Search Results for: Holley students observe

Holley students observe Flag Day; Chancellor of the Chapel winner announced

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 14 June 2016 at 12:00 am

Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Holley Elementary students march from the school to the Railway Depot Museum for Flag Day ceremonies Tuesday morning.

HOLLEY – Donning their best red, white and blue, and singing patriotic songs, Holley Elementary School students paraded to the Railway Depot Museum on Tuesday morning for the 59th Flag Day observance in the village.

The students gathered outside the Depot along with school and community leaders to sing and play music, bestow citizenship awards, and announce the winner of the “Chancellor of the Chapel” fundraiser/election.

It’s all Red, White and Blue as the parade enters the Public Square in Holley.

Members of the Holley Central Elementary School Student Council announced the results of voting in the “mock political race” for the Chancellor of the Chapel. Gamma the Dog was declared the winner.

A total of $2,630.53 was raised during the year-long fundraising/community service effort which benefits restoration of the historic 1894 Medina Sandstone chapel at Hillside Cemetery.

Gamma the Dog was “elected” Chancellor of the Chapel. He accepted the Keys to the Chapel during the Flag Day ceremonies and looks as if he will take the responsibilities of his new position very seriously.

Melissa Ierlan accepts the whopping donation check from Chancellor Gamma. It will be used for restoration work at the Hillside Chapel.

Clarendon Historian Melissa Ierlan thanked participants for their efforts.

“The kids enjoyed it, it was a nice project for them,” Ierlan told Orleans Hub. “Most importantly, they got behind something and made a difference.”

The mock Chancellor election included four candidates: Samson the Dog, M&M the Goat, Scarlett the Hedgehog, and the winner, Gamma.

Ierlan said voting was tight between Samson and Gamma until the very end of the election. A last minute donation of $200 ($1 per vote) for Gamma as well as two other large donations – including one from the Holley Rotary in Gamma’s favor – put him way in front with about 900 votes. Samson came in second with approximately 500 votes, Ierlan said.

Chancellor Gamma looks lovingly at his owner, Alexander Zelent, who holds the key to the Chapel – the Medina Sandstone chapel at Hillside Cemetery, while Clarendon Historian Melissa Ierlan gives Chancellor Gamma a congratulatory embrace.

Holley Elementary Student Council Advisor Sally Martin said in addition to the Chancellor fundraiser/election, students sold geraniums, decorated chapel-shaped donation containers (created by former Holley art teacher Larry Dabney) for distribution throughout the community, and participated in a read-a-thon to raise this year’s funds.

“The support from the community was amazing,” she said.

Some of the youngest participants watch the Holley Elementary band play.

Sally Martin with Holley Elementary Chorus

Sally Martin directs the Elementary Chorus as they sing patriotic songs.

Perfect weather and a festooned Depot Museum made for a festive setting at Tuesday’s Flag Day ceremonies in Holley.

Holley Elementary Band members play “When The Saints Go Marching In.”

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Holley’s American Legion Post named for local soldier killed in WWI

Pvt. Jewell Buckman’s abstract of World War I military service, 1917-1919. Ancestry.com

Posted 14 November 2022 at 10:31 am

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

Illuminating Orleans, Vol. 2, No. 37

HOLLEY – The telegram that the parents of every serviceman dreaded was delivered to the Buckman home at 18 Ray St. in Holley on Friday, June 28, 1918.

“Deeply regret to inform you, cable from abroad states that Private Jewell Buckman, Marine Corps, was killed in action, June 7th. Remains will be interred abroad until end of the war. Accept my heartfelt sympathy in your great loss. Your son nobly gave his life in service of his country.” – George Barnett, Major General Commander

Wayne Jewell Buckman was born in town of Stockbridge in Madison County, NY on December 20, 1891. He was the only child of Albert S. Buckman and Almira (Jewell) Buckman. The family moved to the Holley area when he was young.

His father, who was born in England, is listed as a farmer in the 1900 Census for the Town of Murray, and as a mail carrier in the 1915 Census. His mother, known as Myra, was from Murray.

Jewell graduated from Holley High School, Class of 1910. He served as organist for the Baptist Church for three years. He attended the University of Louisiana at Baton Rouge for two years and went to train as a landscape architect at Flint, Michigan with the renowned William Pitkin, Jr. of Boston who was engaged in designing the grounds of estates owned by General Motors executives at that time.

Jewell enlisted at the age of 25 and was sworn into the Marine Corps in Rochester on 26 June 1917. He trained at Parris Island, SC. He and his comrades in the 17th Company, 5th Regiment, Second Division, sailed for France on Dec. 8, 1917.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Allen Smeltzer, a Genesee Community College student, portrayed Jewell Buckman in a Ghost Walk at Hillside Cemetery in September 2016. Buckman was the first soldier from Holley to be killed in World War I about a century ago. The American Legion Post in Holley is named in Buckman’s honor. Several GCC students volunteered to serve as ghosts and guides during the Ghost Walk.

A letter to his parents dated May 5, 1918, one month before his death, conveys Buckman’s passion for horticulture and the projects he was planning to complete upon his return home:

“Tell me how the three cut leaf sumacs are doing. Also, take the honeysuckle vine up by the seat and put it on the south side of the front porch….The bricks around the edge of the pool is something I had rather do when I get home….

“I saw red flowering horse chestnuts here for the first time a couple of weeks ago and they were really beautiful, also the laburnum or golden chain tree is in blossom now and believe me there are going to be three planted among the shrubs when I get back.”

But his life was cut short on June 7th, 1918, fifty miles northeast of Paris, at the Battle of Belleau Wood. A comrade, Corporal H.E. McCurdy recounted later:

“After a long, hard day of fighting in the Belleau Wood on June 6th, we took a position on the brow of a large hill, and each man dug a hole to keep out of shell fire. Jewell’s was next to mine. That night, the Germans in some way managed to get around our left flank under cover of total darkness and were right on us before they were discovered.

“It was between two and three o’clock in the morning, a fierce hand-to-hand fight took place, and it was in that fight that Jewell fell. You may know that Jewell died the death of a true man in the field of honor, fighting for his country and flag.”

Pvt. Buckman is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Holley, as are his parents. His mother died in 1932 and his father in 1935.

Pvt. Buckman was the first serviceman from Holley killed in action in World War I. Holley’s American Legion Post 529 was named in his honor. Fifteen World War 1 veterans from the Holley area signed the Post’s Charter application on 17 October 1919, their stated purpose was to assist former comrades in need.

American Legion Jewell Buckman Post 529, located at 5 Wright St. in Holley, continues to observe its stated philosophy of being of service to the community, state and nation. Scott Galliford is the current Post Commander. He encourages those who are eligible to join (email: alholley529@gmail.com)

(Source information: Articles from Holley Standard newspaper on file at the Orleans County Dept. of History.)

Communities in Orleans will observe Memorial Day

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 May 2021 at 1:24 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers: Steve Johnson salutes after he presented flowers at State Street Park in Medina during a Memorial Day ceremony last year on May 25. The veterans will again observe a smaller ceremony due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

There won’t be big parades on Memorial Day in Orleans County, but local veterans’ organizations will make sure there will be public opportunities for people to show their respect for fallen members of the military.

• Kendall is having a Memorial Day observance today at 7 p.m. at the Kendall Town Park (across from Elementary School) where there is a community war memorial. Kendall always holds its Memorial Day gathering on May 30, which was the original day to celebrate Memorial Day.

• Albion – Veterans are invited to the VFW Post at about 10:30 a.m. for a short procession to the Courthouse lawn for an observance at the new veterans’ memorial that was erected by the Knights of Columbus. (The Knights will have a ceremony there too on Monday at 9 a.m. with a bagpiper.)

Garland Miller, a World War II veteran, will serve as honorary parade marshal during the scaled-down Memorial Day observance.

The veterans were planning to march from the VFW down Bank Street and then turn left onto Main Street. But Route 98 is a posted detour with the Route 31 bridge in Knowlesville currently closed. Because of that, the Department of Transportation was unwilling to close Main Street for the procession, said Gary Befus, who is helping to organize the procession.

The memorial the service will begin at 11 a.m. with brief remarks from Tim Lindsay, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, and Tim Archer, an Albion teacher who will highlight some of the service-learning projects by his students that have honored veterans.

• Holley – There will be a memorial service at 9 a.m. at the American Legion Jewell Buckman Post, which will include speakers and a 21-gun salute. The group will then march to the VFW Post for another service at 10 a.m. with speakers and a 21-gun salute.

The group will then go to Hillside Cemetery, visiting Jewell Buckman’s grave and reciting the Gettysburg Address. They will also pay their respects at Holy Cross Cemetery, next to Hillside Cemetery.

Afterwards, everyone is invited for free refreshments at both the VFW and American Legion.

• Lyndonville – There won’t be a parade or a procession by veterans, but the Houseman-Tanner American Legion Post 1603 will set up a POW/MIA table in front of Lyndonville’s Veterans Park for Memorial Day.

“Flags will be placed in the cemeteries,” said Steve Goodrich, commander of the Houseman-Tanner Post. “The Fallen will be remembered.”

Goodrich said there won’t be a parade or big public gathering due to his concern for the members. Many of them are elderly with health issues, Goodrich said.

He expects the parade and a public service will be back on schedule in 2022.

• Medina – There won’t be a parade but there will be a Color Guard carrying flags from Park Avenue to State Street Park, with veterans meeting at the Olde Pickle Factory at 10:30 and starting the procession at 11 a.m. The veterans will hold a solemn service at State Street Park to honor the fallen service members. The Medina Police Department will escort the Color Guard for their safety.

‘This is not something we’ve ever experienced in our times’ – Holley school superintendent

Photos by Tom Rivers: Kim Harrington, a Holley kindergarten teacher, retrieves a packet for a student on Monday evening. Holley teachers, administrators and staff prepared packets for 520 students in the elementary school, with homework assignments for the next three weeks.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 March 2020 at 10:15 am

Holley school district providing meals for more than 500 students and educational assignments during shutdown

HOLLEY – The school district on Wednesday will begin providing meals for more than 500 students.

Holley Central School will provide meals and have them available for pick up at the Holley Elementary School bus loop and four other locations in the community – Clarendon Town Hall, Thomas Estates (bus stop loop), County Line Trailer Park (Gulf Road & County Line Road) and the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Hall.

Brian Bartalo, Holley Central School superintendent, said closure of schools across the state is unprecedented and also a very emotionally taxing time for students, teachers and staff.

Sharon Zacher, Holley’s assistant superintendent, was able to secure approval from the State Education Department on Sunday for the district to provide the program free of charge for students and their families. As of Monday’s Board of Education meeting, 512 students were signed up to receive the meals, which represents about half of the school enrollment.

Robin Silvis, Board of Education president, praised the district for working quickly to get the program in place.

She also praised teachers and administrators for working over the weekend to have an educational plan in place for students while school was shut down due to a pandemic. Gov. Cuomo on Monday announced on Monday school districts across the state would be closed for at least the next two weeks.

Brian Bartalo, the district superintendent, said staff have been working hard to serve students during a very difficult situation.

“The emotion of this is overwhelming,” he said during Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting.

That session was moved from the board room to the elementary school cafeteria, so board members and anyone in the audience could sit farther apart.

Bartalo said future board meetings in the short-term might be livestreamed to reduce the chance of the virus spreading.

He said teachers and administrators are trying to stay connected with students. Elementary school staff prepared packets with school work for students the next three weeks. Those were available at the school Monday and today for parents to pick up.

The Board of Education met in the elementary school cafeteria on Monday, instead of the smaller board room. That allowed board members to be more spread out and gave more spacing for the chairs in the audience.

Bartalo observed one teacher reading a book in a video message to be sent to her students. But the teacher only got halfway through the book before getting choked up and having to stop.

Susan Cory, the middle-high school principal, also is planning to send students a daily message to help them stay connected to the school and not feel so isolated.

“This is not something we’ve ever experienced in our times,” Bartalo said at Monday’s BOE meeting. “It’s just unbelievable. It’s figuring it out as we go.”

Bartalo said the district still needs to conduct other business, including preparing its 2020-21 budget, which is scheduled to go for a public vote in May.

He is waiting to hear from the state about the state assessments for grades 3-8.

The district is waiting out the pandemic, just like the rest of the state.

“If we get back to regular school we hope to have concerts, sports, the musical and graduation,” Bartalo told the board.

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Retired Albion principal will fill in at Holley until February

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 November 2018 at 3:51 pm

File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from October 2014 shows Dan Monacelli portraying “Forgetful Frank,” a character in a mystery where students tried to determine who robbed the Pig E. Bank. It was an exercise to help Albion Middle School students with Common Core tests, making them observe, have deductive reasoning and make a compelling case in their writing.

HOLLEY – A retired Albion Middle School principal will fill in at Holley Junior-Senior High School until February, Holley school officials announced today.

Dan Monacelli retired from Albion in June 2017. He will serve in an interim basis at Holley while Susan Cory, the principal, is on a leave of absence to address some medical needs and family responsibilities. Said Brian Bartalo, superintendent of schools for Holley.

“As of now, Mrs. Cory is planning to return to work following the February recess,” Bartalo said in a message posted on the district’s website. “In order to support her and the school during this time, we have hired an interim principal.”

Monacelli grew up in Albion. He started his teaching career in Elba, and returned to Albion as a Correction Room specialist. Then he taught health before getting into administration at Pembroke and the Niagara Academy. He was hired as high school principal at Albion in 2007 and then moved over to lead the middle school.

“Please join me in welcoming Mr. Daniel Monacelli to Holley MS/HS,” Bartalo said. “Mr. Monacelli has vast administrative experience, including being a middle and a high school principal, an assistant principal and an athletic director.”

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Students observe a solemn silence in memory of school shooting victims in Florida

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 March 2018 at 1:29 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Students at Holley Junior-Senior High School held a 17-minute memorial observance this morning in the auditorium. The Humanities class in the high school created 17 posters of the victims from the shooting a month ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Members of the class made the posters, and included the victims’ photographs, age, and information about their hobbies and activities at school.

“They’re not just names,” said Matt DeSimone, a member of the Humanities class and also the senior class president.

He read the names of each of the victims during the observance. There was 45 seconds of silence after each name was read.

Alaina Petty, 14, and Meadow Pollack, 18, were two of the victims in the shooting at the Florida school. Other victims include:

Alyssa Alhadeff, 14

Scott Beigel, 35, geography teacher

Martin Duque Anguiano, 14

Nicholas Dworet, 17

Aaron Feis, 37, assistant football coach

Jaime Guttenberg, 14

Chris Hixon, 49, athletic director

Luke Hoyer, 15

Cara Loughran, 14

Gina Montalto, 14

Joaquin Oliver, 17

Helena Ramsay, 17

Alex Schachter, 14

Carmen Schentrup, 16

Peter Wang, 15

Ricky Hodge holds a folded American flag in honor of Chris Hixon, the athletic director at Marjory Stoneman Douglas who was also a veteran.

The Humanities class worked on the program for the past two weeks, researching the victims and created the posters. DeSimone said the class didn’t want the observance to be a political stand about gun control.

“We just wanted to honor the victims,” DeSimone said.

He did the research on Alaina Petty, 14. She was a member of the Junior ROTC. She had strong faith and loved her family and friends, DeSimone said.

“She was just a 14-year-old kid who was going to school,” he said after the program in the auditorium.

Students weren’t required to attend the observance. Susan Cory, the school principal, said about 85 percent of the students in grades 7 through 12 attended the ceremony. Some students chose not to attend because they felt the service might be more against gun rights rather than remembering the victims.

Cory discussed the program with the Humanities class. She didn’t want students to walk out of the school, like so many have done today throughout the country. She worried about the students’ safety if hundreds went outside.

She was impressed with the power of the 17-minute program this morning. Many of the students in the crowd had tears.

“I got choked up,” she said. “It was hard not to.”

Dan Courtney (pictured at right) is Holley’s assistant principal and athletic director. He held the poster for Chris Hixon, the athletic director at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Every 45 seconds, a different poster representing a victim in the school shooting was turned around, with the face of the victim showing.

“It definitely made it more real,” Courtney said about the service.

After the service, the 17 members of the school held the posters in the hallway.

DeSimone said he appreciated the respect shown by the student body.

“We want to thank you for coming and honoring these victims of school violence,” he said at the close of the program. “Please remember that we as students have a strong voice and that positive change can and will come from our efforts.”

Briana Colucci, a student in the Humanities class, said the Holley students were focused on honoring the victims from the shooting.

“Their lives were lost, but their memory lives on through our unity as a school, as a community, and as a nation,” she said in an opening message to start the program.

Wrist bands are being sold for $1 with proceeds to be sent to Marjory Stonemason Douglas.

Other schools in Orleans County also planned memorial observances inside the schools and team-building exercises to help students connect with their classmates.

The flag is lowered at Holley today.

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Local students plan observances for 17 people killed at Florida school

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 March 2018 at 10:02 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers: Albion High School students Enoch Martin, Chase Froman and Laiken Ricker are among the student leaders who will be helping with Wednesday’s student-driven remembrance for the 17 students and faculty killed last month in Florida. Froman, center, is urging his classmates to wear burgundy and silver, the school colors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Students in Orleans County will be part of a nation-wide movement to remember the 17 victims who died in last month’s shooting in Parkland, Florida.

In Orleans County there will be memorial observances inside the schools and team-building exercises to help students connect with their classmates. The events aren’t intended to be political, local school leaders said.

At Medina High School, students are planning an assembly where the names of the 17 victims will be read. The school resource officer will address the student body. Students have also created a hat with the Medina Mustang logo and the logo from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a 19-year-old gunman opened fire last month with an assault rifle. The hat with the two logos will say #NeverAgain and will be sent to the Florida school, said Mark Kruzynski, the Medina district superintendent.

In Kendall, students and staff developed a 17-minute mini lesson that focuses on character and compassion, said Julie Christensen, the district superintendent.

Students are also expected to observe a 17-second moment of silence for each of the victims.

“Rather than a walk out, empower students to interact with each other in meaningful conversations on what they can do to improve the climate of Kendall,” she said. “The goal is to help our students understand how we treat each other and the impact on society.”

Holley students will have a memorial observance at 10 a.m. at the high school. Students will gather in the auditorium to read the names of the victims in the Florida shooting.

Holley students also have created posters with information about each of the 17 victims. They will observe a moment of silence for each life lost. Students also are selling wristband bracelets, with proceeds going Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

In Albion, the middle school student council has planned 17 minutes of team-building exercises that is intended to include all 420 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade, Middle School Principal Brad Pritchard said.

Student leaders in the high school are encouraging students to wear burgundy and silver on Wednesday, the school colors for Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

Senior Class President Victor Benjovsky will share a reflection over the PA system and students will observe a moment of silence. Seventeen student leaders will also spend the school day making an effort to connect with all students.

“It’s the students reaching out to the students,” said Enoch Martin, a junior.

Lyndonville doesn’t have any events planned for Wednesday, but the district – students, teachers and administrators – have been discussing student safety and the atmosphere at the school for the past month since the shooting in Florida, said Jason Smith, the district superintendent.

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New book highlights Holley and Clarendon in the 1800s

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 12 June 2017 at 10:58 am

Photos by Kristina Gabalski: Author Roy Bubb and Clarendon Historian Melissa Ierlan greet residents of the Clarendon/Holley/Murray community at the meeting room at the Holley Community Free Library on Sunday afternoon. They gathered to hear Bubb discuss his new book, The Family Scrapbook, an Era in Clarendon and Holley-Murray History.

HOLLEY – Roy Bubb, a Clarendon native who taught at the College at Brockport for 25 years, felt inspired to write a book after receiving a scrapbook compiled by a member of the Berry/Partridge family during the 19th century.

Bubb realized the newspaper clippings and family notations in the scrapbook told the story of the founding and development of the Holley/Clarendon community.

Although it is not a comprehensive history of Holley/Clarendon/Murray, Bubb said he believes it is the first time such historical information from the era covered has been documented.

Books are available for $25 at the Holley Community Free Library, the Clarendon Town Hall, and from the Holley-Murray Historical Society.

Bubb knew descendants of the families included in the scrapbook and his experiences with them are included in the book. He believes the scrapbook was compiled by Helen Berry and is significant, because it shows which local events she lived through were important to her.

The hardcover book includes a family tree of the John Berry family (John arrived in the area in 1837); five chapters which include historical information on Holley, Holley public schools and Academy, The David Partridge Family, Beechwood Park at Troutburg-on-the-Lake (where many Holley and Brockport residents spent the summer), the Baptist Church of Holley, and entrepreneur John Downs; an epilogue; an appendix which includes a basic timeline and additional information regarding people included in the scrapbook; a second appendix with photographs showing the Holley community then and now; a bibliography; endnotes and an index. The book contains many historic photographs.

Bubb also signed copies of the book during the event. He said many old friends and classmates attended, as well as former students from the College at Brockport.

Budd is donating all proceeds from the sale of the book to the Holley Community Free Library, the Clarendon Historical Society and the Holley-Murray Historical Society.

“You’ve got to learn to give,” Bubb observes. “I love to give, you get so much more in return.”

Holley Community Free Library Director Sandra Shaw said it was wonderful to have so many people attend the event, including seniors. “It’s always a joy for the library to have local authors in to speak and share their accomplishments,” she said.

Clarendon Historian Melissa Ierlan said families grew out of connections between the Holley-Murray and Clarendon communities. As the Erie Canal helped the area to grow, some chose to settle in Clarendon and farm, others chose to live closer to the canal itself. Ireland says Bubb’s book is important because it shows what events were important to residents who lived in the community during the era of 1837-1907.

Artifacts from the Berry and Partridge families is on display in the glass case at the Holley Community Library. The actual scrapbook can be seen on the right side of the top shelf.

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Holley police strengthen connections at school

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 11 February 2016 at 12:00 am

Chief commends school district for security efforts

HOLLEY – If you’ve noticed more Holley Police vehicles on the campus of Holley Central School lately, there’s a good reason.

Police Chief Roland Nenni spoke to members of the School Board during their regular meeting Monday regarding his efforts to increase police presence at the school and around the village in general.

Nenni said he has had officers working days stop at both the elementary and middle school/high school buildings on a regular basis over the past few weeks to assist with “bonding with staff and students.”

He explained that the recent efforts are only the beginning of work to strengthen ties between the village police and the school district.

“We want to build bridges,” Chief Nenni told board members. “We want to build a relationship … interact with students … bridge those gaps and make a bond. I can’t thank the staff of the school enough.”

The police chief also thanked board members and commended the district for their campus security efforts. Nenni explained that he acts as commander for the county-wide SWAT team and that, “Holley is above the grade of everybody else,” he observed. “It’s phenomenal, Holley really stepped up over the need for security. I can’t commend you enough.”

Nenni serves as chief of both the Albion and Holley Police Departments and he said he sees the stepped up efforts at the school as part of building a relationship with the entire Holley community.

“It’s nice to see us doing this together,” Board President Brenda Swanger told Nenni. “It’s what we need … I’ve seen your cars around more.”

Board member John Heise agreed with Swanger. “I see the (police) cars much more, they are active around the community. It’s amazing, the change.”

Nenni took over leadership of the Holley Police force in October 2015. He said he is well acquainted with the needs of small communities and wants to respond well to residents’ concerns.

“I want to do our business better,” he said, “have our customers tell us what they are looking for. We want to serve you the best we can.”

In other business, Elementary School Principal Karri Schiavone said parents will see different looking report cards next year as the school is working to move to a standards-based report for parents.

Schiavone said the district has formed a committee that is looking at samples from other districts and working on templates. She noted Holley is behind in aligning grades to standards.

“We need to start reporting to parents on standards,” she explained. “We work with standards in the classroom and on curriculum writing … this is going to be a huge shift and an uncomfortable shift, but we need to do it.”

Forum at Holley tries to clear up confusion over state education standards and assessments

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 3 November 2015 at 12:00 am

HOLLEY – Parents in the Holley Central School District had the opportunity Monday evening to learn more about standards and assessments in New York State during an informational forum at the Middle School/High School auditorium.

Holley School district administrators and Board of Education members attended the forum that was presented by Monroe 2 – Orleans BOCES administrators Dr. Marijo Pearson and Dr. Michelle Ryan.

“There has been confusion around Common Core standards and assessment tests, we want to make sure you understand why they are different,” Dr. Pearson said.

Parents attending received an information packet with Common Core resources for parents, “A Parent’s Guide to Student Success,” and examples of state assessment testing report data for teachers and parents.

Standards and assessments were addressed separately with administrators explaining that current standards help ready students for both college and careers after high school.

Benefits of Common Core learning as well as shifts in standards for English/Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics were explained.

“Standards are not curriculum,” Dr. Pearson noted. “Here in Holley you have the initiative to write curriculum according to Common Core standards. Teachers have autonomy on how it is taught.”

Parents were given specific ways they can help their children meet ELA and Mathematics standards and questions were taken from the audience.

The parent of a sixth-grader asked about a quiz her son had taken on a computer which included a question he got wrong. The question asked the student, “What do you think might happen?”

“How do you get that wrong?” the parent questioned. “My son thinks outside the box.”

Dr. Pearson responded that the student likely needed to make an inference based on the text in the test.

The same parent also expressed dismay that there are fewer textbooks now to reference when helping students at home, and that it can be difficult to see first-hand what they are learning via computer in school.

Another parent noted online resources, such as YouTube searches, have helped him understand how subjects are being taught.

“I ask my kids for key words that the teacher said,” he explained. He then uses those words to search for information and it has proven to be successful.

Holley Elementary Principal Karri Schiavone said parents do have access to materials and tests students are given on computers.

BOCES 2 administrators also alerted parents to a survey being conducted by the State Education Department seeking feedback from parents regarding state standards. The survey can be accessed by clicking here.

“You are encouraged to fill that out,” Dr. Pearson said.

Dr. Ryan observed that the way New York State education reforms came out all at one time with new standards, new assessments and new teacher evaluation was “probably not the smartest way to do it.”

Parents were also provided with information on various assessment tests including formative, summative, benchmark and state assessments as well as data reports regarding state assessments.

“Data can create conversation, that’s what’s important about data,” Dr. Ryan said. “If we don’t assess, we’re not going to know if they learned it. Assessment has become a bad word. It really isn’t a bad word. We have to assess to know how we are doing.”

Holley continues Flag Day tradition

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 12 June 2015 at 12:00 am

HOLLEY – Mid-morning downpours Friday forced Holley Elementary students to move their annual Flag Day ceremonies inside, but the wet weather didn’t dampen their spirit.

Instead of parading from the school to the railroad depot on Geddes Street Extension in the village, students, their teachers, friends and family members paraded through school hallways to the gymnasium while patriotic songs played over the public address system.

Flag Day is officially observed June 14, but this year the holiday falls on a Sunday, so the annual event at Holley Elementary was today.

Following the “parade” the gymnasium became a sea of red, white and blue and ceremonies included the “Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag,” the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner,” performances of patriotic music by members of the Holley Elementary Band and Chorus, the presentation of annual “Good Citizenship” Awards to students.

Holley Community Free Library Director Sandra Shaw thanks students for their donation from the “Raise the Roof Fund” during annual Flag Day ceremonies at the school Friday morning. Members of the Holley Elementary Student Council raised $1424.21 to help the library pay for a new roof. A check was presented to the library
during the ceremonies.

Student Council advisor and Holley Elementary vocal music teacher Sally Martin says funds were raised in several different ways including collection containers set up by students around the village and a literary-themed scavenger hunt around the school for words which form famous quotes from books. The money will go to help pay for a new roof for the library.

This was the 58th annual celebration of Flag Day by students at Holley Central Elementary School. According to www.usflag.org, Flag Day is believed to have originated in 1885 at a public school in Wisconsin as “Flag Birthday,” because June 14 is the anniversary of the adoption of the Flag Resolution of 1777 which designated the Stars and Stripes as the US flag.

Holley Elementary 5th grader John Patt performs with the Elementary Band during Flag Day ceremonies at the school on Friday morning.

A number of Holley Elementary students were honored Friday morning during the annual Flag Day celebration with Good Citizenship Awards, and. each received a patriotic T-shirt.

Artist works with Holley students to create mural design for school

Posted 14 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Provided photo – Stacey Kirby, an Albion native who has created many local murals, talks with Holley students about creating a mural design.

Press release
Holley Central School

HOLLEY – The Holley Central School District recently received the 2014 Arts Education Grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council. This grant enables the district to offer a special program called “Seeing as an Artist” to first grade students at the Holley Elementary School this May.

Artist Stacey Kirby is presenting the week-long program to students, leading them through an artistic process that begins with a nature walk to select an object of study.

“The process the artist uses encourages students to use their five senses to observe nature and sharpen their observational skills,” said first grade teacher Katie Trupo. “Studying a single object in this way requires them to develop focus, patience and attention to detail.”

Kirby met with students on Monday and talked to them about what it is like to be a professional artist. She also used this time to prepare them for their upcoming nature walk when they will be on the lookout for an item from nature that has particular colors, shapes and textures.

The students will create a drawing of something from the nature walk. They will then select a single drawing that the artist will use to create a mural for the school.

The finished mural will be unveiled at a ceremony at the Elementary School on Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

Kirby created several murals about Holley history that are on display near the gazebo by the village’s Canal Park.

Albion honors 38 soon-to-be-grads with GPAs at 90 or higher

Photo courtesy of Albion Central School: The group of honor grads are pictured in the high school gym after a dinner catered by Zambistro in Medina. This is the first time the event was held at the gym. Previously it was at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Holley.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2022 at 5:14 pm

ALBION – The district honored soon-to-be graduates on Thursday who have attained grade point averages at 90 percent or higher during the four years of high school. The students were recognized at the annual Academic Honors Convocation Dinner.

The event is normally held at Hickory Ridge Country Club but this time was held in a transformed high school gym with food catered by Zambistro in Medina.

There are 38 seniors at a 90 percent GPA or higher, including: Alicia Allen, Carson Bader, James Beach, Katelyn Beach, Valentina Beato Herrera, Olivia Bieber, Lauren Brooks, Elisa Bropst, Jeffrey Brown, Collin Capurso, Hannah Coolbaugh, Nicolina Creasey, Angel Cruz Cruz, Ann Faery, Ethan Ferchen, Jacob Foote, Rowan Ford, Tyler Gibson, Emily Graham, Kenzi Hapeman, Emily Harling, Samantha Johnson, Leah Kania, Adrian Kingdollar, Alyson Knaak, Kyle Kuehne, Charley London, Allison Mathes, Sydney Mulka, Hannah Papponetti, Leah Pritchard, Reuben Rivers, Belen Rosario Soto, Aurora Serafin, Aidan Smith, Paris Smith, Presley Smith and Colleen Usselman.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Valentina Beato Herrera, one of the honor grads, is congratulated by Board of Education member David Sidari. Other board members from left include Margy Brown, Kathy Harling and Kurt Schmitt.

The gym turned into a venue for the meal and awards presentation.

Greg Madejski, Ph.D, the Class of 2006 valedictorian at Albion, gives the keynote message to this year’s honor grads advice on Thursday during an Academic Honors Convocation Dinner. Madejski urged the group to be problem solvers and make a plan for action.

The keynote speaker for the event was Class of 2006 valedictorian Greg Madejski, who works on biomedical problems.

He earned a degree in microelectronic engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2010 and earned his PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Rochester in 2018.

He is a laboratory engineer for the Integrated Nano Systems Center at the University of Rochester.

Madejski also is the co-founder and CEO of Parverio, a company focused on combating nanoplastic contamination. That company researches detecting microplastics in water.

Madejski enjoys climbing, singing with the Rochester Oratorio Society and is a cantor at the Holy Family Parish in Albion.

He urged the honor grads to be problem solvers.

“I encourage you to not rest on your laurels because there’s so many interesting problems out there, and we need your help,” Madejski said.

A key component of being a problem solver: curiosity. “How does this thing work? What does this one thing do when I change inputs?” he said. “How can this be done better?”

He shared how he was working in a research lab and accidentally breathed on a chip when it was close to his face. He wouldn’t recommend that.

It was a humid that day. His breath opened a new fabrication strategy and that process went on to detect over a million pieces of DNA in a row, a record for the time. He learned to observe and make changes in a process.

Madejski said being a problem solver means taking care of yourself – and being honest with yourself. He said at times he has struggled with anxiety and depression. He focuses his time on activities that bring him joy.

He recommended to the grads they have a plan, and ask for help when they need it.

He urged them to run the risk of being wrong and of being unpopular.

“I can say without reservation that the education I received here allowed me to navigate college, graduate school and studies abroad in another culture,” Madejski said. “You have a fine quality of education to compete and excel in a variety of settings. What you do with your well-earned knowledge and learning will matter more than simply gaining it. I challenge you to be an active problem solver wherever they arise in your lives and for our community.”

Emily Harling shakes hands with board member Wayne Wadhams after receiving a certificate for earning a GPA at 90 percent or higher. Parents of the graduates then presented them with their honor cords.

The seniors have fun singing Albion’s alma mater. The Class of 2022 is set to graduate with an outdoor ceremony at the football field on June 24 with June 25 reserved as a rain date.

The four other districts in Orleans County – Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina – will honor their top 10 graduates during a program on June 14 at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville.

100 receive Covid vaccination doses today in first county-run clinic

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 January 2021 at 7:03 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers

RIDGEWAY – Zach Busch, a junior-senior high music teacher in Holley, received his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine this afternoon. Connie Ferris gave him the shot.

“It’s peace of mind,” said Busch, 27. “I feel it’s important to protect not only myself but my students and my colleagues.”

Many of the people vaccinated today were school employees, who are in the 1b eligibility group.

Ferris has been a nurse for 54 years. She volunteered at the vaccination clinic today at the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company at the corner of Ridge Road and Horan Road.

Today was the first Covid vaccination clinic run by Orleans County. The slots filled up quickly and 100 doses were given out. The site could accommodate up to 600 people in a day.

Paul Pettit, the public health director in Orleans and Genesee counties, looks forward to more doses being available locally. If there is a big increase in doses, the clinic could have expanded hours each day and be available on multiple days during the week.

The Health Department ran smaller-scale vaccination clinics about a decade ago for H1N1 at the Health Department building in Albion, and the department also runs flu vaccine clinics.

But Pettit said the Covid-19 clinics will be a much larger scale and for a longer duration.

Orleans Community Health, Oak Orchard Health and some of the local pharmacies also have been administering vaccine doses.

Dan Doctor, in front at right, served as a greeter at the clinic. He works as the community outreach liaison at Medina Central School. He is chatting with David Bell, the emergency preparedness coordinator for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Many community members volunteered to run the clinic today from 1 to 4 p.m. Volunteers don’t need a medical background. There are other roles as greeters, runners, observers and data recorders.

People interested in volunteering at a clinic can contact the Health Department at (585) 589-3278 or the Orleans County Emergency Management Office at (585) 589-4414.

Jeanne Crane, left, and Carla Wahls draw the vaccine. Each vial of the vaccine from Moderna had about 10 doses. Some had 11. The nurses make sure each shot had the right amount to be administered.

Crane is a retired nurse at Medina Memorial Hospital. She retired in 2003, and heeded the call for assistance at the vaccination clinics.

“I feel very strongly that the vaccine will help us to get out again and I saw the need to volunteer,” Crane said. “The Health Department doesn’t have the necessary staff during this pandemic. So I called them.”

Those who received a vaccine today should get a second dose of the vaccine in 28 days. Carla Wahls, the registered nurse, acknowledged the vaccine is in high demand.

“This is like liquid gold right now,” she said.

Cobblestone Museum plans for a busy 2020, which is its 60th anniversary

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 10 January 2020 at 8:11 am

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Doug Farley has served as director of the Cobblestone Museum in Gaines since 2017. He has since developed a full schedule of events in an attempt to grow the museum. This year’s schedule includes more than half a dozen new events, in addition to most of the old favorites.

GAINES – When Doug Farley became director of the Cobblestone Museum in 2017, his goal was to grow the museum and make it a year-round destination, and this year’s schedule of events alludes to that success.

The museum will be open by appointment during May and will open for the season from Wednesday through Sunday, beginning June 3.

However, the Sunday Painters Art Classes will start the season with their first class on Jan. 26. The successful classes are a return event, and will take place at 1 p.m. for four weeks on the last Sunday of January, February, March and April. Medina artist Pat Greene will teach the classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced students.

Greene has created a new syllabus for each class. Participants will start with a blank canvas and leave with a finished painting. Farley called Greene a “real professional.” People who have taken her classes said she is very helpful, he said.

New this year is a bus trip April 4 to Corning Museum of Glass. The trip will include admission to the museum and lunch on the bus.

A Cobblestone Spring Trivia night is also new, with a date in April to be announced. Maarit Vaga has volunteered to be emcee for the night and has her questions ready. Farley suggests putting together a team of two or four, even six contestants. The evening will include wine and refreshments.

A Mother/Daughter Tea on May 10 (Mother’s Day) is a new event, organized by Georgia Thomas of Medina. A short program on the history of Mother’s Day will be included. Cobblestone Society members will have priority, but it will be open to the public if space permits.

The group who participated in the Cobblestone Museum’s bus trip to view cobblestone buildings in the Rochester area are pictured here in front of an Amish cobblestone home near Palmyra. The tour this year will take participants to the Sodus area in August.

The Cobblestone Society is honored to welcome Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension to the museum on June 6, when the 4-H program will host their statewide 4-H Fashion Show from 10 a.m. to noon in the cobblestone church. After lunch at Tillman’s Village Inn, a group tour of the cobblestone campus will follow.

A Civil War Re-enactment at a date to be announced in July or August is new. The Lewiston Reenactment Group will portray a Civil War field hospital with nurses and surgeons demonstrating skills and medical tools of the era.

A fall history bus trip Oct. 10 will take participants on a narrated tour of cobblestone homes in the Finger Lakes area, while viewing fall foliage along the way. The trip will feature a tour of the facilities at Ganondagan State Historic Site near Canandaigua, the Seneca Arts and Cultural Center and the full size replica of a 17th century Seneca Nation Longhouse.

The last new venture for the Cobblestone Society this year is creating a float to take to local parades, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Cobblestone Society. Parades will include Holley’s June Fest Parade June 6, Albion’s Strawberry Festival June 12 and 13, Lyndonville’s Fourth of July Celebration and Medina’s Parade of Lights Nov. 28.

Returning for a second year is Cobblestone Museum Day March 21 at Lures Restaurant at Bald Eagle Marina, Kendall. Lures will donate a portion of the proceeds from guests who eat at the marina from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mike Deniz of Fairport, center, plays the violin during an April 14 performance by Elderberry Jam at the Cobblestone Church in the Gaines hamlet of Childs. Nearly 200 people attended the concert. Elderberry Jam will be back for another concert at the church on April 26.

Farley is also thrilled to have been contacted by Elderberry Jam, an extremely popular fiddlers’ group from the Finger Lakes area, asking if they could return. The Museum waited several years to book them for their first appearance last year, when they packed the cobblestone church.

The Cobblestone Society’s Membership/Fundraising dinner will take place May 6 at Carlton Recreation Center. The evening will feature dinner catered by Michael Zambito, live and silent auctions and raffles throughout the event.

The third annual Progressive Organ concert and dinner will move to Holley and Brockport this year on May 16, with visits to the Morgan Manning House and two historic churches. A catered dinner will follow.

The opening exhibit June 7 is “Historical, Hysterical and Naughty,” featuring some very unusual novelty pieces from the collections of Bill Lattin and the late Rene Schasel.

The Cobblestone Patriotic Service July 5 will celebrate the museum’s cobblestone heritage and 60th anniversary. The nation’s independence will be observed with patriotic songs and readings at 11 a.m. At noon, all churches in the community will be welcomed for a picnic lunch on the side lawn. A freewill donation will be received.

Sue Starkweather Miller will host the annual summer garden bus tour, at a date to be announced in July. The trip will visit four or five new gardens in Orleans County.

The Cobblestone Museum is working with Orleans County Tourism to put together events for the 10 days of the Orleans County Heritage Festival Sept. 11 to 20. A celebration of the storied history of Orleans County will be celebrated by many different partners throughout the county.

An Old Timer’s Fair and Antiques Appraisal is scheduled for Sept. 12. The museum will come alive with artisans and re-enactors as they recreate the feel of Orleans County life in the 19th century. Admission is free for the fair, but a small fee per item will be charged for the appraisal service. A Chiavetta chicken barbecue will take place for dining on site or takeout from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or until sold out.

The Cobblestone Tour of Homes on Sept. 26 will branch out to several fine examples of cobblestone structures in western Orleans and Niagara counties. Self-drive or bus tour options are available.

Photo by Tom Rivers: These girls portrayed students at the District No. 5 Schoolhouse at the Cobblestone Museum during a Ghost Walk on Oct. 8, 2017. The girls include, from left: Meganne Moore, Kelsey Froman, Ella Trupo, Autumn Flugel and Liana Flugel. The museum will have another Ghost Walk on Oct. 17.

The Cobblestone Ghost Walk on Oct. 17 will showcase Orleans County happenings at the conclusion of the Civil War.

The Cobblestone Museums Gift Shop will again be turned into a Holiday Shoppe on Nov. 6, 7, 8 and Dec. 5, featuring a Christmas wonderland of decorations and gifts at low cost. There will also be Christmas music at special times.

The Cobblestone Society will hold its annual meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 14 at a location to be announced.

The final event of the year is the Christmas Tour of Homes on Dec. 5, featuring Christmas displays and homes in Holley. Diana Flow is working with the Holley Historical Society to select homes that will be on the tour. Again, a self-drive or bus option will be available.

Further information on all events is available on the Cobblestone Museum’s website or by calling the museum at 589-9013.

Farley and the museum also continue to explore options to create an Orleans County Welcome Center at the Cobblestone campus.

“It will be a very busy year,” he said.

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