Superintendent DeBarbieri's announcements for October 13, 2023

October 13, 2023

Dear Parents, Guardians and Staff,

As parents we often want to shield our children from the horrific and terrifying events that occur all over the world, but oftentimes that is impossible. I am devastated by the news of the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel and Jewish people last weekend and I recognized that many of our staff and families are greatly impacted by these horrific events. 

As parents and educators, we play a critical role in being a safe space for our children to express their feelings and ask questions about sensitive topics. The New York State Education Department posted resources on its website to help children process their thoughts and feelings. Our hearts go out to all those suffering due to these acts of hate and violence. Our district’s mission is to “foster an environment to educate and empower all students today to become global citizens of tomorrow.” We cannot fulfill our mission without being committed to respecting and supporting all people. Please reach out to your child’s school if you need support. 

I have a few other announcements to share with you today: 

• I wanted to take this opportunity to personally invite you to participate in an upcoming community event. The inaugural Community Café will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 19th in the cafeteria at C.W. Baker High School. We’ll hold four Community Cafés throughout the school. Participants will gather in small groups to discuss important issues and topics impacting our school district. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. This is a great opportunity to meet new people in the district, share your opinions with administrators and be part of the decision-making process as we move our district forward. On Thursday, the Community Café will explore the topics of health, safety and security. Registration is required. We hope you can join us as we explore questions that matter, build relationships and share our knowledge and ideas to help build, educate and empower our students! Learn more on our website.

• Today is Homecoming! C.W. Baker High School held its Homecoming Pep Rally this afternoon. Check out photos on our social media pages. The Homecoming football game will be held at 6:30 p.m. vs. Fayetteville-Manlius. Please remember our security protocols are in effect at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium and you can learn more on our website. Go Bees!

• The district is starting the development process for the 2024-2025 budget and we are seeking community input through budget advisory committees. If you’re interested in volunteering, please visit our website for more information. The deadline to join is October 15th. 

• Our band and orchestra programs in our elementary schools are growing this year due to an initiative to provide interested students with a school-issued instrument. This eliminates the cost for families associated with buying or renting instruments. We are very proud of our music education program and this is another way to help that program grow and benefit our students. You can learn more by visiting our website.

• Congratulations to our Marching Band who attended the Bands of America Regional Championships last weekend in Ohio. The Marching Bees placed in the top ten in finals competition for the second year in a row. Great job, Bees! 

• Congratulations also goes out to our esports team. B’ville esports won the Elite Gaming Rocket League (3v3) tournament at Retro Game Con last weekend. The team is composed of Caiden Nieves, AJ Cardinale and Matix Grubbs. Baker alumni Roman Villnave and LAN Technology Support Specialist Thomas Liggett Jr. provided coaching support during the games. Go Bees!

• October is National Bullying Prevention Month and Wednesday October 18th is Unity Day. Unity Day is a day to come together and remind us that we all deserve to be treated with kindness, be accepted as who we are, and feel included at all times. Everyone is encouraged to wear orange to show their support for bullying prevention.

• Baldwinsville's Mira Nadzan (9) defeated Baldwinsville's Ayla Kalfass (10) to win the girls individual Sectional tennis title yesterday in two sets. The Baldwinsville team of Sonia Nadzan (7) and Elaina Nesbitt (10) won the doubles Sectional tennis title yesterday over Fayetteville-Manlius in two sets. This is the second straight doubles Sectional tennis championship for Elaina (who won it last year with graduated teammate Hannah Gould). All four girls advance to play in State Qualifiers on Tuesday, October 17th at Drumlins Country Club. Sectional seeding for girls field hockey, boys soccer, and girls soccer are taking place soon! Stay tuned for more playoff news! Go Bees! 

• Good luck to all student-athletes with games this weekend. You can check out our athletic schedule on our website and follow our Athletics Department on Twitter. Good luck to our Marching Bees as they compete Saturday night at the Liverpool Marching Band Home Show. Go Bees! 

Please continue to check ParentSquare, your email and our website, for important updates. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Enjoy your weekend! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Joseph M. DeBarbieri

Superintendent of Schools