Messages from Superintendent Thomson (2022-2023 School Year)
October 7, 2022Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers,
We have made it to another weekend and this time it’s a 3-day weekend! Happy Friday!
I have a few announcements to share with you today:
Calendar reminders
There’s no school on Monday, October 10 for all students and district offices will be closed. There are four Parent-Teacher Conference days scheduled for this month. Parent-Teacher Conferences are reduced days for prekindergarten to fifth grade students only. Ray, Durgee and Baker students are not impacted. The conferences will be held on the following dates:
- Friday, October 14, 2022
- Thursday, October 20, 2022
- Wednesday, October 26, 2022
- Monday, October 31, 2022
This is the last call to take part in our survey. The District has partnered with an independent third party-research company, Research & Marketing Strategies, LLC, to offer a survey to our residents. As we begin strategic planning activities for 2023 and beyond, it is important to obtain feedback from the community-at-large. Learn more on our website or take the survey by clicking here.
Lunch & Learn
Mark your calendars for the first installment of our Virtual Lunch & Learn with the Superintendent of Schools on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at noon. Grab your lunch and tune in to learn more about what is happening in the Baldwinsville Central School District. This is a great opportunity to ask questions to district leaders about important topics. If you’re unable to attend our Zoom at noon, videos will be available on our website with contact information for each of the presenters. We welcome your questions, comments and suggestions. Learn more on our website.
District seeks volunteers
We are starting the development process for the 2023-2024 budget and we are seeking community input through budget advisory committees. The District is looking for volunteers to serve on committees to review specific areas of the budget and to provide input on the budget cost savings prior to the budget components being presented to the Board of Education for review. Visit our website to learn more about meeting dates and how to volunteer.
Homecoming
The Homecoming football game is tonight at 6:30 p.m. C.W. Baker High School students and staff geared up for the big game with a pep rally this afternoon. Check out our social media pages for photos of the fun!
Busy weekend
The busy holiday weekend, which is kicking off tonight with Homecoming, is jam-packed with Bees in action. Our Marching Band is traveling to the University of Delaware for the Bands of America Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship. Our esports team will be competing in the Elite Cup Series Rocket League live tournament at Retro Game Con, which is being held at the Oncenter in Syracuse! Several sports teams are also in action. Go Bees!
Congratulations
Congratulations to our Boys Varsity Golf and our Girls Varsity Tennis teams for winning Section III Championships this week! Well done, Bees!
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the newly named Baker’s Dozen. The Baker's Dozen represents the 13 students that have the highest weighted GPA in the Class of 2023. Visit our website to view the list of students who received this honor. It takes a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication to be named to the Baker’s Dozen! Wow! Great job, Bees. I’m extremely proud of your accomplishments.
Please continue to check your email and our website, www.bville.org, for updates. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Have a great 3-day weekend. All the best. Go Bees!
Respectfully yours,
Jason D. Thomson
Superintendent of Schools
September 30, 2022
Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers,
As September comes to an end, I want to take this opportunity to thank our staff, students and families for the wonderful start to the 2022-23 school year.
I have a few announcements to share with you today:
Food Service
The food service is off to a great start serving nutritious and delicious breakfast and lunch meals. School Lunch Director Donna Rice would like to send a reminder to families: School meals are not free this year and it is never too late to complete a free/reduced price meal application. Remember it is not just about meals, if you qualify there are other benefits tied to it.
Varsity Football Games
Our Varsity Football team plays at home this evening and next Friday for Homecoming. We love to see the support from our families and the community at our home games. We wanted to remind parents that students who are in seventh grade and under need to be accompanied by an adult and must stay with an adult during the game. This security measure is in place to keep our students safe. Our School Resource Officers working the game will be enforcing this policy. We appreciate your cooperation. We also wanted to let families know that if you can't attend the game, you can watch it live for free on T1 Sports, which is powered by Hudl. Click the link to watch upcoming athletic events.
Winter Sports
Sign up for Winter 1 modified girls volleyball and modified boys basketball begins on Saturday, October 1st. Sign up for Winter varsity and junior varsity sports starts on Saturday, October 15th.
Please continue to check your email and our website, www.bville.org, for updates. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Have a great weekend. All the best. Go Bees!
Respectfully yours,
Jason D. Thomson
Superintendent of Schools
September 23, 2022
Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers,
It’s been a busy week in our district with curriculum nights, sporting events, rehearsals and special events. It’s hard to believe that we are nearing the end of September, but I guess it’s true what they say, time flies when you’re having fun!
I have a few announcements to share with you today:
COVID Updates
- There is no longer a universal masking mandate. Masks are not required in any of our schools, district buildings, or on school buses. If a student or staff member wears a mask, whether by choice, expectation, or requirement, they will be allowed to do so. It is expected that each individual’s right to mask or not to mask is free from stigmatization, bullying, or being made to feel uncomfortable.
- The district no longer plans to post cases to the COVID-19 dashboard due to the reporting requirement of school districts to the NYSDOH being lifted. For all COVID-19 related updates visit our Health Services website.
- If you’re interested in voluntary saliva-based PCR testing, please check out our website for information on how to register with Onondaga County.
We are starting the development process for the 2023-2024 budget and we are seeking community input through budget advisory committees. The District is looking for volunteers to serve on committees to review specific areas of the budget and to provide input on the budget cost savings prior to the budget components being presented to the Board of Education for review. Visit our website to learn more about meeting dates and how to volunteer.
Marching Band Home Show
The Marching Bees Home Show is this Saturday at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium. The show starts at 5 p.m. There are 12 bands performing. The Bees will perform at 7:36 p.m. followed by a Bees Senior Recognition at 8 p.m. General admission is $9 at the door. Seniors and veterans are $7. Children 5 and under are free. Come out and support the Bees!
No Image List
If you DO NOT WANT your child’s image to be taken and used by the district or local media during the current school year, please fill out the opt-out form and return to Public Information Specialist Sarah Buckshot, Baldwinsville Central School District Office, 29 East Oneida Street, Baldwinsville, NY 13027. This request must be made every year. We are honoring the requests from the 2021-2022 school year until September 30, 2022 only. Please don’t wait to alert us that you want your child on the No Image List. If you have questions, please email sbuckshot@bville.org.
After School Enrichment Programs
Registration for After School Enrichment programs opened on Wednesday and will close on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Check out our website to learn more about the offerings at your child’s school.
Survey
There’s still time to take our survey. The District has partnered with an independent third party-research company, Research & Marketing Strategies, LLC, to offer a survey to our residents. As we begin strategic planning activities for 2023 and beyond, it is important to obtain feedback from the community-at-large. Learn more on our website or take the survey by clicking here.
Please continue to check your email and our website, www.bville.org, for updates. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Have a great weekend. All the best. Go Bees!
Respectfully yours,
Jason D. Thomson
Superintendent of Schools
September 16, 2022
Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers,
Happy Friday! I hope everyone is settling into their school routines and enjoying the return of fall activities! It’s so great to have everyone back in our schools and in attendance at all of our events.
I have a few announcements to share with you today:
COVID Updates
- If your child is symptomatic, do not send the child to school. If the child has or has had a fever in the last 24 hours the child must remain home until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. Testing for symptomatic individuals is recommended but not required for return to school/work. Report all absences to the school attendance office.
- If your child tests positive for COVID-19 isolation is required for 5 days following the start of symptoms. The day symptom(s) start is counted as day zero. Report all absences to the school attendance office. The child can return to school on day 6 if symptoms are improving and the child has been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. A mask should be worn on days 6-10.
- At-home test kits are available at any school building for your convenience. Saliva-based PCR testing will be available through our partnership with the Onondaga County Health Department for any students or staff members who are interested in participating. More information about this opportunity will be available soon. Participation in COVID-19 testing is NOT required.
Parents and guardians will receive information next week via email regarding our after school enrichment programs. There are opportunities available for students in Kindergarten to 12th grade. Please keep watch for information in your email on Wednesday, September 21st regarding the available programs. Enrollment will run Wednesday, September 21 through Tuesday, September 27 only.
“Equity, Access and Opportunity” Workshop
Syracuse University School of Education’s Center on Disability and Inclusion is offering a four-part inclusive education workshop for educators and families. The workshop, “Equity, Access and Opportunity” is free and open to the public. The first event - “Equity and Opportunity Won't Happen By Accident” - is September 28th at Drumlins Country Club, 800 Nottingham Road in Syracuse, and the keynote speaker is George Theoharis. Click here to register.
Survey
The District has partnered with an independent third party-research company, Research & Marketing Strategies, LLC, to offer a survey to our residents. As we begin strategic planning activities for 2023 and beyond, it is important to obtain feedback from the community-at-large. This survey will take about 7-minutes to complete and will provide you a forum to share your thoughts about District activities. Learn more on our website or take the survey by clicking here.
Please continue to check your email and our website, www.bville.org, for updates. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Have a great weekend. All the best. Go Bees!
Respectfully yours,
Jason D. Thomson
Superintendent of Schools
September 9, 2022
Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers,
The first week of the 2022-2023 school year is officially in the books! I’ve had the opportunity to visit all of our schools this week and it’s been amazing to see all the smiling faces! There's a genuine excitement in the air and it is my hope that we can carry that excitement with us throughout the school year.
I have a few announcements to share with you today:
Survey
The District has partnered with an independent third party-research company, Research & Marketing Strategies, LLC, to offer a survey to our residents. As we begin strategic planning activities for 2023 and beyond, it is important to obtain feedback from the community-at-large. This survey will take about 7-minutes to complete and will provide you a forum to share your thoughts about District activities. Learn more on our website or take the survey by clicking here.
Once you have completed the survey, you will have an opportunity to enter a drawing to win a gift card for $75 dollars (there will be multiple winners).
Transportation
Thank you all for your patience this week as our drivers learn new routes and new schedules. We’re still working on correcting the issue with the “My Stop” application. We’ll let you know when it’s up and running. The secondary schools, which were dismissed early this week, will be running on their normal schedules starting on Monday.
Go Bees!
Our athletic teams are in full swing with games and tournaments. Come on out and cheer on our Bees. You can follow all the athletic news on Twitter or check game schedules on our website. Our Marching Band will also be back in action during the first competition of the season at Jordan-Elbridge High School on Saturday. The Sounds of Autumn show starts at 6 p.m. Go Bees!
Please continue to check your email and our website, www.bville.org, for updates. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Have a great weekend!
Respectfully yours,
Jason D. Thomson
Superintendent of Schools
September 6, 2022
Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers,
Happy last day of summer break before the start of the new school year. Our teachers, administrators and support staff are eagerly anticipating the return of our students tomorrow morning! We can’t wait to have you back on campus!
We have few quick reminders and announcements to share with you:
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A very important change for the 2022-2023 school year is the cost of school meals. The USDA terminated the ability to provide meals to all students at no cost. During the 2022-2023 school year, families can qualify for free and reduced meals by filling out a family application as we did prior to COVID. Available forms of payment for paid meals and a la carte items can be made in the form of cash, check or the MySchoolBucks application. The 2022- 2023 Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals is located on page 21 of the August Hive. You can also print an application HERE and mail to Food Service at Baldwinsville CSD, 29 E. Oneida St., Baldwinsville, NY 13027.
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The Back to School Quick Reference Guide is posted on our website. Please review it and let us know if you have any questions. You can email questions about the guide, Hive or District Calendar to sbuckshot@bville.org.
Please continue to check your email and our website, www.bville.org, for updates. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. See you tomorrow! All the best.
Respectfully yours,
Jason D. Thomson
Superintendent of Schools
August 24, 2022
Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers,
We are just two weeks away from the start of the 2022-2023 school year! We are very excited to welcome everyone back to our school buildings on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a few important updates:
- The 2022-2023 bus information, class lists, schedules, and teacher assignments for students will be available in the Parent Portal on Friday, August 26th. For help using Parent Portal, visit our User Guide.
- You should receive the Hive in the mail this week. Please take the time to review it because it contains several important forms for the 2022-2023 school year. The District calendar will also be arriving soon. Prior to 2020, important forms were delivered with the calendar. Now all forms are included in the Hive, including the No Image Request Form and Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application. Both forms need to be filled out every year. The Hive is also available online on our website.
- A very important change for the 2022-2023 school year is the cost of school meals. The USDA terminated the ability to provide meals to all students at no cost. During the 2022-2023 school year, families can qualify for free and reduced meals by filling out a family application as we did prior to COVID. Available forms of payment for paid meals and a la carte items can be made in the form of cash, check or the MySchoolBucks application. The 2022- 2023 Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals is located on page 21 of the August Hive. You can also print an application HERE and mail to Food Service at Baldwinsville CSD, 29 E. Oneida St., Baldwinsville, NY 13027.
- The Back to School Quick Reference Guide is posted on our website. Please review it and let us know if you have any questions. You can email questions about the guide, Hive or District Calendar to sbuckshot@bville.org.
Respectfully yours,
Jason D. Thomson
Superintendent of Schools
