Welcome Back BOCES Team!

Our 2024-2025 school year is off to a fantastic start, and I couldn’t be more excited about the energy and enthusiasm we’re seeing across our buildings. From opening day, the joy on our students' faces and the dedication of our staff have been truly inspiring. Walking through the buildings, I could feel the energy and enthusiasm that everyone has this school year. I also wanted to take a moment to praise our Operations and Maintenance and student worker teams; our buildings and facilities looked amazing. I know this was a large undertaking over the summer, and your efforts did not go unnoticed. Every classroom, hallway, and office was beautifully prepared to welcome our students back, and it’s clear that you’ve all worked incredibly hard to create a warm and inviting environment. Thank you for making the start of this school year such a success!

As we embark on this new academic year, it’s important to look toward the future of education, particularly the exciting changes being shaped by the New York State Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures. This commission was created to examine what it means to earn a diploma in New York State and to ensure that our students are not only graduating but are well-prepared for life beyond high school. Their recommendations, presented to the Board of Regents in November 2023, are laying the groundwork for new and engaging pathways that will help students become career-ready and/or college-ready. These changes are designed to create a more inclusive and adaptable education system that meets the needs of every learner.

To further involve the community in this important work, a virtual forum will be held on Sept. 26, 2024, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., where attendees will have the opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on the proposed vision for implementing these recommendations. This is a vital opportunity for educators, parents, and community members to shape the future of education in New York State. Pre-registration is required, and I encourage all of you to consider attending. Please click on the button below to sign up for the virtual event.

For more information about the forum and the Commission’s work, visit the Blue Ribbon Commission Webpage.

The efforts of the Blue Ribbon Commission are truly transformative, and I’m excited to see how these changes will support our mission of enriching lives through education to ensure all students are prepared for the next steps in their lives.

Again, welcome back to another exciting school year. I am grateful for all of you and the passion you bring to your work each day. Let’s make this year one of our best yet!

Warm regards,

Dr. Rebecca Stone

Superintendent, Broome-Tioga BOCES

Hello BTBOCES Staff,

Leading up to the holiday season and the season itself can be a stressful time. Caring for yourself is essential to maintaining well-being and building resilience. Your EAP is here to assist.

The 30-minute October EAP Information sessions, presented by an ESI Account Manager, will highlight free EAP services that are available to you and your household members to lean on, including our new enhancements with our partner, Talkspace. There are four different date/time options available to join.

• Wednesday, Oct. 2, 12 p.m. - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_znjF8d4aQhuLV1fpwFQ8cg
• Wednesday, Oct. 9, 12 p.m. - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8TyhAQbLTLGCfgmRdJXwNg
• Wednesday, Oct. 16, 3:30 p.m. - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MfXZ4Z0bR6215FxIP2GFZA
• Wednesday, Oct. 23, 3:30 p.m. - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-8iR6QpXQEC3mThSwPn6sA
  
  

The two 30-minute Self Care Sessions will be presented by an ESI Account Manager who will highlight strategies you can use during the holiday season, and every day, for psychological, emotional, and physical wellness.

Self-Care Strategies for Psychological and Emotional Wellness: Learn how our thinking, planning, and communicating can help us avoid becoming overwhelmed by holiday stress.

• Thursday, Nov. 7 12:30-1 p.m. - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SGXxlk7WRsqjMUELUvU0wQ
  
  

Self-Care Strategies for Physical Wellness: Learn how caring for yourself through nutrition, sleep, exercise, and relaxation can help minimize the effects of holiday stress.

• Thursday, Nov. 14 at 3:30-4 p.m. - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Qc6ACt_ARTegshrJQnNP0g

This summer has been busy for us as we are preparing for the upcoming school year. We are currently in the middle of conducting the annual fire inspections for all of our component districts as well as our very own BOCES buildings. These inspections occur on an 11-month rotating cycle . This is so each and every time of the school year can be observed to ensure we are all keeping up with New York State Fire Code for school buildings. Some items that are looked at during these inspections are things such as emergency exit ways are unobstructed, emergency evacuation maps are provided in every room, emergency exits are well lit, classrooms are not too cluttered with highly flammable items, extension cords and electrical outlets are being used correctly as well as inspections on other fire protectant items in the building have been completed and up top date. This year the inspections along with all corrections will occur from July 18 through Aug. 31. All results will be submitted to the New York State Education Department (NYSED), by Oct. 1 for approval.

We have also been working on updating our District Wide Safety Plan as well as building Level Emergency Plans in preparation for the upcoming school year. The District Wide Safety Plan will go up for Board approval later in the month of August and will be completed by September 1st of this school year and posted on the District Web site. All plans will be submitted to NYSED as well as distributed to all local Emergency related agencies by Oct. 1, 2024.

Thank you to all of you who help in making our school buildings a healthy and safe environment for our students and fellow colleagues!

Team,

Some of our projects have come to a close and you can see first hand we are trying our best to improve our facilities.

If you get a chance please visit the main bathrooms in the 300 wing and check out the work.

The rest of our project status is as listed below:

We also have a few larger projects currently in progress, I will keep you updated on these as well.

We’re excited to share that we’re making continuous improvements to our facilities across BOCES! You may have noticed some changes on our main campus, and we’re thrilled to keep you in the loop. In our monthly newsletter, we’ll highlight a few key updates, but there’s so much more happening at all of our locations. To keep everyone fully informed, we’re working on launching a dedicated website that will showcase all of our capital projects and facility improvements.

Here are the capital projects and improvements highlights for September:

BTTC Approval: We’ve received approval from the New York State Education Department to begin work on BTTC. While we don’t have an official construction start date yet, we anticipate seeing activity by mid-October.

Playground Relocation: The playground in front of the Education Center will be moved to the side of the building. This move allowed us to replace the worn-out turf, and we can’t wait to see the students enjoy the refreshed space!

Electrical System Upgrade: Though not as visible, upgrading our electrical system at the Education Center is crucial. This work will begin around Oct. 2 and should have minimal impact on student learning. As we approach the switchover to the new system in summer 2025, we might experience brief downtime, but we’ll do our best to keep disruptions to a minimum.

Stay tuned for more details as we move forward! For more information about our capital projects and facility improvements, please click on the link below.

Thank you for your patience as we work to create better spaces for our students and staff!

I have lived in the Southern Tier for my entire life and am a proud graduate of Tioga CSD. While completing my bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Elmira College, I participated in an internship with the Greater Southern Tier BOCES Central Business Office (CBO). It was there that my passion for School District finances and Business Office Operations started to grow.

I began my professional career at the Greater Southern Tier BOCES CBO in the Accounts Payable department. Shortly after joining the team there, I became a Team Lead and soon after that I joined their Accounting Department as an Accountant. After working with GST BOCES for several years I joined the Broome-Tioga BOCES CBO as an accountant; it was there that I was able to see firsthand what amazing school districts we have in this area. I rejoined the accounting department at GST BOCES CBO in 2019 until I accepted a position as School Business Manager for Alfred-Almond CSD. In June of 2022, I joined Vestal CSD as their School Business Executive.

Over the last two years, I have worked closely with the B-T BOCES CBO and am truly impressed with the comprehensive business service functions that are offered. I am thrilled and so excited to join the approximately 60 professionals that work together and share their expertise in the areas of Accounts Payable, Payroll, Budgeting and much more! I am ready to jump in and ensure that our local districts are able to receive non-instructional support services that save taxpayer money, generate aid for school districts and, most importantly, allow our local districts to continue to provide exceptional Education to all students in this region!

August brought a particularly exciting opportunity as we partnered with the New York Beef Association, with the support of Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Rural Health Network, for a truly memorable event. Our day started with an engaging tour of Winsor Acres, a local dairy farm in Harpursville, NY. This visit provided invaluable insights into the operations of a dairy farm, including the milking process, animal nutrition, and the life cycle of dairy cows. It was an eye opening experience that highlighted the dedication required to bring quality food from the farm to our tables…. and to our local districts.

Following our visit to the dairy farm, we continued the day at the SUNY Broome Culinary Center. Here, we unveiled a new menu item for the 2024-2025 school year. The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the Rock on Café Chopped Challenge, where ground beef was the star ingredient. Staff members competed in a dynamic cooking challenge, with around 40 ingredients at their disposal, with pineapple being the mystery ingredient. Under the pressure of a ticking clock, teams crafted creative and delicious dishes. The competition was intense, but one team’s culinary creation stood out as the winner. Congratulations to the victorious team for their impressive achievement!

Dave Stroka, our long time chef, will be retiring this September. Dave has been a cornerstone of our team, and his expertise, dedication, and especially his famous tenderloin will be greatly missed. As he embarks on this new chapter of his life, we wish Dave a retirement filled with delicious food, travel, and time with his family. His contributions have made a significant impact, and we are grateful for his years of service.

Over the last year, the SCRIC has spent countless hours and amounts of energy to migrate 11 districts to the Schooltool student management system. This puts almost the entire region on the same platform for the first time. This was a major goal and could not have been accomplished without many dedicated staff.

The SCRIC and the PLIC recently engaged in a joint professional development workshop. During the session, PLIC personnel demonstrated the daily application of instructional technology by educators and students. Discussions covered artificial intelligence, the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency standards, and included a Q&A segment. It served as a valuable learning experience for SCRIC employees to understand the practical use of the technologies they support.

Michael Kehoe-Promotion-IT Assistant to PC/LAN Technician

The start of the school year is always an exciting time for our Communications and Public Relations team as we watch students fill the classrooms and schools buzz with energy. But behind the scenes, we’re working hard to keep the flow of information moving smoothly. Our role extends far beyond social media posts and newsletters.

This year, we’ve been focused on ensuring families, staff, and the broader community are informed about key developments like capital projects, changes in procedures, and upcoming events. These communications are essential to keeping our school communities updated on what’s happening.

However, our work doesn’t stop there. Our team has been strategically managing communications around more complex and critical topics, such as policy changes regarding cell phones in schools, handling social media threats, addressing media inquiries, and crafting statements to our school communities.

At the same time, we’re capturing those joyful, smiling moments that you see in our social media posts and newsletters. Our public information officers are also the ones behind many news stories, writing the messages that go out to families and staff, ensuring transparency and clarity within our community.

It’s a fast-paced, multifaceted job, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re committed to keeping our schools informed, connected, and engaged.

The Document Services team at Broome-Tioga BOCES has been buzzing with activity as we meet the increasing printing needs of our school districts. One exciting development is the use of our wide-format printer, which has allowed us to produce large-scale graphics featuring district logos, photos, and other custom designs. These high-quality prints are making a big impact in schools, helping to enhance the visual appeal of spaces and events.

In addition to the wide-format projects, our team has been hard at work fulfilling a variety of printing orders for districts across the region. The demand for printed materials has grown significantly, and we are proud to be a reliable resource for schools as they gear up for another successful year. Whether it's producing essential documents or creating eye-catching visuals, our Document Services team is committed to delivering excellence for our school communities.

If your Windows computer has been updated to the Windows 11 you may have noticed things are looking different. One of the biggest changes is your web browser has been defaulted to Microsoft Edge. There is nothing wrong with using Microsoft Edge, but Google Chrome often works better with MyApps, and commonly used Google products. Google Chrome also allows you to sync your BOCES account so your experience is the same regardless of which device you login on. Follow these steps to set Google Chrome as your default web browser.

1. Click the Windows icon or press the Windows key on your keyboard

2. Select “Settings”
   

3. Select “Apps” from the list on the left

4. Select “Default apps” from the Apps list
   

5. Scroll down and find “Google Chrome”

6. Click the “Set default” option and make sure a checkmark appears.
   

7. Scroll down and make sure a Google Chrome icon is under each file type you would like Google Chrome to open.

Even though you have set Chrome as your default web browser, you will still need to go into your Outlook settings to set Outlook to automatically open links from emails in Google Chrome. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click “File” in the top left of your Outlook screen

2. Select “Options” toward the bottom left of the screen
   

3. Select “Advanced” in the new window
   

4. Find the “File and browser preferences” settings

5. Click the drop-down arrow and select “Default Browser”
   

6. Click “OK”