Please click on the link below to see my video message for November. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to BOCES. We really are building the future of BOCES together and I am so proud of our work.

There will be a virtual town hall meeting open to all B-T BOCES employees in November. The format will include a presentation and opportunities to ask questions.

Nov. 16 – 7 p.m.– Join Zoom Meeting - Meeting ID 971 1716 5033

All employees are encouraged to attend our annual Holiday Breakfast at the Education Center on Thursday, Dec. 14 for breakfast served by our BOCES leaders. We will also be collecting non-perishable food items for CHOW at the breakfast. For those employees who are located outside of our main campus and are unable to attend, we are making arrangements to have something sent to you!

BOCES has always stood as a beacon of community support and collaboration. This year, we're excited to announce the launch of our 2023 United Way Campaign, aiming to bolster this legacy of giving.

This year, we are not just asking for help. We are also inviting you to be part of a collective effort that enhances lives and strengthens our business community's reputation.

Last year, our collective contributions exceeded $11,000, placing us among the Top 25 local employee campaigns. This remarkable achievement reflects our core values of teamwork and shared strength. This year, we aim even higher, setting a goal of $20,000. With every BOCES employee contributing as little as $5 per paycheck, we can surpass this target and continue our tradition of making significant strides in child-care, education, counseling, housing, transportation, and personal care services.

For those of you who have previously contributed, your generosity has not gone unnoticed – we extend our heartfelt thanks. For others, we hope this year will mark the beginning of your journey with us. With options to contribute online or via the paper pledge forms, your convenience is paramount.

Join us, contribute what you can, and let's continue to weave the fabric of our community tighter, with every thread of support adding to its strength and vibrancy.

Thank you for standing with BOCES as we support the United Way and make a positive, lasting impact on our community.

You can check your email for a personalized link from donate@uwbroome.org or click the button below to download pledge forms.

Winter is on the horizon (Dec. 21, technically) and during the winter months things are full speed ahead for the O&M department. As our snow crew works hard to keep a safe path into and away from our buildings, we also are working to keep you warm inside them.

As you may know, we use salt to melt the ice and that makes the job for our custodians to keep the floors clean much harder over the winter months. We have a pretty good track record of keeping our BOCES community safe during the winter season, but we would like to remind you to use caution on those really bad snow days, as we do our best to keep you warm and safe.

As far as indoor heating goes, we continuously work to improve our HVAC systems and have multiple projects in the works. Currently, we have an HVAC project in the design phase for our 100 and 200 wings, as well as a controls upgrade for our 300 wing.

Also one our HVAC units is down in the gym due to a bad control board. That part has been ordered.

While we are on the topic of the gym, we would like you to know that the repairs for the large gym partition have been scheduled, and we hope we will be able to have that work completed shortly.

Again, thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work diligently to keep things running well here at BOCES.

The Health and Safety Department will begin planning for our first districtwide Safety Team meeting of the 2023-2024 school year. These meetings are composed of district staff members and administrators, as well as representatives from health and safety and the student body. Here at Broome-Tioga BOCES, we have a dedicated safety team that takes the time and makes the effort to keep our learning community as safe as possible, while also performing everyday duties. Many of these same individuals conduct monthly health and safety meetings at their own buildings. This is not an easy task and because of that, we'd like to commend every one of you who takes the time to attend and participate in these meetings.

We will also attend several seminars and conferences to learn new information that has come about in the health and safety world, then we'll share that info with our districts. At the end of the month, Lisa Knewasser will travel to Long Island to attend a playground inspection certification course to obtain her CPSI (Certified Playground Safety Inspector) certification. Playground inspections are done annually at all of school districts. It is important to make sure our playgrounds are maintained and in good condition, as well as to comply with New York State regulations. Fresh air and playtime are essential parts of our students’ educational experience. This will help ensure that experience is a safe one.

The Purchasing Department provided purchasing training to the SCRIC Center Support staff in October. This included a review of the Purchasing Department function, WinCap tips and tricks and an overview of how to purchase here at BOCES. We look forward to providing the training to all departments throughout the rest of the year.

To improve the security of our data in WinCapWeb, B-T BOCES went live with requiring Multi-Factor Authentication to access WinCapWeb, which includes ESS (leave time requests, paychecks, attendance, W2 forms). The instructions can be found at the link below on how to set it up, if you haven’t already done so.

The BBO would like to thank the SCRIC for their support throughout this implementation.

Lorie Rowe, internal claims auditor, is taking on a new role at the BBO. We wish Lorie success as she transitions to fixed asset and accounts payable responsibilities.

All New York State Education Department filings were successfully submitted, and the external audits were completed for all component school districts. We continue to work on "start-of-school year" items.

CBO staff assisted all of the regional school districts in fully spending the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) allocations. This amounted to more than $38 million. It was a great team effort.

In late October, we hosted the annual Disability Mentoring Day event here at Broome-Tioga BOCES, and a full room of visitors, including numerous representatives from supporting area organizations, mentors, mentees and various dignitaries, gathered to hear keynote speaker Carol Rosenbaum talk about her experiences as an employee of Binghamton University.

After breakfast (prepared by B-T BOCES Culinary Arts students, who were in the kitchen starting at 4 a.m.) participating students/mentees were transported to their mentoring sites, touring and shadowing workers to learn more about the work world.

Carol was interviewed for a WBNG report on the event, as was Steve Moschak, head of our Career Development Center here at BOCES.

This annual event promotes career development for students and job seekers, as well as increasing employer awareness of individuals with disabilities as a viable source for qualified, diverse employees. Each year’s event provides an opportunity for mentors and their mentees to spend time together at the business site, where mentees will gain a better understanding of the business and specific jobs in the company.

Erik Thompson is everywhere. If you don’t know, he’s essentially our resident “science guy” in our education center and we couldn’t appreciate his knowledge more.

Recently, he went to Don Entwistle’s criminal justice class to lead a lesson on forensic anthropology, during which students examined the features of bones.

"Observations allow students to predict characteristics such as sex, height and race, all factors that can be key to connecting remains to missing persons cases," Thompson said.

The New York Special Olympics raised more than $29,000 for athletes during its annual Polar Plunge, surpassing the event’s goal of $20,000. The event was held Nov. 4 at Chenango Valley State Park. The money raised from the event will go back to the athletes so that they’ll be able to compete at no cost to them or their families.

So many familiar faces from Broome-Tioga BOCES attended and even jumped into the frigid lake. Just a few included coaches Chelsea Hinman and Liz Bunzey (who attended), and Robin Eccleston with his daughter Rose (who jumped), a BOCES graduate and six-time Polar Plunger!

BOCES Education Center's in-house Culinary Bistro has become a hotbed of culinary innovation, thanks to the creative endeavors of Chef Mike Morgan. In a recent conversation, Morgan revealed the origin story behind his new dish, "Santa Fe Chicken and Rice," a soup that quickly became a favorite among the center's employees.

The idea for the soup emerged unexpectedly. "It started with a culinary arts student who had an extra tray of rice and beans left over from a lesson," Morgan explained. "She wasn't sure what to do with it, so I suggested turning it into a soup." The result was a delightful new addition to the bistro's menu, which sold out completely the next day.

But Morgan's ingenuity doesn't stop there. He shared another instance of his resourcefulness, stemming from a pie-making lesson with his students.

"Some of the pie shells were undercooked," he recalled, "so I took the strawberry, blueberry, and cherry fillings and combined them." This experiment led to the creation of "Fruits in the Forest," a pie that also proved to be a hit at the Bistro.

These examples highlight a crucial aspect of profitability and sustainability in the restaurant business, as Morgan noted: the ability to be creative and adapt recipes on the fly. Both the "Santa Fe Chicken and Rice" soup and the "Fruits in the Forest" pie not only prevented food waste but also provided unique culinary experiences for the Bistro's patrons.

Morgan's approach is a testament to the practical and inventive spirit that drives the culinary industry. His ability to transform simple, leftover ingredients into popular menu items is a lesson in both culinary creativity and resource management. As these dishes continue to garner praise, Morgan and his culinary arts students are setting a delicious example of innovation in the kitchen.

Members of the Broome Leadership Institute (BLI) recently toured our main campus, gaining insights into our educational programs and future plans. The visit included meetings with various BOCES representatives and an overview of the upcoming capital project. A highlight was hearing from a SkillsUSA student representative, offering a firsthand perspective on vocational training. The day was further enriched by a lunch prepared by culinary arts juniors, showcasing their skills and the practical application of BOCES' educational offerings. This event highlighted the diverse impact of Broome-Tioga BOCES in vocational and technical education.

On Nov. 2, Becki Pickering and Christina Skinner led their seven Broome-Tioga BOCES senior Advanced Health Science students to their first day of practical training, as they headed out for United Methodist Homes, Hilltop Campus. Best of luck as their journey continues.

Two individuals from Raymond Corporation visited our Broome-Tioga BOCES welding program. One of the representatives was Steve Lewey who was a 2008 BOCES welding and Whitney Point graduate.

The Raymond Corporation visitors brought a virtual welding demonstrator that scores the welder on speed, skill and accuracy. They use it as a training tool, and it’s continuing our collaboration with Raymond Corporation, explained John Shear, BOCES Welding instructor. Raymond hired 13 BOCES welding graduates this past June. Raymond Corporation plans to visit our welding program a few more times this year for similar demonstrations.

We are excited to share with you the first chapter in what we plan as an ongoing series of features, called “Our Community Connection.” The focus of this new feature will endeavor to shine light on the efforts of our people, as they come to work at Broome-Tioga BOCES but are always staying connected to our community, and how that affects what we come to work each day. This intro video features Jesse Ryan, a teacher aide at East Learning Center.

Thanks to our Communications and Public Relations team for their efforts in bringing this concept to reality.

If you know of someone who is involved in their local community and it helps make a positive connection with Broome-Tioga BOCES, and you’d like to have them considered for a similar feature, please send an email to Stephen Jensen (sjensen@btboces.org) with more information.

In a program that began Nov. 1, breakfast and lunch are now offered at no cost to all students in our 15 school districts: Binghamton, Chenango Forks, Chenango Valley, Deposit, Harpursville, Johnson City, Maine-Endwell, Newark Valley, Owego Apalachin, Susquehanna Valley, Tioga, Union-Endicott, Vestal, Whitney Point and Windsor.

On Oct. 24, the SCRIC, in conjunction with BT, DCMO, and ONC BOCES, came together to offer the first Leadership & Innovation Showcase. Approximately 125 leaders from across the region gathered to learn, network, and collaborate. The day kicked off with Dr. Michael Doughty, assistant superintendent at the Northeastern Regional Information Center, as he shared thought-provoking information about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education.

Attendees transitioned to breakout sessions the remainder of the day, focusing on the four regional technology plan areas - Security & Privacy Leadership, Data Leadership, Technology Planning & Organizational Leadership, and Instructional Leadership. Between sessions, attendees could visit the vendor showcase and try out the AWS DeepRacer track.

A special thank you to Josh Hough, event organizer. We look forward to you joining us at next year's event - save the date - Nov. 13, 2024, at the Doubletree Hotel, downtown Binghamton.

The Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA) presented its 2023 Exemplary Service and Innovation for Technological Advancement Award to RIC One (Regional Information Centers One - 12 RICS Working Together as One). RIC One offers a statewide data privacy and security service to school districts throughout New York State. The AESA award acknowledges an individual or agency for contributions to technological innovation and support to local districts and educational service agencies.

"The collaborative effort of the 12 educational service agencies through the RIC One Data Privacy and Security Service is a shining example of how teamwork and collective vision can drive meaningful change," said Dr. Joan Wade, executive director for AESA. "Your initiative has played a pivotal role in equipping New York state K-12 districts with the tools and support they need to address the critical issue of data protection. In a time when cyber threats are escalating, your work has become more important than ever, ensuring the security of sensitive information and systems."

The 12 RICs organized under the state's BOCES collaborated to form RIC One. RIC One Data Privacy and Security Service (DPSS) was formed two years after New York's Education Law Section 2-3, a comprehensive student data privacy law passed in 2014. When the law was passed, there were no tools available to help districts measure and show compliance and growth with the regulations. By forming RIC One, tools and supports became available to districts.

Congratulations to Ken Angulas who retired from the RIC as a network specialist.

Congratulations to Kyle Button, promoted from IT assistant to software support specialist.

Congratulations to Christopher Race, promoted from network specialist to IT specialist (BOCES).

Congratulations to Brandan Hilsbos, promoted from IT assistant to PC/LAN technician.

Congratulations to Samer Webster, promoted from student assistant to part-time IT assistant.

Congratulations to members of our Communications and Public Relations team for being named winners in the 44th Annual New York School Public Relations Association Communications Contest.

Allen Lown (B-T BOCES) received an Award of Honor for his video about the SkillsUSA competition, while Jimmie Buyck (B-T BOCES) and Linda Myers (U-E) received Award of Excellence for the Union-Endicott video about last year's mock DWI accident.

The association receives hundreds of submissions from across the state and it is an honor for these professionals to be recognized by peers in the field.

Document Services has completed a mailing of absentee ballots for the Broome-Tioga BOCES upcoming Capital Project vote on Nov. 29. A couple special requests were also received for creating A-frame sidewalk signs for indicating parking changes due to district construction, and special voting taking place. In addition, we printed window markings for Maine-Endwell classrooms to allow public safety to identify the rooms from outside the building in case of an emergency. These are just a few projects, alongside hundreds of normal daily classroom print jobs, newsletters, and various program print jobs fielded by Document Services.

We are repurposing our paper boxes as job shipping boxes to the school districts. This is part of our "green" initiative and in turn, reduces the amount of paper footprint in the environment. This allows us to offset the need to purchase shipping boxes and allows us to be fiscally responsible. Document Services has also created a label to easily identify time-sensitive and rush jobs to enable us to better serve our customers.

Several members of our team attended the Print United Exhibition in Atlanta last month and we look forward to rolling out some new and exciting opportunities in the coming year to better serve the school districts.

We also wish to recognize some of our staff that works behind the scenes that play an integral role in getting your print work packaged and delivered to you. Liz Pomeisl and Sharon Scism are dedicated to efficiently and accurately packaging all the print work and paper orders for our delivery drivers. Mike Jones leads our delivery team of drivers: Gary Jackson, Eric Foote and Terence Bookhout. In addition, we rely on Noah Leab and Aras Taha to fill in and assist with the busy times or special time-sensitive jobs. Without their commitment to the districts and Document Services, we would not be able to provide the level of service that we do in a timely manner. We give them all a special thanks.

Congratulations to Dr. Nicole (Nikki) Waskie-Laura, director of Professional Learning and Innovation, who recently had an article published in Learning Forward’s The Learning Professional. The article, 'Regional Agencies are a Hub for Teacher Learning', highlights the importance of regional collaboration in supporting the needs of content-area teachers, stating that “Educational service agencies can connect educators between districts, leading to collaboration, networking, and shared access to expertise.”

The B-T BOCES PLIC team facilitates more than 30 regional communities to “discuss successful practice and common challenges, consider current educational research, prioritize content-area standards, analyze regional data, and share resources and strategies.”

Nikki highlighted the work of the B-T BOCES PLIC team in the article, sharing recent research she conducted, on how the regional communities impacted teachers’ practices in their classrooms. Great work, Dr. Waskie-Laura, and the PLIC professional learning team.

Did you know you can access a library worth of books for FREE through Sora?

Sora is the reading platform (app and website) that schools use to access free eBooks and audiobooks. Digital books are automatically returned on their due dates, so you never need to worry about late fees. There are also audio books available. Sora is part of the Media Library Service Coser, and all 15 of Broome-Tioga BOCES districts purchase it.

Managed Informational Technology Service (MITS) districts can find a link to Sora in their MyApps.

Non-MITS districts (OA, JC and SV) can access Sora by going to sorapp.com and logging in with their school credentials.

If an employee is looking for a specific book and we don't have it, or for more information, please sent a request to School Library System Coordinator, Alicia Sherman asherman@btboces.org.

Thank you to Maureen Smith for her work with the PLIC over the past eight years. Maureen has been a regional leader in science for the B-T BOCES region and will be greatly missed. Maureen will transition to an administrative position in the Binghamton City School District, as assistant principal at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. We wish her the best of luck in her new role.