Afton Central School Newsletter - aftoncsd.org · Afton Central School Newsletter M.Masse ... Band...

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Volume 18, Number II July 2010 Afton Central School Newsletter M.Masse News from the Superintendent www.afton.stier.org Dear District Residents: I would like to take a moment to congratulate all of our seniors! We are very proud of them and wish them well in all of their future endeavors. We also would like to wish our retirees the best in the future. Alice Burnett is retiring after working in the District for 30-years as the nurse practitioner. Alice has been a fixture at Afton, attending games, advising classes, etc. She will be sorely missed! Gary Gardner is also retir- ing from the transportation department after 19 years, 16 as the Head of Transportation. Their hard work and dedication to Afton Central School will be greatly missed! Congratulations again Alice and Gary! Our Girls’ Softball team made it into the NYS tour- nament this year after winning the Section IV title for the 16th straight year, a phenomenal accomplishment! Andy Sanford participated in the State track meet. Isamarie ramos and Nikiah Gaydorus were alternates for the meet. The District is extremely proud of their accomplishments this spring. The plans for the EXCEL maintenance project have been sent to the NYS Education Department for approval. We are projecting a start date for spring of 2011. A list of the items to be addressed in the project is in my office. If you have any questions or have an interest in reviewing them, please come in and we’ll go over the plans with you and answer any questions you may have. A big thank you to all of the District residents for their support of the annual budget vote. Your support helps us maintain our programs and continue to improve the instruc- tion we provide for our children. I am extremely proud of our staff, our students and our community! This has been an extremely difficult budget year and next year is projected to be even more challenging. I would like to ask for volunteers to serve on a year long committee to work with us on the budget and to try to help us find new ways to save money while continuing to offer quality programs for our students. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please call me at 639-8229. Congratulations to Henry Bostelman for his election to the Board of Education. Henry joined the Board at their re-organizational meeting on July 7. We end the 2009-2010 school year by celebrating the achievements of our students in many fields of endeavor. We have observed high academic performances, special talents and numerous personal triumphs this year! All of these things make our work worthwhile! As we head into the slower pace of summer and time outdoors, please take a moment to relax and enjoy time with family and friends, —Elizabeth Briggs, Superintendent of Schools Valedictorian and Salutatorian Announced Dan Clark, son of Daniel and Julie Clark of Coventry, has achieved the academic honor of Valedictorian. He has maintained a seven-semester grade point average of 96.71%. Although academics have always come first, Dan has made a constant effort to become involved in ACS, as well as the sur- rounding communities. Since he was a freshman, he has been involved in every club available at Afton Central School, except FFA. In his Senior and Junior Years, he has assumed leadership roles in each of these clubs. In the majority of these clubs, he is the Treasurer. The District Office clerks have come to know him well. Dan has always been a firm supporter of the Music Department. He participates in both Advanced Band as lead trumpet, and Advanced Chorus as President, and ACCENT (a select choral group at Afton.) He is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to learn (continued on the next page)

Transcript of Afton Central School Newsletter - aftoncsd.org · Afton Central School Newsletter M.Masse ... Band...

Volume 18, Number II July 2010

Afton Central School Newsletter

M.Masse

News from the Superintendent

www.afton.stier.org

Dear District Residents:I would like to take a moment to congratulate all of our

seniors! We are very proud of them and wish them well in all of their future endeavors.

We also would like to wish our retirees the best in the future. Alice Burnett is retiring after working in the District for 30-years as the nurse practitioner. Alice has been a fixture at Afton, attending games, advising classes, etc. She will be sorely missed! Gary Gardner is also retir-ing from the transportation department after 19 years, 16 as the Head of Transportation. Their hard work and dedication to Afton Central School will be greatly missed! Congratulations again Alice and Gary!

Our Girls’ Softball team made it into the NYS tour-nament this year after winning the Section IV title for the 16th straight year, a phenomenal accomplishment! Andy Sanford participated in the State track meet. Isamarie ramos and Nikiah Gaydorus were alternates for the meet. The District is extremely proud of their accomplishments this spring.

The plans for the EXCEL maintenance project have been sent to the NYS Education Department for approval. We are projecting a start date for spring of 2011. A list of the items to be addressed in the project is in my office. If you have any questions or have an interest in reviewing them, please come in and we’ll go over the plans with you and answer any questions you may have.

A big thank you to all of the District residents for their support of the annual budget vote. Your support helps us maintain our programs and continue to improve the instruc-tion we provide for our children. I am extremely proud of our staff, our students and our community!

This has been an extremely difficult budget year and next year is projected to be even more challenging. I would like to ask for volunteers to serve on a year long committee to work with us on the budget and to try to help us find new ways to save money while continuing to offer quality programs for our students. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please call me at 639-8229.

Congratulations to Henry Bostelman for his election to the Board of Education. Henry joined the Board at their re-organizational meeting on July 7.

We end the 2009-2010 school year by celebrating the achievements of our students in many fields of endeavor. We have observed high academic performances, special talents and numerous personal triumphs this year! All of these things make our work worthwhile!

As we head into the slower pace of summer and time outdoors, please take a moment to relax and enjoy time with family and friends,

—Elizabeth Briggs, Superintendent of Schools

Valedictorian and Salutatorian Announced

Dan Clark, son of Daniel and Julie Clark of Coventry, has achieved the academic honor of Valedictorian. He has maintained a seven-semester grade point average of 96.71%.

Although academics have always come first, Dan has made a constant

effort to become involved in ACS, as well as the sur-rounding communities. Since he was a freshman, he has been involved in every club available at Afton Central School, except FFA. In his Senior and Junior Years, he has assumed leadership roles in each of these clubs. In the majority of these clubs, he is the Treasurer. The District Office clerks have come to know him well.

Dan has always been a firm supporter of the Music Department. He participates in both Advanced Band as lead trumpet, and Advanced Chorus as President, and ACCENT (a select choral group at Afton.) He is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to learn

(continued on the next page)

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Published three times a year byAfton Central School, Afton, New York 13730

607-639-8229

board of educationMargery SecrestVanessa Warren

Henrty BostelmanJohn Masse

Richard Rogler

AdministrationElizabeth Briggs, Superintendent of Schools

Kimberly Werth, Elementary PrincipalDavid Glover, Secondary Principal

June White, Editor

Typeset and Printed by DCMO BOCES Printing Service

about something as fun and intriguing as music. Dan has also enjoyed developing an on-air

personality at WACS-TV, the school’s cable news program. He now intends to pursue journalism, specifically broadcast, because of his ambitious desire to change the world we live in.

Outside of school, Dan frequently partici-pates in a guilty pleasure of his, musical theatre. Afton Community Theatre and the Out of the Woodwork Players have graciously taken him among their ranks, and he could not be more grateful for the experience he has had with everyone involved!

Dan now writes a monthly column, titled Teenhood Today for The Daily Star, a regional newspaper based in Oneonta. He enjoys every article he writes, and is glad to be stepping into the journalism world at such a young age.

He would like to thank all of the teachers for shaping him into the very person he has become in 13 years at ACS. He would like them to know how much of an impact each and every one of them makes every day.

He plans to attend The University of Missouri because of their acclaimed journalism program. His other choices include SUNY Albany and the College of Saint Rose.

As for advice to underclassmen, and everyone in general, Dan sends a clear message, “When life gives you lemons, don’t make lemonade. That’s a one-time deal. Take that lemon, plant a lemon tree and you’ll soon enjoy the fruits of life!”

rebecca baudendistel, daughter of Raini Baudendistel of Afton, is the Salutatorian with a seven-semester grade point average of 96.07%.

While being successful with academics, Becca has also excelled in other aspects of school. Becca has been the President of the

Class of 2010 since the 6th grade. She is a member of Student Government, National Honor Society, ACS Yearbook staff, LEYP (League of Extraordinary Young People), as well as the Afton Mock Trial team, where this year she helped the members of the team achieve their goal of becoming the 2010 Chenango County Champions. The amount of time spent at the school after hours for these activities is so extensive, in fact, that some even joke about her being on the payroll.

In addition to that, she has been a member of the Advanced Band and Jazz Band for four years, and has held the position of Band Treasurer. In the athletic department, she has partici-pated in JV and Varsity Basketball, earning the title of Scholar Athlete in 2009, and is currently the manager for the Boys’ Varsity Baseball Team.

Becca was also the first female to become a member of the Boys’ Soccer program at Afton. She participated on JV for two years, being a co-captain for one of the years, and was a member of the Varsity team for two years. This is one of the experiences from her high school career that she will treasure most. She would like to thank everyone involved in making that experience possible, because without the support of many, she would have missed out on something she truly loved to do.

Afton Central School has given Becca various recogni-tions for her achievements. Becca received the November Senior of the Month award by Afton’s faculty and staff for her citizenship. She was also nominated and sponsored by her school to attend the National Student Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.

Becca would like to thank everyone at the school for making it such a great place to go every day. She would especially like to thank the teachers who pushed her and helped make her who she is today. Whether they believe it or not, they are very much appreciated for all that they do and the differences they make every day.

When it comes to advice to underclassmen, Becca’s words of wisdom are as follows, “Number one—be funny, be wacky, be different and just be you, because life’s too short to be cool. And number two—always take the road less traveled by, it really does make all the difference.”

Becca’s future plans include attending Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, and earning a degree in Political Science to eventually work for FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security.

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Main Street Grill and Bakery Hosts Healthy Living Students

Students once again had the unique opportunity to spend their class time at the Main Street Grill and Bakery, hosted by Executive Chef and Owner Liz Dawson. Students learned healthy eating strategies and were given the chance to do hands-on education. As part of their final project, students were offered the choice of making a special dish or designing/making their own six inch cake. Projects were as follows:

Vanessa Armetta—Heart decorated cake for someone specialHannah beames—Fox logo cakebrian behorey—One-of-a-kind omeletTrysten butts—Monster logo cakeAaron Cirigliano—Piggie in the Mud cakeSarah Cunningham—Blue Elephant specialty cakeIlona Gorton—Chicken wraps to-die-forJeff Gurnee—Chicken wraps to-die-forbrittany Hunt—Classy Ribbon cakeScott Jaindl—Melt-in-your-Mouth chocolate cheesecakeTrevor lauritsen—Enjoi Panda logo cakelance mcAdams—Chicken wraps to-die-forStacey rinker—One-of-a-Kind guitar cake bryant Williams—Melt-in-your-Mouth chocolate cheesecakeA big thank you to Mrs. Dawson for all of the preparation

and time given to our students. This is a large commitment for The Grill, and our students are fortunate to have this special opportunity! —Ms. Jessica Wheeler

Stevens Attends HOBYInspiring, educational,

compassionate, energizing, enthusiastic, motivating, transforming, long-lasting, and life-changing . . . these are some of the words that students, schools, parents, alumni, volunteers and sup-porters use to describe Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY).

Founded in 1958, HOBY’s mission is to inspire and

develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation. HOBY programs are conducted annually throughout the United States, serving local and international high school students.

HOBY programs provide youth selected by their schools to participate in unique leadership training, service-learning and motivation-building experiences. Each year high schools are encouraged to select one sophmore to attend the locally sponsored HOBY event.

This year brandon Stevens was selected to attend the event at SUNY Oswego, June 4-6. Here are some thoughts that Brandon shared when he returned from his time at HOBY, “I learned more about being a leader in one weekend than I have my entire life! HOBY has inspired me to make a difference in Afton and the other communities around. I want to give back to the community and help in any way I can. Whatever it takes, I am willing to step up and make a difference in people’s lives. I want to leave a positive impact on those that I come across in this life. HOBY was a big force that made me want to do this. If you are invited to go to HOBY, go!”

Congratulations, Brandon, on being this year’s nominee to attend HOBY.

—Mrs. Deborah Samuel

Important NoticeSports Physicals

As of July 26, it will be the family’s responsibility to schedule a physical

outside of school in order for their child to participate in sports.

Band Performs at Foster ParkAfton Central School Band, under the direction

of Chris Luttinger, played at Foster Park during the Memorial Day program.

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Costa Rican Students Draw Mural at ACS

This past winter the visiting students from Costa Rica responded to Mr. DeVona’s invitation to create a hallway mural by designing and painting a beauty in just three days!

The seven by nine foot mural in the library hallway features wildlife native to Costa Rica, as well as a map and f lag of the country.

“They really showed great teamwork, creativity and attention to detail,” Mr. DeVona said.

—Mr. Dan DeVona

Vocalists Perform at NYSSMA Afton vocalists went to Norwich on Friday, May 21,

to perform NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) solos for evaluation by certified judges. Mrs. Westover provided the accompaniment on the piano for the soloists. The songs were selected from the NYSSMA manual, which includes songs graded on a scale from one to six, with six being college level music, the most diffi-cult music. Each student was scored in several categories including: tone, intonation, technique, diction, accuracy, interpretation and basic proficiency in sight reading. Mrs. Westover congratulates all the students who spent their own time preparing their songs to perform for adjudica-tion. The entire process is challenging and requires self-confidence and courage. Each singer is scored individually and gets only once chance to show their abilities. At the end, the singer receives a score sheet with both a numerical score and a comment section. The comments are there to allow the student to improve upon their singing skills using the suggestions given by the adjudicators. Levels 1-4 are scored on a 28 point scale while Levels 5 and 6 are scored on a 100 point scale.

reSulTS of THe 2010 eVAluATIoNS:GrADe 6

leslie Tallmadge, Level 3—25 points, Excellent; GrADe 8

Tessa Cutting, Level 4—20 points, Good rating;GrADe 9

maria Andrews, Level 5—91 points (A-), Gold;GrADe 10

Sarah erckert, Level 4—24 points, Excellent; Annette Vernon, Level 6 All-State—85 points (B), Silver;brandon Stevens, Level 6 All-State—90 points (A-), Gold;Alexa Alfonsi, Level 6 All-State—96 points (A), Gold;

GrADe 11Jeffrey Smith, Level 6 All-State—90 points (A-), Gold;Ashley Curtis, Level 6 All-State—97 points (A+), GoldMrs. Westover is encouraged that so many of the Afton

singers were willing to take on this challenge to improve themselves and encourages young singers to join in next year for the NYSSMA festival.

—Mrs. Michal Westover

Teachers’ Association Holds Food Drive

The Teachers’ Association sponsored a food drive to ben-efit the Afton Food Pantry in June. Weis Markets donated the paper bags used in the collection. There were two win-ning classrooms in the elementary school. Mr. Ludwig and Mrs. Krom’s classes each brought in 44 items. Mrs. Covey’s homeroom won in the middle school. In the high school, Mrs. Page’s Adult’s Connecting with Kids mentoring group brought in 60 items. The ATA gave snack vouchers for the cafeteria to every student in the winning groups.

Ed Hromada at the Food Pantry was very appreciative of the 30 bags and boxes that were delivered. The Food Pantry

serves an average of 64 families each month, supplying 22,095 meals each year.

—Ms. Kristy McElhinny◄ Ilona Gorton (9th) unpacking

bags at the food pantry.

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On Our Own TimeAs part of a continuing

series entitled On Our Own Time, the High School Library hosted a week of lunchtime student musical performances during the week of May 10.

Performers included: Jose Gonzalez, Dan Clark, Kaylee beers, erin Daly,

Kurt rogler, rebecca baudendistel, mariah mohr, Clayton Andrews, Nate Cutting, Travis Ketzak, and an ensemble from the Advanced Chorus production of Jersey Boys.

On Our Own Time highlights student involvement in the arts pursued outside of their course work. It recognizes the effort they have put into their personal enrichment, and it demonstrates to other students the benefit of that effort to the whole community.

Mr. DeVona especially thanks the students in his high school mentoring group for inspiring this idea and encour-aging it to happen.

—Mr. Dan DeVona

Performers Kurt rogler, Kaylee Beers, erin Daly, Dan Clark and rebecca Baudendistel

Performers Nate Cutting and travis Ketzak

Senior Class TripThe Class of 2010 recently enjoyed their senior trip to

Cleveland, Ohio. The weekend started on May 21, when the class left from the school at 7:00 a.m. on a six hour bus ride. Once arriving in Cleveland, they started their weekend with a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They then moved on to finish off their Friday by catching a Cleveland Indians baseball game.

Saturday morning they got up early, enjoyed a hotel breakfast, and were off to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky. After spending the day riding roller coasters, they headed back to the hotel to prepare for their dinner/ dance cruise. The night was spent aboard the Nautica Queen, eating and dancing with the Cleveland skyline on one side and a beautiful sunset on the other.

Sunday started out with a trip to the Great Lakes Science Center. Class members were pleasantly surprised with the amount of learning and fun that occurred. The final stop on the trip was lunch at the Hard Rock Café, followed by another long, but fun, bus ride home.

All in all the senior class had a great time and made great memories. The class would like to thank the chaperones Ms. Burnett and Ms. Bostelman for making our trip fun, the school administration for allowing us to go on the trip, and most of all their advisors, Mr. Pratt and Mr. Dancesia for all of their hard work to make the trip possible. The entire weekend was a good time had by all, and was definitely a great last celebration as a class.

—Mr. Roy Pratt

Class of 2010 posing on dock before embarking on the Nautica Queen

Biology Class Plants TreesThis spring, Ms. McElhinny’s Biology class planted

white pine trees that Mrs. Gregory received as dona-tions to the school. The students took shovels and pickaxes and planted the trees along the path next to Bump’s Creek. Hopefully these students will be able to return to this place in the future to find beautiful conifers converting carbon dioxide into oxygen.

—Ms. Kristy McElhinny

Back row: Bridget Jenson, shanalin Heath, Christina Harvey, Cipriana Maniscalco, Chas schuart, Jerry Kershaw, Alex regenbogen, Jake Conklin, Daulton

Palmatier; middle: Harley Jennings; front: rick Parsons, Cameron Oswald, Michaela Davy

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Seniors of the MonthEach month, the faculty and staff at Afton Central

School recognize one senior for exhibiting a particular character trait. The winning senior receives a certificate and a free lunch at the Main Street Grill and Bakery. Congratulations to all of the Seniors of the Month for the 2009-2010 school year!

—Mrs. Jilene Nordberg

JANuAryDependability

februAryIntegrity

travis Ketzak andPrincipal Glover

Chris Anthony andPrincipal Glover

mArCHGenerosity

AprIlRespectfulness

Dan sandoli andPrincipal Glover

Kurt rogler andPrincipal Glover

mAyLeadership

JuNePerseverance

Nate Cutting andPrincipal Glover

Nicole Mulieri andPrincipal Glover

Students Unmask the Night for Junior Prom 2010

On Saturday, May 29, Afton’s Junior Prom was held at The Silo Restaurant in Greene. The masquerade-themed prom began with a delicious buffet dinner, including a delectable dessert buffet served in the chicly decorated banquet room. Photographer Jim Pavlik was also on hand to photograph the gorgeous couples against an enormous masquerade mask generously created by Mr. Higby.

After dinner, parents arrived to watch the prom court coronation. Congratulations to Nicole Golden-Thomas, Cassie prezorski, Stacey Guokas, Sayde Gaydorus, phil bradtke, brandon beers, Jake Vernon and michael Sprague for being voted on to prom court. The moment everyone was waiting for led to the announcement of Prom King and Queen: Corey mohrien and Chasity eckert. Congratulations to both Corey and Chasity!

Then the dancing finally began with DJ Louie G. from Wild 104 spinning the tunes. The students, decked out in tuxedos and gowns, danced their way into the night and had a fantastic time with their friends!

The junior class officers worked very hard to create a beautiful prom experience, and they would like to thank everyone who helped them make Prom 2010 a success, including Gary and the amazingly efficient staff at The Silo, Jim Pavlik Photography, DJ Louie G., Stacey Webb’s decorations, Mrs. Gaydorus and our amazing chaperones.

—Mrs. Sarah DeLarco, Junior Class Advisor

King Corey Mohrien and Queen Chasity eckert

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After Prom Party 2010Nearly half of the prom attendees also attended the

SADD sponsored after prom party held this year at the high school. The after prom partiers were kept active and busy with a 40-foot bounce obstacle course, a myriad of Wii™ and board games, karaoke, pool activities and much more!

Samantha Griffith danced into the wee hours of the morning on Just Dance for the Wii™, Dan Clark provided piano music for a short display of goofy interpretive dance and mike Sprague tackled the bounce house like a champion. To beat the 3:00 a.m. blues, the partiers engaged in a hard-core game of pillow polo that f loored Ms. Nutting and brought out Mrs. Sanford’s competitive edge. However, the highlight of the night was the food! Mrs. Secrest generously baked the most delicious home-made breads, brownies and cookies for us to enjoy at the party. Not a crumb was left behind!

The night ended with prizes to reward the kids who made a safe choice on prom night. Thanks to Little Venice Restaurant in Binghamton, The Silo Restaurant in Greene, Suzy Q Ice Cream in Binghamton, Wal★Mart® in Vestal, Belden Hill Golf Course in Harpursville and Mr. Rogler for the generous prize donations! SADD would also like to thank Mrs. Secrest, Mrs. Rogler and Nate Cutting for the food donation; Kurt rogler for the set up help; Brian Ferrara for his custodial services; Cathy Decker for lifeguarding; the chaperones for staying up all night; and everyone else who helped make after prom a success!

SADD is already looking ahead to After Prom 2011, and we are seeking the help of parents and community members. If you are interested in joining the After Prom Committee, please contact Sarah DeLarco at [email protected] or at 607-639-8200.

—Sarah DeLarco, SADD Advisor

Mock Trial Team Completes Stellar Year

The Mock Trial team completed another stellar year in 2010. Led by a group of seniors, the team started the season off well and finished the regular season without a loss. We entered the playoff round as the first seed, and the team fought hard to advance to the County Finals against Sherburne-Earlville. In the final trial, Afton’s Plaintiff team beat Sherburne-Earlville to become the Chenango County Champions for the third time in the last five years. Afton moved on to the Regional Tournament where the current team advanced farther than any other team in Afton history, only losing in the semi-final round.

The students who participated this year include Tiffany Carr, Kateryna Santa Cruz and rebekah prezorski. Competing for the prosecution were rebecca baudendistel, who delivered an opening statement; Annette Vernon, with the role of an attorney; Chelsey boudreau as Pat Nolan; Jessica Wenner as Fran Ascott; Jessica Winans as Sheridan Holmes; and Nicole mulieri, who gave the closing argument.

Competing as Afton’s Defense team were erin Daly, who delivered an opening statement; Suzana Seral, with the role of an attorney; Alexa Alfonsi as Shawn Miller; Caterina politano as Ryan Williams; Jennifer Viviano as Mickey Pennman; and Dan Clark who gave a closing argument. Sarah erckert was responsible for the magic box throughout our competitions. After the dust cleared on the season, Annette Vernon was voted Most Improved and Jess Wenner was selected as the Best Rookie. Dan Clark was voted the Most Valuable to the Defense and Nicole mulieri was voted the Most Valuable to the Prosecution. Both Mr. Garlitz and Mr. Dancesia would like to thank all who participated this year. This year, by far, has been one of the best and most fun we have ever had. Thank you all.

—Mr. Garlitk

Front row: erin Daly, Nicole Mulieri, Jessie winans, rebecca Baudendistel, Dan Clark;

middle: Annette Vernon, suzana sera, Jessica wenner, sarah erckert, Jennifer Viviano; back: tiffany Carr,

Kateryna santa Cruz, Chelsey Boudreau

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2010 Senior PlansClayton Andrews ......................................................................................................... Rochester Institute of Technology Christopher Anthony .......................................................................................................................... Rutgers UniversityVanessa Armetta ................................................................................................. Herkimer County Community CollegeCorey ball ............................................................................................................................................ SUNY Morrisvillerebecca baudendistel ........................................................................ Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island Kaylee beers ........................................................................................................................ Broome Community Collegepaul birdsall ..................................................................................................................................................... UndecidedHannah bradley ............................................................................................................................................... Undecidedmelinda bradtke....................................................................................................................................... SUNY OswegoKevin bullis ......................................................................................................................... Broome Community College Kasey burkhardt .............................................................................................................................................. Undecidedluis Calandrino ............................................................................................................................................... Undecidedpatrick Chandler .......................................................................................................................................... SUNY DelhiDaniel Clark ...........................................................University of Missouri, SUNY Albany, or the College of Saint Rose Danielle Collins ................................................................................................................................................ UndecidedNathan Cutting ...................................... State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry erin Daly .......................................................................................................................................... Russell Sage CollegeCrystal Decker .................................................................................................................................................. Undecidedrobert erickson ................................................................................................................. Utica Institute of Technology Jose Gonzalez ................................................................................................................................................... UndecidedJonathan Grant................................................................................................................................................. Undecidedpaul Hamilton ...................................................................................................................... Broome Community Collegebrittany Hunt ................................................................................................................................................... UndecidedJared Iaia ...................................................................................................................... University of Northwestern Ohio Dawn Istvan ...................................................................................................................................................... UndecidedDylan Kershaw ................................................................................................................................................. UndecidedTravis Ketzak ...................................................................................................................... Broome Community CollegeJamie Kratz .................................................................................................Morrisville State College: Norwich Campus Dylan latham ...................................................................................................................... Broome Community CollegeJamie lewis ............................................................................................................................. Lincoln Culinary Institutemichael lutz ........................................................................................................................ Broome Community Collegelani mcAdams ................................................................................................................................................. Undecidedmariah mohr ....................................................................................................................... Broome Community CollegeJennifer monroe .................................................................................................................. Broome Community CollegeNicole mulieri ...................................................................................................................... Broome Community Collegemichael muller .................................................................................................................... Broome Community CollegeChristopher Nichols ......................................Broome Community College, Morrisville State College or Davis College Dario ochoa ...................................................................................................................................................... UndecidedStephanie parsons ................................................................................... Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3)Nicholas passeggio III ...................................................................................................Lincoln College of New EnglandCaterina politano ........................................ SUNY Delhi, Johnson and Wales, or the Culinary Institute of Technology Samuel reynolds .............................................................................................................................................. UndecidedShakira reynolds ........................................................................................................................................ Wells CollegeStacey rinker ...................................................................................................... Herkimer County Community College Kurt rogler ........................................................................................................................................ Syracuse UniversityAdam rupakus ........................................................................................ Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3)Daniel Sandoli ...................................................................................................................... Broome Community CollegeShane Schneidau ........................................................................................................................Morrisville State CollegeStephanie Sherman ............................................................................................................. Broome Community CollegeGustavo Vieira ................................................................................................................................................. UndecidedCorey Westfall ............................................................................................................................... University of VermontDylan Wilson ....................................................................................................................... Broome Community CollegeJessica Winans ........................................................................................................................................ Coastal Carolina

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Art Students Celebrated in Town Hall Gallery Art Show

An opening reception for area student artists was held on Saturday, March 27, at the Jericho Gallery in the Town Hall in Bainbridge. Students representing five school districts had their work on display in the Gallery from March 27-April 1. The Fourth Annual Student Art Show was the result of an ongoing collaboration between the Jericho Arts Council and the Afton, Sidney, Bainbridge-Guilford, Unadilla Valley and Unatego School Districts.

The 50 works on display demonstrated remarkable student ability in a variety of media, including ceramics, photography, charcoal, oil and acrylic paint, and pencil. This year, the two selected students from Afton were Kurt rogler and mariah mohr. Kurt and Mariah were selected to represent Afton Central School for their outstanding achievement in the visual arts.

—Mr. Scott Higby

Kurt rogler with his work, “A tribute to Pollock”

Mariah Mohr with her work, “A Colorful Nightmare”

2010 Congressional Artistic Discovery Competition

February 26-March 18, the Chenango County Council of the Arts in Norwich held its annual Congressional Art show Artistic Discovery. This is an annual competition for Chenango County high school art students and is sponsored by Congressman Michael J. Arcuri. This year, there were six talented students from Afton Central School who had work on display. The students representing Afton were, Kurt rogler, mariah mohr, Dylan Kershaw, Jessica Wenner, Alex Tiley and Caitlyn Tallmadge. Jessica Wenner received an honorable mention for her painting Glowing Orbs. mariah mohr took home a second place award for her mixed media piece A Colorful Nightmare. Congratulations to all the participating Afton Art students.

Jessica wenner’s “Glowing Orbs”

Mariah Mohr’s “A Colorful Nightmare”

Congratulat ions!

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Students Receive 4th Annual Marge Maguire Prize Award

On Wednesday, June 2, Pam Ross, current chairperson of the Afton Art League, presented the fourth annual Marge Maguire Prize for artistic potential and achievement to three art students. Senior mariah mohr, Junior Jessica Wenner and Sophmore William Kershaw were the three recipients of the award. Art Teacher Scott Higby and the Afton Art League Committee were honored to have had the privilege of choosing these three students from the wealth of artistic talent at Afton Central School. Congratulations to all three students.

—Mr. Scott Higby

Mariah Mohr william Kershaw Jessica wenner

National Honor SocietyOn June 21, eight high school students were

inducted into the Nat ional Honor Society. They were melinda bradtke, erin Daly, Jamie Kratz, Chasity eckert, Sayde Gaydorus, Nicole Golden-Thomas, Corey mohrien and Suzana Sera. Students who meet the criteria of a cumula-tive average of 87.5 or higher since the start of high school are then rated by the faculty for leadership and character. Students are also asked to fill out a form which highlights their service, leadership and scholarship. Eligible students are then chosen by a faculty council of five who rate them on character, service, leadership and scholarship.

Once the students are members, they are required to complete 10 hours of community service per semester and take part in the club’s projects. Group projects have included hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive and selling shamrocks for Muscular Dystrophy. Individual projects include volunteer-ing time at local animal shelters, fire stations and food banks. Members also help in the elementary classroom, work on the yearbook, help collect for Casual for a Cause, and help tutor other students.

—Mrs. Bridget Davis

Students Visit Accident Exhibit

On May 26, the Guidance Office arranged for Afton’s 11th and 12th grade classes to go to Norwich to see an exhibit sponsored by the Chenango County Council of the Arts. The exhibit, Friends—One Day—One Wrong Turn, examined the tragic drunk driving accident that claimed four lives at Colgate University during November 2001.

Students walked through a display that examined the lives of the four teens killed in the accident through pictures, personal belongings, and quotes from friends and family. Students also wit-nessed photographs of the accident scene and learned about the consequences of drunk driving. After going through the exhibit, students watched a documentary that further explained the tragic event.

Chris Nichols, a member of the senior class, said, “It was heartbreaking to see what the families of the kids who had died went through.” We hope that the students walked away from the experience with the knowledge that their choices in life have an enor-mous effect on those who love and care about them.

—Mrs. Sarah DeLarco, SADD Advisor

Sixth Graders Attend SciencenterThe sixth grade class went on trip to the Sciencenter in Ithaca.

The class members were able to actively participate in many hands-on activities. The class was divided into small groups with an Afton School chaperone so that students could enjoy activities.

A special thank you to chaperones Dan DeVona, Jennifer DeYoung, Marjorie Erckert, Vicky Gregory, Pamela Haynes, Brian Pearsall, Donna Scuorzo and Yvonne Swislosky for providing the opportunity for students to learn.

—Mrs. Vicky Gregory

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Middle School Spelling Bee Champion

Tyler burns was crowned the winner of the ACS Middle School Spelling Bee competition after spelling the final word: monarch! Tyler is a 7th grader who out-spelled all the other students at Afton Central School to be our repre-sentative at the Regional Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee at SUNY Oneonta on March 6. Tyler finished in the top 10 out of 26 students from other schools in the region. He spelled his way through three rounds before being eliminated. Clapboard (pronounced Clabbard) was the word that stumped Tyler. His parents and teachers were all very proud of his finish, and he vows to do even better next year.

—Steve Oakley

tyler Burns, Class of 2015, accepts the ACs spelling Bee Championship trophy from Mr. Oakley

Sixth Graders Read TrilogyAnthony Caezza and John Corey were so excited about

the book they read in 6th grade that they read the entire trilogy! Seventeen of their classmates agreed and read the books as well. That is when Anthony and John decided to write to Andy Griffiths, the #1 children’s author in Australia. They wanted to ask him if he was going to add a fourth book to the series. Anthony and John felt the author ended the third book with a clue for a fourth, but sadly, Mr. Griffiths said this was the end of the saga. They are all anticipating another book by Andy Griffiths in the near future.

—Mrs. Lu Dwyer

Anthony Caezza and John Corey holding original postcards handwritten by Mr. Griffiths and sent

to them from Australia! Also pictured is the letter they wrote to Mr. Griffiths. we want to thank

Andy for making us laugh aloud while learning!

Sertoma Essay Contest Winners

The Ser toma Club held their Awards and Recognitions Dessert and 50th Birthday Party on April 27, in the Afton Central School Cafeteria. At the desser t night, three Afton and three Harpursville seventh graders were recognized for their excellent essays on volunteerism. Sertoman Helen Kittle remarked on how difficult it was for the group of judges to select the three winners out of the ten essays that had been forwarded to the Club as first round winners.

Adrianna marrongelli read her third place essay on Locks of Love and the important role this group plays in the lives of children suffering from hair loss. She urged the audience to follow her lead and donate hair to restore the dignity of the young victims suffering hair loss. Addie Shapley read her second place essay on the Importance of Volunteer Fire Departments. She reminded the audience of how frightening it is to be the member of a firefighter’s family, always wondering if he or she would get hurt saving someone else. Victoria lent wrote her first place essay on The American Red Cross.She reminded the audience of the important role the Red Cross played during the f lood that hit in 2006.

Each of the winners won a savings bond for their winning essay. Helen Kittle remarked that while these three writers were winners, the Club was also a winner from having heard the important message contained in each essay.

—Mrs. Cindy Covey

sertoma President skip Pickwick, Victoria lent, Adrianna Marrongelli, Addie shapley from Afton Central school and Amanda rhodes,

rachel Ballard, shannon winsor from Harpursville Central school

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DCMO BOCES Media Festival Several 7th grade students chose to take part in the DCMO

BOCES Media Festival. They submitted podcasts of radio broadcasts that they had written, performed and edited. The entire project was part of their drama unit. They were ful-filling a class requirement for Mrs. Covey’s Grade 7 ELA class and received technical assistance from Mr. DeVona.

There was a tie for third with the radio shows George Bush, and Crocs. George Bush was written, acted and edited by Victoria lent, Sabrina button and Julia Knapp. Crocs was written, performed and edited by ellie mertz, rebecca Haynes and Tanya Hatton. In second place was the one man radio show Action News on WACS, written, performed and edited solely by oliver mohr. In first place was the radio play Ninja Town by Samantha rogalski, brenna Caiati and Victoria lent.

—Mrs. Cindy Covey

Victoria lent, Brenna Caiati, samantha rogalski (1st place with Ninja town)

Oliver Mohr (2nd place with Action News on wACs)

Victoria lent, Julia Knapp and sabrina Button (3rd place with George Bush—tie)

tanya Hatton, rebecca Haynes, Mr. rutan (BOCes),

ellie Mertz (3rd place with Crocs—tie)

Bird Watchers ClubThe Bird Watchers Club, a part of Mrs. Covey’s

Afterschool Writing Club, took part in a contest entitled Home Tweet Home. They were required to research and write a proposal detailing how they would help birds on Afton School property. They were competing with students from around the area for one of six grants each worth $100, to be applied towards the cost of constructing birdhouses.

Cody rowe, Josh mcAvoy, Charlie bishop, Darien Heath and matt luyster spent two hours after school per week for three weeks researching and then writing their proposal. They were required to find out the spe-cies of birds common to our area, their unique nesting requirements and habitat requirements. They found directions to make the nesting boxes that would fulfill the birds’ nesting requirements, and devised a way to deter predators. They then needed to find places to put their birdhouses that would meet all the nesting requirements for the individual species of birds. They took pictures, described how they would construct and display their birdhouses and submitted their proposal to WSKG Public Broadcasting Company. On March 16, they were informed that they were winners.

On March 23, they went to the Home Tweet Home Awards ceremony held at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca. They were presented with their $100 for building supplies and loaned a camera to document bird activity.

—Mrs. Cindy Covey

Charlie Bishop, Matt luyster, Darien Heath, Josh McAvoy and Cody rowe

Students Read 100+ Books reilly lockwood (left) and

Carlee Humphrey (r ight), second grade students in Mr. Ludwig’s class, show two of the books they read this school year. Each girl read well over 100 books by year’s end.

—Ms. Leslie McGraw

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Sixth Grade Social StudiesWe started the second half of the school year with a unit

on India and Persia. Students learned about the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas. They learned about the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, standing 29,035 feet tall. We also studied how the Persian Empire was built. Next, we studied China. This country has been ruled by dynasties for years. We learned about a cruel ruler named Shi Huangdi who united China and built the Great Wall. We learned about the clay soldiers that protected Shi Huangdi’s tomb after his death. Students made zodiac spinners, red money envelopes and tan grams to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This is the year 4707 in China.

After China, we studied Greece and Rome. Some of the topics the sixth graders learned about were the origins of the Olympic Games, gods and goddesses, the geography of Greece, and how myths developed. Students learned how Rome was founded, Roman government, and the many Roman concepts that are in our current government.

Next, we learned about the European Middle Ages. Students picked a topic from this period and made a project based on what they learned. One of the highlights from this unit was our annual visit from Sir William. William McManus is a local Afton resident who has come to my sixth grade classroom for eleven years to share his knowledge, collections and artifacts from the Middle Ages. He has been very gracious with his time throughout the years.

After the Middle Ages, we learned about the Italian Renaissance. It was a time of rebirth for Europe. We learned about the invention of the printing press and the telescope and how these inventions, along with many others, affect us today. Students also learned about scientists like Copernicus and Galileo and artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Of course, you must know that the most famous picture in the world was painted during this time period, the Mona Lisa.

Last year I applied for a Chenango County Council of the Arts Grant and was awarded a check for $260. Funds for the grant were made possible through the Arts Council, Wilbur Bank, and the P&G Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. I was in need of a bit more money to get all the supplies needed for the project, and Afton Central School contributed the rest of the necessary money. I used the grant monies to incorporate a stained glass window proj-ect made out of paper products into my Italian Renaissance unit. Students studied examples of stained glass windows and then created their own designs. Students then cut out their designs using the materials that the money from the grant provided. We have since hung our windows and they have provided us with much enjoyment. Thank you once again to all who helped make this possible.

—Ms. Donna Scuorzo

Catapults by Brianna Andres, leslie talmadge and Anthony Caezza

Joe DeVona as a squire to Mr. McManus

working on science project liam McManus, Abby east and Alexis lockwood

stained glass windows using our Chenango County Council of Arts Grant and Afton CsD monies

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7th Grade Life ScienceAre 7th graders larger than Bald Eagles? What are the big

birds that soar on warm summer air? These are questions that were explored by seventh graders with the assistance of Mrs. Jump and student teacher Ms. Donadio. Students researched an assigned local bird species and discovered the f light silhouette, food source, behavior and common calls of the bird. Then the students created a scale size paper model of their bird. The Science hallway was a sight with artistic renditions of various local birds creatively painted and on display for all to see.

—Mrs. MacKenzie Jump

Elementary Library Media Specialist of the Year Awarded

Ms. Leslie McGraw was recog-nized by DCMO BOCES Library System as Elementary Library Media Specialist of the Year on May 18, at the annual Administrative and Librarian breakfast. Leslie was nominated by Elementary Principal Kimberly Werth and members of the elementary team. The team stated, “Leslie is at the forefront of

progress in our Afton Elementary School. She works with PK-5 students and staff, and is active in our community.” Leslie has held the title of Library Media Specialist in the Afton Elementary School for 17 years.

Leslie realizes that motivating readers for educational and personal benefit requires many levels of encourage-ment. Kimberly Werth, Elementary Principal, states, “Leslie is a highly respected member of our elementary team. She is instrumental to the strength of our literacy program. Her wealth of knowledge and passion for advancement and growth of the librarianship is deserving of recognition by the District and by her peers.” Fellow teachers state, “Leslie is a role model for all librarians to follow, and we are so fortunate to have her here at Afton Elementary School.”

Here are some of the comments by our elementary students about Ms. McGraw and the Elementary Library. • Thank you for helping me on tough words.• I love the library because you get to read.• Thank you for reading to me.• You rock! Ms. McGraw, you helped me find a lot of

books. You’re the best teacher ever.• I like to learn about stuff.• Thank you for helping me find books when I need them.• Thank you for teaching us how to look for books.• Thank you for reading us books and saying them like

you are the characters.• I think you are really nice. You have a great sense of

humor too. You have always helped me when I needed it. I can see why you got this award.

• Magnificent teacher • Caring about her students • Great reader• Really nice teacher• Awesome• Worthy of awards

The Afton Elementary School is proud to have nomi-nated Leslie McGraw for this award. The District and community congratulate Leslie as our Library Media Specialist of the Year.

—Mrs. Kimberly Werth

Ms. leslie McGraw

Learning About JapanOur first grade classes spent many library class periods

reading and learning about Japan. We ended our unit with a visit from Mi-Yu Tanaka, a Rotary foreign exchange stu-dent from Japan. Mi-Yu spoke about her life at home and some of the differences and similarities she has found here in America. Our students had many excellent questions to ask her about her life in Japan. She led them in making an origami dog and then showed them how to make an origami crane, a much more difficult figure! It was a fun visit!

—Ms. Leslie McGraw

Kneeling: Zachariah Chamberlain, Zachery swislowski, Jesse steele, taylor schultz, Damien terrell, loraine McCaulley; standing: Jaden Moore, Brodie Olesak, Olivia Harris-Morris, Grace Bergskaug, Bridgitte

Jennings, emalea Harrington, Mi-Yu tanaka, Kandace reagan, Jared Brown, Hunter scott, wyatt Austin

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Great Year of ReadingOur primary grades celebrated a great year of reading with a day

devoted to recognition and pure fun. The third knighting ceremony occu-pied most of our morning on June 18. There were 125 students knighted at this ceremony with 113 of them becoming Crimson Knights. Students became Crimson Knights only if they achieved their goal all three times. We were excited that so many students achieved this level. Thanks to our Crimson Knight Mr. McManus, for giving us his time and making these knighting ceremonies so special.

The afternoon was devoted to an outside fair, filled with arts and crafts booths and games. Our students in pre-kindergarten through second grade had a great time as did all the adults who were there to help.

We look forward to welcoming a well read student body back in the fall. We hope to have many of our students meet the Summer Reading Challenge. Information about the Challenge was sent home with students.

—Ms. Leslie McGraw

Ms. Keller, logan Bolster and Jacob wright watch as Alex Hoeppner attempts to throw a bean bag through one of the holes in the target.

Students Are KnightedOur pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, f irst

grade and second grade students continued to read toward meeting their goals for the second knighting. We had 125 green knights advance to the blue, and ten new students become green knights in March.

—Ms. Leslie McGraw◄ Kendall winans waits to be knighted.

second grade students Ashley Page, ricky Bay, lucas Nichols, Colby Graef, Zachary Gardepe

Students Take Trip to Afton Free Library

The first grade and fourth grade classes took walking trips to the Afton Free Library. For a few students, this was their first visit to a public library. For all students, it was a good reminder of what public libraries have to offer and the ways that they can fulfill student needs. Students were encouraged to visit any of their local libraries this summer!

—Ms. Leslie McGraw

Front row: Geoffrey Frank; second row: Ashton longwell, Kayla wilcox, Victoria

swislowsky, Damian taylor, Colin Nabinger; back: Kyle Grover, Joe Couture, Cheyenne

survilla, Josh Barber, Ms. McGraw, Hannah Gilbert, Kathryn erckert, Milena

tomas, taylor Possemato

Second Graders Read Biographies

After learning about biographies, students were challenged to read a biography about some-one they were unfamiliar with, and write a short report about what they learned. All participants’ names were put in a hat, and one was chosen. The student selected was Seth Andres who received a biography about Abraham Lincoln.

Everyone else was allowed to choose a paper-back prize book. All the participants were win-ners because they put forth extra effort, and in so doing, learned about a famous person!

—Ms. Leslie McGraw

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Enrichment ClassThe Afton Elementary fourth and fifth grade enrichment class, which

was funded by Federal Government Stimulus Title 1 Grant money, studied a variety of topics with Ms. Sines and Mrs. Andrews including writing a play, writing a short novel, science experiments and cooking.

From February to April, Mrs. Torta worked with the class study-ing New York State government and our representatives. First the students studied a variety of issues facing our government this year like the Sugar Tax, Gun Law, parks closing and Farm Workers’ Fair Labor Act. Afterwards, they developed questions about what they wanted to know regarding these topics. Mrs. Torta received a $500 Catskill Regional Teacher Center Grant for traveling expenses for the class to go to Albany to interview Senator Libous, Assemblyman Crouch and Assemblyman Lopez. Because of bussing problems, the class was not able to go to Albany, but the students were able to have a conference call with Assemblyman Crouch and Assemblyman Lopez. The Assemblymen were very helpful in answering all of the students’ questions. Assemblyman Lopez wants to come to the school and visit all the students again.

Senator Libous decided to come to Afton Elementary School and answer the questions in person. He came on March 31 and not only answered their questions, but also visited the fourth and fifth grade stu-dents plus the administration. Senator Libous talked with the students about his job, the State symbols, who he represents, and encouraged the students to sign up for his BOOKS program, which is run in conjunction with Morrisville State College. He stressed the importance of literacy and explained how his program strives to make reading fun with incen-tives for the amount of time spent reading. Information is available at www.booksprogram.com for parents interested in finding out more about the program. While the Senator was here, the enrichment students gave him a fish and explained the fish philosophy. They also gave him a tour of the school. The enrichment students then made a PowerPoint® or SMARTBoard™ presentation about two of the topics that interested them the most and included information from the interviews and articles for and against the issues plus their opinion. They showed the Afton School Board their presentations at a Board meeting. Kathleen Mani-Moore, Chief of Staff, for Assemblyman Cliff Crouch gave all the students cer-tificates for their presentations on the government during Moving Up Day on June 22. The enrichment class wants to say thank you again to Senator Libous, Assemblyman Crouch and Assemblyman Lopez for their help in learning about our state government and understanding the issues.

—Mrs. Diana Torta

Vincent Caiati, Milena tomas, Mr. thomas libous, Amelia reuter, troy Mercilliott, Katie tiley and savanna Knapp

Dr. Seuss Day The Elementary School celebrated

Dr. Seuss Day with lots of fun activities. The library ran a Dr. Seuss Question of the Day Contest for the week leading up to March 2. The cafeteria offered green eggs and ham as a breakfast choice on that day. The lower grade levels welcomed special guests, with Dr. Seuss reading, into their classrooms. All elementary stu-dents enjoyed highlights from Seussical, the Musical, performed by the Middle School and Elementary School choruses. Many thanks to Mrs. Liz Dawson for arranging the guest readers and for the delightful costumes.

—Ms. Leslie McGraw

Jacob wright, Mrs. lawrence, Alexis shepard, elizabeth Quackenbush,

Isabella Fairfield, Mrs. Dawson, Devin Dungey, Jaden Zellers, Gary Petroski,

Mrs. werth, A.J. ramos, Fred Bell, lillian Mazepa, Mallory Carmen, Jason reeves, Georgie Palmetier, Mrs. sutton.

Conner Humphrey, Mr. Phetteplace, Harley silfee

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What Makes Afton Elementary School a Great Place to Grow and Learn?

Each year around this time, I sit out on my front porch, and I think about the Afton Newsletter and what mes-sage it is I truly want to convey to our students, staff and community members. This year, I was ref lecting while reviewing the Afton Elementary Handbook, which states on its cover, Afton Elementary, a Great Place to Grow and Learn. That sounds and looks very nice on paper, but what is it that supports that belief that we are indeed a great elementary school?

We are an elementary school in good standing with New York State. Our annual progress is above the state benchmark. Our students score well on state tests in Social Studies, Science, Math and ELA. Our math scores have been the highest in the area for the past several years. This shows that what we are doing academically is competi-tive, but does it make us a great school?

Our character education and asset building programs have been a strong focus the past three years. Students have a pledge called The Afton Way that they recite each morning. They attend asset building class in third and fifth grade where they learn about the importance of being their own person, and making good choices starting in Pre-K. Does this make us a great school?

Our teachers attend many hours of professional devel-opment to increase their knowledge and stay current with best practices. They work many hours after school and throughout the summer to learn, to plan curriculum, reading incentive programs, etc. Does that make us a great school?

Our teachers provide services like Homework Café, Enrichment, and Saturday Seminars. They volunteer hours to provide academic help to students above and beyond their workday including implementation of study groups, book talks and before school AIS math. Does this make us a great school?

The elementary team meets monthly and grade level teams meet weekly to plan and ref lect on curriculum, best practices, classroom management, management and development of centers and nurturing a positive learning community. Does this make us a great school?

We updated our social studies curriculum this year to ensure alignment with state standards and best practices. We started working on overhauling our science curriculum. We discussed and researched further curriculum integra-tion and the development of focus groups in the upper elementary grades. We updated our handwriting curricu-lum in second grade, implemented benchmark assessments in ELA and Math, revised our portfolio cover sheets and implemented a process for next year to track student reading and math growth throughout their elementary and middle school career.

We started placing SMARTBoards™ in our classrooms this year. Through a grant, a SMARTBoards™ for every classroom was ordered and will be in place by the fall. We continue to attend professional development oppor-tunities, share with each other and look at how to use the SMARTBoards™ in our classrooms to enhance our curriculum. Do these many accomplishments make us a great school?

Our parents have reorganized the Parent and Teacher Organization and have proven that they are committed to supporting our teachers, children and administration. Does this make us a great school?

Our Elementary Response to Intervention (RTI) team spends many hours each month planning for and provid-ing interventions to our students to address gaps and meet the individual learning styles and needs of our elementary students. We had f luidity in our Academic Intervention Services (AIS) program for the first time this year because of the intervention process and the dedication of the inter-vention team and classroom teachers to our students and their individual needs and learning styles. Does this make us a great school?

All of the above are wonderful successes that we have had this year in our elementary school. All of the above are accomplishments that we can brag about as a community and as a school. They are, however, not what I believe makes Afton Elementary School a great place to grow and learn.

Afton Elementary School is great simply because of the people. I have been with the District for thirteen years, the first ten years as a teacher in pre-first and then second grade. The first class that I taught will be seniors and the last class that I taught will be leaving elementary school this year. In the last three years, I have been honored to lead the elementary team as the elementary principal. We have really worked together to develop and nurture a positive learning community in our elementary school. Everyone’s role in this elementary school is equally important and celebrated.

The cafeteria staff provides words of encouragement, smiles and delicious meals. Our custodial staff ensures a clean, healthy and safe environment. Our bus drivers ensure a safe ride to and from school with a warm welcome and goodbye to every student. Our classroom aides provide love, encouragement and education at little financial ben-efit. Our office staff works hard every single day to ensure the smooth operation of the elementary school through their kind words, organization and positive work ethic. Our technology staff plans, trains, troubleshoots and makes sure we have the best technology we can offer. Our teach-ers, are dedicated, positive, life-long learners who strive (continued on next page)

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to make a difference for all children and provide the best learning experience they possibly can. Our par-ents, families and community members work with the school, volunteer to read, encourage their children, set routines for homework and bed time, promote strong work ethics and character in their children. It is all of these contributions combined that make Afton Elementary School a great place to grow and learn.

As a school, do we have things to work on? Absolutely! Do we always handle things perfectly and always have the right answers? Of course we do not. Do we sometimes get frazzled? Of course we do. Can we always improve? Without a doubt, we can. A life-long commitment to growth, learning and improvement of staff and students is what Afton Elementary School is all about.

Our goals going into this year will continue to focus on increasing student achievement, building community rapport, increasing parent communication and involve-ment and implementing research-based best practices into every classroom to ensure students have the tools and teaching that will ensure they reach their individual, optimal potential.

We look forward to the new school year with antici-pation, excitement, and yes, even a little trepidation. We will be implementing some new social studies curriculum concepts in grades K-5, adding some new math concepts in grades K-5, implementing standards-based report cards in grades 3-5, adding focus groups in grades 4-5, and increasing our focus on curriculum integration in grades 3-5.

We believe that to continue to move forward in providing the best for our students, we cannot become stagnant. We must take the risk of moving outside of our comfort zones to try new, research-based practices that have the potential to improve student performance. The trepidation comes in wanting these initiatives to be successful. Only time will tell if they are as good as they appear to be on paper and through research. We look forward to the coming school year and to working with parents and families to educate them on the changes and why we believe they are best for our students. As always, thank you for your support of the Afton Elementary School. I hope you have a wonderful and safe summer vacation.

We look forward to seeing all of you in the fall. To all students, I remind you that if you wish to dunk your favorite teacher or throw a pie at the face of your principal, you need to read, read, read this summer. We will be holding our welcome back picnic and reading celebration the first Friday of school.

—Mrs. Kimberly Werth

Elementary Awards— Perfect Attendance

The following students had perfect attendance for the 2009-2010 school year.

KINDerGArTeN Jaden Sweeney

2ND GrADeZachary Gardepe, Ethan Smith and Jannelle Volk

3rD GrADeTylor Cummings, Paul Mercilliott

4TH GrADeJoshua Barber

5TH GrADeBrett Hubbard and Zachary Rowe

Elementary Awards— Citizens of the Month

The following students were our citizens of the month during the school year.

1ST GrADe Joseph Caezza, Emily Koster, Loraine McCaulley,

Michaela Roach, Chelsey Smith, Amanda Spooner, Katelyn Stosko, Zachery Swislosky and Damien Terrell

2ND GrADe Gerald Elliott, Zachary Gardepe, James Greene,

Taylor Hinman, Ariel Hochman, Jenny Jacoby, Reilly Lockwood, Lucas Nichols, Ashlee Quackenbush and Jannelle Volk

3rD GrADe Bernadette Barbarise, Travis Burns, Casey East,

Nolan Graves, Patrick Haynes, Jerrel Reigada, Alexis Silfee, Ritajane Silfee, Calixta Terrell, Emily Townsend

4TH GrADe Ryan Barnes, Kathryn Erckert, Geoffrey Frank,

Hannah Gilbert, Annie Graven-Briggs, Kyle Grover, Rachael Haynes, Matilda Knapp, Mario Ruttkiewicz, Kayla Wilcox, Charles Wilson

5TH GrADe Raeann Baker, Rachel Curtis, Michael Graven-

Briggs, Mariah Hinman, Conner Humphrey, Keith Ives, Maya Kenyon, Schyler Longwell, Amelia Reuter, Eric Smith

—Mrs. Kimberly Werth

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Just Desserts!

elementary student, Joe Istvan, pies Mrs. werth.

Mrs. Werth, Elementary Principal, got her just desserts (whipped cream pies) as a consequence of the third, fourth and fifth grade students meeting her reading challenge. The stu-dents read over 1,000 books during the second half of the year.

—Ms. Leslie McGraw

Spring into BooksOn April 9-16, the Afton PTO sponsored the

Scholastic Spring into Books PK-12 Book Fair. Our goal was to return the profit to the literacy pro-gram at the middle school level. Along with the Book Fair, the PTO collected donated change throughout the community. Fifty dollars was collected and the PTO was able to purchase 14 books to fill teacher wish lists for classroom books. Thank you to all who came to the Book Fair and those who supported it with their change! The PTO would like to thank Mr. DeVona. Without his help and guidance this would not have been possible. The sixth grade classes made wonderful kites decorated with their favorite author/book title, which we put on display. The third grade classes also displayed their homemade windsocks. The PTO is currently working with the middle school staff to purchase the materials. We look forward to promoting literacy and sponsoring the Book Fair again next year!

The PTO will continue to meet on a monthly basis, starting in September. We look forward to planning and sponsoring more community/student events for all to enjoy. We welcome all parents and community members to join us as we move forward in promoting a positive learning environment for all our students. For more information regarding the PTO, please call 639-8234 and look for meeting dates and times on the school calendar.

—Mrs. Deanna Lawrence

Mrs. elaine livingston, Mrs. Pam Haynes, Mrs. lu Dwyer, and Mrs. Deanna lawrence displaying several books the PtO was able to

purchase with donated monies.

Women Helping GirlsOn May 1, Mrs. Cindy Covey chaperoned a trip to SUNY

Oneonta. With her were girls selected by the sixth grade teach-ers and guidance as most likely to benefit from interacting with professional women. Selected to go were Daphne Knapp, Shyahna Gaydorus, Nicole Haynes, Nikita Caratelli, Sarah beames and leslie Tallmadge.

At the university, the girls met with professional women who told them the importance of staying in school, studying difficult courses, and of the many career paths open to them. Some of the women they spoke with were a nurse, a detective, a pharmacist, an agronomist, a convenience store operator, a kindergarten teacher, and a woman who helps mentally chal-lenged residents. The day ended with lunch in the dining hall, which was an eye-opening experience for all of the girls.

On the trip home, the girls compared notes about what they had learned. They talked about the girls they had met from other schools and about the different careers. They expressed their desire to attend college, possibly even SUNY Oneonta. For all involved, it was an enjoyable outing.

—Mrs. Cindy Covey

Nicole Haynes, Daphne Knapp, leslie tallmadge, shyahna Gaydorus, Nikita Caratelli and sarah Beames

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Grades 3-5 Reading IncentiveIt is the goal of the 3-5 reading incentive team to encour-

age our students to read by rewarding them for indepen-dently reading books above and beyond the curriculum requirements. This year our Read for the Team incentive began with a kick-off where the students were challenged to each read a certain number of books per marking period. Each grade level put together a puzzle that hinted at what three of the fun activities they would get to participate in if they reached their individual incentive. The puzzles revealed bowling, volleyball and roller-skating as possible activities.

They were also challenged by Mrs. Werth to read 900 books as a team by the end of January. Mrs. Werth prom-ised to dress like a clown for the day if they reached their team goal. Our young readers were very excited about their individual and team goals and started reading right away. Over 60 students met their individual goal the first mark-ing period and were rewarded by a morning of bowling at Galaxy Bowl in Bainbridge. In January, students who met their goal played beach volleyball. They even had a visit by Mrs. Werth, the clown, because they also met Principal’s Challenge by reading over 900 books! The incentive activity for the third quarter included roller-skating and laser tag at Skate Estate in Vestal. Over 80 students reached their goal to attend this activity! Students who reach their last goal for the year will be treated to their choice of a movie day in the auditorium or a dance/pool party.

The 3-5 grade reading incentive team is very proud of our students’ drive and hard work to reach their reading goals. We strive to make reading exciting and fun for our students so that they will become lifelong readers.

—Mrs. Tara McManus

Mrs. Cutting, Mrs. Kehoe guiding

trey Nerzak roller-skating

emalee Fico, Katie tiley playing laser tag

Goodbye to Trooper Shannon Hartz

Trooper Shannon Hartz has been a mainstay in the hall-ways of the Afton Central School District for several years. As our school resource officer, she has been instrumental in asset building, friendship groups, anti-bullying curriculum implementation, staff development and most importantly, developing a positive rapport with students, staff and fami-lies. Soon Trooper Hartz’ office will be empty as she will be turning her attention to other duties as assigned by the N.Y. State Police Department.

All school resource officers are being pulled from school districts across New York, as the State will no longer pro-vide funding for this worthwhile program. Trooper Hartz has made a difference for many children, adolescents and adults. We wish her lots of luck in her new endeavors. We hope she can find time to visit us next year and that she knows how much she means to those of us who have had the pleasure to work so closely with her during her many years here at Afton. Best of luck Trooper Shannon Hartz, you will be greatly missed.

—Mrs. Kimberly Werth

trooper Hartz along with the third grade classes of Mrs. Kehoe and Mrs. Mayo after they completed a year

of Asset Building. Mrs. whitacre is absent from the photo (she assisted with the Asset Building training).

Harlem Rockets Visit Afton

Maggie Graven-Briggs and Nicholas Bagg balance a basketball on a pen, with Harlem rocket’s, the wizard.

—Photo by Ms. Mary Beth Teed

21

School Wide Book Swap

Joe Couture, Colin Nabinger, Ashton longwell and travis Burns look for a good book at the book swap. The kick off to the summer reading challenge began with

a school wide book swap. The swap was designed to put books into the hands of our students for summer reading. We thank all the students and parents who added books to our collection and made it possible to give multiple books to every student.

—Ms. Leslie McGraw

Third Grade Visits Rosamond Gifford Zoo

The Third Grade class visited Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, on June 2. This field trip was an extremely important excursion because it enhanced their Science cur-riculum. Students were able to observe vertebrates such as elephants, monkeys, lions, tigers and various birds, as well as invertebrates such as spiders, ticks and a large variety of insects. Students were also able to see the animals in their natural habitats. Field trips are awesome because they reinforce what is taught in the classroom and bring the learning to life!

—Mrs. Kehoe and Mrs. Mayo

travis Burns, Joey sager, Caleigh stevens, Madison Baciuska, Adam Corey, Calixta terrell and Alexis silfee

What’s All the Buzz About?Alina Alfonsi, a sixth grade reading student, and her

Aunt Lina Cesnavicius, a Lecturer of Business Computing at Hartwick College, and a professional natural beekeeper, enlightened the sixth grade classes with an awesome pre-sentation on the importance bees play to our ecosystem. Alina prepared a wonderful PowerPoint presentation and Ms. Cesnavicius brought along several props to accompany this informative lecture. We all left with a greater under-standing and appreciation of bees. Thank-you to Alina and Ms. Cesnavicius for taking the time to share such important information!

—Mrs. Lu Dwyer

Alina and her Aunt lina giving a PowerPoint presentation on the importance of bees.

Let’s Have Some Fun!

Come AND

Make a SplaSh AT THe 2010 AfToN free lIbrAry

Summer reADING proGrAm

Afton free library105A main Street, Afton

1:00-2:30 p.m.

July 22—mr. beAu THe CloWNExperience the wonder of this unique clown.

Juggling, joke-telling, pantomime, magic, puppetry. Balloon animals for everyone and more!

July 29—fuN DAy!Fun with games, crafts, reading prizes and

refreshments.Parents and caregivers are welcome.

For more information, please call the Afton Free Library at 639-1212.

22

ACS Hosts Wellness DayThe Afton Wellness Committee hosted a fun-filled

Wellness Day on Friday, February 12. Three main events were going on simultaneously throughout the school. Elementary students were able to show off their swim-ming skills to parents and community under the direction of Cathy Decker. Chenango County community partners were set up in the small gym. Elementary and middle school students were given the opportunity to search for answers to their Wellness Trivia Questions and be entered into a drawing for prizes. Community partners were as fol-lows: Chenango County Alcohol and Drug, Mental Health, Poison Control, Catholic Charities, 4-H, Public Health, United Health Services/Asthma Education, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Afton Fire Department, Boy Scouts, AYSO, Chenango Tobacco-Free Healthy Schools and the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department. WCDO did a live remote while faculty, staff, students and community members interacted with community agencies and gathered important wellness information.

Afton Physical Education staff facilitated an interactive tour through the Heart in the high school gym. Students learned about the structure and function of the heart by participating in mini physical challenges through the Heart Adventure course.

The first annual Afton Wellness Day proved to be a success . . . fun and education, a great combination!

—Ms. Jessica Wheeler

students participating in mini physical challenges through the Heart Adventure course.

robyn Vernon enjoying a healthy snack.

Alice Burnett RetiresFor many years, Alice Burnett has been a hero to the

students and residents of Afton and the surrounding com-munities as the nurse practitioner at ACS. She is also the nurse practitioner at Dr. Stephen Dygert’s Office.

After the f lood of 2006, Alice tirelessly helped commu-nity members at school, as well as the doctor’s office, when they were displaced from their homes. She spent evenings in the cafeteria and even slept overnight on the couch so that residents would feel safe and cared for. Having Alice around in an emergency helps to give people peace of mind.

While Alice’s volunteer service would fill reams of paper, please let me share with you a few of the activities in which Alice is involved:• Salvation Army Coordinator for Afton• Local Daffodil program coordinator for the American

Cancer Society • Chaperone for school functions and trips . . . sports

teams, clubs, etc. almost every night of the week after working two jobs . . . weekends, too!

• Guest speaker at the Afton Memorial Day ceremony• Brownie and Girl Scout leader• Organizer of the holiday food basket distribution and

gifts for the Angel Tree recipients.• The 1996 recipient of the Sertoma Service to

Mankind Award• Grand Marshall at Afton Village Christmas Parade

I am proud to say that Alice is a member of my family and that she is loved and appreciated and thought of as a sister and daughter.

The next time someone asks you to volunteer your time, remember Alice Burnett and her self lessness, and get involved!

Congratulations on your retirement from Afton School. You will be dearly missed by all!

Thank you for everything!—Mrs. June Burnett White

retiree Alice Burnett

23

Scholar Athletes and Scholar Athlete Teams fAll

Cross-Country (Boys’) .............................................................. Corey mohrienCross-Country (Girls’) ...............................................................Carman myersField Hockey.............................................................................Sayde GaydorusGolf ............................................................................................ Tristan HoblinSoccer (Boys’) .............................................................................. Kevin SuttonSwimming (Girls’) ..................................................................... payton CuttingIn addition, 12 members of our Varsity Boys’ Soccer team had a combined average

of 90% or better (93.594%) to qualify them as a Scholar/Athlete Team. They were: rebecca baudendistel, patrick Chandler, Nathan Cutting, richard parsons, Kurt rogler, Adam rupakus, Stephane Sherman, brandon Stevens, Kevin Sutton, Alex Tiley, mark Viviano and Corey Westfall.

Eleven members of our merged Varsity Girls’ Swim team had a combined average of 90% or better (92.901%) to qualify them as a Scholar/Athlete Team. They were: maria Andrews (A), Amanda Benkovitz (B-G), payton Cutting (A), erin Daly (A), Annalise Haberman (B-G), Meghan Hanvey (B-G), Joanna Herron (B-G), Alexis Macy (B-G), Jeannine McCollum (B-G), Caitlyn Tallmadge (A) and Annette Vernon (A).WINTer

Basketball (Boys’) ..................................................................... Corey mohrienBasketball (Girls’) ..................................................................... payton CuttingBowling (Boys’) ............................................................................ Daniel ClarkBowling (Girls’) ..................................................................... melinda bradtkeSwimming (Boys’) ................................................................... Nathan CuttingIndoor Track (Boys’) ..................................................................... Shawn KellyIndoor Track (Girls’) ...................................................................... Julia KnappVolleyball ............................................................................ Samantha GriffithWrestling ......................................................................... Christopher AnthonyIn addition, seven members of our Varsity Girls’ Bowling team had a combined

average of 90% or better (91.493%) to qualify them as a NYSPHSAA Scholar/Athlete Team. Members are: melinda bradtke, erin Daly, Sarah erckert, Kateryna Santa Cruz, Suzana Sera, Caitlyn Tallmadge and lillian Tomas.

Eight members of our Varsity Volleyball team had a combined average of 90% or better (91.496%) to qualify them as a NYSPHSAA Scholar/Athlete Team. Members are: Chelsey boudreau, Carolyn ellis, Samantha Griffith, Stacey Guokas, lani mcAdams, brittany moore, Cassandra prezorski and rebekah prezorski.SprING

Baseball ........................................................................... Christopher AnthonySoftball .................................................................................... payton CuttingTrack & Field (Boys’) .................................................................... Shawn KellyTrack & Field (Girls’) ..................................................................... Julia KnappFinally, 11 members of our Varsity Softball team had a combined average of 90%

or better (90.687%) to qualify them as a Scholar/Athlete Team. They were: Taylor briggs, payton Cutting, Chasity eckert, Carolyn ellis, Stacey Guokas, brittany moore, Nicole mulieri, Stephanie parsons, Cassidy phillips, Stephanie Sherman and Jessica Winans.

We also had two Afton students qualify for the merged Girls’ Track and Field team as a NYSPHSAA Scholar/Athlete team. They were: Julia Knapp and Carman myers. Two Afton students qualified on the merged Boys’ Track and Field team as a NYSPHSAA Scholar/Athlete team. They were: Shawn Kelly and Andrew Sanford.

—Submitted by Mrs. Connie Beams

Milk Matters...

MILK

No BonesAbout It,Kids Can’t DoWithout It.Milk for StrongBones & Teeth

One 8 oz. glass of milk has about 300 MG of calcium.

For more information, contact the NICHD/Milk Matters Clearinghouse at 800•370•2943.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

AGES

1-3

4-8

9-18

HOW MUCH CALCIUM DO YOU NEED EACH DAY?

CALCIUM (MG)

600

800

1,300

Milk Matters...No Bones About It,Kids Can’t Do Without It.Milk for Strong Bones & Teeth

One 8 oz. glass of milk has about 300 MG of calcium.

For more information, contact the NICHD/Milk Matters Clearinghouse at 800•370•2943.

AGES

1-3

4-8

9-18

HOW MUCH CALCIUM DO YOU NEED EACH DAY?

CALCIUM (MG)

600

800

1,300

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

24

2009-2010 Winter and Spring Sports SummaryVArSITy GIrlS’ bASKeTbAll

Coach John SimondsThe 2009-2010 basketball season was one of survival.

With only 14 girls coming out to play, it was a ques-tion whether or not we would be able to field two teams. We started the season without 2nd Team All-Star britney patten. We lost perennial All-Star Jessica Winans half way through. Then we played our last scheduled game without leading scorer Stephanie parsons. We finished the season 8-12. The team did a great job of working together. They showed a lot of character, overcoming all the injuries, and the lack of 5-on-5 practices. I want to thank the girls for their effort through a long and tough season.

JV GIrlS’ bASKeTbAllCoach ernest Cutting

The Girls’ JV Basketball team wrapped up their season with a loss at Hancock on February 18. Seven young ladies faced a daunting task of playing the season undermanned. Due to injuries throughout the season, we played many games with five or six players.

We knew from the beginning of the season that it would be difficult. We collaborated as a team, set smaller team goals, and focused on small successes. One of our defensive goals was to hold our opponents to less than 40 points; we accomplished this in eight games. One of our offensive goals was to score in double figures, which was accomplished in 14 of our games. Our overall team goal was to work hard and continue to improve. The girls accomplished this goal and exhibited good sportsmanship all season long.

Despite a disappointing record of 0-18, none of our team members quit, complained or gave up. We improved individually and as a team.

GIrlS’ moDIfIeD bASKeTbAllCoach pat lynch

The Girls’ Modified Basketball team had a good season. The girls learned a lot about the game of basketball. They improved in every aspect of the game. I enjoyed coaching this team.

boyS’ VArSITy bASKeTbAllCoach richard Winans

The beginning of our season started slowly as we were unable to win our first game until our regular division season started. We had some close calls, such as our loss to B-G when we missed our last shot of the game, and in the loss to Delhi, when they hit a shot at the buzzer.

We started to do good things as the season progressed, beating Hancock and then beating B-G, splitting wins with them. We wrapped up with 2nd place in the division with a 7-3 division record and overall 8-12. I would like to thank the boys for their dedication and the parents for their support.

boyS’ JV bASKeTbAllCoach fred mohrien

Although the JV Boys’ Basketball team only won two games this season, it was highly successful in terms of both individual and team improvement. Despite having a limited number of players, the team was competitive in their contests. Offensively, we were led by mitch Decker and Cameron oswald. James Westfall and rick parsons also made positive contributions to the team’s offense throughout the season. phil Grey, Shannon Crane and Josh Davy provided excellent defense throughout the season. The team was also helped by the great all-around play of Dane ellis. Based on the improvements made over the season, Afton Basketball will remain successful during the high school careers of these eight players.

8TH GrADe boyS’ bASKeTbAllCoach Justin Smith

The 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball team completed the 2009 season with a 3-7 record. The eight-member squad focused on the fundamentals of the game and learned to play each position on the court. The boys demonstrated improvement throughout the season and saved their best overall performance for the last game at Deposit. The entire team contributed on both ends of the court and played with great intensity and passion. I hope that they will continue to practice in the off-season and attend summer camps to continue to work on their skills as they advance to the next level. Thank you to all the parents and fans for your support throughout the season!

7TH GrADe boyS’ bASKeTbAllCoach pat lynch

Afton’s 7th Grade Boys’ Basketball season can best be summed up as a learning experience. The boys learned many basic fundamentals that will help them in the future. They need to play a lot of basketball during the off-season and perhaps go to basketball camp to further develop these skills.

GIrlS’ VArSITy VolleybAllCoach Niki page

I would like to congratulate the 2009-2010 Girls’ Volleyball team on another successful season. We finished with an overall record of 6-10 and 5-5 in our division. This may not sound like a winning season to many, but for me the real success was in the girls’ hard work and dedica-tion needed to even have a season. With only eight players, they needed to maintain good grades, be at every practice and every match to be able to compete and have a season. They did that! Another emotional hurdle the girls faced was that volleyball is moving to the fall season next year and some face making a choice between two sports they love.

For those who choose field hockey, good luck, you will be missed. For the rest, see you in August!

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GIrlS’ JV VolleybAllCoach Jennifer Smith

This year’s JV Volleyball team played well in our league. We were even with those teams winning half of our games.

Tiffany Carr and Kelly lutz proved to be consistently good at serving and leading the team in points scored. Dakota latham showed great improvement for a freshman. She played some tournaments at the Varsity level. maria Andrews is another freshman who showed a lot of promise.

With volleyball moving to the fall season, it is hard to tell what next year will bring, but we wish the girls their best and hope they stay with the program.

GIrlS’ moDIfIeD VolleybAllCoaches Cindy bostelman/Corinne Wilson

The Modified Volleyball season was a success this year. We had a lot of fun and finished with a winning record. The girls really seemed to enjoy the season. We had many improvements in all the girls.

We look forward to next year’s season.

mAKoS boyS’ VArSITy SWIm TeAm Coach Kevin Diefenbacher

The 2009-2010 MAKOS Boys’ Varsity Swim team started out with 16 well-rounded swimmers getting ready for a very good season of swimming. The team record was four wins, five losses, and one tie over-all, and three wins, two losses and one tie in MAC. The team kept up the hard work they started with from day one throughout the season. The team had 32 personal best times through the dual meet part of the season. At season-ending Class A Sectionals (with 13 swimmers entered), the team had 13 personal best times, with a team average time drop of eight seconds.

The highlights for the MAKOS are many: first place team at the MAC relay meet, third place at the MAC Championships with a total of 247 points, and voted the MAC Team Sportsmanship award by the coaches. The MAKOS had seven picks on the 2nd Team MAC All-Stars, who are Kurt rogler (200 medley relay, 100 backstroke); Kevin bullis (200 medley relay, 100 breast-stroke); Shane Schneidau (200 medley relay, 100 butter-f ly); and rob mclean (200 medley relay). The team of Kurt rogler, Kevin bullis, Shane Schneidau and rob mclean set a pool record at the Sidney High School pool in the 200 medley relay in the first ever Varsity Swim meet held at Sidney. The biggest highlight of the season came on January 21, when the MAKOS tied the Greene High School team 85 to 85, stopping Greene’s winning streak over MAC teams at 47.

The MAKOS will miss their seven seniors next year and will have many holes to fill with the five Modified team members moving up to Varsity. The coaching staff wishes our seniors well in their future and are looking forward to what the 2010-11 season will bring for the MAKOS.

boyS’ moDIfIeD SWIm Coach eric Diefenbacher

The first official season of the ABGHS Boys’ Modified Swimming season was a great start for the program. Continual improvement was shown by all swimmers throughout the season. The boys listened to the coach and applied the techniques and suggestions they were given not only in practice but during competition as well. The talent of these individuals is not ref lected in their 0-5-0 record. The only reason they lost was due to sheer numbers. The boys consistently swam against teams whose numbers doubled, if not tripled their own; and in championship style, three or more teams at a meet, almost every meet. However, the ABGHS/MAKOS excelled in these situations and composed themselves with the dignity and integrity of senior level Varsity swimmers. At our meets, despite the volume of other swimmers in each event, the MAKOS scored points making it into the top five each and every swim and in many cases they won their event. To close the season, our home meet at Sidney School pool produced several new pool records held by brandt mcCall (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Cole mathews (2100 backstroke) and Cody Hurlbut (100 IM).

VArSITy SofTbAllCoach Cindy bostelman

The Afton Varsity Softball team put in a very exciting and challenging 2010 season. Playing a 23 game schedule, the team challenged many larger and talented schools like Sandy Creek, Oneonta, Binghamton, Seton Catholic, Vestal and Corning West.

During the spring break, the team traveled back to Orlando for their sixth appearance in Spring Break Tournament. While there, the team played six scrimmages. Returning home the team swept the MAC League going 10–0. Facing rival Greene in the X-over Championship, they came up short of a victory.

During the break between regular season and postseason play, starting pitcher payton Cutting suffered a bad fall, which did not allow her to finish the season. Seventh grader, Cassidy phillips, stepped in for the injured Cutting to lead the team though sectionals. The team scored 43 runs to their oppo-nents 0, capturing their 16th straight Section 4 Championship.

Next up for the Lady Knights was Regional play, facing Stockbridge Valley for the third consecutive year. Playing excellent defense and good hitting helped them to capture a 6-1 victory, sending the Lady Knights back to the NY State Championship for the 15 time. During the semi-final game, we faced Bolivar-Richburg. Due to some defensive errors, we were unable to pull off a victory losing 5-2.

The team would like to thank the community, patrons, fans and parents who made this 2010 season such a great success. Without your generous support, this season could not have happened.

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VArSITy SofTbAll ACComplISHmeNTSLeague Championships 5Mac Championships 9Sectional Titles 16Regional Titles 15State appearances 15NYS Championship titles 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002 and 2009Coach Bostelman 22 years coaching

JV SofTbAllCoach Cathy Decker

A JV program is to build for the future Varsity program. We did just that this year. We had a very young team with three seventh graders and one-eighth grader. We finished the season with seven wins and six losses.

Seventh graders Cassidy phillips and Tanya Hatton did an outstanding job on the mound. Other key players were third baseman Jessie bullis, second baseman rebekah prezorski, who both did well infield and on the base paths. Players who did an outstanding job filling multiple positions were Dakota latham, Sierra palmatier, bailey Sherman, and Annette Vernon. We saw improvement for subs maria Andrews, Jackie Iaia, mikala Sherman and makalliah Harris palladino. We had help from Saydie Gaydorus and Chelsea boudreau who moved up and down from Varsity throughout the season.

I am looking forward to seeing these young athletes playing key roles in next year’s program!

moDIfIeD SofTbAllCoach Corinne Wilson

The Modified Softball team was a very strong team this year. The girls seemed to click together right from the start. They really made this year a lot of fun, with a 9-0 record. They also made it easy to coach. Everyone had a great season with everyone getting a lot of good hits and playing defensively very well.

I will miss this group of girls. I wish them well in future years.

VArSITy bASebAllCoach ron rapp

The 2010 Varsity Baseball team was very successful with an over-all record of 10-10 and a 607 record in the MAC for second place. The team started out slowly and struggled all year to get back to five hundred. This was a major goal for the members of this team and the coaching staff. This team was very competitive throughout the season losing three games by one run and another by two runs. Winning those games would have had a major impact on the season in regards to the MAC Championship and Sectional play.

This year we began the season with many new faces in the line-up, whether it be returning players who were filling

spots of the previous graduates or guys who came back to the game after not playing for a couple of years. Those who came back to the game worked hard to get back up to speed with the level of play that is required of a Varsity player. Those who returned picked up for last year’s graduates and filled those roles well, which made the team and year successful. I would like to thank all of the parents for their support throughout the season and all of the folks who worked on the fields to get them in shape for the spring season. In addition, I would like to thank Mr. Glover who spent several Saturdays and late afternoons working on the fields to get them ready for game play. Rick Mohrien also needs to be thanked for his dedication to the baseball program. His sacrifices have been appreciated.

JV bASebAllCoach Justin Smith

The 2009-2010 JV Baseball team was comprised of a young and inexperienced group of athletes who had a goal of gaining game experience this season to help them prepare for the next level, regardless of the wins and losses. In a season where things did not always work in our favor, the team always demonstrated good sportsmanship on and off the field. The most memorable game was played at Hancock where we experienced all four seasons of weather. Playing short-handed and under difficult conditions, the team made a valiant effort and nearly pulled out a win in a very excit-ing game. Thank you to all who helped support this year’s team, especially to those parents who assisted during the games and to our scorekeepers.

boyS’ moDIfIeD bASebAllCoach erin Noone

Great participation—that sums up the Boys’ Modified Baseball season. From day one, the 7th and 8th grade boys showed up ready to learn and improve. Each player on the team grew significantly throughout the season because of this. With experience levels ranging from first year partici-pants to having played for a few years in AYSO, we had a wide range of talent and experience, which sometimes can be difficult to navigate within a group. Everyone’s attitudes stayed positive. The players received playing time and the boys learned what being on a team is all about—supporting each other. A perfect example of great participation was during the week of spring break, when practice participation was not required, but held. Daily, fifteen of the eighteen guys were on the field practicing, wanting to do their part and wanting to improve. Like I said, there was great par-ticipation. That is all I could ask for.

At the conclusion of the season, we had a pizza party and played a short game, 7th vs. 8th grade. The 8th grade team squeaked past the 7th grade team by one run. Afterwards, each player received an award for participating and a few

27

individual awards were handed out. Josh Austin received the Sportsmanship award for his positive attitude on and off the field. Tyler burns received Most Improved, as he always worked hard and made the most gains throughout. Lastly, Caleb Stevens received MVP. His attitude, leader-ship on the team and his strong academic work is what it is all about.

In conclusion, this being my first year coaching, I learned it is not all about wins and losses, but about growing as an athlete, growing as an individual and having fun. Winning will come as a byproduct of all these things. Great season!

boyS’ VArSITy CroSS-CouNTryCoach Steve oakley

The Cross-Country team had its peaks and valleys. The team once again was MAC League runners-up for the third year in a row, but were unable to field a team for the Section IV Championships, due to illness. Captain Chris Antony led the team this year with several impressive runs early, most notably a 4th place finish at the MAC Championships and a 9th place finish at the Section IV Championships. Andy Sanford had an impressive finish to his year, running a personal record time at the Section IV Championships. Corey mohrien, Shawn Kelly, Jack Hillenbrand, Daulton palmatier and Josh beadle also ran well. Next year should prove to be another good one for Afton.

GIrlS’ INDoor TrACK TeAmCoach rob munro

The Girls’ Indoor Track team had a very successful season. As a team, they took third place in the Hurley-Quinney Invitational as well as the Section IV Class Championship. New program records were set by the 800 and 1600-meter relay teams, with seven of the eight athletes running on those relay teams coming from Afton. Isamarie ramos became the first ever Afton girl to qualify for the State championships. She then went on to set a school record at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in the mile, with an 8th place finish (highest in school history). She was joined at Nationals by Julia Knapp and Nikiah Gaydorus in the 400 meters. Julia placed 15th and Nikiah place 21st. Afton girls that were involved in new school records were Julia Knapp, who broke five records, Nikiah Gaydorus, Isamarie ramos and Carmen myers who broke two records each and Holly Andrews. With none of these athletes graduating and many still in middle school, the future looks great for the girls’ team.

boyS’ INDoor TrACK TeAmCoach rob munro

The boys had the best team in the program’s history this year. They placed second in both the Hurley-Quinney Invitational as well as the Section IV Class Championships. Five boys advanced to the state meet, breaking the previ-

ous best of four. Leading the way from Afton was Shawn Kelly who was a Section IV Class Champion and a First Team Section IV Class C/D All-Star.

bGA TrACK AND fIelDCoach rob munro

The Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field program had a great year, possibly the best in program history. The girls’ team won another MAC Championship and another MAC Relays Championship on their way to an undefeated season. This marks the 4th MAC title and the 5th MAC Relays title in the last six years for the girls’ program. In that time the girls’ team has compiled a record of 176 wins and only eight losses to MAC opponents. The highlight for the girls’ team from an Afton perspective, would have to be when the all Afton 1600 meter relay team of Nikiah Gaydorus, Isamarie ramos, Carmen myers and Julia Knapp placed 4th overall in Section IV. For a school the size of Afton, to put out four athletes that can outrun the schools with enrollments well over five times Afton’s size, is a fantastic accomplishment. With almost no one graduating, and many that are not even in high school yet, the team is looking forward to a very bright future.

On the boys’ side, there is little doubt that the team was the best in program history. The team was undefeated for the second straight year. They won the Gerry O’Donnel Invitational against mostly STAC teams. They won the MAC Relays and the MAC Championship for the 4th year in a row. In the MAC Championship, the team set a new scoring record piling up 200 points, beating the next high-est score by 129. They also went on to win the Section IV Class C Team Championship in a very exciting meet. Over the past four years, the boys have piled up a record of 121 wins and only one loss against MAC opponents. The boys’ team sent relays to the state championships in the 400 relay, which included Andy Sanford and the 3200 relay. The season was capped off with a sixth place state medal for the 400 relay and the program’s first ever individual state championship which was won by Chris burnett in the 3000 meter steeplechase. Chris will also compete in the National Track and Field Championships in North Carolina. The boys’ team was very experienced and will lose a great deal of athletes to graduation, but with many very strong athletes returning, they will be looking to make it five MAC titles in a row next year.

bGA WreSTlINGCoach brandon macNaught

The Bears finished the 2009-10 Dual Season at 5-3, ending with a heartbreaking 27-30 loss to Windsor in the Section 4 Dual Meet quarterfinals. They did manage to capture the MAC and Section 4 Class B Tournament titles, and qualified 11 wrestlers for the Section 4 tournament, while the team finished 3rd.

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2010-2011 School Supply ListThe following is a list of supplies your child will need in

September. Thank you for your support in starting your child out with the necessary supplies.

ElementaryPlease personalize all items with your child’s name.

KINDerGArTeN • Backpack: non-rolling and large enough to hold pocket folder,

snow pants, swimsuit/towel, etc. • Two boxes of crayons: 16 or 24 count is great!• Two large glue sticks• One box of Ziploc™ style plastic bags – gallon size• One pocket folder for Friday Folder use• Change of clothing (warm and cold weather) to be left in school

Optional items: A donation of one of the following items for our classroom would be appreciated, but is not necessary. • Paper plates: economy style is perfect! • Markers: washable preferred

fIrST GrADe• A pair of scissors (Fiskars™ work best)• Glue (8 oz. bottle please)• Two boxes of crayons: one for the beginning of the year, and one

for later • A package of 12 pencils, to be distributed as needed• A folder with pockets for weekly homework• A box of tissues

Optional Items:• Napkins: these are especially needed since we use them every

day for snack• Ziploc™ style plastic bags (pint and quart sizes)

SeCoND GrADe• Eight pocket folders with double pockets, different colors• One pencil case• Two boxes of #2 pencils (sharpened)• Two large pink erasers• One pair of scissors• Four glue sticks or two glue bottles• One box of 24 or 48 crayons and/or one box of 12 colored pencils• One box of tissues• One box of Ziploc™ style bags or one pack of paper lunch bags• One pair of sneakers to be left at school for P.E.• One sweater or sweatshirt to be left in school for chilly mornings

Please do not send in markers.

THIrD GrADe• Ten pocket folders. Please, NO trapper Keepers™

• Wide-ruled loose leaf paper, 1-2 packages• Sharpened pencils, a minimum of forty• One box of 16-24 crayons• Two boxes of 12 colored pencils• Three large boxes of tissues

The Bears crowned one champion in four-time Section 4 Champ Danny Gormley who also had an outstanding State tournament finishing 3rd. The Bears will bid farewell to senior Chris burnett, who was five-time Section 4 place-finisher ending this year with a 4th place finish. paul parsons and Vinnie buttice each fell short in the finals, finished second, and will be gunning for that elusive title next year, as will senior-to-be Daren Terpstra, who finished 5th.

Placing for the first time was senior paul Hamilton of Afton placing 6th at 285 and fresh-man mark Viviano placing 6th at 189. Also returning next year will be two-time Section 4 Champion Wayne Cirigliano, who finished 6th and will be looking to return to the top, and brother Justin Cirigliano, who came in 5th after taking 4th in 2009.

boyS’ & GIrlS’ boWlINGCoach Kim Nutting

This year the Bowling Team worked hard. Even though it was a tough season for both teams, the individuals worked together to do their best. Both teams approached each game as another chance at winning instead of being discouraged.

For the Boys’ Team, there was tough competi-tion and we competed against some great bowlers. Even though they finished their season without a win, they still remained positive and had a great outlook. They gave their best every game and worked hard. They won the sportsmanship award at the end of the year MAC league awards ceremony, and other teams in the league voted them as having the best sportsmanship. This truly says a lot about our boys as a team.

The Girls’ Team ended their season with a 3-7 record. There were some new faces on the team this year and they made great improvements in their game by the end of the season. They worked hard as a team and supported and encouraged each other, which helped make them unified. melinda bradtke was the sixth best female bowler in our MAC league, which is a great accomplishment.

Overall, the season went well, and even though they may not have earned great scores, each person enjoyed being on the team, worked hard, and challenged themselves personally to strive for their best. I want to thank all of the bowlers for continuing to work hard throughout the season and being great representatives of the Afton Bowling program.

—Ms. Cathy Decker

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• Pencil box for the desk to store pencils and crayons• Composition book, black and white type—not spiral• One box of Ziploc™ style bags (quart size)• Scissors• Glue bottle and glue stick• Dictionary at home for his/her own use

fourTH GrADe• Four—one subject, 70 page, spiral writing journals• One Trapper Keeper™

• Seven two-pocket folders• Wide-ruled loose leaf paper• One box of sharpened pencils—not mechanical• One box of 24 colored pencils• Erasers• Pencil sharpener• Scissors• Two highlighters—YELLOW only

Please NO Mechanical pencils, tape, pens or crayons

fIfTH GrADe• Pencils• One-1½ inch binder• Binder pouch for pencils• Wide-ruled loose leaf paper• One heavy duty folder for homework• Pink block erasers• Four dividers for binder—must have holes• One or two composition books

Middle SchoolSIxTH GrADe• Binders: The student can choose which method works best for

them: One large binder/Trapper Keeper™ for all subjects with multiple dividers. The type that zips is recom-mended so that papers don’t fall out; or one, 1 inch 3-ring binder, per subject; or two 1-2 inch 3-ring binders for morning/afternoon classes.

• Pencils (students are not to use pen for any core class)• Dividers• Loose leaf paper• Two highlighters• 12 or 15 pack of colored pencils • 3-ring pencil holder that fits into binder• Jump drive/f lash drive (ELA and Science)• One package of 3x5 index cards (ELA)• Dictionary for at home use

Home AND CAreerS• One-1 inch, 3-ring binder, two tab/dividers• 25 sheets of loose leaf paper• Pens• Pencils• Small spiral notebook

mS. HumpHrey’S ArT ClASS• Will need a glass-like container. Ms. Humphrey will

explain more on the first day of school. The container will not be needed until a few weeks into the quarter.

SeVeNTH AND eIGHTH GrADe • math and Science Notes: one-3 subject spiral notebook• elA and Social Studies: one-1½-2 inch, 3-ring binder• math and Science: one-1 inch, 3-ring binder• Technology/Home and Careers (7th grade): one-1 inch,

3-ring binder• foreign language (8th grade): one-1 inch, 3-ring binder• Eleven dividers for binders • Highlighters (set of three different colors)• Post-it™ note pads• Index cards• Graph paper• Large book cover• 12-inch ruler with centimeters also• Scientific calculator—any Texas Instruments™ TI 34-II,

TI 30x IIs, or TI 30xs multi-view models • Two packages of blue/black ink pens• Two packages of #2 pencils• Colored pencils• Jump drive (for students with home computers)• Loose leaf paper• Folders—blue, yellow, green, purple and red

mr. luTTINGer—bAND• #2 pencils

pHySICAl eDuCATIoN—boyS• Sneakers that tie• Extra socks• Gym shorts• T-shirts• Deodorant• Swimsuit and towel• Sweatshirt for outside

pHySICAl eDuCATIoN—GIrlS• Sneakers that tie• Extra socks• Mid-thigh gym shorts• T-shirts (no low cut t’s)• Deodorant• Hair ties (for long hair)• One-piece swimsuit and towel• Sweatshirt for outside

High SchoolmrS. CHIlSoN—freNCH• One-2 inch, 3-ring binder• Loose leaf paper • Pens and pencil

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mrS. CrISSell—SoCIAl STuDIeS• Two-3 inch, 3-ring binders• Single subject spiral notebook• Five dividers• Loose leaf paper• Blue/black pens• Highlighters

mr. DANCeSIA—SCIeNCe• Pens• Pencils • Four function or scientific calculator (not graphing) • 3-ring binder and loose leaf paper

mrS. DAVIS—eNGlISH• One-1½-2 inch, 3-ring binder• Loose leaf paper• Four (or more) dividers for notebook• 80-page spiral notebook • Pens and pencils

mrS. DelArCo—eNGlISH• One-2 inch, 3-ring binder• Three dividers • Loose leaf paper• Blue or black pens• One 1-subject spiral bound notebook

mr. GArlITz—buSINeSS• One 1-2 inch 3-ring binder • One Hi-8 video tape for Communications Class

mr. HIGby—STuDIo ArT• Standard 50 sheet 9”x12” drawing book or sketchbook • One dozen #2 pencils

mS. lIVINGSToN—SCIeNCe• One or two-2 inch, 3-ring binders• Loose leaf paper (no spiral notebooks)• Two sets of 3-hole punched dividers• One-3-ring binder pencil pouch• Two-#2 pencils or mechanical pencils, one eraser• Four black or blue ball-point pens• Scientific calculator (recommended)

mr. luTTINGer—bAND• #2 pencils

mr. mACNAuGHT—SoCIAl STuDIeS• Notebook• Black or blue ink pens• One-3-ring binder

mS. mCelHINNy—SCIeNCe

bIoloGy • One-2 inch, 3-ring binder• Five dividers with tabs• Loose leaf paper

• Pens and pencils• Highlighter • 3-Ring pencil case

ADVANCeD bIoloGy• One-2 inch, 3-ring binder• Five dividers with tabs• Loose leaf paper• Pens and pencils• 3-Ring pencil case• One set of colored pencils

mrS. pAGe & mrS. peTroSKI—mATH

for All mATH CourSeS• A Texas Instruments™ graphing calculator is preferred,

model TI-84. If this is not possible, must have a Texas Instruments scientific calculator, models: TI 34-II, TI 30x IIs, or TI 30xs multi-view™.

for INTeGrATeD AlGebrA I, INTeGrATeD AlGebrA II, ApplIeD GeomeTry, GeomeTry, AND AlGebrA II TrIGoNomeTry• One-2 inch, 3-ring binder• Loose leaf paper• Pencils• Pencil top erasers• Pencil case• 3-subject spiral notebook• Also recommended: dividers, colored pencils, ruler and

graph paper

for pre-CAlCuluS AND CAlCuluS• Two 5-subject notebooks• Pencils• Erasers• Pencil case• Graph paper

mr. prATT—eNGlISH • One notebook• Pencils• Pens (not red)• One pack of 3x5 index cards

mrS. WeSToVer—muSIC• # 2 pencils• Highlighter

mrS. WHeeler—HeAlTH• One-2 pocket folder

pHySICAl eDuCATIoN—boyS• Sneakers that tie• Extra socks• Gym shorts• T-shirts• Deodorant

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• Swimsuit and towel• Sweatshirt for outside

pHySICAl eDuCATIoN—GIrlS• Sneakers that tie• Extra socks• Mid-thigh gym shorts• T-shirts (not low cut t’s)• Deodorant• Hair ties (for long hair)• One-piece swimsuit and towel• Sweatshirt for outside

Feelin’ Frazzled? Totally Tense?

Under Pressure?

Put your body in motion

Take time to chill

Laugh

Keep a journal

Have fun with friends

Get it together

Spill to someone you trust

Lend a hand

Fuel up

Catch some zzzzz...

10 Tips to Keep You Cool, Calm and Collected

Physical activity is one of the most important ways to keep stress away by clearing your head and lifting your spirits. Physical activity also increases endorphin levels—the natural “feel-good” chemicals in the body which leave you with a happy feeling. It’s important to get up, get out, and get moving!

Stress can sometimes make you feel like a tight rubber band—stretched to the limit! If this happens, take a few deep breaths to help yourself unwind.

When you’re overtired, a problem may seem much bigger than it actually is. Sleep is a big deal! Getting the right amount of sleep is important. Because your body (and mind) is changing and developing, it requires more sleep to re-charge for the next day. So don’t resist, hit the hay!

Too much to do but not enough time? Forgot your homework? Feeling over-whelmed or discombobulated? Getting everything done can be a challenge, but all you have to do is plan a little and get organized.

Get involved in an activity that helps others. It’s almost impossible to feel stressed out when you’re helping someone else. Signing up for a public service project is a good idea, but helping others is as easy as saying hello, holding a door or volunteering to keep a neighbor’s pet. The feeling you will get from helping others is greater than you can imagine!

If you’re having one of those crazy days when nothing goes right, it’s a good idea to write things down in a journal to get it off your chest —like how you feel, what’s going on in your life and things you’d like to accomplish.

Eating breakfast will give you the energy you need to tackle the day. Eating regular meals and taking time to enjoy them will make you feel better too. Don’t be fooled by the jolt of energy you get from sodas and sugary snacks—this only lasts a short time and once it wears off, you may feel sluggish and more tired than usual.

Everyone has those days when they do something really silly or stupid— instead of getting upset with yourself, laugh out loud! No one’s perfect! Life should be about having fun, so, lighten up!

Being with people you like is always a good way to ditch your stress. Friends can help you work through your problems and let you see the brighter side of things.

Talk to someone you trust or respect about what’s bothering you. Talking out your problems and seeing them from a different view might help you figure out ways to deal with them. Just remember, you don’t have to go it alone!

Resource: CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A. www.bam.gov

Choose Your CoverH

1.

2.

3.

playingSunscreen ScoopSunscreen ScoopSunscreen may be easy, but it doesn’t protect

your child’s skin completely. Try combining

sunscreen with other “Choose Your Cover”

options to prevent UV damage.

Sunscreen comes in a variety of forms – lotions,

sprays, wipes or gels. Be sure to choose one

made especially for kids with:

• Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher• both UVA and UVB protection

For most effective protection, apply sunscreen

generously 30 minutes before going outdoors.

And, don’t forget to protect ears, noses, lips and

the tops of feet which often go unprotected.

Take sunscreen with you to reapply during the

day, especially after your child swims or

exercises. This applies to “waterproof” and

“water resistant” products as well.

Keep in mind, sunscreen is not meant to allow

your kids to spend more time in the sun than they

would otherwise. Sunscreen reduces

damage from UV radiation, it doesn’t eliminate it.

The American Academy of Pediatrics now advises

that sunscreen use on babies less than 6 months

old is not harmful on small areas of a baby’s skin,

such as the face and back of the hands. But your

baby’s best defense against sunburn is avoiding

the sun or staying in the shade.

Protect the Skin �ey’re In

4.

5.

4.Shades Are Cool.

And they protect your

child’s eyes from UV rays, which can lead

to cataracts later in life. Look for sunglasses

that wrap around and block as close to 100% of

both UVA and UVB rays as possible.

5.Rub on Sunscreen. Use sunscreen with

at least SPF 15 and UVA/UVB pro-

tection every time your child goes out-

side.

Choose Your CoverHey Moms and Dads! Not all sun

protection comes in a bottle. There

are lots of ways to protect your child’s

skin all year long. Here are five you can try.

1.Hide and Seek. UV rays are

strongest and most harmful

during midday, so it’s best to plan

indoor activities then. If this is not

possible, seek shade under a tree, an umbrella

or a pop-up tent. Use these options to prevent

sunburn, not to seek relief once it’s happened.

2. Cover ‘em Up. Clothing that covers your

child’s skin helps protect against UV rays.

Although a long-sleeved shirt and long pants with

a tight weave are best, they aren’t always

practical. A T-shirt, long shorts or a

beach cover-up are good choices, too –

but it’s wise to double up on protection by

applying sunscreen or keeping your child in

the shade when possible.

3.Get a Hat. Hats that shade the face, scalp,

ears and neck are easy to use and give

great protection. Baseball caps are popular

among kids but they don’t protect their ears and

neck. If your child chooses a cap, be sure to pro-

tect exposed areas with sunscreen.

Warning: Even a few serious

sunburns can increase your child’s

risk of ge�ing skin cancer.

AFTON CENTRAL SCHOOL29 Academy Street, P.O. Box 5Afton, New York 13730

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

P A I DPermit No. 16

Afton, NY 13730

DC

MO

BO

CES

Prin

ting

Serv

ice

NEWS OF THE SCHOOLCurrent Resident or

ECRWSSBoxholder

Coming Soon . . . Afton CSD Website, Revamped

The 2010-2011 school year will bring about many new and exciting opportunities. One of these opportunities includes access to a new District Website, www.aftoncsd.org. The purpose of the web site is to establish a central access point in which users will find all information regard-ing the school district. This site will include current school news and announcements, a central calendar with upcom-ing activities and events, a showcase of student achieve-ments, and access to classroom resources, all of which will strengthen the bond between the administration, students, staff, parents and the community. Please take a few minutes to check out our site, available September 2010!

—Mrs. Stacy Huyck

Fifth Graders Visit Lackawanna Coal Mine

The fifth grade book club members took a field trip to the Lackawanna Coal Mine as an extension of their last reading. The book read, Danger at the Breaker by Catherine Welch, tells the story of Andrew, a young boy who must leave school at the age of eight to begin his working life at a coal mine. As the students walked along a cold, damp, mine shaft, over 200 feet below ground, they got a small taste of what awaited Andrew. It was both a fun and an informative day!

—Ms. Leslie McGraw

Maya Kenyon, Anne Marie Ingraham, Conner Humphrey, troy Mercilliott, Michael Graven-Briggs,

raeanne Baker, rachel Curtis, taylor williams, Amelia reuter, Jessica Zurenda

Fall Sports Practice Schedule

JV AND VArSITy prACTICe STArTSAugust 16, 2010

Time: TbA

moDIfIeD prACTICe STArTS August 30, 2010

Time: TbA