WCSD community comes together to support State Road Elementary

14 Apr

Even in the most difficult of situations, a ray of light often shines through.

I’ve seen that occur repeatedly in Webster. When bad things happen and threaten to overwhelm our friends and neighbors with negativity, we come together as a community to support each other and bring a bit of sunshine to a dismal situation.

An excellent example happened recently when a disturbing incident took place at State Road Elementary School. The details of that event don’t need to be rehashed here, but I would like to bring attention to what happened afterwards.

Realizing that their colleagues were going through a tough time, teachers and staff members at Klem Road South and Plank Road North elementary schools decided to show State Road some love.

On Tuesday April 4, Klem South provided cookies and milk for their State Road colleagues — the ultimate “I love you” snack.

The previous day, Plank North went all out, setting up an entire breakfast buffet in the staff’s lunchroom, including bagels, muffins, yogurt and crock pots filled with oatmeal. Inspirational and humorous quotes sprinkled throughout the room reaffirmed the message of love and support.

The thank-you messages which came flowing into Plank North later that day showed how much State Road appreciated the effort. Here are a few of them:

Just wanted to say “thank you” to our PN friends for treating us with breakfast on Monday! It’s been a tough month, but it has also been awesome to see our One Webster comes together to support each other! — Keary Pender

I am so honored to be part of both of these amazing schools. Thank you Plank North family for supporting my other State Road family! I have already heard from many people over there about how much they appreciated the thought and kindness!! — Lindsay MacKenzie

Your school is so thoughtful! The breakfast & inspirational quotes are wonderful & beautiful. Thank you so much for your generous hearts! — Stephanie Jones

No words can express the gratitude I, and many others, have towards all of you. The spread was amazingly delicious but the posters and sayings were all so appropriate and really hit the mark on how we are feeling. Everything really touched our hearts. We are a community, you celebrate together and grieve together. I am grateful to be part of Webster. — AnnMarie Johansson

State Road principal Christine Noeth-Abele said the support did not stop there.

Our parent community and the PTSA (have) been providing us with love and food (cookie trays, fruit, breakfast, kind words, inspirational posters and flowers). We have had an incredible amount of support from everyone, including district office and our superintendent.

The kindness, compassion and support of the Webster community will never cease to amaze me. We can’t make unfortunate and uncomfortable situations go away but we can help each other through.

I am fortunate to work in such a caring and supportive environment. State Road is truly a family.

THIS is the wonderful school district in which I work, and the wonderful people with whom I spend my days. These are the people who teach and care for your children all day long.

We could not ask for a more caring school community.

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Webster Mailbag

14 Apr

mailbagI’ve packed a lot into today’s mailbag, partly because when I was at Community Arts Day I picked up special-event informational flyers from several  of the community agencies there. So let’s start with a listing of some of those events, then go on to mulch and drugs.

A Village Idiots Bash Fundraiser will be hosted on Sunday April 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Coach Sports Bar, 19 West Main Street in Webster. Local band Mesh will provide the entertainment to help the Village Idiots raise money to fight cancer. Admission is $5, which includes pizza, raffles, 50/50s and fun with friends new and old.

The Webster Museum and Historical Society will host a special program at the museum on Saturday April 29 beginning at 2 pm. Learn about an actual archaeological dig near Bay Road which has uncovered some Native American artifacts. The museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the village. For more information, here’s their website.

A donation drive at Savers, 980 Ridge Road in Webster, on May 6 will benefit the Friends of the Webster Library. From 9 am to noon, you can drop off clothes, bags, towels, bedding, hats, curtains and other soft goods, small appliances, tools, toys, kitchen items and games.

The Webster Baptist Church has announced that the next Crop Hunger Walk will take place on Sunday May 7 at the church, 59 South Ave., beginning at 1:30. For more information call Dough Klick at (585) 671-0485.

Mulch is Available at Town Hall

The mulch is back.

Every spring the Webster Highway Department delivers tons of mulch to the parking lot at Town Hall that Webster residents can retrieve for free for home use. This mulch has been composted by the Highway Department for the last year by the Highway employees from leaves picked up from resident’s yards.

They will continue to replenish the pile each day until the tons of mulch are depleted in the upcoming weeks.

Pharmaceutical Waste Pickup is April 29

There will be a pharmaceutical waste pickup at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, 226 Phillips Road, on Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any unused, unwanted or expired medication is taken for disposal. No appointment is necessary.

If you don’t feel comfortable with your personal information on the bottles, you can remove the pills and put them in a plastic bag disposal.

The Town Hall also has a CVS Drug Collection unit at the Webster Town Hall. This permanent pharmaceutical waste drop box can be found inside the Webster Town Hall, located at the Police Department entrance, 1000 Ridge Road, during regular business hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Like with the pharmaceutical waste pickup, items accepted at the drop box include any unused, unwanted or expired medication such as prescriptions, prescription patches, prescription medication, prescription ointments, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, samples and medications for pets.

Items that are NOT accepted include hydrogen peroxide, inhalers, aerosol cans, ointments, lotions, or liquids, thermometers, needles (sharps) and medication from businesses or clinics.

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The Easter Bunny visits St. Rita

13 Apr

OK, here are some of the cutest photos you’ll see today.

Thank you to Kerri Kiniorski at St. Rita School for sending along these shots of the Easter Bunny’s recent visit to the school.

 

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Oak Tree Award winners announced

13 Apr

The 2017 Oak Tree Awards for teaching excellence have been announced, and the winners are …..

Stacy Russotti, a fifth grade teacher at Plank South Elementary School, and Dave Stacy RussottiKowalski, a seventh grade science teacher at Willink Middle School.

Stacy was nominated by parent Patty Kaptein and received letters of recommendation from Plank South Principal Scott Wilcox and fellow fifth grade teacher Ronnette West, herself a previous Oak Tree recipient.

In the nomination letter, Kaptein wrote,

One special communication that really struck me at the beginning of the school year was in September (Russotti) personally called every student’s family member to check in on how the students where adjusting to her fifth grade classroom and to address any issues happening in her classroom early on. My daughter’s fifth grade class (was introduced) to the Honor Flight Rochester program…(with) students from the fifth grade attending the Honor Flight Rochester welcome home ceremony at the Rochester International Airport.

Dave Kowalski

Dave Kowalski was nominated by Bill Ottman, WCSD director of science and technology, and Brian Zimmer, WCSD director of educational technology and information. He also received letters of recommendation from Principal Gindling and Willink seventh grade English teacher Todd Putnam, who is also a previous Oak Tree recipient.

In nominating him, Ottman said that Kowalski is a

true collaborator… with a deep understanding of the concepts and skills you teach, a love of children, and a willingness and desire to continually challenge yourself to stay current and relevant to your students.

 

Congratulations to both recipients.

SparX wins top honors

Sparx Innovation in Control award

And while we’re at it, congratulations also go out to our Webster schools SparX robotics team, which recently won the Innovation in Control Award at the F.I.R.S.T. Buckeye Regional held in Cleveland, OH, the first weekend in April.

The award is presented to the team in which their spokesperson can identify and describe the controls innovation and can trace its conception, design, manufacturing/ assembly, or deployment. The control system must be innovative and unique and integrated with the machine, human players, strategy, etc., in concept and execution. The innovation must be practical, addressing the game’s challenge (not just a cute idea), and reliable under the stress of competition.

SparX received a trophy and plaque for the honor.

I got a chance to see this group of young people demonstrating their robotic handiwork at Community Arts Day. Their accomplishments are always impressive.

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A quick shout out to the Troopers

12 Apr

MindyJust a quick note this morning to say congratulations and thank you to the New York State Police, who celebrate their 100th birthday this year.

My little sister Mindy served with the Troopers for 22 years, and I am so proud of her. I remember when we were living in Waterloo and she came home from the academy every weekend, filled with stories about the challenges they put the recruits through. I remember driving into Norwich, NY to check out the little town which would be her first posting. I remember surprising her at the Oakdale Mall, where she was working at a recruiting table.

And I have bragged about her more times than I can count. I cannot even imagine how difficult that job must have been.

So if you see a Trooper pass by this week, give him/her a hearty thank-you wave. As for me, I’m lucky,  because I can give my Trooper a hug when I see her.

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Town Hall operations moving for 6 months

11 Apr

town hall

Big things are happening at Town Hall, and if you ever have reason to go there, you’ll want to keep reading.

Town Hall will soon be undergoing some major renovations, including upgrading the police department facilities, building department and assessment areas; enlarging the restrooms and adding a lunchroom for employees; upgrading the building interior; enhancing security; and asbestos abatement.

Renovations will begin later this month, and the building will be closed for six months while they’re being completed.

That means that beginning Friday April 21, the Webster Town Hall building at 1000 Ridge Road will be closed for six months.

While the Town Hall building is closed, all town business will be conducted at 1002 Ridge Road, the Van Ingen Court Building behind Town Hall next to Ridge Park. Long-time residents will remember the building as the old library. You’ll be able to pay your taxes there, get a dog license, apply for a building permit, get assessing papers, and any other business you currently do at Town Hall.

The Webster Police Department, however, will remain open at Town Hall. Of course, if you need emergency assistance, call 9-1-1.

All renovations are expected to be completed by November 1.

For questions, call (585) 872-7068 or email supervisor@ci.webster.ny.us

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Photos from Community Arts Day 2017

9 Apr

IMG_4537

What can I say about Community Arts Day that I haven’t already said?

It was another successful event put on by a wonderful group of volunteers who worked hard all day to welcome people with a smile, serve them great food, and basically provide a whole day of great family fun.

I tried to get a lot of photos, of course. But I’m sure I missed a lot, because so much was happening every minute of the day. And there was SO MUCH artwork to see!

Still, click here to see my gallery.

And thank you again, CAD volunteers, for another terrific event.

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Greater Rochester Peep Show a sweet success

8 Apr

IMG_4613

Just a quick blog to tell everyone to tell everyone about my trip to the Greater Rochester Peep Show on Saturday afternoon.

What fun it was. More than 80 “paintings” and dioramas featuring marshmallow Peeps were spread among two rooms at the Webster Recreation Center, depicting everything from a library to a construction site to a baseball field. The creativity was amazing, and several of them made me laugh out loud.

The Peep Show runs through Sunday, from noon to 4 pm. There’s no admission charge, but you can purchase concessions and voting tokens to vote for your favorite entry. Kind of the “Peeple’s Choice” winner.

The kids will enjoy peeking out of the 8-foot long fairy castle and shooting peeps with a slingshot on the Peeps target range.

You don’t want to miss it. Noon to 4 Sunday, Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.

You can see a lot more photos in my Webster on the Web Facebook gallery.

IMG_4593

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New Webster-based fitness program designed for children with Down syndrome

7 Apr

strike-fit logo

For about two years now, I’ve had the pleasure to work with the terrific folks at Strike Back Martial Arts in the village of Webster, where I help out most weekends with their Jujitsu Buddies classes. Strike Back owners Dave Nicchitta and Mike Palmer created the program three years ago specifically for children on the autism spectrum.

I’ve seen first-hand how these young people can benefit from a structured self-defense program which focuses on improving muscle tone, coordination, self-control and self-confidence, taught in an environment of unconditional support and positive social interaction.

Thanks to the success they’ve seen with Jujitsu Buddies, Dave and Mike have introduced a new program, called Strike-Fit, designed for young children with Down syndrome.

“We have seen the success that kids in our Buddies classes can achieve,” Nicchitta said. “It’s truly amazing to see how far the students have come from when we first met them. These triumphs, however small or big, are one of the reasons why we started this program in the first place and what keeps us going and pushing these kids to do more.”

Strike-Fit is a low-impact fitness program structured and tailored to the needs of young children and teens with Down syndrome. Activities will provide structured exercise while helping improve muscle tone and coordination, all in a safe and accepting environment. Students will be able to socialize with peers and form relationships in a safe and accepting environment, improving their confidence and self-esteem as they try something new.

“After doing our investigation into the programs and resources available to Down syndrome kids and teens, it became apparent that there aren’t many opportunities that exist outside of the ones offered in schools (OT / PT). We hope to change that with our Strike-Fit program.”

 

 

Strike-Fit is designed for teens and children ages 5 to 11. Classes will be held once a week for 45 minutes, and each session runs nine weeks. Cost is $200.

Children and their parents are invited to meet the instructors and find out more about the Strike-Fit at an open house on Saturday April 22, beginning at 11 a.m. at Strike Back Martial Arts.

Strike Back Martial Arts is located at 55 East Main Street, Webster. Call (585) 236-1083 or visit strikebackmartialarts.com.

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Busy weekend ahead

5 Apr

I’ll be bopping around Webster all day Saturday, camera in hand, taking photos of two

images (1)

Student artwork from all of Webster’s schools will be on display at Community Arts Day. 

great community events you and the family will not want to  miss.

 

For starters, the Webster Central School District’s annual celebration of our students’ artistic talents, Community Arts Day, returns this Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Road.

This is a super family-friendly event, which features artwork from students representing all of our Webster schools, elementary through high school. There are free music performances, dance, community displays, food and baked goods for sale, and plenty of things for kids to do. And just about everything is free of charge.

It’s a great entertaining, low-cost way for the family to spend a morning or afternoon. You can check out the whole schedule here.

And while you’re out and about…

The Greater Rochester Peep Show is also Saturday (and Sunday) at the Webster Recreation Center.

This fun fund-raiser sponsored by the Webster Community Chest invites community groups and agencies to create sculptures or dioramas completely out of — or utilizing — marshmallow Peeps candies. This is the second year the Community Chest has hosted the show, and they expect it be even bigger and more spectacular than the last.

balloon

One of the fanciful creations from the first Greater Rochester Peep Show in 2015.

You can vote for you favorite Peeps creation with tokens which you can buy at show, or just wander around the display rooms and admire the artwork. In either case it should be lots of fun and I am looking forward to seeing this year’s displays. There’s also free face painting for the kids.

 

The show will run from from 11 am to 6 pm Saturday and noon to 4 pm Sunday. You can read more about it here.

The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Drive, just north of the village of Webster.

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