Announcements for Friday, October 17, 2025

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff,

As we move through October, there is a great deal to celebrate in our Hive. Our Bees are actively engaged both in and out of the classroom and their accomplishments continue to make us proud.

Congratulations to Girls Tennis athletes - Ayla Kalfass, Mira Nadzan and Sonia Nadzan for bringing home two Class A Sectional Championships. Ayla Kalfass faced teammate Lainey Nesbitt for the Singles championship title and sisters Mira and Sonia teamed up to win the doubles title. All four will compete next week in the State Qualifying Tournament. Go Bees!

A huge congratulations goes out to our Ray News and Baker News students who had an impressive showing at the 2025 Empire State Student Press Association Conference. See more below. Go Bees!

Our Bees are also preparing for our upcoming musical production of The Wizard of Oz Youth Edition, which promises to be a memorable event for our entire community. Reserve your tickets now.

I have a few announcements to share with you today: 

Film Awards:

Baker News earned top honors at the 2025 Empire State Student Press Association (ESSPA) Conference, held Tuesday at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School Of Public Communications. The team took home two first-place awards, along with second-place and third-place awards for work produced during the 2024–2025 school year.

The first place awards included Best Special Topic Coverage for their Special Champions feature last Spring, filmed and edited by Evan Beckwith, hosted by Eva Murphy; and Best Vertical Short for Just the Necessities, created by Derek Barr. Quinn Rost, Brielle Taylor, and Leif Donaghey. Baker News won second place for Best TV Show with their September 6th episode highlighting many of last year's seniors. Finally, Baker News won third place for Best School/Community Feature with All Star Athlete Winter Edition. C.W. Baker High School School Library Media Specialist Leslie Cartier is the Baker News Director.

Season Three of Ray News, which was produced during the 2024-2025 school year, won two Gold Awards at the 2025 Empire State Student Press Association Conference on Tuesday. Ray News won the Gold Award for Best TV Show and the Gold Award for Best Community Feature for "Cheese Fix." Ray Middle School Library Media Specialist Justin Ashworth is the Ray News Director.

Go Bees! Athletics:

• The Girls gymnastics sectionals are being held today at Valley Gymnastics.

• The Elementary Cross Country Meet will be held on Tuesday, October 21st. The boys race at 4:30 p.m. and girls race at 4:50 p.m. The rain date is Thursday, October 23rd.

• Boys and Girls Cross Country teams will compete on Wednesday, October 22 in the Salt City Athletic Conference championship at Durgee Junior High School.

Marching Band: 

Last weekend, the Marching Bees earned 3rd place and took home the Best Visual Performance award at the USBands Regional in Annapolis, Maryland! Central New York bands swept the top three spots, highlighting the incredible local talent and the fierce competition in our division. A huge congratulations to all the students, staff and volunteers whose hard work and dedication made this achievement possible.

The band continues to look great as we approach the 2025 New York State Field Band Conference Championships at the JMA Wireless Dome on Sunday, October 26th. Next up, the Marching Bees compete at 6:35 p.m. this Saturday at Central Square District Stadium. Come out and support them as they continue their exciting season!

Wizard of Oz:

Join Dorothy and her dog Toto as she is dropped into the merry old land of Oz and follows the yellow brick road to meet with the Wizard and finds some new friends along the way.  The Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion join Dorothy in her attempt to return home and her battle with the Wicked Witch. Baldwinsville Theater Arts Program Presents The Wizard of Oz Youth Edition at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 7th and Saturday, November 8th. Tickets are free and are available now. Reserve your seats today! 

Community Café:

You’re invited to join us for our Community Café on Tuesday, October 21st at C.W. Baker High School in the cafeteria. The topic discussed will be Healthy & Nutritious Food Choices at School and guests will get a taste of some of our food options. The Community Café, which will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., is an opportunity to bring together students, staff, parents and community members to discuss important topics impacting the school district. Guests will gather in small groups as we share ideas, perspectives and light refreshments. Registration is required. We hope you can join us!

National Bullying Prevention Month:

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and Wednesday, October 22nd is Unity Day. Unity Day is a day to come together and remind us that we all deserve to be treated with kindness, be accepted as who we are, and feel included at all times. Everyone is encouraged to wear orange to show their support for bullying prevention.

SockTober:

This month we are participating in SockTober by collecting new socks for donation to PEACE Inc. in Baldwinsville. SockTober is a nationwide movement to help those in need by providing one of the most requested but often overlooked items – socks! Each school will be accepting new socks of all kinds, including those for men, women, children and babies. Community members can participate by donating new pairs of socks at the Baldwinsville Public Library. Every pair makes a difference!

School Board Recognition Week

NYSSBA sponsors School Board Recognition Week to recognize school board members for their commitment to New York public school children. Recognizing school board member service should be a year-round endeavor, but designating one week to highlight these volunteers’ efforts ensures they receive some of the thanks they deserve. We honored our school board at our October regular meeting. Board members were given an amazing ceramic mug made by junior Chase Johnson and a special video, which features Baker News and Ray News students. Watch it here. Thank you, board members, for your unwavering service and dedication!

Please continue to check ParentSquare, your email and our website at www.bville.org, for important updates. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. 

Have a great weekend. Go Bees!

Sincerely,

Dr. Joseph M. DeBarbieri

Superintendent of Schools