March 2019 District Newsletter
Calendar
  • 3/12 Board of Education Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
  • 3/14 K-12 Art Show at CHS & PRISM Concert, 7:00 p.m.
  • 3/15 No School for Staff and Students
  • 3/18 Professional Development Day, No School for Students
  • 3/26 Board of Education Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Transition Update:
We Are One School District!
As we prepare for the transition to three elementary schools, we are using the opportunity to make some changes to the District’s image and brand. Rather than having different logos, mascots, and letterhead, we are synchronizing across the district. The District Transition Committee is leading the way, with these recommendations :
  • We will have one “official” paw print
  • We will have one Cortland “C” logo
  • We will have one a specific image of a tiger
  • We will define the color purple that we use (and will also define the greyscale versions)
  • We will have common letterhead that is customized for each school

In order to have an official tiger image that we use in all situations, several concepts are being drawn up. We’ll get feedback from the students about the different examples and share that with the District Transition Committee to narrow down to a final concept for which we will have professional, digitized versions developed.

When these common images and style definitions are finalized, we will have a place on our website where they can be accessed. The expectation will be that these images, and only these images, be used on apparel and signage that is associated with the District.

Some of these might not seem like major changes, but this is our chance to clearly demonstrate to the world that we are one school district rather than a collection of independent schools. As you know, we’ve synchronized the look and feel of our newsletters and webpage. That will continue. We want to make it clear to the world that #WeAreCortland!
Family Engagement Survey Remains Open Until March 8
The survey will be remain open through March 8, 2019 . Your response to the survey is very important.   Please take ten to fifteen minutes and share your ideas, experiences and feedback!
 
 **Paper copies of the survey are also available at your child(ren)'s school. If you prefer to complete the survey on paper, please ask for a copy from the building office.
Barry and Smith Student Council Host Fundraisers
Students at Barry school realized that p eanut butter and jelly, a staple in many pantries, is often a food item in short supply at local food pantries. Knowing that many people are struggling to make ends meet, the Barry Student Council came up with the idea of doing a peanut butter and jelly drive. Read more...

At S mith School the Student Council has been running a “Pennies for Patients” donation drive the week of February 11, and also holding a book drive that runs from February 1st to March 1st. The Pennies for Patients campaign benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society works with thousands of schools across the country to raise funds for blood cancer research--and Smith School is one of them! Read more...
Kindergarten Registration
& Screening Dates
Steps to register your child:
  • Child must be 5 on or before December 1, 2019. Children who turn 6 before December 1, 2019 must attend school.
  • Parents are urged to call (607)-758-4106, prior to April 20, 2019, to make a registration/screening appointment and to receive a pre-registration packet.
  • All students must have an appointment prior to the school registration/screening dates listed below!

All screenings will take place at Barry Primary School
Dates for screenings:
  • Thursday, June 27, 2019
  • Friday, June 28, 2019
  • Monday, July 1, 2019

There will be a Kindergarten Meet and Greet in the month of May.
  • This is an event for parents AND their entering kindergarten student.
  • There will be activities for students and students/families will get to meet all of our kindergarten teachers and other staff members.
Unified Bowling
Being part of an athletic team during high school is a unique experience that only some students get to experience. Students that have disabilities often do not get to join a varsity sports team, unless it is in a position of a manager or assistant. Hoping to be more inclusive and allow everyone to have a chance to play a sport, NYS has expanded the Unified Sports program to include bowling.

Athletic Director Tim Wagoner said, “expanding the Unified program is something we were looking to do after seeing the success of the Unified basketball team had last year. It was always something on our radar, and the opportunity presented itself with starting a Unified bowling team.”

Tenth grade student Hannah Partigianoni is on the Unified bowling team. Hannah said, “I wanted to be part of the Unified bowling team because it was a good opportunity to meet people in our school we haven’t met before. I also play lacrosse, soccer and ice hockey so I wanted to try out bowling. I think it is important to make sports more inclusive. Some of these kids would not be on the varsity bowling team. We do other activities besides bowling, like team building activities.” Read more....
Universal Pre-K Program
Universal Pre-K offers engaging activities and nutritious meals in safe neighborhood centers. This free, half-day program promotes early education and independence through creative play experiences with other children and is staffed by caring professionals.

In-person registration will be conducted at the Kaufman Center beginning March 25th at 8:00 a.m. Early arrival is encouraged, as slots will be awarded on a first-come basis.

To be eligible your child must reside in the Cortland Enlarged City School District and have a birth date between 12/2/14 and 12/1/15. For information on program
locations and the registration process, call 758-4106.
Cortland Tests Out Wifi on Buses
Most of us that have been on long trips in the car wishing we had wifi connectivity. What about a long bus ride? Cortland is experimenting with wifi on its buses! Knowing that many of our teachers are using digital platforms to deliver content and submit homework/classwork assignments, we decided to do a trial of bus wifi.

A “smart bus” took our Cortland Purple Tigers athletic teams during the month of January and February to several away competitions.

Because our athletic program is part of NYSPHSAA Section III, our teams often make the 30+ mile journey to Syracuse and beyond. Some teams even go as far as Oswego and Utica.

Our boys basketball, track and field, and Unified Bowling teams were able to connect to the wifi on the bus. Hannah Partigianoni is a student on the Unified Bowling team and was able to try out the wifi on the way to a competition in East Syracuse. Hannah said, “I was able to connect easily to the wifi and get on to Google Drive and Google Classroom. I think it is helpful to have wifi because when I travel for sports it kind of turns the bus into a mobile study hall. When I get home late after a competition I am able to relax and go to bed knowing my work was completed on the bus.”

The District will be returning the wifi as this was only a trial, but will be researching further if this is a viable option for our students.
Music Department Hosts PRISM Concert
All families and students are invited to the PRISM Concert on March 14 at 7:00 p.m. This concert will feature many different ensembles by our talented high school musical students!
Winter Sports Wrap Up
As the first signs of spring begin to show themselves in Central New York, it also brings with it the close of the winter sports season. Check out this article highlighting the achievements of our winter sports programs this season!

Boys Varsity Basketball: Jeremy Milligan, Head Coach
On the hardwood, the Purple Tigers basketball team played selflessly throughout the season, while earning a 13-9 record. The ten-man roster, including seven returning seniors to the squad, steadily improved over the course of the winter. Just over the midpoint of the season, the 6-6 team could have seen their season go in many directions.
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