Attica Central School District

Congratulations and a job well done to our 19 student musicians who participated in the Genesee-Wyoming Music Educators Association’s All-County Music Festival this weekend at Batavia High School!

Students in the elementary and senior chorus ensembles were selected based on teacher recommendations while junior band members qualified based on their scores at solo-festival last year.

Between the three ensembles, we had 19 students selected to participate - four for elementary chorus, four for junior band and 11 for senior chorus.

Elementary Chorus
• Annabelle Kirsch
• David Anthony
• Ellie Keem
• Issac Dunlap

Junior Band
• Madison Clark
• Kate George
• Caleb Lavrincik
• Caleb MacLane

Senior Chorus
• Amarisel Ennis
• Brooke Nuhn
• Sophia Biniaszewski
• Quinn Jerge
• Peyton Miller
• Ilyssa George
• Trevor Gromek
• Daniel Norcross
• Jakob Easton
• Ethan Woloszyn
• Melandia Dressel

(Photos courtesy of Julie Daley, Stephanie Gietler and the Genesee-Wyoming Music Educators Association)

Attica students joined hundreds of other middle and high schoolers from nearly two dozen districts across the Genesee-Livingston-Orleans-Wyoming county region at Genesee Community College last week for the fourth annual ‘GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare’ careers expo.

This year’s expo brought to GCC more than 60 exhibitors who presented on various sectors of the healthcare industry, including hospitals and health systems, nursing, mental health, social services and first responders as well as educational pathways into healthcare through BOCES, local colleges and universities.

Our students got hands-on experience exploring skilled trades and career opportunities,
learned about the evolving healthcare sector, engaged in career-focused workshops and demonstrations, discovered careers they may not have previously considered and deepened interest in careers they may want to pursue in the future.

Many thanks to all the exhibitors, sponsors and volunteers for putting on such a professional and informative event for our students!

More photos over on our Facebook page at the link below.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=100057106403663&set=a.1458226829424183

Let’s give a big hand to our kindergarteners, whose rhythm band concert last week was a joyful celebration of music and learning!

Over the past several weeks, our kindergarteners have been exploring the concept of steady beat and practicing different rhythmic patterns. They worked so hard to play their instruments together and stay in time with the music, and their efforts truly shined during their March 20 performance!

We wrapped up the concert with two special songs. The first expressed their excitement for the arrival of spring while the other was a heartfelt reminder to their families of just how sweet it is to be loved by them.

We are so proud of their growth, confidence and enthusiasm. What a wonderful performance. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our young musicians!

(Photos courtesy of Chaunda Hertel and Ashley Haniszewski)

Our Chapter 1 PageTurners team took second place in their spring meet at home last week, even with two team members out sick!
When combined with the score from their fall meet earlier this school year, our chapter 1 team finished in 2nd place overall in the division, missing out on qualifying for the regional championships by just 3 points!
Our Chapter 1 coaches, Ms. Donahue and Mrs. Dispenza, are so proud of this group and all the effort they’ve put in this year. They read 16 books and two poems over the course of the fall and spring sessions, and their dedication truly showed last week.
Congratulations to our chapter 1 team on a fantastic season: Magdalena George, Clair Coffta, Zander Almeter, Declan Higgins, Peyton Anthony, Lucy Kennedy, Max Edwards, Wyatt Bennett, Gideon Bosarge, Audrey Huette, Aria Boxler, April Edwards and Taylor Kelly.
(Photos courtesy of Melanie Dispenza)

We welcomed a few (incredibly cute) guests to Attica today!

The baby goats, or kids, came courtesy of the Nikiel family, who recently purchased them from the Janis family.

Alyssa Wright’s veterinary science students even got to practice administering vaccines to the goats, a topic they’ve been discussing in class.

Thanks to Wright’s students, these kids are now protected against tetanus!

(Photos courtesy of Alyssa Wright)

This week’s update highlights the strong progress in the behavioral and nurse’s suites as we continue closing in on the Phase I finish line.

Ferguson Electric (Electrical)
• Continued installing the fire alarm system throughout the Elementary School basement and first floor.
• Made strong progress on backup (emergency) power systems at both the Elementary and High School.
• Installed a new data rack in Room 147, replacing the old system while keeping everything operational.
• Continued electrical work at the High School, including fire alarm and generator-related systems.

Tiede- Zoeller (Tile)
• Completed tile installation in the Nurse’s bathroom (Room 145A), including prep, waterproofing, and grout.
• Tile work is nearly complete.
• Minor touch-ups in nearby hallway areas scheduled for early next week.

Heritage Contract Flooring (Flooring)
• Completed carpet installation in the Behavioral Suite.
• Finished floor prep and began final flooring installation in the Nurse’s Suite, now nearly complete.
• Will be back Monday night to finish the last section of floor.

Let’s make some noise for our Division II Problem 5 Odyssey of the Mind team who took third place out of 19 competing teams this past weekend at the OM State Finals in Syracuse and punched their ticket to the OM World Championships at Iowa State University in May!

Way to go, OMers!

(Photos courtesy of Stacey Donahue)

Fourth graders enjoyed their trip to Rochester last week, taking in a performance by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in Eastman Theatre’s Kodak Hall before heading across town to tour the Memorial Art Gallery.

The concert, titled Celebrating America, included performances of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” and “Hoedown,” the most well-known movement from the composer’s famous “Rodeo” ballet.

Students also had a chance to sing along as the orchestra played “The Star Spangled Banner” but the RPO’s finale, a performance of the main theme from “Star Wars” by John Williams, was definitely our students’ favorite.

After the concert, students headed to the MAG for a guided tour of the museum’s collection of artworks which includes pieces by Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keefe, Henri Matisse and many others.

More photos over on our Facebook page at the link below!

Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=100057106403663&set=a.1452221750024691

(Photos courtesy of Jill Farrell, Jessica Edwards, Molly Kirsch, Ashlee Camp, Sara Lewinski and Travis Rowley)

Mark your calendars, Attica.

We’ll be hosting a parent/guardian information night for incoming freshmen on Tuesday, March 31 in our Performing Arts Center. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

This meeting is intended for parents and guardians of members of our class of 2030 who will enter their freshman year of high school in September 2026.

Our high school principal, Mr. Michael Jansma, and counselor, Mrs. Erica Frongetta, will present on course selections, high school credits, graduation requirements, clubs and extra curricular activities, among other topics. There will also be time for questions.

We hope to see you on March 31!

Yee-haw! Our middle school student council put on a western-themed dance for our middle school students this past Friday.

In addition to the line-dancing and mechanical bull rides, we also had a contest for the best-dressed cowpoke.

Congratulations to Jackson Bennett, our best-dressed cowboy, and to Callie Nikiel, our best-dressed cowgirl!

Oh, and let’s not forget Bentley Geedy, who put up the longest bull ride of the evening at a whopping 55 seconds!

(Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Kowalski and Mary Beth Brotherton-Hardie)

Our Attica Elementary School Physical Education Department held their annual 3rd and 4th grade All-Star Floor Hockey Tournament Games earlier this month and boy did the games live up the billing.

Each of our four all-star teams - 3rd grade boys, 3rd grade girls, 4th grade boys and 4th grade girls - consisted of 20-24 students who showed the best sportsmanship throughout the floor hockey unit.

Mr. Shawn Fromwiller and Mr. Anthony Ianni want to congratulate all our all-star players and give a big thank you to everyone who helped stage these fast and fierce games!

(Photos courtesy of Shawn Fromwiller, Lauren Kocher and Jessica Edwards)

Thank you to everyone who donated in our ConnectLife blood drive last week!

We ended up collecting 18 units from students and staff.

Special shout out to former Attica student and current phlebotomist Brooke Almeter (Class of 2023) for stopping by her old stomping grounds and helping run the drive!

(Photos courtesy of Jocelyn Pierce)

Our Intro to Agriculture class recently completed another full-circle learning experience!

You may remember our ag students’ meat bird project that we highlighted back in October when the birds were being loaded up and taken to HLW Acres for processing.

Well last week, students got to enjoy the final step of the process — preparing and cooking the chickens they helped raise!

Students worked together in our classroom kitchen to turn one of their chickens into two delicious dishes: Chicken wing dip and a chicken pot pie. Along the way, they practiced important life skills like food preparation, kitchen safety and teamwork while developing a more comprehensive understanding of where our food comes from.

“Experiences like this help students connect the entire process of food production — from raising livestock to preparing a meal,” said Alyssa Wright, our Intro to Agriculture teacher. “It’s always exciting to see their hard work come full circle and enjoy the delicious results together!”

Did you miss our video highlighting students’ meat bird project last October? You can watch it now at the link below!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT-cbXmZ1Q0&t=1s

(Photos courtesy of Alyssa Wright)

REMINDER: Starting next school year, our pre-kindergarten program is going full-day and the deadline to register your child is fast approaching!

Students must turn 4 years old by Dec. 1, 2026 in order to enroll in our 2026-27 PreK program.

The deadline to register is March 20, 2026. To register, visit the ‘New Student Registration’ section of our website at the link below.

We have enough space for 36 students in our prek program. If the number of applications we receive exceeds those 36 spots, we’ll hold a lottery to determine which students are accepted, as per state requirements.

Link: https://www.atticacsd.org/page/new-student-registration-info

Students in Becky Sphar’s Foods On Your Own class found a delicious way to celebrate Pi Day, which is held annually on March 14 in celebration of the mathematical constant, by creating some unique and creative pies during class on Friday.
Students worked together to prepare three different desserts: Brownie Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake Pie, and Root Beer Float Pie. They did a fantastic job preparing the recipes and adding the final touches with thoughtful plating and presentation.
To make the celebration even sweeter, the class invited one of their favorite math teachers, Ms. Pierce, to be the official taste tester. She sampled each pie and gave the students great reviews, sharing how much she enjoyed them all.
With three delicious options, choosing a favorite wasn’t easy. We figured Ms. Pierce might have to go back and “calculate the data” before deciding which pie came out on top!
Great work to our FOYO students for combining culinary creativity with a little math fun to celebrate Pi Day!
(Photos courtesy of Becky Sphar)

Shout out to our Middle School Students of the Month for February!
In the 5th grade, our student of the month is Hank Ackert, nominated by Mrs. Krystal Dominick.
“Hank is a pleasure to have in class. He works hard to overcome obstacles and is an incredibly creative and talented artist,” said Dominick. “He has learned the art of making puppets and truly shines when showing his latest creation or character off. Keep up the great work Hank!”
Jose Gugliuzza was nominated by Mr. Rob Crowley as our 6th grade student of the month.
“Josie is always doing the right thing. She works hard in school, is a good friend and is always following directions,” Crowley said. “Things in school may not always be the easiest, but she meets everything head on while also showing the ability to just be herself the whole time.”
In the 7th grade, Mason Pilc is our student of the month.
“Mason is always ready to greet you in the hallways with a big smile and friendly ‘Hello,’” said Mason’s nominator, Mrs. Julie Long. “His bright personality makes Attica Middle School a better place!”
And repping the 8th grade is Carlito Lingle-Carrion, nominated by Mrs. Erin Holt.
“Carlito came back from Christmas break with a definite increase in maturity. I noticed quickly that he was exercising self-control to a much greater extent and not just with me, but even during unstructured situations such as in the hallway,” Holt said. “His schoolwork has improved and he is building confidence in himself with these changes in maturity and self-control. I'm very proud of him!”

Big congrats to our High School Students of the Month for February!

In the 9th grade, Ms. Lisa Lukasik and Mrs. Becki Peters nominated JJ Pearl for his consistent kindness and respect for his peers.

“I often see JJ holding the door open for others and offering a helping hand,” Lukasik said. “His thoughtful actions and positive attitude make this school a better place.”

Added Peters: “JJ’s a conscientious student, works hard and takes time to do his work well. He is mature in that he avoids drama and steers clear of confrontations with other students and treats others with kindness and respect.”

In the 10th grade, we’ve got Rebekah Hess, nominated by Mrs. Wendy Jerge.

“Rebekah has exhibited kindness towards fellow classmates by supporting classmates with their schoolwork or by helping create a positive environment through appropriate, light-hearted moments,” Jerge said.

Our student of the month from the class of 2027 is Alyssa Elmore, nominated by Mr. James Nash.

“Alyssa has been trying really hard to get better at Spanish over the last few weeks,” said Nash. “She has been testing herself and seeing if she can understand a topic instead of relying on classmates, and her personal improvement has been amazing. She is more confident in class with the subject matter and it's been fantastic to see this growth.”

And last but not least, our senior student of the month is Rachel Rickettson, nominated by Ms. Jocelyn Pierce

“Rachel is the reason so many lockers are decorated each month. She makes sure every student feels celebrated by putting up birthday messages, and she doesn’t stop there. From welcome-back surprises to Christmas treats and Valentine’s Day goodies, she fills the hallways with positivity and school spirit,” Pierce said. “She even spreads the cheer to teachers, surprising them with homemade treats and thoughtful notes before breaks and at random times throughout the year. Rachel truly brings creativity and kindness to student government and our school community is brighter (and sweeter) because of her.”

Our garlic parmesan roaster potato taste tests were a success!

These delectable little morsels were positively FLYING off the lunch line earlier this week - we’re so glad our kiddos enjoyed them!

Keep your eyes peeled, because these potatoes will definitely be returning to our lunch menu in April.

(Photos courtesy of Kayla George)