OCM BOCES Dignity Act Resources

New York's Dignity for All Students Act, known now as The Dignity Act, takes effect on July 1, 2012. The law focuses on the elimination of discrimination and harassment which includes but is not limited to bullying. OCM BOCES will assist districts with their compliance and implementation of the law via training, technical assistance, and resources.

The Dignity Act amended Section 801-a of New York State Education Law regarding instruction in civility, citizenship and character education by expanding the concepts of tolerance, respect for others, and dignity to include:  an awareness and sensitivity to people based on different races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, gender identity or expression, and sex.

The Dignity Act also amended Section 2801 of the Education Law, instructing Boards of Education to include language in the codes of conduct to comply with The Dignity Act.  The code of conduct must be amended to reflect the prohibition of discrimination and harassment of students by students or staff – in age appropriate plain language. 

NYSED will provide sample policy, sample code of conduct (definition of terms), guidelines for implementation, curriculum ideas, a rubric to assess level of implementation and compliance, and requirements for professional development for the Dignity Act Coordinator and all staff. 

One dignity act coordinator per school will be identified and specifically trained in issues related to bullying, harassment and discrimination. This person will coordinate efforts in the building related to DASA compliance. The Title IX Coordinator for the district should also receive specialized training. 

The Dignity Act and Uniform Violent Incident Reporting:  Reporting will be done under the same system that currently allows for the reporting of Violent and Disruptive Incidents, though incidents reportable under the Dignity Act will not impact a School’s Violence Impact unless they also fall under a Violent and Disruptive Incident category.

160 Adult Students Graduate From OCM BOCES Syracuse Area Training Programs – Wednesday, February 15, 2012

On Wednesday, February 15 OCM BOCES celebrated the accomplishments of our adult students completing training in our health-related occupations, office technology, technical computer, cosmetology careers, and trade and technical programs. Approximately 160 students graduated from these programs.

This year, the family of the late Kurt Schmeling, an adult HVAC teacher for OCM BOCES that passed away this past November, wss on hand at the ceremony to accept a certificate of appreciation for a newly created scholarship in Kurt’s memory. The scholarship provides $500 a year to deserving students pursuing training in the HVAC field. Donations to the scholarship are being made by Kurt’s family, as well as a variety of organizations with which Kurt was affiliated.

For more information about OCM BOCES adult education programs, contact Joanne Flood, Coordinator of Continuing Education at 315-453-4420.

OCM BOCES’ Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Kicks-off Syracuse Crunch Game by Signing “National Anthem” at February 10, 2012 Game

On Friday, February 10, students from the OCM BOCES Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program and students from the Solvay Middle School chorus sang and signed the National Anthem at the Syracuse Crunch hockey game against the Hershey Bears.

Over the past several years, OCM BOCES has developed a strong relationship with the Syracuse Crunch hockey team and for the past seven years, students from the OCM BOCES Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program have been invited to sign the National Anthem prior to one game each year.

For more information about the OCM BOCES Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program or their appearance at the Syracuse Crunch hockey game, please contact Jeffrey Wilson, Special Education Administrator at 315/488-9034.

Cazenovia Team Takes Top Honors in Academic Decathlon

On Saturday, January 28, 2012, students from the Cazenovia, Liverpool, North Syracuse, Tully, West Genesee and Westhill school districts competed in the 2012 sectional competition of the United States Academic Decathlon sponsored by OCM BOCES. The decathlon, held at Westhill High School, started with a written test, followed by a "super quiz," where students answered questions in front of an audience.

This year, the team from Cazenovia took home the top prize, followed by West Genesee and North Syracuse. Those teams will advance to the New York State Competition on March 9th and 10th at Onondaga Community College. The 31st Annual National USAD Competition will be held from April 25-28 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.



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 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 take objective tests in art, music, language and literature, social science, mathematics, and economics.

Congratulations to all teams and their coaches on a great job!
Pictured below is the team from Cazenovia.

OCM BOCES to Co-Host Financial Aid Awareness Night at McEvoy Campus

On Wednesday, February 15, 2012, OCM BOCES and Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) will co-host a Financial Aid Awareness Night at the OCM BOCES McEvoy Educational Campus (1710 NYS Route 13) in Cortland. From 6:00 – 7:00 PM, financial aid representatives from TC3 will provide an overview of the financial aid process and from 7:00 – 8:00 PM, parents and students will be able to complete the financial aid forms (FAFSA) with guidance from the school’s financial aid representatives.

Registration is required for the 7:00 – 8:00 PM session to ensure computer availability. Please RSVP by calling 607/758-5238 or emailing ccolasurdo@ocmboces.org.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Floyd Little Videoconferences from CNYRIC

On Tuesday, January 17, 2012, the OCM BOCES Central New York Regional Information Center (CNYRIC) had the exciting opportunity to host Floyd Little, Pro Football Hall of Fame and former Syracuse University running back for two videoconference sessions. Floyd Little presented his “Heart of Hall of Famer” series via videoconference from the CNYRIC to 6th – 12th grade students from districts across the United States, including Onondaga Central, right here in Central New York. Students heard about Little's accomplishments on and off the football field and had a chance to ask questions of the Hall of Famer.

OCM BOCES Sponsoring Sectional-Level Academic Decathlon at Westhill High School – Saturday, January 28, 2012

Students from six local school districts participating

On Saturday, January 28, 2012, approximately 50-60 students from the Cazenovia, Liverpool, North Syracuse, Tully, West Genesee and Westhill school districts will compete in the 2012 sectional competition of the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) at Westhill High School (4501 Onondaga Boulevard) in Syracuse. The theme of this year’s event is The Age of Empire. 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 two highest scoring teams will advance to the New York State Competition on March 9 and 10 at Onondaga Community College. The 31st Annual National USAD Competition will be held from April 25-28 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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, social science, mathematics, and economics. They will also participate in a “Super Quiz”, which consists of an individual written test followed by a team oral relay conducted before an audience. For 2011 - 2012 the Super Quiz topic is “The Age of Imperialism”.

For more information about the 2012 sectional level Academic Decathlon at Westhill High School, call Steve Saya, OCM BOCES’ Coordinator of Educational Services and Academic Decathlon Sectional Coordinator, at 315/431-8598.

Participants and coaches are:

Cazenovia – Coaches: Christie Brenneck and Martin Kelly 

Contestants: Danielle Axelson, Maxwell Blair, Avery Stone-Fish, Robert Louis, David Martellock, Samuel Medbury, Darren Mihaich and Kyle Polhamu. Alternates:  Kilian Crowley, Ganli Demyttenaere, Hannah Gravelding and Riley Lloyd.

Cicero-North Syracuse – Coach: Theresa Rice

Contestants: Anna Bruzgulis, Aine Evangelista, Edwina Kisanga, Christopher Pavente, Eric Perdew, Michael Renz, Kevin Shane and Dylan Werts. Alternates:  Nathan Clapper and Mahdi Mere. 

Liverpool – Coach: Daryl Burrer
Contestants: Rob Clark, Jay Godzwon, Nate LeClair, Lawrence Nguyen, Raj Patel, Nick Price, Matt Rose and Mercedes Siddiqui. Alternates:  Susie Lu.


Tully – Coach: Eufemia Gallipeau
Contestants: Leo Doody, Jon Dudley, Ashley Evans, Zoe Guttendorf, Sarah Hafler, Zach Kennedy, Phil Lipsky, Schuyler McGregor and Marcus Warner.

West Genesee – Coach: Scott Duda
Contestants: Ken Brill, Andrew Fordyce, Lindsay Grome, Kristina Konfederat, Megan Nolan, Alex Pompo, Mike Richards, Jerry Roy and Emma Ryan. Alternates: Lauren Brieant, Callie Campbell, John Lisi, Megan Petty, Tatyana Shakhov and Dakota White.

Westhill – Coaches: Nancy Rein and Sarah Fleming
Contestants: Rachel Berry, Aidan Kelly, Alex Mevec, Alex Mrozek, Jordan Roach, Jenny Root, Emily Scholl and Juliana Thompson.  Alternates:  Molly Clark, Chandler Loyd, Elizabeth Meluni and Anatasia Useva.