Weekly Update from the Office of the Superintendent

Volume 2, Issue 35 (May 13, 2022)

Video Update: https://youtu.be/I_r2v_hgqhY

SUMMER 2022

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

There will be a great deal of activity taking place across the district after the last day of school this year. Construction work will be taking place at several different locations this summer as part of our ongoing Capital Project. We are also looking forward to summer activities such as our expanded summer offerings. This is in addition to the annual work of preparing our buildings for the start of school in September.

In preparation for all of this work scheduled, we will continue to share construction details in order to help prepare our community for the changes taking place. We are always mindful of the impact on neighbors and want those living in the surrounding area to know what to expect during these busy summer months. It is also important for those participating in summer programming to be informed.

The following is a summary of the work scheduled to take place at each location:

• Holmes Elementary: Parking lot/sidewalk work
• Both entrances will be closed to traffic except for emergency vehicles. Custodial/clerical staff have been advised to use street parking for the duration of the summer.
• Edison Elementary: Relocation of infill from Kenmore East, partial parking lot work, new windows and planting of new trees
• The rear parking lot will not be accessible as it is being resurfaced. The infill from Kenmore East will be relocated to Edison for future construction work. The building will not be open to visitors.
• Franklin Complex (Elementary/Middle Summer School & Summer Music Program Site): Parking lot/sidewalk work and interior construction work (middle school gym)
• The entrance to the rear parking lot will be closed. The middle school parking lot will remain open. A walkway will be available connecting Door #21 and Lincoln Park. The sidewalks in the area of the middle school library will be impacted.
• Hoover Complex: Complete parking lot work and preparation of staging area for future construction
• The rear parking lot (Sheridan Drive entrance) will not be accessible. Access will be limited to the Thorncliff Road entrance. Parking lot work will extend eastward to the Buildings & Grounds building. The track and fields east of the building will not be affected. Additionally, a staging area will be set up for future work on the new drop-off/pick-up zone to the west of the building.
• Lindbergh Elementary: New windows
• The building will not be open to visitors. The playground will remain open.
• Kenmore West: Parking lot/sidewalks and interior construction work
• Both entrances off Delaware Road will not be accessible. Staff will use the front bus loop and parking lot off Highland Parkway. Significant construction work will take place inside the building, which will only be accessible to custodial and clerical staff.
• Administration Building: Relocation of generator
• The relocation of the generator may result in a minor shut-down of the rear parking lot but will have a minimal impact.

One development that neighbors in the vicinity of Kenmore East High School will appreciate is that the dirt pile at Kenmore East will be removed this summer. This material was excavated as part of the construction of Kenmore East’s new state-of-the-art athletic field last summer. Tremendous quantities of ground fill are needed for future components of the Capital Project and we were able to achieve significant cost savings by stockpiling the dirt and reusing it instead of paying to haul it away and then purchasing new supplies later.

I sincerely appreciate the support and cooperation of our entire community as we continue to implement the Capital Project and prepare for this upcoming construction activity. We all know that construction work can be a challenge, but we are confident that the outcomes will outweigh this inconvenience. Major upgrades and enhancements will take place to our buildings and facilities as part of this project that will have a significant impact on the community and the student experience.

BUDGET VOTE & BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTION

Don’t forget that the annual Budget Vote & Board of Education Election will take place this Tuesday, May 17th, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Hoover Middle School (use the Sheridan Drive entrance). On the ballot will be the proposed 2022-23 budget, annual bus purchase, and candidates for the Board of Education. All school district residents are encouraged to learn about the budget and vote. You can find more information on the budget, propositions, candidates and voting at www.ktufsd.org/budget.

HIGH SCHOOLS: The extraordinary artistic achievements of our high school students were celebrated on Thursday, May 12th during the schools’ annual art show events. Student artwork from this past year was displayed throughout the Kenmore West Library for the Kenmore West High School 2022 Art Exhibition. At Kenmore East, artwork was set up throughout the auditorium for the opening reception of Kenmore East High School's 2022 Arts Fest. There were contributions from all different grade levels and art classes at both events, and our art teachers did an amazing job curating the hundreds of different pieces that were featured. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the talents and hard work of our students this year. Photo galleries from both events will be posted to our Facebook page (@ktufsd) in the coming days.

HOOVER ELEMENTARY: Hoover Elementary students had a wonderful time at the school's first all-school assembly in more than two years which featured a fun, fast-paced and extremely entertaining science-based program presented by Red Tie Variety. The program was made possible by a Young Audiences grant written by Fran Paskowitz. Music teacher Jill Cumbo and her students did a phenomenal job kicking off the assembly with a patriotic color guard followed by the introduction of the speaker by science teacher Anthony Orzel. Students were fascinated and engaged throughout the presentation and excited to be together as a united Gr. K-4 student body!

ALL SCHOOLS: We are extremely proud to recognize dozens of students across the district who earned a place in the highly selective Erie County Music Educators Association (ECMEA) All-County ensembles this year. Acceptance into these ensembles is by audition only and participants represent the most talented music students in Erie County. Performances took place in March and you can see the full list of participants here. Several Ken-Ton music teachers (Kristen Hill, Ciaran Krueger, Jill Neuhaus, Jessica Leary, and Elaine Grant) served as event chairpersons with Phil Aguglia serving as conductor of the junior high jazz band. Additionally, four extremely talented Ken-Ton students will be performing in the Junior High Area All-State Band later this month: Alistair Gianni (Kenmore West), Bari Sax; Dylan Kociencki (Kenmore East), Tenor Sax; Owen Shotwell (Kenmore East), string bass; and Nolan Vitko (Kenmore East), Trumpet.

HOOVER ELEMENTARY: The artistic talents of Hoover Elementary students were on display at a very special event on Friday, May 6th: the Hoover Art Show and Family Fun Night. Every student in school had at least one piece of artwork displayed for the event. Students and families were also able to come together and enjoy a variety of fun activities and games sponsored by the Home School Association (HSA). The centerpiece of the event was a special "Glow Gallery" in the school's Wellness Room which featured "Under the Sea" artwork with select works from each classroom. These pieces glowed under black lights which created an amazing effect that dazzled everyone in attendance. Great job to everyone who was involved in coordinating the event, art teacher Jennifer Lynch and all Hoover students.

HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL: Hoover Middle School recently wrapped up this year’s Roller Coaster Club with a presentation in the school library where all working coasters will be displayed, operated and celebrated. Videos will also be taken of each coaster and shared during daily announcements. The club is led by Hoover Middle sixth-grade social studies and science teacher Tina Pilato. Students worked in groups of various sizes to design and build a functional coaster using specific materials. Through this process of planning, building, and decorating, students developed a deeper understanding of mechanical energy, problem solving, perseverance, and collaboration.

HIGH SCHOOLS: Wednesday, May 11th was a special day as the Kenmore East and Kenmore West Unified Basketball Teams came together for the annual East vs. West game. It was Senior Night for the Kenmore East team, providing an opportunity for the team to highlight and celebrate its graduating seniors, and Kenmore East senior Olivia Wood did a phenomenal job performing the National Anthem on violin. Unified Sports brings together students of all different abilities to join together and use their own unique skills to contribute to the team. Unified Sports were first established in Ken-Ton last year beginning with the basketball program with bowling added this year as Ken-Ton’s newest Unified Sports program.

RECOGNITION: EZRA WRIGHT & KENMORE WEST THEATER PROGRAM

This week, we recognize the outstanding efforts of the Kenmore West High School Theater Program, which did an amazing job with their spring play production of “Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood.”

The talents of our Kenmore West theater students, led by theater teacher Diana Gruninger, is always evident in their performances. One aspect of the show made this especially evident. A student who was playing a major role in the show was unable to participate in the performance due to circumstances outside of everyone’s control. Another student in the theater program, Ezra Wright, stepped up and took on this role with barely any time to prepare. He had been involved in the theater program for three years, but this was his first performance.

Through hard work and perseverance, Ezra was able to go on stage with no script in hand and did a wonderful job. With the help and support of his fellow cast members and crew, the show went on without a hitch. All of the students in the Kenmore West theater program are to be commended as well for their amazing work on this production. Ezra pulled it off but it was the collaboration of the entire cast that made this possible.

RECOGNITION: TOWN YOUTH BOARD HONOREES

The Town of Tonawanda Youth Board recognized the accomplishments of students and adults who work with youth from across the Ken-Ton community at their 45th Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday, May 11th. Several students were recognized including Maria Colosimo, Jack Gradzewicz and Skylar Hotchkiss who were recognized as Outstanding Youth, Maria Colosimo who was presented with the Outstanding Youth of the Year Award, Drew Heltz, Joey Avino, Aislyn O’Malley, Cora Walker, and Grace Miller who were recognized as the the top five Youth Engaged in Service (Y.E.S.) volunteers, and departing Youth Board student representatives Mykayla Pielich and Meghan Jones. Additionally, Phil Jarosz, a Ken-Ton School District instructional support specialist for technology, was recognized with the Joseph Allen Jr. Service to Youth Award for his work with school musicals and coordination of other district projects and services.

Congratulations to everyone who was recognized at Wednesday’s event!

UPCOMING DATES

• Tuesday, May 17: Budget Vote & Board of Education Election (7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hoover Middle School - Use Sheridan Drive entrance)
• Friday, May 27 & Monday, May 30: Memorial Day Recess
• Wednesday, June 8: Gr. K-7 Early Release Day