Cal-Mum Chronicle
February 2024
The annual Beginner Band Showcase, held on the evening of February 6, allowed fourth graders to introduce their families to the joys and challenges of beginning band class. The elementary gym was filled with 47 students (over 75% of the grade 4 population), each of whom could host up to two family members at the event. Students were arrayed in concert band formation, with their family members sitting beside them. Additional relatives–siblings, grandparents, and others–filled the bleachers. Mrs. Jacqueline Peterson, elementary instrumental music teacher, welcomed guests, conducted the group, and demonstrated a typical day in the band room.
Mrs. Peterson joined the Cal-Mum music department four years ago and implemented the Beginner Band Showcase at that time. “I had successfully done this at my last job so I wanted to continue. I want parents to see everything that goes into their kids learning an instrument.” In her remarks to the gathering, she suggested that parents remember this night so that they could appreciate their children’s progress when they hear them perform, all the way from this year’s spring concert to when they reach high school.
During the showcase event, fourth grade musicians taught their parents many of the skills they have learned including counting rhythms with clapping, playing just one note to get the timing down, and the difference between treble and bass clefs. The evening also included a demonstration of the MakeMusic Cloud program which all band students can access on their chromebook or any other device at home. This interactive program guides students through their practicing, even giving visual feedback when they hit a wrong note.
The band performed eight songs, with student volunteers introducing each song and sharing what they liked about their instruments and band in general. Responses ranged from “I like percussion because I don’t have to blow into an instrument” to “I like seeing Mrs. Peterson every week” and “The flute has a lot of keys so it gives me a challenge!” After the concert, Elsie Head, the band’s only tuba player, headed to the music room with her dad. Ray Heard, who was toting her instrument, commented, “I was also a tuba player when I was in school at Rush-Henrietta, so this experience really brings us together.”
If you’ve never been to a Caledonia-Mumford varsity wrestling match, talking to Coach Paul “Chip” Day will spark your curiosity and make you want to attend one. As he describes it, a competition requires decisions reminiscent of a chess match, features passionate matside coaching, and has supportive competitors who, when they’re not meeting you on the mat, are providing tips on how to best your next opponent.
“Once you wrestle, you can do anything,” says Coach Day. “It’s a very different kind of sport. You can’t blame another person for not passing you the ball or for messing up a play. You’re all alone out there on the mat.”
Coach Day has been a coach for over 30 years, starting when his son James started playing football. “I’d hang around to see what was going on at the practices. Finally the team’s coach, Ron Beach, told me that I might as well stay and help him out for the season.” Since then, Coach Day has coached football, wrestling, and baseball at various levels, including a youth wrestling program for elementary school students. He took over the varsity wrestling head coaching gig from now-retired science teacher John Wilbur in 2006.
During Coach Day’s stint, there have been years when outstanding individual wrestlers excelled but the overall team was very lean. They would often be forced to forfeit matches because they had no one to wrestle at a particular weight. He recalls a young, inexperienced 2009 team that was not deep enough to win any matches–they had to forfeit at too many weight classes. Chip’s mantra to the team was, “Don’t worry about the scoreboard, just worry about getting a win on the mat." Coach Day recalls, "Even though the numbers made it impossible for us to win an overall competition, we concentrated on the individual matches we did have.” He adds, “During those lean years, it was hard to find matches because we had so few kids in the program. Nobody wants to wrestle you when you can’t provide matches for all their athletes. That’s why now, when other schools need help, I’m happy to set up a match so that their kids get some mat experience. I remember what it was like.”
The 2023-24 season was a banner participation year for varsity wrestling. Coach Day had 19 wrestlers on the squad, more than enough to fill the 13 slots in each wrestling match, with extra wrestlers to find matches for. How did he turn his numbers around? It began when he became the modified football coach eight years ago. “Since wrestling was during a different season, I started recruiting the kids. Some told me they didn’t like wrestling, without having any idea what it was. I’d ask them to come to just one practice to see what it’s all about. And I always encouraged them to bring a friend. Ninety percent of the kids who came out stayed.” Coach Day also credits football coach Mike Yokopovich and assistant coach Sean Ramsey (a former Cal-Mum wrestler) with recommending wrestling as a way to stay in shape during the offseason. Coach Day is a huge fan of three-sport athletes: “Colleges always say they are looking for all-around athletes, not specialists. When you wrestle, you are in the best shape of your life, using every muscle in your body. Besides, there are too many distractions out there for kids not involved in sports. I could never grow up in this era.”
On match days, Coach Day has several decisions to make. He explained that he often has two wrestlers ready to go in the same weight class. Here’s where the chess strategy comes in–he waits to see who the other team sends out–is it their strongest wrestler at that weight? Or have they bounced him up to the next weight? Which of our athletes matches up best? Who best to take the forfeit if the other team has no one to compete?
When the match begins, Coach Day gets up close and personal, as a chair is provided on the edge of the mat, with a taped line that can’t be crossed. “I always coach standing up. My assistants Chad Kessler and Clay Baron are always warning me to sit down so I don’t cross the line,” chuckled Coach Day. He pointed out that rookie spectators ask why he’s shouting at the boys, and explains that he has to yell in order to be heard through the protective headgear they’re wearing.
Coach Day’s pride in his squad comes through in every detail he mentions. He points out that a major challenge of the sport is making your weight class by eating properly so you’ll feel your best physically and mentally. “It’s a long season from November to March, with Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and the Super Bowl–all big food days that can challenge a wrestler’s physique and willpower!” he comments. Although the season can be physically and mentally draining, he enjoys having practice for two hours a day in what he refers to as a safe zone. “These are adolescents trying to find their way. I try to talk to them about everything from black history (Coach’s uncle was one of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II) to the five polite words that will keep them out of trouble (please, thank you, you’re welcome, good morning, and good night).”
The sport requires a great deal of discipline. “You have six minutes on that mat, and you can’t get emotional. You have to be calculating and determined in order to be successful.” Coach Day is a stickler for discipline off the mat too, emailing his athletes’ teachers at the start of the season to open a dialogue if students are having trouble in a class, need help with homework, or are having discipline issues. It is not uncommon for him to allocate a half hour of practice to completing homework, possibly with guidance from a teammate who is better at that subject.
Part of the mutual respect between Coach Day and his wrestlers stems from the fact that they know that he has been in their shoes. Coach was a Cal-Mum wrestler in the 1970’s, and also wrestled during college at both the University of Tampa and the University of Arizona, before being sidelined by shoulder injuries. “I know how it feels to lose your last match as a senior and realize you’re not going on to states, because I’ve experienced that,” he said, adding, “I try to always give constructive criticism, rather than being berated, because I know firsthand how that feels.”
Coach Day describes himself as an old-school coach. He recently won the Livingston County Coach of the Year honor (for the second time--he also won in 2018) at a league match in Perry. Another coach asked him if he was dressed up because he was getting the award. He explained that the award was a surprise but he always dresses that way–a shirt and tie for every match and a suit jacket added for counties and sectionals. “I dress this way to show respect for the kids,” he says.
While Coach Day was thrilled to win the coaching award, voted on by all the Livingston County wrestling coaches, he is quick to turn the credit back to his team. “This means our program is being noticed. I'm ecstatic that we’re in the limelight now.” The honor that was even more meaningful to him this season was the Earl Fuller/Frank Marotta Sportsmanship Award, given by Section V officials to one program in Division 2 for demonstrating good sportsmanship. Coach explains, “The hardest thing to do is to shake hands after a match you’ve lost. I tell my kids if you must cry or throw your headgear, make sure you’re out of sight, down the hall. I teach them to win with dignity and to lose with dignity.”
Although the wrestling program is losing five seniors this year, Coach Day is confident that his trend of strong team numbers will continue. He takes a minute to reflect on his seniors and how they made their way to the team…one just wanting to get in shape but not participate in matches (PS-he later changed his mind and competed), one who came with a friend, and one who, at age 7, tagged along with his older brother. “They are all like family to me,” Coach said with a smile. “We are one big, happy, dysfunctional family!”
Mark your calendars for an exciting theatrical experience for your entire family! Seussical, the Musical, the M/HS musical, will be on stage on March 22, 23, and 24. Tickets are now on sale at cal-mum.org and may be purchased by credit card ($8/students and seniors, $10 general admission). Ticket purchases by cash and check only may be made at the district office between 9-12 AM and 1-4 PM.
The cast of 27 students in grades 6-12 is directed by Erin Hodge. She describes the musical as Dr. Seuss coming to life, with characters from a variety of his books interacting to create a whole new story. She explains, “I got all the Dr. Seuss books I could find out of the library for our first rehearsal. We wanted to go straight to the original source material so that students could learn about their characters.” She emphasizes that this is a show for all ages, saying, “Sometimes when you hear Dr. Seuss or Charlie Brown, you picture children’s theater. That’s not this show–there are funny parts and scenes that might make you cry. Audience members of all ages will be able to enjoy this celebration of imagination.” The story is told primarily through song, interspersed with short snippets of dialogue (delivered in Seussian rhyme!). There are 30 songs performed in the musical.
One difference from past years is that sixth graders were invited to participate in Seussical. In fact, one student, Josalyn Patanella, plays a lead role (JoJo) and Erin reports that she is doing a wonderful job in rehearsals. “I think adding 6th graders is a great way to get kids interested in performing in future productions. We also had an elementary musical theater production last fall. As more kids get excited about theater, we’ll be able to do shows with bigger casts.”
Speaking of building excitement, the Seussical cast will host a preview for all elementary students in grades Pre-K through 6, performing some scenes from the musical. Cast members will also explain their characters so that students will feel more prepared if they attend the actual performance with their families. One of those characters, the iconic Cat in the Hat, is played by senior Bella Pillittere. Bella explains a bit about her character: “The Cat is fun, spunky, and wants to make everyone else happy, without always thinking through how to do that.” In her role, Bella uses props to portray a variety of careers that the Cat explores, ranging from a circus performer to a court marshal to a helicopter pilot! Bella, who will be performing in her third musical, shares that she is most enjoying exploring the fun aspects of her character which allow her to experiment with how she acts and dances. She also likes working with the new group of middle school cast members.
Erin describes the show as a true group effort, with participation from a wide cross-section of the Cal-Mum school community. Bill Middleton, dad to Cheyenne and Josh who are both in the show, is the set designer and builder. Amy Hanley-Dykstra, also mom of an actor, Drake Dykstra, heads up costume design. Instrumental music teacher Matt Trost will conduct a 17-member pit band that includes several students, vocal musical teacher Dylan Young is coaching the cast in their singing, and tech teacher Larry Harvey will be handling some printing for the show. Middle/high school librarian Liz Barbour is serving as tech director, working with junior Will Dietrich who is the lighting designer. Erin adds, “We’re working with choreographer Patty Flowerday to incorporate more complex dance routines than we’ve had in past shows. The kids are really stepping up to learn the numbers.” She concludes, “We found out four other schools are doing Seussical this year. I think our interpretation will be very unique. We are using a pop-up book theme, where the characters are coming out of the pages to bring the magic of Dr. Seuss alive for the audience.”
Many framed drawings and paintings by Cal-Mum students have adorned the walls of the elementary school for the last several decades. We're now searching for those artists so we can return their work and make room for new pieces. Please check in with the elementary office at 538-3481 if you or someone you know currently has artwork on display.
Junior Lily Clement and M/HS art teacher Vicki McArdle are currently exhibiting pieces in the Shared Spaces art teacher/student show at Nazareth University. The show is designed to celebrate the unique apprenticeship process that occurs between teacher and student. Each teacher submits one piece of their own work that was created within the last three years and selects one student with whom to show their work. To honor the concept of gallery space being equal, the work is displayed without identifying whether a teacher or a student created it. Above, the artists pose with their acrylic paintings: Lahaina Banyan Tree by Lily and Gentle is the Way Through by Mrs. McArdle. Lily commented on her work, "The Lahaina Banyan Tree itself is a work of art. It has been a powerful symbol of Hawaii and nature's beauty for over 100 years. The impact of the Maui fires on the tree was heartbreaking. I wanted to focus on illustrating its beauty before the disaster, as well as its resilience in continuing to stand tall even after the fires. Nature is truly incredible and I used this painting as an outlet to show my appreciation for it." Mrs. McArdle selected her piece to go along with Lily’s because of the color palette. She said, " I especially love how the greens complement one another as well as how the wooden panel connects with Lily’s tree bark and branches." The art show runs through March 10 at the Nazareth Arts Center, with gallery hours of 12-5 PM, Tuesday through Sunday.
Junior Hazell Nickerson started February off in a big way--she scored her 1,000th point on February 2 in a game against Keshequa. Since then she's added to her stats, with a point total of 1,088 (3rd all time in the girls' record book) and rebound total of 948 (2nd all time-girls ).The varsity girls team went on a sectional run this year, defeating Mount Morris and Alexander to advance to the final four, before losing a hard-fought game to #1 seed Dundee/Bradford. They finished the season with a 16-7 record. Congratulations to Coach Mike Reed, seniors Holly McGinnis, Isabella Cochran, and Malina Bellos (pictured) and the entire team on a great season!
