Attica Central School District

TREE REMOVAL AND REPLANTING NOTICE: We want to inform you that several trees located in front of the Elementary School building will be removed on Thursday, June 19, 2025. These trees, while beautiful and long-standing, have unfortunately reached the end of their life cycle and now pose safety concerns to our students, staff, and community. The District is actively working with the Elementary School to develop a thoughtful plan to enhance our campus by planting new sugar maple trees that will provide beauty, shade, and tradition for generations to come. We appreciate your understanding as we take these necessary steps to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Director of Facilities, Mr. Jeffrey Nowicki. Thank you for your continued support.

Heads up, Attica - our final Blue Devils Dispatch of the school year is LIVE. Each of our principals has created a parent newsletter specific to their school for June with the help of our teachers and staff - use the links below to read all three! Attica Elementary School: https://secure.smore.com/n/9s5f2 Attica Middle School: https://secure.smore.com/n/07asht Attica High School: https://secure.smore.com/n/nvygj

Mrs. Kayla Eick's, Mrs. Ryanne Glowny's and Mrs. Melissa Mitchell's classes combined last week for a math activity involving teamwork and geometry! The three teachers challenged their students to make 2D and 3D shapes with string tied in a loop, a process which required students to make use of the vocabulary they’ve been learning in their geometry unit. Even more challenging for them was working together to help their classmates understand their visions! The activity was a success for all the students involved. Shout out to the two groups who were able to complete all 5 shapes! Very impressive! (Photos courtesy of Melissa Mitchell)

FUTURE ROO: Huge congrats to Attica’s own Josh Kubik, who last week committed to further his academic and athletic career at SUNY Canton in the fall. Josh was a captain on our varsity soccer squad the past two years and was a consistent leader on the pitch - both vocally and through his effort. Over 3 years of varsity, he scored 15 goals and had 18 assists for the Blue Devils. His ball distribution and ability to control the field of play earned him a Genesee Region All-Star recognition and an Exceptional Senior Game appearance this past fall. Can’t wait to hear of Josh’s future success on the pitch!

Help us shout it out to our High School Students of the Month for May! Gracelyn Hotchkiss is our freshman student of the month and was nominated by Mrs. Becki Peters. “I nominated Grace because she works really hard and asks for help when needed,” said Peters. “I also watched her play softball and saw that she is a great teammate, supporting and cheering on her fellow teammates. She's personable and friendly with all of her teachers.” Mrs. Kathy Trzecieski nominated our sophomore student of the month, Miguel Gugino, who she described as a hard worker. “Miguel is always respectful and gets his work done when I ask him to, no matter what’s going on around him,” said Trzecieski. “Miguel deserves to be recognized for his respect and his willingness to do what's asked of him.” Julie Pawlak was nominated by Ms. Lisa Lukasik and Mrs. Amanda Hofheins as student of the month for 11th grade. “Julie consistently demonstrates kindness, courtesy and genuine care for others. She is always offering a helping hand and showing respect to everyone she comes in contact with,” Hofheins and Lukasik said. “She is quick to offer support or encouragement and sets a wonderful example for her classmates both younger and older. Her positive energy is contagious and she definitely makes our school a better place!” Senior Lily Gromek was nominated by Mrs. Becki Peters as student of the month for 12th grade. “I've repeatedly witnessed her being an excellent role model to younger girls, whether that's through dance and the dance studio functions or through being a drum major in the band,” said Peters. “She is a top student, has a positive attitude and stays on top of her work with all of her activities.” Congratulations to our May students of the month!

It was a big day for our youngest students last week as our a.m. and p.m. pre-kindergarteners walked the stage for PreK graduation! In a few short months, they’ll return to school as kindergarteners - incredible! We had the cameras rolling for our kiddos' special day - watch the video on our YouTube channel and check out the photo album on our Facebook page at the links below. Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDkHoaLjE34 Photos link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=100057106403663&set=a.1230923012154567

What. A. Trip! Members of our Class of 2025 wrapped up an unforgettable senior trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park earlier this month and it was nothing short of a BLAST! From record-breaking roller coasters to nonstop laughs, sweet snacks, and memories that will last a lifetime — this was the perfect way to celebrate the end of an incredible high school journey. (Photo courtesy of Sheryl Travis)

We’re thrilled to introduce you to our newest Attica All-Star, Mrs. Tressa Smith! An art teacher in Attica Middle School, Smith is described by her colleagues as “kind, caring and endlessly creative.” “Tressa’s passion and heart are evident in the way she encourages her students. She takes time to understand their strengths and challenges, offering thoughtful advice and gentle guidance,” said Mary Beth Brotherton-Hardie, a counselor in our middle school. “Creativity flows through everything she does. Whether she’s guiding a project on self-portraits or exploring abstract techniques, Tressa brings fresh ideas and infectious enthusiasm to her lessons.” In addition to her normal teaching responsibilities, Smith also runs the middle school’s after-school art club, providing a space for students to express themselves, take risks, explore new ideas and grow - not just as artists, but as people. “Beyond curriculum, Tressa works very hard to create an inclusive and caring community in her classroom. She goes the extra mile to make sure each student who enters her room feels cared about and accepted,” added Amanda Treichler, a Spanish teacher in our middle school. “She does whatever she can to make sure each kid has whatever they may need. She teaches by example what it is to be kind, generous and thoughtful. She truly cares about each and every student.” Congratulations, Mrs. Smith, on this well-deserved recognition and thank you for making our school a more beautiful place!

Give it up for our spring Genesee Region Athletic Association All-Stars - all 17(!) of them! Girls Track and Field: Amy Ennis, Mariah Gorski, Anna Martino, Nichole Leitten, Bailey Nixon, Addyson Zawilski, Aleah Brauen and Blakely Pratt. Softball: Hailey Mills and Morgan Jackson. Golf: Luke Behrend. Boys Track and Field: Tim Lamparelli, Carter Gorski, Elijah Crandall, Taylor Zimmerman and Preston Bannister. Baseball: Justin Stockweather.

Exciting things are happening in our Farm-to-School Program! Thanks to a generous donation from the Wyoming County Youth Bureau, we’ve added a rain barrel to our school garden! Students in Ms. Alyssa Wright’s class, members of our FFA chapter and our Farm-to-School team have begun assembling the barrel. A special thank you to our intro to ag students for getting hands-on and assembling it themselves! We also want to give a big shoutout to Kelly Nickerson for her support and efforts in securing a grant from the Air & Waste Management Association – Genesee Finger Lakes Chapter. This project is another great step toward sustainability, conservation, and student-led learning. Stay tuned to see the barrel in action!

Chromebook Collection: As we approach the end of the year, we will be collecting student Chromebooks for the summer. Please help us by reminding your students that they need to have both their Chromebook and their charger ready to be turned in according to the following schedule. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. MS Grade 5: June 17 Grade 6: June 20 Grade 7: June 10 Grade 8: June 11 HS Grade 9: June 20 Grade 10: June 18 Grade 11: June 20 Grade 12: June 13

Fun day at Breezyhill Dairy for our 1st graders yesterday! Our students saw cows, chickens, took a tour of the farm’s milking parlor and went on a wagon ride - what’s not to like?! Full photo album over on our Facebook page at the link below. Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=100057106403663&set=a.1221128789800656

June is National Dairy Month and to celebrate, Attica Elementary School is welcoming guests to the library media center this week for a series of read alouds with our kiddos! We stopped by this morning for McKenna Almeter’s read aloud to Mrs. Sue Wangelin’s 2nd grade class. A senior in our high school, McKenna boasts an impressive agriculture pedigree as, in addition to raising lambs, she also works on her family’s 6th generation dairy farm, Breezyhill Dairy, in Strykersville. McKenna read two books aloud this morning - “Tales of the Dairy Godmother: Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish,” by Viola Butler, and “Right This Very Minute: A Table-to-Farm Book About Food and Farming,” by Lisl Detlefsen. As it turns out, McKenna’s younger brother, Zander, is in Mrs. Wangelin’s class which just HAPPENED to have library during McKenna’s read-aloud time. It was a fun surprise when the two saw each other in the library! A huge thank you to Attica Partners for Agriculture for working with our local ag community and helping line up a terrific slate of readers who’ve been sharing their passion for dairy with our youngest students!

Our varsity track and field athletes traveled to Sodus last week to compete in the Section V Class C2 Track & Field Championships. Our boys team placed 4th overall. Leading the way were Preston Bannister and Elijah Crandall, both of whom earned sectional patches - Preston in pole vault after clearing a height of 13 feet and Elijah in the pentathlon with a score of 2,669 points. Other top finishers for the Blue Devils were: • John Alfiero, who took 4th in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:41.02. • Tim Lamparelli, who took 2nd place in shot put with a throw of 47 feet, 6.5 inches and 4th in the discus with a throw of 138 feet, 3 inches. • Taylor Zimmerman, who took fourth in shot put with a distance of 41 feet, 3 inches and 7th in the discus with a throw of 119 feet, 10 inches. • Carter Gorski, who took second in high jump, clearing 5 feet, 11 inches. Our girls team finished 5th. Our 4x100-meter relay team of Jaslynne Watts, Amy Ennis, Nichole Leitten and Blakely Pratt had one of the day’s best performances for the Blue Devils as they broke Attica’s school record and took 3rd in the event with a time of 51.93. Other point scorers for our girls team were: • The 4x400-meter relay team of Nichole Leitten, Amy Ennis, Bailey Nixon and Aleah Brauen, which took 3rd with a time of 4:17.86. • Aleah Brauen, who took 3rd in the 400-meter run with a time of 1:02.05. • Natalie Dobbs, who placed 4th in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 5:24.55. • Nichole Leitten, who took 3rd in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 11:11.10. • Bailey Nixon, who took 3rd in the 2,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:08.65. • Jaslynne Watts, who took 6th in the long jump with a distance of 15 feet, 7 inches. • Anna Martino, who took 6th in the triple jump with a distance of 32 feet, 3.25 inches. • Lauren Nelson, who took 3rd in pole vault, clearing a height of 9 feet, 6 inches. • Addyson Zawilski, who took 4th in the pentathlon with 2,125 points. Congratulations to our track and field athletes on a strong sectionals showing! And a huge thank you to Attica junior Robert Beck, who traveled to Sodus alongside our athletes and captured the incredible photographs you see in this post.

Shout out to junior Avery Schmidbauer and sophomore Lauryn Wescott, who graduated from the Wyoming County Youth Leadership Academy last night in Varysburg! An offering of the Business Education Council and Wyoming County Youth Bureau, the Academy aims to develop leadership skills within the area’s youth through hands-on experiences. Participants meet up several times throughout the school year for sessions centered on different leadership topics that also include opportunities for participants to hear from local business owners and entrepreneurs about career opportunities available in Wyoming County. Congratulations, Avery and Lauryn!

This past Friday, our students participated in a fun and delicious taste test right in their buildings — and the items were an absolute hit! Thanks to Kay Foods, an Albany-based company known for their high-quality K-12 products, our students got to try exciting new items like Sunrise Waffles, made out of carrots, cheese omelets, made with New York-produced eggs, crispy onion rings and broccoli nuggets that had everyone asking for more. We love providing opportunities for our students to explore healthy and tasty menu options, and we can’t wait to see what comes next! (Photos courtesy of Alicia Spoth)

Little sun, little kickball, little food - not a bad senior picnic! (Photos courtesy of Sheryl Travis and Matt Struzik)

Congratulations to our Middle School Students of the Month for April! Savannah Vetter is our Student of the Month for 5th grade. Savannah is described by her nominator, Mrs. Krystal Dominick, as a kind, empathetic young lady who cares about others and their well-being. “She is a hard-worker, always putting forth effort to do her best,” said Dominick. Eva Cook, our Student of the Month for 6th grade, was nominated by Mrs. Melissa Mitchell, who called her a conscientious student. “She works really hard and is good at advocating for herself when she needs it,” said Mitchell. “I couldn’t be prouder of the tremendous progress she has made this year!” Garth Ralston was nominated by Ms. Melanie Nowak as our Student of the Month for 7th grade. “Garth is a great student, friend, always wears a smile, and works hard,” said Nowak. “He cares about others and brightens the days of teachers and peers.” Nowak also nominated our 8th grade Student of the Month, Shawn Piorun. “Shawn is a wonderful, respectful young man. He works hard and treats others with kindness and respect,” she said. “He is patient with others in class and works to build connections with peers and teachers.”

Our Attica Blue Devils are at it again! Mrs. Jill Pierce’s class stocked the Farm Stand today with fresh, local products from Fenton’s Produce in Batavia. We’ve added rhubarb, asparagus, lettuce, and potatoes — all ready for you to enjoy! Thank you to our awesome students for keeping the stand full and fresh. We can’t wait to see what goodies come our way later this week for the next restock. Stay tuned! (Photos courtesy of Jill Pierce)

As we wrap up the school year, we just couldn’t pick one Food Service All-Star — because this month, our entire Food Service Team deserves to step out into the spotlight! In these final days of the 2024-25 school year, this incredible crew has gone above and beyond — serving students with care, supporting special events, and working together to finish the year strong. Their dedication and teamwork have brought magic to every meal. To celebrate, the team enjoyed an end-of-year ice cream social and some well-deserved laughs with Paper Plate Awards — a fun recognition of the joy they bring to one another! Thank you to every one of our Food Service All-Stars - we’re grateful for each member of this amazing team. It’s been a privilege to celebrate them all year long and we are lucky to have such hardworking, compassionate staff feeding and caring for our Attica students. If you see one of these fantastic team members in the coming days, be sure to say thank you — they’ve more than earned it!