The Spartan, Issue 2 : simplebooklet.com

Dear Spartan Community,The 2024-2025 school year is underway, and we are thrilled to bring you excitingupdates, new programs, and highlights of initiatives that showcase the incrediblework within our district and the accomplishments of our alumni. The Spartan isour platform to educate, celebrate, and connect with you—our valued schoolcommunity.Did you know that we have welcomed two new building principals and two newassociate principals, marking a fifty percent change in our building-levelleadership? Or that we’ve launched a new program offering students a micro-credential in personal training? Perhaps you’ve heard about our $64 millioncapital improvement project, authorized by voters in 2022, which is now inPhase 2, including significant work at Maine Memorial Elementary? And, on acelebratory note, one of our student-athletes has joined the most prestigiouscollege baseball program in the nation. After reading this issue of The Spartan,you’ll have all the details!Our hope is that The Spartan will also give you deeper insight into our dailywork. Since 2003, our district has operated under the framework of aprofessional learning community (PLC). Over the past three years, we haverevitalized this commitment and aim to share with you what this work involves.We are also addressing the critical challenge of absenteeism and want to educateour students, parents, and guardians on the significant impact of missed classes.Shining a light on the outstanding work happening across the district—by bothstudents and staff—reaffirms our mission: delivering a premier educationalexperience to each student. This mission is, and will always be, at the core ofeverything we do.We invite you to explore this edition and share your feedback with us. Yourinsights are invaluable as we strive to make each issue even more informativeand engaging.Very Sincerely,A WORD FROM OURSUPERINTENDENTDelivering apremiereducationalexperience toeach student Jason R. Van FossenSuperintendent of Schools

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3  New Leadership, Familiar FacesWelcoming New Principals5Cool Days AheadCapital Project at MaineMemorial Begins9Learning Never StopsRachel Murat Continues to Buildher Skills Over the Summer11Alumni SpotlightMichael Mancini, ‘2215Lighting up the Sky24 Pieces of Student ArtShowcased at LUMA17Training Future LeadersNew Class, New Opportunities 19Attendance MattersBuilding Good Habits to AddressChronic Absenteeism19Building a Professional LearningCommunityTeachers Finding New Ways toEnhance Classroom Experience THE SPARTANF A L L 2 0 2 4 , I S S U E 2Current, Former Students find a Love forTeaching at Summer Enrichment27Once a Spartan, Always a Spartan

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Welcoming NewPrincipalsLeft to right: Michele Osterhout, Megan Ferry, Kara Mallery, Stacey HannaNew Leadership, Familiar FacesI'm really excited abouthaving the opportunityto broaden my impactthat I can have on ourstudents and our staff.I’m just really excitedto be in this new role.”As we kick off the 2024-2025school year, we’re excited tointroduce new leadership attwo of our buildings. At theMiddle School, MicheleOsterhout, who previouslyserved as Associate Principal,will now take over the role ofPrincipal. She’s joined by newAssociate Principal MeganFerry, a former SpecialEducation Teacher and coachat Chenango Valley MiddleSchool.At Homer Brink Elementary,more familiar faces begin newpositions, as Kara Mallery,the former AssociatePrincipal, now takes over therole of Principal. She’s joined by new Associate PrincipalStacey Hanna, who spent thelast 20 years as a teacher inthe district, most recentlyserving as an instructionalcoach. These new appointmentsfollow the retirements ofMiddle School Principal RickOtis, and Homer BrinkPrincipal Linda Kelly.Michele Osterhout has been apart of the Maine-EndwellCentral School District formore than 20 years. She spentthe past 15 years as AssociatePrincipal of the MiddleSchool. Before taking on therole of an administrator,Osterhout taught in the 3

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district for more than nineyears. She believes inengaging and inspiringstudents, while alsosupporting teachers and staffin their professional growth.Osterhout also has a deepunderstanding of our district’smission, vision and goalswhich will be significant asshe steps into her new role. “I’m thrilled to have theopportunity. I think middleschool has a uniqueopportunity to bridgechildhood with adolescence,and so we take thatresponsibility, and we movethe kids forward on thatjourney. It will be a wonderfulschool year because ourfaculty and staff is justawesome,” said Osterhout.Kara Mallery began herteaching career atSusquehanna Valley, whereshe served as a specialeducation teacher for 16years. Following her 16-yeartenure at S-V, she earned herCertificate of Administrationfrom Binghamton, and laterserved as Associate Principalof Homer Brink, where shespent the past three years. Mallery says she’s dedicatedto fostering an inclusive andsupportive learningenvironment for all students.“I'm really excited to be inthis role. I've had some reallygreat mentors that havehelped me get to this place,and I'm excited to be here tolead and inspire and empowerour staff and our students. Iappreciate the community andthe parent involvement, andI'm looking forward tocontinuing to collaborate witheverybody,” said Mallery.Stacey Hanna has been afamiliar face to M-E studentsfor the past 20 years. Shebegan her journey inacademics as a specialeducation teacher, where shedeveloped a deepunderstanding of the diverseneeds of our students. Overthe past two decades, Hannaexpanded her expertise byteaching math and science.Most recently, she served asan Instructional Coach forthe district, where she workedclosely with new teachers toimplement innovativeinstructional strategies topromote best practices in theclassroom. Hanna says she’s dedicatedher career to fostering asupportive and enrichinglearning environment forstudents. “I have beensupported by this community,by this district, as a teacher,as an instructional coach, soI'm really excited abouthaving the opportunity tobroaden my impact that I canhave on our students and ourstaff. I’m just really excited tobe in this new role,” saidHanna.Megan Ferry may be a newface to Maine-Endwell, butshe’s no stranger to enrichingthe lives of students. Mostrecently, she worked as aspecial education teacher atChenango Valley MiddleSchool. Children have alwaysbeen at the forefront of herlife, and in addition toteaching, Ferry coachedmodified girls basketball andwas involved in plenty ofclubs and activities at thedistrict. Ferry says she’s seen theschool pride and atmospherecreated at Maine-Endwell andis excited to be involvedwithin the community andschools. “We’ve spent thesummer in the middle schooland around the leadershipteam, and I’ve seen summerenrichment and some of thekids, and met the teachers,and it's a great community tobe involved in. Everybody ishappy to be here and has somuch Spartan pride, so I'mvery excited to be a part ofthis district,” said Ferry.We’re so excited to welcomeour new principals for our2024-2025 school year.LEADING THE FUTUREMiddle SchoolPrincipal MicheleOsterhoutwelcomes incoming6th graders for atour of their newbuilding4

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Phase Two of CapitalImprovement Project atMaine Memorial BeginsCoolDaysAheadYou may have noticedsome work going on atMaine Memorial over thepast couple of months.We’re excited toannounce that Phase Twoof our $64,331,717Million CapitalImprovement Project,approved by voters in2022, is moving along asplanned. Constructioncrews are hard at work,installing building-wideair conditioning, and willlater begin work on a6,500 square-footaddition. The newclassrooms will havededicated toilet facilitiesand will be designedspecifically for ouryounger students. Theinstallation of building-wide AC comes ahead ofthe likely passage oflegislation (AssemblyBill A9011A andSenate Bill 2023-S3397) that imposestemperatureregulations on allclassrooms in NewYork. This will be yetanother step in makingsure our students havethe best learningenvironments possible,to ensure acomfortable, andrelaxed educationalexperience.In addition to physicalimprovements, theclassroom addition atMaine Memorial aimsto address theexpansion of SpecialEducation Programsand provide suitableclassroom space foradditional 3rd, 4th and 5

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CAPITALPROJECTMaineMemorial willsee the additionof four newclassrooms 5th grade sections.These changes reflectour commitment toaddressing the evolvingeducational needs ofour community. Most work will bedone during the secondshift when studentsand staff have left thebuilding. We are alsotaking extraprecautions to ensurestudent safety will beat the forefront asconstruction continues.“If you’ve been in anair-conditionedenvironment, this timenext year, you’re goingto be enjoying thesame comfort thatyou’ve had at home.We’re just trying tomake sure thateveryone understandsthat a short-termdiscomfort is a long-term advantage,” saidJason Van Fossen,Superintendent ofSchools.Phase Two, which alsoincludes newplayground fencingand a boiler pumpreplacement isexpected to becompleted for the2025-2026 school year.The remaining projectis listed on the right.Phase 3 – Middle School(2025-2026) – PENDING·Building-wide AirConditioningPhase 4 – High School(2026-2027) – PENDING·Building-wide airconditioning·Turf and TrackReplacementPhase 5 – Homer BrinkElementary (2027-2028) –PENDING·Construction of new gymPhase 6 – VariousBuildings (2028) –PENDING·Miscellaneous work(contingent on availablebudget) 6

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From the hundreds ofchildren who walkedthrough our doors, to thedozens of staff and studenthelpers that made it allpossible, it was yet anothersuccessful year of SummerEnrichment. Whether itwas learning a brand-newbuilding in 6th grade, orexploring the world ofmath in Kindergarten,we’re confident ourstudents are beginning theschool year enriched,confident, and prepared.This year, our elementarysummer enrichmentprogram, lead by MichelleSherwood, welcomednearly 200 children eachday, with roughly 80 staffmembers making it allpossible. Among thosewere more than 50 highschool student workers.Working with children, theygained employmentexperience, while some evengot a jumpstart on potentialfuture teaching careers.Eryn McCoy, a senior, isone of many with love forteaching. She plans to go tocollege for Music education,with the goal of workingwith elementary and middleschool students.“I absolutely love it. I’venever worked in a classroombefore, so even only havingthese kids for a week so far,you make such personalconnections. It’s so fun towatch them grow in such ashort period of time ingetting them ready for thenext chapter in their life,” ONCE A SPARTAN, ALWAYS A SPARTANSpartanSpartan SpartanSpartansaid McCoy. But it’s not just currentstudents who spent theirsummer working in theprogram.Danielle Edwards, a 2019M-E graduate has beenworking summer enrichmentsince 2017. What started asa summer job, followed witha new love for teaching.Today, she’s workingtoward her master’s ineducation at Liberty.“The connections with the “It’s so fun towatch themgrow in such ashort period oftime.” 7

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FINDING A LOVE FOR TEACHINGThese kids areamazing. Workingwith them thissummer has been oneof the bestexperiences I’ve everhad.” Simek, on student workers finding alove for teaching said,“I think that’sthe coolest thing. They get theexperience, and they go, man, this isactually pretty neat. I think I mightwant to be a teacher. I see what youguys get to do and I see how fun it isto be around young students. It’s agreat experience,” said Simek.We’re already looking forward to ournext Summer Enrichment in July2025!kids brought me back, andit’s crazy to see some of thekids in 3-4 I had inkindergarten, and they keepcoming back, so they’regetting something out of it,and I’m getting somethingout of it as well,” saidEdwards.Getting prepared andbuilding confidence was alsoone of the goals of our 6thGrade summer program.From learning a newbuilding, to familiarizingthemselves with theirschedules, middle school canoften be a bit of anadjustment period for moststudents. But they didn’thave to do it alone. Alongwith our dedicated staff,nine former studentsreturned to their formerbuilding to work with thesemiddle schoolers each day ofsummer enrichment.One of those more recentgraduates was Class of 2024alum Tannor Walker.Walker, to study secondaryeducation at SUNYBrockport, and says summerenrichment has been nothing but memorable.“These kids are amazing.Working with them thissummer has been one of thebest experiences I’ve everhad,” said Walker.Walker spent each daymoving from classroom toclassroom, and says he’sseen firsthand how summerenrichment has preparedstudents for their futuresover the next three years.“I think this is one of thebest things the school hascreated. These kids areforming friendships betweenHomer Brink and MaineMemorial. It’s great,” saidWalker.Matt Simek is one of theteachers helping run the 6thgrade program. He creditsformer students like Walkerfor making each day asuccess."It’s really neat to see theseguys come back and get tobe on our side of things,supervising otheryoungsters. The way thatthey interact with the kids isreally fun to watch,” saidSimek.8

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It’s early afternoon ona mid-August day asRachel Murat readiesher classroom for year29. The 2020 NYSTeacher of the Yearlooks down at hersmartwatch to see anumber that wouldsatisfy most athletes atthe end of a long day.19,000 steps. It’s justpast 1 P.M. and herday is far from over.For Murat, who livesand bleeds education,this is nothing out ofthe ordinary. Herdedication to learning, LEARNINGNEVER STOPSRachel Muratcontinues to buildher skills over thesummerboth for her and herstudents is what keepsher going each day.But it wasn’t alwaysthat way. Two decadesago, considering apossible career change,she felt like she mayhave lost her love forteaching. Then, afterdoing a bit of soulsearching over springbreak, she was askedto attend a conferencein Syracuse. It wasthen when Murat hada realization. Thereason that she felt likeshe needed a career Photo Courtesy: NYSUTPhoto Courtesy: Pressconnects9

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change wasn’t becauseshe fell out of teaching;it was instead becauseshe stopped her ownlearning. “As a teacher, it’s veryeasy to just focus onthe kids learning,because that’s whatyou’re there for. Irealized I needed tonurture that part ofme,” said Murat.Fast forward 10 yearslater, and Mrs. Murathas been to more than70 Ed camps and nowattends conferences allover the U.S. Thisdedication to enrichingher own education isjust as much for her, asit is her students. It’s amission that many ofour teachers share -using the summer, notjust as a time for muchneeded vacation, but also as a time to buildup their skills.“I just feel like I am amore authenticpreacher of howimportant it is to learnwhen I am getting myown learn on,” saidMurat.This past summer,Murat attended theWhite House HistoryTeacher Institute, anAI Symposium hostedby AFT and Microsoftin Chicago, and severallocal meetings with theChamber ofCommerce. Evenduring the school year,she’s always seekingout webinars, podcasts,and school-relatedlearning on socialmedia.“I just feel like it’sreally important for meto continue learning, so that A., I can stayfresh, because thingschange pretty quicklythese days, and thenalso so that the kidscan see that I getexcited aboutlearning,” said Murat.The veteran teacheralso helps run “BroomeWomen Lead,” aprogram that bringsfemale studentstogether with women-lead businesses andother prominent femalefigures from ourcommunity. The groupmet over the summer todiscuss a variety oftopics.We are so lucky tohave teachers like Mrs.Murat, who provelearning doesn’t stopwhen you become ateacher. If anything, itbegins. As a teacher, it’svery easy to justfocus on the kidslearning, becausethat’s what you’rethere for. I realizedI needed to nurturethat part of me.”Photo Courtesy: NYSUT10

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s the summer came to anend, a group of friendsreturned home with an Hometown PrideTo just think for asmall town ofMaine-Endwell tobe able to do theunimaginable wasso amazing.”ATo just think for a small town ofMaine-Endwell to be able to dothe unimaginable was soamazing. Those memories holdclose to my heart every singleyear,” said Mike Mancini, 2016Little League World SeriesChampion. For Mike Mancini, who recentlyturned 21, it was a summer he’llnever forget. The VanderbiltJunior says even eight yearslater, he and his formerteammates continue to keep intouch, especially during thistime of the year.“When we’re 50 and 60-years-old, we’re still going to betexting each other,” saidMancini.Following his historic win inWilliamsport, Mancini’s athleticcareer would only continue toflourish. In high school, he’dletter in both basketball and 12entire country knowing theirnames. With just a couple ofweeks before the start of a newschool year, the boys packed uptheir notebooks and pencils,ready to return to their normallives. But the summer of 2016was anything but normal. For ateam of Maine-Endwell LittleLeaguers, it was legendary.“Every year, it starts to becomemore and more real that itactually happened. Every year,you turn the TV on around thistime and the Little LeagueWorld Series is going on, andyou just start to realize, that wasus at 12-years-old. Then you seethe team from Japan and allthose international teams wherethey start talking on TV abouthow many kids are in that area. AP Photo/Matt Slocum

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Photo Courtesy: Jeff MillerTennessee home as a member ofthe Vanderbilt Commodores.“When I truly get to sit downand reflect, every dream andevery prayer that I’ve had, andto be sitting here at VanderbiltUniversity, playing for aprestigious baseball program,it’s such a blessing,” saidMancini.Now in his junior year ofcollege, Mancini still looks backat his time at Maine-Endwell forshaping the person he is today,both as an athlete, andindividual.“I credit Maine-Endwell with allof my success because thecommunity is so supportive.Looking back when I was nine,ten years old, being a ball boyfor the varsity teams, all of thoseguys could have been blowingoff all of the younger guysbecause they had so muchsuccess, but all they did was giveback to the younger guys. Icredit the Gallaghers, Kyle, football, all while being able tocall himself New York’s fifthranked baseball player.“I credit Maine-Endwell for allmy success. Just looking backon all of my coaches, CoachGallagher in the footballseason, Coach Ocker in thebasketball season and CoachRaleigh in the baseball season;all of those coaches shaped mein each and every way, not onlyto become a better athlete, butto become a better person,”said Mancini.While Mancini’s high schooldays were highlighted by multi-sport success, baseball hasalways been his true love.Following graduation, the 2022grad set his sights on JamesMadison University inHarrisonburg, Virginia. It wasthere where his success wouldonly continue. As a member ofthe Dukes baseball team thispast season, he’d hit .329 whilecollecting 15 home runs, 29 stolen bases and 41 RBI’s.Mancini even had a four home-run day at the RaleighRegional against SouthCarolina and NC State.Following a successful coupleof a seasons at JMU, Manciniwould enter the transfer portal,and now heads to one of themost prestigious baseballprograms in the country. Theformer Spartan now calls Mancini hit .329 with 15 home runs in 202413Photography by Matt Ebbers

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I credit Maine-Endwell with all ofmy success becausethe community is sosupportive.”Adam and Drew. I was alwaysat their hip at nine-years-old.To be able to watch them,that’s how you want to be whenyou grow up,” said Mancini.In year three, Mancini has thechance to achieve his ultimateathletic goal – one heremembers dreaming about as akid – hearing his name called atthe 2025 MLB draft. While hisfocus remains on the day-to-day, he says it would be adream come true.“That’s something I’ve alwayswanted to do is become aprofessional baseball player. Asthe years fly by, it becomesmore and more of a reality. Itbecomes something that I knowI can achieve. To be able tohear my name be called, if thatdoes happen, would just beicing on the cake. Every stephas been a blessing, everyopportunity has been ablessing,” said Mancini.Even though he’s now close to 1,000 miles away from home,Mancini continues to followthe success of the Spartans. Hewatched on with a smile as thisyear’s baseball team captured astate title at Mirabito Stadium.“You knew one of these years itwas bound to happen and forthose guys to be able to do it,the Jack Hennessey’s, the LiamHatfield’s, the Brady Palmer’s,all those guys that were able toachieve that. You watch themcelebrate, and it’s just amazing.Those guys worked so hard,they put hours and hours ofwork in. Coach Raleigh, heprepares them so well and tofinally be able to clinch thatstate championship, it’s trulyexciting to watch,” saidMancini.It was 2016 when the worldfirst heard Mike Mancini’sname. We couldn’t be prouderof his success as a whole newaudience gets to know himtoday.2024 NYSPHSAA Class A Baseball State ChampionsPhoto Courtesy: Jeff Miller14

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L U M A 2 0 2 424 pieces of student art lit updowntown Binghamton inSeptember, at the 10th annualLUMA Projection ArtsFestival. The event featuresartists from all over the world,using powerful projectors and3D animation to transformhistoric buildings. Each year,the Peg Johnson Living LightsProject invites youth from thecommunity to submit their own2D scale drawings of buildingfacades. A select number arechosen, then showcased atLUMA in front up upwards of30,000 people. This year, artfrom 24 Maine-Endwell Transforming A Historic Downtown Buildingstudents were projected onto theold CVS building on CourtStreet. Joshua Bernard, LUMACo Founder said, “We're soexcited to showcase the work ofMaine-Endwell student artistsduring this year's P JohnstonLiving Lights Project at LUMA.They put so much time, energyand passion into the process thisyear and we can't wait to sharewhat they've done with theworld." The works were completed withthe help of art teachers NatalieMastroianni, Shauna Stiles, andDanielle DeCaro, then voted onby students across the district.They put so muchtime, energy andpassion into theprocess this year andwe can't wait to sharewhat they've donewith the world." 16

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New class, newopportunityTraining Future Leadersthe growth that kids have, tosee their journey and whatthey’ve been able toaccomplish, and how strongand confident they’ve become,whether it’s in athletics or inlife, that’s one of the coolestthings in the world,” saidHodges.Along with Physical Educationteacher Todd Kariam, Hodgeshas begun the school year withyet another unique opportunity.For the first time ever, the highschool is offering a prep coursefor the Certified PersonalTraining (CPT) exam throughthe International SportsSciences Association. (ISSA)Hodges and Kariam arecurrently going through theofficial workbook, chapter by 17From the moment Josh Hodgesunlocks the door to the highschool fitness center each day,he knows he’ll have the chanceto motivate and inspire. As aStrength and ConditioningCoach at M-E, his days arecentered around helpingstudents become their bestselves, both physically andmentally. It’s a job he doesn’ttake lightly, and a role he’shumbled to be in.“It’s an absolute honor to justknow that people let me be apart of their journey. To see High School studentswill have the chance tobecome certified inpersonal trainingThe class is co-taughtby Strength andConditioning CoachJosh Hodges andPhysical Educationteacher Todd Kariam

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IT’S AN ABSOLUTE HONOR JUST TO KNOW THATPEOPLE LET ME BE A PART OF THEIR JOURNEYchapter, and sharing their ownexperiences in the field.“At face value, it’s a prettyrigorous exam. It’s 200 questionswhere you’re covering a widespectrum of things around theculture of fitness, around thedemographics that you’re going tobe with, so you need to have kindof a baseline knowledge. We haveto know a little bit about a lot ofthings,” said Hodges.Upon completion of the class,students may take the CPT exam.Once they pass, they can thenbecome certified, all while still inhigh school.“I think this is an awesomeopportunity. It gives them anopportunity to get their foot in thedoor in the field, and then on topof that, they can make a little bit of extra money. I think that’s anawesome opportunity,” saidHodges. All sessions are at capacity, withroughly 20 students making upeach class. For Hodges, working withstudents in a whole new way hasbeen incredibly rewarding.“I’ve had a lot of studentsapproach me and say, I saw yourclass, and your name and I signedup, which is exciting. I think itjust speaks of how involved I’vebeen able to become with thecommunity, and how welcomingthe Spartan community has beento me,” said Hodges.Each semester will begin with anintroduction to the certification,culminating with the official examin the final days of the class.18Students will learn everythingfrom tailoring workouts toconducting fitness assessmentsand screenings, along with thebasics of nutrition and wellness.

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Student attendance and academicachievement are closely connected,with regular attendance being acritical factor in students' success.The COVID-19 pandemic hasintensified the issue ofabsenteeism, especially chronicabsenteeism, making it asignificant concern for both thefederal and New York StateDepartments of Education. AtMaine-Endwell, we arecontinuously exploring strategiesto address this challenge andimprove student outcomes. The New York State EducationDepartment defines "chronicabsenteeism" as a student missing10% or more of school days,regardless of whether the absencesare excused or unexcused. Thisapproach focuses on identifyingstudents who miss too many daysof school, as the primary concern T H E S P A R T A N I S S U E 2AttendancemattersBuilding goodhabits to preventchronic absenteeism19The chart below is a comparison between Maine-Endwell and all of New York StateSOURCE: https://data.nysed.gov/ is the loss of instructional time.Chronic absence is harmful tostudents of all ages. For youngerstudents, it affects the developmentof crucial skills, such as readingproficiency by the third grade,which can influence their futureacademic success or failure. Forolder students, chronic absence islinked to poor academicperformance and an increasedlikelihood of leaving school beforegraduation. Across New York State theproblem grew during the pandemicand remains elevated, as seen in thechart below.Research supports the followingstrategies to address chronicabsenteeism:What can we do?Developing and implementinga communication plan that reinforces the importance ofroutine, in-person attendance atschool every day, and increases thefrequency and quality ofinteractions between schools andfamilies. Strengthening relationships withfamilies, including visiting homes. Using a multi-tiered system ofsupport and intervention,including an early warningintervention system to identifystudents for increased supportbased on attendance, grades,behavior, and assignmentcompletion. Creating a positive schoolclimate. Students who feelwelcome, supported, and engagedat school are more likely to havebetter attendance. An essential

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B A C K T O S C H O O L E D I T I O N F A L L 2 0 2 4What are we doing atMaine-Endwell to addressand provide supports forchronic absenteeism? part of the long-term solution toincreasing attendance is sustaininga positive learning environmentfor all students.Investments in school securityincluding a dedicated SchoolResource Officer in eachbuilding. Students who viewschool as “safe” are more likelyto attend than those who havelatent fears or areuncomfortable.Multi-Tier Support System foreach building which includes aschool counselor, school socialworker, and school psychologist.Investment in a CommunitySchools Coordinator who hasbeen tasked with supportingchronic absenteeism and hasinitiated home visits to supportfamilies. The Community Schools District Team has createda SMART goal for 2024-2025 todecrease chronic absenteeism by2%. Each building completed aresource inventory to identifywhere there are gaps and willbegin the work in September.At the High School we havecreated the Student Success Profilethat will be used to create plans foreach of our students who areidentified as chronically absent.Building relationships with theincoming 9th graders and theirfamilies has allowed us to learn the"why" [a student is chronicallyabsent] making it easier to guidethe direction of our support.New for 2024-2025, the district willbe conducting a comprehensiveCulture and Climate Survey forstudents in grades 4-12, all facultyand staff, and all parents orguardians. We are targeting lateSeptember / early October andhope to have significantparticipation from our ·parentsand guardians. Parents and families play acrucial role in promoting goodattendance, as they areultimately responsible for ensuring their children attendschool every day. Just as theyfocus on their children's academicperformance, parents should alsoset clear expectations for regularattendance and closely monitorabsences to prevent them fromaccumulating and causingacademic difficulties. Addressing chronic absenteeismrequires a comprehensiveapproach that includes improvedcommunication, stronger familyrelationships, targetedinterventions, and a positiveschool climate. Maine-Endwell isactively implementing thesestrategies, with promising signs ofimprovement. Continued efforts,particularly in partnership withparents, will be essential tosustaining this progress.Conclusion: *Based on 180 academic days and 6 lessons taught each day20

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Culture andClimate SurveyContact CommunityRelations CoordinatorVince Briga at theaddress belowB A C K T O S C H O O L E D I T I O N F A L L 2 0 2 4 In October 2023, the Maine-Endwell CSD Board of Education introduced the formation of anew subcommittee, the Culture and Climate Committee. This committee, which includesBoard of Education members, the superintendent of schools, faculty, staff, and students, isdedicated to promoting a positive, inclusive, and respectful environment within the schooldistrict. The mission of the Culture and Climate Committee is to foster a school culture that supportsstudent success, staff well-being, and community engagement. By undertaking proactiveinitiatives and working collaboratively, the committee aims to enhance the overall climate ofthe school district. Empowered to conduct research, the committee is embarking on a Culture and Climate Surveywhich will be conducted from October 1 until October 15. Students in grades 4-12, all facultyand staff, and all parents and guardians are asked to participate. The district is usingThoughtexchange as its surveying tool. Results of the survey will be made public after thecommittee and Board have an opportunity to review. While the committee itself does not hold decision-making authority, its recommendations willbe presented to the School Board for consideration and potential implementation. "We believe that a supportive and inclusive school environment is essential for the success ofour students and the well-being of our staff," said Jason Van Fossen, Superintendent ofSchools. Board of Education member, and committee chair, Megan Gorski said, "the Cultureand Climate Committee will be instrumental in guiding our efforts to create a school districtthat recognizes and champions each student." The Board of Education believes that this new committee will play a crucial role in creating amore supportive and inclusive school environment, benefiting students, staff, and the entirecommunity. We ask for your support and participation – be on the lookout for the survey links in lateSeptember. 22

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BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY You may have heard the term,‘professional learning community’used at Maine-Endwell over theyears. The district began the work ofbecoming a Professional LearningCommunity (PLC)™ in 2003. Thismodel focuses on fostering a cultureof collaboration, sharedresponsibility, and a commitment toongoing improvement amongfaculty and staff. Twenty-one yearslater, we continue the work andrecognize the importance of sharing with you what this means forMaine-Endwell.OVERVIEW: The three big ideasof a Professional LearningCommunity (PLC) provide aframework for improving schoolculture and enhancing studentachievement. Here is a breakdownof each:1. Focus on Learning: The primarymission of a PLC is to ensure thatall students learn. This meansshifting from a focus on teaching toa focus on learning, whereeducators ask, "What do we wantstudents to learn? How will weknow if they have learned it? Whatwill we do if they do not learn?What will we do if they alreadyknow it?" This approachemphasizes clarity around essentiallearning outcomes, providinginterventions for students whostruggle, and enrichment for thosewho are ready to go further.2. Collaborative Culture: In a PLC,collaboration is essential. Educators work in teams to achievecommon goals linked to thelearning of all students.Collaboration involves sharing bestpractices, discussing student work,analyzing data together, andsupporting each other in improvingteaching practices. This culture ofcollaboration fosters a sense ofshared responsibility and collectiveefficacy, where educators believethat by working together, they canpositively impact studentachievement.3. Focus on Results: PLCs aredriven by results-oriented practices.They use evidence of studentlearning to guide their work andinform decisions. This involvesregularly analyzing data to assessthe effectiveness of teachingstrategies and interventions,determining areas of improvement,and celebrating successes. A focuson results ensures that the efforts ofthe PLC are impacting studentlearning and that the school is Maine-Endwellbegan the workof becoming aProfessionalLearningCommunity(PLC) in 2003 23

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continuously progressing toward itsgoals.2023-2024: Our focus for 2023-2024was creating department essentialstandards, which refer to the mostcritical learning outcomes thatstudents must master to besuccessful in their current and futureacademic endeavors. These are thestandards deemed most vital forstudents' academic success and lifeskills. Essential standards are asubset of the broader curriculumstandards, carefully selected basedon their importance, relevance, andendurance. They represent thefoundational skills and knowledgethat students need to progress to thenext level of learning. Thesestandards are prioritized becausethey are critical for understandingmore complex concepts in futuregrades or subjects.By identifying essential standards,educators ensure that they have aclear and shared focus on whatstudents need to learn. This helpsavoid an overwhelming curriculumwhere too many topics are coveredsuperficially, allowing for deeperunderstanding and mastery of themost important concepts. These standards help educators ensurethat their teaching practices arealigned with what students areexpected to learn, making it easierto monitor progress and identifyareas where students needadditional support or enrichment.By focusing on essential standards,all students have equitable access tothe most important knowledge andskills they need to succeed. Itpromotes consistency acrossclassrooms and schools, ensuringthat all students are held to thesame high expectations and canlearn and master essential content.In our PLC, teachers have workedcollaboratively to identify essentialstandards and develop strategies toteach them effectively. Thiscollaborative process ensures thateducators are aligned in theirunderstanding of what is essential,how to teach it, and how to measurestudent mastery.2024-2025: For 2024-2025, we arefocusing on PLC Question 2, "Howdo we know if students arelearning?" for the 2024-2025 schoolyear, emphasizes the importance ofgathering and analyzing evidence ofstudent learning. This focus aims to ensure that the educationalstrategies and interventions used areeffective and that all students aremastering essential standards. We will be developing commonformative assessments (assessmentsthat collect evidence of studentlearning before being graded). Thedata collected from these assessmentswill be used to inform instruction(what is working, not working),identify curriculum and standardsthat students need more support and/ or have learned, and to give facultyand leaders data, engage in reflectivediscussions with your PLC teamabout what worked well and whatcould be improved. For the 2024-2025 school year, we have addedthree (3) Early Release Days –January 17, February 13, and March28 – to provide time for our facultyand leadership to learn andstrengthen our PLC. Consider this an introduction to ourwork and a commitment to sharewith you our progress, challenges,and celebrations moving forward. Asalways, thank you for yourcontinued support of the district.Great schools start with great kids –we are fortunate for that!24

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Deb was honored at Mirabito Stadium along with the 2024 Eastern League Champion B-MetsDeb Iwanow: A Trailblazer"How could you not be romanticabout baseball?" The famousquote uttered by Brad Pitt in the2011 hit Moneyball perfectlyencapsulates the life and career ofDeb Iwanow, MS, ATC, CSCS.Stepping onto the field atMirabito Stadium in September,she couldn't help but look back onthe nearly two decades of her lifeshe's dedicated to America'spastime. Bus by bus, inning byinning, Iwanow played a crucialrole in the success of countless bigleaguers who grace our TVs inprimetime today. She may nothave realized it at the time, but shewas on her way to making history.It all started in the early 2000'swhen the Delhi native wasstudying to become a physicaltherapist at Ithaca College. Realizing the program may nothave been for her, she returnedhome, looking to do a bit of soulsearching. Then, one night, whileattending a baseball game not farfrom her home in Oneonta, her lifewould change forever. Iwanowended up speaking to arepresentative of the then OneontaTigers, an affiliate of the DetroitTigers, and soon after, she realizedher true passion - working withathletes to become the bestversions of themselves. Athletictraining it was. Iwanow wouldreturn to Ithaca, graduate, andlater get her Master's degree atCornell. The next step in hercareer was clear: send resumes toall 28 American-based MLBteams. As the days moved along,she was left waiting for a call. While she knew she was entering amale-dominated sport, she knewshe couldn't sit back and wait.She'd eventually got a job workingas an athletic trainer at St.Bonaventure, and laterBinghamton University, where sheserved as assistant athletic trainerfor baseball, men's soccer, and themen's and women's swimming anddiving teams. A short time into hercareer at Binghamton, Iwanowwould receive the phone call she'dbeen hoping for.It was the New York Metsorganization.Iwanow's dream was becoming areality, and in 2006, she waseventually brought on as trainerfor the then Kingsport Mets inTennessee. She'd spent three yearsthere, followed by two in Brooklyn 25

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Iwanow worked with the NLCSwinning New York Mets, andmet some of her favorite bigleaguers along the way, includingYankees star Aaron Judge.and three in St. Lucie. But there wasone more stop along the way:Binghamton. Yet another dream hadcome true for Iwanow, who was nowable to return home to serve as theathletic trainer for the BinghamtonMets. But it wasn't without itschallenges. At the time, and eventoday, working for a professionalbaseball team as a female trainer is arare occurrence."I don't think it's something that Ireally focused on. I went intobaseball because I wanted to be thebest professional that I could be. Tome, it wasn't a male-female. To me,it was, in my mind, to be the besttrainer, I needed to be inprofessional sports," said Iwanow.Eventually, the players got used tohaving Iwanow around, and she,along with the staff around her,began to form a bond; one shedescribed as a family. It allculminated in the summer of 2014,when the B-Mets were just a couplegames away from the championship.Following a challenging set of gamesagainst Portland, the B-Mets made itto the championship, where they'dwin it all. The 20-year EasternLeague title drought was over. Allthe challenges, all the barriers, andall the hardships Iwanow faced werenow worth it."To have that night, to have as many people that were there wasincredible. I had my family there,which was awesome, and then to winand to have Steven Matz go eightinnings and have a no hitter, theemotions just start stirring. You getto the ninth inning, and then all of asudden, what you've thought aboutfor nine years happens," saidIwanow. Iwanow's professionalbaseball journey would eventuallycome to an end, but her passion anddedication to help others was justbeginning. She joined Maine-Endwell in 2018, where she continuesto work with student-athletes to thisday."Baseball was tough for me tobe around for a while after thingswith the Mets ended. So cominghere, I transitioned in the fall [of2018], but didn't start to know thekids and the coaches until the spring.Having been burned a little bit bybaseball, to come here in the Springof 2019 and have a group of kidswith Matt Raleigh who made it tothe Championship game made melove baseball again," said Iwanow.Along with athletic training, Iwanowalso teachers Intro to Health Careersand Intro to Sports Medicine. She'snow entering her fourth year as aneducator.In September, and ten years after that historic win, she'd return to thefield that she left behind; one thatshe made countless memories on.Iwanow was honored as part of the2014 Championship winning B-Mets, along with former staff andplayers that made it possible. As ifthe night wasn't emotional enough,she'd later find out a bit of historyfrom MLB officials.Iwanow is the first female athletictrainer in professional baseball to be part of a championship team.She couldn't help but break down intears."If I can be an example to somebodythat nothing is impossible. I like tothink I'm a part of the positivechanges that have happened," saidIwanow. She continued, "To be apart of a program that is what it ishere, to be around an entire athleticprogram that's as competitive as it ishere, the mentality of this districttoward athletics is great. To havethat support, to have thatunderstanding is very cool to be apart of, and obviously full circle withlast years team, taking it all the wayat B-Mets stadium. You can't write astory better than that," said Iwanow.26

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