Avon Central Schools

SAVE THE DATE: In consideration of our varsity track & field, baseball and softball athletes, the 7-12 Spring Choral Concert originally scheduled for May 16 has been rescheduled for May 29. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to see you at our Middle School Auditorium, 191 Clinton St., Avon, on the 29th at 7 p.m.!

Solid turnout for Library Media Specialist Suzanne Freeman’s Painting Party in the High School Library last week. Have to say - we’re pretty impressed with what our painters managed in just 30 minutes! (Photos courtesy of Suzanne Freeman)

Our varsity track and field athletes traveled to Le Roy last night. Our boys came out with the 70-60 win over the Oatkan Knights while our girls team fought hard before ultimately falling, 45-87. For our girls team: • Sophie P. was the top scorer for the girls team with 15 points, earning 1st place in the 3,000-meter run (13:04) and 1st place in the 1,500-meter run (5:46). • Kaitlyn G, was our next top scorer with 11 points, earning 1st in the 800-meter run (2:43) and 3rd in the 1,500 meters (5:58). • Sophie and Kaitlyn were also both part of the winning 4x800-meter relay team, along with Megan K. and Maria G. with a time of (11:26). • Mollie G. took 1st in the long jump (15 feet, 3 inches), 2nd in the 100-meter hurdles (19.34), and 3rd in the high jump (3 feet, 10 inches). • Megan K. placed 3rd in the 3,000-meter run (13:10). • Isis S. took 1st in the 100-meter hurdles (18.74) and 3rd in the 400 hurdles (1:23). • Brenna D. tied for 1st in high jump (4 feet, 3 inches) and 3rd in long jump (14 feet). • Cassidy P. took 3rd in both the shot put (19 feet, 8 inches) and discus (54 feet, 3 inches) • Quinn F. took 3rd in the triple jump (19 feet, 8 inches). For our boys team: • Finn S. was the top scorer for the boys with 18 points, earning 1st in the 800-meter (2:23) and 1,600-meter (5:02) runs and 2nd in the 400 meters with a shocking time of 54.74. • Fabian S. and Elijah R. were our next top scorers, each earning 12 points for the team. Fabi scored 2nd place finishes in the 100-meter dash (12.14) and 200-meter run with an impressive time of 24.44 and a 3rd place in the 400-meter run (55.94) while Eli scored with a 1st place finish in the triple jump (35 feet, 7 inches) and 3rd place finishes in the 200 meters (25.54) and long jump (17 feet). • Finn, Fabi, and El were part of the winning 4x400-meter relay team, along with Jordan M. • Sage P. took 1st place in the 400-meter hurdles (1:03.54), 2nd in the 110 hurdles (18.74),and 2nd place in the long jump (17 feet, 1 inch), setting a personal record in all 3 events. • Jordan M. tied for 1st in the high jump (5 feet, 5 inches) and took 3rd in the 100-meter dash (12.24). • Wyatt K. took 2nd in the 3,200 meters (11:30) and 3rd in the 1,600 meters (5:23). • Blayden B took 2nd place in the 400 hurdles (1:33) and 1st in the 110 hurdles (18.64). • Luigi M. scored his first points on varsity this season as an 8th grader, earning 2nd place in the 800 meters (2:27). • Dominick G. took 3rd place in the 3,200 meters (14:08). • Gabriel M. placed 3rd in the discus (79 feet, 11 inches). The Braves will next be in action this weekend at the Batavia Invitational. (Photos courtesy of Samantha Walker)

Many thanks for Meredith Bonn for coming to speak with our students last week about her career as a stenographer and court reporter for New York’s Seventh Judicial District! (Photos courtesy of Suzanne Freeman)

Last week, Mrs. Cordula Kennell and Mrs. Melissa Englert welcomed 8 students from SUNY Geneseo’s Philosophy Outreach Program into their sophomore world literature classes to lead a lesson designed to introduce our high schoolers to some of the central tenets of philosophy. The lesson centered on a famous thought experiment called “The Experience Machine,” which posits the existence of a device that can perfectly simulate any experience a human is capable of having. After plugging their brain into this hypothetical machine, one could choose to experience what it’s like to write a great novel, end hunger, truly love someone and have someone truly love them in return. The experiment then asks participants whether they would choose to “plug-in” to this machine for the rest of their lives or remain in the “real” world. The lesson introduced our students to the philosophical concept of hedonism and allowed them to explore their personal values. “It was a really great presentation and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Kennell. Mollie G., one of Kennell’s world literature students, said “I thought it was a really fascinating topic and I learned a lot!” Thank you SUNY Geneseo Philosophy Professor David Levy and his students for making the trip to Avon! (Photos courtesy of Cordula Kennell and Melissa Englert)

Shout out to all our student musicians who participated in the New York State School Music Association’s Spring Solo Fest at Victor Central Schools earlier this month - we are so proud of you and all of your musical accomplishments! Receiving a rating of ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’: Brandon H.: 10th grade, alto saxophone Julianna M.: 8th grade, flute Alana S.: 8th grade, tuba Adam P.: 7th grade, alto saxophone Claire L.: 7th grade, flute Tanner S.: 7th grade, french horn Gavin S.: 6th grade, trombone Eli B.: 6th grade, clarinet Teddy H.: 6th grade, euphonium Montana B.: 6th grade, snare drum Jenna T.: 5th grade, flute Donovan D.: 5th grade, clarinet Matthew D.: 5th grade, alto saxophone Preston M.: 5th grade, alto saxophone Alijah A.: 5th grade, trombone Finley H.: 5th grade, tuba Receiving the highest rating of ‘Outstanding’: Samuel D.: 6th grade, trumpet Alieah B.: 6th grade, snare drum Caitlyn L.: 5th grade, trombone Keegan G.: 5th grade, flute Lucy T.: 5th grade, clarinet

RECORD BREAKER: Meet your new school record-holder for the boys’ 800-meter run - Finn S.! The junior runner played a key role in the Braves’ 70-70 tie with track and field powerhouse Livonia Tuesday night, taking 1st in the 1,600-meter run (5:31.64), 3rd in high jump (5 feet, 3 inches) and 1st in the 800 meters with a time of 2:03.24, besting Avon’s old school record of 2:06.20 last set in 2013 by more than 3 seconds! Congratulations, Finn! Other key contributors for Avon Tuesday were: • Sage P., who took 1st in the 400-meter hurdles (1:05.54) and 2nd in the 110-meter hurdles (19.04). • David O., who took 2nd in the 400-meter hurdles (1:07.04), 3rd in the 800-meter run (2:16.64) and 400-meter run (59.44) and was a member of Avon’s 4x400-meter relay team that took first place with a time of 3:53.34. • Jordan M., who took 3rd in the 100-meter dash (12.14), 1st in high jump (5 feet, 7 inches) and 1st in 4x400-meter relay. • Wyatt K., who took 2nd in the 3,200-meter run (11:15.04) and 3rd in the 1,600-meter run (5:37.64). • Corey D., who took 3rd in the 3,200-meter run (12:18.74). • Blayden B., who took 1st in the 110-meter hurdles (18.54) and 3rd in the long jump (16 feet, 5 inches). • Gabriel M., who took 3rd in discus (80 feet, 3 inches). • Elijah R., who took 2nd in the 200-meter run (25.14), 1st in the 4x400-meter relay, 1st in the long jump (17 feet, 7.5 inches) and 1st in the triple jump (35 feet, 6.5 inches). • Fabian S., who took 1st in the 100-meter dash (11.94), 1st in the 400-meter run (55.54) and 1st in the 4x400-meter relay. “Overall, the boys had 34 personal records at this meet and are only getting better every single meet,” said Coach Samantha Walker. “Livonia is definitely one of our toughest competitors and I’m super proud of our boys for holding their own.” (Photo courtesy of Autumn Brown)

Our varsity softball team moved to 3-1 Saturday with its 13-5 win over Geneseo. Abby S., Jessie C., Sarah D., Kyleigh D. and Carissa W. each had two hits while Lily R. recorded 3. One of Jessie’s hits was a home run and one of Sarah’s was a triple. Jessie was also dominant on the mound, grabbing 22 strikeouts through seven innings. That number was so big we had to go check NYSPHSAA’s record books and it turns out that’s tied for the 15th most strikeouts in a single game in state softball history. Not too shabby, Jessie! The Braves are next in action tonight - Monday, April 22 - at Pavilion (3-3). Game starts at 4:30 p.m. (Photo courtesy of Jill Terry)

Heads up, Avon - Our ‘A Night of Voice and Jazz’ concert originally scheduled for this Thursday, April 25, has been canceled due to our district not having a jazz band this year.

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Our joint Livonia-Avon Lakers varsity girls lacrosse team is sitting pretty at 4-0 on the season with wins over Aquinas/World of Inquiry (13-12), Churchville-Chili (12-8), Newark/Midlakes (14-7) and Geneva (14-13). The Lakes are next in action tonight - Thursday, April 18 - at Canandaigua Academy where they’ll take on an 0-4 Marcus-Whitman squad. Game time is 7:30 p.m. And a heads up Braves nation - April 22 is the Lakers’ Youth LAX Night, when members of the Livingston Lacrosse Club will join varsity players during warmups before the Lakers’ game against Aquinas/Word of Inquiry at home in Avon, then join the players for a pizza party after the game! We hope to see you Monday! (Photo courtesy of Lindsey Meys/Meys Photography)

Tracy Wangelin’s first grade class welcomed Miss Marci and Michele to their classroom this afternoon for a special visit. Miss Marci is Marci Frutkoff, a trainer with Guiding Dogs for the Blind, and Michele is her 9-year-old black lab. Frutkoff actually trained Michele to be a guide dog but Michele decided the job wasn’t for her, so the pair switched gears and Michele became a therapy dog instead. Frutkoff and Michele have been coming to Avon Elementary since 2018. Frutkoff originally approached her friend, former Library Media Specialist Holly Mullin, about bringing Michele to interact with students at the elementary school and Mullin put her in touch with Liz Green, a social worker with Avon Central Schools, who arranged for Frutkoff and Michele to come into first grader teacher Tracy Wangelin’s class to pilot the idea. While Green passed unexpectedly in 2019, Frutkoff’s and Michele’s trips to Wangelin’s proved a hit and have continued ever since! The pair comes once per week when Wangelin is teaching reading. Wangelin usually breaks the period into chunks so as many students as possible can have some time with Frutkoff and Michele. Some students choose to read directly to Michele or tell her a story, said Frutkoff, while others prefer to hand a book over and have Frutkoff read to them and Michele. “It’s all about learning to feel comfortable around reading,” said Frutkoff. “It’s been proven that kids that read to dogs do better because they have less of that anxiety, so anything that lessens the stress around reading really has a positive impact - especially around kids who are still developing readers.” A huge thank you to Miss Marci and Michele for being so generous with their time and to Mrs. Wangelin, for letting us stop by this afternoon! Check out the video of Miss Marci and Michele the Therapy Dog’s visit to Mrs. Tracy Wangelin’s first grade class this afternoon at the link below! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48fgtbZBBMM

We’d like to extend our thanks to all the presenters who joined us for our Sophomore Career Day last week. Each of our 10th graders attended three separate presentations from professionals in a wide range of industries Friday morning. Providing opportunities for our students to explore different careers is a priority for us here at Avon Central Schools and we appreciate the willingness of our community to give of their time and energy so our students can benefit from your experience and be successful after high school! Our presenters this year were: • Katie Sattora: Occupational Therapist with CP Rochester • Kevin Van Allen: Livingston County Judge • Stephen Tavernia: Business Agent/Apprentice Coordinator for Iron Workers Local 33 • Jeremy Morris: Sports Science Academy Instruction at Genesee Valley BOCES • Paul Manly: IT Specialist with Hurricane Technologies • Stacey Gill: Nurse Educator with UR Noyes • Andrew Herberger: Firefighter with East Avon Fire Department • Dan Butler: Artist and business owner (Image Out Graphics) • Garrett Stonewall: Counselor with Avon Mental Health • Holly Haungs and Julia Gaiser: Marketing Managers with LandPro • Maureen Welch: Director of Clinical Education at Genesee Community College • Lazlo Babosci: Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Deputy • Mark Resch: NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Referee • Bill Blaschek: Apprentice Training Coordinator with UA Local 13 • Yvette Seils: Cosmetology Teacher with Genesee Valley BOCES

Avon Elementary School was feelin’ FANCY Friday for Dress to Impress Day! Each month in the elementary school we have a school-wide spirit day to get our kiddos excited and build a little community in the building. Today, for Dress to Impress Day, students were invited to dress up and our cafeteria was decked out with white tablecloths and vases of flowers. It was a fun way to celebrate the first week of state testing coming to a close for our third and fourth graders! (Photos courtesy of Kristen Donlon and Avon Elementary School staff)

Avon’s inaugural varsity girls flag football team sits at 2-0 a third of the way through its first ever season of competition. The Braves earned hard-fought wins over Young Women’s College Prep (20-18) and Le Roy (13-7) before Spring Recess and are next in action tomorrow - Friday, April 12 - at Holland High School, 103 Canada St., Holland. This year’s team boasts 21 members and is led by senior captains Maggie V., Chloe P. and Bella S. “This season has been extremely different than any other season I have ever coached before,” said Justin Dueppengiesser, who’s splitting head coaching duties with his father, Jim. “None of us have obviously ever played or coached flag football before so we are all learning together. Fortunately, said Dueppengiesser, they’ve got a great group of athletes who are committed to getting better and work hard on a daily basis to do so. “They come into each practice with a great attitude and because of that it’s been a really fun season so far,” he said. “With the fun though, they’re competitors like I said. Even though we are only competing in scrimmages, they want to go and win every time they're on the field.” Dueppengiesser said many of his players are seasoned athletes and have brought the work ethic and competitiveness they’ve used to achieve success in their other sports to the football field. “I expect we’ll continue to learn and get better throughout the season,” he said. “Hopefully this season will be one to remember and something we can continue to build on in the future.” As this season marks Avon’s first with a varsity flag football program, the team is only playing scrimmages and isn’t eligible to compete in the postseason. “Next year, if all works out and the interest stays where it is currently, we will be playing a full schedule with a postseason included,” said Justin. These photos of Avon’s March 25 win over Young Women’s College Prep come courtesy of Avon senior Brenna D. Thank you, Brenna, and good luck tomorrow night, Braves!

Shout out to Avon alum Thomas Herberger, a freshman at SUNY Cobleskill who was named the North Atlantic Conference Rookie of the Week! Herberger was the top finisher for The Fighting Tigers this past weekend at the Utica Pioneer Spring Invite, winning the Triple Jump with a mark of 43’8” (13.31m). With this week’s triple jump mark, Herberger is 1st in the NAC and 7th in the Niagara Region in the event. Congrats, Tom! (Photo courtesy of SUNY Cobleskill)

Few shots from today’s Avon Totality Rocks festival at our Middle School and football stadium. A huge thank you to our volunteers, vendors and anyone who came out to take in this special event along with us. Not exactly the weather conditions we were hoping for, but still an incredible experience! If you have a photo or video clip of today’s eclipse you’d like to share, send it our way and we may share it! Send an email to our Public Relations Specialist, Matt Leader, at mleader@avoncsd.org.

Come join us tomorrow - Monday, April 8 - at the Avon Totality Rocks festival and take in the total solar eclipse in style! The festival runs from 12 to 4 p.m. at Avon Middle School, 191 Clinton St. We’ll have food, family-friendly activities and even a costume contest! And don’t forget to register at the link below or by scanning the QR code in the accompanying image to reserve your FREE pair of eclipse-viewing glasses! So stop on by and make this once-in-a-lifetime experience all that much better! Link: https://avontotalityrocks.ticketleap.com/avon/

Few shots from yesterday's science fair in the 5/6 wing. Great projects (as usual) from our sixth graders!

Sophomore Brandon H. is currently in second place in the D&C's Boys Sports Athlete of the Winter Poll! Voting will remain open until 8 p.m. tomorrow - Wednesday, March 27. P.S.: There’s no limit to how many times you can vote, so click on the link below, jam that refresh button and together, we can push Brandon into first! Link: https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/high-school/2024/03/26/who-is-section-v-boys-athlete-of-the-winter-vote-now/73057665007/?fbclid=IwAR2ldyLAH2gz_UyXs85IM2-3cv9io3D6DkiN6eqsM2VUzieoHjQ4cIzkENI