Gabriela Mercado, Norah Sphar and Samantha Zawilski attended the Section V Modified Leadership Conference today at Total Sports Experience in Rochester.
“They all participate at both the modified and JV levels of sports and were identified by their coaches as leaders in their grade,” said Attica Athletic Director Lisa Young, who accompanied the trio. “They participated in physical activities that required them to work in teams and were encouraged to have good sportsmanship. Then, they discussed why it is important to have good sportsmanship, be a good teammate and create a culture of belonging.”
Students from 10 schools participated in the conference.
Well done, Gabriela, Norah and Samantha!
(Photos courtesy of Lisa Young)
We’re thrilled to announce that Facilities Director David Barber is our latest Attica All-Star!
When Barber joined our district 25 years ago, our facilities were in need of significant maintenance and repairs. Through his exceptional leadership, vision, and expertise, he’s not only transformed our campuses into the well-maintained, pristine environments they are today but also built a phenomenal team of custodians, cleaners, and maintenance staff who uphold the highest standards of excellence.
But it isn’t just tangible accomplishments that speak to David’s success as our facilities director, it’s how the people he leads feel about him. We asked members of our custodial and facilities staff what it’s like having Barber as a boss and boy did we get an earful!
Paula Bianchi: "I've worked at the school for 15 years and I've just come to realize that the main reason I enjoy my job and the school as much as I do is because Dave Barber is such an incredible employer. He's much more than a boss. He has made ACS a better place for all of us.”
Brooke Schery: “Dave Barber is quite literally the world's best boss. He is kind, understanding and patient. If you ever have a problem he is more than willing to talk to you and help you figure it out. Whether it is to talk about issues at work or at home, Dave always lends a listening ear. There is a reason I have been here for twelve years and it's because I feel supported and motivated by him. Thank you for all you do for us Dave. I am proud to be one of your employees!”
Theresa Hopkins: “Dave will go above and beyond to help any one of us whether it’s a work problem or a personal issue he will listen to you when you vent and not judge you. Dave keeps his buildings in top shape as many people pass through our halls from other schools and make comments about how clean the buildings are. As Dave would say, 'I wouldn't expect anything less from us.’ That’s just how Dave rolls! These last 10 years working under Dave have been the best years - it’s been a joy and a pleasure working for the greatest boss ever!”
Steven Owczarzak: “Many thanks to a boss who has fought to get us all the equipment needed to do our job outside successfully. When I applied for my job here at Attica, Dave believed in me and I have worked hard for him ever since. He has always been there for me, including when my parents passed away and through many personal trials. I will be forever grateful for his friendship.”
Todd Walker: “In the 21 years that I have known Dave he has been one of the most supportive people in my life as a colleague and as a friend. His kindness, support and generosity does not begin or end at the doors of these facilities.”
JennyBee Rappold: “His guidance has not only helped me grow professionally but has also taught me so much about resilience, kindness, patience and leadership. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to be part of his team. It really makes coming to work a meaningful experience.”
Sarah Brudz: "Working with Dave very much feels like spending the day with a dear friend. He is one of the most sincere and caring people I have ever had the pleasure of working with and getting to know. He cares deeply for his staff and his colleagues. He is fair, patient and kind no matter the circumstances. He allows us all to be ourselves and grow to the best of our abilities. So many of us are blessed to have Dave not only as a colleague but a true friend."
We are profoundly grateful for Barber’s dedication, expertise, and character and hope you join us in congratulating him as an Attica All-Star!
Congratulations to our high school Students of the Month for October!
Our freshman Student of the Month is Chloe Stevens. Chloe was nominated by Ms. Pierce and Mr. Spink.
Chloe is new to Attica this year, but you would never know,” said Pierce. “She joined the soccer team and has met a great group of friends. Chloe is excelling in her academics. She is very polite to her classmates and teachers. She will step in and help students when they are struggling. Chloe has been a great addition to Attica High School!”
“As a member of the girls JV soccer team, Chloe created a customized poster board for each of the four seniors on their senior night,” added Spink. “It was a hit for each girl and it truly meant alot to them to see a new member of their team honoring them in such a way.”
Our sophomore student of the month is Nolan Bonning, who was nominated by Mrs. Crowley.
“I have Nolan in Math 10 this year. Nolan has been very well behaved during class, staying on task and participating in answering questions,” Crowley said. “Nolan has been using his 8th period study hall to get help when needed. He works on finishing his homework and having it checked over. Nolan consistently does his homework and is prepared for class. Nolan is also very polite and always makes a point to say ‘Hi’ when he enters the room and ‘Have a good day’ when he leaves.”
Our junior student of the month is Avery Schmidbauer. She was nominated by Mrs. Crowley.
“Avery has been working very hard in Algebra 2,” said Crowley. “She is taking advantage of opportunities to get her work checked over. Avery is using her 5th period study hall to come down and get extra help when needed. I'm proud of Avery for taking the time to put in the extra effort and her hard work continues to pay off!”
Our senior student of the month is Victor Santos-Rios, who was nominated by Mrs. Frongetta, Ms. Pierce and Mrs. Winters.
“Victor helped translate for a new student from Guatemala, volunteered to give him a tour, show him to his classes the next day, and even invited him to sit with him and his friends at lunch, all of which was very kind,” said Frongetta
“Victor is an amazing student academically,” said Pierce. “He is very polite and respectful to both his peers and his teachers and has been very helpful to our ENL learners.”
“Victor is responsible and conscientious, hard-working, and sets a great example for his fellow students,” added Winters. “He has excellent people skills and is respectful and nice to everyone. He takes a rigorous course load, and is involved with athletics and other school groups. He is always willing to lend a helping hand to others and does so without complaint and with a positive attitude. He is the type of student that makes Attica a better place for everyone.”
Our Attica Cafeteria Crew supported local farmers last week and gave students a chance to try fresh, locally sourced ingredients during their broccoli cauliflower pasta salad taste test!
Taking the lead on preparing this delicious side dish for our students was our very own November Food Service All-Star Shawn Drysdale!
If you didn’t get a chance to try it, don’t worry! It will be served during lunch this week on our daily salad bar.
The broccoli in the salad was sourced from Attica's own Merle's Produce and the cauliflower from Fenton's Produce in Batavia.
We love our local farmers!
Today, we honor the veterans of our U.S. Armed Forces and extend our deepest gratitude for their service, courage and sacrifice.
Each of you has helped protect the freedoms we cherish every day. Thank you for your bravery, your resilience and your dedication to our country.
We owe you more than words can express.
We were honored to host Dr. Tyshawn Jenkins of the Wounded Warrior Project this morning in our District Auditorium.
Jenkins, now a captain in the Air National Guard, suffered physical injuries while serving overseas in Qatar in 2015.
One day, while inside an aircraft’s fuel tank making repairs, his ladder was moved — causing him to fall and badly injure his back. Though his physical wounds somewhat healed, his loss of trust in himself and others was difficult to overcome.
It was an invitation to attend a Veterans Day Parade with a friend that led Jenkins to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Being around other veterans helped him find the camaraderie he had been missing, feel honored for his service, and connect with people who truly had his back.
“It was one of the best experiences ever to see how veterans were celebrated,” Jenkins said. “Other warriors shared their stories and I shared mine. It allowed me to open myself up in a way that I had never done before and be transparent with people. It was a great experience.”
Jenkins shared his powerful message of overcoming obstacles with our middle schoolers, then participated in a Q&A session with students.
Fifth grade teacher Heather Smith was the driving force behind Jenkins’ Friday morning visit.
“Each Veterans Day I attempt to bring in different veterans organizations to speak to our middle schoolers,” said Smith. “It is important to me, as well as others on our faculty, to show gratitude, honor, and thank those who have served in the Armed Forces. They protect our freedoms with selfless service, with unwavering courage, and dedication to our nation and are the living, first-hand accounts of real history.”
The Wounded Warrior Project’s mission of honoring and empowering our nation’s wounded veterans is especially important to Smith, who hails from a long line of veterans.
“My Great-Grandpa Pixley was a Rough Rider during the Spanish-American War and the list goes on from all branches of the service. My favorite Veteran is my dad, William R. Smith, Jr. He served overseas in Vietnam with the Army until he was wounded on August 18, 1966,” Smith said. “If our students walk away from Dr. Jenkins’ visit today with a little more understanding, respect, and gratitude for our veterans then I feel that we’ve accomplished something worthwhile.”
Many thanks to all the veterans who came out to our Veterans Day Assembly yesterday down at Attica Elementary.
Our students and staff appreciated your presence and we appreciate your service!
This October, Sara Lewinski and her talented elementary school art students celebrated Farm to School Month in a creative and colorful way!
The students contributed to the school’s vibrant cafeteria hallways by creating a Farm Stand Mural, which helped bring the spirit of the farm to school program to life. In addition, they participated in a schoolwide Farm to School Logo Contest to create a new logo representing our efforts to connect students with local agriculture.
Students not only had the chance to showcase their artistic talents, but learned about the importance of Farm to School initiatives and how a well-designed logo can impact a program’s identity. The designs submitted were a true reflection of the creative potential of our student body, making the decision for a winner quite challenging!
In the end, Allison Houseknecht’s design stood out with its bright rays of sunshine and imagery of endless agricultural possibilities, symbolizing the hope and growth that Farm to School represents.
Congratulations to Allison! We can’t wait to showcase her artwork throughout our Farm to School program here at Attica Central Schools!
Thank you to all the students who participated and made this celebration a truly memorable Farm to School Month!
Ms. Alyssa Wright’s sixth grade career and technical education students greeted some special visitors this morning - a pair of 2-1/2-week old lambs Wright’s students have named Dippin’ Dots and Precioso.
Wright recently purchased the two lambs - one ewe and one ram - and brought them in for her students to study.
Students learned a bit about the lambs’ anatomy, then had a chance to feed them from a bottle using goat’s milk Wright had brought in from her family farm.
A great, hands-on learning experience for our students!
Students will have nachos grande with Burly Bros ground beef as an entree option tomorrow during lunch on our first New York Thursday of the month!
Shout out to our physical education students of the month for October - freshman Daniel Norcross and senior Robyn Szuniewicz!
Daniel and Robyn were selected for displaying positive behavior during physical education classes, showing a desire to learn new skills and putting forward their best effort 100 percent of the time.
They were presented with certificates (and Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards) in recognition of their selection.
Congratulations!
Join us in congratulating our October Middle School Students of the Month - Annabelle Kirsch, Madison Clark, Isabella Myers and Bryton Scripp!
Students are nominated for this recognition by their teachers for displaying character traits that shine within the classroom or school.
Annabelle, a fifth grader, was nominated by Mrs. Dominick and Mrs. George: “Annabelle is such a sweet person! She is cooperative and kind. She will do anything that is asked of her. She also advocates for herself and what she needs, which takes a lot of courage. Annabelle comes to classes prepared and ready to learn and is very hardworking.”
Sixth grader Madison Clark was nominated by Mrs. Glowney and Mr. Crowley: “She is so kind to every student and adult. She is working so hard, asks for help, and has set goals for herself.”
Isabella is a seventh grader and was nominated by Ms. Bauer: “She works hard and is resilient.”
Eighth grader Bryton was nominated by Mrs. Holt: “Bryton is acting with maturity and confidence in both his academic and social roles."
Congratulations to Annabelle, Madison, Isabella and Bryton - way to make Attica proud!
Mark your calendars, middle schoolers, because our National Junior Honor Society chapter’s Food Drive Dance is coming up!
The dance is open to Attica 7th and 8th grade students and will be held Friday, Nov. 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. in our Middle/High School Cafeteria.
Admission is 5 non-perishable food items such as canned fruit, soup or vegetables, dried fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, powdered milk or pasta.
Non-perishable food items must be dropped off in person to Ms. Heather Smith in room 230 by Nov. 20.
Our middle and high school students weren’t the ONLY ones to try out our new smoothie bike last week - our elementary schoolers got in on the fun, too!
Earlier this school year, Mrs. Kristin Janes’ kindergarten students and Mrs. Jessica Edwards’ fourth graders buddied up to plant a variety of leafy greens and other vegetables in our elementary school’s two grow towers, which students have lovingly named Norman and Nancy.
Students have been closely monitoring their vegetables' progress and, as it turns out, they were ready to harvest on Thursday, Oct. 31.
As Halloween isn’t exactly the BEST day to discuss healthy eating, Janes and Edwards decided to bring their students together on Friday, Nov. 1 to harvest their vegetables, blend up some smoothies and get back on track with their healthy lifestyles!
“We learned about the different food groups and how each food group helps our body,” said Edwards. “Then, my fourth grade class read a short nutritional text to their kindergarten buddy and discussed the kind of foods they like to eat.”
After a quick demonstration, Janes and Edwards called each buddy pair over for a turn on the smoothie bike while other pairs world on a craft with fruit and vegetable stickers.
Students were able to add some of the kale they’d harvested from Norman and Nancy to their smoothies too.
“Every student who tried the smoothies mentioned that they couldn't even taste the difference,” said Edwards. “We’re already brainstorming ideas for the next harvest!”
(Photos courtesy of Jessica Edwards)
When we chatted with her last week, Attica alum Katie Snyder (Class of 1992) said her goal was to complete the New York City Marathon in 4 hours and 39 minutes.
Well the results are in and Katie SMASHED that goal, completing the 26.2-mile race through New York’s 5 boroughs in 4 hours, 32 minutes and 56 seconds!
Congratulations, Katie - way to make Attica proud!
Our sixth graders had some fantastic, hands-on learning opportunities during their field trip to the Beaver Meadow Nature Center and Buffalo Audubon Society in North Java last Friday.
Students participated in three activities at the center.
First, students learned about the importance of shelter in outdoor survival situations before breaking into small groups to build a shelter of their own using trees, fallen branches and leaves.
Students also did a birding activity. They made hypotheses about what birds they would most likely see the most of in the area this time of year. Then, each student was given a pair of binoculars and taught how to use them before heading out with a guide to look for birds native to the area.
Finally, students were introduced to a screech owl named Zelda and learned about the bird’s anatomy, behavior and special super powers.
This experience supported student learning in their 6th grade science classes as they have been learning about the scientific method and weather.
(Photos courtesy of Ellie Durfee)
Students in Ms. Alyssa Allein’s first grade class practiced their sight words with third grade students from Mrs. Cheryl Allein’s and Mrs. Weber’s third grade class last week.
The buddies had a great time learning together!
(Photos courtesy of Alyssa Allein)
Mrs. Danahy’s 1st grade class learned about voting today.
Instead of candidates, students voted on their favorite cookie after taste testing chocolate chip and sugar cookies.
Students went into a voting booth, cast their vote and earned a voting sticker.
Then, students counted the votes together and created a bar graph to compare the cookies.
Chocolate chip won by a landslide!
(Photos courtesy of Marcia Danahy)
Join us in congratulating freshman Nola Clark, who represented Attica as a member of the New York State School Music Association’s Area All-State Symphonic Band this weekend at York Central Schools!
“Area All-State covers Genesee, part of Wyoming, Livingston and Monroe counties,” said Amanda Hofheins, Nola’s band director. “It is quite an honor to be selected to perform in this ensemble as selection is based on how well students performed at solofest last spring.”
Well done, Nola!
(Photo courtesy of Amanda Hofheins)
Each month, library media specialist Stacey Donahue tries to do a “This or that” activity in the High School Library where she asks students to vote which from a pair of related activities they’d prefer to do.
For October, it was whether to paint or carve pumpkins. Students voted throughout the month by dropping an orange or blue pom pom into a jar.
At the end of the month, the “painting” jar had amassed the most pom poms, so students stopped down at the library Thursday to paint their own pumpkins!
Shout out to A&A Maple for their generous pumpkin donation!
(Photos courtesy of Stacey Donahue)
