CANDOR CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS September 2019 www.candorcsd.org Candor Schools - Shaping Our Future District Mission Statement The mission of the Candor Central School Community is to challenge students to become responsible, knowledgeable, contributing citizens within a caring environment where lifelong learning is valued and differences are accepted. Dear School Community Member: Last June, the District graduated a great group of young students. The Class of 2019 was “small but mighty,” and we expect wonderful things from Candor’s newest group of alumni. Congratulations to the Class of 2019 and best wishes as you start your newest adventure! The 2019-2020 school year, beginning September 4th, 2019 for students, is certain to be exciting and interesting as we continue with several student-centered district initiatives. First, the Elementary and High School will continue to develop and implement a PreK-12 Social Emotional Learning curriculum focusing on the “Super Strengths” of Growth Mind Set, Mindfulness, Gratitude, Empathy, and Perseverance. Also, the District will continue a 2-year long study of the concept of what it means to be a “Whole Child” school according to the criteria presented by ASCD (The Association of Supervisors and Curriculum Developers). Additionally, the summer provided teachers with an opportunity to learn and prepare for 21st Century skills entitled “the 4 C’s”. Focusing instruction to allow students to grow and develop as effective Communicators, Collaborators, Critical Thinkers, and Creative Problem Solvers will be a primary area of attention for all staff as we prepare students for their future. In addition to the 4 C’s, it continues to be imperative that we all teach and reinforce what it means to be a positive Digital Citizen in the world today. Finally, the District continues to enhance and practice all the safety procedures required of a public facility. As you visit any District building, it is clear that student and staff safety is a priority at Candor Schools. We all live and work in a wonderful community, and we all share the responsibility of keeping school safety and security at the forefront of everything we do. I hope everyone had an enjoyable, restful, and relaxing summer. We are all excited for the start of school. Welcome back to the 2019-2020 school year! Respectfully, Jeffrey Kisloski Superintendent of Schools Opening Day for Students is Wednesday, September 4, 2019 SEPTEMBER 2019 CANDOR CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS PAGE 2 CCSD 2019-2020 SCHOOL CALENDAR July January September 4th: 1st Day of School 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 October 2nd: Early Release Day 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 October 14th: Columbus Day - School Closed 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 October 25th: Superintendent’s Conf. Day 28 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 31 November 6th: Early Release Day August February November 11th: Veterans Day Observed - 1 2 3 1 School Closed 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 November 27th - 29th: Thanksgiving Holiday 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 December 4th: Early Release Day 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 December 23rd - 31st: Holiday Recess January 1st -3rd: Holiday Recess September March 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 January 20th: MLK Observed - School Closed 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 January 21st - 24th: Regents Exams 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 February 5th: Early Release Day 29 30 29 30 31 February 17th - 21st: Winter Recess October April March 4th: Early Release Day 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 April 1st: Early Release Day 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 April 6th - 13th: Spring Recess 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 May 6th: Early Release Day 27 28 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 May 25th: Memorial Day - School Closed November May June 2nd: Global Regents (tentative) 1 2 1 2 June 17th - 25th: Regents Exams (tentative) 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 June 26th: Rating Day 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 June 26th: Graduation (tentative) 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 30 December June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 28 29 30 SEPTEMBER 2019 CANDOR CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS PAGE 3 News & Notes New staff members and staff transitions for 2019-2020. Elementary High School Denise Ahart - Part-Time Instructional Support Sarah Bast - HS School Nurse Peter Ahart - Assistant Elementary Principal Alyson Fletcher - English Teacher Lorisa Bates - 3rd Grade Special Education Brittany Weber - Math Teacher Kristen Myers - EL School Nurse Kelly O'Brien - AIS Math & Reading Kerra Schermerhorn - 1st Grade Teacher PreK-12 Peter Ahart - Athletic Director Holly Carling - Director of Transportation Angela Holmes - CSE Chairperson Robert Truss - Bus Mechanic Merrick Volpe - Social Worker PreK & Kindergarten Meet & Greet If you have an incoming PreK or Kindergarten student, please join us on September 3rd at 1:00pm in the Multi- Purpose Room. This is a great opportunity for your child to meet their teacher and familiarize with the classroom before the first day of school. We look forward to seeing you! SEPTEMBER 2019 CANDOR CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS PAGE 4 Jr/Sr High School News As our athletes begin fall practices and teachers start to prepare for the school year, it’s easy to realize that the start of the school year is just around the corner. In addition to returning students, I look forward to welcoming the incoming 7th graders to the building. We put great effort into making sure their transition into the high school building goes as smoothly as possible. I also look forward to greeting the Class of 2020 and wishing them a successful and memorable senior year. To start each year, I like to emphasize the importance of regular attendance and appropriate use of technology and social media. Both of these items play a significant role in the academic success and social/emotional well being of our students. As you read the two paragraphs below, please understand the importance of the parental role in both of these areas. One of the key factors in finding success at school is making sure students are in attendance every day possible. There is a direct correlation to poor attendance and low grades, so I would ask parents to make sure their children get to school on time every day. If you have a legitimate absence and must be tardy or absent, please be sure to bring in a note the next day of attendance. Working together to make sure students are at school and on time is key to academic success, and I appreciate your help with this. Communication through technology & social media is the “new normal.” We are more connected than ever with one another, and our children are certainly not an exception. Unfortunately, there are times when communication through social media can lead to online conflicts which carry over into school. I would estimate that 50% of the conflicts which occur in the high school building manifest themselves from online interactions outside of school hours. We will continue to build digital citizenship coursework into the high school curriculum but would ask parents to help by monitoring online interactions when your children are at home. If they appear angry or upset, it may be appropriate to have them take a technology break rather than escalating an online conflict. If you would like some more information pertaining to navigating social media issues, go to the school website (www.candorcsd.org), click the “Teacher sites” tab and then the “Candor Technology Hub” link. You will find many parent resources which may be helpful. I would like to thank parents in advance for their assistance with the aforementioned items and look forward to another positive and productive school year. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call the high school office at (607) 659-5020. Wayne Aman Jr/Sr High School Principal SEPTEMBER 2019 CANDOR CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS PAGE 5 Elementary School News Dear Candor Families and Community, I hope the summer of 2019 has been a great one filled with wonderful memories. We have had a busy and productive summer preparing for the 2019-2020 school year. Teachers and support staff spent time participating in professional development in order to gear up for what is sure to be a great year. Kim Nichols and Matt Gelder provided three days of high-quality professional development for our teachers.