April 2010 - Chenango Forks Central School District Home

April 2010
Newsletter
A community where learners excel!
Vol. X, No. 8
excited to play with a new piece of
 very
equipment that helps their balance and

tudents at Kenyon and the
High School discovered a new
activity...spooner boards. They
aren’t exactly a spoon but they’re shaped
like one and students can use them on
the snow or in the gym.
The spooner boards were on loan from
Dr. Tim Davis of SUNY Cortland. This
odd-shaped, snowboard-type apparatus
is new and CF is very lucky to be the
first district in the state to use the
boards in P.E. classes. The students were
Hanna Layton gets instruction from Tim Davis.
build core strength and team work.
At Kenyon, Davis spent a morning with
the fifth-graders introducing the boards
and demonstrating how to use them. 
See boards, page 9.
Tim Davis works with Joshua Wheelock on the board.
Felicia Hertzog rides the board.
They float!
R
eading, art and swimming...how do these three subjects
work together? Physical education teacher Steve Busch, art
teacher Debbie Abbey and literacy teacher Nicole Knapp
found a way to tie them all together.
It started with the students at Harshaw, who are curious about
many things. In January, Harshaw hosted Math/Literacy Night.
Parents and students worked together to help Curious George
make his way through the chocolate factory after reading “Curious
George Goes to a Chocolate Factory.”
George didn’t stop there. He was also curious about swimming at
the high school. Harshaw students read “Curious George Rides 
Kristina Edwards floats with her paper boat.
See boats, page 4.
Board of Education: Don Edwards-President; Jack Sines-Vice President; Melissa Stephens; Donald Vredenburgh; Judy Warner.
Superintendent of Schools-Robert Bundy; Assistant Superintendent of Schools-Carol Denz.
District
2
2010-2011 budget update
L
ast month I answered questions regarding the outlook for the
2010-11 school budget. Not much has changed since then.
Governor Paterson’s proposed spending plan is still on the
table, which, if enacted, will reduce the funding the district receives
from the state by $1.3 million.
With the governor indicating that he will not seek re-election and
the scandal that is in the news at the time this article was written,
March 3, 2010, it’s anyone’s guess where the funding for the district
will land. By the time you read this article, we will know if the state
has been successful in passing a spending plan and may know for
sure what our level of funding will be. My guess is that the budget
will not be on time and we will not know any more then than we
do now. The dilemma is that the Board of Education (BOE) has
to adopt a spending plan by April 23, 2010. If the state fails to
adopt a budget, the district’s spending plan has to be adopted on
incomplete information.
With that said, a tentative spending plan has been formulated by the
BOE, with the help of the administrative team, that will produce a
tax levy increase of a little over 4 percent. This reflects the 10-year
average tax levy increase.
In March, I reported that the preliminary budget was projected to
increase by 2.07 percent, or $619,442. Adjustments have been made
to the budget, which have placed the proposed 2010-11 spending
plan at a 0.36 percent increase, or $106,961. Please remember that
the revenue loss from the state of $1.3 million must be added to the
district’s spending increase of $106,961. The total that will need to
be made up is $1.4 million.
The additional revenue will come from the district’s “rainy day
funds” reserve, and by making additional adjustments to the budget,
which was accomplished through a line by line review resulting in
a reduction from 2.07 percent increase to a 0.36 percent increase.
April 2010
Most of these adjustments are from lines that will not have a direct
impact on the instructional program. These reductions may result
in a delay of non-essential repairs and belt tightening with supplies
and materials, but the impact should be minimal. The lights and
heat will be on, the water will flow, the buses will make their rounds,
and, most importantly, the educational and athletic programs will
be unchanged with the following exceptions:
1. Newsletter: Cost savings can be gained by moving to a paperless
newsletter. Taxpayers could “opt in” to receive the newsletter via
e-mail, receive a printed copy or simply visit the district Web page.
The number of editions would remain the same, as would the format.
2. Substitute teachers: It was planned to raise the daily rate for
certified teachers from $95 to $100 per day. The district currently
has 134 substitute teachers on the substitute teacher list. The daily
rate would have kept the district more current with the state of the
economy but it appears that this increase is not necessary.
3. Driver education: This is currently offered free of charge to our
students. This program will be changed to a fee-based program. The
fee will cover the cost to operate the program, which is estimated
to be $350 per participant.
4. Girls’ modified soccer: A reduction from two modified teams
to one modified team, resulting in a combined 7th- and 8th-grade
team.
5. Modified wrestling: A reduction from two modified coaches to
one modified coach.
More details concerning the 2010-11 budget will be available in
the May budget edition of the newsletter.
Please address any questions to me by calling 648-7543, or Kathy
Blackman at 648-7564. We invite you to attend the following BOE
meetings: April 1 and April 19, both at 7 p.m., in the MS library. 
-Bob Bundy, superintendent & Kathy Blackman, business executive
Read Across America
District wide, students celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday and Read Across America. Students ate birthday cake, green
eggs and ham, and read books. Students in all grades enjoyed a fun-filled day of reading.
District/Harshaw
Honoring our volunteers
Penguin party time
April 2010
I
t was 19 years
ago that “Make a
Difference Day”
became a national
day of volunteerism.
“Make a Difference
Day” continues to
be an opportunity for
people to join forces
to inspire volunteer
service. I’ve come
to the conclusion
t h a t e v e r y d a y Courtney Caprak and Elaina
at CF there are Burkhardt with classroom volunteer
Karen Ferguson.
volunteers making
a difference. Every day at CF is “Make a Difference
Day.”
Our volunteers provide a valuable support to our
school community. Each volunteer contributes to the
many successes we enjoy as a school district. When
we speak of valuable resources you may think of our
Earth’s natural resources such as water, clean air and
sunlight, the basics for people to thrive. Volunteerism
is a different type of energy resource, yet it is just as
valuable as the basics.
What types of support do our volunteers provide?
In mentioning some of the ways our volunteers
provide help, I know I am leaving out many other
ways. Whether it is time in our classrooms or time
preparing for special events, or time attending district
and building meetings, time on our athletic fields, the
contributions of our volunteers are numerous.
Our volunteers bring their special skills, commitment,
patience and desire to help. For some, it’s a leisurely
pursuit; for others, it may not be as leisurely but,
never the less, they find the time to be here. There is
a satisfaction in volunteering. Many see it as a way
to give back; a way to show gratitude for all the help
and support they have received. There is satisfaction
in knowing that you have been a positive influence.
Although we take the time once a year during National
Volunteer Appreciation Week in April to acknowledge
the many volunteers we have by providing certificates
of service and appreciation, you need to know that
every moment of your time, energy, hard work and
commitment is appreciated year round. On behalf of
our students and staff, thank you. 
-Carol Denz, assistant superintendent
3
O
nce again, students
in Harshaw
will celebrate
International Penguin Day
on April 23. Penguin lovers,
please remember to wear
black and white (a red bow
tie is optional).
Particulars of the day
include games, stories and
perhaps a few other perks.
Bottom: Emily Mugglin, Taylor Maus,
Radio personalities Amy
Elizabeth Grier, Angelina Leo. Top: Colby
Hall and Justin Case from
Fendick, Brendan Heaney, Zander Arnold,
Kal Mota-Lopes.
radio station COOL 100
(WCDW) plan to return this year for a special morning program.
We are planning on a prominent penguin member of the Binghamton
Zoo at Ross Park to participate with us again this year. Washable
penguin tattoos will be provided to all primary pupils who wish to
proudly promote their penguin pride at school. If your penguins
would like to purchase an approved penguin lunch treat, they may
march their happy feet to the cafeteria. Please remember to place this
special day on your calendar and/or day planner. Happy waddling! 
-Midge Nirchi, HP AIS provider
Swim book helps students
S
ometimes the best resources are right
in your own backyard, and to prove it,
Chenango Forks discovered some new
authors in the making.
It started when P.E. teacher Steve Busch
was looking for a new way to introduce
kindergarteners to swimming. After looking
at many resources, he determined we had
the best resources in Keith Rosko’s drawing,
cartooning, animation and studio art classes.
Together, the art students created a fun
comic book to help introduce kindergarteners to the rules for the
pool, information about swimming with a buddy and much more.
Kindergarten students will start swimming in the spring and will
receive the comic book along with a note to their parents about their
upcoming swimming experience. The comic book is intended to
relieve some of the stress, for both the students and the parents, about
swimming and what to expect during this P.E. segment.
This completed product is a testament to how all literacy in K-12 is a
collaborative initiative, benefitting all our students in many different
areas of their education. 
-Nicole Knapp, HP literacy coordinator
4
Golden Ticket Gang
Harshaw
Principal’s message
April 2010
A new gang in town
T
his month, the Harshaw
faculty and staff proudly
introduce the “Golden Ticket
Gang.” For a student to become a
member of the Golden Ticket Gang
they must demonstrate that they live
by the Harshaw Golden Rules, day in
and day out.
Kindergarten
Front: Brian Tye, Dominic Puglisi, Caleb McPeek, Sadie Zemanick,
Rachel Williams, Brian Stetler, Colby Fendick.Back: Gianna Rullo,
Kaden Miller, Gianna Lawrence, Deminica Richard, Haylee Riegel,
Daniel Leighton.
The Golden Rules are:
1: Be kind, be safe, be happy.
2: Let others work and learn without being disturbed.
Teachers and staff members select the students and distribute
“Golden Tickets” to our new members once every month at a
day-six morning program event. If you recognize any of these
wonderful members of the “Harshaw Golden Ticket Gang,”
please remember to acknowledge their good behavior. At left
is our first group of Golden Ticket Gang members. Please
look for our Golden Ticket Gang members each month and
watch as it grows and grows at Harshaw Primary.
-Kathleen Keir, HP principal
First Grade
Front: David Lavrinovich, Elizabeth Molstead, Gabriella Markham,
Bella Hovancik, Avery Stark, Skylar Flanagan, Grace Bianco,
Alexandria Zemanick, Emily Totten. Back: Anthony Schultz,
Lauren White, Kaylee Maietta, Grace Cadden, Olivia Barry, Bryan
Manchester, Bethany Behlen, Raymond Austin, Daniel Flynn.
Second Grade
Front: Alexis Kunkel, Viktoria Lavrinovich, Chloe Tuttle, Lindsey
Szalach, Elizabeth Dejong, Madison Meeker, Sophie Rusnak, Dante
Hovancik. Back: Alexis Patrillo, Abigail Pixley, Corey Tye, Hunter
Gibbore, Dillon Pook, Aidan Ackerson, Mackenzie Topa.
Boats, from page 1.
a Bike” where
George learned
about bikes,
boats, balance
and buoyancy.
While reading
this book,
second-grade
Joseph Ollerenshaw floats in the pool with
students learned
his boat.
about balancing, sinking and floating. Then they went to the
HS pool to test their new knowledge. Fourth-grade students
helped design and make the boats out of wax-covered card
stock in Debbie Abbey’s art class. The second-graders brought
them to the high school pool, where they tested out the boats
with P.E. teacher Steve Busch. Besides being a creative lesson
in math, science and literacy, the boats can also help reassure
and comfort some students who are leery about getting into
the pool for the first time. And, as the pictures show, the
students seemed to have no problem being in the water. And,
yes, the boats did float!
Both experiences were excellent examples of how mixing
curriculum can have a huge impact on student success in
the classroom. Who knew that P.E., math, art, science and
literacy could come together in such a fascinating way? 
-Nicole Knapp, HP literacy coordinator
April 2010
Harshaw April dates
4/1
Harshaw/Kenyon
Turn the TV off
BOE mtg., @ 7 p.m., MS library
4/1-9 No school. Spring recess.
4/13 PTA mtg., @ 3:30 p.m., CFE library
4/19 BOE special mtg. BOCES budget vote.
4/20 Site council mtg., @ 2:45 p.m., room 124
4/23 Penguin Day
5
W
atching TV can be fun, but there are LOTS of other fun
things to do instead. April 17-24 is Turnoff the TV Week.
As part of that week, United Health Services is sponsoring
a hobby fair.
UHS Stay Healthy Kids Hobby Fair
Saturday, April 17, 2010, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Broome County Public Library, 185 Court Street
Enjoy activities from boondoggle to potting plants. Mason Mastroianni,
artist of the B.C. Comics, will be there to meet and greet. For more
information, e-mail [email protected]. 
-Bernie McDermott, KI principal & Kathleen Keir, HP principal
Pre-k corner: A is for Apple
B
efore your preschooler can learn to read, he/she needs to become
familiar with letter sounds. Linking letter sounds with pictures
is a great way to introduce your young child to the alphabet.
What is it? While looking at picture books with your preschooler,
have him/her name the pictures. Repeat the name of the picture while
stressing the word’s first letter sound. Have your child repeat the first
letter with you. Alphabet books that show each alphabet letter by itself
will help your child learn to identify written letters.
What does it look like? There are many ways to help your preschooler
see connections between a picture and the letter that goes with that
picture. For example, a picture book with a picture of a lion can help a
child who looks at the book regularly begin to associate the picture of
the lion with the letter L and the Lll sound he/she hears when a parent
reads that page. Reading and sharing books with your preschooler is a
great time to label objects on the page and talk about beginning letter
sounds.
How do you do it? Follow your child’s interests when choosing books
or other reading materials. If your preschooler likes horses, read a book
or a magazine about horses. Point to and talk about the pictures. When
you point to a picture of a saddle, ask what letter/letter sound begins the
word saddle. Be assuring and patient with your child. Take turns naming
pictures in a book. Ask your child to listen closely to the first sounds
of their names. When you find a barn, for example, encourage your
child to “stretch out” the sounds in barn and listen for the Bbb sound.
Once your child “hears” the first sound in a word, encourage him/her
to think of other words that start with the same sound. Look through
the book for pictures of other things whose names begin with B and
say them together.
How do you know it worked? Is your child becoming familiar with letter
sounds? Does your child show more interest in books? Is your child
becoming aware of letters, letter sounds and words? If you answered
yes, it’s working.
From the Center For Early Literacy Learning. 
-Michele Ashman & Tami Crane, HP pre-k teachers
Students master measuring
K
indergartners and fourth-graders got together
to discover the science of measuring.
Caroline
Waddell’s
kindergartners and
Kristen Rowlands’
fourth-graders are
buddy readers and
they decided to
expand their horizons
by incorporating
science into their
reading friendship.
In Vicki Hamlin’s lab
classroom, students
paired up and
worked on measuring
exercises. Experiments
included how long
your biggest step
is, how far you can
throw a feather, and
how long you can
walk balancing a book
Kindergartner Benjamin Barry
on your head.
walks with a book on his head with
help from Patrick Clark.
All the experiments
were measured in centimeters. They took turns
measuring for each other, which allowed the students
to practice their measuring, math and writing skills
at their age-appropriate level. This activity gave the
kindergarten students a preview of what they can
look forward to in fourth-grade and allowed the
fourth-graders time to practice the new skills they’ve
learned. 
-Kristen Rowlands, KI 4th-grade teacher
6
Principal’s message
W
e are experiencing
the sure signs
of spring that
we have grown to enjoy–
more daylight, the return of
baseball and lacrosse, seasonal
birds, the St. Patrick’s Day
Parade, and making maple
syrup. We now have an additional sign of
spring...state testing.
This year is the first year that the ELA and math
exams will be in late April and early May. This
is expected to continue in the future. While this
allows more time to teach the subject matter, it
comes at a time when family activities increase.
To help your child be at their best for the exams,
I encourage you to maintain routines on test
nights as much as possible. For example, going
to bed at the child’s regular bedtime instead of
going to bed earlier is probably more productive.
Avoiding appointments (especially in the
morning) is helpful to us and your child as it
allows your child to take the exams with their
regular class.
Another item of concern is an increase in
problems on the bus. When dealing with
bus problems, I often remind students that
the bus needs to be a safe place. If there are
problems before boarding the bus, either in the
neighborhood or in the bus room here at school,
they need to be checked at the door of the
bus. The other thing I remind students is that
when things happen they need to act in ways
that will make the situation better, not worse.
The parents I have contact with regarding bus
problems have most often been supportive and
I appreciate that. Keep up the good work.
Kenyon
100 days of school gone by
April 2010
B
elieve it or not, the year is nearly half over. With that in mind, some
students at Kenyon and Harshaw celebrated 100 days of school by
getting together with other classes and participating in 100 dayrelated activities.
Third-graders in Rachel Bender’s class and fifth-graders in Jim Bender’s
class split up and worked together to build structures out of 100 paper
cups. They quickly learned that creating a structure that would stand was
not as easy as it originally seemed.
Lisa Diamond’s kindergarten class graciously welcomed Chelsea
Stankevich’s fourth-graders to participate in their morning events.
The fourth-graders worked with the kindergartners on various 100-day
activities, such as making a necklace using 100 beads, searching for 100
pennies in the sandbox, putting together 100-piece puzzles, and creating
a poster of 100 stamps. Each kindergartner worked with at least one
fourth-grader. It was an unforgettable experience that may have just
sparked a teaching interest in some of our young learners. Thank you to
Lisa Diamond and her students for the brilliant ideas and fun learning
environment for all of us. 
-Chelsea Stankevich, KI 4th-grade teacher &
Linda Myers, communications coordinator
Elizabeth Jacobs and Ryan Black stamp 100
pictures.
Bailey Hosier, left and Georgia Novitsky
wrote 100 with frosting on graham crackers.
This spring we have a special event. April 1 is
Census Day. From what I understand the new
process is very streamlined. I encourage each
household to promptly complete and return
the U.S. Census survey. An accurate count of
students and economic data can help Chenango
Forks receive federal aid. I encourage you to
involve your child in completing the form since
they have learned a little about this in school. 
-Bernie McDermott, KI principal
Cameron O’Neil stacks 100 cups.
Samuel Forker and Eric Stetler work on their
fort of 100 cups.
Kenyon
would be part of the
An opera singer in the making that
production of “Tosca.”
April 2010
T
hird-grader Nicholas O’Neil was very adamant about
wanting to take vocal lessons. He wanted to learn to
sing and sing well, so his parents, Sharon and Tim
O’Neil, searched for a vocal teacher.
They found vocal teacher Melisse Weber. For several months,
she worked with Nicholas on how to read music, perform
vocal warm ups and learn his vocal range. Because Weber is
involved in the musical community, she heard about try-outs
for the Tri-Cities Children Chorus. She thought it would be a
good experience for Nicholas to go through an audition.
In September, Nicholas went to his first audition, where he
sang a song from “Oliver.” At eight years old he auditioned,
by himself, in a large room in front of a pianist and director
Peter
Sicilian.
Nicholas
was one
of 21
children,
out of
40 who
auditioned,
to make
Nicholas is in the front row, lower left.
the chorus
Making 3-D shapes
O
n February 11, fourth-graders
traveled to the high school for
a unique math lesson.
They worked with students from Tom
Sanford’s Foundations of Geometry
Sean Lally and Kassondra Kenson put together
their shapes.
7
Rehearsals began in
November and continued
until performances were held
February 5 and 7. Rehearsals
were once a week and could last
more than two hours as they
learned an opera that is written
and sung in Italian. While
practices could be long, their
performance on stage was only
10- to 15-minutes. Nicholas
played the part of a chorus boy.
Nicholas O’Neil back stage.
For Nicholas, the entire
experience was fun, from
costume fittings to make-up and hair. Sharon O’Neil said,
“We don’t think Nicholas knew what he was in for until he
started rehearsing at the Forum on a stage and with the full
cast of “Tosca”, which included more than 70 people.” She
said he had a wonderful experience meeting and working with
opera singers who have performed all over the world, and he
made a lot of new friends. He says he wants to do it again. 
-Linda Myers, communications coordinator
class to make paper models of threedimensional shapes. Together, they cut,
folded, glued, and taped until each
student had four shapes.
number of faces, edges and vertices of each
model. The students enjoyed working
together and it was especially fun for both
age groups to learn from one another. 
When they were finished, the students
reviewed some vocabulary by counting the
-Jen Sanford, KI 4th-grade teacher
Dustin Riley and Lynnsey Osterhout.
HS math teacher Tom Sanford gives instruction to
Laurel Pernesky.
8
Kenyon
“Caught with Character”
April 2010
It’s who you are. It’s what you do. It’s the way you live your life. Character counts!
Front: Madison Otis (J. MuMullen), Sarah Simonis
(H. Hudak), Andrew Bosa (K. Rowlands), Rachel
Williams (H. Vasina), Miranda Weeks (4th-grade cafeteria).
Back: Andre Gibson (J. Green), Daniil Lavrinovich (S.
Erickson), Matthew Stocks (M. Emm), Katey Church (J.
Sanford).
Front: Patrick Shoemaker (V. Winters), Mackenzie Williams
(R. Bender), Briana Walker (B. Beach), Sean Wood (B.
Beach).Back: Annaleise Pook (V. Winters), Nick Mugglin
(R. Bender), Sabrina McCray (K. Hillis), Morgan Ashman
(J. Sanford).
Front: Gabrielle Panko (D. Abbey), Megan Doebler (J. Will),
Sarah Knox (K. Rowlands), Jake Merithew (L. Moody), Ryan
Bryce (L. DeAngelo). Back: Shayne Bowersox (J. Will), Zach
Hamilton (V. Allio), Hannah Fuller (R. Bender), Ellie Rosko
(D. Abbey & C. Stankevich), Neira Mujcic (C. Ferranti).
Front: Alexis Burge (C. Ferranti), Samantha Small (J. Bender),
Kaycee George (K. Hillis). Back: Victoria Garcia (D. Allport
& 5th-grade cafeteria), Sara Heath (D. Allport), Cameron
O’Neil (J. Bender), Morgan Galusha (M. Baron).
Front: Nick Ciza (5th-grade cafeteria), Katelyn Bambino
(D. Allport), Emily Robinson (D. Abbey), Caleb Casteline
(4th-grade cafeteria), Dean Snyder (M. LoPiccolo).
Back: Michael Panko (R. Lapham), Daniel Sweeney (D.
Allport), Jared Hopkins (A. Miller & D. Allport), Zane Burns
(C. Ferranti).
Kenyon
State testing
April 2010
Boards, from page 1.
The students practiced on gym mats walking with the boards
and participating in relay races.
The HS students used them indoors and also took them
outside and learned how to ride them down a snowy hill. They
had a blast and couldn’t wait to run back up the hill and start
right back down.
A very special thanks to Dr. Davis for letting CF borrow 40
boards. 
-Kelly Hillis, KI P.E. teacher & Steve Busch, HS P.E. teacher
9
T
he state exams for grades 3-8 were moved this year.
ELA used to be in January and now will be in late
April. The following week, students will take the NYS
math assessments.
Non-custodial parent mailings
W
e have a process in place where parents of CF
students can request mailings of report cards to
“non-custodial” parents with whom the child does not
reside. More information is available in the Kenyon office
or on the district Web site under “parent resources”. 
-Bernie McDermott, KI principal
Kenyon April dates
4/1
BOE mtg., @ 7 p.m., MS library
4/1-9 No school. Spring recess.
4/13 PTA mtg., @ 3:30 p.m., CFE library
4/19 BOE special mtg. BOCES budget vote.
4/20 Site council mtg., @ 2:30 p.m.
4/22 Report cards issued
Recognition Assembly @ 1:30 p.m.
4/26-27
Sarah Krizan on the board.
Kyle Norton balances on the
spooner board.
Grade 3 ELA
4/26-27-28 Grade 4 ELA
4/28-29
Grade 5 ELA
Kenyon math night
K
enyon hosted its annual Math Night
on Wednesday, February 17. This
year’s theme was “Willy Wonka.”
Students used candy and chocolates of all
kinds, and bubbles, as they participated in a
variety of math activities and games.
Laurel Pernesky and her father count out
candy.
Using these items, students measured and
created patterns and solved mathematical
problems. This night is designed to give
students fun opportunities to practice their
math skills and show family members what
they are learning in school. All activities are
based on the NYS math curriculum. 
-Lori Pourby, KI math coordinator
Third-grade teacher Jodi Will with her
daughter Marissa.
Kenyon/Middle School
Students learn about electricity
10
April 2010
T
he sooner students understand how electricity works and
its dangers, the better. That is what students in Larry
Baxter’s technology classes will learn with the help of the
Home Electricity Test Panel built and donated by the employees
of Panko Electric.
The panel will be used to demonstrate how electricity reaches
homes and will show the function and safety of circuits used
in today’s construction. The panel is complete with a weather
head for power coming from a pole and meter box, and a
complete circuit breaker box. This box will show how each
circuit is protected from an overload. The students will be able
to calculate the amount of electricity being used in their homes.
Also included are 220- and 110-volt circuits with a four-way
switch as well as outlets and a light bulb socket.
With a general understanding of household electricity, the hope
is the students will not only respect the dangers involved, but
will also learn how to curb consumption.
Coral Lake, Chelsea Henige, Brianna Felton and Katelyn Matson begin
learning about electricity with the new panel.
On behalf of the students and myself, I would like to thank
Michael Panko of Panko Electric for his generosity in providing
the panel. 
-Larry Baxter, MS technology teacher
A lesson in math = a lesson in giving
L
coins and counting change is part of the
third-grade math curriculum so this was
a perfect opportunity to practice these
skills.
After the coins were collected, all thirdgrade students sorted them. Identifying
Once the coins were sorted, thirdgrade teachers reviewed counting,
multiplication and division with the
students as they counted and rolled the
sorted coins. Students practiced these
ast month, Kenyon students did
their part to help the earthquake
victims in Haiti. During the
recognition ceremony, students were
asked to bring in their spare change.
And that they did! (See page 9 of the
March newsletter.)
math skills while they happily rolled
the thousands of coins into the proper
paper rolls.
After all the change was added up, the
total came to $835.92. Kenyon students
raised that amount in one day. The
money will go to the Red Cross. The
students did a great job on counting
and on giving. 
-Lori Pourby, KI math coordinator & Linda Myers, communications coordinator
Hannah Nelson, Kendra Geiser and Mackenzie Williams
work on their math sheets before they start counting coins.
Christopher Brewster counts out
pennies.
Third-grade teacher Rachel Bender helps
Nick Mugglin count out coins.
April 2010
Middle School
Girls take charge
I
always dreamed of attending a class at an established college.
I wondered what it would feel like to roam the corridors and
sit in a classroom that would fill my head with knowledge,
outside of the exclusively youth-filled buildings I had been
accustomed to since kindergarten. These were dreams and
wonders and questions I hoped to have answered someday, but
I never imagined it would be in seventh-grade.
On Saturday, January 30, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Emily
Niman and I attended a leadership seminar called “Girls Take
Charge” at the Binghamton University downtown center. The
fourth annual course was attended by about 75 girls from local
schools in grades 7-12, including Chenango Forks, Chenango
Valley, Binghamton, UE, Deposit and JC.
The day started with a speech and discussion with Assemblywoman
Donna Lupardo. Lupardo is the first woman to ever represent
our area in the state legislature. She discussed the startling lack
of women in politics, reasons for the scarcity, and the reasons
to change the situation. Lupardo also addressed the advantages
of having women in government.
Next was the opening icebreaker. We were given an index card
and asked to write the name of one famous woman leader. The
cards were then taped randomly to each of our backs. Some of
the leaders written down were Hillary Clinton, Helen Keller,
Rosa Parks and Susan B. Anthony. I was Beyonce. The point
of the icebreaker was to figure out who you were. You could ask
each girl only one yes or no question that would help you figure
out your new identity (for example: “Am I in politics?”). But the
game wasn’t just to socialize...it was to remind us of how few
women leaders most people can think of. We were told that,
on average, each group of students in Girls Take Charge could
only think of six different female leaders.
After the icebreaker we started the first session. We were split
up into two middle school and two high school groups called
“A Girl’s Gotta Lead.” We did two activities and discussed traits
in effective leaders. In the first activity, we were split up into
teams of five. One member of the team was blindfolded and
had to navigate down a narrow obstacle course full of bandanas
and mouse traps, based on the commands of their teammates.
Believe me when I say that this was not an easy task. In the
second activity, we were each given a short piece of hard, white
plastic tubing. We were split into two teams and had to get a
marble from one side of the room to a small cup at the other
side. The marble had to stay in motion and our hands couldn’t
touch it. This was no easier. It taught us about accepting other
ideas and asking for help, two characteristics of effective leaders
that the group discussed.
11
After another change of
classrooms, we entered
the “Define U Session.”
During this part of the
day, the group started by
discussing self-doubt. We
made a “brick wall” of
index cards with things
written on them that we
didn’t think we could do. Emily Niman and Hailey Brace.
After tearing down the brick wall, we made a brag list of things
we can do well. Then we each made a life map, which included
two good memories from our past, two accomplishments from
our past, two accomplishments from our present (the past couple
of weeks), one thing we enjoy doing, two positive words our
friends would use to describe ourselves, what we want to be
when we grow up, and our dream for the future.
Next, we talked with the “Student Leadership Panel,” which was
made up of BU students. We were allowed to ask any questions
we had about high school or college.
After our lunch break, we watched a documentary called “Alex
Scott: A Stand For Hope.” I can’t express in words what the
documentary meant to all of us. The entire room was sobbing
by the end. Alexandra Flynn Scott was a young girl who had
neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer. When she was four years
old, she started a small neighborhood lemonade stand to raise
money for pediatric cancer. By the time she died at eight years
of age, she had raised over $1 million and started a foundation
that was here to stay. If you would like to learn more about Alex’s
story and the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit www.
alexslemonade.org.
Following the documentary was the “Positive Risk Taking”
session. We did trust falls (falling backward and being caught
by your partner) and then a goal ring toss. For the ring toss,
you would go as far away from the pole as you wanted, say a
goal and toss away.
Last but not least, we talked about “Smart Is Cool.” This is a
movement of business women, high school girls, entrepreneurs,
college students, teachers, lawyers, athletes, artists, musicians,
moms and many more, who are committed to creating a positive,
optimistic culture of women supporting and challenging each
other to live full lives. It is based on the belief of “Smart is Cool”
founder Erin Darby. We were given t-shirts and supplies, broke
into groups of three, and made clothes for children in Haiti with
inspirational messages on them. Then we had a fashion show
and Emily’s group won “most inspirational.”
This program was truly wonderful and I would love to return
next year. 
-written by Hailey Brace, MS 7th-grade student
12
Middle School
April 1 is census day
S
tudents in Math 8 classes were given a little insight into the
2010 Census in preparation for the national census on April
1. They watched a video clip from the census Web site that
explained the census and its purpose. Afterwards, the students
sharpened their pencils and got ready to crunch some numbers.
Students were given the population totals of all 50 states plus the
District of Columbia from the 1990 and 2000 Censuses. Their
job was to calculate the numeric change between the decades,
determine the percent of change in each state, and then rank the
states from the greatest population to the least. The students learned
that Wyoming has the least amount of people despite its size. Once
the background calculations were completed, the students used
their data to answer several questions that led them to identify the
trend in population movement within the United States for those
10 years. The conclusion; people were moving out of the northeast
regions and into the southern and western states. According to the
census numbers dating back to the 1800’s, this is a continuing trend
for our nation. Will the data from the 2010 Census reveal the same
April 2010
trend? We’ll have
to wait and see.
The students also
worked on logicbased activities in
which cities had
to be ordered by
their population
densities. Using Ashley Bennett, Taylor Kimble and Bailey Park look at
the U.S. map.
only four given
clues, each group of students had to rely on their math and
reasoning skills to think their way through the task. The skills and
knowledge necessary to complete each part of our census week was
a perfect fit for the Math 8 curriculum. Two specific requirements
were problem solving using a variety of methods and calculating
percent of change.
We ended our study of the census by seeing the actual census
questionnaire that each household should complete by April 1. 
New York State English Language Exams
Grades 6, 7 and 8
Monday April 26 - Wednesday, April 28
-Mina Tio, MS/HS math teacher
New York State Math Exams
Grades 6, 7 and 8
Wednesday, May 5 - Friday, May 7
Spring is in the (Middle School) air
S
pring is in the air and with it
comes wonderful things, such
as melting snow and blooming
flowers. In the Middle School spring
also brings some regularly scheduled
irritations, such as melting romantics
and blooming adolescents. Along with
these naturally planned or evolutionallyacquired aspects of human development,
is attached another spring-sent agitation:
our annual battle as the fashion police.
The fight against boys’ fashion is largely
over. Boys now seem to wear large long
baggy shorts in the spring. That is a good
thing. As long as their t-shirts don’t carry
offensive messages or advertisements that
glorify alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs,
we have very few problems with their
manner of dress.
However, at the risk of sounding genderbiased, our battle with adolescent girls’
fashion starts up every spring. Girls’
fashions, as promoted by the fashion
and entertainment industries, are often
inappropriate for school. Hollywood
and Calvin Klein have different agendas
than middle schools. Many of the fashion
world’s styles are simply too short and
too low cut. Such outfits make teachers
uncomfortable and other students
inattentive. Inattentive, that is, to the
teacher’s lesson.
So parents, please monitor your child’s
dress. We all know when the shorts are
too short and the top is inappropriate.
With your help, the faculty and staff can
better focus on education. With your
help, we will continue to provide the type
of education your child deserves.
This spring we have another situation
of which we need your assistance...
the state tests. All the New York State
assessments have been moved from the
winter to the spring. At the Middle
School, we have never been afraid of
the assessments, and in general our
students have performed very well.
Our teachers have full confidence that
their curriculum, consistent effort and
committed teaching will once again be
verified by the tests. However, here again,
we ask for your support.
Parents, please ensure that vacations or
doctor appointments are not scheduled
during the test days. Ensure that your
child continues with good attendance
in the weeks prior to the tests. Also, we
ask, as always, that your child comes to
school well rested and ready.
We expect to do well on the state tests
and we hope to not waste much time as
the fashion police. Spring is in the air
and with your help, we intend to enjoy
it. We wish the same for you, and as
always, we intend to make the spring
another season of positive development,
accomplishment and enjoyment for all
of our students. 
-Bill Burke, MS principal
Middle School
April 2010
13
A Spanish fashion show
T
his year MS Spanish students celebrated the 10th
anniversary of their annual Spanish Fashion Show.
Dressed in Spanish clothing, students in Spanish
7 classes participated in this yearly fashion show as part of
Manola Gregrow’s and Jason Pepples’ classes.
The fashion show was a perfect way for students to practice
their clothing and colors vocabulary along with the verb to
wear. Using these words, among many others, students had to
describe the models’ outfits in Spanish.
Every student participated in the preparation of this fashion
show. There were announcers, models, a video/camera person,
a disc jockey and eighth-grade students who judged the
models’ outfits and creativity.
Students dressed in their Spanish fashions.
Spanish souvenirs. They also had a “Fiesta” at the end of the
show. ¡Muy Divertido! 
-Manola Gregrow & Jason Pepples, MS Spanish teachers
Models received first, second and third place awards of
Book review contest winners
T
hank you to all students who participated in the first
annual book review contest. Although it was difficult
to choose, please see below for weekly winners. All
participants were invited to a celebratory pizza party as a
culminating activity for the event. Please see the book review
winner site on the Middle School Web site for photos,
samples of student work, and recognition for all those who
helped out with the contest.
Special thanks goes to the PTA, Lynnette Breck, Patti
Sweeney, Bill Burke, and the sixth- and seventh-grade teams
for sponsoring our contest with prizes and pizza parties.
Thank you also to the building literacy team, the MS faculty,
Cheri Panko and computer services for collaborating to
provide a wonderful opportunity for the students to celebrate
reading and to share their individual talents. 
-Jessica Stark, MS AIS/literacy teacher
Prizes
Barnes & Noble Gift Cards-Grand Prize -Donated by
the PTA
Week 1-Written Reviews
Carley Church, Kristen
Silvanic
Week 2-Movie Posters
Mikayla Hassinger, Kelly
Parmeter
Week 3-Media & Technology
Trevor Borchardt, Seamus
Houlihan
Giant Cookie Pizza-Donated by L. Breck
Jake Flynn, Ethan Timms
Kristina Collyer, Estavia Cron
Kelly Parmeter, Tyler Wahl
Book and Movie Gift Card-Donated by the literacy team
Garrett Krisko
Seamus Houlihan
Kali Smith
School Store Credit-Donated by P. Sweeney
Kristina Collyer, Bri Felton
Jacob Krupp, David Yevtukh
Lizzy Price, Mary Ann Villella
Books-Donated by the literacy team
Danielle Darling, Allison
Dibble, Kyle Harrington
Haley Benscoter, Elisabeth
Syron, Taylor Robinson
Raegan Lewis, Terry Lindow,
Mackenzie O’Brien
Week one winners.
Week two winners.
Week three winners.
Middle School April dates
4/1
4/1-9
4/13
BOE mtg.,@ 7 p.m., MS library
Spring recess. No school.
PTA mtg., @3:30 p.m., CFE library
4/19 BOE special mtg., BOCES budget vote.
4/26-28 ELA state exams, grades 6, 7 and 8
14
Middle School
April 2010
Student of the month
Front: DJ Ehrets (Math 8-J. Stocum), Brian Rhodes
(French I-N. Dimatos), Nick Aldrich (Academic
Achievement 8-R. Fortier), Eduard Lavrinovich (English
8-B. Wilson). Back: Joe Silvanic (Home & Career Skills
8-D. Daniels), Carl Rouse (Academic Achievement-J.
Stark), JJ Reppard (Academic Achievement-J. Young),
Jason Turner (Science 6-T. Vermaat), Tony Silvanic
(Math 6-T. Urda), Matt Allen (Written Expression-M.
O’Hearn).
Front: Danielle Darling (Art 7-J. Russell), Matt Jones
(Integrated Algebra-M. Tio), Jewelie Spencer (Spanish
IB-J. Pepples), Kayla DeNinis (Band 8-J. Dybas). Back:
Blaine Russ (Science 7A-A. Rullo), Jack Sherwood
(Technology 7-L. Baxter), Dan Ames (Academic
Achievement-P. Swartout), Ryan Bronson (Social Studies
7-P. Griffiths), Vanessa Mirch (Social Studies 7-D.
Honsinger), Brandy Engel (P.E. 8-P. Dykeman).
Front: Seamus Houlihan (Science 7-C. Church), Lillie
Brenchley (Social Studies 6-P. Kamp), Mercedes Russell
(Technology 6-L. Baxter), Nick Markham (Reading 6-K.
Church). Back: Anthony Smith (Health 6-S. Deuel),
Andrew Hawkins (Spanish 7-M. Gregrow), Elisabeth
Syron (Home & Career Skills 6-L. Breck), Madison
Grady-O’Brennan (Art 6-J. Russell), Haley Benscoter
P.E. 6-P. Dykeman).
Front: Michael George (English 7-D. Honsinger),
Jacob Hunink (Spanish 7-M. Gregrow), Mike Bubniak
(Band 7-J. Dybas), Kenoa Tio (Band 6-J. Dybas), John
Colm Sweeney (Spanish IB-J. Pepples), Joe Rudy (Social
Studies 8-D. Honsinger. Back: Madeline Staiger (Home
& Career Skills 8-L. Breck), Rachel Serva (Health 8-S.
Deuel), Alicia Sullivan (Art 8-J. Russell), Bailey Park
(English 8-M. Zappia), Kelsie Davis (Technology 8-L.
Baxter & Regents Earth Science-L. Brooks), Jacob Stone
(Science 8-A. Rullo).
Front: Allison Dibble (French 7-J. Myers & Computers 8-K. Shapiro),
Melissa Boeker (Math 7A-D. Lynch), Sydney Slottje (Spanish 7-M.
Gregrow), Katie Steele (P.E. 7-P. Dykeman). Back: Carley Church
(English 7-N. Dimatos), Virginia Korec (Computers 7-S. Deuel),
Tamara Shear (Home & Career Skills 7-L. Breck), Abigail Lewis
(Spanish IA-J. Pepples).
April 2010
Middle School/High School
Congratulations second-quarter honor roll students
Grade 6 - Highest Honor
Trevor Borchardt
Mackenzie Bronson
Alaijah Cheeseman
Kristina Collyer
Linnae Corgan
Jacob Flynn
Emma Haley
Olivia Haskell
Ava Hudak
Hannah Huyck
Hunter Kermidas
Jacob Krupp
Megan LeVasseur
Nicholas Markham
Elliot McRoberts
Ryan Nicholas
Kelly Parmeter
Kyra Salinkas
Kelly Saroka
Elena Shelepak
Anthony Silvanic
Claire Stocum
Dylan Studer
Elisabeth Syron
Kenoa Tio
Liam Walsh
Grade 6 - High Honor
Matthew Allen
Haley Benscoter
Lillie Brenchley
Melissa Church
Casey Clements
Dana Croswell
Nathan DeOrdio
Elise Freije
Victoria Godden
Jason Guth
Keenan Hall
Mikayla Hassinger
Alexa Juran
Cody Lamond
Caleb Link
Jared Maslin
Megan Maus
Jordan O’Hern
Jacob Osterhout
Abigail Rosko
Lauryn Stocks
Jacquelyn Thrall
Vincent Tiesi
Alexa Walling
Kylee Warner
David Yevtukh
Grade 6 - Honor
Jack Abbey
Emily Andrus
Ruth Banks
Lindsay Bendick
Kassidy Bloom
Alexander Bugayev
Hannah Ciacelli
Estavia Cron
Elisha Decker
Oksana Fett
Anthony Frissora
Madison GradyO’Brennan
Eric Guersey
Corrinne Heath
Thomas Hunt
Nicholas Hutchinson
Casey Lindow
Terry Lindow
Antonia Lobacz
Daniel Mardirosian
Matthew Martinichio
Zachary McFadden
Makenzie O’Brien
Elizabeth Price
Taylor Robinson
Mercedes Russell
Rebecca Shoemaker
Dylan Silvanic
Ryan Simmons
Anthony Smith
Kalie Smith
Justin Stanek
Makaela Stasko
Angelina Strivelli
Maryann Villella
Tyler Wilson
Grade 7 - Highest Honor
Melissa Boeker
Hailey Brace
Michael Bubniak
Carley Church
Mia Hayes
Seamus Houlihan
Nicholas Hurd
Samantha Johnson
Katelyn Matson
Jack Sherwood
Sydney Slottje
Abigail Smith
Natalie Valla
Grade 7 - High Honor
Daniel Ames
Sara Clark
Hannah Conrad
Danielle Darling
Michael George
McKenna Gill
Jacob Hunink
Jacob Klein
Virginia Korec
Garrett Krisko
Jordan Lambiase
German Lavrinovich
Kaylea Lockwood
Hunter Luybli
Lu’Shanna McCray
Vanessa Mirch
Zachary Norton
James Pattwell
Chad Raychel
Christopher Roberts
Blaine Russ
Kristin Silvanic
Alexander Stout-Moran
Melissa Sweet
William Tabachnick
Jonathan Thrall
Delilaha Wells
Breana White
Grade 7 - Honor
Samantha Amador
Audrey Arnold
Ryan Bronson
Brooke Crowningshield
Brandan Curtis
Tyler Denny
Allison Dibble
Taylor Doebler
Riki Donahue
Brianna Felton
Bronx Gibson
Caleb Gould
Kara Heath
Chelsea Henige
Devin Hopkins
Dylan Humphrey
Dayzsha Jachimowicz
Zachariah Jeavons
Caleb Kellicutt
Damen Kingsley
Abigail Lewis
Victoria Markham
Jake Meade
Isaac Pixley
Miranda Raeder
Isaiah Roman
Mason Rowe
Tamara Shear
Taylor Thomas
Ethan Timms
Victoria Transue
Madison Willerton
Kayla Williams
Colleen Yatsonsky
Grade 8 - Highest Honor
Kelsie Davis
Karis DuBois
Jacob Gaworecki
Daniel Gridley
Matthew Jones
Sierra Kucko
Hallie Mayo
Jessica Mikulski
Alexander Niman
Bailey Park
Jesse Redfern
Krysta Shannon
Jordan Shelepak
Joshua Shelepak
Jewelie Spencer
Madeline Staiger
Alicia Sullivan
Grade 8 - High Honor
Madeline Arnold
Anthony Bowersox
Nathan Butler
Robert Clapper
Sara Comfort
Scott Craver
Kayla DeNinis
Emily DeYoung
Samantha Guth
Logan Hall
Kristalyn House
Alexandria Krise
Eduard Lavrinovich
Morgan Leslie
Christopher Lowe
Joshua Maus
Evan Picciano
John Roys
Joseph Rudy
Carlene Solomon
Jacob Stone
Erin Sweeney
John Colm Sweeney
Jason Wilson
Kellsey Wiseer
Isaiah Zimmer
Michael Zurenda
Grade 8 - Honor
Ashley Bennett
Kelsi Blakeslee
Matthew Broderick
15
Bryan Browne
Elliott Butler
Austin Daye
Michael Diekow
Brandon Dutcher
Daniel Ehrets
Brandy Engel
Donald Fielden
Nicholas Fuller
Paul Groover
Nicholas Guditis
Karley Harmon
Matthew Hole
Brianna Jeavons
Taylor Kimble
Justin Lake
Taylor Latsha
Afton Link
Joseph LoPiccolo
Samantha Malchak
Sean Miller
Emily Niman
Brian Rhodes
Garrett Riegel
Mariana Rogers
Samantha Shepard
Kathryn Stocks
Zachary Violando
Joshua Weintraub
Robert Wildoner
Andrew Ziegenfus
Grade 9 - Highest Honor
Jack Barnett
Kelsey Brown
Allyson Church
Laurie Dupnock
Trevor Henige
Rachel Kenyon
Kaylee Krager
Danielle Regan
Kenneth Starr
Haley Sterling
David Stermer
Noelle Valla
Riley Walsh
Eric Yonda
Grade 9 - High Honor
Bruce Cook
Courtney Cook
Zachary Ford
Kristyanna Fuller
Morgan Furman
Benjamin Haskell
Ashley Heath
Kerry Heller 
Continued on next page.
16
Veronica Kalashnik
Aidan Klein
Douglas Klein
Evan Lally
Taylor Lindsey
Emily Markham
Rebecca Miner
Andrew Near
Brandon O’Brien
Megan Plahanski
Kevin Spencer
Joseph Sweeney
Kayla Sweet
Samantha Thatcher
Michaela Transue
Callie Truex
Ashley Williams
Grade 9 - Honor
Christopher Ames
Morgan Barrett
Rachel Burdick
Rachael Burns
Nicolas Cannon
Kelsie Carter
Keenan Conrad
Cody DeOrdio
Thomas Eggleston
Ashley Furgeson
Marissa Gorenflo
Kendra Hogan
Andrew Houck
Timothy Hulbert
Alexandra Kelly
Kyle Kelly
Cody Link
Rebecca Ollerenshaw
Gabrielle Schmidt
Alicia Schulz
Amanda Stevens
Daniel White
Grade 10 - Highest Honor
James Allen
Andrew Collyer
Emily Feldpausch
Callie Gill
Zachary Jeske
Connor Luybli
Mariya Pecheny
Nicholas Shannon
Nicole Szymkowicz
Stephanie Zdimal
Grade 10 - High Honor
Rachel Bouton
Lindsey Crawford
Valerie Dybas
Ashley Ferris
Middle School/High School
Jenna Flannery
Laura Haley
Lindsay Humphrey
Alexis Kellicutt
Zachary Kolb
Kelly Martin
Sarah Maximowicz
Christopher Miner
Bradley Oliver
Taylor Powers
John Rhodes
Andrew Riecke
Ariel Roys
Christopher Rudy
Ashley Slavick
Amelia Smith
Marisa Valdes
Marissa Walsh
Grade 10 - Honor
Kenneth Bowen
Joseph Burke
Sebastian Decker
Alec Fleicher
Ramsey Frederickson
Kelley Guth
Courtney Hadden
Erik Johnson
Magen Kelly
Shelby Lawton
Katelyn Luke
Gabriella Martinichio
Steven Maximowicz
Nicholas McDonough
Travis McGowan
Alex Singh
Jillian Truex
Grade 11 - Highest Honor
Jessica Collyer
Lauren Gridley
Tyler Lawton
Grade 11 - High Honor
Sarah Andrus
Taylor Boughner
Jessica Bradley
Ashley Broderick
Kristen Brooks
Luke Carey
Lyndsey Church
Benjamin Daniels
Thomas Dybas
Mackenzie Faughnan
Cassandra Forsyth
Hunter Fuller
Amanda George
Jackson Haskell
Alyssa Hawras
Kelsey Heller
Kaitlin Hulbert
Jacob Ingraham
Mary Kamp
Jamie Kimble
Sarah Krizan
Ryan Lamond
Taylor Luce
Shelby Maines
Natasha Malchak
Ashli Mikeska
Daniel Molter
Yelena Pecheny
James Pietrosanti
Rachel Reynolds
Hilary Rutkowski
Colin Staiger
Taylor Stephens
Megan Sullivan
Joseph Villecco
Grade 11 - Honor
Richard Begeal
Melissa Belanger
Jack Bowen
Troy Bowersox
Rebecca Broderick
Alexis Castaldo
Jason Cummings
Amie Curyto
Jacob DuBois
Kelsey Giordani
Felicia Hertzog
Ryan Hogan
Michelle Hole
Carolyn Holtzmaster
Kira Hovancik
Mallory Illsley
Aubrey Ingraham
Andrew Krolczyk
Ryan Lally
Christopher O’Brien
Devin O’Brien
Jason O’Brien
Jordan O’Brien
Emma O’Neill
John Pattwell
Lacey Pesko
Corinna Putman
Patrick Reardon
Stacie Reynolds
Shaun Sager
Katelyn Skinner
Heather Terpak
Peter Tiesi
Carolyn Yonda
Bryan Zeigler
Grade 12 - Highest Honor
Melanie Abbe
Corey Bruet
Trisha Dupnock
James Haley
Sharon Hartzell
Matthew LeVasseur
Casey Redfern
Courtney Robinson
Sophia Russ
Matthew Sebeck
Grade 12 - High Honor
Paul Bartlett
Martin Beach
Alannah Brassard
Crystal Canniff
Clare Carney
Corey Carter
Derek Church
Patrick Creagh
Stevie Davall
Jennifer Dayton
Amanda Dimmick
Alexandria Driscoll
Mary Katherine Dugue
Stephen Edwards
Vincenza Fanara
Rikki Fuller
Corey Gildea
Daniel Grady
Lauren Guth
Ashley Kenyon
Jordan Luybli
Adrianna Maslin
Devon Mills
Alexis Morgan
Alyssa Niman
Collin Nowalk
Travis Pasternak
Yuliya Pecheny
Sandra Perry
Samantha Ridgeway
Malinda Robinson
John Rupert
Raychel Shannon
Hanna Snow
Jenna Snow
Bridget Sweeney
Alyssa Tye
Zachary VanKuren
Megan Walsh
Nicole Weintraub
Kelley White
Melody Wildoner
Alexander Yevtukh
April 2010
Grade 12 - Honor
Kellsea Bronson
Joseph Burdick
Brittany Byrd
Katelyn Coleman
Kevin Coughlin
Joseph Crosier
Sean Davis
Macy Fairbairn
Edward Fisher
Justin Flannery
Victoria Franklin
Brenden Garcia
Dalton Greene
Christy Guzenski
Chelsey Hall
Taylor Hurt
Morgan Johnson
Taylor Mazursky
Elizabeth McGowan
John O’Neill
Elizabeth Perry
Emily Petko
Chad Pond
Abby Ponterio
Ian Rutkowski
Alexis Taylor
Brittany Terpak
Tyler Thatcher
Aubrey Vroman
Stevie West
Chelsea White
Caitlin Williams
Congratulations to our
students who received
an 85 average or above
in other programs.
Chenango Forks Work
Study Program at
Endicott Learning
Center
Lynn Ingraham
Colton Salinas
Toby Root-Minoia
Evergreen Career &
Tech High School
Kelsey Franks
Chenango Forks
Career & Tech High
School at the Area
Center
Alesia Squires 
High School
Forks students win medals at
Student wins another
Science Olympiad
contest
April 2010
O
n February 6 at the regional Science Olympiad
competition, Chenango Forks placed fourth out of
14 teams behind Maine Endwell, Vestal and Union
Endicott. Forks team members claimed an impressive 15 medals.
To put that into prospective, the total combined medal count of
four other area schools was 0. This year, Sharon Hartzell became
the first five-medal winner in Chenango Fork’s 24-year history in
Science Olympiad competition.
Medal winners were as follows:
Gold
Sharon Hartzell & Trisha Dupnock: “Remote Sensing”
Silver
Sarah Andrus & Sharon Hartzell: Geology event “Dynamic Planet”
Marty Beach & Sharon Hartzell: Biology event “Disease Detectives”
Bronze
Taylor Powers & Sarah Andrus: Literacy event “Write It Do It”
Taylor Powers: Bio-chemical event “Protein Modeling”
Taylor Powers & Morgan Johnson: “Ornithology”
Trisha Dupnock & Sharon Hartzell:“Ecology”
Trisha Dupnock & Sharon Hartzell: “Chemistry Lab”
Well done team! 
17
S
tephanie Zdimal, tenth
grade, did it again,
winning another statewide art contest! The contest,
“The Importance of Wastewater
Treatment,” is sponsored by the
New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation
and the New York Water
Environment Association. It is in
Stephanie Zdimal.
its eighth year.
This year, 160 entries from 14 schools throughout New
York state were received. The folks at DEC narrowed
the contest down to the top-five when they placed their
votes during the last two weeks of January.
The top-five were then taken to NYWEA’s winter
meeting, which was held at the Marriott Marquis in
New York City in early February. Attendees at the
conference voted for the winning posters.
Stephanie also won the New York State “Kids Safe
Online” Poster Contest. See the Chenango Forks
School District newsletter, March edition, page 18. 
-Diane Sheehan, HS art teacher
-Tim Conner, HS science teacher
The Forks team, front, l-r: Sharon Hartzell & Marty Beach.Middle: Sarah
Andrus, Mallory Illsley, Trisha Dupnock, Morgan Johnson, Joe Crosier,
James Haley. Back: Tom Dybas, Steve Edwards, Taylor Powers.
Stephanie’s award-winning poster.
High School
18
April 2010
High School April dates
4/1
BOE Meeting, @ 7 p.m., MS library
4/12
HS Site Council mtg., @ 2:15 p.m., HS conf. room
CFCA Board mtg., @ 7 p.m., HS lecture room 1
4/19
BOE Special Meeting, BOCES Budget Vote
4/29
Registration deadline for June SAT
4/1 & 2 No School - Spring Recess
4/5-9
No School - Spring Recess
Odyssey of the Mind
C
ongratulations to the High School Odyssey of
the Mind team, which placed second at the
regional tournament on February 27. The team
competed in the “Discovered Treasures” long-term
problem and received the highest score in their division
for the spontaneous portion of the competition.
The task of the “Discovered Treasures” problem
was to create and present an original performance
that included the portrayal of the discoveries of two
archaeological treasures. One portrayal was a teamcreated version of the discovery of an actual historical
treasure. The other was the team’s depiction of a
modern man-made structure or sculpture that exists
today but is a discovered treasure in the future. Kudos
to the team for their creative solutions and polished
performance.
Team members are Nicholas Shannon, Ariel Roys,
Taylor Zarrelli, Sarah Maximowicz, Emily Feldpausch,
Courtney Hadden and Alexis Kellicutt. They are
coached by Carol Denz.
First row 1, with trophy: Courtney Hadden and Emily Feldpausch. Row 2: Ariel
Roys and Alexis Kellicutt. Row 3: Nicholas Shannon, Sarah Maximowicz, Ashley
Slavick, Taylor Zarrelli and coach Carol Denz.
be held March 27 at Binghamton University. Check out the
next newsletter for results. 
The team earned a spot in the state tournament, which will
-Melissa Santacrose, Odyssey of the Mind coordinator
Legislative Student Art Exhibit
by the New York State Art Teachers Association in
partnership with the NYS Alliance for Arts Education. It
is a collaboration with the NYS Legislators to showcase the
artistic achievements of students
at the elementary through high
school levels. The New York State
Art Teachers Association (NYSATA)
is the professional organization
of art educators at all levels from
pre-school to college. Promotion of
excellence in art education in NYS is
its primary purpose. CF is proud to
have our two students recognized in
this year’s exhibition. 
Emily Markham.
C
ongratulations to Lacey Mann and Emily Markham
for having their art work accepted into the 2010
Legislative Student Art
Exhibit held February 22-26 in
the Legislation Office Building in
Albany. An Opening Reception to
honor our young artists was held on
Tuesday, February 23, at the “Wall”
of the Legislative Office Building in
Albany.
This exhibit is organized annually
Lacey Mann.
-Diane Sheehan, HS art teacher
High School
Student of the month
April 2010
19
Freshmen
Front: Otis Avery (Global History-R. Condon), Cody DeOrdio (Earth
Science-T. Giovenco), Danielle Regan (Geometry-M. Fendick), Joe
Sweeney (English-K. Taylor). Back: Timothy Hulbert (French II-J.
Myers), Kaylee Krager (Studio Art 2D-D. Sheehan), Rachel Kenyon
(Studio Art 3D-K. Rosko), Jack Barnett (Biology-J. Roosa), George
Fuller (Spanish II-S. Byrnes), Ashley Heath (Earth Science-L. Brooks),
Emily Markham (English-B. Wilson).
Juniors
Front: Emily Burke (3 Math-T. Sanford & US History-K. Darling),
Shelby Maines (Portfolio Review-D. Sheehan), Mackenzie Faughnan
(Sociology-C. Spencer & French IV-J. Myers), Rachel Reynolds
(Chemistry-L. Tecza), Sarah Krizan (AP Physics-S. Laine). Back:
Sarah Andrus (English-A. Gumble), Casey Curtin (P.E.-S. Busch),
Nick LoPiccolo (Video Production-D. Sheehan), Benjamin Daniels
(Forensic Toxicology-L. Tecza), Ryan Lamond English-B. Wilson),
Chris O’Brien Foods 2-D Daniels & Environmental Science-M.
Phillips), Felicia Hertzog (P.E.-S. Busch).
Sophomores
Front: Taylor Powers (Band-N. Wildoner) Ariel Roys Health-K.
Shapiro), Stephanie Zdimal (Portfolio Review-D. Sheehan), Gabriella
Martinichio (Global-C. Spencer & English-K. Taylor). Back: Dana
Miller (Jewelry-D. Sheehan), Chris Miner Biology-T. Giovenco), Cairo
Amador English AIS-D. Metzar).
Seniors
Front: Brittany Terpak (Economics-K. Darling), Alex Yevtukh (AP
Biology-T. Giovenco), Corey Gildea (P.E.-N Fersch), Collin Nowalk
(Spanish V-M. Black). Back: Sharon Hartzell (French V-J. Myers),
Malinda Robinson (Drawing Basics-K. Rosko & Jewelry-D. Sheehan),
Kellsea Bronson (Painting-D. Sheehan), Ashley Kenyon (Gothic Lit-K.
Taylor), Stevie Davall (Human Development-D. Daniels), Chelsea
White (P.E.-N. Fersch), Kate Coleman (P.E.-N. Fersch & American
Films Classics-A. Gumble).
Home of the Blue Devils
20
April 2010
1 Gordon Drive
Binghamton, NY 13901
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage PAID
Permit No. 155
Binghamton, NY 13901
Superintendent of Schools
Bob Bundy
Assistant Superintendent
Carol Denz
Business Executive
Kathy Blackman
ECRWSS
Postal Patron
Communications Coordinator
Linda Myers
CAGO sign-up
Budget dates
N
ew members:
Budget Adoption
Thursday, April 1 @ 7 p.m., MS Library
Chenango Aquatics (CAGO) is a competitive
swim club. We will hold sign-ups for the spring\
summer season on Tuesday, April 27, 6 p.m. at the high
school pool. Swimmers of any age who are able to swim two
lengths (50 yards) of the pool, unaided, are eligible to join.
A swim test will be given to all swimmers at sign-ups, so
come prepared to swim. There are insurance and training fees
involved to join.
Board Petitions due
Monday, April 19
Budget Hearing
Thursday, May 6 @ 7 p.m., MS Library
Budget Vote
Tuesday, May 18, 12 to 9 p.m., HS Auditorium
Returning members:
Practice begins on April 19, at 5:30 p.m.
Interested in a “Learn to Swim” program? Check our Web site
at www.cagoswim.com in April for upcoming lesson dates.
For more information, please visit our Web site or contact
Rick Suer at 648-7008. 
-Shelley Suer, CAGO
Bus drivers & monitors needed
T
he Chenango Forks School District is looking for
responsible adults to be school bus drivers and
monitors. Training is provided to approved applicants.
The job provides great hours for parents with children in
school. Interested parties may apply to Birnie Bus Corp. at
the bus garage, or online at Chenango Forks Transportation
Employment. For more information, please call 648-7508. 
-Jerry Hartman, transportation supervisor
Softball Boosters
Wendy’s Night
Wednesday, April 21, 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Wendy’s on Front Street. Orders must be made inside.
Help support CF Girl’s Softball.
BOE seat petitions
P
etitions for the Office of Member of the Board of
Education of Chenango Forks Central School District,
to fill the expired five-year term presently held by Don
Edwards, to terminate June 30, 2015, may be picked up
from District Clerk Dawn Phoenix. You must be 18 years or
older and have lived in the District for 30 days. The district
clerk is located in the Business Office in the High School.
Petitions are due back to the district clerk no later than
5 p.m. on April 19, 2010, and require 25 signatures. 
-Kathy Blackman, business executive
Preschool and play groups
F
irst Church of Christ Preschool on Front Street offers
preschool classes for three-year-olds and play groups for
18-months to two-years-old.
Openings are now available. Call 648-4709 for more
information. 
-Carol Denz, assistant superintendent