November 2015 DID - Elmira Heights Central School

NOVEMBER
2015
Board of Education
Harry Blish, President
Joseph Sullivan, Sr.
Vice President
Christopher Callas
Harvey Harris
Michael Lepak
Andrew Willard
Kristen Wolowitz
Superintendent
Mary Beth Fiore
Inside
Voter Registration ........... 2
Fine Arts Schedule .......... 2
YOUR VOTE MATTERS!
“Straw Poll” December 3, 2015
7am-8pm
Thomas A Edison HS
Shall the Elmira Heights Central School District and the Horseheads Central
School District merge into one combined district?
On December 3, 2015, our entire Elmira Heights community will have the opportunity to decide
if consideration to consolidate with the Horseheads CSD should move forward. On that date,
both communities will vote in our respective districts. In order for the consolidation process to
move forward, both communities must approve, by a simple majority vote in each respective
district. If either community votes NO, the consolidation consideration will end. If both
communities vote YES, a second binding referendum vote shall take place on a date set by the
Commissioner of Education (most likely to occur in January 2016). At that point, if either
community in our respective districts vote NO, the consolidation consideration will end. If both
communities vote YES, a new district shall be formed effective July 1, 2016.
NYSSMA Awards ............ 3
EHCSD on Social Media .... 3
Comm. Members Sought ......3
Budget Prep/Calendar .... 4
Cohen News .................... 5
“Pink Day: ...................... 6
Comm. Foundation ......... 6
Cohen Book Fair............. 7
Reps & Recruiters ........... 7
Project Grad News ......... 8
Emergency Closing ......... 8
Planning for the Future .. 9
TAE Key Club ................. 9
Fall Sports Schedules.... 10
Fall Sports Awards ....... 11
Spirit Week Recap ......... 11
Special Announcements .... 12
This is the most critical decision our community has ever faced or may ever be faced
with. We urge all district residents to weigh in on the decision that will determine
our future.
We have posted all information connected with the consolidation study on our website at
www.heightsschools.com; along with videos from several of our open forums. Our forums
have been well attended by community members who have posed some great questions, which
will be outlined and answered in a Q & A document on the website, to be posted at the
conclusion of the last forum. After reviewing the information available to our community, all
individuals will be able to make an informed decision for themselves and their families. If you
do not have access to a computer, or need assistance with locating this information on our
website, please do not hesitate to contact our district office at 734-7114 for assistance.
We know and respect that everyone in the community has a valued opinion on the potential
merits and challenges associated with a possible consolidation. We also know and respect that
there are individuals that do not wish for the consolidation to happen at all. Please be respectful
of your neighbors and know that everyone in the community deserves an opportunity to weigh
in and will have an equal say in this critical decision. We urge you all to exercise your right to
vote on December 3, 2015.
Respectfully,
Mary Beth Fiore
Superintendent of Schools
WE ARE ELMIRA HEIGHTS AND WE MATTER!
YOUR VOTE MATTERS!!
What:
Public Referendum
Straw Vote
When:
December 3, 2015
7am—8pm
Where:
Thomas A. Edison Gym
Regular attendance at school contributes to student success!
Thank you for making sure your kids are in school
and don’t miss out.
Voter Registration
To participate in our budget vote on December 3, 2015, district residents must
be must be registered with the Chemung County Board of Elections.
If you are now registered to vote in national, state and local elections,
you are set to vote in district elections. If you are not registered with the
Board of Elections, you may do one of the following:

Go to the Board of Elections located at 378 South Main Street
in Elmira and complete the registration form.
 Come to the District Office and complete the registration form.
We will forward it to the Board of Elections. The forms must be returned to either the Board of Elections or the District Office by November 19, 2015.
Upcoming Fine Arts Events
Dec. 2
Dec. 8
Dec. 9
Dec. 10
Dec. 15
Dec. 18
Grade 6‐12 Choral Concert @ TAE
Pre‐K, K, & Grade 1 Winter Concert @ Cohen
Grade 6‐12 Instrumental Concert @ TAE
Grade 2‐3 Winter Concert @ Cohen
Grade 4‐5 Winter Concert @ Cohen
Concert Snow Date from Dec. 2 or Dec. 9
2
7:oopm
6:00pm
7:00pm
6:00pm
6:00pm
Elmira Heights Students Excel in Music
Several students have been selected to represent the Elmira Heights CSD at
NYSSMA Area All-State Festivals in November.
Students are selected from schools across 5 counties, based upon previous
NYSSMA Solo ratings and teacher recommendation. Each of the students
worked on and performed a solo for a certified adjudicator and received a score,
highlighting strengths and noting areas to improve. During the solo festival
each student must also perform a short piece of music on sight, without prior rehearsal, in order to assess their
general music reading skills. The sight-reading assessment is also factored into their solo grade.
The entire process is quite rigorous and tests each aspect of musical development. The following students
were selected for the Fall Area All-State festivals (Band, Choir and Orchestra) based on their high accomplishments from prior Spring festivals.
Kaitlin Atkinson (TAE)
Douglas Barnstead (CMS)
Rachel Becker (TAE)
Abbie Doland (TAE)
Anthony Forte (TAE)
Haley Maggs (TAE)
Olivia Thresher (TAE)
Christina Trinh (CMS)
Congratulations to our fine students!
ELMIRA HEIGHTS
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
COMMUNITY MEMBERS
SOUGHT
Find out the latest news and announcements regarding
the Elmira Heights School District.
Please visit our Facebook page for information and
updates on community events, district events, BOE
meetings, budget news, building activities and more.
Take advantage of this fun and easy way to stay
connected with what’s going on in the EHCSD.
@ElmiraHeightsCentralSchoolDistrict
If you are interested in serving on any of our district shared decision making committees, please
contact the District Office at 734-7114.
Opportunities for community representation on
the District Leadership Team, Building Leadership Teams, Smart School Bond Committee,
Capital Improvement Committee, Code of
Conduct Committee and Athletic Committee are
currently available.
EHCSD@EHCSD
Cold Mornings Have Arrived
Please do not drop off your students early as there is not supervision available and we don’t want
our students left out in the cold for long periods of time.
Schools are opened at:
Cohen Elementary - 7:45 a.m.
Cohen Middle - 8:10 a.m.
Edison High School - 8:00 a.m.
3
2016‐2017
Budget Preparation
Preparation of the 2016-2017 budget has already begun. Below is a calendar of budget events to which the
public is invited. After each board meeting the budget information is posted on our website. In addition, the
District will prepare a budget information letter in March 2016 which will be designed to provide the
community with a snapshot of budget issues facing our district and provide an update of the budget
preparation status. Community involvement in the budget process is an important goal of the Board of
Education. Therefore, we invite you to share your thoughts, concerns, and ideas with us. Please feel free to
contact Superintendent Mary Beth Fiore or Business Official Jason Rosno at 734-7114.
2016‐2017 Budget Calendar
January 2016
February 2016
March 2016
April 2016
May 2016
7
Regular BOE Meeting (if needed)
28
Regular BOE Meeting
11
Regular BOE Meeting (if needed)
25
Regular BOE Meeting
10
Regular BOE Meeting (if needed)
24
Budget Workshop/Final Budget Review (if completed)
7
Regular BOE Meeting / Budget Adoption (if completed)
14
Regular BOE Meeting (if needed)
18
Deadline—Submission of Petitions for Propositions to be
placed on the ballot
18
Deadline—Submissions of Board of Education Candidate
Positions
18
First Day Absentee Ballots Can Be Mailed
20
Regular BOE Meeting / Budget Adoption (if not on April 7) &
BOCES Administrative Vote
28
Budget Statement & Required Attachments Made Available
5
Regular BOE Meeting—Public Budget Hearing
10
Last Day Absentee Ballots Can Be Mailed
17
Budget Vote & BOE Member Election
26
Regular BOE Meeting (if needed)
4
COHEN ELEMENTARY
COHEN MIDDLE
BUILDERS CLUB “PICKING” UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF
The Cohen Middle school Builders Club recently kicked off a new year of volunteering by picking apples for
The Food Bank of the Southern Tier at the Stoney Ridge Orchard in Erin, New York. Over 50 students and
staff members volunteered their time to help at this event. For their next projects, the Builders Club will be
packing backpacks at the Arctic League headquarters on Saturday, November 7th and helping sort food at the
Horseheads Food pantry on Saturday, November 14th.
The 2015-2016 Builders Club officers are:
President:
Tyler Northup
Vice President:
Emily Lauper
Secretary:
Ryan Copestick
Treasurer:
Hailey Fierro
“UNITY DAY” AT COHEN
On October 21st, the Elementary and Middle School participated in "Unity Day" by wearing orange to help
prevent bullying at Cohen. Throughout the week, Kindergarten through 5th graders took part in lessons in
the library to learn how to be better friends and how to prevent bullies in our schools.
5
“GIT YOUR PINK ON!”
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to incr ease awar eness of the
disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect
the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. A lot of progress has been made but there
is a long way to go.
The students and staff at Cohen did their part on October 16th by wearing pink on
National Git Y our Pink On Day.
The Community Foundation scholarship
application process has been moved to an online
application system which can be found at
www.communityfund.org.
The foundation will no longer be accepting paper
applications for the scholarships they administer.
Applicants need to click on the “student” link at the
top of the page and follow the instructions.
Students may begin applying for scholarships in
November 2015.
Contact Nancy Van Fleet with any questions at
739-3900 or email her at
[email protected].
6
Cohen Library Book Fair!
December 4th - 11th (8:00 AM– 3:45 PM)
Family Nights – December 8th & 10th (5:30-7:30 PM)
Online Fair: View books, cr eate wish lists, & or der online
http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/cohenlibrary
The book fair will soon be here!
 Elementary students will visit the fair on their libr ar y day dur ing the week of December 4-11th when
they may write a wish list or shop. Classroom teachers may also allow students to shop the fair during the
day if they have their money.
 Middle School students can come to the book fair dur ing homer oom, lunch, study halls, and after
school.
 Everyone can come to the book fair ; it is open to all until 3:45 each day. We will also be open befor e
and after the concerts on December 8th and 10th for your families to visit the fair as well. We have a selection for teens and adults.
 Did you know? The Cohen Elementar y & Middle School libr ar ies ear n a por tion of the Book Fair
sales. These profits are used to purchase new books for both libraries.
 Checks payable to: Elmira Heights Schools; don’t forget to include sales tax.
 Shop online: Br owse an even lar ges book selection, cr eate wish lists or or der online:
http:bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/cohenlibrary
REPS & RECRUITERS VISITING TAE
During the months of September, October and November a number of college
and military representatives have visited Thomas Edison High School. The
reps have been available to meet with students one on one outside the cafeteria
or in the high school library and many have had the opportunity to speak with
the College Prep II class as a group.
These visits and presentations have given students an opportunity to
gain in-depth knowledge about each
particular college and military branch as they begin making plans for the future. Students are also getting an opportunity
to meet the admission representatives that will initially read their college applications and the recruiters that will guide
them through the enlistment process.
The Thomas Edison guidance department will continue to schedule as many visitors as possible in an
effort to expose more and more students to the various opportunities that are available to them after high school.
The list below shows the various colleges and military branches that have visited or are scheduled to visit TAE
through the end of November.
Alfred University
Arnot School of Nursing
Corning Community College
D’Youville College
Elmira College
Finger Lakes School of Massage
Hartwick College
Ithaca College
Keuka College
LeMoyne College
Mansfield University
St. John’s University
SUNY Alfred
SUNY Fredonia
7
SUNY Oneonta
TC3
Wells College
U.S. AIR FORCE
U.S. ARMY
U.S. MARINE CORPS
U.S. NAVY
2016 Project
Graduation
events are in full swing and we would love your support. Below you will find a list of ongoing as well as upcoming
fundraising events. Anyone that is interested in helping with
Project Graduation can contact Michelle Slaven at 846-0566 or Cassie Peters at 329-0603.
Every Thursday of the month we will be having a LEGENDS fundraiser. There are flyers available in the Cohen
Elementary and Middle School main offices as well as the Thomas Edison main office. For every customer that turns in
a flyer with their bill (dine in or take out), LEGENDS will donate 20% of the bill to Project Graduation.
We are also taking part in the CRAZY CANS fundraiser throughout the year. Cans be dropped off at any time. Just
mention the cans are for TAE Project Graduation.
TEXAS ROADHOUSE gift cards are being sold for Christmas. Any amount can be placed onto the card. Cards will
be available through the Thanksgiving holiday.
We will be selling pies (from KECK’S) for Thanksgiving through November 8th. The pies include; Low Sugar Apple, Very Berry, Pumpkin, and Dutch Apple for $12. Peanut Butter parfait and Boston Crème are also available for $15.
On December 20th at 6:00pm we will be hosting an ADULT’S NIGHT OUT at Harry’s in the Heights.
We will be selling 50/50 tickets at all home JV and VARSITY BOY S BASKETBALL games.
Be on the lookout for the SPARTAN SANTA and SNOWMAN. All donations go directly to Project Graduation!
Emergency Closing
Information
As we enter the winter months it may be necessary
to delay the opening of school or close school due to
inclement weather.
All delays or closings will be announced
through the following local media: WETM-TV,
WENY-TV, YNN, WELM, WINK, Lite Rock 97,
WQNY, WHGL, WYXL, 870 AM, and 1470
WNYY.
The Synervoice system will be activated only if
we know of a closing ahead of time. Because of the
number of calls that need to be made district wide
we will not activate the system for last minute delays or
cancellations as parents may not receive the information in a timely fashion. Please rely on the local
media for up-to-date information.
A two-hour delay may be called if it appears
that inclement weather will pass quickly, giving way
to weather which will allow staff and students to get
to school safely. When a two-hour delay is called,
the following will occur:








The delay will be announced on the radio/TV by
7a.m.
Students and staff should arrive to school two
hours later than scheduled.
Students may not be delivered by parents or
guardians to Cohen ES until 9:40a.m. or to Cohen
MS or TAE until 10:10a.m.
Transportation pick-ups will be two hours later
than usual.
Breakfast will not be served at Cohen. Lunch will
not be affected.
There will be no first session of Pre-K. The
second session will meet at usual time.
Morning BOCES will be cancelled for TAE
students.
The school day will end at the normal time at
each school. Transportation home will be at
regular times.
Any transportation questions should be directed to
Todd VanHouten at 739-1358.
8
TAE Students Begin
Planning for the Future
With the guidance of Thomas Edison high school counselor Deborah Howe‐Tennant, 42 juniors took
the PSAT exam on October 14th and 22 juniors were taken to the annual College Fair at the Arnot Mall
on October 22nd.
Each student was tasked with completing a scavenger hunt where they were required to gather infor‐
mation on various colleges of interest, potential college majors, and possible career paths. As a follow‐
up to the trip, Ms. Howe‐Tennant is in the process of meeting with all juniors to introduce them to
Naviance and show them how to do career searches, research careers, colleges and options for their
future. Soon they will meet to go over transcripts, choose courses for next year and to discuss and
map out future plans.
Seniors have all been given access to their Naviance accounts to allow
them to define and search out career paths based upon their interests, to
research and choose colleges as well as complete applications, practice
essays, request transcripts, and communicate with colleges.
Elsewhere in the building, Mr. Russ’ College Prep courses are in full swing this fall. Students have
been busy researching colleges and careers, narrowing down college choices, practicing for SAT and
ACT exams, preparing applications, writing college essays, and focusing on the skills needed for life
after high school.
TAE KEY CLUB
BACK TO WORK IN 2015‐2016
The TAE Key Club has been busy this fall and will continue to be through the holidays. Road
Clean‐up on Watkins Road occurred on October 17. Members helped at the Tanglewood Nature
Center’s “Haunted Happenings” event on October 24th. Some students are providing dessert for
the Soup Kitchen on October 28th. We will also be helping at the Horseheads Food Pantry in
November.
December will find the club members serving refreshments at
the Arctic League Telethon on December 6th, assisting Elcor
residents with Christmas shopping at the Arnot Mall, and
sorting food for Christmas baskets at St. Mary Our Mother
Church.
Our winter and spring schedule has many “holes” to fill. If you
would like the Key Club’s assistance with a community activity
or event, please contact Key Club Advisor, Patti Pautz at TAE at
733‐5604.
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MODIFIED SPORTS
VARSITY & JV SPORTS
November 4
Parent Night in TAE Auditorium
November 9
Winter Sports Begin
WINTER SPORTS
SCHEDULE
October 22
Start of 1st Winter Season
January 4
Start of 2nd Winter Season
Edison Boys Basketball
Edison Girls Basketball
Varsity 7:00—JV @ 5:30 / Varsity 7:30—JV @ 6:00
Date Opponent
Site
Time
11/27 *Lansing HS
A
5:00pm
11/28 *TBD
A
TBD
12/2 Tioga HS
H
7:00pm
12/4 Spencer‐VanEtten HS
H
7:00pm
12/11 Watkins Glen HS
H
7:00pm
12/15 Notre Dame HS
A
7:30pm
12/18 Waverly HS
H
7:00pm
A
7:00pm
12/22 Newark Valley HS
12/27 **Seton Catholic HS
A
11:00am
A
3:15pm
12/29 **Coaches vs. Cancer
12/30 **Coaches vs. Cancer
A
3:15pm
1/8
Candor HS
A
7:00pm
1/12
Newfield HS
H
7:00pm
A
7:30pm
1/15
Odessa‐Montour HS
1/19
Watkins Glen HS
A
7:00pm
1/22 Notre Dame HS
H
7:00pm
1/29 Waverly HS
A
7:30pm
2/2
Newark Valley HS
H
7:00pm
2/5
Trumansburg HS
A
7:00pm
*Moravia Tip‐Off Tournament (varsity only)
**Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament (varsity only)
Varsity 7:00—JV @ 5:30 / Varsity 7:30—JV @ 6:00
Date Opponent
Site
Time
11/27
*Lansing HS
A
5:30pm
A
TBD
11/28
*TBD
12/2
Tioga HS
A
7:30pm
12/4
Spencer‐VanEtten HS
A
7:30pm
12/11
Watkins Glen HS
A
7:30pm
12/15
Notre Dame HS
H
7:00pm
12/18
Waverly HS
A
7:00pm
12/22 Newark Valley HS
H
7:00pm
12/27 **Elmira HS
A
12:45pm
12/28 **Coaches vs. Cancer
A
10:00am
12/30 **Coaches vs. Cancer
A
1:30pm
1/8
Candor HS
H
7:00pm
1/12
Newfield HS
A
7:00pm
1/15
Odessa‐Montour HS
H
7:00pm
1/19
Watkins Glen HS
H
7:00pm
1/22
Notre Dame HS
A
7:30pm
1/29
Waverly HS
H
7:00pm
2/2
Newark Valley HS
A
7:00pm
*Odessa‐Montour Tip‐Off Tournament (varsity only)
**Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament (varsity only)
Bowling
Wrestling
Date
11/24
12/1
12/3
12/8
12/11
12/15
12/17
12/22
1/5
1/6
1/11
1/13
1/18
1/20
2/1
2/2
2/6
2/12
2/13
2/19
2/20
Opponent
Candor HS
Groton HS
Notre Dame HS
Marathon HS
Odessa‐Montour HS
Lansing HS
Tioga HS
Watkins Glen HS
Waverly HS
Candor HS
Union Springs HS
Marathon HS
Odessa‐Montour HS
Groton HS
Newark Valley HS
Tioga HS
IAC Championships
Sect. IV Championships
Sect. IV Championship
NYS Qualifiers
NYS Qualifiers
Site
H
A
A
A
A
H
A
A
A
A
H
H
H
H
H
H
A
A
A
A
A
Time
4:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
4:00pm
4:00pm
4:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
4:00pm
4:00pm
4:00pm
4:00pm
4:00pm
4:00pm
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Date
11/28
12/1
12/5
12/12
12/16
1/2
1/6
1/8
1/9
1/13
1/30
2/13
Opponent
Site
Chenango Valley Tourn. A
Odessa‐Montour HS
A
Newark Valley Tourn.
A
Elmira Tournament
A
Spencer‐VanEtten HS
A
Groton HS
Odessa‐Montour Duals A
H
Moravia HS
Marathon HS
Mike Watson Invitational WG
Mike Watson Invitational WG
Candor HS
A
IAC Championships
WG
Sect. IV Championships A
(Binghamton Arena)
Time
TBD
6:00pm
TBD
TBD
6:00pm
TBD
6:00pm
4:30pm
9:30am
6:00pm
9:30am
TBD
ALL Schedules Subject to change.
Check the Athletic Dept. Link on
www.heightsschools.com
for the most current scheduling information
10
FALL SPORTS AWARDS
DIVISION 4
IAC MVP
ALL-STARS
1st Team All‐Stars
McKenzie Slaven
Corey Garrison
Logan Baker
Dante Belloma
1st Team All‐Stars
Emily Lear
Ashley Comstock
Honorable Mention
Kyle Lockner
Corbin Barchet
2nd Team All‐Stars
Emma Straight
Sami Goodwin
Honorable Mention
Rachael Becker
Haley Maggs
Bella Willsey
Spirit Week: Homecoming 2015
Spirit Week at TAE was another great success this year. There were activities that each class participated in and the
class that won the most activities captured the Spirit Jug! Last year the seniors won the coveted jug, so this year it was
up for grabs!
Students showed their spirit each day of the week by dressing up according to pre-set themes. Students started off the
week Monday, with “Disney/movie character day”. Tuesday was “tourist day”, Wednesday was “color wars”, Thursday was “TV character day”, and Friday was “school spirit day”! There were some crazy outfits!
Tuesday night was hall decorating and this year, once again, each class outdid themselves. The Seniors won the hall
decorating contest, by using a "Team Brown" theme, supporting our assistant football coach and varsity baseball coach
who is battling cancer. The seniors won the pep assembly but lost the loudest class
contest, to take a 2-1 lead for the spirit jug.
After a tie in the "powder-puff" football
game and weather conditions not permitting
the tug of war, the seniors won the spirit
jug! Congratulations to the Class of 2016!
The week was finished off by the crowning
of our king (Chris Becker) and queen
(McKenzie Slaven), and a valiant effort by
the Spartan football team!
The week involved unmeasurable school
spirit, good times and great memories that
will last a lifetime! Let's go T.A.E.!
11
Elmira Heights Central School District
2083 College Ave.
Elmira Heights, NY 14903
(607) 734-7114
EDISON HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR PARENT NIGHT
2015‐2016
Senior parents and students are invited to
Senior Parent Night
Tuesday, November 17
6:00pm
TAE Auditorium
Information on Senior Trip, Project
Graduation, and much much more……...
TAE YEARBOOK ADS
Thomas Edison High School
yearbook ads are on sale through
November 20th.
To order your yearbook ad
please contact:
Aimee Badger
[email protected]
or
Carol Cady
[email protected]
PUBLIC REFERENDUM
STRAW VOTE
heightsschools.com
www.
December 3, 2015
7am—8pm
Thomas Edison High School
Gymnasium