Update for the Week of April 19-23

We are reaching the point in the year when people begin to ask questions about the timing of the end of the year. Below is some preliminary information about the end of the year. Please watch for updates in the coming weeks as there may be some adjustments and additional information as we get closer to the actual days and events. 

End of the Year Dates of Note

The final class day for the Junior/Senior cohort will be June 11. The final class day for the Freshman/Sophomore cohort will be June 15. Stand alone exams, including Regents exams will begin on June 16. Further information about exams will be coming out in May. 

Upcoming Senior Events

Last week a detailed list went home in regards to upcoming senior events. Below is a list of those events and their dates. All dates are based upon guidance from either the NYS or County Health Departments and weather. Please click here for a link to the specific communication about these events.

Here is the list:

**All events are subject to change based on updates to 

NYS or Onondaga County health and safety guidelines**

Cap and Gown Day (Friday, May 7)  

Senior Awards Night (Monday, May 24)   

Senior Ball (Friday, June 4th--rain date Saturday, June 5)

Senior Walk Day (Friday, June 11)

Senior Celebration (Friday, June 11--rain date Saturday, June 12)

Graduation (Saturday, June 19--rain date Sunday, June 20)

GRADUATION REHEARSAL  (Wednesday, June 16)

Enjoy today's beautiful weather and be well,

Wayne Ackles

Executive Principal 

West Genesee High School

Updates for the Week of April 12-16

It appears that spring has truly arrived and it is a welcome sight! Let's hope that it continues! Below are some updates for the coming week.

First Wednesday for Juniors/Seniors

Just a quick reminder that Wednesday, April 14, will be our first Wednesday for juniors and seniors. Below is a list of the upcoming Wednesdays. 

COHORT	DATES OF ATTENDANCE
Grades 9 & 10	4/7, 4/21, 5/5, 5/19, 6/2
Grades 11 & 12	4/14, 4/28, 5/12, 5/26, 6/9

Regents Exam Update

New York State's waiver request was denied by the US Department of Education. We will be offering the following four New York State Regents Exams: English Language Arts(ELA), Living Environment(LE), Earth Science(ES), and Algebra 1. The dates for these exams are as follows:  

• ELA- Thursday, June 17     
• LE- Tuesday, June 22  
• Algebra 1- Wednesday, June 23
• ES-Thursday, June 24  

We will administer the NYS Regents Exams during the morning sessions.

Below is some further information relating to this year's NYS Regents Exams: 

1. We are obligated to offer the exams. If your child has a cumulative 4 quarter passing average and is mathematically able to receive course credit, they do not have to sit for the exam and will receive both course and regents credit. Again, that's IF they are passing the class.  
2. For classes that have regents exams that are not listed above, (i.e. Chemistry, Physics Global History, US History, Geometry, Algebra 2) again, if your child is passing the class, they will automatically obtain the Regents/graduation credit without having to take the exam as long as they have a 4 quarter passing average.
3. What happens if my child does not pass a class this year? The student would then attend summer school or some other type of remedial program such as Grad Point.  If they satisfactorily pass the course in summer school, they would then be awarded course credit and regents credit (if the course ends in a regents exam). If they do not attend summer school to make up a failed course, they would have to retake it next year AND take the Regents Exam connected with the class in June 2022.

Be Well, Wayne Ackles Executive Principal West Genesee High School

Updates for the Week of March 22-26

Although it's a little chilly, it is so good to see the sun!!! Warm weather next week! This week's blog is significantly shorter! Enjoy the weekend!

Office Hours Cancelled Wednesday, March 24

Office hours for Wednesday March, 24 are cancelled. We will be using the time for staff preparation and collaboration.

Congratulations on National Recognition

Congratulation to junior Meagan Medina for receiving a Silver Medal for her piece “Up for Air" in the National Scholastics Art and Writing Award Competition. This national award demonstrates high honors and achievement on the national level. More than 80,000 students submitted nearly 230,000 works of art and writing to the 2021 Scholastic Awards.

Meagan’s work was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual arts for excellence in originality, technical skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision.  Only 2,000 works received a national medal, which means her work is within the top 1% of all admissions! #WildcatPride

Welcome to Our New School Resource Officer

Please welcome Officer Mark Flint as our new School Resource Officer at West Genesee High School. Officer Flint has been with Camillus PD for over a decade and is excited to continue to serve the community in this role! Welcome Officer Flint!

Take care and be well,

Wayne Ackles
Executive Principal
West Genesee High School

Updates for the Week of March 15-19

 This set of updates is lengthier than usual, so I'm going to get right at it!

AP Exams Update

A letter will be arriving for AP students that states in part, "AP students at West Genesee will take the exams in person with paper and pen/pencil. Students will be masked and socially distanced following the County Health Department guidelines. Our exams will be given in the lower gym at the designated time set by the College Board." This letter also contains information on the schedule and make-up procedures for the exam. If you have any questions please reach out to Mr. Vaughan at tvaughan@westgenesee.org. 

A Few Updates from Our Health Office          

• Physical Exams: If your 9th or 11th grade student has not had their physical this year please try and get this completed as soon as possible. If students have a physical dating back to September 10, 2019 it will work for this year. Please turn any completed physicals into Health Office or call with any questions.
• Just a reminder that our current COVID-19 athletic testing for Fall 2 Sports: Football, Volleyball and Cheer begins Monday, March 15, 2021.
• 9th/10th Graders: Mondays during lunch
• 11th/12th Graders: Thursdays during lunch
• Adults and Remote Students: Thursdays 5:00-6:00 p.m.           

OCC Early College Experience

Students who will be seniors next year and on track for high school graduation may be eligible for the Early OCC Program. Students who may be interested in this program should stop in the counseling center for additional information. There will be a parent meeting for those families who are interested in pursuing this option. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 23, at 700 p.m. in the LGI at the high school. Seats will be limited due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please call our counseling office at 315-487-4672 to sign up for a seat at the meeting.   

Invitation to Join the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council

As you may have read in the Superintendent’s Message from February 26, there is an opportunity for all members of our community to come together as part of the West Genesee Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. We recognize that we need to listen to the voices, experiences, and perspectives of people from diverse backgrounds in order to advance our mission and help all members of our community achieve success. 

If you are interested in joining our West Genesee Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, please read the mission statement below: 

The West Genesee Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council embraces and honors each individual and the diversity of our collective community. We believe we all have a responsibility to educate ourselves and our community members about injustice and discrimination in all its forms.

The West Genesee Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council is committed to empowering all members of our community to have a say in our future as we work collectively to discover the richness and complexity of the cultural world we inhabit. We actively seek to understand the differences that make us stronger and to lean into topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This pursuit and belief prepares our students to be contributing members of a diverse world.

This council is open to all members of our community. Please fill out this Google form and a member of our team will contact you directly. 

If you have any questions, please contact one of our co-chairs: 

Kathryn Ta, Stonehedge Elementary School Music,  KTa@westgenesee.org 

Keith Newvine, West Genesee High School English, KNewvine@westgenesee.org 

Steve Dunham, West Genesee Middle School Principal, SDunham@westgenesee.org 

Gigina Long, West Genesee High School Art, GYLong@westgenesee.org

(To read this message about the DEI Council from the website, with translation capability available at the top of each webpage next to the search field, click here.)

Reminder: Monday, March 15 is a Regular School Day

Please note that that Monday, March 15 is NOT a Supt. Workshop Day (as was indicated on an earlier version of the calendar printed in planners and the Spring /Summer Communicator.) It is a regular school day. Click here for a link to the last version of the calendar for 2020-2021. (The calendar for 2021-2022 will be voted on at the BOE meeting on March 17, 2021. Once approved it will be posted to the website and included in the next District e-Newsletter.)

Next and Future Remote Pick-Up Days

Our next remote material pick-up day will be March 17. There will be two time frames. The first will be from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. and the second will be from 12:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Items can be picked up on the atrium side of the school. Please use the Well Now entrance from West Genesee Street. Future pick-up days will be as follows:

• March 17 
• April 14 
• May 19

Future pick-up days will be scheduled beyond May as needed.

As I said earlier, a lot here this week! Have a great weekend!

Be Well,

Wayne Ackles

Executive Principal

West Genesee High School

Updates for the Week of March 8-12

 It looks like there is a taste of spring in the air this week! Below are the updates for the week. 

Next and Future Remote Pick-Up Days

Our next remote material pick-up day will be March 17. There will be two time frames. The first will be from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. and the second will be from 12:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Items can be picked up on the atrium side of the school. Please use the Well Now entrance from West Genesee Street. Future pick-up days will be as follows:

• March 17 
• April 14 
• May 19

Future pick-up days will be scheduled beyond May as needed.

WG Has Talent!

The West Genesee High School Student Council and Class of 2021 will be hosting WG Has Talent on March 25th. The event will be live-streamed. Interested students should reach out to Mrs. Secor at msecor@westgenesee.org . The deadline to register is Friday, March 12.  

Have a great week and be well!

Wayne Ackles

Executive Principal

West Genesee High School