Sullivan BOCES Edge Newsletter - Spring 2023

BOCES

INDEX

Newly Tenured Facilities Update

Broadcasting/Music Production Program Entertains Community

Sullivan BOCES Board Shares Information

Consolidation Creates Sense of Community

School Community Creates A New Mascot

A New Paradigm for Instructional Support Services

Scholastic Arts Program Recognizes Student's Creativity

Green Bronx Machine Model Comes to BOCES

BOCES Partners with County to Train Adults

Apr 3 - Apr 7 Spring Recess (No Students)

Apr. 7 Good Friday (BOCES Closed)

Apr 13 BOCES Annual Meeting

Apr. 25 BOCES Admin Budget Vote

May 29 Memorial Day (BOCES Closed)

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Linda Berkowicz, President - Fallsburg

Linda Fisk, Vice President - Livingston Manor

Carol Bliefernich - Eldred

Susan Horton - Monticello

Kenneth Hilton - Sullivan West

Carol Park - Roscoe

The Edge is a publication of Sullivan BOCES Communications Division

Anthony Sinacore - Liberty

Keith Stryker - Tri-Valley

Simmie Williams III - At-Large

Where Futures Begin & Dreams Are Achieved!

ABOUT SULLIVAN BOCES

Sullivan County BOCES delivers a wide-range of instructional and management services to its eight component school districts and several other districts outside the county Our three hundred staff members collaborate with our partners to create solutions to educational challenges, increase operational efficiencies, and reduce costs

We improve student success by providing quality educational experiences, helping students achieve their goals, learn skills, increase knowledge and develop a work ethic for the 21st century

FACILITIES UPDATE

Providing a safe and uplifting learning environment for the students of Sullivan County is a top priority for Sullivan BOCES In conjunction with the BOCES architects, the Facilities Committee reviews instructional program needs along with annual visual reports and building condition surveys to develop short-term and longterm facilities goals

BOCES has recently completed its boiler project and is waiting for the NYSED’s final approval of phase one of the Rubin Pollack Education Center’s roof project. BOCES has also started planning and designing several projects, including renovating the Career & Tech Welding shop to accommodate the rising enrollment, an expansion of the elementary playground, and a greenhouse project All three of these projects will provide numerous benefits to students K-12.

As with any school district, capital projects take a while to complete Over the next couple of years, BOCES will continue to update its facilities to provide a safe, welcoming environment to help its students get the most out of their learning experience at Sullivan BOCES

Sullivan BOCES is proud to announce the tenure appointment of Nicholas Conklin, Career & Technical Education Welding Instructor

BROADCASTING/MUSIC PRODUCTION PROGRAM ENTERTAINS COMMUNITY

On January 12, community members and fellow students braved the weather to be entertained by the Career & Tech Broadcasting/Music Production Program in their first concert. Students demonstrated their musical and vocal talents and took control of the stage lighting and sound.

The live concert provided the students with an amazing learning experience. Each of the students were assigned various roles and they were responsible for all aspects of the event, including setting up the PA system and soundboard. The students even ran the live sound engineering, which included sound checks for the various bands and mixing live sound during the concert. Several students formed bands within the program and had the opportunity to perform on a live sound stage, opening for the nationally touring band, Brotality.

According to Gavin McKee, a student from Livingston Manor, the Broadcasting/Music Production program has been an excellent experience and is giving him the skills and understanding he needs to start his career as a music producer.

Cecelia Norris-Yanes, a student from Fallsburg and lead singer for one of the bands, thought that the concert was a great opportunity for their band to perform in front of a live audience.

“Performing today was a lot of fun, and it has made our band members closer,” said NorrisYanes.

The support from parents, administration, and the community was overwhelming! Even students whose districts were closed that day due to weather, found a way into school for the event

“I am very proud of what these students have accomplished and I look forward to providing more opportunities to showcase their skills,” stated instructor Paul Maopolski

SULLIVAN BOCES BOARD SHARES INFORMATION

Over the summer, Sullivan BOCES released its Strategic Plan for the 2022-2025 school years Within the plan one of the goals is increasing stakeholder and family engagement BOCES has taken several steps to meet that goal In addition to creating a Student/Parent Support Council, and utilizing ParentSquare as its new communication platform, the BOCES Board of Education has also created a quarterly newsletter for its component board members

In January 2023, the BOCES Board released its first issue of the Sullivan BOCES Board Update

The BOCES Board created this publication to help keep its fellow board members abreast of what's happening at BOCES and provide updates on student programs, back-end services, and upcoming initiatives

According to Pamela Fisk, Board Member from the Liberty CSD, “I am thankful that the BOCES Board has provided this update so component districts can learn more about the educational and administrative opportunities available through BOCES It is nice to have a newsletter that focuses on the elements that board members can utilize in making its decisions ”

"Innovation comes only from readily and seamlessly sharing information rather than hording it."

Tom Peters

CONSOLIDATION CREATES SENSE OF COMMUNITY

The 22-23 school year marked the beginning of a new school community bond for the students and staff at the Rubin Pollack Education Center. Although the students and staff in the elementary program were excited to move from the White Sulphur Springs School to the Rubin Pollack Education Center, they were nervous about the unknown Today, both students and staff are thrilled to be part of the Rubin Pollack Education Center’s community.

According to Megan Becker, Executive Principal of the Elementary Program, “It has been great being on one campus once again; it allows us to have more flexibility in meeting the needs of the entire elementary population and gives us a cohesive K-6 program ”

The middle and high school students are also reaping the benefits of having the elementary students around and are enjoying the added participation in schoolwide activities It’s common for the older students to help coordinate and create special activities for the younger students to enjoy Students in the Career & Tech Early Childhood Program recently spent several weeks working with elementary students during their internships

"There is a strong sense of community with everyone on one campus," said Barbara Henderson, Assistant Principal of the Elementary Program “We have been able to celebrate our achievements together and plan fun activities as a cohesive group. All of which makes school enjoyable to every student ”

“It is nice to be one big school community together in the same place.”

Kristin Quitoni, Elementary Teacher

SCHOOL COMMUNITY CREATES A NEW MASCOTT

The sense of a new school community has inspired the students at Sullivan BOCES to select a school mascot. After much discussion and input from students of all ages, the Black Dragon became the official mascot of Sullivan BOCES.

The impact of having a mascot has created a strong sense of pride amongst the students. Not only has the dragon promoted school spirit and unity it has fostered a positive school climate. The dragon has even made its way into the PBIS efforts at the school and has been a positive reinforcement for students of all ages.

Thanks to the generosity of the BOCES staff and a fundraising event, BOCES was able to purchase a Tshirt for each of our students in our Special and Alternative Education Programs. This has allowed every student to be part of the Black Dragon school community.

Every Friday has been designated as Black Dragon day. Students are encouraged to wear their Black Dragon shirts to demonstrate their BOCES pride on Fridays and at activities and events.

A NEW PARADIGM FOR INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES

The Curriculum and Instructional Support Services (ISS) Division at Sullivan BOCES supports school districts in all areas of curriculum, instruction, and school improvement

ISS plans and provides professional development programs covering a wide range of educational or instructional topics for educators of all levels. Participating districts receive customized in-district services to support ongoing initiatives and specific training to address professional development or improvement plans for a building or district

Historically, the staffing structure of ISS has included a director, and a coordinator who facilitates several special functions, including Arts in Education, Model Schools, Distance Learning, Instructional Technology, and Data Privacy, two full-time school improvement specialists, and two part-time per diem content specialists.

The division also houses staff shared between districts and BOCES, providing Data Coordinator services, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, Technology Integration Services, and several grant-funded programs, including Library Services, Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, and the Sullivan County Teacher’s Center

In the past, each component school district paid into the ISS Coser and was allotted a certain number of days of access to BOCES specialists and programs based on the number of students in the district This worked well for the most part, although sometimes districts wanted more days than they were allotted or were only able to utilize some of their days each year.

This model became problematic during the pandemic In the Spring of 2020, the entire ISS staff was integral in helping districts plan for and shift to remote learning The expertise of the technology integration staff was in high demand. Our full-time school improvement specialists expanded focus beyond their assigned ELA and Math content, helping district administrators and instructional staff understand the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), family engagement, trauma-informed practices, and navigating issues around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) that arose through those challenging times

As the dust began to settle and we all moved into the work of putting post-pandemic pieces back together, BOCES found that districts were not reaching out for support in the ways they had in the past They were not utilizing the days that had been allocated to them Instead, they were bringing in vendors and consultants with extremely specific expertise and programming to address local needs that had arisen over the tumult of the last few years.

With a mindset of continuous improvement, adaptability, and responsiveness to the districts we serve, BOCES explored other models of providing services, reviewed options available under Coser guidelines, and decided to try something different Instead of having full-time people on staff, a model was proposed wherein BOCES would coordinate independent consultants to fit specific needs. The districts would identify exactly who and what they wanted, and the ISS staff would coordinate the communication and paperwork to make that happen This suggestion was met with enthusiasm by the districts. Full-time specialist positions were reduced to per-diem (on-demand) status, and planning began to move toward more customized support for each district

Through

hours of meetings, models, spreadsheets,

and discussions between the instructional support services leaders, component districts, and the BOCES business office, the new system of providing support emerged Each district continues to pay into the ISS Coser as in the past After operational costs and a pool of money to cover county-wide initiatives are considered, each district has a pre-determined number of dollars to spend as they like. After the district “buckets” are depleted, they can still purchase additional services if they choose to do so

So far, this system has worked well Districts have said that the flexibility of choosing the consultants they bring in to work with their staff is a positive change, and the school business officials appreciate the model’s predictability For BOCES, being more hands-on in the planning and implementation process for professional development provides a better understanding of what is happening in our districts. This allows the division to support the districts more effectively

Some of the work that has been completed, which might not have come to fruition under the previous system, includes executive coaching and mentoring for administrators, online training for teachers in phonics instruction by an internationally recognized expert in foundational reading skills, support in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts from consultants who teach at institutions like Ithaca College and SUNY Buffalo, School Improvement and Social Emotional Learning audits, planning and support from internationally recognized vendors, workshops on cutting-edge trends in student discipline by nationally published experts and content area support from experts at other BOCES who lead state-wide improvement efforts.

While these changes have been positive overall, the division is still learning what works and what does not and adjusting processes as the system evolves. The ISS team is grateful for the hard work and support of its staff and management team and the cooperation, communication, advice, and patience from our component school districts as BOCES has been working through the setup and implementation of the new system.

“This is exciting work, with almost endless possibilities,” said Assistant Superintendent Maria Sommer “In the end, our goal is to help our districts provide the best possible educational experience for each student in Sullivan County.”

SCHOLASTIC ARTS PROGRAM RECOGNIZES STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY

On February 3, Sullivan BOCES and The Hudson Valley Scholastic Art Affiliates (HVSAA) came together to organize and present the Regional 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards This was a special event as it was the first in-person ceremony since 2020 The HVSAA is a consortium of organizations, including Dutchess BOCES, Orange-Ulster BOCES, Sullivan BOCES, the Enlarged City School Districts of Middletown, the Catskill Art Society, and the Orange County Arts Council

The Scholastic Arts Awards program allows Hudson Valley students to showcase their talents in the areas of architecture, ceramics, design, painting, illustration, fashion, photography, digital art, mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, and film “Each year, we are proud of all the students who submitted artwork Every year I am in awe of the talent of our students,” said Susan Zieres-Teeple, Arts In Education Coordinator at Sullivan BOCES

This year, twenty-four different schools submitted 2,446 pieces of art As a result, the Hudson Valley Affiliate awarded 176 Gold Keys, 247 Silver Keys, Honorable Mentions, and American Vision awards

In Sullivan County, six pieces of art received the gold key award, and thirteen pieces of art earned the silver key award

Students receiving a Gold Key Award in architecture, ceramics, design, painting, illustration, fashion, photography, digital art, mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, or film categories, have the opportunity to receive additional recognition Their work is adjudicated on a national level by a panel of leading creative professionals National Gold Medalists are announced in March and are honored during a special awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June

Gold Key

Zandy Valencia, Liberty CSD "Spicing it Up"

Olivia Dworetsky, Liberty CSD "Lady In the Night" Gold Key

Olivia Dworetsky, Liberty CSD "Old Time New York" Gold Key

Nina Whidbee, Monticello CSD "Grass" Silver Key

Adelaide Dymond, Monticello CSD "The Hunt 'Point Lookout' Response" Silver Key

Grace Wormuth, Liberty CSD "Barriers" Gold Key

Zandy Valencia, Liberty CSD "Softness" Gold Key

GREEN BRONX MACHINE MODEL COMES TO BOCES

On December 9, Deputy Superintendent Susan Schmidt and members of the Career and Technical Education team traveled to see the much anticipated Green Bronx Machine at the National Health Wellness and Learning Center at Community School 55 in the Bronx. The group had the honor and pleasure of traveling with Vice Chancellor Finn and met New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa and several others in the Bronx to visit the school

According to Commissioner Rosa, “This diverse group of individuals is a collection of individuals who try to find solutions when it comes to education, health, wellness, and nutrition ” Stephen Ritz, Innovator of the Green Bronx Machine, provided a guided tour to show the group the healthy learning experiences he has created for kids and the community. The main event was Stephen Ritz himself; his excitement, enthusiasm, humor, and dedication to developing a nutritional program for inner-city kids was simple, exciting, and, most importantlyaccessible The space included a hydroponic

garden used for plant growth, a convection oven for farm-to-table meals, and exercise space for students. The use of water to grow plants avoids the need for vast fields of dirt to grow vegetation and brings a healthy experience into the classroom, where it would otherwise not be possible

“My initial goal is to make sure that we start this work in collaboration with Sullivan County, particularly Sullivan 180 and Sullivan BOCES We want to ensure that students are doing applied learning with this project and encourage the sciences while encouraging reading, writing, and the excitement of learning for our students,” stated Rosa

STEPHEN RITZ, FOUNDER

GREEN BRONX MACHINE (CONT.)

As a result of this walkthrough, the Career & Tech Center at Sullivan BOCES hopes to create a similar hydroponic garden that can be utilized as a learning experience for all Sullivan BOCES students. “The visit to the Green Bronx Machine has encouraged several of our instructors to develop growing stations and start to dream bigger to a full-size greenhouse,” says Executive Principal, Jeffrey Molusky. The Construction program will plan and manufacture growing beds to bring this project to life. The space will be efficient and accessible to all students. The Natural Resources program will take the initiative to grow and care for the plants while studying soil, hydroponic, and plant sciences. The Culinary program hopes to utilize the crops to create nutritious, home-grown cuisine. To reach all students, we hope to provide opportunities for students in the Special Education and Alternative Education divisions to access the growing systems. The students can also assist in planting, caring for, and preparing dishes from the grown produce. Teachers will collaborate to create learning experiences appropriate for all age levels and learning opportunities

“We are excited to watch this program grow into a fun and healthy learning experience for all students on our campus, ” said Molusky

Back: Kathy Poppo, Culinary Arts Instructor, Sam Rogers, Natural Resources Instructor, Darryl Emmett, Construction Instructor,

Front: Jeffrey Molusky CTE Executive Principal Susan Schmidt Deputy Superintendent, and Vice Chancellor Finn

SULLIVAN BOCES PARTNERS WITH COUNTY TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR ADULTS

Earlier this year, BOCES started working with Sullivan County’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD) to create a construction training pilot to train adult residents in basic carpentry skills Through this partnership, up to 15 local residents who want to gain basic carpentry skills can do so for free, starting this April

“While we are fortunate to have a number of skilled contractors in our region, they struggle to find reliable, competent help to meet the demand for their services,” noted Sullivan County Legislature Vice Chair and District 3 Legislator Mike Brooks, who joined his fellow legislators this month in unanimously approving County funding for this program.

“This is yet another example of the Legislature’s commitment to making Sullivan County a better place to live and work,” added Legislature Chair and District 1 Legislator Robert A. Doherty. “I commend our staff for thinking innovatively about what we can offer our residents, and I thank BOCES for joining us to provide this new path to employment.”

“We are pleased to collaborate with the Center for Workforce Development to create an educational program that provides individuals with the training and skills needed to succeed in the construction field. This project builds upon our mission to provide learning opportunities within our community and help build and maintain our County’s workforce,” said Robert M. Dufour, Ed.D, District Superintendent/CEO at Sullivan BOCES.

TRAINING FOR ADULTS (CONT.)

The nine-week program is being administered by the CWD, part of the Division of Community Resources. Classes start April 10 and will be held every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Rubin Pollack Education Center on Ferndale-Loomis Road in Liberty.

“This incredible opportunity is for our adult learners (those age 18+) who live in Sullivan County,” explained CWD Director Loreen Gebelein. “Each week, the BOCES instructor will focus on a different aspect of the construction trades: tools, safety, materials, framing, flooring, ceilings, decks, stairs, building inspections, and more. In the final week, the CWD staff will teach students how to build a great resumé and find jobs right away. ”