Attica Central School District

Spoons flew last night at The Great Chef Cook-Off, which pitted teams against one another in a winner-takes-all showdown to answer the question: Whose soup will steal the show? The Cook-Off featured four teams, each comprised of a contingent of Fresh Connections Club members and an Attica Central School District staff member to lead them, competing to create a flavorful, nutritious soup using local ingredients. This culminating activity showcased the cooking and collaboration skills students have developed over the course of the Fresh Connections Club program. Team Clam Chowder, led by Middle School Principal Paul Clark, created a rich and savory clam chowder that showcased advanced techniques and complex flavors. Team members included David Anthony, Emerson Spink, Chandler Bowman and Adam Kujawski. Team Southwestern Chicken included Calven Schlau, Ellie Brown, April Edwards and Spencer Moscicki and was guided by Superintendent Dr. Kiel Illg and Assistant Superintendent of Business & Operations Meaghan Matuszak. They prepared a bold, ingredient-packed soup with a smoky southwestern flavor. Team Corn Chowder, working under the guidance of Elementary School Principal Sherry Bennett, focused on comfort and flavor with a hearty corn chowder enhanced by the addition of bacon. Team members were Gwen Spink, Kaydence Fladie, Jackson Price and Teagan Jarmusz. And Team Cheeseburger Soup, led by our Committee on Special Education Director, Kimberly Maerten, delivered a creamy and flavorful soup inspired by the classic cheeseburger. Soups were judged by members of our Board of Education, who ranked each based on flavor, presentation, creativity and use of ingredients. In addition to the official judging, a popular vote was held among all community members, families and students who attended the tasting event in our Performing Arts Center lobby. The competition was fierce but when the succulent, soup-scented smoke had cleared, the overall winner, by both the Board of Education vote and the popular vote, was Team Cheeseburger Soup, led by Mrs Maerten and her four sous chefs - Fiona Spink, Jade Pope, Kallee Kirsch and Shannon Dippenaar! In addition to winning bragging rights, the team's winning Cheeseburger Soup will be featured on our lunch menus as a celebration of its delicious achievement! The event was a tremendous success, drawing enthusiasm from both students and staff. Many in the audience asked for copies of the recipes and students expressed pride in their creations. The cook-off was an exciting and engaging way to bring our food and nutrition goals to life, while also reinforcing the importance of local agriculture and seasonal ingredients. We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make the Cook-Off possible! And in case you’ve got a hankering for some soup (like we do), we’ve uploaded our four teams’ recipes to the photo album on our Facebook page linked below so you can make your own batch at home. Enjoy! Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=100057106403663&set=a.1180644437182425

Mark your calendars, Attica, because this Thursday, we’re finally going to answer THE question that’s befuddled generations of Blue Devils for time out of mind: Whose soup will steal the show? Come April 10, Committee on Special Education Director Kimberly Maertens, Middle School Principal Paul Clark, Superintendent Dr. Kiel Illg and Elementary School Principal Sherry Bennett will be going head-to-head (-to-head-to-head) in a soup showdown. Our four competitors will be preparing their soups after school Thursday with help from members of our Fresh Connections Club, who will serve as sous chefs, and competition organizers Becky Sphar, Melissa Brooks, Janelle Bauer, Alicia Spoth and Meaghan Matuszak, whose support is making this sure-to-be delicious event a reality! Before our Board of Education meeting, competitors will spoon out their concoctions for board members and other attendees to taste. It’ll be up to them to decide which soup stole the show and will claim The Great Chef Cook-Off crown. In addition to bragging rights, the winning team will have their soup featured on our lunch menus as a celebration of its delicious achievement! You’re not going to want to miss this competition, Blue Devils - it’s going to be hotter than a ladle-full of clam chowder fresh from the stove! The Great Chef Cook-Off will take place this Thursday, April 10, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. in our Performing Arts Center lobby, 3338 East Main Street Rd., Attica. Our regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will begin promptly at 7 p.m.

We want to give a huge hand to Attica’s own Ruth Hess, a third grader in Mrs. Cheryl Allein’s, Mrs. Deb Weber’s and Ms. Kamie Clark’s class down at Prospect Elementary, who progressed to the final round of Yummies Ice Cream’s 5th annual Sweet 16 Tournament! More than 400 third graders from across Wyoming County submitted flavors for this year’s competition including Ruth, whose ‘Rue’s Minty Goo’ flavor featured a combination of mint ice cream with mini M&M and marshmallow swirl ins. Yum! Over the past few weeks, Yummies patrons paid $2 to sample and vote for a variety of matchups as the different flavors went head-to-head in the single elimination tournament. Finals voting was yesterday and, unfortunately, Rue’s Minty Goo came in second to Warsaw third grader Reese McClurg’s flavor, Roarin’ Raspberry Ripple. Yummies owner Val Henrici’s original plan had been to award 100% of the proceeds from the Sweet 16 tournament to the winning student’s school’s Snack Pack program, which sends students in need home with food for the weekends. But Henrici was thrown a curveball yesterday when Ruth and Reese, who met at Yummies to film a segment for WRGZ-TV, channel 2 in Buffalo, put their heads together and, in an incredible act of kindness and character, decided to split the proceeds 50-50, regardless of which flavor came out ahead in voting. All in, Yummies’ Sweet 16 tournament raised about $2,200 - all of which will now go toward helping feed hungry kids in the Attica and Warsaw communities. Henrici stopped by Attica Elementary this morning to present Ruth with a check for $1,100 for our Snack Pack program. As if that weren’t enough good news, Yummies will also be stopping back soon with a big tub of Rue’s Minty Goo so that all of Ruth’s classmates can try her delicious creation. Many thanks to Yummies for hosting this event - it’s always a highlight of the spring season here in Wyoming County - and to everyone who voted! (Photo courtesy of Cheryl Allein)

Join us in congratulating our newest Attica All-Star, Elementary School Principal Sherry Bennett! Formerly an assistant principal in our middle school, Bennett has been leading our elementary school for about two years. In that short time, she’s earned a reputation among her Prospect Street colleagues for prioritizing student achievement while, at the same time, seeking to foster a sense of camaraderie and togetherness among staff. “She’s a constant source of positivity and inspiration,” said Amanda Crowley, an elementary school counselor. “She creates an environment of encouragement and support, ensuring that each staff member feels valued and motivated and also recognizes the hard work and dedication of the team, which then builds a sense of community.” Since Bennett took the helm at Attica Elementary, her underground spirit days, ‘Lucky 7’ gifts and random ‘thank you’ notes slipped into staff mailboxes have become common occurrences down on Prospect Street. “It’s just a small way to remind us that she cares,” said Crowley of the ‘thank you’ notes. “I know I’ve had days when I went to my mailbox and received one, only to then realize how much I needed that note and reminder at that moment.” Carin Krawczyk, who as the elementary school’s building secretary works closely with Bennett on a daily basis, said Bennett has an innate ability to recognize what a student needs in a given moment, and then provide it. “She is loving when she sees a child that is just in need of some positive reinforcement and firm when the situation warrants,” Krawczyk said. “She’s also implemented good behavior rewards by having students earn ‘Champ Chips’ and ‘Brag Tags’ which has really had a positive impact on our school culture. I think the simplest way to put it is that Sherry is all about what’s best for students.” Crowley agreed. “She really strives to create a nurturing environment where each student is encouraged to reach their full potential and meets students where they are at,” she said. “I have personally walked by classrooms where I see her sitting on the floor with the students or helping them with their school work in her office. Her dedication to student achievement is evident in the strong relationships she builds with students, families, and staff, all working together to ensure every student’s success.” Congratulations to Mrs. Bennett - Attica Elementary is lucky to have you!

We’d like to introduce you to our April Food Service All-Star, Mr. Jesse Fiegl! Jesse is an incredible asset to our middle/high school cafeteria, always bringing dedication and hard work to everything he does. His expertise in shipping and receiving keeps our operations running smoothly and his willingness to tackle any task makes him a truly reliable and valued team member. To show our appreciation, Jesse was recently awarded a gift basket as a token of our gratitude. Thank you, Jesse, for your commitment to keeping our Attica students fed and happy every day!

Mrs. Jill Pierce’s students dug into farm life at Burley Berries & Blooms during an exciting field trip last week! During the trip, Pierce’s students: • Witnessed dairy in action with a live milking demonstration • Explored the bottling process and delicious dairy products at the creamery • Brought home an Attica Orange sunflower from the greenhouse • Had a chocolate milk taste test (this was a student favorite) A huge thank you goes to the Burley Berries team for their amazing support of the Attica Farm to School Program and for helping connect students across the region to local agriculture - we appreciate you! #FarmToSchool #HandsOnLearning #DairyDelight #GrowingWithAttica (Photos courtesy of Jill Pierce)

Today was Peep Day in Mrs. Kristin Janes’ kindergarten class! Each of Janes’ students chose a peep to adopt, completed a ‘sink or float’ experiment, built a jellybean house for their peep and made celebratory headbands. Then, students designed their very own peeps, choosing a name, age and hobby before coloring a picture of them using crayons. Proud of our kiddos - each of them were very responsible and took care of their peep all day long! (Photos courtesy of Kristin Janes)

Tinkerbell, a 3-week-old calf, visited Ms. Alyssa Wright’s ag classroom earlier this week and she was kind enough to send us a few photos!

Last week, students from Alyssa Wright’s horticulture class and John Versage’s technology class had an incredible, hands-on experience at Kenneth Henry & Sons, a family-run greenhouse grower and produce farm in Hamburg. Our students had the opportunity to: • Fill trays for planting • Explore greenhouse technology • Witness hydroponic lettuce production • Harvest fresh lettuce for our Attica Food Service Program’s salad bar Despite the snowfall outside, the greenhouses reminded us that spring IS on the way (however much it may be dragging its feet). Fun Fact: The hanging baskets for our FFA Basket Sale will be coming from this very greenhouse! The operation was amazing to see, and the lettuce was absolutely delicious. If you're looking to try this fresh, local product, you can find it at Braymillers Market. A huge thank you to Jason Henry and his whole family for their hospitality and for sharing their expertise and operation with our students.

This month, our food service staff embarked on a farm-to-table odyssey, visiting Oles Family Farm in Alden to learn about its high tunnel and farm management practices. They brought back fresh cabbage and carrots for our families! To celebrate Women in Agriculture, we sourced delicious apples from Preston Farms in Albion. We also visited our dear friends at Fenton’s Produce for red and white potatoes and embraced a member of our district by purchasing ground beef from LFH Cattle Company. All these fresh ingredients came together with inspiration for Egg Roll in a Bowl - a recipe you can try at home at the link below. After collecting all these quality ingredients - carrots, cabbage, ground beef, potatoes and apples - we divided them up and sent them home with our elementary school students as part of our backpack program. A huge thank you to our local farmers for their hard work and partnership in making this program a success! Link: https://food.unl.edu/recipe/egg-roll-bowl/

Heads up, Blue Devils - our Attica Spring Spirit Wear Sale has been extended! You can save 20% off your entire purchase now through April 8 by using the code ‘SPRING’. Click on the link below to see all our apparel options and show your Blue Devils pride wherever you go! Link: https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/NY/Attica/Attica+Middle+School/collection_detail.html

Maple season is a special time of year here in Western New York and at our most recent Fresh Connections Club meeting, we embraced it in the sweetest way possible! While many of our students have visited local farms to learn about maple production, most were surprised to find out that maple syrup is being tapped right here on our own school property! Our club was thrilled to welcome Tanner Day, a senior and an FFA Maple Team leader, to its March 25 meeting. Tanner gave club members a guided tour through the nature trail, showing students the maple trees and tapping lines in action. Tanner shared his personal experience in FFA, offering insight into the maple-making process and the many leadership and learning opportunities that FFA provides. His passion for agriculture was contagious and our younger students were clearly inspired - several even mentioned they couldn’t wait to join FFA when they reach 7th grade! It was an awesome example of peer mentorship and showing what’s possible through dedication and involvement. Back in the kitchen, students divided into groups to prepare a lineup of maple-inspired dishes. One group baked maple and honey granola, another prepared a warm apple maple bake, and the last whipped up buttermilk pancakes topped with rich, golden maple syrup (obviously). We are incredibly grateful to the Attica FFA for donating the syrup and to Board of Education Member Thane Wright of Wright Apiaries for his generous donation of local honey. The students had a blast in the kitchen and every dish was a hit - healthy, homemade, and full of local flavor. This meeting was a perfect blend of seasonal learning, culinary creativity, and community connection!

Join us in congratulating the 21 newest members of our National Honor Society chapter! These students were inducted into our Attica NHS chapter during a Wednesday evening ceremony in our Performing Arts Center. Our current NHS officers - Savanna Messe (president), Julia Wise (vice president), Rebekah Clark (secretary) and Emily Peters (treasurer) - spoke on the society’s four pillars of leadership, service, character and scholarship before new members were welcomed to the chapter and administered their oath. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are invited to apply for membership in Attica’s NHS chapter if they’ve achieved a cumulative grade point average of 90 percent at the close of the second quarter prior to the invitation period. Invited students then sit for an interview with the chapter’s five-member faculty advisory committee, which ultimately votes on what new members to accept. Students inducted into the district’s NHS chapter Wednesday were: Aleah Brauen, Eli Crandall, Gage Domes, Blake Donohue, Alyssa Elmore, Sarah Florian, Anna George, Elizabeth Gouinlock, Elise Guenther, Joshua Kipfer, Isabel Lahti, Hailey Mills, Michael Minter, Corrin Orlowski, Blakely Pratt, Alex Santos-Rios, Stephanie Silvernail, Colton Spink, Ethan Tober, Lauryn Wescott and Chase Woodrow. (Photos courtesy of Becki Peters, Kristy Wise, Glynise Orlowski and Christine Kipfer)

We’re so grateful to Merle’s for their generosity and hospitality. Their passion and knowledge made this a special day for our students - we can’t wait to visit again! (Photos courtesy of Jessica Edwards)

Give it up for our Division I Odyssey of the Mind team, which took first place at the OM Regional Competition in Mount Morris this past weekend and will be advancing to the New York State Odyssey of the Mind Finals in Syracuse next month! Our Division I OMers competed in this year’s classics problem: Classics… Cooking with Books. The problem tasked OMers with creating a performance about an original chef character inspired by fictional literary characters and events. The team created a gourmet meal inspired by a classic piece of literature and was required to include in its performance a setting from the book that inspired the meal, a team-created cooking gadget and a dinner party featuring the meal that included a character from the chosen piece of literature. Our Division I team earned 343.12 points, ahead of second place finisher Geneseo, which finished with a score of 338.26, and York, which took third with 335.53 points. “Not only was this the first experience with Odyssey for all of these students, it was also the first year of inviting elementary students to join the 5th graders on the Division I team,” said Odyssey Coach Stacey Donahue. “They are a very creative, resourceful group who worked well together. They could always be counted on to follow through on what they said they would do, without having to be reminded and they often took the initiative to make things on their own time. This is super impressive for such a young group and I can't wait to see what they do at States!” Our Division I team members are Leigha Gephart (5th grade), Ellie Kelver (4th grade), Kayla Copeland (5th grade), Madelyn Sabatino (4th grade), April Edwards (5th grade), Gavin Gross (4th grade) and Luna Murphy (4th grade). We also want to give a shout out to our Division II team which competed in the performance problem, AstronOMical Odyssey, in Mount Morris. This problem challenged teams to come up with a humorous performance set in a team-created “historical” civilization that presented constellations and original stories, myths or legends to explain each one. Our Division II team took 3rd place in the performance problem with a score of 285.58 points, behind teams from York (326.15 points) and Perry (300.34 points). Division II team members are 6th graders Amara Brinkman, Claira Deuel, Tatyana Ennis, Adalynn Mills, Caden Morrison and Erin Murphy. “It was a difficult loss after their trip to the World Finals last year. They worked hard and did a fantastic job, but were among the youngest in their new division this year and had some stiff competition,” said Donahue. “They are looking forward to a comeback next year and with their talent and a little dedication, they just might find themselves back in Iowa!” Congratulations to all our OMers on a competition well competed and best of luck to our Division I team, which will travel to Syracuse to compete in the Odyssey of the Mind State Finals at the New York State Fairgrounds on April 5. (Photo courtesy of Stacey Donahue)

PLEASE SHARE: Non-Public Transportation Requests. All non-public transportation requests are due by April 1st, for the following year. Applications for school bus transportation of students residing in the Attica Central School District, who will attend private or parochial schools during the following school year, must be filed on or before April 1st. The distance between home and school may not exceed 19.5 miles. Please address your request to: Attica Central Schools, District Office Transportation Request 3338 East Main Street Attica, NY 14011

Today, we want to take a moment to remember one of our alumni, Charles R. Cannon. A member of Attica’s Class of 1937, Charlie grew up in the town of Bennington, along the shores of Cayuga Creek. Judging by his senior yearbook, Cannon appears to have been on the quiet side. His senior quote observed that “A gentleman is often seen, but seldom heard to laugh.” He was voted “Best Sport” by his classmates, perhaps in appreciation of an easy-going and laid-back nature. The “Senior Class Chart” section of his yearbook, where seniors listed their pastimes, aversions, aspirations and, in the “Can You Imagine?” section, what appears to be an action or inclination that would be humorously out of character, also sheds some light on Cannon’s personality. Cannon’s answers to the “Pastime” and “Will be” sections were similar - “Track” and “Track Star,” respectively. This is unsurprising as the varsity track and field team’s page later in the yearbook lists Cannon among the team’s most prolific scorers. For “Aversion,” Cannon wrote “Speeches” while, in the “Could You Imagine?” section, he wrote “Making a Loud Noise.” After high school, Cannon worked in construction as a carpenter helper and for the Bennett Manufacturing Company in Alden, Census and draft records show. On June 4, 1941, nearly four years after graduating from Attica High School, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and reported to Fort Niagara in Youngstown, NY, for basic training, then Fort Leonard Wood in Pulaski County, Mo., for basic engineer training. Cannon was assigned to the 35th Engineer Combat Battalion as a bridge builder. He helped construct the Alaska-Canadian Highway, an about 1,700-mile long road connecting Alaska to the Continental U.S., before shipping out for Europe in the spring of 1944. During the Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944, then Sergeant Cannon was serving as a squad leader in the 35th’s Company C, first platoon near the village of Pironpre in southeastern Belgium. Around 7:30 the morning of Dec. 21, a roadway Cannon and his squad were defending came under fire from a column of German tanks and infantry. Upon seeing two of his squad wounded by machine gun fire, Cannon grabbed a bazooka and, “with complete disregard for cover or small arms fire protection,” advanced to a new position within firing distance of the enemy, fired and struck the second tank in the column, disabling it for the remainder of the engagement and allowing time for his two wounded squad members to escape. Cannon’s actions earned him the Silver Star for gallantry in action. “The tenacity of purpose, courage and zealous attention to duty demonstrated by Sergeant Cannon symbolize the highest traditions of the Armed Forces and reflect great credit upon himself,” reads his citation. In March 1945, he survived the collapse of the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen. One of the few intact crossings remaining over the Rhine River, the bridge was of key strategic importance to the rapidly advancing Allies and its capture and use before its collapse helped hasten the end of the war. By late March, Cannon and the 35th had advanced into western Germany and were intent on capturing the city of Koblenz, which straddles the Rhine. Around 1 a.m. the morning of March 25, Cannon was steering a ferry boat bringing infantry across the Rhine south of Koblenz when a volley of flares illuminated the river and enemy artillery began raining down. Of the 11 men in Cannon’s boat, 10 were killed in the barrage. Charlie Cannon died 7 days after his 27th birthday and 44 days before VE Day, which marked Germany’s unconditional surrender and the end of war in Europe. While his body was never recovered, Cannon is memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing at the Luxembourg American Cemetery. In looking through old school records to try to learn more about Cannon’s time in high school, we were struck by the grade he received in civics class his freshman year in the fall of 1934. Cannon earned a 65%, barely enough to pass the course. His grade in the class, one centered on our system of government and the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens, is, perhaps, surprising given Cannon’s willingness to serve his country when called upon, his heroism in combat and the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country on a cold March night in Germany in 1945. Instead of shrugging his shoulders and concluding that conflicts taking place thousands of miles from the U.S. had nothing to do with him, Cannon recognized that every word that comes through the air, every ship that sails the sea, every battle that is fought affects the American future and resolved to take action to make that future as bright as possible. Today, on the 80th anniversary of his death, we ask you to join us in sparing a moment to think of Charlie Cannon, Attica Class of 1937, whose life was cut short fighting Nazis, in defense of democracy and to preserve our American way of life.

Give it up for Farm to School Coordinator Alicia Spoth and Food Service Manager Kris Wicks, who’ve been featured in the New York School Nutrition Association’s quarterly magazine, Fresh Bites, after winning NYSAA’s Farm to School Partnership Award back in October! This prestigious award recognizes their incredible work in promoting local foods and building valuable partnerships across the state. Congratulations to Alicia, Kris and our entire food service team! You can find their write-up on page 42 of Fresh Bites’ winter 2025 publication at the link below. Link: https://publications.nyschoolnutrition.org/view/926702896/42/

Our food service team took a break from the cafeteria this past Friday and stepped into the classroom for a hands-on professional learning day. At Terra House in Akron, Erie County, our food service team explored the science of baking and flavor pairings, which could lead to a bit more breakfast pizza on our menu! To bring spring vibes to the cafeteria, the team also created bright and cheerful decorations for their serving lines. Then, they visited Olles Family Farm in Alden, Erie County, to see its high tunnels in action! They even brought home fresh cabbage and carrots for this month’s backpack program participants. A huge thank you to these local vendors for opening their businesses to our staff and inspiring the great work we are doing in our kitchens to connect our students to the farm! The team left recharged, inspired, and ready for spring! #FarmToSchool #FreshFlavors #SpringInTheCafeteria (Photos courtesy of Alicia Spoth)

On Friday, March 21, our faculty and staff participated in a Professional Development Wellness Day, which was a great success. The day offered various opportunities to learn about wellness and explore ways to live healthier, more balanced lives. Participants engaged in activities such as floral arranging, bibliotherapy, smoothie making, massage, sound bath, creative time, healthy movement, yard games, and hall walking, to name a few. Thanks to local businesses like Bloomz Florist, Renee Ackert from The Exchange, Kasie Reuter from Gaia Sound Healing, Eden Cafe & Bakeshop, BOCES, and Paul Dick for their valuable contributions. We also extend our gratitude to all the presenters and vendors who made this day engaging and enriching for everyone involved. Your support helped make this event a truly meaningful experience! (Photos courtesy of Melissa Struzik)