District Update

Welcome back and Happy New Year!

As we begin 2025, there are several important dates I want to remind our families and staff about that will be coming up on the calendar.

First, on Tuesday, January 14th the School Start Time Committee will be presenting the proposal for school start and end times for the 2025-2026 school year. Please be sure to review the School Start Times Informational Page that features research and studies that guides this work. Following the January Board Meeting, there will be a feedback form to allow for school community feedback and a frequently asked questions document available on the District website. New school start times are anticipated to be reviewed and considered for adoption at the February 11th Board of Education meeting.

Next, there is no school on Monday, January 20th in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There is also no school on Wednesday, January 29th in observance of Asian Lunar New Year.

As we shared prior to the Winter Recess, the Speaker Series on Literacy will now be held on Tuesday, January 21st from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. via Zoom Webinar. Christi Carroll, the District’s Director of English Language Arts, will share insight into ELA at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, along with our work to be at the forefront of the Science of Reading discussion. Information on how to access the webinar is available on the District website and in the District/school newsletters.

Date: January 14th
Time: Approximately 7:00 p.m.

Location: District Office

Date: January 20th

Date: January 21st
Time: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom Webinar (Passcode - 9Ua61d)

Date: January 21st - January 24th

Date: January 29th

The proposal for new school start times will be presented at the January 14th Board of Education meeting.

Following this meeting, there will be a comment period for community feedback. A "Frequently Asked Question" document will be available on the District website, along with additional research and information, on the District's School Start Times Informational Page.

• Country Parkway Elementary

• Heim Elementary

• Maple West Elementary
  
  

• Dodge Elementary

• Forest Elementary

• Maple East Elementary

Contact the Transportation Department at 716-626-8398 and schedule a time between 7 am and 4pm to retrieve items. The Transportation Department will be clearing out the lost and found on Friday, January 17th.

The "Speaker Series" informational events are designed to provide stakeholders with insight into the work that takes place in our schools. This year's Speaker Series will focus on instruction.

All of the Speaker Series events will be held virtually from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. via a Zoom webinar. They will feature presenters and also a question and answer segment. The Speaker Series will be recorded and available to view on the District's YouTube channel after each virtual session.

Speaker Series Schedule

Tuesday, November 26th - The Arts

• Video

Tuesday, January 21st - Literacy

• Zoom Webinar (Passcode - 9Ua61d)

Thursday, February 27th - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEAM)

• Zoom Webinar (Passcode - rC04Ni)

Tuesday, March 18th - Math and Computer Science

• Zoom Webinar (Passcode - Ttyzr9)

Williamsville Central School District’s Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) Program is a developmentally appropriate, learner-centered educational program to help four-year old children develop physically, socially, emotionally, linguistically, culturally, and intellectually. The program is aligned with the New York State Pre-K curriculum and addresses ELA, math, science, social studies, and social-emotional learning.

Children who will be four years of age by December 1, 2024 and reside in the Williamsville Central School District are eligible to be considered for this program. Parents and guardians who are interested in having their child considered for UPK must call the District Registrar at 716-626-8001 and confirm that their four-year-old is included in the District census. This step is required even if families have other children who are currently registered in the Williamsville Central School District.

UPK students are considered new entrants to the Williamsville Central School District and must meet the following program requirements as articulated by New York State and WCSD:

• Students must attend their UPK program 5-hours per day, 5-days a week, for the entire 180-day school year.

• Students must meet the expectation to arrive on time, and stay for the entire duration of the school day.

• Transportation to and from the program is the responsibility of the parent/guardian.

• Students must meet NYS immunization and mandated health requirements.

Currently, the Williamsville Central School District collaborates with eight community-based child care centers and two District elementary schools to provide the UPK program. UPK is a New York State and federally funded grant program that is offered to eligible children free of charge and is of no cost to parents/guardians.

Recently, a new community-based site located at ECC North was added to the district’s UPK program for the 2024-2025 school year, and additional spots are currently available.

Please contact the Office of Instruction at 716-626-8071 to speak to the UPK secretary with any questions, or to express interest in this UPK program located at ECC North.