D ialogue How to help two students with cancer I
Transcription
D ialogue How to help two students with cancer I
D City nds a a r H i r m u l E is in o strict i s s D e c l c o t Su Scho Studen January - February 2012 I•S•T•R•I•C•T ialogue How to help two students with cancer Beecher and Fassett elementary schools have teamed up to help two young boys who are facing critical medical challenges. Two Fassett Elementary students have been diagnosed with different types of cancer. Both have siblings at Beecher Elementary. Here are the boys’ stories. Tristin Malone, second grade, Fassett Tristin has a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. This is a type of cancer that begins in the muscles and can occur in many places in the body. The most common sites are the head and neck, and the arms or legs. Tristin had two cancerous spots and is expected to be out of school for a long time. On Nov. 2, Tristin began receiving chemotherapy treatments at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa. He eventually will receive radiation treatments in Philadelphia. His prognosis is unknown. Tristin’s sister, Hailey Hoskins, is in fifth grade at Beecher. Tristin’s brother, Devin Hoskins, is in sixth grade at Beecher. Jacob Davila, Kindergarten, Fassett Jacob has a rare form of kidney cancer called a Wilms tumor. He first became ill in April and had a kidney removed. His cancer was in remission during the summer, but recently, two new cancerous spots were found on both lungs. He is receiving treatments at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. His mother has no car and has a dif- ficult time traveling between Rochester and Elmira. Jacob’s prognosis is unknown. Jacob has two sisters: Justine Davila is in second grade at Fassett and Jessica Davila is in sixth grade at Beecher. School fund-raising activities From Crazy Hat Days to student dress-up days, the two schools have a variety of fund-raising activities planned through May. Faculty Dress-down Days every Friday, $1 donation. Student Dress-up Days on certain Fridays, $1 donation. February 14: Formal Dress-up Day Crazy Hat Days for students and staff, $1 donation. The first Crazy Hat Day is March 15. Feb. 25 through March 15: Read-A-Thon Student Committees: Both schools have formed committees of students to come up with additional fund-raising ideas including movie nights or bake sales. Money Weeks: through March. The idea is that each student will bring in a penny on Monday, a nickel on Tuesday, a dime on Wednesday, a quarter on Thursday and $1 on Friday, totaling $1.41 per student each week. February– Fassett; March–Beecher and Fassett. PFO Donations How you can help Anyone who would like to participate in a fund-raiser or contribute a donation should contact Beecher Principal Mike Lanning at 735-3500 or Fassett Principal Mary Cox at 735-3900. Inside: Page 2 Music scholarship news; District featured in national DVD Page 3 Socks for Sandy; Coburn goes pink Page 4 Diven moves it for math; School counselors honored Page 5 EFA inducts 19 to NHS; SHS hosts coffee with the principal Page 6 Flu info on Web; Do you Mango? Dad visits Pine City Page 7 Good news Page 8 Musicians perform at NYSSMA festival 1 District’s APPR plan approved by NYS The New York State Department of Education has formally approved the Elmira City School District’s Annual Professional Performance Review plan for teachers and principals for the 2012-13 school year. “This has been a unique and evolving process in which we were asked to locally negotiate evaluations that gave us very little autonomy. I thank the teachers and administrators in our district that were part of this learning experience,” said Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter. Student volunteers sought for new program The District is participating in a new program called TIES – Together Including Every Student. The program matches student volunteers in grades 8-12 with children and young adults ages 8-21 who have developmental disabilities. TIES will benefit everyone involved. The program gives students with developmental disabilities the opportunity to participate in extracurricular and community activities. The volunteers will gain invaluable experience helping people and will learn about dealing with diverse abilities. Volunteers are needed to attend activities with their partners such as Girl Scout meetings, after-school clubs, swimming, YWCA and YMCA programs, and other recreational programs. This is a great opportunity for students interested in careers in education, psychology, social work or nursing, or for those who simply want to make a positive difference in their community. Volunteer applications are available in the guidance offices at EFA, Southside High School, Ernie Davis and Broadway middle schools. To volunteer, contact Penny Penn at 398-9133, 731-7942 or Penny_penn70@ yahoo.com. For information, visit www. elmiracityschools.com/ties.cfm. Student music scholarship competition Thursday Morning Musicales Scholarship Competition What: The 51st Annual Thursday Morning Musicales Scholarship Competition Awards: $1,500: 1st Place $750: 2nd Place Who: High school seniors living or attending school in Chemung County who plan to continue their study of music in college. Students do not need to major in music. When: Thursday, April 18, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. Where: North Presbyterian Church, Elmira District featured in a national educational DVD The Elmira City School District is highlighted in a new DVD created by ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), an educational leadership organization that develops programs, products and services for educators. This past fall, a film crew from ASCD came to Diven Elementary School to interview Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter, Diven Principal Pam Davis-Webb and other Diven staff members about implementing the new Common Core Standards. The DVD, “Leading with Vision: 6 Steps to Implementing the CCSS,” is a staff development tool for schools and districts and is now available for purchase. “Educators dream of recognition such as this,” said Superintendent Hochreiter. “We are extremely proud of this DVD.” ASCD Executive Director and CEO Dr. Gene R. Carter complimented the district’s curriculum work and subsequent contribution to the DVD: “ASCD is excited to highlight the excellent work of the Elmira City School District in our new video, ‘Leading with Vision,’” Carter said. “The district’s work in implementing the new Common Core State Standards is an excellent example we look forward to sharing with other educators nationwide.” Superintendent Hochreiter described making the DVD as a “wonderful, collaborative process,” and thanked his staff members for their input. “ASCD is the authority on staff development in education, and we are honored to have been selected and highlighted. This is a testament to our staff’s commitment to making instructional decisions based on data and results,” Hochreiter said. For more information, visit their Web site at www.ascd.org. 2 Broadway Elementary collects ‘Socks for Sandy’ Broadway Elementary School families quickly pulled together to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. The school participated in a project called “Socks for Sandy,” in which socks, hats and mittens were collected to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. In just two days, parents brought in more than 330 items. April Starkweather, the school’s Parent Partner, organized the drive. Coburn fifth-graders go pink to show support for breast cancer awareness How many times do 23 out of 23 students all do what they promise? Ask Brett French, a teacher at Coburn Elementary School, whose entire fifth-grade class wore pink one day in support of breast cancer awareness. French said that “some of the boys really had to scramble to find something to wear, but when everyone showed up in pink, the whole class thought it was really cool.” 3 Riverside holds Book Recycling Day Riverside Elementary School found a great way for all their students to take home a new book-- at least a book that was new to them. The school held a Book Recycling Day, in which students went to the library to pick out a free book to bring home. Where did the books come from? Riverside parents! Parents sent in books that their children no longer wanted but were still in good shape. Dawn Parker, Riverside’s Parent Partner, organized the event. wards learning. The Math & Movement program is based on research that shows that moving during learning facilitates muscle memory, an important factor with younger children whose abstract thinking skills are not fully developed. The Family Fun Night was sponsored by the Corning/Elmira Community Foundation. For more information about the program, visit www.mathandmovement.com. Fassett to hold Math & Movement event on Feb. 7 Diven Elementary held a family Math & Movement Night Diven Elementary School hosted a Family Fun Night in November in Diven’s gym and cafeteria. The high-energy evening featured the Math & Movement program, an educational program that combines physical fitness with learning and practicing math, reading and other concepts. The evening was designed to boost students’ confidence in math and reading skills. During the Family Fun Night, parents and children moved from station to station, learning math activities while completing a Math & Movement activity guide. Students used floor mats and wall charts to learn math and reading concepts through movement. Students from the EFA National Honor Society supervised the stations. Studies have shown that eight out of 10 children are kinesthetic learners. (They learn best through movement.) The program harnesses children’s natural kinesthetic learning style to foster positive feelings to- Fassett Elementary School will hold their Family Fun Math & Movement Night from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7. School counselors honored during National School Counseling Week National School Counseling Week, celebrated from Feb. 4-8, focuses public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors. The week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. Formerly known as guidance counselors, school counselors help students examine their abilities, strengths, interests and talents; work in a partnership with parents; focus on positive ways to enhance students’ social/personal, educational and career development; and work with teachers to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential and set healthy, realistic goals for themselves. The Elmira City School District has a K-12 School Counseling Program that has been recognized across the state. As part of its celebration of National School Counseling Week, school counselors in the district will be providing a variety of activities for students about making healthy choices: something that school counselors emphasize on a daily basis. Examples include poster contests, journal prompts, trivia questions and more. The district school counselors are Sonja Jennings, Madeline Mathews, Jean Coons, Kimberly Webster, Michelle Wichtowski, Nancy Coldiron, Justin Fuchs, Traci Harke, Brian Fitzgerald, Terry Nicklaus, Eloise Streeter, Joan Fedor, Heather Lutz, Steve Mastronardi and Mike Middaugh. 4 EFA National Honor Society inducts nineteen Nineteen juniors at Elmira Free Academy were inducted into the National Honor Society during a ceremony in December. All of those selected for this honor have demonstrated a cumulative 89.5% grade point average or higher, as well as character, leadership and service. The inductees are: 1. Aleah J. Briggs 2. Grace Chorpenning 3. Kiersten Delaney Cobb-Wilkins 4. Hailey A. Court 5. Melissa M. Erway 6. Susan Anne Fennell 7. Maureen Hill 8. Nicole Hill 9. Alana M. Kapusta 10. Theo Keeley-LeClaire 11. Tyler J. Lynch 12. Maureen D. Milliken 13. Meredith Moore 14. Zachary Nierstedt 15. Joseph Nugent 16. Luke M. Proudfoot 17. Aricca Senkow 18. Drew B. Serva 19. Sahriah M. Waters A faculty council reviewed the applications and determined this year’s inductees for the EFA chapter, which is called the Albert B. Helmkamp Chapter, now in it’s fifty-eighth year. The 19 inductees joined 32 current members at EFA. The club adviser is math teacher Elaine Perkins. Southside High School to host ‘Coffee with the Principal’ Southside High School Principal Chris Krantz will host a “Coffee with the Principal” hour from 8-9 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month to engage in dialogue with parents. This is an opportunity for parents and guardians of Southside students to discuss ideas and/or issues with Principal Krantz. This open forum will take place in Room 104 at the high school. No signup is necessary; coffee and refreshments will be available. 5 Web site posts flu information Do you Mango? Elmira City School District health officials have posted information for staff, parents and students on their website: www.elmiracityschools.com. Click on the Quick Link called Flu Information. District health officials urge parents to get children immunized as soon as possible, if they aren’t already. Other important information posted on the Flu Information section of the Web site includes: Students who are learning a foreign language may find Mango helpful. Mango is an online language-learning system, available from the Chemung County Library District, that can help in practicing languages such as Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian and even ancient Greek. In addition to learning a new language, there are several English courses for non-native speakers. Mango also can be accessed via Apple or Android device. To access this new language tutorial, students can visit the Library District’s website: http://ccld.lib.ny.us/mango.htm. A library card is required to use Mango. Those who want to apply for a library card should bring ID with current address to any Chemung County Library. Library cards are free. Thanks to a generous gift from the Friends of the Steele Memorial Library, Chemung County Library District patrons now have 24/7 access to Mango Languages. • Flu prevention tips • Guidelines for when to keep your child home if he or she is sick • How to know if your child has the flu, and how to treat it • When to seek medical help “The flu season is hitting Chemung County hard this year,” said Kim Holden, FNP, district nurse practitioner. “Above all else, if children have flu symptoms, they should not be sent to school until they’re feeling well and have been free of fever for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine such as Tylenol or Advil.” Staff and students are allowed to bring their own hand sanitizer to school. However, staff and parents are asked to please educate children that alcohol-based sanitizer is flammable and should not be exposed to an open flame, and that it’s poisonous if swallowed. See the Web site for details. Pine City dad talks to his son’s classmates about his military service On Jan. 9, Pine City student Landyn Gunderson had an unexpected visitor. Landyn’s father, Jeremy Gunderson, was deployed to Afghanistan a year ago. He arrived home late on January 8 and surprised Landyn at school the next day. The second grade class gathered in the cafetorium without Landyn knowing what was about to happen. It was a happy reunion! Landyn’s father answered questions from the second-grade boys and girls, and then he read Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops by Jill Biden. Jeremy Gunderson answers the students’ questions about his experience in the military. 6 Good news District students to graduate in February Congratulations to a group of seniors from EFA and Southside High School who will graduate from high school in a ceremony that begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 in Southside High School’s auditorium. Beecher names Town Meeting award winners Congratulations to the following Beecher Elementary students who were honored at January’s Town Meeting for demonstrating responsibility, following the Golden Rule, or were honored as Beecher’s Best for good behavior. Third Grade Najae Bacome, Madison Brouwere, McKensey Cantando, Jalyn Culmer, William Jackson, Logan Johnson, Katelyn Jordan, Jasmine Knox, Timothy Miller, Nathan Negrete, Danielle Quire, Mackenzie Shaffer, Cody Sheely and Robert Woodson. Fourth Grade Ethan Bauman, Kyler Brenzo, Monika Bustamante, Renata Chalk, Aneisa Dodson, Nerissa Dodson, Madelyn Hartley, Lamaiya Inness, Mykaila Jessup, Alyssa Lewis, Angela Lewis, Antonio Maria, Matthew Melendez, Lawrence Nickens, Meghan Oakley, Isabel O’Brian, Liberty Somers, Jah’layzha TerryCampbell and Domitri Valentin. Fifth Grade Lucas Allen, Yasmin Barnes, Jack Brewer, Ne’Jhare Cayne, Talynn Coleman, Ryan Giammichele, Sabrina Hall, Azsyanti Harriell, Hailey Hoskins, Jordan Klein, Julie May, Chloe Morrow-Terwilliger, Nyson Quinitchett, Barbara Simons, Tamari Watkins, Desmond Williams and Nick White. Sixth Grade Carter Allen, James Bailey, Magnificent Baker, Jaheim Brown, Olivia Burchard, Kirstin Laird, Nick Lawson, LeAnn McKerrow, Zariyah Mathis, Haley Mustico, Breanna Ostrander, Olivia Patricelli, Caylin Proctor, Antonello Ruggiero, Elyjah Smith, Matthew Spencer, Michael Strait, Jeremiah Walborn and TahZae Watkins. Diven gives Super Splash awards to students Congratulations to all the Diven Super Splash student award winners. Click here to see the complete list on our website: http://www.elmiracityschools.com/ DivenSuperSplash. cfm. These awards are presented to stu- Parents Paula and Dean Hackett, and their son, a Diven Elementary dents who consis- Super Splash award winner, stand with Splash the Dolphin. tently make the classroom a better place to learn by: EFA student recognized • Exhibiting a positive and cooperative attitude as outstanding musician • Using manners Congratulations to Rachel Doud, a • Being helpful to others senior at Elmira Free Academy, who was • Following the Dolphin Way. selected to perform in the 2013 National Association for Music Education, Eastern Student musicians Division Honor Ensembles. Doud, a violinperform in Junior High ist, will travel to Hartford, Conn., from April to 7 to participate in the prestigious orArea All-State concerts 4chestra ensemble. Congratulations to seven Elmira City Participants in the 2013 National AsSchool District students from EFA and Er- sociation for Music Education, Eastern Dinie Davis Middle School who were selected vision Honor Ensembles will spend three to perform in the NYS School Music Asso- days rehearsing under the leadership of ciation’s Junior High Area All-State concert at prominent conductors and will perform Genesee Valley Central School District. for an audience of thousands on April 7 at Students who performed in the Mixed Hartford’s Bushnell Center for the PerformChorus were Alexandra Wakefield, Claire ing Arts. Touschner and A’Don Allen. Students who Doud also attended the NYSSMA Allperformed in Band were Nicholas Kandaras State Festival in Rochester from Nov. 29-Dec. from EFA, as well as Martin Cain, Abigail Duvall 2, performing with the String Orchestra. She and Aallyah Williams, all from Ernie Davis was the only student representing the district in the orchestra. Middle School. 7 Elmira City School District 951 Hoffman Street Elmira, NY 14905 Student musicians performed in Senior High Area All-State festival Twenty-five high school student musicians from the Elmira City School District attended the New York State School Music Association’s Zone 15 Area All-State Festival at Haverling High School in Bath. Students are selected for an Area All-State ensemble through an application process that begins in September. Applications include a solo audition rating sheet from the previous school year and music teacher recommendations. Students then are selected through established criteria and are notified of their acceptance. Congratulations to the following ECSD students: Non-profit org. US postage PAI D Elmira, NY Permit no. 39 • Band: Lauren Cain, EFA Seth Kramer, Southside Kathryn Tubby, EFA Skyler Morseman, Southside Calvin Kennedy, Southside Ingrid Peterson, Southside Sarah Swarthout, Southside • String Orchestra: Joe Allen, EFA LaShawn Johnson, EFA Deric Bristow, EFA Janeah Thomas, EFA Marsden Cornish, EFA Delaney Beckhorn, Southside Rachel Doud, EFA Micah Coons, Southside Sam Halperin, EFA Hunter Prior, Southside Nathan DePuy, EFA Victoria Scott, Southside • Mixed Chorus: Nate Giammichele, EFA Monica Schornstheimer, EFA Joel Stooks, EFA Lyric Boothe, Southside Hunter Lares, Southside Hannah Mase, Southside Morgan Sterling, Southside District Dialogue is published monthly by the Elmira City School District for its employees and patrons. Superintendent: Joseph Hochreiter Board of Education: Sara Lattin, President; Larry McGovern Jr., Vice President; Ed Cleary, Jr., René Dickens, Lynn Grottenthaler, Scott Moore, Claude Oliver, Randy Reid and Jessica Roberts. Editors: Kathleen Costello, 735-3091, and Pam Hawthorne, 739-3581 • Women’s Chorus Brenna O’Brian, Southside 8