Notes from Onondaga Road

This page provides thoughts and commentary from Jeannette Clark, the Principal of Onondaga Road Elementary School in the West Genesee Central School District.

Hello, Onondaga Road Families -

Where did the month of September go?! We've had a busy beginning of the school year, and we are building friendships, classroom community, and routines for learning. Please contact us if you have any questions about the beginning of the year or about any routines that we have established. Thank you for your support from home!

Respectfully,
Jeannette Clark

Click here to view a PDF of a presentation, given at the Board of Education Meeting held on September 20, that provides information about a pending purchase of property (Westvale Golf Course) by West Genesee Central School District. This purchase is contingent on approval via a public vote to take place on December 11.

Coffee and Conversation Sessions

Please join us for a Coffee and Conversation session to discuss the upcoming land purchase. If you would like to submit a question, please email it to publications@westgenesee.org at least one day prior to your chosen session.

For meetings occurring during school hours, please plan to check in at the school's main entrance. This is where we will keep a list of people registered, for school safety.

Note: Parking at the high school during school hours may be challenging, so please either try to carpool and/or you may need to park near the shopping center.

• Tuesday, September 26 - 3:00pm-HS Library
• Tuesday, October 10 - 8:00am-CMS LGI
• Tuesday, October 24 - 6:00pm-HS Library
• Wednesday, November 8 - 6:00pm-HS LGI
• Friday, November 17 - 1:00pm-HS Auditorium
• Tuesday, November 28 - 7:00pm - *HS Auditorium - *Community Forum –
  Land Purchase and Capital Project

Please click here to register for a Coffee and Conversation session.

On Friday, October 6, West Genesee will host a pajama day, optional for all students and staff. This is not just any pajama day; it's pajamas with purpose. The annual event, called Paige's Pajamarama, is a community effort to raise awareness and funds to support Pediatric Cancer Care at Golisano Children's Hospital. Please take a moment to view this video to learn more about Paige's Pajamarama and how we can help. Everyone is invited to participate in next Friday's pajama day, and we are encouraged to make an optional donation! Watch for an informational flyer coming home in your child's backpack.

Our yearbook committee is already working hard to make our 2023-24 Onondaga Road School Yearbook the best it can be! Yearbooks won't be ready until springtime, but it 's never too early to place your order!

Our next PTA meeting will be held in our school library on Thursday, October 5 at 6:00 p.m. We would love to have you join us, and if you need to bring your youngsters with you, we will have child care available!

Our PTA has a lot of fun events planned for the school year, so there are plenty of opportunities for you to be involved. This month, we will host our second annual Pumpkin Walk Fall Festival on Thursday, October 27. Our annual Scholastic Book Fair will be open during that evening, as well as two days in school, so watch for more specific information being sent home soon!

Meal Prices for 2023-2024

Breakfast $2.25

Lunch $3.25

Please be aware that both breakfast and lunch are available for all students every day. Help us to make breakfast and lunch enjoyable and accessible by reinforcing these few details with your child:

• Let your child know whether or not they should be getting breakfast at school each day. While all children are welcome to have breakfast, sometimes parents are "surprised" to see that their meal account has been depleated faster than they had anticipated if children buy breakfast and parents were unaware!
• Students who are having breakfast at school are welcome to get off the bus, or be dropped off, and come into the cafeteria beginning at 8:50 a.m. Students not opting for breakfast will remain on the bus until the 9:00 bell rings.
• At lunchtime, and with parents' permission, students have the opportunity to purchase one ice cream novelty per day. This is optional, so be sure to let your child know if they have permission from home to get ice cream with their lunch. Again, sometimes parents are "surprised" to see a lunch account depleated with the purchase of ice cream, so help them learn which days, if any, they have your permission to make that purchase.
• Ask your child about the Golden Spatula! This is the trophy that can be earned by any class each week! It is our positive incentive for students as they learn to be respectful, responsible and safe in the cafeteria, thus helping to create an enjoyable meal time for one another!

#PositivityInAction
Next week our students will be learning more about the character strength of open-mindedness. Use the link to connect to the informational family letter.

One of our local community orthodontists sponsored a summer contest for their clients, and the grand prize for their contest was a limousine ride to school for the contest winner and some friends. As luck would have it, one of our students won the grand prize! On Friday, a limo pulled up to school, and all of the famous people inside, also known as Onondaga Road kids, had experienced a memory-making moment of a lifetime! And, lucky me, I got invited to share in their moment! Thanks for the memory!

• Wednesday, October 4 - Board of Education Meeting at WGHS, 6:00
  
• Thursday, October 5 - CODE Lessons with Officer Diane Brand
• Friday, October 6 - WG participates in Paige's Pajamarama
• Monday, October 9 - Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day (schools are closed)
• Wednesday, October 11 - REV Theater performs for grade 4
• Friday, October 13 - School Spirit Day - Wear blue and gold!
• Friday, October 13 - Emergency Responders' Day (details coming soon)
  
• Friday, October 13 - School Store (open during lunch times)
  
• Monday, October 16 - School Picture Day
• Thursday, October 26 - Pumpkin Walk Fall Festival (details coming soon)
• Friday, October 27 and Monday, October 30 - Scholastic Book Fair (for students, during school hours)
• Tuesday, October 31 - Halloween Parade and Parties (details coming soon)