Please click on the link below to see my video message for July. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to BOCES. We really are Enriching Lives Through Education and I am so proud of our work.

Last week, our incredible non-instructional team at BOCES enjoyed a fantastic day of camaraderie and team building at Chenango Valley State Park. This marked our annual 'Unplugged' event, an opportunity for everyone to disconnect from daily routines and reconnect with each other.

Our team took to the trails for invigorating hikes and a thrilling mountain bike ride. They showcased their athletic prowess in cornhole and volleyball tournaments, and sharpened their detective skills with a fun-filled scavenger hunt. For a peaceful change of pace, some opted for a calming yoga session amidst nature's beauty.

This event served as a wonderful opportunity to unwind, break away from digital distractions, and bond with fellow team members. A huge shout-out to all those who invested their efforts into organizing and planning this enriching experience. Your dedication is deeply appreciated. Thank you! #TeamBOCES #Unplugged2023

All employees are required to complete nine trainings between July 1 - June 30.

• Mental Illness Awareness (Sept. 15)
• Workplace Violence (Sept. 15)
• Sexual Harassment NY – State Mandated (Oct. 9)
• Bloodborne Pathogens (June 30)
• Dignity for All Students (June 30)
• Diversity for Employees (June 30)
• Hazard Communications (June 30)
• Slip and Fall Prevention (June 30)
• Student Data Privacy (NY State Ed Law 2-d) (June 30)

To access the videos please follow the directions below:

1. Go to MyApps
2. Click on GCN Training
3. The BOCES Organization ID is: 71604b and “Submit”.
4. Personal ID is your BTBOCES email address, and “Submit”.
5. Make sure your information is correct, and “Submit”.
6. If you see the Video Test, click “YES”

You are now at the Welcome Page, select the appropriate Mandatory video to complete.

GCN will note when you have completed each training.

THANK YOU! If you have any questions/concerns please contact Tara Adee at 607-766-3775, or email tadee@btboces.org.

The indoor playground is finally getting some playground equipment and LED lighting. My team is also currently working on installing new LED fixtures in the main hall. As part of the building condition survey many of the ladders around the exterior building are being replaced.

We are making significant headway with several HVAC projects. We currently have 2 units on order and are in the works of ordering two more units for the 100 and 200 wing.

Next our great college summer team will be begin painting the 500 wing and we will continue with the LED conversion down the 500 wing as well. The cafeteria has also been painted and we are waiting on some new graphics that will add a bit of color and flair to the cafeteria as well.

We also have a team working through the Ed Center and securing all of the televisions to the walls to help ensure our safety.

This summer the WLC should finally be getting all new windows at the rear of the building and a much needed expanded parking lot. Stay tuned as we have much more to come.

On June 6 we held a District Safety Team meeting where we discussed the two new appendices to be added to our District Wide Safety Plan. The two items to be added are a Cyber Security Incident response plan and an Emergency Remote Instruction Plan. These two items will be added and up for public viewing and comment period for 30 days before being approved at the August Board meeting.

We also discussed having our separate building Level Emergency Response Plans updated and completed prior to the beginning of school starting in the fall along with future items to keep in our scope as we move forward. Some of these items include adopting the new five category emergency response document otherwise known as the S.H.E.L.L. document as opposed to the current four category emergency response document otherwise known as the S.E.L. L. document. The new document adds the emergency response of “hold in place.”

Other future items we discussed were bringing in a third party security team to help us assess and improve our campus safety and security, developing a Threat Assessment Team, highlighting parts of the District Wide Safety Plan to discuss at our meetings to better familiarize ourselves with the plan and also making sure we make time to openly discuss how our annual safety drills are going and any improvements that may need to be made. A google shared drive folder has been created that will contain all our District Wide Safety meeting information.

This month we will be meeting with our districts to discuss any health and safety needs that will need to be addressed prior to the beginning of the students returning. We will be preparing for our annual fire inspections coming in August and some of our district wide safety members will be attending a school safety summit on July 17 in Oneonta.

We are happy to report that all of buildings have accomplished their annual evacuation drills. Job well done everyone! Thank you for your continued support to help make BOCES a safe place for our students and staff.

Congratulations to Lisa Knewasser who passed all the NYS code class certifications and has earned a title of certified Building Safety inspector (BSI)/Code Enforcement official (CEO).

The BBO thanks Peggy Wiles for her service as she is retiring this month. We all had a great time connecting in person at the Unplugged Event.

Congratulations to Jamie Thorne who was promoted to Fiscal Services Administrator

of the BBO

One of the most important things we do at CBO is to "close the books" for our component districts as of June 30. The full accounting of revenue and expenditures is used for NYSED filings and for the districts' audited financial statements. We work hard all year with all of our processes culminating on June 30 - the longest day of the year! Then, the process starts all over again - Happy New Year! Ensuring there is accurate and timely accounting of items takes a lot of coordination with the districts and our BOCES teams. Thanks to the BBO for their assistance with BOCES expenditures related to new filing requirements, and to the SCRIC for their assistance with student counts, enrollments, and attendance!

Members of our Broome-Tioga BOCES faculty and staff welcomed hundreds of 5th-grade students to our main campus in June for our CTE Visitation Day. Students from across the region got to sample activities in so many of our programs, from Criminal Justice to Hospitality, from Welding to Building Trades, from Cosmetology to Culinary Arts, from Carpentry to Heavy Equipment Repair and Operation, and more.

We wrapped up a terrific school year by holding cookouts at our Education Center, as well as at East and West Learning Centers. Here are a few scenes from our get-together at the Ed Center before we all entered the summer break.

Food Service Directors met with a couple classes of CTE students to talk about school food service careers and their benefits. Our programs had CTE student workers in Newark Valley, Union Endicott, and Whitney Point this year. These students were able to gain real world experience in school food service.

Summer Meal Program will be providing free meals to all children 18 years old and under at multiple sites. These sites are open during July and August. Details and locations can be found by clicking the link below.

A refreshed SCRIC website was launched earlier this month. Thank you to SCRIC staff member Julie Callahan for leading this project, as well as BT BOCES Communications and Public Relations Department team member Amy Tillotson for creating many of the graphics on the Services page. View our website navigation highlights video to learn more.

You may notice that applications may not be available at all times during July and August - that's because the SCRIC teams are working collaboratively with BT BOCES teams to make sure the 22-23 school year information is archived while getting ready for the 23-24 school year. Thank you for your patience during the application/system downtime.

Did you know that SCRIC teams help to support getting the SchoolTool application up and running for the BT BOCES summer school sites? Working collaboratively with BT BOCES teams, the SCRIC teams assist in making sure all participating school districts and their students are able to get registered.

Congratulations to SCRIC team member Martin Miccio! The Edmeston CSD seniors dedicated the yearbook to him. On the dedication page they wrote, "Our computers have issues, the wi-fi goes down, the server goes bonkers, and yet every single time there's a problem, you find a way to solve it. Thank you for always repairing our technology issues and dealing with every single student in the building with ease. We sure don't envy your job, but you always seem to get it done with a smile. We appreciate you and all your efforts... don't miss us too much!

Rhea Hanyon was promoted from an IT Assistant to a PC/LAN Technician

Barbara Bennett was promoted from an IT Assistant to a Software Support Specialist

Erin Moody was promoted from a Software Specialist to Associate Coordinator of Managed Services

Pam Van Vorce is retiring and her last day of work is July 31

The National Schools Public Relations Association awarded Jimmie Buyck with an Award of Excellence for his video featuring the Binghamton High School Girls Flag Football team. This award is the highest achievement. To view the award winning video, click on the link below.

In a collaborative effort, members of the PLIC team, GST BOCES, and the BT BOCES communication department recently worked with the NYS Education Department Office of State Assessment Team to develop training videos aimed at facilitating the implementation of the new mandatory Investigations for Elementary-level Science (Grade 5) and Intermediate-level Science (Grade 8). This joint endeavor represents a significant accomplishment that ensures educators from across New York have access to quality training materials.

In preparation for the new Science Investigations, Maureen Smith, an instructional support specialist for science on the PLIC team, created a wealth of training materials for our region. In recognition of Maureen’s excellent work, the New York State Education Department contacted her and a colleague at GST with a request to collaborate on additional support materials that would be distributed statewide.

In addition to the partnership between BT BOCES, GST BOCES, and NYSED, our BT BOCES Communications Department played a key role in the creation of these resources. Our team is grateful for the expertise and support of the BT BOCES Communication department for this initiative: their extensive experience in video production, editing, and post-production was invaluable to the success of this initiative.

This collaboration fostered a culture of partnership between BT BOCES, GST BOCES, and the State Education Department, setting the stage for future joint initiatives. These videos, once finalized, will then be made available through the NYSED webpage as well as the BT BOCES and GST BOCES webpages for educators and administrators around the state to use as they move forward with implementation of the new Investigations.

Congratulations to Erin Wilday whose tenure appointment was recently approved! Erin is a regional instructional support specialist with our team, providing regional workshops and in-district instructional coaching. Erin primarily focuses on supporting effective instructional practice in the region. As well, she co-facilitates multiple communities of practice (including Special Education, Family and Consumer Science, Art/Music, and ENL), has led our Regional Fine Arts Day, and has been integral to the development and implementation of our New Teacher Institute service.