West Genesee School District
December 15, 2023
Administration Updates
Message from the Superintendent
Dear West Genesee Families,
I would like to communicate a sentiment that was offered earlier this week. As expressed after a long day and before the counting of votes, we should all have recognized a collective win.
Now days later, I would like to reiterate, on behalf of myself and the West Genesee Board of Education, a thank you to everyone involved in attending discussions, submitting questions, expressing thoughts, and engaging thoroughly in the past few months with respect to the presented Special Referendum. The discourse within the informational sessions was respectful and appropriate. We should be proud of our community to trust each other with such a high interest topic. It is a continued reminder of the pride that comes with being a part of the West Genesee Community.
In searching records, and excluding an atypical process in May of 2020 during the heart of the pandemic, the total amount of votes on Monday exceeded that of EVERY previous budget and special referendum vote in West Genesee dating as far back as 1998. It may go further, but the point of a record voting turnout this past Monday is illustrated without continued research. The high level of voter participation was ultimately the priority of the community to exercise the right to cast a vote. That is how it is supposed to be!
Let us continue to model a strong commitment as we move forward with future circumstances in our schools and community.
From our family, Julie and I offer our warmest wishes to you and your family for a holiday season filled with good health and happiness.
David C. Bills
Superintendent of Schools
New Principal at Onondaga Road is Announced
On December 6, 2023 Michelle Collier was appointed by the Board of Education to the position of Principal at Onondaga Road Elementary School starting on January 2, 2024. She will fill the position left vacant by Jeanette Clark who will retire at the end of December 2023.
Referendum Passes! Thank you to the Community!
West Genesee CSD residents voted on a Special Referendum on December 11, 2023, and the results were as follows:
- The Proposition (#1) for the Capital Project received 2,100 favorable votes and 1,177 votes in opposition. The Proposition has been approved.
- The Proposition (#2) for the Land Purchase received 1,737 favorable votes and 1,552 votes in opposition. The Proposition has been approved.
Thank You to the Community for coming out to vote and your support! #WildcatPride (To read a thank you message from Superintendent Bills sent the evening of December 11, 2023 right after the polls closed, click here.)
Happy Holidays from West Genesee
On behalf of the Board of Education and the Administration of the West Genesee Central School District, we wish you a Joyous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! This wonderful artwork was provided by WGIS 6th grader Rebecca Serber. Great job!
Student Recognitions
WGHS Students honored by NYS Senator John Mannion
They were honored at a ceremony held on December 8, 2023 at City Hall that was hosted by Senator Mannion. #WildcatPride #WeCelebrateLearning
Musicians Selected for the Junior All-County Concerts
Twenty-six musicians from Camillus Middle School/ West Genesee High School will perform in the Junior High All-County Festival on January 12-13, 2024 at Liverpool High School. The junior high group includes grades 7-9.
West Genesee students that will perform in the choir are:
- Soprano- Adelyn Borsz, Natalia Fiacchi, Josephine Perfito, Brianna Popp, Alaina Schuessler
- Alto-Anna Borsz, Emily Corrente, Liam Etienne, Elizabeth Dunham, Esme Hougaboom, Olivia Tarolli
- Tenor-Lincoln Millar
- Bass-Riley Bullock, Kyle Hagadorn
Band members from West Genesee who will perform are:
- Clarinet-Alexander Carkey, Edison Coles, Addison Davis, Annabelle Deyo
- Trumpet-Max Nolan, Dela Nyadedzor, Jason Sampson
The West Genesee students performing in the orchestra will be:
- Violin-Nikola Jakimoski, Veronika Kishova
- Cello-Micah Schuessler
- String Bass-Josephine Carkey
- Trumpet-Evelyn Dimmel
District Students Compete at District Spelling Bee
Camillus Middle School 7th grader Nikola Jakimoski was the overall winner of the West Genesee Spelling Bee held on November 30, 2023.
West Genesee will send four students to join others from Central New York for a written test in February. The top 35 spellers from that round will compete in The Post-Standard WCNY Spelling Bee oral spell-down in February.
The four students who qualified and will represent West Genesee are listed below:
- Jacob Yaus-CMS 8th Grade
- Addison Davis CMS 7th Grade
- Nikola Jakimoski-CMS 7th Grade
- Azdha Mundath-CMS 7th Grade
Fall 2023 Athletes are Scholars
Congratulations to all TEN of the fall teams for qualifying as Scholar Athletes: Boys Golf, Boys Soccer, Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Girls Soccer, Girls Swimming/Diving, Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis, Football, and Cheerleading.
To receive a Scholar-Athlete Team award, 75% of the roster must have a GPA of 90 or above.
#GoWildcats #WildcatPride
Upcoming Events/Registration/Survey Information
Tickets for the WGHS Musical, Cinderella, are now on Sale!!
WGHS will be presenting Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella on February 8 (7 p.m.), February 9 (7 p.m.) and February 10 (1 p.m. and 6 p.m.). This "Broadway Version" is the newest adaptation (book by Douglas Beane) of the classic musical and features new characters, a hilarious libretto, surprising twists, and the unforgettable score" we continue to love (quote from concordtheatricals.com).
Tickets became available for purchase starting on December 1. All seats are reserved. To purchase via credit card head to wgfinearts.ludus.com (or scan the QR code) and click "buy tickets." To reserve your tickets via check or cash, contact the WG Fine Arts Office at 315-487-4612. We can't wait for you to see what the students are working so hard to prepare!!
WGCSD Job Fair to be Held on December 19, 2023
Come Join Us!!! West Genesee CSD is hosting an in-person Job Fair on December 19, 2023 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Stonehedge Elementary School. We are looking to fill the following open positions:
- Teaching Assistants
- Custodial Workers
- Maintenance Workers (HVAC experience required)
- Bus Drivers and Attendants
- Food Service Workers
- Teacher Aides
Please be prepared to complete an application and be ready for on-the-spot interviewing. Questions, please call (315) 487-4555.
Kindergarten Registration has Started!
Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-2025 school year will open on December 5, 2023 and will go until March 31, 2024.
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:
- Two proofs of residency (i.e. mortgage or property statement or signed lease agreement, utility bill )
- proof of age
A physical examination and proof of immunizations are also required for entry into kindergarten 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, 2024.
West Genesee Strategic Planning Climate Survey
`Our District values your feedback! Over the next few weeks, we are surveying our entire West Genesee Central School District community to gain insight into perceptions of our schools and district effectiveness. Our surveys will be offered to students in grades 5-12, teachers, staff, and to our WG families. To ensure we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We want to know what you think!
To administer these surveys, we have partnered with Panorama Education. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your responses confidential. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete, and is a valuable source of information for us as we work to make our schools and District as good as they can be. The survey is entirely anonymous, and the results will be shared with the District Strategic Planning Guiding Coalition (i.e. District shared decision-making team). Our goal is to gather diverse perspectives that will inform decisions and help us create goals for continuous improvement.
Families may complete the Family-School Relationships survey online between December 4, 2023 and December 18, 2023 using a computer, tablet, or smartphone by visiting the following building-specific websites. For example, if you have a child that attends Camillus Middle School, please be sure to open the CMS link. If your children attend different schools within the District, you are welcome to complete a survey for each building or prioritize the building(s) for which you'd like to provide your feedback.
School Family-School Relationships Survey Links
We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact our Strategic Planning Co-Coordinators:
Robert Leo, Director of Professional Learning: rleo@westgenesee.org
Deb Ratcliff, Assistant Principal, Stonehedge Elementary: dratcliff@westgenesee.org
Important Information: Free Meals/Report Cards/Calendar/Emergency Closing Info
Students to Receive Free Breakfast and Lunch Meals
We are pleased to announce that all students enrolled at West Genesee CSD will be able to receive a FREE breakfast and lunch meal at school beginning on December 1, 2023.
This implementation is a result of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) expanding access to the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP allows eligible schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to offer school meals at no charge to all students.
What does this mean for your child(ren) attending the school(s) identified above? Effective December 1, 2023 all students enrolled at West Genesee CSD will be able to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day regardless of the family’s household income. Milk is free with a full meal. No further action is required of you.
If you have any further questions, please contact Food Service at 315-487-4661.
Please click here to read a message to parents about free meals for students.
Reports Cards/Progress Reports Opening Soon!
Report cards are electronically accessible in ParentVUE. In addition to this digital format, ParentVUE also has a printable PDF version in case you wish to print it out.
Report Cards for all elementary schools, and Progress Reports for WGHS will be available on December 15, 2023 after 5:00 p.m.
If you are not able to access your ParentVUE account, please use the following link. Once there you can click the forgot password link.
If you need to activate your account, please email: centralregistrar@westgenesee.org. We will be happy to assist you from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Change to 2023-2024 District Calendar
Please note that the Board of Education voted at their meeting on October 18, 2023 to adjust the West Genesee CSD Calendar to move the Half-Day of School for Students-Superintendent's Conference Half-Day from April 10, 2024 to April 8, 2024.
This change is to accommodate a total Eclipse due to occur on April 8 during student dismissal time at some of our schools.
Click here to view/print the updated calendar as posted to the website under the Calendar area.
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 X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the following 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 will NOT need to sign-up to receive information from schools that you are registered for in ParentVue. (You will have the option to opt-out if you choose not to receive emails, texts, and/or phone calls. To receive texts, you also have to opt-in per the instructions in the Tips article below. )
New Website and Mobile App
We have redesigned the West Genesee website and took into consideration the information shared in the results of the survey we distributed in June. It is now easier to find items directly related to your school from that school's homepage. It is also very mobile responsive and easy to find items from your phone. However, if you have questions about the new site, please email them to publications@westgenesee.org.
In addition to the new website, we have also launched a new mobile phone app to communicate to students, parents, and community members about West Genesee news, upcoming events, and other important information. The West Genny app is available to download free from the Apple App store or the Google Play store. For more information about the mobile app, click here to view a video about the app.
This app is different from your ParentVUE app which you will continue to use to communicate with teachers, check on schedules, and other items that relate directly to your specific child(ren).
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.
West Genesee is Hiring
We are Hiring a School Psychologist
West Genesee CSD is hiring a full-time long-term substitute School Psychologist for Camillus Middle School. Information about this position is also available on OLAS.
Inquiries can be made to Human Resources at (315) 487-4555.
WGCSD Needs Substitute Teachers
West Genesee CSD is hiring substitute teachers. We are accepting applicants that are both certified and non-certified (with a Bachelor's degree).
Inquiries can be made to Human Resources at (315) 487-4555.
West Genesee CSD is Hiring a School District Treasurer
Under the supervision of the Assistant Superintendent for Management Services, the School District Treasurer is regarded as a highly important technical position involving responsibility for the accounting of fiscal operations of the District.
The work is performed in accordance with general and specific instructions outlined by the Board of Education, permitting considerable latitude for the exercise of technical accounting judgement in the classification of accounts and preparation of reports. This position also manages the day to day operations of the Business Office and acts as the Purchasing Agent for the District.
Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business preferred with five years of experience performing governmental accounting and keeping/maintaining financial records.
Inquiries can be made to Christine DeMass at (315) 487-4563 or CDemass@westgenesee.org. Apply online through https://olasjobs.org/
Special Education Teaching Assistants are Needed at WGCSD!
West Genesee CSD is hiring Special Education Teaching Assistants; both full-time and part-time positions are available. Information about this position is also available on OLAS.
Inquiries can be made to Human Resources at (315) 487-4555.
Upcoming Events
- December 20, 2023 Board of Education Claims Audit Sub-Committee Meeting - 5:30 p.m. - Camillus Middle School
- December 20, 2023 Board of Education Meeting - 6:00 p.m. - Camillus Middle School Cafeteria
- December 22, 25-29, 2023 No School-Holiday Recess
- January 1, 2024 No School-Holiday Recess