The Weekly Update #4

Greetings Everyone,

I would like to wish everyone a belated Happy New Year. The new year often brings new, or renewed, resolutions to each of us. Whether it’s to travel more, read more, quit a bad habit, or lose weight, we begin with a great deal of energy and fortitude. Unfortunately, all too often, we lose the momentum, or the drive, and our resolution falls by the wayside and other things take up our energy and time.

At Attica our faculty has been working on creating a safety protocol for our students over the last couple of months. I’d like to share it with you as I’ve shared it with our students last week. Many years ago, when I was a student in high school, I needed to obtain a hall pass if I wanted, or needed, to move about the building during an instructional period. This was a safety protocol that was accepted by all students. The adults in school needed to know where I was or where I was headed. I was given a pass with the time I was leaving a location with the signature of the instructor who was allowing me to move from one room to another room. In this way, while I wasn’t necessarily under immediate supervision, I was responsible for getting to my destination in a reasonable amount of time. I was accountable to both the individual who issued the pass and to the adult who would be receiving me. I had to make a choice to be responsible and make sure I was at my designated destination in a timely manner or to loiter in the hall, be late, and suffer an adverse consequence for my decision. Beginning on Tuesday, January 21st, Attica High school will now institute a hall pass procedure for students when they need to move about the building during an instructional or study hall period.

There are several character traits this system is attempting to instill in our students, as the task of educating children goes beyond the purely academic. First, students must realize that time management is essential when they secure their first job. An employee who is consistently late to work will not have the job for long. Another trait that educators and parents seek to instill within our students is responsibility. Students have a responsibility to be on time and ready to engage in their education. This is an expectation that every employer has. Third, respect for a teacher’s time and the effort they put into preparing an engaging lesson and fourth, a respect for learning. An individual working in any job has to be a learner. A student needs to be a learner and being absent from class prevents a person from that opportunity. Last, but certainly not least, is a safety mindset that must be instilled into our students. When a person is not where they are supposed to be it creates the potential for unsafe conditions. Employers expect their employees to keep themselves and co-workers safe.

Parents and the School District must work together to develop into our children a strong work ethic. This has been a cornerstone in the very foundation of how our forefathers and the generations that have followed, have built the greatest civilization and nation that has ever been on earth.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I truly believe that by working together we can develop our young people into the next generation that can assume the mantle of responsibility of keeping our nation strong.

Respectfully,

Thomas K. Kopp

Interim High School Principal

I wanted to share a new direction, or perhaps a shift back to a past practice, the District is going to take next year regarding some students taking English, mathematics, and science credit bearing courses at BOCES while simultaneously taking their career and technical education courses.

It is the District’s commitment to have our students take those courses with the certified teachers we have right here at Attica High School. There are no finer certified teachers in these areas than the faculty in our school. The District owes it to our students to have the best educators teaching and engaging them in the courses they are required to take in order to graduate.

Respectfully,

Thomas K. Kopp

Interim High School Principal

Ms. Jones' biology lab students delved into the world of pond water protists, such as paramecium and amoeba. After pinpointing the correct protist, they observed its movements and created detailed sketches, featuring highlights like a cheerful planarian flatworm and a water mite. Protists, being unicellular, exhibit a variety of unique locomotion methods; some utilize cilia, others employ flagella, and some even extend pseudopods. These fascinating organisms were first observed by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1683, who referred to them as animalcules. However, some students were less than thrilled to realize that while swimming in their local pond or lake, they were sharing the water with these tiny creatures.

Students were tasked with creating legos using vocabulary from AP World. Students chose groups of 3-4 to work in and randomly picked 5 vocab word slips . Then each group had to illustrate their vocab words using legos to show their term. After each group built their legos, they had to go around to the other four groups and match the vocab term with the correct lego set. This gave students a chance to see how their peers interpreted their words with legos. I was really impressed with each group's creativity. I wasn’t sure how this lesson would go since it was our first time doing it in class. I really think the kids enjoyed making their creations and learning new vocab at the same time.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PRng7iEmDWaDgUsJ5e7CpIIa2Vu6k-HaYoU7BXb4rWw/edit?usp=sharing

Mrs. Young and Mr. Cusmano's physical education classes are finishing a single elimination tournament for their Nitro-Ball Unit. Nitro-Ball is a hybrid of volleyball and four-square and is played on a court with similar dimensions to a tennis court. The goal of Nitro-Ball is to score points by hitting the ball into the opposing team's court in such a way that they cannot return it before it bounces.

Our PE students of the month for November are Blaine Datzler and Alyssa Armstrong.

The students in Financial Math class with Mrs. Stoldt have been working diligently on a Dream House Project. Throughout the project the students were expected to create a simple blueprint of how they would love to have their house laid out. Then they had to complete some calculations of area for each of the rooms and the whole house. They all grasped these concepts quickly. After that they were expected to pick 5 rooms and figure out how they would design each room.

For each room they had to research how much it would cost to decorate the rooms. They had a blast shopping for the items! They quickly realized that items are not cheap to purchase, especially for a kitchen or bathroom. The next step was to create a poster of their house and to color each of the rooms as they designed it. The students’ work turned out wonderful and they really put forth a great deal of effort to make their projects perfect.

Winner of the December This or That: Holiday Games or Holiday Crafts:

Holiday Games! Students visited the library on Thursday, December 18 to play “minute-to-win-it” style games. The library was set up with tables for games such as the Blindfolded Bow in the Bowl, Stacking Threaded Fasteners with Candy Canes, Shaking Ping Pong Balls out of Presents, and Flip-Cup Tic Tac Toe. Everyone had a great time! We also threw in a few crafts for those who wanted to just relax. (Pics below and continued on page 2)

January “Healthy New Year” This or That: Yoga Session or Dance Party!! Visit the library to cast your vote for which program the Library provides on 1/31.

New Winter library contest: From January through March students and staff who check out a book, read it, and write an honest review in Destiny. Every written review provides each reader with a chance to have lunch from John and Mary’s with Ms. Donahue and Mrs. Gersitz. The more they read and review, the greater their chances of winning. Visit the Library for more information on logging into Destiny and writing reviews!

TIES is a program which promotes the participation of children/young adults, attending Attica CSD with special needs 8-22 years of age, in extracurricular and community activities by providing effective support through trained student volunteers.

For more information, read the attachment below. The attachment also contains a QR code. This code will allow you to register for the Meet and Greet.

On December 20th, Math teacher, Mr. Dickhut hosted his annual Christmas Kahoot in the Auditorium. Mr. Dickhut's classes were joined by other teacher's classes throughout the day to compete against each other. The trivia questions cover topics that include Christmas movies, holiday traditions, Hanukkah, and some Math related holiday questions. Prizes were awarded to the top 3 finishers each period. The number of participants varied by period, but the largest group reached a total of over 100 students participating during one class period. Some of the winners included Nolan Rzpeka, Lucy Mest, Griffon Steves, Casey Salmon, and Catharine Struzik. The prizes were donated by Mr. Dickhut, Mrs. Brydalski, the Student Government, and the Class of 2025.

***REMINDER: continue cold and flu prevention practices! Cover your cough and wash hands FREQUENTLY

Stomach Bugs – Norovirus is prevalent right now and spreads quickly! Be extra cautious about hand hygiene, especially after using the restroom or handling food.

Watch for vomiting, diarrhea/ stomach cramps, and fever.

If you are sick, stay home until feeling better for 24 hours.

Clean surfaces with diluted bleach/ bleach cleaners.

The Mighty Marching Blue Devils traveled to Florida to represent Attica in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Holiday Parade as well as a Performance at Orlando's ICON Park Entertainment Center. We had beautiful weather and created a lifetime of memories. It is an honor to be able to continue the traditions we have established in our District and community. We are proud to represent the Attica Community.

For more pictures of this incredible experience, please click the photograph below.

Mr. Simon - For 10th grade, we are halfway through our research project.

In 11th grade, we are beginning the Fahrenheit 451 unit.

Mrs. Struzik - ACE English 12 is beginning the play Our Town, as we begin to analyze drama. English 9 is finishing up Romeo and Juliet, and then we'll be moving into non-fiction selections.

Mrs. Peters - ACE English 12 is beginning the play Our Town, as we begin to analyze drama. English 9 is finishing up Romeo and Juliet, and then we'll be moving into non-fiction selections.

Mrs. Hoerner - 11th grade class is watching the movie, The Great Debaters, in preparation for Martin Luther King Day. Her Honors 10 class is reading and acting out Julius Caesar. Mrs. Hoerner’s other 10th grade class is working on the opposing viewpoints research paper, and her Honors 11 class is preparing for the English regents, which they will challenge on January 21.

Four of our student athletes attended to a leadership conference on Monday, January 13th at Monroe Community College. Section V had a guest speaker who spoke about mental health and sports. He spoke about his experiences and challenges and provided the student athletes with ways to identify when their mental wellness is not okay. This initiative goes along with #SameHere the global mental health movement that is providing awareness for mental health. The student athletes chosen are seen as leaders in the sports in which they participate. Thank you to Abigail Wilkinson, Isaac Herman, Vanessa Schlau, and Alyssa Elmore for representing Attica Central School at this conference.

Seniors: Students continuing their education after graduation must complete FAFSA and TAP applications to receive an award. FAFSA: Fill out the application at fafsa.gov. NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): To request payment of the TAP award each year, students must complete the NYS Student Aid Payment Application, which is linked directly from the FAFSA.
Scholarships are slowly becoming available to apply for. Check out the High School Counseling page on atticacsd.org to stay up to date on scholarships. Scholarships = Free $$

Juniors: Sign ups for Boy's State and Girl's State in the counseling office by 1/23-this is a great leadership opportunity for Juniors! ASVAB is on February 5 in two sessions-AM and PM. All juniors are expected to take this skills based inventory-excellent tool for post grad plans. Finally, The Buffalo National College Fair is coming up on March 19, 2025. Students interested in attending will be able to sign up at the counseling office. Scheduling will start soon, please call the counseling office if you would like to be a part of the conversation!

Sophomores: Students will have the opportunity to attend the BOCES Shadow Days in January and early February. This is a great way for students to get an idea of what a typical day would look like if they chose to attend BOCES during their Junior/Senior year. Course selection will be occurring within the next few months. Students are encouraged to begin thinking about what courses they would like to take next year.

Freshmen: GLOW with your Hands HealthCare event is coming up-meet with Healthcare professionals, participate in hands-on learning activities, and much more! Sign up in the counseling office. Scheduling will start soon, please call the counseling office if you would like to be a part of the conversation!

In an effort to give our students a voice in choosing what elective they might like to see offered in the upcoming year, Attica High School has engaged our 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students in a survey of the electives our faculty is willing to teach next year. These students will have an opportunity take the survey during the week of January 13th. From the results of the survey the District will build as many of those most chosen electives into the master schedule for the 2025- 2026 school year.

January Regents Schedule Students have been notified if they are taking or retaking an exam this week, please call the office if you have any questions.

Oakfield-Alabama Central School is hosting an informational night regarding Artificial Intelligence and its uses in the field of education. Please download the flyer if you are interested in attending this free assembly. Information on how to reserve a seat is contained in the flyer.