March - April 2012 - Mexico Academy & Central School - cnyric

Three All-League SwimmersThree Mexico HighSchool varsityswimmers wereselected for All-League honors asa result of theirperformance at theOHSL (OnondagaHigh School League)ChampionshipMeet held on January14. Richard DeLong, pictured left, was selected for the OHSL All-LeagueFirst Team for his performance in the 200 individual medley (2nd), and100 breaststroke (1st). Nick Rodriguez, pictured center, was selected tothe OHSL All-League First Team for his performance in diving in dualmeets thus far in the season (fi ve fi rst places in fi ve dual meets). ChrisHalsey, pictured right, was selected to the OHSL All-League Second Teamfor his performance in the 200 freestyle (2nd) and 500 freestyle (3rd).Music Enrichment Class at PalermoThe students involved in the Music Club Enrichment Class on Tuesdaysafter school at Palermo Elementary, are not only learning to sing andmake music, they are practicing for a show that will be presented tofamilies at the end of their 12 week session. This enrichment class is led byPalermo School Psychologist Diane Roberts.New Haven Reading CelebrationMexico Board of Education MemberJanice Clark was a guest reader at PalermoElementary School on Thursday, January 12.Clark, who read to the children in the Pre-Kprogram, was one of several guest readers in thebuilding that day as part of the school’s weeklong‘Read S’more Books’ Reading Celebration.Other events during the celebration alsoincluded: DEAR - Drop Everything and Readtime, class cheers about reading, a brand newbooks for every child in the school to take hometo keep, and a ‘Snuggle Up with a Good Book’ evening event which wassponsored by the Palermo Parent/Teacher Club (PTC).Mexico’s Science Olympiad TeamCongratulations to Mexico’s Science Olympiad team. The team, coachedby Michael Johst and Liz Mcintosch, placed ninth out of 32 teams atthe regional competition at LeMoyne College on Saturday January 21.Science Olympiad is a regional and national competition that consistsof a series of 23 team events incorporating multiple science, technology,engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. The team pictured front, leftto right, are: Allison Sheets, Sydney Ryan, Tracey Rector, and RobertPritchard. Second row, left to right: Liz Becker, Courtney Leo, MeganYost, and Maddie Fleming. Third row, left to right: Steve Slocum, TylerDaniels, Jonathan Sheets, Colby Minter, and James Gowans. Back row,left to right: John Spencer, Ryan Staring, and Ben Parkhurst. Absent:Elliot Ringwald. The team would like to thank all of the staff and mentorsfrom Constellation who helped them prepare for such a successful year.District-wide Strategies MeetingLiane Benedict,standingcenter left, andMary AnnPreston, seatedcenter right,participated inthe DistrictwideSharedDecision-makingTeam Meetingat Mexico High School on Wednesday, February 15. Both women workfor the Instructional Support Services Department of Oswego CountyBOCES, and, at this meeting, worked with the team as they reviewed theComprehensive District Education Plan (CDEP), which is the strategicplan for the Mexico School District. Seated left is Mexico DistrictSuperintendent Robert Pritchard, and to the far right is Mexico HighSchool Principal Donald Root.5Tiger Traditions March/April 2012

6New Haven Battle of the BooksThe Battle of the Books is in full swing in all fi ve of the buildings in theMexico School District. Here, the readers at New Haven Elementarypose for a photo during their weekly Battle of the Books Club meeting onWednesday, February 1. After reading a number of books these secondthrough fourth grade students will compete at the local level, the districtlevel, and eventually at the county level toward the end of April. Thisenrichment program is led by New Haven Elementary Library ManagerJudy Perlet, back left, and MACS Pre-K - 4th Instructional Specialistfor Literacy Diane Barnes, back right. “Some of these kids are so excitedto see me on Wednesdays because they remember it’s Battle of the Booksday,” says Diane.American Red Cross HonorsMexico’s LosInteligenteschapter ofNational HonorSociety (NHS)was honored onJanuary 4, bythe AmericanRed Cross forbeing one of aselect groupof high schoolclubs that has successfully hosted a school blood drive each yearfor the past twenty years. American Red Cross representative RobWaisel presented the group with a certifi cate commemorating theirefforts. Pictured, front left to right: NHS Advisor Shannon Bigelowand American Red Cross Representative Rob Waisel; Second row,left to right: NHS offi cers Emmy Passer, Jenna Behling, Jessica Locci,and Dayna Passer; Third row: Samantha Bennett, Hayley Webb, andElizabeth Mournighan; Forth row: Brianna Santmyer and MadelineGalvin; Fifth row: Meghan Yost, Louis Arena, Steven Watros, andEmily Yerdon; Sixth row: Cooper Sheldon, James Gowans, and HaliPeter; Back row: Austin MacFarland, Elliot Ringwald, Jesse Anderson,and Shaun Kinney. Los Inteligentes hosted a second blood drive onFebruary 28.Palermo Around the World ClubPalermoElementarySchool is currentlyoffering a totalof seven afterschool enrichmentclasses on Tuesdayafternoons.This class, theAround the WorldClub, allows thestudents to ‘visit’ a different country every week by learning about thecountry and the culture. The students pictured here are playing a gamethat children in Tanzania might play. This enrichment class is led byMACS Teaching Assistant Beth Holden, seated left, and MACS Teacher’sAide Lisa Bontomase.Mexico Elementary Clay to PotsThese artistsin the Clay toPots EnrichmentProgramat MexicoElementarySchool pausedfor a photoon Thursday,February 9. Inthe class the students studied a book titled “Dave the Potter”, written byLaban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Bryan Collier, about an African-American slave in the 1800’s who was both a potter and a poet. On thepots and jars that Dave crafted he carved the words to poems that hewrote and these works of art have been studied over time. In the Clay toPots Enrichment Program, the artists have each thrown a pot on a potterswheel and have carved their poems on pots as well. The class is led byMexico Elementary Teachers Patty Brooks, back left, and Angela Laboda,back right.Conversation with the superintendentMexico School DistrictSuperintendent RobertPritchard, center left, hosted abi-monthly Superintendent’sCommunity Conversation atMexico Elementary Schoolon Saturday, February 3.Over a dozen communitymembers, along with MexicoSchool Board of Education members, attended the one and one-half hourgathering. The next Superintendent’s Community Conversation will beheld at New Haven Elementary School on Saturday, April 7, from 9:30am- 11am. The public is invited to attend.Tiger Traditions March/April 2012

Board of EducationRussell Partrick-PresidentJanice Clark-Vice PresidentEric BehlingJames EmeryJoseph GodfreyMerrilee GortonDarlene UpcraftCourtney Leo-Student RepresentativeSuperintendent of SchoolsRobert Pritchard40 Academy StreetMexico, NY 13114963-8400 Ext. 5401www.mexico.cnyric.orgMexico Academy & Central School40 Academy StreetMexico, NY 13114Box HolderLocal Postal PatronNON PROFITU.S. POSTAGE PAIDPERMIT NO. 2MEXICO, NY 13114Mexico FBLA Chapter Wins District Competition Again!The Mexico Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chaptercompeted in the FBLA District Competition at Bryant and Stratton inSyracuse on February 3. Competing against eight other schools withapproximately 150 students total, Mexico bought home: 15 fi rst placeawards, 10 second place, and 10 third place. These students have nowSpelling Bee School ChampionEighth grade Mexico Middle Schoolstudent Camron Spurling wentfrom spelling bee school championto compete in the wirtten exam atOnondaga Community College onJanuary 14. At that competitionCamron competed against 120area students and was one of only37 students to move on to the oralcompetition on Saturday, February 4. At that competition Camron madeit to the fourth round. Congratulations Camron.Les Miserables March 8-10Mexico High School presents the Broadway Musicalqualifi ed to compete at the state level at Rochester Convention Center inApril. It is notable that the Mexico FBLA Chapter has qualifi ed for statecompetition every year since inception seven years ago, and has qualifi edfor national competition for the past three years - including a fi rst placefi nish in Management Decision Making last year in Orlando, Florida.This year’s national competition will be held in Austin, Texas. Picturedhere, front left to right are: Jessica Hernandez, Maura Roach, ChelseaRoach, Autumn Petreszyn, Liz Peters, and Alyssa Facteau. Second row,left to right: Katie Linerode, Keeleigh Mendez, Alyssa Ross. Third row:Austin Chawgo, Dayna Passer, and Emily Passer. Fourth row: Kyle Hall,Emily Yerdon, and Francessco Marrone. Fifth row: Kenny Stevens, NickHigby, Steve Watros, and Louie Arena. Back row: Trine Carl, VictoriaSeabrooks, Austin MacFarland, Inken Doblies, Dom Sesso, and JessLawler. The team is coached by MACS Business Teacher Marla Berlin.New Haven “Souper” Food DonationSeveral NewHaven fourthgrade studentsstand behindthe carts offood that werepresented toMartha Sturtz,standing centerback, forMexico Food Pantry on Friday, February 3. The January character focusfor the school was caring, and the objective was to show caring outside thebuilding - in the community. To do this, a souper bowl theme was createdwith a paper football moving down the fi eld (which is seen hanging in rearof photo), each time another 50 items of food was donated by the studentsand the staff. The goal was a touchdown when 500 food items werecollected and they made a touchdown plus with 563 items. The fourthgrade self-managers assisted in counting, organizing and boxing the foodas it was collected. The Mexico Food Pantry, which is located in St. AnneMother of Mary Catholic Church in Mexico, serves the entire MexicoSchool District. Martha Sturtz is the coordinator of the ministry.