Students from 20 area schools experienced a brand new theatrical show last week.  Almost 2500 elementary students from Cattaraugus and Allegany counties attended the TheaterWorks USA performance of "Rosie Revere, Engineer & Friends."  A talented cast presented a lively musical revue of Andrea Beaty’s popular children’s book series.

​The fun new musical is based on the books Rosie Revere, Engineer; Iggy Peck, Architect; and Ada Twist, Scientist, which all spotlight the STEM curriculum.  Rosie, Iggy, and Ada, along with inspiration from Rosie’s great aunt, Rosie the Riveter, worked together to save the day and their teacher. 

Information about the show, as well as curriculum connections and enrichment activities are available here:  https://1s1lqm1s1b6x2bjxng3l5tmg-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/TWUSA-ROSIE-Study-Guide.pdf

TheaterWorks USA is a professional acting company based out of New York City.  It is America’s largest and most prolific professional theatre for young audiences.  Cuba-Rushford Elementary and Salamanca High opened their auditoriums to host the performances.  BOCES Arts In Education, CoSer 403, helps schools enrich the lives of their students by providing opportunities to experience the performing arts.  For more information about bringing theatrical shows to your area, contact Student Programs at 716-376-8323. 

By: Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programs

Our annual Scholastic Challenge competition was held at Portville Central School on April 6, 2019
​Here are the results!

Junior Division - 1st place
Scio Central School (Trivia Tigers)
​Coach - Tammy Straight, Derek Ketchner, Will Broach, Jordan White, Gregory Wesche
​

Cuba, New York – Wednesday, January 16, 2019 – Fifteen VEX Robotics teams from across Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties attended the inaugural VEX Robotics Qualifying Tournament at Cuba-Rushford Middle/High School on Wednesday, January 16, 2019. Students competed with and against teams from Pioneer, Cattaraugus-Little Valley, Franklinville, Salamanca, Scio, Wellsville, Genesee Valley, and Cuba-Rushford.  The middle and high school students executed the 2018-2019 VEX Robotics Competition game, Turning Point, which is played by stacking caps on posts, flipping caps, stacking balls on caps, toggling flags, throwing balls, and parking robots.

Young students from nineteen area schools experienced live theatre this month.  Almost 2500 preK through first graders from Cattaraugus and Allegany counties attended the TheatreWorks USA performances of Pete the Cat.  A cool cat named Pete, along with Jimmy and the Biddle family, went on a lively and colorful adventure filled with songs, dance and an insightful message about friendship.

The show at Olean High School on May 10 held added excitement for two local classes, who, thanks to their teachers, learned first-hand about forming new friendships.  First grade teachers, Stacey Clayson of Prospect Elementary and Kristin Yehl of Portville Central, and their students were both traveling to Olean High School to watch the TheatreWorks performance.  Their students had been communicating as pen-pals, but hadn’t actually met in person.  The 35 eager students were able to meet their long-distance friends before the show started. Front row seating was reserved for the special guests. It was exciting to witness the kids’ enthusiasm as they met face-to-face for the first time.  Both teachers were equally as enthusiastic and allowed the pen-pals to sit together to watch the show.

Kristin Yehl, from Portville, explained, “It was such a special treat meeting our pen-pals at the play. My kids were over-the-moon excited to meet up, and extremely happy to have seats reserved up front. We really enjoyed the play. They always do a great job keeping the audience entertained and engaged. We’re busy now writing back to our pen-pals because they delivered letters to us at the play.”

TheatreWorks USA is a professional acting company based out of New York City.  It is America’s largest and most prolific professional theatre for young audiences.

BOCES Arts In Education, CoSer 403, helps schools enrich the lives of their students by providing opportunities to experience the performing arts.  Fillmore Central, Olean High and Arcade Elementary opened their auditoriums to host these performances.  For more information about bringing TheatreWorks shows to your area, contact Student Programs at 716-376-8284. 

By:  Jean Oliverio, CABOCES Student Programming

Congratulations to all teams that participated in this year's Odyssey of the Mind Region 19 Tournament!  

The largest ever Scholastic Challenge Competition was held on Saturday, February 3 at Portville Central School.  This annual event hosted a record breaking 44 teams who competed in a Junior Division and Senior Division, for grades 6-12.

Scholastic Challenge is a fast-paced contest that tests knowledge of academic trivia and current events.  Teams of four students measure their ability to recall details from a wide variety of topics.

Congratulations to all the teams and to the first and second place teams in each division.  Thank you to 50+ volunteers that made the event possible.

By:  Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programming

According to several teachers and students, Freedom Train was one of the best performances ever in this area!  Eighteen area schools provided an inspirational experience for their students last week.  Over 1800 fourth and fifth graders from Cattaraugus and Allegany counties attended the TheatreWorks USA performances of Freedom Train.  Freedom Train told the motivational story of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.  The audience enjoyed dramatic story telling, dance and powerfully performed songs from the time period.

TheatreWorks USA is a professional acting company based out of New York City.  It is America’s largest and most prolific professional theatre for young audiences.
BOCES Art-In-Education helps schools enrich the lives of their students by providing opportunities to experience the performing arts.  Genesee Valley, Franklinville and Arcade Elementary opened their auditoriums to host these performances.  For more information about bringing TheatreWorks shows to your area, contact Student Programs at 716-376-8284. 

​By:  Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programming

Exposing children to music and art leads to a deeper understanding of content.  It’s a natural connection for teachers to offer their students.
 
CABOCES hosted the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and an audience of more than 1,300 elementary students and teachers for 2 interactive concerts at the Olean High School on September 26.   The BPO, led by conductor Stefan Sanders, kicks off their Student Concert Series each year by transporting a 60 piece orchestra to the Southern Tier.
 
The concerts combined not only a variety of musical selections, but also original poetry commissioned for the BPO, story-telling and active audience participation.  It was more than just a concert, it was an educational show that connected NYS elementary curriculum with music. The audience was prompted to sing along, in both English and Spanish, as the musicians’ accompanied them.  In essence, the young students performed with the BPO.
 
Afterwards, a Scio teacher remarked:  “We haven’t been able to come to this for several years.  I’m so glad we could come this year.  We enjoyed every single minute of it!  I loved how the BPO made it interactive for the kids and encouraged them to move and sing!”
Each year a talented team of music teachers, staff and musicians develop the School Concert Series.  This year the theme was a focus on community and working together. The BPO Education department linked their performances to the Common Core Learning Standards.  This provided a unique opportunity to inspire Kindergarten through Fifth grade students and enhance the ELA, Literacy, Social Studies and Art Standards that are being taught in the classroom.  To ensure a strong foundation for “Our Orchestra Community: Same and Different” (Kindergarten-2nd Grade) and “The Power of Listening” (3rd-5th Grade), the BPO Education Department provided curriculum material for use in the classroom.  All districts received these resources prior to the shows.  Teachers were encouraged to use the resources to prepare their students for the performance.  The information is also available on the BPO website (https://bpo.org/community-engagement/education/for-educators/curriculum-resources/)
 
Robin Parkinson, BPO’s Director of Education and Community Engagement, summed up the day this way: “The BPO is incredibly proud to start our season of youth concerts in Olean each year, performing for our neighbors in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties. It is gratifying to be able to take the orchestra on the road and play for students who can’t make it to Kleinhans in Buffalo.”

​Thank you to Wellsville, Scio, Hinsdale and Olean school districts for allowing their students to attend and promoting the arts in their education.  CABOCES Arts in Education helps schools enrich the lives of their students by providing opportunities to experience the performing arts.  If the concept of music as education piques your interest, please call CABOCES Student Programs at 716-376-8284 to find out more about Arts In Education, CoSer 403.

By:  Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programming

 
(Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan) –The Wellsville Central School Odyssey of the Mind team participated in the 38th annual  Odyssey of the Mind World Finals  at Michigan State University from May 24-27.   The Problem 5 Division 3 team consists of Skyler Stisser, Rachael Ferraloro, Alysa Daily, Justin Cole, Alyssa Kear, Ashley Reitz, and Braden Scott.  Jennifer Parks is their coach.  They excelled at the Region 19 Tournament in Wellsville and the State Tournament in Binghamton, where they earned the honor to advance to the 4 day international tournament, representing New York State. 

Founded in 1978, Odyssey of the Mind is the largest international creative problem-solving tournament in the world.  The program encourages students, from kindergarten through college, to use original and divergent thinking as a team sport.  Divergent problems, that is, those with more than one solution, encourage students to learn and lead the way using 21st century skills.  By working in teams of up to seven members, participants learn teamwork, the appreciation and understanding of others, and the concept that a group is a more powerful thinking force than an individual.

Over 850 teams from throughout the United States and 13 other countries compete in Odyssey of the Mind. Teams from the US, Canada, China, South Korea, India, Japan, Russia, Poland, Germany, Singapore, Slovakia, Switzerland, Italy, and Mexico traveled to Michigan State University, making this year’s tournament the largest one in 38 years.

Over 20,000 students and supporters, from different cultures and widely varying backgrounds, prove that creativity is universal. The high-energy tournament embodies an international spirit of teamwork.  While the competition is fierce, there is also a feeling of camaraderie amongst competitors. At World Finals, teams have an once-in-a-lifetime experience to form friendships that span the globe, through a common goal of being creative and having fun. 

​More than 2600 students (PreK- 5th graders) from schools across Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties were entertained by Seussical, the Musical, TheatreWork’s biggest show ever.  Ten talented actors intertwined Dr. Seuss’ characters in an imaginative, colorful adventure.  Genesee Valley, Franklinville and Delevan Elementary opened their auditoriums to host these performances.  Seussical marked the final performance of the school year contracted by BOCES.  BOCES Arts-In-Education helps schools enrich the lives of their students by providing opportunities to experience the performing arts.  TheatreWorks USA is a professional acting company based out of New York City.  It is America’s largest and most prolific professional theatre for young audiences.  For more information about bringing TheatreWorks shows to your area, contact Student Programs at 716-376-8284. 

By: Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programming

(Wellsville, New York)  On Saturday, March 25, 2017, 35 teams from across the Southern Tier will be showcasing their creativity at the Odyssey of the Mind Regional Tournament.  Odyssey of the Mind is a world-wide creative problem-solving tournament that promotes original and divergent thinking as a team sport.  Divergent problems, that is, those with more than one solution, encourage students to learn and lead the way using 21st century skills.  By working in teams of up to seven members, participants learn teamwork, the appreciation and understanding of others, and the concept that a group is a more powerful thinking force than an individual.

Wellsville Central School will be hosting about 250 creative kids aged ten through eighteen years old, who will be showing off their brain power in this high-energy tournament. The winners, who will be announced at the end of the day, will represent Region 19 at the New York State Tournament at Binghamton University on April 8 and possibly World Finals at Michigan State University on May 24-27.

Teams from 12 area school districts have worked hard to come up with 8 minute solutions to one of these five mind-bending problems posed by Odyssey of the Mind:  
 
Problem 1: Catch Us If You Can
This is your Odyssey, should you choose to accept it! Each team will design, build, and run vehicles from a multi-level Parking Garage to a secret meeting place without being stopped. Vehicles will travel different routes to reach the same destination. During their Odyssey, the vehicles will do something that prevents them from being followed. The performance will include the reason for the meeting, someone that wants to prevent the meeting, a simulation of a scene taking place inside a vehicle as it travels, and a soundtrack to accompany the vehicles’ travel.

Problem 2:  Odd-a-Bot
Teams will create a humorous story about a family that brings home an “Odd-a-Bot.” Instead of being programmed to perform tasks, this Odd-a-Bot robot learns from watching others. Teams will design, build, and operate an original robot that demonstrates human characteristics when performing tasks. In the performance, the Odd-a-Bot will move and learn human actions from watching characters perform activities such as household chores, creating art, and dancing. The Odd-a-Bot learns more than it was expected to learn, and will confuse its actions with humorous results.

Problem 3: Classics… It’s Time, OMER
The future and the past collide in this problem about important works of art – both existing and yet-to-be-created. Teams will create and present an original performance about time travelers looking to discover the inspiration for great works of art, little did they know – it was OMER every time! The travelers go back in time — twice into our past and once into our future. They will see OMER inspire two classical artists and a team-created artist from our future. The performance will include how the three works of art positively impact the world, a visual and audible effect that indicates when time travel is occurring, two re-creations of the classic works of art selected from a list, and a team-created work of art.

Problem 4: Ready, Set, Balsa, Build! 
Creativity can be defined by using only what you have to get a job done. In this problem, teams will design, build, and test a structure made of only balsa wood and glue that will balance and support as much weight as possible. The structure must include sets of balsa pieces of predetermined sizes and quantities as listed in the problem. Some sets must be parts of the structure while others, if incorporated, will receive additional score – the more sets of pieces used, the higher the score! Teams will present a performance with a theme about using what’s available and that incorporates weight-placement and assembling original team creations.

Problem 5: To Be Continued: A Superhero Cliffhanger 
Creativity is being taken away from the world, and it is up to Odyssey teams to rescue it! Teams will create and present a humorous performance about an unexpected superhero that encounters three different situations where it must save creativity in some way. The superhero will change appearance when it displays its superpowers and go back to blending in with society when not. The performance will also include a clumsy sidekick, a nemesis character, a choreographed battle, and a cliffhanger ending.
 
Students have spent months of their free time solving these problems as well as developing teamwork skills, independent study, friendships, confidence, all while improving their brainstorming and problem-solving techniques. They learn new things and utilize their individual strengths to solve the problem. Teams also learn how to budget money since there is a cost limit to each problem. Throughout the day, one will witness imaginative costumes, elaborate props, dances, original songs and poetry, creative writing and much more.                                                  

Not only do the participants compete within their chosen problem, but teams must also perform well in a “spontaneous problem”, where they solve a new problem on the spot. They must be creative, quick thinking and work well together as a team.
Spectators are welcome to join in the excitement of the day.  CABOCES is still recruiting volunteers.  No prior experience is needed and training will be provided.  Anyone interested in getting involved is encouraged to call (716) 376-8323. 
Saturday, March 25 is the culmination of many months of work from students, coaches, parents and judges who all work together with the common goal of encouraging creativity, supporting the arts and learning new things in a fun environment. The competitions start at 8:20 and continue throughout the day. The Awards Ceremony begins around 3:15.

Thousands of teams from throughout the United States and 25 other countries participate in this program.  For more information visit www.odysseyofthemind.com, www.nysoma.org or call CABOCES Student Programs at 716-376-8323.

The Scholastic Challenge Competition will be held on Saturday, February 4 at Portville Central School.  This annual event, sponsored by Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES (Student Programs CoSer #506) will host 36 teams who will compete in a Junior Division and Senior Division, for grades 6-12.
​
Scholastic Challenge is a fast paced contest that tests knowledge of academic trivia and current events.  Teams of four students measure their ability to recall details from a wide variety of topics.

Fourteen school districts will be participating in the double-elimination contest this year.  This translates to about 200 students and coaches.  Throughout the day, several thousand questions will be read aloud to these ambitious teams.  Spectators are encouraged to watch the competitions. It’s exciting to see the students combine an impressive display of intelligence with camaraderie, graciousness and good sportsmanship.
 
The final matches will be held on stage in the Portville auditorium around 1:15-2:15. The first and second place teams in each division will be presented with plaques to recognize their achievements, as well as an invitation to attend the 2017 National Academic Championship.

This event requires about 40 volunteers to make the day run smoothly.  CABOCES  Student Programs is grateful to everyone who donates their time and experience to provide a fun and educational day for the students in our area.  Scholastic Challenge could not happen without their help!

Congratulations to all the teams participating this year.  Thank you to all coaches for mentoring and encouraging your students.  The following school districts will be attending on Saturday, February 4:

•       Cuba-Rushford – 4 teams coached by John Butler
•       Ellicottville Central- 3 teams coached by Ann Chamberlain
•       Fillmore Central – 3 teams coached by Bill Kelley & Mary Kay Kelley
•       Franklinville Central – 3 teams coached by Shannon Wood
•       Friendship Central – 1 team coached by Wade Pearsall
•       Genesee Valley – 4 teams coached by Sara Donlon & Kim Douglas
•       Hinsdale Central – 1 team coached by Sara Centanni & Charanna Swartwout
•       Pioneer Central – 3 teams coached by Sarah Wood
•       Portville Central – 7 teams coached by Margaret Seib & Gene Rogers
•       Randolph Central – 1 team coached by Jennifer Bieniek
•       Scio Central – 2 teams coached by Mary Zdrojewski
•       Wellsville Central – 2 teams coached by Diane Willard & Hope Gilfert
•       West Valley Central – 1 team coached by Bryan Hansen
•       Whitesville Central – 1 team coached by Laurie Sanders & Renee McNeely

Teams have been hard at work since the school year began to prepare for the Southern Tier Lego League Tournament on Saturday, November 19, 2016 at Houghton College.  It's exciting to see the program continue to grow in our region.  CABOCES is ready to host the largest Southern Tier Lego League Tournament ever!

First Lego League, a world-wide robotics program, was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in Science and Technology.  Each year a new program is designed to motivate kids to get excited about research, engineering, math and problem solving, while building self confidence, knowledge and life skills.

The Campus Center at Houghton College is the place to be this Saturday to see almost two hundred 9-14 year old students, their coaches and families, and over 3 dozen volunteers discover innovative ways to explore robotics while having fun!  Please consider attending and help us celebrate all the teams who accepted this challenge.  We will announce, at the Closing Ceremony, the five teams who will be advancing to the Championship Tournament at the University of Rochester on December 11.

Call or email BOCES Student Programs at 716-376-8323 if you'd like more information.  Also, to learn more about this year's Challenge, check out the link:firstinspires.org/robotics/fll/challenge-and-season-info
We're looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, November 19!  Thanks for supporting our Southern Tier Lego League teams! 

Transportation details:
For GPS purposes, use Houghton College, 1 Willard Avenue, Houghton College, Houghton, New York 14744.

Watch for Lego League signs, once on campus.

The tournament will be held in the Reinhold Campus Center Lounge, the Student Union at Houghton College.

Parking is available in the Gillette and Gym parking lots.

Tournament details:
There are 18 teams competing this year.  This is our largest Southern Tier Tournament!
The Tournament Tables will be in the Campus Center Lounge.
The Matches will be projected onto a big screen for viewing.
The Pit Area will be in the Campus Center downstairs Rec & Cafe Area.

*Southern Tier FLL Qualifying Tournament 2016*
(times are approximate and subject to change)
12:00 Opening Ceremony
12:20 Competition Rounds begin
3:00 Alliance Round & Dance Party
3:45 Awards Presentations & Closing Ceremony

This Just In:
It's official!  CABOCES will be hosting the largest Southern Tier Lego League Tournament ever on Saturday, November 19 at Houghton College.  See flyer for details.

First Lego League, a world-wide robotics program, was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in Science and Technology.

​Each year a new program is designed to motivate kids to get excited about research, engineering, math and problem solving, while building self confidence, knowledge and life skills.
​

Exposing children to music and art leads to a deeper understanding of content.  It’s a natural connection for teachers to offer their students.
 
CABOCES hosted the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and an audience of more than 1500 elementary students and teachers for 2 unique concerts at the Olean High School on September 27.   The BPO kicks off their Student Concert Series each year by transporting a 60 piece orchestra to the Southern Tier.
 
This was a wonderful opportunity to inspire Kindergarten through Fifth grade students and enhance the ELA, Literacy, Social Studies and Art Standards that are being taught in the classroom.  The BPO Education department masterfully linked their performances to the Common Core Standards. Both concerts combined not only a variety of musical selections, but also story-telling and active audience participation.  It was more than just a concert, it was an educational show that tied in elementary curriculum with music. 
 
Mr. Stefan Sanders, conductor for the BPO, embraced the idea that musical story telling is a valuable tool that fosters greater understanding of student learning objectives. To ensure a strong foundation for Feel the Music! (grades K-2) and Selfies: Musical Portraits (grades 3-5), the BPO Education Department supplied teachers with curriculum lessons for use in the classroom. 
 
Thank you to Wellsville, Hinsdale, Franklinville and Olean school districts for allowing their students to attend and promoting the arts in their education.  CABOCES Arts in Education helps schools enrich the lives of their students by providing opportunities to experience the performing arts.  If the concept of music as education piques your interest, please call Student Programs at CABOCES 716-376-8284 to find out more about Arts In Education, CoSer 403.  

By:  Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programming

Learning new information was difficult for Melvin the Monster.  Melvin’s friends and family showed him how they learn new things by using art, math, sports, music, and encouragement from each other.
 
Puppetmasters David and Amy, also known as Up In Arms, combined a cast of 10 friendly, colorful monsters, humor and original songs from rock, to classical, jazz, pop, and Broadway standards to teach Melvin and the young audience about learning styles and self confidence.
 
Almost 2000 students (PreK- 2nd graders) from schools across Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties learned valuable lessons for school and life.  Genesee Valley, Cattaraugus-Little Valley and Arcade Elementary opened their auditoriums to host these performances.  Monster Intelligence marked the sixth and final performance of the school year contracted by BOCES.  BOCES Arts-In-Education helps schools enrich the lives of their students by providing opportunities to experience the performing arts.  TheatreWorks USA is a professional acting company based out of New York City.  It is America’s largest and most prolific professional theatre for young audiences.  For more information about bringing TheatreWorks shows to your area, contact Student Programs at 716-376-8284. 

​By: Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programs

Tenth graders from Andover, Belfast, Bolivar-Richburg, Cuba-Rushford, Fillmore, Portville, Scio, and Wellsville explored careers at Alfred State College.  Over 40 businesses shared about careers in Allegany County.  Student spent the day answering the question, "What's my next step?"

​The Scholastic Challenge Competition will be held this Saturday, February 6 at Portville Central School.  This annual event, sponsored by Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES, will host a total of 41 teams who will compete in a Junior Division and Senior Division, for grades 6-12.
Scholastic Challenge is a fast paced contest that tests knowledge of academic trivia.  Teams of four students will measure their ability to recall details from a wide variety of topics.  
Fourteen school districts will be participating in the double-elimination contest this year.  This translates to about 250 students and coaches.  Throughout the day, several thousand questions will be read aloud to these ambitious teams.  Spectators are encouraged to watch the competitions. It’s exciting to see the students combine an impressive display of intelligence with camaraderie, graciousness and good sportsmanship.

The final matches will be held on stage in the Portville auditorium around 2:15-3:15 (these are approximate times). The first and second place teams in each division will be presented with plaques to recognize their achievements.  
​
This event requires about 40 volunteers to make the day run smoothly.  CABOCES  Student Programs is grateful to everyone who donates their time and experience to provide a fun and educational day for the students in our area.  Scholastic Challenge could not happen without their help! 

The following school districts will be attending:
    Hinsdale Central-2 teams coached by Kate Jedrosko 
    Cuba-Rushford - 4 teams coached by John Butler 
    Ellicottville Central - 3 teams coached by Ann Chamberlain
    Fillmore Central – 2 teams coached by Deb Woltag & Bill Kelley
    Franklinville Central - 3 teams coached by Shannon Wood
    Friendship Central - 1 team coached by Wade Pearsall 
    Genesee Valley - 4 teams coached by Rollie Duttweiler & Sara Donlon
    Olean High- 1 teams coached by Carolyn Shields
    Pioneer Central -4 teams coached by Sarah Wood
    Portville Central - 8 teams coached by Margaret Seib & Gene Rogers 
    Randolph Central-1 team coached by Jennifer Bieniek
    Scio Central - 3 teams coached by Mary Zdrojewski
    Wellsville Central - 2 teams coached by Diane Willard
    West Valley Central - 3 teams coached by Ryan Keem