Message from the Superintendent
Dear West Genesee Families and Staff,
Recently, the West Genesee District Guiding Coalition gathered for the annual extended meeting. The evening session on day one was followed by a full day of work by committee members. I last referenced this group in the November 22, 2024 e-Newsletter found here.
As a reminder, this group includes community members, staff, administrators, Board of Education members, and students. This 33 member collective is one of the larger committees in the District. Noteworthy are the eight student representatives that serve on this group. In my experiences, this is unique and is a source of pride. An additional group of WGHS students also joined the coalition for focus group discussions with the intent to amplify student voice in the process. Please see the positions and names of the 2024-25 Strategic Planning Guiding Coalition.
Part of the work done during this time was working with representatives from Panorama Education who facilitated our approach to this year’s survey results. This was followed by a review of feedback in ratings and narrative material that was provided by 3,428 participants whose information was confidential and anonymous. Results were analyzed across the following areas:
Students (Grade 6-12) Survey:
Grit, School Belonging, School Climate, School Engagement, School Rigorous Expectations, School Safety, and Valuing of School.
Family Survey:
Family Engagement, School Climate, School Fit, School Safety
Teachers Survey:
Educating All Students, School Climate, School Leadership
Staff Survey:
School Climate, School Leadership
Narrative feedback was sorted into categories of action to "start", "stop", and "continue", which committee members then prioritized. From here, the survey results are provided to each of our seven school buildings to replicate that information as specific to their own school populations.
It is an ongoing process and integral to a culture of continuous improvement. All committee members discussed the need to assure various stakeholders who participated in the survey that your input is appreciated, valued, and drives action steps. Put another way, participation in the survey is a strong way to be heard and that the information is used to form goals. Please know you are welcome to contact a committee member to verify that the survey feedback is reviewed for that purpose.
The Guiding Coalition will continue the work of our school community and the Strategic Plan will continue to be monitored and reviewed for growth; both at the District and Building levels. I am thankful for those participating in this important work and for a process that is used to shape and grow our District.
Enjoy this edition of the e-News with celebrations, information, and opportunities.
Sincerely,
David C. Bills, Superintendent of Schools
CMS Student to Compete in Regional Spelling Bee
Camillus Middle School 7th grader Malcolm Petrie is going to compete in the next round of the spelling bee. Here is some of the information below.
Due to his performance on the Regional Qualifier-level online test, he qualified for The Post-Standard | syracuse.com's Final Regional Bee.
The Final Regional Bee will be administered via a traditional oral competition, taking place on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. in the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. The winner of the Final Regional Bee will represent our community in the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington, D.C. This year is the 100th anniversary of the Spelling Bee and these students are part of that tradition!
Congratulations!
Boys Wrestling Team Crowned Section 3 Class AA Champions
Congratulations to wrestler Maxx Fesinger for winning the Section 3 Title at 170 lbs. and is headed to the NYS Championships. Also to Logan Willis who also qualified for the NYS Championships.
Girls Wrestling at Section 3 Competition
Congratulations to WGHS Girls wrestlers who competed at the Section 3 Tournament on February 17, 2025 in their first year in competition and did a great job!
- Riley Butler - Section 3 Girls Tournament Champion - 126 lbs.
- Adaline DeCapio - 4th place
- Layla Meany - 3rd place
A big congratulations to Butler who came in 5th in the NYS Championships on Thursday, February 26, 2025!
Spring Sports Registration has Started
The Athletics Department offers the convenience of online registration for athletic sports sign up and clearance through Arbiter Sports.
- JV/ JV "B"/Varsity Spring Sports-Starts 3/17/25; Registration Opened 2/17/25
- Freshman (8/9) Baseball-Starts 4/7/25; Registration Opens 3/7/25
- Modified 7/8/9 Spring Sports-Starts 4/7/25; Registration Opens 3/7/25
- Unified Basketball starts 4/14/25; Registration starts 3/14/25
For directions on how to sign up, please go to the Athletics webpage and click on Sports Registration. Everything will be completed online. Click here for more information. (https://students.arbitersports.com/organizations/west-genesee-central-school-district)
Honoring a Sports Boosters Legend
Congratulations to Beth Stewart who was honored as the Citizen of the Year by the Camillus Chamber of Commerce for all the time she volunteers for the West Genesee Booster Club at a ceremony held on January 27, 2025.
She has been a die-hard Wildcat her whole life. She went to West Genesee, raised her four children in the District and enjoys watching her grandchildren wear blue and gold. She also worked in the District for 35 years as a Teaching Assistant.
When the topic of the West Genesee Sports Boosters comes up, it is not uncommon to hear her name because she has been a part of this integral sports club for a very long time. More recently as the leader of the boosters in later years.
Her daughter shared, "She has been a Booster Club member nonstop since my siblings went to the high school in the late 80s and early 90s. She never misses a game or meeting. She lives and breathes West Genesee."
Universal Pre-Kindergarten Registration Will Open On March 10, 2025
West Genesee partners with local Community-Based Organizations (CBO) for its Pre-K program.
To be eligible for UPK during the 2025-2026 school year, a child must:
Turn the age of 4 on or before December 1, 2025
Reside in the West Genesee Central School District
Registration will open on March 10, 2025. In the event that more registrations are received than can be accommodated, the District will conduct an initial selection process via an open lottery in which children will be selected at random.
Those children who have completed the registration process by 3:00 p.m. on April 2, 2025 will be part of the initial selection process.
Families who were part of the initial selection process will be called in order of selection and informed:
whether their child has been accepted to the program, and
which site (including hours of the program) is available for their child;
OR
where their child is on the waiting list.
Families will be contacted by April 3-4, 2025.
If at any point after the initial selection process there are more students registered than seats available, students will be placed on the waiting list in the order that their registration was completed.
Transportation to and from the program is the responsibility of parents/guardians, and students must attend the program five days a week to maintain their seat.
Look for registration information on the Central Registration webpage at: https://www.westgenesee.org/district-services/registration/. If you have any questions, email the Central Registrar at centralregistrar@westgenesee.org, or call Central Registration at (315) 487-4683.
When registering, parents should be prepared to upload the following:
proof of residency (ie. mortgage or property statement or signed lease agreement)
proof of age
Join the West Genesee Culture Celebration on March 1, 2025!
The Annual Culture Celebration will be held at West Genesee High School on Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 12:00-3:00 p.m in the upper gymnasium. The annual West Genesee Culture Celebration is an exciting opportunity to showcase the rich diversity of the West Genesee Central School District and the broader Camillus community.
This special event highlights the many cultures that make up our community through performances and table displays by students, families, and community groups.
Some of the participants this year include a Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Tearney's Martial Arts, and Irish Dancers. Additionally, the event will showcase cultural displays from around the world, featuring South Africa, Bulgaria, Germany, Palestine, Mexico, and more!
Attendees are encouraged to bring an item to benefit two deserving organizations. AccessCNY is opening a new respite center for children facing mental health crises and is looking to collect children's books, art supplies, fidget spinners, playdough, and puzzles. The West Genesee Power Pack Program will be collecting Easy Mac, packaged fruit cups, granola bars, soup, Chef Boyardee, and Pop-Tarts to help combat food insecurity in the Camillus area.
For more information or to sign up, contact: Meghan Leonardis, West Genesee High School Administrative Intern, mleonardis@westgenesee.org, 315-487-4673.
Let’s make this celebration a true reflection of our multicultural community and foster a culture of inclusion in our schools. We look forward to celebrating with you!
Emergency Closing Information is Important
Announcements about school closings, delayed openings, or early dismissal will be posted on the News Headlines section of the District website home page. They will also be broadcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the list of stations which you can access by clicking here.
Also, ParentSquare communications software allows us to send emails, texts, and make phone calls. (Phone calls will be used for emergency situations only.)
Parent/Guardians and staff will NOT need to sign-up to receive information from schools that you are registered for in Schooltool. (You will have the option to opt-out if you choose not to receive emails, texts, and/or phone calls. To receive texts, you also have to opt-in per the instructions in the Tips article below. )
