October 26, 2005

Dear Students, Families and Staff:

We had an unexpected power loss in the district today as a result of a transformer in the area "malfunctioning," which was likely a result of the storm. The Village of Delanson was also without power. In prior letters I have discussed the lead-time needed in making decisions regarding delays and closings. When faced with uncertainty regarding power restoration I have little choice but to cancel school. We need to make decisions about 2-2 ½ hours in advance of closings in order to allow the transportation department time to contact drivers and begin their bus runs. Early indications are that the weather this year could be very challenging.

Halloween will take place this weekend. The middle school will hold a costume dance (no masks please) on Friday. Every year I receive questions from the public about building policies and dress during this time of year. Six years ago a decision was made at the elementary school to eliminate costumes, with the exception of the kindergarten parade, because the building staff felt that students became too distracted and a day of instruction was lost. The middle / high school has allowed costumes (within limits) and found that this age group was mature enough to handle the dress and still remain focused on classroom work. People have speculated other reasons, but this remains the rationale for the difference between the two campuses.

The NYS Education Department requires that teachers receive a half-day training on the new, revised tests. I will speak to the Board of Education about a need to schedule an early release day to train teachers to be able to score the new grade 3-8 assessments. The loss of instructional time is a problem, but trying to train at least half of our faculty cannot be done without either a half-day release or a multitude of substitutes.
 
The elementary school construction is approaching the "end game". We anticipate occupying the space in November. Some classes have been affected more than others during the final construction phase. We greatly appreciate the understanding of teachers and staff during construction periods. You may notice that we recently paved the new parking area, installed an outfield fence on the softball field and a fence along Route 7, and repaired the track along with the field event area. We are hopeful that this spring we may be able to host home track meets. Our student athlete "runners" have been extremely successful this fall. On Friday they move onto Sectional and then state competition. I wish them the best of luck. They are a very disciplined group of young men and women.
 
Sincerely,
Mark Villanti, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
895-2279

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