Come cheer on the Silver Creek and Pioneer UNIFIED BASKETBALL teams today (Tuesday, May 24, 2022) at 5 p.m. 🏀👏🖤💛 #wearesilvercreek #BKP #blackknightpride
𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗧
A group of 14 freshmen from Silver Creek High School joined social studies teacher Jessica Kardashian for a field trip to the Cohen Holocaust & Social Justice Institute’s student/educator symposium on the topic of “Crisis Ukraine” on May 13 at Chautauqua Lake Central School. They discussed the war on Ukraine, what it’s like to be a Ukrainian right now and how everyone can feel empowered to help.
Speakers included international criminal prosecutor Dr. David Crane, Ukrainian native Aleksey Tsarevich, and activist/volunteer Mrs. Kardashian.
Dr. Crane, who was the lead prosecutor for war crimes in Sierra Leone. Attendees asked about his concerns with the war on Ukraine, the impact of social media in this war, collecting evidence and the timeline of the formation of a tribunal against those committing war crimes and holding them accountable.
Mr. Sergeevich’s family was still in Ukraine when the Russian invasion began, but has since fled to Germany. He discussed his culture, history and the importance of standing up for what is right. He talked about the impact this war is having on the Ukrainian people, our global world and how we must remember these are ordinary citizens living their daily lives a few months ago until they weren’t.
Mrs. Kardashian, who advises the Knights Against Cancer and History & Culture clubs at SCHS, is very involved in fighting for different causes. She believes in standing up for what is right and giving back in any way she can. The war on Ukraine has been personal for her as she has close ties to Poland after volunteering for 10 summers at an orphanage there.
“The people have become family,” she says, noting she is in constant contact with her best friends there regarding needs of refugees and the Polish caretakers who have helped more than 3 million refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Mrs. Kardashian, who is also international trip coordinator and co-advisor of the Quiz Bowl team at SCHS, discussed promoting fundraising and awareness efforts to her students. She’s facilitate their participation for causes including Bald for Bucks, a shoe drive for Africa, reading to animals at the SPCA, her “Think Kindness” initiative, Spike Out Leukemia, and partnering with Kevin’s Guesthouse in Buffalo to cook dinners for families staying there. Outside of school, she’s done a blanket and coat drives for the city mission, helped with the Ugandan Water Project, and participated in Relay for Life.
Her most recent effort at SCCS was a medicine drive with all of our staff, her family and friends that helped to send more than $10,000 in supplies over to Warsaw, Poland, and onto Ukraine.
“Small branches form a large tree,” she says, emphasizing the importance of smaller actions forming a larger network of help.
She talked of the spirit of the Polish people and how they have transported refugees throughout various parts of Poland, taken them in, helped them find translators, learn the language, set up schooling, jobs and daycare. She also highlighted what Silver Creek’s students and those at the symposium could do to enact change on a local or international level:
▪️ Get involved with local Ukrainian churches and community centers
▪️ Support a restaurant
▪️ Organize a medicine drive
▪️ Sell baked goods or sunflower seeds (the national flower of Ukraine)
▪️ Facilitate an auction or 50/50 raffle
▪️ Write to elected leaders
▪️ Host a sporting event for charity, and more.
Kardashian then gave each attendee a small note and sunflower seeds to encourage them all to take that seed, form an idea and watch it grow. And the 14 students from Silver Creek who attended the symposium are doing just that:
Following the symposium, the ninth-graders mobilized with Mrs. Kardashian and are working on a few charity drives for the end of the 2021-2022 year and into the next school year starting with a 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮.
The students playing will be donating canned goods as their players’ fee and all attendees are encouraged to bring canned good donations or a money donation.
“They are greatly looking forward to making a difference,” says Kardashian, who notes the donations will benefit the Silver Creek Food Pantry and an organization supporting the Jefferson Street community following the fatal shooting at the Tops Markets there on May 14, 2022.
Mr. Jamie Francisco’s Tech Explorations class at Silver Creek High recently enjoyed a visit from Ms. Francine Rondinelle from Dream It, Do It W.N.Y. She visited to congratulate them on their Rube Goldberg video entry to the 2022 Chautauqua STEM Wars. The class was given a $100.00 Chamber of Commerce gift card and T-shirts. Ms. Rondinelle also talked to the class about manufacturing and industry in the Chautauqua County area and getting students exposed to potential careers in many exciting fields. Thank you Ms. Rondinelle, the chamber and Dream It Do It WNY!
𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗥'𝗦 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗥
Silver Creek High School senior Amanda Ippolito organized a spaghetti dinner fundraiser earlier this month (held Saturday, May 7, 2022) at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and raised $5,000 for Catholic Relief Services to help families in Ukraine and the surrounding countries.
This outpouring of generosity would not have been possible without the community’s overwhelming support of this 12th-grade Black Knight who has a passion to make positive change in the world.
“I’m so thankful to everyone who showed their support and attended the spaghetti dinner,” says Amanda, who was inspired to begin planning the event in March.
She also says she could not have accomplished this without the support of her mom and dad, Mary Ann White, Fran Page, Father Dan, David Caccamise, Miss Kristen Foley, all the generous volunteers who helped the night of the event and everyone who donated a basket or money. Amanda, a member of the Class of 2022, coordinated a bake sale, 50/50 raffle, and basket raffle with more than 50 items. All donations will provide people with food, clothing, cash assistance, counseling care, and more. We applaud Amanda's hard work, kindness and hope her spirit of generosity inspires volunteerism in our community. Great work, Amanda!
Three fifth-graders from Silver Creek Elementary School competed in the Battle of the Books at The Chautauqua Institution on Saturday, May 21, 2022. 📚👊
They read 12 books, came up with their own team name, created costumes, and made a poster. They had to answer "Jeopardy!"-style questions about the books they read. While they did not win a prize for most correct responses in the battle, they did win for best team name: Lizard Wizards of Words! 🏆
📸Shown in the pictures are Mason Fote, Aiden Kilburn and Preston Walters. Teacher April Walters coached them for the battle, but says they are the true champions!
Silver Creek CSD
May 19, 2022 Board of Education Meeting Report
Findings Regarding Isolation Cell Investigation
Board (President)
The investigation into allegations contained in the March 28, 2022, Letter (the “Letter”) submitted by District administrator Jay Hall to the Board of Education is complete. As we have shared before, Mr. Hall alleged that the District was using a room, what he called an “isolation cell,” and that our students were mistreated; incredibly serious allegations. As I have said from the beginning, and it bears repeating, this Board has been united in its purpose – to get to the truth. We are a group of unpaid volunteers, passionate about education and dedicated to service in our community.
Immediately upon the Board’s receipt of the Letter, we contacted one of the District’s outside legal firms, Webster Szanyi LLP. The Board gave the firm one charge—to conduct an immediate, comprehensive, and thorough investigation. In addition, all use of the Room was immediately suspended until further notice. The investigation began the very next day, March 30, 2022. The Board received periodic updates from the investigators throughout the investigation and in turn, we provided status reports to the public.
The Board received the investigation report on May 10, 2022. We reviewed it individually, and then we took the time and met to ask questions of the investigators to ensure we were satisfied that they had met their charge—and we can report tonight that they did. Accordingly, we invited Melanie Beardsley, one member of the investigation team, to share the investigation findings publicly this evening. Ms. Beardsley, please come up and present the findings.
Investigator (Melanie Beardsley, Esq.)
At the outset, I want to point out that specific details protected under federal, state, and local law, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), cannot be disclosed in this presentation.
Meghan Hayes and I conducted the investigation. We are attorneys with the law firm, Webster Szanyi.
First, I’d like to speak to our methodology. We reached out to 34 people for interviews, including the parents and guardians of each student named in the Letter. We conducted 28 interviews. At two board meetings, the Board also urged anyone with information to come forward. All District administrators, teachers and staff fully cooperated with the investigation. Certain parents and community members did as well. On the other hand, Jay Hall and his brother, Rich Hall, refused to cooperate in the investigation. With regard to Jay Hall, on multiple occasions we requested that he meet with us, and we offered various accommodations to encourage him to participate. We also requested that he provide us with all information and documents he has related to his claims. He refused. Accordingly, we received absolutely no information from Jay Hall following receipt of the Letter and my one brief meeting with him on March 30th. Jay Hall’s brother Rich is an attorney who represents four District families bringing claims against the District. After learning that these families were represented by counsel, we requested interviews and information and Rich Hall refused to allow them to cooperate.
We conducted nearly all the interviews in-person. Some interviews were conducted virtually or by phone to accommodate the witness. We analyzed over 215 documents spanning thousands of pages and reviewed several videos. We inspected the room at issue, including the surrounding office space, classrooms, and other elementary school offices.
These findings are based on the witness information and documents.
I also want to mention that at the outset of the investigation, we immediately received evidence relating to particular allegations in the Letter. That evidence indicated that there was no immediate or ongoing threat to any District student. During the initial days of the investigation, we provided that evidence to the District and, in turn, the District found no reason to place any employee on administrative leave. As Mr. Boothe mentioned, we provided periodic updates to the Board and continuing throughout the investigation we found no evidence to recommend that the District place any teacher or staff member on administrative leave.
The De-Escalation Room
The De-Escalation Room is an area within Elementary Office E-102, that Mr. Hall refers to as an “isolation cell.” Elementary Office E-102 has been Mr. Hall’s Office this year and he had complete control over the entire space. The Room is eight feet by seven feet and has two large windows on one wall that allow anyone to look in or out of the Room and the Office Area. There is a door into the Room. It opens into the Room and does not lock from the inside. In other words, it is not possible to lock or barricade anyone in the Room. There is also a door to a storage closet within the Room. As you can see from the photographs, the walls are
We are pleased to announce our budget passed, along with all other propositions. The Board welcomes Michael Grisanti as their new member in July 2022. Voting results are as follows:
#1 Budget
Yes: 252
No : 88
#2 Vehicle Purchase
Yes :271
No: 68
#3 Establish New Capital Reserve Fund for Capital Improvements
Yes :259
No: 77
#4 Establish New Capital Reserve Fund for Vehicles
Yes: 257
No: 79
Election results for one (1) 5-year term:
Michael Grisanti: 229
Joel Blasdell: 106
Write Ins: 2
The annual Budget Vote & School Board Election for Silver Creek Central School District is scheduled today (Tuesday, May 17, 2022) from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the high school lobby. All qualified district residents are encouraged to exercise their right to vote.
Thank you to everyone who turned out last night for Silver Creek’s first-ever unified basketball team home game against Southwestern! We appreciate the community support for both teams! #wearesilvercreek #BKP #BlackKnightPride
It’s GAME DAY for Silver Creek’s UNIFIED BASKETBALL team! 🏀 Come cheer on our Black Knights at 5 p.m. in the high school gym!
Our friends at the Seneca Nation of Indians Department of Education are hosting a 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 for local Board of Education candidates on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 6 p.m. at the Early Childhood Learning Center, 2016, Henodeyesta' Drive, Irving, N.Y., behind the CCC building.
Each year school boards select members through an election process. Native parents are eligible to vote in these elections. This meeting will allow parents/guardians an opportunity to meet the current candidates running for board positions and an opportunity to ensure Native voices are heard within the board.
SCHOOLS/CANDIDATES:
SILVER CREEK: Michael Grisanti and Joel Blasdell
GOWANDA: John Waterman and Barbara Weston and Shauna McMahon
LAKE SHORE: Megan Miller, Dennis Feldman, Arlene DeJoy-Meckes,
Bill Connors, and Doug Tubinis
MEETING SCHEDULE:
Welcome and Introductions in main lobby of ECLC
Trudy Jackson, Education Director
Breakout meeting rooms to allow parents an opportunity to talk with candidates by district.
Silver Creek Elementary School students in third through fifth grades who participated in Boys on the Right Track completed a community service project in Fall 2021. They made cards and a box of treats for local veterans. Members of the VFW Auxiliary met with the boys Tuesday, May 10, 2022, and presented them with a certificate and American flag pin. We are grateful for the community partnerships that make these type of experiences possible for our students. Thank you! #wearesilvercreek #BKP #BlackKnightPride
Silver Creek Central School District is hiring bus drivers and bus aides. 🚌
Interested candidates should apply through the WNY School Application System http://www.wnyric.org/ application or submit a completed application, Civil Service application, references and certifications to:
Lisa Rohloff, School Business Administrator
Silver Creek CSD
PO Box 270
Silver Creek, NY 14136
Happy School Nurse Day! Silver Creek Central School District is grateful to its nursing staff for taking such good care of our students. Please join our Black Knight family in celebrating School Nurse Day on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. #wearesilvercreek #BKP #BlackKnightPride #SchoolNurseDay2022
Mrs. Rich and Mrs. Westlund's STEAM students at Silver Creek CSD love to observe and learn about the world! We invite you to watch their newest arrivals with this LIVE link.
https://ensemble.e2ccb.org/Watch/Nr8e6MBq
Can you identify this species? In 10 days, this animal will look very different. What do you think it will look like? Draw a picture and date it. Watch and see if you were right!
#ScienceTuesday #STEAM #STEM
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month! Please join Silver Creek Central School District in raising awareness about communication disorders.
Here are some things you can do at home to enhance your student’s speech and language skills, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association:
In Early Grades K–2:
· Talk with your child a lot.
· Read different types of books. Read every day, and talk with your child about the story.
· Help your child learn sound patterns of words. You can play rhyming games and point out letters as you read.
· Have your child retell stories and talk about his day.
· Talk with your child about what you do during the day. Give her directions to follow.
· Talk about how things are the same and different.
· Give your child chances to write.
In Later Grades 3-5:
· Keep your child reading. Find books and magazines that interest your child.
· Ask your child what he thinks about what he hears or reads. Connect what he reads to events in his life.
· Help your child connect what she reads and hears at school, home, and other events.
· Talk out loud as you help your child read about and solve problems.
· Help your child recognize spelling patterns. For example, point out the beginnings and endings of words, like "pre-" or "–ed."
· Get your child to write letters, keep a diary, and write stories
#wearesilvercreek #BlackKnightPride #BKP #BHSM #BHSM2022
The Native American Education Committee for Silver Creek Central School District is set to meet Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 5 p.m. #wearesilvercreek #BKP
TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT: Silver Creek Elementary teacher Kristen Kline is appearing tonight (Tuesday, May 10, 2022) on “FAMILY FEUD” so be sure to tune in to WUTV at 7:30 p.m. and root for one of our Black Knights! 📺
Students in the Great Minds club at Silver Creek Central School District learn to build robots and code them to move. These Black Knights learn how to problem solve and work with each other to find solutions to building or coding problems. 🤖 #wearesilvercreek #STEM #BKP #blackknightpride
BOARD OF EDUCATION STATEMENT 5/5/2022
The investigation into allegations contained in the March 28, 2022, Letter (the “Letter”) submitted by District administrator Jay Hall to the Board of Education is in its final stages. In the meantime, all use of the room remains suspended.
The District has made every effort to ensure that a thorough, informed, comprehensive investigation is conducted. To that end, and as we explained in our last update, the District has repeatedly sought to meet with Mr. Hall to gain a full understanding of the claims he has brought forth. Mr. Hall has repeatedly declined to participate. Instead, as we mentioned previously, he sent another letter to the Board, which he also published on social media, claiming to have a 90-page report that he’s chosen not to share with the District. Bottom line – it remains that Mr. Hall claims to have information regarding mistreatment of students, but he won’t share it with the District so that it can be considered, and any necessary and appropriate action can be taken.
Since the last board meeting, the District has also received four Notices of Claim filed by Jay Hall’s brother, attorney Rich Hall. The District is reviewing the Notices of Claim with its insurance company and counsel, and it will respond appropriately.
The District will complete its investigation shortly, and as I stated at the last meeting, it is being completed with the singular goal of getting to the truth. And I will repeat it again – if anyone has any information related to the matters raised by Mr. Hall, or that they believe may be in any way relevant to the treatment of our students, we urge you to bring it forward.
Finally, the investigators continue to provide regular updates to the Board, and the Board remains confident that the District is providing a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for all students.