Staff were out in force to welcome students back to the Robert W. Harrold Campus this morning! We’re all looking forward to an exciting year!
It’s the first day of school, and students arriving this morning at the Alan D. Pole Campus in Norwich were greeted by staff, including District Superintendent Michael Rullo. We’re excited to welcome the students back, and look forward to a great year!
DCMO BOCES kicked off the 2024-2025 school year with an all-staff gathering on Tuesday at the Alan D. Pole Campus in Norwich. The traditional gathering of teachers, administrators and staff from all DCMO BOCES locations brings everyone together for collegial conversations, training, and lunch together. District Superintendent Michael Rullo welcomed the staff back, expressing appreciation for their contributions and excitement for the coming year. Vanessa Warren, President of the DCMO BOCES Board of Education, told the group that the board was aware how dedicated everyone was to the success of the students, and that their hard work was appreciated. Superintendent Rullo also introduce a new strategic plan for 2024-25: Blueprint for Excellence. It was an exciting start to the school year!
Facilitator Penny Ezell returned to the DCMO BOCES Support Services Center to continue with LETRS Vol. 1 training. LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is an integrated literacy program, and educators from Delaware Academy CSD at Delhi, Greene CSD, Oxford Academy CSD and Unadilla Valley CSD are participating in this professional learning course series. DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services provides a full schedule of professional learning opportunities – visit www.dcmoboces.com/page/instructional-support-services to find out more.
DCMO BOCES provided training for DASA (Dignity for All Students Act) Coordinators from area schools Monday at the Support Services Center in Norwich. Dignity Act Coordinators play a vital role in setting the school-wide climate in relation to prevention of bullying, harassment, and discrimination. This training session covered a wide range of topics, from reporting requirements to best practices, with a focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The training was led by Roseann Bayne, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction at CiTi BOCES in Fulton, and was hosted by DCMO BOCES Mental Health Coordinator Amanda Hoover. Participating schools included DCMO BOCES Pole and Harrold Campuses, Oxford Academy CSD, Unatego CSD, Unadilla Valley CSD, Hancock CSD, Otselic Valley CSD and Gilbertsville-Mount Upton CSD. DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services provides a full schedule of professional learning opportunities – visit www.dcmoboces.com/page/instructional-support-services to find out more.
DCMO BOCES Public Information Specialist Dean Russin was recognized by the Board of Education on Wednesday for the state and national awards he has received in his role providing public information services to Sherburne-Earlville CSD. Board President Vanessa Warren presented the certificate. The DCMO BOCES Public Information Service provides communications and public information services to a number of area school districts; Dean Russin currently supports Sherburne-Earlville CSD and Gilbertsville-Mount Upton CSD. https://www.dcmoboces.com/o/dcmo-boces/page/public-information-service
DCMO BOCES Coordinator of Staff & Curriculum Development Christine Newell introduced teachers to a variety of tools they could use to better understand oral language and literacy on Tuesday at the DCMO BOCES Support Services Center in Norwich. “Word Walls to Sound Walls” helped participants from DCMO, Unadilla Valley CSD and Norwich CSD through a variety of learning activities related to sound walls, including fun “Vowel Valley” posters. DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services provides a full schedule of professional learning opportunities – visit www.dcmoboces.com/page/instructional-support-services to find out more.
On Tuesday, DCMO BOCES Coordinator of Staff & Curriculum Development Dianne (Nan) Gizowski helped area teachers become more familiar with new NYS testing and education standards in High School: Earth & Space Science and Life Science: Biology. Participants in this class reviewed course maps, had open discussions with peers, and reviewed the new required investigations for science teachers. Participating teachers came from Cooperstown CSD, Downsville CSD, Sherburne-Earlville CSD, Norwich CSD, Andes CSD, Oxford Academy CSD, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton CSD, Delaware Academy CSD at Delhi, Milford CSD, and Afton CSD.
DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services provides a full schedule of professional learning opportunities – visit www.dcmoboces.com/page/instructional-support-services to find out more.
Educators from Unadilla Valley, Oxford Academy and Sherburne-Earlville Central School Districts learned how to utilize de-escalation strategies to increase instructional time and student performance Monday at the DCMO BOCES Support Services Center in Norwich. “Understanding the Conflict Cycle” was hosted by DCMO BOCES and led by Behavioral Specialist Gretchen Jones of the Regional Partnership Center. Thank you to the Office of Special Education Educational Partnership, the Regional Partnership Center, and Family and Community Engagement Centers for developing and sharing this resource.
DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services provides a full schedule of professional learning opportunities – visit www.dcmoboces.com/page/instructional-support-services to find out more.
Last week, the DCMO BOCES cosmetology class from the Pole Campus spent two days at the Chenango County Fair in Norwich. The first day the students participated in a hair style competition, and the second day they participated in Senior Citizen Day and gave our area seniors free manicures.This year, our third, we had 19 students participate. Good practice, good fun, and community service too!
In November 2023, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures presented their recommendations for future diploma requirements to the Board of Regents. Since then, the Department created a vision to implement these recommendations. DCMO BOCES has partnered with ONC, BT and GST BOCES to sponsor two upcoming forums designed to gather input, one for the public and another specifically for educators. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to break into smaller groups to discuss and provide feedback directly to the Education Department on their proposed vision. Both are free, but registration is required. Please attend and share your input!
Public Forum Registration: https://tinyurl.com/blueribbonpublicforum
Educator Forum Registration: https://tinyurl.com/blueribboneducatorforum
The Cosmetology class at DCMO BOCES Harrold Campus created and designed an educational collections display for the Delaware County Fair this year. The display, which represents some of the creative hairstyling skills and educational learning tools used within the classroom, is in the Home & Garden Building. Find out more about the DCMO BOCES Cosmetology program at www.dcmoboces.com/o/dcmo-boces/page/cte-cosmetology.
Facilitator Penny Ezell was at the DCMO BOCES Support Services Center for two days this week to lead LETRS Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 training. LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is an integrated literacy program, and educators from Delaware Academy CSD at Delhi, Greene CSD, Oxford Academy CSD and Unadilla Valley CSD participated in these professional learning opportunities. DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services provides a full schedule of professional learning opportunities – visit www.dcmoboces.com/page/instructional-support-services to find out more.
The Cosmetology class from DCMO BOCES Harrold Campus assisted the Delaware County Fair in preparations for the 137th annual fair. The class was represented by Dorothy Bull (Downsville), Tamara Shafer (Unatego) and Tiannah Dean-Anderson (GMU), who worked on the Memorial Garden doing weeding and general cleanup of the beautiful garden area. The class would like to thank the Delaware County Fair Board of Directors for letting them give back to their community!
DCMO BOCES component districts gathered in Afton this week for LINKS, Regional Comprehensive Action Planning/Strategic Planning, where participants worked together to create action steps for their various required state plans. A keynote address by Dr. Maria Murray of The Reading League was followed by breakout sessions on a variety of topics, and district teams enjoyed plenty of focused team planning time. DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services staff were available throughout to assist districts with data analysis, planning, and team facilitation. DCMO BOCES has offered this intensive strategic planning resource for over 26 years, which was hosted this year by Afton CSD. “There’s value in a regional approach to strategic planning,” said Ginger Rinaldo, DCMO BOCES Assistant Superintendent. “We’re stronger together.”
DCMO BOCES Public & School Liaison Martha Ryan was a speaker at the National School Public Relations Association National Seminar in Seattle, WA recently. Her presentation was about successful mentorship programs. Read all about it here: https://www.dcmoboces.com/article/1695618
DCMO BOCES Model Schools Coordinator Rebecca Roberts provided a group of teachers from Unadilla Valley CSD and Sherburne-Earlville CSD with an introduction to some fun teaching tools on Tuesday at the DCMO BOCES Support Services Center in Norwich. The Instructional Technology department provides a wide range of instructional programs and technical services designed to help districts integrate technology into the curriculum, including Mobile Makerspace, part of the DCMO BOCES Model Schools program. Mobile Makerspace brings innovative hands-on learning tools directly into classrooms, and includes a variety of tools and resources that can be borrowed by any school district within the DCMO BOCES network. These tools range from basic pre-K materials to advanced high school-level equipment, providing opportunities for student-led and after-school programs as well. The initiative has already seen participation from multiple districts, including Afton, Oxford, Unadilla Valley, and Sherburne. Each district tailors the use of Makerspace tools to fit their unique needs, from larger hands-on tools to mobile, borrowable items suitable for a wide range of activities. For more information about Mobile Makerspace or other instructional technology programs available through DCMO BOCES, visit www.dcmoboces.com/o/dcmo-boces/page/instructional-technology-services
On Monday, a group of teachers from Unadilla Valley CSD and Gilbertsville-Mount Upton CSD participated in “What’s in the Makerspace for Pre-K – 2,” a hands-on workshop at the DCMO BOCES Support Services Center in Norwich. They explored different learning kits available for loan to their classrooms for Pre K-2 Grade levels. This professional learning opportunity was led by Rebecca Roberts, Computer Services Coordinator for the DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services team. DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services provides a full schedule of professional learning opportunities –visit www.dcmoboces.com/page/instructional-support-services to find out more.
Several area educators attended a professional learning workshop at the DCMO BOCES Support Services Center on Monday. “Building Thinking Classrooms Part II: Thin Slicing to Utilize Your Curriculum,” led by Nan Gizowski, DCMO BOCES Coordinator of Staff and Curriculum Development, is the second in a set of professional learning classes focused on teaching practices for mathematics. The class focused on using “thin slices” of each teacher’s curriculum to keep students engaged and in flow. Teachers from Unadilla Valley CSD, Walton CSD, Norwich CSD, Sherburne-Earlville CSD and Afton CSD participated. DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services provides a full schedule of professional learning opportunities –visit www.dcmoboces.com/page/instructional-support-services to find out more.
Leadership teams from 14 school districts and both DCMO BOCES campuses attended the 2024 Leadership Academy: The Places We Go last week. The 2-day event was held at Greek Peak in Cortland, New York, and featured keynote speaker John Whalen from Edtomorrow, a group discussion centered on the issues and solutions raised in Jonathan Haidt’s book “The Anxious Generation,” presentations from two school districts (Norwich & Sherburne-Earlville)on their initiatives managing cell phone use in their schools, team building activities and several breakout sessions and informal conversations. A highlight was a question-and-answer session with a panel of 8 students from some of the DCMO BOCES component school districts, where the students shared their perspective on some of the topics and issues that were being discussed over the course of the event. The Leadership Academy is organized and presented by the DCMO BOCES Instructional Support Services Team, led by Ginger Rinaldo, Assistant Superintendent of DCMO BOCES. The 65 participants were from Bainbridge-Guilford CSD, Downsville CSD, Franklin CSD, Gilbertsville - Mount Upton CSD, Greene CSD, Hancock CSD, Walton, CSD Oxford Academy CSD, Norwich City CSD, Otselic Valley CSD, Sherburne-Earlville CSD, Delaware Academy CSD, Unatego CSD, Unadilla Valley CSD, and the Harrold and Pole Campuses of DCMO BOCES.
