Whitesville Central School Blue Jay By-Line October/November 2019 New Whitesville Central School Faculty Hey, everyone, my name is Jim Wolfer and Hello!! I am Kayla Bissett, the new I am the new Business Teacher here at Kindergarten teacher here at Whitesville Central. Whitesville Central School. Let me tell you a I am a 2006 graduate from Whitesville and am so little about myself. I live in Fillmore with my happy to be back teaching in such a wonderful wife and 3 boys (plus 2 dogs). In my spare community! After graduating in 2006, I went to time I enjoy hunting, hiking, and just being SUNY Fredonia where I studied Early Childhood outside. If outside is not an option; you can Education and graduated with a Bachelor’s usually find me in the gym playing basketball Degree in 2010. I stayed at SUNY Fredonia to (with my children and friends) or in my shop study Literacy Education and graduated in 2012 working on projects. I am looking forward to with my Master’s Degree. I moved back in 2012 the school year and getting to know the students and families here in Whitesville. where I worked in the Wellsville School District as a teacher’s assistant. In 2016, I was hired as a Kindergarten teacher in Jasper Troupsburg and now I am lucky enough to be back in Whitesville! In 2013, I married my high school sweetheart, Thomas Bissett. In 2014, we welcomed our first baby, Charlotte Jai into the family and recently in 2019 we welcomed our second baby, Eleanor Mae into the family! We also have a puppy named Lola and a cat named Booger that lives with us. I love Kindergarten! I love the kid’s curiosity to know all the details, their contagious laughter, and their genuine desire to learn. I look forward to my first year with a wonderful group of kiddos! My name is Stephany Grimes and I am the new 3rd Hello All! grade teacher at WCS! I am super excited to be back in My name is Jake Grisewood and I'm your my home district as I graduated from here in 2011. I am new Technology Teacher here at WCS! I a 2015 graduate from Houghton College with a degree was born and raised in Belmont, NY where I in Inclusive Childhood Education 1-6 and attended Genesee Valley CSD. I graduated Special Education 1-6. For the from Alfred State College in 2015 with an last three years I have been Associate's Degree in Building Trades and a teaching 4th/5th grade special Bachelor’s Degree in Technology education at Alfred-Almond Management. I've worked for Duggan & Central School. Currently, I Duggan General Contracting for the past am working on getting my five years as a Commercial Construction Project Manager and Cost master’s degree in educational Estimator. I look forward to sharing my real-world experience with the administration. It is great to be students and providing a fun and exciting learning atmosphere! back at WCS and I am looking Sincerely, forward to many great years Mr. G here! WCS, Empowering Learners to Lead, Innovate and Communicate A message from Superintendent Emery... Grateful! Grateful is the word I use to describe how I feel about the beginning of the 2019-20 school year. Our students, parents, staff, coaches and community are top notch! I appreciate the honest and open conversations that have taken place so far and I look forward to learning, listening and serving our school district throughout the year. Our construction is almost completed. If you have not had a tour of our new STEAM Wing, I hope that you come in for Parent-Teacher Conferences (November 25) and take a look around. It is an amazing 21st Century thinking and working space. Safety is always a priority at WCS. We will continue to have Fire and Lock-Down Drills regularly and Emergency Evacuation Drills twice this year. It is also important to make sure that all guests entering the building during the school day sign in and out at the Main Office. This ensures we know all persons in the building at all times. Thank you for trusting us with your child(ren) everyday! Our after school program is changing and growing. Please read Jennifer Schultze’s article to be informed. The National Make a Difference Day is October 26. This is a time for able community members and students to join together for a community service event. We are looking for many volunteers, as well as, projects that need to be done. Please fill out the form below and someone will be in touch with you. Thank you in advance for your service and service projects! To our Veterans, we appreciate you and our freedom every day and want to make you sure you are recognized on this 2019 Veterans Day. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving! Tammy M. Emery Make a Difference Day Clean-up (Volunteer Form) I would like to volunteer on Make A Difference Day, Saturday, October 26th, 2019. Name: ____________________________________ Grade (if in school) ____________ Contact # _______________________________ Volunteers will meet at 10:00 a.m. on October 26th in the high school library for their assignments. Dress for the weather and bring work gloves or rakes if you have them. Lunch will be provided. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (In -Town Community Need Form) I would like some help on Make A Difference Day, Saturday, October 26th, 2019 with: (circle those that apply) picking up trash picking up branches raking yard minor outdoor painting other outdoor odd jobs: ______________________________________________ Name: ___________________________________________ phone# ________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________________ Please return by October 21st to the main office at Whitesville Central School, 692 Main Street A message from Principal McNeely... I would like to welcome the following people to new positions and our WCS family: Kayla Bissett (Kindergarten Teacher), Jessica Perkins (Second Grade Teacher), Stephanie Grimes (Third Grade Teacher), Rebekah Lewis (moving from aide to Fourth and Fifth Grade Math and Science Teacher), Maggie Cregan (moving from Second Grade to Fourth and Fifth Grade ELA and Social Studies Teacher), Wendy Stebbins (moving from Fourth Grade to Elementary PE and High School Social Studies Teacher), James Wolfer (High School Business Teacher), Jacob Grisewood (High School Technology Teacher), James Cronin (BOCES Speech Provider). We are very happy to have all of our new and returning staff for the 2019/2020 school year. As we start off the new school year, we will be practicing Fire Drills, Lock Downs and Emergency Evacuation Drills to continue to keep everyone safe. Our Breakfast Club will be working on Self-Awareness during the month October and Self-Management in November and December. We will be goal setting and exploring our thoughts, emotions and behaviors. **We would like to invite you to our Elementary Community Engagement Movie Night on Nov. 8th. More information will be coming! Upcoming Dates to be aware of: October 7-11 Fire Safety Week October 14 No School (Columbus Day) October 30 Half Day (Superintendent’s Conference) November 11 No School (Veteran’s Day) November 25 No Students (Parent/Teacher Conferences) November 26-29 No School (Thanksgiving Break) I am very happy to welcome you back for the 2019 – 2020 school year. I am grateful to be returning to the wonderful community of Whitesville, as your Student and Family Support Specialist for my second year. As part of my job, I will be available to assist the students and families in many ways throughout the year, to empower each learner to lead, innovate and communicate during their time at Whitesville, and into their bright futures. I will be coordinating and running this year’s elementary after school program, for the first few months of the school year. ACCORD Corporation has worked with our district to secure a grant that will bring them back to serve in our community, running the afterschool program for the remainder of the year, and into the coming years. As some of you know, I have helped to run the program in the past with ACCORD Corporation’s Youth Services Division, and it is a passion of mine to provide a safe and supportive after school environment for our kids, that further promotes education, health & wellness, and community inclusion. Once ACCORD has taken over running the elementary after school program, I will be starting a middle school level program, which will include a partnership with 6-8th grade students to create an academic enrichment environment that supports social and emotional wellbeing, complementing other existing clubs, sports, and homework program. ACCORD staff and I will be set up during open house to coordinate intake appointments, which must be completed for your child to remain in the after school program. I will have registrations and information about the middle school programming at this time as well. My office hours are from 10:30 – 6:00 p.m. daily. My office phone number is 607-356-3301 ext. 265. If you need to reach me during program (between 3:00-6:00), you can call ext. 319 in the cafeteria. I look forward to working with all of you again, and thank you for the gift of working with your children. Jennifer Schultze 7th grade Science We are just starting our unit on Earth’s Surface. We are learning about reading maps and how to make/read contour maps. We will then learn about the major minerals we can find on Earth and the rocks they make up. To end the unit, we will focus on the movement of Earth materials by weathering, erosion, and deposition.