Superintendent Message from August 25 Edition: Health Reminders and Resources
Dear West Genesee Families,
As the start of the new school year approaches, Mrs. Skardinski, District Lead Nurse, and I would like to take this opportunity to provide health reminders and resources. While health concerns have not dominated our lives to the extent of recent years, it remains important for procedures and expectations to be clear and consistent for our students and families.
You will likely receive packets from your school’s Health Office as is distributed annually. Special thanks to our school nurses, and by way of introduction and a welcome to our District for some, remind you of the buildings they will serve. They are:
- WGHS: Katie Hancock, Carrie Prior
- CMS: Colleen Condon
- WGIS: Daron Comes
- EH: Sarah Condon
- OR: Carrie Heaphy
- SR: Natalie Delaney
- ST: Stephany Skardinski (District Lead Nurse), Annie Zeleznock
- District-wide: Marrianna Stenta
Our health professionals will be the best “frontline” resource for you and your child. It remains important that if a student is not feeling well, they should not report to school. Children having symptoms or expressing discomfort will be seen and assessed by the school nurse per the protocols of our health offices throughout the District. As a reminder, students should not be in school if they have:
- Fever at or above 100 degrees
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Cough that is persistent or an unusual level of severity
- Flu
- COVID-19+
In general, your child should be without fever, vomiting, or diarrhea for 24 hours with no use of medication, before they return to school. For isolation information for COVID-19 and sub variants please see the most recent NYS Department of Health guidelines found here.
We encourage families to consider flu and COVID-19 shots, per the advice and discussion with your primary care physician.
We wish you a safe, healthy, and enjoyable school year and remain appreciative of our mutual communication.
David C. Bills Superintendent of Schools
Stephanie Skardinski, District Lead Nurse
Superintendent Message from August 18 Edition: Getting Ready for the Start of School
Dear West Genesee Families,
Please access our online Events Calendar/Information Guide below. This is available prior to the hardcopy that will be sent home during the first week of school. Please use the version that you are most comfortable with to look for important dates and events that will highlight the school year. Truly, your presence completes the partnership for our students’ success and celebrates their accomplishments.
Student class schedules and related information will come out soon. Elementary Schools (East Hill, Onondaga Road, Split Rock, and Stonehedge) will mail information on Friday, August 18, 2023. Transportation information will be ready to be released before Friday, August 25, 2023. Schedules for West Genesee Intermediate School, Camillus Middle School, and West Genesee High School will be available Monday, August 28, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. via StudentVUE and ParentVUE.
Thank you to our school counselors and Mrs. Monica Canterino, Director of Counseling Services, for the recently published newsletter found here. The cited resources include helpful websites, tips and suggestions, various school orientation dates, and resources available for students and families. Please keep this information for current use and future reference, as needed.
We are all anticipating and preparing for the upcoming school year. Be sure to take time to relish the remaining days of summer. We experience a wide variety of seasons and should take full advantage of that which comes with each time of year. Very soon, we will return to more typical routines that will bring us back together more often. Across the year and through transitions, we continue to work together as West Genesee Wildcats!
David C. Bills Superintendent of Schools
Superintendent Message from July 18 Edition: Summer is a Busy Time
You may remember that last month my message referenced starting and finish lines. That analogy doesn’t match perfectly to schools when referencing the months of July and August. This time is quite different from the rest of the year, but it is nonetheless integral to our long-term mission.
School buildings have a very different level of activity right now. The commitment to students occurs in summer programming that includes camp experiences, extended school year learning, and supplements for credit and preparation for assessments. For the latter, we are appreciative of our OCM BOCES partners and efforts for Regional Summer School that is hosted at Camillus Middle School. Of course, the presence of our Camillus Parks and Recreation Programs in our schools continues strong in the summer months, as well. Quality experiences continue outside of the regular school year.
Other important work includes recruiting and hiring new staff, professional development, facilities upgrades and maintenance, fine tuning schedules, and managing important changes in assignments and responsibilities. Please remember that if a building is undergoing construction, there will be information to access services that may include temporary relocations and alternate methods to serve the needs of our community.
Allow me to point out August 3 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. when we will hold an in-person Job Fair. Set at Stonehedge Elementary School, the evening will be an opportunity to visit with District representatives to discover opportunities for employment in our District. We are proud of our outstanding staff and continue to welcome others to join this team that services our students and community at the highest levels. Please come and join us or pass the information along to someone you know that may be interested.
Despite the nature of the summer, this newsletter continues to be filled with acknowledgments and praise for our students’ successes. Please enjoy well-deserved kudos for our students and important information for families. It is filled with many examples of what makes us all proud to be Wildcats!
David C. Bills Superintendent of Schools