Avon Central Schools

Don’t forget, Braves Nation! Tonight’s chorus concert starts at 7 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium, 191 Clinton St. The following ensembles will perform: • 4th Grade Chorus: Kaylee Correll, director • 5th/6th Grade Chorus: Kristen Maxfield, director • Junior Choir: Kristen Maxfield, director • Men's Choir: Kristen Maxfield, director • Select Treble Choir: Kristen Maxfield, director • Senior Choir: Kristen Maxfield, director At the end of the concert, all grades will come together for a holiday sing-along! Then, this Thursday, Dec. 7, our instrumentalists will get their turn to show off what they’ve been working on at their concert - also at 7 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium. The following ensembles will perform: • 5th/6th Grade Band: Luke Selby, interim director • Junior Band: Charlotte Collins, director • Senior Band: Charlotte Collins, director

We hope you’ll join us in congratulating cheerleaders Chloe P. and Bella S. and football players Chris T. and Remy G., all of whom were recognized as scholar athletes at the Greater Rochester Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s awards banquet this past weekend. The award is presented to student athletes for “excellence in academics, athletics and school and community leadership.” Bella and Remy were also named silver and gold scholarship recipients, respectively. Congratulations Chloe, Bella, Chris and Remy - way to make Avon proud! (Photo courtesy of Ashleigh Herkimer)

Help us ‘Fill the Cruiser’ at the Avon Holiday Spectacular! We want to remind those planning on attending the Avon Holiday Spectacular in the village tomorrow to stop by the Avon Lions Club booth and check out Fill the Cruiser, a new partnership between the Lions Club, Stone’s Community Resources and the Avon Police Department. For the past several years, Baylee Barrett, a social worker at Avon Elementary School who also runs Stone’s Community Resources, has organized a gift drive around the holidays to help collect gifts for families in need. The Lions Club’s annual Santa’s Sleigh initiative has the same goal - to collect gifts for families in need throughout the community. So this year, Barrett and Lion Jess Soucey decided to team up. “Chief Joe Geer of the Avon Police Department is donating a police car to be parked near the Lions Booth at the Spectacular so that people can ‘Fill the Cruiser’ with gifts and donations for children this Christmas,” Barrett explained. “We’re looking for donations of toys and fun items for kids of all ages. These donations will then be distributed to families in need through the Lions’ Santa’s Sleigh initiative and our district’s Stone’s Community Resources.” Avon students will also be out in force at the Spectacular tomorrow doing face painting, helping kids write their letters to Santa Claus, selling baked goods for charity and performing a few selections from their annual production of “Scrooge.” The Avon Holiday Spectacular is tomorrow - Saturday, Dec. 2 - from 3 to 8 p.m. along Genesee Street and the surrounding area. Visit the event website at the link below for performance information, an activities map and a schedule of events. We hope to see you there! Link: AvonHolidaySpectacular.com

Avon alumna Joleigh Crye has punched her ticket to the U.S. Olympic Trials where she’ll compete against the top swimmers the country has to offer for a chance to represent the United States in the 2024 Paris Games. Crye qualified for the trials in the 100-meter long course breaststroke with a time of 1:08.68, beating the maximum qualifying time of 1:10.29 by 1.59 seconds. Crye, who graduated from Avon in 2022, now swims at the University of Cincinnati where she studies marketing. The U.S. Olympic Trials will take place from June 15 to 23, 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. The Olympics begin about a month later, on July 26. Congratulations, Joleigh - we’re so proud of you! Click on the link below to see Joleigh’s race. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiEABl0_Jdo&t=6240s

Happy Thanksgiving, from our Braves family to yours. We hope your day is full of family, laughter and turkey (or tofurky - you do you)!

Our National Honor Society chapter’s food drive wrapped up earlier this week - our student members ended up collecting 6 overflowing boxes full of food and toiletries, which were delivered to the Avon Food Pantry earlier today! Despite seniors collecting some late-breaking donations early this morning, it was the juniors that ultimately collected the most items once all the cans were counted. Shout out to all our NHS members and anyone who made a donation and congratulations on a job well done! (Photos courtesy of Alexe Dunham)

Once a Brave, always a Brave. Avon Alumna Amy (Flick) Dodge (Class of 1978) will perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City later this week as part of The Band Directors Marching Band, a 408-member ensemble comprised of music educators from across the country. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins Thursday, Nov. 23 at 8:30 a.m. on NBC. For those watching on TV at home, Dodge’s group will be marching near the Snoopy float, so keep an eye out! Click on the link to the Livingston County News article below to learn more about Dodge’s history with the group. Link: https://www.thelcn.com/townnews/music/livonia-woman-marching-in-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/article_f84b7d42-859a-11ee-8bf7-53f135879c64.html

Avon Central School District was recently notified by its dairy supplier, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, that a nationwide shortage of half-pint paper milk cartons will affect its ability to supply its customers - including Avon. In light of this anticipated shortage, Avon Central School District will take the following action: • Continue serving milk as usual until the shortage officially impacts Avon; • Offer whatever milk is available: 1%, 2%, whole, chocolate, strawberry, etc.; • Offer water as an alternative; • Offer milk in individual plastic containers (if they can be obtained) to students in grades PreK-4; and • Offer milk in dispensers to students in grades 5 through 12 as a self-serve option. Many students currently choose NOT to take a milk and may buy bottled water or other drinks instead. In its recent communication with our district, Upstate Niagara stated the shortage may resolve in early 2024 and that it’s working with its own vendors to try to speed that timeline along. Questions should be directed to Director of Nutritional Services Kristen Murphy at kmurphy@avoncsd.org or (585) 226-2455, ext. 1304.

Three of our varsity football players will represent Braves Nation in tonight’s Eddie Meath All-Star Game at the University of Rochester! Selected for the West Team were quarterback Chris T., wide receiver/cornerback Remy G., and defensive end/tackle Colin E. Tonight’s game will be played at U of R’s Fauver Stadium, Library Road, Rochester. Tickets are $10 (cash only) at the gate. Proceeds from the game will benefit Golisano's Children Hospital, so don’t miss it! Congratulations, boys!

Avon’s National Honor Society chapter is extending its food drive competition through this Monday, Nov. 20! Please consider gathering some items over the weekend and bringing them in on Monday. Drop box locations are: Freshmen: Mrs. Dzeikonski’s room Sophomores: Mr. Schneider’s room Juniors: Mrs. Englert’s room Seniors: Mrs. McLaughlin’s room Oh, and by the way freshmen, sophomores and seniors - the juniors are sitting pretty in the lead right now so if you want those cookies, you might want to, you know, do something about it!

Sean M. and Hannah C., who portray Ebenezer Scrooge and Mrs. Ethel Cratchit in our upcoming production of “Scrooge,” appeared on Good Day Rochester yesterday to tell viewers all about the show! You can check out their segment at the link below and don’t forget to check out our 25th annual production of “Scrooge”! We’ve got two shows - the first is Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. and the second is Sunday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online for $10 online at the link below. Tickets are $13 at the door ($12 for seniors and students). This year, our cast and crew are collecting non-perishable food items for the local food pantry. Anyone who brings a donation will receive a small memento from our 25th annual show! Segment link: https://foxrochester.com/news/good-day-rochester/avons-drama-club-gives-back-to-celebrate-milestone Tickets link: https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/avon-mshs-theatre/65414d362106550e3f4acae5

Avon’s own Sean M. and Hannah C., who portray Ebenezer Scrooge and Mrs. Ethel Cratchit in our 25th annual production of “Scrooge,” will be LIVE bright and early tomorrow morning on Good Day Rochester to talk all about the upcoming show! Sean and Hannah’s segment is set to begin around 7:45 a.m., so make sure you tune in to WUHF Fox Rochester - that’s channel 7 for Time Warner Cable subscribers and channel 31 for digital/over-the-air users - to see their interview and learn all about our upcoming show! A musical based on Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol,” Avon’s production of “Scrooge” debuts in Avon Middle School Auditorium, 191 Clinton St., this Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. There’s also a performance on Saturday. Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online for $10 at the link below. Tickets are $13 at the door ($12 for seniors and students). This year, our cast and crew are collecting non-perishable food items for the local food pantry. Anyone who brings a donation will receive a small memento from our 25th annual show! We hope you come out, support our cast and crew and take part in an Avon holiday tradition that’s sure to delight the whole family! Link: https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/avon-mshs-theatre/65414d362106550e3f4acae5

To all those who served, thank you. #VeteransDay

There’s still time to sign up for tomorrow’s Veterans Day 5K and Fun Run at Avon Central Schools! The 5K course and 800-meter Kids Fun Run are both on our campus. The 5K course is a fun one, with the finish set up on the 50 yard line of our football field. Timing and bibs provided by Rochester Running Company (Robin Hood Racing Race Timing). The Kids Fun Run, which is free with a food donation, starts at 9:30 a.m. The 5K starts at 10 a.m. Race registration costs $10 for those under 18, $25 for adults and $50 per family. Veterans run for free. Runners are asked to park solely at Avon Middle School, 191 Clinton St. All proceeds from the race will go to benefit Livingston County veterans. We raised about $1,300 last year - we know we can beat that this year. Help us do it! Click on the link below for a course map and to register. We hope to see you tomorrow! Link: https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Avon/AvonCSDVeteransDay5k

A reminder - there is no school tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 - due to Veterans Day falling on a Saturday this year. Enjoy the long weekend, Braves Nation!

Say hello to you Elementary School Music Students of the Month for October, Matelyn W. and Nolan P.! Each month, Music Teacher Mrs. Kaylee Corell picks two students of the month - one from third and fourth grade and one from first and second grade. Students are chosen based on how frequently they make Corell’s “Wall of Fame” for things like playing or singing a song well, answering a difficult music question correctly or displaying exceptional behavior and focus. Matelyn was the winner for third and fourth grade while Nolan was the winner for first and second. Congratulations, you two!

Your Avon Braves wrapped up their 2023 season Saturday, Nov. 4 with strong performances at the Section V Cross Country Championships at Letchworth State Park. Our boys team was led by junior Finn S., who finished ninth in the Class D1 race with a time of 17:20, dropping nearly a minute of time from the 18:12 he put up on the same course in 2022. Finn’s success was a result of his determination. At the halfway point of the race, Finn was in 24th place. By the end of the race, he’d moved forward 15 places to earn the second sectional patch of his cross country career. Junior Jordan M., who played in our varsity football team’s sectional semifinal game the day before, moved forward 61 places to finish with a time of 18:21 and 40th overall while junior Hunter R. moved forward 64 places to finish 47th overall. Cory D. moved forward 50 places to finish 65th overall and senior Chris H. moved forward 29 places to finish 112th overall. “Incredible effort from an amazing group of young men,” said Head Coach Josh Williams. “That second half of the race was nothing short of spectacular and was a program-defining effort that will resonate through the offseason.” The girls race was exciting as well with sophomore Maria G. finished 10th overall with a time of 20:18, improving upon her 2022 performance of a 15th place finish and a time of 21:25. Her sister, senior Kaitlyn G., wrapped up her final year with a season’s best time of 22:35, good enough for 46th overall. Paige P. ran a time of 23:32 for 68th place, Abby W. ran 24:11 for 78th overall while Lena K. ran a season’s best time 28:47. “Not one Brave gave up a position after the halfway point - that’s absolutely amazing and showcases how far we’ve come as a team and how hard we are willing to work in the face of adversity,” said Williams. “We’ve built a positive program that’s a place for all abilities to come together and see how much you can improve, in sport as well as a human being." (Photos courtesy of Josh Williams)

Late last month, Rebecca Rio and Heather Grasso led members of our staff in a Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools, or TCIS, training. Staff who are trained in the TCIS framework are instructed in a crisis prevention and intervention model that enables them to help children learn constructive ways to proactively diminish crises and also support students and staff in reacting to a crisis. The skills, knowledge, and professional judgment of staff in responding to crises are critical factors in helping young people learn constructive and adaptive ways to deal with frustration, failure, anger, rejection, hurt, and depression. Program objectives include learning to proactively prevent or de-escalate a potential crisis situation with a young person, managing a crisis situation in a therapeutic manner, and processing the crisis event with young people to help improve their coping strategies. Congratulations to our staff members who underwent the TCIS training - all of whom passed and are now certified TCIS providers! (Photos courtesy of Rebecca Rio)

Avon’s own Emma D. has been named a member of the 2023-24 Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra, the highest-level youth orchestra in The Hochstein School’s four-tier youth orchestra program! Students compete annually for a seat in the orchestra, performing professional repertoire in at least three concerts throughout the school year. The orchestra’s first concert of the year is coming up on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. in Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 North Plymouth Ave., Rochester. The concert program includes the Overture to Verdi’s opera “La Forza del Destino,” “Romance in Eb” for strings by Gerald Finzi, the well-loved “Mars” and “Jupiter” movements from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” and Tchaikovsky’s fantasy for orchestra, “Capriccio Italien.” A junior at Avon High School, Emma plays the violin for Hochstein and is also a soprano in Avon’s High School Choir and Select Treble Choir. Congratulations, Emma! (Photo courtesy of The Hochstein School)

Our varsity football team’s season came to an end Friday with a 6-20 loss to Canisteo-Greenwood in the semifinals round of the Section V Class D Tournament. “Not the way we wanted to end the season. I’m so proud of this team and how they battled every week for us,” Avon head coach Andy Englert told The Batavia Daily News after the loss. “Tonight was another great game versus Canisteo and the third time playing them. Each of those games came down to the end. This one we just had too many turnovers before the half that hurt us.” Not the finish we know you wanted, boys, but we’re proud of you all the same! The Braves finish their season 6-3. (Photos courtesy of Danette DeNoto and Elizabeth Maybee)