Artist wins first place at the NYS Fair:
T his piece by Mary Lambdin won first place at the New York State Fair. This is the same piece that was selected for the Art in the Park poster in Auburn this summer. Read about this, and other art news, in the Skaneateles Art Room blog by Jessica Sawchuk, linked below. Scroll through and see great works by students that you may have missed last year as well.
http://skaneatelesartroom.weebly.com/
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Welcome Back!:
What a beautiful summer we have had! It’s hard to believe that summer is quickly coming to an end. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Wednesday, September 7 th . I would like to pass along some helpful points of information:
RENOVATIONS to our classrooms, corridors and common areas are still ongoing and students may see some unfinished concrete floors and ceilings upon returning to school. This will not affect the functionality or safety of those spaces.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES were posted on our website in mid-July. We hope this has allowed you to get a jump on purchasing supply items.
SCHEDULES will be mailed out on Thursday, September ...
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District reviews water study results:
District shares water test results
Results of water testing in Skaneateles Schools have been received – and are largely what the district would have hoped. However, the district is taking continued action based on a few areas of concern, Superintendent Ken Slentz said in a letter to the community.
The district was prompted to do the testing after news of recent drinking water issues in surrounding districts and districts outside of New York State.
“These issues prompted us to test our own school water for lead and copper following the guidance of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As noted in last month’s communications, this testing was completed in mid-June and we have recently received the results,” Slentz said.
“While the vast majority of the ...
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Water Testing:
Click HERE to read about the District's proactrive approach to water testing.
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Evan Bille's graduation speech:
When I first started writing for Skaneateles Life , I didn’t think a monthly magazine about a single town could survive for very long. It was inevitable that we’d run out of Hockey and Lacrosse stories eventually, and the magazine would fold. But over the past two years, Skaneateles Life has not only survived, it’s thrived. It’s told the unique stories of neighbors, musicians, and volunteers from across this community. Over time, I’ve realized that everyone has a story to share, and it’s those stories that we all share that bring our community together and make it unique.
Photo by Leah King
Now I’m not talking about the stories like how I caught my first Smallmouth Bass. It’s an exciting story, but I’m talking ...
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Summer renovations:
Remember when? These photos were from the renovation project at State Street School in 2008. Now: Elaine MacLachlan with the blueprints.
Crews are busy working in the High School and Middle School this summer, as part of a Capital Project approved by voters in May of 2015. The project involves improvements to portions of the buildings that have not been updated since the 1950s.
This two-step project (over two summers) involves asbestos removal, heating upgrades and safety upgrades. Asbestos and asbestos-related materials must be removed before upgrades can be made to lighting, ventilation, and heating, for example. Things like smoke detectors and ceiling mounted projectors could not previously be ...
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Salutatorian tells what matters most:
After welcoming everyone to graduation, Salutatorian Aimee La France said this about education:
At the end of my junior year I was seeking the advice of Dr. Blair about next year’s courses. For those of you who don’t know, he’s the slightly intimidating, incredibly sarcastic director of technology who has a knack for making you feel quite foolish. Unsurprisingly, he and I get along very, very well. So we’re discussing my course selections, and he brings up AP physics. My response was something along the lines of, “No way in hell, Dr. Blair.” When asked why, I earnestly lamented my fear of inevitable stress and jeopardizing my GPA. His response was one full ...
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How does your garden grow?:
By Jason Gabak, Skaneateles Press
At State Street Elementary School, not far from the playground, a patch of land has found a whole new use.
Through the diligence of Skaneateles resident and State Street parent, Ashley Palmer, this space is now dedicated to a third grade garden.
Palmer brought the idea with her when she and her family moved to Skaneateles two years ago from Virginia.
“My daughter’s school was already doing this in Virginia,” Palmer said. “When we moved here I thought this would be a great idea to do here.”
It didn’t take long for Palmer to find others who were responsive to her idea.
She spoke with Heather Carroll, executive director of the Skaneateles Education Foundation and before long she was awarded $500 through ...
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Tradition strong for Envirothon:
The Skaneateles High School Envirothon team placed second out of 52 top teams in New York State at the NYS Envirothon at Hobart William Smith College in Geneva late in the school year. To compete at states, teams had to face and win fierce competition at the county or regional level.
The Skaneateles team “OG's of Species” placed first in Onondaga County and first place in the five-county region at the 2016 CNY Regional Envirothon in April before progressing to the state finals and placing second. The team includes Elyse Dubois, Vincent Viego, Juliana Prendergast, Evan Bille and Dominic Grasso.
“This is a great accomplishment” said teacher and Envirothon advisor Rick Garrett. Skaneateles has long fielded at least two strong teams a year ...
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End of Year Video:
After reviewing some wonderful stories from the past year and honoring those that are retiring, Superintendent Slentz shared this video with the faculty, highlighting the seniors and many of the wonderful happenings throughout the year.
Photo credit for the graduation picture: Maddy Brogan
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Reflections on the Class of 2016:
Reflections and a Letter: To the Class of 2016
by Karen Veverka
Last night, I said good-bye to the class of 2016; the Skaneateles High School Orchestra Class of 2016, that is. How do you say good-bye to a class that has been extraordinary in your classroom for seven years?
Teachers don’t have it easy these days. Music teachers who strive for excellence can be easily discouraged by a worldly view of music as a common and unnecessary frill. However, the class of 2016 would make the teacher of any subject feel like the luckiest person in the world. I had the privilege of teaching the orchestra class of 2016 for seven years. The psychologists say we fall in love with someone who reflects our own image. ...
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Alex Wulff inspires seventh graders:
Skaneateles High School Junior Alex Wulff inspired seventh graders during a presentation in the library during the last week of school. He spoke to the entire grade about science fair projects, inventions, high school technology classes and more.
Wulff has been the winner of the Central New York Science & Engineering Fair the past two years and has won awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair both times.
At the international fair in Phoenix, Arizona, this May, Wulff was named the international fourth-place Intel ISEF Grand Award winner in the Embedded Systems category. That's the same award Wulff won at the 2015 Intel ISEF event. Wulff also won the Patent and Trademark Office Society Special Award.
He told students how he started participating ...
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Senior Athlete Awards:
One night each June, administrators and coaches get together to honor athletes of the senior class.
These are coveted awards because they usually show how a student went beyond excelling in one sport, to excel in two or more sports and to inspire team mates.
Skaneateles has many gifted athletes who also are recognized at sports banquets throughout the year for their skills and character.
At the annual Senior Awards Presentation Tuesday in the cafeteria, coaches gave moving speeches about athletes who stood out even beyond that. The students of certain awards now have their names engraved on tall trophies that display the names of similar stars through the years.
The awards:
Victory Sports Medicine award to Katelyn Ellison and Sam Duggan. This award is presented to the athletes ...
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Senior Athlete Awards:
One night each June, administrators and coaches get together to honor athletes of the senior class.
These are coveted awards because they usually show how a student went beyond excelling in one sport, to excel in two or more sports and to inspire team mates.
Skaneateles has many gifted athletes who also are recognized at sports banquets throughout the year for their skills and character.
At the annual Senior Awards Presentation Tuesday in the cafeteria, coaches gave moving speeches about athletes who stood out even beyond that. The students of certain awards now have their names engraved on tall trophies that display the names of similar stars through the years.
The awards:
Victory Sports Medicine award to Katelyn Ellison and Sam Duggan. This award is presented to the athletes ...
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“Water for Life” by Ariel Mead:
The seventh grade of Skaneateles Middle School made a difference with a program by CEO Craig Kielburger. The inspirational program called Free the Children is about raising money to either give families in poverty water for life, or give them livestock.
Our teacher, Joshua Williams, had decided to introduce all of us – his 63 seventh graders – to the program by having them read the informational essay by the CEO himself featured in the new textbooks.
After we all read the essay, Mr. Williams had us reflect and answer questions about the informational text. Then we researched more about the topic on the program’s website, where we explored and learned more about the troubles around the world and what unlucky people have to go through every day.
Mr. Williams ...
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Students learn by becoming healthcare providers:
At left: Christine Dickerson plays the role of patient as seventh graders
diagnose her. Above: Dr. Michael Glowacki takes a picture of the students
who were his doctors and residents. They diagnosed him with diabetes.
The Skaneateles Middle School library turned into hospital recently so that seventh graders could test their knowledge of the endocrine system by pretending they were doctors, residents and interns. A magnificent group of volunteers (including staff, parents, and high school students) became the patients.
This annual program helps give seventh grade science students had hands-on lessons about the endocrine system, which they have been studying in class. Wearing white lab coats and donning stethoscopes around their necks, the students ...
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Outstanding student award given:
Skaneateles High School senior Tate Green was given an outstanding student award at the Cayuga-Onondaga School Board Association’s annual dinner earlier this month. She was recognized along with students from other area high schools who were selected for the honor by their principals. Green, who will attend Harvard University in the fall and play lacrosse, was chosen for her “tireless work ethic,” said Principal Gregory Santoro. “Tate fully demonstrates the Laker Way in always giving her extra ten percent. She is a true champion because she does not quit. She knows it is OK to try and to fail. She knows how to use failure as an opportunity to learn and to get better. She ultimately benefits from every experience.”
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Farewell concert is about transitions:
The theme of the second grade concert at Waterman School had to do with America, and pride. It was uplifting and fun. But the last song on the program said it all: “Farewell Waterman School.” The song that has been sung in June through the ages by second graders manages to make some parents and teachers get tearful every year. It is about transitions. Like the one that starts with dropping off a child for the first day of kindergarten. Next, that child is singing goodbye to Waterman … then taking the stage with the end-of-the-year STARS program in fifth grade at State Street School before moving on to sixth grade in the Middle School. In a blink, that child is participating in Celebrate 8 and moving on to high school … where four years ...
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MS "Battle of the Books":
The Middle School "Battle of the Books" team edged out the West Genesee Middle School team on Wednesday, June , at West Genesee Middle School. The team, composed of five 6 th graders and one 8 th grader, answered questions of varying degrees of difficulty about these books: Boundless by Kenneth Oppel, Greenglass House by Kate Milford , The Wednesday Wars by Eric Schmidt, Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn, Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage and The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. The team included Jack Patterson, Ellie McSwain, Laci Gaidis, Alex Aurenden, Lili Winkelman and Coral Bales.
Battle of the Books is a reading incentive ...
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MS students take on Math Olympiad challenge:
Several students from Skaneateles Middle School were among the nearly 150,000 students worldwide to participate this year in the Math Olympiad program. They participated in a series of five monthly contests of five problems each, from November to March, and practice sessions under the supervision and coaching of teacher Carrie Viggiano. During the practice sessions, the group worked corroboratively to solve unusual and difficult problems and to think creatively. the team included Alex Aureden, Ashton Bennett, Hannah Boyer, Joey Bruna, Ken Byrne, Minne Carroll, Nicholas Galbato, Owen Gay, Max Keller, Spencer Mack, Jillian Scott, Justin Shadle, and Lili Winkelman.
The students responded well and were recognized with certificates for their participation. ...
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