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McKinley-Brighton Elementary School News

Internet Safety at McKinley Brighton
01/31/12

Students in Mrs. McCarthy’s and Mrs. Raymond’s 5th grade classes learned about internet safety and cyberbullying in the library. Then they created blabberize videos where they shared tips for staying safe online and ways to prevent and stop cyberbullying. You can see one of their videos here.

First Grade Folktale Celebration!
01/27/12

All through the month of January students learned about folktales and fairy tales. Ms. Render’s first grade class worked on a special project with LMS intern Kate Taddeo where they got to read Little Red Riding Hood and create their own movies of the story! At the end of the unit they had a folktale celebration where they watched their movies and made fairy tale bookmarks. They can’t wait until May when their work will be shown at our “Once Upon a Time” showcase in the library.

Exceptional Family Resources’ Spring Workshops 2012
01/26/12

Exceptional Family Resources’ is offering three Spring Workshops 2012 for parents and families. The workshops will be:

  • When: February 3rd, March 2nd & April 20th (Friday’s)
  • Where: 1820 Lemoyne Ave, Syracuse 13208 1st floor “new” conference room
  • Time: Noon-2pm (participants are welcome to bring their lunch)
  • Cost: FREE

Topics for the workshops include:

  • Feb. 3rd: “Health Care Notebook Training”: Dru Nordmark from Parent to Parent of NYS
School Bus National Road-eo
01/23/12

First Student Syracuse has produced a winning team of Nicole Dolce and Randall Price. The duo will be representing First Student and The Syracuse City School District at the National School Bus Special Needs Road-eo competition in Orlando Florida in March.

This driver and attendant team won first place on the state level and now will compete against the best in the country on the National level. They will be judged in driving, backing, loading, unloading, securing students in wheelchairs, and evacuating the bus all while maintaining behavioral control of special needs passengers. This is quite a challenge as they will be judged on everything they do and say during the event. The team also has to complete a written test before going to the Road-eo in March.

Congratulations and good luck to Nicole and Randall!

The New York State Summer School of the Arts
12/21/11

The New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA), NYS Education Department, is once again offering a very unique opportunity for high school age students of New York State. The New York State Summer School of the Arts provides intensive pre-professional training with internationally acclaimed artists and artistic companies. The program is supported and sponsored by the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The 2012 Schools include the Schools of Ballet, Choral Studies, Dance, Media Arts, Orchestral Studies, Theatre and Visual Arts.

Corporate Volunteer Council Dictionary Day
12/21/11

The season of giving is in full swing and the Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) kicked things off with their annual Dictionary Project – a spin-off of National Dictionary Day.

Members of the Corporate Volunteer Council of Central New York have stepped up to volunteer and purchase English and Spanish dictionaries for the third grade students at twenty-one elementary or grades 1-8 schools in the Syracuse City School District. Sponsors collected the dictionaries from a designated distribution site and presented them to the third graders at their “sponsored” school.

“Our Members step up and embrace the opportunity to provide the community’s third graders with a reading tool to help them not only this school year, but in years to come,” said CVC President Nicki Arnett.

Educators see third grade as the dividing line between learning to read and reading to learn. The goal of the Dictionary Project is to assist all students in becoming solid writers, active readers, creative thinkers, and resourceful learners by providing them with their own personal dictionary to use at school and at home.

Syracuse City School District Transformation Initiative
12/16/11

The Syracuse City School District Transformation Plan is built upon four high impact levers for transforming education: Curriculum and Instruction, High Quality Teaching and Leadership, Innovation and District Structure and Standards of Service and Systems of Support.

The Transformation Plan includes seven individual task forces which are closely aligned to our key levers. The task forces are comprised of Teachers and Administrators, Central Office Leadership, Parents, Higher Education Representatives, Community Members and Business Leaders. Each task force is also assigned a facilitator with expertise in the defined area. The facilitators we are working with are from Collier Educational Consultants, Mass Insight Education, Insight Education and Battelle for Kids.

Retirement Incentive Extension
12/09/11

At its meeting on November 9, 2011, the Board of Education approved a Retirement Incentive for Units 1, 2, and 8 (Teaching Assistants only). The retirement incentive notification date has been extended through Friday, January 13, 2012 (4:30 p.m.). No other terms have been modified. (If you already submitted a “2012 Retirement Incentive Form,” it is not necessary to submit another form.)

The District will provide information to interested employees regarding retirement benefits at a general information meeting on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 – 4:00 p.m.

Departmental Reviews Concluded
12/05/11

One of the goals of Superintendent Contreras’s 100 Day Entry Plan was to assess the state of the school district, including the core business of teaching and learning, operations, business systems, finances and budgeting, using externally funded and conducted reviews. These reviews were conducted by national experts in their respective fields including Cross and Joftus, Schoolhouse Partners and Collier Educational Consulting.

Superintendent Contreras 100 Day Entry Plan was filled with listening and learning as she sought to hear from parents, students, staff, community members and others about their perceptions and experiences with the school district. She reported to the Board of Education and the community her findings from her 100 Day Entry Plan at this month’s Board of Education meeting.

The departmental reviews will help the district identify the greatest areas of concerns and provide us with information to take immediate action. They will provide data to help us become more efficient and effective as we look to make transformational change.

Each of the consultants presented their findings and recommendations at specially scheduled Board of Education Study Sessions. You can view the presentations by clicking on the links below.

Commissioner of Education Resigns
12/01/11

Commissioner of Education Monique Wright-Williams has submitted her resignation from the Syracuse City School District Board of Education effective immediately. Commissioner Wright-Williams has served on the Board since January 1, 2010.

“Monique has been a tremendous asset to the Syracuse City School District. Her commitment and insight have been invaluable as she has worked tirelessly to improve our school district,” said Board of Education President Richard T. Strong.