The name and imagery stakeholder team, tasked by the Board of Education last year with navigating the district’s state-mandated re-naming process, has identified nine possible replacements for Avon Central Schools’ longtime “Braves” moniker. The stakeholder team, led by longtime Avonites Tim Hayes and James Colt, pulled these nine possible replacement names from a list of hundreds submitted by members of the community earlier this year through an online survey.
This survey was open for four weeks in August and September, drew nearly 300 respondents and yielded more than 200 different name possibilities.
Working from this initial list of community-submitted names, the stakeholder team came together and, after many rounds of discussion and idea sharing, settled on these nine options.
As we have throughout this ongoing process, we’re once again asking district residents to offer feedback on these nine possibilities through a survey. Specifically, we’re asking respondents to rank their top three names from the list of nine.
This survey will be open until the end of the business day on Wednesday, Dec. 6. Click here to access the district's Name, Imagery and Mascot webpage, then click on the "Name and Imagery Survey Link" button to access the survey. Once the survey closes, the stakeholder team will again meet to consider responses and whittle the list of nine names down to three.
The district’s goal is to announce these three finalists by the end of December. Once this occurs, the district intends to develop sample imagery for each name to help inform decision making about which name will ultimately replace “Braves.” We’ve listed the nine names chosen by the stakeholder team from the list of community-submitted ideas below along with some of the team’s thoughts on each name. We look forward to the community’s feedback on these possibilities.
As ever, we encourage district residents to subscribe to our email list on our Stay Connected webpage to keep up to date with developments on this and other district matters. Click here to access the page.
A’s: The name has appeal as a simple reference to Avon. For years, one of the many images of Avon has simply been various versions of the letter A. It is NOT intended to refer to only “Athletics.”
Archers: The name is intended as a unique selection that also provides a subtle reference to the 5 Arch Bridge. While school names are often based upon combatants of some type, archery as a skill and sport have presence in both the Olympics and in children’s stories such as William Tell.
Avon (no other name): “AVON” is itself recognized as a reference to both the school and the community. The name has appeal because of the elegant simplicity used to reference the community as a whole.
Express: This would be a unique school name selection, and is a local reference to the Livonia, Avon, & Lakeville Railroad. Imagery of a locomotive can have flexibility and appeal to a variety of ages. Suggestions included images of an engine steaming over the 5 Arch Bridge.
Green: As the traditional Avon school color, “green” connects. Because there is no standard image connected to the name, logos and imagery can be anything from just the Avon “A” to something more complex and creative.
Mastodons: As a reference to the archaeological site in Avon where mastodon remains were found, this name has a local connection. It is also a unique school name for this region and beyond, and lends itself to distinctive imagery. Animals were discussed as being a good basis for names/imagery for schools.
Novas: As suggested by several commenters, this option is a play on words. The base word is “Avon” spelled backwards. Additionally, a nova is a type of star, opening the opportunity for imagery on that theme.
River Hawks: Hawks are traditionally seen as powerful, adaptive, distinctive and resilient. River hawks (or osprey) specifically have a wide migratory range, yet always find their way home. The “river” is also a reference to the Genesee River, which runs through Avon. Stakeholders liked that animals give a “personality” to a name.
Storm: This name implies strength and force. The imagery also can be flexible to fit a variety of areas and needs, and the stakeholders liked the strong feel of the name and the related images it brought to mind.