More than 200 to graduate from Adult Education and Literacy programs

More than 200 adult graduates of OCM BOCES' adult education programs will be recognized for their accomplishments in the organization's annual Adult Education graduation ceremony to be held Wednesday, August 5, 2015, at Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena (4585 W Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse). The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. The public and media are invited to attend.

Graduate Mamie Pinkston (pictured) will speak about her personal and educational struggles that led her to OCM BOCES. The Augusta, Georgia, native came to OCM BOCES in 2012 and, despite many obstacles, successfully completed the National External Diploma Program this year.

The following students are among those being recognized for their accomplishments:

Kailyn Aanonsen, Darius Adjei, Cory Anthony, James Antonacci, Andrew Babbitt, Paul Barbagallo, Damian Bartowski, Mieya Baxtron, Kristie Beaulieu, David Binet, Sarah Bivens, Amanda Braley, Chris Brothers, Rachelle Brown, Cathy Brown, Norman Bryant, Jaylon Butler, Ruth Cadwell, Anthony Camardella, Nicholas Carno, Brenda Casnave, Porcha Chairs, Alex Charland, Shantea Chatman, Jordanne Conklin, Brandon Conway, Nisa Cooper, Patrick Culeton, Dalton Curinga, Krystal Curry, Taylor Dahlin, Shantise Davis, Timothy Deblois, Joseph Demar, Douglas Dever, Landon Dietz, Spencer Dino, Christopher Dolce, Anja Donohgue, Miranda Edlin, Tammi English, Christophe Ennis, Donna Fairbrother, David Foley, Joseph Freitag, Kristina Gilman, John Giuseppetti, Joseph Goldthwait, Lori Goodall, Russell Gribnau, Cortny Hanke, Katelynn Hanson, Ieshia Hardy, Jericka Harke, Erica Hart, Tabatha Hemingway, Yolanda Hemphill, Jonathon Hess, Matthew Hilliker, Nicole Holder, Ashlee Hunt, Kathleen Hurry, Jonathan Hurst, Heather James, Kenneth Jamison, Magic Johnston, Wyatt Kaljeskie, Samantha Kastler, Karen Khammar, Brianna Kite, Larissa Knodel, Erik Kurz, Matthew Lagrow, Kara Lawn, Vicki Lawrence, Alissa Leeman, Samantha Lindgren, Brittany Lloyd, Sara Lopedito, Tyler Lowe, Katherine Lowengard, Brian Magruder, Aaron Malay, David Mallon, Valerie Marr, Phillip Mattiaccio, Robert McGregor, Quiana Mcmillan, Lisa Melendez, Stanley Memmelaar, Edith Mendoza, Travis Michaud, Michelle Mourey, Ashley Nguyen, William O'Donnell, Jesse Olcott, Tahisha Osbourne, Bobby Paige, Adam Partin, Brandi Pendergast, Michael Perry, Sonya Perun, Mamie Pinkston, Jake Pizzi, Kelsea Pop, Everett Presley, Jeffrey Proper, Christopher Prusinowski, Carlos Ramos, Megan Renicker, Chyna Robinson, Patrick Rogers, Justin Ryan, Albert Sanz, Liesl Schanz, Reed Schuster, Rebecca Scott, Michael Shelley, Bradley Short, Alexis Sincerbeaux, Stephanie Smith, Erin Soldo, Seth Spadter, Victoria Sparks, Genevieve Spencer, Mark Squadrito, Rachel Stanton, Ashley St. Denis, Anthony Sucapani, Chris Sweeney, Lenyka Sykes, Nicholas Thompson, Mike Tielbaard, Ben Turner, Jaquan Tyler, Benjamin Tyrrell, Michelle Valentino, Katherine Vassar, Kimberly Vitello, Steven Ward, James Warner, Denelle Waugh, Alicia Weaver, Joseph Wede, Shelby Wilkerson, Alethea Williams, Thompson Willson, Laura Young, Chyenne Youngs.

For more information about Adult Education full-time training programs, Continuing Education, Literacy programs or the annual graduation celebration, contact OCM BOCES at (315) 453-4400.

Annual meeting showcases collaboration through BOCES

OCM BOCES' 2015 Annual Meeting was held on Wednesday, April 1 at the McEvoy Education Campus in Cortland, NY. The meeting gives OCM BOCES the opportunity to educate its 23 component school districts about the high quality services it provides, while fulfilling the legal requirement of providing those districts with information about the BOCES budget, which goes to vote on April 20.

Prior to this year's meeting, attendees were treated to a fabulous gourmet meal and an assortment of delectable desserts prepared and served by Culinary Arts students. Colorful Dr. Seuss-themed centerpieces (pictured left), created by Special Education students, graced each table.

The meeting began with a welcome by OCM BOCES Board of Education President Ann Wright and District Superintendent Jody Manning. Prior to the presentation of the 2015-2016 budget, attendees had the opportunity to view a video about OCM BOCES that showcased component district students, teachers and staff, and an informative presentation regarding the benefit and future of embedded career and technical education programs.

For  details on the OCM BOCES budget process and its 2015-2016 budget, view and download the Initial Budget booklet online.

Students compete in Regional SkillsUSA Competition; Four earn gold medal, several others place

Congratulations to the many OCM BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) students who recently competed and placed in the Regional SkillsUSA competition held at SUNY Morrisville on February 27. This annual competition gives OCM BOCES the opportunity to compete against other schools in timed technical, trade and leadership contests.

One OCM BOCES team (pictured at left), consisting of North Syracuse CSD seniors MacKenzie Lananux (Laboratory Technology), Kristin Rogers (Laboratory Technology), and Jessica Sorbello (Health Occupations Technology), and Chittenango CSD senior Grace Nicholas (Health Occupations Technology), earned a gold medal in the health knowledge bowl competition. The event pitted 10 four-student teams from various Region II BOCES. The competition covered topics such as medical ethics, medical law terminology and medical vocabulary.

OCM BOCES student Lily Skinner, from the Fabius-Pompey Central School District, was among four BOCES students from across the region to sing the national anthem prior to the competition.

Other OCM BOCES students who placed in the competition include:

1. Dominique LaRose, Pastry Arts senior from the Liverpool Central School District – 1st place in Commercial Baking

2. James Miller, Automotive Collision Technology junior from Cortland Alternative School and the Cincinnatus Central School District – 1st place in Collision Repair Technology

 

3. Jake Nobile, New Vision Medical Professions senior from the Solvay Union Free School District – 1st place in the First Aid/CPR

4. Hannah Northrop, Cosmetology senior from the Liverpool Central School District – 1st place in Cosmetology senior category

 

5. Alex Sanford, Culinary Arts junior from the Cortland Enlarged City School District – 1st place in Restaurant Service

 

6. Skyler Lyons, Pastry Arts senior from the Baldwinsville Central School District – 2nd place in Commercial Baking

7. Allison McDonald, Cosmetology senior from the Liverpool Central School District – 2nd place in the Nail Care category

8. Deirdre Monroe, Cosmetology senior from the Cortland Enlarged City School District – 2nd place in Job Interview

9. Hunter Moore, Graphic Communications senior from the Cortland Enlarged City School District – 2nd place in Photography

 

10. Anthony Pham, New Vision Medical Professions senior from the North Syracuse Central School District – 2nd place in First Aid/CPR

11. Nahsia Batts (pictured far left), Health Occupations Technology junior from the Cortland Enlarged City School District – 3rd place in Job Demo Open

 

12. Charlotte Hollenbeck, Automotive Technology senior from the Homer Central School District – 3rd place in Automotive Maintenance Basic

 

13. Ben Nelson, Culinary Arts senior from the North Syracuse Central School District – 3rd place in Food Preparation Assistant

 

14. Yesenia Rodriguez-Abelar, Cosmetology senior from the Cazenovia Central School District – 3rd place in the Cosmetology senior category

 

15. Brooke Turner (pictured right), Health Occupations Technology junior from the Homer Central School District – 3rd place in Job Demo Open Model

Following is the complete list of OCM BOCES students that competed in the Regional SkillsUSA competition:

Baldwinsville Central School District:
Kalie Arnold, Joseph Fiorini, Eva Korczakowski, Skyler Lyons, Connor Oakes, Shannon Perrotta, Sierra Phillips, Andreana Reed, Cameron Sant

Cazenovia Central School District:
Yesenia Rodriguez

Chittenango Central School District:
Anthony Lozipone, Grace Nicholas, Ashley Price

Cincinnatus Central School District:
Keyara Aiken, Ashley Angel, Kristen Angel, Melanie Cass, Chelsea Gerrard, Jennifer Ivison (helper), Kaitlin Manley, James Miller (Cortland Alternative School student), Shelby Phillips, Brooke Tobias

Cortland Enlarged City School District:
Nahsia Batts, Mazey Cornell (helper), Julia Goddard, Alizabeth Knout, Christopher Luke, Deirdre Monroe, Hunter Moore, Nicole Nichol, Juan Oliver, Alex Sanford, McKenzie Stark
 
DeRuyter Central School District:
Breanna Hare, MaryJo Miller (helper)

East Syracuse Minoa Central School District: 
Shannon Miller

Homer Central School District:
Tara Daley (helper), Charlotte Hollenbeck, Cory Kanar, Tanya Smith, Brooke Turner

LaFayette Central School District:
Ben Kramak

Liverpool Central School District:
Ashanti Dorsey, Dominique LaRose, Allison McDonald, Hannah Northrop, Marie Vassallo

Marathon Central School District:
Tyler James, Taylor Larrabee, Rachel Lawrence, Jerralyn Vogt, Stephanie Wales, Basha Zurbruegg
 
Marcellus Central School District:
Isabella Wennberg
 
McGraw Central School District:
Cody Reome, Sarah Thurley

North Syracuse Central School District:
Sarah Amato, Megan Gorman, Mackenzie Lanaux, Ben Nelson, Olivia Orlando, Sidney Perks, Anthony Pham, Natasha Rivera, Kristin Rogers, Jessica Sorbello

Solvay Union Free School District:
Natosha Black, Jordan Micheletti, Jake Nobile, Miya VanFossen

Tully Central School District:
Jason Reid (OCM BOCES Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program), Ally Snyder, Taylor Soderholm

West Genesee Central School District:
Lisa Hall

SkillsUSA is a national organization serving teachers and high school/college students preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations, including health occupations. The organization provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development and builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills.

For more information about OCM BOCES Career and Technical Education Programs, students should see their high school guidance counselor or call our OCM BOCES guidance counselors at: (315) 433-2635 in the Syracuse area or (607) 758-5260 in the Cortland area.

OCM BOCES District Superintendent accepts 2015 NYSAWA Giacobbe Award on behalf of 23 component districts

On Sunday, March 22, 2015, OCM BOCES District Superintendent J. Francis Manning was presented with the 2015 Maxine Giacobbe Award from the New York State Association for Women in Administration (NYSAWA) at its annual symposium in Albany, N.Y. NYSAWA Award Committee Chair Dr. Jennifer Schulman presented the award at an award reception and dinner held at Albany's Desmond Hotel.

Mr. Manning accepted the award on behalf of OCM BOCES 23 component school districts and the collective work for all students in Central New York. 

The award, named for NYSAWA’s first executive director, is presented annually to a person who demonstrates exceptional work with children from diverse populations, including children of color, to reduce gender inequalities and promote outstanding achievement for children of color.

Manning, nominated for the award by Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District Superintendent Dr. Corliss C. Kaiser, has a career in educational administration spanning more than 25 years. Prior to taking on the highest leadership role at OCM BOCES in August 2012, he had served as a school superintendent, business administrator, building administrator and teacher in various districts.

Manning’s ability to work collectively and collaboratively with students and staff in one of the big five school districts in New York state as well as with OCM BOCES’ 23 component districts, has been exemplified through the leadership initiatives he has implemented to improve the success of diverse populations. Most recently, Manning led OCM BOCES in the establishment of Innovation Tech High School, a non-traditional high school designed to provide authentic experiences for students through collaborative and hands-on learning. He has been instrumental in assisting his constituent superintendents with responsive activities to help them carry out their duties.

Manning created partnerships with several colleges in the area and has been involved with several community-based organizations, such as the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS), the School Alliance for Continuous Improvement (SACI), and the Career and Technical Education External Review Committee.

A passionate leader and a risk-taker, Manning who puts the needs of students, and most especially, children from diverse populations, at the forefront of his actions.

Additional details are available on the NYSAWA event website for anyone who would like additional information about the Symposium.

The New York State Association for Women in Administration was established in 1990 to address the lack of women in educational leadership positions. It was the genesis of a group of individuals who met to develop at statewide network, now known as NYSAWA. This group determined to create programs to identify and promote women in leadership.

Project-Based Learning conference to draw more than 300 teachers to Syracuse

The Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES) will be hosting the 2015 Project-Based Learning New York (PBLNY) Conference on August 3-5, 2015 in Liverpool, NY. The three-day event will feature inspiring keynotes, engaging workshops and practical advice for educators and school administrators who want to learn about all aspects of project-based learning.

The PBLNY Conference is for those new to PBL, as well as experienced practitioners. Sessions are targeted to help educators, at any stage of their career, take it to the next level. Administrators, too, will find the support and training they need to ensure implementation of high-quality PBL in their school. This conference, the only one of its kind on the East Coast, is a premier opportunity to engage with national leaders and thinkers and discuss PBL with one’s colleagues in education.


“Our goal for PBLNY is to bring educators together for deeper learning about a method of teaching that is engaging to students,” says Joanne Keim, OCM BOCES PBL coordinator. “Last year’s conference was energizing—over 300 teachers and administrators came together for three days to learn more about PBL as they listened to nationally known keynote speakers, attended workshop sessions and shared experiences. As a PBL trainer and coach myself, I can’t wait to attend this year and deepen my understanding of PBL.”

In addition to keynotes by several well-known professionals in PBL, education and leadership (see bios below), additional guest presenters for the event are Rody Boonchouy and Matt Best of the Buck Institute for Education (BIE); Michael Gorman of 21centuryedtech; Stacia Snow of Tech Valley High School; Suzie Boss of Edutopia & BIE, and; Lee Fleming of New Tech Network. Breakout session titles include “Online Resources that Amplify PBL in a Blended Environment,” “Engaging Students with Disabilities through Project-Based Learning,” “PLC and PBL: Learning to Learn Together,” and “Problem-Based Learning (PrBL): A Smaller Approach to a Large Problem.”


Registration is now open for individuals in New York state. Registration for out-of-state attendees will open soon. For more information and to register, click here: http://www.ocmboces.org/pblny. Three-day admission fees for attendees from OCM BOCES component districts is $450; $550 for attendees from non-component NYS districts; and $650 per person for attendees from non-NYS districts.

The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn, 441 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool, NY.

Keynote Speaker Bios
Dr. Milton Chen - George Lucas Educational Foundation
Chen is senior fellow and executive director emeritus at The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF), a San Francisco Bay area-based non-profit that utilizes its multimedia website, Edutopia.org, and documentary films to communicate a new vision for 21st century schools. He served as executive director of GLEF for 12 years. During his tenure, GLEF and its media brand, Edutopia, greatly expanded their editorial publishing efforts, including the award- winning Edutopia magazine. Edutopia.org is known as a destination website for educators and others interested in educational innovation and has won numerous honors, including the 2009 Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Education Website. Chen received an AB in social studies from Harvard College and an MA and PhD in communication research from Stanford University.

Sam Seidel  - Author, HipHop Genius

Seidel is the director of the Student Experience Lab at the Business Innovation Factory and author of Hip Hop Genius: Remixing High School Education (Rowman & Littlefield, 2011). He speaks internationally about innovative solutions to challenges facing schools, community organizations and prisons. He is a passionate and experienced leader in education transformation. Seidel has keynoted for three years at PBL World in Napa California. He has taught in a variety of settings from first grade to community college. Seidel graduated from Brown University with a degree in education and a teaching certification. He was a scholar-in-residence at Columbia University's Institute for Urban and Minority Education and a community fellow at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Kippy Smith - Expeditionary Learning

Smith is the Northeast region associate regional director for Expeditionary Learning (EL). With more than 20 years of experience helping new and veteran teachers in all settings, EL builds their capacity to ignite each student’s motivation, persistence, and compassion so they become active contributors to building a better world and succeed in school, college, career, and life. EL’s innovative curriculum, teacher-created resources, and model of professional coaching and support are anchored by a vision of student success that joins academic achievement, character, and high-quality work. EL partners with more than 160 schools and 4,000 teachers, serving 53,000 students in 33 states, and thousands of other teachers through its professional services work in New York and other states.


Sarah Brown Wessling – The Teaching Channel

Brown Wessling is the Teaching Channel’s first “Teacher Laureate.” In this role, she helps shape the content on Teaching Channel, where she is a regular contributor to the Tchers' Voiceblog and is often featured in regular video segments filmed inside her classroom. Brown Wessling teaches English and is the department chair at Johnston Senior High School in Johnston, Iowa. She is a national board-certified teacher in English language arts/adolescence and young adulthood. In 2010, the Council of Chief State School Officers honored Brown Wessling as National Teacher of the Year. In that capacity, she was responsible for being the nation's teacher ambassador for education and took part in more than 240 appearances, speeches and workshops in 37 states as well as Japan and Finland.

Ed Griffin – Fleet Feet Sports
Griffin is co-owner of two Fleet Feet Sports shoe stores in Central New York. Griffin speaks around the country on motivation and small business leadership. He brings an authenticity to the conversation about the world of work. He and his wife Ellen opened their first Fleet Feet store in Dewitt in 2000. It was named the best running store in America by Competitor and Running Insight magazines in 2012. They opened a second location in Clay in 2013. The business caters to runners, and about half of their customers are medical referrals for foot problems that require high-quality footwear and custom fitting.

Tony Wagner - Harvard University Innovation Lab
Wagner currently serves as an expert in residence at Harvard University’s new Innovation Lab. Prior to this appointment, Wagner was the first Innovation Education fellow at the Technology & Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, and the founder and co-director of the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for more than a decade. His previous work experience includes twelve years as a high school teacher, K-8 principal, university professor in teacher education, and founding executive director of Educators for Social Responsibility. Wagner is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences and a widely published author. Wagner also recently collaborated with noted filmmaker Robert Compton to create a 60-minute documentary, “The Finland Phenomenon: Inside The World’s Most Surprising School System.”

Financial Aid Night at McEvoy Campus - February 23

OCM BOCES is hosting a financial aid night in the auditorium at its McEvoy Education Campus on Monday, February 23, 2015, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Financial Aid representatives will present an overview of the financial aid process and will be available to assist parents and students with completing the FAFSA forms.

To ensure computer availability at the event, please RSVP by calling (607) 758-5260 or emailing ccolasurdo@ocmboces.org. The McEvoy Education campus is located at 1710 NYS Route 13, Cortland, NY 13045.

60+ students to compete in NYS Section III Academic Decathlon January 24

On Saturday, January 24, 67 students from the Cazenovia, Liverpool, Tully, West Genesee and Westhill school districts will compete in the 2015 New York State Section III Academic Decathlon Competition at Westhill High School (4501 Onondaga Boulevard) in Syracuse. The event is coordinated by the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES).

The theme of this year’s event is "New Alternatives in Energy: Ingenuity and Innovation." The Decathlon will begin at 8:30 a.m., with students engaging in a series of paper and pencil tests, with two 10-minute breaks, through 1:05 p.m. At 1:45 p.m., the “Super Quiz” (oral relay) portion of the competition will begin as students respond to questions in front of an audience. The Awards Ceremony will follow the Super Quiz.

The three highest scoring teams will advance to the New York State Competition February 27th & 28th at the State University of New York at Brockport. The state winner will go on to represent New York state at the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) competition, which is scheduled for April 16th –18th in Garden Grove, California.

Since it began as a local academic competition in California in 1968, the USAD has grown to become an international event for students in grades 9-12. The Decathlon promotes well roundedness by providing competition for each team in several events, including the team-based Super Quiz oral relay and objective tests in art, math, science, music, economics, literature and social science.

For more information about the 2015 New York State Section III Academic Decathlon, call Elaina Renfrew, OCM BOCES’ Coordinator of Educational Services and Academic Decathlon Sectional Coordinator, at (315) 431-8598.

Participants and coaches are:

Cazenovia – Coach: Ben Wightman

Contestants:  Shao Demyttenaere, Alexander Dubin, Emma Nuñez, Katherine Boone, Munya Fashu-Kanu, Michael Gugino, Brock Houghton, Sydney Levinson and Joseph Mevec

Liverpool – Coach: Daryl Burrer

Contestants: Emela Mesic, Shyam Patel, Isaiah Battoe, Robert Fogarty, Tyler Marquart and Tabrina Clark

Tully – Coaches: Kim Cameron and Pat Votra

Contestants: Julie Kunnumpurath, Bradley Phelps, Katie Warner, Hunter Griffin, Peyton Wolf, Matthew Wood, Peter Barletta and Jake Hutton
Alternates: Alexandra Becker, Julia Coffin, Cassidy McGinn, Sara Reppenhagen, Samuel Sheldon, Jessica Swift and Emily Teeter

West Genesee – Coach: Scott Duda

Contestants: Josh Mattice, Devyn Ottman, Claire Thomas, Nathan Gillette, John Lisi, Domtilla Magunga, James Sandefur, Vadim Shakhov and Kayla Smith
Alternates: Katherine Baldwin, Sabrina Bormann, Dylan Casolare, Kelsee Darling, Colleen Denny, Jenna Hickey, Jordan Koster, Sara Melendez and Emily Vetter

Westhill – Coaches: Michele Baker and Sarah Fleming

Contestants: Stephen Burgay, Molly Clark, Joseph Montemayor, Hannah Centore, Noah Centore, Elizabeth Meluni, Nathan Mevec, Aden Orzell and Holden White
Alternates: John Clancy, Vaughn Crimi, Amanda Cruty, Alexander Feliu, Connor Feliu, Alaina Kenny, Clayton Markham, Luke Puglisi, John Savage and Holden White

Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute for 11th & 12th graders - App deadline Dec. 19th

The Mid-State Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBERN) at the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison (OCM) BOCES is currently seeking eligible 11th and 12th grade student applicants to participate in a unique leadership development opportunity. Hispanic/Latino juniors and seniors from Central New York school districts are invited to apply for a four-day leadership training, culminating with attendance at the 25th Annual Angelo Del Toro Puerto/Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute in Albany, NY. This is a free event.

Students are required to attend the three training sessions at OCM BOCES (Feb. 5, Feb. 26 and March 7, 2015) in Syracuse, NY and one session at the Onondaga County Legislative Building (March 17, 2015) in Syracuse, NY. Selected students will attend the Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute in Albany, NY from March 21 through 23, 2015. Please note that all dates are subject to change.

Training opportunities have been aligned with Common Core requirements and are designed to empower Hispanic/Latino students. Participants will have multiple opportunities to interact and network with positive role models, other New York State Hispanic/Latino students, government officials, state trainers, business and community leaders. Additionally, the selected student delegates will participate in a mock assembly and debate legislation at the Albany conference. Several senior scholarship opportunities will be available.

Interested students should complete a PRHYLI Syracuse Delegation Application and submit it by the December 19, 2014 deadline. All applications must be submitted with the required supplemental pieces in order to be considered. Supplemental materials include: a competed essay, a minimum of two PRHYLI Syracuse Delegation Recommendations, a current high school transcript, parental consent and principal/guidance counselor consent form, a completed Student Contract, a completed Parental Medical Consent (English) or Parental Medical Consent (Spanish) and a completed College Survey. All forms are available online by clicking here or on the OCM BOCES PRHYLI webpage at http://www.ocmboces.org/teacherpage.cfm?teacher=697#one.

The Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute is an innovative collaboration with the NYS Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force in conjunction with the annual SOMOS El Futuro conference, Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies, the New York State City Board of Education, and other agencies as appropriate. For more information, visit the Syracuse Delegation PRHYLI webpage at http://www.ocmboces.org
/teacherpage.cfm?teacher=697#one or contact Tanya Rosado-Barringer, coordinator, at 315-431-2664 or rbern@ocmboces.org.

OCM BOCES students to compete in 2015 Academic Bowl

A team of four students from the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Education Services (OCM BOCES) Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program will compete at the 2015 Regional Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students on December 11-14, 2014 at the New York State School for the Deaf in Rome, NY.

The OCM BOCES team is made up of students Aruasy Barrios, Amy Christen, Jacob Sikorski, and Vannessa  Zurbruegg, and led by head coach and OCM BOCES Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program teacher Lisa Austin and assistant coach and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program interpreter Penny Killeen (pictured at right, standing left to right: Barrios, Christen, Sikorski, Zurbruegg. Seated, left to right: Austin, Killeen).

The Academic Bowl is an extremely competitive, annual competition sponsored by Gallaudet University. It consists of five Regional Academic Bowls and a National Academic Bowl, which aim to foster the pursuit of academic excellence, promote a spirit of academic competition and good sportsmanship and encourage social opportunities among students.

“Our students have been working and studying daily since the end of September in preparation for the competition. They’re very excited and looking forward to it,” says Austin.

The team will compete on Friday, December 12, from 9:45 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., and again on Saturday, December 13, from 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Their fellow students in the OCM BOCES Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program and the Solvay American Sign Language class will attend Friday’s competition to support and cheer them on.

The New York School for the Deaf is located at 401 Turin Street, Rome, NY.

For more information about OCM BOCES, its Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, and other educational opportunities for kids and adults, visit ocmboces.org.

OCM BOCES McEvoy students attend Construction Career Day

Seventeen OCM BOCES Construction Technology students from the McEvoy Education Center in Cortland, New York, were among the nearly 600 others from 19 school districts in the 2014 Southern Tier of New York that recently took part in a day-long Construction Career Day.

The Southern Tier Construction Career Day held Wednesday, October 8, at the Broome County Highway Department facility in Chenango Bridge, featured exhibits by a variety of organizations and schools associated with the construction industry as well as trade displays and heavy equipment demonstrations. For many students, the hands-on experience included the opportunity for supervised operation of heavy equipment such as bulldozers, backhoes and dump trucks.

Construction Career Day is designed to introduce high school students to the career opportunities and unlimited potential for advancement within the construction industry. The event is organized by a consortium of groups, including the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), the Broome County Highway Department, Broome-Tioga Workforce New York, Broome-Tioga BOCES and several local companies and trade unions involved in the construction industry.

The program is directly supported by the Federal Highway Administration through the NYSDOT, which provides a grant to help fund the program around New York state. The grant includes costs for busing, insurance and lunch. In addition, Broome-Tioga Workforce New York provides grant funding to offset costs associated with the event. There is no cost to participating schools.

2014 Greater CNY School Library System Annual Conference to be held Oct. 27

The 2014 Greater CNY School Library System Annual Conference will be held Monday, October 27, and will feature keynote speaker and 2014-2015 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) President-elect Leslie Preddy, the “Innovative Educator” Lisa Nielsen and a variety of workshops aimed to give librarians, teachers, administrators and students the tools and insights they need to meet the media and information needs of the next generation.

The event will run from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 441 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool, New York.

This year’s conference carries the theme, “The Now Revolution in School Libraries,” and will also host information sessions on many topics including embracing the power of mobile devices, building a reading community, digital citizenship, apps for learning and creating augmented realities. School librarian poster presentations and more than 25 vendor tables and vendor presentations will also take place throughout the day.

Registration fees are $90 for current librarians, teachers and administrators, $50 for students. For more information and to register, visit: http://files.ocmboces.org/event/SLSconference/sls_conference.html.

The conference is sponsored by Onondaga-Cortland-Madison (OCM) BOCES, the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation (formerly the Oswego County BOCES) and Syracuse City School Libraries, and co-sponsored by Central New York School Librarians (CNYSL) and the Central New York/Oswego County Teacher Center.

About Keynote Speaker Leslie Preddy

Leslie Preddy has been the school librarian at Perry Meridian Middle School in Indianapolis, Indiana since 1992. She is a past recipient of AASL’s Collaborative School Library Media Award and School Library Media Program of the Year. She is a former MSD of Perry Township Teacher of the Year and a 2010 finalist for Indiana State Teacher of the Year. She is a past president of the Association of Indiana School Library Educators (AISLE), a past general chair of the state’s Young Hoosier Book Award (YHBA) program and recipient of AISLE’s prestigious Peggy L. Pfeiffer Service Award. She has published more than 30 articles in professional journals, co-created online resources and has served as an adjunct professor at Indiana University, Indiana State University and IUPUI. Her book, SSR with Intervention: A School Library Action Research Project (Libraries Unlimited 2007), was named one of the Best Professional Books of 2007 by Teacher Librarian; and her book, Social Readers: Promoting Reading in the 21st Century (Libraries Unlimited 2010), was Highly Recommended by Library Media Connection. Her most recent book is School Library Makerspaces: Grades 6-12 (Libraries Unlimited 2013).

About Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES
For more than 60 years, Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES) has provided a wide array of services for its 23 component school districts in Onondaga, Cortland and Madison counties, and the Syracuse City School District. Program offerings include career and technical education, special education, alternative education and workforce preparation for adults. Instructional support offers professional development, science kits, library services and related programs for teachers and administrators. Our administrative services division offers opportunities for school districts to save money by working together through financial services, including cooperative purchasing and business office support as well as a regional energy services program, providing large-scale purchasing of natural gas and electricity for more than 160 school districts and municipalities. OCM BOCES District Superintendent J. Francis Manning works closely with the component districts as a liaison to, and agent of, the New York State Commissioner of Education.

21 local Hispanic students attend Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute through OCM BOCES

Through the OCM BOCES Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBERN,) 21 local Hispanic students recently had the opportunity to attend the 24th Annual Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute (PRHYLI) in Albany, NY.  The PRHYLI introduces Hispanic high school students to New York State’s legislative process and civic issues affecting the Latino community while fostering such skills as debate, citizenship and leadership.

The event is a collaborative effort among Regional Bilingual Education Resource Networks, The NYS Education Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies, The NYC Department of Education and the NYS Assembly’s Hispanic Task Force.



The 21 Hispanic students were selected from the following nine mid-state high schools:

Cicero-North Syracuse High School: Aaliyah Muolo Vergara;

Fowler High School: Moises Gracciano, Mario Cabral, Neyshmaire Meléndez, and Abigail Rivera;

Liverpool High School: Yaritza Bague;

Corcoran High School: Yadimar Narvaez and Alondra Peña-Merced;

Henninger High School: Alia Anamaria;

Jamesville-DeWitt High School: Ana Carolina Piedra;

Proctor High School: Jennifer Difo and Lorena Difo;

Ithaca High School: Lilia Escobedo, Félix Fernández-Penny, Alejandra Flores Ramírez, Eitan Mizrachi, Vanessa Navarro Rodríguez and Belén Santa Ana; and

Solvay High School: Karissa Benz, Mahalia Rivera and Kevin Vreeland.

Event chaperones were Ofelia Villareeal and Barb Bergman, led by Sally Doran of the Mid-State RBERN. These students formed the Syracuse Delegation and trained together for four days at La Casita Cultural Center in areas directly linked to the Common Core Learning Standards and the New York State Social Studies Standards, assisted by Ed Thater. The ultimate goal of the trainings is to carry out a mock assembly while practicing their leadership skills.

Approximately 206 Hispanic students from a total of eight total delegations from across New York State met for the culminating three-day event on March 22 through 24. This year's team building activity, “Frame and Re-Frame Leading from Understanding,” led by Giselle O. Martin-Kniep, President of Lerner-Centered Initiatives, Ltd., was held at the Albany Desmond Hotel. The students were split into groups, given guidelines and criteria and challenged to dig deep, discuss then create presentations that would inform, inspire and change the way people think about bullying. Our students Jennifer Difo and Alia Anamaria were moderators of the general session on Saturday.

Regent Betty A. Rosa from New York City/Bronx spoke to the students as well as the Associate Commissioner for the State Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies, Angélica Infante-Green, who commended the students for their interests, accomplishments and hard work. A fantastic speaker, Barbara Coloroso offered an inspirational presentation on bullying and each student received her book: The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander.

Once in the Assembly Chambers of the State Capitol building, the group debated five bills that are currently before the Assembly. During opening ceremonies,  Féliz Fernández-Penny with the Syracuse Delegation, performed an exceptional A capella version of the Puerto Rican National Anthem. During the awards banquet that followed, 35 seniors were awarded scholarships on a competitive basis for their achievements and performance. The Syracuse Delegation had two winners: Vanessa Navarro and Eitan Mizrachi. In addition, one student per delegation was nominated “outstanding delegate.” A “Delegate of the year” is chosen by a select panel of evaluators over the course of the weekend; the Syracuse Delegation's Ana Carolina Piedras, who also had the role of Majority Leader this year, came in 2nd place! What an honor!

Students were escorted to the simultaneously held adult conference, “Somos Uno,” an organization dedicated to the dialog of Hispanic issues and policy making representing all aspects of government, business, and community. There they heard from NYS Assemblymen such as Phil Ramos and Félix Ortíz. Rounding out this life-changing weekend, the students had an educational opportunity to learn about Latin music “From Africa to New York: Latin Music in the New World” by Dr. José Cruz; they danced to Salsa, Bachata, Merengue and Regetón!  And finally, The Jerk Whisperer, Dr. Stephen “Bird” Birchak from the College of Saint Rose, Albany, offered a truly remarkable presentation on bullying that will not be forgotten by any who was present. Dr. Bird was so inspirational you could hear a pin drop. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for high school Hispanic students of New York State.

For information on applying for next year's Syracuse Delegation, e-mail Sally Doran at sdoran@ocmboces.org or call 433-2664 for details.

OCM BOCES hosts local conference on USDA's "Smart Snacks in Schools" guidelines

As school districts across the state and nation are looking for healthier alternatives to typical candy bar and potato chip filled vending machines in order to meet new healthy snack regulations that will take effect on July 1, 2014, a group of local agencies is working together to provide assistance.

On Thursday, May 1, 2014, the Healthier Central New York Challenge will take place at the OCM BOCES Rodax 8 building (6820 Thompson Road in Syracuse) conference center. The event is a collaborative effort of Healthy Schools NY programs at OCM, OHM and TST BOCES, Action for Healthy Kids, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Dash NY, Fuel up to Play 60 and Hunger Solutions New York.

Mary Joan McLarney, a Registered Dietician/Nutritionist with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Northeast Regional Office, will talk about the organization’s new competitive foods regulations and Kathryn Hoy, of the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs, will discuss smarter lunchrooms in schools.

The event, which has been designed to provide assistance and ideas for local food service personnel, school district administrators and district staff, will take place from 9:00 a.m. (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.) until 2:00 p.m. and is free of charge. Join local, state and federal experts in school wellness and discover best practices, get a better understanding of the link between health and academics, learn how to write a funded grant proposal and network with local schools and organizations.

Stacy McNeill is the OCM BOCES Healthy Schools NY coordinator and as such, works extensively with school district personnel regarding federal, state and local wellness guidelines. She said, “We have been working together to ensure that students across Central New York have access to healthier foods and increased physical activity in our efforts to optimize wellness and academic success as well as reduce obesity and the chronic diseases associate with it. In order for our schools to be able to offer healthier choices to their students and meet new federal guidelines, we are providing this conference with a special focus on local success stories. We want our districts to have access to sustainable ideas and resources in an effort to make this transition to a healthier school culture as seamless as possible.”

According to the USDA, the new healthy snack regulations will take effect July 1. For more information, visit the USDA Food and Nutrition's Smart Snacks in Schools website.

OCM BOCES Annual Meeting - April 2

OCM BOCES will hold their 2014 Annual Meeting on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Irvin E. Henry Campus (6820 Thompson Road) in Syracuse. The Board of Cooperative Educational Services will present its tentative administrative, capital and program budgets for 2014-2015 to the trustees and members of the boards of education of component school districts in attendance for their review.

The following are summaries of the tentative administrative, capital and program budgets. The amounts stated are based on current estimates and may be subject to change. Copies of the complete tentative administrative, capital and program budgets are available for inspection by the public between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. in the reception areas at:

the LGP Career Training Center (4500 Crown Road) in Liverpool, and the McEvoy Education Center (1710 NYS Route 13) in Cortland and

at the Office of the Clerk at the Irvin E. Henry Campus Administration Building (6820 Thompson Road) in Syracuse.

OCM BOCES Sponsoring NYS Academic Decathlon Section III Competition at Westhill High School –Saturday, January 25, 2014

On Saturday, January 25, 2014, approximately 70-80 students from the Cazenovia, Liverpool, North Syracuse, Tully, West Genesee and Westhill school districts will compete in the 2014 New York State Academic Decathlon (USAD) Section III Competition at Westhill High School (4501 Onondaga Boulevard) in Syracuse.

The theme of this year’s event is World War I. The Decathlon will begin at 8:30 AM, with students engaging in a series of paper and pencil tests through 1:00 PM. At 1:40PM, the “Super Quiz” (oral relay) portion of the Decathlon will commence, with students responding to questions in front of an audience. The Awards Ceremony will be held following the Super Quiz.

The three highest scoring teams will advance to the New York State Competition on Feb 28-March 1 at SUNY Brockport. The state winner will go on to represent New York State at the national USAD competition, which is scheduled for April 24-26 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Since it began as a local academic competition in California in 1968, the United State Academic Decathlon has grown to become an international event. The local Academic Decathlon is coordinated by the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES. Students in ninth through twelfth grades will comprise district teams of three “A” students (Honors), three “B” students (Scholastic), and three “C” students (Varsity). The Academic Decathlon promotes well roundedness by providing competition for each team in several events.  The students will take objective tests in art, music, language and literature, science, social science, mathematics, and economics. They will also participate in a “Super Quiz”, team oral relay conducted before an audience.

For more information about the 2014 sectional level Academic Decathlon at Westhill High School, call Elaina Renfrew, OCM BOCES’ Coordinator of Educational Services and Academic Decathlon Sectional Coordinator, at 315/431-8598.

Participants and coaches are:

Cazenovia – Coaches: Barb Axelson and Ben Wightman
Contestants: Danielle Axelson, Remi Boissonnas, Katherine Boone, Emma Dudley, Brock Houghton, Riley Lloyd, Robert Louis, Joseph Mevec, Piper McKinnon
Alternates: Chase Matteson and Lars Ohlsen

Cicero-North Syracuse – Coach: Matt Harbinger
Contestants: Hayley Bermel, Craig Blume, Demitri Dana, Paul Dehm, Meghan Geary, Caitlin Hernandez, Elena Iaconis, Jacob Mekker and Julie Osborne
Alternates: Zachary Allard, Sierra Ciciarelli, Graham Dittler, Brian Emigohls, Ian Loy, Zachary Winnewisser and Sarah Ziobro

Liverpool – Coach: Daryl Burrer
Contestants: Ziad Abougoash, Garrett Clarke, Matthew Collins, Austin Fedor, Cassandra LaGrange, Shuting “Susie” Lu, Jason Mai, Kazmira Pitzrick and Ronald Wilson
Alternates: Grace Traino, Thomas Williams, Justin Wiszniewski and Eugeen Yoon

Tully – Coaches: Kim Cameron and Pat Votra
Contestants: Peter Barletta, Marshal Clemens, Elsa Gauss, Kurt Gauss, Julie Kunnumpurath, Sarah Reppenhagen, Katie Warner and Matthew Wood
Alternates: Megan Hafler, Kiara Lee, Brendan McGinn, Cassidy McGinn and Bradley Phelps

West Genesee – Coach: Scott Duda
Contestants: Jared Bivens, Callie Campbell, Luke Faulkner, Nathan Gillette, James Hickey, Evan Janes­Rouse, John Lisi, Nicholas Serrao and Vadim Shakhov
Alternates: Dylan Casolare, Rachel Gdula, Jenna Hickey, William Krueger, Joshua Mattice, Megan Petty, Matthew Romano and Eric Wolfe

Westhill – Coach: Sarah Fleming
Contestants: Stephen Burgay, Aidan Kelly, Elizabeth Meluni, Nathan Mevec, Aden Orzell, Madeline Pierce, Jordan Roach, Jennifer Root and Anastasija Useva
Alternates: Kaitlin Cash and Molly Spinek