October
2006
Editor: Bethany Burgess, LMSW
SUPERINTENDENT’S CORNER
This was a
recent Superintendent’s Corner that was directed at the dedicated staff
serving your children each day. Whenever I refer to teaching and learning I
am including all who work with the children in any capacity.
Each time I escort a visitor around our
school they express their amazement in the positive things they see
happening. The comment, “This has to be one of the best kept secrets in New
York State”, is a common response to what they observe. Unlike the casual
observer, I have the pleasure each day of witnessing what our staff does for
our students. I can assure you that what you do is not kept secret. People I
come in contact with probably get tired of hearing me sing your praises.
The following poem by Margaret O’Rourke
expresses how I view those who teach:
Molders of the Future
Most folks well worth the memory,
have statues carved in stone.
But teachers mold their monuments
in living flesh and bone.
The student who goes out in life
and makes a well known name,
Admits unto the heart of it all,
Some teacher shares the fame.
I never hear the pianist
with talent true and rare,
But in the shadows I can see,
a teacher standing there.
No skillful doctor ever saved
the lives of human kind,
Without the seeds some teacher stored
within that fertile mind.
No actor, writer, carpenter,
no boxer you’ll allow,
Pursues his chosen field unless
some teacher showed him how.
Lawyers,
doctors, engineers,
all who are beloved men.
Remember what some teacher taught
and quote it now and then.
Yes, teachers mold their monuments.
They build them year by year.
Not like the ancient pyramids,
so awesome and austere.
Which time and time will wear away,
but spurning solemn stone.
Our teachers mold eternally
in living flesh and bone.
Keep on caring
about what you do. You are shaping our students for independence.
Welcome to our new Staff
Jamie Hermance – Classroom Teacher Unit 1
Mark Faulkner - Pre-Vocational Workshop
Karen Courter – Classroom Substitute
Jennifer Ruble - Classroom Substitute
Darlene Schneckenburger – Social Work Intern
NYSSB Family
Association
Thanks to all of the families that participated in our Holiday fundraiser.
We have a 29% participation rate. That means 18 of 62 families placed orders.
We spent $37.99 on flowers and awards for Homecoming 2006
and $31.26 on Meeting supplies and food.
Our free training from the Parent Network of Western New York that was scheduled for October 13th had to be cancelled due to the storm we had. It is now tentatively scheduled for Friday December 8th. Please let us know if you are interested in attending and remember the topic is: Overview of Special Education and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
What’s Happening in the Classrooms?
| Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | Unit 4 | Unit 5 | Unit 6 |
| Unit 7 | Unit 8 | Unit 9 | Unit 10 | Unit 11 |
Unit 1
Liz Saleh/Jamie Hermance, Kathy Babcock, Tricia Morse
Unit 1 has had some really big changes this month. Liz Saleh has retired and we now have a new teacher, Jamie Hermance. She was able to shadow Liz for the last half of October and was able to learn our daily routines and procedures. The students are beginning to get to know her and respond to her. She is enjoying working with the students and getting to know each of their unique abilities and personalities. She will bring new life and vitality to our unit but of course the students will miss Liz.
One of our words of the week was “Native Americans”. We got to shop for corn, squash and beans. The Native Americans called these vegetables the Three Sisters because they grow well together and supply many of the needed nutrients for a good diet. We had a cooking activity with Unit 6. Not only did we discover how delicious each of these vegetables was, but also we were able to observe the difference before and after they were cooked.
At the end of the month we attended a theater production at Buffalo State called Snow White. We attended this play with Unit 2 and everyone had a good time. There were plenty of songs, which many of the students enjoyed. We all had a chance to be a part of the community and socialize with our friends from Unit 2!
Unit 2
Anne Bird, Diane Bassett, Mary Beth Demmer, Grace West
What a nice month we had in Unit
2! The month of October featured words that start with the letter “N”. Our
favorite word was “noises” – we had fun listening to different environmental,
animal and bodily sound tapes. The students were quite good at matching the
sounds to their sources. But they especially enjoyed imitating sounds such as
sneezes, coughing and yawning. It was quite the noisy week! We also talked
about “nature” and things we find outside in the season of Fall. We made a
scarecrow and talked about harvest time. Everyone really enjoyed doing a
scarecrow dance! We explored a pumpkin (no one liked feeling the gooey
insides!) and made a book called “The Story of a Pumpkin Seed”. We were
supposed to go on a field trip to a pumpkin farm but it got cancelled due to
our crazy Friday the 13th snowstorm, so we went on a pretend trip
instead. We stayed right in our classroom and went on a pretend hay ride to a
pumpkin patch and picked a pumpkin, played some games and had cider. We had
fun despite the weather! We did get to go on a trip to Buffalo State College
to see a theater production of “Snow White”. Everyone remembered to use their
audience manners and it was a very enjoyable event.
Unit 3
Jackie Cackett, Amy Klein, Sue McGregor, Tammy Pestlin
October seems to have been a blur for us in Unit 3. "N" was our letter of the month and kept us going with various activities. Games, videos, stories, art projects, and music experiences just to name a few.
We started out the month with a special birthday celebration for one of our classmates. It was Claudia's 21st birthday on October 4th. She enjoyed her special day to its fullest with a class party. Claudia was happy and full of smiles to be "Queen for the Day!"
We had a special field trip planned for October 18th to the Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence, NY. Unfortunately due to the crazy weather we had the weekend before it had to be canceled. We were all quite disappointed, but have some other ideas in the works for different trips in the near future.
We participated in the big event that celebrated "nature." We tasted apples, made scarecrows, created spooky pictures, picked out special pumpkins, listened to a Halloween tale and socialized with our friends. It was a terrific experience for all who participated.
Our favorite out of the whole month had to be Halloween. Our classroom dressed up like the whole Peanuts gang. We had Charlie Brown (James), Lucy (Claudia), Linus (Mike), Sally (Tori) and Snoopy (Zach). The kids had a wonderful day full of tricks and treats, spooky stories and scary music. Of course the kids couldn't wait to check out all the loot in their goodie bags. Even the staff got to enjoy a couple of goodies!!
Unit 4
Veronica Dodge, Lesley Robinson, Kim Shepard
Hi everyone from Unit #4. In October, we did a mini-unit on Native American's reading stories like "Arrow to the Sun" and "Pocahontas". We made several Native American crafts such as Dream Catchers, a Beaded Necklace, Shaker Instruments and Corn Husk Dolls. We also did a mini-unit on sound and noise. We made "Great Gongs" with a paper cup and a nail suspended from the cup with a string so that when you hit the nail it made a tinny or vibrating sound. We explored sounds with books such as "Night Sounds" which has the voices of various animals in it such as a cricket, frog, etc. when you press the buttons. We did manage to sneak in one field trip, with our friends from Unit #6 to Brown's Berry Patch and got a chance to listen to Farmer Brown explain a bit about what it is like to work and live on a farm. We also pet the horse and goats, saw the chickens and cow and interacted with a pig. On Friday, October 27th we are planning a pre-Halloween party with our friends from Unit 2 & Unit 6 complete with scary stories, special treats, and a sing along/music. Well, that is about it for this month. Next Month, we are off to Shea's in Buffalo with Unit #10 to see a play called the "Snow Dragon". Also, there is an African Safari exhibit for us to examine just up the road at the Veteran's Hospital here in Batavia. Until next month, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!
Janet Quait, Mark Herrmann, Kim Hilburger
In October we went to the apple farm and tried hot cider and fresh cinnamon donuts. We brought apples back and made microwave applesauce that everyone enjoyed. We had a great time at the big event decorating miniature pumpkins.
“Noises” was one of the words of the week and we liked listening to a variety of different noises including the ocean, musical instruments and other sounds like clapping, tapping, snapping…
For technology we listened to stories on the computer. The students really seem to enjoy it.
Unit 6
In spite of the rainy weather, Unit 6 visited Brown's Berry Patch in Waterport, N.Y. (It always rains on Reggie's Field Trips). Several indoor activities were scheduled and we also participated in the barn tour. The students learned about several different kinds of apples and the uses of the different varieties. Students learned about several other agricultural products from New York State as well. In the barn the students were able to visit with several animals including goats, cows and pigs. After lunch the students visited the store and tasted several products including mustards, cheeses and natural peanut butter.
We have begun a unit on Explorers in Social Studies. Each student is reading or listening to a book about an explorer or the Age of Exploration. When finished, the students will prepare a non-fiction book report with assistance. In our unit on Geometry, students are studying about different two dimensional and three dimensional shapes.
Unit 7
JoMarie McMullen, Rachael Ciociola, Ray Follett
The students in Unit 7 were busy once again with several activities. They visited the Richmond Memorial Library for story time and library activities. The Librarian read the story, "Noisy Nora", to go along with the word of the week and the letter of the month. Afterwards, the students were allowed to play with the Leap Pad program, locate books on tape to listen to, color pictures and complete puzzles.
We also went to Pudgies Nursery. The students learned about growing plants and flowers and how a green house works. They also felt several different types of planters and smelled flowers. We were shown Indian Corn and pumpkins as well. At the end of our trip, each student was given a mum to bring back to school. We planted the mums in our garden.
The students have also been learning about different environments. They know the environment is what surrounds them. They discussed what types of environments they like and don't like. Some said they like quiet environments, while others said they like noisy or musical environments. We talked about how different places have different environments. The gym and music are noisy, while the classroom is quiet. Outdoors is noisy, the library is quiet.
Writing skills was the topic for English Language Arts. The students practiced writing thank you notes, along with writing/Brailling words that begin with letter "N". The students are learning about New York State history for Social Studies. They are learning their home addresses, where they live in the state, and the characteristics of the area they live in. They are working on a topographical map of New York to go along with the unit.
We will also travel to the Botanical Gardens in Buffalo. The students will once again learn about flowers and how they grow. They will learn about a different type of green house and feel the difference in temperatures from outdoors to inside the green house. The students will be allowed to participate in activities at the Gardens with the tour guide.
Unit 8
Melissa Schwab, Brian Hilburger, Judy Wetzel
Unit 8 is
always on the go and out in the community. Every Tuesday and Thursday Cody
goes to Batavia Middle School to study ancient history and Kyle goes to
Batavia High School for a math class. Every other Thursday Michael and Alicia
go to Batavia High School to attend a life skills class.
This month
we had a Field Trip on Thursday October 26, 2006 to BJ’s. We needed to
purchase a new board game for the classroom and Halloween Goodies!!! We will
be handing out Miniature Play-doh!
We also had a trip to Genesee Valley BOCES Cosmetology Class. We plan to go every second Thursday and see what we can participate in. This month Brittney had her nails done and Kyle and Cody got their hair cut.
The entire Unit got to practice bus safety and do a bus fire drill and our teachers got to do some extra O&M training! We hosted the Big Event, which took place on Wednesday, October 25, 2006! All students in Unit 8 helped prepare the learning activities that all the students in the school could enjoy.
Most
importantly, we want to welcome our new classmate Amtoj, but he prefers to be
called “Ams”. Ams is a great addition to the class and fits right in with our
group.
Unit 9
Dan Dolph, Bryan Bradt, Lana Wolcott
It’s hard to believe we have two months of the school year already behind us. Where is the time going? Select students, during their O&M session, purchased pumpkins for the class to carve along with some to share with other classrooms. Students enjoyed choosing a design, carving, sorting seeds, digging out the pulp and just having fun with their friends. The seeds were washed, dried and baked for a tasty treat. For Halloween, the students had the opportunity to dress up and visit other classrooms for healthy treats.
We made snack bags for
the students and staff members that visited our school from Batavia High
School for their Community Service Day. One of our students has been
practicing their Braille skills by writing to a former NYSSB student that
moved away last school year. The class also went to see a classic Russian
folktale called, Baba Yaga at the University of Buffalo. A tale that won’t be
soon forgotten!! For science, many students built an FM radio from scratch
using several electronic parts from a kit. It was a lot of fun watching the
students’ faces light up with excitement when they flipped the switch and
heard music from something they helped build!
Unit 10
George Sawyer, Jaime Cramer, Amy Gromlovits
October was a busy month for Unit 10. One of the first activities that we participated in was planning for and cooking a class meal. We planned to eat chicken nuggets, corn, potatoes, fruit cocktail, milk and bread with margarine. In order to make it a healthy meal, we had to make several modifications to our menu. Instead of prepared frozen chicken nuggets, we bought boneless chicken breasts, cut them into pieces and rolled them in breadcrumbs. Then we baked them in the oven. The corn and potatoes were acceptable for a healthy meal as long as we used no butter or margarine. Next, the fruit cocktail had to be low sugar and in its own juice or water packed. Lastly, the bread had to be whole wheat and sprayed with a butter substitute pump spray product. We learned that eating healthy takes more than just picking up the first thing that is at arm's length.
We also had two opportunities to get out into the community. First, we went to Applebee's Restaurant in Batavia. Our students chose from the menu and everyone was happy with their choice of food. Everyone was on their best behavior. Second, we went to Brown's Berry Patch near Lake Ontario. We went out into the fields to select pumpkins for Halloween. Each student was allowed to choose one pumpkin. The school's kitchen staff made a picnic lunch that the students enjoyed eating. Again, everyone was well behaved. We are so proud of their progress! Well, that's it for now. Look for our next report in the November issue!
Unit 11
News from the Art Room
By Jacquelyn Rease
