BOCES Employee Newsletter

As New York State continues to advance the NYS Inspires initiative and Portrait of a Graduate framework, Broome-Tioga BOCES remains committed to preparing students for success both inside and outside the classroom. In this short video, Superintendent Rebecca Stone shares how these efforts connect to the work happening across our region and the important role staff play in helping students develop the skills needed for the future. Please take a few minutes to watch.

Things are beginning to take shape! Steel beams have been delivered, and contractors have started erecting them. As activity on campus increases, please continue to follow all posted “No Parking” and “Do Not Enter” signs to help keep everyone safe.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as this exciting project is getting underway.

Contractors are busy putting the final touches on this building, and paving has begun.

Contractors have planted grass seed and will soon begin painting the trim and completing final details. Please remember to avoid areas that may still require SWPPP inspections. If you are unsure, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Thank you for your continued support of this project. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

For the month of May, Health and Safety has been working on preparation for our final District Wide Safety Team Meeting. The meeting was scheduled for May 7. During this meeting we worked on wrapping up finishing touches on Emergency Response plans both at the district and building level for the upcoming 26-27 school year. The plans must be completed by June 30 and presented at the July board meeting as well as being posted for a 30-day public comment period. The plans must be approved by the Board of Education by Sept. 1, 2026. The plans are then distributed to local emergency services and submitted in the NYSED business portal by Oct. 1, 2026.

Lead in drinking water testing for BT-BOCES buildings was completed on May 2. The appropriate applicable outlets were sampled, and the samples were sent to a lab for analysis. Results should be back within the next month. Some examples of applicable water outlets are any outlets used for drinking or cooking. The non-applicable outlets, such as handwashing or dishwashing sinks have all had the appropriate “No drinking “signs posted on them. These outlets should not be used for any type of consumption as they have not been tested.

Annual fire inspections will also take place in May starting on May 15 and will run through June 30. Fire inspections rotate annually on an 11-month cycle so that inspections can be conducted at various times of the school year. The fire marshal will be checking items such as blocked emergency exits, any electrical hazards as well as any structural issues that may contribute to the occurrence of a fire incident. A list of items along with a video has been sent out for further information on items to look for in your classrooms and buildings to help you ensure you’re in compliance with the NYS fire code. We thank you for your cooperation as these inspections get underway.

Just following up with a reminder that fire inspections begin May 15 and the closing date to have them completed and submitted to SED's Business Portal is July 1.

Below is a link to a short video created by our Communications department that may help staff prepare.

Please feel free to share.

Thank you

If you get reimbursed for things like mileage, travel or cell phone expenses, you can have those payments sent straight to your bank account. Just fill out the ACH form for employee reimbursements located on our Staff Hub at the link below to get set up.

As we move through this steady stretch of the fiscal year, the Central Business Office continues to build momentum behind the scenes to support a smooth and successful year-end close.

Our Accounting team is currently focused on key annual invoicing processes, while Accounts Payable, Purchasing and the BFA team are taking a closer look at open purchase orders, working to close, pay, or adjust remaining balances where needed. Meanwhile, the Internal Claims Auditing team remains hard at work, carefully reviewing claims to ensure accuracy and completeness at every step.

Across all departments, the focus remains consistent: maintaining strong, reliable processes now to make year-end closing as seamless as possible. It’s a true team effort!

A special thank you to the Central Business Office management team for being a steady and supportive presence for both staff and leadership. Their commitment to keeping operations running smoothly while supporting one another does not go unnoticed.

This year, they have been helping plan and lead activities for our monthly staff meetings and they truly delivered. Taking a few minutes each month to decompress, share some laughs, and help everyone connect has made a meaningful impact on our team.

Did you know that CBO and SCRIC Financial Services Teams work in tandem to support the many financial systems used by districts? This video, created by our Communications and Public Relations Department highlights the partnership between the two teams. While SCRIC Financial Services manages the technical side of systems, ensuring updates, security, and compliance, the CBO Team supports day-to-day financial operations including payroll, reporting, and compliance. Together, the teams work behind the scenes to respond to changing federal and state requirements, troubleshoot issues, and keep district financial operations running smoothly with minimal disruption. To learn more watch the short video below.

Document Services is preparing for its peak production period as school districts approach their annual May budget votes. During this high-volume, time-sensitive season, the team is printing budget newsletters, flyers, and postcards, making sure materials are produced and distributed efficiently and on schedule.

This coordinated effort supports 15 school districts, with a strong focus on fast turnaround times so mailings reach voters ahead of deadlines. So far, the team has used four pallets of paper for newsletter production alone, totaling 160 cases, or approximately 120,000 sheets, highlighting the scale of work during this busy time.

Our team recently completed a vinyl wrap project at Tioga CSD, creating new metal signage for the front of the building. The signs were wrapped with custom graphics to help refresh the main entrance and improve the overall look and visibility of the school

As the school year enters its final stretch, the Communications and Public Relations team has been hard at work supporting districts, programs, and services across the region.

One of the major milestones completed this spring was the production of district budget newsletters. These newsletters play an important role in helping school communities understand school budgets, district priorities, and upcoming votes. The Communications and Public Relations team worked closely with component districts to write, design, coordinate, and prepare materials for distribution.

A special thank you goes to the team at Document Services for their partnership throughout the process. Their hard work and collaboration ensured newsletters were printed, prepared, and delivered to mailboxes across the region on tight timelines. Also, a big thank you to the Central Business Office for helping with all of the financial information for our districts.

With budget season wrapping up, the focus has now shifted to one of the busiest times of the year for schools. We are actively supporting districts with planning and coverage for spring awards ceremonies, recognition events, and graduation celebrations.

May and June are always a final push toward the end of the school year. Across the region, the team continues to work behind the scenes to help schools share student accomplishments, celebrate milestones, and keep communities informed and engaged.

On May 8, Broome-Tioga BOCES recognized National School Communicators Day and celebrated the Communications and Public Relations (CPR) team for their work supporting schools, students, staff, families, and communities across the region.

The CPR team provides communications support to component school districts and BOCES programs through public relations, social media, websites, photography, videography, graphic design, media relations, and crisis communications.

“Our communicators help schools stay connected with their communities every day,” said Manger of Communications and Public Relations, Christina Kunzman. “Their work supports transparency, engagement, and recognition for students and staff across our region.”

A few weeks ago, Broome-Tioga BOCES District-Based Oak Tree teacher Leandra Yarrell (whose classroom resides in the Windsor school district) received word she had been selected to receive an Educators Inspiring a Generation Award from Senator Lea Webb. More recently, the senator visited our main campus Education Center to present the award personally.

This honor highlights Miss Yarrell’s outstanding commitment to student success, innovative teaching practices, and leadership within our educational community.

Assistant principals from across Broome-Tioga BOCES Instructional Programs recently celebrated their last Assistant Principals Instructional Council.

This new initiative was meant to help mentor and grow our future leaders of the organization. Throughout the year they met to discuss scenarios, brainstorm and grow new ideas, and listen to mentoring advice from veteran administrators. In addition, these administrators have been able to shadow each other to better learn the organization as a whole.

The School Nutrition Department just wrapped up a very busy and exciting month. We held our spring all-staff meeting on Wednesday, April 22—an important opportunity to bring our entire team together to share updates and highlight everything happening across the department.

Shortly after, our team attended the NYSNA Conference in Syracuse, a three-day event focused on child nutrition across New York State. The New York School Nutrition Association is one of the leading advocates for professionals, industry partners, and students nationwide. This year, the BT-BOCES School Nutrition Service team was honored with two prestigious individual awards:

• Bryan McCoy received the School Nutrition Leadership & Advocacy Award

• Julie Raway received the School Nutrition Innovation & Impact Award

We are incredibly proud to see their hard work and dedication recognized.

The School Nutrition Leadership & Advocacy Award honors a NYSNA member whose leadership and advocacy efforts have made a meaningful impact on school nutrition policy, legislation, or government decision-making in New York State. This award recognizes individuals who actively engage in legislative advocacy and advance child nutrition through public policy efforts. The School Nutrition Innovation & Impact Award celebrates a NYSNA member working within school food service operations whose expertise, collaboration, and leadership have made a lasting impact on child nutrition. It highlights behind-the-scenes professionals whose innovation, technical knowledge, and systems-level contributions strengthen school nutrition programs.

The School Nutrition Service Team—also known as Rock On Cafe—continues to set the standard as a premier school nutrition program, recognized by peers across the state and the nation. Great job to the entire team, and congratulations again to Julie and Bryan!

Donnelly Elementary recently welcomed families for “Literacy for Littles”, a collaborative evening hosted by the Community Schools and the PLIC Literacy Team. Designed for PreK–1 families, the event focused on building strong connections between school and home to support early literacy.

The evening began with an interactive attendance activity, helping families see the direct link between consistent attendance and long-term learning. Parents appreciated the opportunity to reflect on realistic ways to prioritize school attendance.

Families then participated in a literacy session exploring “The Reading Brain,” learning how children connect sounds, letters, and meaning as they develop reading skills. Clear expectations for early literacy development were shared, along with practical strategies families can use at home.

To extend learning beyond the classroom, families engaged in “Make and Take” stations and received resources such as alphabet games, sound-based activities, dialogic reading prompts, and free books. Community resources, including local libraries, were also highlighted.

The event emphasized collaboration with families sharing how their feedback has already improved school communication. Feedback from the evening was overwhelmingly positive, with many families feeling more confident in supporting their child’s literacy development.

A follow-up session is scheduled for June 10 to continue the work with a focus on summer reading.

This year BOCES hosted the The Individual Arts Assessment Pathway (IAAP) The IAAP pathway allows students to demonstrate readiness through a curated portfolio of original artwork, reflection, and presentation rather than a traditional state exam. Students show growth over time by presenting multiple works that highlight skill development, artistic decision-making, and personal voice.

The PLIC's Professional Development programs are making strides in preparing our educators to be more engaged to help the students in our component districts grow! Check out this video, made by the BT BOCES Communications team showcasing these programs and how they help out our teachers every day!

Are you interested in participating in the YMCA of Broome County Corporate Challenge? Join us on June 11 at SUNY Broome as we come together with other local businesses for an evening of fun, fitness, and camaraderie. Use the links (in the flyer) to register. Make sure to select Broome-Tioga BOCES as your team. The team captain, Kerri Bullock, will be in contact with all registered team members prior to the race.

SCRIC staff have been actively strengthening the employment pipeline and inspiring future professionals. Recently, we participated in the annual Applications Day at DCMO BOCES. This event provides CTE students and adult learners the opportunity to connect with local employers and industry representatives, including SCRIC. Throughout the afternoon, businesses were stationed in program classrooms while students rotated to meet with employers, share résumés, and complete applications for full-time, part-time, and summer positions. The event enabled students to engage in meaningful conversations with industry professionals and take important steps toward entering the workforce.

The SCRIC was also represented at the 2nd Annual Career Day at Downsville CSD. Students in grades 9–12 began the day with a panel that offered insights into what they can expect if they pursue higher education. Following the panel, students participated in a walk-around career fair, where they engaged with a variety of presenters, including the SCRIC, and explored different career pathways. After lunch, students selected three presenters for smaller breakout sessions, allowing for more in-depth discussion of specific professions.

In addition, we have recently been interviewing BT BOCES CTE students for IT placement opportunities next year. These allow students to gain valuable hands-on experience and sharpen their skills at BT BOCES or within their home districts. We are excited to continue this partnership for another year.

Jaiden Gee - Promoted from PT IT Assistant to PC/LAN Technician

The BOCES LGBTQIA+ Affinity group for employees has recently adjusted its time and location to better include staff at the Ed Center. The group now meets in the Ed Center - Room 508B. The last two gatherings for the year are May 28 and June 11 from 2:30-4 PM. We hope to welcome new members!

On April 20, many of you noticed something phishy 🐟 in your inboxes. As you may know, BOCES subscribes to a service from the SCRIC called Phishing Campaigns, where realistic (but fake) phishing emails are sent to all staff. The email that was sent to you was from “MyApps Notificautions” <noreply@account-issues.com> and looked like this:

Only 6.3% of users clicked on the link! Great work 🎉

Here are a few ways to spot this email as phishing:

• External Sender: Genuine MyApps alerts won't display this banner. Be cautious when opening emails showing it.

• Bad grammar/misspellings- The sender is “MyApps Notificautions” when it should be Notifications. Also, “Sing-in” Details should be “Sign-in” Details.

• The email creates a sense of urgency because you do not recognize this new sign on.

Phishing campaigns will occur monthly during the school year. They are strictly for educational purposes.

If you have questions about suspicious emails, contact Jenn Weston (jweston@btboces.org). Please screenshot the email instead of forwarding it.

Remember to pause before you click any links.

Across New York State, BOCES organizations handle sensitive student information, staff records, and shared services for multiple districts, which makes us especially attractive targets for phishing attacks. Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT responsibility; it’s a team effort. Every staff member plays a role in keeping our systems and data safe.

Phishing attempts often look like routine work messages: a shared document from a colleague, a transportation update, a payroll notice, or a request from a supervisor. Attackers count on us being busy and moving quickly. A single click can compromise accounts, disrupt services, or expose confidential information. The good news is that a few consistent habits dramatically reduce risk.

When something feels “off,” it usually is. Slow down and look for common warning signs:

• Unexpected urgency (“Your account will be locked today”)

• Requests for passwords or personal information

• Sender addresses that look almost right, but not quite

• Links that don’t match the text they’re attached to

• Attachments you weren’t expecting

• Tone or grammar that doesn’t match the person who supposedly sent it

If you’re unsure, trust your instincts, and ask before you click.

You don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert to make a big impact. These simple practices go a long way:

• Use district‑approved tools for communication and file sharing.

• Turn on multi‑factor authentication (MFA) wherever it’s offered.

• Report suspicious messages to your IT team instead of deleting them.

• Don’t forward questionable emails to coworkers — that spreads the risk.

• Verify unusual requests with a quick phone call or in‑person check.

• Log out of shared devices when you’re done, especially in classrooms or offices with rotating staff.

Small habits, repeated consistently, create strong protection.

Cybersecurity sticks best when reminders are short, frequent, and connected to real BOCES scenarios. Throughout BT BOCES, we might practice:

• Quick “cyber moments” at department or faculty meetings.

• A monthly “Phish of the Month” example from the IT team.

• Short videos or infographics posted in staff rooms or newsletters.

• Clear reporting instructions so everyone knows exactly what to do.

• Positive shout‑outs when staff catch and report phishing attempts.

The goal is confidence, not fear — we want everyone to feel capable and supported.

Cybersecurity is part of our collective responsibility to students, families, and partner districts. When all staff stay alert, ask questions, and practice safe digital habits, we strengthen our entire BOCES community. A secure organization isn’t built on one big action — it’s built on thousands of small, smart choices made every day.