N EWFIELD EWSLETTER

EWFIELD
EWSLETTER
N
Newfield Central School District
LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Dear Community,
We’ve had a wonderful start to the new school
year. We attribute this to several things.
First, the NYS Education Department has “eased
up” and not added new changes for the year
so the stress level of our teachers and staff is
lower. We have an excellent staff that plans and
prepares all summer for a new school year.
Second, students, parents, and staff are helping
to create a culture of politeness and tolerance
where everyone takes responsibility for their actions. This is seen in the way students are dropped
off in the morning, the way students talk to each
other, the consideration shown for our office and
cleaning crew by staff and students picking up
after themselves, the way teachers and parents
collaborate, the willingness to listen to and consider other opinions, and so much more.
There is much work to be done academically as
we “raise the bar." The Common Core Learning
Standards are helping students to improve vocabulary and thinking skills PreK-12. New electives are being offered at the high school. It is
an exciting time!
Thank you for being part of this great start and
for your support as we dig in to a new school
year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Cheryl Thomas
Superintendentof Schools
October 2014
NEWFIELD SENIOR HIGH CHOIR TO
PERFORM AT CARNEGIE HALL
Newfield Senior High Choir has been invited to
perform on the stage of world famous Carnegie
Hall in New York City on January 17, 2015! The
performance is part of the Carnegie Hall series
The Legacy of Eminent Choral Directors featuring Dr. Peggy Dettwiler of Mansfield University
as Honoree and Artistic Director. The series is
composed of choirs directed by select conductors that have studied under Dr. Dettwiler's baton. The Newfield Senior High Choir has been
selected amongst the finest groups from her
25 year career as a teacher and conductor. The
concert will showcase each individual choir, including a ten minute set by Newfield. The concert finale will feature a combined choir consisting of all the students performing two pieces
under the direction of Dr. Dettwiler herself.
As is normal in show-business, there is a cost
for transportation and to reserve the hall, as
well as write-ups in Playbill and professional
photography. As part of the fundraising effort,
the choir is selling tickets to the performances for $50, an extremely reasonable price for
such a renowned hall in the theatre district! The
monies collected from ticket sales go directly to
the choir. Also available for sale are seats on a
charter bus that will provide transportation directly to and from the afternoon concert. Order
forms can be found with each member of the
choir, or by contacting Alex MacDonald directly
(amacdonald@newfieldschools.org) There will
also be a Fine Arts Booster spaghetti dinner on
October 23rd from 5:00-7:00 pm.
Support the Newfield Concert Choir and/or join
the audience as Newfield’s Choir takes the stage
in New York City at Carnegie Hall!
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TEACHER OF THE MONTH
DRIVER SAFETY AWARD
Congratulations to Amanda Birch, who was selected as “Teacher
of the Month” for the Newfield Central School District. Mrs. Birch
goes above and beyond to help families and students in the middle school as well as in her classes. She is always willing to take
the extra step after identifying a challenge to also provide solutions. She is diligent and professional in all that she does, bringing a positive attitude to all situations. Excuses such as “I can’t”
are not allowed in her hearing. She is an excellent staff member
here at Newfield Middle School and an asset to the district as a
whole because learning matters to her!
Newfield Central School buses
travel over 160,000 miles each
year transporting our students
to and from school, athletic
games and field trips. Our bus
drivers make these trips daily
without incident. Bus drivers
are more than master drivers;
they become friends and confidants with the students.
We are fortunate to have a
dedicated staff who stay with
us for many years. Often drivers will have the same bus
routes year after year. They
watch the students grow into
young adults. The job takes
on the role of “taking care of
family.”
Newfield Central School would
like to recognize the hard work
of our drivers with a monthly Driver Safety Award. This
month the award goes to
Jackie Jenney. Mr. Brockner,
the Transportation Supervisor
had this to say about Jackie:
SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION WEEK
OCTOBER 27-31, 2014
Governor Cuomo has proclaimed the week of
October 27-31, 2014 to be School Board
Recognition Week in New York State.
We would like to thank our own 2014-15 Board
of Education for their volunteer service to the
Newfield community!
Mrs. Sylvia Allinger, President
Mrs. Paula Miller, Vice President
Mr. René Borgellla
Mrs. Heather Cooper
Mrs. Jennifer Pawlewicz
Mrs. Missy Rynone
Mr. George Wiltsie
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Jackie has the ability to handle
all facets of her job with caution and control. She has an
accident-free record, uses defensive driving skills, handles
student issues promptly and
discreetly and is almost always cooperative in filling in
when needed.
CREATING A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
All employees of the district impact the learning environment. To
make sure that environment is a positive one, Newfield CSEA staff
will implement the FISH! Philosophy which highlights four simple
practices:
SOME SCENCES FROM
THE FIRST WEEKS OF
SCHOOL...
Be There: When people need
you, they need all of you. Setting aside distractions and judgments to be fully present is a
sign of respect. It improves
communication and strengthens
relationships.
Play: You can be serious about
your work without taking yourself so seriously. Play is a mindset more than a specific activity. It allows you to throw yourself
with enthusiasm and creativity into whatever you are doing, in a
way that is natural, not forced. “Playing” with ideas helps you find
solutions to everyday challenges.
Make Their Day: Simple gestures of thoughtfulness, thanks and
recognition make people feel appreciated and valued. When you
make someone else feel good, you feel good too.
Choose Your Attitude: To actually choose how you respond to
life, not just react, you must be intentional. When you get up, decide who you want to “be” today. Moment-to-moment awareness
is key. Ask yourself throughout the day, “What is my attitude right
now? Is it helping the people who depend on me? Is it helping me
to be most effective?”
Newfield staff who are examples of the FISH! Philosophy will be
given the coveted Newfield FISH! Award!
Our first Newfield FISH! Award
winner is Arnold Kelsey. Arnie
receives this award for his ability to brighten the day of our office secretaries and anyone else
who entered the temporary offices this summer. He brought
fabulous arrangements of flowers cut from his own garden to
be shared and admired.
Arnie has been a member of our Newfield School community
for three years and serves in the role of Maintenance Worker.
He comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and expertise as he
worked in the maintenance department at Morse Chain for over
three decades. Arnie is also the proud grandfather of eight.
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CORNELL HOCKEY TEAM SPONSORS THE RED PAW PROGRAM
Our RED PAW Program is off to a fantastic start!! As one of our Elementary PBIS (Positive Behavior,
Support & Interventions) programs, the Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey Team is back again this year to
volunteer in the Elementary School and also in our 6th grade. We are grateful to have 21 volunteer
mentors from the team who are spending time with students during lunch, recess and helping in
classrooms. They are here Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays one week, and then Mondays and
Tuesdays opposite weeks. The Cornell student athletes are truly enjoying their time here! They value
being able to make a difference in the lives of our students, motivating them to do their best and
serving as positive role models. Students and staff greatly look forward to the Cornell team’s visit
and the kind, caring and fun energy they bring to our learning community!
The Red Paw Program is coordinated by Jamie McCaffrey, School Social Worker (K-12) and our MSW
intern, Anna Bender.
The Red Paw Award is a weekly award given to ONE elementary student (K-5) who has demonstrated exemplary behavior in our Otter Code of Conduct: Being Safe, Being Caring, Being Respectful
and Being Here & Ready!
First Red Paw Winner:
McKayla Crawford has been so helpful, especially at the beginning of the year when new routines
can be a bit confusing to some students. She has helped many students get organized. She has
already shown a great work ethic and quality work every time. She always wears a smile. Her
teachers can count on her every minute of the day. (nominated by Mrs.
Thomas, 5th grade teacher)
Second Red Paw Winner:
Ledell Chisolm is one of the kindest, happiest children we have ever
met. He always has a positive attitude. Ledell says “good morning”
every morning and he has wonderful manners throughout the day. He
never gives up, even if something is hard, and a smile never leaves his
face. He treats his peers and teachers with respect and kindness. Ledell
is a wonderful person and deserves the red paw for all these reason and
more! (nominated by Mrs. Zifchock, Mrs. Terwilliger, & Ms. Ferguson)
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PTA
PTA will be holding its first
meeting of the year on October 15 at 4:30 p.m. in the Elementary Library. Everyone is
invited to attend!
NEWFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL ADVISORY PROGRAM:
A New Vision
Please drive carefully,
watch for pedestrians and
follow traffic signs in the
parking lot! Do not park in
the drop-off lanes.
The middle school formed an advisory committee in order to improve the advisory program and create a “culture of connectedness”. Over the summer, Liz Atkins, Amanda Birch, and Kelly Stilwell coordinated with the guidance counselor in order to develop
a program that met our vision: to establish a sense of community
where students learn to advocate for their needs and the needs
of others. The committee created a new advisory calendar, daily
Homebase tasks and activities, and an updated list of relevant
themes and topics for middle school students. Additionally, the
committee clarified expectations and responsibilities of our faculty advisers. With three advisories having taken place in September, we have already seen the middle school sense of community
flourishing early in the school year.
ELEMENTARY PE
SNEAKER DRIVE
Please bring any unwanted
new or lightly used sneakers
to the elementary school main
office before the end of the
school year to donate to the
PE department for our annual
sneaker drive. We have had
so much support in the past,
but are still in need of smaller
sizes for Kindergarten through
3rd grade students.
Thank you,
Coach Beam
REMINDER:
October 10th - Superintendent's Conference Day
(NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
October 13th - Columbus Day (NO SCHOOL)
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SECONDARY LIBRARY NEWS
--Ms. Cara Putman, School Library Specialist
As we begin this new school year, I want to encourage all staff, students, and family members to visit
the library webpage. I have been diligently working to make the library webpage more user-friendly
and easier to navigate; however, it is a work in progress. While visiting, you will be able to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
View announcements pertaining to activities or happenings in the library.
Access the library catalog to search for items, such as books, e-books, DVDS, etc.; these are
available at Newfield and at other various schools within the TST BOCES Region.
Utilize multiple online resources and databases to conduct research and help build knowledge and
understanding.
Submit an Interlibrary Loan Request Form for an item that we do not currently have here in our
library.
Submit a Book Recommendation Form to add a specific book to our collection.
Obtain information and additional resources through the Newspapers, Citation Station and Web
Research links.
For more information or concerns on navigating the library webpage, please contact Cara Putman at
607-564-9955 or cputman@newfieldschools.org.
Check back for future updates and additions. Happy Reading!
Hyperlinked image:
http://www.newfieldschools.org/districtpage.cfm?pageid=198
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ENTERPRISE AMERICA
HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
Absences, Doctor Appointments, and Excuses
Thanks to the generosity of
Bruce and Heather Lane, owners of Purity Ice Cream in Ithaca, NY, middle school students
at the Newfield Central School
District have the opportunity
to participate in Enterprise
America, a real-life career experience created by WCNY in
Syracuse. Mr. & Mrs. Lane donated $10,000 to the Newfield
Central School District.
Newfield students in the Enterprise America program will
explore many of the careers
necessary to make a modern
American city thrive. This will
start in the classroom with
their teacher, Barb Mott, as
they learn how to write business plans, put together a
budget, engage in collaborative discussions, discover the
role of economy in a society,
and use entrepreneurial skills.
Each student takes on a different role as a business owner,
politician, law enforcement officer, media specialist, power
plant operator, judge, medical
personnel, or banker, for example. After several weeks of
preparation, students will travel to WCNY’s “city” (a 10,000
square foot Education Center with 14 businesses and a
City Hall) to spend a hands-on
day applying what they have
learned, getting a glimpse
into what it takes to succeed
after graduation and how the
knowledge they are acquiring
in school is relevant to lifelong
professional and personal success.
Many high school parents ask if his/her
child needs a note for being late, absent, or
excused for an appointment. The answer
is, yes. Please send notes in with your
child for absences, late arrival to school,
or early release for doctor appointments.
All notes need to have a parent/custodian
signature on them.
End of the Marking Period
The end of the first six-week marking period is Friday, October 17. High school
report cards will be mailed home Friday,
October 24. Please call the office at 5649955, extension 3131 if you do not receive the report card.
HS HOMECOMING & SPIRIT WEEK
This year’s Homecoming & Spirit Week is scheduled for October
6th-11th. The High School Student Council is planning many activities during this week to promote Newfield Pride! Events during
the week include:
Monday, October 6th – High School Pep Assembly, Green &
White Day, JV/Varsity Volleyball vs. Waverly @ 5:00 pm, Modified
Soccer vs. Candor @ 4:30 pm
Wednesday, October 8th – Hall Decorating afterschool, Varsity
Boys Soccer & Modified Soccer vs. Groton @ 4:30 pm
Thursday, October 9th – Bonfire w/music. Time: TBA
Friday, October 10th – Varsity Girls Soccer vs. Tioga @ 4:30
pm
Saturday, October 11th – Varsity Football vs. Odessa-Montour
@ 1:30 pm
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Non Profit Organization
Bulk Rate
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Spencer N.Y. Permit No. 194
Newfield Central School
247 Main Street
Newfield, NY 14867
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
CARR-RT PRESORT
RESIDENT/BOXHOLDER
NEWFIELD, N.Y. 14867
Newfield Central School supports the community...
FALL RECREATION NEWS
Thanks to all that helped out at our Chicken BBQ. We couldn’t do
it without our volunteers!
When starting to think about what to do this winter, check out the
Newfield Recreation Ski & Ride Club! Come to a registration
and information meeting at the Town Hall on Thursday, October
2nd at 7:00 pm. New this year - the Program Pass (good for skiing or snowboarding EVERY Friday from 4:00 - 8:00 pm beginning
January 9th through the end of the season) turns into a SEASON
PASS on March 2nd (good for skiing & boarding any day, any time
Greek Peak is open)! This means you can fit in lots of EXTRA TIME
ON THE MOUNTAIN after our program ends. The “Ski Bus” will
head out to Greek Peak on six consecutive Fridays between January 9 - February 13. We leave from in front of the high school at
3:15 and return there at 9:00 pm. It’s a blast! We hope you’ll join
in the fun.
Check us out at www.newfieldny.org/recreation.
NEWFIELD PLANNING BOARD MEETING
Newfield Central School has been invited to send representatives
to a Collaborative Event to be hosted by the Newfield Planning
Board on Tuesday, October 7th at the Newfield Fire Hall. The
event will take place at 7:00 pm. The purpose of the event is to
honor the vital work of local service organizations and to gain an
understanding of how they operate and the important work they
do. The Planning Board will also familiarize service groups with
the 2013 Newfield Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Board is
cancelling its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, October
Page
1st
in 8lieu of the October 7th open meeting.
ANNUAL “GO HOME
EARLY” DRILL
The annual “go home early”
drill will be held on Tuesday,
November 25th. Students will
be dismissed from school 15
minutes earlier than normal.
Annual Professional
Performance Reviews
In accordance with Section
3012-c of the Education Law,
regarding the Annual Professional Performance Reviews
(APPR) of teachers and principals, the District is obligated to
release the individual composite effectiveness scores and final ratings of teachers and principals. Parent/legal guardians
may request such information
for the principal of the school
building and teachers to which
the student is assigned for the
current school year. Only final
data will be disclosed. Parents/
legal guardians wishing to obtain such data must make a
written request to the appointed school official. The identity
of parents/legal guardians will
be verified and the school official may only communicate the
data verbally. Please send all
written requests for APPR data
to Dr. Cheryl Thomas, Superintendent, 247 Main St., Newfield, NY 14867. Information
will be available after October
18.