It’s that time of year again – the leaves are starting to change, the days are growing shorter and the temperatures are dropping. It’s the time kids dread and parents cheer: it’s time to go back to school.
So what’s new in your school district this year? Read on to find out.
What’s new in…
Baldwinsville
The Baldwinsville Central School District is looking forward to kicking off another new school year. This year, in addition to new students, the district will welcome 11 new teachers and several new administrators at all levels.
In the district office, Rocco Nalli is now the district’s director of special education. He was previously the assistant director of special education. Also joining the special education department is Eileen Lutz, a special education teacher in the district, now a teacher on special assignment. James Rodems, formerly the school business administrator in Tully, is the district’s new assistant superintendent for management services. R.J. DeLisle will take over as director of technology; he was previously the district’s director of curriculum and instruction, grades K-7, has assumed the post of director of technology. Finally, former Durgee Assistant Principal Matthew McDonald joins the district office as assistant to the superintendent.
There have also been changes at the top at Baker High School. Joseph DeBarbieri is now the principal; he had previously been an assistant principal at the high school. Michelle Crisafulli, a former Reynolds Elementary School teacher, is one of the school’s new assistant principals. The other is Christopher Campolieta, who moves over to the high school from his position as assistant principal at Ray Middle School.
At Durgee Junior High School, John Birmingham takes over as an assistant principal – he previously taught in the Marcellus School District – as does Dee Sherb, who previously taught in the North Syracuse Central School District. Finally, at Ray Middle School, Matthew Motala joins the school as an assistant principal. He was previously an assistant principal at the junior high school.
And that’s not all that’s new. If your child attends school in the village of Baldwinsville, you’ll notice some new security measures that have been put in place. Those schools are Baker High School, Durgee Junior High School, Elden Elementary School and Van Buren Elementary School. The security systems were installed due to a federal COPS grant (Community Oriented Policing Services) that the district, in partnership with the village of Baldwinsville, was awarded in 2007. The system at each building features electronic door access controls and security cameras, as well as an intercom system. At all four schools, all exterior doors, including the main entrance, will be locked. In order to enter the buildings visitors must be granted access by office staff members.
While the COPS grant only covers the schools located within the village, in December 2008, voters approved a capital project that included the installation of security systems in the district schools located outside of the village – Palmer Elementary School, McNamara Elementary School, Reynolds Elementary School, and Ray Middle School. The district anticipates having the security systems in place in these schools by the end of 2012.
If you want to be kept in the loop about happenings in the district, you can sign up to be on the Key Communicators’ Network. The group consists of parents, staff, community members and representatives from local businesses, government and organizations. Members of the group have volunteered their time to keep the district informed of questions, concerns and rumors circulating in the school district community. They are also committed to sharing accurate information about the district with community members.
Baker High School is offering three new courses. The first is a firefighter/EMS training course. This elective prepares students to join a volunteer fire department as an exterior firefighter. The high school is also now offering a college level calculus course and a British literature course though Onondaga Community College.
Finally, if you’re looking for the athletics department, it’s moved. The office is now located on the ground floor of Baker High School. It used to be in the district office. To reach the office, call 638-6053.
District info
Superintendent: Jeanne Dangle
District office: 29 East Oneida St., Baldwinsville
First day of school: Wednesday Sept. 9
For more information, call the distr
What’s new in…
Liverpool
Changes in Liverpool go all the way up to the top.
The district’s new superintendent, Dr. Richard “Nick” Johns, started Aug. 1. Johns said he hoped to refocus the district on its mission of educating kids.
“There have been too many distractions in the last few years,” Johns said. “It’s time to get back to the real business of this district.”
Johns said the board chose him as superintendent because he is “patently boring.”
“I’m not a guy who needs to be in the headlines,” he said.
Johns also has plenty of experience, having worked as an administrator for 33 years in a number of districts across the country.
“Dr. Johns brings a wealth of experience as a superintendent in many different kinds of school districts - small, medium, and large; rural, suburban, and urban,” former Board of Education President J. Mark Lawson said. “He has a proven track record of turning around troubled schools.”
“I’m really excited about what we’re going to do in this district,” Johns said. “I’m going to make sure we keep up the reputation it has as a world class school system."
Not all of the changes are so big; there will also be some smaller scheduling changes. Starting in September, all 10 Liverpool elementary schools will begin and end 10 minutes earlier. Students attending Chestnut Hill Elementary, Liverpool Elementary, Nate Perry Elementary and Wetzel Road Elementary will begin their school day at 8:25 a.m. and end their day at 2:45 p.m. Students attending Donlin Drive Elementary, Elmcrest Elementary, Long Branch Elementary, Morgan Road Elementary, Soule Road Elementary and Willow Field Elementary will begin school at 9:10 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.
In addition, the district will offer a universal breakfast program, providing free breakfast to all students at the elementary level. The district started the program during the 2003-04 school year at Chestnut Hill Elementary and will expand it to the rest of the district this year.
Finally, would you like important information regarding the Liverpool Central School District sent directly to your e-mail address?
Community members who subscribe to the district’s “Key Communicator” Mailing List will receive special messages from the superintendent’s office by e-mail regarding topics such as early dismissals and school closings, public hearings and important notices. Subscribers also will receive board of education meeting agendas and minutes, and will be alerted when the district Web site’s Sex Offender Registry page has been updated.
To join the electronic distribution list, send your name, street address and e-mail address to Meghan_Piper@liverpool.k12.ny.us. Include “Key Communicator” in the subject of your e-mail.
District info
Superintendent: Richard Johns
District office: 195 Blackberry Road, Liverpool
First day of school: Tuesday Sept. 8
For more information, call the district
What’s new in….
North Syracuse
There’s plenty to be excited about in North Syracuse this year. The district is looking forward to welcoming more than 9,300 students back at all levels on Tuesday Sept. 8.
At the elementary level, there have been numerous technological changes. Beginning in July, the district installed more than 150 Smartboards, electronic whiteboards at the front of the room that allows teachers and students to interact with the touch of a finger. Similar to a touch screen but with an instructional focus, students and staff can work with computer programs, access the internet, work directly on the board, manipulate both documents and images, and more, all on one board. Training for teachers began in August with more than 600 North Syracuse staff members completing at least one of four professional development offerings. Many teachers plan to use the Smartboards to enrich classroom lessons, increase student involvement directly in the learning process, and utilize a much wider range of resources and experiences for student learning. To learn more about Smartboards, smarttech.com.
Also on the technological front, North Syracuse’s elementary schools are going green, eliminating their paper newsletters and instead submitting them to families electronically beginning in October. A one-page ‘Monthly Brief’ replacing the full newsletter each month, and each building’s newsletter will still be accessible in its entirety online. The district said the initiative will decrease annual paper usage by approximately 300,000 pages. To sign up for this electronic delivery service visit nscsd.org/emailSignup.cfm.
Finally, technology is being used to develop a new elementary report card, which will go into place this fall. All report cards for students in kindergarten through fourth grade will be completed by staff electronically and will have a very different look. Over the past year, a representative committee has worked to change the format and content of the report card to be more ‘user-friendly’ for students, parents and staff, as well as being better aligned with the current curriculum throughout the district. A rubric will now be used to share how students are progressing in each of the content areas, as well as behavior, work habits, skills and special areas.
The middle schools will also see some changes. They’ll also have new Smartboards installed, and Gillette Road students will have classroom computers upgraded. Students in grades five through seven will begin working with a new science series, while fifth- and sixth-graders will begin using a new music series. The schools will also welcome several new teachers, and they, too, will begin sending their newsletters electronically. Visit the district website to sign up for delivery.
North Syracuse Junior High will launch its own TV studio the first day of school with a live feed of morning announcements and information from the principal.
Struggling students at NSJHS will have new resources available to them this year. The 8.5 Program is a new initiative for students who would normally repeat the eighth grade. It allows those students to make up time to prepare for high school by focusing on literacy and math skills and career opportunities. After 10 weeks, students can begin taking ninth grade courses. In addition, any student on the free and reduced lunch program will be eligible for tutoring from outside service providers through the Supplemental Education Services program. Finally, a learning center has been created to provide additional help in ELA and math.
At Cicero-North Syracuse High School, the Students Taking Active Roles (STAR) Leadership program will continue. Students in the program will learn a variety of skills through after-school seminars led by area professionals. After completing the program, students will wear a blue cord at their graduation.
District info
Superintendent: Jerome F. Melvin
District Office: 5355 West Taft Road, North Syracuse
First day of school: Tuesday Sept. 8
If you have questions, contact the North Syracuse District Office at 218-2100 or visit nscsd.org.
Sep
11
Back to School
Sarah Hall 09/11/09
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Back to school, Baldwinsville, Liverpool, North Syracuse
TAGS: Back to school, Baldwinsville, Liverpool, North Syracuse