April 2010 - Gilbertsville - Mount Upton Central School

VOLUME 20, NUMBER 8
April 2010
MISSION STATEMENT: The Gilbertsville-Mount Upton School District is committed to an educational environment that assures equitable opportunity for individuals to become
responsible, productive members of society. We will encourage individual excellence in students of all ages that they may gain a lifetime enthusiasm for work and learning.
Mr. Johnson Honored
On February 20, at the Tri-Valley basketball championship held at SUNY Oneonta, Mr. James Johnson
was honored for his outstanding career as a coach in
the Tri-Valley. He was inducted into the Tri-Valley
Coaches Hall of Fame.
Over the last 30 plus years Mr. Johnson has
touched the lives of numerous student-athletes in the
Gilbertsville and Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Central
School Districts. At the presentation this was evident
by the numerous family members, students, former
players and other community members who traveled
to Oneonta to witness this well deserved tribute to
his career. More than anything Mr. Johnson is known
for keeping athletics in the proper perspective, preparing his teams for competition and promoting all
the important aspect of interscholastic competition.
He also continues to promote lessons in life through
his coaching and insists that one can learn a great
deal about handling the pressure and life challenges
through sports. It is evident that he has stood the test of
time in a field where stability in athletic programs is a
rarity. He has coached somewhere in the area of 1,000
plus athletic contests in varsity girls’ basketball and
varsity baseball.
The District is proud of his accomplishment and
would like to thank him for his dedication to his
student-athletes. Congratulations Jim.
Valedictorian and Salutatorian Announced
Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton Central School is
pleased to announce the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2010. Tristan Carkuff,
our Valedictorian, is the son of Douglas and Lisa
Carkuff of Mount Upton. Tristan has challenged
himself with courses in Chemistry, Physics, AP
Biology, Film Theory and Criticism, World War II
History and college level Spanish. Tristan is a member of the
National Honor Society, Marching Band, Concert Band and Jazz
Band. He is also a peer tutor and a member of the Ski Club and
Ping Pong Club. After graduation, Tristan plans to attend Miami
University of Ohio.
Calli Hill, daughter of Richard and Rebecca
Hill, is our Salutatorian. Calli has challenged
herself with courses in Calculus I and II, AP
Literature and Composition, World War II History, Chemistry, and Intro to Culture Through
Film. Calli has athletically competed in soccer,
basketball and softball. She is a member of
The National Honor Society, student council, Ski Club, SADD,
Drama Club, Language Club and Mock Trial. Following graduation in June, Calli plans on studying nursing at the University of
Tennessee, Elmira College or the University of Delaware.
Congratulations to Tristan, Calli and their parents
—Mrs. Hammond
Kindergarten Registration
K indergarten registration at GMU will be held on Wednesday,
April 14, from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Only parents need to attend registration and the following items should be brought with you.
• Proof of Residency—3 different items showing your physical
(911) address
• Birth Certificate
• Immunization Records*
• Social Security Card
• Custody Papers (if applicable)
* Incoming kindergarteners must have a physical within one
year before entering school in September.
Superintendent’s Message
Board of Education Member
I would like to take this time to congratulate our
Valedictorian Tristan Carkuff and our Salutatorian
Calli Hill for their outstanding academic achievement
during their high school careers.
During the month of February, I had the honor of
welcoming our students, parents, staff and guests to
the National Honor and National Junior Honor Society
induction ceremonies. I would like to again congratulate all of our recent inductees and all those that have
supported them throughout their educational careers.
Without a strong support system we are aware that our
students would have a very difficult time being successful. We also celebrated the Winter Olympics with
a variety of activities that our Pre-k–6 grade classes
were involved in.
Despite recent snow storms spring sports have
started and competition is right around the corner. As I
write this article the snow is beginning to melt, the time
change is right around the corner and when you receive
this newsletter games will be ready to start. Baseball,
softball and track sign-ups for the modified and varsity teams are completed and I am looking forward to
having the opportunity to see them in action. I would
like to take this time to congratulate Jim Johnson who
was inducted into the Tri-Valley Coaches Hall of Fame.
The Capital Project is moving ahead on schedule
and if the weather cooperates we will have lines on
the track and will be able to use it for practice and
competition. We are hosting our first home track meet
on April 27 at 4:30 p.m. For the first home track meet
we will hold a small celebration for the opening of our
track. We are planning a grand opening in the Fall
when the project is complete which will include our
track/soccer complex up on the hill. The Elementary
addition is on schedule to be turned over to the District for use in late March and we will be looking to
utilize some of the classrooms after the spring break.
The rest of the additions are planned to be complete
before the end of school and all renovations finished
up before the next school year.
To end this article, everyone is aware of the State
and country’s dismal financial outlook. The legislatures
in Albany are looking for a 3-4 year turnaround for
the State’s Revenues which will impact the funding of
public education. We have planned for this scenario in
our budget preparation and are close to finalizing our
budget for next year; continuing to provide our students
with the programs to help them become successful.
Have a great spring!
Glenn R. Hamilton
At the end of the current school year, June 30, the three-year
terms of two GMU Board of Education members will expire.
While the incumbents are eligible, and in fact urged to stand for
re-election, this election does provide an opportunity for interested and capable residents of our School District to be of service.
New York State Education Law sets the following as qualifications for membership on a school board:
• Must be able to read and write.
• Must be a qualified voter in the District, ie: a citizen of
the United States, 18 years of age, a resident of the District
(but not necessarily a taxpayer) continuously for one year
immediately before the election.
• May not reside with another member of the same
school board.
• May not be a current employee of the School District.
• May not simultaneously hold another, incompatible, public
office.
The role of a member of the Board of Education is to see that
the School District is well run. The written policies of the board
provide guidance and direction to the Superintendent for making
decisions and taking action.
Board members have no legal authority except when
sitting with other board members in a legally constituted meeting.
An individual board member cannot take action for the board
or speak for the board unless authorized by the board to do so.
Likewise, individual concerns of individuals in the community
which are brought to the attention of a member cannot be acted
on by that member, but are referred through established channels
to the appropriate school staff.
Board members are required by New York State to take a
six-hour course in fiscal oversight and responsibility, and a new
member workshop is offered by the Chenango County School
Board Association.
The Board of Education usually meets twice a month to conduct the District business of hiring teaching and support staff,
acting on Committee on Special Education recommendations,
approving courses and textbooks, field trips and bids for supplies,
as well as receiving reports on finances, test results, and many
other topics and activities of the school. The week before each
meeting a packet of material concerning items to be acted on or
discussed is sent to each member.
So, how does this sound? Interested? If you are, each candidate
for election must submit a petition with the names of 25 District
residents that support the candidate. Petitions may be obtained
at the District Office and must be completed and returned by
April 19. The election part of the Annual District meeting and
budget vote is May 18.
One thing I forgot to mention is compensation for Board of
Education members. Actually, there is no tangible compensation.
Your reward is solely one of satisfaction that you have contributed
to the education of our children, to make them the well-prepared
citizens we need.
—Garrick Hoadley, District Clerk
2
Board of Education Highlights
At their regular meeting February 9, the Board:
At their regular meeting March 2, the Board:
• Heard the Superintendent and members provide the following Positive Highlights:
• Athletic Director Jim Johnson has been selected for
induction into the Tri-Valley Athletic Association of
Section IV Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony
will take place Saturday, February 20 at the league
championship games.
• The two performances of the elementary musical Doo
Wop Wed Widing Hood showcased many talented
students from the lower grades.
• The opening ceremony of Vancouver 2010, the GMU
version of the Winter Olympics, was held February 5.
The closing ceremony will be March 5. Parents and
other interested spectators are invited to attend.
• Heard reports on January Regents results, Bus Vote
results and draft 2010-2011 Budget.
• Approved spring coaches and a volunteer coach.
• Added to the Substitute Teacher List.
• Granted an unpaid leave of absence.
• Accepted a Letter of Intent to Retire.
• Appointed a HIPPA Privacy Officer and Health Care
Consortium Alternate Representative.
• Agreed to participate in a cooperative bread bid.
• Discussed a presentation by the District’s law firm and
the BOCES calendar.
• Met in executive session to discuss specific personnel
matters and negotiations.
• Adjourned at 8:44 p.m.
• Heard the Superintendent and members provide the
following Positive Highlights:
• Athletic Director Jim Johnson was inducted into the
Tri-Valley Athletic Association of Section IV Hall of
Fame at a ceremony marked by strong participation
by the GMU community.
• Congratulations to sixth grader Summer Mealey for
her win in the GMU Spelling Bee. As our representative, she has the opportunity to compete in The Daily
Star Regional Spelling Bee. A win there will send
her on toward Washington, D.C. to participate in the
National Spelling Bee.
• Closing ceremonies for the GMU Vancouver 2010
Winter Olympics will be held Friday, March 5.
• The Kudos® Program, tangibly rewarding characterbuilding student behaviors with a good candy bar in
the Elementary School, is also doing its job in the
Middle/High School where the Principal used up a
50-bar box of Kudos® Bars in one outing.
• The LINKS school improvement team will be addressing and updating the District’s Academic Intervention
Services and Professional Development Plan.
• Heard a report on efforts to improve the Middle/High
School master schedule.
• Heard a report on the Superintendent’s trip to Albany for
Lobby Day and discouraging comments received from
legislators and State Education Department officials.
• Reviewed preliminary 2010-2011 budget data.
• Approved Special Education recommendations.
• Received financial reports for January.
• Approved budget transfers.
• Declared wrestling mats as excess property.
• Appointed an interim school counselor.
• Discussed committee meetings.
• Met in executive session to discuss specific personnel
items and negotiations.
• Adjourned at 9:19 p.m.
—Garrick Hoadley, District Clerk
Teacher/Employee of
the Year Assembly
Our Teacher/Employee of the Year Assembly will
be held Friday, May 7 at 2:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
Nomination forms will be in the District, Elementary
and Middle/High School Offices for any student, staff
or community member who would like to nominate a
teacher and support staff member of GMU.
Also, please check out our website for a printable
nomination form. All nomination forms are to be
turned in to the District Office no later than Thursday,
April 15 at 3:00 p.m.
Wecome
Spring!
3
Capital Project Update
Dear Residents:
Spr i ng is f i nally upon us and with
that we can see many new things happening throughout the building project.
The Elementary School B Wing Addition has
been completed and turned over to the District.
The new space is fresh, clean and a wonderful
addition to the elementary wing. The High
School Science Addition remains on schedule
with the installation of carpet, casework, permanent heat, plumbing and electrical finishes
being completed. Work at the Middle/High
School link addition continues on schedule
with permanent heat completed and carpeting and casework installed. Completion of the
finishing touches by all trades continues on
schedule in this area with a projected turnover
date the first week in April. As the Middle/
High School link wraps up and is turned over
to the District, effort will be put forth to move
the High School Biology and Chemistry Rooms
into this new space; relocation will take place
prior to the April break. Once relocation is
completed, renovation work will begin in the
current Biology and Chemistry Classrooms
on Monday, April 19. We anticipate this
renovation work to be completed by June 2010.
Completion of the renovation work paves the
way for a very successful summer to complete
the work throughout the entire building by the
opening of school September 2010.
The existing and new Music Rooms are
moving forward with the balance of the electrical, plumbing and heating being completed.
Carpet is installed in these rooms and relocation of the instrument casework and other
finishing touches continues. As projected in
last month’s report the work in the Transportation Center has begun and is on schedule.
As the weather continues to get better and the
area begins to dry out, the remainder of the
site work will begin and is scheduled to be
completed by September 2010.
Until next month’s report, we want to continue
to express our deep appreciation to the Students,
Staff, Administration and the School Board for
all their support during the construction.
Sincerely,
C&S Companies
Booster Club News
Come one - Come all! The GMU Booster Club
is not all about work and no play!
Come and join the GMU Booster Club and the Music Department
for a day trip to see South Pacific at the Lincoln Theatre in NYC.
Leave the driving to us. Roundtrip transportation to the city will be
arranged and all will have balcony seats to see one of Gilbertsville’s own
perform in the theatric performance. Currently we are looking at Saturday,
April 24, for this fantastic day trip.
Don’t miss out; contact the Booster Club President Lynne Talbot or
any booster club member for the details of where and when!
—Nancy Kitchen
News from the High School Guidance Office
2010-2011 Course Selections
Students will be meeting individually with Mrs. Stratton during the
months of April and early May to choose courses for next school year.
Parents are encouraged to attend these meetings with their sons and
daughters to review their current status and discuss future plans for high
school and beyond. Letters and course description booklets were mailed
home to all 8-11 grade students and parents. Please call the Guidance
Office if you did not receive this information in the mail.
Scholarships
Scholarships continue to come into the Guidance Office. Seniors should
be checking the bulletin board outside the Guidance Office and the
District Website for newly added scholarship information. Please make
sure you are following the directions on the scholarship applications
and be careful to not miss deadlines.
June 2010 Regents Exam Schedule
The June Regents exam schedule is posted on the New York State
Education Department Website. Regents exams are scheduled for
June 15-23. Please check the schedule for specific exam dates before
making vacation plans for the end of June. The website is www.nysed.gov.
Spring Dates to Remember
APRIL
6
29
MAY
7
JUNE
5
12
15-23
25
26
College Day, Norwich YMCA, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Last day to register for June 5 SAT Exam
Last day to register for June 12 ACT Exam
SAT Exam
ACT Exam
NYS Regents Exams
Graduation Rehearsal, 8:30 a.m., mandatory
Baccalaureate, 7:00 p.m.
Graduation, 1:30 p.m.
4
Peter Pan
Senior of the Month
The GMU Drama Club proudly presents its Spring Production, Peter Pan! Performances will be held April 9-10 at
7:00 p.m. in the GMU Auditorium. As usual, there will also
be a Dessert Night Preview for senior citizens on the night
of the last dress rehearsal, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. Peter Pan,
which was alternately titled The Boy Who Would Not Grow
Up, was first performed in 1904 in London, England and has
since become one of the most widely performed children’s
stories in the world. The imaginative combination of fantasy
and adventure offers a story that will appeal to both adults
and children. The performance will be presented in one act
with no intermission, making it especially appropriate for
young audiences!
Peter Pan opens in the nursery of the Darling family
household in Bloomsbury, London. The house is a place of
joy, consisting of the three children, Wendy (Khaya Palada),
John (Meghan Meers) and Michael (Cameron Earl); the
practical father, Mr. Darling (Jesse Lee); the loving mother,
Mrs. Darling (Blake Stensland); and a dog named Nana
(Jenna Bakhuizen). Peter Pan (Lilly Stensland) and his
invisible fairy, Tinker Bell, sneak into the nursery and convince Wendy and her brothers to return to the Neverland. So
off they fly, over the rooftops of London to the Neverland,
the home of the Lost Boys (Samantha Delaney, Lauren
Hill, Marissa Mehlrose, Skyla Moyer, Kerisha Puerile,
Jenny Wilkinson and Autumn Butler). They share the
island with the mean Pirates (Kate Bakhuizen, Calli Hill,
Miranda Hill, Alexis Lanza, Jesse Lee, Gavin Loitsch,
Demario Reed and Rian West), led by Captain Hook (Philip
Carpenter), the very British Piccadilly Tribe (Mackenzie
Burnside, Mackenzie Cabrinety, Anna Clune, Mikaela
Mehlrose and Rachel Taylor) led by their chief, Great
Big Little Panther (Victoria Hawkins) and princess Tiger
Lily (Sabrina Brooks), and the Mermaids (Maggie Clune,
Larissa Eccleston, Nicole Decker, Victoria Kelly and
Taylor Pope). It is Hook’s greatest desire to capture Peter
Pan, because it was Peter who cut off his hand and fed it to
the Crocodile (Alicia Sebeck).
The cast is joined by a student crew, led by Stage Manager Rachel Wolcott and Assistant to the Director, Emma
Stebbins. Crew members include Joe Acanfora, Kat Card,
Tyler Lindsley, Jacob MacDuff, Nichole Savarese, Jaci
Schaub and Greg Talbot.
We hope you will join us on April 9 and 10 for what are
sure to be fantastic performances! Tickets do not need to
be purchased in advance. They will be available at the door
before each performance for a free will donation in support
of our production costs. For additional information, please
call Miss Wentlent at (607)783-2207, ext. 113.
—Anna Wentlent, Drama Club Advisor
Congratulations to April’s Senior of
the Month, Gregory Talbot! Greg has
been an integral part of the student body
and school community here at GMU.
He is an active member in sports,
attaining a captain’s position in soccer,
basketball and track; a member of many
organizations in and out of school—Ping
Pong, Mock Trial, SADD and Stage Crew for productions;
and a volunteer for several activities in and around our
community and the Class of 2010. Greg is a student in AP
US Government and Politics, Physics and Calculus. He also
works outside of school and likes to stay active all the time.
Perhaps Greg is most noted for his school spirit and
support of friends and classmates. He has a great sense of
humor and a kind heart. We wish him only the best as he
sets off to Tennessee to study engineering. Congrats Greg!
—Student Council
Poetry Out Loud Competition
Congratulations to Lilly Stensland
for moving on to the New York State
POL Contest held on March 6 as one of
two winners at the Catskills Regional
Recitation, held on March 4 in Oneonta.
Also braving the stiff competition from
21 participants were Jesse Lee and
Khaya Palada. Everyone turned in
outstanding performances.
We wish Lilly well as she takes on the best in the state!
—Ms. Costello
Hanging Basket Fundraiser
National Junior Honor Society will be selling 10-inch
hanging baskets for their spring fundraiser. You can choose
from red or pink New Guinea Impatiens or Ivy Geraniums.
These flowers are from Mount Vision Green Houses.
NJHS students will be taking orders April 12 through
May 3. Flowers will be delivered by May 7, just in time for
Mother’s Day.
—Christine Harby
5
Identity Theft
Girls’ Varsity Basketball
The Girls’ Varsity Basketball team finished the season
9-9 with a sectional loss to Candor. We were in the TriValley West race for first place until the last day of the
regular season. We say good-bye to graduating seniors
Calli Hill, Courtney Hillman and Kirsten Gonzalez and
we wish them well.
Congratulations to Tanya Barnes who was a 1st Team
Tri-Valley All-Star. We are already excited about next season’s prospects and hope to participate in the summer league
at the Norwich YMCA again this summer. Thanks to all
our fans and parents and special thanks to Coach Kristen
Bradbury and my right hand man, Mr. Tom Connell for all
their help during the season.
—Jim Johnson
The Doors and Windows are Locked, but . . .
You may be careful about locking your doors and windows, and keeping your personal papers in a secure place,
but depending on what you use your personal computer for;
an identity thief may not need to set foot in your house to
steal your personal information. You may store your SSN,
financial records, tax returns, birth date and bank account
numbers on your computer. These tips can help you keep
your computer, and the personal information it stores, safe.
• Virus protection software should be updated regularly,
and patches for your operating system and other software
programs should be installed to protect against intrusions
and infections that can lead to the compromise of your
computer files or passwords.
• Do not open files sent to you by strangers or click on
hyperlinks or download programs from people you
don’t know.
• Use a firewall program, especially if you use a high-speed
Internet connection like cable or DSL that leaves your
computer connected to the Internet 24 hours a day.
• Use a secure browser—software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over the Internet—to guard
your online transactions. When submitting information,
look for the lock icon on the browser’s status bar to be
sure your information is secure during transmission.
• Try not to store financial information on your laptop
unless absolutely necessary. If you do, use a strong
password—a combination of letters (upper and lower
case), numbers and symbols. Don’t use an automatic
log-in feature that saves your username and password,
and always log off when you’re finished.
• Before you dispose of a computer delete all the personal
information it stored. Deleting files using the keyboard or
mouse commands or reformatting your hard drive may not
be enough because the files may stay on the computer’s
hard drive where they may be retrieved easily. Use a wipe
utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.
• Look for website privacy policies. They should answer
questions about maintaining accuracy, access, security,
and control of personal information collected by the site,
how the information will be used, and whether it will
be provided to third parties. If you don’t see a privacy
policy—or if you can’t understand it—consider doing
business elsewhere.
Source: www.ftc.gov/idtheft
—Mr. Skrobanski, Elementary Computer Lab
Middle/High School News
Spring is here and April is a busy month filled with many
exciting activities. Baseball, Softball, and Track and Field
are well underway. Our Drama Club has been busy working on our drama production of Peter Pan which will be
held on Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m.
in the Auditorium.
Seventh and eighth grade students will be participating in
State mandated English Language Arts testing the week of
April 26. Students should be rested and ready to go for these
tests because they follow our Spring Recess. Don’t forget
that there is no school on Friday, April 2 and April 19-23.
Since September, I have been listening to parent, student
and staff concerns about our current schedule for students.
I have been studying the schedule and working closely with
our staff, guidance counselors and a scheduling expert by
the name of Elliott Merenbloom, to look at our schedule and
determine what adjustments could be made to the schedule
to best meet the needs of our students. At this time, we have
looked at a variety of different options and factors including
information from the State Education Department notifying
us that they are considering the possibility of eliminating Regents Exams in January. This would mean that our
students would take all required Regent Exams in June.
I truly believe that our current schedule is not meeting the
needs of our students in the best way possible and that a
change in the schedule would address many of our concerns.
Our plan for September is to transition into a traditional
8-period day schedule in the Middle and High School.
Change in general is very difficult for most individuals, but I believe our students will benefit from a different
schedule and the staff and I will do all that we can to make
this transition as smooth and positive as possible. If you
have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
—Annette Hammond, 7-12 Principal
Protect Yourself!
6
Memo from the Health Office
Blood Drive
The following is information taken from Bassett Healthcare’s Healthy
Decisions newsletter:
National Honor Society will be
hosting a blood drive on Wednesday,
April 28. Please contact an Honor Society member for details.
Lack of Sleep Can Harm a Child’s Health
When our children are young, we tuck them in at night and see them off to
school in the morning. As they turn into teenagers, however, it becomes more
difficult to track how much time they actually spend asleep. For kids’ optimal
health, parents need to keep a watchful eye on their kids’ shut-eye at every age.
Sleep’s Deep Effects
The average child sleeps 13 months during the first two years of life. All this
sleep helps a baby’s brain develop. As children grow older, they need fewer hours
of sleep—pre-schoolers need 10 to 12 hours a night, school-age children and
teens need at least nine—but the importance of sleep doesn’t diminish. “Sleep is
brain food and if you don’t feed the brain, all studies show that memory is not as
good, irritability increases and distractibility goes up,” says Lee Edmonds, MD,
medical director of Bassett Healthcare’s Sleep Disorders Center.
Sleep helps us solve problems, react quickly, form memories and learn.
Inadequate sleep affects school performance and also impacts a child’s physical well-being. The body releases hormones during sleep that aid growth, build
muscles and repair cells and tissues. Sleep deficiencies may also be linked to
future problems, including obesity and decreases in mental functioning that
begin as early as adolescence.
Cultivate Teen Dreams
Children’s sleep problems should not be ignored. Recognize the signs that
our teenager isn’t getting enough sleep. Two significant signs are changes in
mood and a slide in motivation. Sleepy teens also have trouble waking up in
the morning, may be irritable, and sleep extra long on weekends and doze off
during the day.
Help your teen learn healthy sleep habits.
• Negotiate and encourage a consistent sleep and wake schedule.
• Stop the use of computers, televisions, music players and phones at least
30 minutes before bedtime.
• Create a good sleep environment, a place that’s quiet and dark.
• Limit teens’ caffeine intake, especially energy drinks and coffee.
“Most of us do not get the amount of sleep that we need,” Dr. Edmonds
says. “During adolescence, there is social pressure to stay up late and a teen’s
internal clock has a tendency to make them want to stay up later and sleep in.
The key is to get up within an hour of the same time every day.” This cycle
is often disrupted when teens stay up late at night and sleep in on weekends.
“It becomes difficult to fall asleep on Sunday night and even more difficult to
wake refreshed on Monday morning,” he adds.
Sometimes, a sleep disorder is responsible for poor rest. An example of this
would be sleep apnea, which causes pauses in breathing during sleep and leads
to daytime tiredness. If you think apnea or another disorder may be hindering
your child’s sleep, talk with your child’s pediatrician.
FACT OR FICTION? “I can’t get enough sleep during the week, but I make
up for it on the weekend by sleeping in later.” FICTION. According to Bassett
sleep expert Dr. Lee Edmonds, “One good night’s sleep does not make up for
a week of chronic sleep deprivation.”
I hope you find this information helpful.
—Carol Angelone, RN, School Nurse
7
2nd Annual Carolee’s
5K Run/Walk
The 2nd Annual Carolee’s 5K Run/
Walk will be Sunday, May 23 from
1:00-5:00 p.m. Registration begins
at 12 noon and ends at 12:45 p.m.
To pre-register and get more information please go to Facebook and type
Carolee’s Run 2010.
Registration forms and posters will
also be at the school, local stores and
post offices. If you have any questions
please contact Cindi Hall at 783-2492.
Elementary Music News
The Elementar y Band has two
important events coming up. Our spring
concert will be on Thursday, April 29
at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium. The
second event will be our participation in the NYSSMA Majors festival
on May 18 or 19 at Oneonta High
School. NYSSMA Majors is a festival where bands, chor uses and
orchestras perform for adjudication.
Groups perform for two adjudicators
and receive taped and written comments and a rating of Participation,
Bronze, Silver or Gold. The community
is welcome to attend our performance
at Oneonta City School District.
The students have been working
very hard on their band music. Among
the pieces the band will be performing
at our concert and NYSSMA is Legend
by Brian Balmages. This piece gives
the students a chance to learn a different time signature with an exciting
melody! Plus, I think the students really
enjoy this piece.
—Anne Monaco, Music Teacher
National Honor Society Inductions
3rd and 4th Grade Music News
The fourth grade instrumental students have been
working very hard to prepare two pieces for the Spring
Instrumental Concert on Thursday, April 29 at 7:00 p.m.
in the Auditorium. The fourth grade students have been
coming for about 15 minutes once a week for almost six
weeks putting together Hot Cross Buns (traditional) and
Old MacDonald Had a Band, arranged by John Higgins. The students involved in the fourth grade band
are: Brian Banks, Lucas Birdsall, Ethan Butts, Daniel
Chase, Mickenson Clune, Jessica Conklin, Savana
Conrade, Delaney Coughlin, Jennifer Davis, McCoy
Davis, Shawn Doherty, Vasiliki Drapaniotis, Elizabeth
French, Devin Fuller, Meredith Hammond, Alec
Hartwell, Auttum Hartwell, Nicholas Hartwell, River
Heath, Bryant Hill, Karli Hinman, Alyssa Hotaling,
Makayla Lewis, Hunter Lockwood, Rachel Lyons,
Scarlett Newman, Jenna Nolan, Michael O’Connor,
Madison Owens, Sarah Randall, Mallory Robinson,
Trevor Wiswell and Marena Zaczek. Great job working
together as a band!
The second and third grade students are also working
very hard this year. Ms. Mascolo’s and Mrs. Stensland’s
third grade and second/third combination classes are going
to be performing in the Spring Instrumental concert with
several pieces they have been working on during their study
of the recorder. If you notice the different colored yarn
on their recorders, you will see a variety of bright colors
showing where they are in Recorder Karate.
Recorder Karate is similar to the sport of Karate except
that the students’ performance on a particular song helps
them to gain a certain color belt. They must obtain their
belts in a specific order and can only continue to the next
color if they have passed the color they were working on.
This year’s students are moving quite fast and are anxious
to receive their next belts!
The students performing in the Spring Instrumental Concert are: Katherine Backman, Kali Barker, Destiny Bedell,
Margaret Caietta, Andrew Carpenter, Hunter Christian,
Zachary Grays, Timothy Grow, Mya Harrington,
Kathryn Hawkins, Megan Hayes, Summer Heath, Logan
Kinter, Ian LaBar, Philip Letson, Michael McCall, Silas
Moyer, Mara Nolan, Austin Oliver, Andrew Owens,
Logan Palmer, Aliya Pickens, Kelsey Pope, Isabella
Ramos, Dylan Raymond, Colin Schultes, Chelsea
Seward, Alexis Spencer, Shalleigh Taranto, Corey
Wilson and Zara Zeidman.
Way to go on a great job this year!
—Anne Monaco, Music Teacher
The GMU Chapter of the National Honor Society held
its annual induction ceremony at 2:00 p.m. on March 8.
The new inductees were selected on the basis of scholarship,
leadership, character and service. Candidates for Honor
Society must hold a cumulative average of 89.5%. They then
complete an application process during which they list their
achievements both in and out of school. A letter of recommendation is also a requirement. A faculty council, made up
of five faculty members, then reviews the candidate’s qualifications. The GMU Chapter of the National Honor Society
was proud to induct the following members and recognize
them for their achievement: Miranda Hill, Katlyn Meers,
Kali Murphy, Alicia Sebeck, Blake Stensland, Dalton
Theodore, Corin Todd and Kayla Zinn. The ceremony
was followed by a reception for inductees and their families
with delicious refreshments provided by our cafeteria staff.
—Sarah Haskins, Advisor
National Junior Honor Society
New Members are l-r: Jay Christian, Victoria
Hutzley, Meghan Meers, Mackenzie Cabrinety,
Tayler Nichols, Mariah Seward , Jenna Bakhuizen,
Nicholas Weidman and Shay Christian.
On February 12, the National Junior Honor Society held
its annual induction ceremony. Nine new members were
inducted. Thank you to all who made this day a memorable
one. Congratulations!
—Mrs. Harby
8
Elementary News
Elementary Guidance
Our spring parent conferences are quickly coming upon us! They will
be held on Wednesday, April 14 from 12:30-7:00 p.m. Elementary students
will be dismissed at 12:00 noon on this date. Report cards will go home with
parents at the conferences.
There will be no school Friday, April 2 or Monday, April 19 through
April 23 for Spring Recess. Students will return to school Monday, April 26.
If you are going away for the spring recess, have a safe trip and don’t forget
to bring along a book or two for your child and practice math facts!
Unfortunately, the way the State developed the state testing schedule, the
Monday the students return begins the grade 3-8 testing. So please be aware
that from Monday, April 26 through Friday, May 7, students in grades 3-6
need to be on time and rested to begin their day with the New York State ELA
and Math Assessments. We would also like to encourage families to take the
time to read with your child, have them talk to you about what they read, and
as mentioned above, practice their math facts.
Kindergarten registration will be held on Wednesday, April 14. If you are a
parent/guardian of a child who will be turning five on or before December 1, 2010
please be sure to come in and register for Kindergarten. In order to register you
will need to bring with you your child’s birth certificate, social security card,
record of immunization and proof of residency. If you are planning ahead for
summer vacation, please note that we will have a one-week Summer Bridging
Program July 12-16 that your child will be expected to attend—transportation
is provided. You will be given more information at the time of registration.
Students who have attended our in house Pre-k program will have a modified
Bridging Program and will only need to attend Monday, July 12.
We will be having the Pre-k parent meeting on Tuesday, April 6 at
5:30 p.m. in the Elementary Library. At this meeting the Pre-k teacher and
myself will be talking some about the program and give you an opportunity to
ask questions. If you are interested in your child attending the Pre-k program
the application deadline is 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 30. The application
process will also be discussed at the parent meeting.
Elementary students will be participating in an Instrumental Concert at
7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 29. On Friday, April 30 we will again have
a chicken dinner with a show called Push! Please look in this newsletter
for tickets if you are interested in the dinner—all dinners must be ordered
ahead! The whole community is invited for a full night of entertainment for
the entire family!
For your information
Due to construction at the school, we will not be having any summer school
program this year.
April’s Soaring Eagles Date
Thursday, April 29 at 2:00 p.m. along with the Honor/Merit awards.
Please note that the time for this program has changed due to state testing in
the morning.
Head Start Program
The Head Start Program of Opportunities for Chenango, Inc. is looking
for families that may be interested in their Early Head Start (provides services to pregnant women, infants and toddlers to 3 year olds) and Head Start
(families with children ages 3-5) Programs for the 2010 program year. If you
are interested or would like information on their programs, please call them
at (607)334-7114.
—Mrs. Karen Volpi, Elementary Principal
9
Peacemaker Program
February 8-19 grades 4 and 5 participated in the Peacemakers Program.
This program was made possible from
grants given to the Dispute and Resolution Center of Otsego, Delaware and
Chenango Counties. The program goals
were to offer students skills resolving
conf lict in peaceful ways as well as
learning skills for anger management,
communication, choices and consequences, tolerance, dealing with bullies
and more.
Newsletters were sent home throughout the program which gave parents the
opportunity to ask their child about the
skills that they were learning.
We appreciate the time and support
that you gave to your child as they learned
to be peacemakers. Being a peacemaker
takes practice and encouragement.
Bucket fillers
Throughout the months of February and March, I have been going into
Pre-k–3rd grade classrooms reading the
book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
The concept of bucket filling is that we
all carry an invisible bucket in which
we keep our feelings about ourselves.
When our buckets are full, we are
happy; when they are empty, we are sad.
It’s important to know that we can
fill our own bucket and so can others.
We can also dip into it. Bucket fillers are
those who help without being asked, give
hugs and compliments, and generally
spread their love and good feelings to
others. The simple metaphor of a bucket
helps even pre-schoolers understand the
importance of consideration and love,
particularly towards those who bully.
Each class has participated in fun bucket
filling activities and lessons weekly and
will continue to do so throughout the
year. Please continue to encourage your
child to be a bucket filler.
—Mrs. Harby,
Elementary/MiddleSchool Counselor
First Grade News
Artist of the Month
When you get the April newsletter, I am
hoping that spring has set in and this month’s
Artist of the Month picture isn’t a depiction
of what is out your window! It is such a great
winter scene, done by Kindergarten student
Kailah Davis, a student of Mrs. Davies.
We learned how to use pastels
to show a winter day. I think
Kailah’s picture shows a very fun
winter pastime.
Kailah told me she really liked
using the pastels to show her
snowman and that she did this picture because she likes
building them. She thinks it was a very creative picture,
and I agree.
Kailah says she really likes art, and her favorite thing to
do is paint. She likes to do artwork with animals in it, and
when I asked her what her favorite colors were she said,
“pink, purple, red, yellow . . . ALL of them!”
Wonderful work Kailah!
—Mrs. Theis
It has been another exciting month in the first grade!
We have been very busy learning about Dr. Seuss, plants,
working on numbers to 100, place value, data and graphs,
and money.
We had a great time during Dr. Seuss week. We listened
to many of his famous books and practiced rhyming words
and other skills as we made and played a memory game,
did activities with the vowels in the books, and represented
the books through artwork.
Also in reading, we explored a lot of non-fiction during
the past month. We have been practicing our reading comprehension skills and we have been recording our thinking
on Post-it ®s as we read non-fiction books. This provides us
with the opportunity to keep track of our thinking as we read
and it encourages us to relate to the books by asking questions, recording comments and making connections to prior
knowledge. We are really focusing on comprehension and
these new strategies are helping us to relate new information
learned to the knowledge that we already have locked in our
brains and that really helps us make learning happen!
In science, we planted our own plants and became little
scientists as we observed them go through the process of
growing from seed to plant. We learned the parts and can now
label them all successfully as well as explain the importance
and purpose of each part. We enjoyed learning about what
plants need to grow and to survive.
Our math units have been very fun. We started the month
working with numbers to 100 and we practiced skills such as
determining what number comes before, after and between
given numbers. We also learned our ordinal numbers as well.
Next we worked on place value, including expanded form
and ways to make numbers. When we moved onto graphing
we made bar graphs, tally charts and worked with coordinate
grids. We dealt with money and learned about the penny,
nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar and dollar. It was fun, yet
challenging, to mix up the coins and count the money.
In Language Study, we have been practicing the /ou/ and
/ow/ sounds as well as improving our sight word recognition.
Next month, we will be learning more suffixes and practicing
their usage. We will also be busy working on the theme of
space. Keep tuned in to learn about our fun new adventures!
—Miss Lehtonen and Mrs. Privitera
3-6 Soaring Eagles
On March 5 grades 3-6 recognized the Soaring Eagle
award for Initiative.
These students:
• Use time wisely and seek assistance when needed
• Access resources as needed
• Find alternative solutions to problems
The following students were awarded a Soaring Eagle
award—Destiny Bedell, Ms. Mascolo; Mara Nolan,
Mrs. Stensland; Scarlett Newman, Ms. Burch; Brian Banks,
Mrs. McMullen; Mallory Robinson, Mr. Trass; Austin
Mullinex, Mr. Cimineri; Rylee D’Addezio, Mrs. Cummings;
Elaina Palada, Mrs. Benoit; Elle MacPherson, Mrs. Banks.
Please join us in celebrating these students and join
us for the next Soaring Eagle assembly where we will be
recognizing Dependability.
—Mr. Trass
10
GMU Booster Club Spirit Shop Sales
GMU T-Shirts or Sweatshirts
Raider Rally Items
ray or blue with print on front and back as shown in picture
G
Crew Neck Sweatshirt...................................$20
Gray only in sizes S, L
Hoodie Sweatshirt..........................................$25
Gray in sizes S only
Blue in sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL
Blue in youth sizes M, L
T-Shirts
Short Sleeve.................................................$8
Long Sleeve................................................ $10
Blue in sizes S, M, L, XL
(XXL long sleeve only)
and youth sizes S, M, L
GMU Bag................................................. $8
GMU Fleece Blanket............................. $10
Blue or yellow
$2 for personalization
Yellow GMU Fleece Scarf....................... $8
$2 for personalization
NE W
!
GMU Mesh String Bag.................. $12
Magnetic Locker Whiteboard........ $5
Spirit Shop Order Form
Name_______________________________________________________________________________
Phone number_________________________________________________________________________
Items Ordered
Quantity
Item
Color
Size
Personalization
Amount
__________ ____________________ _ ______ _____ ___________ $__________
__________ ____________________ _ ______ _____ ___________ $__________
__________ ____________________ _ ______ _____ ___________ $__________
__________ ____________________ _ ______ _____ ___________ $__________
__________ ____________________ _ ______ _____ ___________ $__________
TOTAL $_____________
Checks payable to GMU Booster Club
Please return this order form to the GMU Booster Club mailbox in the District Office.
Thank You For Your Support!
11
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAI D
Gilbertsville
New York 13776
PERMIT NO. 1
693 State Highway 51
Gilbertsville, New York 13776-1104
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Gerald Theis, President
Jose Gonzalez, Vice-President
Harold “Manny” Button
Lisa Carkuff
Katherine Schmidt
Larry Smith
Mark Talbot
Garrick Hoadley, District Clerk
CURRENT RESIDENT OR
ECRWSS
BOXHOLDER
Glenn R. Hamilton, Superintendent
Amber Birdsall, Editor
U
M
G
April Calendar of Events
April
1 VT Dual Meet @ Edmeston vs. Morris and
Edmeston
2 NO SCHOOL—Good Friday, Offices Closed
3 VSb vs. Cincinnatus, Scimmage, 1:00 p.m.
5-8 Mandatory Drama Practice (Production Week)
5 VBb/Sb @ CVCS
Morning Raiders, 8:25 a.m.
Booster Club Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
6 VBb/Sb vs. Edmeston
VT @ CVCS vs. Franklin and Davenport/SK
Pre-k Parent Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
Board of Education Meeting, HS Library, 7:00 p.m.
7 Morning Raiders, 8:25 a.m.
8 Sr. Citizen/Dessert Preview, Peter Pan, 6:30 p.m.
9 Morning Raiders, 8:25 a.m.
End of Third Quarter
VBb/Sb @ Morris
VT TV Relays @ Milford, 4:00 p.m.
Drama Production, Peter Pan, 7:00 p.m.
10 ACT Exam
Drama Production, Peter Pan, 7:00 p.m.
12 Morning Raiders, 8:25 a.m.
VBb/Sb vs. Schenevus
13 MT @ Unatego
14 Morning Raiders, 8:25 a.m.
Pre-k–6 Early Dismissal, 12 Noon
Pre-k–6 Parent Conferences, 12:30-7:00 p.m.
Kindergarten Registration, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
VBb/Sb vs. Downsville
VT Dual Meet @ CV-S vs. Morris and CV-S
15 VSb @ Franklin
16 Morning Raiders, 8:25 a.m.
K-12 Report Cards
VBb/Sb vs. CV-S
19-23NO SCHOOL­— Spring Recess
19 VBb vs. Harpursville
21 VBb/Sb vs. Laurens
26-28 Grade 3-8 NYS ELA Assessments
26 Morning Raiders, 8:25 a.m.
NJHS Hanging Basket Fundraiser
MBb/Sb @ CV-S
VSb @ Cincinnatus
27 VBb/Sb @ Worcester
VT Dual Meet vs. Franklin & Milford
28 Morning Raiders, 8:25 a.m.
NHS Blood Drive
MBb vs. Franklin
Board of Education Meeting—BOCES Vote, HS
Library, 7:00 p.m.
29 7/8 Soaring Eagles, Auditorium, 1:30 p.m.
3-6 Soaring Eagles and Honor Merit, 2:00 p.m.
Spring Instrumental Concert, 7:00 p.m.
30 Morning Raiders, 8:25 a.m.
VBb @ Richfield Springs Tournament
Elementary Chicken Barbeque
PUSH, Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.
DCMO BOCES Printing Service • Norwich, NY
GILBERTSVILLE-MOUNT UPTON
CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT