GCCSD News and Updates - Jan. 2026

A new year is here, and with it comes a fresh chapter full of opportunities to learn, connect and grow together. As we ease into January, we’re reflecting on the many moments that made 2025 special — from classroom creativity and community celebrations to progress on major capital projects and more.

If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out our 2025 Gates Chili Wrapped for a look back at some of the year’s most memorable highlights 👉 click here.

This month’s issue is packed with exciting updates, including winter concert performances, student leadership highlights, upcoming events like the Harlem Wizards and Billy Martin’s Circus and new classroom furniture arriving at our elementary schools. You’ll also find details about job opportunities, capital project progress and the return of #GCPride Day.

Thanks for starting the new year with us. Let’s make 2026 another one to remember!

The Gates Chili school community is made up of more than 3,700 students and 900+ staff members! Get ready to peek into the world of our Spartans in our e-newsletter segment: Ask the Spartans!

This month, meet Marcy Worden, a teacher aide in the 6:1:1 program at Walt Disney Elementary School. This is Marcy’s third school year at Disney.

Tell us a little about yourself.

Marcy: I have a master’s degree in special education and taught for many years, outside of the district. I am married and have two kids. One has graduated from college, and the other is currently a senior at SUNY Geneseo. I like spending time with my family, traveling and going to musicals and other music events.

Do you have a favorite musical?

Marcy: I saw it a long time ago, but one of my favorites is “Kinky Boots”. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that one. I also just saw “& Juliet” through the Rochester Broadway Theatre League, and that was a fun show. I usher at the West Herr Auditorium Theatre, so I get to see a lot of musicals that way.

What do you enjoy most about working at Walt Disney?

Marcy: I enjoy the working with the staff, and the support I get from administration and teachers. I love working with the students and watching them grow and gain new experiences.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Marcy: I love interacting with the students and getting to see their excitement. Sometimes I think we get more excited than they do when they accomplish something new! But being able to see them learn and grow from the start of the school year is amazing. I’m currently in a kindergarten classroom, so I get to see all the adjustments happen as they learn to adapt to the school environment. It's only been a few months, but we have already seen so much progress from our students.

What is something you do to help students stay positive and motivated?

Marcy: I always try to just be there for them and give them positive reinforcement. Any time they accomplish something, I’m cheering them on. If they see us get excited, they will get excited too.

What does it mean to be a Spartan and Disney Dragon?

Marcy: I think it means being part of a strong community. I can even remember back when I interviewed feeling like I was entering this tight-knit community. Everyone was very welcoming, and I have met so many people and built good friendships here. It’s being in this community with a lot of support from administrators all the way down to the support staff. Even people I don’t work with daily are always there to help when you need it.

This week, the Board of Education approved the retirement of Superintendent Christopher Dailey, as shared on Monday via ParentSquare by Board President Katie Coffee.

Since the 2019-20 school year, Mr. Dailey has worked alongside our staff, students, families and community to strengthen the district and keep a clear focus on student learning and well-being. We are grateful for his leadership and the many contributions he has made during his tenure.

To ensure continuity, the Board of Education appointed Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mitchell Ball to serve as interim superintendent effective immediately. Dr. Ball, who has been a leader in the district since January 2020, brings deep knowledge of our district and a steady commitment to our goals and day-to-day operations.

The board will discuss next steps for district leadership in the coming weeks and will share updates as decisions are made. In the meantime, please join us in wishing Mr. Dailey and his family the very best in retirement!

Get ready for a night of fast-paced fun and family-friendly entertainment as the Gates Chili Education Foundation welcomes the Harlem Wizards back to the Spartan Field House at Gates Chili High School!

The Wizards will face off against the GC Faculty, Staff and Administration All-Stars on Friday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. Fans can expect high-energy basketball, jaw-dropping tricks, and plenty of laughs as this beloved event brings the Gates Chili community together once again.

Step right up! The circus is coming to Gates Chili on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Spartan Field House at Gates Chili High School.

In a collaborative fundraising event, the Florence Brasser Family Association (FBFA) and the Neil Armstrong Parent-Teacher Organization (NAPTO) are proud to present Billy Martin's Cole All-Star Circus.

Enjoy 90 minutes of nonstop excitement in a show featuring all the classic circus acts like jugglers, trapeze artists, unicyclists, balancers, hilarious comedy and so much more!

• $15 per adult ticket when purchased in advance
• Two children (12 and under) get in free with each adult ticket purchased
• Adult tickets will be $20 at the door

Gates Chili elementary students will have a new place to sit and learn very soon!

Earlier this school year, the district launched Phase 1 of a multi-phase plan to update elementary classroom furniture. This phase will bring fresh, functional furnishings to support teaching and learning across the district.

Armstrong, Disney and Paul Road will receive new K–5 grade-level classroom furniture, including student desks/tables and chairs, kidney tables with stools, and mobile storage units, and all elementary schools will receive new desks and chairs for instructional staff. To meet a tight timeline, Phase 1 focuses on grade-level classrooms, with Phase 2 planned for specialized spaces and Brasser’s grade-level classrooms once ongoing construction throughout that building is complete.

Staff feedback helped to guide final furniture selections, and installation has already begun, with more furniture to come within the next three to six months. A huge kudos to the Gates Chili Facilities team for their thoughtful and comprehensive plan to move all the furniture into place with minimal disruption!

Both of the district’s capital improvement projects are moving forward, with several big areas of the Building Brighter Futures project nearing the finish line.

At Gates Chili Middle School, work on the new music addition continues with painting, flooring and ceiling installation underway and the district’s move-in planned for early 2026. Outside, crews are finishing details at Spartan Park, including joints and caulking for the masonry dugouts and training for the new field lighting system, with scoreboard training scheduled for January. Meanwhile, at Florence Brasser Elementary School, staff have already begun moving into new art and English as a New Language (ENL) classrooms as well as the new mental health suite. The instrumental band space will be completed this month.

Looking ahead to the Future Ready construction project, which was approved by voters in February 2025, the project team held its kick-off meeting and is preparing for January work, including the start of construction at the Operations Center this week. The district is also coordinating with staff on upcoming work at Neil Armstrong and Walt Disney elementary schools.

For updates and information on both capital projects, visit gateschili.org/CapitalProject.

Families may now see a new option in ParentSquare that allows them to submit certain school-related payments right where you already receive messages, permission forms and updates. This new feature, called ParentSquare Pay, helps streamline the process by bringing information, sign-ups and payments into one place.

Gates Chili Middle School recently piloted ParentSquare Pay during communications for an eighth-grade field trip and the results were promising. In just over a week, 51 payments were submitted through ParentSquare, helping reduce the need to bounce between multiple platforms to complete the same task.

Beginning this week, families of third-, sixth- and some ninth-grade students may see the option to pay for their student’s upcoming Rochester Broadway Theatre League field trip to “Wicked.” This new feature makes it easier for families to purchase tickets and keep everything connected to the original ParentSquare post. ParentSquare Pay includes a processing fee similar to other online payment systems, such as MySchoolBucks, so cash and checks will still be accepted.

To continue improving the family experience, the district is exploring which other school activity payments may be added to ParentSquare Pay in the future. Meal payments and meal account balances will continue to be managed through MySchoolBucks.

Please note that there will be no school for students and 10-month staff on Friday, Feb. 13, as this marks the first day of Mid-Winter Break.

This date was accidentally omitted from the printed calendar. We want to ensure families and staff have the most accurate information as they plan ahead. As always, we encourage you to check the online calendar for the most up-to-date information on all upcoming events: https://gateschili.org/calendar

Click on the links below to learn more about this month's awareness and heritage months:

Braille Literacy Month

Blood Donor Month

Jan. 8-9: NA Theatre Club presents Frozen Jr., 6:30-8 p.m., Armstrong Cafetorium

Jan 9: MS Grade 7-8 Social, 7-8:30 p.m., MS Cafeteria

Jan. 13: Board of Education Meeting, 6:30 p.m., GCPLC

Jan. 14: HS Winter Choral Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC

Jan. 15: NA Band and Chorus Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC

Jan. 16: Harlem Wizards at Gates Chili, 7 p.m., Spartan Field House

Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day – District Closed

Jan. 20-23: HS Regents Exams

Jan. 21: FBFA and NAPTO present: Billy Martin's Cole All-Star Circus

Jan. 23: Conference Day – No School for students 6-12

Jan. 23: WD Bingo Night, 5-8 p.m.

Jan. 26: MS Grade 6 Winter Chorus Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC

Jan. 27: Board of Education Meeting, 6:30 p.m., GCPLC

Jan. 29: MS Grade 7-8 Winter Chorus Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC

Jan. 30: #GCPride Day

Always be sure to check the district website for the
most up-to-date dates, times and locations for all events.

Cleaners are responsible for the day-to-day upkeep of school building interiors, furniture, and fixtures. This position follows established routines and procedures to ensure safe, clean and well-maintained learning spaces. Cleaners work under the direct supervision of custodial leadership and focus on cleaning duties rather than plumbing or carpentry tasks.

This role is a B Shift position during the school year, with day shifts during school breaks and the summer, offering consistency and structure throughout the year.

Compensation:

• $16.40 per hour
• Additional $0.75/hour shift differential for B and C shifts

If you’re looking for a dependable role where your work directly supports students, staff and the broader school community, the Cleaner position at Gates Chili may be a great fit!

Gates Chili is seeking qualified candidates for the following positions. Click the button below to apply or share the opportunity with someone you know!

Job ID 1253: Teacher Aide for the 2025-26 school year

Job ID 1257: Substitute Support Staff

Job ID 1258: Substitute Teacher*

Job ID 1343: Spring – Boys Modified Baseball Head Coach

Job ID 1351: Speech Language Pathologist

Job ID 1362: Fall - Boys Varsity Football Assistant Coach - Preferred experience in quarterback or wide receiver coaching/play

Job ID 1363: World Language Teacher- Latin Teacher Probationary (2026-2027 school year)

Job ID 1364: Elementary Special Education Teacher 12:1:1

Job ID 1365: School Psychologist

Job ID 1367: Secondary Special Education Teacher 15:1

Job ID 1368: Special Education - LTS

Job ID 1371: Secondary Special Education Teacher Probationary (2026-2027 school year)

Job ID 1371: Secondary Special Education Teacher Probationary (2026-2027 school year)

Job ID 789: Lifeguard

Job ID 1251: Bus Attendant for the 2025-26 school year

Job ID 1252: Bus Driver for the 2025-26 school year

Job ID 1254: Cleaner for the 2025-26 school year

Job ID 1255: Security Worker 2025-26 school year

Job ID 1256: Food Service Helper for the 2025-26 school year

Job ID 1366: School Aide: Cafeteria Monitor - PT

Job ID 1369: Maintenance Mechanic II – HVAC Experience Preferred

*The Gates Chili Board of Education approved new,