All that said, please continue to encourage your students to finish the school year strong. Many classes will be finishing up their last units soon, and they will be getting into final projects and review for finals and Regents exams in June. As the weather gets nicer out, it’s important to maintain that balance of having fun while staying focused on doing our best in our classes.

Check out more info below regarding highlights from last month and events coming up soon.

Respectfully,

Dr. Whipple & Ms. Greibus

The prom is Friday the 16th from 6:30-9:30 at the Lodge at Shadow Hill in Ontario. Families are invited to the location for photos 5:45-6:15! We are looking forward to a fun night! Parents and guardians, please help reinforce the importance of making smart choices. Also, please be aware of our attendance regulations (see below) for participating in extracurricular events from the Procedures and Regulations for Extracurricular Activities on pg. 4:

You can find examples of what constitutes a legal or illegal absence from school on pg. 16 of the Student Handbook. Please reach out to the office if you have further questions.

On May 22, Rich Guerry from IROC2 will be presenting to our students, parents, and community members about digital citizenship. He will be presenting "Public and Permanent" to students at all three buildings throughout the day and to parents from 6:00-7:30pm at the HS. We will be following our 1pm event schedule that day as Mr. Guerry will present to our students at 1pm in the Auditorium. Community members, parents and children ages 11 and up are welcomed and encouraged to attend the evening presentation. See the flyer below for more info.

If your student is interested in going to Paris, France and Barcelona, Spain next year during spring break, please have them contact Mrs. Farquhar-Nelson (Mrs. F-N). We will be going with the company Passports, leaving March 29, 2026 and returning April 5. All students are welcome if they will be in 10th - 12th grades during the 2025-2026 school year.

This is the link to the brochure… Of note, there is a -$150 discount if your student is signed up before May 15, 2025. And the sooner you sign up, the lower the monthly payment will be, especially if you select E-Z pay which has a final payment date in February 2026 as opposed to December 2025.

I will do fundraising with student travelers to help defray the costs as soon as there are at least 6 students signed up to go…

-Kelly Farquhar-Nelson

The Seniors had a blast on their trip to Boston! Thank you to Mrs. Graves-Markham & Mrs. Marang for all the planning to make it a memorable trip. Special shout out to Mr. Seither and Jacob who both became part of the Blue Man Group show. Lots of laughs and great times!

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

Katie Shutts, Joey Potter, and Jos Erhardt have been representing our district in the Elevating Student Voices program through BOCES since September. Alongside staff and students from across the Finger Lakes region, they’ve participated in workshops focused on building community, promoting diversity, and engaging in meaningful dialogue.

Recently, they presented their work at a regional event, highlighting how they and the Human Rights Club collaborated to bring important conversations about diversity and human rights to our middle school. Their leadership has not only made an impact locally but also inspired younger students to start their own Human Rights Club.

We’re proud of their commitment to creating positive change in our schools and beyond!

On May 1st the Gananda Sports Marketing and Management class, along with select interested students, attended Careers in Sports Day at Red Wings Stadium. Students participated in a lecture on various careers in sports, followed by a Q & A session, before watching the Redwings take on the Iron Pigs.

One of our students attended the Career, College & Occupational Trades Fair in April. We are Gananda PROUD of Evan for exploring this opportunity!

Great job to Sophie, Bryce, Kalli and Sydney for earning the April Student of Month award! They have done a great job exhibiting our PROUD behaviors! Congratulations to Judge for receiving the Gananda Rotary Citizen Award for the month as well!

9th Grade had this to say:

Our Google Calendar is a resource for you to see all upcoming events. Here is a link for you to use.

Please note that our awards ceremonies are invitation only events.

Our Final Exam schedule will be released by the end of May. We are aware of Regents test dates and times and they are included on our calendar. Even though June 16 is the last day of classes for the HS, please note that students must take their finals and Regents exams on their assigned dates between June 17-25. Regents exams are not able to be rescheduled. If a student misses a Regents exam, the next time they would be able to take it is in August.

Mrs. Marang is wrapping up her Junior Seminar Series this week, concluding an interactive and informative program for our students. Over the course of the series, juniors explored key topics such as understanding their high school transcripts, managing personal finances, updating resumes, and practicing professional behavior.

A highlight of the series was the opportunity to hear from guest speakers who shared real-world insights. Students learned about the importance of budgeting, gained perspective from a former Human Resources professional, and discovered why soft skills are essential for future success.

We’re proud of the growth our students have shown and grateful to everyone who contributed to making this series impactful and inspiring.

On Tuesday, May 7, students interested in exploring careers in the construction industry attended a special event hosted at the Fairlife facility in Webster, New York. This unique opportunity included:

• A keynote address from an industry professional

• A guided tour of an active construction site

• Networking with vendors and union hall representatives

• Direct interaction with potential future employers

This event gave students first hand insight into the diverse career paths within construction and connected them with professionals and organizations in the field.

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.

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 now with the winter weather, we often see an increase in tardies to school. If your child is making a stop to Dunkin' or Starbucks on their way in to school, please remind them 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.

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

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

Dr. Christopher J. Whipple, Principal

cwhipple@gananda.org

Ms. Mairi Greibus, Assistant Principal

mgreibus@gananda.org

(315) 986-3521, 8, 3154