High School Students Participate in Project Adventure:
Propelling, anchor, belay, are all words students in Mr. Mack’s rock climbing class are getting used to using during their Project Adventure unit in Physical Education class at Cortland High School.
Project adventure, is a unit in which students explore activities such as rock climbing, an outdoor ropes course, challenging games, and other leadership and team building activities. Through challenging adventure activities and focused reflection, students become motivated to work together and strengthen their team building skills.
Physical education teacher, Sean Mack said, “with Project Adventure, everyone can get involved. I see students that are often disengaged with school and PE class become really motivated and excited to try out the rock wall and other ...
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Auditorium Project Update October 2019:
If you visit the Junior Senior High School on a regular basis you can not help but notice the dramatic changes occurring: the new traffic pattern, the occasional presence of a crane, the chain link fencing, and higher roof line. The changes are due to the $6.5 million dollar capital project that will upgrade and modernize our auditorium. The auditorium has had relatively little changes since the original construction in 1964 and needed many upgrades and modernization. Almost all of the project (88%) will be funded by the state, and the Board of Education has saved enough in the Capital Reserve Account to cover the other 12% without having to raise the taxes.
In addition to having a construction manager on site, Bob Martin, Cortland Enlarged City School District’s own Director ...
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Clubs at Randall Middle School:
The new Randall Middle School club structure is an intentional way to meet the needs of early adolescents (kids in 5th and 6th grade). Providing voice and choice in a way that is has some structure to it can meet the needs of these kids as they transition from childhood to adolescence. If you look at the needs, you can see how the club system is an attempt to meet these needs in a coordinated manner:
The Need for Physical Activity
The Need for Competence and Achievement
The Need for Self-Definition
The Need for Creative Expression
The Need for Positive Social Interaction
The Need for Structure and Clear Limits
The Need for Meaningful Participation
Students are surveyed in their homeroom classes and choose two clubs for a ten week rotation. After ten ...
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Homecoming Spirit Week Starts 10/15/19 at CHS:
For many, homecoming evokes memories of pep rallies, football games and school spirit!
Traditionally held in October, Homecoming is a time to welcome back alumni and their families,and a time to unify and bring together the student body.
Cortland High School will carry on their Homecoming traditions and will be bursting with school spirit beginning on Tuesday, October 15th. Homecoming Week festivities continue throughout the district and run through Saturday, October 19th.
Each day during this school week features a different dress up theme. To start on Tuesday, October 15, it will be American flag day. Wednesday, October 16th will be neon day, a day to dress in as much neon as you can without needing sunglasses. Thursday will be time to wear your favorite jersey ...
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Positivity Project, 2019:
The Positivity Project’s mission is to empower America’s youth to build positive relationships and become their bes t selves. Mike Erwim and Jeff Bryan, co-founders of the Positivity project said, “These partnerships couldn’t come at a more important time for our youth – and for our nation. In today’s rapidly changing world, character strengths – and a focus on relationships – must be intentionally cultivated from an early age. It is critical to ensure that our mental, emotional, and moral capacities grow alongside our advances in technology.
At many of our schools, we will use the Positivity Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping youth build stronger relationships by recognizing the character strengths in themselves ...
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United Way Day of Caring 9/25/2019:
During the month of September, students at Smith Intermediate School brought in non-perishable food items for the
annual United Way Day of Caring, which was held on September 25, 2019.
Melissa Holl’s third grade class was the leader of the campaign at Smith Intermediate School. Melissa’s students talked to the entire student body in an all school morning meeting and encouraged students to bring food in. With their encouragement, many students brought in food items. Melissa said, “I feel the United Way Day of Caring helps the students realize the importance of the #OtherPeopleMatter. This year during our study of the Positivity Project, we have focused on learning about what #OtherPeopleMatter means. They have learned how to put others first, ...
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Conservation Days Field Trip:
Sixth graders spent the day at 4-H Camp Owahta on September 19th, learning about conservation and the important role it plays in our society. According to the US Department of Agriculture, “conservation Education helps people of all ages understand and appreciate our country's natural resources -- and learn how to conserve those resources for future generations. Through conservation education, people develop the critical thinking skills they need to understand the complexities of ecological problems.”
During the visit to 4-H Camp Owahta, students visited stations and learned the basics of wildlife, invasive species, bird migration, forest management, boating and water safety, and compasses. Each station was led by a knowledgeable and skilled member of the ...
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7th Graders Visit 9/11 Memorial:
Today, Americans join together with somber tributes in remembrance of the 2,976 people that perished in
errorist a ttacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Flight 93 eighteen years ago. Citizens and students of Cortland, NY were no exception as they gathered this morning in Courthouse Park.
First responders, including police and firefighters, gathered around Courthouse Park. In the center of the park, the memorial is composed of two metal towers reaching towards the sky. This memorial, due to a generous donation from the Trolley Museum in Kingston, NY, was constructed using artifacts from the World Trade Center site. It resembles two steel towers constructed of twisted metal emerging from the rubble and honors the lives lost at the World Trade Center in NYC and represents ...
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Fall 2019 Sports Season Preview:
With the summer days getting ever so slightly shorter, Cortland student-athletes have taken to the fields and started training for the rapidly approaching fall sports season. We sat down with all of our varsity head coaches to discuss the coming fall season. The following will give you a glimpse of what’s to come during the upcoming fall sports season!
Girls Soccer- Ilona Ryon, Head Coach
Cortland Girls’ Soccer has it’s most veteran roster in years, with 17 returning players. Last year the girls finished with 14 wins, 3 losses and 1 tie. This was the best record in history and the girls hope to better it this year. Head coach Ilona Ryan said, “Our captains that will help lead us on the field are: Grace Call, Lillian Quick, Kaitlyn Pratt, Tori ...
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First Day of School 2019-2020:
There’s nothing like the first day of school! It’s a day of great hope and excitement… with a touch of nervousness. We want to thank families, faculty, and staff for the awesome first day spirit.
This first day was more significant than usual because of our district’s reconfiguration. All of the preparation that occurred over the last year paid dividends -- schools and classrooms were prepared and teachers and staff were ready to welcome students to their new locations. A new year of learning has begun!
We did have some first day issues which we are working to resolve, especially with the afternoon elementary bus runs. Thanks for your anticipated patience and assistance while we work ...
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CECSD Welcome's New Staff 2019-2020:
On August 26, new teaching staff participated in orientation and mentoring meetings. Teachers were welcomed by Superintendent Michael Hoose and Board of Education President Janet Griffin. The orientation covered many topics including technology training, benefits, annual professional performance review and much more. Below is a list and short biography of the new staff that CECSD is welcoming!
Name and Position
Photo
Bio
Jacob Abbuhl
Library Media Specialist
Cortland High School
J acob graduated from SUNY Albany and has worked as a Librarian for the last 4 years. He enjoys working with books and technology ...
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Welcome Back Message from CECSD:
We’ll soon begin one of the most important school years in the life of the Cortland Enlarged City School District: our collection of seve n schools have been re-organized into a school district of five. New this year, are three grade centers: Barry Primary School for students in Grades K, 1 and 2; Smith Intermediate for students in grades 3 and 4; and Randall Middle School for students in grades 5 and 6. As our students grow older, they will all attend the same schools in sequential order, experiencing the same culture, climate, curriculum and expectations.
The planning to welcome new students and create a sense of school community in our three new grade center buildings began last year with the Community Transition Committee. The committee consisted of community stakeholders ...
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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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