Previous Board Spotlights
January 23, 2023
Board of Education Spotlight: The Board of Education recognized and honored the following BCSD students for their outstanding achievements and accomplishments:
Eight C.W. Baker High School students were honored by the New York State School Music Association by being selected to participate in the 2022 All-State Winter Conference. The conference was held in December in Rochester. Two of our students were selected to perform and six of our students were selected as alternates. It is an extraordinary honor to be part of the NYSSMA All-State Winter Conference, and we are so very proud of all our students.
Congratulations to the following students:
Finnian Saarie - Percussion
Keenan Smith - Bass
Benjamin Esek - Bass Alternate
Gordon Flood - Trumpet/Tenor Alternate
Lillian Lavalette - Viola Alternate
Lauren Gascon - Violin Alternate
Jayden Miranda - Cello Alternate
Jillian Parker - Alto Alternate
December 5, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honor the following BCSD students for their outstanding achievements and accomplishments:
Solomon Holden-Betts, a senior, won the NYSPHSAA Cross Country Championship. He had the best overall time of the event.
Coaches: Katie Dolan (Head Coach) & Megan Titus (Assistant Coach)
Girls Varsity Tennis
Girls Varsity Tennis players Hannah Gould, a senior, and Elaina Nesbit, a freshman, won Sectional III Championship for Doubles and competed in the NYSPHSAA Girls Tennis Championships.
Girls Varsity Tennis player Mira Nadzan, an eighth grader, competed in the NYSPHSAA Girls Tennis Championship for singles.
Coach: Paul Maestri
Girls Swimming
Eva Smith won the Sectional Champion in the 100 yard Backstroke and the 200 yard Freestyle. Eva also placed first in the state qualifiers in both of these events. She competed in the NYSPHSAA Girls Swimming Championships.
Coaches: Jennifer Dahm (Head Coach) & Jessica Volz (Assistant Coach)
U18 USA Select Lacrosse Team
Senior Girls Lacrosse player Carlie Desimone earned a spot on the U18 USA Select team, which competed in October. The USA team won the Brogden Cup!
November 7, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honor the following BCSD students for their outstanding achievements and accomplishments:
Erin Anson, Lauren Gascon, Jillian Parker and Zachary Treichler have been named Commended Students in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program.
These scholastically talented seniors are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
September 12, 2022
The Board of Education and Superintendent Thomson honored third grader Benjamyn Morton with the Certificate of Excellence during the Board of Education Spotlight on Monday night.
For his 8th birthday, Ben, a Van Buren Elementary student, asked for school supplies to be donated to the BCSD supply drive for those in need.
Ben was honored for his kindness and generosity!
Superintendent Thomson said Ben was "a very impressive young man!"
"I so, so very proud of you," Thomson said. "You're exactly what this world needs right now!"
June 27, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honored the following C.W. Baker High School student-athletes for competing in New York State Public High School Athletic Association state championships during the spring sports season. The Certificate of Excellence will be presented to the Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams who both won the Class A Championship. Members of the Boys Outdoor Track and Field Team, Boys Golf Team and Boys Tennis teams will also be honored. See list of recipients.
May 23, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honored the following BCSD students for their outstanding achievements and accomplishments.
Zayne Woodworth, a first grader at Elden Elementary School, won the state champion in the New York Wrestling Association for Youth in March. He also took second place in Nationals in Michigan and has earned an All American Wrestler. He’s 53-3! He’s so proud to bring home the Eagle Medal for the state of NY.
Graeme Bradford will be recognized for going above and beyond at the Special Champions event on Monday, May 16, 2022 at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium. Graeme's actions during the event were extraordinary and appreciated. Graeme is a senior at C.W. Baker High School.
May 2, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honored the following BCSD students for their outstanding achievements and accomplishments.Four Baldwinsville elementary students will have their artwork displayed in the 32nd Annual Legislative Student Art Exhibit. The exhibit is presented by the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA) in partnership with the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT). Congratulations to the following students:
Aislinn Coogan, 5th Grade, Reynolds
Paige Koziol, 5th Grade , Reynolds
Lochlyn Dillon, 3rd Grade, McNamara
Griffin Cerrone, 5th Grade, McNamara
April 18, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honored the following BCSD students for their outstanding achievements and accomplishments.
There was a performance from the musical, Mary Poppins. Morgan Coffey (Mary Poppins)And Emily Garcia (The Bird Woman) will perform the song “Feed The Birds.”
April 4, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honored the following BCSD students for their outstanding achievements and accomplishments.
SkillsUSA Regional Competition
Anna Johnson, a C.W. Baker High School senior, who competed in the SkillsUSA Regional Competition earlier this year and won first place in the Medical Math Competition. She will compete in the New York State Competition in April.
Winter Athletes
GIRLS BOWLING
Our Girls Bowling Team placed 4th overall in Division 1 in the State tournament at Strike 'N Spare lanes on Sunday, March 13th:
Amelia Ponto
Jenna Speich
Julia Speich
Maddy Hass
Sam Hass
Lizzy Hildreth
Lauren Gulich
Coach: Gary Peterson
BOYS INDOOR TRACK
Members of our Boys Indoor Track Team took part in the State Meet on Saturday, March 5th at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island.
4x400 meter relay team finished 5th overall in the state championship. The team includes:
Logan Hayes
Sam Mellinger
Jack McAllister
Owen Weaver
Solomon Holden-Betts – finished 6th overall in 1600 meters
Sam Mellinger competed in the 55 meter
Coach: Bill Spicer
BOYS SWIMMING
Mikey White swam in the State meet at Ithaca College on Friday, March 4th
Coach: Chris Ludden
WRESTLING
Aidan Cali wrestled in the State tournament on February 26th in Albany
Coach: Tony Burkinshaw
March 21, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honored the following BCSD students for their outstanding achievements and accomplishments:
Participants in the 2022 Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute
Four C.W. Baker High School students participated in the 2022 Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute:
Cesar Perez-Marino
Sofia Beck
Sydney McKenney
Isabella Clark
A key element of the Leadership Institute is the promotion and development of communication, leadership, and public speaking skills in Hispanic/Latino students across the state. Participants learn public policy and the legislative process over several days of training.
Eleven C.W. Baker High School students have received a total of 15 awards in the 2022 Scholastic Writing Awards competition. Gold Key works are automatically advanced to the national level of adjudication and National Medalists will be announced in March.
Gold Key:
The very best works submitted to regional programs
Erin Bell, "Drink Your Fill," Flash Fiction
Kennedy Collins, "Dog Fight," Flash Fiction
Samantha Tanguay, "The Woods" Short Story
Silver Key:
Stand-out works submitted to regional programs that demonstrate exceptional ability
Erin Bell, "The Life of Mr. Wright," Short Story
Mason Hallenbeck, "The Conscript," Short Story
Alexander Jacobson, "Where There's Smoke" Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention:
Accomplished works submitted to regional programs showing great skill.
Christina Addison, "Father Dearest," Short Story
Gibson Boudov, "One Pill," Flash Fiction
Kennedy Collins, "Morning Routine," Flas Fiction
Ry Efsits, "Eyes like Sin," Flash Fiction
Mason Hallenbeck "The Key Hotel," Flash Fiction
Andrea Ilioska, “Forgotten and Remembered,” Short Story
Sarah LeMay, "Home Sweet Hell," Short Story
Lydia Pevarnik, "The Beginning of the End," Short Story
Samantha Tanguay, "Therapy" Flash Fiction"
March 7, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honored the following BCSD students for their outstanding achievements and accomplishments:
Nineteen C.W. Baker High School students and four Durgee Junior High School students recently earned CNY Scholastic Art Awards.Combined the students earned 34 Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention awards in photography, sculpture, mixed media, design and drawing and painting.
The CNY Scholastic Art Awards, sponsored by M&T Bank and hosted by Onondaga Community College, has honored student artists for more than 70 years.
GOLD KEY
Gabriella Locker, Grade 10, “Lost Opportunities”, (Photography)
Sydney McKenney, Grade 11, “Ripple in the Sea”, (Ceramics & Glass)
Caitlin Sacco, Grade 12, “Coping Mechanisms”, (Art Portfolio)
Caitlin Sacco, Grade 12, “Emotional Wave”, (Painting)
Johan Savage, Grade 11, “Light in the Darkness”, (Photography)
SILVER KEY
Kaleena Berardi, Grade 12, “The Rise to the Fall”, (Ceramics & Glass)
Brenna Lacey, Grade 9, “Yee Haw”, (Mixed Media)
Katrina McCartney, Grade 11, "Morphed Faces", (Drawing & Illustration)
Caitlin Sacco, Grade 12, “Memories of a Companion”, (Drawing & Illustration)
Caitlin Sacco, Grade 12, “All Eyes on Me”, (Painting)
Olivia VanBuren, Grade 9, “The Lost”, (Design)
Jack Wasiluk, Grade 10, “Shades of Glades”, (Ceramics & Glass)
HONORABLE MENTION
Emileigh Atkinson-Snow, Grade 12, “Let Freedom Ring”, (Painting)
Katy AuClair, Grade 11, “Glossy Garden”, (Photography)
Lily Buyck, Grade 10, “A Step In The Right Direction”, (Drawing & Illustration)
Sophia Cavalieri, Grade 10, “City Street”, (Photography)
Aiden DuBois, Grade 9, “Sky”, (Mixed Media)
Haylee Gower, Grade 12, “Bring in Color”, (Photography)
Haylee Gower, Grade 12, “Feeling Blue”, (Photography)
Brianna Kennedy, Grade 12, “It Was Chaos That Made Me”, (Photography)
Grace Lee, Grade 10, “Glass”, (Digital Art)
Layne Macknik, Grade 9, “Doll House”, (Design)
Sara O'Dell, Grade 12, “The Mind of Memory”, (Drawing & Illustration)
Sara O'Dell, Grade 12, “Mother’s Love”, (Painting)
Sophia Proia, Grade 12, “Self Portrait 1”, (Drawing & Illustration)
Caitlin Sacco, Grade 12, “Facade”, (Drawing & Illustration)
Caitlin Sacco, Grade 12, “Tuning Out of Reality”, (Drawing & Illustration)
Caitlin Sacco, Grade 12, “Wrapped Up”, (Painting)
Hannah Salvagni, Grade 11, “Bewildered Palms”, (Photography)
Johan Savage, Grade 1, “Lost Shadows”, (Photography)
Maya Taisey, Grade 12, “Ruined”, (Ceramics & Glass)
Giovana Vazquez, Grade 11, “Creative Flow”, (Mixed Media)
Giovana Vazquez, Grade 11, “Vision”, (Mixed Media)
Giovana Vazquez, Grade 11, “Cicatriz”, (Photography)
2022 CNY Scholastic Art Awards Video
February 14, 2022
The Board of Education recognized and honored Aidan Maloney Mcrae, Giacomo Moritz and Sonia Nadzan with the Board of Education spotlight. The three students will advance to the oral round of The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com Spelling Bee. Aidan is a fifth grader at Elden Elementary School, and Giacomo and Sonia are fifth graders at Palmer Elementary School. The students won their school spelling bee and competed in the regional written round. They scored among the top 20 scorers on the written round to qualify for the regional oral round, which will be held on March 5 at the Everson Museum. Congratulations, Bees!
November 1, 2021
The Board of Education honored and recognized the Baker News program at C.W. Baker High School for the group's outstanding achievements. Baker News was recognized earlier this month in an international film festival. The program, which is led by co-advisors Leslie Cartier and Melissa Morgan, won first place in the Broadcast Journalism Highlights category at the All American High School Film Festival. Baker News is only in its fourth season and has also won the Best School News program two years straight at the CNY High School Film Festival.The following Baker students were recognized Monday evening:
Lydia Pevarnik
Bella Cartier
Milo Austin
Aidan Delaney
Kennedy Collins
Macade Williamson
Liz Wiley
Kelly Rogers
October 4, 2021
The Board of Education honored and recognized Liana Mostrianska, a senior at C.W. Baker High School, for her outstanding achievement on Monday, October 4, 2021.
Liana Mostrianska, a member of the Girls Soccer team, has been selected to play on the Ukraine Women’s National U-19 Football Team. Liana will represent her home country of Ukraine in the first round of Euro-2022 tournament from October 19 to 27, 2021 in the Netherlands. She will travel to Ukraine for a week to practice with the national team before the games begin.
Liana moved from Ukraine to the United States 2½ years ago. Liana came to Baker High School as a sophomore and was eager to join the Girls Soccer team. She said she loves being a Baldwinsville Bee.
June 7, 2021
The Board of Education recognized the staff members who will be retiring from the Baldwinsville Central School District for 2020-2021.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic's social distancing guidelines, these individuals were not able to be recognized at the reception that was initially planned for them. However, they will be recognized by a video presentation.
May 17, 2021
The Board of Education will recognize the staff members who have been granted tenure in the Baldwinsville Central School District for 2021.
The attached listing shows the staff members names, position, tenured area, and tenured date.
May 3, 2021
Board of Education Spotlight: The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri would like to honor Eva Smith, a 9th Grader at Durgee Junior High School High School. Eva had a standout season on the Girls Varsity Swim team. In March, Eva set a new school record in the 100-yard backstroke. During the March 25th meet at Liverpool High School, Eva broke the one-minute mark with a time of 59.66 seconds and set the new school record. She also broke a pool record at Liverpool. Eva is being honored for her hard work and dedication. Eva was also top 10 in the Section in the following events: 200 Freestyle (9th), 200 Individual Medley (9th), 500 Freestyle (3rd), 100 Backstroke (1st). She was top 20 in the Section in the following events: 50 Freestyle (20th), 100 Butterfly (13th), 100 Freestyle (17th). Coach Dahm said Eva could be counted on to swim any event she was asked and to give her all each and every time! “She was an amazing addition to our team this year not only with her talent but her hard work and dedication to the team,” Coach Dahm said.
Board of Education Spotlight: The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri would like to honor Colin DeLaney, a senior at C.W. Baker High School. Colin has been a student representative on the District’s Mental Wellness Committee since his sophomore year. Colin strives to collaborate with and represent his peers in order to be provide the student perspective on mental health initiatives and programs. He is passionate about mental health and works to raise awareness about certain problems and solutions. Last month, Colin was a member of the panel for the screening of the documentary “Like,” which explores the impact of social media on our lives and the effects of technology on the brain. Colin also took part in a powerful CNY Central report on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is being honored tonight for his bravery, kindness and social intelligence.
March 15, 2021
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored Annette Bund, remote kindergarten teacher at McNamara Elementary School, for adapting to the challenges of the pandemic with creativity and enthusiasm. Annette goes above and beyond to build relationships both inside and outside the classroom. We are proud of your dedication to your students. She develops unique ways to keep students engaged, and pushes students to reach their academic potential. Annette also went above and beyond and volunteered to be a remote teacher for our kindergarten students. She has worked closely with her students and families to create personal relationships with each student!
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri recognized the hard work and dedication of the Athletic Department and the winter coaches. Your dedication to our student athletes is undeniable. As a team, you’ve faced the challenges of the pandemic with positivity, creativity and enthusiasm. Your goal was to give your student athletes a season and you worked hard to deliver. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to our student athletes and our athletic program.
Thank you:
Athletic Director Christopher CampolietaAthletic Program Coordinator Collen Case
Athletics Secretary Heather Hayes
Athletic Trainer Rebecca Veltrie
Varsity Cheerleading Coach Katie Ducharme
JV Cheerleading Coach Cassidy Christensen
Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach Mike Lewis
JV Boys Basketball Coach Brett Charbonneau
9th Grade Boys Basketball Coach Dave Stagnitta
7/8th Grade Boys Basketball Coach Dave Penafeather
7/8th Grade Boys Basketball Coach Matt Wilcox
Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach Kathy Morse
JV Girls Basketball Coach Dan Vannatta
9th Grade Girls Basketball Coach Jen Young
7/8th Grade Girls Basketball Coach Lori Johnstone
7/8th Grade Girls Basketball Coach Scott Brown
Bowling Coach Gary Peterson
Ice Hockey Varsity Head Coach Mark Lloyd
Ice Hockey Varsity Assistant Coach Glenn McCaffrey
Boy Varsity Swimming - Chris Ludden
7/8 Boys Swimming - Mel Bruce
7/8 Boys Swimming - Gennaro D'Agostino
March 1, 2021
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored six C.W. Baker High School students who received a total of 9 awards in the region-at-large awards in the 2021 Scholastic Writing Awards competition.Gold Key:
Madison Chetney, “Why I Write: My Journey of Self-Acceptance and Knowledge,” Personal Essay & Memoir
Gwenyth Madden, “Revenge,” Flash Fiction
Silver Key:
Madison Chetney, “Lights, Camera, Action,” Flash Fiction
Jillian Devine, “My New Family,” Flash Fiction
Honorable Mention:
Madison Chetney, “The Scariest Occurrence,” Personal Essay & Memoir
Ella D'Andreano, “The Darkness Swallows You Whole,” Flash Fiction
Claire Herman, “Ghosts in the Graveyard,” Short Story
Claire Herman, “The Imposter,” Flash Fiction
Desiree Hoff, “Alone,” Flash Fiction
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored five Baldwinsville Central School District students who will advance to the oral round of The Post-Standard | Syracuse.com | WCNY Spelling Bee:
Elizabeth Pérez Mariño, 5th grade, Palmer Elementary School
Olivia Murray, 5th grade, Van Buren Elementary School
Owen Nizar, 6th grade, Ray Middle School
Nia Delardi, 8th grade, Durgee Junior High School
Miranda Barnard, 8th grade, Durgee Junior High School
The regional written bee took place virtually in January. The top 30 scorers on the written bee will compete in the oral spelling bee on March 24. The oral spelling bee will also be held virtually. The winner of the regional oral spelling bee advances to compete in the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is scheduled for June 1-3 in National Harbor, Maryland.
Reese Pesarek and Julia LeMay
Ray Middle School
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored Reese Pesarek and Julia LeMay, sixth graders at Ray Middle School, for coordinating a donation drive for Helping Hounds in remembrance of Maryella and Elizabeth Annal. Reese Pesarek and Julia LeMay developed the idea to honor the Annal sisters, who attended Palmer Elementary and passed away in a car accident in September. Elizabeth and Maryella loved their dog very much. Reese and Julia helped organize the drive for the non-profit organization.
Sarah Buckshot
Public Information Specialist
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored Public Information Specialist Sarah Buckshot for her hard work and dedication. In her role as our communications specialist, Sarah is an invaluable resource for our school community. She understands all forms of social media and news reporting and utilizes multiple platforms to engage and communicate events using technology that reach all of our families. Attendance and participation at our events since Sarah has been with us has increased significantly. She understands that true family and community engagement is much more than just sharing information but rather involving families by sharing stories, heart warming sentiments and asking for input. Sarah has been especially helpful during the pandemic when families haven't had the access to schools and events that they would have in a normal year. She has a knack for capturing the magic of each event along with the excitement of our students. She is very enthusiastic, knows how to communicate with students, and is passionate about promoting the BCSD. In sum, she's a wizard who can sprinkle a little fairy dust on a picture or video and turn it into a professional looking piece of media art.
February 8, 2021
CNY Scholastic Art Award WinnersC.W. Baker High School
Acting Superintendent DeBarbieri and the Board of Education honored 17 C.W. Baker High School students who were awarded 24 Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mentions in the CNY Scholastic Art Awards! Great work, amazing talent!
Gold Key
Lenah Penafeather, 10th Grade, “Breathe” (Photography)
Silver Key
Madison Chetney, 12th Grade, “The Glass in a Broken Home” (Photography)
Haylee Gower, 11th Grade, “Forgotten Keepsakes” (Photography)
Chelsey Myers, 11th Grade, “Space Cows” (Digital Art)
Lenah Penafeather, 10th Grade, “Discarded Like Trash” (Photography)
Rowan Phelps, 12th Grade, “Crowded Injustice” (Sculpture)
Delaney Sheckler, 12th Grade, “Aims” (Photography)
Giovana Vazquez, 10th Grade, “Disconnected” (Photography)
Giovana Vazquez, 10th Grade, “Soul” (Photography)
Corrie Youker, 12th Grade, “Icy Hawk” (Photography)
Corrie Youker, 12th Grade, “The Wise Owl” (Photography)
Honorable Mention
Kaitlyn Coomes, 12th Grade, “Wire Tree” (Sculpture)
Margaret McClain, 12th Grade, “Monolithic Meadow” (Ceramics & Glass)
Andrew Millard, 12th Grade, “The Collector” (Film & Animation)
Lenah Penafeather, 10th Grade, “Abandoned” (Photography)
Sara O’Dell, 11th Grade, “Forever Friends” (Drawing & Illustration)
Sophia Proia, 11th Grade, “Skelly Belly” (Drawing & Illustration)
Caitlin Sacco, 11th Grade, “Powerless” (Drawing & Illustration)
Hannah Salvagni, 10th Grade, “Triple Tranquility” (Photography)
Megan VanBuren, 11th Grade, “Salem” (Ceramics & Glass)
Olivia Wafer, 10th Grade, “Peacock” (Painting)
Olivia Wafer, 10th Grade, “Tree frog” (Painting)
Corrie Youker, 12th Grade, “The Siren” (Digital Art)
Corrie Youker, 12th Grade, “Birds Eye” (Photography)
Kelly Kenna
C.W. Baker High School
Acting Superintendent DeBarbieri and the Board of Education honored Kelly Kenna, a special education teacher at C.W. Baker High School, with the Certificate of Excellence for adapting to the challenges of the pandemic with care, creativity and enthusiasm. Kelly Kenna is the 12:1:1 special class teacher at C.W. Baker High School. Kelly works with students with significant disabilities who struggle with remote learning. She has found creative ways to use assistive technologies and different materials and supplies to meet her students learning needs during these times. She couples this with having very strong family engagement with all her students to partner in ways to best support each student given their own individual needs and family circumstances. She works with her students both in-person five days a week and during classroom quarantines on remote instruction without ever missing a beat. Her students are all making great progress despite these challenges. Kelly is accepting this award on behalf of the amazing TAs who she works with at the high school.
Emma Manning
Elden Elementary School
Acting Superintendent DeBarbieri and the Board of Education honored Emma Manning, a special education teacher at Elden Elementary School, for adapting to the challenges of the pandemic with care, creativity and enthusiasm. Emma Manning is a first-year special education teacher at Elden Elementary School where she is a co-teacher in 5th grade and also supports students with disabilities on 100% remote instruction. Emma works tirelessly to create ways to engage students and support their learning needs both in-person and remotely. And she does this always with the most positive and strength-based approach. In a short time, Emma has created very strong relationships with her students, families and colleagues at Elden, and has established herself as an outstanding special education teacher in our District.
Colin Keating and Brittany O'Reilly
Baldwinsville Theaters Arts Program
Acting Superintendent DeBarbieri and the Board of Education honored Colin Keating and Brittany O’Reilly, of the Baldwinsville Theater Arts Program, for adapting to the challenges of the pandemic with creativity and enthusiasm. Despite not being able to hold traditional musicals with the Baldwinsville Theater Arts Program, Colin Keating, music teacher at C.W. Baker High School, and Brittany O’Reilly, music teacher at McNamara Elementary School, are working hard to make sure the show still goes on. Ray Middle School students performed “The Big One-OH!” as a virtual musical in January and Durgee students will perform “Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical” as an online streaming platform later this school year. Plans are in the works for Baker students. Colin and Brittany are working hard to make sure our students have the opportunity to continue to take part in the theater arts despite the many challenges they are facing.
Kimberly Way and Heather Awward
School Nurses
Durgee Junior High School
Acting Superintendent DeBarbieri and the Board of Education honored Kimberly Way and Heather Awward, the school nurses at Durgee Junior High School, for being committed to providing care and compassion to students in the District, and for rising to the occasion whenever and wherever their help is needed. Kimberly Way and Heather Awward are the school nurses at Durgee Junior High School but this school year they have stepped up to provide as much nursing consistency for the students as possible at McNamara Elementary School. There are a number of medically complex children and procedures at McNamara. Working as a team, Kimberly and Heather have been able to make sure students at Durgee and McNamara were constantly cared for even. They both have gone above and beyond in ensuring that the health office at McNamara remains as consistent as possible. We are proud of their commitment to the District, the children and to the nursing profession!
January 25, 2021
Kate Rinn
8th Grade
Durgee Junior High School
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored Durgee Junior High School student Kate Rinn for showing courage and bravery to help end the COVID-19 pandemic. Kate Rinn answered the call in December to take part in the Pfizer vaccine trial for children between 12 and 15 years old. Kate said she wanted to help any way she could. We are proud of Kate for her bravery.
Tracy Capone
Ray Middle School
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored Tracy Capone, a remote teacher at Ray Middle School, for adapting to the challenges of the pandemic with creativity and enthusiasm. Tracy Capone transitioned to being a 100% remote teacher this year and devoted herself entirely into it. Tracy has been extremely creative in the ways she delivers lab experiences to students providing them with as many authentic experiences as possible. She goes above and beyond meeting with students outside of school hours and helping families get the materials needed for their child to be successful.
Head Custodian Jeff Santmyer and custodial crew
Durgee Junior High School
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored Head Custodian Jeff Santmyer and his crew at Durgee Junior High School for adapting to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusting to all of the new necessary cleaning procedures while continuing to maintain and improve the building at Durgee Junior High School. Jeff and his team have been an amazing asset to Durgee. Below are just a few of many ways in which they care for the building and staff:
- They sanitize and clean every possible surface under the COVID requirements.
- They change the sign in the front of our building to reflect a positive message for the community.
- They are consistently responsive to emails and requests by administration, teachers, and other staff members.
- They work hard to maintain and update the inside and outside of the building.
- They consistently maintain the cleaning supplies in each classroom.
- They are always working and maintaining a clean and safe environment for staff and students.
January 11, 2021
Sydney McKenney and César Pérez MariñoC.W. Baker High School
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored C.W. Baker High School students Sydney McKenney and César Pérez Mariño. Sydney McKenney, 10th grade, and César Pérez Mariño, 11th grade, have been selected as participants in the 2021 Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute (PR/HYLI) - Syracuse/CNY Delegation. Many excellent candidates from throughout Central New York were considered. Being selected as a participant speaks highly of their leadership potential for future achievement. A key element of the Leadership Institute is the promotion and development of communication, leadership, and public speaking skills in Hispanic/Latino students across New York State. This program promotes the involvement of Hispanic/Latino students in public policy issues by learning about the legislative process. The PR/HYLI Institute will be conducted virtually this year in March 2021.
Technology Department at C.W. Baker High School
James Cuyler, Jeffrey Fortais, Matt Hudson, and Mike Malecki
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored the Technology Department at C.W. Baker High School: James Cuyler, Jeffrey Fortais, Matt Hudson, and Mike Malecki. The team was honored for adapting to the challenges of the pandemic with creativity and enthusiasm. Jamie Cuyler, Jeff Fortais, Matt Hudson and Mike Malecki helped teach Baker students a valuable lesson in helping others during the pandemic by leading students in a special desk making class project. The technology students designed and built foldable desks for remote learners in our elementary schools. Jamie Cuyler said his goal was to help students have "a little bit of normalcy as far as being able to have their space to learn and to study and be able at the end of the day to put everything away." The project was featured on NewsChannel 9.
Brian Wright
Director of Food Service
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored Brian Wright, Director of Food Service, for his leadership during the pandemic and dedication to making sure no child in our District goes without food. Brian secured a grant as soon as the pandemic hit in March 2020 that guaranteed all students in our District would have access to meals while we were learning remotely. He also secured grants to continue to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students for the current school year. Brian is dedicated to our students and is passionate about making sure they have healthy and nutritious meals. Brian was also instrumental in launching the Baker Cafe, a highlight for staff and students at the high school. Mr. DeBarbieri also honored the entire Food Service Department for outstanding work during the pandemic.
Julie Carpenter
Supervisor of School Nursing
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri honored Julie Carpenter, Supervisor of School Nursing. Julie was honored for her leadership in helping navigate the District through the challenges associated with COVID-19 cases in our schools. Since March 2020, Julie Carpenter has helped the District understand the complexities of COVID-19 and decipher the health protocols needed to keep our students and staff safe. We are grateful for her expertise and leadership during these uncertain times. Julie has played an integral part in our District's efforts to keep our school buildings open and our community safe. Mr. DeBarbieri also honored the entire school nursing department for outstanding work during the pandemic.
December 21, 2020
The Board of Eduation honored the winner and finalists in the Holiday Greeting Card Contest:
Winner: Ayden Weston, 4th Grade, Reynolds Elementary School
Second Place: Adeline Boudreau, 3rd Grade, Elden Elementary School
Finalists: Emmy Buchanan, 5th Grade, Van Buren Elementary School
Addison Haberek, 2nd Grade, Palmer Elementary School
Abigail Jung, 2nd Grade, Elden Elementary School
Maya Neville, 5th Grade, McNamara Elementary School
Addison Rupert, 5th Grade, Palmer Elementary School
Allison Simpson, 2nd Grade, Reynolds Elementary School
Leah Martoccia, 5th Grade, McNamara Elementary School
Matthew Tatem, 3rd Grade, Van Buren Elementary School
Fifth Grade Remote Teacher
Palmer Elementary School
Patricia "Patti" Cottrell was honored for adapting to the challenges of the pandemic with creativity and enthusiasm since March 2020. Patti strongly embraces the remote model of instruction and supports students throughout the day as she would in her traditional classroom with immeasurable amounts of 1:1 attention. She is continually engaged in virtual learning with students, and enjoys tremendously the time she spends in group chats. Her approaches to remote instruction have created a close-knit classroom community, and all involved (parents and students alike) have raved about her performance as a teacher this year.
Third Grade Remote Teacher
Van Buren Elementary School
Colleen Damato was honored for adapting to the challenges of the pandemic with creativity and enthusiasm since March 2020. Colleen is a dedicated and well-loved teacher. She celebrated students at the end of the school year with a visit on horseback. She’s a fully remote 3rd teacher this year, Colleen has created a virtual environment that feels just like her traditional classroom.
Leigh Briggs
Transportation Department
Leigh Briggs was honored for going above and beyond for everyone within the Transportation Department and making the time to address all that is brought to the table, especially with the challenges of the pandemic. Leigh is always there for the staff regardless of what is being thrown in her direction. She is professional, caring, nurturing and supportive. She’s been described as the “glue that keeps the Transportation Department together.” She always makes herself available day and night for the staff. She’s been a calm leader in the storm.
December 7, 2020
Five people were honored with the Board of Education Spotlight at the Monday, December 7, 2020 Board of Education meeting. The four staff members and C.W. Baker High School student were honored with the Superintendent's Certificate of Excellence award presented by Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri. The board meeting was held on Zoom.Here are our Spotlight recipients:
Danielle Nahorney, Director of Academic Services and Accountability, was honored tonight for her leadership in helping navigate the District through the challenges associated with COVID-19 cases in our schools. Mrs. Nahorney has helped the District tackle the challenges of the pandemic. She created and implemented a system to report positive cases of COVID-19 to the Onondaga County Health Department and worked around the clock to help make sure our families were notified of cases in a timely manner. She also created a dashboard on our website that helps easily track cases and quarantines.
Mary Moyer, District Data Manager, was honored for being an integral part of getting the 2020 school year up and running. Mrs. Moyer has helped the District tackle the challenges of the pandemic and her hard work and dedication. Mrs. Moyer played a key role in navigating the assignment of students into cohorts, which allowed us to open our schools and offer in-person instruction to all students. She has also played an important role in helping Danielle Nahorney with documenting and investigating COVID-19 cases within our District.
Dawn Monica, a Food Service Helper at Van Buren Elementary School was honored tonight for being an integral part of the Food Service Department’s mission to make sure that all children were fed in our community since the beginning of the pandemic. Ms. Monica always rises to the occasion. She is a hard worker and dedicated to our students. When she was needed to fill in for a coworker and run the kitchen at Van Buren, Ms. Monica embraced the challenge. She was a great leader. She’s an excellent staff member and a valuable member of the food service team.
November 16, 2020
The Board of Education and Administration honored Sofia D’Andreano, Christopher Felong & Kyle Rogers with the Board Spotlight for being named to NYSSMA All-State Music Ensembles:
Sofia D'Andreano -- All State Treble Chorus (Alto Alternate)
Christopher Felong -- All State Mixed Chorus (Tenor)
Kyle Rogers -- All State Symphonic Band (Trumpet)
Read more about their honor HERE.
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph M. DeBarbieri honored David Wentworth, Head Custodian at C.W. Baker High School, with the Board Spotlight on Monday, November 16 for his leadership and dedication to keeping our staff and students safe. Dave has been instrumental in making sure that we are implementing comprehensive cleaning and sanitizing protocols that will keep our staff and students healthy during this pandemic.
The Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Joseph M. DeBarbieri honored Amy Klymkow, Kindergarten Teacher at Palmer Elementary School, with the Board of Education Spotlight on Monday, November 1. Ms. Klymkow was honored for adapting to the pandemic with creativity and enthusiasm. Ms. Klymkow is no stranger to Twitter and virtually connecting with her kindergarten families. Take a look at her Twitter page and you will see an inside look into her classroom and teaching style. When the pandemic hit, Ms. Klmykow didn’t skip a beat. She adjusted her plans and kept things exciting!
November 2, 2020
The Board of Education and Superintendent Matthew McDonald honored Nathaniel Hahn at Monday's Board of Education meeting. Hahn, a member of the Class of 2021, was honored with the Board Spotlight for being named a Commended Student in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Congratulations, Nathaniel. Read more about Nathaniel's honor HERE.
The Board of Education and Superintendent McDonald honored Jessica Volz, Physical Education Teacher at McNamara Elementary School, at tonight’s school board meeting with the Board Spotlight. Ms. Volz, who joined the meeting virtually, was honored for adapting to the challenges of the pandemic with creativity and enthusiasm since March 2020. Ms. Volz jumped into action in March and took her physical education class virtual on her Twitter and Instagram pages. From teaching students how to juggle to obstacle courses and workout routines, Ms. Volz never missed a beat to keep her students engaged. Ms. Volz has continued to adapt her lessons to fit our in-person learning restrictions. Her positive attitude and dedication are inspirational during these unique times.
The Board of Education and Superintendent McDonald honored Lindsay Cesari, Library Media Specialist at Durgee Junior High School, at tonight’s meeting. Mrs. Cesari was honored with the Board Spotlight for using her expertise to help students, families and teachers cope with the changing learning environment. When in-person classes were cancelled in the spring, Mrs. Cesari helped teachers navigate virtual teaching. She even shared a “tip of the day” to help staff members navigate the technology. She was instrumental in helping to create and coordinate parent technology tutorials, which have benefitted so many. Mrs. Cesari is also the advisor for eSports, which was the only team allowed to continue competition in the spring and continues to benefit so many students.
October 19, 2020
The Board of Education was recognized on October 19, 2020 for their leadership and commitment to the Baldwinsville Central School District in observance of School Board Recognition Week.
School Board Recognition Week is held October 19-23, 2020 and is sponsored by the New York State School Boards Association.
In a special video, students across the District say “thank you” to the board members for their dedication to the District and the education of all students.
School board members give Baldwinsville community members a voice in education decision-making. Even though we make a special effort this week to show our appreciation, the board’s work deserve a year-round celebration. Thank you!
Watch video:
Board of Education meeting at Durgee Junior High School.
October 6, 2020
Superintendent McDonald and the Board of Education honored James Rodems Monday night.Jamie, assistant superintendent for management services, recently retired after 11 years of service to the District. Jamie started with the District on July 1, 2009. Prior to his time here, Jamie worked in the Tully and Clyde Savannah school districts.
Jamie has been instrumental with securing voter approval for multiple capital projects, including:
- C. W. Baker High School Auditorium Renovation (Performing Arts)
- C. W. Baker High School Kitchen Remodel; Renovation of Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium
- New Energy Efficient LED Lighting at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium (First stadium in an upstate school district to have LED lights)
- Construction of the New BCSD Transportation Center
- Roofing Projects for School Buildings and the Baldwinsville Public Library
- Smart Bond Initiative - BCSD's Award-$3,697,360 (Phase 1-Upgraded the District's Network Infrastructure) (Phase 2-Safety & Security for All School Buildings)
The Board of Education, District administration, and school community wish him a happy and healthy retirement. Thank you, Jamie!
July 8, 2019
The Board of Education honored Baldwinsville students who graduated from OCM BOCES programs in June:
OCM BOCES Career & Technical Education Program
| Quingaalaya Anderson Madison Archer Julia Atkins Grace Bell Michael Bombard Porter Bristol Daniel Burko Taylor Bushnoe Colleen Chiesa Courtney Clute Declan Coe Vincent Cosme Devin Cowen Ashley Epolito Nolan Fenner Dakota Green |
Kaycee Hawk Samantha Hornby Justin Jennings Nathaniel Jennings Breanna Jernigan Darius Johnson Zachary Kline Morgan Liscum Natalie Long Taylor Lundblad Cydney MacConaghy Juliet Manchester Audrey McConnell Belle Moore Erik Morley Francesca Naples |
Dayten O’Donnell Deven Osier Cameron Pare Zachary Patapow Alec Roe Jacob Russell Lindsey Russell Ethan Snyder Brandon Spraker James Strain-Gagnon Quinn Sweeney Zoe Van Tassel Montana Veith Collin Ward |
| OCM BOCES SED Ryan DeMayo Crossroads Program Erica Snyder |
AHSEP Steven Grammer Anthony Ladd Innovation Tech Davion Frank |
STARS Jon Baker Josephine Dixon Spencer Goodell Tyler Hardy Brandon Steuer |
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June 17, 2019The Board of Education honored students who competed in the Special Olympics, varsity athletes who participated in state competition, and students who earned the NYS Seal of Biliteracy. |
2019 Special Olympics
Baker High School
| Faith Austin Tanner Cass Andrew Cano Jared Champagne Connor Childress |
Jack Denny Justin DiFrancesco Michael DiGregorio Melanie Hamilton Jessica Mayer |
Edward Monahan
Belinda Swayne Adam Wheeler |
Durgee Junior High School
| Robert Blake Paul Claver, Jr. Alec Crandall Emily Crandall Aidan Fitzgerald Connor Hays |
Stavros Ioannidis Marshall Jones Quintin Miller Noah Porter Anthony Rosario Isis Rowser |
Addison Samchisen Amaya Sgroi Mia Truex Kelsey Tylenda Emmily Whitely Emily Wink |
Ray Middle School
| Ben Carver Andrew Dyer Andrew Enright Nate Hahn |
Tyler Hahn Amelia Howard Justin Lewis Kevin Lockwood |
Annika Parrish Joseph Ponto MaryEllen Rockdashil Ashley Thompson |
Elden Elementary School
| Noah Demarest Liam Henderson Claire LaShomb Jahmier McKenzie |
Kimari McKenzie Peyton Richardson Ivan Svityashchuk Beluchi Udekwu |
Mary Walsh
John Wilson, Jr. |
McNamara Elementary School
| Eli Beach Garet Brodeur Landon Busbey Kendal Coty Dylan Cousineau Jacob Cousineau Jacob Davis Flannery Dougan |
Levi Frear-Dorn Nathan Farrell Peter Hoffman Mason King Jude Langstaff Charlie Macbeth Jampa Mastriano Samuel Mills |
Gregory Myers Jacob Pikarsky Leroy Raynor Hayden Rellos Annabel Rider Jordan Sevigny Davian Shephard Cooper Smith |
Palmer Elementary School
| Griffin Alsever Brayden Anders Josie Baker |
Caden Bruce Tommy Gabriel Henry Gonzalez |
Travis LeBlanc Devin Smiley Eli Wilkerson |
Reynolds Elementary School
| Robert Armstrong Antwan Brown Mark Hanson Dorian Hezel |
Tatum Hill Matthew LaDue, Jr. Cillian Pollic David Schwalm |
Jacob Spencer Silas Streeter Lilianah Winship |
Van Buren Elementary School
| Chase Kalfass Lucas Delgatto Aidan Hess Carson Kirkendall Alex Stone
Talon Williamson Christopher Zientek-Sico |
| Spring 2019 Varsity Athletics Boys Varsity Lacrosse – Coach Matthew Wilcox The boys varsity lacrosse team is the Section III Class A champion and the Class A regional champion. |
| Austin Bolton Ryan Bourlier Adam Davis Andrew Davis Ethan Donaghey Christian Ficarra Carter Gates Kolby Hahn Samuel Iven Braden Lynch Braden McCard Gavin O’Connor |
Quinn Peters Garrett Petrelli Noah Ravas Logan Sather Ethan Schwabenbauer Casey Scott Cameron Slink Dominick Sposato Daniel Stehle Connor Steria Cameron Sweeney Michael Tangredi |
Thomas Thibault Caleb Voorhees Joshua Voyer Andrew Waldon Aiden Walker Jacob Walsh Brendan Wilcox Spencer Wirtheim Matthew Wodka Abdel Malek Fadi Awwad – team manager |
Girls Varsity Lacrosse – Coach Megan Collins
The girls varsity lacrosse team is the Section III Class A champion and the Class A regional champion, and earned 2nd place in the state championships.
| Sophia Cavallaro Ciara Curtis Madelyn Czyz Emily DeJohn Abigail Donahue Liza Dougherty Emme Foote Jaedyn Frink |
Emma Gebhardt Cassidy Hayward Hannah Johnson Sarah Klein Taylor Metcalf Hannah Mimas Olivia Muscolino Tiffany Natoli |
Kathryn Nice
Bailey Nicholson Katherine Pascale Jenna Pastore Jordan Roy Sydney Smith Emma States |
Boys Varsity Golf – Coach Andrew Ehle
June 1 - 3 at the Robert Trent Golf Course at Cornell University. He tied for 34th Place. |
Boys Varsity Tennis – Coach Paul Maestri
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Boys Varsity Track – Coach William Spicer
Sam Kellner competed in the 400 meter hurdles in the state championships at Middletown High School on June 7 & 8. He finished in 19th place.
Girls Varsity Track – Coach Michael Scuderi
- Justus Holden-Betts competed in the 400 meter low hurdles in the state championships and finished in 6th place.
- Karen Ekure competed in the 200 meter dash in the state championships and finished in 13th place.
- Lauren Addario competed in the triple jump in the state championships and finished in 11th place.
Girls Varsity Crew – Coach Christopher Ludden
The Senior 4 boat won the state championships held in Saratoga in May. Members of the boat are:
The Senior 4 boat won the state championships held in Saratoga in May. Members of the boat are:
Sydney VanAuken
Alena Criss
Erin Mordaunt
Grace Skapura
Hannah Norton
Seal of Biliteracy -Ten Baker High School students have earned the NYS Seal of Biliteracy. In order to earn the seal students must demonstrate proficiency in a second language. In May, our students were required to defend their portfolios in front of a panel of evaluators at OCM BOCES. Successful candidates will have the Seal of Biliteracy affixed to their diplomas upon graduation. These students are:
Maura Bartell
Owen Bauer
Elizabeth Mautz
Cooper Pyle
MacKenzie Randolph
Iham Rodriguez
Abigail Scherfling
Mitchell Stables
Jason Steiger
Stephanie Stroup
June 3, 2019
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| The Board also honored four staff members who recently demonstrated exemplary service to a student. They went above and beyond their roles with the district to aid this student. These staff members are: Jon Langstaff - Fifth-grade teacher, Reynolds Elementary School Beth-Ann Healy - Teaching assistant, Reynolds Elementary School Jon Bick - Dean of Students, Ray Middle School Deputy Brent McDonald - School resource officer, Ray Middle School |
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The Baker High School Chamber Choir performed under the direction of teacher Colin Keating. |
May 13, 2019The Board of Education honored staff members who were granted tenure during the 2018-2019 school year. Those staff members are: |
| Nicole Abbott Kristina Beal Tony Cardamone Susan Carson Kristin Dixon |
Colleen Donahue Alexander Ewing Benjamin Gerardi Kristy Hall Amy Klymkow |
John Kowalski Leah LaChausse Heather Mautz Jill Musumeci Michelle Palmer |
Clare Pearce Lynnette Planck Gretchen Rooney Candy Seaman Barbara Stack |
Tiffany Stubbmann Wanda Toscano Jessica Turner Corey Wolfe Heidi Youker |
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April 29, 2019The Board honored winter athletes and members of the Baker robotics club for their achievements. |
| Girls Indoor Track Coach: Bill Spicer Lauren Addario – finished 11th in the triple jump and finished 20th in the 55 meter dash at the state competition. Justus Holden-Betts – finished 22nd in the 600 meters. Danielle Marsell – finished 16th in the weight throw.  |
| Boys Swimming Coach: Christopher Ludden Alex Hiltbrand – finished 14th in the 50 Freestyle and 27th in the 100 Freestyle at states. Nick Schultz – finished 15th in the 100 Breast Stroke at states. Relay Team – of John Licciardello, Nick Schultz, Alex Hiltbrand, and Bailey Ludden finished 26th at states in the 200 Freestyle Relay and 29th in the 400 Freestyle Relay. Relay Team – of John Licciardello, Bailey Ludden, Quinn Gruppe and John Burns finished in 44th place in the 200 Medley Relay. Alternates - Harrison German and Harrison Meyers attended the state competition as alternates.  |
| Baker High School Robotics Teams Baldwinsville Team 7323A - won its division at the Northern New York State VEX High School Championships held at Onondaga Community College on March 2, 2019. The team qualified for the world championships. Members of the team are Griffin Seifritz, Damyon Maw-Coe, Evan Herrington, and David Teska. Team 7323C - received the Judges Award at the state championships. Team members are: Breanna Murdock, Hannah McGivney, Max Davis, Isabelle Thomas, and Prasiddhi Patel.  |
April 8, 2019The Board honored students for their accomplishments. |
| Winners in the Northeast region of the 2019 Scholastic Writing Awards Competition Nineteen Baker High School students received awards in the Northeast region of the 2019 Scholastic Writing Awards competition. The competition is open to students in grades 7-12. Students are: Gold Key Rachel Blake John Byrne Madison Chetney Sophia Simone  |
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Silver Key Rachel Blake Nina Fichera Conor McManus Olivia Richards Emily Spaulding Cara Weaver |
| Honorable Mention Rachel Blake Emma Brushingham Sophia Cali Abby Contello Lexi Jenkins Rory Mastine Elizabeth Mautz Jessica McKenzie Conor McManus Ryan Micho Olivia Richards Mariana Rinaldo Sophia Simone Becki Wittman |
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| National Gold Medal Winner – 2019 Scholastic Writing Competition Sophia Simone – has won a gold medal in the national competition for her flash fiction, “My Pink Journal.”  |
March 18, 2019Candace Sweeney - a physical education teacher at Baker High School, has been named the 2019 Central North Zone Secondary Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the NYS Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Teachers are honored for excellence in teaching and overall performance. |
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Ryan Micho - a senior at Baker High School, was awarded the 2019 Wegmans Health and Wellness Award at the 2019 CNY Young and Amazing Awards held on March 7. Ryan was honored for creating a food pantry at the high school. The pantry provides students in need with groceries to supplement their household meals over the weekend. |
| 2019 Central New York Scholastic Art Award Winners Over 30 Baldwinsville students received awards in the 2019 Central New York Scholastic Art Awards competition. Their artwork was selected from over 5,000 pieces submitted by students in the CNY region. Baker High School Gold Key
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Silver Key
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Honorable Mention
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Durgee Junior High School Gold Key Olivia Wafer Drawing and Illustration |
| Silver Key Makayla Nadzadi Drawing and Illustration Troy Volcko Photography |
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Honorable Mention Madison Hass Drawing and Illustration Emma Smith Mixed Media |
| National Silver Medal Winner – Scholastic Art Awards Katrina Hays-Peterson – Katrina has been awarded a Silver Medal in the 2019 National Scholastic Art Competition in the Ceramics/Glass category. This is a great honor and a reflection of Katrina’s talent and creativity. |
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Artwork on Exhibit at Everson Museum
There are two students who currently have their Silver Key artwork on exhibit at the Everson Museum in Syracuse.
Samantha Lucas of Baker High School – has her award-winning painting on display. Her teacher is Robyn Debottis.
Troy Volcko of Durgee Jr. High Schol - has his award-winning photograph on display. His teacher is Wendy Robinson.
March 4, 2019The district's winter drumline performed under the direction of Band Director Casey Vanderstouw. |
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The Baldwinsville Kiwanis Club presented the Board with a donation of $3,500 for the district, to be used for the Get Ready for Kindergarten program.
February 11, 2019The Board of Education honored the following students: Masters of Ceremonies for Liverpool Robotics Competition |
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Participants in the 2019 Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute |
January 28, 2019The district's pep band, Plan Bee, performed for the Board to open the meeting. |
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January 7, 2019The Board honored students who were selected to perform at the prestigious NYSSMA All-State Music Conference, held November 29 to December 2, 2018 in Rochester, NY. Thousands of high school students auditioned for this honor last spring at solo and ensemble festivals around the state. |
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December 17, 2018The Elden Elementary School Grades 4 & 5 chorus performed under the direction of their music teacher Katrina Kahl. |
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December 3, 2018The Board of Education honored the district’s fall 2018 teams and athletes that participated in state competition.Girls Varsity Cross Country – Justus Holden-Betts competed in the New York State Girls Cross Country Championships and finished in 39th place. She was also part of the Section III team that finished in first place at states. Her coach is Michael Scuderi. 
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Girls Varsity Volleyball – The girls varsity volleyball team, coached by MaryJo Cerqua, is the 2018 Section III Class AA champion. This year the team was also a state regional finalist. Members of the team are:
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| Megan Brecht Sophia Cali Brooke Clute Sophia Cronk Margaret Dec Jenna Garvey |
Rileigh Kimball Sophia Kordas Taylor LaPage Emma LeGault Carly May Summer McClintic |
Alexandra Molini
Madelyn Shuler Jenna Wallace Katherine Welcher Margaret Wiegand |
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| Boys Varsity Soccer – The boys varsity soccer team, coached by Tim Scheemaker, is the Section III Class AA champion and the Class AA regional champion. Members of the team are: |
| Michael Allen Vincent Benedetti Jack Branigan Alexander Charest Sungwon Choi Vito Cusumano Stephen Foertch Teklu Habtesion Jason Hahn Connor Hamilton |
Nathan Hanna Austin Hebert Samuel Iven Tyler Johnson Jared Kantak Dylan Killian Riley Mancini Nolan Murphy Sean O’Key Nathan Palmer |
Joshua Price
Benjamin Rabe Jason Schaffner Griffin Seifritz Andrew Taylor Brennan Walsh Jacob Way Mitchell Yorkey |
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November 19, 2018The Board of Education honored New York State Senator John DeFrancisco for his dedication and commitment to public education, particularly for his efforts to ensure that the students of the Baldwinsville Central School District have the resources they need for a high quality, well-rounded education. The district held a reception for the Senator before the meeting.
Senator DeFrancisco was elected to the Senate in 1992 and served the 50th District, of which the Baldwinsville school district is part. Senator DeFrancisco knows first-hand the hurdles schools encounter as they strive to provide a quality education to their students. Prior to being elected a senator, he held the position of President of the Syracuse City School District Board of Education and Vice President of the Conference of Large City Boards of Education. Over the years of his tenure, Senator DeFrancisco was able to secure legislative grants for the district to use to purchase resources for its programs and classrooms, such as musical instruments, SMART Boards, and graphing calculators. Most recently, Senator DeFrancisco secured a $55,000 legislative grant for the district to use toward the cost of a new playground at Reynolds Elementary School. In October, he helped the school cut the ribbon and officially open the playground. The board presented Senator DeFrancisco with a gift of two Adirondack chairs created especially for him by technology students at Baker High School. The following students built the gift under the guidance of technology teacher Jamie Cuyler: Michael Carni Leah Carpenter Anaka Caswell Alexander Charest Lucas Eberl Donovan Gary Austin Hebert Nicholas Law Konnor Mascara Gavin McVicker-Lagoe Noah Ravas Aaron Sprague Alexander West Emily Zucco Ethan Donaghey John Hernandez Damyon Maw-Coe Hannah Norton Joshua Price Jason Schaffner Griffin Seifritz Joshua Voyer |
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November 5, 2018The Board honored students and staff for their achievements.New York State Master TeachersGovernor Andrew Cuomo named two teachers from the Baldwinsville Central School District New York State Master Teachers. Erin Robertson, a science teacher at Durgee Junior High School, and Kristin Zimmer, a fifth-grade teacher at McNamara Elementary School, are among the 275 teachers from around the state announced as Master Teachers on October 2, 2018. The New York State Master Teacher Program was established in 2013 to identify, reward, and support teachers who teach math, technology, robotics, coding, engineering and science in New York State. This is the first year that teachers of grades K-6 have been included in the program. Master Teachers engage in peer mentoring and intensive content-oriented professional development opportunities and work closely with pre-service and early career teachers. |
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National Merit Commended StudentsFour Baker High School seniors have been named Commended Students in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Competition. They placed among the top 50,000 scorers in the nation on the 2017 PSAT. They are: Lauren Lammers Ryan Micho David Teska Margaret Wiegand 
David Teska, and Board member Kim Sullivan-Dec |
National Merit Scholarship SemifinalistBaker senior Thomas Grindle is a 2019 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist. He is one of the highest scoring students in the state on last year’s PSAT/NMSQT, and he has the opportunity to continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships 
and Board member Kim Sullivan-Dec |
October 22, 2018October 22 – 26 is School Board Recognition Week in New York State to honor and give thanks to school board members across the state for their dedicated service and commitment to the educational needs of their communities.The Baldwinsville Central School District honored its Board members at the October 22 meeting with a gift presentation from each school in the District. Thank you to our Board members for donating their time and talents to ensure that Baldwinsville students receive the programs they need to reach their full potential every day. |
| Palmer Elementary School Students presented Board members with handmade gifts of wordart. |
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| Baker High School To honor the Board, the school presented two musical performances. Maddie and Caleb Butchko sang a song for the Board and Pep Band/Marching Band members who recently recorded a record in Nashville performed a song. |
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| Van Buren Elementary School The school’s fourth and fifth-grade chorus performed a song for the Board. |
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| McNamara Elementary School McNamara student council members read thank you notes that they wrote and then presented them to Board members. |
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| Elden Elementary School Principal Thomas Coughlin presented a video that the school made to tell the Board members how much its students and staff appreciate their commitment to providing Baldwinsville students with an excellent education, and two students handed out homemade cookies to the Board members. |
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| Reynolds Elementary School Principal Melissa Chiodo showed a special video that students made to thank the Board and gave each a gift. |
| Ray Middle School Students presented each member of the Board with a handmade gift after thanking them for their commitment to their education. |
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| Durgee Junior High School Principal Bonnie Van Benschoten presented each member with a gift created by Durgee technology students. |
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October 1, 2018The Board Spotlight featured the official opening of the redesigned Durgee Junior High School library lab, The Pod. Board of Education members visited The Pod for the spotlight portion of the meeting.
The redesign of the Durgee library lab was entirely student driven, planned, and coordinated during the 2017-18 school year by eighth-grade students taking the Project Lead the Way Design, Drawing and Production class with technology teacher Rebecca Fletcher. Students were tasked with creating a collaborative, innovative learning space. They followed the engineering design process, which include research, testing, and the development of a solution. Their work included surveying students and staff, analyzing trends in the use of the Durgee library lab, analyzing learning spaces at other schools and universities, creating a floor plan and determining necessary technology and furniture while adhering to a budget. The students who were involved in the lab redesign are: Sydney Huhtala
Ryan Isham Carson Way Ava Bagan Luke Baker Owen Weaver Bella Cartier Zach Davis Sara Hunter Paige Rockwood Durgee staff members who oversaw the students are Rebecca Fletcher, technology teacher, and Lindsay Cesari, library media specialist. |
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September 10, 2018The Board welcomed the district's new teachers to Baldwinsville with a reception before the start of the meeting. |
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Ray Middle School |
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August 27, 2018The Board honored community members who provided donations for the fifth-grade end of year celebration held on the district’s main campus on June 20, 2018. Tom Czyz of Armoured One, and Chris Bernhard of Day Automation Armoured One and Day Automation provided the tee shirts that the fifth-graders wore to commemorate the special event. Yves Gabriel, Assistant Manager, Costco – On behalf of Costco, Mr. Gabriel donated the food and beverages for the celebration. The Board also honored volunteers, past and present, from PAC-B TV, who have given their time and talent to provide the community with programming of the event and activities of the district for almost 20 years. Joe Loffredo – Mr. Loffredo recently retired from his volunteer work with PAC-B TV. He saw a need to provide the community with programming of district activities and was instrumental in beginning the organization’s coverage of activities, including Board meetings, sports and concerts. Andy Dryden – Mr. Dryden is the Chair of PAC-B TV. Gary Reisman –has volunteered since 2001 and does the play by play for district sports programming. John O’Neill – volunteered as a videographer from 2001 to 2015, covering sports and concerts. Jerry Elliott – has volunteered as a videographer since 2005 covering district concerts. Bob Edgett –has volunteered since 2005 filming concerts. Shawn Socker – has been doing the play by play for district sports since 2015. Mike Stolicker – has volunteered as an analyst since 2014. Mike Toper – was a student when he volunteered and did play by play from 2001 to 2005. Ken Brown – has been doing play by play for wrestling since 2011. Matt Taylor – Since 2008, Matt has been filming the Board of Education meetings. The Board honored the following volunteers posthumously: Jim Lowery – was the producer and interviewer for the BEE a Good Sport segment and did play by play from 2003 to 2010. Colin Kahl – was a videographer from 2004 to 2013. He was also a member of our Board of Education from 2005 to 2011. |
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July 9, 2018The board honored Baldwinsville students who graduated from OCM BOCES programs in June 2018. OCM BOCES Career & Technical Education Program Graduates |
| Laura Adams Bailey Austin Kevin Bailey Chloee Barnes Levi Barnes Cameron Beckley Tapaingga Bird Alexis Blaisdell Jacob Boshart Serina Bower Timothy Butler Kyle Chase Carissa Coomey Anne Gorham Lucas Goulet |
Casey Hargrave Nicholas Hartle Jeffrey Heffron Isabellah Hightower Ariana Hubbard Alexis Huff Andrew Johnson Zachary Jones Christopher Kline Daniel Kline Aaron LaShomb Charlee Matthews Robert-Michael Murawski David Oakes |
Destiny Paige Shaelyn Parnell Sarah Pfeiffer Daniel Redfield Bryanne Reynolds Lindsay Sacco Konstantin Sergeev Lisette Sherard Wyatt Shute Joshua Smith Shelby Stisser Alexis Townsend Alyssa Tucker Grey Van Der Water Amanda Walser |
| Crossroads Molly Forester AHSEP Kaitlin Bivens Nicholas Price Turning Point Jacob Genett Transitions at OCC Thad Szczurek |
Innovation Tech Mark Hoe Topacio Ortiz Theodore Thompson Amber Venturi STARS Chase McArdell CiTi BOCES Nathan Huffman |
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| June 18, 2018 The board honored community members, softball players, and staff members who volunteered their time to rebuild the dugouts of the softball field at Ray Middle School earlier this school year. These individuals are: |
| Jamie Cuyler Adam Cuyler Jacob Cuyler Tom Ross Don Young Kayla Young Anthony Ascioti Robin Ascioti Madison Ascioti Ray Grabowski |
Jessica Parnell Bryan Trendowski Tom Tripodi David Stagnitta Paul Mizer Jeff Fortais Robert Hass Gabrielle Hass Tim Phinney Mattison Phinney |
Mike Stisser Shelby Stisser Kallie Mathis Rob Branshaw Chloe Branshaw Grace Branshaw Brittany Cole Bailey McAlwain Colleen Sewall Gabrielle Carr |
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| The board also recognized spring athletes and teams that participated in state competition. |
| Girls Crew – Coach Christopher Ludden The girls crew Junior 4+ Boat took home the gold, winning the NYS Championships in their category on May 13 in Saratoga. Boat members included: Sydney VanAuken, Alena Criss, Erin Mordaunt, Grace Skapura, and Hannah Norton. The Junior 4+ boat also participated in the Nationals in Camden, NJ on May 24. |
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| Track & Field – Coaches William Spicer & Michael Scuderi The following athletes competed in the state championships:
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| Varsity Baseball – Coach David Penafeather The team is the state runner-up for Class AA, the Class AA regional champion and the Section 3 Class AA champion. Members of the team are: |
| John Andres Trey Blasi Michael Carni Casey Collins Daniel Coogan Christopher Dwyer Jeb Farneth |
Nathan Johns Frank Levanti Jacob Marshall Patrick May Matthew Mercurio Zachary Monica Anthony Nardelli |
Nathan Ray Lucas Robinson Jason Savacool Matthew Starczewski Cameryn Williams |
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| June 4, 2018 The Board of Education honored several teachers and students at its June 4 meeting. |
| Baker High School Librarian – Leslie Cartier Leslie Cartier has been named a winner of the CNY School Librarians Soaring Through Excellence Super Librarian Award. This award honors librarians who have made significant contributions to envisioning and building the future of school library services. |
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| Durgee Junior High School 9th Grade Social Studies Teachers Jennifer AuClair, Lisa Froelick, Amy Stewart, and Kelly Will, Durgee Junior High School's 9th grade social studies teachers, were recognized for being awarded the CNYCSS 2018 Outstanding High School Social Studies Teacher award. |
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| Students Who Earned the Seal of Biliteracy Four Baker High School students have earned the NYS Seal of Biliteracy. In order to earn the seal students must demonstrate proficiency in a second language. On May 22, our students were required to defend their portfolios in front of a panel of evaluators at OCM BOCES. Successful candidates will have the Seal of Biliteracy affixed to their diplomas upon graduation. These students are:
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| May 21, 2018 The Ray Middle School jazz orchestra, the Bee Sharps, performed under the direction of teacher Jennifer Bearup. On May 11, the Bee Sharps won 1st place in their division and also the Grand Judges Award and a trophy for the top score of all of the performing ensembles at the Darien Lake Music Competition that day. |
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| The Board honored four students for their achievements in the OCM BOCES automotive program. Congratulations to Adam Cooper and Wyatt Shute who were both recognized by the Syracuse Auto Dealers Association with its Student Achievement Award in recognition of outstanding achievements in the OCM BOCES Automotive Program. BOCES honored two Baldwinsville students for their outstanding achievements with the Snap-On Tools for Success Award. Instructors selected students for their excellent automotive technology, math and science skills, as well as for outstanding classroom participation, attendance and attitude. Tapaingga Bird was selected for Automotive Collision Technology. Lucas Goulet was selected for Automotive Technology. |
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| May 7, 2018 The New York State Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Educators (NYSAFCSE) honored two Baldwinsville teachers with awards at the Baldwinsville Central School District’s Board of Education meeting held on May 7, 2018. Christina Rode, a family and consumer sciences (FACS) teacher at Baker High School, received the 2017 NYSAFCSE FCCLA Advisor of the Year award. Rode won this same award at the Central New York level in 2017. Leslie Schafer, who teaches FACS at Ray Middle School, received the 2017 NYSAFCSE Promising New Professional Award. She also received this same award at the local level last school year. |
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| The board also honored staff members who were appointed tenure during the 2017-2018 school year. They are: Stephanie Ager Tonya Buda Melissa Chiodo Amy DiBari Rani Dotterer Jennifer Jasewicz Julie Jones-Beckwith Kelly Michaels Jennifer Wolken Kate Zwecker |
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| April 16, 2018 The Board of Education honored several students who have received recognition for writing and photography.  Katrina Hays-Peterson Junior Katrina Hays-Peterson has been named a finalist in the 38th Annual College & High School Photography Contest, sponsored by “Photographer’s Forum” magazine. Her photo will be published in the “Best of College & High School Photography 2018.” Cara Weaver Cara Weaver, a junior, has received an Honorable Mention for her short story in a flash fiction contest sponsored by the Metropolitan State University of Denver Chapter of the National Council for Teachers of English. Colin Walsh Senior Colin Walsh has won a National Gold Medal in the humor category of the 2018 Scholastic Writing Awards for his piece, “The Summoner.” He will receive his medal at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June. Elizabeth Erich Junior Elizabeth Erich has been accepted into the University of Iowa Summer Writing Residency program due to her consistent performance in the scholastic writing competition for the past two years. The residency program is one of the most prestigious creative writing programs in the world and a student’s acceptance into it is recognition of his or her writing talent and potential. Award Winners in the Northeast Region of the 2018 Scholastic Writing Awards |
| Gold Key Rachel Blake Emily Brisson Mackenzie Bruen Liz Erich Kaitlyn Liu Colin Walsh |
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| Silver Key Marisa Barnard Jennie Blake - 2 Emily Bowden Emily Brisson - 3 Haley Doerger Liz Erich Ellyn Gibbs - 2 Jessica McKenzie Conor McManus Vanessa Vacanti Becki Wittman |
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| Honorable Mention Emily Bowden Andi Fire Ellyn Gibbs Brianna Mack Conor McManus - 2 Alina Minkova |
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| April 2, 2018 Four Van Buren Elementary School students sang under the direction of music teacher Cynthia Doback. These students have been selected to perform in the Elementary All-County Music Festival that will be held on April 6 & 7 in the West Genesee school district. The students are: Evelyn Cherrington Iola Hoskins Kyleigh Lenowicz Evan Rumpel |
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| March 26, 2018 The Board of Education honored the district’s winter teams and athletes that participated in state competition. |
| Boys Varsity Swimming – Coach Jen Dahm The following swimmers represented Baldwinsville and Section 3 in the state competition in March:
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| Girls Indoor Track – Coach William Spicer The following athletes participated in the state championships:
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| Boys Indoor Track – Coach William Spicer The following track athletes participated in the state championships held in March in Staten Island:
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| March 12, 2018 The Reynolds Elementary School orchestra performed under the direction of teacher Aliza Stoll. |
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February 26, 2018The Board of Education recognized Baker High School for the school’s establishment of a student-run branch of Edge Federal Credit Union in the school. On January 9, Baker High School officially opened the branch.
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February 5, 2018The Palmer Elementary School 5th Grade Brass Ensemble performed at the beginning of the meeting, under the direction of band teacher Donna Cole.
January 22, 2018The Board of Education honored the following students and staff at the meeting:Iham Rodriguez, a junior at Baker High School - He has been selected as a participant in the 2018 Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute – Syracuse/CNY Delegation. Selection as a participant is an indication of a student’s leadership potential and future achievement. Iham is the first student from Baker High School to be selected for the Syracuse/CNY Delegation. Dana Rubadou, Key Club Advisor and Ryan Micho, Key Club member - the Baker High School Key Club is a winner in the 2017 HALO Movement contest, sponsored by Key Club International and Nickelodeon!Ryan Micho, a member of the Baker Key Club, entered Baker in the contest with the help of the club’s advisor, Dana Rubadou, to win a grant so that the school can create a food pantry for its students. The Bee Full Pantry will enable the school to provide 50 students with groceries each weekend to supplement their household meals so that students have enough to eat before returning to school on Mondays. The Key Club is in the process of making plans for implementing the pantry. 
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January 8, 2018Members of the Elden Elementary School Orchestra and the McNamara Elementary School Orchestra performed for the board under the direction of strings teacher Dana Grimaldi. |
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December 18, 2017Members of the Palmer Elementary School 4th and 5th Grade Chorus performed under the direction of music teacher Christine Isbell. Thank you to Mrs. Isbell and her students for opening the meeting with a great performance!
December 4, 2017The Board of Education honored the district’s fall teams and athletes that participated in state competition.Girls Varsity Volleyball – The girls varsity volleyball team, coached by MaryJo Cerqua, is the 2017 Section III Class AA champion. This year’s sectional championship is Coach Cerqua’s 20th sectional championship – it is the 10th one in a row! This year also marked her 21st league championship. This year the team was also a state regional finalist. Members of the team are: |
| Sophia Cali Brooke Clute Sophia Cronk Karen Ekure Jenna Garvey Rileigh Kimbal |
Sophia Kordas Kristen Liu Carly May Claire McAllister Summer McClintic Athena Norton |
Dana Prokop
Madelyn Shuler Madeline Stone Katherine Welcher Margaret Wiegand |
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| Girls Varsity Field Hockey – The girls field hockey team is the 2017 Section III Class A Champion, the 2017 Class A NYS Regional Champion, and a state semifinalist. The team is coached by Tessa Ordway. Members of the team are: |
| Madison Ascioti Maura Bartell Hailey Boda Emma Brushingham Lauren Brushingham Angeline Cooper Megan Doyle |
Paige Foley Molly Huntington Marie McKee Hannah Norton Talia Scarfino Sarah Smiley Amanda Strenk |
Leah Tuch Sydney Tse Erika VanSlyke Claire Vredenburg Olivia Wachob Mckenzie Wodka |
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| Boys Varsity Cross Country – Three runners competed in the boys state cross country championships held in November. They are: Joe Licameli, Conor McManus, and Garrett Vannatta. They are coached by Jason Glashauser. |  |
| Girls Varsity Cross Country – Justus Holden-Betts competed in the girls state cross country championships, finishing in 15th place. She was also a part of the winning intersectional team. She is coach by Michael Scuderi. |  |
| Girls Varsity Soccer – The girls varsity soccer team, coached by Kathy Morse, is the 2017 Class AA New York State Girls Championship team! The team is also the league champion, Section III Class AA champion and the Class AA regional champion! Members of the team are: |
| Leslie Brooks Carolyn Brussel Leah Burrer Madeline Bush Kelsey Delola Peyton Doyle Michelle Eubank Trystan Foglia |
Jaedyn Frink Claudia Fuller Gillian Gipe Alexis Huff Hannah Johnson Kaitlin Kelly Laura Kick Graisa Madden |
Gwenyth Madden Hannah Mimas Fallon Morris Simone Neivel Katherine Pascale Gabrielle Piontkowski Meaghan Wilson |
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November 20, 2017The Baker High School Library was named the 2017 School Library of the Year in October by the Central New York Library Resources Council. The library has been recognized for its creative and innovative resources, databases and its use of digital media for instruction. The library promotes exploration and collaboration, important components for learning.Some of the technical resources available to Baker students are a stop motion studio, a green screen lab, a collaboration pod, and a Genius Bar team, which is a group of student volunteers who provide technology support for Apple, Windows, and Android to their peers and to staff. On November 20, the board honored the staff of the library: Leslie Cartier – Library Media Specialist Patricia Gursky – Teacher Aide Maggie Cornell – Teaching Assistant Spruce Reddick - Clerical Staff  |
November 6, 2017
| Music Performance: Baldwinsville Marching Band – The band performed under the direction of Casey Vanderstouw. |
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| Recognition: The Board recognized Michelle Green for her donation of $10,000 to the district to be used for its mental health initiatives.The Board of Education and the district publicly thanked Michelle for her caring and commitment to the mental wellbeing of Baldwinsville’s students. Her donation will help the district to continue its mental health training and awareness efforts for students and staff. Ms. Green’s generosity is an example of how, as a community, we are collaborating to put our students’ mental wellbeing on par with their physical health so that they may achieve their full potential. The district and board present Ms. Green with several gifts. These gifts were made by students at Baker High School. They are as follows: 1. Rylee Lyons - Photography 2. Caitlyn Bradshaw - Drawing and Painting 3. Graisa Madden - Ceramics 4. Hannah Svitak - Ceramics  |
October 23, 2017
| Durgee Junior High School presented a song from the school’s fall musical, Disney’s Little Mermaid, Jr. The musical is directed by Baker High School music teacher Colin Keating and will be performed November 17 & 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Baker High School auditorium. Durgee 8th grader Amarayah Efsits plays the role of Ariel. |
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| Board of Education Recognition: October 23 – 27 is School Board Recognition Week in New York State to honor and give thanks to school board members across the state for their dedicated service and commitment to student learning and to the educational needs of their communities. The Baldwinsville Central School District honored Board members with a gift presentation from each school in the District. Thank you to our Board members for donating their time and talents to ensure that Baldwinsville students receive the programs they need to reach their full potential every day. |
| Elden Elementary School Principal Thomas Coughlin presented a video that the school made to thank the board with a song performed by the Elden chorus, under the direction of music teacher Katrina Kahl. Two Elden students presented each board member with a special cookie. McNamara Elementary School
McNamara student council members presented thank you notes to the Board members. Students are: Matthew Young, Madison MacKaig, Addison Garcia, Dylan Garcia, Nadia Guzman, Reese Clark, Jeanie Neville, Corinne Parker, Mallory Offredi, and Lundy Langstaff. Palmer Elementary School Students presented board members with gifts that they made: Emmett Addario, Phoebe Auses, Sophie Demer, Addison Nicolucci, Vivian Capone, Oliver Lyman, Elyse Ryder, Jacob Weston, Cara Quinn, Carter Hanifin, Sadie Ward, Keegan Crowley, Julia Lemay, Teresa Maugiri, Noah Pendergast, Reynolds Elementary School
Students presented thank you cards. Students are: Viviana Fritcher, Cayden Hines, Bryn Kammer, and James Ryan. Van Buren Elementary School 5th grade students presented handmade invitations to the school’s Spaghetti Dinner that is scheduled for February 26 for the board. Students are: Mia Venditte, Keaton Kent, Avery Medwid, Ava Wazen, MaryEllen Rockdashil, Kerrigan Shaw, Delaney Hitchcock and Gabriella Barragan. Ray Middle School The school’s jazz band, the Katz Pajamaz, performed under the direction of teacher Jason Ezzo. Students are: Kelly Rogers, Jeff Ragonese,Katie Mullin, Owen Penhollow, Tyler Norman, Stella Capone, Gordon Flood, Ryan Quinn, Will Rinko, Andrew Secor, Aidan DeLaney, Finn Saarie and Ben Smith. Durgee Junior High School
The school made a special presentation for the board with the help of the following students who appeared in the presentation: Paul Claver, Michael DiGregorio, Jessica Mayer, Addison Samchisen, Amaya Sgroi, Mia Truex, Emily Whitely and Emily Wink. Baker High School Baker High School was represented by student council co-president Elinor Grage. Elinor created a video for the Board to show the school’s appreciation for all that our board members do for students. |
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October 2, 2017
The Board of Education honored two students and a teacher for their achievements.| Matthew King, a senior at Baker High School, has been named a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship competition. He is one of the highest scoring entrants in the competition. Students qualify for the competition when they take the PSAT their junior year. He moves on to the next round of the competition, which is for a spot as a finalist. |  |
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Over the summer, senior Christopher Gomez created a mural for the Baldwinsville Police Department. Last spring the department asked Baker's Drawing & Painting students to submit artwork ideas for the new police cars. The officers thought Chris' design would make a great mural and asked him to paint it on a wall in the building. Chris used his free time to complete the mural. |
| Lynda Barry, a teacher at Baker High School, has been named a New York State finalist for the 2017 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Each year the President of the United States recognizes outstanding teachers in mathematics and science from across the nation. State finalists move on to the national level of the program and will be named next year. |
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September 11, 2017
The Board of Education honored district students who earned perfect scores on June 2017 Regents exams:|
BAKER HIGH SCHOOL
US HistoryMadeline Gaus Matthew King Chemistry Madison Ascioti Sophia Cronk Peter Demjanenko Tyler Miller ELA Megan Doyle Phineas Penzo Vanessa Vacanti |
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| DURGEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL Living Environment: John Burns Allison Harry Algebra Bianca Gascon Nathan Hahn |
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July 10, 2017
The Board of Education honored seven students who graduated from programs at OCM BOCES on June 8, 2017. They are:| Brianna Cook Christopher Henry Anthony Hyde Tyler LaFave Ryan Martin Michaela Miller Isaiah Smorol |
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June 19, 2017
| The Board of Education and the district recognized Pastor Randy Czyz and the Word of Life Assembly of God for generously allowing the school district the use of its facility to conduct public and student presentations as well as student music performances for the school years of 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 while the district’s auditorium was closed for renovations. |  |
| Boys Varsity Golf – Golfers Max Dec and Ben Donohue, coached by Karen George, competed in the state boys golf championships held at Cornell June 3-5. Max finished 36th in the tournament and Ben finished 54th. |
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| Boys Varsity Track – The following athletes, coached by Bill Spicer, competed in the state track championships that were held at Union-Endicott High School June 9-10: Evan Vannatta, Kenny Stehle, Tyler Luciano, and Kieran Sheridan - 4x400. They finished 9th in the state and broke a school record. Kieran Sheridan also competed in the open 400. He finished 11th in the state and broke a school record. Ben Timmons, Adam Davis, Garrett Selover, and Mike Lawrence - 4x400 alternates |
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| Girls Varsity Track – The following athletes, coached by Jason Glashauser, competed in the state track championships: Adriana Straughter - Pentathlon - She finished 5th in the state and broke a school record. Karen Ekure – 200m – She finished 13th in the state. |
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| Boys Varsity Lacrosse – The boys varsity lacrosse team, coached by Matthew Wilcox, is the Section III Class A champion, the Class A Regional Champion, and the team competed in the state semifinals on June 7 at St. John Fisher College. Members of the team are: |
| Matt Baker Austin Bolton Matt Dickman Frank Delia Jason Dobek Ben Dwyer Peter Fiorini – All-American Dan Fuller Ryan Gebhardt – Academic All-American John Hernandez Justin Hunter Justin Johnson Braden Lynch Tanner McCaffrey Braden McCard Brandon Mimas Kyle Pelcher |
Cole Peters Noah Ravas Nate Redmond Cameron Slink Josh Stanton Daniel Stehle Connor Steria David Steria Cameron Sweeney Michael Tangredi Jeffrey Viviano Caleb Voorhees Brendan Wilcox Spencer Wirtheim Brian Yeatts |
The Board honored outgoing board member Kimberly McIlroy for her three years of service to the Board and to the district. The Board also honored outgoing ex-officio student member, Jessica Sprague, for her year of service to the Board, the district, and to Baker High School.
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June 5, 2017
The Board of Education honored several students and staff members for their achievements.Ivan Yumagulov
Ivan Yumagulov, a senior at Baker High School, is the recipient of the prestigious Robinson Award of the Skaneateles Festival. The award is presented annually to an outstanding high school student from Central New York. Ivan is an outstanding pianist with a long list of accomplishments and awards.
Baker High School Art Students
Two Baker seniors won awards in the 2017 CNY Art Guild High School Senior Art Show held at the Edgewood Gallery in Syracuse in April. Congratulations to:
Anika Archer – Second Place, Drawing & Painting and Mary Arthur – Ceramics Award. Two additional Baker seniors exhibited their work in the show. They are:
Michael Brussel – Drawing & Painting and Renny Simone – Photography.
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Baker FCCLA Medal Winners
Four members of Baker High School’s Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America Club (FCCLA) received medals in the FCCLA’s New York chapter STAR Events competition held March 22-24. The events recognize students for proficiency, achievement and leadership skills and showcase their college and career-ready knowledge, skills and abilities. Congratulations to:
Karen Caswell – She received a gold medal in the Teach & Train category.
Lexi Belloma and Marissa Paventi – They were awarded a silver medal for their community service project display
Leah Kramer – She received a silver medal in the Interpersonal Communications category.
| Christina Rode – Family and Consumer Science Teacher, Baker High School Congratulations to Christina Rode! She is the recipient of the Central New York Association of Family and Consumer Science Educators FCCLA Advisor of the Year Award! She is the FCCLA advisor for Baker High School. She has also been awarded the organization’s Distinguished Service Award. Leslie Schafer – Family and Consumer Science Teacher, Ray Middle School Congratulations to Leslie Schafer! She was awarded the Central New York Association of Family and Consumer Science Educators Promising New Professional Award. |
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Sarah Parrish, 4th Grade Teacher, Van Buren Elementary School Teacher Sarah Parrish has been invited to attend the 2017 Honeywell Educators at Space Academy at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama this June. In addition to teaching fourth grade, Parrish is one of the coordinators of Van Buren’s after-school STEM program. Parrish will spend five days at the world’s premiere space learning center with other educators from around the world, participating in simulated astronaut training as well as in intensive classroom, laboratory, and training time that focuses on space science. Teachers will leave the training with ideas, lessons, and other materials to adapt to their classrooms and to increase student interest in science. |
| Justin Ashworth - CNYRIC's "Featured Teacher" for the month of April 2017 McNamara Elementary School Library Media Specialist Justin Ashworth was selected as the CNYRIC's "Featured Teacher" for the month of April. Mr. Ashworth earned this honor due to his efforts in leveraging instructional technology to provide authentic learning experiences for the students of McNamara Elementary School. |
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New York State Senate Teachers of Excellence State Senator John DeFrancisco named 30 educators 2017 New York State Senate Teachers of Excellence for going above and beyond to educate, mentor and inspire their students. Eight of these educators are teachers in the Baldwinsville Central School District – one from each school! Congratulations to the following:
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May 22, 2017
The Board of Education honored members of the Baker High School B.E.E.S. robotics team for being named the Northern New York State Champion in the Northern New York State VEX Robotics Competition held at the SRC Arena in February 2017. The team advanced to the VEX World Championship, held in Kentucky in April. Hundreds of robotics teams from around the world participated in the competition. The B.E.E.S. team ranked #118 in the world in the skills competition!
The team is advised by Matthew Hudson, a technology teacher at Baker High School and Rebecca Crossley, a technology teacher at Durgee Junior High School.
Members of the team are: Hannah DeFazio, Will Grindle, Evan McCormick,Melanie Ragonese, Matt Rodman, Paul Schmid, Isaac Stone and
The Board also recognized recognize several individuals, organizations, and companies for their financial support of the team’s trip to Kentucky for the world competition. Thank you to:
| US Army | Mike Murphy |
| Tessy Plastics Corporation | Mainstream Innovations |
| O’Brien & Gere | Willow Health & Wellness Center |
| Baldwinsville Kiwanis Club | Guardian Industries |
| Upstate Biometrics | Huhtamaki |
| Sabre Demolition |
May 8, 2017
The Board of Education honored members of the District's teaching staff who received tenure this year. Congratulations to the following:
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April 24, 2017
The Board honored 52 who received awards in the Northeast region of the 2017 Scholastic Writing Awards competition. The competition was open to students in grades 7-12.
The following Baker High School students received awards in the competition:
| Gold Key Jordan Allen Elizabeth Erich Matt King Kaitlyn Liu |
Gold Key Winners |
Silver Key
| Jennie Blake Christina Bartelli Emily Brisson Jamie Burns Taylor Collado |
Timothy Garraffo Caleb Goldberg Matt King Matt Moor Sarah Pfeiffer |
Tait Rundberg
Vanessa Vacanti Riley Warren Tessa Woodhams |
Honorable Mention
| Julie Abbott Jake Brown Mackenzie Bruen Katie Cassidy Molly Conway Jenna Costello Haley Doerger Jake Draper David Durkee Hailey Fletcher |
Ellyn Gibbs Caleb Goldberg Matt King Rylee Lyons Claire McAllister Jessica McKenzie Matt Moor DJ Moore Victoria Norton Paxton Potter |
Cassie Reith
Kyle Robinson Jasmine Romano-Downs Chris Speelman Taylor Torrez Sofia Valletta James Wallace Kaeleygh Woodworth-Day |
The following Durgee Junior High School students received awards in the Scholastic Writing Competition:
| Gold Key Rory Mastine Sarah Paul Aurelia Tice |
Silver Key Emma Dugan Madison Law |
Honorable Mention Colin DeLaney Paige Morrissey Olivia Muscolino Gregory Secor |
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National Winner
The District had a Gold Key winner in the national portion of the competition.
Aurelia Tice - a Durgee eighth-grader, was recently informed that she has won a Gold Key in the 2017 National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Competition! She has been invited to New York City to receive her award in June.
and Superintendent Matthew McDonald
April 3, 2017
Students from Durgee Junior High School performed a number from Durgee's upcoming musical revue. The following students sang I Feel Pretty under the direction of music teacher Megan Brody: Clare Burke, Gillian Coffey, Kaitlyn Kinslow, and Ava Shore.
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March 27, 2017
The Board of Education honored winter athletes and teams that competed in state competition, District winners in the SkillsUSA regional competition, and science teacher Jill Gravante.
| WINTER ATHLETES Varsity Wrestling Jeremy Pond – Jeremy competed in the 138 pounds weight class at the state wrestling championships held in Albany at the end of February, making it to the quarter finals. Mike Spicer- Mike competed in the 285 pounds weight class. He made it to the quarter finals. |
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| Varsity Girls Indoor Track Lauren Addario – Lauren competed in the 55-meter dash at the state indoor track championships held at the beginning of March on Staten Island. She tied for 14th place. Danielle Marsell – Danielle competed in the weight throw. She finished in 30th place. Adriana Straughter – Adriana competed in the 55-meter hurdles and the high jump. She finished 22nd in the hurdles and in 18th place in the high jump. |
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| Varsity Boys Indoor Track Adam Davis – competed in the 1000-meter run at the state championships held on Staten Island. He finished in 15th place. Nathan Jaquint- competed in the high jump, finishing in 17th place. Kieran Sheridan – competed in the 600-meter run and finished in 16th place. Ken Stehle & Justin Goodridge – Attended the state championship as alternates for the 4x400 relay. The 4x400 relay team of Tyler Luciano, Greg Porceng, Kieran Sheridan and Evan Vannatta - won third place at the state championships. The 4x400 team also competed in the 2017 New Balance Indoor Track Nationals held in New York City on March 12. |
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| SKILLSUSA AWARD WINNERS The Board honored three Baker students who attend programs at OCM BOCES. These students won awards in the 2017 SkillsUSA regional competition held in Syracuse in February. At the competition hundreds of area Career and Technical Education students competed in contests that included performance and written tests. Winners from Baldwinsville are: Isabellah Hightower - Second place in Prepared Speech. Michael Lagana - First place in Culinary Arts Alexis Townsend - Second place in Medical Math |
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| TEACHER NAMED SOLAR SYSTEM AMBASSADOR Jill Gravante - Jill Gravante, an Earth/Physical Science teacher at Durgee Junior High School, has been named a Solar System Ambassador for the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab. The Solar System Ambassadors Program is a public outreach program designed to work with volunteers around the country who communicate information about space exploration missions and discoveries to people in their local communities. |
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March 13, 2017
The Baker High School Jazz Band performed under the direction of teacher Casey Vanderstouw.
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February 27, 2017
| Presentation of Check for READy for Kindergarten Program Mr. Peter Moore, a member of the Baldwinsville Kiwanis Club, presented a donation from the club to Board President Victor Jenkins for the District’s READy for Kindergarten Program. |
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Jacob Brown
Jacob, a senior at Baker High School, is a finalist in the Photographers Forum 37th Annual College & High School Photography Contest. His photo is one of 100 student photos selected from 13,000 entries in the competition worldwide and will be published with the other finalists’ photos in the Best of College & High School Photography 2017.
CNY Scholastic Art Awards
The Board of Education honored 32 students from Baker High School and Durgee Junior High School who won awards in the 2017 CNY Scholastic Art Competition.
Baker High School:
Anika Archer - Drawing and Illustration - Honorable Mention -2
Jonathan Baker - Ceramics & Glass – Honorable Mention
Jacob Brown - Art Portfolio – Gold Key, Silver Key; Photography – Silver Key - 4, Honorable Mention - 2; Digital Art – Silver Key - 2, Honorable Mention
Robert Bryant - Photography – Gold Key - 3, Honorable Mention
Jenna Butkins - Ceramics & Glass – Silver Key
Gabriela Fernandez - Sculpture – Silver Key
Peyton Fleming - Photography – Silver Key; Digital Art – Silver Key, Honorable Mention
Claudia Fuller - Photography – Silver Key, Honorable Mention
Caleb Goldberg - Digital Art – Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention
Chris Gomez - Drawing and Illustration – Honorable Mention
Jessica Hardter - Art Portfolio – Honorable Mention
Katirina Herbs - Sculpture – Gold Key
Courtney Keller - Editorial Cartoon – Honorable Mention
Colin Kolodziejczyk - Mixed Media – Silver Key
Ciera LaCount - Ceramics & Glass – Silver Key
Michael Lagana - Sculpture – Silver Key
Graisa Madden - Ceramics & Glass – Honorable Mention
Abby Manning - Photography – Honorable Mention - 2
Marley McCard - Ceramics & Glass – Silver Key
Bobbi Nagowski - Photography – Honorable Mention
Skyler Parrow-Strong - Art Portfolio – Honorable Mention; Mixed Media – Gold Key; Photography – Gold Key - 2, Silver Key - 2, Honorable Mention
Alexius Perkins - Sculpture – Honorable Mention
Camryn Scott - Ceramics & Glass – Honorable Mention
Lyndsey Slavik - Sculpture – Gold Key
Jessica Sprague - Painting – Honorable Mention; Mixed Media – Honorable Mention
Carley Teachout - Photography – Gold Key; Mixed Media – Silver Key
Devon VanderVoort - Mixed Media – Honorable Mention; Photography – Honorable Mention
Durgee Junior High School:
Alexandra Iordan - Mixed Media – Honorable Mention
Kiylee Lescenski - Mixed Media – Gold Key
Samantha Lucas - Drawing and Illustration – Gold Key, Honorable Mention
Summer McClintic - Mixed Media – Gold Key
Ella Smith - Mixed Media – Honorable Mention
The Baldwinsville Pep Band performed for the Board of Education at its February 6, 2017 meeting.
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At the January 23, 2017 Board of Education meeting, the Board honored students who were selected to attend and perform at the NYS All-State Music Conference December 1 – 4, 2016 in Rochester. Students were selected through a rigorous audition process to be a part of this prestigious music conference.
Mixed Chorus
Evan Biedermann, Lukas Figliozzi, and Caleb Goldberg
Symphony Orchestra
Aaron DuBois
Wind Ensemble
Isabella Earle and William Grindle
Women’s Chorus
Molly Conway, Jessica Mullin, Mackenzie Murphy, Paxton Potter, and Vanessa Vacanti
Alternate
Zackary Boadway
Electronic Composition Showcase
Shane Patterson, a senior, had his original electronic music composition featured in the conference’s Electronic Composition Showcase. A panel of adjudicators selected the most outstanding student compositions from a large number of entries.
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(L to r) Superintendent Matthew McDonald, Caleb Goldberg, Molly Conway, Evan Biedermann, Will Grindle, Aaron DuBois, Shane Patterson, Band Director Casey Vanderstouw, and Board member Kim McIlroy.
At the Board's December 19 meeting fall teams, athletes, and coaches were honored for participating in state competition and for milestone achievements.
Girls Swimming: Noelle Staso competed in the NYSPHSAA girls swimming championships in the 50 meter freestyle, finishing in 40th place and she finished in 31st place in the 100 meter breast stroke.
Girls Cross Country: Justus Holden-Betts competed in the NYSPHSAA girls cross country championships, finishing in 32nd place. She was part of the Section III team that won the championship.
Field Hockey: The field hockey team had an amazing year. The team is the Section III Champion, the Regional Champion and a state semi-finalist. The team is coached by Tessa Ordway. Team members are:
| Hailey Boda Emma Brushingham Lauren Brushingham McKenzie Carroll Megan Doyle Shylea Dukat |
Paige Foley Chloe Lynch Mariah Mancini Marie McKee Isabella Nanna Hannah Norton |
Talia Scarfino Amanda Strenk Abigail Timmins Sydney Tse Olivia Wachob Mackenzie Wodka |
Kathy Morse, coach of the girls varsity soccer team, won her 200th game as coach on September 29, 2016 against Liverpool.
Mary Jo Cerqua, coach of the girls varsity volleyball team, won her 500th game as coach on October 4, 2016 against West Genesee.
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| Girls Varsity Field Hockey Team | Justus Holden-Betts, Coach Michael Scuderi, and Board of Ed Vice President Jeff Marier |
The December 5, 2016 Board of Education meeting featured a musical performance by the Ray cello chamber ensemble directed by music teacher Jennifer Bearup. Members of the ensemble are:
| Landon Arcadi Maeve Bartell Hannah Gould |
Jadyn Kantak Nadia Kozman Charles Richards |
Keenan Smith Jenna Speich Christopher Tapia |
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At the same meeting, several students and a staff member were honored for their achievements.
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NYSSBA Artwork
Eight Baldwinsville elementary students had their artwork on display at the 97th Annual New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) Conference in Buffalo, October 27 – 29. The exhibit highlighted student achievement in visual art across the state. Congratulations to:
Elden Elementary School - Grady Hudson and Gia Bellso
McNamara Elementary School - Carly Hack and Rylie Rachwal
Palmer Elementary School - Zachary Pendergast and Isabella DiGregorio
Reynolds Elementary School - Sophia Cavallieri and Grace Moody
School Psychologist of the Year
The New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP), Chapter E, has named Lara Lang the School Psychologist of the Year. Lang is the school psychologist at Elden Elementary School.
The award recognizes excellence in the provision of school psychological services and is presented by local chapters of NYASP to individuals who spend the majority of their time (75%) providing direct services to children and their families. Chapter E includes school districts in the counties of Onondaga, Oneida, Cortland, Oswego, Madison and Cayuga.
At the November 7, 2016 Board of Education meeting, the Marching Bees performed their show, The Grid.
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In July 2016, the Baldwinsville Marching Band, in conjunction with Assemblyman William Magnarelli, Time Warner Cable, and Sunnking Electronics Recycling, held an electronics fundraising event on the district’s main campus. At the Board's November 7 meeting, Assemblyman William Magnarelli presented the Baldwinsville Marching Band with a check in the amount of $1,003.56 in appreciation of the Marching Band’s hardworking commitment and outstanding participation efforts in this successful, worthwhile community event.
October 24-28 is Board of Education Recognition Week in New York State. At the October 24 Board of Education meeting, the District and its schools honored Board members for their service and commitment to the community and its students with a gift presentation.
| Zackary Boadway and Molly Conway, members of the Baker High School Musical Players, performed a few selections from the musical White Christmas, which Baker will present on December 16 & 17. Also, Baker High School art students displayed some of their work to show their appreciation for all that the Board does. |
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| Durgee Junior High School students Neil Trimm and Morgan Hey presented each Board member with a magnet created with the school's 3-D printer. |
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| Ray Middle School's sixth-grade and seventh-grade teams made special gifts for the Board members. |  |
| Elden Elementary School honored the Board with a video of the Elden chorus performing a very special song. You can watch it HERE. |
| McNamara Elementary School’s Student Council members wrote thank you letters to the Board to show their appreciation for all that the Board does to provide them with an excellent education. |  |
| Palmer Elementary School Principal Melissa Pietricola and her daughter, Bailey, a student at Palmer, presented each Board member with a special gift. |
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| Reynolds Elementary School created a very cute video from its students, in which students tell who they think the Board of Education is and what the Board does. Watch it HERE. Students presented each Board member with a homemade wreath. |  |
| Van Buren Elementary School presented the Board with a goodie basket full of treats. Student Andy McIlroy surprised his mom, Board member Kim McIlroy, when he presented the gift on behalf of Van Buren. The school also recorded a song to honor the Board. You can hear it HERE. |  |
At its meeting on September 9, the Board of Education honored students from Durgee Junior High School and Baker High School who earned 100% on a Regents exam in June 2016. The following students were honored:
| Baker High School Algebra 2 and Trigonometry Benjamin Dwyer Chemistry Sydney Tse ELA Common Core Karen Caswell William Grindle Allison Lange Global History Benjamin Dwyer Madeline Gaus Physics Noelle Staso US History Isabella Earle Kyle Pelcher Renny Simone |
Durgee Junior High School Algebra Common Core Jacqueline Boutilier Rose Mercer Earth Science Jacqueline Boutilier Skylar Yerdon Geometry Abigail Contello Living Environment Sophia Cronk Ryan Micho Tyler Miller - not able to attend |
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