Confronting Bullying in CNY

More than 70 educators from the OCM BOCES component school districts gathered on the Henry Campus to learn more about confronting bullying in our schools.

Just-released research paints the picture: 1/6 of students indicate being frequently bullied. Almost half of boys who are being bullied report that it has gone on for longer than a year. Bystanders report feeling bad about the bullying but not many bystanders do anything about it.

Cyberbullying is on the rise and can be just as hurtful and harmful as conventional bullying.

Participants in the summit (a session in the Leadership Seminar series) learned about programs in schools that have made a difference.

Living Environment Students Learn about Controlled Experimentation

Living Environment Students Learn about Controlled Experimentation
Students in Mrs. Aguayo’s Living Environment class at McEvoy started out the year learning about controlled experiments. Students were given an opportunity to brainstorm and come up with an experiment of interest to them that could be tested in class. As a class, students decided to test the hypothesis that Mentos candy causes soda to fizz. The experiment was 100% student created – from how they would collect data to determining the independent and dependent variables.

McEvoy Students/Teachers Learn “Happy” Habits and Support OCM BOCES’ Literacy Initiatives

Students in Mrs. Breneman’s and Mrs. Comolli’s classroom began the year reading The Seven Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey. This book ties into the Social-Emotional Learning component of their program. As the class read the book they created their classroom tree to illustrate the habits. The seven habits are:
Habit 1– be proactive, you are in charge (of making your own decisions, fun, choices, etc.)
Habit 2 – have a plan
Habit 3 – work first, then play
Habit 4 – everyone can win
Habit 5 – listen before you talk
Habit 6 – together is better
Habit 7 – balance feels best

Mrs. Breneman’s and Mrs. Comolli’s classes are supporting the BOCES literacy initiatives through their work with the Natalie Babbit’s novel, Tuck Everlasting. Students have been immersed in reading, discussions, and journaling each day.

Career Academy and Reach Students Celebrate International Day of Peace

On Tuesday, September 21, OCM BOCES’ Career Academy and Reach program students and staff celebrated International Day of Peace at the school and into the village of Liverpool. During the morning, students created pinwheels with inspiring messages of peace and then “planted” the pinwheels outside the school in order for the wind to carry their messages around the world. Following the pinwheel ceremony, students created banners and posters conveying messages of peace and then participated in a peace march starting at the school and going through the village of Liverpool.

2010 was the first year that OCM BOCES’ students participated in the International Day of Peace and all activities were arranged completely by students!

International Peace Day was established by a United ­Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. Beginning on the 20th anniversary of this date, the United Nations General Assembly set September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace. Millions of students throughout the world currently participate in International Day of Peace activities. For more detailed information about International Day of Peace and Pinwheels for Peace, visit: http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com/pinwheelsforpeace/home.html.

OCM BOCES McEvoy Campus Elects 12 SkillsUSA Officers and Announces Group’s First Fundraising Event

Congratulations to the 12 OCM BOCES students from the McEvoy Educational Campus in Cortland, recently elected as 2010-2011 SkillsUSA Officers.

SkillsUSA is a national organization which serves teachers, and high school and 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.

The OCMBOCES McEvoy Skills USA officers for 2010-2011 are:

Juniors: Ben Rahne (from Tully Central School District) as President; Wade Morse (from McGraw Central School District) as Vice President; Richard Gunn (from Homer Central School District) as Treasurer; Taylor Latta (from Homer Central School District) as Secretary; MacKenzie Edinger (from Tully Central School District) as Reporter; and Stephen Sherman (from Cortland City School District) as Parliamentarian.

Seniors (pictured): Matthew Clark (from McGraw Central School District) as President; Tanesha Sharpsteen (from Cortland City School District) as Vice President; Larry Gantt (from Homer Central School District) as Treasurer; Ashley Fowler (from Cortland City School District) as Secretary; Nate Bush (from Homer Central School District) as Reporter, and Karissa Milliron (from Marathon Central School District) as Parliamentarian.

McEvoy Campus SkillsUSA students, in conjunction with the Epicurean Club, will hold their first fundraising event of the year on Thursday, November 4, 2010 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the McEvoy Education Center (1710 State Route 13) in Cortland. The featured food, prepared and served by the students, will be Specialty Sandwiches of pulled pork or sausage with peppers and onions. Preorders are welcome. For more information or to preorder food, call 607-758-5140.

Fun Programs and Events Make Summer Special for BOCES’ Students

All OCM BOCES Special Education programs for severely disabled students take place for the entire 12 months of every year. During the summer of 2010, OCM BOCES held Special Education summer schools at North Syracuse Junior High, Lee G. Peters Career Training Center, Kasson Road School, McEvoy Center, Onondaga Road, Cedar Street, and Stonehedge Elementary. During July and August, BOCES’ dedicated Special Education summer school staff worked with our students to provide many unique and fun educational experiences.


Some of the many exciting events that students in these special education programs were a part of during the summer of 2010 were Special Olympic games, carnivals, concerts and dances. Parents and families were invited to these special school events through OCM BOCES and had many opportunities to witness how special the summer of 2010 was for their children. Many thanks to our dedicated staff!

Deaf Program Lemonade Stand Has Sweet Success for a Great Cause!

For the second year in a row, students in Lisa Austin’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing class at North Syracuse Junior High School, a part of OCM BOCES Special Education Summer School, created a lemonade stand to raise money for a great cause! During last year’s summer program, Ms. Austin was teaching her students about money and the importance of giving back and thought a Lemonade Stand would be a great way to teach students about both concepts. After researching, and finding several books on the topic, Austin came across the book Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand.

The book, about giving back and helping others, talked about Alex Scott, a little girl with cancer who set up a lemonade stand to help doctors find a cure for the disease. Alex’s Lemonade Stand, now a national organization, has raised more than $30 million dollars in the fight against childhood cancer...part of that money coming from right here in Central New York!

Last year, Austin’s students raised $100 at their lemonade stand. This year, they set the same goal but far exceeded it with the over $300 their stand brought in! Austin is proud of the hard work her students did to promote and staff the stand, including making flyers and announcements and working various jobs and shifts at the stand. Congratulations to teacher and students for a job well done! For more information on Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit their website at https://www.alexslemonade.org/.