Dear Batavia Families and Community,
It has been a few weeks since I corresponded with you, given Spring Break, so I would like to share a few highlights over the last few weeks showcasing our students and staff:
Congratulations to our Virtual Enterprise students at BHS in Mr. Redband’s class who had a successful outing at the GLOW Trade Show held at GCC.
Our orchestra students had the wonderful opportunity to learn from a professional violinist from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra as part of our Musicians in Residence program.
Our John Kennedy students and our second grade team had a well attended Paul Bunyan Breakfast and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) EXPO last Friday, where we enjoyed some delicious pancakes and saw our students showcasing their STEAM skills. Well done!
Our JV and Varsity Baseball Team had a successful and productive spring training trip to Florida over the break, where they played some games and enjoyed the nice weather to practice in. Thank you to our coaches for their efforts in organizing this great experience!
Congratulations again to Mr. Nathan Korzelius on his recent appointment as principal of Batavia Middle School. We can all look forward to his continued excellent and committed leadership.
This past week, we recognized Administrative Professionals’ Day (April 27th) and we thank our dedicated clerical staff for their behind-the-scenes efforts and commitment to making our schools run smoothly. Bravo, and thank you!
Jackson Primary had a “wildly” successful Family Reading Night last night with 455 participants! I had a great time reading my book: The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo. The gym was buzzing with excitement after a visit from Nickel City Reptiles!
This Saturday, April 30, our Community Schools program is hosting a Wellness Fair at Robert Morris from 10am-2pm. The BHS Senior Class will be selling hot dogs as a fundraiser and an ice cream truck will be here for dessert. Many of our local partners have booths at the event—we hope to see you there!
This week, we concluded the required Math and ELA Assessments for Grades 3-8, and results are usually sent home in the late summer. At BCSD, we use the results of these assessments to plan future programming and support for our students. Our forthcoming Strategic Plan speaks about the value and importance of continuous improvement, and these assessments are but one measure we use to gauge our strengths and improvement areas.
We have several exciting events coming up as we continue to move into spring, including our 8th Grade Dance on May 6th, the Musicians of Note Induction Ceremony on May 13th, and Mr. Batavia on May 20th. Of course, spring sports and spring concert season is well underway—so be sure to join us!
Please be on the lookout for more detailed budget information in the coming weeks, including our annual Budget Presentation on May 5th at 6 pm in the District Office and a printed copy of our Budget Newsletter hitting mailboxes on May 6th. This budget is designed to support and enhance our existing academic and extracurricular programs while being aware of our fiscal responsibilities to our community.
Finally, I have completed my Entry Plan, and I have linked the results here:
I thoroughly enjoyed this process and learning even more about our wonderful staff, students, families, and community!
Have a great weekend…
Jason A. Smith
Superintendent of Schools
343-2480, ext 1000
Twitter: @Jasonjasmith