The SchoolGram is the newsletter of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda
Union Free School District. The SchoolGram is presented in e-newsletter format for the convenience of readers and easy access on computers and mobile devices. Sign up to receive the SchoolGram in your inbox or view past editions on the web at www.ktufsd.org/schoolgram . The special Budget Edition of the SchoolGram will be mailed to households in the spring.

June 26, 2019
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT
Kenmore West Hall of Fame Announces 2019 Inductees

The Selection Committee of the Kenmore West High School Athletic Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2019 Inductees. These individuals will be inducted at a ceremony on Friday, October 18, 2019. The inductees are:
  • Marissa Dressel, Class of 2010, Swimming
  • Tara Kibrick, Class of 1997, Field Hockey, Basketball & Outdoor Track & Field
  • Brandon Lathrop, Class of 2012 Football, Wrestling & Outdoor Track
  • Jenna Panepinto, Class of 2012, Soccer, Basketball & Outdoor Track
  • Lexi Panepinto, Class of 2012, Soccer, Basketball & Outdoor Track
  • Santa Maria Brothers: Bernie ('62), Paul ('65) & Rob ('68), Football, Track & Gymnastics
  • Phyllis Sava, Class of 1976, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball & Softball
  • Bill Tepas, Class of 1970, Football & Baseball
  • John Theobald, Class of 1948, Football, Basketball & Baseball
  • Jennifer Wilcox, Class of 1990, Volleyball, Basketball & Softball
  • Coach: Mike Licata, 1986-2014, Varsity Girls Basketball
  • Coach: Judy Striebich, 1973-1990, Volleyball, Soccer, Tennis & Softball

2019 Spring Athletic Season Highlights

Highlights include Kenmore West Baseball, which won the Section VI Class A-1 and overall Class A Championship for the first time in school history; Coach John Haynes, who was named All-Bee Baseball Coach of the Year; Kenmore Boys Rugby, which won its seventh straight regional title then finished second in New York State; Kenmore West Softball, which celebrated Coach Matthew Chimera's 400th career win in his final season as coach; Kenmore West Track and Field, which had top finishers at the NFL and Section VI meets; and Boys Varsity Lacrosse, which finished its first season as an official Section VI varsity program with 9-6 record. Click here to read the story .
KW Student Opens Corporate Challenge With National Anthem Performance

Kenmore West High School senior Brianna Puma did an amazing job singing the National Anthem at the June 13, 2019 J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge, which took place at Delaware Park in Buffalo. Brianna performed on stage at the starting line as thousands of runners awaited the beginning of the 3.5-mile run. Once again, the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda UFSD was well-represented at the Corporate Challenge with more than 100 participants signed up.
Art Teachers Deliver Mural, Coloring Supplies to Children's Hospital
On Tuesday, June 11, a year-long initiative by the Ken-Ton School District Art Department culminated with the delivery of a large-scale art installation, hand-drawn coloring booklets for patients, and donations of art supplies to John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital through the hospital’s Healing Arts Program. Click here to read the story .
First Kenmore West 'West Fest' Event a Spectacular Success
On Monday, June 17, the last full day of school before the start of Regents Exams, Kenmore West hosted its first West Fest event spearheaded by Kenmore West teachers Charles Panepinto and April Owczarczak. The event was made possible by the hard work and support of the faculty, staff, administration, and community as well as donations from individuals and businesses. Click here to read the story .
Edison Elementary School Raises $14,450 for Water Well in Africa
June 17 was a very special day at Edison Elementary School as students and staff gathered together to celebrate the achievement of a school-wide initiative to raise enough money to build a water well in a village in Africa. Their effort began in the fall with a reading of “The Water Princess” by author Susan Verde and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. Click here to read the story .
KE Students Taste Test New Food Items
After requesting a new food item, Kenmore East students Kayla Baron, Anna Bandinelli, Elizabeth Ensminger, and Grace Melber helped the Food Service Department test some new options that might soon be available on breakfast and lunch menus. One was a warm waffle breakfast sandwich with sausage, egg, and cheese on two round waffles. The other was a chicken-and-waffles dish which included chicken rings and a waffle square. Click here to read the story .
June 2019 Board of Education Recognitions

Congratulations to all those who were recognized at the June 11 Board of Education meeting: from Holmes Elementary, student Rony Janno, support staff member Laura Moore, and School Support Specialist Tracy Caruana; and the two outgoing student representatives on the Board of Education, McKinley Falkowski and Laura D'Aquino. You can read more about these outstanding individuals and all those who have been recognized by the Board of Education on the Board Recognitions Page .
KEN-TON IN THE NEWS
Kenmore West students Josh Sinclair and Alexander Robles highlighted for contributions to Meals on Wheels:

Franklin Middle Family & Consumer Science (FACS) classes create tray cozies for Meals on Wheels:

At Board of Education meeting, Holmes Elementary unveils 'Giant Sturgeon' made from plastic bags for art/science collaboration:

Kenmore West student Nick Thompson competes in National SkillsUSA Championships:

Art Department delivers new art installation, coloring booklets and supplies to Oishei Children’s Hospital:

Edison Elementary raises $14,450 for water well in Africa:
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
#KenmoreEast faculty, staff and administrators gave the Class of 2019 a resounding send-off after graduation rehearsal on Tuesday, June 25 as this year's graduates left the school for the very last time as Kenmore East students.
Elementary schools in the Ken-Ton School District, including Holmes Elementary, celebrated Flag Day on June 14. It is a very special event for students who look forward to celebrating the Flag and everything it represents.
To kick off West Fest on June 17, #KenmoreWest staff surprised students with a masterful flash mob performance to Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" in the gymnasium. Check it out on YouTube.
At Hoover Elementary, the "Hoover Hoots" after-school club created by Sue Sperazza and Heather Ratka expressed thanks to everyone who contributed for their recent "Dress Down" days. Donations were used for teacher appreciation and to buy flowers to plant outside of school.
Edison Elementary School third-grade teachers Katie Hannigan and Jen Makin and their students brought the story of "Peter Pan" to life as part of a class play. They did a spectacular job performing for parents and students from other classes at the school.
Eighth-grade students at #KenmoreWest recently enjoyed two fun trips. In April, the Explore America Club brought 84 students to Washington D.C. and Williamsburg, VA. Then, in June, eighth-grade students enjoyed a spectacular day at Darien Lake Theme Park.
The Ken-Ton School District Adult & Community Education Department and Catholic Charities Workforce Development, which have partnered to provide new supports for high school equivalency students, celebrated a college-bound graduate who took part in a program.
Holmes Elementary leaders past, present and future: former principal Lisa Cross, now Director of Secondary Education (left); Interim Principal Fran Paskowitz, who took her place (right); and Matthew Raines (KW Assistant Principal), who will become Holmes Elementary's new Principal beginning July 1.
Check out the #KenmoreWest Facebook page @KenmoreWestHighSchool for more photos and video from West Fest, which took place on Monday, June 17. The event, spearheaded by Kenmore West teachers Charles Panepinto and April Owczarczak, was a spectacular success.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOLS
5 from Ken-East Place in Top 20 in National French Exam

In the spring, five Kenmore East students took the National French Exam (le Grand Concours), a very challenging exam which involves listening and reading comprehension as well as vocabulary and grammar. They achieved very good results in Western New York. The following students took the Level 3 exam: Paige Denman (placed 15th), Ryan Hamilton (placed 14th), and Emma Newman (placed 8th). The following students took the Level 4 exam: Madison Fox (placed eighth) and Evan Haeick (placed fifth). In addition, Evan received a certificate from the Alliance Française of Buffalo for his outstanding achievement in French.
KE Collegiate Corridor Celebrates Achievements of College-Bound Seniors
Kenmore East is celebrating the achievements of its college-bound seniors with the Collegiate Corridor, an annual tradition of the counseling department. The Collegiate Corridor represents an impressive display of banners of all the colleges and universities the Class of 2019 has been accepted into, as well as photographs of the students who have been accepted into those institutions. Click here to read the story .
Students Learn About Organic Chemical Reactions from Tie Dye
Each year in Kenmore West High School Honors Chemistry, Regents Chemistry, and Chemistry in the Community laboratory classes, students learn about organic chemical reactions by studying the chemistry of dye. Not only do the students finish the assignment with a better understanding of organic reactions, but they also end up with a fantastic custom-made tie-dye shirt too. Click here to read the story .
Franklin Team 6-2 Students Help Clean Up Beaver Island State Park
Team 6-2 at Franklin Middle School recently joined students from the Buffalo, Lackawanna, Orchard Park and West Seneca School Districts to help clean up Beaver Island State Park. This was the second annual Parks Clean-Up Day, a program that began last year as part of the Healthy Districts Initiative (HDI) led by Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns. Click here to read the story .
2 Kenmore East Students Featured at Buff State Computer Science Showcase
Two Kenmore East AP Computer Science students had their programming projects accepted into the annual Buffalo State College CS4HS Computer Science Student Showcase: Franc Schmoyer (Gr. 12) for his "Become an Avenger" computer game, and Carter Obstein (Gr. 11) for his "Who Committed the Crime" computer game. These programs were student created and coded in JavaScript. Carter Obstein won the Honorable Mention Trophy for Programming.
Students Explore Cultures Represented in Lindbergh School Community
This year, Lindbergh Elementary students have been exploring and embracing the many cultures represented in the Lindbergh community. Recently, in English as a New Language class, second- and third-grade students shared information on how their families celebrate different holidays. Click here to read the story .
4 KE Students Awarded WNY Foreign Language S.T.A.R. Awards
Four Kenmore East students were awarded the S.T.A.R. Award by the WNY Foreign Language Educators Council during the organization's Awards Dinner on June 5. Receiving this distinction for foreign language studies were Evan Haeick, Mayan Karpie-Jones, Shareen Abdallah, and Jessica Fink. In addition, Jessica, Shareen, Mayan as well as Kenmore East student Ryan Swick each earned the "Seal of Biliterecy" for their Spanish language achievements.