education

Merritt Holly, a Le Roy resident since 2009, never thought he wanted to go into administration. In the beginning of April, Holly started as the superintendent of the Le Roy Central School District.  

“I’m very humble to be in a position like this, to represent teachers, students and staff here at Le Roy,” Holly said.

After a month and a half in his position, Holly said he has not seen any negatives to his job as superintendent.

“Everyone has been so supportive, from inside here and in this community. They’ve been so supportive and I can’t be thankful enough,” Holly said. “You need that in order to be successful running a school district.”

Holly was a graduate of Pavilion High School in 1992 and went to Genesee Community College, later transferring into SUNY Brockport.

Holly’s teaching career began in 1999 when he was hired out of college as a Global Studies teacher at Oakfield-Alabama Central School District and coached varsity basketball. In January 2007, he was asked by the superintendent to carry out the rest of the year as the dean of students.

“I never thought I wanted to go into administration but it was a good opportunity to try it out and see if I liked it,” Holly said.

Holly stayed on to be the dean of students for the 2007-2008 school year and started taking classes for an administrative degree.

In 2008, Holly started as the middle school principal, making an impact for Oakfield-Alabama students in grades six through eight.

Before becoming superintendent of Le Roy Central School District, Holly served as principal of Caledonia-Mumford High School since 2011.

“I’ve worked with great leaders,” Holly said. “I’ve had a chance to learn under a lot of good people. I’ve had the chance to be involved in some great staffs at [Oakfield-Alabama] and [Caledonia-Mumford High School].”

Le Roy Junior-Senior High School is ranked in the top 10.3 percent in the country, earning a Silver Medal, according to U.S. News & World Report magazine's ranking of the Best High Schools.

Holly said he has been impressed with what Le Roy offers its students and the passion for the programs.

“Not only do we have strong academics, but if you look at what we’re doing with extracurricular [activities] and you’ve got a perfect scenario for kids to thrive with and be successful,” Holly said.  

Holly said that many students are coming in to rural area schools with a variety of needs and issues. One of his goals as superintendent is to look at how to best help those students.

“I think the whole group instruction concept that I was a part of as a student is not going to work in this day and age right now,” Holly said. “We have to think in a differentiation type of way that we have to meet our kids at their level.”

Holly said that it does not mean to lower standards and expect less from students.

“I think kids come in with a keen skill set that I don’t think I had when I was their age,” Holly said. “I think that kids aren’t changing in the sense of the academics, I think we have to adjust to what their interests are, different from where they were five to 10 years ago.”

Tim McArdle, the principal of Le Roy High School, said he has worked closely with Holly as neighboring principals over the years.

“To have him now on our team has been tremendous,” McArdle said. “It has been awesome seeing him start every day in our bus loop, greeting our students as they enter the building. He is a very caring and genuine person who wants nothing but the best for this community.”

McArdle said Holly’s transition into his new position was smooth. Prior to starting as superintendent, Holly was able to spend multiple days visiting and meeting informally with staff and students. McArdle said it allowed Holly to hit the ground running from day one.

“[Holly’s] presence has been felt from the bus loop, to the classroom, to the extracurricular events,” McArdle said. “He truly understands the importance of being visible and supporting our Knights.”

Voters will be asked tomorrow whether they support the 2017-18 Batavia City Schools budget, with a spending plan of $49,870,585.

That's an increase of 12.41 percent over last year, due entirely, school officials say, to a change to record debt service expenditures in the general fund as recommended by the comptroller's office.

Even so, local property owners will not be hit with an increase in school-related property taxes. The property tax levy isn't being increased at all.

This is the fourth straight year the district's tax levy is below the state's increase cap, so homeowners will be eligible for a state property tax rebate, sent directly to homeowners in the fall of 2017.

The budget represents a $10,859 per student in general education, $28,502 per Special Education student, or $19,241 per student on average. All three figures are below state averages, which are $11,949 and $30,667 and $22,536, respectively.

Of the district's total revenue, more than 52 percent comes from state and federal aid. The tax levy is 37.1 percent of total revenue. This budget calls for use of $2.7 million of fund balance (reserves).

Polls are open Tuesday, May 16, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Robert Morris (residents north of Route 5) and Batavia High School (residents south of Route 5).

Press release:

Students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grade at St. Joseph School had the opportunity to participate in their annual spelling bee this past week. Twenty five brave students gathered on the stage for a spelling competition that lasted 35 rounds.

In the end, three eightth-graders took the top three places winning cash prizes:

• First Place -- Rachel Nickerson
• Second Place -- Katelyn Zehler
• Third Place -- Anne Marie Kochmanski

The other top spellers are: James Weicher II, Gabriel Weicher, Andrew Ricupito, Lucia Sprague, Madalyn Bochicchio, Sarah McGinnis and Isabelle Cooper.

Congratulations to this year’s top 10 spellers!

Submitted photos and info:

Assemblyman Stephen Hawley visited fourth-graders at Pembroke Intermediate School. Students have been studying the history of New York State, the government of New York, and how New York has helped shape America.

Assemblyman Hawley discussed his responsibilities and duties, while students participated in a question and answer session. Earlier in the year, students from Mr. Brown's Social Studies class wrote to Assemblyman Hawley after learning about the branches of government in New York.

Four area high school students were honored by the Arc of Genesee Orleans on Thursday night at the agency's annual meeting with scholarships from the Mary Anne Graney Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is awarded to students interested in working with people with disabilities.

The scholarships were awarded to Natalie Bigelow, Batavia HS, who plans to attend Daemen College and study Physical Therapy; Alyssa Weaver, Pembroke HS, who plans to enter a Physician's Assistant Program; Hannah Bowen, Notre Dame HS, who plans to attend Clarkson University, and she will pursue a career in Psychology; Marlaina Fee, Byron-Bergen HS, who plans to study Elementary Education at Geneva College, with a focus on Special Ed and Sign Language.

Representing the schoalrship fund was Molly George.

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia, as it does every year, honored the top students from Batavia High School at its weekly lunch at the ARC facility on Woodrow Road, Batavia.

Pictured are: Campbell Anderson, Margaret Cecere, Madison Grover, Celia Flynn, Elizabeth Piedmont, Zachary O'Brien (back), Chyenne Ernst, Madison Moore, Serena Strollo-DiCenso, Abigail Stendts, Cassidy Miller, McKenna Dziemian, and Quenten Branciforte.

Members of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra visited Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School yesterday to meet with students from each grade to talk with them about classical music and the instruments they use. Above, Bob Knipe talks about his French horn. 

Muris Director / Conductor S. Shade Zajac

Haily Davis, a senior at Oakfield-Alabama High School, reacts to her attempt to keep control of a car in a simulator while also texting. The simulator was part of the Save A Life Tour, which stopped by O-A yesterday, giving students a chance to experience just how distracting distracted driving can me. Another simulator mimicked the difficulty and dangers of driving drunk.

Davis said the simulator really opened her eyes to how hard it is to text and drive at the same time.

"I learned that it’s not as easy to text and drive as I thought it would be and that’s it’s not just you," Davis said. "You have to be careful because of other people running red lights or other people turning when they’re not supposed to be. If you look down and swerve into the other lane you could hit somebody."

Getting to work on parts that NASA will actually use on the International Space Station is definitely something to brag about, said Dominick Brown, a senior at Batavia High School (at right, in photo above) and a student in BOCES precision machinery program.

Brown and about a dozen other students are part of a program begun this year at BOCES by teacher Tim Gleba, who persisted in his pursuit last year to get Batavia's machine shop course accepted into NASA's HUNCH program. HUNCH is a nationwide program started in 2003 that gives high school students the chance to design and manufacture hardware for NASA. The program has since expanded to include culinary arts as well so that students can come up with ready-to-eat meals for astronauts.

Students have made single-purpose storage lockers to hold experiments being taken up to the space station and one of the next projects is new handrails.

Brown's reaction was like a lot of students in a video presented by NASA scientist Florance Gold, Ph.D, yesterday at a press conference about the program in Batavia. The students all said the program inspired them to think about engineering, science and aerospace careers and gave them the confidence to think it might be something they could pursue.

"It’s really awesome that we actually get to work for NASA and it’s something I can put on my resume," Brown said. "I’m always bragging to my friends, ‘OK, I work for NASA now.’ It’s kind of cool. I’m definitely very grateful for everything my teachers and NASA have presented to me to be part of this amazing program. I’m crazy grateful. Unlike test hardware, we’re making actual hardware that is going into the space station, so it’s something that I can say, ‘I made parts that are in the space station.’ ”

Tim Gleba with the first part his precision machine students made for NASA.

NASA scientist Flo Gold

Nancy Hall, an aerospace engineer with NASA, who works at the Glenn Research Center in Ohio.

A couple of weeks ago, BOCES students were able to visit the facility. Hall said it's special getting to work for NASA.

“One thing I want to pass onto the students is think about the opportunity you have in front of you," Hall said. "You’re going to be making parts for NASA, which is just neat in itself. Even myself, working for NASA, I still pinch myself."

Amanda Phelps, a HUNCH support machinist with one of the storage lockers designed and made by high school students.

With song and dance, Mr. Eco entertained students at John Kennedy School this morning, providing lessons along the way about the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

The event was sponsored by the Building Technologies Division at Siemens and hosted in conjunction with the fourth-grade innovators' STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) programming at John Kennedy School and the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC).

Mr. Eco uses hip-hop, sing-along, dance and between-song patter to emphasize the active role people play in creating a sustainable environment, decreasing energy usage, increasing recycling, and working to keep communities free of litter. He has performed for more than 135,000 children across the United States, Canada, Turkey, South Africa, Colombia, St. Lucia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Ninth-graders from throughout the GLOW region were at GCC today for the 2nd Annual Precision Agriculture Day. The series of lectures and demonstrations were an opportunity for students to learn about career options in agriculture that involve technology. It was a chance for them to see how technology is changing farming to increase yields and reduce costs, whether it be GPS-guided plows and seeders, or drones that use aerial photography to determine the level of nutrients in soil so farmers know better how to manage fertilizing their crops.

The demonstrations included soil fertility, crop management, drones, GPS/GIS mapping, data analysis, animal technologies and auto steering.

"We would really like to see our youth return to the field of agriculture," said Jennifer Wakefield, program coordinator with the BEST Center. "It’s our area. It’s where we live. We need young people to work in these fields."

Some of the students and staff at Genesee Community College came together today on the lawn outside the north side of the forum for an aerial photo of them forming a human number 50 as part of the college's year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary.

Photos courtesy Genesee Community College.

Morgan Eastlack, owner of Morgan Joanna Films in Albion, was the drone operator for the event.

Cindy Hegelberger, assistant professor and reference services librarian, was a participant.

With the GCC Cougar, Kristen Murk, student activities and organizer of the event, and Cliff Scutella, director of student activities.

Automotive techs are in demand and the demand is growing, according to Peter DeLacy, owner of DeLacy Ford in East Aurora, which is why the WNY Ford Dealers started a program three years ago to donate cars with "real world" experience to local high schools.

The goal is to help and encourage high school students with an interest in auto repair to stick with it as a career choice and gain valuable experience working on cars with some of the last technological advancements.

"They're often working on 15-year-old cars and there isn't much interest in working on cars that don't have the latest technology," DeLacy said.

Yesterday, the dealers donated at 2014 Ford Fusion to the automotive shop at BOCES.

"We rely on donations like this in order for our kids to get the best training possible so that when they leave school, they can go right out to the workforce and do the best they can," said BOCES in Batavia Principal Jon Sanfratello (speaking at the podium in the photo above).

The dealers pool their resources to acquire cars from Ford Credit that have come out of the lease program. Delacy said auto teachers want cars with some mileage on them and in need of some maintenance, not brand-new cars, for their students to work on. Once the dealers have ensured all auto shop programs in the region have cars, they will start a three- or four-year rotation process of providing newer slightly used vehicles to the schools so students always have close to the latest technology at their fingertips.

There isn't much about a Ford or a GM or a Toyota that is so proprietary that a student can't learn a broad range of applicable skills, regardless of which car it is, Delacy said. Many car components, and the technology today that enables and manages them, are built to government-mandated specifications, so when a tech hooks up a diagnostic computer to a car, the readout is the same regardless of the make or model.

"The diagnostic codes, how you access the primary powertrain control module, how you do all of these things is pretty much the same for all manufacturers," Delacy said.

The goal for the Ford dealers, of course, is to ensure as many young techs come out of high school and two years of college with an interest in working at Ford dealerships, but as long as there are more techs in the market, it's better for everybody.

"The technicians we have now, they’ve put their time in and they want to retire," Delacy said. "There’s not a big pool of talent to choose from, so knowing that the Ford dealers of Western New York, including myself, decided to ask, ‘where do we get technicians? How do we get them interested?’ Because a lot of people don’t want to get into that. They want to be other things and this is a very good pay program when you get into the dealership level."

It's a good career choice, Delacy said, because it's stable, it pays well and dealership jobs are good jobs, and since the only college required is couple of years at a community college, so the career makes sense financially.

"The great part is it's not a huge investment," Delacy said. "They don't have student loans to pay for five or 10 years. They’re out in the real world, earning real money, keeping their money and investing it, so we’re on the ground floor of great opportunity, allowing students to get a good education and they’re ready to go when they get out of college and they don’t have a huge debt load, so it’s a win-win-win for everybody."

Press release:

The Byron-Bergen Central School District is one of 136 school districts and Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in New York State to receive the Utica National lnsurance Group's School Safety Excellence Award for 2017.

District Superintendent Mickey Edwards and Jr./Sr. High School Principal Patrick McGee accepted the top Titanium-level award and a $500 prize, to be used to further safety efforts, on April 21.

“This is an affirmation of all the safety and security initiatives our district has been taking,” Edwards said. “Our school resource officer recently completed a district-wide safety audit, and he has made remarkable personal connections with our students and staff.

"Our culture includes the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and regular character building events and activities at all grade levels. We have implemented a number of measures, including the New York State Sheriff’s Association (NYSSA) Rapid Responder® Program, an all-hazards site-based crisis management system, and a large security camera system that oversees buildings and grounds.

"Current security also includes a comprehensive visitor management system in all schools that is used for visitor background checks and ID badges. Providing a safe and secure learning environment for our students, teachers, staff, and visitors is our first priority. We are honored to receive this recognition.”

The School Safety Excellence Award Program has three levels — Titanium, Platinum and Gold — and annual awards are given based on quantifiable measurements of excellence in categories that include bullying prevention programs, playground safety, and other areas. Utica National has kept children and school staff safe for more than 40 years, and currently insures more than 300 school districts in Upstate New York alone.

"Safety and health concerns continue to be a priority in our school districts," said Brian Saville, resident senior vice president in Utica National's Educational Institutions Unit. "Districts that go above and beyond to provide a safe, healthy and focused culture for learning are to be applauded, and we're pleased to count Byron-Bergen Central School District among them."

Byron-Bergen’s 2017 National Honor Society.

Submitted photos and press release:

The Byron-Bergen chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) welcomed 16 new student members to their distinguished company on April 26. The ceremony also honored the two latest inductees to the Byron-Bergen Alumni Hall of Fame.

The event began with music from the school’s vocal group, the Singing Silhouettes; welcome and congratulations from Superintendent Mickey Edwards; then short addresses from alumnus Dr. Paul Brill (Class of 1982) and Pam McCarthy, the sister of the late Barry Miller (Class of 1983).

Dr. Brill spoke of his difficult years at school, and credited his teachers, especially Arthur Rohe, along with his older sisters and brother with challenging him to do better.

“There were mentors in my life that helped me change the path I was on,” he said. Today, he is a distinguished neurologist, involved community member, and dedicated husband and father in South Carolina.

Miller was a foundational member of the Bergen community: business owner, volunteer firefighter, and Genesee County coroner, among many other roles. McCarthy spoke of her brother, who was killed in 2015 while performing his duties as the chief of the Bergen Emergency Medical Services.

“He was always looking out for the little guy,” she said. “He touched many lives and made the world a better place.”

Both Barry Miller and Dr. Brill serve as inspirational role models to the youth of Byron-Bergen, and epitomize the purpose of the Alumni Hall of Fame.

National Honor Society President Brittany Rada introduced the second half of the evening, and welcomed guest speaker Coach Rich Krzewinski.

“Always put forth your maximum effort,” he said, “and never give up.”

New NHS members received traditional honor cords and certificates.

National Honor Society membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments, but also challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service. The organization has chapters in all 50 states, Canada, and beyond.

The traditional candle-lighting ceremony, which acknowledges the high standards students in NHS must exhibit in knowledge, character, leadership, service, and scholarship, was performed by students Olivia Audsley and Chase Felton. New members took the NHS pledge and were presented with their honor cords and certificates.

Current Members of the Byron-Bergen National Honor Society: Olivia Audsley, Rose Bower, Cameron Brumsted, Catherine Brumsted, Lauren Burke, Benjamin Chaback, Quinn Chapell, Brionna DeMichel, Chase Felton, Margaret Graney, Justin Hannan, Hayley Hoehn, Brian Ireland, Daniel Jensen, Peyton Mackey, Kelsey Maurer, Celia Mercovich, Makenzie Muoio, , Grace Pulcini, Brittany Rada, Leah Thompson, Dana VanValkenburg, Adam Walter and Michael Zwerka.

2017 Inductees to the Byron-Bergen National Honor Society: Larissa Ashton, Sarah Bleiler, Lydia Campbell, Jean Denson, Adam Drake, Jared Fregoe, Morgan Fuller, Emma Goodman, Annaliese Hersom, William Johnson, Brendon Kendall, Hunter Leach, Erin Parnapy, Sabastian Pawlukewicz, Joshua Phelps and Brianna Shade.

Below: The school’s Singing Silhouettes sang “Build Me Up, Buttercup” to start the evening with music.

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has announced today that legislation (S4281),raising the monetary limit to $150,000 for school districts to purchase local produce without approval from the State Department of Education, has passed the New York State Senate unanimously.

Under existing law, a waiver from the State Education Department is required for food purchases above $50,000. The bill, sponsored by Senator Ranzenhofer, would amend state procurement laws to conform with Federal rules.

“Requiring a waiver at current levels creates unnecessary, burdensome paperwork for schools districts, discouraging the purchase of food products from local farmers,” Ranzenhofer said. “This legislation makes it easier for schools to buy more local produce and support the local agriculture economy, while offering healthier options– more fresh fruits and vegetables– to students.”

The New York Farm Bureau supports the initiative. The bill will be sent to the State Assembly. The legislation is sponsored by Assemblywoman Addie Jenne.

The 2017-18 State Budget raised the threshold from $25,000 to $50,000. In 2016, Senator Ranzenhofer successfully worked to establish an initial threshold at $25,000.

Press release:

International recording artist, environmentalist, and educator, Mr. Eco, will be visiting John Kennedy Primary School on Tuesday, May 9^th at 9:30 a.m. for a special performance. Mr. Eco combines hip hop music with lyrics that inspire children to be environmentally conscientious.

The event is being sponsored by the Building Technologies Division at Siemens and hosted in conjunction with the fourth-grade innovators STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) programing at John Kennedy School and the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC).

Mr. Eco’s songs emphasize the active role we all have in creating a sustainable culture, decreasing energy usage, increasing recycling, and working to keep communities free of litter. He has performed for more than 135,000 children across the United States, Canada, Turkey, South Africa, Colombia, St. Lucia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

“Conveying how important it is to take care of our environment to children at a young age is critically important,” said Christopher Dailey, superintendent of Batavia City School District.

“We want to ensure that our students develop environmentally friendly habits early on and we are really looking forward to having Mr. Eco teach them this in such a fun way. We are also very proud of our fourth-grade innovators program and the STEAM course work they have completed this year, so this will be a natural extension of what these students have been learning.”

Siemens’ sponsorship of the concert is in keeping with its support of student achievement, STEAM and sustainability.

“We are excited to honor the students at John Kennedy and the leadership at Batavia City School District for their outstanding accomplishments this year,” said Joseph Peters, Northeast zone manager, Siemens’ Building Technologies Division.     

“An important component of economic development is mitigating the impact of construction projects and other infrastructure work on the surrounding environment,” said Chris Suozzi, vice president of Business Development at GCEDC.

“We need to prepare the future workforce of our county and region to understand this delicate balance so that we can continue growing the economy while protecting the environment.”

For more information about Mr. Eco please visit www.mreco.org.

Jaden Pocock, third from left, is the winner of the 2017 Character Award at the 13th Annual Liberty Partnerships Empire Promise Youth Summit at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany. He is pictured with his brother Logan, his father Joel and Shelly Bartow, Ph.D., Conference chairperson. 

Photo and info submitted by Patrick McGee.

Sofia Branche and Sheldon Silverling were named outstanding students for the month at last night's City schools board meeting. They were honored for their leadership examples they set at John Kennedy School.

Teresa Morrill, named Outstanding Employee.

Jane Haggett and the students and staff involved with Winter Guard were honored for their efforts with a proclamation. Students pictured, Mina Sanchez and Mary Murphy.

Lisa Robinson, right, and the volunteers who helped organization Mr. Batavia, were recognized with a proclamation by the board. Students pictured, Lindsie Cook and Madison Moore.

Aimee Nelson, named Outstanding Employee.

Caryn Wood and Daniel Grillo along with the cast and crew of "Hairspray" were recognized with a proclamation recognizing their efforts to stage the musical. 

Eileen Ognibene, named Outstanding Employee.

Rob Vanderwerf, named Outstanding Employee.

Press release:

Le Roy Jr.-Sr. High School was awarded a Silver Medal in the national rankings of U.S. News & World Report, placing in the top 10.3 percent of schools in the country. In New York State, the Oatkan Knights ranked 170 (moving up 10 spots from last year) out of 1,270 high schools and are among 206 schools who were awarded either Gold or Silver.

U.S. News & World Report started ranking schools in 2007; last year was Le Roy's first time being awarded a medal, winning a silver.

Each year, U.S. News & World Report releases its annual Best High Schools rankings awarding Gold, Silver and Bronze medals to top performing public schools at both the state level and national level. The 2017 rankings include data on more than 22,000 public high schools across the country.

The report’s criteria are based on overall performance of students on state tests, participation and performance on advanced placement exams, and graduation rates. The goal of these rankings is to provide an unbiased picture of the top performing schools and how well those schools serve all of their students. There were 500 high schools or 2.4 percent that received Gold medals; 2,109 or 10.3 percent of schools earned Silver and 3,432 or 16.8 percent took home Bronze. 

"As an entire district and school community, we are thrilled and excited to receive this prestigious recognition. This is just one of the many examples of the hard work and dedication from our administrators, teachers, support staff, and students that occur on a daily basis. We are proud and will look to build off this positive trend upward as we shoot for the gold!" said Merritt Holly, Le Roy Central Schools superintendent.

“The Silver Medal reflects our community’s commitment and dedication to offering an innovative school experience for all students. It also represents a growing number of students who desire to challenge themselves and use this school as a launching pad to their college and career aspirations. We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated staff throughout our entire district that goes above and beyond the call of duty every day growing our Oatkan Knights!” said Tim McArdle, Jr.-Sr. High School principal.