GCCSD News and Updates - Jan. 2025
Dear Gates Chili School Community,
Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the holiday break and had time to recharge with your loved ones. As we begin 2025, I am excited about the opportunities ahead for our district and the great things we will achieve together.
Today, our students return to school ready to dive back into learning, creating and achieving. While they’re just getting started on the new year, this issue features highlights from the past month, showcasing the incredible activities and accomplishments that make Gates Chili such a vibrant community. From spirited performances to creative projects, their efforts remind us of the bright future ahead.
This month, we’re also proud to honor the diversity of our school community by observing Lunar New Year on Jan. 29. For the first time, students and staff will have the day off to celebrate this rich cultural tradition, which aligns with our commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
Then, in less than a month, on Feb. 5, Gates Chili voters will cast their ballots on the Future Ready capital project, which focuses on maintaining our schools and preserving resources with no additional tax impact. Visit our website for details about this critical initiative and how it will benefit our students and staff.
Together, let’s make 2025 a year of growth, achievement and community for each of our Spartans. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our schools.
Go Spartans!
Christopher J. Dailey
Superintendent of Schools
Future architects in action 🍭
Pajama day 🧸
School spirit to the max 🐲
These Disney Dragons were transformed into dragons with some face paint at the school’s annual winter craft fair.
Game on! 🎮
MCC STEP scholars from GCMS attended a workshop at Great Lakes Gaming to learn about video game design, creation, and careers in the industry.
‘Tis the season ✨
New year, new District Office 🎉
Spartans who work in the District Office celebrated the holidays in their new location at GCHS. Read more below!
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 the district's accounts payable clerk, Nancy Menendez-Soto. Nancy has been in her current role for almost a year, having previously served as teacher aide supporting Brasser Bears. In addition to her formal role in the District Office, Nancy is also a proud GC parent of four boys!
Tell us about your role as the accounts payable clerk and what a typical day looks like for you.
Nancy: My job is to make sure all expenses are paid. From staff to contractors and day-to-day school activities that need to take place. A typical day begins with a lot of emails, incoming mail and non-stop things that need my attention. My job never ends.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Nancy: The thing that I love most about my job is the people I work with. They have really made me feel at home. I have been in the district for about 9 years and have done it all from volunteering to teacher aide, to so much more and I have always felt a sense of belonging in our district. Being in our district office is a lot of work yet it is the most fun I have had in a long time besides working and playing with our students in my past classroom settings.
What is something people might not realize about the work you do in accounts payable?
Nancy: A lot of people don't know that without them I cannot do my job. It takes a lot of teamwork. If I do not have what I need from everyone then I cannot fulfill my job. We are all in it together. I make sure payments are made that follow the task in place. From supply orders to facility jobs, all need to get paid in order for our schools to function.
What do you love most about being part of the Gates Chili community as both an employee and a parent?
Nancy: I have made many friends along the way. Being part of the equity team and a member on our code of conduct committee has led me to meet some great people. From staff to many members in our community, being a parent in Gates Chili and also an employee has had a lot of success in making sure our families feel connected.
Are there any moments as a parent that have made you especially proud to be part of Gates Chili?
Nancy: I feel proud to be in Gates Chili because I feel my children have always found a place and have had equitable opportunities. A special shout out to Erin Ugine who always knew what my son needed when he was only 4 years old. He is now a senior and I know he is where he is today because she knew he could [do it] but, in his time, not ours.
What’s a fun fact about you that might surprise your colleagues?
Nancy: Another fun fact some of my colleagues may not know about me is that I am a grandmother to two beautiful children. A 5-yr old girl who is currently enrolled in UPK; she challenges me every day and a 9-month-old boy who brings me joy all over again now that my children are slowly getting older and leaving the nest. I loved working with children, and I miss the noise at work, but I get a lot of it when I am home, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
What are you most looking forward to in 2025 for both your role and your family?
Nancy: This past year has been very challenging and I can't wait for what 2025 has in store for my family and I, but one thing I am looking forward to is traveling.
Gates Chili Central School District is proud to introduce a new member of the GC Leadership Team in 2025.
Kesha Carter is the district’s next Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Carter currently serves as Chief Diversity Officer at Coordinated Care Services, Inc. She is a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) with nearly two decades of experience with diversity, equity and inclusion programs. She has facilitated DEI workshops and trainings both locally and nationally. She has even been a presenter at previous superintendent’s conference days in Gates Chili.
In addition to holding a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Keuka College, Carter is pursuing a doctoral degree. She volunteers with several notable local organizations including the Rochester RHIO, Women’s Council and the Greater Rochester MLK Commission, was a finalist for the Young Athena Award in 2020, and was named in Democrat & Chronicle’s “Woman to Watch” in October 2016. Finally, she is a Gates Chili resident and proud parent of a Gates Chili Spartan.
In less than one month, Gates Chili voters will head to the polls to cast a vote on the district’s next capital project.
The project, named Future Ready, is designed to address critical infrastructure and mechanical needs across the district’s aging facilities. The proposed work focuses on four categories: failing infrastructure needs, renovations, replacements and new work. These improvements will ensure schools remain safe, efficient and inspiring environments for students and staff.
The project will be funded entirely through state aid and existing budget allocations, ensuring no additional tax impact on the community. This funding approach reflects the district’s commitment to maintaining high-quality facilities while being fiscally responsible.
The community vote on this important project is set for Wednesday, Feb. 5 at the Spartan Field House at Gates Chili High School from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more details on the project’s scope and impact, plus voter information, visit gateschili.org/CapitalProject.
Your support is vital to ensuring our schools remain future ready for years to come.
Visitors to the District Office should park in parking lot G, located between the HS bus loop and the GCPAC and enter through the main entrance door #73. Campus signage is in the process of being updated to help direct visitors to this new location. Please note, any mail can still be sent to 3 Spartan Way, Rochester, NY 14624.
The now vacant Administration Building will be transformed into the Gates Chili Operations Center in the coming months.
Gates Chili recognizes the importance of voter input in the budget development process. To gain this valuable feedback, the district is once again holding its Budget Ambassador Program for the 2025-26 school year budget. Ambassadors will review the preliminary 2025-26 budget as developed by the administration within parameters established by the Board of Education and recommend to the BOE any modifications they would like to see.
Ambassadors will commit to serve on a committee that meets for three (3) two-and-a-half- (2.5) hour evening sessions with the superintendent and assistant superintendent for business on the following dates and times:
- Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, March 20 at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, April 3 at 6 p.m. (if a third meeting is needed)
No experience is necessary, but ambassadors must be residents of the district. A maximum of 15 ambassadors will be accepted into the program on a first-come-first-served basis. To apply to participate in this program, complete the form below by Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 at 5 p.m.
As we welcome 2025, Gates Chili is excited to share that a better online experience is on the way for our families and staff!
Later this year, the district will launch a brand-new website powered by ParentSquare's Smart Sites—a modern, mobile-friendly platform designed to make accessing district and school information faster and easier. The new website will seamlessly integrate with ParentSquare, the district’s communication platform, and will also feature improved navigation, a streamlined layout and a user-friendly design to better serve our entire community.
Staff are already hard at work to ensure a smooth transition to the new website. As we get closer to the launch, which will take place after the 2024-25 school year, we will share updates, resources and opportunities for you to explore the new website. Stay tuned for more information!
Lunar New Year falls on Jan. 29 and marks the beginning of the Year of the Wood Snake. This holiday, rich in cultural traditions, has been observed for thousands of years across many East and Southeast Asian countries.
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It’s a time for families to gather, honor ancestors, and look forward to a year of good fortune and health.
Please note that Gates Chili Central School District will be closed for all students and staff on Wednesday, Jan. 29 in recognition of this important cultural event. This marks the first time our district has officially observed Lunar New Year, further embracing the diversity and inclusivity of our school community.
Jan. 7: Eastern Orthodox Christmas
Jan. 9: HS Winter Choral Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC
Jan. 10: MS Gr. 7-8 Social. 7-8:30 p.m., GCMS
Jan. 14: BOE Meeting, 6:30 p.m., GCPLC
Jan. 15: FB Band and Chorus Winter Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC
Jan. 16: NA Band and Chorus Winter Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC
Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - District Closed
Jan. 23: MS Gr. 6 Band Concert, 7 p.m., GCPAC
Jan. 24: Conf. Day - No School for Students Gr. 6-12
Jan. 28: BOE Meeting, 6:30 p.m., GCPLC
Jan. 29: Lunar New Year - District Closed
Jan. 30: NAPTO BINGO Night, 5:30-7:30 p.m., NA
Jan 31: WDPTO BINGO Night, 5-7:30 p.m., WD
Jan. 31: #GCPride Day
Support Staff Positions:
Job ID 789: Lifeguard
Job ID 1065: Cleaner for the 2024-25 school year
Job ID 1066: Food Service Helper for the 2024-25 school year
Job ID 1067: Bus Attendant for the 2024-25 school year
Job ID 1068: Bus Driver for the 2024-25 school year
*The Gates Chili Board of Education approved new,
increased rates for instructional substitutes. Click here for details.