Tracing School District's History and Roots

District Clerk Ann Berlew is in the process of putting together the history of the Cazenovia School District from 1796 to present. The history covers the early union schools, one room school houses, Perryville, Erieville, New Woodstock Schools, and the consolidation of the districts. She would like to add items or stories from you ... the Cazenovia District residents.

If you went to school in a one room school house and would like to share some of your experiences, or if you would like to contribute to the history of the Perryville, Erieville, or new Woodstock Schools please contact Mrs. Berlew in the Superintendent's Office at 655-1317. If you have any old photographs that you would be willing to loan for copying, they too would be appreciated.

Math Department Readies for New Exam

After a summer of writing curriculum, the high school math department has embarked on the road to preparing for a new Math A exam , according to Frank Plata, chairman of the math department at Cazenovia High School.

Students will begin taking the new exam as sophomores in January, 2002. He said the staff and he are currently studying textbook options for next year. Mr. Plata said the new course is much more application based than the previous course and the course ending examination reflects that focus. "I have seen the exam and we know what it looks like so we are looking for books with examples on how to do problems, and sample questions that will best prepare students for the exam."

One major difference between the old Regents exam and the new Math A exam is that they are much less predictable and students are required to justify their methods as well as arrive at the correct answer. An additional note Mr. Plata offered about the new Math A curriculum is that it entails much more reading.

A revised course for Math B is also being developed. Mr. Plata said he has seen just one pilot for the Math B exam and noted that it is likely to be a reflection of the focus presented in Math A. "We would expect it to also be an application based examination," he said. "At this point textbooks for Math B are still being developed so we are at a wait and see point. We won't be the first on board but we won't be the last either. We will be watching the materials develop and evaluate things as they come along."

Mr. Plata said during the coming summer months faculty will continue to fine tune the Math A curriculum while beginning their preparation for Math B.

Reflecting upon the students' performance on Regents exams last June, Mr. Plata said the results from Course I were outstanding as 92 percent of all ninth graders passed the exam. He said the goal this year has been to equip the eighth graders with the best skills possible so they can achieve those or perhaps even better results when they reach the ninth grade and take the new Math A examination.

Mr. Plata reminded parents that graphing calculators are optional for the Math A exam but will be required for students taking Math B. He said the staff recommend the Texas Instruments 83 calculator since that is the model they will be teaching off of. He encouraged parents to plan ahead for that purchase.

Citizenship Through Athletics Course Offered

A three hour class titled "Citizenship Through Athletics" will be offered at Cazenovia High School as part of the district's Adult Education Program on Tuesday, February 6 at 6 p.m. in Room 212 at the high school. The course will discuss strategies to facilitate the development of character through the athletic experience, the current state of sportsmanship in youth and school based sport programs, and the importance of identifying teachable moments as they present themselves in the athletic arena. The course will be led by Greg Carroll, Cazenovia's director of athletics. Mr. Carroll is the Section III sportsmanship committee chairman, a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Sportsmanship Committee, president of the Onondaga High School League, and a certified instructor for the NYSPHSAA Citizenship Through Athletics Course. Parents of those involved with school or community sports programs, as well as those who coach, are invited to register for this course by calling Ann Berlew in the district office at 655-1317. The fee for the course will be $10.

Winter Festival Dates Established

The 30th Annual Cazenovia Winter Festival will be held on February 1-4, 2001. Residents are asked to take note of these dates as they are incorrect on the school district calendar. The schedule for the festival will be as follows: Talent Show on Friday, February 2; FFA Ice Fishing Derby on Saturday, February 3; Winterfest Dance on Saturday, February 3; and the Snow Sculpture Contest on Saturday, February 3.

Pay Attention To School Bus Lights

Our school buses have red and yellow lights above the windows. These are the lights that a bus driver must use when students are entering or leaving the school bus.

The flashing yellow lights are a warning that the school bus is about to stop to pick up or drop off students. When you see the flashing yellow lights, you should slow down and be prepared to stop. Be alert and cautious as you anticipate the next action of the school bus.

When the red lights above the windows are flashing, YOU MUST STOP. You must stop whether you are following the school bus or whether you are traveling in the opposite direction and meet the school bus. You must also stop from either direction when the flashing red lights are on in the school driveways and parking lots and on four-lane highways, such as Route 20, when there is no median.

For the safety of our students, please carefully obey these lights!

Science Assistants Teach at Burton Street

Mrs. Johnson's science teacher assistants went to the multi-age class at Burton Street to teach a lesson on coral reefs. Leah Burch and Karen Schmidt used their science skills to present a lesson on how coral reefs form. They read a book about coral reefs to the class, talked about the formation of reefs and had the students identify features of a reef on activity sheets. Mrs. Johnson spoke about scuba diving in coral reefs and Miss Burch and Miss Schmidt answered questions and showed shells and pictures while the students enjoyed rice crispy treats made to look like coral reefs. The science assistants would like to thank Mrs. Byrnes and Mrs. Fuller for making this event possible.

Geology Guest Lecturer

A professor from SUNY Cortland was a guest speaker for Mrs. Johnson's earth science class. Julie Barclay has worked in the field of geology on drill sites that test for contaminated ground water and in the clean up of hazardous waste sites. Pat Baker and H. John Koglmeier also were able to demonstrate the use of the proper safety gear when investigating a hazardous waste site. Ms. Barclay will be returning in the spring to guest lecture for more earth science classes.

Vision and Hearing Screening Explained

Each year all students at Burton Street are screened for vision and hearing problems. These are New York State mandated tests. If a child does not meet the criteria for passing these tests, a notice is sent home to parents that further evaluation is needed by a vision or hearing professional. Both the vision and hearing tests are very fundamental.

If you should receive a notice of a vision or hearing problem, please follow up with a professional as soon as possible. It is important to notify the health room of the results of further testing.

During the month of December Dr. Osborn, the school physician, will be at Burton Street for students who have not yet had a school physical. Those students in kindergarten, first and third grade will have their physical on Tuesday December 12th. Notices will be sent out the week before. If you wish your child be seen by your family doctor, please make an appointment with him/her immediately, then call me at the Health Room (655-1355) so I can take your child off the list for a school physical.

Child Health Plus is a state funded, free or low cost health care coverage program for children between the ages of 0-19. To be eligible for Child Health Plus, a child must be a New York State resident under the age of 19 and not be enrolled in Medicaid. The cost of Child Health Plus depends on the family's income and the number of people in the family. Child Health Plus may be free or have a small monthly cost. To find out more about Child Health Plus call 1-800-698-4543. Applications are also available in the health room.

It is my hope and wish for this holiday season that everyone stay healthy in your household. Have a wonderful holiday season.

Drivers Reminded Of Parking Restrictions

The Cazenovia Village Police has asked members of the community to please observe the following parking regulations around Cazenovia High School.

1. The north (school) side of Emory Ave. between Sullivan Street and the school circle no parking and no standing zone. This means that no vehicles may be parked there even if it is to just drop off a student.

2. The south side of Emory Ave. is a no parking zone. This means that it is all right to drop off a student and then leave.

3. Please observe that there is a short area on the south side of Emory Ave. from Hurd Street and east that state no parking and no standing. No vehicles should be here even to drop off a student.

4. The area on Hurd Street between Green Street and Emory Ave. is again no parking and no standing. there should be absolutely no vehicles parked there for any reason.

The reason for all this is to make a safer area for the students. In addition, due to all the vehicles stopped on both sides of Emory Ave. and the upper part of Hurd Street, the school buses and normal traffic are having problems getting through to the bus circle, making left turns onto Hurd Street and so forth.

Yearbook Ads Still Available

The Cazenovia High School Yearbook staff is pleased to announce that they have received many personal and business ads for this year's yearbook. Elise LaHart, the effort's faculty advisor, said limited space is still available. Ad prices are $25 for a sixteenth of a page, $35 for an eighth of a page, $50 for a quarter page, $75 for half a page, and $110 for a full page. You may contact Mrs. LaHart at 655-1370 if you have questions or you may mail your ad to her at Cazenovia high School, 31 Emory Ave., Cazenovia.

The yearbook staff would like to thank the following businesses for their support: Albert's Restaurant, Cazenovia Children's House, Cazenovia Equipment Company, Cazenovia Republican, Kipp Cooper, P.T. and Lori Csensits, MAPT Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Hair Parlor, Harvey's Drugs, Nathan Keever, D.O. and Linda Kearney Keever, R.N., N.P. Family Practice, Kennedy and Clark, Inc., Nelson Petroleum, Thomas Osborn, M.D., Pelco Electronic Components, and the Skeele Agency.

Adult Volleyball Offered

The Cazenovia Central School District will once again be sponsoring an adult volleyball program as a part of its adult education program this winter. Adult co-ed volleyball is being offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. For further information or to register please call the district office at 655-1317