Update August 28 2020

Good afternoon. We continue to work to finalize our plans for opening this fall. Our start of the year packet will be mailed in the coming days. The Back to School 2020 updates listed below will be expanded upon in our packet and/or future blog postings or email blasts. Have a great weekend!

Non-Covid Medical Updates

Medication Drop Off

Medication drop off at the High School will be held on Wednesday, September 2 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and Thursday, September 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It will be located outside of the main office entrance near the flagpole. If weather is an issue we will be inside the vestibule of the same entrance. No appointment is needed. Students may NOT be the ones to drop off the medication(s), it must be a parent or guardian. Please bring the medication with an appropriate doctors note. Any questions may be directed to email at cprior@westgenesee.org or khancock@westgenesee.org.

Vaccination Reminder

The emphasis on COVID-19 may have overshadowed some other vaccination requirements for students. Our nurses have sent out letters to remind families that Seniors are required to have their two doses of Meningococcal vaccine OR one dose if the dose was received at 16 or older. Students who still have not had those vaccinations will not be allowed to return to school. Please reach out to our nurses if you need guidance on this topic. cprior@westgenesee.org or khancock@westgenesee.org.

Back to School - 2020 Preview of the Start of Year Packet

Changes for Arrival and Dismissal Locations

Parent drop off and pick ups will be on the west side (Applebees) side of our building. Buses will be dropping off in the circle at the Hinsdale end of the property. There will be no through traffic parallel to West Genesee Street during either arrival or dismissal.

Health Symptoms Form

Students will have to present a form that states they are symptom free before they enter school on a daily basis. There will be a starter set of these forms in the back to school packet. Students who do not present the form will be delayed in entering and will need their temperature checked.

Visitor Limitations and Dropping Off Student Items

During arrival only staff and students will be allowed to enter the building. If a student needs an item dropped off, items can be dropped off in the designated drop box at 7:50 a.m. Items should be clearly labeled with the student's name on them.

Lunch

Lunch will take place in a classroom. Lunches may be pre-ordered on the Nutri-Slice system. A description of the app and how to use it will be included in the back to school packet or by clicking here.

Be well, stay safe, and be Stronger Together.

Wayne Ackles

Executive Principal

August 14 Updates

Although it has not been a typical summer by any means, the weather has been fantastic and there have been numerous opportunities to be outside to spend time with friends and family. The days are starting to shorten, harkening toward fall.

We continue to work hard to prepare for the start of school. Not typical also applies to the preparations for the school year. Below are some updates pertinent for our start of school. Continue to watch the blogs and websites for updates. 

Masks

One topic in the reopening guidelines that has caused some confusion is when masks are worn during the school day. After further clarification from the Onondaga County Department of Health, masks must be worn throughout the day at all times by students, teachers, and staff and may be taken off only for eating or brief masks breaks during the course of academic periods. 

Lockers

Students will not have access to their lockers for the duration of the semester. We are taking this step in order to avoid congestion and congregation during the school day. If we return to full attendance during the school year, we will adjust accordingly. 

Movement

In our initial descriptions of the school day in our plan, students were to remain in the same classroom all day with teachers moving to them. As we have continued our planning, we are still committed to limiting the movement of students, but there will be more movement than we originally projected due to scheduling requirements. 

Freshmen Orientation

We are currently updating and changing our orientation format and dates. Please keep an eye out for the upcoming information in the coming days.

Open House

Open House this year will be virtual in nature. The date will be rescheduled with further details to come out the shortly.

Vaccination Reminder

The emphasis on COVID-19 may have overshadowed some other vaccination requirements for students. Our nurses have sent out letters to remind families that Seniors are required to have their two doses of Meningococcal vaccine OR one dose if the dose was received at 16 or older.

Be well, stay safe, and be Stronger Together. Wayne Ackles Executive Principal

Start of Summer 2020 Edition

Well summer is here and it still doesn't quite feel like summer due to the state of life right now. The weather, however, has been fantastic and has allowed for a lot of outside time and some much needed time away from screens! Enjoy the time away from screens with loved ones this summer. Please continue to watch for updates both on this blog and the District website in the coming weeks/months.

Yearbook Update

Our yearbooks are set to arrive any day. Please watch for a separate communication that will go out for a scheduled pick-up plan for next week. In order to expedite the order to us, our publishing partner could not personalize, nor put the icons on the covers. Those that ordered icons will receive a refund on the cost of that part of their yearbook. 

Graduation Congratulations and Thank Yous

Saturday, June 20, was truly a special day! Congratulations to all of our graduates and thank you to the army of people that made Saturday's ceremony possible. Seeing the support of the community for our graduates during the course of the day was marvelous! It capped a festive Senior Week for our graduates. 

Student Survey for July 24 Gathering

Reminder to the members of the Class of 2020 that there is a survey to see whether the July 24 Senior Celebration is a formal or informal event. A link to the survey can be found by clicking here.

Be Wary of Unsolicited "Honors" in the Mail

A parent recently made me aware of a letter that her daughter received. The letter stated that her daughter was inducted into the National Honor Society of High School Scholars. West Genesee Schools have no affiliation with this for-profit organization. It should not be confused with the National Honor Society, which our school does belong to and we do have a chapter. Be wary of these kind of "honors" as they may be expensive and may not have a desirable reputation connected to them.

Working Papers for Summer/Summer Access to Lockers

During the summer, working papers will be available at the high school on Wednesdays only during the hours of 7:30 a.m. through 1:30 p.m. or by appointment by calling the Main Office 315-487-4601. Students needing to clean out their lockers and/or return textbooks, should  call for an appointment also at 315-487-4601.

Facilities Study 

West Genesee's Strategic Planning Committee has begun working with the consulting firm of Castallo and Silky, LLC to conduct a facilities study. The purpose is to answer this question: "How can the District maintain and enhance the educational opportunities for West Genesee students in its tradition of excellence while continuing to ensure efficient and effective utilization of staff and facilities as well as fiscal responsibility for the District's taxpayers?"

Meetings are monthly and open to the public. For more information, click here!

Be well, stay safe, and be Stronger Together.

Wayne Ackles
Executive Principal

Information for the Week of June 12-20

Well here we are. We are entering the final days of the 2019-2020. It  has been a pleasure my first year as a Wildcat, and I look forward to the future with excitement. Included below are some updates for the week of June 12-20.

Yearbook Update

We continue to check-in and politely pester our yearbook publisher. There have been delays in the shipment of our yearbook due to printing delays caused by COVID-19. When we have information on their shipment we will get that information out along with when the books will be available for pick-up.

Textbook Return and Locker Clean Out

Just a reminder that next week will be our textbook return and locker clean out. If you are grades 9-11 you may leave items in the locker for next year. Tables will be available outside of the atrium entrance of the building. If you do have to enter the building, please wear a mask and follow the signs to exit. Please refer to the schedule below (click here to access as a pdf file) or click on the image to make it larger) for the date and time for your part of the alphabet.

Chromebook Return

Below is information about returning Chromebooks and laptops (please remember to bring the power adapter).

Where: Transportation building located between the high school and Applebee’s

When: June 16 and June 18, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and June 17 and June 19, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

If you have any questions please contact wgtechhelp@westgenesee.org.

Senior Events and Graduation

We are very excited for Senior Week, June 15-20! Here is a detailed slideshow sent to seniors earlier this week, complete with sign up links for them to participate in each event. Please note that there are limits on groups for chalking due to social distancing, so seniors should sign-up as soon as possible so they can be with friends and get the time slots they want!

If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Klefbeck, Mrs. DeCesare, and Mr. Callahan.

Back to School Supplies

For 11 years, the West Genesee PTA/PTO District Council has been providing school supplies to students in need.  If you have questions about our program, please contact us at wgschoolsupplies@gmail.com. You can register your West Genesee student to receive school supplies at https://tinyurl/wgdcschoolsupplies20.

Be well, stay safe, and be Stronger Together.

Wayne Ackles
Executive Principal

Spring has Finally Arrived

June begins on Monday. I checked the calendar again to make sure it was correct. Spring, and a taste of summer, have finally arrived giving us more options during these times. There are a number of items below people have emailed me about so I hope this helps with that communication.

Yearbooks

Our yearbook advisors, Mrs. Pooler and Mrs. Hennessey, have been in regular contact with our yearbook publisher about the arrival of our yearbooks. The publisher has not been able to provide us with a date due to delays that occurred as a result of the lock down in the early stages of the pandemic. When we have the information for arrival of the yearbooks, we will communicate the dates and method for distribution.

Locker Cleanout Reminder

Students who are in grades 9-11 may keep items in their lockers for next year. Seniors and others that may want to retrieve items may do so on the following dates: PE lockers will be cleaned out on June 2-4. Hallway locker clean-out will be the week of June 15-19. Please refer to the previously released schedule by clicking here.

Year End Grading

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this letter finds you and your loved ones well. The return of sunshine and decent weather has been a welcome sight in recent days. Back in April, I said that the method for the calculation for final averages would be shared at a later date. The grading process below was created after consulting teachers here at West Genesee and looking at proposed grading systems from our local region and across the state. We adopted the structure below for its recognition of the work through the third marking period, the straightforward nature for calculation, and how it brings a student’s studies to a close for the 2019-2020 year. The details are as follows:

• A student will earn a pass for the fourth marking period if 50% or more of the MP4 assignments are “Complete.” 
• If a student’s average for marking periods one through three for full-year courses (or the MP3 average for a semester course) is 65 or greater, s/he will receive course credit. 
• Students whose average of marking periods one through three are below a 65, and within the range of approximately 58-64, will be considered for course credit if the student has received a P for the Fourth marking period.   
• Students who need course credit recovery at the end of the 2019-2020 school year will be able to attend remote sessions of summer school for core area classes. These classes will be held from July 8- August 24. Please check with your child’s counselor for further details.

If you have any questions about the grading structure, please feel free to reach out to your child’s counselor, grade level principal, or me. 

Be well, stay safe, and be Stronger Together.
Wayne Ackles
Executive Principal