Champions Edition

Happy Spring Recess!

When our students return from Spring Recess on Monday, April 13, we will have 45 days of instruction remaining before we begin our full Regents Exam schedule on Wednesday, June 17, and 54 days until the Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony at Artpark on Sunday, June 28.

I am sure your child(ren) will remind you, but I continue to emphasize that we need to be in it to win it as we close out the school year. Attendance is critical for students to be fully prepared for the successful culmination of ten months of hard work.

The past month has truly been a time of celebration in our building. On Thursday, February 26, we held our final Celebration of Champions of the school year. I am proud to share that:

• 418 students earned a 90% or better
• 135 students earned between 85–89.99%

That is a total of 553 students out of 963 (58%) earning an 85% or higher. We also proudly recognized the Top 10 students of the Class of 2026 during this event.

Our Fine Arts Department once again showcased the incredible talent of our students with its production of Freaky Friday. I say it every year, but the talent of our students never ceases to amaze me. In addition, the department hosted four concerts throughout March in celebration of Music in Our Schools Month. Thank you to the many family and community members who packed our Fine Arts Center and to the dedicated members of our music department for their outstanding work.

Athletically, we witnessed several historic accomplishments:

• Our boys basketball team captured the Section VI Championship after defeating top-seeded Orchard Park.
• Our girls bowling team earned the Section VI Championship.
• Two wrestlers advanced to the NYS Tournament, with Keith Mixon and Jonathan Landen.
• Our Unified Bowling team won the Niagara Frontier League Championship.
• Most notably, our girls basketball team became the first North Tonawanda and Section VI AA team to win a NYS AA Championship.

Additionally, numerous students earned individual athletic honors.

On Friday, March 27, we came together as One Lumberjack Family during a pep assembly to recognize these championship teams and outstanding individual accomplishments.

I continue to count my blessings in serving as the principal of North Tonawanda High School. It is a privilege to witness our students succeeding in the classroom, on the stage, and on the athletic fields.

We should all be proud to be Lumberjacks!

Enjoy Spring Recess, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back on campus on Monday, April 13.

Go Jacks!

As we approach the end of the school year, North Tonawanda High School will be adjusting our end‑of‑year instructional calendar to better support student learning and readiness for final examinations.

Under the current calendar, the last day of instruction (Moving Up Day – M.U.D.) is Friday, June 12. Due to the Regents examination schedule, this format would require:

• All students to attend school on Monday, June 8
• Only Regents exam students to attend on Tuesday, June 9, and Wednesday, June 10
• All students to return on Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12

To create a more consistent instructional schedule and maximize learning time, we will be implementing the following changes:

• Elimination of the two Local Examination Days originally scheduled for Monday, June 15, and Tuesday, June 16
• Moving Up Day (M.U.D.) will now be Tuesday, June 16
• Local final exams will transition to in‑class assessments

This revised calendar increases the number of continuous instructional days prior to exams and eliminates the current “choppy” end‑of‑year structure. Our goal is to ensure students remain engaged in meaningful instruction while being better prepared for their final assessments.

On Thursday, February 26th, we took time to publicly acknowledge the members of the Top-Ten for the Class of 2026:

10th: Arden Kozlowski

9th: Derek Black

8th: Jesse Bennett

7th: Marissa Fiorentino

6th: Jackson Widener

5th: Cara Thompson

4th: Emma Stahl

3rd: Meredith Shaver

2nd (Salutatorian): Audrey Stringfellow

1st (Valedictorian): Brooke Raby

Each of our Top-Ten recipients received a leatherbound padfolio, a beautiful pen, and a $25 gift card to Platters. The gift card was purchased by our Student Council. Just a small token of appreciation for all of their handwork and dedication.

On Tuesday, March 3rd, I was privileged to celebrate the 2026 Quality Students of the Tonawandas at an event held at Banchetti by Rizzo's. These Class of 2026 students were selected by the faculty and staff of NTHS. 20 students from NT were selected.

This year marked the 59th year of the Quality Students of the Tonawandas. We shared this event with 15 students selected by Tonawanda High School and 5 students selected by Cardinal O'Hara.

A few years ago, we added the selection of memorable educators by each individual Quality Student. These memorable educators have had a profound impact on these students.

NTHS Selected Students and their choosen Memorable Educator:

• Jesse Bennett selected: Mr. Ferguson
• Johnny Bertini: selected: Mrs. Holbrook
• Derek Black selected: Mr. Ladik
• Jakayla Brown selected: Mrs. Carlson
• Addison D'Andrea selected Mrs. Worral
• Marissa Fiorentio selected Mr. Bleiler
• Macy Gabel selected: Mr. Vallas
• Lexi Gampp selected Mrs. Kouzan
• Mason Goraj selected Ms. Perella
• Gabriella Ivancic selected: Mrs. Bloomfield
• Arden Kozlowski selected: Mrs. McAndrew
• Brooke Raby selected: Mrs. Licht
• Meredith Roberts selected: Mr. Fezer
• Molly Rosen selected: Mr. Gauld
• Jason Ruisi selected: Mrs. Dray
• Olivia Sasso selected: Mr. Carr
• Emma Stahl selected: Mrs. Crouch
• Blake Suitor selected: Mrs. MacNeil
• Audrey Stringfellow selected: Mr. Sommer

Transforming School Culture: Introducing Restorative Practices

North Tonawanda High School is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and thriving learning environment where every student feels valued and connected. To deepen this commitment, we are implementing Restorative Practices. This is an approach that centers on building, maintaining, and repairing relationships rather than relying solely on traditional, punitive discipline.

What are Restorative Practices?

Restorative practices are a proactive framework for creating community and a responsive way to resolve conflict. Instead of asking “What rule was broken and what punishment is deserved?”, we shift our focus to:

· What happened?

· Who was affected?

· What needs to happen to make things right?

These practices include proactive community-building circles, using “I” statements to foster empathy, and holding structured conversations to resolve conflicts.

Why This is Beneficial for Our School

Research shows that well-implemented restorative practices lead to improved student behavior, reduced bullying, and a more positive school climate. The benefits include:

· Stronger Relationships: Deeper connections between students, teachers, and staff

· Greater Safety & Inclusion: A decrease in exclusionary discipline (suspensions) and a reduction in racial disparities in discipline.

· Social – Emotional Growth: Students develop key skills like empathy, self-regulation, and responsible decision-making.

Staff Training: Empowering our Educators

To make this shift successful, we are investing in comprehensive, ongoing training for staff, including teachers, administrators, and support staff. This training equips our team with the skills to facilitate circles, engage in restorative conversations, and model respectful, empathetic communication.

March’s Value: Respect

Restorative practices work best when they are rooted in community values. This month, our focus is on Empathy. By practicing Respect, we teach our students to understand the feelings and perspectives of others, which is the key to repairing relationships.

We are proud to recognize the following students who have modeled the trait of Empathy this month:

9th Grade – Layla Kelly

10th Grade – Noah Borzellere

11th Grade – Dylan Mianakian

12th Grade - Brady Rogers

Senior Staff Recognitions: Mrs. Kouzan, Ms. Nurse and Mrs. Bialkowski

Thank you to these students for embodying the restorative mindset and helping make North Tonawanda High School a kinder, more connected place. As we move forward, let us remember that we are “One Lumberjack Family", committed to supporting one another.

Mr. Fezer has been offering a 1/2 year course titled Canadian History as a Social Studies elective at NTHS. This month, members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stationed out of Niagara-on-the Lake stopped by NTHS to meet with Mr. Fezer and his Canadian History students.

• Natalie Caccamise
• Aiden Raymond
• Brody Sparks
• Arabella Christopher
• Kaitlyn Evarts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

North Tonawanda Botanical Garden Organization Announces $10,000 in New Grants to Support Sustainability, Education, and Community Stewardship

To begin 2026, the North Tonawanda Botanical Garden Organization (NTBGO) is proud to announce the award of $10,000 in new grants/funding sources that will advance its mission to provide native plants for gardens at our schools and other non-profit organization/municipal locations.

Niagara Area Foundation Awards $5,000 for Sustainable Park Enhancements

This funding will specifically be used to engage students to be stewards of our environment by supplying them with native plants for North Tonawanda schools to build their own native plant gardens, further strengthening the Garden’s role as a model for ecological stewardship in North Tonawanda.

East Hill Foundation Provides $3,000 for Climate Resiliency and Stormwater Management

This funding will be used to encourage the replacement of lawn areas at municipal locations in North Tonawanda with native plants, gardens, mitigating stormwater effects and also essential to local pollinators.

Local Benefactor Donates $2,000 to Strengthen Environmental Education in NT Schools

A generous $2,000 sponsorship from a North Tonawanda resident will expand NTBGO’s partnership with the North Tonawanda Public Schools. The funding will supply approximately 600 native plant plugs for the Garden, giving teachers a living laboratory to engage students in hands-on environmental learning. With this funding, the North Tonawanda Botanical Garden will allow students to observe pollinators in their natural habitat, explore how ecosystems function, and understand the importance of protecting native species and sustainable landscapes. This contribution directly enriches student learning while growing native plants at the Garden, benefiting the entire community.

All 3 awards share the same basic goals:

· to educate students about the importance of native plants and pollinators in our community.

· to provide site planning, plant selection and planting assistance to participants.

· to supply native plants for developing school gardens.

Get Involved Visit our website https://ntbgo.weebly.com for availability of native plants.

For more information, please contact NTBGO’s President Dave Conti at NTBGO@hotmail.com.

Boys Basketball:

• Section 6 Champions

Girls Bowling:

• NFL Champions
• Section 6 Champions

Boys Wrestling

• 2 Boys earned a trip to the NYS Tournament

Girls Basketball

• Section 6 Champions
• Western Regional Champions
• NYS AA Tournament Champions