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From the Superintendent... |
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| District
Mission, Vision and Value Statements
(Banners
can be seen on campus Achievement,
Character, Success for Life...ACS A quick glance at our District calendar will reveal a
number of musical performances scheduled for the month of March. March
is designated as Music in Our Schools month. To accommodate all of our
performing groups, we had to schedule our high school spring musical
in the month of April. We all are looking forward to the Jazz Band dinner
dance on March 29th and the high school musical, “Little Women”
on April 4th and 5th. Our students love performing in front of a live
audience! In addition to being great entertainment, these shows are the culmination of many months of rigorous learning. They are really the “Regents Exam” for the performing arts. Students work hard all year, honing their individual talents which are coordinated into a team performance that many people in our community have enjoyed for years. In some ways, this type of performance is much more difficult than the traditional paper and pencil examination designed to gauge achievement. There is very little margin for error and everyone is expected to do his/her part because the overall presentation depends on it. Our District honors and supports the arts as a critical part of our students’ total program. Presently we have over 400 students playing in one or more of our bands and approximately 400 students in the choral program. This is enhanced by a great number of students who participate in the drama programs each year including the youngsters who run the technical portion of the play. The students who participate in these activities not only gain a unique set of knowledge and skills but also develop and practice characteristics and behaviors that will help them to be successful in life. Students who participate in the arts demonstrate dedication, tenacity, responsibility, problem-solving abilities, creativity, and curiosity. These are not only wonderful characteristics in learners; they are extremely desirable in future employees. In the past few years, researchers have been trying to uncover the characteristics of workers that will help our nation to retain its competitive edge. The work of Thomas Freidman, author of the book The World is Flat, cites ten forces that are flattening the 21st Century – making it easier for the people in China, India and around the world to compete with Americans in areas where we had, in the past, been prominent. These flatteners highlight the way that economies have emerged due, in large part, to the technologies that have been developed and are available anywhere in the world. One only needs to recall the last time help was needed to sort out a glitch on a computer. Chances are the help line was somewhere in India at a call center. Friedman and others insist that instead of bemoaning the changes, we, in America, should focus on what we do well. What do other countries still find in the American culture that is enviable to them and difficult to copy? The answer lies in right brain thinking. Right brain thinking – artistry, empathy, synthesis, innovation – is the big differentiator. Citizens in any country who have an innovative spirit and creative expression will be the future problem solvers in our world. He coins a phrase, PQ + CQ > IQ. Translated this means that anyone who possesses a passion (PQ) for something and a curiosity (CQ) about something will be far more successful than someone who depends solely on his/her innate ability (IQ). If we can nurture curious, intrinsically motivated students, they will be able to think laterally and solve very complex problems. Our history attests to the fact that America was developed and continues to be a nation of innovators and pioneers. This is not to minimize the need for logical, linear type of thinkers (skills typically found in the left side of the brain) that schools typically do well educating. Friedman suggests that we need to continue to focus on left-brain education but also to expand our efforts in activities that train the right side of the brain. You guessed it! Skills, knowledge and behaviors in music, drama, and the arts reside on the right side of the brain! With your support, we can continue to educate young people who will be successful in the future and contribute to the well-being of our country. Future Dates: March 29 @ 6:30 P.M. Jazz Band Dinner Dance April 3 @ 7:00 P.M in the LGI Guest, Deloris Jordan will be at the Parent Academy to talk with parents on her experience raising athlete Michael Jordan. April 4, 5 High School musical, “Little Women” April 7 @ 7:00 P.M. Board of Education meeting: agenda items
Achievement,
Character, Success for Life...ACS
We have been informed recently of another exceptional opportunity for our students. Dr. Steiner, President of Genesee Community College, has just announced the Genesee Promise Plus Program. Under this program high school seniors can take two GCC courses in the summer after their senior year without any tuition costs. Students simply need to complete an application for study by June 15th and request a Genesee Promise Plus scholarship. The only other requirement is that the student must submit a residency form to qualify. The request, once signed by a school counselor, entitles the student to a scholarship which may be used at the Batavia Campus, any of Genesee's six campus centers, or for distance learning courses. The academic credits students earn during the summer can then be used toward a Genesee Community College degree, or transferred to virtually any other college or university in the nation. Students must pay for their own books and supplies, but each student will be given a scholarship of $816 which will pay for two courses! The Genesee Promise Plus Program is available to high school students in the GLOW region which includes the counties of Orleans, Genesee, Livingston, and Wyoming. The Genesee Promise Plus Program will help increase access to higher education for GLOW-area students, explained President Stuart Steiner. It ensures that every GLOW-area high school senior has the opportunity to participate in college courses. Genesee hopes to boost the number of area seniors who go on to college. "We are surprised by the number of high school seniors, including many honor students, in our region who do not choose to go on to college," Dr. Steiner said. While it is widely recognized that not everyone needs a four year degree to be successful in tomorrow’s workplace, it is universally accepted that some type of post-secondary training is needed. Many students can find training for rewarding careers at the community college level or they can use the community college as a springboard toward obtaining a Bachelor’s degree. We, in the District, have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership with Genesee Community College. Not only do our students have access to the courses on our campus, but due to the close proximity of the GCC campus, some of our students travel there for programs also. The entire staff at GCC has been highly accommodating to us and our myriad needs. It is a partnership in every sense of the word because we share similar missions in educating the youth for the challenges that will welcome in their future. Guidance counselors at our high school will be working closely with students to insure that they are aware of this summer opportunity. There is really no excuse for all of our 2008 graduates to take advantage of this generous offer. If you have any questions about the Genesee Promise Plan or any other program we have in our District, please contact me at any time. Future Dates: February 27, 2008 @ 7:00 A.M. Budget Workshop: open to the public March 2, 2008 @ 7:00 P.M. Board of Education meeting: agenda items include discussion of the business items ratification of the Teachers’ contract, overview of the occupational education courses, etc.
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