*All Photos: CiTi Public Relations
FULTON, NY – Although a rainy first week, the smiling faces of Fulton City School District faculty, staff, and students shone in the halls of each of the six buildings throughout the district.
The 2017-2018 school year kicked off on Tuesday, September 5 for students in grades first through ninth with kindergarten students and high school students in grades tenth through twelfth starting the following day and finishing with pre-school students in the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program starting today (September 7.)
“We’re off to a great start!” said Superintendent of Schools, Brian Pulvino.
Superintendent Pulvino was on site at all six buildings on Tuesday, noting that several classes had started working on assignments within the first hour of the first day of school.
District wide, initiatives are in place to ensure students are receiving quality academic instruction and ultimately, continuing to raise graduation rates as exemplified by the eight percent increase seen for high school graduates at the duration of the 2016-2017 school year.
“Our graduation rates are really the target for everything. You can see how far we’ve come with the recent graduation rate increases. Last year, we raised it to 76 percent and to 84 percent now, it’s a true testament to the hard work we put in with everyone playing their part – a Pre-K through 12 effort,” Pulvino said.
Effort from the Fulton Board of Education has contributed to the recent influx in graduation rates, with the commitment to continue to increase the graduating percentage for Fulton City School District.
“Per the last Board meeting, the Fulton CSD’s current graduation rate has risen from 63% (2013) incrementally to 84% (2017). This has been a major accomplishment achieved by several consecutive years of focus on this statistic by the Board, administration and staff since 2013. In terms of goal setting by the Board for 2017-2018, it plans to recommit itself to the District’s Guiding Principles. The Board is committed to increase parental engagement in the education process and to further improve the District’s graduation rate and student academic performance across all grade levels,” said board president, David Cordone.
Pulvino noted that other district wide initiatives center around continuing to follow school improvement and accountability plans, focusing on Tier 1 instruction with instructional coaches in place at each building, and ensuring students are more involved with their school environments.
The district will continue following the District Comprehensive Improvement Plan as instituted upon designation by the NYSED as a focus district.
Additionally, G. Ray Bodley High School will follow the guidelines and goals written out in the School Comprehensive Education Plan as developed upon designation as a focus school, while Volney and Fairgrieve Elementary Schools will follow the guidelines of each individual Local Assistance Plan after designation as LAP schools.
While each school takes an individualized approach to student learning, all school buildings have visions and strategies in line with the district wide goals.
Volney Elementary School principal Todd Terpening said the school is up and running and off to a good start with a focus on students being active participants in their education.
To do so, the school is continuing the use of “Data Binders” to have students track daily attendance, behavioral expectations, ELA, math, and writing, evolving from last year’s binder usage that tracked only attendance and behavior.
The ultimate goal is to have the students use their binders for guidance during their student led conferences with their parents or a trusted adult in March, in line with the district goal that every student participates in a student led conference, he said.
The focus at Lanigan Elementary School is on the same vision, principal Jeff Hendrickson said.
“This year, we will have a focus in the area of goal setting and goal tracking for all of our learners. This will help to prepare for student led conferences later this year. We hope that empowering kids to be in charge of their own learning will help them to grow even more,” Hendrickson said.
While the Fulton Junior High School starts the school year with a few changes including new principal Chris Leece, the annual Rachel’s Challenge presentation will take place next week to “motivate and equip students to start and sustain a chain reaction of kindness and compassion that transforms schools and communities” based on the life of Rachel Scott, the first victim in the Columbine tragedy in 1999.
A “coffee with the principal series” will be implemented this school year beginning on October 11 at 7:30 a.m. to allow open dialogue with new principal Leece.
As far as the school’s goals, Leece said “I really just want to see us continue to create great relationships between students and teachers and their peers. Of course we are constantly working to hepl students achieve at higher levels and getting all of the things they need in their education.”
At the high school, freshman were welcomed to G. Ray Bodley with the annual “Freshman First Day.” This year, the day mirrored a Wizard of Oz theme to encourage students to follow the yellow brick road to success, said GRB principal Donna Parkhurst.
Each staff member sported a shirt reading “There’s no place like GRB!” and freshman were able to learn about clubs and opportunities offered at G. Ray Bodley as well as their course expectations allowing all students to be comfortable and ready the following day.
“There is a definite positive feel in the air… what we call Raider pride!” Parkhurst said.
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