As featured in the blast above, our Cortland Esports team has had an active and successful season! At Cortland High School, we have approximately 30 students who participate in esports. Our players compete in teams again against other student teams across the country on a variety of video games. The Cortland eSports team made the playoffs in two games; Smash Brothers and Hearthstone..

Smash Brothers:

All three of our teams finished the season in the top 30 of New York State out of over 200 teams with our Varsity team finishing 9th in the state. Our highest two went to the round of 16.

Hearthstone:

Our Varsity team cruised to the playoffs finishing 4th in the East coast. On 12/9/22, the Cortland team playing the game Hearthstone defeated their opponent 3 - 1! The Purple Tigers Esports team is now going to the finals!

The Cortland Enlarged City School District is excited to announce that Sylvia (Amoreena) Tellaeche has been awarded the U.S. Distinguished Teaching Award and will participate in an international teacher exchange to Mexico.

Mrs. Tellaeche was selected from a competitive group of applicants; there are only 20 teachers nationwide who achieved this honor in 2022. Director of Instruction, Equity and Instructional Personnel Jordan Ashley wrote that, "Mrs. Tellaeche sets the standard for what it means to be a professional educator dedicated to both her students and growing others within the profession.She consistently acts as a mentor and coach to new and veteran teachers while continuing to model best practice and professional growth."

The Cortland Enlarged City School District Board of Education heard a presentation by Mrs.
Tellaeche at their November 11 meeting and followed up at their meeting last night (November 22) by approving her sabbatical leave for the exchange. Board of Education President, Christine Gregory reflected that, "In today's world it is so incredibly important to reach out, whenever we can, to help develop a mutual respect and understanding with people in countries around the world. Amoreena will be doing this vitally important work as a Fulbright scholar in Mexico. We are incredibly proud of her...and grateful for the opportunity she has to make a difference in our world."

Randall Middle School Principal Juli Quinn reflected that, "Amoreena is an asset to Randall
Middle School and the Cortland Enlarged City School District. During her time as a classroom
teacher, she worked tirelessly to ensure all students engaged in high levels of learning. She
planned meaningful lessons, and consistently used data to make all instructional decisions.
She is a lifelong learner, and constantly seeks new evidence-based practices to learn from and put into practice. Since she has transitioned to her role as an instructional coach, Amoreena shares her learning and experiences with teachers and staff to make a difference in student learning on a greater scale. Amoreena is skilled at working with individual staff members and teacher teams, and she facilitates support in a way that encourages collaboration. While most of our teams are cohesive and productive as they are deeply engaged in the work of ensuring high levels of learning for all, there are occasionally teams or teammates that require more direct support and creative solutions. Amoreena is a partner in problem solving and providing specific resources and guidance to these individuals and teams, and tirelessly works toward our mission: to ensure high levels of learning for all students and adults."

We are so proud of Amoreena and look forward to learning more from her experience in Mexico. Lauren Mossotti-Kline, Board of Education Vice-President, said, "It's an honor to have one of our own recognized in this way. Mrs. Tellaeche will surely have a lasting impact on the teachers she will mentor at the teacher training college while also fostering a connection between students in Mexico and our students here in Cortland in a way that will both enlighten and inspire all involved."

Congratulations Amoreena!

Cortland JH students have been reading the book "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park which follows the story of a Lost Boy of the Sudan. On 11/23 Pouk Moon, a Lost Boy, was a guest speaker and answered questions and talked about the many challenges that he faced on his long journey.

On Wednesday, November 23, 8th grade ELA students were given a rare opportunity to meet an author of a story read in class and discuss it with him. Travis Ketzak spent the day talking about his short story titled ”Taught”. He shared his writing and educational experiences as well with our students. He has come quite a long way from his days growing up in Afton, NY and the students enjoyed connecting with an author of one of their texts.

Vincenzo Perfetti achieved a perfect score on his level 6 All-State NYSSMA solo in the spring of 2022. With that score, he was recommended to the 3 largest honors ensembles ranging from localized to state-wide festivals.

It is always the hope that a student is accepted into at least one, maybe two, of these ensembles but Vincenzo was accepted into all three! Vincenzo recently participated in the most select honor band in all of NYS, the NYSSMA Conference All-State Symphonic Band in Rochester, NY. They performed at the Eastman Theater. Vincenzo's next adventure will be in the NYSSMA Zone 3 High School Area All-State Concert Band at Ithaca College in early February 2023. After that concert, Vincenzo's 3rd honor band will be at the NYSBDA (New York State Band Directors Association) conference in Syracuse in March.

Vincenzo is an All-Star and a talented trumpet player and an asset to the community.

The Randall 5th and 6th Grade band, orchestra and chorus all performed on December 7. They sounded beautiful and we are so proud of their hard work leading up to the concert.

On Wednesday, December 14, Randall Middle School held its Annual Spelling Bee. Twenty students started the elimination round ending with one winner, Derek Mendiola. The top four spellers were Derek Mendiola, Zoey Olmstead, Mason Call, and Mason Shaff. Congratulations to all who participated. We are all so proud of your courage and talents it took to participate in such a rigorous competition!!

The NYS Digital Equity Survey is a short questionnaire that will help districts identify students who may need access to reliable internet and/or a digital device for completing schoolwork at home. NYS requires that school districts collect this information to better serve our families needs. Thank you for completing this survey.

Digital Access Survey

When the winter season is upon us, it is time to think about possible
closures and delays due to weather conditions. Our district’s automated calling system will notify families if school is closed or delayed. Please be certain that your phone number is current in our database.

Local news stations will continue to provide weather updates. Stations that carry information about Cortland Schools include: WSYR-9, WTVH-5, WSTM-3, News 10 Now, WBNG, WXHC/101.5, and WNTQ/93Q. We also maintain the latest information on our District website: http://www.cortlandschools.org.

In the event of a 2-hour delay, please be advised of the following information:

• Barry, Smith, and Randall will open to students at 10:15 a.m.

• The Junior High and High School will be open at 9:25 a.m. for breakfast. Homeroom will then begin at 9:38 a.m.

• Morning bus routes run on a two-hour delay. For example, if the bus typically arrives at your stop at 7:00 a.m, it will arrive at 9:00 a.m

• For students who regularly participate in the CDC Morning Childcare Program, the students may be dropped off at their normal start time of 6:45am

The CECSD Board of Education meeting dates and times are posted on the district website and are open to the public and all are welcome. The highlights below include some of the topics that have been discussed at the most recent meetings:

Tiger Paw Recipients... At the November 22nd meeting, Jonathan Keefner presented a Tiger Paw award to 9th grade high school student, Olivia Johnson for her exceptional dedication as a musician and for always being kind and giving. During the same meeting, Officer Reyngoudt presented a Tiger Paw award to Nicholas Smith for being a student who has exemplified outstanding citizenship. At the December 13th meeting, Adeline Morey, a sixth grade student at Randall was recognized by Ms. Christy Newton for always lending a helping hand to her fellow classmates, consistently putting forth her best effort and treating everyone with respect. Congratulations to all Tiger Paw recipients!

Budget Presentations... At both the November 22nd and December 13th meetings, Kris Williamson, Business Administrator, gave presentations related to the annual budget specific to the long-term financial plan as well as an overview of BOCES service requests and how they factor into the overall budget. The public is encouraged to review these and all budget presentations by visiting the Business Office section of the district website.

New Courses... The Board of Education reviewed and discussed new courses proposed at the November 22nd meeting and voted to approve them at the December 13th meeting. The courses reflect current interests voiced by students and the BOE commended staff for their commitment to enhancing the course offerings while also being mindful of what is relevant to students now and as they prepare for their future.

Staff / School Board Events... The first Staff and School board social event took place at Randall Middle School on Wednesday morning, December 14 and offered an opportunity for staff and board members to get to know each other better and engage in meaningful conversation. Board members were delighted to watch the spelling bee that followed! After the start of the new year, the next Staff and School board event will take place at Barry Primary School.

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 10 at 6:30pm in the Kaufman Center (CECSD District Office).