Photos courtesy of Kendall Central School – Kendall students compete against staff in a game of scooter basketball.

Press Release, Kendall Central School

KENDALL – Kendall elementary students proved once again that they have caring hearts when the school celebrated a “Week of Character” from Feb. 8-12.

Students participated in activities that encouraged caring for themselves, their classmates and their community. They collected food donations for the Kendall Food Cupboard, participated in heart-healthy activities to take care of themselves and practiced using kind words and actions with their peers.

Students were encouraged to sit with a new friend during lunch, wear a team jersey one day and red another day to show team spirit, and take a walk with their class and use a water bottle at school to practice healthy habits. Ten boxes of donations were collected for the Kendall Food Cupboard by the end of the week.

On Friday, Feb. 12, Elementary Student Council members competed against faculty and staff in a game of scooter basketball. Participants sat on scooters and tried to shoot baskets at a moving target as they scooted around the gym after each other.

There is a sea of red as students and staff cheer on the competitors and performers during the Feb. 12 assembly.

Students attended an assembly on Friday where they participated in Drums Alive, a cross-curricular activity involving fitness and music. K-6 students rehearsed drum routines during the week with music teacher Jeremy Rath and physical education teachers Judy Weber and Justin Laureano, then performed them at the assembly. Students encouraged each other as they enthusiastically learned the routines and practiced their endurance when drumming.

Special area teachers also awarded golden trophies to acknowledge classes demonstrating exceptional caring. Classes received a golden sneaker, book, glockenspiel, tambourine, paintbrush, or mouse based on their behavior during physical education, library, music, art or technology classes.

Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Participants in this morning’s Lego Camp at Kendall Elementary school prepare Lego “vehicles” which will run down a “zipline.”

KENDALL – Dozens of Kendall Elementary students and their parents enjoyed a fun morning of creativity today at the first ever Lego Camp organized by the Kendall Recreation Department and hosted by Kendall Elementary School.

Kendall Recreation Director Michelle Werth said the first-time event is the brain-child of parent Alicia Charland, who wanted to offer something fun and creative for kids who might not have an interest in the Recreation Department’s many sports programs.

“We have 55 kids registered,” Werth said. “It was offered for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.”

Appropriately enough, kindergartener Cooper Hughes makes a Lego snowplow guy with Mrs. Colucci.

The morning started off with the construction of a Lego “worm” – a simple block structure in which participants tried to create the longest and most creative “worm” on a small Lego board.

Participants were then free to visit a number of stations where they could make Lego vehicles, Hexabug habitats, play Pictionary with Legos, make Lego constructions from bagged sets, make free form Lego figures and constructions, race cars with Mega Blocks, create Legos to run down a “zipline,” and more.

Large Mega Blocks were used in the Elementary School hallway to create a racetrack/obstacle course for toy cars.

Refreshments were provided and The Lego Movie and other videos featuring Legos were shown.

Alicia Charland said her sons love Legos and she knew they would really enjoy the Lego Camp. “We decided we would make it happen,” she said.

Legos were both donated and collected from garage sales and will be stored for use at future Lego events.

“We are thinking about a four-day camp in the summer that would likely be held in the mornings,” Charland said. She noted Legos fit well with the STEM-based school curriculum and are a great way for children to express their creativity.

Third-grader Stephen Elliott made a Lego speed boat during this morning’s Lego Camp at Kendall Elementary School.

Participants wore lanyards with their name and received a star to place on the lanyard each time they completed a project, or cleaned up after their snack.

“When they get five stars they become a Master Builder in Training,” Charland said.

She commended the many volunteers who helped make the event possible, including Kendall High School students. Charland was also impressed by the number of fathers who came to enjoy the event.

“It was three hours in the morning, something local and something affordable,” she noted.

Kendall Elementary Principal Sharon Smith attended and lent a helping hand. She said the camp was a great winter activity.

“We hope it is the first of many activities as part of a partnership between the school and the town,” Smith said. “Our doors will always be open for Kendall Recreation Department activities.”

The first-ever Kendall Recreation Lego Camp proved to be a popular activity during Winter Break week. The event was held in the Kendall Elementary School cafeteria.

Kendall High School students volunteered to help participants during the Lego Camp event, including 10th-graders, from left: Caleb Henion, Megan Hardenbrook and Michela Hanlon. They are at the Hexabug Habitats station.

KENDALL – Members of the Kendall Board of Education have approved $3.03 million in construction bids in the second phase of an upgrade at the school campus, a $25 million overall capital project ongoing since 2014.

The following bids were approved on Wednesday evening:

General trades – Holdsworth Klimowski Construction, Victor, NY for $1,903,000.
Plumbing – Thurston Dudek, LLC, Ontario, NY, for $284,400.
HVAC – Nairy Mechanical, LLC, Webster, NY, for $425,700.
Electrical – Suburban Electric of Albion, Inc., for $417,200.

Phase II of the project is much smaller than Phase I which included a new cafeteria at the Jr./Sr. High School and extensive improvements to school libraries, hallways, classrooms and the fitness room at the Jr./Sr. High School.

Phase II includes work on both the Kendall Jr./Sr. High School and Kendall Elementary School and will involve upgrades to elementary classroom bathrooms, the Jr./Sr High School Science wing and site work.

Remaining work from Phase I including the Jr./Sr. High School main office, main entrance and counseling area is expected to begin in June with completion of all Phase I and Phase II work expected by September 2016.

KENDALL – Members of the Kendall Town Board will continue to research and discuss solar energy options for the town.

Councilman Bruce Newell reported last week on NYS Affordable Solar /Community Distributed Solar – programs the state hopes will make solar easier and more affordable through community-driven initiatives.

Newell said the town is looking at “improving the energy situation,” and explained that he took part in a webinar in mid-December on the topic.

“There are two different approaches to get solar better distributed,” he explained.

The first approach includes additional support for low-income installations – households most in need of electricity cost reductions. Under this approach there is “double the amount of financial support” for installing solar in homes by helping homeowners overcome roadblocks such as not having the capital upfront for installation, Newell said.

The second aspect supports community distributed generation of shared solar. Newell said state programs provide opportunities for renters, homeowners, low-income residents, schools and businesses to join together to set up shared solar projects.

In Kendall, for example, the fire department, post office, town hall and schools could band together for community-distributed generation, Newell explained. He noted there is also interest in solar energy on the county level.

Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata told Newell to continue his efforts exploring solar opportunities.

“Green energy continues to be a hot topic at the county, state and national level,” Cammarata said. “We’ve got be ahead of the game.”

Photo by Kristina Gabalski – Sixth-grade members of the Kendall Elementary School Student Council stand behind their new “Buddy Bench” as they explain its meaning and function to members of the Kendall Central School Board Wednesday evening at Kendall Jr./Sr. High School.

KENDALL – Sixth-grade members of the Kendall Elementary School Student Council presented a new “Buddy Bench” to Board of Education members during their meeting on Wednesday.

The new bench will be a place for students to sit who are looking for a friend.

“The Buddy Bench is for children feeling lonely or sad, or who want to make new friends,” the students explained.

Student Sara Mattle even wrote a poem about the project which was inspired by Christian Bucks, a second grader in Pennsylvania:

“We made it with some tools, some screws and a wrench.
So when you’re feeling lonely, you can have a seat on the buddy bench.
And then a friend will come, and ask you to play.
Then you and that new friend will have fun all day!”

Advisors Amy Leone and Vicki Spurr assisted the students with the project.

“The teachers talked about it and presented the idea to (Principal) Sharon Smith and (Superintendent) Julie Christensen,” Spurr said. “We felt it was something we needed.”

The bench is painted in a bright and welcoming shade of red and will be located on the elementary school playground. It will be installed in the spring.

“Thank you for all the work you have done,” Superintendent Christensen told the students.

The Buddy Bench will be dedicated with a plaque in memory of the father of Principal Sharon Smith, who said the students are already working to raise funds for a second Buddy Bench.

“They hope to have four eventually,” Smith said.

KENDALL – The Cottages at Troutburg is proceeding, slower than originally projected.

Town Councilman Bruce Newell provided an update on Troutburg during Tuesday’s Town Board meeting.

The Wegman Group is developing the 126-acre former Salvation Army camp along Lake Ontario into seasonal homes. The developer says the site has room for 400 units.

Newell and Code Enforcement Officer Paul Hennekey reported that the town recently received a letter from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation informing them that it has raised the number of cottages from 8 to 20 that can be served by a temporary sewage treatment process by which an on-site facility is used as a holding tank and pumped. Hennekey said there are currently eight cottages onsite.

“I would like to hear more explanation about why the DEC thought it was appropriate,” Newell remarked regarding the increase in allowable cottages built before the treatment plant is fully operational.

Hennekey said an official at the DEC told him the holding facility, which will eventually function as a treatment facility, will function better in that capacity once 20 cottages have been built and that there would be no problem constructing additional cottages and issuing certificates of occupancy.

Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata said he wants Hennekey to contact the DEC again in order to pin down a time for the DEC to come out and inspect the facility.

“If they can give you factual data (the town) would be more comfortable with where we are at this point,” Cammarata said, and explained that if the current set-up is adequate, the cottages could proceed, but if it is not, the DEC could make recommendations regarding what should be done.

Hennekey noted that work is progressing on getting the treatment plant operational.

“They are working on it – it could be weeks away or months away,” he said.

In other action at the town meeting, Kendall Highway Superintendent Warren Kruger was welcomed to the regular Kendall Town Board meeting Tuesday evening with a round of applause from Town Board members. High winds and snowfall this week have kept Kruger and members of his department busy. Cammarata noted Kruger had spent the better part of the previous 24 hours working.

“Warren has been out all night and all day and has done a terrific job to keep our roads safe and clean,” Cammarata noted earlier in the meeting. Kruger joined the meeting in progress and Cammarata had given the highway department report prior to his arrival.

“We very much appreciate everybody in the highway department’s efforts to make Kendall a safe community to drive through,” Cammarata said.

Kruger noted that crews and plows are holding up well.

“Winter’s here and it’s blowing and drifting, it’s not the snow it’s the wind,” he said.

Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Kendall Supervisor Tony Cammarata is sworn in to a second term in office by Town Justice Debbie Drennan. Cammarata’s wife, Sharon, holds the Bible.

KENDALL -Town Board members held their 2016 organizational meeting Tuesday evening. Newly elected Councilperson Barb Flow, Councilperson Margaret Lynn Szozda and Supervisor Tony Cammarata all took their oaths of office, officiated by Town Justice Debbie Drennan.

During his remarks, Supervisor Cammarata said he is “honored to serve” Kendall again as supervisor. In the coming year, he noted that, “New water districts will be our priority,” and added that a joint meeting will be held Jan. 13 at the Hamlin Town Hall regarding the distribution of assets from the former Hamlin-Kendall Water District.

Newly elected Councilperson Barb Flow was appointed to fill a vacancy on Town Board in the summer of 2015 after retiring as Kendall’s long-time recreation director.

Kendall Town Justice Debbie Drennan officiates as Kendall Councilperson Margaret Lynn Szozda takes the oath of office. Szozda was re-elected in November. Councilperson Barb Flow holds the Bible.

She was elected to the post in November. Councilperson Margaret Lynn Szozda and Supervisor Tony Cammarata were re-elected in November.

Additionally, council members approved a long list of appointments and designations including the appointment of Andrew Meier as town attorney; the appointment of Patrick Bolton as chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals; the reappointment of Andrew Kludt as chairman of the Planning Board; the reappointment of Michelle Werth as director of Youth and Adult Recreation; the re-appointment of Heather Koch as town historian; the re-appointment of Eileen Grah as Town of Kendall librarian; and the re-appointment of Paul Hennekey as code enforcement officer.

Newly elected Town Councilperson Barb Flow takes the oath of office while her husband, Vince, holds the Bible.

Town Board meetings will be held the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Kendall Town Hall, 1873 Kendall Rd., and work sessions are scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. and the Saturday preceding the third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m.

The salary schedule for 2016 includes: Supervisor – $8,400.00; Councilperson (4) $3,120.00; Town Clerk – $28,428.00; Code Enforcement Officer – $11,400.00; Superintendent of Highways – $49,750.00; Justice 1 – $7,725.00; Justice 2 – $6,600.00.

LaBella Associates of Rochester was appointed the engineering firm for the town. Margaret Lynn Szozda was appointed deputy supervisor and Tony Cammarata was appointed budget officer.

Press Release, Kendall Central School

KENDALL – In response to the national concern about mental health issues and the impact they have on student performance and school district climates, Kendall Central School has partnered with Orleans County Mental Health to offer a satellite office at Kendall Elementary School two days a week.

Kristen Acquilano, a mental health counselor with the county, works out of the satellite office at Kendall on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Kendall elementary through high school students are eligible to be referred to the counselor by the district’s Student Referral Team. Transportation from the high school to appointments during the school day is provided by the district for the older students.

“By having the mental health collaboration, it helps us address the stressors and the root cause of a student’s behavior at school,” said Kendall Superintendent Julie Christensen. “This is a real boost to our side of the county to offer mental health services here. Coming here rather than traveling to Albion saves our families time, plus it supplements the services provided by our district’s counseling staff. By having the satellite office at the Elementary School, students can use the services provided to help them concentrate on their studies and be positive contributors in school. This new service opportunity also encourages our parents to further engage with the district on students’ academic issues.”

Kristen Acquilano

Since Oct. 7, Acquilano has begun to make assessments of students, offer counseling appointments and give referrals to other mental health professionals to help address the needs of students and their families. Acquilano has a master’s degree in social work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Students are referred to her by Kendall counseling staff. After receiving the referral, she begins the process by obtaining parent/guardian permission and insurance information, then scheduling an hour-long initial assessment. Parents/ guardians can also contact her for guidance on receiving mental health services for their children.

Once the assessment is complete, she works with the student’s schedule to make regular appointments. Appointments are available in the late afternoon and early evening hours for students and their families. Parents/guardians may have the opportunity to attend counseling sessions to support their child, but parents/guardians will not be able to schedule counseling appointments for themselves.

Acquilano welcomes contact from parents/guardians through email or phone if they have feedback, questions or concerns about their children and are unable to attend an appointment with them. Acquilano’s email address is Kristen.Acquilano@orleanscountyny.gov and her Orleans County Mental Health office phone number is 585-589-2787.

“I am absolutely loving my experience at Kendall,” said Acquilano. “All of the staff have been warm and welcoming. I am finding it so beneficial to coordinate care with teachers and counselors. We are able to work together on case plans in order to address student needs.”

Photos by Kristina Gabalski

KENDALL – Mrs. Petrosino, wife of Kendall Junior-Senior High School Social Studies teacher Joseph Petrosino, describes Christmas in her native Croatia to Kendall students during an assembly Wednesday afternoon in the Jr./Sr. High School auditorium.

With a population that is heavily Roman Catholic, Christmas is an important religious feast day in Croatia, she said.

“We have snow every seven to ten years,” she noted, “which is very nice, actually.”

Croatians also celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas on Dec. 5 and plant Christmas wheat on the Feast of St. Lucy on Dec. 13. The length of the newly sprouted wheat on Christmas day indicates how much success can be expected in the new year.

Members of the Kendall Senior High Jazz Band perform holiday favorites Wednesday afternoon during a multicultural assembly in the auditorium.

Students heard from members of their own school community about life in other countries of the world – including Christmas celebrations; listened to fellow students perform holiday music; and had the opportunity to participate in the making of calypso music on steel drums with members of the Panloco Steel Drum Band.

Mrs. Mirjam Bauer, a high school counselor who is from the Netherlands, told students about life in her native country as well as their Christmas tradition of Sinterklaas, who visits with gifts on Dec. 5-6 along with his helper Zwarte Piet.

Fellow student Nathalia Quiles Rivera, who came to Kendall from Puerto Rico, told about colorful Christmas lights in her homeland and the “huge” parties that are held outside at this time of year with singing and dancing.

“Here you can’t go outside,” she said. “You literally freeze.”

Nathalia also told how Christmas and Three King’s Day (Epiphany) are important religious feast days in Puerto Rico.

Kendall students join Ted Canning and sons Jon and James of Panloco Steel Drum Band to make music with drums and other West African percussion instruments.

The Kendal Sr. High Jazz Band performed a medley of Christmas songs, and the Panloco Steel Drum Band gave students a taste of West Africa with drumming, as well as Trinidad with calypso steel drum music.

Students were able to play with the band following brief instructions from director Ted Canning, who related the history of the development of the steel drum to students.

Kendall Jr./Sr. High School Students and members of Panloco Steel Drum Band combine to form a “Garbage Band” – Panloco director Ted Canning used the “garbage band” to explain the historical development of the steel drum.

Kendall students were also able to join Panloco playing on steel drums. Director Ted Canning was able to include the students on musical numbers after a brief instruction.

Photo: Kendall Central School – Libby Jurs was a popular school nurse at Kendall Central School.

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent

KENDALL – Members of the Kendall School Board of Education agreed to create a memorial scholarship in honor of Elizabeth “Libby” Jurs, a former Junior/Senior High School nurse.

She died Dec. 12 after a long battle with ovarian cancer and, more recently, leukemia.

The scholarship will be awarded to a student who has overcome adversity and has strived to make a positive impact on society. Students planning to enter the fields of farming, education, industrial arts or nursing will be given priority. The amount awarded will be based on the balance of the account not to exceed $100 in any given year. A scholarship committee will pick the recipient.

Jurs served as a school nurse for more than 24 years, retiring just this past October. At the time of her retirement, Principal Carol D’Agostino called Jurs, “the heart and soul of the high school.”

D’Agostino remembered Jurs bringing food and clean clothes to students in need as well as buying presents for students during the holidays and for birthdays.

“She loved her kids and they loved her,” D’Agostino said.

This past September, Kendall faculty and staff rallied behind Jurs through the creation of Team Libby, wearing teal “Team Libby” T-shirts and participating in the Ovarian & Gynecological Cancers 5K Run/Walk at Monroe Community College. Additionally, sales of “Team Libby” T-shirts have raised $350 for donation to finding a cure for ovarian and gynecological cancers.

Donations to the Elizabeth Jurs Memorial Scholarship Fund may be made c/o Kendall Central School, Kendall, NY, 14476.