GCCSD News and Updates - May 2024
Dear Gates Chili School Community,
As I turned the calendar page to May today, I saw many exciting end-of-year opportunities for our students to shine and celebrate their achievements. We are also just days away from Staff Appreciation Week, May 6-10. During this week, we celebrate the hundreds of Spartan staff members who support students each day. I am so grateful for these hard-working individuals, who are the heart and soul of our organization; they make everything we do possible. Please share a word of thanks with them next week (or anytime)!
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. Read on below for more about this important heritage month recognition and the importance of celebrating the unique life experiences, cultures and traditions that are woven into the colorful tapestry of Gates Chili.
Today also marks a little less than three weeks until our Annual Budget Vote and Board Election. The vote will take place on Tuesday, May 21 from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Spartan Field House at Gates Chili High School, 1 Spartan Way. Despite rising costs over the past two years, our proposed budget does not exceed the tax cap, but does support a plan to advance learning through rigorous instruction and supporting students with what they need when they need it.
As in years past, most of our budget supports our current academic and athletic programs, clubs and extracurricular activities, as well as the salaries and benefits of our valued teachers and staff, many of whom are our neighbors here in the district. Gates Chili's opportunities in academics, arts and athletics continue to distinguish our district and give students incredible opportunities for learning.
There are many ways to learn more about our proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year. Please continue reading below for more information. In addition, we invite you to join us next week for our Budget Public Hearing on May 7 and Meet the Candidates Night on May 9. Both events kick off at 6 p.m. in the Gates Chili Professional Learning Center (GCPLC) and will be streamed live and recorded on the district YouTube channel at the links above.
Be sure to also check out the snapshot of all the wonderful things happening in Gates Chili, including several new awards and recognition of our students and programs!
Go Spartans!
Christopher J. Dailey
Superintendent of Schools
Book tasting 📖
Ms. Bruehl and Mrs. Fitter's 5th graders at Florence Brasser enjoyed a "book tasting" where they explored different genres of text while enjoying some yummy snacks!
Making a difference🌎
Students in the Paul Road Service Club spent Earth Day cleaning up around the school and the Paul Road Nature Center.
Mural masterpiece 🖼️
Students and staff at Walt Disney contributed to a mural that is now proudly displayed in the hallway. The mural was crafted during Kindness Week.
Going for gold🏅
Sixth-graders at GCMS competed in their own Olympic Games. The second event was chariot racing!
Future focused 💼
Students at GCHS explored a wide range of careers with more than 40 different professionals at this year’s Careers in Demand Breakfast.
Trading smiles 📈
GCHS seniors had a blast competing in the JA Stock Market Competition at Junior Achievement's new Discovery Center.
Months of hard work by the Gates Chili Middle School Outdoor Club Eclipse Ambassadors culminated with the total solar eclipse on April 8! Although cloud cover prevented Greater Rochester from getting a full view of the eclipse, watching day turn into night during the moment of totality was still a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Not sure what to do with your eclipse glasses now that the big event is over? The Eclipse Ambassadors encourage you to donate them! Many organizations are collecting new and used glasses to send to locations where solar eclipses will happen in the coming years. The Rochester Museum and Science Center and the University of Rochester are among some of the local places accepting glasses.
The Gates Chili school community is made up of more than 3,700 students and 900+ staff members! Get ready to peek into the world of our Spartans in our e-newsletter segment: Ask the Spartans!
This month, meet Jenna Fisher, a cook at Walt Disney Elementary School and a GC alum!
Tell us about yourself.
Jenna: I graduated from Gates Chili High School in 2020. I started working at Paul Road as a food service worker about three years ago and I just started as a cook at Disney this past December. I also attended elementary school here, so it feels like I've come full circle.
What is your favorite thing about your role?
Jenna: Using my knowledge. I love to cook and bake. The role is also helping me broaden my knowledge by using different cooking procedures for different foods and knowing how to cook them properly.
Do you have a favorite meal to cook for the students?
Jenna: I would say the chicken parmesan, and probably mozzarella sticks too because they’re the easiest.
What foods are the kids most excited about?
Jenna: Definitely the mac and cheese. They also love mozzarella sticks and the stuffed crust pizza. They really love cheesy foods.
What does it mean to be a Spartan?
Jenna: To me it means being a role model for the kids. Treat them with compassion and they will treat you with compassion. Treat them with respect, and they will respect you back. Basically, treat everyone the way that you want to be treated.
The Board of Education approved several changes to the school calendar for the 2023-24 school year. Please take note of the following changes:
- Thursday, May 23: Schools will be closed for all students and 10-month staff the day before our Memorial Day recess. All 12-month staff should still report.
- Thursday, June 13: The last day of school for high school students. Exams will continue through Tuesday, June 25.
- Friday, June 21: The last day of school for elementary and middle school students. Please note this will be a full day, not a half day.
- Wednesday, June 26: Remains the last day for 10-month staff.
These changes were made because the district did not have any emergency closures this year. In the event of an emergency closing, this schedule may be adjusted again.
Dr. Dan Zdanowski will succeed Dr. Lisa Buckshaw as the next principal at Gates Chili Middle School. Zdanowski, the current principal at Walt Disney, has been with Gates Chili since 2022 and we look forward to his continued leadership in a new building.
Meanwhile, Erin Ugine will be the next principal at Walt Disney Elementary School. Ugine, who is currently assistant principal at Florence Brasser, has been with the district for 25+ years in a variety of roles at the building and district level. Ugine’s departure from Brasser means that we now have two openings for assistant principal—at Brasser and Armstrong.
In addition, later this month, Samuel Bell will begin working as the district’s new director of safety and security. Bell has more than two decades of law enforcement experience and is currently serving as Commander of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. His experience and partnership with Gates Chili thus far will serve as a great foundation for the work he has yet to do in Gates Chili.
Click here to see all our other new Spartans who were hired or have started working in the past month.
For the second year in a row, Gates Chili Central School District has been named as one of the Best Communities for Music Education!
The district earned the designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education and efforts to provide music access and education to all students.
Gates Chili’s music education offerings include state-of-the-art music and art classrooms to provide students with the space to further develop and explore the arts, a partnership with the Rochester Broadway Theatre League (RBTL) to integrate music education into the classroom and the creation of the Gates Chili Performing Arts Center to give students the space needed to learn and grow musically.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Gates Chili answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs.
Eligible residents will vote on the following:
- Proposition 1: Authorizes the appropriation of $133,305,023 to meet estimated expenditures. Under the proposed plan, the overall spending would increase by $4,752,608, a 3.70% increase over the 2023-24 budget. It's important to note the proposed tax levy of $62,930,900 does not exceed the New York State Tax Cap and reflects an average estimated 9.8% decrease to the tax rate based on tentative property assessments.
- Proposition 2: Authorizes the purchase of school buses at a total cost of no more than $5,086,479. Please note that in addition to the district receiving grant funding for electric school buses, New York State reimburses Gates Chili approximately 75% of the cost of bus purchases.
- Proposition 3: Allows the district to receive an additional 10% in state aid towards its fully funded energy performance improvement project.
Keep an eye on the mailbox next week:
Next week, district residents will be receiving the budget issue of the district newsletter in the U.S. mail.
It features information about the 2024-25 budget, information about the candidates running for the Board of Education, as well as many stories of the outstanding successes and opportunities available to our students and staff.
Extra copies are also available in every school's main office, as well as the Gates Chili Administration Building.
The Chef's Catering food truck will be serving a variety of dinner options at Gates Chili High School from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21. All meals purchased benefit the Gates Chili Education Foundation. To see a menu, go to gateschili.org/GCEF
You may remember, last year, the district announced it would be partnering with the Children’s Institute to revise the code of conduct. Since September, the committee has been working on an updated document that will remove barriers to equity and establish clear and consistent expectations for student behavior. That finished document is expected to be ready for the Board of Education to review in the summer of 2024, but first, district students, staff and families are invited to give feedback on the committee’s progress.
Community members are invited to provide feedback to Children’s Institute during a Community Conversation Event on Thursday, May 2 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Gates Chili Professional Learning Center.
At this forum, you can learn about the committee’s progress, ask questions and provide feedback about the code of conduct. This event is open to anyone, but due to space concerns, please register to attend at gateschili.org/CodeFeedback or by clicking the button below.
Join us as we celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
May was chosen for AAPI Heritage Month because it commemorates the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States on May 7, 1843. May is also significant because May 10, 1869 marks the completion of the transcontinental railroad that was built with significant contributions from Chinese workers.
The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Approximately 10% of Gates Chili students identify as Asian and/or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, adding to the rich diversity of our Gates Chili school community.
May 1: National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month begins
May 2: Code of Conduct Community Conversation, 6 p.m.
May 6: HS Tri M Recital, 7 p.m., GCPAC
May 6-17: HS AP Exams
May 7: Budget Public Hearing, 6 p.m., GCPAC
May 7: PR Band and Chorus Spring Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC
May 7-14: NYS 3-8 Math Assessment Window
May 9: Meet the Candidates Night, 6 p.m., GCPLC
May 11: HS Junior Prom
May 12: Mother’s Day
May 14: BOE Mtg., 6:30 p.m., GCPLC
May 14: WD Band and Chorus Spring Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC
May 15: HS Jazz Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC
May 16: HS Award Ceremony, 6:30 p.m., GCPAC
May 17: MS Grade 6 Fun Night, 6:30 p.m.
May 18: HS Senior Ball
May 20: NA Band and Chorus Spring Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC
May 21: Annual Budget Vote and Board Election, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Spartan Field House
May 22: HS Talent Show, 2:30 p.m.
May 22: MS Grade 5 to 6 Transition Night, 6:30-8 p.m., GCMS
May 23: Memorial Day Recess – No school for students and 10-month staff
May 24-27: Memorial Day Recess – District Closed
May 29: HS Spring Choral Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC
May 30: MS Award Ceremony, 6:30 p.m., GCPAC
May 31: #GCPride Day
May 31-June 1: NYSSMA Solofest
Instructional Positions:
Job ID 1035: Assistant Principal – Elementary
Job ID 1039: Library Media Specialist (2024-25 school year)
Job ID 1040: 6-12 Literacy Coach (2024-25 school year)
Job ID 1031: LTS - Secondary AIS Teacher - Literacy or Reading (2024-25 school year)
Job ID 1038: Science Teacher - Earth Science/General Science (2024-25 school year)
Job ID 703: Technology Teacher
Job ID 984: School Psychologist Intern (2024-25 school year)
Job ID 1034: School Counselor (2024-25 school year)
Job ID 1036: Speech Language Pathologist
Job ID 903: Teacher Aide (2023-24 school year)
Job ID 723: Substitute Support Staff
Job ID 724: Substitute Teacher*
Non-Instructional Positions:
Job ID 990: Registered Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse
Job ID 1000: Seasonal Grounds Person
Job ID 999: Summer Facilities Helper
Job ID 985: Microcomputer Maintenance Technician
Job ID 904: Cleaner
Job ID 789: Lifeguard
Job ID 954: Food Service Helper
Job ID 1037: Secretary
Job ID 973: Data Analyst
Job ID 905: Bus Attendant (2023-24 school year)
Job ID 906: Bus Driver (2023-24 school year)
*The Gates Chili Board of Education approved new,
increased rates for instructional substitutes. Click here for details.
