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Update from Clarence CSD December 17, 2021
Dear Clarence School Family,
I want to thank everyone who tuned in for our Facebook Live conversation on effective advocacy this past week. The discussion was a reminder that although politics can, at times, be frustrating, we are lucky to have a dedicated group of public servants representing Clarence at the state and local levels. While a recording of the conversation can be found on our District social media pages, I wanted to highlight a few of the suggestions made by Senator Rath, Assemblyman Norris, and Supervisor Casilio.
Reach out often. Elected officials review communications from constituents on a daily basis, and they rely on the calls, letters, and emails when making informed decisions. (After all, there is some truth to the old adage, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”.)
Be clear and compelling. Personal stories, handwritten notes, and specific asks are often more meaningful than form letters or lengthy communications.
Follow up and express appreciation. The most effective advocators keep in regular contact, and notes of thanks can go a long way in establishing positive relationships.
To make contacting elected officials as easy as possible, we have put together a webpage with specific contact information. The details can be accessed by clicking this link, and we would encourage all members of our community to play an active role when it comes to advocacy.
Interim Director of Special Education
As many of you know, our Director of Special Education, Mrs. MaryEllen Colling, will be retiring after more than a decade of exemplary service to the Clarence Central School District. Given the limited time we have before her last day in January, we have decided to appoint an Interim Director of Special Education so that we can run a thorough search process later in the year. Because the position is technical in nature, however, there are only a handful of individuals out there with the time, the willingness, and the skill set needed to step into the job on an interim basis.
With that in mind, I am pleased to announce that on Monday evening, our Board of Education appointed Mr. Jim Maloney to the position of Interim Director of Special Education. Many of you know Mr. Maloney as the former Director of Special Education in Clarence who left when he was appointed to be the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in the Maryvale Union Free School District. Mr. Maloney comes back to us with over 40 years of experience working in K-12 education, and a deep understanding of the culture and values that exist in our school community.
As Mr. Maloney returns to Clarence, he would like to emphasize how grateful he is to be returning to such a special school community. If you have any questions about the learning needs of your son or daughter in the weeks ahead, I would encourage you to reach out to our Special Education Department.
Weekly COVID Report
Each Friday, we will send out a COVID report with weekly data involving positive case counts as well as the number of individuals placed in quarantine by the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH). Below you will see the report from this past week.
- 2 individuals at Clarence High School tested positive, 1 quarantined
- 6 individuals at Clarence Middle School tested positive, 2 quarantined
- 5 individuals at Clarence Center Elementary School tested positive, 2 quarantined
- 1 individual at Harris Hill Elementary School tested positive, 0 quarantined
- 6 individuals at Ledgeview Elementary School tested positive, 4 quarantined
- 4 individuals at Sheridan Hill Elementary School tested positive, 1 quarantined
Bright Spot
Every now and again it is nice to highlight a real “Bright Spot” at school as a reminder of what education is all about. During the Middle School Concert last night, our 8th Grade Chorus performed the song, “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman. The group sounded incredible, and I was particularly struck by the written dreams from our students that Mrs. Kohler had scrolling in the background. I thought you might enjoy reviewing them (click here) as a reminder that we are blessed with some pretty wonderful students here at #ClarenceProud.
Finally, as the Winter Sports Season heats up, we would encourage you to come cheer on our Red Devil athletes. Our competition schedule can be found by clicking this link, and we look forward to seeing you at the pool, the rink, the bowling alley, or in the gymnasium.
Hoping this finds you enjoying the Holiday Season.
Matt Frahm, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools