Attica Central School District

Our varsity boys basketball team held its annual Teacher Appreciation Night late last month before their 80-46 win over Oakfield-Alabama. Players and their chosen teachers are listed below: • Curtis Daniel chose John Perl, JV basketball coach and lifelong family friend • Logan Albano chose Cheryl Allein, an elementary school teacher • Carter Gorski chose Elise Meyer, a high school counselor • Jordan Anderson chose Laura Breuckman, a member of our food service staff • Micah Capwell chose Sarah Michalak, a high school social studies teacher • Landyn Thomas chose Craig Lavis, an assistant coach and member of our technology department • Braden Allein chose Christine Wolcott-Dean, a high school teacher • Ethan Meyer chose John Versage, a middle school technology teacher • Clayton Bezon chose Jeff Cusmano, a high school physical education teacher and football coach • Cole Harding chose Erica Frongetta, a high school counselor • Jack Janes chose John Dickhut, a high school math teacher And don’t forget, Blue Devils - our boys’ senior night is tonight, Thursday, Feb, 8, during their game against Kendall. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Come support our seniors during the final home game of their high school careers! (Photos courtesy of Brennan Bezon)

The Champ Chips Jar was almost OVERFLOWING this morning at Attica Elementary School and you know what that means - time to reward all our students’ acts of kindness, perseverance, cooperation and gratitude! Over the past few weeks, students have been voting for which teacher they wanted to see take a whipped cream pie to the face (assuming they earned enough Champ Chips, of course). Well they did and at this morning’s assembly, it was time for pie to meet face. A hearty congratulations to Mr. Anthony Ianni, Mrs. Sherry Bennett and Mrs. Susie Baker for “winning” the vote and getting to enjoy some early morning whipped cream. We’re sooooo jealous! Check out the video linked below to see our teachers get pied! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6brKqWF7SVE

FUTURE FIGHTING SCOTS: This afternoon, Attica seniors Clayton Bezon and Landyn Thomas signed letters of intent to attend and play football at NCAA Division II Pennsylvania Western University, Edinboro in Edinboro, Pa., this fall. While Clayton contributed offensively during his time on varsity, he was primarily a defensive standout for the Blue Devils at the linebacker position. A varsity player for only two years, the reigning Section V Class C Defensive Player of the Year still finished his high school career among the district’s career leaders in total tackles (190) and sacks (14) and holds the single season sack record with 9. A three-year varsity player at the running back position, Landyn ranks third all-time for the Blue Devils in points scored (212), touchdowns (35) and career receptions (38) while ranking among the top 10 in a variety of other offensive statistical categories including career receiving yards (555), career rushing yards (2,238) and receiving touchdowns (5). “It’s been a pleasure coaching these two guys,” said Attica Head Football Coach Jeff Cusmano. “Not only are they great football players that helped take our program to another level, they’re even better people and with their work ethic they will be a great addition to Edinboro.” Clayton and Landyn will compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for The Fighting Scots. Congratulations to Clayton and Landyn on this huge step forward and good luck next year. You’re getting a pair of good ones, Edinboro!

We’ve got a great lineup of taste tests during our elementary, middle and high school lunches over the next several weeks. Take a look at the schedule below to see what we’ve got coming up! Oh, and in case you don’t know - Buddy Fruits are blended fruit snacks that come in a pouch while SideKicks are frozen fruit treats that come in a cup. Both are healthy, plant-based, free of artificial flavorings and best of all, taste great!

Our Winter Pep Rally was all kinds of crazy Friday. Check out the video at the link below and see for yourself! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXojakgQPUo

Don’t forget, Blue Devils. Our FFA chapter’s annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser is this Sunday, Feb. 4, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the North Java Fire Hall, 4274 NY-98, North Java. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and can be purchased at the door. See you Sunday!

Our wrestlers will compete in the Section V Class B1 Championships tomorrow - Saturday, Feb. 3 - at Haverling High School, 25 Ellas Ave., Bath. Tickets are $7.30 and can be purchased online through GoFan at the link below. Bath Central School District will also livestream the event on its YouTube channel (link below). Matches begin at 9 a.m. (time is approximate). Live results will be posted through Track Wrestling at the link below. Tickets link: https://gofan.co/event/1303744?schoolId=NYSPHSAAV Livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/@HaverlingAthletics/streams Track Wrestling link: https://www.trackwrestling.com/opentournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&TIM=1706881488528&pageName=%2Fopentournaments%2FTournamentHub.jsp&twSessionId=lhxuqbaege

Earlier today, Attica Central Schools hosted local state representatives and superintendents from surrounding school districts for a press conference on Governor Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposal, which would include steep cuts to districts’ foundation aid funding for the upcoming, 2024-25 school year. Should lawmakers approve Hochul’s proposal, Attica Central Schools alone would lose about $540,000 of foundation aid funding next school year. Our superintendent, Dr. Kiel Illg, and others spoke about how such a cut in funding would devastate districts and their ability to meet the needs of students. A huge thank you to Sen. George Borrello, Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Assemblyman David DiPietro for their passionate representation of rural school districts in Albany and to Genesee Valley BOCES Superintendent Kevin McDonald, Perry Superintendent Daryl McLaughlin and Patrick Burke, executive director of the Genesee Valley School Boards Association, for traveling to Attica this morning to advocate on such an important issue.

Best of luck to our Blue Devils as they travel to Gates-Chili Aquatic Center tonight to compete in the Genesee Region-Niagara-Orleans Intersectional Swimming and Diving Championship! We had 10 swimmers qualify for this year’s championships - Brooke Luck, Kim Piorun, Claire Zehler, Leah Ford, Maddie Burger, Kate Metzger, Brielle Baker, Kara Hassenfratz, Samantha Alfiero and Makayla Kurtowicz. Congrats, ladies - swim fast! (Photo courtesy of Heather Smith)

We spotted Mrs. Ryanne Glowny’s sixth grade science students hard at work the other day, reviewing the layers in the Earth in the Middle School Library. Instead of reading through their notes, our Library Media Specialist, Stacey Donahue, came up with a Hedbanz-style game for students to play. First, students were broken up into pairs or small groups and given a card with a layer of the Earth or related geology vocabulary word or concept written on it. Without looking at their word, students strapped the card to their heads and asked questions of their classmates to try to figure out the word on their card. Based on their classmates’ answers and their existing knowledge, students then took an educated guess about what Earth layer, vocabulary world or geologic concept they had on their card. Fun! (Photos courtesy of Stacey Donahue)

Tomorrow - Thursday, Feb. 1 - is our first New York Thursday of the month! During lunch periods tomorrow, we’ll be offering nachos grande made with ground beef courtesy of Burly Bros Country Butchery along with a choice of fresh vegetables and New York State-produced carrots, fruit and milk Check out the schedule below to see what we’ve got coming up in February.

Another successful Build-A-Yogurt Parfait Day yesterday at Attica Elementary School! Students enjoyed yogurt from Upstate Farms and were able to add granola, bananas, blueberries and strawberries that our food service staff froze over the summer from local farmers! Upstate cheese sticks and milk were also offered as a part of the meal. The cart, which we obtained thanks to a grant from the American Dairy Association North East, took a little vacation recently but came back with some snazzy, new Attica Central School District decals and is looking better than ever! We typically bust the cart out a few times per month for build-a-parfait and build-a-salad days. Both are so popular, it’s hard to tell which our students like more! A huge thank you to our incredible food service staff (especially Jennifer Meyer for manning the cart and helping kiddos build their parfaits), local dairy farmers for producing amazing items for our students to enjoy and the American Dairy Association Northeast for their contribution to the district! (Photos courtesy of Alicia Spoth)

Total Body Workouts are BACK throughout the month of February! These classes are FREE and open to ALL staff and community members. Please see the attached form for available sessions. Use the link below to sign up or send an email to Laura O’Donnell at lodonnell@atticacsd.org. Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIOLgtj-V7RuhwNrJFpRvpDIsBM1mvHZGy5BCguFQzarKODA/viewform

Paula Bianchi, a building custodian at Attica Middle School, is our newest Attica All-Star! Facilities Director Dave Barber, who nominated Bianchi, called her “an unsung hero” of his department and lauded her as “reliable, trustworthy and skilled in her trade.” “She frequently goes above and beyond to take care of her kids in the Middle School,” said Barber. “Her work is much more than just picking up behind them. She’s taught them yoga, helped some of them learn custodial skills and always seeks to develop meaningful relationships with as many kids as she can. Most importantly, she genuinely loves, serves and cares for the Attica middle schoolers.” While technically not an instructional staff member, Barber said Bianchi goes above and beyond to ensure the middle school’s culture of learning remains strong. “I remember when we went to remote instruction during the spring of 2020 and never reopened for in-school instruction until that September,” Barber recalled. “Paula was so emotional about finally getting ‘her kids’ back into the building and that really struck me as someone who gets it - under this roof, we're all educators.” Attica Middle School Principal Paul Clark was of a like mind and credited Bianchi with approaching her job with “a tremendous amount of pride.” “She treats the students and staff like family, she is always available for support, whether it be a clean-up or a shoulder to cry on,” said Clark. “The students all get to know ‘Miss Paula’ personally and appreciate all the valuable qualities she brings to the Middle School on a daily basis. The best word to describe Paula to me would be ‘loyal.’ She would do anything she possibly could to help someone out or support someone in need.” Apart from her official duties, Bianchi is also an accomplished yogi and occasionally leads students in yoga classes as a way of practicing mindfulness, reducing anxiety and improving their strength, balance and flexibility. Nominees for future Attica All-Star recognitions can be submitted to your building administrator or direct supervisor. Nominees can be any district employee that goes beyond the usual scope of their duties and whose efforts have a positive impact on students and the district. Nominees will be considered by the district’s leadership team and recipients will be announced every few weeks.

Get stronger! Get flexible! Get active! Allison Platten, a local, certified Barre Above instructor, is leading classes Tuesday nights throughout the month of February. Barre Above is a full body, low-impact workout, with emphasis on the lower body and core. It’s a fusion of ballet, pilates, yoga and strength training designed for a wide range of fitness levels, ages and bodies. Classes will be held in the High School Cafeteria, 3338 East Main Street Rd., Attica, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27. These classes are free for Attica staff and community members. You must be 18 years old to register. A yoga mat is suggested. Use the link below to sign up. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming classes! Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfY5UYcV6FW1bKLeGuQV_8S17Rfg6cPohLoSYNKJPCbge__wQ/viewform

Winter Homecoming Week kicks off in our high school TOMORROW. Don’t forget to take a look at our spirit day schedule below so you can plan your outfit for the coming week!

Boys basketball mid-season check-in: Your Blue Devils are now 11-2 on the season following their 50-45 win over a quality Wheatland-Chili squad last night. So far this season, three of our starters have taken home Player of the Week honors for the Genesee Region Athletic Association. Senior Clayton Bezon got things started the week of Dec. 16 when he was named Player of the Week following wins over Oakfield-Alabama (28 points, 15 rebounds) and Pembroke (10 points, 11 rebounds). Next up was senior Cole Harding whose 22-point, 14-rebound, 6-assist performance over Royalton Hartland earned him Player of the Week honors for the week of Dec. 30. And earlier this month, senior Jack Janes was named Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 13 on the strength of his performances during wins over Wellsville (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Lyndonville (21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists). “The team is really working great as a unit,” said Head Coach Rob Crowley. “I’m really proud of these guys and am really looking forward to making a strong push toward the end of the season.” Our boys are next in action Monday, Jan. 29 at home where they’ll take on 11-3 Byron-Bergen. (Photos courtesy of Brennan Bezon)

Don’t forget, Blue Devils - there’s a Total Body Workout class tonight from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. in Attica Elementary School’s multipurpose room. We hope to see you there!

Reminder, Blue Devils: Tomorrow - Friday, Jan. 26 - is a Professional Growth Committee day for our staff and there will be no school for students. Enjoy the long weekend!

Last New York Thursday of the month coming up tomorrow. Check out the image below to see what’s on the lunch menu!