Cortland Schools

Dear Cortland City School District Community,

As Superintendent of Schools I am thrilled to recognize Women's History Month throughout March. This annual observance provides us with a valuable opportunity to celebrate the countless contributions and achievements of women in shaping our society, advancing our communities, and enriching our lives. From trailblazing leaders and innovators to unsung heroes and advocates for change, women have played pivotal roles in every aspect of our history and continue to inspire us today. As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure that the stories and accomplishments of women are integrated into our curriculum, empowering students to learn from the past and envision a future of equality and opportunity for all. Let us use this month as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue, reflection, and action as we honor the indelible impact of women throughout history and reaffirm our commitment to gender equality in education and beyond.

In addition to the universal sentiment of Women's History Month I hope that you can all join me in making personal acknowledgment of women in your life who have enriched your experience. I am grateful always for my wife Tanja, for my mom, for our Board of Education President Christine Gregory who has taught me, guided me, and supported me since the 8th grade, and for my mentor in Educational Leadership, Jeanne Dangle, who passed away in 2014 after a courageous battle with cancer and after a wonderful career as an educator.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to fostering a community of belonging and for our outward expressions of gratitude for those who guide us. #WeAreCortland

Sincerely,

Bob Edwards

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, all times are adjusted by 2 hours.

Normal Opening Times

• Barry, Smith, and Randall will open to students at 8:10 a.m.

• The Junior High and High School will be open at 7:00 a.m. Homeroom will then begin at 7:38 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 6:45 a.m.

Click on the photo to see the Weekly Blast featuring Mock Trial.

*Spring sports are right around the corner. JV/Varsity will start on March 11th and Modified will be starting on April 8th. Please make sure your child has a current physical on file if they plan to participate.

*All the schools are wrapping up their state mandated physicals and screenings.

*If you have an elementary student please keep an extra set of clothing in their backpack and we are also looking for some donations of sweatpants.

*Remember to keep your child home if they are sick (fever, diarrhea, vomiting, etc).

As always please contact your school nurse if you have any questions.

From Principal Mack

Recognizing Women's History Month holds personal significance for many reasons. As an individual, it is essential to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments, struggles, and contributions of women throughout history. Here are some reasons why Women's History Month is important on a personal level:

• Inspiration: Learning about the achievements of women serves as a source of inspiration. It provides role models whose stories demonstrate resilience, determination, and the ability to overcome obstacles, motivating individuals to pursue their goals.

• Celebrating Personal Connections: Many individuals have women in their lives who have played pivotal roles, whether it's a mother, sister, friend, or mentor. Women's History Month is an opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the impact of these personal connections.

• Cultivating a Sense of Pride: Recognizing Women's History Month cultivates a sense of pride in one's identity and the contributions of women to society. It reinforces the notion that every individual has the potential to make a meaningful impact.

Ultimately, recognizing Women's History Month is a personal journey of appreciation, reflection, and commitment to fostering a better world for everyone. It is an opportunity to celebrate the strength, resilience, and achievements of women who have shaped history and continue to influence our lives. I am grateful always for my wife, for my mom, and my two grandmothers. All lived a different path in life but all showed the same strength and resiliency to be successful.

Vitamin Z in Print

March is here! The weather is starting to change and we will be turning the clocks this month. It is also Women’s History Month. The quote for this month’s Vitamin Z in Print is by Sandra Day O’Connor (First woman appointed to the Supreme Court) “Do the very best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time.” She is reminding us to always do our best, even if what we are doing is a small task. Doing your best will become a habit. Be great all of the time, Tigers!

From Principal Quinn

As we enter the month of March - Women's History Month, we recognize the impact of women on our society. At Randall Middle School, we ensure high levels of learning for all students and adults. Engaging in high levels of learning throughout their public education is the single most influential thing we can ensure for our students. We have a sense of urgency for our students to be prepared with the foundational skills required to be successful so that they can choose any future that their passions guide them to. As we celebrate Women's History Month, we consider the impact of the following quote: "Nothing is impossible. The word itself says 'I'm Possible.'" ~Audrey Hepburn.

May this quote ring true for all CECSD learners!

From Principal Block

ROAR Celebration in February

This upcoming month we are excited to work with Molly Reagan as we begin our ROAR mural project! We will be working with a group of students and families to create a mural that will be painted on our basketball court. Not only will our students help design the mural, they will help paint it! This mural will represent who our learners and staff are at Smith School. It will represent how we foster the love for academic learning as well as our focus on social-emotional learning. We will unveil our mural with our students, staff, sponsors, and community members on June 4th! More information to follow.

This month we are collecting food for Helping Hands. If you would like to send in food pantry items with your student to support, it would be greatly appreciated.

From Principal Klumpp

Throughout history, women have fought for the right to education and have made immense contributions to the field of education as teachers, scholars, and activists.

One of the key aspects of women's impact on education is their role in advocating for and promoting educational opportunities for girls and women. Women such as Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for her advocacy of girls' education, have brought global attention to the importance of ensuring that all girls have access to quality education.

Additionally, women have played a crucial role in shaping educational policy and pedagogy. They have challenged traditional notions of education and have advocated for a more inclusive and equitable education system. Women have also made significant contributions to various academic fields, enriching the educational experience for students and advancing knowledge in a wide range of disciplines.

Overall, Women's History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the impact that women have had on education and to acknowledge the ongoing work to ensure that education is accessible to all! I am thankful every day for the women who have influenced my life, my mother, my daughter, colleagues and several teachers throughout the years.

With Tiger Pride,

Phyllis Klumpp

Deborah Wood and Eric Comtoise present Autumn Barber with a Tiger Paw.

SAT School Day

This is the only spring SAT offered by CHS.

When: April 4th; Sign-up: email your school counselor, Ms. Catalano or Mr. Adams

Career Opportunity Fair

When: March 14th; Where: SUNY Cortland; When: 9:45 departure, Noon return; Who’s it for: Seniors, Juniors, and if room, Sophomores; Sign-up: email your school counselor, Ms. Catalano or Mr. Adams AND return signed permission slip by March 12th!

It’s March and that means it is time for Manie Musicale 2024 in high school French classes! This is a fan-favorite unit that gets everyone excited every year. We will be listening to 16 songs and following a March Madness style bracket while learning about the artists and gaining an appreciation for music from around the French-speaking world. Don’t be surprised if you hear your students adding these songs to their playlists and start asking you to listen with them!

The new social studies elective course, Philosophy 101: Living the Life YOU Were Meant to Live, is “up and running” for the spring semester. Students will be learning about Shoshin, Zen Mindfulness, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, Triangle of Vitality, Taoism, Yin/Yang, Coach John Wooden’s lessons in leadership, his Pyramid of Success, and much more.

Cortland High School has started up a student lead Prom Dress Closet. Students are collecting current style, gently used prom dresses in all sizes through March 22nd. Outside donations can be made in the foyer off of the main office in the donation box on Mondays and Fridays. Student donations can be dropped off in the Junior High Nurse’s office before school on any school day.

Donations will be taken for cleaning every Saturday through the dress collection.

Students will be organizing a dress shopping day once all donations are collected and sorted, on a date TBD in April. Dresses from those donated will be available to Cortland students for free.

For more information, students can reach out to Liz Scanlon.

For information on how you can assist email mscanlon@cortlandschools.org

Barry Primary started the fall with 31 second graders as safety patrol members. These students were nominated by their classroom teachers for this leadership role because they exhibit the ROAR attributes on March 1st, 18 new second graders were sworn in by Officer Reyngoudt as safety patrol members because they also demonstrate leadership qualities. Our Barry Safety Patrol members help keep our hallways safe and model expected behaviors every day! Go Tigers!

High School Forensic Science students put their skills to the test attempting to lift fingerprints off of a variety of surfaces with the goal of solving the bank robbery crime! Students used magnetic powder to dust for prints off of a variety of surfaces and then used overall print pattern and the fine details of a fingerprint called minutiae patterns in order to match prints from the crime scene to one of the suspects.

Cornell AWM (Association for Women in Math) is hosting our 5th annual Julia Robinson Math Festival (JRMF) this spring and we're hoping you can join us! We invite Kindergarten through 10th grade students from Ithaca and around New York State to participate in mathematical games and activities in collaborative small group settings facilitated by Cornell undergraduate and graduate math students. In the afternoon, a Cornell math professor will give an accessible talk about her research and her career, open to all interested.

The event will take place on Saturday, March 16, 2024, from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Games and activities are taking place in the morning and the talk will take place after lunch. Events will take place on Cornell's campus at Willard Straight Hall and Olin Hall. Lunch is provided!

Please register here by March 7.

For more information, visit the Cornell events page, or contact cornellawmofficers@gmail.com.

The time has come to build yet another publication of CHS’s long standing Art and Literary Magazine, MUSE-ings. Any student in grades 9-12 that has any questions about submitting your original artwork or writing sample for possible publication in this year’s edition, please contact Mr. Morgan at the High School (rm 205) or via email (smorgan@cortlandschools.org) by the submission deadline of April 12th.

March is Youth Art Month (YAM) which started in 1961 through The Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI), Youth Art Month exists to: Recognize art education as a viable factor in the total education curriculum that develops citizens of a global society. Recognizing art is a necessity for the full development of better quality of life for all.

Art nurtures creativity, innovation and cultural diversity for all peoples across the globe and plays an important role in sharing knowledge and encouraging curiosity and dialogue.

Many art shows and festivals occur during this month to honor our young artists and their many accomplishments. This month in Cortland County the annual Imagination Celebration, a K-12 student art show, will be held at the Ake Gallery in Cortland this year. The Opening Reception will take place on March 21st, showcasing the “best of the best” of our student’s artwork. Unfortunately, due to space limitations, art teachers can only choose 10 pieces of student artwork to display. This is a highly anticipated show, a great honor to have work displayed, and a time to reflect on the importance of art in student’s lives. We are grateful to have such opportunities as these.

We are proud to recognize the following students who received awards at this year's Central New York Scholastic Arts competition. Congratulations to Jaden Mudge, Rose St. John, Arya Patel, Alivia Reif, Vedika Sahane, Corah Vaughan, and Tetiana Turkot. Our students were selected from 14 counties and 87 junior and senior high schools around Central New York. Nearly 4,500 pieces were submitted with only 1376 submissions chosen for recognition. Congratulations to all for this amazing accomplishment.

Michael Dearie and Bryan Honan are headed to compete at the NYSPHSAA State Finals at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island this Friday! They finished #1 and #2 in the Section Finals, beating out all other competitors in the entire section!

After States, both young men have qualified for NIKE Nationals at the Armory in NYC. There they will be joined by Jack Phelan who qualified in the Triple Jump.

Also qualifying for New Balance Nationals - Isabella Sisting is headed to Boston to compete in the Middle School 55m dash!

Wish them all luck!

Come to the Arts and Talent Showcase on Friday, March 8th at 6:00 at the high school! See students and staff show off their skills, participate in the Music Booster’s Basket Raffle, and enjoy some baked goods!

NYSSMA is on Saturday, March 23rd at Cortland High School. Good luck to all students performing at the festival