Update from Clarence CSD February 28, 2025

Dear Clarence School Family, 

Since 2007, February has been Love the Bus Month—a time to celebrate the dedicated professionals who are often the first and last smiling faces students see each school day. Here in Clarence, our drivers and bus attendants prioritize safety, create welcoming environments, and offer words of encouragement as they transport close to 5,000 riders more than 4,500 miles on a daily basis. Because simple expressions of gratitude can go a long way, I encourage you to share a quick "thank you" or note of appreciation with your child’s driver sometime soon. School buses remain one of the safest ways for children to travel, and that is a direct result of the caring individuals we have behind the wheel.

New Student Registration Platform

We are excited to share that we have launched a new digital student registration platform to make the process easier for families to enroll new students, including kindergartners for the 2025-2026 academic year. The platform gives families the opportunity to manage records with ease, and parents of eligible kindergartners will be receiving a letter from the District with more detailed information on the process. 

2025-2026 Vacation Dates

We are putting the finishing touches on our 2025-2026 school calendar, and we anticipate having a final draft available on our website in the next few days. If you are starting to make arrangements for future trips or childcare, however, I have provided the dates for our major vacations below:

• Thanksgiving Recess: November 26 - 28
• Winter Recess: December 22 - January 2
• Mid-Winter Recess: February 16 - 20
• Spring Recess: April 3 - 10

Clarence Soccer Club to Offer Inclusive Opportunities for Athletes

We pride ourselves on maintaining positive partnerships with community organizations, and we value our relationship with the Clarence Soccer Club. The organization has just announced another series of TOPSoccer session dates for March. TOPSoccer is the outreach program for soccer and recreational sports for children and adults with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities. It provides people with diverse abilities an opportunity to play soccer in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive, and inclusive. If you have a child who might benefit from the program, or if you are interested in serving as a volunteer, you can find more information by clicking this link.

Coming Soon: High School Drama Club’s Production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Make sure to get your tickets for the High School Drama Club’s musical production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame a couple weeks from now. Performances will take place from March 13-15 in our High School Auditorium, and tickets can be purchased using this online site. If you have any questions about ticketing, please feel free to email ticketsales@clarenceschools.org directly.  There will also be a free dress rehearsal on Tuesday, March 11 at 5:00 p.m. for members of the Clarence Senior Center. The dress rehearsal involves general seating and does not require a ticket.

Athletic Updates

Although registration for Spring Sports has already begun, we still have a number of winter teams competing. While we wish them all the best of luck, we would like to acknowledge the following Red Devils for their individual accomplishments this past season.

• Jenny Wild on being named All WNY Federation Girls Hockey Defensive Player of the Year while competing for CASH (Clarence, Amherst, Sweet Home).
• Sarah Zulick on earning a trip to States after qualifying with her bowling score for the Section VI All-Star Team.
• AJ Didas and Trevor Mueller on advancing to States in Boys Varsity Wrestling.
• Carter Leach (50, 100, 200 Freestyle, 200 Free Relay Team), Jacob Putnam, Tyler Avalos, and Luca Alessi (200 Free Relay Team) on qualifying for States after their performances in Sectionals.
• Olivia Chapman and Bailynn Kasprzak on competing in the State Gymnastics Championships in Clarence this weekend.

Finally, for our Muslim families, this evening marks the beginning of Ramadan—a month filled with prayer, devotion, expressing gratitude, and spending time with loved ones. It is also a period in which many older students and adults will fast from sunrise to sunset. If you are part of this faith tradition, please know that our school community is wishing you a generous Ramadan. 

Enjoy the weekend, Red Devils.  

Matt Frahm
Superintendent of Schools
Nominate Someone for a Red Devil Recognition