Hello Watkins Glen School Community!
I hope this message finds you happy, healthy, and (if you celebrate) looking forward to the Easter Holiday. To our students, I hope you have been able to rest and relax this week!
If you have had the opportunity to stay up to date with local news, you will not be surprised that we have a lot going on here at WG!
Before I get started, I want to thank the school community for coming out to support the Senior Play this year. We had a great turn out, and we would like to thank Senior Class Advisor, Sam Brubaker, and our Directors, Michelle, and Tim Benjamin, for their hard work and dedication to the dramatic arts in our School District. We cannot thank you enough for all that you do for our students! The final product on stage made us extremely WG PROUD!!
UPDATE: Team Name & Mascot Update:
As I am sure you are aware we are anticipating that the New York State Education Department (NYSED) will soon mandate a shift away from Native American/Indigenous team names, mascots, and imagery. To get ahead on this complex rebranding process and to garner input from all stakeholders, we have designed this surveyfor our school community. Prior to taking the survey, please be sure to read the viability parameters set forth by the District’s Governance Team.
The survey will serve as step #1 in our process for selecting a new team name.
Once the new regulations and guidance are released, and based on the data that is collected, we will then turn voting power over to the students at the Watkins Glen Central School District.
Should the new regulations be successfully adopted by NYSED, student input will be gathered throughout the months of May and early June. Also in June, the Board of Education will consider the retirement of the “Senecas” as our team’s name. The Board will then consider the adoption of a new team name at the annual organizational meeting in early July. We will spend the 2023-2024 school year working on design and re-branding, and we will begin implementing our new designs, logos, name, and mascots during the 2024-2025 school year.
Again, the purpose of the surveyis to collect stakeholder input, which will allow students to discuss, consider, and vote upon.
The survey will be open for input until 4.19.23 at 12 Noon.
Click here to access the survey.
REMINDER: New Visitor Software and Protocols:
Beginning with the High School, the Watkins Glen Central School District will now be implementing an electronic visitor management system. By May 1, 2023, any visitor to the District Office, the High School, or the Elementary School will be required to present a valid ID to have a visitor badge printed out in real time to enter our campus during school hours. This system will alert the District if a visitor should not be on campus. The High School is piloting the software right now. Soon, this system will be utilized at all District entry ways.
HEADS UP: Upcoming Lockdown Drill:
I want to inform you of an upcoming safety drill. This month our District will take part in a “live” lockdown drill. This will be our fourth such drill this school year. Here is what I mean by “live”; alarms will sound both inside and outside of our facilities. Emergency lights will flash inside and outside of our facilities, there will be increased law enforcement presence on campus, and students will be expected to practice all lockdown procedures, which includes hiding in their classrooms. As a reminder, prior to this year, pandemic protocols have limited our abilities to have “live” safety drills.
We want you to be aware that you will be hearing our lockdown procedures activated this week, and we want you to be able to talk to your children before and after the drill. Given events, both local and nation-wide, drills like this can activate a trauma response. If you or your child needs anything, please feel free to reach out to your child’s main office.
BRIEF Reminders:
- We are excited to continue to offer a K-12 Summer School program for our students. Please be on the lookout for more information on this awesome opportunity!
- Spring Sports are underway! Be sure to bookmark this link for up-to-date schedules.
That is all for now WG!
Enjoy the rest of your break!
LET’S go MAROON & BLUE!!!
Respectfully,
Kai D’Alleva
Watkins Glen Central School District
Superintendent of Schools