Currents
The Bimonthly Newsletter of the Genesee Community Charter School
an Expeditionary Learning School
April 2015
Still Holding…
We communicated with parents in March that we were experiencing
a snag with our charter renewal, which has been in process since last
September. Our current charter term expires in July, 2015, and we were
expecting to receive another full five-year term at the February Regents
meeting.
However, anti-charter forces have recently put great pressure on State
Legislature and the Board of Regents, which resulted in a last-minute
challenge to GCCS’s renewal. At issue is our school’s founding principle
that we intend to serve a population of students representative of the
County’s demographics because we believe in the benefits of structuring
schools with a blend of socio-economic groups. This was part of our
founding philosophy and has been approved in each of our renewals – and
certainly our outstanding results prove without question that we are on the
right track.
Last fall, the Democrat and Chronicle named GCCS as the most
diverse school in the County, and the most representative of the County’s
demographics. We celebrate the tremendous benefits that all students
experience when they go to school with others from different races,
economic backgrounds, religions, family structures, geographic areas, and
achievement levels. Our National Blue Ribbon Award, our status as an
Expeditionary Learning Mentor School, and a comparison of our
standardized test scores are testament to the good work that we are doing
with all of our students.
The Charter Law that will apply to us upon renewal in July 2015
states that charter schools must make “good faith efforts” to attract and retain
a population of students that mirrors the district of location. To that end, we
reach out to preschools, pediatrician’s offices, day care centers, libraries, and
social services offices in every quadrant of the city, share information at city
events and provide tours and information to a wide-ranging group of parents
every year. The Board feels that its application is fully compliant with the
law, that its good faith plan of outreach is working, and, given the School’s
exemplary record, it is deserving of a full renewal of its charter.
We have had an opportunity to meet with one of our local Regents,
Andrew Brown, who took a student-led tour and discussed our renewal with
our Board President. We are in the process of scheduling a visit by our other
local Regent, Wade Norwood.
We expect to be on the Regents’ calendar in mid-May, and are very
hopeful that we will receive a full five-year renewal. The Board and staff are
committed to remaining an exemplar of the philosophy and policy
underpinning charter schools, and to building upon the solid foundation of
the last fourteen years of extraordinary results.
Volume 15 No. 5
We’re Going
Green!
The 2013-14 sixth
graders should be so proud!
Their efforts to make GCCS
a Green Ribbon School are
paying off in tangible ways
this year. As a result of their
year-long sixth grade project,
GCCS has now taken one
more step toward being
green.
Last week on Earth
Day our friends from
Community Composting
pulled up and dropped off a
slew of lidded green buckets
for us to use to compost our
food waste. This year’s sixth
graders went to each classroom and trained students
and teachers about what and
how to compost. Our sixth
grade green team will
continue to supervise our
efforts and will collect the
bins each week for pick-up
by Community Composting.
At the end of the year, we’ll
see the results of our efforts
in the form of rich black soil
for use in a GCCS garden.
Many thanks to last
year’s sixth graders for
preparing us for composting
and to the Family
Association for
providing
financial
support.
GCCS
GCCS Currents
Currents
22
Family Association Directory
Board Board of Trustees Representatives
Martin Presberg (271-3549, [email protected])
Bill Gargan (729-7039, [email protected])
Michele Hannagan (750-3785, [email protected])
Officers
Co-Chairs: Emily Lambert (278-4510, [email protected]);
Carla Morris (794-1702, [email protected])
Secretary: Wilson Burgos (581-5954, [email protected])
Treasurer: Laura Hammond-Connor (703-1628,
[email protected])
Family Association Event Chairs
Welcome Reception:
Emily Lambert (278-4510, [email protected]);
Carla Morris (794-1702, [email protected])
Saturday Cleaning Days:
Jessica Clinton (224-0295, [email protected])
Family Association Auction:
Wendy Walsh (244-4996, [email protected]), Anna
Rynski (271-8914, [email protected])
December Potluck:
Sarah Hooper (766-2114, [email protected])
Family Game Night:
Jessica McConnochie (267-7730,
[email protected])
Family Skating Party:
Mary Staropoli (461-0034, [email protected])
Family Talent Show:
Elvis Reyes (338-9012, [email protected])
Staff Appreciation Lunch:
Jodi Beckwith (244-6513, [email protected])
Family Dance Party:
Chris Latoski (414-4337, [email protected])
Logowear Sale:
Cynthia Popinko (764-0807, [email protected])
End of Year Picnic:
Nicole Meyer (690-6546, [email protected])
Classroom Parent Volunteer Coordinators
Kindergarten
Jennie Sutliff (315-491-4961, [email protected])
First Grade
Dayna Orione-Kim (330-2855, [email protected])
Second Grade
Jen Wheaton (739-4716, [email protected])
Third Grade
Joshua Lynd (500-9601, [email protected]), Russell
Nordquist (215-279-0772, [email protected])
Fourth Grade
Jason Morris (794-1691, [email protected])
Fifth Grade
Virginia Malone (880-1821, [email protected])
Sixth Grade
Colleen Fogarty (461-0056, [email protected])
April
April 2015
2011
Upcoming Dates
To Remember
May 1:
May 2:
May 3:
May 13:
May 14:
May 17:
May 22:
May 25:
June 10:
June 11:
June 14:
June 18:
June 19:
Professional Development Day
No School for Students
Family Dance Party
6:00-9 p.m. Eisenhart Aud.
Operation KidFit 5K Race
8:30 a.m. Seneca Park
Board of Trustees Meeting
5:30 p.m. Cunningham House
Family Association Meeting
6:30 p.m. 6th Grade Classroom
5th Grade Pancake Fund-Raiser
8-10 a.m. Applebee’s Pittsford
Professional Development Day
No School for Students
Staff Appreciation Luncheon
11:30 a.m. Eisenhart Ballroom
Memorial Day
School is Closed
Board of Trustees Meeting
5:30 p.m. Cunningham House
Parent Teacher Conferences
11:30 a.m. Dismissal
Family Association Picnic
1-5 p.m. Camp Arrowhead
Sixth Grade Passage Dinner
6-9 p.m. Eisenhart Auditorium
Last Day of School
Passage Ceremony 10:00 a.m.
June Exhibition Dates
Wednesday, June 3
7:00 – 8:00
6th Grade
Monday, June 8
5:45 – 6:45
5th Grade
Tuesday, June 9
5:45 – 6:45
Kindergarten
7:00 – 8:00
4th Grade
Thursday, June 11
5:45 – 6:45
2nd Grade
Friday, June 12
5:30 – 6:30
1st Grade (Seneca Park)
7:00 – 9:00
3rd Grade (Seneca Park)
GCCS Currents
3
April 2015
Today & Tomorrow
The Spring’s expeditions conclude our school’s two-year curriculum cycle
through six historical time periods. Classes are exploring “Today &
Tomorrow” in the Rochester region with connections across the globe. The
curriculum emphasizes the natural world in Kindergarten through Grade 5.
Grade 6 is continuing its research on food sustainability.
Kindergarten – Nature
Detectives
1st Grade – I’m Moving In!
While on the playground
for recess, kindergarteners were
surprised when they stumbled
across mysterious footprints and
poop left behind by some
animal!! They then wondered
what animal could have been out
there and made a long list of
possibilities.
After some research, the
class was left with coyote, wolf,
tiger and dog. They then went out
to look for these animals around
the school and city
neighborhood. After careful
observation and interviewing
some local residents, dogs were
the only animal that were seen,
but the class wondered why not
the other animals. Are there
certain places animals live?
Kindergartners are now in
the process of making a plan for
more field studies that will take
them places to learn more about
animals, where animals live and
what animals need. Their
research will take them to local
habitats where they will collect
information in nature detective
journals. Stay tuned to see what
they do with their
research and how
they will share what
they have learned!
2nd Grade – Remarkable Raptors
Who’s that knocking at our door?
This expedition began when first graders
discovered a miniature suitcase and a letter
at the front door. The letter shared that a visitor will be
moving in for the rest of the year and told them what the
classroom needs in order to make him feel welcome in his
new home. A mysterious green guest then appeared and
made himself comfortable.
First graders will conduct research through
observations, experiments, and texts to help the new member
be comfortable and healthy in the classroom habitat.
Through his visit, students will also learn about others like
him in local Rochester habitats and learn about his family.
At the end of the year, first graders will celebrate his visit as
he is sent on his way. A personal tribute will be viewed at
the release party to share how first graders will help him to be
happy and healthy in the future.
In the spring expedition the second grade
will be learning about the amazing life and super
powers of raptors. The expedition began with an
in-depth case study of a raptor that calls Rochester home, the
peregrine falcon. Through this lens students dove into the
classification, biomes, food, threats, lifecycle, and
adaptations of raptors!
The second exploration is a case study in which each
student will become an expert on a specific raptor. Using the
same criteria they looked at in the first case study, students
will research how their bird has adapted to survive in
different biomes throughout the world (i.e. desert, tundra,
rainforest). The culmination of their research is then put to
use in the third exploration as the students develop opinions
based on their research and communicate them in a creative
format.
GCCS Currents
4
April 2015
3rd Grade – Indicators
of our Actions!
4th Grade – Runoff
into the World
Third graders will become
citizen scientists as they collect and
record data for FrogWatch USA. Students will
build background knowledge about frogs and other
amphibians including many local frogs. As a part
of FrogWatch USA, students will learn local frog
calls, and evaluate the health of our local
ecosystem by listening to frogs. From the focus on
frogs, students will compare and contrast other
members of the animal kingdom. What is the
difference between a frog and a toad? What makes
a frog a frog? These questions will drive us to
discover the beautiful interdependence of our
natural world.
As a service to our community, students
will apply their knowledge of habitats,
classifications, adaptations, and world biomes to
create a scavenger hunt for the Seneca Park Zoo
that will be used for local classrooms by the zoo.
In addition, students will become experts on a
frog’s world habitat and discover what each frog
around the world needs to survive. This focus on
frogs will inspire students to write opinion pieces
about the importance of different frogs’ adaptations
to their survival.
During this expedition,
fourth graders will build an
understanding of how living organisms depend on
each other and their environment. Fourth grade
scientists will examine how everyday people can
have an impact on water quality, and develop an
understanding of the consequences of poor water
quality. On campus, the class will explore what
the RMSC is doing to decrease storm water
runoff. Off campus, students will use qualitative
and quantitative data to draw conclusions about
the health of a local stream. To get their
important message out, the class will present to
the wider community about how to be stewards of
their watershed.
5th Grade – It’s Up To Us!
5th graders make decisions everyday. The effects
of their choices can cause rippling effects on their
environment. In the past, our expeditions have
been about our history. However, this expedition
will be about how we play a role in the history of
our future. Throughout this expedition, students
will investigate the choices they make everyday
and the effects those choices have on their
classroom environment, school environment, and
world. As problem-solvers they will be
empowered to find solutions to help create a
sustainable future. Much like
the title of this expedition, all of
what happens during these twelve
weeks, will be up to our present
day history makers to decide.
6th Grade – The Story of
Our School Lunch: The Sequel
Picking up where the winter expedition
left off, the sixth grade class will critically
examine why food – a basic human right – is not
readily available to all in our community and why
hunger remains a world-wide issue. Students will
explore basic economic concepts and apply them
to the availability of food in Rochester and its
suburbs and begin to understand that hunger is
less an issue of scarcity and more an issue of
equity.
The class will visit local grocers, the
Rochester Public Market, CSA sites and food
cupboards to better understand the issues around
food security in our community. Additionally, the
class will learn to interpret socio-economic data
and identify where the supply of fresh and
nutritious food is inadequate. We will learn about
community garden and urban farm initiatives
within the city that offer promising
solutions and advocate change at
our own school around elements
of food sustainability, including
fresh food production and food
waste management and mitigation.
GCCS Currents
5
Shine Up Those Dance Shoes
for the
Family Dance Party
Saturday, May 2 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Eisenhart Auditorium
Enjoy great music,
refreshments,
raffles, and more!
100 Mile Club
Troy Conner is this
issue’s student reporter. Troy
is in the fifth grade.
Over the school year, students in second
through sixth grade have been running for the 100
Mile Club. The 100 Mile Club is where kids in
second through sixth grade started running at the
beginning of the school year and are trying to run
100 miles by the end of the school year.
Some of the benefits of doing this club are
that you stay active, and competition with your
self and exercising become a life-long habit. Mrs.
O’Malley says, “I think the 100 Mile Club gives
all the children something they can attain.
Everyone can set their own individual goals and
work at their own pace. And, exercise is great for
us!” Mr. Simon, fifth grade teacher, says that
studies have shown that exercise helps our brain
develop. He also thinks it is a great way to start
our day because “It helps us get focused.”
To learn more, I took a survey around the
school to understand what students thought about
the 100 Mile Club. Here are my results:
April 2015
A Note About the Family Dance
Party:
The dance is a family event, and
every student in attendance must have
at least one parent present for the entire
time. Students may not be dropped off at
school and picked up at the end of the
evening, nor may they be brought in a
group by one supervising parent.
Thank you for your help making this
a great family event!
GCCS Currents
6
100 Mile Club (cont’d from p. 5)
Our running rant starts in the
10
“Back 40” where our runners are
separated into 3-4 groups. The first
group starts off running down Park
Avenue and then they run down
Goodman St. After they reach the first corner of
Goodman, they turn onto East Avenue. About then is
when the other groups start to take off. When the first
group reaches the next corner, they turn on to Oxford St.
At the corner of Park Ave. and Oxford St. is where Mrs.
O’Malley usually stands cheering and encouraging
people. When you pass her, you know you have almost
completed one lap!
On rainy days or days that are too cold or snowy
to run, classes will run in the school auditorium or will
dance. Dancing and auditorium running count toward
the 100 Mile Club. Mrs. O’Malley says that the one
thing she would do differently is have a better plan for
winter.
GCCS hopes to continue doing the 100 Mile
Club. This club takes a lot of courage, perseverance,
and collaboration, and GCCS has taken that challenge.
April 2015
Re-enrollment Paperwork
Due May 29 – Please Don’t
Wait ’Til the Last Minute!
You will soon receive a packet of
forms for next year’s enrollment. All
forms must be completed and submitted
by 2:00 p.m. Friday, May 29. Please turn
in forms promptly so that we may avoid
last-minute phone calls and panic!
Please remember that we strictly
observe deadlines. Spaces
for students with late or
incomplete paperwork will
be offered to the next family
on our waiting list.
Register Your Child for
Operation KidFit
5K Run for Kids Ages 5-18
Hosted by the GCCS 6th Grade
Are you interested in serving as a Parent
Representative on the
GCCS Board of Trustees?
Sunday, May 3 at Seneca Park
8:30 a.m. Registration
9:15 a.m. Race Begins
Election of a New Parent Board Member
at the May Family Association Meeting
Thursday, May 14, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Call 271-4552 ext. 463
or download forms
from the GCCS website
Please come prepared to make a statement about your
background and reasons for your interest in serving
Save the Date!
Sunday, May 17, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
5
th
Grade Pancake Breakfast
Fund-Raiser
for Next Year’s “Four Cities” Trip
Applebee’s Restaurant on Monroe Ave
Save the Date!
Family Association
Annual Picnic
Sunday, June 14
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Camp Arrowhead
Swimming, food,
games, and fun!