Smore logo
remove_red_eye 600
page background

December News

2024-2025 School Year

DecemberNews2024-2025 School Year
zoom_out_map

Principal News


Happy Holidays! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and was able to find some time to slow down a bit. As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season picks up, we hope to reinforce the true meaning of the season throughout school these next few weeks before the break. There will be many ways for students to participate in volunteering and giving back this season. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. See below for highlights this past month and important info for what’s coming up.


Dr. Whipple & Ms. Greibus

Midterm Schedule - 2025 Midterm Schedule - 2025

open_in_new zoom_out_map
open_in_new zoom_out_map

Gananda PROUD Gananda PROUD

zoom_out_map

Check out the many things our students have done this past month that make us Gananda PROUD!

Turkeygram Board for Rachel's Challenge Turkeygram Board for Rachel's Challenge

November PROUD Panther Students of the Month! November PROUD Panther Students of the Month!

Great job to Alijah, Addison, Bianca and Hunter for earning the November Student of Month award! They have done a great job exhibiting our PROUD behaviors!

  • Team 9 awarded their student of the month to Elijah, who consistently demonstrates exceptional character and academic dedication. He is always respectful and courteous, treating both his peers and teachers with kindness and consideration. Elijah approaches his education with a strong sense of responsibility and determination, giving his best effort in all of his classes
  • Team 10 has selected Addy as our student of the month. Addy is always kind to teachers and peers, and is very driven in the classroom to produce great work. Her outstanding attitude and effort helps unite any room she is in!
  • Team 11 has selected Bianca as our Student of the Month. Bianca is driven to do her best in each and every class. She can be viewed as an outstanding role model for her peers. The respect she shows to staff and classmates alike does not go unrecognized.
  • Team 12 is proud to announce Hunter as our November Student of the Month. He is outstanding in the quality of work he delivers and determined to get his assignments done. His questions and insights go beyond the class materials.

Tardy to School Policy Tardy to School Policy

Please continue to remind your child/children that they need to be in class by 7:30am. As we progress further into the school year, and especially as the weather turns, we often see an increase in tardies to school. We have noticed an uptick with students coming in late to school with Dunkin' or Starbucks. Please remind your child to build in enough time to make those stops so they are not late to school. We appreciate your support in helping to reinforce the importance of punctuality!


Please note that after 4 unexcused tardies in a marking period, contact home will be made, and students will be assigned consequences starting with lunch detention and/or after school detention.

Counseling Office Update Counseling Office Update

Attention Seniors!
It’s time to celebrate your future plans! Whether you’ve been accepted to college, joining the military, attending a trade school, or starting an exciting new job, we want to hear about it! Share your achievements with the Counseling Office HERE, and we’ll display a paw on our wall to honor your accomplishments.

Also, a reminder: The FAFSA is now OPEN!!!


The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is used by colleges to determine eligibility for financial aid, including grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities, and loans. Completing the FAFSA is an essential step for seniors planning for college. Get all the details here!


Junior News
Our one-on-one junior interviews are nearly complete! These conversations have provided students with personalized support to explore their interests and future pathways. Don’t forget: Junior Scholarship applications are due by December 20th!


Sophomore News
Sophomore one-on-one counseling meetings will begin after Thanksgiving break. During these sessions, we’ll discuss:

  • Future course planning.
  • Graduation requirements.
  • Information about Wayne Technical and Career Center (WTCC) programs available starting in 11th grade.

Additionally, in early February, sophomores will visit WTCC in Williamson to tour the facilities and learn about the tech programs offered.


If you have any questions about these announcements, please reach out to the Counseling Office. We’re here to support you every step of the way!

Work-Based Learning News Work-Based Learning News

Business and Entrepreneurship Workshop

Gananda Freshman Ryan Rizzo attended the Business Ready 201: Business and Entrepreneurship full day workshop at the Golisano Institute on November 11th. He spent the day touring and learning more about the institute which focused on areas such as:

  • Career Opportunities in Business
  • Selecting a Business Path
  • Artificial Intelligence in the Business World


The workshop was open to area high school students. Rylan was the only 9th grader from our area to attend this unique experience. Kudos to Rylan for being Driven and taking advantage of this opportunity.

Women in Manufacturing Summit

Below are a couple pictures from the Women in Manufacturing summit that Gananda students attended on 11/20.
zoom_out_map
zoom_out_map

Wayne County Sheriff's Office Explorer Participants

Recently, Wayne County Sheriff's Office Explorer's got a first-hand look at some of the first responder training involved in police work. Deputies introduced them to a first aid approach called STOP THE BLEED, which consists of three quick techniques that may help to save someone's life. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is very proud of their Explorer Program and are always looking for more teenagers and young adults to join. If you know of someone that may be interested, please see the flyer below.
zoom_out_map
zoom_out_map
zoom_out_map
zoom_out_map

Western NY Area Health Education Center Visits PLTW Human Body Systems Class

Here are some pictures from the WNY Area Health Education centers visit to the Human Body Systems class. Via the VR headsets, students practiced using an AED, performing CPR, assisted in knee surgery, and practiced the proper technique to place a catheter in a patients arm, among other things.
zoom_out_map
zoom_out_map
zoom_out_map

Reporting Absences Reporting Absences

Absences need to be reported to the school health office by the parent/guardian of the student. This may be done so online by completing this form.

District & Building Calendars District & Building Calendars

The 2024-2025 District Calendar and Building Events Calendar are posted to the Gananda Central School District Website. In addition, the Instructional Color Day Calendar and Block Schedule for our building can be found on the RACHS website under Our School/HS Information HUB.


You can also click on the buttons below that will take you directly to the Instructional Calendar and Daily Schedules.

ParentSquare ParentSquare

The district uses ParentSquare as its main communication tool for getting information to parents. District newsletters, emergency communication, and Gananda Central School District event news, as well as classroom news and updates will be communicated through ParentSquare. Families can download the ParentSquare app to their smartphone for ease of use.


If you have not received an invitation to join ParentSquare, please contact the HS main office.

zoom_out_map

Did you know you can adjust your settings for ParentSquare?

zoom_out_map

In the app, if you click the three bars on the left, you will see an icon for your account.

zoom_out_map

There, you can adjust your preferences to make sure you receive notifications when you desire.

RACHS Instructional Calendar
RACHS Daily Schedule and Half-Day Schedule
Link to RACHS Calendar of Events

Dr. Christopher J. Whipple, Principal

cwhipple@gananda.org


Ms. Mairi Greibus, Assistant Principal

mgreibus@gananda.org


(315) 986-3521, 8, 3154

Christopher Whipple
Christopher is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters
Loading indicator

close

Created with

Communicate quickly and effectively with interactive newsletters.

Smore empowers educators to connect with their community, streamline school communications,
and increase engagement.

Create a newsletter