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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.
 Congratulations go out to Cuba-Rushford (Blue Team), Pioneer (Sicko Code), Franklinville (The Black Death), and Franklinville (Four Blokes). Specifically, the Cuba-Rushford and Pioneer alliance were the Tournament Champions. The Franklinville (The Black Death) team earned the Excellence Award and the Franklinville (Four Blokes) team earned the Design Award. These four teams qualify to attend the Northern New York State Championship to be held in Syracuse on March 2.
The RoboJags from Genesee Valley were presented with the Judges Award. To prepare for the tournament, students worked together to design, build and program a semiautonomous robot that could quickly and efficiently solve the specific challenges of the 2018-2019 VEX Robotics Competition game, Turning Point. Teams studied electronics, programming, mechanical systems, animation, 3D CAD, computer aided machining, web design, and materials fabrication. An equally important set of skills is learned through competition-communication, negotiation, project management, time management and teamwork. The tournament was possible because of a tremendous collaborative effort between Cuba-Rushford school and CABOCES. The CABOCES Tech Support team, along with the 3 divisions of ISS (Professional Development, Learning Resources, and Student Programs) worked hard to ensure that the first ever VEX tournament in the region would be a success. Additional support and guidance, which was invaluable, came from Veronica Bitz (REC) and Alex Palowitch (iDESIGN Solutions). The Cuba-Rushford Qualifying Tournament is one of a series of VEX Robotics Competitions taking place internationally throughout the year. VEX Competitions are recognized as the largest and fastest growing competitive robotics programs for elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and college aged students around the world. VEX Competitions represent over 20,000 teams from 45 countries that participate in more than 1,500 VEX Competition events worldwide. The competition season culminates each spring, with VEX Robotics World Championship, a highly-anticipated event that unites top qualifying teams from local, state, regional and international VEX Robotics Competitions to crown World Champions. More information about the VEX Robotics Competition is available at RoboticsEducation.org, RobotEvents.com and VEXRobotics.com. To find out how to become involved in VEX Robotics in this region, email jean_oliverio@caboces.org or call 716-376-8323. About the REC Foundation The Robotics Education & Competition Foundation manages the VEX Robotics Competition, which thousands of schools participate in around the world each year. The REC Foundation seeks to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on, sustainable and affordable curriculum-based robotics engineering programs across the U.S. and internationally. Its goal is to provide these programs with services, solutions, and a community that allows them to flourish in a way that fosters the technical and interpersonal skills necessary for students to succeed in the 21st Century. The REC Foundation develops partnerships with K-12 education, higher education, government, industry, and the non-profit community to achieve this work so that one day these programs will become accessible to all students and all schools in all communities. For more information on REC Foundation, visit www.RoboticsEducation.org. By: Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programs
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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.  Senior Division Champions - Fillmore Central coached by Bill Kelley & Mary Kay Kelley (pictured L-R: Josh Buck, coach, Rory Kelley, Michael McDonald, Evan Nugent)  Senior Division 2nd Place - West Valley Central coached by Bryan Hansen (pictured L-R: coach, Cody Keller, E.J Thiel, Nathan Dash, Sarah Sheffield)  Junior Division Champions - Scio Central coached by Mary Zdrojewski (pictured L-R: Jackson Broach, Will Broach, Max Morris, Jordan White, coach)  Junior Division 2nd Place - Hinsdale Central coached by Sara Centanni (pictured L-R: Matthew Beeman, Sara Beeman, coach, Christy Childs, Fransisca Childs) 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.  The Wellsville team chose to tackle Problem 5, described as-
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 present a humorous performance about an unexpected superhero that must save creativity. 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. 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. Odyssey of the Mind team members spend months of their free time solving problems as well as developing teamwork skills, independent study, friendships, confidence, and most importantly, improving their brainstorming and problem-solving techniques. They learn new things and utilize their individual strengths to solve problems creatively. Teams also learn how to budget money as there is a cost limit to each problem. Throughout the competition days, wherever you look, there are imaginative costumes, elaborate props, dances, original songs and poetry, creative writing and more. Tournaments are the culmination of months of work from students, coaches, parents and judges who all work together with the common goal of expressing creativity, supporting the arts and learning new things in a fun environment. It is not possible for a team to be able to attend World Finals without a tremendous group effort from the team members, coaches, school board, community, parents and families. Thanks to the supportive Wellsville school district and communities for their commitment to their students. These local teenagers are inspirational role models for younger students who hope to some day repeat their successes. This team has represented their school, community, Region 19, and New York State in an admirable way. The team’s success would not have been possible without a long term commitment from their dedicated coach, Jennifer Parks. Thank you and congratulations to all on an outstanding accomplishment. For more information visit odysseyofthemind.com, nysoma.org or contact Jean Oliverio at jean_oliverio@caboces.org or 716-376-8323. By: Jean Oliverio, CABOCES Student Programming  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:
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  Students benefit from an author visit in many ways. Not only does it bring a real person’s voice and face as the creator behind a story, but an author is able to share where ideas originate from, the research process, the writing process, and essentially let students know that they too can take part in the creative process of writing.
Wellsville’s seventhth grade ELA teacher, Amy Hunt, and school librarian, Shannon Whiteside, brought Newbery Award winning author Linda Sue Park to approximately 100 students via video conference on Friday, January 22nd. Through the Arts in Education COSER 403, author visits are affordable whether in person or online. Hunt’s seventh graders recently read Park’s A Long Walk to Water which is based on the true story of a Sudanese boy’s experience with war and a refugee camp who eventually found solace in the Rochester, NY area. Filled with adventure and hardship, A Long Walk to Water introduces readers to one boy’s personal struggle to survive and the reality that water is a precious commodity. Not only do readers experience empathy as they read this book but experience the main character’s success when he returns to Sudan as an adult to help establish water wells for remote villages. After Park shared her writing process, nine students were able to ask questions. One student asked, “What interested you in writing?” Park’s response was, “to see a white rectangle covered with black squiggly lines and realize how those squiggles can make someone laugh, cry, or be inspired is such power. What power to make people feel!” When asked how difficult it was to include the details in her book, Park shared that she had re-written the story seventeen times. With a giggle, she told students, “I like to play video games so I think of writing like leveling up”. Interested in bring an author to your school? Contact your school librarian or Mary Morris at Mary_Morris@caboces.org to learn more about Arts in Education. By: Cece Fuoco, CA BOCES School Library Coordinator  TheatreWorksUSA’s talented cast performed, Miss Nelson Is Missing, based on the book series by Harry Allard this week. More than 1700 second and third graders from schools across Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties learned valuable lessons for school and life. The rowdy students and the witchy substitute teacher, Miss Viola Swamp, sang and danced their way through the school day. The engaging cast even asked the student audience for help in trying to figure out how to get Miss Nelson back to school.
Bolivar-Richburg, Franklinville and Arcade Elementary opened their auditoriums to host these performances. Teachers prepared their students well by utilizing the classroom activities provided by TheatreWorks USA. The pre and post show teaching tools supplement the teachers’ curriculum goals. Miss Nelson Is Missing marked the fourth 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 OIiverio, CA BOCES Student Programs  “You have to give a little to get a little.” Farmer Brown learned the value of negotiation and compromise from the most talented and funny barnyard animals around. Three smart, typing cows, three chickens and Farmer Brown’s granddaughter, Jenny, sang and danced for almost 2500 Kindergarteners and First graders from schools across Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties. TheatreWorksUSA’s talented cast performed Click Clack Moo, based on the Caldecott Honor book by Doreen Cronin this week.
Genesee Valley, Cattaraugus-Little Valley and Arcade Elementary opened their auditoriums to host these performances. For some of the audience, it was the first time viewing a live theatrical production. Teachers prepared their students well by utilizing the classroom activities provided by TheatreWorks USA. The pre and post show teaching tools supplement the teachers’ curriculum goals. Click Clack Moo marked the third 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 |
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