Spring is Just a Breath Away

Greetings Community,

I would like to share several news items with you as Attica continues to educate our students through the month of March.

First, I would like to share with you the Top Ten academic students from the class of 2025. These students will be interviewed by Mr. Leader in the coming weeks and a biography will be created, which will be posted to our website as each student is interviewed. The following students are to be congratulated for their consistently hard work on achieving such a position:

Valedictorian: Kiera Courtwright

Salutatorian: Bailey Nixon

Third in class: Kara Hassenfratz

Fourth in class: Morgan Jackson

Fifth in class: Catharine Struzik

Sixth in class: Julia Wise

Seventh in class: Morgan Toland

Eighth in class: Madelyn King

Ninth in class: Mitchell Spink

Tenth in class: Jaslynne Watts

The second item of interest is that the Band in the Round held its annual concert on March 4th. I have never seen such a turn out for a band concert in all my years as an educator. The air was supercharged with excitement. The musicians were outstanding and it was a standing crowd in the gymnasium. At one point Mrs. Hofheins asked all those in the crowd to stand if they had ever participated in the band in the 75 years that the Attica Band program had been in existence. I was amazed to see that at least 75% of the attendees stood up. There is indeed a proud band tradition in Attica.

Finally, I’d like to share with you the message below from Dr. Illg, our Superintendent, regarding a change to the District's instructional calendar. I will also share with you a link to the High School’s remote learning plan to which he refers in the event of school closure due to an emergency or inclement weather. Should you have any questions regarding the remote learning plan, please do not hesitate to contact the high school office at 585-591-0400.

Dear Attica School Community,

At last night's Board of Education meeting, changes to the 2024-2025 instructional calendar were approved. Due to snow days used this year, we have made some adjustments to ensure that we meet the required 180 instructional days

One key change is that the last day of instruction for students in grades K-6 has changed from June 25 to June 26, 2025. Both June 25 and June 26 will now be half days of instruction. Our Spring Recess dates remain unchanged, running from April 14-21, 2025.

In the event of an emergency closure or inclement weather, we will transition to remote learning. Building Administrators will share details regarding remote instruction procedures with parents and guardians.

We understand that these changes may require adjustments to your plans, and we appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we prioritize meeting the 180-day instructional requirement set forth by the New York State Education Department.

The updated instructional calendar is attached to this email. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's school principal if you have any questions. Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to our students and school community. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kiel Illg

Superintendent of Schools

Seniors: When seniors commit to their after graduation plan, please have them let the counseling office know, be it college, trade school, employment, etc. Students continuing their education after graduation must complete FAFSA and TAP applications to receive an award. Check out this link for the latest issue of the Senior Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/zd9yu

Scholarship opportunities are slowly rolling in! Follow this link to stay up to date on different scholarships: https://www.atticacsd.org/o/ahs/page/scholarships Scholarships = Free $$

Juniors: Juniors are meeting 1:1 with Mrs Frongetta to review credits, diploma status, and make course selections. There are many college open houses over spring break, consider this as an option for those college bound students! Register for the May SAT by April 18, and the June ACT by May 9. The National College Fair is next Wednesday, March 19. Please make sure your student has signed up and permission slip is handed in!

Sophomores: Sophomore students have officially made their schedules for their junior year, including indicating whether they want to enroll in BOCES or not. There will be a Job & Community Fair on Tuesday, March 18th during 5th and 6th period for any students looking for employment, especially over the summer!

Freshman: Freshman completed their course requests for sophomore year this week. Student four year plans are an important part of the high school process. Please call or email me to go over your student's plan for high school. Advanced Regents or Regents diploma? College, trade school, work? There are many options, and it's not too early to have a conversation.

The 4th annual wellness fair here at Attica is coming up and there is always a great turnout. We had almost 200 community members attend last year. Thirty-five total agencies from within our community attended and it was a huge success. There were lots of giveaways, food samples, and even a mini petting zoo. This year we have partnered with the FFA to do a fundraiser for a dinner option for families. The plans are being solidified for the event, so stay tuned!

Anyone and everyone from the community is welcome and we often have people from other towns within the county.

English 9 is currently working on non-fiction, learning about Temple Grandin, and we'll be moving into a research paper next. The research paper will be a major part of their grade. College English is working on analyzing various parts of the humanities. We are working on analyzing prose and then will move into analyzing poetry, music, art and architecture before each student chooses an area to write their humanities research paper.

In January, Ms. Koepsell welcomed new students to Health class. These students will demonstrate valuable life skills to assist them in the future. For our first unit, we’re focusing our lessons on nutrition. We’re deciphering which foods are healthy and unhealthy, making balanced meal choices following the MyPlate Diagram, shopping for these foods, and determining how much it costs.

We also include some physical fitness into each class with a quick dance party to end the day. Some favorite artists from the group include Luke Bryan, Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, and Pitbull. All are invited to stop in and bust a move with us!

Attica FFA Pancake Breakfast: A Community Success!

On February 9th, the Attica FFA Chapter hosted its annual Pancake Breakfast, bringing together the local community for a morning of food, fellowship, and support. With 30 enthusiastic FFA members volunteering their time and several dedicated parents helping behind the scenes, the event was a huge success.

Thanks to the incredible turnout, 360 community members enjoyed a delicious breakfast and showed their unwavering support for the FFA chapter. The event not only provided a great opportunity for members to serve the community but also strengthened the bond between FFA students and their neighbors.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who volunteered and attended the Pancake Breakfast, and to those who participated in the FFA Week activities! We appreciate all the support from our community and look forward to seeing everyone at next year's events.

National FFA Week Celebrations

February was filled with exciting activities as we celebrated National FFA Week from February 15-22. The Attica FFA Chapter set up a display at Warsaw Tractor Supply, sharing the Attica FFA History and goals of FFA with the community.

In addition, Middle School students took the lead in planning a fun-filled “FFA Spirit Week.” Each day was themed with a different dress-up opportunity, and students had the chance to learn fun agriculture facts through the morning announcements. Prizes were awarded to those who participated, creating a buzz of excitement and school spirit throughout the week.

The Mobile Dairy Experience

These FFA students have had some creative challenges to tackle. They were given the opportunity to come up with station ideas for the Mobile Dairy Experience headed to our district on March 18th. With roughly a dozen signed up to participate in their official dress, they will be running a coloring station, a corn-hole competition, and dairy bingo!

Attica FFA Takes On Sub-State Competitions

On March 15th, three of our students will be headed to Lyons Central School District to compete in the sub-states level of FFA competitions. Here, they will compete in either Jr. Creed Speaking or Sr. Creed Speaking. If any of them place in the top two, they will move on to state competitions in Syracuse!

The secret of learning labs is out!! Students are choosing to attend Miss Pierce's learning lab to get their work done over going to their study hall. Keep working hard, 15 weeks to go!!

Research Project

• In 9th grade English Language Arts (ELA), students were given the opportunity to explore more advanced writing techniques. Writing a research paper allows students to learn the skills that extend beyond the classroom, such as critical thinking, organization, and the ability to utilize digital information to express their ideas clearly.

Process

• A 9th-grade research paper typically involves selecting a topic, conducting research, and presenting an argument or analysis based on the findings. This year, students were given the opportunity to select an author from the selection we have read throughout the year. The students learned to navigate research databases, evaluate sources for credibility, and cite their references correctly. This process not only enhanced their writing abilities but also helped them to develop a better understanding of how to gather and synthesize information from credible sources using digital literacy skills.

This month we would like 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 also includes families, activity leaders, teachers, educational administration, support staff, students involved in the activities, and the TIES coordinator, all coming together to provide support for every student.

This month we would like to highlight activity leaders in preparation for upcoming spring activities. Activity leaders are the teachers, staff, and parents in our buildings who lead after-school activities, clubs, and monitor or coach sporting events. 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 so the activity can be a positive experience for everyone involved. We are grateful to be working with such a genuine school and broader 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

Did you know that 99% of species that have ever existed on planet Earth have gone extinct? Students in Mrs. Zybczynski’s and Mrs. Pappalardo’s Earth Science classes spent the month of February learning about how the Earth formed and how life on our planet and Earth’s atmosphere have changed through time. They explored the methods that scientists use to find the ages of rocks and fossils, as well as how scientists find clues to what happened in the past to determine how our planet has evolved over the last 4.6 billion years.

Students spent several days analyzing the timeline of Earth’s past and comparing some past events to events occurring at the present time. They made several models to discover how the exact ages of rocks and events can be determined, and discussed why learning from the past has important implications for the future of our planet. In March, students will connect what they have learned about Earth’s history to the current study of Earth’s atmosphere.

Flu & Cold Season: As we’re still in flu and cold season, please remember to wash your hands regularly, cover your cough, and get plenty of rest. If you’re feeling unwell, stay home to rest and prevent spreading germs.

Nutrition & Hydration: Drink plenty of water and maintain a balanced diet to stay energized through the busy spring months.

Sports Physicals: If you plan on participating in sports this spring, make sure your physical forms are up-to-date and submitted to the Nurse’s Office. Practices begin March 17th and you must be signed up and approved on Family ID (arbiter sports).

During a recent unit in social studies the students were tasked with a project of creating a visual timeline of the Presidents that held office during the Gilded Age. This was a culminating activity for the unit. The students learned about why this time period in our history was referred to as the Gilded Age, and what some of the major accomplishments that each president was credited for during their term of office.

Mrs. Young's PE classes participated in a floor hockey unit where teams competed for the "Devil's Cup." Winners got their picture taken. PE students of the month for January were Peyton Miller and Blake Donahue.

The Connectlife Club hosted another blood drive in the high school on March 4. We had 20 donors, who saved 60 lives. Thank you to all who donated!