Welcome Back!

I hope that you all had a relaxing and enjoyable spring break. For those of you who were lucky enough to get away to enjoy some sun, sand, and surf, it might be a little hard jumping back into a daily routine. No matter where you spent the week, the good news is that the weather is getting nicer, and we are now looking ahead as we draw closer to the end of this school year.

Spring Athletes Busy over the Break: I was able to attend some Varsity Girls and Boys Lacrosse, Softball, and Baseball games last week. Our student-athletes played hard in all sports and represented our District in a very positive manner. It is such a pleasure watching them perform in sports that they love to play.

Budget Update: A visual presentation to explain the proposed 2019-2020 school budget will be held tonight, Tuesday, April 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school LGI room. PTA and PTO members have been invited, but it is also open to the public. We hope that many of you will be able to attend.

The budget edition of The Communicator will be mailed this Friday, April 26; so be on the lookout for that information. (Click here to view more information about the budget and to download supporting documentation.)

Staff Recognition Day: This Wednesday, April 24, is a day that our Board of Education members will visit all of our schools to say thank you to the dedicated teachers and staff for all that they do for our students.

In addition to the events mentioned above, there will be a Spring Letter of Intent signing event, students playing in the All-County Jazz Festival, and  the week will finish off with the Junior Prom this coming Saturday. I am looking forward to a great week ahead!

~Mike

Spring Showers will Bring May Flowers

As we enter into the second week of April, we begin to look forward to next week and spring break. For those of you heading to warmer weather, I hope you bring back sunshine and temperatures that should reflect this time of year. If your plans are to stay close to home, take advantage of this time to check out some of the local venues that offer some great options for your family to have a fun time. No matter what your plans are, I hope you are able to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. 

Capital Project Update: Capital Project work will be done over the spring break on the main entry vestibules at Camillus Middle School, West Genesee High School, and Stonehedge Elementary Blue Team buildings. The renovations in each vestibule will include a greeting window for visitors. A new Raptor Security System for scanning drivers licenses or photo ID of all visitors entering each building will be implemented within the next couple of weeks. Please note that East Hill Elementary School began piloting the process on Monday, April 8.

The U.S. Army Band Performance: We were so honored to have the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers Chorus perform in our high school auditorium this past Saturday to a packed crowd of over 700 people. One of the highlights of the night was watching some of our students sing or play an instrument with the Field Band and Soldiers Chorus. The evening was entertaining and enjoyed by everyone who attended.

Mathematics League State Competition Update: For the second year in a row, our high school has sent “mathletes” to compete as part of ‘Team Onondaga” at the NYS Mathematics League (NYSML) meet this past weekend. Grant Mathews, Owen Brown, and Phil Martin represented West Genesee. Team Onondaga A (with Phil Martin on the team and Owen Brown as an alternate) placed 3rd in NYSML Division B. Great Job!!

West Genesee Music Ensembles Compete: The Camillus Middle School Select Choir received a "Gold with Distinction" in grade level four (of six) at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Festival yesterday. Congratulations for receiving this highest possible award; with only a few given for the whole four-day festival with grade level four being high school level material. Best of luck to the East Hill Elementary and West Genesee Middle School students also competing later this week. 

As we finish out this week before the break, our students will finish with the NYS English Language Arts (ELA) assessments. I hope you will find time this week to attend the art show at the high school and talent show at West Genesee Middle School; our students are so very talented!

~Mike

No Fooling--It’s Already April!

Yesterday, April 1, is traditionally a day to play an April Fools Day joke on family and friends. Well, Mother Nature decided that she would also get in on the joke and gave us what is hopefully our last burst of winter. However, over the weekend I was able to get out  to play a little golf so there is a glimmer of hope that spring really is right around the corner.

Update on the Superintendent Search: The search for the new superintendent is moving forward. We have posted the invitation to apply for this position on our website, and through our search consultant, this invitation has also been sent out to all the appropriate venues. We will keep you updated as we move forward. Click here to read the latest update from the Board of Education that also includes links to additional superintendent search materials.

NYS Budget Update: This past weekend our elected officials in Albany came to an agreement on the New York State budget. The state budget was close enough to what we anticipated based on the governor's original recommendations that we will be keeping our proposed budget as presented to the Board of Education on March 6. It will be presented to the public again on April 23 and May 8. We thank our legislators for advocating for all students in NYS as they negotiated this budget.

Kindergarten Registration: Just a reminder that if you have a child who will be five by December 1, 2019, you will need to register them as soon as possible as we begin to plan for the 2019-2020 school year. Click here to access more information about registering your student. 

West Genesee One of the Best Music Communities, Again: We have once again been named by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation (NAMM) to be recognized for this honor as a Best Community for Music Education. We are lucky to have such a top notch music program here in our community. Congratulations to all who teach, participate, and support this program. Click here for more information about this great recognition!

New York State ELA Assessments: The NYS English Language Arts (ELA) assessments are being given this week to students in grades 3-8. For information on what specific day each grade level is being given, check out the Calendar section of the website homepage. To help your child prepare for these tests, please make sure that they come to school well rested and have a good breakfast.

Students are Scientific: The CNY Science and Engineering Fair was this past weekend and our students from CMS,WGMS,WGHS represented us very well! Congrats to Maxwell Broccoli, Madison Mayer, Laura Davis, Evan Perkins, Anthony Mangano, Joseph Paoli, Victoria Collins, Liam O'Connor, and Philip Martin on a job well done. (Be on the lookout for a full article listing their specific honors which will be published on the website and social media later this week.)

A reminder that the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus will stop in Camillus during its spring concert tour with a performance on April 6 at the West Genesee High School Auditorium. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free to the public. (Click here for more information.)

Last week parents, students, and staff were entertained with wonderful 3rd Grade concerts performed at the elementary schools. I am looking forward to a week of meetings, sporting events, and other activities happening in our schools.

~Mike