has future plans
school to become a

Graduation
2016

Byron-Bergen Central School District

									

			

w w w.bbschools.org

Byron-Bergen’s Class of 2016 Top 10, Valedictorian and Salutatorians announced
Congratulations to this year’s Class of 2016 Top 10 students:

Ashley Montgomery (Valedictorian), Clare Fraser (Co-Salutatorian),Ana Hubbard (Co-Salutatorian), Bethany Ezard, Brittany Goebel, Kaitlyn Harder, Cora Ivison, Merrisa Bohn,Alexa Strzelecki,Alexandria Rosse, and Rider Farnsworth.We give special acknowledgment to Valedictorian Ashley Montgomery, daughter of Marc and Becky Montgomery of Bergen; Co-Salutatorian Clare Fraser, daughter of Edward and Mary Fraser of Churchville; and Co-Salutatorian Ana Hubbard, daughter of Michael and Ana Hubbard of South Byron.

Ashley Montgomery is involved in a multitude of activities in her school and community. She
is a member of Student Council, Mock Trial, Scholastic Bowl, and PageTurners.Ashley also participated in Math League where she was an area All-Star, and is secretary of National Honor Society.Ashley was named a varsity Tri-Athlete
Ashley
Montgomery
Valedictorian
all four years of high school for cross country, swimming, and track. She was the captain of both her cross country and swim teams her senior year and a 13-time Scholar Athlete.Ashley
participated in her own volunteer field research project, studying an invasive species and its effect on native flora in the Bergen Swamp. The environmental project was a two-year study that she entered into the 2016 Intel National Science Search. She also participated in Concert Band as a flute player, and represented Byron-Bergen
at GWMEA All-County Band six times in the past eight years. Ashley is a member of the elite “Hundred Club” at Byron-Bergen for her perfect score on the 2015 English Language Regents Exam. She received an Academic Varsity Letter and Pin as a junior, and three additional pins as a senior.Ashley was an Ambassador at the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference her sophomore
year. She is the recipient of the Superintendent’s Award, New York State Education Department Scholarship for Academic Excellence, President’s Award for Educational Excellence, Science Department Award, Mathematics Department Award,American History Award, Bergen Historical Society Award, and received a Paychex Scholarship. She will be attending SUNY Geneseo, where she was the recipient of a Regal
Scholars Award,to study biochemistry and
pre-medicine. Ashley	Class of 2016...................................1-3

to attend medical
Superintendent’s Message...................4 Jr./Sr. High School Spotlight..............7
neurologist.                         Elementary School News...........14-15 Student Showcase.............................20

Clare Fraser is a member of National Honor Society, Robotics Club, and is president of Student Council. She has participated in the school musical each year since “Pippin,” and plays violin outside of school. Clare participates
in many community-service related activities. She founded and is student
advisor of the Byron-Bergen Builder’s	Clare Fraser Club, a service-oriented club for                Co-Salutatorian students in grades 7-9. She received
the 2016 Genesee County Youth Bureau Award for her community service efforts and received recognition from the Byron Kiwanis Club for her work with the Byron-Bergen Builder’s Club. She has worked hard to graduate high school in three years and to continue involvement in extracurricular activities. Clare is the recipient of the Superintendent’s Award, Brian R. Ivison Memorial Industrial Arts Award,President’s Award for Educational Excellence, Scholar Program Award, and received an Academic Varsity Letter. Clare plans to attend Cornell University next year to major in Applied Economics & Management.

Ana Hubbard plans to attend SUNY Fredonia in the fall to pursue a career in music education. She has a passion for music, and has been a member of Byron-Bergen’s select
choir, the Singing Silhouettes, since her sophomore year.Ana played clarinet
Ana Hubbard
Co-Salutatorian
in band for the past nine years. She is also a member of National Honor Society.As a junior,Ana received the Rochester Section of the American
Chemical Society’s Chemistry Achievement Award,

(continued on p. 2)

(continued from cover)

Attorney General’s Triple “C” Award, and Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award.
In her community,Ana has been an active volunteer for almost two years at the
Byron-Bergen Public Library. She is the recipient of the Dawn Gruendike Memorial Award, Music Department Award, English Department Award, New York State Education Department Scholarship for Academic Excellence,President’s Award for Educational Excellence, Wanda L. MacVean English Recognition Award, and earned an Academic Varsity Letter and Pin. She would like to thank her friends and family for all
of their support throughout the years.

Class of 2016 Top 10 students (continued)

Bethany Ezard	Brittany Goebel	Kaitlyn Harder	Cora Ivison University at Buffalo                  Drexel University                   University at Buffalo                    Canisius College Occupational Therapy               Finance/Accounting                Occupational Therapy                        Marketing

Merrisa Bohn          Alexa Strzelecki      Alexandria Rosse      Rider Farnsworth Genesee Community College      The College at Brockport          Roberts Wesleyan College        Monroe Community College
Nursing	Biochemistry	Forensic Science	Engineering

2     Byron-Bergen Central School District

Graduation 2016 Class of 2016 Graduates

Kyle Bater Alfred State
Heavy Equipment Operations

Alicyn Bizari Monroe Community College
Solar Thermal Technology

Kaleb Bobzien U.S. Marine Corps

Marquis Brown Career - Heavy Equipment
Operations

Celeste Brownell Genesee Community College Early Childhood Education

Aaron Buckland Divers Academy International
Underwater Welding

David Castaneda Genesee Community College
Spanish

Leah Catalino Genesee Community College
Nursing

Heather Countryman Genesee Community College Psychology

Jamie Crawford Genesee Community College
General Studies

Bryanna D'Agostino SUNY Oneonta Psychology

Kenneth Dean U.S. Air Force

Angel DeJesus, Jr. Genesee Community College Electronics

Jeremiah DeLorme Genesee Community College Web Design

Andrew DiQuattro Alfred State
HVAC & Plumbing Technology

Samantha Donnelly Monroe Community College Graphic Design

Matthew Drake SUNY Fredonia Biology

Nicholas DuBois Career - Chapin International

Kyle Elliott Career – Auto Technician

John Fedele Career - Manufacturing

Aaries Fitzsimmons Vocational Training

Matthew Foeller Genesee Community College Business Administration

Katherine Fonda Monroe Community College Dental Hygienist

Nicole Geedy
The College at Brockport Psychology

Lauren Graney Genesee Community College
Speech Therapy

Julia Hahn
Work – UMMC (Dietary)

Ethan Hall
Career - Rochester Arc & Flame Welding/Metal Fabrication

Cassandra Hartman Genesee Community College Abnormal Pyschology

Kayla Hofer Genesee Community College
General Studies

Aaron Holley U.S. Army

Ryan Jensen Paul Smith's College
Forestry

Cassandra Kaczmarek Genesee Valley BOCES Nursing

Tyler Kota Genesee Community College
Computer Information Systems

Allison Kropf SUNY Fredonia Psychology

Lindsay Ladley Genesee Community College
Medical Administration Assistant

Rebecca Lagoyda Genesee Community College
Medical Administration Assistant

Thomas Lambert Genesee Community College
General Studies NY National Guard

Adrianna Lathan Shear Ego International School
Cosmetology

Anna Levchuk Monroe Community College
Dental Hygienist

Kyle Lewis Alfred State
Heavy Equipment,Truck & Diesel

Taylor McPherson Syracuse University Forensic Science

Joelle Meister The College at Brockport
Biology

Allie Moyer
Career - Commercial & Industrial Electrician

Mason Muoio SUNY Morrisville
Natural Resource Conservation

Vitorrio Muoio Career - Welding

Esther Musiyevich Genesee Community College Human Services

Jillaina Olander The College at Brockport
Interior Design

Courtney Onderdonk Monroe Community College Criminal Justice

Jacob Petote
The College at Brockport Political Science/History

Jacob Prospero SUNY Fredonia Business Administration

Brandon Reiner Monroe Community College
Mechanical Engineering

Averey Ridder Career - Electronics

George Ritzenthaler Career – Automotive Technology

Maria Santiago Genesee Community College
General Studies

Colby Savage
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Environmental Science

David Schrenker Monroe Community College IT, Networking, Programming

Matthew Sheelar Career - Heavy Machine Operator

Justin Singer Career – Electrical

Sidney Snyder Monroe Community College
Liberal Arts

Erik Stearns Genesee Community College
General Studies

Zachary Swapceinski Monroe Community College Electrical Engineering

Noarelis Torres Rivera Erie Community College Nursing

Abriana Walls Continental School of Beauty Hairstylist

Phillip Walter
Work – Heavy Machine Operator

Dakota White Career - Culinary

Andrew Wolfe Paul Smith's College
Natural Resources Conservation and Management

Savannah Wolfe SUNY Canton Funeral Services

Dakota Zambito Genesee Community College
Liberal Arts

Corey Zimmerman Genesee Community College Business Administration

Aurora Zinter Genesee Community College
Nursing

Home of the Bees	3

4     Byron-Bergen Central School District

Graduation 2016

Interim Superintendent’s Message By Jon Hunter, Ed.D.

Thank you to the Byron-Bergen School community for supporting the school budget for the 2016-17 school year, and congratulations to our elected Board of Education members Yvonne Ace-Wagoner,
Kim Carlson,Amy Phillips, and Jenn VanValkenburg. Our community had one of the highest voter turnouts among the Genesee,Wyoming, and Livingston County school districts. With more than 530 voters and 381 YES votes, our budget passed with 72 percent.Across New York State voter turnout was at a record low. However, in Byron-Bergen vote day was a day of an art show, vocal concert, and a chicken barbeque.With the work of our students on display and a strong turnout at the polls, our community is not a typical community.Again, thank you for your support of the Byron-Bergen Schools!

This school year was not a typical school year.We faced a considerable amount of change with new teachers in our schools, new office staff, and the transition of BOTH our Jr./Sr. High School Principal and School Superintendent.Yet, the Board of Education, parents, students, staff, and community have met this challenge. We have hired Mickey Edwards to serve as the next Superintendent
and Patrick McGee was selected to become our Jr./Sr. High School Principal. Mr. McGee is known by

During one of their last days at Byron-Bergen, both Dr. Hunter and
Jordan Sloat bid farewell to one another.

our school community as a smart, passionate leader. Mr. Edwards is an outstanding leader and will continue to bring the very best programs, people, and strong fiscal planning to our Byron-Bergen Schools.

What was typical about the 2015-16 school year was a focused commitment to quality! We have had a record number of scholar-athletes.A record number of students were selected to GWMEA All-County music programs, and the musical “Snoopy!” was a sellout! Byron-Bergen students had successful sport teams, and our teams
at Math League and PageTurners won honors.This year, more students participated in the Elementary School Science Fair. Byron-Bergen students have impacted the world and the

region through fund raising efforts. Funds were donated to the Ugandan Water Project to build wells in this African nation. In addition, our students raised money to save lives with a donation to the Wilmot Cancer Center at Strong Hospital. In all of these programs, students learned about history, current events, and the powerful impact that they can have on others.

Byron-Bergen is NOT the typical school, faculty, staff, students, or community! You learn to BEE special at Byron-Bergen!

Congratulations Class of 2016

I wish the very best to our
Byron-Bergen Class of 2016.As a class, you brought a unique energy to our school.As individuals you were leaders, learners, and friends. Each of you is very well-prepared for college, career, or the military. So, never doubt yourself. Never stop working until you reach success. Never stop caring about your friends and your family. Never stop learning.And, never forget that
the Board of Education, administrators, teachers, and staff of Byron Bergen School District believe in you! Class of 2016, go make great things happen!

Home of the Bees	5

Byron-Bergen honors retirees

Sandra Copani

When reaching out to Sandra Copani to ask her about her pending retirement, she was out on the playground with who she enjoys most about her job: the elementary students she works with.

Copani has been a full-time teacher aide at Byron-Bergen for 10 years. She looks
back on her time at B-B fondly and would like to thank “all of the great people here who I have worked with.”

Barb DeFazio

Barb DeFazio’s time at Byron-Bergen began at the same time as her son Brian began kindergarten. DeFazio started as a parent volunteer in her son’s classroom in 1988, continued her volunteer work in the library, became a part-time teacher aide in the library in 1990 and was hired full time in 1997.

A fond memory DeFazio has at Byron-Bergen is sprucing up the library in the summer of 1998.“With the vision and under the direction of our librarian, Joyce Cullum, my son completed his Boy Scout Eagle Project in the library. Many Boy Scouts and community members, including my husband and myself, spent the summer painting the walls and shelves of the elementary library.”

John Pocock

After 17 years at a factory in Batavia, John Pocock was searching for a job as the company left.A conversation with his neighbor who at the time was a science teacher at Byron-Bergen led Pocock
to apply for a custodian position in the District.The rest, they say, is history. Pocock was a District employee for 33
years and retired in December as a Senior Custodial Worker. Pocock speaks very highly of those he worked with in the District, choosing the people at Byron-Bergen as his favorite

She has purchased a home in Florida with her husband Carmen and plans to relocate there soon.They have three children, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren and the relocation will allow them to be physically closer to most of them. Copani said she is “looking forward to doing basically not much for a while, just enjoying life.”

While she has assisted the District in other ways, including supervising bus dismissal and lunch duty, her favorite assignment has always been the library lunch duty.“I will truly miss working with Joyce, the dedicated faculty, staff, and administration of my building, and especially, the students.
I especially want to thank Joyce Cullum for all the years of friendship and compassion. It has truly been a joy to work with her. I have been blessed to work in a job that I love and the years have flown by.”

DeFazio plans for retirement are to spend time with her husband and family.“I have one granddaughter who enters kindergarten next year and another grandchild on the way.My plans for retirement are to enjoy these grandchildren and babysit whenever possible.”

DeFazio is also an active member of St. Brigid Church, serving as sacristan and a member of the Pastoral Council.

memory.“The best part of working at Byron-Bergen was all the people that were there. I don’t know how to put it any other way.They were the most fantastic people in world. I’d like to thank everyone, they were all the same.They were all fantastic people.”

Pocock refers to retirement as “the greatest that God ever invented.” Pocock has been working on his home and spending time with his wife Nancy as they approach their 40-year wedding anniversary. Pocock has a son who lives in Arizona with his wife and two grandchildren and a daughter who teaches dance in Churchville and at GCC.

(continued on p. 7)

6     Byron-Bergen Central School District

Graduation 2016 (continued from p. 6)	Byron-Bergen honors retirees

Jadwiga Syfert

Over the past 23 years, Jadwiga Syfert has held many titles and helped Byron-Bergen in many roles. Beginning as a clerk-typist/tax collector, Syfert has also been a payroll clerk, accounting clerk, tax collector, claims auditor for the LeRoy Central School, and extracurricular activities treasurer. For the past 19 years, she has served as the District Clerk.

Patrick Thomas

Patrick Thomas was a Building Maintenance Worker who began his career in October 1995. After 20 years with the District,Thomas retired this past October and is enjoying his retirement.

When asked what she will miss most about Byron-Bergen, the answer was easy for Syfert:“I will definitely miss the people that I have gotten to know over the 23 years that I have worked here.”

Looking towards retirement, Syfert envisions time with family.“I do plan to take longer trips to visit my daughters. My oldest daughter, Kate, lives in Virginia and works in Washington, D.C. My other daughter, Kristen, and her husband Carey live on Long Island with my three grandchildren,Abigail (7 years), Zachary (4 years) and Victoria (2 ½ years). I can also see some cruises in the future too.”

Best wishes

on your
Retirement

Spring Sports Scholar-Athletes

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) honors those teams and individuals that excel in the classroom at the end of each sport season.To receive this honor, a minimum number of team members must achieve a scholastic average of 90 or above during their sport season. Congratulations to the following:

Baseball 90.320 Team Average
Jake Burlingame Rider Farnsworth Jared Fregoe Ryan Gonyea Colin Noeth
Sabastian Pawlukewicz Adam Walter

Boys Track 90.992 Team Average
Brandon Burke Justin Hannan Brendon Kendall Josh Phelps Caleb Sharpe

Girls Track 95.082 Team Average
Olivia Audsley Siomara Caballero Grace Campbell Reanne Dressler Bethany Ezard Eden Goff Anna Hersom Carli Kirkwood
Alexandria Loewke Ashley Montgomery

Tennis 92.447 Team Average
Lydia Campbell Leah Catalino Marlaina Fee Mackenzie Fox Emma Goodman Margaret Graney Melanie Kulikowski Erin Parnapy Mackenzie Rosse

Scholar-Athletes Individual varsity athletes carrying over a
90 grade point average (GPA):

Golf	Tennis Ryan Richardson             Aaron Buckland
Brandon Shade	 Tyler Kota Hunter Leach
Softball Michaela Bohn Jean Denson Kelsey Fuller Hailey Hubbard Kitana Maher Brittany Rada

Home of the Bees	7

Jr./Sr. High School Spotlight By Patrick McGee, Principal

As parents, teachers, and community members we recognize how special our student body is based on our daily interactions and the many ways our students make Byron-Bergen a special place to be.As the building principal, I have the advantage of seeing that on an
everyday basis.Although I cannot possibly capture all of the outstanding actions
of our students, please allow me to highlight a few recent and special student attainments that you may have missed…

• Byron-Bergen was represented by Clare Fraser and Faline Tyler at the Genesee County and City of Batavia Youth Recognition Banquet
Clare was nominated for one of the Youth Awards by School Counselor Andrea Feeney for her initiative and involvement in the Builder’s Club. The Club works with Byron Kiwanis to promote community service and community building. Clare played a major role in the success of this new venture. Mrs.Tyler was nominated by Maureen Calmes, K-12 social worker, and Laura Platt, community member, for the Adult Volunteer Award.She was acknowledged for her many
years of service to the Byron-Bergen community. She has made costumes for the musicals for years, and just recently made two sets of costumes for the musical,“Snoopy!” She is the “go to” person if students need a dress altered for prom or a cake for a special event.As an active member of the Byron Presbyterian Church, she helps out with the Backpack Program and teaches Sunday school. She spends countless hours in the summer at the Byron Recreation Program and is always available to help our students with a ride or an encouraging word.

• Ten B-B students recognized by the American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society takes great pride in fostering education,

involvement, and excitement around science, chemistry, and careers within their discipline. Each year, students from the six counties of the greater Rochester region are selected for recognition by the local chapter for their achievements in chemistry. These awards are based on high academic averages and teacher recommendations. Congratulations to the following students who embody these characteristics: Olivia Audsley, Dillon Brew, Lauren Burke, Benjamin Chaback, Jean Denson, Clare Fraser, Margaret Graney, Lily Mercovich, Courtney Onderdonk, and Dana VanValkenburg,

• Master Storytellers
Eighth-graders Siomara Caballero and Miriam Tardy were honored as Master Storytellers at the 30th Annual Storytelling Festival sponsored by the
School Library System of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership on April 21 at Pavilion Middle/Senior
High School. Students are bestowed the title of Master Storyteller when they have participated at the Festival every year from third through eighth grade.

• Six Sr. High students artwork was selected for the annual Go Art! Student Art Show
The artwork was recently on exhibit at the Go Art! Gallery in Batavia. Congratulations to Celia Mercovich, Olivia Audsley, Aurora Zinter,Lindsey Bowman,Allison Kropf, and Riley Sadler on being chosen for this honor.

Thank you for the recent approval of the student-friendly 2016-17 school budget. This well-constructed plan by our Board of Education maps our improvements to the instructional program of our school. We are restoring a business program
and offering six additional courses. Classes will focus on personal finance, entrepreneurship, career skills, and computer skills.Three of the additional

Ashley Montgomery is congratulated by Principal Patrick McGee during the
Academic and Athletic Recognition Night. Ashley is the Byron-Bergen Class of 2016 Valedictorian.

courses have the ability to earn GCC credit.We now offer 18 courses with the ability to earn GCC credit; and three courses with the ability to earn RIT credit.

This year we welcomed our School Resource Officer Matt Butler to the District. Deputy Butler has played a vital role in helping maintain the safety and well-being of all the students in the building. He has built relationships with students, families, and with members of the Byron-Bergen learning community. He has pushed into classrooms to discuss the role of law enforcement and making good decisions, led an Olweus group, participated as a lead mentor
in our Mentoring Program, and is a key member of our Rapid Responder program.We are incredibly grateful for the service he has provided our District and look forward to opportunities to continue to expand his role.

Congratulations on an overall outstanding school year and best of luck to the graduating Class of 2016! Always remember,“No One Outworks the Bees!”

8     Byron-Bergen Central School District

Graduation 2016 Girls State and Boys State

The Bergen American Legion and Ladies Auxiliary recently announced the
Byron-Bergen School representatives who attended Empire Girls State and Boys State this summer.Alexandria Loewke, daughter of Tim and Amanda Loewke, will be representing Byron-Bergen at Empire Girls State at The College of Brockport. Olivia Audsley, daughter of Todd Audsley and Michelle Geiger, was selected as alternate.

The four young men who represented Byron-Bergen at Empire Boys State, held at SUNY Morrisville, were Russell. Cunningham, son of Donald and Diane
Cunningham; Colin Noeth, son of Joseph and Roxanne Noeth; Brandon Burke, son of David and Joanne Burke; and Ryan Richardson, son of Charles Richardson and Heather Barrett.

Representatives to Boys and Girls State are selected from the current junior class by members of the Legion and Auxiliary based on various criteria including academic

achievement, leadership, character, and other personal qualities. During the last week of June and early July, hundreds of young women and men from across
New York State participated in a practical government course.The program is designed to develop in the young citizens a working knowledge of the structure of government and to impress upon them the fact that their government is just what they make it.They created bills,
participated in campaigns, rallies, speeches, developed a platform, and participated
on various legislative committees. Information on this educational program can be found at www.boysandgirlsstate.org.

The Byron-Bergen Central School District is very grateful to the American Legion and Ladies Auxiliary for sponsoring and funding such a great opportunity for our students every year.

American Legion Boys and Girls State representatives from Byron-Bergen include (front) Russell Cunningham (Boys State). Back (l-r) Alexandria Loewke (Girls State); Colin Noeth, Brandon Burke, and Ryan Richardson, (Boys State).

Scholar Program

The Byron-Bergen High School’s academic incentive program recognizes students for their good effort, attendance, and academics.This reward program is named the “Scholar Program” and the cards achieved are Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Special Recognition.At the end of the year, monetary awards were presented at Academic & Athletic Recognition Night to seniors who have maintained a solid record of attaining cards throughout their high school career.

The Scholar Program Committee is pleased to announce the 2015-16 third quarter recipients:

Gold Scholar Caitlin Ashton Larissa Ashton Nicholas Baubie Sarah Bleiler Dillon Brew Bianca Brumsted Brandon Burke Lauren Burke Siomara Caballero Lydia Campbell Benjamin Chaback Emily Chaback Jeremiah DeLorme Elizabeth Donnelly Adam Drake

Madison Farnsworth Mariah Fee Joshua Fleming Clare Fraser Sara Fraser Eden Goff
Emma Goodman Sara Goodman Margaret Graney Tyler Henry Annaliese Hersom Hope Hersom Rick Hubbard Cora Ivison Daniel Jensen William Johnson

Cambria Kinkelaar Carli Kirkwood Hunter Leach Kitana Maher Celia Mercovich Lily Mercovich Andrew Parnapy Erin Parnapy Brittany Rada Chloe Shuskey Sarah Streeter Garrett Swinter
Dana VanValkenburg Annabella Vurraro Michael Zwerka Nathan Zwerka

Silver Scholar Mackenzie Fox Chad Green Aiden Kulikowski Colby Leggo
Alexandria Loewke Joelle Meister Julia Menzie Tanner Savage
Auburn Schwartzmeyer Miriam Tardy Devon Zinter

Bronze Scholar Hannah Catalino

Special Recognition Garrett Sando

Home of the Bees	9

Academic & Athletic Recognition Night

Byron-Bergen CSD faculty, staff, and administration joined family, friends, and community members to honor some of the brightest and most talented students in the District at the
annual Academic and Athletic Recognition Night on May 31st.

Student-athletes were the first to be honored, as those succeeding in the classroom and in the athletic arenas were recognized for accomplishments such as being a part of a scholar-athlete team and earning the individual title scholar athlete. Student-athletes were also honored for earning varsity letters, being a tri-athlete, receiving memorial awards and earning athletic-based scholarships.The athletic portion of the

program wrapped up with the presentation of Male and Female Athlete of the Year and recognizing those who participated in the Special Olympics.

More than 45 academic awards were given, many of which were bestowed to multiple students.Awards included scholarships, department awards, and extracurricular awards. The evening culminated with the recognition of the Class of 2016 Top 10 students, including the Valedictorian and Co-Salutatorians.

Academic Varsity Letter Merrisa Bohn Dillon Brew Clare Fraser Celia Mercovich Alexa Strzelecki Adam Walter Michael Zwerka

Academic Varsity Letter & Pin Bethany Ezard Brittany Goebel Kaitlyn Harder Ana Hubbard Cora Ivison

Academic Varsity Pins Ashley Montgomery

Advanced Level PageTurners Anthony Calarco Shayla Dearring Mariah Fee Leah Gale
Annaliese Hersom Rebecca Johnson Nathan Knickerbocker Emma Smith Victoria Welka

American Chemical Society Olivia Audsley Dillon Brew Lauren Burke Benjamin Chaback Clare Fraser Jean Denson
Margaret Graney Lily Mercovich
Courtney Onderdonk Dana VanValkenburg

American History Award Ashley Montgomery

Art Department Award Aurora Zinter

Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award Adam Walter

Bergen Historical Society Award
Ashley Montgomery

Brian R. Ivison Memorial Industrial Arts Award Clare Fraser

Brian R. Ivison Memorial Wrestling Award Russell Cunningham

Byron-Bergen Comeback Award
Melanie MacCowan

Byron-Bergen Sports Boosters Scholar Athlete Award Bethany Ezard
Rider Farnsworth

Byron-Bergen S.T.E.P. Boosters Humanitarian Leadership Scholarship Adrianna Lathan

Clarkson University High School Achievement Award Reanne Dressler

Clarkson University High School Leadership Award Chase Felton

Dawn Gruendike Memorial Award
Ana Hubbard

Duane Streeter Memorial Award
Taylor McPherson

Elmira College Key Awards Rose Bower Grace Campbell

Emily Reis Memorial Scholarship
Ashley Montgomery

Faculty Department Award Lindsey Bowman Siomara Caballero Benjamin Chaback Heather Countryman Russell Cunningham Madison Farnsworth Aaries Fitzsimmons Morgan Fuller Ryan Gonyea Sara Goodman Chad Green Ana Hubbard
Cambria Kinkelaar John Mercovich Ashley Montgomery Andrew Parnapy Hannah Seppe Chloe Sweet Hannah Van Skiver Dana VanValkenburg Adam Walter

Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award in Humanities and Social Sciences Grace Pulcini

Gary Liles Memorial Award Cora Ivison

Interscholastic Competition in English Olivia Audsley Bethany Ezard Jason Hoehn Brian Ireland Celia Mercovich Lily Mercovich Grace Pulcini

Irving Green, Jr. Citizenship Award Cora Ivison

Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering at Alfred
University and the Ceramic Association of NY Recognition Award Brittany Rada

Male and Female Athlete of the Year Brandon Burke Bryanna D’Agostino

(continued on page 11)

10 Byron-Bergen Central School District

10)
Graduation 2016 (continued from page Academic & Athletic Recognition Night

Math League Larissa Ashton Cameron Brumsted Grace Campbell Bethany Ezard Margaret Graney Shaun LoVerdi Celia Mercovich Lily Mercovich
Ashley Montgomery Alexandria Rosse Alexa Strzelecki Zachary Swapceinski Adam Walter Andrew Wolfe Michael Zwerka

Matthew Kota Memorial Medical Scholarship Ashley Montgomery

Mock Trial Jenna Amesbury Kaleb Bobzien
Andrew DiQuattro Bethany Ezard
Nathan Knickerbocker Shaun LoVerdi Ashley Montgomery Jacob Petote Zachary Swapceinski Dakota Zambito

NYS Education Department Scholarship for Academic Excellence Bethany Ezard Kaitlyn Harder Ana Hubbard
Ashley Montgomery

New York State Comptroller Achievement Award Matthew Foeller

Paul Smith Memorial Wrestling Award Andrew DiQuattro

President’s Award for Educational Excellence Bethany Ezard Rider Farnsworth Clare Fraser Brittany Goebel Kaitlyn Harder Ana Hubbard Cora Ivison
Ashley Montgomery Colby Savage Alexa Strzelecki

Principal’s Award Grace Campbell Cora Ivison Hunter Leach
Dana VanValkenburg

Rensselaer Medalist Award Brandon Burke

RIT Computing Award Dillon Brew Brittany Rada

RIT Innovation & Creativity Award
Russell Cunningham Celia Mercovich

Saint Michael’s Book Award for Academic Achievement & Social Science Grace Pulcini

Samuel Landis Wiant Golf Award Jacob Prospero

Scholar Program Awards Merrisa Bohn Clare Fraser Brittany Goebel Kaitlyn Harder Cora Ivison

Scholastic Bowl Olivia Audsley Dillon Brew Celeste Brownell Cameron Brumsted
Russell Cunningham Bethany Ezard Brian Ireland Celia Mercovich
Ashley Montgomery Karson Richenberg Chad Toal Chase Toal Adam Walter Michael Zwerka

Skills USA New York State Welding Championship Aaron Buckland Ethan Hall

Stephanie Lynn Tooley Cheerleading Scholarship Cora Ivison

Student Sage Scholar Award Marlaina Fee Hailey Hubbard

Superintendent’s Award Clare Fraser
Ashley Montgomery

Taste of Culinary Competition Destinee Davis

Triple “C”Award Karson Richenberg Kelsey Maurer

U.S. Navy Inspirational Leadership Award Leah Catalino

U.S. Navy Outstanding Athlete Award Jacob Prospero

U.S. Navy Outstanding Scholar Award Aaron Buckland

Wanda L. MacVean English Recognition Award Ana Hubbard

Wegmans Scholarship Brandon Reiner

Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award Lindsey Bowman

William Cummings Award Heather Countryman

Xerox Award for Innovation & Information Technology Michael Zwerka

Top 10 (l-r): Ashley Montgomery (Valedictorian), Ana Hubbard
(Co-Salutatorian), Clare Fraser (Co-Salutatorian), Bethany Ezard, Brittany Goebel, Kaitlyn Harder, Cora Ivison, Merrisa Bohn, Alexa Strzelecki, Alexandria Rosse, and Rider Farnsworth.

Home of the Bees 11

generous scholarships,” Shuknecht

Batavia Career and Technical Education Center News

2016 SkillsUSA New York Championship

Congratulations to the Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center students who placed in the 2016 SkillsUSA New York Leadership Conference and Skills Championship held at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. Over 2,500 career and technical education students from around the state attended this two-day event.

The Welding Fabrication team from the Batavia CTE Center earned first place.This winning team consists
of (l-r) Aaron Buckland and Ethan Hall, both from Byron-Bergen CS; Jonathan Harris, Oakfield-Alabama CS.As part of their prize winnings, each student in this welding team received a generous $10,000 scholarship to Ohio Technical College, and over $400 in welding equipment from Lincoln Electric Company.

“During the competition we had to read and understand blueprints
in order to fabricate a charcoal grill. It was important that we worked together as a team,”Aaron said.“We practiced and prepared individually

and then came together to win first	Article courtesy of Maggie Fitzgibbon, GVEP place,” Ethan said.“It was awesome	Public Relations and Printing/Graphics
to get recognized for our hard work,”	Coordinator; Photo, Bethany Ricci. Aaron added.

Jack Ryan, a representative from Ohio Technical College, recently visited the Batavia CTE to award these scholarships. He noted
that he has never awarded this amount of scholarship money to one school.

Don Shuknecht is the Metal Trades Instructor at the Batavia CTE and instructs Aaron, Ethan, and Jonathan. He described this team as ready and willing to learn.

“I’m very proud of these young men.They practiced all of their welding techniques like metal joining and cutting processes and proved they were ready
for the SkillsUSA Fabrication
paid off and they earned very
Competition.Their hard work	Aaron, Ethan, and Jonathan are students in the Metal Trades Program at the Batavia
said.	Career and Technical Education Center.

The National Technical Honor Society

The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) Induction was held in March at Elba High School. Inductees were selected based on a minimum grade point average of 3.0 along with credit hours completed, attendance, volunteer service, and membership in other student organizations.

Congratulations to these students who met the criteria set by this national organization:
•	Aaron Buckland (Metal Trades) •	Chase Felton (Building Trades)
•	Mackenzie Fox (Animal Science)
•	Bethany Ezard (Health Careers Academy) •	Ryan Gonyea (BuildingTrades)

12 Byron-Bergen Central School District

Graduation 2016 Bees Crossing

The Byron-Bergen eighth-grade class, and their families, took part in the traditional “Bees Crossing” ceremony on June 13th.This ceremony signifies the moving up of our students to the high school. Interim Superintendent Dr. Hunter and Jr./Sr. High School Principal Patrick McGee both spoke to the class during the ceremony about the importance of hard work, being prepared, having fun, and making
the most out of their high school experiences.Three prestigious awards are traditionally presented during Bees Crossing.

• The Jenny Kuzma Memorial was presented to Jillian Menzie. The criteria for this award is given each year to a member of the eighth-grade class who has demonstrated a spirit of enthusiasm and zest for life, a love of learning, as well as a sense of humor (and optimism in adverse situations). In addition, the recipient should be a gentle person, sensitive to the feelings and concerns of others.

• Travis Lambert received the Robert Fowler Award. Bob Fowler was a sixth-grade teacher here at Byron-Bergen for over 25 years.
He bore a striking resemblance to Abraham Lincoln and could often be heard singing spelling tests to his class. Mr. Fowler was integral in bringing the Buffalo Evening News Spelling Bee to our Middle School.The contest is now named in his honor.

He always had a smile for everyone and was “first on the scene” if you needed help.When he wasn’t teaching, he was a devoted family man to his wife Gail, who also taught here, and their two sons. Being a volunteer fireman was a big part of his life. His dedication to teaching and helping others was an inspiration to us all.

This award is given to an eighth-grader who has exemplified those qualities that Mr. Fowler modeled and valued.These include service to others, an upbeat approach to life,

the spirit of cooperation, and putting forth their best effort.

• The Linda Covatta Award was presented to Annabella Vurraro. Miss Covatta embodied everything that is good about teaching.Teaching was her life, caring deeply for all of her students. Every student in her class was embraced and valued. Miss Covatta taught us how to live. Her strength of character was equaled by her love of life. Her faith knew no bounds. Her life was an inspiration to all who knew her. She lived well, laughed often, and loved much. She gained the respect of intelligent persons and the love of children. She left the world a better place than she
found it, looking for the best in others and giving the best she had. She loved being a teacher and brought honor to the profession.This award will serve
as a reminder to the Byron-Bergen community what we lost in her untimely passing.

This award is given to an eighth-grader who put forth his or her best effort in both academics and co-curricular activities.The recipient is a good school citizen and role model, who works to make the school a better place for others to learn.They also have demonstrated kindness, integrity, caring, and respect for others.

	

Go Art! Student Art Show

Congratulations to Mary Sweeney for receiving an honorable mention in the Go Art! Art Show with the “cow lantern” she created. Mary was recently selected as the Genesee County Dairy Princess and is fulfilling her duties as an advocate for the region’s dairy farms and dairy industry. She is a member of the Class of 2017.

Home of the Bees 13

Byron-Bergen seniors rebuild Wellness Trails

Byron-Bergen Central School seniors Nick Dubois and Aaron Holley rebuilt wellness trails on the Byron-Bergen campus as part of their work-based learning hours associated with the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Commencement Credential.

Nick and Aaron completed an 11-day work experience on the Tamra Troke Memorial Trail.They cleaned out all the fitness stations, cut and lined all of the hiking trails, made benches and a new flower bed, and constructed a campfire area.Vocational Coordinator Roxanne Noeth,
CSE Chairperson Dr. Donna Moscicki, Jr./Sr. High School Principal Patrick McGee, and School Counselor Andrea Feeney were all thrilled with the hard work and effort the two students put into this project. It was wonderful to see them take such pride in their work.

The Career Development and Occupational Studies Commencement Credential is part of the four Regents exams and one project-based program to graduation.The project-based program requires students complete a career plan; demonstrate attainment of commencement level learning standards in the areas of career exploration and development, integrated learning, and universal foundation skills; satisfactorily complete two units of study (216 hours) in Career and Technical Education coursework and work-based learning; and have one completed employability profile or have met the criteria for the national work readiness credential.

Mrs. Feeney, seniors Nick Dubois and Aaron Holley, Dr. Moscicki, and Mr. McGee at a new marker and flower bed leading into the Tamra Troke Memorial Trail.

Elementary School News By Principal Brian Meister

It has been an exciting and eventful spring at the Elementary School.As our children are heading off for a fun-filled summer, we take the opportunity to reflect on many of the wonderful experiences they have had. From award winning artists and musicians to scholarship
award winners, the students at Byron-Bergen Elementary continue to shine bright. In the past few weeks, we enjoyed several. Here are just a few examples of the festivities:

Outstanding Musical Accomplishments - This year we had 10 fifth- and sixth-grade chorus students chosen to represent Byron-Bergen in the 2016 All-County Music Festival held at Elba CSD.These students performed four songs with other selected students from several Genesee and Wyoming County school districts. Members of the 5/6 Chorus were fifth-graders Dayanara Caballero, Fiona Burke, Elizabeth Piper, Caris Carlson, Kendall Phillips, Lillian Walker, and Zoey Shepard; and sixth-graders Alayna
Streeter, Grace Shepard, and Jorie Strzelecki.These students were great demonstrators of Byron-Bergen leadership.
We also like to congratulate our talented instrumental musicians who performed with the Elementary Band at All-County Music Festival II at Pembroke Junior/Senior High School.These two tremendous groups took their talent to the Darien Lake Music Festival for the first time in many years. Each ensemble performed for adjudicators who provided feedback to the ensembles and ranked them against similar participating ensembles. Both groups represented Byron-Bergen well, earning “gold with
distinction” certificates.The choir earned a fantastic fourth place while the band stole the show placing first in their division! After several months of preparation, the students spent the remainder of the day having fun in the park.

Storytelling Festival – Once again, Byron-Bergen Elementary sent students to the annual Storytelling Festival at Pavilion High School. Storytellers that placed in the top of their grade level represented Byron-Bergen during this annual event. Congratulations to fourth-graders Hanna Loewke, Madison Fuller, and Victoria Rogoyski (alternate); fifth-graders Dayanara Caballero and Joshua Tardy, and sixth-graders Meghan Kendall,Alayna Streeter, and Lexi Vurraro. Storytellers at Byron-Bergen follow a long line of rich tradition and history in our District.Their ability to select and memorize tales with a unique creative twist is celebrated by all who have the honor of listening to their stories. Congratulations to these talented students!

(continued on p. 15)

14 Byron-Bergen Central School District

Graduation 2016 Elementary School News (continued from p. 14)

Visiting Author – Children’s author and illustrator Bethanie Murguia visited K-3 students on May 26th. Ms. Murguia
was raised in western New York, graduated with a BA in psychology and fine arts from the University of Rochester. She moved to New York City where she received her MFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts. She now lives in California. Ms. Murguia’s illustrations and books have been honored with numerous awards, including Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Book Awards and Bank Street College Best Books of the Year.

Highly Anticipated Math Carnival Makes Learning Fun - For the second year in a row, students earned a day of fun-filled math activities.Throughout the year, the
students have been working hard to learn their math facts by practicing on a free online program called Xtra Math.Their goal was to become “Math Masters” in each of the grade
level appropriate functions of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.Their goal was high but with lots of practice, it was met and surpassed. Making math fun through games and activities made the annual Math Carnival a huge success.

Elementary School Science Fair and Art Show - Over 60 students in grades K-6 participated in our fourth Annual Science Fair! Every project was of high quality and followed the scientific method. Every student presented their project to their class and a judge. Over 150 people attended the Science Fair/Art Show/Air Show in the evening. In addition to all the really creative science projects, the Batavia R/C Club showed off the four forces of flight with their planes and the Elementary School was alive with lots of color from all the magnificent artwork that was on display from every single student K-6. Many families came to the event and
the students were excited to find their projects on the walls and proudly point out their contribution to an amazing show! Congratulations to all of our creative students both scientifically and artistically.

Character Education Celebration - Coming off a year where Byron-Bergen Central School District was recognized as a New York State School of Character, our faculty and staff continue to work with students to teach and celebrate good character and integrity. In traditional Byron-Bergen Elementary School fashion, that means a high energy, unforgettable assembly program where the values of kindness and compassion are supported using the Seven Habits of Leadership we spend the year teaching.

Each year, I write to remind families of the importance of maintaining a literacy rich environment for their children over the summer. Research has shown that students who do not engage in language rich literacy activities for a sustained period of time encounter a stagnation or decline in their reading skills. Unfortunately, we see it much too often and in even our best readers.The good news is there is an easy solution. Keep your kids reading throughout the summer. Whether they choose books, magazines, or online resources, keeping children engaged in print will greatly benefit them in school next year. If you have any questions about ways to get your child reading, please give me a call.

Mr. Meister, along with fourth graders (l-r) Natalie Zastrocky,Autumn Hafner, Victoria Rogoyski, Kylie Baxter,Will Bogan, Dylan Shanley, and Nathan Parsons, showed their enthusiasm for the Elementary School’s annual Jr. Olympics held on June 15.

I would like to thank all of the families and friends of Byron-Bergen Elementary for their ongoing support of our students and school. Have a great summer. I look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Home of the Bees 15

Byron-Bergen 2015-16 third quarter Honor Roll

The following Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School students have been named to the Honor Roll for the third 10-week marking period of the 2015-16 school year:

GRADE 12

HIGH HONOR ROLL - Merrisa Bohn, Aaron Buckland, Heather Countryman, Jamie Crawford, Jeremiah DeLorme, Matthew Drake, Kyle Elliott, Bethany Ezard, Rider Farnsworth,Aaries Fitzsimmons, Brittany Goebel, Lauren Graney, Julia Hahn, Kaitlyn Harder,Ana Hubbard, Cora Ivison, Ryan Jensen,Tyler Kota, Lindsay Ladley, Ashley Montgomery, Courtney Onderdonk, Alexandria Rosse,Alexa Strzelecki. HONOR ROLL - Leah Catalino, Samantha Donnelly, Cassandra Hartman, Cassandra Kaczmarek,Allison Kropf,Thomas Lambert,Anna Levchuk, Kyle Lewis,Taylor McPherson, Joelle Meister,Allie Moyer, Jordan Sloat, Andrew Wolfe, Aurora Zinter. EFFORT ROLL – Merrisa Bohn, Aaron Buckland, Heather Countryman, Jamie Crawford, Jeremiah DeLorme, Bethany
Ezard, Rider Farnsworth,Aaries Fitzsimmons, Brittany Goebel, Lauren Graney, Julia Hahn, Kaitlyn Harder, Cassandra Hartman,Ana Hubbard, Cora Ivison,Tyler Kota,Allison Kropf, Lindsay Ladley,Thomas Lambert, Ashley Montgomery, Courtney Onderdonk, Alexandria Rosse, Jordan Sloat,Alexa Strzelecki, Dakota Zambito.

GRADE 11
HIGH HONOR ROLL - Olivia Audsley, Isabelle Bliss, Michaela Bohn, Rose Bower, Lindsey Bowman, Dillon Brew, Brandon Burke, Grace Campbell, Reanne Dressler, Marlaina Fee, Mackenzie Fox, Clare Fraser, Alexandria Loewke, Kitana Maher, Celia Mercovich, Colin Noeth, Grace Pulcini, Brittany Rada, Brandon Shade,Tyler Stefanski,Adam Walter, Destanee Zastrow, Michael Zwerka.
HONOR ROLL - Dominick Andres, Derek Cooper, Russell Cunningham, Chase Felton, Ryan Gonyea, Hailey Hubbard, Kelsey Maurer, Shawn Merry, Ryan Richardson, Karson Richenberg,Averey Ridder, Mary Sweeney, Makayla White, Lauren Williams.

EFFORT ROLL - Olivia Audsley, Isabelle Bliss, Rose Bower, Lindsey Bowman, Dillon Brew, Brandon Burke, Grace Campbell, Russell Cunningham, Reanne Dressler, Marlaina Fee, Russell Flaherty, Mackenzie Fox, Clare Fraser, Hailey Hubbard, Kitana Maher, Kelsey Maurer, Celia Mercovich, Shawn Merry, Brittany Rada, Ryan Richardson, Brandon Shade, Mary Sweeney, Adam Walter, Destanee Zastrow, Michael Zwerka.

GRADE 10
HIGH HONOR ROLL - Larissa Ashton, Cameron Brumsted, Catherine Brumsted, Lauren Burke, Benjamin Chaback, Quinn Chapell, Jean Denson,Timothy Ellsworth, Margaret Graney,Tyler Henry, Hayley Hoehn, Brian Ireland, Daniel Jensen, Peyton Mackey, Lily Mercovich, Joshua Phelps, Austin Sharpe, Leah Thompson, Dana VanValkenburg.
HONOR ROLL - Brionna DeMichel, Morgan Fuller, Justin Hannan,Alyssa Hing, Brendon Kendall, Melanie Kulikowski, Julia Menzie, Makenzie Muoio,Tapanga Schramm,Esther Wilkins.
EFFORT ROLL - Larissa Ashton, Cameron Brumsted, Catherine Brumsted, Lauren Burke, Benjamin Chaback, Jean Denson,Timothy Ellsworth, Morgan Fuller, Margaret Graney, Ethan Green,Tyler Henry, Brian Ireland, Daniel Jensen, Melanie Kulikowski, Peyton Mackey, Lily Mercovich, Joshua Phelps, Garrett Sando,Austin Sharpe, Dana VanValkenburg.

GRADE 9
HIGH HONOR ROLL - Sarah Bleiler, Benjamin Bowman, Lydia Campbell,Adam Drake, Mariah Fee, Jared Fregoe, Leah Gale, Emma Goodman,Annaliese Hersom, William Johnson, Hunter Leach, Erin
Parnapy, Sabastian Pawlukewicz, MacKenzie Rosse, Wade Thompson.
HONOR ROLL – Stephanie Buell, Cole Carlson, Ryan Cooper,Tabitha Fuller, Jason Hoehn,Alexandra Lord, Brianna Shade, Emma Smith, Kyong-ae Yun.
EFFORT ROLL - Cory Bater, Sarah Bleiler, Lydia Campbell,Adam Drake, Mariah Fee, Jared Fregoe, Leah Gale, Emma Goodman,Annaliese Hersom, Donna Hinckley,William Johnson, Hunter Leach, Erin Parnapy, Sabastian Pawlukewicz, MacKenzie Rosse, Brianna Shade,Wade Thompson,Shawn Turner.

GRADE 8
HIGH HONOR ROLL – Caitlin Ashton, Alexander Brumsted, Elizabeth Burlingame, Siomara Caballero,Alexis Calarco, Michael Campbell, Jr.,Alexander Dean, Elizabeth Donnelly, Madison Farnsworth, Kyle Foeller, Sara Fraser, Kelsey Fuller, Chad Green, Zachary Hannan, Rick Hubbard, Mikaela Hubler, Cambria Kinkelaar, Chad Kupfer,Travis Lambert, Jillian Menzie, Kyle Schramm, Caleb Sharpe, Chloe Shuskey, Garrett Swinter, Miriam Tardy,Annabella Vurraro, Grant Williams, Nathan Zwerka. HONOR ROLL – Julianna Amesbury, Megan Bogue, Jacey Donahue, Emily Gonyea,Amaya Gunther, Evan Harter, Rose Hubbard, Melissa MacCowan,Auburn
Schwartzmeyer, Hannah Seppe, Kevin Smith, Brandon Stefanski, Hannah Van Skiver. EFFORT ROLL - Caitlin Ashton,Megan Bogue,Alexander Brumsted, Siomara Caballero, Hannah Catalino,Alexander Dean, Elizabeth Donnelly, Sara Fraser, Kelsey Fuller, Chad Green,Amaya Gunther, Rick Hubbard, Mikaela Hubler, Cambria Kinkelaar, Chad Kupfer, Melissa MacCowan, Jillian Menzie, Auburn Schwartzmeyer, Chloe Shuskey, Garrett Swinter, Miriam Tardy,Annabella Vurraro, Nathan Zwerka.

GRADE 7
HIGH HONOR ROLL - Mya-Lyn Albanese, Nicholas Baubie, Bianca Brumsted, Emily Chaback, Zoey Chambry, Jonah Clare, Richard Denson, Joshua Fleming, Eden Goff, Matthew Gonyea, Sara Goodman, Hope Hersom, Kelly Ireland, Carli Kirkwood, Colby Leggo, John Mercovich,Andrew Parnapy, Hunter Parnell,Alaura Rehwaldt, Skylar Sharpe, Sarah Streeter, Joshua Swapceinski, Xavier Thomas, Devon Zinter, Matthew Zwerka.
HONOR ROLL - Julietta Doyle, Mitchell Gonyea,Aiden Kulikowski, Gavin Lewis, Julia Pangrazio, Jaden Pocock, Bryanne Puma, Matthew Rada,Tanner Savage. EFFORT ROLL – Mya-Lyn Albanese, Nicholas Baubie, Bianca Brumsted, Emily Chaback, Jonah Clare, Richard Denson, Joshua Fleming, Sara Goodman, Hope Hersom, Kelly Ireland, Carli Kirkwood, Colby Leggo, John Mercovich,Andrew Parnapy, Bryanne Puma, Matthew Rada, Alaura Rehwaldt, Sarah Streeter.

16 Byron-Bergen Central School District

Graduation 2016

First Mentor Week at the WNY Tech Academy is a Big Success!

During the week of May 16-20, our Tech Academy students were treated to a full week of presentations about professionalism and work ethic by their mentors in the program. Our WNY Tech Academy mentors are adult professionals who have years of experience within their chosen fields.These mentors support students throughout the school year by educating them about the independence, self-responsibility, and soft skills required to be happy and productively employed in a career.

During Mentor Week, Byron-Bergen School Business Official William Snyder presented to students his experiences in the field of accounting. Glenn Simon, director of supply chain management for United Memorial Medical Center, spoke with students about the field of supply chain management. Melisa Phillips, quality control manager at Yancey’s Fancy Cheese, spoke to students about the stringent sanitary procedures her company practices. Retired teacher Mary Ellen Blanchard led an interactive workshop about self-awareness. Liberty Pumps Human Resources Generalist Rebecca Long taught students about the lean manufacturing process.T-Shirts Etc. owner Brian Kemp spoke to students about the importance of work ethic and persistence in reaching one’s goals. Carly Blanchard and Kelley Yates of Sedgwick Business Interiors led a workshop about the career damaging effects of posting inappropriate information on social media.All of these presenters are members of our Mentoring Team, and all did a fantastic job working with our students!

Brian Kemp, owner of T-Shirts Etc. (right), speaks with Tech Academy students (l-r) Jerome Spinks, Blake Nelson, and Mason Fuller about his company.

Mentor Week 2016 culminated in an outstanding Career Showcase that provided students with the opportunity to meet with local employers to discuss their hiring standards and practices. In addition to asking employers specific questions, students were also able to participate in mock interviews with these employers.Tech Academy 10th-grader Phil Gleason stated that the experience was a good one that “taught him the importance of preparing for interviews ahead of time by building a good resume.”At the Career Showcase, students were able to meet with representatives from

Yancey’s Fancy Cheese United Memorial Medical Center
Wegmans
O-AT-KA Milk Liberty Pumps Lakelands Concrete Gunlocke
Sedgwick Business Interiors SWBR Architects T-Shirts Etc.

The experience was a very positive one for everyone involved! We would like to sincerely thank all of the mentors and employers who gave their time to the WNY Tech Academy to make this experience a success, and we look forward to next year’s Mentor Week!

WNY Tech Academy student Phil Gleason (left) speaks to representatives from O-AT-KA Milk.

For more information about the WNY Tech Academy, visit their website at www.wnytechacademy.org.

Home of the Bees 17

Two Named to Byron-Bergen Alumni Hall of Fame

Byron-Bergen Central School has named two alumni to the Hall of Fame for 2016. Judy (Hulburt) Holly (class of 1976) and Amy (Seward) Stacy (class of 1980) join the ranks of other distinguished Byron-Bergen alumni honored with a place in the Hall of Fame for their achievements after
graduation.These inductees were honored on April 20 at the National Senior Honor Society Induction ceremony.

During her years at Byron-Bergen, Judy (Hulburt) Holly participated in National Honor Society, Student Council, Spanish Club, and Ski Club. She attended Russell-Sage College (1976-77) for Physical Therapy during 1976-77 and then transferred to SUNY Brockport and earned a
Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing in 1980. After college graduation, Mrs. Holly was employed as a nurse at Highland Hospital (Rochester), working on a

While attending Byron-Bergen, Amy (Seward) Stacy participated in Volleyball (MVP her Senior year), Basketball, Chorale, Band, Spanish
Club, National Honor Society, Student Council, Drama Club,AFS, was a
Peer Counselor, First Presbyterian Church youth group, and a teacher for Vacation Bible School. She earned several scholarships and awards upon
graduation.After high school, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in 1984 from Cornell University in Nutrition, and a Master’s Degree from SUNY Brockport
in Health Education in 1989. Mrs. Stacy is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, Certified Dietitian/ Nutritionist, and Certified Pump Trainer. She has worked for the WIC Program, Lakeside Memorial Hospital, Strong’s Cardiac Rehab Program, and Lakeside Memorial’s Wellness

The Byron-Bergen Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes the accomplishments of the District’s graduates, providing young people of our District with positive adult role models, showing that graduates of Byron-Bergen can achieve high levels of accomplishment in their lives.This honor is in its 13th year and has become part of our school District culture and a permanent reminder to our students about the outcome of hard work and diligence.

medical floor then transferring to labor and delivery. She worked there until she started her family. Mrs. Holly has stated that her greatest achievement is her family. She is married to a wonderful man; together they are parents of six children, and have two grandchildren. She and her husband are foster parents (through Monroe County) and have fostered 50 foster babies (so far), many of whom are medically fragile infants. Mrs. Holly has dedicated herself to helping children, most of whom are unable to care for themselves
and in need of special attention, demonstrating the utmost compassion. Mrs. Holly is an excellent role model and source of inspiration to the youth of Byron-Bergen.

Center. Currently, Mrs. Stacy works for Rochester Regional Health System (Unity Diabetes Program in Brockport) and is the sole proprietor for Innovative Nutrition by Amy.Awards include Who’s Who in Diabetes Education and the Healthy Heart Contributor Award. She also received a New York State grant for nutrition education. Memberships include
the American Diabetes Association, American Association of Diabetes Educators, Rochester Association of Diabetes Educators, American Dietetic Association/Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Genesee Dietetic Association, and Bergen Evangelical Presbyterian Church. She is an active
community member who is involved in her church (Sunday school teacher,Vacation Bible School, worship team), and numerous activities within the Bergen area. Mrs. Stacy stated her greatest achievement has been to raise four wonderful children with her husband Rick and being grandparents. Involved in her community and through her faith, Mrs. Stacy inspires the youth of the Byron-Bergen community.

SubStituteS Wanted

Do you have an interest in helping Byron-Bergen CSD in the capacity of substitute teacher, substitute teacher aide, substitute office aide, or food service worker?

If so, please visit the employment section of our website at www.bbschools.org and complete the non-instructional application (teacher aide, office aide, food service worker), or instructional application (substitute teacher). Please submit the application (via mail or in person) to: P. Gunio – District Office, Byron-Bergen CSD, 6917 West Bergen Road, Bergen, NY 14416.

18 Byron-Bergen Central School District

To register your name with the school to be on a 48-hour
Graduation 2016 Safety Efforts Earn Byron-Bergen CSD Safety Excellence Award

Byron-Bergen Central School District is one of 145 school districts and Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in New York State to receive the Utica National Insurance Group’s “School Safety Excellence Award” for
2016 at the Titanium with Honors level.

The honor, presented annually, recognizes school districts’ safety efforts as they work to help keep students, staff, and visitors safe. Byron-Bergen received its award at the Utica National’s 36th annual school safety seminar, one of seven such seminars the company hosts in the State. For over 40 years, Utica National has kept kids and school staff safe and currently insures more than 300 school districts in upstate New York alone.

Byron-Bergen CSD officials accepted a certificate to commemorate the district’s safety efforts and a $500 award for use in furthering those efforts from Utica National representatives.

Utica National’s School Safety Excellence Award Program has three levels (titanium, platinum, and gold) in which schools can earn a meritorious distinction by meeting specific criteria to enhance overall safety. Through the program, schools with
their own transportation, schools with contract transportation, and BOCES are evaluated. Categories covered include bullying prevention programs, playground safety, and other areas, are measured using specific, quantifiable surveys.

“Safety and health concerns continue to be a priority in our school districts,”
explains Brian Saville, resident senior vice president in Utica National’s institutions unit.“Districts that go ‘above and beyond’ to provide a safe, healthy, and focused culture for learning are to be applauded, and we’re pleased to count Byron-Bergen CSD among them.”

Mr. Saville noted that, beyond the recognition itself, an added benefit of following the safety program is the chance to pinpoint specific threats to safety.“The time to address those threats is before a loss happens, which really helps contribute to the safety culture that districts are working toward.”

Byron Bergen Central School District

We’re here to serve youand your family
delicious breakfasts and lunches. Convenient, economical, and healthy meals served
July 11-August 12, 2016.	$2.50 $4.00 Breakfast	Lunch

Monday- Friday 8:15 a.m.- 12:15 p.m.

July 11 through August 12, 2016
Breakfast served 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. & Lunch served11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Held at Byron-Bergen Elementary School, 6971W. Bergen Rd., Bergen, NY 14416

No paperwork required...just show up for a greatBreakfastand Lunch. This establishment is an equal opportunityemployer/provider.

Pesticide Application Notice

The New York State Department of Environmental	are informing you that no pesticides have been applied in the Conservation enacted a program that requires all schools	Byron-Bergen CSD since the last notification was published to provide you with information about pesticide product	in the 2016 Spring Focal Point.
applications made throughout the school year. Under State
guardians, and staff who wish to receive 48-hour advan
School District Office, 6917 W Bergen Rd., Bergen, NY
law, the school is required to maintain a list of parents, ce	notification list, send a request to Byron-Bergen Central written notice prior to a pesticide application.At this time we 14416.A written request must be submitted annually.

Looking for a fun working environment?

If so, Sports Boosters wants you!

We are currently looking for volunteers to work at the stadium and in the concession stand this fall. If you are a sports fan, have children currently attending school (or that
have already graduated), and are looking for a way to participate in our community, this is a great opportunity. Byron-Bergen Sports Boosters
works to promote and help fund the needs of all Byron-Bergen athletic programs.

Please contact Sports Boosters at bbschoolssportsboosters@gmail.com
if you are willing to volunteer your time.

Home of the Bees 19

Superintendent Mickey Edwards

Board of Education Debra List, President

Yvonne Ace-Wagoner, Vice President

Kimberly Carlson, Board Member Elect William Forsyth Tammy Menzie Amy Phillips
Jennifer VanValkenburg

Editor Gayla Starowitz

Graphic Designer Lisa Constantine

w w w.bbschools.org

Byron-Bergen Central School District Bergen, NY 14416

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Brockport, NY Permit No. 7

Student Showcase

“Owl Reflection” Oil Crayon and Paint on Paper By: Ruth Kuipers, Grade K Art teacher:
Mrs. Coniglio

“Self Portrait”
By: Carter Kuipers, grade 2 “Green Bear”
By: Sage Johnson, grade 5 Crayon on Paper (collaboration project)
Art Teacher: Mrs. Coniglio

“Circle of Life”

Word Design - Colored Pencil By: Victoria Bowman, grade 7
Art Teacher: Mrs.Auer

“Cake”

Pottery

By: Catherine Brumsted,Quinn Chapell, Morgan Fuller, Makenzie Muoio, grade 10
Art Teacher: Mrs.Auer

“Snake Eye”

Acrylic Paint on Canvas By: Olivia Audsley, grade 11
Art Teacher: Mrs. Fritz

“Dandelion” Acrylic Paint on Canvas
By: Aurora Zinter, grade 12 Art Teacher: Mrs. Fritz

20 Byron-Bergen Central School District