Nottingham Teaching Assistant Wins Award

Nottingham teaching assistant Nodesia Hernandez received the Liberty Bell Award during the recent Onondaga County Bar Association’s Law Day Ceremony. The award is given each year to a non-lawyer whose community service contributed to the American system of justice and liberty.

Ms. Hernandez serves on Nottingham’s Family Life Team, which deals with teenage pregnancy. She also assists young women from other countries in adapting to the high school environment.

Ms. Hernandez is a part time paralegal and volunteers with the Bar Association in getting more city schools involved in Law Day activities. She also works with CHOICES (Creating Heightened Opportunities in Community Environment and Self) program in the school district and is starting a not-for-profit organization to engage more youths with volunteer activities in the community.

Syracuse City Schools Takes all the Prizes in Syracuse University 2008 E*Lit Contest

E*Lit challenges staff to find new and creative ways to integrate technology into instruction. Students are engaged in an in-depth learning activity focused on culture and literature centered on a selected author’s work that motivates them to create exemplary projects. The three winning groups and the author will go to the SU campus on May 16, 2008. All projects will be viewable on the SU Center for Digital Literacy Web site.

1st Place: Bellevue Elementary and McKinley-Brighton Elementary Collaborative project Discovering the Colorful World of India Together
Bellevue Staff: Monica Minion, LMS; Melissa Troch, 4th Grade Teacher; Rhonda Holtzman, Art Teacher; Christine DeLuca, Music Teacher. McKinley-Brighton Staff: Bonnie French, LMS; Elizabeth Peppone, 4th Grade Teacher; Patricia Rudney, Art Teacher. Students: 4th Grade Students at Bellevue and McKinley-Brighton Elementary Schools. Guest Speakers: Georgia Popoff and Ashlea Vilello

2nd Place: Frazer School Namaste Culture and Story: The Life and Works of Uma Krishnaswami
Frazer Staff: Laurie LeFever, LMS; Diana Ebner, 4th Grade Teacher;  Kelley McSweeney, 4th Grade Teacher;  Kevin Collins, 4th Grade Teacher; Ann Sheerin, 4th Grade Teacher; Beth Mackenzie, Art Teacher; Gloria Thompson, TA; Laura Spicer, TA; Jim O’Connor, TA/SU MSLIS student; Kaye Kerr, LMS Intern
Students: All 4th Grader Students at Frazer

3rd Place: Edward Smith Elementary School Memories and Mementos
Ed Smith Staff: Robin Young, LMS; Kathy Goodman, 3rd Grade Teacher; Sharon Grund, TA Students: 3rd Grade Students at Ed Smith

Accelerate 2008

Students from Corcoran, Fowler, Henninger, Johnson Center, Nottingham and HW Smith participated in the Accelerate 2008 Conference at the On Center.  The conference was a one day event introducing innovative ideas in technology, manufacturing, energy and the environment put on by The CASE Center at Syracuse University, CNY Technology Development Organization, F.O.C.U.S Greater Syracuse, Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, MACNY and Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems.

The event allowed our students the opportunity to showcase their innovative projects, conduct workshops and mix with adults from the business community.  Students from Corcoran and Henninger led panel discussions and hosted workshops while Fowler students presented their award winning mechanical robots and mouse trap cars.  Students from all of our schools had the chance to shadow a professional throughout part of the day at the convention as well.  We also had students from Fowler and Henninger, working in conjunction with WAER, interviewing business people and students alike all throughout the day on their experiences at the convention. 

Fowler Achievements

A Fowler student -- Steve Olson has been given an award for his original play "For the Love of Terrance."  He is being honored Monday, April 28th at 7pm at Syracuse Stage and after the award ceremony, his play will be performed.
Fowler SECME MTC team -- Grace Barnes (alternate Ashley Rosado), Bao Nguyen, and Chloe Dyba (alternate Denasia Thomas), returns to Nationals in Tuskeege, Alabama in June! Their new car demonstrates the use of gears to gain mechanical advantage! Congratulations and good luck!

Channel 3 News Educator of the Week:

Maggie McRobbie has been named WSTM Channel 3 News Educator of the Week.  Ms. McRobbie has been with the District since 2000 and is an English teacher at Henninger HS.  She was nominated for the Educator of the Week award by one of her students.  In addition to English, Ms. McRobbie also teaches 9^th graders in the Enhanced Reading Opportunities Program.  This program is designed to help targeted 9^th graders increase their vocabulary and comprehension, help them become stronger readers and thus better overall students.  Ms. McRobbie also dedicates her time as an advisor to the Henninger Literary Magazine.  This magazine is filled with art work, poems and short stories all done by the students at Henninger.  Congratulations on a well deserved award! Click to view Ms. McRobbie’s Story.

Henninger and Fowler Students Visit SUNYIT in Utica:

Thirty students from Fowler and Henninger HS took part in a college visit to SUNY Institute of Technology in Utica.  The visit was initiated by Pat Dorazio, the Program Chair for Communication and Information Design (CID).  The students were greeted by the Dean of the program and given an overall orientation of the College, a tour of the campus and they enjoyed lunch with faculty and students from SUNYIT as well.  Both students and teachers from Fowler and Henninger came away impressed with the days activities and what SUNYIT has to offer to a potential college bound student.  Please enjoy the full story as it appeared in the SUNYIT student magazine the Factory Times.

Dr. King Elementary and Danforth Middle are our two winning teams going to the Regional Competition. The playoffs were held at Syracuse University on March 20^th. Click to view pictures from the SCSD Rite Drug Quiz playoffs this year.

Central Tech (Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central) Student Wins National Award
Elena Oglesby, a student in the Fashion Technology program at Central Tech, recently won a $5,000 scholarship from the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Teen Vogue competition.  She was also provided with a Singer sewing machine and a design book.  Pam Baldini-Dittman, Elena's fashion teacher, explained that she won the award by designing and sketching her own fashion collection, among other components of the contest. This money was awarded to help pay for Elena's first year college expenses.
The CFDA and Teen Vogue joined forces to create the scholarship.  The program was established to identify high school students who demonstrate exceptional promise for a future in fashion design, and who intend to pursue a BFA (or equivalent undergraduate degree) at one of the reputable design schools that participate in CFDA's educational initiatives. 
Elena competed against students across the nation, and she was one of only five students awarded this scholarship. Congratulations, Elena!