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News from the school district

16 Oct

Two items of interest today from the Webster Central School District.

The first is for veterans: To honor the service and sacrifice of our country’s military, Spry Middle School students and staff are hosting their annual free spaghetti dinner for Webster veterans, active duty service members, and their families. This special event is a heartfelt thank you to those who have served our nation.

The dinner will take place on Thursday, November 5 from 4 to 6:30 p.m., in Spry Middle School’s cafetorium at 119 South Avenue, and feature a complimentary meal of spaghetti, salad, bread, and dessert.

Reservations are requested. Please call Spry Middle School at (585) 216-0093. Takeout is available for those who prefer to enjoy their meal at home. For those who’d like to pick up an order, please call ahead to reserve a meal. Attendees and those picking up takeout orders should enter the school from Route 250, using the entrance at the back of the cafetorium.

This dinner is made possible by the generous support of Spry Middle School Builders Club, Webster-Fairport B.P.O. Elks #2396, Spry Middle School Student Council, Wegmans, Webster Community Chest, Walmart, and A&G Food Service in appreciation of the service of local veterans and active duty service members.

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Second, the call has gone out for this year’s Oak Tree Award nominations.

The annual Oak Tree Award recognizes excellence in education, celebrating one elementary educator and one secondary educator each school year. Recipients exemplify outstanding performance in their field, an unyielding commitment to their students, and exceptional leadership within the community.

Nominations are open to the entire community. Any Webster resident, district employee, current or former student, parent, teacher, or administrative colleague may nominate a Webster CSD educator for the Elementary or Secondary Oak Tree Award. If your life or your child’s life has been positively impacted by an educator, or if there is a particular teacher who stands out and deserves recognition, the WTA and PTSA encourage you to submit a nomination.

To be eligible for the Oak Tree Award, nominees must currently hold a full-time position in Webster CSD and plan to continue in the district for the next school year or retire from Webster CSD at the end of the current school year. Eligible positions include preK–12 classroom teachers, school counselors, psychologists, social workers, librarians, media and language specialists, as well as speech, occupational, and physical therapists. Additionally, nominees must have a minimum of five years of teaching experience in Webster CSD and hold active memberships in both the Webster Central PTSA and the WTA.

The deadline for all submissions is January 29, 2027, but community members are urged not to wait until the last minute. Submissions can be completed online here. For full details regarding the award, eligibility and recognition guidelines, click here.

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(posted 10/16/2026)

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Community invited to Webster SparX annual Rah Rah Cha Ruckus

12 Oct
A few images from past competitions

The Webster SparX Robotics Team (FIRST® Team 1126) invites community members, prospective students, and robotics enthusiasts to cheer on the team at the annual Rah Cha Cha Ruckus on Saturday, October 17, at the Nazareth University Golisano Training Center, 4245 East Ave., Rochester.

The Rah Cha Cha Ruckus is a high-energy, Halloween-themed, off-season competition featuring regional high school robotics teams competing head-to-head. The local event gives robotics teams a chance to use last year’s robots to practice their skills and get new members up to speed.

The event kicks off with an opening ceremony at 8:15 a.m., followed by dynamic alliance matches running throughout the day. For families and students curious about FIRST Robotics, the event provides a firsthand look at high school engineering in action within a festive, community-focused environment. It’s free and open to the public.

Webster SparX Team 1126 is comprised of students from both Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas high schools and is actively recruiting new members for the upcoming season. Opportunities are available for both STEM and non-STEM students, including roles in mechanical design, programming, graphic design, marketing, fundraising, and team logistics.

Each year starting in January, FIRST Robotics Competition teams work alongside adult technical and business mentors during an intense six-week build window. Teams design, program, and construct industrial-sized robots to play an action-packed game in three-team alliances, operating under the principle of Coopertition®. Teams also raise funds, establish brand identities, and promote STEM literacy across their local communities.

For more information about the SparX robotics team or joining for the upcoming season, visit the team website, or stop by the pit area at the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus on October 17 to say high, get a close-up look at the action, and ask some questions.

About FIRST®

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is the world’s leading youth robotics community, delivering hands-on STEM learning that inspires innovation, builds confidence, and prepares kids for life through mentorship, teamwork, creativity, and engineering challenges.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 10/12/2026)

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Webster Marching Band presents Autumn Fanfare

1 Oct

Get ready for a spectacular evening of sight and sound when our very own Webster Marching Band presents its 40th annual Autumn Fanfare field show and competition on Saturday October 17 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.

Autumn Fanfare is always a spectacular evening of storytelling through music, marching, and even a little bit of acting. There are always huge set pieces involved to move the music-story forward. This is an awesome opportunity to see what our hometown marching band has been up to, and be impressed by the incredible amount of hard work these kids put in every year to create a show that will blow you away.

This year’s show is called Every Which Way, described as,

… a visual journey where direction becomes our playground. We begin Left and Right, exploring the horizontal plane as arrows point the way and performers shift, travel, and cross from side to side. Our second movement, Up and Down, turns our sense of direction on its head, as performers climb, descend, and slide their way through an ever-changing vertical landscape. Our final movement gets Twisted, when everything we’ve explored collides as twists, turns, and paths overlap in an energetic kaleidoscope of motion. Left becomes right, up becomes down and suddenly there’s no single direction to follow but Every Which Way!

Whoa.

Autumn Fanfare is a true spectacle, featuring 11 bands from across the region, who compete for top honors. In past shows, participating schools have included Corning, Greece, Horseheads, Jordan-Elbridge, Lancaster, LeRoy, Medina, Orchard Park, Rochester, Victor, Webster and West Seneca. Every one of their amazing performances will have you at the edge of your seat and on your feet. Plus, there are FOOD TRUCKS, so plan to get dinner there, too.

The show will take place on Saturday, October 17, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Webster Schroeder Stadium, 875 Ridge Road. Gates open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 at the gate, or $10 in advance through this link:  (kids 5 and under are free).

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 10/1/2026)

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Webster schools celebrate 60th annual Fun Run

25 Sep

It couldn’t have been a more perfect day for the Webster Central School District’s 60th annual Fun Run, held Thursday morning at Charles Sexton (North Ponds) Park.

The annual Fun Run challenges our district’s fourth graders (about 600 of them this year) to complete a one-mile course along the trails surrounding the park. The event began six decades ago as a modest sixth-grade competition at DeWitt Elementary School, but over the years expanded to include entire grade levels across all Webster elementary schools, shifting its focus from a high-stakes race to a celebratory lesson in wellness.

Today, the Fun Run serves as an opportunity to introduce fourth grade students to local community park resources while encouraging lifelong healthy habits.

District elementary physical education teachers collaborate each year to organize the event, encouraging students to run, jog, or walk the course at their own pace. For many of these students, running a full mile can be an intimidating task, and the Fun Run might be the first time they’d ever done that. Crossing the authentic running-race finish line instills a profound sense of pride and self-confidence, showing students firsthand what they can achieve when they tackle a tough challenge.

The atmosphere at the start of the race was electric. Each student got his or her very own running bib, complete with a timing chip. As the countdown started, a few got in some final stretches, others settled into their running stances, and the rest just bounced with excitement. Upbeat music blared through large speakers. Parents lined the course, holding signs and shouting encouragement. Then, at the appointed time, the runners burst off the start line to rousing cheers from the adoring crowd.

Revving up the runners
Parent cheering squad

I love this event for so many reasons. It doesn’t only teach our kids that exercise — even running — can be fun; it also gives them a chance to see old friends, meet new friends, do something together with all of their fourth grade classmates, and really feel part of a community, regardless of their physical ability.

It was a great day for all involved. Thank you to our WCSD phys. ed teachers for pulling this together every year, to the transportation department for providing buses, to the Webster Thomas and Schroeder student-athletes who encouraged the young runners, to Fleet Feet for providing the official race bibs and fancy finish line, and to all the parents who came out to cheer. The big smiles from the kids make it all worth it.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 9/26/2026)

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Webster Thomas counselor named Traveling Teacher of the Year

20 Sep

A huge congratulations to Webster Thomas High School counselor Felice Prindle, who was recently named 2026 Traveling Teacher of the Year by Teach & Travel magazine. Prindle was recognized for her extensive dedication to global service learning and student empowerment. She was featured in the publication’s September 2026 edition.

Prindle’s path to education followed an initial career in hospitality across the U.S. and Italy. Driven by a desire for meaningful relationship-building, she pivoted to school counseling. Her student travel service journey began in Bloomfield, New York, where she helped Spanish-learning students find a hands-on impact project. In 2016, Prindle and her students were among the first U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba in 50 years.

For the past five years, Prindle has brought that same passion to Webster Thomas High School through the Titan Service Scholars program. Open to both current students and alumni, the volunteer-driven initiative combines service learning, research, and reflection to build sustainable, reciprocal community partnerships.

Central to Prindle’s work are her projects in the Bateyes, rural settlements historically built around sugar mills in the Dominican Republic and across the Caribbean. Every six months, she returns with students and alumni to build infrastructure and co-facilitate mobile medical clinics.

Over the past decade across Bloomfield and Webster Thomas, Prindle has guided more than 300 students on global impact projects. Titan Service Scholars has grown into the second-largest program at Webster Thomas High School, attracting students from every corner of the student body.

“Service is a great equalizer,” Prindle said. “You don’t have to be smart; you don’t have to be athletic; you just have to be willing to pick up a shovel and hand-mix cement. You can have the most popular kid, you can have the music kid, you can have the football player, you can have the valedictorian… and they all bring different strengths to a project.”

The impact extends far beyond the communities served. Participating students consistently report that these hands-on journeys profoundly reshape their lives, frequently influencing their career choices and personal passion projects long after graduation.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 9/20/2026)

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Thomas and Schroeder tennis “Pink Out” to benefit Gilda’s Club

18 Sep

I only just got this press release today, but wanted to share it with you all while there’s still time for you to put it on your calendar.

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Webster Thomas and Webster Schroeder High Schools will come together for a special “Pink Out” Tennis Tournament on Saturday, September 19, from 9:00–11:00 a.m. at the Webster Thomas tennis courts, bringing athletes and the community together in support of those affected by breast cancer.

Approximately 50 girls from Webster, Brighton, Pittsford, and Greece high school tennis programs will take to the courts for a morning of competition, camaraderie and community spirit, with proceeds from the event benefiting Gilda’s Club.

The Thomas tennis courts will be flooded in pink as players show their support for breast cancer survivors, those currently undergoing treatment, and the families and friends whose lives have been touched by the disease. Fans, students, families and members of the Webster community are encouraged to attend and wear pink.

“Breast cancer has touched so many lives, including members of our own community,” said Linda Vazzana, Webster Thomas varsity tennis coach. “This event gives us an opportunity to come together not just as athletes, but as a community. The girls are proud to play for something much bigger than tennis. It’s an honor to be part of an event that brings our town together for such an important cause.”

Admission to the Pink Out Tournament is free, and donations benefiting Gilda’s Club will be accepted throughout the event.

Come out, wear pink and join the Thomas and Schroeder tennis teams for a morning of great tennis and community spirit as Webster rallies together for a cause that reaches far beyond the court.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Saturday, September 19
Time: 9:00–11:00 a.m.
Location: Webster Thomas High School Tennis Courts
Admission: Free — Donations encouraged
Benefiting: Gilda’s Club

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 9/18/2026)

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24 hours. 45 students. One secret musical.

14 Sep

Webster Schroeder High School will host a fast-paced 24-Hour Musical Challenge on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. in the school auditorium, 875 Ridge Road. In an intense 24-hour sprint, a team of 45 student performers and technical crew members will learn all choreography, music, stage blocking, and technical cues before performing a complete, live musical production for the community.

In addition to the tight timeline, the title of the show is being kept strictly confidential. The mystery production will be officially revealed on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. via the Webster Schroeder Musicals Facebook and Instagram pages.

The event serves as a major fundraiser for the school’s award-winning drama program. Proceeds from ticket sales will directly support Webster Schroeder Musicals’ production of Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, scheduled for February 2027.

The mystery musical will be presented on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. Tickets are $20 and are on sale now. Click here to order yours.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 9/14/2026)

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Ellie Songer, Webster Thomas ’16, recognized for excellence in healthcare

29 Jul

Congratulations to 2016 Webster Thomas High School grad Ellie Songer, who was recently awarded a 2026 Future of Healthcare Award from the Greater Bridgeport (CT) Medical Association.

Ellie, who is currently an orthopaedic surgical physician assistant at Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut, is one of ten recipients of the award this year. It recognizes outstanding healthcare professionals under age 40 who are making a meaningful impact through leadership, innovation, service, and dedication to improving healthcare in the Greater Bridgeport (CT) region.

After graduating from Thomas, Ellie entered the six-year Physician Assistant program at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, which she completed in 2022. While at her first job, she received the 2024 Rising Star Award at St. Vincent’s Medical Center for her early-career clinical excellence.

According to an article on the Patch.com website,

Since joining Yale Medicine, Ellie has become an integral member of a busy and growing musculoskeletal practice. She is known for going above and beyond to ensure patients receive seamless, compassionate care throughout their surgical journey. In addition to her clinical responsibilities, she has volunteered to cover hospital shifts outside of her regular practice to help provide continuity of care for patients.

Ellie was presented with her award at the inaugural Future of Healthcare Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, July 22, at Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course in Fairfield, CT.

This bit of happy news was forwarded to me by Ellie’s very proud mother, Gladys Songer, who wrote that “I think Ellie’s success is a testament to the excellent, well-rounded education she received from countless dedicated educators, coaches and support professionals from the Webster Central School District.”

She also noted that  Ellie was a member of Thomas’ cross country and track teams. During her time with cross country, the team competed at States in 2014 for the first time in Webster Thomas history, and the team qualified for States for at least 3 more years. 

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(posted 7/29/2026)

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Marching Band Food Truck Rodeo celebrates 10 years

24 Jul

For ten years now, music, crafts and good food have come together at the annual Webster Marching Band Food Truck Rodeo. This year’s event. scheduled for Thursday Aug. 20, promises more of the same.

In addition to the huge lineup of food trucks, this popular community event will feature artisan and craft vendors, a kids’ play area, free face painting, and a performance by the Kidets Jr. Marching Band. But most exciting, the marching band will be debuting their 2026 show, so you can get a first look at what this award-winning group has up its sleeve for this year’s competition season.

Confirmed food trucks so far include Macarollin’, Rob’s Kabobs, Eat Greek, and Bruster’s, with more to come.

Organizers are looking for artisans, crafters and other vendors who’d like to sign up to be a part of the rodeo. To apply, click here. Deadline is July 31.

Admission to the annual food truck rodeo is free, but your attendance will keep these vendors and food trucks coming back every year, which greatly benefits the Webster Marching Band.

The 10th annual Marching Band Food Truck Rodeo will be held Thursday Aug. 20 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.

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(posted 7/24/2026)

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Attention Webster Schroeder class of ’77

20 Jul

Plans are in motion for the Webster Schroeder Class of 1977’s 50th reunion, scheduled for July 9-11, 2027.

Naturally, there are still a lot of details to be worked out, but organizers can already report that the main event will be a catered picnic held at the White House Lodge in Webster Park on Sunday afternoon. Other activities throughout the weekend will be announced as plans are finalized.

It’s being held on the same weekend as the Thomas 1977 reunion, whose main event will be on Saturday night. Scheduling them for the same weekend will hopefully open up some opportunities for joint class events.  

But before they can send out invitations and start taking reservations, the organizers need to track down contact information for many of your classmates. And when I say MANY, I mean 156 of them. There are so many that I really can’t easily list them all here, but you can click here to see the whole list. If you have contact information for any of these fellow graduates, please email the reunion committee at hwsclassof77@gmail.com. 

As details are finalized, updates will be posted regularly on the Class of ’77 reunion website here and Facebook page here. The Facebook page has photos from the 40th reunion, yearbook photos, and some updates on your classmates.

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(posted 7/20/2026)

email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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