The Hive
Forestville Central School District - Fall 2024
Dear Forestville Families and Community,
I hope that you had a relaxing and rejuvenating summer. As we begin the 2024-2025 school year, I would like to extend a heartfelt Hornet welcome to our students, families, teachers, staff, and community members.
Thank you to our community for the continued support you give to our school and our students. Many exciting things have happened in our district including our annual bell ringing ceremony on the first day of school, numerous sporting events, open house at both the elementary and the MS/HS, spirit week in the elementary school, a MS/HS band and chorus concert, and Homecoming. We are also excited for the next stages of the capital project which will enhance and improve our school campus. Our aim is to create a welcoming and safe environment for all students.
Our school board meetings have been very productive with the hiring of many new staff and review of the district handbooks and emergency response plans. At the end of October, the entire board will participate in our fall workshop/retreat. We will use this time to review our district and board goals, reflect on the progress our district has made, and consider new opportunities to continue to improve our district. I encourage you to visit our school website where you will find dates for upcoming school board meetings as well as meeting minutes, important documents, policies, and more.
Thank you again for being an integral part of the Forestville Central School family. Your dedication and commitment to our school community is vital to the success of our students.
We are looking forward to a productive and successful school year at FCS!
Sincerely,
Andrea Spengler
FCS Board of Education President
Open House Success!
Thank you to everyone who attended our recent Open House! It was heartwarming to see so many families visiting with our Scholastic Book Fair, engaging with local community partners, and participating in our Basket Raffle to raise funds for our Hornet Clothing Closet, PARP celebrations, and PBIS. Your generosity helps ensure that every student has access to the resources they need, and we couldn't do it without your continued support.
Fire Prevention Week
A big thank you to the Forestville Fire Department for their visit during Fire Prevention Week! Students had the opportunity to learn about fire safety, practice stop drop and roll, meet our local firefighters, and even explore fire trucks/apparatus. Their enthusiasm and attentiveness were truly inspiring!
Parent Connection
Our Parent Connection group has been working hard to organize fun and engaging activities for our students and families. Spirit Week and Penny Wars were a hit, bringing out the school spirit in all of us! We're also very thankful for the Halloween Costume Giveaway, which ensured every child who attended can participate in the Halloween fun this season. Keep an eye out for more information on how to get involved in upcoming events!
Grand Opening of the Hornet Clothing Closet
We are excited to announce the grand opening of our Hornet Clothing Closet! This resource is now available for all families who may need assistance in providing their children with clothing essentials. We’re proud to offer this support to our community, ensuring that every student feels confident, comfortable, and ready to learn.
Forestville Senior Helps Alumni to Give Back
Forestville alumni Chuck and Mike Skelly (Class of '88 and '90) have taken their Bills fandom to another level. The pair will be featured in the documentary "Just One Before I Die" and have partnered with a Forestville High School art class to give back through their effort "Brothers Breaking Tables."
What started as a connection to home for a Forestville alumnus has grown into something much bigger. Chuck is a veteran who served during Desert Storm and continues his service in the National Guard while living in his hometown.
“When I joined the army, one thing that I identified as is a Bills fan because I missed home,” he said.
Now two huge Bills fans, the brothers have taken on the roles of “Billsquatch” and “The Handler” at tailgates for the past four years. They were encouraged to apply to be a part of the Bills fan documentary and were ecstatic when they got the call.
“We figure this is our 15 minutes of fame and we want to do something good with it,” he said.
Mike had never broken a table before and they wanted to find a way to bring their two communities together. So they chose to benefit Chautauqua Rural Ministries and Just For Today, a charity in Harrisburg, PA, that assists veterans with counseling services.
Then the pair wanted to connect the fundraising effort back to Forestville. Chuck reached out to High School Art Teacher Kristin Britz, who enlisted the help of her students in Independent Art.
“I have been to many places, but I always come home to Forestville. I want to bring attention to our small town and I want people to know that many great things can come out of small towns,” Chuck said. “We wanted to get Forestville students involved because that’s where Mike and my stories started. This will be a cool story that they can tell later too.”
Senior Rowan Woodard free-hand painted the Bills’ logo and added the wording “Bills Break the Chiefs,” and “Brothers Breaking Tables,” along with their area codes “716/717,” and “Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY.”
Rowan said, “I was most excited to be involved in helping people. There's no way I could have predicted how big this would get."
Once finished, Rowan’s and the class’s work traveled with the Skelly brothers to MetLife Stadium where they joined the Water Buffalo Club 716 for a feature on a “Good Morning America” before the Bills vs Jets game.
Brothers Breaking Tables has a social media presence and plans to collect donations up until the Bills vs Chiefs game on November 17, when they will break the table and raffle it off, with the proceeds going to the two charities.
In its inaugural year, the Forestville girl's elementary basketball program was a huge success. The teams competed against other schools in September and October. They learned basketball skills, how to play the game in 5-on-5 full-court, teamwork and team building.
"My favorite part of the program so far is seeing how much the girls have improved in such a short period of time," Coach Jackson said. "Also, seeing how much the girls care about it and how happy they are when their teammates do well. They get very excited that they get to play games against other towns and travel to other schools to play."
The teams consisted of girls in grades 2 through 6. The boys' season will take place in December and January.
If you'd like information about signing up for next season, please contact Coach Jackson at rjackson@forestville.com.
On Friday, October 11, ten students from Mrs. Britz's art classes, grades 10-12, went to The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown. They viewed the gallery show, "Art That Matters to the Planet: Clarity," which explores the role of art and artists in protecting freshwater ecosystems (including lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, and freshwater wetlands) across the country, and all of the life they support (including fish, reptiles and amphibians, birds and mammals). They enjoyed walking through the trails behind the institute and had a relaxing lunch.
Once a Hornet, always a Hornet is especially true for our roughly 40 alumni employees! From their time as students to now, Forestville is a great place to learn and work.
Forestville team members who walked the halls as students, made close friendships with classmates and enjoyed a band trip or two!
“It wasn't until I went to college that I truly realized how much smaller Forestville School was than most other schools. It was special growing up where you can get to know everyone!” 1988 alumna and Middle/High School Science Teacher Roberta (Gray) Miller said.
The close-knit atmosphere came up again and again in a survey of our alumni team members who graduated from the 1960s to the 2000s.
“My favorite thing about attending Forestville Central School was the opportunity to get to know ALL of my classmates. When you are in a larger district this does not happen. We were like family and still enjoy keeping in touch with each other. Getting together for our 50th class reunion was very special!” Kindergarten Teacher Deb Falcone Janiak, Class of 1968, said.
Nurse Ashley (Antolini) Cross, a 2001 graduate, added, “The small class sizes meant you didn't just know your classmates, you basically knew everyone in the building. You weren't just a number, and the teachers truly cared about how you were doing.”
Our employees' favorite memories of their alma mater also include their teachers - from Mr. LeBaron’s driver's ed class to Mrs. Panzica’s trip to Spain and Mr. Geblein’s many band trips.
For others, Forestville was also where they met their future partner. “I was in 5th grade and we were practicing our band music for 6th-grade graduation. My nose started bleeding and a cute, blonde 6th grade boy with braces, pulled a white handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to me. I was so impressed with this young gentleman! He became my husband 7 years later,” Sandy Harp Muck, Food Service Helper and 1981 alumna, recalled.
Many of our alumni chose to return to the area to raise their families. Working with today’s students has given team members the same opportunity to make an impact on their lives that they experienced while here. “I have a daughter who is in 3rd grade here. When she was born, I always thought I wanted to be a part of her life in the school. When this job opened up, I said, I can do that. So here I am,” Director of Facilities Kyle Barthel (Class of 1996) said.
“It’s the only place I’ve ever wanted to work. I wanted my own children to have a similar experience to that had growing up,” Class of 2000 grad Allison (Zeller) Kwilos said.
Math teacher Brenda Kerstetter (2008) added, “Forestville is home. I applied to several school districts in the area, but I knew I wanted to teach here and when the opportunity opened up, I had to take it.”
Our team members continue to experience the close-knit community that they experienced as students at Forestville.
“I love the friendly and familiar atmosphere. Working alongside so many people I walked these halls with is an experience you can't get anywhere else and being able to give back to the district that means so much to me is rewarding,” 1996 alumna, School Business Official Kerrie (Waterhouse) Pelletter explained.
