The Story of the New Purple Tiger:
We have a new Cortland Purple Tiger to coordinate with the “new” Cortland Enlarged City School District! Our new tiger logo is part of an effort to brand our school district.
The process of creating a new tiger logo began with a comprehensive evaluation of all the tiger images and logos that were in circulation throughout the district. In total, our search evaluated over 20 distinctly different tiger logos that had been in use! With such variety, we knew we would need to do some work in order to have one logo.
After evaluating what was currently in use and developing a vision for our future logo, we began to reach out to professional graphic design companies. In Cortland, we are lucky to have the company Graph-Tex, who graciously volunteered their services ...
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Auditorium Project Update August 2019:
If you have been up to the high school lately there are some noticeable changes going on this summer! The most apparent is the traffic pattern change for pick up and drop off, along with perimeter fencing along the auditorium due to the renovation of our auditorium.
The $6.5 million capital project for the auditorium was approved by voters back in December 2017. The original 1964 auditorium has been relatively untouched since it was constructed and is in need of safety upgrades and significant modernization.
Director of Facilities, Bob Martin said, “the project is moving ahead well. We are on time and scheduled to be completed by May 2020. The demolition has started inside the auditorium. The orange seats have been removed so they can be reupholstered and re-finished. ...
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School Supplies Provided for 2019-2020 School Year:
Cortland Enlarged City School District is committed to high levels of learning for all students. We strive to provide engaging and equitable learning environments for everyone. So that all students have everything they need for learning, the District will continue to provide all of the supplies and equipment needed for our classrooms. Families do not have to purchase supplies for their children to bring to school.
Experience informs us that families are often frustrated by the financial burden and difficulty in meeting the different requests of multiple teachers. At the beginning of the school year, families are often purchasing apparel as well. Easing the stress and burden of school supplies can help.
The District has identified the supplies necessary for classroom learning. ...
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Summer Meals for Summer 2019:
The Summer Food Service Program serves up free, healthy meals for kids and teens at favorite summertime places near here. Anyone ages 18 and under can drop by when breakfast, lunch, or snacks are served – no sign-up or paperwork is needed. All kids and teens are welcome!
Wava Bush, Cook Manager for the Cortland Enlarged City School District said, “the summer meal program has been going well so far. Kids have benefited from the free breakfast and lunch and have been enjoying the free food.”
The Summer Food Service Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the New York State Education Department. In past years, the program has served over 200 million free meals across the country over the summer months, with over 6,000 meals served throughout ...
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Athletics Department is Named NYSPHSAA School of Excellence:
The Cortland Enlarged City School District is thrilled to announce that the varsity athletic program has again been named a
d esignated Schools of Excellence for its classroom achievements. Cortland is the only school district in Cortland County that has been awarded this honor and joins a select list of 101 schools in NYS that received this distinction.
In order to be named a School of Excellence, a school must have 75 percent of its varsity teams earn scholar-athlete status (earning a grade point average of 90 or above). Cortland is proud to have 20 of its 24 varsity teams qualify for this award.
“I am extremely proud of the commitment the Cortland student-athletes have shown to their academic success,” Athletic Director Tim Wagoner said. “Cortland Athletics ...
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127th Commencement Ceremony:
As the graduates filed into the SUNY Cortland Park Alumni Center, the traditional commencement march “Pomp and Circumstance” filled the air. Parents, relatives, brothers and sisters looked on as the Class of 2019 took their seats. The ceremony opened with a welcome by Principal John Zarcone, followed by the Senior Class Officers leading the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the Cortland Alma Mater. Janet Griffin, School Board President, quoted Rascal Flatts and said, “I hope each road takes you where you want to go.”
Superintendent Hoose followed Janet Griffin and said, “with your diploma comes responsibility, you are charged with making your community and life better.” Superintendent Hoose also congratulated the 14 students ...
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Walk to Water Event Held at Randall School on June 25, 2019:
On June 25, students in Ms. Alo’s, Mrs. Elliot-Birdsall’s and Mrs. Holl’s classes participated in their final pu blic product for their PBL (Project-Based Learning) project on Water Scarcity. In order to raise awareness, students and staff walked for one hour with posters about the different challenges people living with water scarcity face.
The two classes have been working on this PBL unit since May. The students focused on answering the driving question, “How can we as fundraisers, raise money and awareness about people facing water insecurities.”
During the unit, the class went on a field trip to Cortland Water Works to learn more about how we in Cortland get our water. Students read the book, “The Water Princess” by Susan ...
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2019 Spring Sports Recap:
The short, soggy spring was jam packed with excitement as most of the Cortland Athletics teams made it to the sectional qualification level. Below is a recap capturing the spring sports teams accomplishments! We are proud of our purple tigers!
Boys Baseball
Head Coach: Ben Albright
Coach Ben Albright said, “the Varsity Baseball Team had a stellar season. Our final regular season record was 15-4, good enough to be one game out of first place. This was quite the turn around after a disappointing 2018 season. Our team was excited to break in the new All Turf Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex as our new home field. Despite a rainy spring, we were able to get our games in as scheduled. This was very beneficial as we were able to continuously work outside and on a field. ...
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Summer Bus Fare for Youth:
Our public bus system, Cortland Transit, allows junior high and high school teens who are 13 years of age and older to travel without adult supervision for $10 with a summer pass, or for 75 cents per one-way trip. Listed below are a few frequently asked questions:
Where Do I Get a Bus Pass?
Students with a valid school ID card can purchase a bus pass for $10 at the Cortland Transit Office at 21 Squires Street. These discounted passes will be available from July 1 to August 31 only.
Do I Need a Bus Pass to Ride the Bus?
You do not need to have a bus pass. Students aged 13 and older can ride the bus for 75 cents for each “leg”. Every time you get off the bus, including transferring to a different bus, you pay the driver 75 cents. Bus tokens can also be ...
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Athletes Playing Sports in College:
Below are the seniors from this year that are playing a college sport.
Congratulations to the young men and women on all their hard-work and dedication. The Tiger family wishes them all the best in college athletics and their future endeavors!
Bottom Row left to right
Elysaa Yonta (lacrosse) - RPI, studying Architectural Civil Engineering
Reilly Record (softball) - TC3, studying General Studies
Ella Wilson (cross country) - Kenyon College, studying Classical Mathematics
Meredith Meagley (field hockey) - Nazareth College, studying Speech Therapy
Middle Row left to right
Lauren Swartz (field hockey/lacrosse) - St. John Fisher, studying Chemistry
Tyler Stevens (cross country/indoor/outdoor track) - Utica College, studying Sports ...
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This, I Believe Project:
Doing some soul searching, and thinking about what you “believe in” is something many of us do not take the time to do. The seniors in Mr. Porter’s AP Literature class have been diving deep into their conscience to figure out what they believe in with their culmination project called, “This, I believe in.”
Mr. Porter said, “This project has value on several levels, especially for seniors. One of the benefits of this project is that our students who have been in the AP track have not, for the most part, had the opportunity to learn about and practice formal public speaking- a skill they will need in their future. Also, reflecting on one's beliefs is an important endeavor- especially for those who are on their way to colleges and ...
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2019 Jamfest:
The 2019 Cortland Jamfest was a rocking success! Jamfest is a music festival featuring modern and popular music that happens on three separate stages and is an opportunity for students at Cortland Junior and High School to show off their musical talent, beyond the large traditional ensembles such as choir, band and orchestra. Over the years, Jamfest grew from being a simple concert at the Youth Bureau, to a large show with multiple stages that have performances going on simultaneously.
The various showcases of talent that were at Jamfest ranged from senior high school vocalists, to student organized bands and soloist.
Music department chair Jen Rafferty said, “With Jamfest, we wanted to include all students that were interested. Each set was 20 minutes long, staggered ...
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2019 Elementary Olympics:
A cloudy day did not stop the smiles, fun, and friendly competition from happening at the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade Cortland Olympics on June 6th. In advance fo the big day, students from the five elementary schools picked a country to represent, made t-shirts and flags, and prepared for the games.
As students arrived at the stadium, high school students greeted them by forming a human tunnel for students to run through. Each class then got a photo under the Cortland Athletics tent. The national anthem played and the games began!
Classes rotated through multiple stations including typical track and field events such as the shot put, long jump, and 4x100m relay. Non-traditional events also were held such as the potato sack race, tug o’ war, water balloon toss, hula ...
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Public Speaking Class Hosts We Shape the World Event June 4 & 5 2019:
Seniors in Melissa DaCosta’s Public Speaking classes hosted, “We Shape the World” event, modeled after TED talks, on June 4th and June 5th. The popular, non-profit organization, TED is best known for their short (18 minutes or less) and inspirational talks. TED is a global community that strives to build an archive of free information from the world’s most inspired thinkers. The class modeled this event after TED talks and even hosted the event in the auditorium.
The students in the public speaking class presented their inspiration talks to an audience of students and faculty members. Talks ranged from music in education to the American dream.
Melissa DaCosta said, “each student was able to pick a topic that was meaningful to them. I wanted students ...
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Student Council Hosts Leadership Breakfast for 7-12 Students on May 31, 2019:
On May 31st, student leaders were honored with a breakfast and speeches by Student Council President Chauncy Crane and President of SUNY Cortland Dr. Eric Bitterbaum.
Chauncy said, “The Leadership breakfast is a way to make people who are leaders feel special, appreciated and noticed. I helped plan this breakfast by asking teachers to select students that exhibited leadership qualities. I then invited Dr. Eric Bitterbaum to come since he is an important leader at SUNY Cortland and in our community. Nick Djafari is the Student Council Vice President and he helped with the planning as well.”
Rick Gamel a staff advisor for student council said, “this breakfast was a way to recognize students that may not necessarily have a perfect average, but exhibit qualities ...
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Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton Visits Smith Elementary School:
Kristy Buchalla’s 3rd grade students have been studying government and invited Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton to their class to discuss the work she has been doing in Albany.
Teacher Kristy Buchalla said, “I wanted to show my students how real government is. Sometimes I think when we talk about Albany and Washington D.C., government seems far away and abstract. That is why I invited Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton in so that she could talk to my students about the work she is doing in Albany.”
Assemblywoman Lifton said, “I try to come in whenever I get invited. I really enjoy talking to kids and explaining the work I do in Albany. I picked two bills that I thought would be interesting to the students.”
The first bill Assemblywomen discussed was a ...
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Leadership Day at Randall Elementary May 31, 2019:
Leadership Day at Randall Elementary School is a way to show parents and community members how students are learning about the 7 habits of highly effective people. The day starts by students greeting guests at the front door of Randall School, which sets the tone for the entire day. Students are leaders; they run the program!
Guests gathered in the gym for a performance by the Randall musical group, the Notebusters. The Notebuster sang, “We Are the World” and several other inspirational songs. After the musical interlude audience members were released to visit students classrooms. Students were prepared to show adults what they have been working on, how the Seven Habits influences their daily work, and other unique projects such as a water demonstration and other ...
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Countdown to 2019 Graduation:
As the days grow longer, the number of days our seniors have until graduation grows shorter. Senior
year can be fille d with many fun events, academic challenges, and for some students, their last chance to participate on an athletic team.
The Senior Prom was held on Friday May 10th. The prom was at Greek Peak Mountain Resort, complete with dinner and dancing. After the prom, the All Night Party began at 11 p.m. and lasted until 4 a.m. The All Night Party was at Hope Lake Lodge indoor water park. The All Night Party offered an after prom safe environment for students to attend.
Coming up on Friday May 31st, is the Senior Banquet and Awards Night. This event recognizes seniors that have made contributions to their class.
On June 7th and June 8th, the senior class is heading ...
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14 Seniors Graduate from TC3 with Associates Degree:
Graduating high school with your NYS Diploma is an achievement. Graduating high school with an Associates Degree and NYS diploma is a major honor and accomplishment. This year, fourteen Cortland students accomplished this feat.
Cortland High School has a partnership with Tompkins Cortland Community College called “College Now.” This program allows high school students across the area to take college level classes while they are in high school. Some students take 1-3 college level classes, however students that complete all of the requirements for an Associates Degree are allowed to take part in the commencement ceremony.
On May 23, 2019, Tompkins Cortland Community College celebrated its fiftieth commencement ceremony. As the graduates walked across the stage, parents ...
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Special Olympics May 23, 2019:
On May 23rd, the Cortland Special Olympics Team traveled to North Syracuse to participate in the regional games which has become an annual tradition and celebration. The Cortland team joined more than 850 students from school districts around the region including Baldwinsville, Chittenango, East Syracuse Minoa, Fayetteville-Manlius, Jamesville-DeWitt, Liverpool, Lyncourt, Marcellus, North Syracuse, OCM BOCES, Solvay, and West Genesee.
Sending off the Special Olympics Athletes in style, music teacher Steven Russell directed the High School Band to play, “Eye of the Tiger.” The Athletes then walked through a tunnel formed by the band and cheering High School students to get on the bus. This send off was the only the beginning of a very special day!
Once students ...
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