District earns national safety award:
The Skaneateles Central School District earned the 2016 Utica National School Safety Excellence Platinum Award with Honors, which recognizes the district’s commitment to the safety of its students, employees and the community.
The district was one of 145 school districts and Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in New York State to receive the Utica National Insurance Group's "School Safety Excellence Award" for 2016.
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Red Nose Day:
The third graders at State Street School wore red noses Thursday to help Walgreens wipe out children’s poverty. By donating to what their teachers called the “Red Nose Bucket,” students raised more than $300. This is the second annual Red Nose Day promoted by Walgreens. Today's nationwide event kicks off a nine-week charitable campaign, said teacher Kathy Herr.
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Orchestra takes Gold!:
The crowd that welcomed the Skaneateles High School orchestra home after NYSSMA last week only knew part of the happy story.
The cheering fans gathered to meet the bus because they knew that the orchestra received Gold for its performance at the music festival. What they didn’t know is that the orchestra played a complete program of 20 th century music while performing at Level 6 – the toughest level of music.
Orchestra teacher Karen Veverka said that to perform a complete program of 20 th century music was challenging and risky. “You have to think much harder. It takes maturity to play this music,” she said. Presenting a complete program of 20th century music “is something that I have never tried before.” She knew that this was ...
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Artists inducted into honor society:
Skaneateles High School institutes new Art Honor Society
A tradition was started Monday evening when 11 students with “creative spark” were inducted into the Skaneateles High School Art Honor Society.
Art teacher Jessica Sawchuk praised the three student officers who helped create the new organization from the ground up: Seniors Chloe Strang (president) and Nicole Barry (vice president), and junior Lily Datz (secretary/treasurer). She also thanked the PTC for making it possible.
“I think it is important to say that each individual we are inducting tonight has a creative spark which results in a sense of commitment,” Sawchuk said as she introduced her students. “It takes courage and dedication to finish ...
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Envirothon team competes at States:
The Skaneateles High School Envirothon team is competing for the state title at Hobart William Smith this week. The 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 to earn the right to compete at the state level. The team includes Elyse Dubois, Vincent Viego, Juliana Prendergast, Evan Bille and Dominic Grasso.
At Regionals on April 20 at Beaver Lake Nature Center, the team won three of the six categories (Aquatics, Current Environmental Issue, and Wildlife). They had the collective high score in the county as well as the five country region.
A second team from Skaneateles also competed at Regionals and placed overall third in the county. ...
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Weavings at art show help cancer:
Weavings made by students in art classes at State Street School were raffled off during the Budget Vote and Art Show. As a result, $155 was made and will be donated to the fight against cancer.
“Eighteen lucky winners will be taking the weavings home the first part of June,” said elementary art teacher Susan Barry.
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Mandolin Project:
Thirty beautiful mandolins have been produced this semester in two different Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) classes at Skaneateles High School. Fifteen students in each of two classes created and customized their own instruments.
CIM is a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) class that teaches students about manufacturing. It is an honors level class for students, offering college credit at RIT. The musical instrument project has been done for about 10 years and has created hundreds of playable musical instruments, according to Matthew Slauson, engineering and technology teacher.
“Students do many of the manufacturing tasks including design, costing, coding, simulation, wiring, component building, ...
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Cord ceremony celebrates achievement:
Sixty-eight Skaneateles High School seniors recently received special cords that they will wear at graduation this year. Fifty-three of those students had a 90 GPA or higher and fifteen had a GPA of 95 or higher.
The 90 and 95 GPA recognition system is new this year and was board-approved in December 2015. This expands what was once recognition of the Top 20, and celebrates all students who worked hard to achieve an average of 90 or above. As a result, there are more students receiving honors/cords: 68 at 90 and above … with 15 of those at 95 and above.
They will wear cords at graduation that distinguish them as graduating with “Honors” or “Honors with Distinction.”
At a gathering in the auditorium, students ...
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Honors Convocation celebrates achievement:
Honors Convocation is one of the ways we recognize students and their achievements.
Juniors and seniors were recognized for a variety of things at Honors Convocation in the Commons recently. From the program, here are the awards and recognitions along with the names of the students. (For more photos, scroll to the bottom of this story).
Commended students in the 2016 National Merit Program:
Sam Clymer, Jack Van Slyke, Vincent Viego
Scholarship winners for Academic Excellence through the New York State Education Department:
Evan Bille, Sam Duggan, Aimee La France and Vincent Viego
Seniors earning Distinction Awards from individual departments:
The Senior Distinction Award in Art: Nicole Barry ...
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College Workshop to be held Sunday, May 22nd at SHS!:
A special workshop with college admissions expert Peter Van Buskirk is being offered to juniors from Skaneateles High School and other districts from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 22 in the high school. Cost of the workshop is $250. Signups will be taken through Saturday.
Van Buskirk is offering a drawing that awards free one-on-one consultations valued at $125 for one in every ten participants of the workshop. The workshop “What’s My Story?” will help students learn how to present themselves in the college admissions process, which they will begin in the fall.
The workshop will:
Provide an understanding the college admissions process
Help students develop a personal theme for an application
Offer guidance on how to write a powerful and compelling ...
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English assignment helps local SPCA:
When Andy Tidd asked his tenth grade English students to take on a real world project as part of a lesson, Madison Dubach knew she wanted to do something to reduce suffering in animals. She wrote a report that made it into the local paper in an attempt to increase awareness about animal abuse and neglect.
Next, she set out to engage the community in doing something about it. She began collecting supplies for the Auburn-based Finger Lakes SPCA, which helps animals recover from abuse and neglect. “They are not funded by local governments but rely on the donations made by community members,” she said. “They are in dire need of supplies to continue supporting these homeless animals.”
This week, the SPCA made a trip to Skaneateles High ...
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Voters approve all propositions:
Voters approved all four school district propositions on the school district ballot Tuesday and also approved the proposition from the village library that was seeking funding for the first time ever. The library proposition was included on the ballot by NYS law but is totally separate from the district budget. Voter turnout was high. Here are the results:
Total ballots-
Proposition 1 – General Fund Budget
954 Yes; 298 No
76.5%
Proposition 2 - Bus Replacement
973 Yes; 283 No
77.5%
Proposition 3 - Transportation Center Capital Project
944 Yes; 322 No
74.5%
Proposition 4 - Capital Reserve
941 Yes; 281 No
77%
Board Election (two incumbents for two seats)
Tom Lambdin: 1047
Margaret Usdansky Niebuhr: 900
Skaneateles ...
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Today: budget vote, art show and more!:
The flying car from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is one of many interesting things on display at Waterman School today during the District Budget Vote and Board Election today (polls close at 9 p.m.). Waterman students are enjoying the display as they travel their school hallways.
The vote is in the Waterman School auditorium. One need not be a registered voter but only a district resident (owner or renter) within the last 30 days to vote.
The annual school budget vote and board member election is the first school election in many decades in which lever voting machines are not used, as the law allowing their use expired last December. As a result, Skaneateles will return to a paper ballot system.
There are four School District Propositions on the ...
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Message to Parents of Seniors:
Dear Senior Parents,
I would like to clarify the two different invitation letters that you or your Senior son/daughter may have received earlier this week. The first letter went to Senior students who earned an overall 90 and 95 GPA up through the 3 rd marking period inviting them to a gathering on the 16 th during homeroom to receive their “Honors” and “Honors with Distinction” cords which will be worn at Commencement.
The 90 and 95 GPA recognition system is new this year and was board-approved in December 2015. It serves to expand what was once a recognition of the Top 20, to shine the spotlight and celebrate all students who worked hard to achieve at high levels (90 and above). As a result, there are more students receiving honors/cords: ...
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Student art on display Tuesday and Wednesday:
Check this out! There will be a Student Art Show in the Waterman School gym during the budget vote all day tomorrow. Voting is from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Waterman School auditorium. The art show will continue for part of the day Wednesday as well. Come out and see the works of artists from elementary school through high school. These are a few examples from the high school.
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Five inducted into NTHS:
Five Skaneateles High School students were recognized for meeting strict academic standards when they were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society at Cayuga Onondaga BOCES Wednesday evening. Congratulations to Joe McIntyre, Nikki Bennett, Josh O’Hara, Kayla Ramsden and Lucas Wingfield.
The National Technical Honor Society currently serves approximately 200,000 members and awards over $160,000 in scholarships to its members annually. NTHS honors the achievements of top Career and Technical Education students, provides scholarships to encourage the pursuit of higher education, and cultivates excellence in today’s highly competitive, skilled workforce.
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HS seniors encouraged to vote May 17:
Superintendent Ken Slentz visited students in Participation in Government classes to encourage those who are 18 to exercise their right to vote. They will have an opportunity to do so from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, in the Waterman School auditorium. It is the annual Budget Vote and Board Election.
“Many of your fellow students around the world will never have this opportunity. Don’t take this right for granted,” Slentz said. “Be an informed voter,” he said as he outlined the school district’s four propositions (which include the annual budget, a bus purchase request, a capital improvement project and the creation of a reserve fund). He also explained that voters will see a proposition for the Skaneateles Public Library, ...
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Students shine spotlight on budget, wellness and future:
Students and staff have collaborated to give residents snapshots into this year’s budget process. This short video, the fourth in a series created by students in Corey Riley’s music technology class, is about Wellness and why it is a focus of everything we do. Student Malcolm Lombardi interviews Superintendent Ken Slentz.
https://ensemble.cayboces.org/Watch/j8ZAg76T
Watch for one more video this week.
Previously posted videos can be seen on our website under “District Videos.” Throughout the series, residents can hear pointed questions answered by Slentz about the 2016-17 budget and the overall health of the Skaneateles Central School District.
With this video series, everyone wins: the students get experience in producing videos with important and timely ...
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Celebrating May with a Fiesta:
Fifth graders at State Street School celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a lively Fiesta on Friday, May 6. Classroom work took on a different flare as students cooked, did projects and played games related to Cinco de Mayo. There was music, dancing and a lot of smiling going on.
The cafeteria was decorated with Mexican craft projects that the students created over the past few weeks, including mirrors, mosaics and Day of the Dead Skulls.
“We also had the showcase full of the Mexican Sugar skulls we made with the support of the Elementary PTC,” said fifth grader teacher Heather Buff.
Friday morning, students rotated into five different rooms to make guacamole, salsa, tissue paper crafts, Embossed Tin Suns and ‘Gods Eyes’, said Buff.
Then, the entire fifth ...
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Seniors have AP Scholar status:
As they complete their final round of Advanced Placement testing this month, 28 Skaneateles High School seniors already have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the AP Exams during high school. As they take this year’s AP exams, or awards will be given.
College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP) provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while in high school and to earn college credit, advanced placement or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. AP Exams are administered each year in May and represent the culmination of college-level work in a given discipline in a high school setting. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ ...
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