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LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
We are very pleased to welcome all students for the 2023-24 school year! There is so much to look forward to and I hope everyone shares our excitement as we kick off what is sure to be another great year. As a reminder, the first day of school is this Tuesday, September 5th, and we can't wait to see our students back in our buildings.
On Tuesday, we began the year with our Opening Day all-staff meeting in the Kenmore West High School Gymnasium. Our theme for this year is "Every Student Every Year," reflecting our commitment as a school district to focus more than ever before on building deep, meaningful relationships with students. This is a commitment all staff are making including teachers, administrators, and support staff.
With the first day of school only a few days away, here are some very important back-to-school updates:
Transportation - Very Important Updates:
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Transportation information, such as bus stop location and pick-up/drop-off times, is only available in Parent Portal. Additionally, families are strongly encouraged to recheck Parent Portal this weekend in case of any last-minute changes. You can also visit www.ktufsd.org/bus for additional transportation information.
New Security Procedures:
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New procedures will be implemented for Ken-Ton School District football games beginning at Adams Field on Friday and Crosby Field on Saturday to enhance safety and security at both locations. This includes bag restrictions, ID requirements, $2 entrance fee, and our new Opengate Weapons of Mass Casualty detectors. Click here for details. It is very important for anyone planning on attending our football games to familiarize themselves with these new procedures. This new initiative will continue throughout our district in various ways throughout this upcoming school year.
Free Meals for All:
- All students in Gr. K-12 can receive free breakfast and lunch next year now that all schools qualify for the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. We encourage families to take advantage of this opportunity, as our Food Service Department does an amazing job providing delicious and nutritious options for students every day of the school year. Although no action is required at this time for students to receive breakfast/lunch, it will be extremely important for families to complete the food service forms which will be sent home in the coming weeks in order to continue opportunities such as this.
Back-to-School Toolkit:
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Be sure to visit our Back-to-School Toolkit at www.ktufsd.org/back2school which is your one-stop shop for resources including school supply lists, important announcements, links to online calendars, answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and more.
Being Prepared With Chromebooks:
- Make sure your child brings his/her fully charged device to school every day, including the first day of school. Returning Gr. 9 students will be issued new Chromebooks and chargers shortly after the start of the school year. These students must have both their Chromebook and charger in order to receive their new device.
Kenmore Junior/Senior High School:
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The former Kenmore Middle School is now Kenmore Junior/Senior High School! With the expansion of the Big Picture Program to include seventh grade and the addition of other new secondary programming, it is now a junior/senior high school just as it was when it first opened in 1924. Click here to read more.
Bus Tracking:
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We are pleased to begin offering Here Comes the Bus. This tool uses GPS technology installed on school buses to provide families with the location of their child's bus on a map, arrival times, and push/email notifications when the bus is near. You can find more information at www.ktufsd.org/HereComesTheBus.
CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION
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Across the district, we are seeing significant upgrades to buildings and facilities through our ongoing Capital Project. We are extremely excited about the impact of this work on our educational programming and the daily experiences of our students and families. The work that is taking place has been designed to embrace and strengthen our schools’ rich traditions and culture. A prime example is Kenmore West’s beautiful new main entrance.
Work will continue to take place especially at Hoover and Edison and families may see signs of construction when they are in these buildings. Please know that safety is always our top priority and all construction work is being carried out with the most stringent precautions in place. Additionally, our construction partners have a great deal of experience working inside school buildings during the school year without interfering with instruction or student activities. We appreciate our community's cooperation as this work is underway.
I wish to express my deep gratitude to the entire Edison Elementary, Hoover Elementary, and Hoover Middle communities for their patience as construction work has taken place. Getting to the finish line with capital improvement can sometimes be very difficult. It was once described to me like baking a cake: the ingredients can look like a mess before the beautiful finished product is unveiled. Although the ongoing construction and unanticipated delays have presented some challenges, I am grateful for the understanding and cooperation of our families, staff, and neighbors. We know it will be worth it in the end.
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SCHOOL & DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS | |
Each week, we will highlight some of the exciting things taking place in the district. Be sure to follow the Ken-Ton School District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@ktufsd) for more school highlights! | |
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Cook Managers Try Delicious New Recipes at Culinary Camp
Our fantastic cook managers were hard at work August 23rd and 24th sharpening their skills and experimenting with new recipes that our students are sure to enjoy. In preparation for the upcoming school year, Food Service Director Kim Roll hosted a "Culinary Camp" at Kenmore East which brought together our cook managers who oversee food service operations at individual schools. To start, they were treated to a wonderful presentation on knife and produce preparation led by John Cieszki from SMC Marketing Group. Cook managers were then able to make and sample new recipes which incorporated fresh produce including chili roasted sweet potatoes, chicken quesadillas, lemon garlic spinach roasted garlic parmesan potatoes, roasted zucchini, tomato cucumber salad, “Big Mac salad,” spaghetti squash, and much more. In partnership with the Farm to School Program, our entire Food Service Department is looking forward to another year introducing a variety of produce for Ken-Ton students to enjoy. They always do an amazing job creating delicious, nutritious options that students enjoy. Click here to view photos from the event. (And don't forget: Breakfast and lunch is now free for all students!)
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Franklin Middle Named National Parent/Teacher Association (PTA) School of Excellence
Congratulations to Franklin Middle School and the Franklin Middle PTA for being named a National PTA School of Excellence for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years! Only 18 other schools in New York State earned this prestigious distinction, which is based on the PTA's efforts to engage the community and strengthen family-school partnerships. It was a tremendous honor for the Franklin Middle and Ken-Ton community. Click here to read more.
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WGRZ Channel 2 Features 50-Person Drum Circle Led by KW Band Director
Earlier this summer, we were extremely proud to see Kenmore West Band Director Ken Belote featured by WGRZ Ch. 2 while leading a drum circle at Burchfield Nature and Art Center. During the summer, Mr. Belote led a community drumming opportunity through our “Be Well Ken-Ton” staff development programming with 11 staff members during the summer. The course culminated in a two-hour public drum circle at the park which ended up including more than 50 people. Community drumming focuses on mindfulness, self-expression, and self-care and it has been a passion for Mr. Belote, who has done a tremendous job introducing it to staff and students. Click here for the story.
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District Celebrates 6 Students From the Kenmore Academy of Transition (KAT) Program
The Ken-Ton School District in partnership with Aspire of WNY was extremely proud to celebrate six students who participated in this year's Kenmore Academy of Transition (KAT) Program. The KAT is entering its third year in the Ken-Ton School District and helps students get real-world work experience before they graduate. In the past, students have worked at places like Savers, Wegmans, Tops, and JoAnn Fabrics. This year's celebration recognized the following students: Jason Chrostowski, Abigail Korsch, Justin Petito from Kenmore West and Kal-el Lee, Richard Papaj, and Trevin Wickland from Kenmore East.
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District Hosts Ken-Ton Bus Tours for New Teachers, Staff & Community Members
Last week, we had a wonderful time welcoming our newest teachers and bringing them along on our 90-minute bus tour of the Ken-Ton School District. The group had the opportunity to see where our students live and play and they were able to learn all about the history of the town, village, and district. Three other tours were held for members of the community and Ken-Ton School District staff members earlier in the summer and we are looking forward to offering additional tours for the community in the future.
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144 Golfers Take Part in Annual Golf Tournament to Raise Money for Scholarships
A total of 144 golfers were at the Sheridan Golf Course on Wednesday, July 12th for the 28th annual Ken-Ton Hall of Fame Golf Tournament. The event, which sells out every year, helps the Ken-Ton Athletics Department support our Ken-Ton student-athletes. Proceeds from the event help fund scholarships for exceptional Ken-Ton athletes and also support the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which honors outstanding athletes, teams, and coaches for their achievements. Thanks to participants in last year’s tournament, more than $10,000 in scholarships was awarded to athletes. Click here to see photos from the event.
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3 Staff Members Volunteer at the Erie County Fair to Support Kids Escaping Drugs
Three members of our Ken-Ton School District staff were hard at work during the Erie County Fair supporting a very worthwhile organization. Craig Carpenter from our Buildings & Grounds Department and Lynette Carpenter from our Staff Development Center joined Teacher Mentor Scot LaFalce and his wife Tracy on August 19th (which happened to be Craig and Lynette's 34th wedding anniversary) raising money for Kids Escaping Drugs. It was just one example of the countless ways our staff volunteer their time and strive to make the community a better place.
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Summer Music Students Perform for Volunteers in Buffalo
On July 21st, participants in the Ken-Ton School District Summer Band Program performed for volunteers who have been hard at work helping members of the community. The students performed at a pep rally for volunteers who have been working in Buffalo's Lovejoy District providing free home repairs for families in need. It was a great way for our students to use their talents to contribute to their work.
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Bookmobile & Edison PTA Team Up for a Special Summertime Experience
We were grateful for the assistance of the Buffalo and Erie County Library which sent its Bookmobile to Edison Elementary during the summer to assist students in picking out some great summer reading material. Students were also able to register for their library card. The PTA was on-hand with popsicles and sidewalk chalk to make it an even better summertime experience for our students.
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RECOGNITION: SUMMER STAFF | |
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This week, I wish to recognize all the staff who were hard at work during the summer months preparing for the start of the school year. There is so much that needs to be accomplished each summer to set the stage for the year ahead. This includes cleaning and upgrading buildings, carrying out our ongoing Capital Project, maintaining and enhancing our technology infrastructure/devices, food service preparations, purchasing supplies and resources, financial planning, hiring, scheduling, curriculum planning, staff development, registering families, summer programming, transportation planning, and so much more.
There are many who are involved in these tasks. Please join me in recognizing our staff for their outstanding work. Teamwork makes the dream work and they have set the stage for what is sure to be a great year ahead.
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Tuesday, September 5th
Tuesday, September 12th
- Board of Education Meeting (6:30 p.m. at Kenmore Junior/Senior High School)
Wednesday, September 13th
- Holmes Elementary Open House (5:30 p.m.)
- Kenmore East High School Open House (5:30-7:30 p.m.)
- Big Picture Program Open House (5:30-6:30 p.m.)
Thursday, September 14th
- Hoover Middle Open House (5-6:30 p.m.)
- Edison Elementary Open House (6-8 p.m.)
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Thank you for reviewing this information. As always, we remain Ken-Ton Proud, Ken-Ton Strong, and Ken-Ton Moving Forward!
Sabatino Cimato,
Superintendent of Schools
For previous editions of the Ken-Ton Weekly Connection, visit
www.ktufsd.org/connection
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