A Note from Dr. Whipple
May 12, 2024
Hope all the moms had a great Mother's Day! The signs of the end of the year are all around us. AP exams starting, Senior Nights and Sectionals for our Spring sports and of course the Junior/Senior Prom. It was a busy week! The Prom was great. The rain held off and we had a beautiful backdrop for pictures as the sun set. The kids looked great and we had lots of compliments from the Casa Larga staff on how polite and well-behaved they were. Thank you to Mrs. Chevier and Mrs. Zebulske for organizing the event and Ms. Mottler for taking awesome pictures throughout the night (see below for more!). Lots of good fun all around. On to another week!
Make sure to check out info regarding the following:
- Little Library Club
- Blood Drive on 5/21
- Special Olympics Send Off on 5/22
- Bald for Bucks Pep Rally on 5/24
- Macedon Public Library Chat & Win Contest on 5/28
- Transcript Requests - Important Info for Seniors
AP Exams Continue
For students taking Advanced Placement courses, exams continue this week. Please see the attached letter for the schedule of exams and another Smore link for the College Board's rules for students taking the exams. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Bertram in the Counseling Office.
Also, please note that the bells will be turned off while the AP exams are being administered. We will also shift announcements on the days with morning exams.
Little Library Club
Blood Drive - 5/21
Special Olympics Send Off - 5/22
Some of our Elementary School students will be competing in the Special Olympics towards the end of the month. We will be going down to the track on 5/22 at 1:45pm to celebrate these student athletes and give them a big send off for their competition the following day. We have created a modified schedule to follow so that each block has about the same amount of time shaved off. After the send off, students will board busses and dismiss from the ES.
Bald for Bucks - 5/24
May is National Cancer Research Month and Student Congress is putting together a Bald for Bucks Pep Rally for the half-day on 5/24 to fundraise for cancer research. We will be following a 1 hr event 1/2 day bell schedule for that day. The pep rally in the gym will include some staff vs students competitions, including Jelly Bean in the Pie, Basketball Shooting Contest and Tug of War to help fundraise for the day!
Students will need to sign up for both hair and/or contests by Friday, May 17. They can do so, by scanning the QR code.
We look forward to having a lot of fun for everyone, and raise money for a very worthwhile cause at the same time. If you would like to donate to Student Congress, please click on the directions link. If we raise $500 as a school, two teachers have vowed to shave their heads!! Thank you to Mrs. Farquhar-Nelson and Ms. Meuwissen for organizing this with Student Congress!
Macedon Public Library Chat & Win Contest - 5/28
#GanandaPROUD
Stars of Tomorrow Accolades!
The cast and crew of Xanadu garnered all kinds of awards and accolades at RBTL's Annual Stars of Tomorrow Ceremony! Here's what they won:
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN A LEADING ROLE - LYNDSEY BURNS AS “CLIO/KIRA”
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN A LEADING ROLE - REESE DAVIS AS “SONNY”
Reese was also selected as a member of the “Top 40” to compete in RBTL's NYC Bound Competition for a chance to represent Rochester at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in NYC! Reese will compete on Thursday, May 23!
A TIP OF THE HAT RECOGNITION TO LOGAN POTTER AS “DANNY MAGUIRE”
A TIP OF THE HAT RECOGNITION TO CADENCE STRAUSSER AS “MELPOMENE” & LAYLA THOMAS AS “CALLIOPE”
ALL-STAR RECOGNITION VIA A VOTE OF HER PEERS TO JOSCELYN ERHARDT AS "ERATO/APHRODITE"
OUTSTANDING RECOGNITIONS FOR:
- Excellence in Overall Production
- Excellence in Production Design
- Excellence in Production Crew
A Tip of the Hat Recognition to JJ LaDuke and Addie York for Asst. Stage Manager. Addie also received special recognition for being an outstanding Assistant Stage Manager the past three years, Addie performed double duty this year as a featured member of the cast, donning a costume, makeup, and wig halfway through the show to appear onstage. Addie built morale backstage, thanked each director before leaving every rehearsal, and is a team player.
Kat Bettinger also received special recognition for her work as a scenic and prop artist, Kat demonstrated outstanding levels of creativity and artistry. Additionally, Kat impressively designed an entire wardrobe inspired by Xanandu!
Alex VanAntwerp received All-Star recognition for her work as a Sound Board Operator too!
Thank you Mr. Maddock, Mr. Kovalovsky and Mrs. Swartout for leading this talented group of students!
Senior Night for Track & Field!
Congrats to Peter Jacob for throwing a complete game shutout victory against Bloomfield on Saturday!
Prom Pictures!
Here's a preview of some of the photos taken at prom. We will be sharing a folder with more photos this week.
May Heritage Month - Asian American & Pacific Islander & Jewish American
May is dedicated to celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander and Jewish American Heritage Months. Check out the Library of Congress's links below to learn about these groups' experiences and their contributions to America.
Panther Paws
Does your student know their plans for next year? Perhaps a commitment to a 2- or 4-year college? Military? Workforce? The trades? TELL US MORE HERE!!
We would really love to make everyone a Panther Paw and note their "thing" with a gold star!
FLCC Early College Scholars Summer Classes
NAWC Scholarship
Scholarship opportunity application EXTENDED to May 17th!
Attention: any female students entering college in a construction degree program (IE: Engineering, Project Management, Interior Design, HVAC, etc) or any female students entering a trades program.
Each year, the National Association of Women in Construction, Greater Rochester Chapter #314 awards multiple scholarships of at least $2,500 to women entering/continuing their education in the construction industry or trades.
Applicants are to apply through their website by May 17th:
https://www.nawicrochester.org/scholarship-application-4/
Award winners will be notified and invited to join the June Chapter meeting on June 5th to celebrate their accomplishment.
Transcript Requests - Important Info!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Seniors will send their official FLCC transcripts to the institution they attend in the Fall. Please wait until after July 4th to order transcripts. This ensures spring grades are verified. Official transcript requests are placed online. There is a $5 per address fee that is payable online via credit or debit card. This system will send a notification when the transcript is processed and received, and includes online tracking. Refer students to this link for instructions.
Most Gemini students will not know their MyFLCC login or password, so they can select Option 2 and set up an account directly through the Parchment Exchange website. Students should check the box “Send when grades are posted” to ensure all spring grades are reflected on the transcript.
Students will also need to send a transcrupt from College Board for AP courses. Please visit https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/sending-scores to request an official transcript be sent to the college you are attending prior to Freshman Orientation.
More Scholarship Opportunities!
Check Out the Counseling & Work Based Learning News
Gananda Rotary Citizen of the Month Nomination
Gananda Rotary is interested in continuing to participate in our student of the month program by honoring a student who has demonstrated service in school or the community. If you would like to nominate a student, you may do so by completing this form.
Panther Paw Submission Form for our Seniors!
Seniors! As we progress into the academic year, don't forget to please complete a Panther Paw Submission Form when you have been accepted into a college/trade school/military branch/apprenticeship program. We will hang a Panther Paw on the #GanandaGoals wall as you enter the building to celebrate your accomplishment! PANTHER PAW Submission Form
Once you've made your decision, then fill out this new little form on the Counseling website so we know about what you've committed to. We want to celebrate you!!!
Tutoring Services by National Honor Society
National Honor Society students are now offering tutoring help for any high school students looking for help in science and/or writing. We will be offering tutoring both during advisement and after school on certain days.
All tutoring will be held in room 131. Students can use this Google form to sign up. It is not necessary to sign up, but it will help to ensure we have the right students and enough students available to help.
Mid Year Transcript Requests
If you have received notifications from Colleges/Universities that you have applied to requiring an updated transcript, please note the Counseling Office will automatically upload updated documents to Common App after midterms and grades are finalized in Infinite Campus. If you have applied to Institutions that are not on Common App, please let us know as we will send your updated information directly to that College.
Ms. Bertram (L-Z) and Mrs. Kelleher (A-K)
Reporting Absences & Extended Student Absences Work Request
Absences need to be reported to the school health office by the parent/guardian of the student. This may be done so online by completing this form.
If your student will miss an extended period of time during the school year, please make sure they complete this Extended Student Absences Work Request form. This form should be completed a minimum of 2 weeks in advance if it is a planned absence. Students who have an excused absence will have one day for each day absent to make up work. Students who have an unexcused absence will have no additional time to complete work. Please note that family vacations are considered unexcused absences.
HELP WANTED! - Summer Work Opportunities
We have several positions open for this summer in the facilities department.
1 Summer Cleaner - $16.00 per hour
1 Summer Groundskeeper - $16.50 per hour
2 Summer Cleaner - $16.00 per hour
All positions are 7:30 - 4 pm, Monday - Friday
If you are interested, please email Lori Brow at lbrown@gananda.org and fill out an application which is located on the District website here.
Substitute Teachers - We are always looking for people to help cover teachers when they are out. This can be a great opportunity for someone trying to break into the field of education. If you or someone you know might be interested please apply here.
Dollars for Scholars is looking for volunteers to help support this great scholarship program available to our students. If you are interested in helping them out, please contact them at gdfscholars@gananda.org.
Important Upcoming Dates
5/13
- 8, Calculus AP Exam
- 6:30 - Boys Lacrosse Varsity Night
5/15
- 8:45, Athletics Celebratory Signings
- 12, Music Theory AP Exam
5/16
- 12, Biology AP Exam
5/17
- 12, Physics II AP Exam
5/22
- 2, Special Olympics Send Off
- HS & MS will walk over to track and then dismiss home from ES
- Alternate Schedule
5/24
- Half Day- Professional Development Day
- Student Congress Sponsored Event Day - Bald for Bucks
- Alternate Schedule
5/27
- Memorial Day - Offices Closed
5/30
- Seniors Red Wings Day
- 7, Academic Awards Night
6/4
- 8, Algebra Regents
6/6
- 8, Senior Celebration
6/7
- Decision Day!
6/11
- 7, Athletic Awards Ceremony
6/13
- Moving Up Day
6/18
- Senior Sunset
6/14-6/25
- Finals and Regents
6/26
- Graduation Rehearsal
- Darien Lake Trip for Seniors
6/29
- 10, Graduation
Respectfully,
Dr. Christopher J. Whipple
Principal
(315) 986-3521 ext. 3154
Ms. Mairi Greibus
Assistant Principal
(315) 986-3521 ext. 3154