Principal's Page
|
3/11/22
Hello Bearcat Families,We have certainly had a fantastic couple of weeks…It’s been incredibly busy, but our students and staff have made it a lot of fun. We are currently five weeks into the marking period. I encourage families and students to check Schooltool to ensure that assignments are turned in on time. I hope you enjoy seeing all the wonderful things our students are involved in.
Mrs. Barboni and many of our 5th grade students had an exciting trip to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The students had a great time visiting the different exhibits.
On Tuesday five 7th graders traveled to Baldwinsville to compete in the Onondaga County Junior High Math League Championship meet against 15 other middle school teams. Congratulations to our participants Natalie Schell, Michael Olney, Scott Lenhardt, Sawyer Stewart, and Carson Rolince!
What it end to the week! We ended our week with over 75 students participating in a 3 v 3 basketball tournament. Many staff and parents attended to watch our students participate in the event. Everyone showed great sportsmanship and it was great seeing all the smiling faces within the gym. Thank you the the B.E.S.T program staff for organizing the event
.
Solvay Middle School Staff Highlight!
Kevin Couse-Is our 6th grade Science teacher. Below you will find some very interesting facts about Mr. Couse. Besides seeing Mr. Couse the classroom you will also find Mr. Couse on the field as college Lacrosse referee. Recently he was seen on ESPN as a referee for the Syracuse vs. Holy Cross Lacrosse game. Thank you for all that you do Mr. Couse.
- Where are you from? Brownville, NY (near Watertown)
- What is your favorite food? Pizza of course
- Where did you graduate from? General Brown High School, Oswego State
- Which club/sports did you play/participate in college? Lacrosse
- When did you start in the district? 1994
- What subjects have you taught? 6th and 8th grade (Physical and Earth Science)
- Why do you love being a Bearcat? I have been fortunate to be a Bearcat for 28 years. During that time I really enjoyed my time coaching both football and cross country and being part of the Bearcat spirit that only Solvay athletes bring to the field. I also love the supportive group of colleagues that I have had the privilege to work with over the years. Everyday is a great day to be a Bearcat.
- What is something we wouldn't know about you? I have 8 brothers all named Jim, except for Joe, his name is Bill and we all went to different schools together.
- What does the future hold for you? For the next two years, I plan to enjoy the challenge of teaching middle school science. After that I am looking forward to not having to get up early on Monday mornings unless it is to go fishing, hiking or camping. I look forward to spending as much time with my wife and family traveling.
Return to top
3/9/22
Another reason why Solvay is such a great place to be!
“Give a gift, Get a gift”
In our main lobby you may have noticed a rainbow and a pot of gold. Mrs. Nadzan, Mrs. Jacobson and some of her art students created this to assist with our PTO fundraiser. The PTO has planned this fundraiser to send positive thoughts throughout the school. The money raised will assist with our field days in June.
How does the fundraiser work?
Students, staff, and parents are asked to donate one dollar and in return you will receive two gold chocolate coins. One is for you and one is for your friend. In addition you will receive a shamrock that we ask you write a positive message about the person you care about. The shamrock will then be placed on the wall next to the pot of gold and rainbow. The shamrocks and gold coins ?can be found in the main office.
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
Return to top
2/18/22
Happy Friday Bearcat Families,
Things are going well at Solvay Middle School and we cannot thank you enough for your patience and support. I would like to give a shout out to our teachers and students, who have done an INCREDIBLE job bringing joy and positive energy to our building. We have so many wonderful programs and activities going on inside and outside our classrooms. Please enjoy the photos below of all the great things our students and teachers are doing.
Mr. Sgroi's 7th grade Social Studies class is diving into the foundation of our government starting at the Constitutional Convention. In the unit students begin by looking at the structure of the legislative branch and the importance that compromises played -- While also answering the question "Is compromise fair for everyone?" Students will explore how our government is structured and some of the values that our country is built on.
On Friday, February 18th the 8th Grade Studio Art students joined SHS art students for a field trip to view the 2022 Scholastic Art Show. The students also participated in an Arts and Photography tour at O.C.C. The students had a great time. Thank you to Mrs. Nadzan for organizing this experience for our students.
Mrs. Nadzan and Mr. Thompson hosted a tie-dye event for students to design their new GSA shirts!
They even helped tie-dyed other staff member's shirts who were not able to attend.
Our fifth grade students enjoyed some time outside this week. Students utilized the hill outside of the SMS to enjoy some Valentines day sledding with their peers.
Ski club wrapped up this week. The students had a another great year, the program has gown to over 20 students. 
Have a wonderful and relaxing February break!
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
Return to top
2/4/2022
Happy Snow Day Bearcat Families,
All of us can remember the great joys of our childhood waking up to a fresh, fluffy, white coating of snow and news of a snow day. I hope our students were able to enjoy the surprise day off and get outside and have a carefree day of sledding, building snowmen, and having lots of hot cocoa.
This past week our students were able to enjoy activities in and outside of the classroom.
Students Jalen, Giavanna and Gabriel were successful in holding 48 books one inch off the ground. They were able to accomplish this utilizing one sheet of paper and 8 inches of masking tape. A new record!
Additionally, we had several students participate in this yeas Festival of Song. Our students were able visit the high school to perform. This is a wonderful opportunity to inspire and encourage continued participation in chorus across the district. A special thank you Mrs. Lysiuk, Mrs. Perun, Ms. Fitt and Mr. Oliver for supporting all of our Choral students.
Have a great weekend,
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School
Return to top
1/21/2022
Hello Bearcat Families,
As we approach the end of the second marking period please check Schooltool and reach out to your child’s teachers with any questions or concerns. Additionally, we remind students and families the importance of consistent attendance, perseverance, utilizing help from our staff, and working diligently. We want this because these traits will build good habits that will carry them profitably throughout their life.
Parents, please be aware that attendance at the middle school is very important.. If your child has frequent absences you may receive a letter in the mail articulating the number of days your child has missed. If you have questions in regards to your child’s attendance, please contact your child’s guidance counselor at 315-487-6005.
A special thank you to the Board of Education, Superintendent Tinklepaugh, Director of Athletics Mr. Dippold for the approval of a new Solvay Middle School boys volleyball team. The boys and Coach Costa are off to a 2-1 start. Parents and students have enjoyed watching the team play.
We would like to provide some important dates:
January 25 Solvay Middle School PTO Mtg. 7:00pm
February 3 Festival of Song
February 21 - 25 Winter Recess
Finally, we continue to invite you to become involved at Solvay Middle School. Decades of research show that when parents are involved students have: -Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates -better school attendance -increased motivation, better self-esteem
Be well,
Russ Stanton
Principal Solvay Middle School
Return to top
12/23/2021
Dear Bearcat Families,
The holiday season is in full swing and with it comes all the excitement. It is a busy time filled with the hustle and bustle of gift shopping for friends and family near and far. It means traveling to visit family or opening our homes to receive guests. Traditions such as eating delicious foods and decorating our homes in beautiful lights are all part of the holiday celebrations.
Life at school is also very busy. We had our “Winter concert” where the SMS Bands and Chorus delivered beautiful sounds within the newly renovated Solvay High School auditorium. Parents were thankful for the opportunity to see their children performing. The Solvay Middle School staff were busy working together to raise funds for people in need. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff, students and parents for their continued support. Our school is truly a community school and it is at this time of year when the closeness of friendship shines in our students` faces. The new-year will bring new learning experiences, new challenges and new fun. I look forward to what lies ahead for the SMS students.
I wish you all Peace, Joy, Hope and Happiness during this Holiday season and throughout the New Year.
Happy Holidays,
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
Return to top
12/10/2021
Bearcat Families,
I wanted to thank the Solvay Middle School PTO for purchasing ice cream for every student in the middle school. The PTO wanted to celebrate students for their hard work throughout the first marking period. The National Junior Honor Society volunteered to hand out the ice cream during lunch periods.
Shout out to some of our sixth grade students for earning student of the month honors. These students were recognized for demonstrating the following Positivity Project character strengths; Integrity, Curiosity and Kindness.
We also want to acknowledge our performers at this year’s Variety Showcase. The kids did a great job with their performances and were able to celebrate by having a pizza party. Thank you Mrs. Powers and Ms. Fitt for all the support. The pictures will be added to the Solvay Middle School website very soon.
Next week (Dec 13-17) the Positivity Project team will be focusing on Kindness with our students. Please enjoy the P2 for families page explaining the character strength Kindness. Utilize the password P2 when opening the page.
https://posproject.org/p2-for-
Have a great weekend!
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
11/23/2021
Hello Bearcat families,
As we start the beginning of a new marking period, we encourage your child to continue employing habits that worked, and start building new ones if necessary.
-
Using an assignment notebook or other assignment tracking method is an especially important habit to practice from the get-go
-
Students should check their progress on Schooltool throughout the marking period; this will ensure no surprises when grades close, and your child will not have to scramble to retake, revise, or turn in work at the last minute.
-
Students should utilize their guidance counselors to build a strong assignment tracking habit as well as and use the power of goal-setting, forward thinking, and organizational strategies to achieve these goals.
As we enter our Thanksgiving break I want to again thank you for your involvement in your child’s educational experience. Continue to reach out to your child’s teacher with anything you need. Below you will find the Positivity Project for families page on Gratitude. When you click on the link please utilize the password: P2
https://posproject.org/p2-for-
Pre K
It is always great to start a break off with some PreK photos. Our friends in PreK had fun making ceramic turkey sculptures!
Happy Thanksgiving Bearcat Families,
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
11/12/2021
|
11/6/2021
Happy Friday,
Wow! What a week of engaging activities within the Solvay Middle School. It is the highlight of my days walking into classrooms seeing our students excited about learning. It has been such a wonderful experience for me to be a part of the Bearcat family and I look forward to the work ahead.
Shout out!
I want to thank our teachers who participated in ordering our Be Kind shirts that included the sign for Be Kind to support our students enrolled in the DHH program.
Physical Education
The Solvay Middle School's Physical Education staff organized a carnival/obstacle course as a fun way to celebrate Halloween this year.
The five stations included an obstacle course, a scooter tunnel with a hockey goal at the end, ghost pin knockdown, a football throw through pool noodles, and basketball shooting. Each of the five teams were able to come up with their own team name and compete against each other during each of the three minute stations. The scores were then added together to find the total points for all five stations and declare a WINNER!
5th Grade
5th graders made lip balm in Science to explore melting points and how the melting point of a solid can change when it is combined with another solid. They used candles to melt beeswax and coconut oil. They also explored measuring the temperature of a liquid and changing physical states of matter.
Family Consumer Science
FCS students were working in the kitchens this week. Students were asked to make a breakfast called "Birds Nest with Home Fries". The students let me join in. on the fun and thankfully they helped me because I was lost in the kitchen....LOL.
I have attached a Positivity Project page that is entitled P2 for families. That explains Perspective, includes a short video and questions you can discuss with your child. We encourage you to discuss P2 with your child as we continue to learn more about the 24 character strengths.
https://posproject.org/p2-for-
Have a great weekend,
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
10/31/2021
Bearcat Families,
What an end to the week! There was a lot of positive energy in the building today. Students and staff were so creative as they showed off their Halloween costumes. The PreK parade was a lot of fun and it was great seeing all the parents in attendance. Also, I wanted to thank Superintendent Tinklepaugh and the district office staff for celebrating our PreK parade with small treats and gifts.
Positivity Project
What does creativity mean? You come up with new original ways to think about and do things. Next week students will focus on Perspective. As we focus on Perspective we ask our students to show an appreciation for people that see things differently. Enjoy the video on Creativity!
https://drive.google.com/file/
Halloween Photos
10/22/2021
Hello Bearcat Families,
The students and staff had another great week. There is a lot of positive energy in the building as students engage in activities within the Solvay Middle School. It was a lot of fun visiting classrooms this week. One class in particular was hard at work learning the letter “C”, they even let me join their group. Additionally, our students focused on Forgiveness and were able to create another Positivity Project video for you. Next week the building will focus on Creativity.
https://drive.google.com/file/
Introductions
We are excited to welcome two new teachers to the Bearcat family. Mia DiBello will be working with the sixth grade team teaching Social Studies. Mia is excited to be a part of the Solvay family and has enjoyed meeting all of the students this week. We would also like to introduce Andrea Martin, she is joining SMS as the 7th grade special education teacher. She previously taught special education in the Syracuse City School District. Most of her career has been in human services working to support children and families in the community and in school (including working at SMS as the Promise Zone Specialist).
Halloween
The staff and students are excited to participate in Halloween on Friday, October 29th. I have heard many teachers and students utilizing their Creativity as they discuss costume ideas. I know there is a lot of excitement, but I would like to provide a few reminders.
-
Clothing must be in the spirit of school rules and the Solvay Middle School dress code. The administration reserves the right to direct any student inappropriately dressed to change into appropriate clothing for the remainder of the school day.
-
On Halloween the only masks you can wear are the Face Coverings that must be worn that follow the CDC and the Department of Health Guidelines.
-
Wear shoes you can walk in.
-
Costumes may NOT include props such as real, toy , or fake guns/ knives/other weapons/dangerous objects. You also may not have any item that is not normally allowed on campus.
-
No Costumes that promote the use of illegal substances or activities, or are derogatory, violent or disrespectful.
-
No costume can be worn that is unsafe or that may create a safety hazard
Students who have questions about the acceptability of their costume should check with administration.
Let's have another great week!
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
Return to Top
10/15/2021
Happy Friday,
The Solvay Middle School students will be participating in a Variety Showcase on November 22nd. If your child is interested in showing off their talents have them see Mrs. Powers or Ms. Fitt.
We continue to challenge our students to read daily and post their reading in the SMS lobby. Also, some of our students have displayed their art work in the library. It's great to see our students presenting their hard work for all to see.
This week our students focused on Integrity. You are honest and speak the truth. You present yourself genuinely and sincerely. Please enjoy this week’s video on Integrity. Next week we will focus on Forgiveness.
https://drive.google.com/file/
“Whoever is careless about the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” -ALBERT EINSTEIN
Have a wonderful Homecoming weekend! Go Bearcats!
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
Return to Top
10/09/2021
Hello Bearcat Families,
What a beautiful week! We have had a focused week here at the Solvay Middle School. Athletics and clubs continue to happen daily and the B.E.S.T program is full of students. We appreciate you allowing your children to engage in all that Solvay Middle School has to offer.
The Positivity Project team continues to ask small groups of students to create videos each week, but we are working on ways to communicate the Positivity Project to large groups of kids. This week we focused on Being Present and Giving Others My Attention. Please enjoy the video that features some courageous 8th graders. Next week we will focus on Integrity.
https://drive.google.com/file/
Lastly, we are excited to announce that the Solvay Middle School has joined Otto’s Fall Reading Kickoff! The Syracuse University School of Education and Syracuse Athletics have challenged students to increase their reading from September 27th – November 27th. As students read books they will complete reading logs and place them in our Middle School lobby. Even our Pre-K students are in on the fun (see photos).
|
|
|
|
Be well,
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
Return to Top
10/04/2021
Bearcat Families,
We had another great week here at SMS!!! I had the opportunity to visit a lot of our classrooms to see our students actively engaged in lessons. Our teacher teams have been meeting regularly to discuss ways to best support our students. In regards to (Virtual) Open House, we will be sending the link out on Tuesday, October 12th. The format will be similar to our Open House last year.
I would like to give a shout out to our modified Cross Country, Soccer and Football Teams. The Cross Country team recently participated in the Baldwinsville Invitational. The 7th/8th grade football team celebrated a victory over Chittenango on Wednesday! Thank you to all the coaches and players for their hard work.
Mrs. Dennison will have her first Character Education Club meeting on October 6th at 2:40. Feel free to encourage your children to attend. We continue to work with students on the Positivity Project character strengths. This week we focused on Open Mindedness, please enjoy the P2 video below. Next week we will focus on Being Present and Giving Others My Attention.
https://drive.google.com/file/
Finally, our B.E.S.T programs will begin on Monday. As always, feel free to reach out me Mrs. Cole with anything you need.
Be well,
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
Return to Top
9/24/2021
Dear Bearcat Families,
We have had a wonderful week here at SMS. Students have been focused in their classrooms and it has been great seeing all of our students participating in after school activities and athletics. We are currently doing a soft roll out of a new character education program Positivity Project. This week we collected photos of students demonstrating Teamwork. Please enjoy the short video focusing on Teamwork. Next week we will be focusing on Open-Mindedness.
https://drive.google.com/file/
Additionally, the Title 1 and Open House scheduled for this Wednesday September 29th will be rescheduled and will be virtual. While we would prefer to do Open House in the typical, in-person format, we believe that this format provides an excellent opportunity for our staff to safely provide essential information for each of our classes and courses. The virtual Open House will now take place on Tuesday, October 12th. The link to the teacher created videos will be sent on the morning of Tuesday, October 12th . The fifth grade team will not be creating pre recorded videos, but will be sending out a google meet link to meet live on the night of October 12th.
Lastly, please visit our website for information regarding the BEST program. The programs are filling fast! I have attached to the link to the BEST program and if you have any specific questions feel free to reach out Mary Kay Cole at MCole@solvayschools.org. If you have any specific questions, please reach out the Solvay Middle School at 315-487-7061. Have a great weekend!
Go Bearcats!
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
Return to Top
9/01/2021
Greetings Bearcat Families:
It is my pleasure and honor to introduce myself as Principal of Solvay Middle School. I am extremely proud and excited to join the Solvay Union Free School District and to support our students and their families.
This is the start of my 18th year in education. My career began in the Syracuse City School District as an elementary teacher. During my 14 years with the Syracuse City School District, I taught third, fourth, and fifth grade. In addition to my classroom teaching, I served as grade-level team leader and represented the intermediate grades in many building and district level leadership roles. I also served as an instructional coach providing teachers support with curriculum and instruction in my final four years within the district.
Following my time at the Syracuse City School District, I joined the Onondaga Jr/Sr High School as a Vice Principal supporting students in grades 7-12. During this time, I have had the pleasure of working with staff, students, and families. I learned a lot about being a leader during my time at Onondaga and hope to bring what I have learned here to Solvay.
Additionally, it may be more important for you to know that I am a parent who resides within the district. I fully understand the importances of ensuring our children have the best educational experience possible.
I know the significance of building strong relationships with students, teachers and families. I will work hard and continue to learn much about Solvay Middle School throughout this year and in the years to come. Most importantly, I bring a belief that the students are at the center of all school-related decisions. I am excited to bring my experience, openness to learn, and child-centered approach to support our students. Because the relationships between families and the school are vital to the success of our students, I encourage you to become involved in every way possible. I look forward to the collaboration and support we will be able to give each other.
Sincerely,
Russ Stanton
Solvay Middle School Principal
Return to Top
