Cortland Enlarged City Schools
District Newsletter, February 2023
Weekly News Blast Featuring Cloey Tierno
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Kindergarten Registration is Open!
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2023-2024 UPK Registration Packets are Available!
In-person registration will be conducted at the Kaufman Center beginning March 21st. This process will not be by appointment and the UPK spots will go to families on a first-come, first-serve basis. Many years, the spots do fill up, so it is best to come on March 21 or very close afterwards.
To be eligible your child must reside in the Cortland Enlarged City School District and have a birth date between 12/2/18 and 12/1/19. For more information on programs locations and the registration process, call (607) 758-4125.
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Purple Tiger Lego Robot Team Places 2nd in Competition
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Junior High Theatre
Stay tuned to Cortland High Theater news this upcoming month as our play “Little Women” begins rehearsals for performances in March on the 10th and 11th! You can find Cortland High Theater on Instagram @cortlandhightheater and Facebook at Cortland High Theater.
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Capital Project Update
The $32.5 million Capital Improvement Project will begin its Phase 1 work next week during February Break. The work will begin at Smith as construction for an additional music ensemble room starts on February 20. Barry will also begin seeing construction in May as the parking lot renovations begin in the small lot at the end of the bus loop.
Most of the work will take place over the summer months, where the parking lots at all three K-6 buildings will be either redone or resurfaced. At Barry, the entire parking lot will be redone to incorporate an updated parent pickup and dropoff section that will allow for improved traffic flow. At Smith, the staff lot will be extended to provide additional parking for staff, freeing up some space near the front for visitor parking. At Randall, the bus loop and sidewalks will be resurfaced and a new parent pickup and dropoff pad will be installed.
Also over the summer, Smith will begin an extensive renovation of its heating system. The existing steam boiler system will be converted to hot water, which will save the district in heating costs in the long term. This work will take place through the summer of 2024. Barry will also have a redesigned health suite to allow the staff to better meet the needs of our K-2 students.
Phase 2 work is slated to begin in the summer of 2024, and will include work at Randall and the Junior-Senior High School. At Randall, the 6th grade wing will have hallway renovations and the music rooms will be moved to larger spaces. At the JSHS, the turf field will be replaced and the athletic center will have a complete redesign to provide functional locker rooms with team rooms, a new fitness center, and updated wrestling room.
If you have any questions about this project, please reach out Jordon Lilley at jlilley@cortlandschools.org or Kris Williamson at kwilliamson@cortlandschools.org.
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Sophia's Garden
For this program, the college students visit Barry Primary classrooms to read stories and facilitate discussions that help the primary students cultivate their own ideas necessary to understand the world.
These visits from the college help support the relationship with the education department, give these students an opportunity to be in a real classroom, and give our students an opportunity to learn about big ideas from some new people.
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Spring Concerts!
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Winter Weather Protocols
When the winter season is upon us, it is time to think about possible
closures and delays due to weather conditions. Our district’s automated calling system will notify families if school is closed or delayed. Please be certain that your phone number is current in our database.
Local news stations will continue to provide weather updates. Stations that carry information about Cortland Schools include: WSYR-9, WTVH-5, WSTM-3, News 10 Now, WBNG, WXHC/101.5, and WNTQ/93Q. We also maintain the latest information on our District website: http://www.cortlandschools.org.
In the event of a 2-hour delay, please be advised of the following information:
Barry, Smith, and Randall will open to students at 10:15 a.m.
The Junior High and High School will be open at 9:25 a.m. for breakfast. Homeroom will then begin at 9:38 a.m.
Morning bus routes run on a two-hour delay. For example, if the bus typically arrives at your stop at 7:00 a.m, it will arrive at 9:00 a.m
For students who regularly participate in the CDC Morning Childcare Program, the students may be dropped off at their normal start time of 6:45am
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Notes from the Board of Education
The CECSD Board of Education meeting dates and times are posted on the district website and are open to the public and all are welcome. The highlights below include some of the topics that have been discussed at the most recent meeting:
Randall School Presentation… The February Board of Education meeting was hosted by Randall Middle School and students participated in leading the pledge of allegiance and singing the national anthem. Student council members shared a presentation expressing their appreciation for the support of student clubs. Thank you students!
Tiger Paw Recipients.... At the February 7th meeting, high school science teacher Nicole Latham presented a Tiger Paw to Rebecca Johnson, chair of the Science Department. Mrs Johnson was recognized for her leadership and commitment to students and staff. She was described by Ms Latham as positive, solution focused, and organized. There’s a fun atmosphere in the science department thanks in great part to her contributions to the working and learning environment. Congratulations Mrs Johnson!
Public Comments.… Did you know that every Board of Education meeting agenda includes two opportunities for public comment? In February the Board of Education heard from some teachers and community members who shared their perspective on student and staffing needs. The comments shared are always welcome and appreciated and help inform discussions and vision moving forward, especially as the steps to finalize the 2023-2024 proposed school budget is fast approaching.
Budget Presentations... Kris Williamson, Business Administrator, continued the budget presentation cycle this month focusing on how the tax cap is calculated. The meeting also included a review of the outcome of a recent population study. Student enrollment has decreased from 2,351 to 1,850 over the course of the past six years and is projected to continue to decrease by 16-17% in the next six years. The public can learn more about the population study, the budget process and more by accessing the Board Docs section of the district website.
Staff / School Board Events…. The School board members have enjoyed the opportunity to meet and talk with teachers and staff at the morning breakfasts that have been held so far at Randall, Barry and Smith and look forward to enjoying another event with teachers and staff at the Junior High School next!
BOE Committee Meetings…. Sub committees of the board have shifted their meeting times to Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7:30 at the Kaufman Center and are, as always, open to the public. The next set of meetings will take place on Tuesday, February 28th.
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 14 at 6:30pm in the Smith Intermediate School Auditeria, Room 290.