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Welcome to the weekly update!

As we get closer to the end of the school year, there are several important items to remember.

2023 Summer School Information is now available on the District website!  Instructional components for the elementary, middle, high school, and special education summer school is detailed online.  Please be sure to watch the informational summer school videos shared earlier this week.  If you have any questions, reach out the summer school administrators who will oversee the programs.  Contact information for the elementary, middle, high school, and special education summer school is available online and in the weekly newsletter.

I also want to remind our families and students that Regents Exams begin next week.  The full schedule of exams, including dates and times of the tests, are available on the District website.  Please also be sure to check with your respective schools and teachers for any District or class-based exams and final projects.

Tuesday night during the Board of Education Meeting, the Williamsville North Varsity Hockey Team was honored by the State athletic association with the Winter Sports Season Community Service Award!  In January, the Spartans hosted their annual Teddy Bear Toss and raised more than $6,000 for Crisis Services.  Thank you for organizing an incredible fundraiser and taking an active role in supporting mental health!  It’s a well-deserved honor and we look forward to seeing what you’re able to do next year!

This month, in addition to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, it is also Jewish American Heritage Month.  Today, we want to recognize Albert Einstein and Stan Lee, whose impact and influence can be seen all around us.  Born in Germany, Einstein left the country in the 1930’s and moved to New Jersey.  He would earn citizenship in the United States in 1940.  Einstein was a genius – developing the Quantum Theory, Theory of Relativity, and the Unified Field Theory, helping humanity better understand the universe. Stan Lee changed the comic book world!  He introduced comic fans to the Fantastic Four in 1961 and Spider-Man a year later.

From the Marvel Universe and the Avengers, Stan Lee helped pave the way for the Marvel Universe with superheroes like Ironman, Thor, and the Incredible Hulk.  If you walk around any of our halls, you’re sure to see a student or staff member showing off his work.

In recognition of AAPI month, we are highlighting Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, who was born in China and moved to New York City at 9 years old.  Lee was a known figure in New York’s suffrage movement. In 1912, Lee helped lead 10,000 people on horseback in a suffrage parade.

In 1920, some women throughout the country were given the right to vote, but some were excluded. Chinese women, like Lee, could not vote until 1943 because of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Chinese Exclusion Act limited Chinese immigration and prevented Chinese immigrants from becoming citizens. Without US citizenship, Lee could not vote. Although she did not benefit from the legislation, she and other Chinese suffragists advocated for women’s voting rights.  Learn more about Dr. Mable Ping-Hua Lee by watching the video project in the weekly newsletter!

As we head into the weekend, I want to wish Mill Middle School’s Saheb Sarkar good luck as he competes at the Scripps National Spelling Bee!  Saheb is speller #130 in this year’s event.  Mill Middle School had a nice send off at the school.  Information on how to watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee and support Saheb is available in the weekly newsletter.

As a reminder, there is no school on Monday due to Memorial Day.  Earlier today, Mill Middle School students performed at the annual Town of Amherst Memorial Day ceremony.  As we leave you on this Friday, here are some of the sights and sounds from this event. We’ll see you next week.