falconer central school district newsletter · 2018. 8. 9. · falconer central school april 2015...

FALCONER CENTRAL SCHOOL

DISTRICT

NEWSLETTER

April 2015

Home of the Golden Falcons

Upcoming Events

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Board of Education Meeting

MS/HS @ 7:30 p.m.

Public Budget Hearing

MS/HS @ 7:00 p.m.

Junior/Senior Prom

@8:00 p.m.

Junior/Senior After-Prom

@12:00 a.m.

Middle School Concert

MS/HS @ 6:30 p.m.

Grade 5 Project Know

Parent Meeting

MS/HS Progress Reports

NYSSMA Solo Festival

Annual Budget Vote

MS/HS @ 2:00 p.m.

Arts & Academic Festival

MS/HS @ 6:00 p.m.


MS/HS @ 7:30 p.m.

No School

Memorial Day: No School

April:

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End of Spring Recess


MS/HS @ 7:30 p.m.

Grade 3-8 NYS Tests


MS/HS @ 7:30 p.m.

Grade 3-8 NYS Tests

End of 3rd Quarter

Grades 9-12 Concert

MS/HS @ 7 :00 p.m.

May:

Congratulations to the entire cast, crew, pit band, and production staff

on another outstanding Falcon Productions performance. Nine weeks

of hard work and dedication showed during the three performances

of “Damn

Yankees” during

the weekend of

March 13-15.

Great job

everyone!

Congratulations Cast and Crew of

Thank you to all

that helped support

Drama at FCS!

April 2015 www.falconerschools.org Falconer Central School

Administration 2

Board of Education President Todd Beckerink Vice President Cathleen Kimball Members Gordon Buck Robert Carpenter Tom Frederes Jennifer Ribaudo Jamie Zaranek

Administration & Supervision Superintendent Stephen Penhollow High School Principal Jeffrey Jordan Middle School Principal Terry English Fenner Elementary Principal Gary Gilbert Temple Elementary Principal Holly Hannon School Psychologist Ashly Warner Business Executive & Purchasing

Agent Brent Agett Director of Special Education Julie Possai Director of Instruction & Staff

Development Judith Roach Building & Grounds Supervisor Randy Ingrao Transportation Supervisor Scott Peterson Coordinator of District Data Judith Roach

Falconer Central School 2 East Avenue North Falconer, NY 14733

(716)665-6624

Stephen Penhollow, Superintendent

Ensuring every child is able to graduate with the knowledge, skills and qualifications that will give them the best chance of success in adult life continues to be a priority at FCS. Although it is often a challenging task, our teachers continue to face the many changes in education head-on and with great success. Below are some facts I feel are important to note:

FCS has received $411,000 less in Foundation Aid in 2014-2015 than we

received in 2008-2009. This reduction comes during the greatest curricular change in NYS history.

Falconer has been reduced over 7 Million dollars since the implementation of the GEA (Gap Elimination Adjustment).

Falconer has been reduced over 29 million dollars since the Foundation Aid formula has been frozen.

Falconer has continued to be a leader in Chautauqua County and NYS in controlling the tax burden on our community by controlling expenditures.

Falconer continues to provide the highest quality of education to our students and community.

Falconer students leave our school prepared to face the challenging world in front of them because of the dedicated efforts of our community and staff.

Many Falconer students leave FCS with at least a semester of college complete due to a great Guidance Department and dedicated teachers who push themselves so they can be certified to offer college level opportunities to our students.

We are so used to all of the activities that are offered at FCS that we sometimes assume they happen everywhere... FCS is special because so many do so much for our kids. Please support our After Prom.

Our students excel in music, arts, theater and all of our extra-curriculars. FCS is a family, and we work as a team to provide the highest quality of

education at the most responsible cost to our students and community. We stand together in demanding fair testing and evaluations for all of

our students and staff. Our students are cared for and supported by our nurses, aides, TA's, and

social workers and always made to feel safe and secure in school and on our buses.

Our buildings and facilities are well kept and are safe for students and staff.

Our administrative staff and offices are supportive and are positive team members at FCS!

Public Education isn't broken, it is just funded inequitably for rural schools like Falconer.

The more I see and hear, the more I realize how fortunate we are to have our children educated at FCS!

We will continue to lobby for fair and equitable distribution of aid and local control of our evaluations from our legislators. We do a great job at FCS, and we will continue to focus on our students and FCS family. Thank You, Stephen Penhollow Superintendent

www.falconerschools.org


High School 3

their Spanish classes, and the rest of the school came to buy and sample them. The best part was that the Spanish students got to keep all the profit! From delicious coffee, fruit drinks and

breakfast items in the morning, to quesadillas, empanadas, and versions of tacos in the afternoon, the day was a savory success.

Tacos and churros and cafe con leche, oh my! Spanish students in grades 10, 11, and 12 researched and prepared many delicious foods and drinks for this year's Market Day on Thursday, March 5. First, the students chose a recipe of a food or drink from a Spanish-speaking country. Then they prepared and sold their tasty treats during

Market Day 2015

Falconer Seniors Register to Vote

At the end of February, the senior class and anyone else eligible within the High School were given an opportunity to register to vote. High School Government teachers, Mr. Jacob Proper and Mr. Corey Markham, made arrangements with the Chautauqua Board of Elections to come to Falconer to discuss the importance of voting and participating in local government. Following an assembly in the High School Auditorium, the Board of Elections staffed tables in the Main Lobby. The Board of Elections, along with Mr. Proper and Mr. Markham, helped to register every eligible Falconer student for the second consecutive year.

Community Blood Drive

Fifty-four donors participated on Friday, February 27, in a Community Blood Bank blood drive held at Falconer High School.

http://www.burbank.k12.il.us/userfiles/2015-01/d04fbdd7-677e-41b2-83ff-0e56b597aa59.jpg?width=500



Clubs and Sports 4

Falconer SADD SADD is a High School organization that stands for "Students Against Destructive Decisions". This fall, the High School SADD chapter hosted a coloring contest for Red Ribbon Week. The goal was to teach our younger students that positive

choices always win out! The turnout was Great! It was a difficult process to choose the winners! Thanks to all who participated.

The cast and crew kicked off their show

weekend with a breakfast at Phil and

Cindy's Friday morning!

“Damn Yankees” Cast/Crew Breakfast

Golden Falcon Wrestling Champ The 2014-2015 season marked another successful year on the mats for the Falconer Wrestling Team. The Golden Falcons claimed another Class C Championship, marking the third year in a row the team

has accomplished this feat. The team had 11 Sectional Qualifiers advance to the Sectional Tournament, which ended with the Falcons having 3 finalists and 5 overall place finishers: Freshman: Dylan Ingrao (2nd), Sophomore: Cameron Page (2nd), Sophomore: Jake Peru (3rd), Junior: Scott Green (5th) and Senior: Jake Penhollow (2nd). In addition to Penhollow’s 2nd Place Finish at Sectionals, Jake was awarded a Wild Card selection, which punched him a ticket to Albany to compete in the New York State Wrestling Championship. There, Jake finished 1-2 for the weekend, while rounding out his senior year with a 35-7 record. Congratulations to all members of the Falconer Wrestling Team on yet another successful season.

http://www.sadd.org/images/sadd_logo.jpg



Middle School 5

6th Grade Egyptian Study The 6th grade is at it again! The annual Ancient Egyptian study called "Mummies and Mysteries" took place from March 16-March 27. Students created a 3-D pyramids from lessons in Geometry during math classes. They investigated how King Tutankhamun's death was perceived and created their own design of a mummy's tomb. Inventions from Egypt were researched. Each student selected a god or goddess from Egyptian mythology to be studied through the two week interdisciplinary project. All of this learning was displayed on the faces of the 3-D pyramids. The pyramids will be graded for quality workmanship, content, and specific requirements for each core area: ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies.

Middle School Battle of the Classes The annual Middle School Battle of the Classes took place on Friday, March 20. Students competed in three events that afternoon, then returned to school for the evening events. New and different things were incorporated this year. Historically, student admission to the evening event has been a canned/packaged food item to restock our local food pantries, but this year students were given a list of donations/supplies suggested by the local Blue Star Mothers organization. Also new this year was Penny Wars. The monies collected were put towards postage to send these supplies to our troops overseas. Contact www.bluestarmothers.org for more information about this great initiative. The Sixth Grade took first place, Eighth Grade took second place, and Seventh Grade took third place. The Sixth Grade also took first place in the Penny wars event. The total monies collected for all three grade levels was $171.28. A check was presented to Blue Star Mothers for shipping care packages to our military troops overseas! A huge thank you goes to the parents of PACT, volunteers from Key Club, and the rest of the community for their support. None of this is possible without the support of our FCS staff, administration, and community helpers!

Dance Competition At the beginning of March, the Middle School Gym classes held a dance competition. Students were split into teams, each choreographed and performed an unique dance that was judged by both teachers and students. Each winning team was given an Excellence Award for their achievement.

www.bluestarmothers.org



Fenner and Temple Elementary 7

PARP Assembly at Temple Temple Elementary celebrated PARP (Parents as Reading Partners) with a kick-off assembly featuring the Infinity Band. Students in Grades K-2 were selected to dress up from the PARP bags. AIS teachers, Mrs. Long and Mrs. Brainard, discussed the importance of PARP and the calendar of events for the week of March 2. A special thank you to the Falconer PTO for funding the Infinity Band for Temple's

Parents as Reading Partners kick-off assembly.

Those receiving Top Honors included: 3rd Grade Top Honors: Aidan McCleery - Harry Potter Tyler Welch - Composting is Awesome Zeta Mayr - The Buzz on Honeybees Anna Carlson - Girl Scouting Sarah Harvey and Marlei Armstrong - History of

Women's Gymnastics 3rd Grade Principal's Choice: Hannah Brentley - My World of Chickens 4th Grade Top Honors: Emily Payne - Rethink Your Drink Brason Frederes - Wind Turbines Emma Holmberg - Can an Egg Bounce? Jayden Chadwick - What Glows Under a Black

Light Andrew LeBaron - Fishing With My Family 4th Grade Principal's Choice: Paul Claydon - Adoption Journey

5th Grade Top Honors: Connor LaForest - Autism Speaks Justin Swan - The Great Depression Kayin Ziolkowski - Deflate Gate Hannah Cross - Cupcake Queen Alexis Adam - Card Making 5th Grade Principal's Choice: Kayla Whitford - Who in the World is Mr.

Gilbert

Scholastic Fair At Fenner On Thursday, March 5, 2015 Fenner held its annual Scholastic Fair. There were over 100 projects and participants this year. Some of this year’s projects were Autism Awareness, Card Making, Duct Tape Creations, Adoption, the Wonder of working a Tree Farm, and everything in between. Judges from the community volunteered their time to come in, interview, and score each student’s project. Later that evening, the school gymnasium was open for loved ones and peers to come look at all the wonderful projects. An awards ceremony was held to honor the top five projects at each grade level. In addition, three students , selected by Mr. Gilbert received the Principal’s Award. They received a medal, in honor of their accomplishment. Each student who completed a project received a certificate of participation and a collectible dollar coin. To view all the projects, please visit www.falconerschools.org/elementary. The Scholastic Fair Committee would like to thank the Falconer Elementary PTO for generously providing funding to purchase medals, certificates, and dollar coins for the students who participated and refreshments for the judges. The Scholastic Fair was organized by teachers: Cindy Nutt, Nicole Velazquez, Marissa Shields, Bryan Voorhis, and Building Principal, Gary Gilbert. The Scholastic Fair committee would like to thank everyone who attended and made this event possible.

www.falconerschools.org/elementary



Temple Elementary 6

Students in the Kitchen The students in Mrs. Conlan's class at Temple Elementary helped out in the kitchen on Fun Friday!

Temple’s “Popcorn Guy” Julian from Mrs. Conlan's class is famously known as the "Popcorn Guy" as you can see from his Chef's hat. One of his jobs at Temple Elementary is to take orders, pop popcorn, and deliver it to the students and staff at Temple Elementary.

100th Day of School at Temple Elementary Students from Mrs. Roth's 1st grade class celebrated the 100th day of school in many ways.

Cheer Bear Winners Miss Digirolamo's Kindergarten class won the Cheer bear for the month of February.

First Grade’s “Sweet Reads”

Last month, our display case featured first grade readers and some "sweet reads" that they LOVED! Having a wonderful library filled with so many great books, made it especially hard to decide which ones to highlight!

February 3Bs Winners Pictured below are the Kindergarten and First Grade winners of the 3Bs award.



Back Cover 8

Alma Mater

Falconer High School here’s to you best in the land. ‘Neath the old gold and

blue, we will proudly take our stand in classroom

study, field, or track with you dear as our guide, no

honor ever shall you lack. I’ll win your pride.

Mission Statement

The Board of Education, collective staff, and

community of the Falconer School District are

committed to preparing our children to be

productive members of society. Through

continuous evaluation and improvement, this

partnership will a provide a quality educational

environment for students to meet the graduation

requirements.

Desktop Publishing Students Instructed by Miss. Fisher, Educational Technology Specialist

Reminder

The Fosberg Technology Center is open late on

Tuesdays for additional work time until 4:10 p.m. The late bus is available if needed.

Newsletter Produced by…

Justin Gould and Liz Hanson

Call for After-Prom Volunteers The Falconer After-Prom Committee is planning their final meeting on April 14 at 7 p.m. in the 8th grade project room. The After-Prom Party is planned for May 9 and help is needed with decorating and clean up after the party. If you are available, please contact Rosie Digirolamo at 665-6624. Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation or provide a basket for the party may give to Rosie Digirolamo prior to April 25. The theme this year is “Western.” Decorating times are as follows: May 6 and May 7 at 6 p.m. in the gym and May 8 all day starting at 9 a.m. and ending when finished.

Damn Yankees Preview Shows

Some of the cast of “Damn Yankees” travelled to Temple on March 12 and performed a variety of the songs from the musical for the young students. One

student was chosen out of the audience to dance with the group and one student from each grade level was randomly drawn to receive a free ticket to the musical.

On March 13 about half the cast of “Damn Yankees” walked to Fenner Elementary to share a few song selections with Fenner students. During one selection, a student joined the cast in a conga line. One free ticket to the musical was handed out to one student per grade via a drawing.

The entire Middle School was treated to a preview of “Damn Yankees” by the entire cast and crew during the afternoon of March 13. Not only were select songs performed, the audience was shown a few scene changes to highlight the stage crew.


falconer central school district newsletter · 2018. 8. 9. · falconer central school april 2015...

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