Our Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas high school seniors got a nice surprise this morning when they entered their buildings and saw each one of their names posted on the wall, near banners celebrating their bright futures.
The banners were created by Webster Thomas art teacher Todd Stahl, and hung by parent volunteers near the entrances of both schools. The students’ names were written individually on small squares of paper, along with the school’s logo, and plastered together into huge displays welcoming the seniors back to school after the February break.
Thanks to Stacie Peters for all these photos!
“We wanted to surprise the kids when they (got) back to school on Monday,” wrote Schroeder PTSA chair Stacie Peters. “We are hopeful this will be super exciting for all of them to see once they return, pretty cool to see all the names together!”
She added, “We are super thankful to Mr. Benz, Mr. Widor, and Mrs. Saiff for all their help and support in all that we are doing for the Class of 2021. We cannot thank Todd Stahl enough for his time in creating such a fun and unique banner for each school.”
Special thanks also to Webster Thomas teaching assistant Tara Nielander, who wrote all of the Thomas senior names.
The recognition is part of an ongoing program designed by the Schroeder and Thomas PTSAs. Once a month through June, the PTSAs are surprising each senior with a fun gift or special event, planned for on or around the 21st of each month (in honor of 2021). Every 2021 graduate at Webster Thomas and Schroeder high schools, whether remote, hybrid, GOAL or other, is included. The program began in January, when each senior was presented with a small baggie of Hershey’s kisses, complete with an inspsirational message. You can read more about that special delivery in my blog here.
A peek inside the Bella’s Bumbas workshop, where new chairs await shipping.
It’s been a while since we last visited Bella’s Bumbas. This is the incredible Webster-based grassroots organization which for almost four years has been improving the lives of children with mobility issues, not just here in town, but all over the globe. But rest assured, they’re still going strong and recently received some national attention.
Bella’s Bumbas is a non-profit organization run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues. To date they’ve shipped more than 1600 chairs to children in 30 countries, recently adding Bangkok, Thailand, and Kuwait to the list, and they often adapt the chairs for each child’s individual needs.
As with most businesses, COVID has presented some challenges to their operation. But the pandemic hasn’t erased the need for these special chairs, so Rebecca and Marty remain dedicated to their cause, and continue to expand their services as much and as often as they can. All while being part-time caregivers for five of their grandchildren who are only attending school half-days.
I received this update from Rebecca the other day:
What a crazy year it has been thru Covid. We miss those of our volunteers that are social distancing for safety, and look forward to the whole team being together again. We’ve had some of our volunteers (Tom, Ron and George) rotate times and days to keep “bodies” at a minimum in the shop.
We’ve been shipping a few chairs directly to other countries (at great expense but worth the SMILES ) … we’ve been very blessed with the donations still coming in, and new contacts. We are well over 1600 chairs and have some amazing new businesses helping us in various ways making some of our specialized parts.
They’ve also recently partnered with Indiana-based Hearts in Motion, who will be helping them deliver several chairs to Guatemala.
Also, in a very exciting recent development, Bella’s Bumbas has been prominently featured in an article published this month in Brain and Life magazine, an official publication of the American Academy of Neurology. The article addresses how mobility devices, like the Bumba chairs, can benefit children’s brain health.
This is not news for anyone who’s taken the time to view the videos of smiling, mobile children on Bella’s Bumbas Facebook page. But it’s nice to see that confirmed by such as well-respected national publication.
Granddaughter helpers: Arya and Kaiya help move boxes.
Arya helps her Grandpa Marty assemble a chair
How you can help
Bella’s Bumbas continues to ask parents to pay for shipping, but that’s difficult for some families these days. Plus. shipping internationally is very expensive, and some of those costs often have to be covered. So cash donations would be gratefully accepted, and would also help purchase parts which are not donated by local businesses.
If you’d like to help out, visit their GoFundMe page, where you can also read more about their background and continued efforts.
They could also use boxes. The perfect sizes are 50 cm. x 45 cm. x 28 cm. (Rebecca uses two of these for the small chairs); 28″ x 20″ x 14″, and 29″ x 14″ x 24″ are great for the large chairs. If you’re getting Amazon deliveries regularly, you might also have the boxes they need; the ones that say P5 on the bottom are perfect (25.75″ x 20.75″ x 16.5″).
So if you have any boxes that are the right size, and would like to donate them, please connect connect with Marty and Rebecca through the Bella’s Bumbas Facebook page or email bellasbumbas@gmail.com.
I think you’ll agree with me that our teachers are superheroes.
I mean, recall that last March, on a week’s notice, they were asked to finish up the year by going completely online. Even this school year, they’ve been juggling Covid restrictions, remote lessons, half days or half weeks, doing their best to deliver as much learning as possible. And given all those challenges, I think they’ve been doing an amazing job.
So now more than ever, we should show them how much we appreciate them, and throw as much support behind them as possible. One of the best ways to do that is to join the Webster Central PTSA and — better yet — get involved as a volunteer.
The PTSA has sent out an urgent request for anyone interested in filling one of several open committee and executive board positions for the 2021-2022 school year. Committee positions include PACE, Community Arts Day, Reflections competition, PTSA Calendar, Recognition (Oak Tree and other district-wide recognition programs), Grants, Advocacy and Programming.
All of these committee lead positions are OPEN for the coming school year. Plus, on the executive board, both co-presidents, 1st VP (elementary), 3rd VP (communications) and secretary positions are open.
The need is great. Please consider lending a hand. For more information you can email CENTRALPTSA@WebsterPTSA.org.
The Webster Museum’s brand-new user-generated photo gallery, Websterscapes, is now open, and already features some stunning images.
Here’s your chance to show off your photography skills, and put them on display for all to see. Get out there are take some landscape photos, then send one or two of your favorites to the museum by emailing photos@webstermuseum.org. Or if you’ve captured one of our town’s beautiful landscapes on canvas, send along a photo of that.
You can also upload your submissions to the Webster Museum website. Please remember to identify the location of each photo.
Photos will be added regularly, so visit the gallery often to see the beautiful townscapes. Then stay a while and poke around the rest of the website. I say a while, because I just did that myself and definitely went down a rabbithole checking out several of the features in Phil Marr’s new blog section. Of particular interest is an old video explaining how a dial phone operates. I found it fun. And having seen at Community Arts Day how kids have no idea how to operate a dial phone, this might be something you should show them.
The website also has a section just for kids, which is updated regularly. This is another great resources to help keep kids entertained this week, and they won’t even realize they’re learning something.
We kind of lucked out the first few months of winter, but we all knew it was only a matter of time before we got any measureable snow. Now that we do, we might as well take advantage of it. Here’s a good place to start:
The Webster Parks and Recreation Department will host a Family Winter Fun Day on Saturday Feb. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Rec Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.
All sorts of family-friendly fun-in-the-snow events are planned, including
ice skating at the rec’s outdoor rink (bring your own skates)
an outdoor ice fishing game,
a polar bear station where kids can learn about polar bears, make a craft and read a polar bear book
hiking along the paved Chiyoda Trail (bring a flashlight or headlamp)
cross country skiing with the Rochester Cross Country Ski Foundation
If you don’t particularly like the cold, you can warm yourself by some fire pits, enjoy free hot chocolate and popcorn, or head inside to the gym to try out the Gaga Pit.
Thank you to everyone who’s already sent along some additions for my Webster Bucket List.
I wrote about my list last week (you can see that blog here). It’s a comprehensive list, but so old it’s out of date. For example, a few of the places on it don’t exist anymore, and a few of the events no longer happen.
So I’m looking for additions. Once I have a final, updated list, I’ll re-post the entire thing so that everyone can print it off and see how many places or events you’ve already checked off, or would like to.
So check out the list, then let me know what I need to add! Email me or send me a message via Facebook.
A few weeks ago I wrote about how our area is being visited by a few flocks of Pine Grosbeaks, who have come unusually far south from their breeding grounds in Canada. It’s such a rare occasion that birdwatchers from as far as Pennsylvania were heading to Webster Park and Mendon Ponds Park to catch a glimpse of the beautiful bird.
Little did anyone realize that some people only have to look out their back window to get a look at the plump, colorful finch.
Since that blog posted, I’ve heard from three people who have seen a Pine Grosbeak in their neighborhoods. The first was Denise Bonney, a Plank North Elementary School colleague, who said she didn’t realize right away what she was seeing, then remembered my blog and recognized it. Then I got an email from Karen Terp who said she and her husband had seen one while they were taking a walk.
And a few weeks ago I got another email, this one from Ruth Caves, who lives in West Webster. She not only saw one at her feeder but was able to get a photo, which you can see above.
Here’s a special Valentine’s Day treat from the Chorus of the Genesee, courtesy Laureen and Doreen of the Webster Public Library.
These two lovely ladies are hostesses of the library’s very informative “Let’s Explore Webster!” video series, in which they highlight local places of interest. In their most recent video, they take us inside the Harmony House, located at 58 East Main St. in the village.
In the video, Harmony House manager Brian Moore gives us a tour of this gorgeous historic building. It’s now used mostly as home to the Chorus of the Genesee and its barbershop quartets, but is often rented out by musical and dance groups for performances and other special events.
The Valentine’s treat is offered in the middle of the video, when one of the Chorus’ quartets regails us with two beautiful love songs in flawless four-part harmony. Those performances, and the entire Harmony House tour, should not be missed.
Click here to see the video on the Webster Public Library’s YouTube channel. Then spend some time taking a look at some of the other videos Laureen and Doreen have posted. (I’m even featured in one of them.) You might learn something about our town you never knew before.
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February Break, eagerly awaited by kids, can be a stressful time for parents who have to figure out how to keep them all entertained for a whole week, without relying too much on TV and computer screens.
The Webster Public Library is here to help, with activities that promise to provide hours of fun for everyone in the family. Herewhat’s in store:
Monday Feb. 15, 3 to 4 p.m.: I Spy at Home Valentine’s Day edition
All ages are invited to join a virtual I Spy game! A series of I Spy challenges will have kids racing throughout the house to find an object, any object, that matches the description, and then show the group what you came up with. There will be other I Spy puzzles as well. Register here and you’ll be sent the Zoom link before the challenge.
Tuesday Feb. 16, 7 to 8 p.m.: Family Disney Trivia
Think you know your Disney? Join this virtual trivia game to find out! All ages are welcome, and registration is required. (One registration per family/device please!) Instructions on joining will be e-mailed to participants prior to the event. Click here to register.
On Saturday Feb. 20 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., log on to watch the Egg Drop Challenge livestream. Which eggs will survive the fall without getting scrambled? Log onto the Webster Library’s Facebook pageat 10:30 to catch all the action.
Plus, remember that the library’s Snow Building Contest is still going on, through the end of February. We certainly have plenty of snow to work with, so bundle up and get out there, build something spectacular and send a picture to sarah.brown@libraryweb.org. All masterpieces will be posted to Facebook for patrons to vote on.
If you just want to have some fun indoors, download the library’s Winter Fun Activity Pack. It’s a booklet packed with tons of fun activities for adults and kids to try at home. You can print it out or work on it right on your phone or tablet.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being in the very small audience for The Webster Thomas Radio Hour, a collection of short, very humorous plays written and acted by students.
Given the restrictions caused by the pandemic, not a whole lot of people could see the play live. But DO NOT DESPAIR. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, you too can now enjoy this very clever walk back through memory lane.
The Webster Thomas Radio Hour is now on YouTube, and you can access it by clicking on this link.
If you love live theater, then you’ll be excited to know that all four of our secondary schools are preparing right now to stage plays this spring. Here are the details:
Students in the Spry Drama Club rehearsing Pajama Party
Spry Drama Club will be presenting its first-ever One Act Play Festival from March 18 to 20. Four plays will be performed, including “Pajama Party,” “Four Little Words,” “Goldilocks on Trial” and “Not so Grimm Tales.” Each play features between 10 and 14 cast members and accommodating them all for rehearsals has been quite a trick.
Artistic director Bill Ambler explained, “Rehearsal days coincide with the students’ cohort days. Each play has its own rehearsal day during the week. The kids have been amazing about social distancing and wearing masks while rehearsing.” Several soloists and small group ensembles will entertain the audience during the intermission.
Each play will give two performances for a intimate audience. The plays will also be streamed on the internet. More details to come about that.
Claudia B. and Kaci V.
(L-R) Ben H., Jennifer F. and Julia F.
Willink Middle School is preparing a Disney musical review, featuring selections from many of the shows the school has performed in previous years, with a mix of singing, acting and dancing. Shows will be scheduled for May 14 and 15. They’re hoping they can host small audiences, but even if not, the production will be shared online.
Webster Schroeder High School is currently rehearsing for their spring production of The Addams Family. They’re planning two shows, on April 23 and April 24.
They’re hoping to accommodate small audiences at these performances, but most patrons will be able to see the production live through a professional streaming service. Details about that haven’t been hammered out yet, but I’ll let you know when they do.
Some of the accommodations Schroeder Drama has made for their musical this year include a smaller cast; having no permanent on-stage set, which will allow for social distancing; and having the orchestra perform from the band room. More adjustments may have to be made if the currect restrictions aren’t lifted soon. .
The Webster Thomas Players have come up a creative way to beat the Covid: they’re taking their musical outdoors.
Webster Thomas will be presenting Cabaret at the Penfield Amphitheatre from June 17 to 19, with June 20 as a rain date. All shows will begin at 7:30 and tickets will be $12. Tickets will go on sale the beginning of May.
Director Brenda Nitsch writes,
The show will be more about the issues surrounding racism and political fanaticism and less around the unorthodox liberal lifestyles of the time. The show will be appropriate for all ages. The music is by the amazing John Kander and includes such greats as “Cabaret,” “Money Makes the World Go Around,” “Perfectly Marvelous” and “Tomorrow Belongs to Me.”
Stay tuned for more information about each one of these productions as it becomes available.
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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