headed to school.

UPDATE 2:40 p.m.: WBTA spoke with Det. Todd Crossett who said a girl was picked up and placed in a car on Washington Avenue this morning. Police found the girl this afternoon and she is now with police, according to Crossett.

Cindy Herzog, superintendent of the Le Roy Central School District, announced her resignation on Friday, effective immediately.

School district staff learned of Herzog's abrupt departure in a memo from Donald Holbart, board of education president.

Hobart thanked Herzog for "all of her many contributions" to the LeRoy School District.

Herzog has been superintendent for three years.

David DeLoria, Ph.D, will serve as interim superintendent.

Faculty and students of John Kennedy School were at Clor's in Batavia this afternoon selling BBQ chicken meals to help raise money to fund field trips for students to such places as Cooperstown.

Don Carroll, below, was also on hand selling raffle tickets in support of his annual Christmas toy drive. And the cook in the bottom photo wanted his picture on The Batavian.

Mike Randall, meterologist with Channel 7 News in Buffalo, was at Elba Central School today to entertain and instruct children with his magic show.

The assembly kicked off the school's "Celebrating Reading" program. The title of today's program was "Reading is Magic."

At one time, Batavia School District officials spoke of a possible 10-percent tax increase on local property owners, but the final approved budget includes only a 1.23 percent increase.

District Business Manager Scott Rozanski told The Batavian's news partner WBTA, that past years' conservative budgeting -- underestimating revenue and holding a line on expenses -- has made it easier for the district to weather big cuts in state aid.

"There may be a greater impact next year and in future years if the trend continues," Rozanski said.

The 1.23-percent increase works out to 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, so on a home assessed at $80,000, the taxpayer will pay the school district an additional $21.60.

Rozanski said that over the past few months, the district has been able to cut expenses, which contributed to the district's ability to hold down the tax increase.

WBTA has posted a historical chart of tax increases (and decreases) from the district as well as an MP3 of its interview with Rozanski (click here).

Voters will be asked to approve the budget May 18.

The possible purchase of three new school buses and two other vehicles is on the ballot in Le Roy today.

Voting in the LeRoy Central District will take place from 3 until 7 p.m. in the Trigon Building.

There are two propositions:

• The first would buy three school buses at a cost not to exceed $285,000. Ninety-percent of the cost is covered by state aid.
• In a second proposition, district voters will be asked to approve $72,000 for the purchase of a truck and tractor for the school district. No state aid is available for the vehicles, however.

(via WBTA)

Josh Stendts, a 17-year-old senior at Batavia High, is pretty impressed with the slide shows ESPN creates for its Web site, so a while back he tried his hand at creating one about the Buffalo Bills losing season. Friends and family liked it and started encouraging him to do one about the Blue Devils boys basketball team.

At first, he resisted the idea, but when Batavia beat Sutherland and went to 8-1, he got excited about the team's prospects for the season.

In past seasons, Batavia vs. Sutherland games "have had a lot of tension and produced exciting games," Josh said in an e-mail today. "When I heard the Blue Devils had won in Sutherland, I knew it was going to be a special season. No one, including myself, thought this team was going to be as successful as they ended up being. I stopped doubting the team when the Blue Devils defeated Sutherland."

Josh's dad was also pushing him to do a video about the Blue Devils.

There was problem, Josh had a song idea, but not enough pictures. When Batavia reached Sectionals, however, The Batavian started going to games and shooting and posting lots and lots of photos.

The song was Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," because, Josh said, it was fast and he could pack a lot of information about the team into the lyrics.

When he first uploaded the slide show, he didn't have all the pictures he would eventually include, but as more and more friends and fans saw the video, it began to become popular around the campus.

He continued to polish the effort.

"On March 12th, I put together a slide show with a few pictures," Josh wrote. "I finished a rough copy and posted it on YouTube. When I returned to school on Monday the 14th everyone, including the teachers, congratulated me on such a great video. My last class of the day on Monday was GYM and my teacher is Coach Brasky. As I entered the gym to check in, he immediately pointed at me and told me 'Great Job, unbelievable.'"

Buddy Brasky and Principle Chris Daily wanted to show the video at a pep rally on Friday, before the team left for the state championship games in Glens Falls.

"I was absolutely shocked and incredibly thankful for the opportunity," Josh said.

He did one more edit on the video and then handed it over to school officials to play at the rally.

"On Friday, the video was played in front of the entire school," according to Josh. "I was nervous about what everyone would think. As the video came to a close, I received a standing ovation from the entire auditorium, including the basketball team. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life."

Josh is definitely thinking about the idea of going into media production, but he's also interested in sports medicine. He says he has plenty to think about when he starts classed at GCC in the fall.

"I would like to sincerely thank everyone who was involved in making this video a success, Mr. Dailey and Mr. Mullen for allowing me to show the video at the assembly," Josh said at the close of his e-mail. "Mr. Bromley (Sports director) who e-mailed the video to all the teachers. All my family and friends who viewed the video, and a special thanks to The Batavian for giving me permission to use their pictures for the slide show."

The Batavian would like to thank Josh for using our pictures. That's a great honor. We did ask Josh to add credit to The Batavian in his video, and we are grateful that he readily agreed to so. Congratulations to Josh on such a great tribute to the Blue Devils. It's definitely a great piece of quality work.

Elba Elementary Principal Jason Smith sends along the following report:

On the morning of March 17, 2010, Elementary students at Elba Central School enjoyed and participated in an assembly which recognized March as Art and Music in our School’s Month while honoring Black History which was celebrated in February.

Third Grade students studied the Underground Railroad Quilt Code in art class and applied that knowledge through creating painted quilt squares. Students were selected to share the meaning of their quilt code with the audience during the assembly. In addition, each grade level performed, through song and dance, an African-American Spiritual.

Some songs were accompanied by rhythm instruments created in art class.

Elementary Drama Club members presented a reader’s theatre skit “Riding to Freedom” using scenery crafted by Elementary Art Club members.

Special Education teacher, Tina Schultz, played the role of Harriet Tubman, who narrated the entire assembly by presenting facts about the Underground Railroad experience.

This was a wonderful opportunity for Elba’s students to appreciate the relevance and historical significance of the arts as vital roles in our education.

The assembly concluded with a sibling trio featuring Elba’s talented folk/spiritual singers: Michaela, Gabe and Judah Stewart singing “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.”

You learn a lot about great dead composers in music class -- Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, etc.

The kids at John Kennedy Elementary School got a lesson that's a little different this year: learning about a living composer who doesn't live too far from Batavia!

Mark Hijleh, Ph.D, a Houghton resident and professor of Music Theory and Composition at Houghton College, has written many musical pieces in the last couple of decades. These include scores for short films made at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Some of his music is available online, including the piece that John Kennedy School's music teacher, Jeffrey Langdon, chose to share with his students.

"When [Langdon] realized that I lived close by," Hijleh said, "he asked me if I would come in and speak to the kids."

Hijleh is no stranger to the Batavia area. He conducted the Genesee Symphony Orchestra in 1997, and his wife -- also a Houghton professor -- had James Schmeider as a voice student. Schmeider had leading roles in a number of summer theater productions in Batavia.

Hijleh was kind enough to sit down with The Batavian for a Q&A session, in addition to answering students' questions.

Q&A with THE BATAVIAN:

Q: What led you to become a composer?

A: I started with music lessons when I was a kid. I was about 7 when I asked my parents if I could learn to play the piano. Then about five years later I got real serious about it. I started to hear music in my head, and I experienced strong feelings that I wanted to share [through music]. I got a lot of support as my musical interest and talent developed. My high school band director encouraged us to be creative, and my piano teacher helped me out when I started to write my own music.

Q: Did your parents ever say anything like, "Are you sure you don't want to be a doctor?"

A: Good question. Actually, I had very supportive parents. My dad was a computer programmer, but he had always wanted to be a musician. My mother, who was a teacher, was also someone who appreciated music. And I was an only child, so they could afford to support my efforts. I did think about being a lawyer, actually. But then I came to realize that we each have our own calling, our own talents and interests, and this was mine.

Q: Music programs are often prime targets when it comes to budget cuts. Based on your years of experience, do you think music has any practical value that makes it worth funding?

A: The cost question is not inconsequential. Frankly, I think that part of the concern, as far as cost goes, has to do with the question of whether or not music education is relevant to contemporary culture -- more specifically, of whether or not it effectively prepares children for life in an increasingly global society.

Up until about 30 ago, music classes focused almost exclusively on Western Classical music. And there's a lot to be said for Western Classical music, but the relevance of music education becomes questionable when it focuses on one narrow category. But I have seen music education become more progressive in recent years. Teachers and students are discovering a whole world of inspiring and powerful music from many different cultures, and they've come to understand that different forms of music can't be judged by the exact same standards.

As society has become more global, we have proven that music is a good way to help different cultures connect with each other. Every human society has music -- none that we know of don't have it. And there are a lot of things that some cultures don't have, but music isn't one of them. It's relevant to all cultures and absolutely elemental to the human spirit. By helping kids understand the importance of music, we can help them to understand the ways in which what they're listening to on their iPods -- and how they're listening to it, for that matter -- can relate to their lives and influence their decision-making.

Q: What composers have influenced you the most?

A: If I had to narrow it down I'd mention two composers. One is Olivier Messiaen, a French composer who lived from 1908-1992. He contributed greatly to the field, both in terms of the development of musical language and its connection to spirituality. The other is John Williams, the film composer. He's been heard all around the world, probably more than any other composer because of the universal presence of film. I've learned from his ability to both make his music interesting in terms of content and make sure it communicates effectively.

Q&A with STUDENTS:

Q: What does it feel like to be a composer?

A: It's very exciting, but also a little scary because you're sharing inner feelings and thoughts with people and you don't know how they'll react. But it feels really good when people like your music! So it's a risk and a reward to communicate musically.

Q: What inspires you to be a composer?

A: I have music going on in my head all the time, and also in my heart, and it just has to come out and be shared.

Q: What's your favorite song that you didn't write?

A: Honestly, there are so many I just can't choose!

The Houghton Philharmonia Orchestra will play one of Hijleh's pieces, an Arabic-inspired work called "Sama'i Hijaz al Hijleh," in a 7 p.m. concert tomorrow at Attica High School.

Elba Central School District is leading Genesee County schools in the percentage of students who graduate from high school, according to a report released by the New York Education Department.

Elba's 97-percent graduation rate is well above the state average of 74 percent.

Superintendent Joan Cole told WBTA that teachers pay close attention to each student in Elba.

"Where there's a concern in terms of student academic performance or any other struggles a child might have in the classroom, we're able to right away address it through working with the family to make sure the students are successful," Cole said. "Teachers are very attuned to the kids."

None of the schools in Genesee County fell below the state average, but Alexander High came close, with a 76-percent graduation rate.

Batavia's rate was 81 percent.

Principle Chris Daly said because Batavia is larger and in a bigger population area, it has different dynamics to deal with.

"Our goal every year is to get to 100-percent graduation," Daly said. "We look to incrementally increase each year to get there."

He also faulted the state report for not considering the students who complete their education at BOCES, which may take five years.

"That sometimes delays graduation on time," Daly said. "The way the state counts it, they're not graduating on time, yet they'll come out with a skill that will earn them more than some college graduates will have for starting pay."

The other schools: Byron-Bergen, 87 percent; Le Roy, 86 percent; Oakfield-Alabama, 80 percent; Pavilion, 91 percent; Pembroke, 88 percent.

Batavia had 200 freshmen in 2005, the biggest class in the county. Elba's was the smallest, at 33. The next smallest was Alexander with 70.

(via WBTA)

Teacher and school administrator salaries in Upstate New York rose 5 percent in 2008-2009, according to a study recently released by The Empire Center for New York State Policy.

In school districts outside of NYC, total expenditures on teacher salaries rose to $670 million to $14 billion.

The number of teachers and administrators making more than $100,000 increased by 5,022 employees, making the total to 32,064.

From BusinessWeek:

Carl Korn, spokesman for New York State United Teachers, said the median teacher's salary statewide was $62,332 for 2007-2008 school year, up 4.7 percent from the year before. That's typically someone with about 15 years' experience, he said.

"We're talking about a professional with a master's degree in their peak earning years," Korn said. "What those figures actually say is that most teachers are paid fairly, but many earn far less than what they would earn in the private sector."

We found this story originally through the D&C.

About a dozen boys and girls donned caps and coats, put away their cubbies and prepared to go home after class Friday morning at Le Roy Nursery School. They're in the pre-kindergarten program, which prepares them for a structured learning environment.

They were surprisingly quiet and orderly and then sat on the large carpet at the front of the room to sing the goodbye song with Teacher Debbie Chipre, who has taught a generation of children. She's been there for 20 years.

They clapped their hands, winked an eye and sang that is was time to say goodbye.

"On Monday we're going to learn about the letter L," Chipre said. "So don't forget to wear your Le Roy school shirt!"

She was assisted by Teacher Robyn Falcone, who's taught there for six years.

Both women are proud of the program offered, which teaches basics: letters and numbers; small-muscle coordination (such as using tiny scissors); age-appropriate social and self-help skills; how to write their name; even some Spanish and sign language. Chipre and Falcone also sometimes spot a potential problem area, such as speech or a physical limitation, so it can be addressed before they enter kindergarten.

The pre-K program consists of three half-days, Monday, Wednesday and Friday for preschoolers up to age 6. Nursery school is half-days Tuesday and Thursday for potty-trained tykes, age 2-ish. Each program is limited to 20 students.

"We primarily serve local kids -- we want to give these kids a fighting chance to succeed," said parent Russell Western, a native of England who moved to the United States 10 years ago and serves as the school's vice president in charge of scholarship funding.

What really sets Le Roy Nursery School apart from others is that it's a nonprofit with a seven-member board of directors made up of parent volunteers who oversee all aspects of the school charter. The school opened in 1963 and gets not a dime of public aid.

Melissa Cone is the parent representative and has three children, the youngest of which, 5-year-old Lydia, is currently enrolled there. She said the essence of the school is oversight by parents for the benefit of children and betterment of the community.

Those who attend Le Roy Nursery School will eventually go to Wolcott Street School and then on to Le Roy Central School. One of the developments that has put a financial strain on Le Roy school, is the implementation of a pre-K program at Wolcott.

Now in its second year, the program is five days a week with "half-day" sessions, either two and a half hours in the mornings or afternoons. Western said the school district views Le Roy Nursery School as a viable option for families, not as competition.

But he thinks the Wolcott program's schedule might be too demanding for some children.

Cipre said her school offers greater flexibility ( you can drop off your child earlier or latter than the schedule if needed due to work conflicts, at no additional charge) and is an easier transition for many preschoolers because they are in a half-day class only three times a week.

Le Roy is considered very reasonable -- $65 a month for pre-K, $50 a month for nursery school. But when enrollment drops off because parents opt for the free, public preschool program, the nonprofit must work that much harder to raise money. The teachers have to be paid, supplies purchased. Lights, heating and rent remain the same.

"We don't get to waste money," Western said.

So throughout the year they stay busy to keep the school open and raise scholarship funds. There's an annual Turkey Trot, a breakfast with the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus at McDonald's, car washes, bake sales, etc. All of the events are intended to be fun for the whole family and welcoming to the community.

Le Roy Nursery School also conducts an annual, general-operating-fund drive in which it directly solicits around 100 local businesses and sponsors. The most recent one raised about $13,000.

Western said scholarships to attend Le Roy Nursery School are available. Those are allocated by the board based on need.

An open house and registration opportunity is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday (Feb. 22). On March 28, the community is invited to breakfast with the Easter Bunny at McDonald's in Le Roy. Tickets are $6 to benefit Le Roy Nursery School.

The school is located on the side of the Presbyterian Church, across from the fire station at 7 Clay St. Phone is 768-7700.

Submitted by Tammy Cassidy:

Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School employees, pictured in their “Fight Like a Girl” T-shirts, show support for Mrs. Esther Goodrich, who is battling breast cancer. Mrs. Goodrich is the wife of the school district’s Director of Special Education, Mike Goodrich. Thanks to elementary school Principal Mark Alexander, teachers and staff enjoyed a dress down day. All proceeds will benefit Genesee Cancer Assistance.

The K-6 students of Elba Central School got to meet a parrot and learn about writing Friday morning in an assembly conducted by Academic Entertainment.

According to Principle Jason Smith, who supplied the picture, students were led through an exercise that involved them describing a favorite pet, and then the group leader brought out the parrot.