Due to the expected inclement weather conditions, Attica Central School District will be closed tomorrow - Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. This includes all after-school and evening activities.
Enjoy the day off, Blue Devils!
Remember last month when we told you about how senior Kara Hassenfratz had been selected as a member of the New York State School Music Association’s Area All-State Treble Choir for the second straight year?
Well this past weekend, the Attica alto one-upped herself as she performed at Eastman Theater’s Kodak Hall in Rochester as a member of NYSSMA’s Conference All-State Treble Choir!
While Area-All State ensembles draw members from across the eight-county Rochester region, Conference All-State ensembles are made up of the best student musicians in the entire state of New York!
In a typical year, some 6,500 high school sophomores and juniors audition for a spot in one of NYSSMA’s Conference All-State ensembles the following year while only about 600 are ultimately selected.
Kara auditioned for this group last spring, performing a solo and sight reading in front of a judge.
Her selection for this prestigious ensemble is not only a reflection of her passion for music and commitment to excellence, but a testament to her dedication, hard work and exceptional musical ability.
We’re so proud to have Kara representing Attica Central School District, the Attica community and showcasing her talents on such a significant stage.
Congratulations!
Did you know that New York is one of the largest cabbage producers in the United States? It’s true!
We rank second in both fresh cabbage production and processing cabbage and last week, our students had the opportunity to try one of our state’s favorite vegetables in a fun coleslaw taste test.
Using fresh red and green cabbage from Fenton’s Produce in Batavia, our food service staff sliced and diced to create a delicious coleslaw for students to enjoy.
Overall, students loved the cabbage salad and were excited to pair it with their chicken patties or enjoy it straight from the salad bar. We encourage our district families to try cabbage, too!
According to the Farm to School Institute, cabbage is available 11 months out of the year. It’s harvested in summer to fall, sold fresh-cut until December, and then available from cold storage until May or June.
State Sen. George Borrello and Attica Village Mayor Nathan Montford stopped by our high school this morning to learn more about some of our district’s recent Farm-to-School initiatives.
Borrello and Montford joined Superintendent Dr. Kiel Illg and Attica Board of Education members Brian Fugle and Sue Herman in a tour of our middle/high school cafeteria, where Farm-to-School Coordinator Alicia Spoth and Food Service Manager Kris Wicks spoke about their efforts to feature locally produced food on our school meal menus and some of the recent lunchtime additions such as our daily salad bar and smoothie station.
After having lunch together, members of our Future Farmers of America chapter sent Borrello and Montford off with a box of local produce as well as some homemade jam and bread.
Sen. Borrello and Mayor Montford have been big supporters of our district generally and our farm-to-school programs specifically over the years and we appreciate them stopping by!
GENESEE REGION REPRESENTED: It was a good weekend for the future of the Genesee Region Athletic Association as the children of five GRAA boys basketball coaches teamed up to capture the Buff Rice Youth Basketball League’s grades 2/3/4 title at Notre Dame Batavia!
Jason Rapone, son of Notre Dame Batavia Head Coach Mikey Rapone, and Cooper Stehlar, son of Oakfield-Alabama Head Coach Ryan Stehlar, scored key baskets in the final two minutes of the championship game, keeping the game tied going into the final minute.
With 60 seconds to go, leading scorer Denny Crowley, son of Attica’s own Rob Crowley, hit a huge 3 pointer, then came up with a steal followed by a layup to seal the 44-39 victory.
Charlie Rapone, son of Notre Dame Batavia Assistant Coach Joey Rapone, Lucy Stehlar, daughter of Oakfield-Alabama’s Ryan Stehlar, and Charles Zambito, son of Elba Head Coach Ciaci Zambito, also contributed to the win.
Congratulations to the successful sixsome!
Today is your LAST CHANCE to pick up produce at our Mobile Farm Stand before we break it down for the season this afternoon.
Our Farm-to-School Coordinator, Alicia Spoth, just stocked the stand to the gills so make sure you stop by for one last batch of fresh, locally-grown produce!
Please join us in congratulating Krystal Dominick and Melissa Mitchell, our newest Attica All-Stars!
Dominick, a 5th grade integrated co-teacher, and Mitchell, a 5th/6th grade AIS math teacher, were nominated by Middle School Special Education Teacher Erin Holt, who praised not only the pair’s teaching ability but active participation as members of the middle school’s Building Leadership Team.
“Melissa and Krystal both bring a positive, solution focused-perspective to the team,” said Holt, a fellow BLT member. “Rather than complaining about the negatives, both women find a way to enhance the positive and find a way to promote that positivity.”
“They’re go-getters,” added Diane Gebel, a middle school social studies teacher who’s also on the team. “They look for the best in situations, always focusing on the positive.”
The Building Leadership Team’s purpose is, essentially, to keep its finger on the pulse of Attica Middle School, said Principal Paul Clark.
“Members discuss what is going well as well as areas to focus on to grow and also organize activities for both students and staff to promote a positive environment,” Clark said. “Krystal and Melissa both are integral members of this team, consistently offering creative fun ideas as well as going above and beyond behind the scenes to plan and organize the team’s initiatives.”
Clark specifically cited the pair’s work organizing the middle school’s Halloween Activity Day this fall as an example of the impact they have on the middle school community.
“They single handedly organized it and it was a huge hit,” said Clark. “All our students were able to choose activities and create their own schedule for the day full of teacher-led activities. It ended up being a really special, memorable day for the kids.”
Congratulations, Krystal and Melissa, and thank you for going ABOVE AND BEYOND for our students and school!
Our Middle School PageTurners team headed to the first competition of the school year today in Warsaw where they went up against teams from Warsaw, Letchworth and Alexander.
For all but two members of our team, this was their first time competing and this is only Attica’s second year being involved in the PageTurners program!
For the fall competition, team members had a list of ten books they had to read and, at today’s competition, were challenged with trivia questions about the titles.
Our students did a great job and had so much fun!
Team members include Edith Wallace, Lucy Kennedy, Wyatt Bennett, Michael Schroth, Lucas Zybczynski, Madalynn Perl, Eva Cook, Ellie Keem, April Edwards, Lincoln Fleenor and Kanon Myers.
(Photo courtesy of Melanie Loranty and Stacey Donahue)
Our Elementary Food Service staff has got it going on!
This week, the staff has been featuring their Elf on a Shelf, Waffle, who’s been causing all kinds of fun mischief in the cafeteria this season!
Students have been enjoying delicious yogurt parfaits made with Upstate Farms Yogurt and New York-grown Strawberries.
On Tuesday, our food service staff offered a “build your own” day where students got to create their own custom salads.
School breakfast and lunch are not only delicious and nutritious, but also filled with holiday spirit.
We hope you’ll consider encouraging your kiddo(s) to try something fun from our December menu – there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
(Photos courtesy of Kayla George)
Good Morning,
The Attica Central School District will be closed today, December 5, 2024 due to inclement weather. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kiel Illg
Give it up for our November physical education students of the month, junior Alyssa Armsrong and sophomore Blaine Datzler.
Congratulations, you two!
Your Mighty Marching Blue Devils headed north of the border last month to - you guessed it - march in the 120th annual Santa Claus Parade in Toronto!
They sounded great, looked great and, most importantly, had a great time! What a great way to kick off the holiday season!
Click on the link below for a clip of our Blue Devils in action in the parade!
Link: https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxF7xm1KuVXwhxh6P-h5yPXy_AtYnjdypb?feature=shared
Don’t miss our 3rd and 4th grade Holiday Chorus Concert, which kicks off TONIGHT at 7 p.m. in our District Auditorium, 3338 East Main Street Rd., Attica.
Our kiddos have been rehearsing for weeks and are ready to share their hard work with all of you!
Middle school members of our Fresh Connections Club got a jump on Thanksgiving last month during their Nov. 21 meeting.
Students came together to create a fully-fledged Thanksgiving feast that included appetizers, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, turkey, and apple pie for dessert.
The students worked in small groups, each responsible for a different dish. They practiced essential cooking skills, such as peeling and mashing potatoes, seasoning and roasting a turkey, and carefully measuring and mixing ingredients for stuffing and sweet potatoes. They also learned how to prepare cranberry sauce from scratch, gaining an understanding of balancing sweet and tart flavors. For dessert, students arranged the dough, sliced apples, and seasoned the filling to create delicious homemade pies.
Club advisors Becky Sphar and Jenelle Bauer discussed the importance of gratitude and being thankful for the blessings in our lives with club members. Each student shared something they were grateful for, whether it was their family, friends, school opportunities, or the chance to be part of this club. This reflection set a positive tone for the evening and reminded everyone of the value of giving thanks and sharing with others.
After preparing the dishes, students sat down together to enjoy their hard work. Each student also packed a container of food to bring home and share with their families, spreading the joy of the feast beyond the club.
Happy Thanksgiving, Blue Devils - we hope your day is as full of friends and family as it is of food!
PLEASE SHARE: We are hiring for a Facilities Director II or a Facilities Director III.
Visit the ‘Open Positions’ page on our website for more information and instructions on how to apply.
Link: https://www.atticacsd.org/page/open-positions
Few shots from our sixth graders’ Egyptian museum this morning.
Students have been working on their research projects and essays for the past few weeks and were excited to share what they’ve learned with museum goers - thanks to everyone who came out!
(Photos courtesy of Ellie Durfee and Allison Cali)
After collecting donations for the past few weeks, members of our We Care Club and Attica Basket Committee assembled in our Auditorium atrium this morning to distribute Thanksgiving meal kits to local families!
In addition to a generous assortment of canned and non-perishable food, each family also received a box stuffed full of fresh produce from Fenton’s Produce in Batavia, a turkey from Attica’s own HLW Acres and a $20 gift card to Tops Market.
A huge thank you to everyone who donated items for this year’s drive - your generosity blew us away!
Anything but a cup day down at Attica Elementary earlier this week - might just be our favorite underground spirit day yet!
Burly Brothers beef is back on the menu tomorrow for New York Thursday!
A statewide initiative, New York Thursdays highlights New York-grown and produced food items during school meals once per week. It’s intended to maximize the amount of locally produced food students have access to at school while, at the same time, saving the district money in the form of increased state aid reimbursements.
Shout out to our entire food service department not only for providing our students with delicious, nutritious meals each and every day, but for prioritizing LOCAL producers and vendors!
