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DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP WEEK
Next week is Digital Citizenship Week, a national initiative encouraging students to build a healthy, balanced, and positive relationship with media and technology. Digital citizenship is about more than staying safe online. It’s about understanding our rights, responsibilities, and opportunities as members of a connected digital world and choosing to engage with others in ways that are safe, legal, and ethical. We encourage all families to take part in these daily conversations and reinforce these lessons at home. Each day focuses on a different theme to help guide conversations at home:
- Monday, Oct. 19 – Be a Good Digital Citizen: A good digital citizen uses technology in ways that respect others, protects privacy, and contributes positively to online communities. It includes understanding how our words and actions online can affect real people and making choices that reflect honesty and responsibility. Adults should model respectful online behavior and talk with your child about examples of responsible choices you or they might make online.
- Tuesday, Oct. 20 – Be Kind Online: Kindness online means treating people with the same care and empathy you would in person, choosing words that uplift rather than harm, and standing up against mean or hurtful behavior. Kindness online also involves pausing before responding and considering how messages may be interpreted. Please encourage your child to share one positive comment or supportive message they can send to someone this week.
- Wednesday, Oct. 21 – Be AI Aware: AI awareness means understanding that artificial intelligence helps create content and make suggestions, but it is not infallible and can reflect biases or mistakes. It involves asking questions about where information comes from, recognizing AI-generated material, and thinking critically before accepting or sharing it. At home, watch or read an age-appropriate example of AI-generated content together and talk about how you can check whether it’s accurate.
- Thursday, Oct. 22 – Be in Control: We can all practice managing how, when, and why we use technology so it supports learning and well-being rather than distracting from it. It includes setting boundaries around screen time, choosing purposeful activities online, and recognizing when to take breaks for rest and real-world connection. Create or revisit a simple family media plan that sets clear expectations for screen times and device-free moments.
- Friday, Oct. 23 – Be Secure: Online security means protecting personal information, using strong passwords, and recognizing common signs of scams or unsafe websites. It also includes understanding privacy settings and knowing who to contact if something suspicious or uncomfortable appears online. At home, you can discuss why strong passwords and privacy settings matter.
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NY INSPIRES UPDATE
New York State is making changes to its high school diploma requirements through an initiative called NY Inspires. It will consist of four major transformations: adopting Portrait of a Graduate, redefining credits and learning experiences, ending separate diploma assessment requirements, and moving toward a single statewide high school diploma. The Board of Regents has already approved Portrait of a Graduate and is expected to authorize the remaining three transformations to move forward beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
If approved by the Board of Regents, the proposed timeline is as follows:
- Fall 2027/January 2028: Diploma assessment requirements would end, meaning students graduating in January 2028 and later would no longer be required to pass Regents exams to graduate. Students would still be assessed according to the district’s local assessment strategy and could still take Regents exams to earn seals or endorsements.
- Fall 2027/2028: New York State will move to a single diploma. Students will graduate with one high school diploma while still having the opportunity to earn seals, endorsements, an Advanced Designation, etc.
- Fall 2029: Full implementation would begin, introducing a competency-based graduation system aligned with the new Portrait of a Graduate for students entering high school that year.
Students graduating in June 2027 will continue under current graduation requirements. Many details are still being finalized by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Proposed regulations are expected in February 2027, followed by a public comment period and anticipated adoption in June 2027.
We will continue to share updates with families as NYSED finalizes regulations and more details become available. For more information, visit the NYSED website.
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SAFETY TIPS FOR FAMILIES:
E-SCOOTERS & E-BIKES
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As is the case across the country, we continue to see an increase in the use of e-bikes and e-scooters here in our community. Motorized equipment like this comes with real risks, especially for younger riders. E-bikes and e-scooters can reach speeds far faster than traditional bicycles and scooters, and higher speeds mean longer stopping distances, worse injuries, and less time to react to traffic, pedestrians, and obstacles.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, e-scooters were responsible for approximately 80,000 hospital/emergency department visits in 2024, the most recent year data is available. For e-bikes, that number is 60,000. We have seen tragedies take place in our own community that involved this type of equipment.
I would like to remind everyone that, under NYS law, riders must be at least 16 years old to legally operate any class of e-bike. Riders ages 16 and 17 are required to wear a helmet. Additionally, we have banned e-bikes and e-scooters from elementary and middle schools. We have also banned all personal transportation equipment - not just e-bikes and e-scooters but other items like rollerblades and skateboards - from our athletic facilities.
As a family, please talk with your children about these rules and consider the dangers involved. Because of these dangers, I am continuing to explore our rules and regulations for e-bikes for the future including a complete ban from all district property.
| | 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! | | Blue Devils Overcome Niagara Wheatfield at Homecoming Game | | It was a beautiful day on Saturday, October 10th for Kenmore West High School’s Homecoming game at Crosby Field. The Blue Devils came out on top with a win over Niagara Wheatfield as they were cheered on by a great crowd of students, staff, and community members. The Kenmore West cheerleading squads and marching band kept spirits high throughout the game. Thank you to the entire Blue Devil community for making it such a memorable day. You can find more images on our Facebook page. | | |
District Leadership Council Spearheads New Aqua Lane Park Project
The District Leadership Council (DLC) held its first meeting of the school year on Friday, October 9th to set the stage for the year ahead. The DLC is currently led by our student board representatives, Maisy Fleming and Nina Parker from Kenmore West, working in collaboration with Superintendent Sabatino Cimato and Board President Matthew Chimera. The DLC has taken on improving Aqua Lane Park as its focus and spent the day discussing ideas for making further improvements following last year’s painting of five picnic tables at the park. The group decided to add five more painted picnic tables and brainstormed ways to raise money and get more students involved. The DLC is designed to encourage student voice and leadership while building meaningful connections across the district.
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Hoover Middle School’s “Strive for 5” Rewards Great Attendance
Hoover Middle School has begun a popular new attendance incentive called “Strive for 5.” Students who attend school all five days in a week are entered into a weekly drawing. Winning cafeteria tables get to head to lunch first, be dismissed from the cafeteria first, and even get the opportunity to eat outside in the courtyard when the weather cooperates. Congratulations to all of this year’s winning tables so far!
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IAAP Visual Arts Students Explore Art and
Nature at Tifft Nature Preserve
| | Kenmore East and Kenmore West IAAP (Individual Arts Assessment Pathway) students recently took their learning outside with a full-day visit to Tifft Nature Preserve. The immersive experience included guided walks through the preserve, hands-on art-making stations, and free time for creative exploration. Students enjoyed discovering a local natural gem while building community with their fellow art class peers, a perfect blend of art and nature. You can find more images on our Facebook page. | | |
Franklin Middle School Kicks Off First-Ever
Student vs. Staff Kickball Games
| | Franklin Middle School held its first-ever student vs. staff kickball games earlier this week. Students used “Ben Bucks,” which they earn for demonstrating good character and promoting a positive school environment, to enter their name into a grade-level team drawing. The lucky winners then faced off against their teachers in three grade-level games on the baseball diamond behind the school. It was a fun day of friendly competition and school spirit for the whole Franklin community. | | |
Franklin Students Build Reading Skills Through ‘Literacy with Lucy’ Program
Students at Franklin Middle School are having a blast with a new program called Literacy with Lucy. Twice a month, Detective McCormick and his K-9 partner Lucy from the Tonawanda Police Department visit the school to read alongside students. The program gives students a chance to practice their reading skills while enjoying the calming, supportive presence of a furry companion, making reading time something to look forward to even more than before.
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Kenmore West Students Investigate the Mystery of Lake Nyos
Mrs. Troutman’s Earth & Space Science students at Kenmore West High School recently investigated the mystery of Lake Nyos using scientific evidence to determine how interactions among Earth’s spheres contributed to a deadly cloud of CO₂ that spread through nearby communities. Working in groups, students completed a hexagon challenge exploring connections among the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, defending their reasoning with evidence. They wrapped up the investigation with a hands-on experiment, creating CO₂ and observing how it flowed through a landscape and extinguished candles at different elevations.
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Holmes Elementary PTA ‘Stocks the Lounge’ to Thank Staff
The Holmes Elementary School PTA recently hosted a “Stock the Lounge” event, inviting families to donate snacks, quick meals, and treats for staff to enjoy throughout the school day. It was a simple but meaningful way for the Holmes community to say thank you to the educators who give so much to their students every day.
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RECOGNITION: RESOURCE
OPTIMIZATION GROUP
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In recent weeks, representatives of our three collective bargaining units - the Kenmore Teachers Association (KTA), the Kenmore-Tonawanda School Employees Association (KTSEA), and Kenmore Administrators Association (KAA) - have come together with district administrators as part of a group that is focusing on optimizing resources. Many believe financial conditions for school districts in NYS will worsen significantly in the coming years. In July, I announced that I am assembling a group to save money and find new sources of revenue for this very reason. I asked the KTA, KTSEA and KAA to identify representatives to serve as part of this process.
This group of 34 individuals is led by Dr. Anne Martell, Director of K-12 Education. It met for the very first time on October 7th, breaking up into smaller groups concentrating on individual areas: non-traditional revenues, grants, elementary scheduling/programming, secondary scheduling/programming, special education programming, transportation, technology, and promotions. I was extremely impressed with everyone’s openness and the conversations that were taking place. I am also grateful for the support of the KTA, KTSEA, and KAA and their leadership which worked hard to identify representatives.
This group will continue to meet in the weeks to come and I will keep the community updated about our progress.
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Saturday, October 17th
- Kenmore East Homecoming Dance (7-10 PM)
Monday, October 19th
- Kenmore East Powder Puff Game (6 PM at Adams Field)
- Kenmore West Fall Bands Concert (7 PM at Hoover Middle
Tuesday, October 20th
- "Understanding ADHD & Early Childhood Development" (5:30-7:30 PM at Kenmore Junior/Senior High)
Wednesday, October 21st
- Gr. K-4 Early Release Day & P/T Conferences (12:25-12:40 PM Dismissal)
- Kenmore East Concert Band & Jazz Band (7 PM)
Thursday, October 22nd
- Kenmore East Athletic Hall of Fame Induction (5:30 p.m. at Classics V)
Friday, October 23rd
- Kenmore East vs. Kenmore West Varsity Football Game (7 PM at Adams Field)
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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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