End of Year Approaching

Exciting Days Ahead:

We are heading into the last full week of school and look forward to finishing with a bang! The students are looking forward to a lot of different events and field trips that will be taking place over the next week and a half as we close down the 2018-2019 school year. With that, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the staff, students, families, as well as, the Split Rock community. It is not easy to go through the transitions this building has experienced this year and will be experiencing throughout the summer in regards to some extensive renovations. Everyone has met the challenges and experiences head-on with an open mind and never missed a beat and to that, I applaud all of you!

Senior Walk:

We were lucky enough to have our 2019 Split Rock graduates visit and participate in their senior walk. The students at The Rock celebrated their achievement as we lined the halls to congratulate their accomplishments! We will be sharing a video of the day shortly, so be on the lookout for that. A special congratulations to some of our Split Rock graduates, Lindsay Chamberlain and Emma Lounsbery for being awarded the Shirley Gurney PTO Scholarship for the essays they submitted. We look forward to you sharing your message with our students next week at our Grade 5 Recognition Ceremony. We also would like to congratulate former Split-Rocker Philip Martin in being recognized as the 2019 Valedictorian! You make us all so proud. Great things await each one of you!

Split Rock Field Days (Tuesday, June 18, 2019)

A letter was sent home last week with the pertinent information in regards to this exciting event. We look forward to allowing the students to enjoy some time outside and activities with their classmates.

AM Session (Grades 3-5)- 9:30-11:45

PM Session (Grades k-2)- 12:45-2:45

Here are a couple of quick reminders:

• Students in the morning session should wear their swimsuits to school and bring a change of clothes for the afternoon. AM session students should apply sunscreen at home.

• Boys must wear their swim trunks and a t-shirt during all activities. Girls must wear shorts and a t-shirt over their swimsuits.

• ALL students must wear closed toe shoes such as sneakers or water shoes.

• Students should bring a towel and a water bottle labeled with their name.

*Please note parents/guardians will not be allowed in the building prior to, during and/or after the event. Staff and student safety is our number one priority and we want to make sure we do our best to ensure this. **Rain Date: Wednesday, June 19

Split Rock's Summer Renovations

Split Rock will be going through some renovations beginning Thursday, June 27 and will continue through August. This is being done in coordination with the implementation of the Raptor Visiting Management System, to support the safety of our students and staff better. The focus of this renovation will occur at the Main Entrance and go through the Main Office and Principal's office. With that, we ask that any visitors during July and August utilize the back and lower parking lot and enter the building at the doors near the cafeteria. This includes Kindergarten Screening days June 27 and June 28. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we improve our school's safety procedures.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE 

Monday, June 17

  Grade 3 picnic

Tuesday, June 18 

  Split Rock Field Days

Wednesday, June 19

  Grade 4 picnic 

  Rain Date (Split Rock Field Days)

Thursday, June 20 

  Grade 5 Field Trip (Ultimate Goal)

Friday, June 21

   Grade 1 picnic

  Grade 2 Field Trip (The Wild)

Monday, June 24 (1/2 day for students) 11:30 Dismissal 

  9:45am- GRADE 5 RECOGNITION CEREMONY- Split Rock Gymnasium 

Tuesday, June 25 (Last day and 1/2 for students) 11:30 Dismissal 

Thursday, June 27

  Kindergarten Screening

Friday, June 28

  Kindergarten Screening

  

Already June!

Finishing Strong!

It is hard to believe we are heading into the last month of school with just a few weeks left! We continue to stay focused as we make the final push to the end, making sure we get the most out of each day. Please continue to stress the importance of attending school each day as there is still plenty of opportunities to grow and learn. We also wouldn't want them to miss out on the many exciting events and field trips many of the classes have on their schedules moving forward!

Special  Olympics: 

What a fantastic event that was held on May 24th at West Genesee High School. Many thanks to the excellent staff and high school students who volunteered their time to create a pleasant atmosphere for the students. Our students at Split Rock did a phenomenal job, and we are so proud of them! Split Rock had over 20 participants throughout the day and they were terrific.

Budget Has Passed!

The 2019-2020 budget and bus propositions were passed with 84.8% yes votes! We appreciate and thank the community for all the support! 

State Testing Comes To an End:

Our Grade 4 team has finished up the last set of state tests for the 2018-2019 school year as they have completed both the Grade 4 Science Assessment and the Grade 4 ELA Short Response Field Test over the last three weeks! They did a terrific job and showed a great deal of endurance and fortitude as they gave it their best and worked extremely hard!

Split Rock Field Days:

This year, the Split Rock Field Days will be held on Tuesday, June 18 (Rain date of Wednesday, June 19). The AM session will run from 9:30-11:45 (Grades 3-5) and the PM session will run from 12:45-2:45 (Grades K-2). If you are interested in volunteering this year, please contact Greg Gangemi at ggangemi@westgenesee.org. Please include which session you would like to help out with and if you have a preferred event/station that you would like to be at! This is an exciting event for our students at "The Rock" and we hope you can enjoy the day with us!

Lost and Found:

Just a friendly reminder that our lost and found continues to grow! If your son or daughter is missing anything, from articles of clothing to water bottles, please have them visit Split Rock's lost and found. Anything that is not claimed by the end of the year will be donated.

C.O.D.E.

We held our 2019 C.O.D.E Graduation Ceremony on June 4th! We want to thank Officer Diane Brand for all that she has done and time spent with our students throughout the year. We also had honorary guest Chief of Police Mr. Thomas Winn attend the event as well and we thank him for taking time out of his schedule to join us for the ceremony!

Congratulations to both the poster and essay award winners for this year!

Grade 4 Poster Winners:

Deigan Vine

Keira McGlaughlin

Tyler Arndt

Grade 5 Essay Winners:

Chelsea Donaldson

Cameron Arlukiewicz

Jami Tessier

Looking Ahead:

June 6

Grade 4 Field Trip (Fort Stanwix)

June 14

Senior Walk

Kindergarten Picnic

June 17

Grade 3 Picnic

June 18

Field Days

9:30-11:45- AM Session (Grades 3-5)

12:45-2:45- PM Session (Grades k-2)

June 19

Grade 4 Picnic

June 20

Grade 5 Field Trip (Ultimate Goal)

June 21

Grade 2 Field Trip (The Wild)

June 24 (1/2 day for students 11:30 Dismissal)

Grade 5 Recognition- 9:45am Split Rock Gymnasium

June 25 (1/2 day for students 11:30 Dismissal)
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Budget Vote Day and More!

Budget Vote: 

Reminder: Our Annual Budget Vote is being held TODAY at West Genesee High School. Polls are open for voting until 9pm tonight.

Spring Open House:

It was lovely to see all the families and friends that showed up to last week's Spring Open House. The students were extremely excited to share all their hard work and enjoy the night with their family and friends. What a fantastic job our Grade 5 team did with this year's Wax Museum Projects! It was great to see so many different people of history represented and the students really showcased how amazing they really are!

Spring Concert:

Let's not forget about the Grade 4 and Grade 5 band, chorus and orchestra concert held this past week as well! The night was filled with many great musicians and singers as our students at The Rock showcased their incredible talents. A true testament of how hard work and commitment can do, when students put their minds to it. A job was well done by all and a big thanks to all the Fine Arts staff members that played a role in this beautiful event.

Positivity Project:

Although we have finished our weekly lessons on the character traits for this school year, we will still continue to focus on the Other People Matter mindset! Our positivity committee will be meeting several times over the next month and a half to be sure we continue to build on this wonderful program and concept.

Emergency Drills:

With springtime in full effect, we will make sure that we have met all our requirements in regards to our safety procedures with all our emergency drills. This could include but not limited to, practice fire drills and lockdowns. It is imperative that all staff and students stay up to date, and understand our protocols for all situations. With that being said, please help reinforce from home the importance of taking these drills seriously, at the same time that they are drills and are in place to keep everyone safe. 

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures: 

Please be reminded that you are prohibited by law to cross paths with any portion of the bus when the red lights are flashing and/or the stop sign is out. We greatly appreciate your attention to this matter and understand that this might mean extra time and/or planning during pickups and drop-offs. Buses arrive in the morning at approximately 8:50 am and exit at 9:00 am. In the afternoon, they come back at approximately 3:10 pm and depart at 3:30 pm. 

**Staff and student safety is our number one priority during school hours, and these two issues help ensure this.** 

Lost and Found: 

Our lost and found has certainly grown over the last couple of months. If your son or daughter is missing anything, from articles of clothing to water bottles, please have them visit Split Rock's lost and found. Anything that is not claimed by the end of the year will be donated.

Upcoming Dates:

May 21 
WGCSD Budget Vote @ WGHS Auditorium 6am -9pm 
May 22
 PTO Meeting (SR Library) 6:00 pm
 BOE Meeting (HS Library) 7:00 pm
May 23
NYS Grade 4 Science Performance Test
Special Olympics @ CNS
May 24
WG Special Olympics (West Genesee High School) 10:00 am 
May 27
Memorial Day (no school)
May 29
Grade 4 ELA Field Test
Hospital Land (Reynolds) 12:00 pm 
May 30
Hospital Land (Lockwood) 12:00 pm 
May 31
Hospital Land (Forsyth) 12:00 pm

Hello May!

We welcomed the month of May by completing the New York State Math Assessment! Congratulations and job well done to grades 3-5, as the students worked extremely hard and demonstrated a great deal of endurance over the two days. Once again our attendance was amazing, which helped the process and limited the number of make ups we had to administer. A big thanks to all parents, students and staff! The busy end of the year schedule continues over the next several weeks with many events, field trips and celebrations occurring! We look forward to the experiences the students at Split Rock will be participating in as we move through the months of May and June!

Student Attendance 

Our student attendance at The Rock over the last few weeks has been outstanding. We all know that attending is the first step in student growth and success. If we are not in school we are not learning. As we approach the last couple of months of school it is imperative that we all understand the importance of attending school and taking full advantage of each and every day.  As stated in the website below, "Student success goes hand in hand with good attendance," let's keep this focus throughout the rest of the year!
Click here for a great read on the importance of attendance!

Positivity Project

This week's character trait is Leadership! The students at Split Rock will be learning about the personal qualities of leaders. Click here to visit the website to view the "Leadership Character Card," for more information and insight.

Open House (Wednesday, May 8)

This amazing event is right around the corner! We look forward to seeing all of our families and friends from 7-8pm. As you can imagine this is a very well attended event and therefore parking will be limited. We ask that you do not park on Split Rock Road. If you find that both parking lots are full, please utilize our free shuttle and park at the Slavic Baptist Church, just down the hill from the school!

Wax Museum

Our Grade 5 students and staff have worked extremely hard on these research projects. We ask that you give them a great deal of respect and courtesy as you make your way through the museum. We encourage you to take the time needed, but please keep voice level and distractions to a minimum. The hallways tend to become a bit congested so please do your best to utilize the library to congregate and socialize. Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

All School Spirit Day (Friday, May 10) 

This month's spirit day will be honoring our wonderful kindergarten classes! We encourage both staff
and students to wear their Split Rock and/or West Genesee attire (Blue and Gold), to show our Split Rock pride!

A visit from the BOCES Planetarium (May 14)  

The students in grades 1, 2 and 4  will have the opportunity to view a program that is tailored to their unit of study. Below are the programs each grade level will be participating in. 

Grade 1: Day/Night

Grade 2: Seasons

Grade 4: Circumpolar Constellations

Grade 4 & 5 Spring Concert (May 15)

Our grade 4 and 5 Spring Concert on Wednesday evening on the big stage at the high school, beginning at 7:00 pm. The band, orchestra, and chorus love to perform and I am looking forward to the show.

Scholastic Book Fair (May 15-17)

Be looking for more information in regards to this year's Scholastic Book Fair. We will be showing "book talks," on our morning announcements over the next two weeks, in order to showcase some of the options and books that will be available to the students. "Family Night" will be held on Thursday, May 16 from 7-8 pm. Families are welcome to shop with their students.

Shoe Donation Drive (Koman More Than Pink Walk)

We have already received a great number of contributions to this cause! Keep them coming! Once again Split Rock is showcasing their kindness and giving to others in need! The drive will continue until Friday, May 17.

Upcoming Dates:

Monday, May 20:
  Grade 5 Orientation @ CMS- Students Visit
  Grade 5 Parent Night @ CMS 6:00pm-Parent Night

Tuesday, May 21:
  WGCSD Budget Vote-  6am-9pm @ WGHS Auditorium

Wednesday, May 22:
  PTO Meeting (Split Rock Library) 6:00pm
  BOE Meeting WGHS Library 7:00pm

Thursday, May 23:
  Grade 4 Science Performance Test

Friday, May 24:
  West Genesee Special Olympics @ WGHS

Welcome back!

Back in Action:

It is great to get back in the building and get the ball rolling again! I certainly hope everyone enjoyed some time with family and friends, as well as, some good weather. It is always good to take some time to relax and recharge the battery! I know that myself and the rest of the Split Rock staff is fired up and ready to finish strong! We will focus on making the most out of the next two months, providing quality instruction and learning experiences for all students, so we can continue "to ensure that each student attains the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary, not only for lifelong learning, but also for becoming a cooperative, self-directed, productive, caring citizen." With that being said, it is a very busy time of year, with many different events occurring. Here is a look ahead as to what to expect at Split Rock Elementary!

Positivity Project:

This week's character trait is Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. Be sure to take a step back and appreciate all that's around and not just nature's beauty but yet, someone else's hard work and excellence. By doing so we are promoting positive emotions within and a connectivity to the world around us.

Raptor System:

This is a friendly reminder that Split Rock Elementary has begun to implement the Raptor Visiting Management System. Visitors will be expected to provide photo identification when they visit the building and plan to go beyond the main office. The West Genesee Central School District has distributed a letter home to families that provided all the pertinent information in regards to the system and its protocols. Please be sure to review and fully understand the process as we are working to ensure the safety of all students and staff during school hours. 

Gertrude Hawk Fundraiser:

There are still a few orders that are at the school and need to be picked up. If you placed an order and have yet to do so, please contact the school and/or a PTO member to pick up your order. This would be greatly appreciated!

Spring Is In The Air:

It is the time of year where there will be many different activities occurring both inside and outside of the classroom. With that, there are times where students express a great deal of excitement and might lose focus on school expectations and safety. We will be revisiting this consistently throughout the remainder of the year. Help us, help you and your child, by reviewing the schoolwide expectations as we want to make sure we are being Respectful, Responsible and Safe. Conversations around the dinner table and/or bedtime would go a long way ensuring everyone is meeting expectations, so we are able to fully enjoy the last two months school.

Budget Presentation:

Tuesday, April 23  the budget will be presented at West Genesee High School in the LGI room at 7:00 pm. Please stop by beforehand to our Split Rock PTO meeting at 6:30 pm then stay for the budget. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming Dates:

Tuesday, April 23 

• 6:30pm Split Rock PTO meeting @ WGHS LGI Room
• 7:00pm Budget Presentation @ WGHS LGI Room

Wednesday, May 1 & Thursday May 2

• NYS Math Assessments Session 1 and Session 2

Wednesday, May 8 

• Positivity Assembly (Kindergarten)
• Spring Open House

May 15-17

• PTO Scholastic Book Fair

April Is Here

We certainly had an extremely busy two weeks at The Rock! It is amazing to see all the hard work both the students and staff are demonstrating day in and day out. I am reminded each and every day, why this is truly an amazing place to be.

Love My School Day (Thursday, April 11)

Students are encouraged to wear their Split Rock and/or West Genesee attire this THURSDAY! We look forward to seeing all the students showcasing their BLUE and GOLD school spirit and pride! 

Raptor System

In order to maintain the safety of all students and staff during school hours, Split Rock Elementary will be implementing the Raptor Visiting Management System starting Monday, April 22. Visitors will be expected to provide photo identification when they visit the building and plan to go beyond the main office. The West Genesee Central School District will be distributing a letter home to families that will provide all the pertinent information in regards to the system and its protocols.  

Congratulations Mrs. Ogden!

An official congratulations to Mrs.Wende Ogden, the BOE officially approved her June retirement at Wednesday’s (4/3/19) board meeting. Mrs. Ogden will be retiring at the end of the year, after a 20 year teaching career at Split Rock Elementary, in which she taught both Grade 2 and Grade 3. No matter the context she is always her loving, warm and carefree-self making her truly "one of a kind."Mrs. Ogden will certainly be missed and we wish her nothing but the best!

Welcome Miss Wallon!

We would like to welcome Miss Jenna Wallon to the Split Rock staff, as she will be a fulfilling Mrs. Sexton's Grade 2 long term substitute position. Miss Wallon comes to us via the Baldwinsville Central School District where she was a substitute teacher (K-12). Miss Wallon has her Initial Certification in General Education 1-6 and is currently working towards her Master's Degree. We are excited to have her join the Split Rock community! Welcome aboard!

Grade 3 Chorus Presents: Character Counts!

On March 28 our Grade 3 Chorus held a terrific concert that was entitled "Character Counts!" If you happened to attend you got an absolute treat as these kids not only sounded terrific but taught us all several lessons on character! A huge thanks and appreciation to Mrs. Rosemarie Speich, for pulling this all together and giving our students the platform to succeed and truly enjoy themselves.

Merry-Go-Round Playhouse

The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse is a Youth Theatre based out of Auburn, NY. They visited Split Rock Elementary on Wednesday, April 3 to present Aesop's Fables On Stage to our Grade 2 students. The actors presented, "tidbits of Aesop's life and the traditions of Greek Theatre, through multiple fables, while using rap, rhyme and masks. 

NYS ELA Assessments Are In The Books!

I could not be any more proud of the students and staff at Split Rock. Yes, there were some kinks that needed to be worked out after Session 1 but through it all, the building did what they always do and got the job done.  The students put a tremendous amount of effort into the assessments and there is no doubt in my mind they did awesome! Session 2 (on Thursday), went without a hitch and the process was much more efficient and offered all students the ability to truly excel! The students demonstrated a great deal of endurance and pride in their work, as they showed the courage and determination to do their best! JOB WELL DONE! 

Just a friendly reminder school will not be in session next week April 15- April 19! 

We will look to finish strong, as we approach Spring Break! Split Rock will utilize the next five days to continue to grow in all facets, making sure we are setting ourselves up for success when we return.

Upcoming Dates:

Monday, April 22

• 9:00am Student Bus Drills (Upon arrival students will participate in our yearly bus safety drill).

Tuesday, April 23 

• 6:30pm Split Rock PTO meeting @ WGHS LGI Room
• 7:00pm Budget Presentation @ WGHS LGI Room

Wednesday, May 1 & Thursday May 2

• NYS Math Assessments Session 1 and Session 2