The annual Culture Fair will be held at West Genesee High School on Saturday, February 29 from 12:00-3:00 p.m. in the upper gymnasium. Join us as we celebrate our community’s diversity at this fun event featuring dance performances, live music, cultural demonstrations, food samples, artwork, T-shirts, kids crafts, and more!
Counseling Department Notes:
Upcoming Events
8th grade students will be participating in Career Day on Friday, March 6. Students will start the morning by attending a Career Fair in the cafeteria before taking a bus to visit Onondaga Community College. The day will conclude with a presentation by high school students and counselors in the LGIR.
Mrs. Ahern and Mrs. Canterino will be going into classes to meet with 6th and 7th grade students to help them select courses for next year. The selection sheets will be mailed home by the end of March for parent review.
Opportunities
SUNY ESF will be hosting a girls summit to provide hands-on career exploration activities in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The program will be held on April 18 and will cost $5.00 per girl. Registration information is available at the following link: https://www.esf.edu/oelo/
Several months ago I shared with you that the staff here at CMS has been spending our monthly professional development time studying the New York State Mental Health Literacy Standards. It has been really productive for us because we have a better understanding of adolescent mental health needs and have acquired additional strategies to create a “culture of caring” within our school.
Often, when we think of mental health, we focus on topics that compromise our children’s well-being. You can list those influences as well as I can: negative peer pressure, social media, vaping and other substance abuse. Schools have always been aware of our responsibility to educate students about these influences and give them strategies to protect themselves.
But what the Mental Health Literacy Standards show us, and what experts have known for quite some time, is that we also need to give our time and attention to the notion of resiliency which is commonly defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity. I’d like to share with you one of the resources on this topic that we studied. The 40 Developmental Assets have a strong research base in outlining internal assets (commitment to learning, positive identity) and external assets (support, constructive use of time) that serve as protective barriers and help students build resiliency and strengthen a child’s overall well-being. You can print out the one-page chart at home and ask your child about how they perceive these assets in their own life. I can also recommend a terrific book on this topic called Learned Optimism by Dr. Martin Seligman who is regarded as the father of positive psychology. His research is embedded in the Positivity Project that we utilize here at West Genesee.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this topic or any other matter.
We Celebrate Learning!
Beth
Blozier@westgenesee.org
Follow us on Twitter @camillusmiddle
February 27 - Choral Festival 7:00 p.m. @ WGHS
February 29 - Culture Fair 12-3 p.m. @ WGHS
March 4 - Board of Education Meeting 7:00 p.m. @ WGHS
March 6 - Wildcat Friday
Career Fair - 8th Grade
March 11 - 1/2 Day for Students - 10:10 a.m. dismissal
March 13 - 25 Week Reports Available
St. Patrick's Day Dance 6-8 p.m.
March 17 - 7/8 Gr. Band & Orchestra Concert 7:00 p.m. @ WGHS
March 18 - Board of Education Meeting 7:00 p.m. @ WGHS
March 20 - 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament 2:15-4:00 p.m.
March 24 - Jazz Band, Chamber String, & Select Chorus
Concert 7:00 p.m.
March 25 - 6th Grade Concert 7:00 p.m.
March 24 & 25 - 6th Grade NYS ELA
March 26 & 27 - 7 & 8th Grade NYS ELA
