Message from the Superintendent
Dear West Genesee Families,
It has been a pleasure to recently connect with many of our new staff members. A chance to chat and check-in has provided insightful conversations, positive energy, and great hope for our future. We pride ourselves on attracting quality candidates, and these new Wildcats certainly exhibit great commitment to students and excellence of educational experiences.
Some of our veteran staff and their outstanding accomplishments are featured below. The rigor and dedication to reach the achievement of NBPTS National Board Certification, the quality and the skillset of quick action and care that results in the Northern NY Real Heroes Adult Good Samaritan Award are a few examples of the quality of our staff. Please join me in congratulating these staff members for their recent recognition and thanking our entire staff for their tireless commitment to our students, families, and community. There are so many examples of outstanding achievement and sources of pride at West Genesee.
I would be remiss if I did not take the opportunity to recognize and thank the students, staff, and administration at the high school for their actions recently during the lockdown procedure (click here to read Principal Klefbeck's letter and my statement). While we will always take the opportunity to learn and improve, the response and commitment to safety continues to be a priority. Well done WGHS!
We are in a holiday season and a time of significance for various faith-based communities and cultures. Student-artists Alexis Peck and Coralista Ruge created renditions of holiday greetings used for our West Genesee staff and community. Let their shared gifts from hard work serve as a reminder of a special time of year, respect of individual uniqueness, and our common bond as a community.
On a personal note, please accept the best wishes for a joyful season from my family to yours. As Julie and I look forward to time with our kids, visits with family, and reconnecting with friends, may you also enjoy that which brings happiness. I hope you find a chance to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate within the often hurried pace of the season.
Happy New Year as we remain West Genesee Stronger Together!
David C. Bills
Superintendent of Schools
Music Students are Selected for Junior High and Jazz All-County Concerts
Junior High All-County
West Genesee musicians from grades 7-9 will be performing in the Junior High All-County Festival at Solvay High School on January 27-28.
West Genesee students selected to perform in the choir from WGHS are Isabella Apps, Dounia Bserani, Harrison Card*, Sarai Card*, Lila Hennessy, Liliana Ippoliti, John Panek, Ryan Popp*; and from CMS Abigail Adams, Marya Bestul, Anna Borsz, Riley Bullock, Emily Corrente, Elizabeth Dunham, Natalia Fiacchi, Layla Meany, Max Nolan*, Micah Schuessler*, and Olivia Tarolli.
*Students who were accepted to both All-County Choir AND Band/Orchestra who chose to play instead of sing.
Band members from WGHS are Sarai Card, Landon Derbyshire, Ethan Gage, Layla MacArthur, and Lily Pellegrino; and from CMS Max Nolan will be participating.
Students chosen for the orchestra from WGHS are Giovanni Capria, Harrison Card, Ryan Popp, and Amelia Vezey; and from CMS Veronika Kishova and Micah Schuessler were selected.
Jazz All-County
Musicians from West Genesee High School and Camillus Middle school have been selected to perform in the Junior High All-County Jazz Festival being held at Westhill High School on April 28-29. They are Harrison Card, Ethan Gage, Oliver Rufa, Will Rufa, and Amelia Vezey from the high school, and Max Nolan from CMS.
Sean Alvaro, Logan Battaglia, James Manard, and Caleb Williams are the musicians from the high school selected for the Senior High Jazz Ensemble to perform at the Festival.
Recognizing Character
Split Rock Elementary 4th grade teacher, Dannielle Binns, was awarded the Adult Good Samaritan Award at the Central & Northern NY Real Heroes Celebration.
Binns saved the life of a 3-year-old girl who was choking by performing the Heimlich maneuver at a restaurant where she was dining. She is also an EMT and never misses an opportunity to help someone. Congratulations, you are truly a "ROCK"star!
Student Achievement, Recognition, and the Future of Class Rank
A team of stakeholders (representation from parents, students, teachers, counselors, and administrators) have resumed a review of alternative ways to recognize student achievement for West Genesee graduates.
This work, which began as a Strategic Planning focus area in 2021, continues to look at the diminishing role that class rank has in the college application and acceptance process. For example, the most recent release of SUNY Cortland's admission pool showed that two-thirds of applicants came from high schools that no longer rank graduates based on grade point average. Therefore, the college did not consider any applicant's class rank when considering acceptance.
Alternative models for recognizing and honoring student achievement (other than class rank) are under exploration. If you would like more information about this team's work, please contact Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Brian Kesel at 315-487-4564.
West Genesee Strategic Planning Climate Survey...Thank You!
Dear Wildcat Community,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to the West Genesee Strategic Planning School Climate Survey. West Genesee values input from our community as we work to improve our communication, academic programs, and overall experience for everyone. The survey is now closed and we are thrilled with the number of responses! We heard from 805 families, 2,637 students in grades 3-12, and 480 teachers and staff across the District.
In early February, our Strategic Planning Guiding Coalition will be reviewing the survey results alongside our partners at Panorama Education. We will share results with the community once our team has the opportunity to reflect on strengths and areas for growth based on the aggregate data. The outcome of this teamwork is to decide how we can best use this information to guide future successful initiatives for our entire Wildcat learning community.
Thank you once again for sharing your insights.
Robert Leo, Director of Professional Learning: rleo@westgenesee.org
Deb Ratcliff, Assistant Principal, Stonehedge Elementary: dratcliff@westgenesee.org
Kindergarten Registration has Started
Kindergarten Registration for the 2023-2024 school year opened on December 14 and will go until March 31, 2023.
Watch for registration information on the Central Registration webpage. If you have any questions, email the Central Registrar at centralregistrar@westgenesee.org, or call Central Registration at (315) 487-4683.
When registering, parents should be prepared to upload the following:
- proof of residency (ie. mortgage or property statement or signed lease agreement)
- proof of immunizations
- proof of age
A physical examination is also required and a dental certificate is requested for entry into kindergarten. These examinations should be done up to one year prior to the first day of school. Children who enter kindergarten this fall must be five years of age on or before December 1, 2023.
Mark Your Calendars! WINTER 2022 – 2023 Sports Start Dates
- Modified: Boys 7/8 Swimming, Girls 7/8/9 Basketball, 7/8 Wrestling-January 9, 2023 (Winter 2)
Sign-ups/Registrations on familyid.com are 30 days prior to the start date.
Looking for Holiday Gifts? Purchase Tickets to the WGHS Musical!
West Genesee High School will present Nice Work If You Can Get It, by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark, LLC., on February 2 - 4, 2022.
A hilarious screwball comedy, Nice Work If You Can Get It pokes fun at the Prohibition era in a clash of elegant socialites and boorish bootleggers, all set to the glorious songs of George and Ira Gershwin. Highlights from the score include "Fascinating Rhythm," "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Sweet and Low Down," "Delishious" and the title song. (Description excerpt credited to www.concordtheatricals.com).
Tickets are $15, all seats reserved, and are available by clicking here. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Fine Arts Office.
Emergency Closing Information is Important
Announcements about school closings, delayed openings, or early dismissal will be posted on the News Headlines section of the District website home page. They will also be broadcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the television stations (which you can access by clicking here).
SchoolMessenger communications software allows us to send emails, texts, and make phone calls. (Phone calls will be used for emergency situations only.)
Parent/guardians and staff do NOT need to sign-up to receive information from schools that you are registered for in ParentVue. (You may opt-out if you choose not to receive emails, texts, and/or phone calls. Also, although you do not need to sign-up to receive texts, you do have to opt-in per the instructions in the Tips article below. )
For more information go to the website and click on Communications from the Connect section of the home page.
Are you Receiving All of our Communications? Helpful Tips about the SchoolMessenger Communication System:
- To be sure that you are receiving all emails sent from the District/schools/teachers please periodically check your spam/junk/promotions folder for emails with @westgenesee.org, then mark that they are not spam/junk/promotions.
- To be sure that you are receiving text messages this year from WGCSD or your school(s) Text a "Y" or "Yes" to 67587
If you still have questions about receiving emails and/or text from WGCSD please email them to publications@westgenesee.org.
WGCSD Is now on Instagram!
WGCSD is Looking to Hire Transportation Staff
West Genesee CSD is looking to hire regular bus drivers, substitute bus drivers, and substitute bus attendants.
Inquiries about these positions can be sent to Debbie Price at dprice@westgenesee.org.
Hiring a Registered Nurse
WGCSD is hiring a full-time nurse to float between the buildings within the District.
Inquiries about this position can be sent to Deb Balcourt at dbalcourt@westgenesee.org.
WGCSD Seeks a Maintenance Worker
To apply go to https://www.westgenesee.org/staff-resources/job-opportunities/current-job-openings/ to fill out the application (https://www.westgenesee.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/StaffResourcesSupportStaffApp.pdf) and bring it to the District Office (300 Sanderson Drive-behind Stonehedge Elementary).
Please call 315-487-4630 with any questions.
