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A Note from Dr. Whipple
November 20, 2023
Thanksgiving provides us with the perfect opportunity to reflect on what we are grateful for. I am filled with gratitude for the incredible community in Gananda. I am thankful for our students and the energy they bring, the staff's care and dedication, and our families for their support. I hope this Thanksgiving season brings you joy in celebrating with your loved ones and fosters a spirit of thankfulness in all that you do.
Marking Period 1 Report Cards
Report cards for the first marking period were published on Friday and are accessible on the Infinite Campus Portal. You can login here. Once logged in, select 'Grades' from the menu, then select MP1 for the first marking period.
Turkey Jam 3 on 3 - 11/25
Looking for something for your kids to do over Thanksgiving Break? The Gananda Girls Basketball Program is hosting a 3 on 3 tournament on Saturday, November 25th. Registration is open now! Open to all districts grades 3-8.
Senior Trip First Payment due 12/1
If your student is attending the Senior Trip, the first payment is due 12/1.
#GanandaPROUD
Congratulations to Claire Dohse and Cadence Strausser for participating in Area All-State Band at Rush-Henrietta HS this past Friday!
Thank you to Officer Murray for coming back into Forensics class and teaching students how to lift and process fingerprints. Some real life CSI work!
Math League competed in their monthly meet this past week. The team rocked by getting all questions in the group portion correct. Way to go Mathletes!
Free Meals and Internet Discounts for Gananda District Residents
We are pleased to announce that beginning on Friday, Dec. 1, all Gananda students are eligible to receive one (1) free breakfast and one (1) free lunch per school day.
This expanded service is because the United States Department of Agriculture has expanded access to the Community Eligibility Program. This program allows Districts that participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to offer meals free of charge to all students.
Previously, a district had to have 50% of its students qualify in order to provide free lunches to all students. The federal and state government recently made changes so that if 25% of a district’s student population qualify, free lunch could be provided to all students. The district applied for the new designation and is approved to start free meals on December 1.
You do not need to take any action for your student to receive the free meals. Please note that food outside of the provided meal will need to be purchased.
Because all students in Gananda have been approved to receive free meals under the Community Eligibility Program, their households are eligible for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP is a federal program to help eligible households pay for internet service.
The ACP provides a monthly discount of not more than $30 per month on broadband service and associated equipment (for example, a modem). If your household chooses a plan from a participating provider that costs $30/month or less, your household will receive that service for free.
In the next few weeks you will receive communication from the district with directions on how to apply for the program.
If you have any questions, please call (315) 986-3521.
Tutoring Services by National Honor Society
National Honor Society students are now offering tutoring help for any high school students looking for help in science and/or writing. We will be offering tutoring both during advisement and after school on certain days.
All tutoring will be held in room 131. Students can use this Google form to sign up. It is not necessary to sign up, but it will help to ensure we have the right students and enough students available to help.
Laptop Care
We've had some more laptop repairs, specifically cracked screens, than at this point last school year. Please help remind your student(s) of good laptop care. We still have some padded backpacks left over for the taking. Thanks for your attention and help on this!
Exploring Program
EXPLORING provides exciting activities and one-on-one mentorship for high school aged students to discover their future by having them “try a career on for size!”
Young people ages 14-20 can explore their career interests in a hands-on real-world environment with professionals in that field. There are Explorer Posts for areas in
- advanced manufacturing
- aviation
- cosmetology
- culinary
- engineering
- firematics/EMS
- health care
- law enforcement/legal
- military
- skilled trades
- sports management
- veterinary, and many more!
Mrs. Marang is our EXPLORERS contact and can help you research options and complete an application! Find out about upcoming Open Houses and events this Fall HERE.
The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Application
The New York State TAP Application will open on November 1, 2023, for the 2024-25 academic year. Students do not need to wait for the FAFSA release in December to apply for TAP. Students who will be attending college in the Fall of 2024 can jumpstart the NYS financial aid process by visiting www.hesc.ny.gov/pay-for-college/apply-for-financial-aid/nys-tap.html for more information or on November 1 to complete the application.
Building the Pipeline for Women in Engineering and Medicine
The Perry Virtual Experience is a free, 2.5-hour, interactive online experience for high school and college-aged students who gender-identify as female or nonbinary and are interested in pursuing careers in orthopedic surgery and engineering. Participants will hear from women leaders in these fields and dive into online orthopedic simulations and biomechanics experiments. Additional information can be found on our website: https://perryinitiative.org/pve/
Women in high school and college who have an interest in science, medicine and/or engineering are now invited to register for a session of the Perry Virtual Experience. Students should fill out the online registration for one session that best fits their schedule. Most sessions are available to participants in any location, but some sessions are for a focused geographic area.
The next program date is on November 27th, 2023 @ 6:00pm-8:30pm EDT
Details for each session can be found at: https://perryinitiative.org/calendar/
Please feel free to contact us directly with any questions you may have.
Digital Equity Access Survey due 12/1
The New York State Education Department is asking parents and/or guardians to complete a Digital Equity Survey for each student in grades K-12. This survey will help provide information on our student's access to devices and internet in their places of residence.
Collecting this data on our digital access for students will greatly help our educators better serve their students and families. You must complete a survey for EACH STUDENT enrolled in the district in grade K-12. We would appreciate your response to the survey by Friday, December 1.
The survey can be completed using this link.
Thank you in advance for your time and cooperation. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Theresa Grevell at tgrevell@gananda.org.
Light the Night Volunteers - 12/2
Walworth Rec. is looking for a few volunteers for their Light the Night event on December 2nd from 5:30-7:30 pm. If you are looking for volunteer hours, please contact Mrs. Marang by 11/28.
Yearbook Photo Submissions Welcome!
Student ID Scanning on Buses
Please remind your student that they need to have their ID card with them to scan when boarding the school bus. This is for safety reasons by helping to ensure people are on the correct bus and so that in case of an emergency we have an accurate account of who is present.
In addition to their ID card, students may obtain a barcode on their phone to use for scanning. Instructions on how to obtain the code are posted on each bus or can be found here.
Reporting Absences & Extended Student Absences Work Request
Absences need to be reported to the school health office by the parent/guardian of the student. This may be done so online by completing this form.
If your student will miss an extended period of time during the school year, please make sure they complete this Extended Student Absences Work Request form. This form should be completed a minimum of 2 weeks in advance if it is a planned absence. Students who have an excused absence will have one day for each day absent to make up work. Students who have an unexcused absence will have no additional time to complete work. Please note that family vacations are considered unexcused absences.
HELP WANTED!
Substitute Teachers - We are always looking for people to help cover teachers when they are out. This can be a great opportunity for someone trying to break into the field of education. If you or someone you know might be interested please apply here.
Dollars for Scholars is looking for volunteers to help support this great scholarship program available to our students. If you are interested in helping them out, please contact them at gdfscholars@gananda.org.
Winter Weather Reminder: School Closing Policy
Please read the attached letter from Dr. Van Scoy to understand the decision process for potential snow days and weather-related delays for Gananda Central School District.
Important Upcoming Dates
11/1-11/30 - American Indian Heritage Month
11/22-11/24 - Thanksgiving Break (No School)
11/25, 12:30-5:30pm - Turkey Jam 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
12/1 - First Payment for Senior Trip due
12/31 - Senior Send-Offs for Yearbook Deadline
- Any questions see Mrs. Zebulske (rzebulske@gananda.org)
Respectfully,
Dr. Christopher J. Whipple
Principal
(315) 986-3521 ext. 3154
Ms. Mairi Greibus
Assistant Principal
(315) 986-3521 ext. 3154