The

Ban

ner

Bar

ker

Cen

tral

Sch

ool/

Exce

llenc

e in

the

21st

Cen

tury

July

2007,

Vol

ume

22,

No.

11

Vision Statement: Barker Central School is a place where every person is secure, respected and appreciated. The resources of the school district will be used to inspire each student’s confidence as a learner and develop all to their full potential.

SCHOOL DAYS END...

As one of the year­end events at Pratt, first graders met with their pen pals from Pinnacle Charter School from downtown Buffalo. All the pals played games together, made crafts and ate lunch with each other. Here, Malachi from Pinnacle and Jordan Klosin enjoy hanging out.

This is the final edition of The Banner for this school year. We have enjoyed sharing so many of our wonderful students and events with you and look forward to seeing you again in the fall!

INSIDE THIS FINAL EDITION YOU WILL FIND:

♦ An interview with the new Superintendent, Roger Klatt ♦ Important Information for parents of Pre­K students ♦ Final Sports News ♦ Clifford Peacock Scholarship info… ♦ Lots of other interesting things!

2

Barker Welcomes Roger Klatt our New Superintendent

You might not realize, at first glance, that the quiet, unassuming man sitting behind the desk is actually a powerhouse of energy and ideas. However, spend ten minutes with him and you will begin to see just how passionate and driven he is about his work. In his seven years at Barker Central, Roger Klatt has not only proven his merit and his passion for the job, but also his incredible work ethic. He contributes his strong work ethic to his father. “I was one of

nine children with integrity and a strong work ethic being the founda­ tion of our upbringing,” he said about his childhood. “My father, then having limited opportunities to continue his schooling, was a deter­ mined and successful individual who valued education above all. He continues to inspire me to advance in my career and education. I think

one of my parents brightest days came with my first day as a teacher,” he added. “The terms work ethic and Roger Klatt have become synonymous at Barker Central,” said Pratt Elementary Principal Nikki Shanley. Roger has been in the field of education for 23 years; 13 as a teacher and the last 10 as an administrator. He graduated from

Albion High School in 1978 and went on to Brockport State where he obtained his certification in physical education and ele­ mentary education. He also has received his certificate of Advance Study including an SDA (School District Administrator) certification. For the last 4 years he has been pursuing his Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy. Presently his coursework for this program is completed and he is now in the dissertation phase. One of his prized possessions is a small plaque that he was given years ago. “It is an Educator of the Year Award received

in1995. My colleagues nominated me for what I consider this most honored recognition. It reminds me to maintain a strong focus on improving teaching and learning.” “Mr. Klatt made a commitment some time ago to do what he could to make BCS the very best it could be,” said John Hoar,

High School Principal. “He knows that the #1 influence on student learning is teacher effectiveness in the classroom. He has made it a priority to focus on classroom instruction and as a principal, I couldn’t be happier with that being a top priority,” he added. While he is taking over the position of Superintendent in unsure times, he remains committed to ensuring that every student

attending Barker Central School has the kind of educational and extracurricular experiences that will enable them to achieve their personal goals now and in the future. “Doing so will prepare our graduates to be competitive both academically and in the work force. How we prepare our students is so important. To not reach this goal would be unacceptable” he said forcefully.

“I am also aware of the need to balance this assurance with prudent spending and required allocations to reserve accounts. Living in the community helps me to better understand the issues we face and how these issues might impact next year’s budget as the Board works with me to come up with a new budget for the next school year,” said Roger. “Roger is dedicated to making BCS the best that it can be for our kids. He has a powerful academic background and can ar­

ticulate his vision of excellence clearly and effectively,” said past Superintendent Steven LaRock. Known for his open door policy and his approachable manner, the staff and students have come to trust their new Superinten­

dent. “Roger is extremely dedicated and a mentor to us all,” said Middle School Principal Cheryl Cardone. “He always makes time to talk to you,” she added. When asked about his own family, Roger replied “The job of Superintendent is complex and challenging and without a sup­

portive family who understands the time demands it takes, I would not be as effective. My wife and two daughters are totally supportive. It is a family effort ­ we are all in this together.” Roger and his wife Kristen have been married for 17 years and have two daughters, Emily and Madeline.

3

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH MAY & JUNE

Alexis Wolanczyk ­ 6th, Nicholas Provencher ­ 5th, Brandon Alt ­ 6th, Brian Alt ­ 6th, Meghan Menz ­ 6th, Heather Mason ­ 5th, Hayden Hathaway ­ 5th, Morgan Fay ­ 5th, Amber Trzaska ­ 6th

Allie Tillman ­ 7th, Madeline Klatt ­ 7th, Lindsay Page ­ 7th, Jessica Comerford ­ 8th, Zach Hilton ­ 8th, Bryan Ames ­ 8th, Tony Diez ­ 8th, not pictured is Taylor Gallo ­ 8th

MARCH & APRIL

Not in order: Tyler Beecher ­ 5th, Dalton Grosshans ­ 6th, Enedina Bautista ­ 6th, Robert Bieber­Carey ­ 5th, Laura O’Conner ­ 5th, Bradley Mandaville ­ 6th, Jessica Hefferon ­ 6th

PRATT ELEMENTARY

Tyler Miller - 3rd grade Melissa Pestinger - 4th grade

Mykel Ruffini - 2nd grade

Mark Sutch ­ 8th, Deanna Platt ­ 8th, Eliza Dewart ­ 7th, Alexandra Denny ­ 7th, Gwen Furmanek ­ 7th, Vanesa Berardi ­ 8th, Jaelyn Ginther ­ 8th, Rachel Anderson ­ 7th

4

MIDDLE SCHOOL HONORS AND AWARDS CEREMONY

Shelby Acker Amos Andrews Jr. Samira Arafat Julia Atwater Cody Baronich Nicholas Bearce Tyler Beecher Robert Bieber­Carey Brooke Bodine Kristen Bolz Nolan Bouchane Courtney Cain Marianna Cantella Olivia Denny Patrick Desmarais Phoebe Elter Morgan Fay Timothy Flint Hayden Gooding Kolbe Greenwald Jacob Haight Hayden Hathaway Bria Holliday Sara Hotaling Benjamin Johnson Benjamin Kaiser Ryan Kellar Alycia Larsen Elizabeth Lipiec Mitchell Luckman Sean MacDonald Taylor Martineck Heather Mason Harley Miller Bryce Moeller Dylan Murray Laura O’Connor Cody Pierce Derek Potter Nicholas Provencher Hayley Richbart Miranda Rosario Brittany Sample Jessica Schotz Leah Smith Matthew Smolinsky Tyler Snyder Jeffrey Thuman Jr Amber Trzaska Ryan Uschold Austin Wagner Daniel West Cody Wick Whitney Wittcop Jarid Worthington

Brandon Alt Brian Alt Amanda Austin Nicholas Bachman Morgan Baker Alfredo Bautista Enedina Bautista Jordan Bender Joshua Bergman Lindsey Brown Brewer Butski Abbigail Buzzard Brett Cole Cody Comeau Joseph Devereaux William DiLorenzo Jackson Elniskey Zachary Forsyth Sabrina Fuller Ruth Gendrue Dameria Griffin Dalton Grosshans Terence Haag Lukas Hanssen Michael Hartman Jessica Hefferon Abigail Heitzenrater Brock Heitzenrater Nicole Heitzenrater Austin Hillman Joseph Hinton Elizabeth Lapp Timothy Leising Jr. Rheanne Levy Bradley Mandaville Meghan Menz Kayla Moeller Nicholas Rasmussen James Rose Chandler Ruffini Brenton Sandolfini Michael Schian Cort Schultz Zachary Shaft Zachary Smolinsky Makenzi Strickland Lindsey Turrell Robert Walters Joshua Ward Sydney Webb Matthew Wilson Alexis Wolanczyk

Rachel Anderson Dananir Arafat Katie Bearce Catherine Bergman Tamra Bieber­Carey Austin Blackley Steven Burley Morgan Bussenger Adam Carnes Rebecca Cooner James Crast Alexandra Denny Eliza Dewart Anthony Diez Marissa Estep Derek Fuerch Gwendolyn Furmanek Marjorie Hill Justin Howes Ashley Jenks Nathan Johnson Thomas Keska III Madeline Klatt Michael Lantinen Gabrielle Luce Courtney Luckman Amanda Mandaville Destiny Metzler Rutger Moeller Kayleigh Murray Karley Muzzillo Jedadiah Platt Ashley Porter Stephanie Pyra Griffen Raymond Samantha Ribbeck Alexis Richbart Tyler Scheving Phillip Schumacher Sarah Scott Daniela Senior Lindsey Soles Alexandra Tillman Krystal VeRost Jessica Wagner Bethany Yaeger

Zachery Alt Bryan Ames Johnathan Austin Vanesa Berardi Eric Beyer Erick Braham Christopher Brinson Nicholas Britt Peter Cantella Andrew Carmer Sarah Carpenter Timothy Clay Jessica Comerford Alyson Durant Taylor Gallo Alexandra Gancasz Savanna Gancasz Emily Gendrue Corina Giannone Jaelyn Ginther Jacob Greenwald Kyler Hare Jessica Hillman Zachary Hilton Brooke LaChance Ryan Levy Allison Luckman Courtney Lynch James McGovern John Mott Joshua Murray­Patronski Alexander Niethe Sara Payne Deanna Platt Jamie Przybyl Jasen Ray Shannon Rider Nicole Rinaldo Brooke Robinson Jody Rosenbeck Haley Sherwin Desiree Slomba Austin Snyder Larissa St. Louis Thomas Steel Breanna Sutch Mark Sutch Elliott Vanderwalker Lietta Wells Cassandra Wittcop Travis Wright Marguerite Zaepfel

5

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OF PRE­KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS

New York State released New Universal Pre­Kindergarten regulations on May 29, 2007 that apply to our incoming Pre­K class of ’07­’08. The most important thing in the regulations follows: “Eligible child means a child who is four years of age on or before December 1 st of the year in which he or she is enrolled or who will otherwise be eligible to enter public school Kindergarten commencing with the following year.” Also, “Parents and/or guardians may choose, but are not required, to enroll their child(ren) in a universal Pre­kindergarten program. However, upon enrollment, the school district’s attendance pol­ icy must be applied.” Also, if your child will be turning 5 by December 1, 2007 and you plan on enrolling him/her in school, they will be enrolled in Kindergarten and will not be eligible for Pre­K.

IMPORTANT PRATT NOTICE ABOUT CLASS PLACEMENT

Last year a community member brought a potential security issue to our attention. Concern was expressed about our publicly post­ ing and publishing class lists with student names. In response to that legitimate concern, we've decided that beginning this summer we will send a mailing home to parents the second week of August informing them of their child's class assignment.

This time period was chosen be­ cause we'll be able to register all of the new families that move in on July 1st and Aug. 1st by then. Hopefully, we will have minimal registrations of new students after that second week in August.

The reason we wait so long to make the final decision on class placement is that we try to keep the classes balanced regarding gender, numbers, ability levels, etc. and we need to carefully place new regis­ trants to maintain that balance.

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Wick who won Mrs. Shanley’s essay contest entitled, “Why I would like to be Principal for the Day.” She was able to spend a day helping run Pratt Elementary. Here, Kaitlyn

and Tina Estep check out the sound board in the auditorium.

Barker Central recently won recognition as the Top Account Community Leader for 2006. Pictured (not in order) are Mike Gendrue, Bob Gilsinan, Mark Malonek, President of the East­ ern Niagara United Way and William Jakobi of the United Way.

6

JV SOFTBALL WRAP­UP

This season, the Raiders JV Softball team record was 9 wins and 3 losses behind the pitching of Katelyn Moore and Aileen Hinton. Aileen was the batting leader with a .600 average and scored 28 runs herself! Paige Remington was a solid 1st baseman and MIP this year. Katelyn came away with the MVP award. Looking on to next season we are optimistic as we have a strong nucleus of returning players.

RECORD BREAKERS Vince DiLorenzo and Emma Dewart both broke Track & Field records here at Barker this past season. Vince set a new high jump record at 6 feet 1 inch and was also chosen as MVP for the boys’ team. Emma set a new long jump record at 17 feet and 2.25 inches. She went on to compete at the State level where she placed 8th out of 17 competitors in Divi­ sion 2. She was chosen as MVP of the girls’ team.

Coach Bill Wilson congratulates Emma Dewart at the June board meeting on her

record breaking jump.

The Modified Track team ended its season with the All­League meet at Akron. They dominated, taking 13 first places out of 30 events and setting five new school records. Alex Gancasz set a new 200­Hurdle record, John Austin set new records in the Shot­put and Discus. Corina Giannone broke her own record in the Discus and Savanna Gancasz broke the Triple Jump record.

MODIFIED TRACK

CONGRATULATIONS RECORD BREAKERS!!

Trophy Winners in the 1st Annual Lift­ A­Thon hosted by the Barker Raiders Football team: Johnathan Austin Phil Schumacher Nick Bachman John Lapp Ray Paul James Lapp

The Lift­A­Thon was kicked off by Coach Childress, University at Buffalo Strength and Conditioning Coach and current record holder in the Squat. Coach Childress spoke to the kids about proper lifting technique, train­ ing routines and the importance of keeping their bodies healthy. He also did a lifting demonstration with a 405­ pound bench press for 5 reps. 49 high school and middle school athletes competed. They all had to perform a Squat, Bench Press and a

Dead Lift. Pictured above right are the students who placed and received certificates. The full results can be viewed on

the school website.

Here are some highlights from the Raiders’ softball team:

⇒ Niagara­Orleans League Champions ⇒ #1 seed in Class C Sectionals (out of 16 teams) ⇒ Class C Semi­finalists ⇒ League Record 9­3 ⇒ Overall record 12­6

Player Highlights:

⇒ Janelle Lewis: 1st Team All­League, US&J Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year for N­O League, nominated for All Western New York

⇒ Cortney Colern: 1st Team All­League ⇒ Stasha Haag: 1st Team All­League ⇒ Chantel Montalvo: 2nd Team All­League ⇒ Jessie Wolski: 2nd Team All­League ⇒ Samantha Greenwald: Honorable Mention ⇒ Tiffany LaJoie: Honorable Mention ⇒ Melissa Walter: Honorable Mention

8

Barker Central School Board of Education

1628 Quaker Road Barker, NY 14012

Louis J. Mead, President James R. Fisher, Vice President Randall B. Atwater Ronald L. Clemens Gordon D. Kenyon William F. Smith Priscilla Whitford

Postal Customer

Bulk Rate Non­Profit

Organization

PAID Barker, N.Y. 14012

Permit No. 10

Do the Right Thing

The final Do the Right Thing Recognition Award ceremony was recently held for the 2006-2007 school year. Sara Hotaling, a 5th- grader was recognized for her efforts when she found an IPod on the bus and turned it in immedi- ately. Congratulations Sara!

TROOPER PEZZINO’S CORNER

The New York State Police are now accepting applications for the upcoming Trooper Exam which will be given in January and February 2008. Applications are available online at www.nytrooper.com or you can call 1­866­ NYSP­EXAM for more information. Applicants must have no felony convictions and be between the ages of 20­29 by the application deadline which is December 1, 2007.

Stasha Haag and Nick

Branch were recently

named Athletes of the

Year at Barker.

Congratulations to you

both!

CLIFFORD PEACOCK SCHOLARSHIP WINNER ANNOUNCED

Deanna Platt, an 8th grader was recently chosen to receive the Clifford Peacock Scholarship. Deanna’s life-long work around farm animals and her passion to become an animal caretaker or a zoologist were some of the reasons she was chosen for this honor.

She is the daughter of Arthur and Darlene Platt. Congratulations Deanna!