Dear Parents,

In recent years the District has allowed students that attend B.O.C.E.S., and who have been unsuccessful in courses such as English, math, and science, to take those courses during their Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming while at B.O.C.E.S. With this letter, the District would like to make you aware that it has decided to bring these required core courses, which students must pass in order to graduate, back to the District. Students attending B.O.C.E.S. will continue to receive the four elective credits they must obtain for graduation purposes through their CTE programs.

While the District fully supports B.O.C.E.S. and believes that CTE programming is an excellent opportunity for students who want to learn a trade in the pursuit of a career, it also believes that subjects such as English, math, and science are best taught with teachers who are certified in those areas. The District is committed to delivering to all students a high quality, engaging learning environment with certified teachers to help its students be successful. By successfully passing core subject area courses each year, students who intend to pursue a CTE program at B.O.C.E.S., will find themselves in a good position as they enter eleventh grade.

The District would like to encourage all parents to work with their child and their child’s counselor when developing the student’s four year high school plan so that everyone has a clear understanding of what is required of students to accomplish the goal of graduating. Attica believes that parents should be closely involved and informed about their child's course schedule to strengthen the partnership between families and the District. This fosters a collaborative environment where families and educators can work together to support student success.

Respectfully,

Thomas K. Kopp

Interim High School Principal

Please be aware, and make note, that on the original adopted 2024- 2025 instructional calendar, June 10th was to be a day with no school for students. This was due to the original Regents calendar date, which had two Regents exams scheduled on that day. The afternoon Regents scheduled for June 10th will not be administered at Attica. Therefore, the Board of Education, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, has voted to change the instructional calendar and June 10th will now be a regular day of instruction for all students.

The District would like to make all community members aware that there will be no summer bus transportation for general education students who will need to attend summer school at the Batavia City School District campus. In the past couple of years, bussing for students to attend summer school was paid for from a federal grant. Those grant funds are no longer available and bussing for summer school is not receive state aid. High School general education students who need to attend summer school to retake courses in which they were unsuccessful during the year, will need to provide their own transportation.

Over the past few weeks, our physics class, led by Mrs. O’Donnell, has been engaged in an exciting project centered around roller coasters. This hands-on experience allowed students to explore important concepts of kinetic energy, potential energy, and internal energy. Using materials such as pipe insulation, cardboard tubes, cups, and funnels, students designed and constructed roller coasters that successfully guided a marble through a series of hills and loops.

The challenge was not only to keep the marble on the track but also to ensure it navigated a minimum of three hills and one loop. Our budding engineers went above and beyond, incorporating innovative features like jumps, corkscrews, and even a dramatic “ring of fire” into their designs.

Once the construction phase concluded, Mrs. O’Donnell tasked the students with calculating the potential and kinetic energy for their roller coasters. They then completed scaled drawings of their designs. The creativity and focus displayed by our students during this lab were truly impressive.

We are proud of their hard work and enthusiasm for learning!

Seniors: Senior Decision Day will be on May 1st. This day is to celebrate ALL seniors and their next step after graduation. Seniors are encouraged to come dressed in attire from the college, trade school, employment, service branch, etc. that they are on their way to next. Graduation is right around the corner! Continue to stay on top of scholarship opportunities. You do not have to go to college to get scholarships!! Follow this link to stay up to date on different scholarships: https://www.atticacsd.org/o/ahs/page/scholarships

Juniors: Course requests are in and will be mailed home with quarter 3 report cards. Applications for honors English, ACE Bio/ACE Chem are out-check with teachers regarding due dates. BOCES requests are also complete Remember, all BOCES programs are worth 4 elective credits each year.

Freshmen: Course requests for next year are complete and will be mailed home with quarter 3 report cards. Please call Mrs. Frongetta at X1628 if you have any questions or want to make any changes. The regents schedule will be posted on our website. Students will only need to come to school on the days they have an exam or review. Transportation remains the same and breakfast and lunch are still provided.

Highlights from past month:

• 3/18: Job & Community Fair featuring local businesses like New York Chips, Byrncliff, Six Flags, Hidden Valley Animal Adventure, etc.
• 3/19: Western NY College Fair in Buffalo. More than 200 colleges were in attendance.

Winner for March This or That: Make Origami Shamrocks or Make Green Slime! As much as Mrs. Gersitz and Ms. Donahue had secretly wished for origami, slime won. Students had a fabulous time making a mess in the library!

During this month, Mr. Dickhut's Financial Math class is completing a budget project. The students are randomly assigned a "lifestyle" that includes geographical location, hourly wages, marital status, number of children, and healthcare benefits. Each student is required to create a monthly budget using real world costs. They have to find housing in their assigned location, as well as an affordable vehicle. The other budget items that they have to account for are car insurance, gas, clothing, food, health insurance, dental bills, loans, internet, cell phones, etc. They record all of their information in a google sheet to keep a running balance of their revenue versus expenses. The goal of the project is for each student to try to live within their means based upon current real world costs.

On April 10th four of our famous executive chefs in residence participated in The Great Soup Challenge. Assisted by students from Mrs. Sphar's after school Fresh Connections Club, who acted in the capacity of sous chefs , these four talented chefs created savory, mouth watering soups that were later judged by community members who attended the Board of Education meeting that evening. Speaking from the point of view of a taste tester, I can verify that each soup was a culinary delight and all were winners in my book.

Mr. Wright, Vice President of the Board of Education and Dr. Illg presented Mrs. Joy Stoldt and Mrs. Laura O'Donnell with an Excellent In Student Services Award for their work with the Best Buddies Club at the April 10th Board meeting. To quote Dr. Illg:

"It is my distinct honor and privilege to recognize two exceptional individuals who have made a profound impact on the lives of students across our District. Tonight, we celebrate the advisors of the Best Buddies Program, Laura O'Donnell and Joy Stoldt who on January 18th, 2025 were recognized with the Genesee Valley School Boards Association's Excellence in Student Services Award.

The Best Buddies Club at Attica High School is a shining example of what it means to build a school culture rooted in compassion, inclusion, and connection. Under the leadership of outstanding advisors, the club has grown into a vital bridge between our high school students and our younger students with special needs in both the elementary and middle schools.

Through thoughtfully planned and joyfully executed events like their Halloween and Christmas celebrations, our older students have had the opportunity to become true mentors and friends. They have learned what it means to lead with empathy, to embrace diversity, and create safe, welcoming spaces for every child. in return, our younger students experience joy, confidence, and a sense of belonging that stays with them far beyond the event.

On behalf of the Attica Central School District Board of Education, and with deep appreciation, congratulations to Laura O'Donnell and Joy Stoldt on this well-deserved recognition."

Our students were well represented with their pieces of art at the Wyoming County Art Show. Below are pictures of Rebekah Hess and Alanna Blackshire receiving their awards from Laura Steves. We congratulate these two young ladies on their achievement and for representing Attica Central School so admirably.

Spring Allergies - As flowers bloom and trees begin to bud, allergy season is upon us. Symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny noses are common. Here are a few tips to help manage allergies:

• Keep windows closed during high pollen days.
  
  

• Encourage handwashing to remove allergens from the skin.
  
  

• Talk to your healthcare provider about allergy medications if necessary.

Illness Reminders Please remember to keep your child home if they are sick. If they have a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, they should stay home until 24 hours after symptoms resolve. This helps prevent the spread of illness and ensures a quicker recovery.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT SCHOOL YEAR: All 9th and 11th graders will need to have a current physical on file for the school year. As well as any student participating in sports.

Incoming seniors will need to have their second dose of meningococcal vaccine prior to starting school in September. Please check with your primary physician if your student is up to date.

On Friday, March 28, the Attica FFA travelled to Perry High School for Cornell

Cooperative Extension’s Temple Grandin Event. Proudly representing Attica were 16 excited

FFA students, two FFA Advisors, and several parents. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity

for our students to hear from Dr. Temple Grandin, a distinguished professor of animal science at

Colorado State University. She spoke about modern issues in the animal husbandry industry,

her achievements regarding animal welfare, offered recommendations to young livestock

handlers about getting their animals ready for show, and encouraged students to try new things.

Speaking with students after the event, many of them remarked that they really enjoyed this

event and they were impressed by all of the things that Dr. Grandin had to overcome as a

person with Autism.

The high school PE classes completed a rock wall unit. The students learned the safety and skills of climbing and how to belay while our PE students of the month were Mason Moroz and Ilyssa George.

T.I.E.S. Together Including Every Student

Over the next few months, as we look forward to spring and getting outside for activities, I’d like to focus on the program piece by piece to highlight the amazing support for the program we have here at Attica CSD and in our community. When we say Together Including Every Student, the word Together is not only referring to the match-up between the participants and volunteers, it includes families, participants, activity leaders, teachers, educational administration and support staff, volunteers, students involved in the activities, and myself, the TIES coordinator, all coming together to provide support for every student.

Activity Leaders: This month I would like to highlight the activity leaders I have had the opportunity to collaborate with in setting up participants and volunteers in activities over the past few months, and also in preparation for upcoming spring activities. The activity leaders take extra time to give insight on their program and the students. They answer questions and help with any problem-solving we come across while creating an individual support plan for the participant and volunteer. Their support for the TIES program is a key element for the activity being a positive experience for everyone involved. These activity leaders are also teachers/staff, with huge hearts for all of the students. I am forever grateful to be working with such a genuine school community.

“As an activity leader for sporting events and an after-school club at the elementary school, I have seen the student volunteers show kindness, encouragement and support to the student they are working with. Seeing the smiles on the student's face shows they feel supported, are able to fully participate, and have fun! This is an excellent program for our school community!” - Attica CSD Staff

If you are interested in joining the TIES Program or learning more about how the program works, please visit our TIES page: https://www.atticacsd.org/page/ties-program or contact me, Jennifer Rautenstrauch – Attica CSD TIES Coordinator, at jrautenstrauch@atticacsd.org