This year we have 17 seniors going for the seal of biliteracy in French and Spanish. The seal of biliteracy recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening in one or more languages, in addition to English. It is given out by the state to encourage the study of languages in high schools. If the entire process is completed, successful students will get a seal affixed to their diplomas when they graduate in June.

Students who are working towards the seal of biliteracy can use this as a way to distinguish themselves from others when applying to colleges. It is also something that could be desirable to potential employers in the future. Lastly, it is a way of showing the hard work that they have put in throughout their high school career in their foreign language classes. Students will be doing a presentation completely in the target language at the end of the year to show their skills in the language they took.

On the evening of Monday, October 17th, Cortland High School inducted 33 students into
the Ferdinand E. Smith National Honor Society. National Honor Society​ membership is for students in grades 11-12 who embody traits in the four pillars: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.

Scholarship
Per national guidelines, at a minimum, students must have a cumulative GPA of 85, B, 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent standard of excellence. Our local chapter requires a higher GPA than the national guidelines.

Service
This involves voluntary contributions made by a student to the school or community, done without compensation. Many of the students provided tutoring over the course of the past year, assisted with local shelters or aided in events held by non-profit organizations.

Leadership
Student leaders are those who are resourceful, good problem solvers, and idea contributors. Leadership experiences can be drawn from school or community activities while working with or for others.

Character
The student of good character is cooperative; demonstrates high standards of honesty and reliability; shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others; and generally maintains a clean disciplinary record.

Students who meet the scholarship requirement will have an opportunity to complete a form detailing their accomplishments. Their demonstration of the four pillars is then presented to a Faculty Council made up of 5 staff members in the high school. The Faculty Council then determines who meets the guidelines to join the current year’s class of National Honor Society inductees.

Throughout the course of the year, the members must maintain their good standing in order to wear their honor cord at graduation. This is done through completing a minimum of 30 hours of service per year, designing and completing a service project of their own, maintaining their GPA, and upholding their good character.

We would like to congratulate the 33 new members of the NHS. LINK

The annual JH Battle of the Teams took place this month in the upper gym. Four teams battled it out in many competitions culminating with the tug of war. Students were left with strained voices and tired hands from all of the screaming and clapping. Memories were made and everyone had a great time.

Our Near Space Balloon Launch, codenamed Operation Sci-Fly, launched Friday, October 28th at around 9:35am. 12 students joined Mr. Herr on the field to prepare for launch and celebrate their year long project. It launched from the middle of the football field and rose to over 96,000 ft. (or 18 miles) in the air before finally popping and rocketing toward the Earth and landing over 110 miles away in the Rockwood State Forest near Gloversville. The balloon carried a payload equipment such as a GPS tracker, an APRS radio tracker, and an electric hand warmer to keep our materials safe in the nearly -70 degrees cold atmosphere. Our mission was to launch a GoPro camera as high as we could and see if we could film the curvature of the Earth. To put it simply, it was a success!

Check out the Weekly News Blast of the balloon launch.

The students and staff of Smith Intermediate School invited local veterans to attend a Veterans Assembly. Approximately 60 veterans signed up to attend. The after school music group, the Music Maniacs, presented the program and sang several songs. The whole school performed several songs that they have been working on this semester. The school also has a Veteran Tree where students and staff have been hanging up pictures of veterans past and present from their families. The day was very special for the students, staff and veterans.

When the winter season is upon us, it is time to think about possible
closures and delays due to weather conditions. Our district’s automated calling system will notify families if school is closed or delayed. Please be certain that your phone number is current in our database.

Local news stations will continue to provide weather updates. Stations that carry information about Cortland Schools include: WSYR-9, WTVH-5, WSTM-3, News 10 Now, WBNG, WXHC/101.5, and WNTQ/93Q. We also maintain the latest information on our District website: http://www.cortlandschools.org.

In the event of a 2-hour delay, please be advised of the following information:

• Barry, Smith, and Randall will open to students at 10:15 a.m.

• The Junior High and High School will be open at 9:25 a.m. for breakfast. Homeroom will then begin at 9:38 a.m.

• Morning bus routes run on a two-hour delay. For example, if the bus typically arrives at your stop at 7:00 a.m, it will arrive at 9:00 a.m

• For students who regularly participate in the CDC Morning Childcare Program, the students may be dropped off at their normal start time of 6:45am

The Purple Tigers fall sports season is at an end. Coaches and athletes all worked to represent their team and school to the best of their abilities. There were many stand out teams and athletes. A full, team by team wrap up can be seen HERE.

The CECSD Board of Education meeting dates and times are posted on the district website and are open to the public and all are welcome. The highlights below include some of the topics that have been discussed at the most recent meetings:

Tiger Paw Recipients.... At the October 18th Board of Education meeting, Brayden Bushnell, Cindy Dann and Alana VanWinkle were recognized by Kristopher Williamson with Tiger Paws for going above and beyond in their service to the district during a time of transition in the business office. At the November 8th meeting, Donald and Diane Chu were recognized by Randall Middle School Principal Juli Quinn and Randall School Students for their steadfast volunteer efforts dedicated to the Garden Club and Game Theory Club. Congratulations to all Tiger Paw recipients!

Budget Presentations... At both the October 18th and November 8th meetings, Kris Williamson, Business Administrator, gave presentations related to the annual budget. These presentations will continue in future board meetings and are a great opportunity for all voting tax payers in the district to learn how the budget process works in any given year.

BOE Committee meetings.... A tentative schedule was reviewed that proposes committee meetings of the board being held the fourth Tuesday of each month beginning in January, 2023. This is in response to board members’ interest in making the meetings more consistent and convenient for interested community members to attend.

Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching…. Amoreena Tellaeche has been selected for the 2022-2023 Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching. It is a significant honor to be a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and the Board of Education is proud to celebrate her accomplishment. The short-term program grant offers Ms. Tellaeche the opportunity to share her knowledge and participate as an educator in teacher training at the Jalisco Teacher College in Guadalajaro, Mexico. Congratulations Amoreena!

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 22 at 6:30pm in the Kaufman Center (CECSD District Office).