

Casey Chronicle
January 16, 2025

A message from the Principal
Casey Families,
Happy New Year! Please take a moment to review the information below regarding our school start times and the upcoming end-of-year final exam schedule.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Student Technology Association (TSA). Last week, they showcased their talents at the SUNY Niagara Tech Wars competition, competing against nearly 1,000 students from across Western New York. Delon Ratnasekera earned third place in the T-shirt design contest, while the team of Joe Astyk, Kaiden Stanley, Laik Diehl, Skyler DeBenedetto, Ace Hays-Borden, and Austin Hays-Borden secured third place in the trebuchet contest. Additionally, Isaac Kamyab, along with North High School sophomores and former Casey students Mya Sliwinski and Hadia Muzzammil, earned third place in the onsite STEM challenge. A special thank you to our dedicated teachers, Jeff Addison and Adam Zubricky, for their hard work and commitment to our TSA program and school.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to the Lewandowski, Shamrock, and Besancon families for their thoughtful treats at our faculty meeting this month. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our wonderful families who generously sponsor our meetings each month.
Thank you for your continued partnership,
Dr. Curella, Principal
School Start Time – January Proposal
Click here for a short informational video.
Click the image on the left to view the presentation in its entirety.
During the January 14th Board of Education meeting, the School Start Time Committee presented the 2025-2026 Proposal for School Start and End Times. Following the January Board meeting, there will be a feedback period to allow for school community feedback. There is also 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.
Proposed Start and End Times
Elementary Schools
- Dodge, Heim, Forest and Maple East Elementary Schools – 7:50 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Country Parkway and Maple West Elementary Schools – 8:20 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Middle Schools
- Casey, Heim, Mill, Transit Middle Schools – 8:20 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
High Schools
- Williamsville East, Williamsville North, Williamsville South High Schools – 8:50 a.m. – 3:40 p.m.
Technology Student Association at SUNY Niagara Tech Wars
The Casey Middle Technology Student Association (TSA) showcased their skills at the SUNY Niagara Tech Wars competition, where they competed against nearly 1,000 students from across Western New York, achieving remarkable success. Delon Ratnasekera earned third place in the T-shirt design contest. The team of Joe Astyk, Kaiden Stanley, Laik Diehl, Skyler DeBenedetto, Ace Hays-Borden, and Austin Hays-Borden secured third place in the trebuchet contest. Additionally, Isaac Kamyab collaborated with North High School sophomores and former Casey students Mya Sliwinski and Hadia Muzzammil to claim third place in the onsite STEM challenge.
North High School also celebrated success, taking second place overall in the competition. The event highlighted strong participation from the Williamsville schools, including Casey, Transit, East, and North. We are incredibly proud of our TSA's achievements and are excited to build on this momentum as we set our sights on state and national competitions in the future!
Quick Contacts
Main Office: (716) 626-8585
Attendance: (716) 626-8579
Health Office: (716) 626-8580
Guidance Office: (716) 626-8575
Fax: (716) 626-8562
Emergency Notifications Sign Up
The Williamsville Central School System provides an emergency notification system in which parents, faculty, staff, students, and community members can sign up to receive emergency notifications through e-mail, text message, and robo call. Please note: The District primarily uses e-mail and text message to send out messages. Click the link below to sign up. If you have any questions regarding eAlerts, please call our parent help desk at 716-626-8058.
Helpful Reminders
EARLY RELEASES
If you are picking up your child for an early release that has been arranged with attendance, you will need to come into the Casey Main Entrance to sign your child out. Please remember to send in a note for early releases, late arrivals, and absences. You can also report your student's attendance by logging into WITS and clicking on the Daily Attendance line on the homepage.
DROPPING OFF FORGOTTEN ITEMS
If you are dropping off an item for your student, please ensure the item is labeled with the student’s name. For your convenience, post-it notes are available in our lobby across from the green drop-off carts. For sanitary reasons, we ask that any clothing items or shoes be placed in a bag before dropping them off. Your cooperation is appreciated.
VISITORS TO CASEY
All District buildings, including Casey Middle School, are using the RAPTOR system to sign visitors in/out. All visitors must enter the building at the main entrance on Casey Road. Please be prepared to show government issued ID, such as a valid driver’s license, upon entering Casey. We will scan your ID and issue a visitors badge to be worn for the duration of your visit.
PARKING LOT REMINDER
Please avoid parking in the bus loop in front of the main entrance during morning arrivals (8:30-9:00am) and afternoon dismissal (3:15-3:45pm) so that your car does not get trapped by the buses coming into the loop. If you are coming to the school during these times, please park in the lot just north of the bus loop near the 5th grade wing.
University at Buffalo: Gifted Math Program
The University at Buffalo (UB) offers a Gifted Math Program (GMP) geared towards students who rank in the upper 1% of their national peer group. This means that students should be more than "best in class" or "above average in math." Students who are currently in sixth grade are now eligible to be tested by UB for the 2025-2026 academic year (nomination deadline: Thursday, January 23, 2025). Interested nominees compete for one of only sixty (60) places in the program beginning in seventh grade. Prospective students are evaluated on the basis of a battery of tests, a completed questionnaire that includes two essays, and a family conference.
Students who successfully gain admission commute to the university twice weekly for 75-minute classes through each academic year. Students study an enriched and accelerated mathematics program in grades 7 through 10, and in grades 11 and 12 students study three semesters of calculus and one semester of linear algebra, accumulating up to 22 semester hours of university credit throughout the entire program. The GMP’s coursework can replace one’s home school’s math courses; however, grades for the GMP courses and any math courses taken at one’s home school will appear on a student’s report card. For more information and/or to nominate a student for admissions consideration, please visit UB’s Gifted Math Program website at the link below.
Important Dates & Events
Upcoming...
- 1/16 - 7/8 - Band Side By Side Concert at North HS
- 1/20 - No School for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- 1/21 - 1/24 - Regents Examination Period
- 1/23 - Band 5, 7/8 Jazz Concert
- 1/24 - End of Marking Period 2
- 1/29 - No School for Lunar New Year
- 2/6 - Side-by-side Concert at North - 7/8 Chorus
- 2/7 - 7th + 8th Gr. Activities Night
- 2/17 - 2/21 - No School for President's Day and Mid-Winter Recess
- 2/25 - Talent Show Auditions
- 2/27 - 8th Gr. Titanic Day
7th & 8th Grade Activities Night
Friday, Feb 7, 2025, 07:00 PM
Casey Middle School, Casey Road, East Amherst, NY, USA
June 2025 Exam Schedule
For your convenience and planning purposes, we have included below the end of year exam schedule.
Athletics
Casey Clubs
Come and be a part of our Casey Clubs! You can explore all of our club offerings on WITS. Reach out to club advisors with any questions.
Casey 2024-2025 Yearbook
The 2024-2025 Casey Middle Yearbooks are now for sale!
All orders must be placed online and submitted by May 1st.
$21 for Hardcover
$16 for Softcover
PTSA
A message from our PTSA!
It's never too late to join or renew your annual PTSA membership! If you haven't already, please consider joining. The PTSA is responsible for all the amazing events, activities, and "perks" provided to your students all year long. Made up entirely of volunteers, they work tirelessly year-round to give your students the most memorable and meaningful middle school experience possible. Membership is open to parents AND students! We highly encourage all to participate and take pride in your school!
We are so excited to have our 2nd Casey Middle School Fun Run this year. The Fun Run will be held on Friday, May 23rd during the school day. More details to come as we get closer to the event!
In order to make this a success, we are reaching out to our Casey families to see who would be interested in being a community partner with us in helping sponsor our event day t-shirts for all of our Casey students! Please see the attached Business Sponsorship form. There are three different sponsorship levels: Premium ad sponsor $750, regular ad $500 & small ad $250. We look forward to having a successful fundraiser and event for our whole school!
Please reach out to Lindsay Mang at (716) 207-1499 or lindsaymang@hotmail.com if you are interested in being a sponsor this year for our Fun Run!
A Message From The PTSA!
We are looking for volunteers who would be interested in sponsoring our Casey Middle Faculty Meetings each month!
What: Any quick breakfast items of your choice - Muffins, pastries, bagels, fruit, doughnuts, granola bars, coffee
When: Faculty meetings are held once a month @ 7:45am
Where: Casey Middle Library
Why: To show our appreciation for all of the wonderful Casey staff and all that they do for our kids.
How: Use the sign up link below to pick a date that would work for you! Families can drop off their donations the day before (to the main office) or the morning of the faculty meetings they sign up for, or they can come set it up in the library and mingle with the staff before their meeting officially begins.
The PTSA School Store is Open!
The PTSA School Store will be open for students on select Fridays during lunches! Located just outside of the cafeterias, students can buy pens, pencils, erasers, stickers, and so much more!
Upcoming Dates:
January 24
February 7
February 28
Collect Dash’s Receipts and support our students!
Send receipts to the main office to Andrea Kulka.
Dash’s donates $2.50 for every $100 spent!
Board Members
President Lindsay Mang (lindsaymang@hotmail.com)
President Christy McCarthy (christym381@gmail.com)
Membership VP Cheryl Rode (cherylrode01@gmail.com)
Treasurer Liz Cercone (enc1026@gmail.com)
Corresponding Secretary Jackie DiNunzio (jackiedinunzio@gmail.com)
Recording Secretary Amy Newkirk (amyenewkirk@yahoo.com)
SEPTSA Rep Amy Newkirk (amyenewkirk@yahoo.com)
PTSA Council Rep Andrea Smith (ascooper3@yahoo.com)
Board Liaison Mark Manna (mmannaboe@williamsvillek12.org)
Upcoming Meeting Dates
Meeting dates/times are subject to change.
Please check the PTSA website for the most up-to date information.
March 12, 2025 @ 7pm
April 23, 2025 @ 7pm
May 14, 2025 @ 7pm
Williamsville Music Boosters
Introducing the Williamsville Music Boosters first newsletter!
Your feedback and suggestions for our future editions are warmly welcomed.
SEPTSA
CLICK HERE to join Williamsville SEPTSA! January Membership meeting is on Thursday, January 23 at 6:00 p.m. at the Board Conference room, Williamsville District Offices. See below for the SEPTSA Newsletter as well as some fliers.