Superintendent's Weekly News Update

Second-year teacher McKayla Sutton has taken over the production of Clinton's annual 5th grade talent show, and audiences have a real treat in store. Scheduled to take place next week on January 18th at 5:30PM, the students have been practicing routines for their family and friends, and what a show it will be!

Ms. Sutton keeps the students organized and on track, while a very responsible backstage crew makes sure the stage is set for the next act each time the curtains close. These astute and talented young performers and crew have learned so much about teamwork, tasks, and doing what it takes to pull off an entertaining show.

Emcee's Cameron and Mason are ready to keep the audience entertained between acts with scripted patter that references the act that was just seen, introduces the next act, and sprinkles in some good-hearted discussion that will make the audience giggle.

Acts include singing, dancing, funny dad joke duos, a Star Wars themed lightsaber battle in which no one is wounded, musical instruments, and a group of boys running football plays that were well thought out. Preparation matters!

Ms. Sutton thanks her helpers, teaching assistant Lauren Maida, and West Senior students William Dove, Nicholas Gates, and Ian Hand-Smith.

The bottom line on this upcoming talent show is that you don't need to know or be related to any of its stars to enjoy it. Consider brightening your spirits on a dark January evening by attending. You will be glad you did.

Participation in Government (PIG) is a 1/2 credit course required by the New York State Education Department. Each year, senior students enrolled in the course must successfully complete the course in order to graduate. In addition, they must complete a minimum of 10 hours of service, attend a school or town board meeting, and complete a research paper on a topic of their choice that addresses a societal concern.

Teacher Nadine Ocasio says," When I took over the course in 2010, I wanted the course to be meaningful and feel connected for the students. To me that meant that they would work on a social issue they cared about and their hours and paper would be connected. I learned about Service Learning through a History In Action grant and I felt this was exactly what needed to be incorporated into the class."

Proof of that was evident this week when the students made presentations based on their chosen topic's research-based civic actions. Students do 10 service learning hours, connecting them to the social issue they chose to write about in their research paper. Their research turns into classroom discussion about ways to eliminate or alleviate the social issue, and then they create a project proposal which is reviewed by a committee and either approved, approved with modifications or declined. Once students have an approved proposal they can begin working on their project/hours which is done outside of class time.

Mrs. Ocasio says, "The presentation is the students' final exam grade. They learn that in service learning you celebrate/demonstrate learning as the final step. I tell them that their presentation is a celebration of what they have learned and they are demonstrating their learning to the panel."

The majority of East's PIG students are eligible to receive the Seal of Civic Literacy.

The following are West's Athletes of the Month for December, complete with quotes from their coaches.

Name: Abigail Nocera

Grade: 12

Sport: Bowling

Coach: Sam Sebastian

Abbie is working very hard and coming to all practices with a positive attitude towards her sport and team members.

Name: Brynn Holland

Grade: 10

Sport: Varsity Ice Hockey

Coach: Cooper/Embree

Brynn is one of those athletes that always has a smile on her face. She easily makes friends, willingly works with anyone and is always giving 110% on the ice. No matter how tired she is, if they win or lose a game, she is always checking in on her teammates to make sure they are ok first. On the ice she shows the coaches, referees and opponents respect.

Brynn is one of our players that transitioned from defense to a forward. She has shown a lot of growth in this position and success. She had 6 goals and 5 assists last season. This season has just started and she already has 3 goals. Even with her success, Brynn will still take time out of practice to ask follow-up questions to the Coaches to see where or how she can improve or perfect a specific skill.

“Brynn is one of those coachable athletes. She is willing to put in the time, the effort , and tackle some of the hard moments to make her the best athlete possible. That is a rare skill in some of our younger athletes. She continues to grow as one of the upcoming leaders on HEWS. It has been nice to see her growth in skills as well as her confidence. Coach Cooper and myself could not be more proud of her.”

Name: Christina “Tina” Evans

Grade: 12

Sport: Wrestling

Coach: Dave Recor

Tina displayed good sportsmanship at the recent NT Tournament when interacting with athletes and coaches.

Tina is undefeated so far this season, and won the North Tonawanda LadyJack Wrestling Tournament for the third straight year.

Tina works hard toward her goals every day in practice, she is one of our Captains and a team leader.

Name: Gabrielle Tripi

Grade: 12

Sport: Indoor Track

Coach: Brian Kader

Gabby has embraced a leadership role and while there has not been one standout moment of sportsmanship, there have been many interactions with her teammates where she has shown compassion and empathy. She has taken an interest in seeing our athletes succeed and improve how they practice on the daily.

Gabby has had a great start to the season. She is among the team leaders in the 55m,200,300,400 and 600m. She has run lifetime bests in the 300 and 600m this month and is close to sectional qualifications for both events. She is a key member of our relays and truly shines when others are relying on her.

Gabby was with our program before the pandemic and has evolved as much as the team has in the last 5 years. There is no doubt that she is going to be successful wherever she decides to run in college. She becomes more mature by the day. She asked to not be put in the jumping events this season to focus on the track and it has paid off in a big way for her.

Name : Ava Gunnells

Grade: 10

Sport : Basketball

Coach: Joe Dougherty

Ava is the first girl to help her teammates or opponents up if knocked down. She is not one to talk to opponents on the court. She goes about her business in a mature manner.

Ava for the month of December has averaged 18 points a game , with a season high of 24 vs Williamsville North as the girls have opened with a 4-0 record. She has shot 52% from the field while averaging 9 rebounds per game.

Ava has been a great addition to the team since returning from St. Mary’s high school. She leads by example.

Name: Aubrey Willis

Grade: 9

Sport: Varsity Cheerleading

Coach: Valeree Griffin

Aubrey has an extremely positive attitude and displays excellent sportsmanship at every practice and game. She enjoys cheering on her teammates by pushing them to achieve new skills as well as cheering for the basketball team hoping for a win each week.

Aubrey is one of the strongest flyers we have on the team this year. She is always ready to try whatever new skills we are working on without fear or hesitation. I have complete confidence that she will always give 100% in everything she tries. She continues to impress me with her strength and determination. This season she has learned several new flying skills as well as becoming more consistent in her elite level tumbling pass.

Aubrey is one of the most hard-working athletes we have on the team. She wants to not only better herself, but also her stunt group and teammates by continuously encouraging them and pushing them to try their hardest too. I can’t wait to see her continue to excel as we continue in our competitive cheer season!

Name: Nathan Rainero

Grade: 10

Sport: Hockey

Coach: Kevin Rozo

Nathan always treats his opponents with respect and has yet to take a penalty this season.

Nathan finished off his first month on the Fed team by leading it in scoring. In 9 games he recorded 7 goals and 3 assists for 10 points. He is also tied for second on the team in plus/minus rating with a +2.

Nathan is a true character and a pleasure to coach. He's been asked to play on multiple lines and in multiple different scenarios and has always come through. He has a high hockey IQ and nose for the net. I look forward to seeing what he brings to the table not only for the rest of this season but for years to come.

Name: Aaron Lazaros

Grade: 10th

Sport: Varsity Wrestling

Coach: Dave Recor

Win or lose, Aaron ALWAYS displays sportsmanship qualities towards Coaches, opponents and referees.

Aaron has a 7-4 record on the Varsity team, winning big matches for us when we needed a spark. He is one of the hardest workers in the room, and continues to improve every day.

Name: Xavier Mohamed

Grade: 12

Sport: Indoor Track and Field

Coach: Brian Kader

Xavier has been a supportive and enthusiastic member of our team this season. While there may not be one specific moment that stands out, he has been a positive role model for the youthful boys distance team. He is respectful to the sport and to others. He was injured for a brief stint and he showed up each day, saw the trainer, did what he could in the weight room so that he could return on schedule. It seems like something that all athletes would do, but it's a select few who actually carry through with the plan.

Xavier is on the brink of qualifying for 3 individual events and he has never qualified for indoor sectionals in an individual race before. He has personal bests in the 3200m (10:44.57), 1600m (4:56.78) and 400m (59.4) this season. He is our top 800m runner and the anchor of the 4x800m relay. He is on pace to have his best season to date and has the versatility to cover all of the distance races for our team.

Xavier will come across as someone who lacks confidence if you speak to him about his performances, but when he actually takes the track he is a highly confident runner who pushes in the lead pack. It is his way of being humble but hungry. He is someone who I am very proud of coaching and watching take the next step this year. He used to be someone who would always come close to race expectations but never exceed them and he is now someone who raises the bar with each performance.

Name: Dylan Russell

Grade: 9

Sport: Boys Swimming

Coach: Nick Sereday

Always willing to try new events and cheers on his teammates, Dylan continues to train hard and gets best times at almost every swim meet.

Dylan, keep up the amazing work, you have challenged yourself and it is seen at every practice and swim meet. Well Done!

Name: Thomas Kibler

Grade: 12

Sport: Varsity Bowling

Coach: Michael Hockwater

Tom is a very respectful, hard-working team player. As our team captain, he rallies the athletes and inspires them to perform at the highest level. Tom has not missed a single practice or match, and is often the first to arrive and last to leave. He mentors other players on the team and helps them to improve their individual game.

Tom's average for the month of December is 171. His high game was 207, and his high series was 555. He leads the team in second-place for total number of pins, at 3,595. In our first match of the season against Pioneer, Tom had a strong finish which clinched us the win.

Tom is a great student athlete. He inspires and empowers his teammates to be the best that they can be, all while performing at a high level himself. His mentorship of other athletes and demonstration of mutual respect and rapport with the team has earned him this nomination.

Name: Gavin French

Grade: 11

Sport: Boys Basketball

Coach: Reuben Owens

Gavin Provided Leadership and Encouragement during our 8 games in the month. He scored a career high, 23 points, in an OT loss to Williamsville South.

Since returning from St. Mary's, Gavin has improved his overall game on and off the court as a true student-athlete.

Pictured here: Gabby Tripi, Brynn Holland, Aaron Lazaros, Nathan Rainero, Abigail Nocera, Ava Gunnells, Xavier Mohamed, Thomas Kibler. Not pictured: Aubrey Willis, Gavin French, Dylan Russel, Christina Evans

It's Bills season, but the Buffalo Sabres are playing too! Those who are present for, or tune into, the Sabres game on January 15th at 1:00, will witness West Senior sophomore Sydney Sterlace singing the Canadian and American National Anthems!

Enjoy your MLK weekend and remember his words, "The future of the country is in our [children's] hands."