Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District

Home
United States
Buffalo, NY
Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District

Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District With approximately 7,000 students, the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda ("Ken-Ton") School District is among the largest school districts in Upstate New York and has a legacy of educational distinction going back more than 125 years.

The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District (commonly shortened to “Ken-Ton”) encompasses the vast majority of the Town of Tonawanda and all of the Village of Kenmore. With strong institutional traditions and a long and proud history going back more than 125 years, the Ken-Ton School District continues to define itself through the passion and dedication of its students, parents, staff, administrators, Board of Education, community, and alumni. Ken-Ton has fostered a world-class teaching staff through an innovative and comprehensive framework of mentoring, coaching, and staff development. A significant number of Ken-Ton teachers have earned National Board Certification, which is considered to be the gold standard in teaching, and many staff have been distinguished at the regional level and beyond for demonstrating excellence in their professions. The Ken-Ton School District prides itself on its exceptional K-12 music and art programs, a comprehensive framework for social-emotional success, and extensive high school offerings including the International Baccalaurate (IB) Program, CTE-certified Career Academies, Project Lead the Way pre-engineering curriculum, art career pathways, Honors/AP programs, and the innovative Big Picture non-traditional high school program. Ken-Ton School District alumni include two national TV news anchors, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge, a former Skylab astronaut, the former president and CEO of Dunkin' Brands, and individuals who have achieved the highest levels of success in their careers, from professional athletes, actors, comedians, and musicians to business leaders, doctors, engineers, and educators.

Mission: To provide our students with the supports, tools, and diverse opportunities needed to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world.

08/11/2020

Parents/guardians will have the opportunity to learn more about the Ken-Ton Virtual Learning Academy during an online question-and-answer session which will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 13. Parents/guardians will be able to watch via YouTube Live and use the Chat feature to ask questions, which will be answered live by Ken-Ton School District administrators. Those who cannot participate will be able to watch a video recording after the session. A link to the YouTube Live video will be posted to the district homepage, social media pages, and at www.ktufsd.org/virtual prior to the session.

More information about the Virtual Learning Academy, which is being developed to offer parents a fully virtual learning option for the first 20 weeks of the 2020-21 school year, can be found at www.ktufsd.org/virtual. On this page, you can also find more information about participating, and how to use the Chat feature.

08/10/2020

We wish to thank all of our parents and families for your incredible patience these last few weeks as we have worked to plan for the reopening of schools, following the release of the state's guidance 3 weeks ago. Please know that we appreciate the challenges all of our families are facing, and it is our goal to provide information as quickly as possible. One of the most challenging aspects of this is that so much planning is still taking place, and many logistical challenges and details are still being worked through.

We know many parents have questions and wish to direct you to a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document that has been compiled on the reopening section of our website. This FAQ can be found at ktufsd.org/FAQ, and under the "Reopening" tab in the main navigation bar. This will be continuously modified and added to as reopening planning proceeds extremely rapidly in the coming weeks. At the very bottom is a question on what questions will soon be answered. If you are looking for information that does not appear there yet, please be patient as specific details are worked out and answers are developed. There is also a way for new questions to be suggested, and new additions to this FAQ will continue to be added based on your suggestions. There will likely be additional more detailed FAQs developed as well. Please know that, if you have not yet received the specific details you are looking for, it likely means that these details have not yet been fully developed. And soon, you will be receiving more specific information from your child's school as well.

Once again, we truly appreciate the patience of our families as we work through this unprecedented challenge facing school districts across NYS and the country. We also wish to remind our visitors of our comments policy. We welcome comments - positive or negative - but they must adhere to our comments policy. Comments must be relevant to the post, and our visitors are asked to be civil and respectful, not only toward district staff but toward one another, so that we model the same behavior we expect in our students. We know all of our visitors respect these ideals, and will continue to welcome your comments, questions, and concerns! Thank you!

08/10/2020

***Important Message for Parents and Families***

A new program, the Ken-Ton Virtual Learning Academy, is in the process of being developed in order to provide a 100% online/remote learning option for families. You can find the electronic form as well as a detailed FAQ document at www.ktufsd.org/virtual. Deadline is end of the day Friday, August 14. Please note that this program is in the process of being developed, and there are many factors that are dependent upon the number of students enrolled across grade levels. Details in the FAQ are subject to change.

Before you comment or message us with questions regarding the Virtual Learning Academy, please review the Virtual Learning FAQ document which can be also found at www.ktufsd.org/virtual. Staff worked hard to compile this information, and visitors will be referred to the FAQ for questions which are answered there. Thank you!

https://www.ktufsd.org/virtual

08/08/2020

A very important update on reopening and planning for the 2020-21 school year is in today's edition of the Ken-Ton Weekly Connection, Superintendent Cimato's weekly update for the school district community, and the accompanying video message update. This includes an update on the Governor's announcement earlier today, the hybrid option, the work underway to create a virtual option for families, and more. You can find it in your email if you have an email address on file, or on the district website at:

https://www.ktufsd.org/superintendent

As always, please remember that reopening planning is proceeding extremely rapidly, and there is new information emerging every day. We are doing our best to keep our community informed and answer questions as quickly as possible in a situation where information is changing and evolving on an daily and sometimes hourly basis.

08/06/2020

The Ken-Ton School District is engaging in an effort to further reduce density on our school buses in order to maximize opportunities for social distancing and further safeguard against COVID-19. To facilitate this opportunity, we are providing all parents/guardians of students who are eligible for district-provided transportation the option to voluntarily decline bus transportation.

This can be done for both the morning and afternoon, morning only (student would receive transportation in the afternoon), or afternoon only (student would receive transportation in the morning). This may also be done for one child or multiple children. Please complete this form no later than Sunday, August 16. Please complete this form for each individual child. Find it here:

https://www.ktufsd.org/Page/19164

08/05/2020

On Friday, we will make an announcement on modifications that are being made to our Reopening Plan which involve changes to the hybrid option, based on feedback we have received from our parents and community.

If you haven't already, you can sign up to receive Superintendent Cimato's weekly update to the district community, the Ken-Ton Weekly Connection, which will continue to be used for the latest updates on reopening planning. You can sign up to receive these in your email inbox or view past editions at www.ktufsd.org/superintendent.

We thank everyone for your patience as we continue to develop our plans for the 2020-21 school year!

08/05/2020

Our Reopening FAQ is live! Please check back here often. Information will be continuously updated throughout the planning process, based on the most up-to-date information available and the most commonly asked questions we receive from our community. Please know, as always, that our plans will be continuously refined as additional guidance and feedback is received. Feedback from our community is very important to us! We will do our best to provide parents/guardians with very simple, streamlined information as plans for the 2020-21 school year take shape and as additional specifics are known.

https://www.ktufsd.org/Page/19163

08/04/2020

***Reopening Planning Update***

We know there have been many questions on the topic of reopening and we sincerely appreciate all those who have taken the time to reach out and provide input. These are living documents that will continue to be modified and refined as we receive feedback and further guidance, and as planning moves forward. The plans that were posted on Friday, in accordance with the state's requirements, included options that had been fully explored and investigated. There are many other options that are also being explored but may not have been ready to be shared with the community.

We are developing an FAQ (and expect to have it posted later today) which will have information on additional options being considered for the hybrid model, as well as work that is moving forward to explore opportunities for a fully remote/online option that parents may choose, what families with students in self-contained classrooms can expect, and other topics. The FAQ will continue to be updated as planning moves forward and additional questions are received. We will share a link to the FAQ on our page as soon as it is posted to the website.

Once again, we sincerely appreciate all of the feedback we've received over the past few days. We thank all of our parents and families for your patience during this unprecedented time. Parents and families can trust that we will take all input into consideration as these documents take shape!

07/31/2020

The Ken-Ton School District thanks all those who follow/like our page and who comment and respond to the information we share! The Ken-Ton School District actively shares information on Facebook because this platform provides us with the opportunity for two-way communication with many of our parents/guardians and, most importantly, the ability to get feedback on important issues and topics. To all those who have commented on the issue of reopening today, we sincerely thank you for your feedback. Please know that all of your feedback is very important to us and will be closely reviewed by staff.

All of the plans have been posted at www.ktufsd.org/reopening, but it is important to remember that these are living documents which will continue to be refined, especially as we see what the state's directives will be for September, and as we receive additional guidance, information, feedback, etc.

Also, please be sure, if you have not had the opportunity already, to take a few minutes to review today's edition of Superintendent Cimato's "Ken-Ton Weekly Connection" and the accompanying video update. You can find both (and sign up to receive the "Ken-Ton Weekly Connection" in your email inbox) at:

https://www.ktufsd.org/superintendent

07/31/2020

*Edited Below*

By the end of the day, the most recent versions of the school and district reopening plans will each be posted to our school district website at www.ktufsd.org/reopening. District and school staff have worked extremely hard over the past couple of weeks to compile these documents in compliance with the stringent guidance which has emerged from the NYS Education Department and NYS Department of Health. It is very important to note that these are living documents which will continue to be refined and modified as guidance evolves and determinations are made at the state level.

Please also note that, later today, Superintendent Cimato will publish the next edition of the "Ken-Ton Weekly Connection," his update for the Ken-Ton community, as well as a corresponding video update. Both of these will have additional information on the planning process for September. You'll be able to find them (and sign up to receive them in your email inbox) at www.ktufsd.org/superintendent.

***EDIT:*** To all those who have commented: thank you so much for your feedback and your questions! Please see our most recent post regarding the Superintendent's "Weekly Connection" and video update, and the importance of the feedback and questions you are providing. This is precisely why we have engaged with our community on Facebook! All of the questions and comments we receive will be closely reviewed as we move forward. This is a new situation for everyone, for our families as well as for school districts around the country, and only together as a community can we move forward!

07/18/2020

***REOPENING UPDATE***

In this week's Ken-Ton Weekly Connection (Superintendent Cimato's new weekly update for the Ken-Ton community) you can find a summary of all of the important developments that took place this week as schools plan for the 2020-21 school year. This includes information on the process school districts must follow in drafting their reopening plans, the progress being made on the Ken-Ton UFSD plan, detailed reopening guidance and directives from the state, the continuing work of the KT School Reopening Task Force, and our Reopening Survey which launched yesterday (www.ktufsd.org/survey).

School and district staff have been working around the clock to review hundreds of pages of guidance documentation which has been released by NYSED and the Board of Regents as well as NYSDOH, Reopening NY, and the Governor's Office this week.

Read more in the Ken-Ton Weekly Connection which you can find at www.ktufsd.org/superintendent. There is also an option to sign up to receive it each week in your email inbox.

07/16/2020

The Ken-Ton School District is conducting a survey for parents/guardians, staff, students, and community members to provide feedback on the reopening of schools in September. This survey can be completed electronically, and you can find links at www.ktufsd.org/survey. Participation is anonymous, and the survey will close at the end of the day Thursday, July 23.

The survey questions were developed by Hanover Research, a research/analytics service provider, as a service for K-12 school districts around the country to assist them with operational planning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey is being conducted on behalf of the Ken-Ton UFSD School Reopening Task Force, as a follow-up to the Regional School Reopening Survey. More information can be found here:

https://www.ktufsd.org/survey

07/15/2020

See the attached images for information on the RoboThink Virtual Coding Camps!

07/13/2020

Parents & Families Who Still Have a Borrowed Instructional Device:

If you have not yet had an opportunity to drop off a borrowed instructional device (such as iPads and Chromebooks), you can drop off your device during the summer from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Administration Building, 1500 Colvin Blvd. Please be sure to bring a mask, and be prepared to follow the COVID-19 safety precautions for visitors which can be found immediately upon entry.

(This does not apply to devices that have been provided to summer school students)

07/10/2020

Please take a few minutes to read the letter that was shared this afternoon by Superintendent Sabatino Cimato! The letter contains information that he is excited to share with our school district community, including planning that is underway for September. You can find the letter here on our website:

https://www.ktufsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=1&ModuleInstanceID=21976&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=40160&PageID=1

07/08/2020

Attention Kenmore East and Kenmore West students/families who ordered a yearbook! Information on yearbook pick-up (which will take place next week) can be found on each school's website and on the district homepage at ktufsd.org.

Kenmore East families, click here:
https://www.ktufsd.org/cms/lib/NY19000262/Centricity/Domain/254/Kenmore%20East%202020%20Yearbook%20Pick%20Up.pdf

Kenmore West families, click here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cpYRYGulNh1OG5qMJSFICSZVyLauusSr/view?usp=sharing

07/08/2020

The Board of Education held its annual Re-Organizational Meeting earlier this evening. It was the very first Board meeting conducted in-person in the Kenmore Middle School Building Community Room since March, with the implementation of safe social distancing procedures while facilitating virtual participation as well.

It was a historic occasion for the Ken-Ton School District as the Oath of Office was administered to four individuals who have begun new leadership roles in school district governance. We were very excited to welcome our two new Board of Education members, Trustee Lesley Battaglia and Trustee Jennifer Morrow, as well as Trustee Matthew Chimera, who in his second year on the Board was unanimously elected to the position of Board of Education President. Congratulations also to Trustee Andrew Gianni who was unanimously re-elected to the position of Board of Education Vice President.

We were also honored to welcome Superintendent Sabatino Cimato, who became the 16th indidividual in the district's 100+ year history to serve as our Superintendent of Schools!

07/06/2020

All children and teenagers age 18 and under are eligible for the summer food programs operated by the Town of Tonawanda Youth, Parks & Recreation Department and St. Amelia's School. Food is served every weekday, Monday-Friday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is free for all children age 18 and under. No sign-up or appointments are required for either program. The Town of Tonawanda YPR Department is serving food at Sheridan Parkside Spray Park and the Lincoln Park Craft House, and St. Amelia's is serving food at St. Amelia's, located at 2999 Eggert Road. More info can be found on the attached flyers which can also be found at the following link:

https://www.ktufsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=1&ModuleInstanceID=21976&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=40149&PageID=1

07/06/2020

The Board of Education will convene for its annual re-organizational and regular meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, July 7) beginning at 6:30pm. The public will be able to watch a livestream of the meeting via YouTube, and access to the livestream will be available at www.ktufsd.org/BOElive. As with all Board meetings, all documents and the agenda will be available on the district's Board Docs page. A video recording will be posted in the days following the meeting, as well as a transcript.

The Board Docs page can be found here:
https://go.boarddocs.com/ny/ktufsd/Board.nsf/Public

Click here for the meeting posting:
https://www.ktufsd.org/cms/lib/NY19000262/Centricity/Domain/15/00-Meeting%20Notice%20070720.pdf

Address

1500 Colvin Blvd
Buffalo, NY
14223

Telephone

(716) 874-8400

Website

http://www.ktufsd.org

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District:

Videos

Kenmore East High School Class of 2020 Senior Slideshow

The Kenmore East High School Class of 2020 presents the Senior Slideshow. Never before has a Senior Class faced what these students have faced in this their final year as Kenmore East students, and we are so proud of all of our Class of 2020 graduates.

Kenmore East Cares

Check out this wonderful video from the faculty and staff at Kenmore East High School! We miss you, Bulldogs! Stay healthy, stay safe!

The Kenmore East High School Band led by Band Director Phil Aguglia inspired students and staff to embrace the Mardi Gras spirit today with a festive parade through the first-floor hallways followed by a lively concert at dismissal. The band, which has made several prominent visits to New Orleans within the past decade, imparted some of that New Orleans spirit as students departed for the day.

Kenmore West senior Mark Bogacki built this instrument from scratch!

For this year's Science Olympiad competition, Kenmore West High School senior Mark Bogacki spent months building this instrument entirely from scratch, relying upon mathematical equations and a lot of trial and error. What creates the sound is the thickness of each wooden key in perfect alignment with the length of PVC pipe underneath. Mark is now working on a new version with an even more complex design for the upcoming NYS Science Olympiad competition!

Edison Elementary students in Amanda Eichinger’s 1st-grade class had a great time today reading with Boys Varsity Basketball players from Kenmore East High School! Here is senior Isaiah Price with Edison students Liam Haynes and Carter Palmieri reading and discussing a Dr. Seuss favorite.

January 22, 2020 Hoover Elementary Weather Machine Announcement

If you are interested in seeing the moment that WKBW Channel 7's Andy Parker surprised students at Hoover Elementary School yesterday (Wednesday, Jan. 22) then check this out! It was a lot of fun as the school kept the true purpose of the assembly a secret until the very last moment when students and staff learned that Hoover Elementary had won the Weather Machine Contest! And once again, thank you to the Hoover Elementary community and all of the parents and staff who worked so hard getting the school the votes it needed to stay on top throughout the contest!

Hoover Elementary School Wins Weather Machine Contest!

This was the scene in the Hoover Elementary School auditorium a few minutes ago as WKBW Channel 7's Andy Parker paid a special surprise visit to announce that Hoover Elementary has won the 7 Eyewitness News WKBW Weather Machine Contest! Thank you to all the parents, families, staff, and everyone in the Hoover Elementary community for making this opportunity possible for our students!

Jan. 3, 2020 Franklin Elementary School Assembly

At today's assembly, Franklin Elementary students -- all wearing their brand new school shirts courtesy of the Ken-Ton Closet and Nickel City Shirt Co. -- played a fun question-and-answer game that had them choosing between 2 different options. In this way, they learned how each of us is different and to always to respect the differences in one another!

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Kenmore East High School students pulled out all the stops today to wish Olivia Jacobs a happy birthday! Decorating the hall were students from Mr. Robert O'Connor's AP Biology class, and his lesson for today was an important one -- never to miss an opportunity to make someone's day!

Kenmore East 2019 Dyngus Day Celebration

On Thursday, April 18, the last day before spring recess, #KenmoreEast High School students were treated to polka music during arrival and dismissal as part of an early Dyngus Day celebration led by music teacher Michael Ihde. The Polish-American holiday, celebrated extensively throughout Buffalo and Western New York, will take place on Monday, April 22 during spring recess. On that day, Ihde and fellow members of the polka band "Those Idiots," Buffalo's leading polka band, will be performing as part of Buffalo's official Dyngus Day celebration.

March 20, 2019 BSW Faculty Chamber Orchestra Performance at Kenmore East

Talented teaching artists from Buffalo String Works visited Kenmore East High School for a special guest performance and discussion with music students on March 20. Distinguished BSW teaching artist Leanne Darling, a nationally known violist and composer, will be joining the Kenmore East and Kenmore West Orchestras for a free World Music Concert on April 3 and will be working with both orchestras in the days leading up to the performance, which takes place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3 at Kenmore East.

2019 Kenmore East Mardi Gras Parade

#KenmoreEast band and orchestra students celebrated Mardi Gras this afternoon with an impromptu parade through the halls of Kenmore East High School during dismissal!

Vanessa Collier at Kenmore East High School

Here is something to get your week started off right: world-famous blues saxophonist, vocalist and songwriter Vanessa Collier, joined by the rhythm section of the #KenmoreEast High School Jazz Ensemble, for an impromptu performance of her hit "Sweatin' Like a Pig, Singin' Like an Angel." Thanks to the WNY BluesSociety, Vanessa was at Kenmore East Band today telling her story and jamming with our students. More to come!

A Send-Off for Mrs. Babbitt

What a great send-off for Mrs. Babbitt at Lindbergh Elementary!

The conclusion of “Carol of the Bells” played by #KenmoreWest students on boomwhackers during a special holiday music event this morning at Lindbergh Elementary. The audience loved it!

Band students welcome their classmates for the first day of school at Kenmore East High School!

At tonight's Board of Education meeting, students from Lindbergh Elementary who are part of the cast and crew of the world's first elementary school production of "James and the Giant Peach Jr." gave a special sneak preview of the opening number "Right Before Your Eyes!" The production will take place Nov. 19-21. Follow the link for more information! http://ktufsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=1&ModuleInstanceID=4640&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=21124&PageID=1

Students from Edison Elementary School do an amazing job singing the National Anthem to start tonight's Board of Education meeting!

A clip from this afternoon's rehearsal with electric violist and Emmy-winning composer Mark Wood, a founding member of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, with orchestra students from Kenmore East and Kenmore West in preparation for tomorrow's big concert at 7pm at Franklin Middle! http://ktufsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=1&ModuleInstanceID=4640&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=21015&PageID=1

Holmes Elementary School is reaching out to students who now attend Kenmore West High School or have moved on to college to share short video greetings for current Holmes students expressing the importance of working hard in school to prepare them for college and future careers! This is one of the first ones with Ken-West's Terrell Ford.

Our Story

Ken-Ton has fostered a world-class teaching staff through an innovative and comprehensive framework of mentoring, coaching, and staff development. A significant number of Ken-Ton teachers have earned National Board Certification, which is considered to be the gold standard in teaching, and many staff have been distinguished at the regional level and beyond for demonstrating excellence in their professions.

The Ken-Ton School District prides itself on its exceptional K-12 music and art programs, a comprehensive framework for social-emotional success, and extensive high school offerings including the International Baccalaurate (IB) Program, CTE-certified Career Academies, Project Lead the Way pre-engineering curriculum, art career pathways, Honors/AP programs, and the innovative Big Picture non-traditional high school program.

Ken-Ton School District alumni include two national TV news anchors, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge, a former Skylab astronaut, the former president and CEO of Dunkin' Brands, and individuals who have achieved the highest levels of success in their careers, from professional athletes, actors, comedians, and musicians to business leaders, doctors, engineers, and educators.