Oneida City School District

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from Willard Prior Elementary as we meet our full-day pre-K students. We are proud to be able to offer full-day pre-k to our students, and we are amazed at the progress our young students have already made! Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

The NYS Department of Transportation has sent out a brief video, reminding drivers of proper protocols for approaching stopped school buses. Be sure to check out our breakdown of appropriate driving procedures around school buses at oneidacsd.org/departments/transportation___bus_stops/bus_passing.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office has some important information regarding appropriate driving precautions around school buses and laws that you should be aware of. Be sure to check out our breakdown of appropriate driving procedures around school buses at oneidacsd.org/departments/transportation___bus_stops/bus_passing.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast comes from Oneida High School and showcases all of the work completed in and around the high school auditorium and music suites. Welcome back to school! We look forward to a great school year! Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

The Oneida City School District is proud to announce that Oneida Senior High School has again received recognition from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) as a School of Excellence. To be recognized as a School of Excellence, 75% of a school’s varsity teams must qualify for and receive the Scholar-Athlete team award. At Oneida Senior High School, 20 varsity teams received the Scholar-Athlete team award in the 2022-2023 school year. During the 2022-2023 school year, the Oneida Senior High School Boys Cross Country, Boys Soccer, Field Hockey, Game Day Cheer, Girls Cross Country, Girls Soccer, Girls Tennis, Boys Indoor Track/Field, Boys Swimming/Diving, Boys Volleyball, Girls Basketball, Girls Indoor Track/Field, Girls Volleyball, Baseball, Boys Golf, Boys Outdoor Track/Field, Boys Tennis, Girls Golf, Girls Outdoor Track/Field and Softball all received the Scholar-Athlete team award. Athletic Director Bert Conklin is proud of the achievements of our student-athletes and what this recognition means to the Oneida City School District. “Receiving this award illustrates our education-based athletic philosophy, which provides for student success both in the classroom and on the field,” Conklin said. “It signifies the continued growth and development of our scholar-athletes.”

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our newsletter. We hope you enjoy the ​September 2023 district newsletter! Welcome back to school!

The Oneida City School District today announced an amendment to its policy for serving meals for children served under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for the 2023-24 school year, which would allow for all children at all schools/sites to be served meals at no charge.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! Thank you for your continued support as we have moved through the process of determining the new mascot. After an initial survey sent to students, staff, and community members brought in nearly 400 wonderful suggestions, the Shared Decision Committee narrowed the mascot ideas to three final options: the Oneida Dragons, the Oneida Express, and the Oneida Lions. After reviewing the responses from the final survey, the “Oneida Express” has been determined to be the most popular mascot option. The Oneida Express captures our city’s history as an important stop on the railroad between Utica and Syracuse. Over the coming months, the Shared Decision Committee will continue to work together to finalize the branding and imagery of the new mascot. Thank you to the community for your feedback and support throughout this process. For more information about the mascot selection process, please visit: oneidacsd.org/district/oneida_c_s_d_logo_and_branding.

Last week, students in grades 5-12 participated in the Summer Band Program! Students rehearsed for 90 minutes every day and performed an evening concert for their families and the community in the Otto Shortell Middle School Cafeteria. The 5-6 Band was fortunate to have several older student helpers! The 5-6 Band also had a "Mix-up" Day where - instead of sitting with their sections - students could choose their seats and sit with a different instrument. The students really enjoyed this fun rehearsal!

Dear Oneida City Schools Community, Due to concerns raised by several community members, staff and students, the Shared Decision Team has decided to conduct a new survey with the following mascot possibilities: Dragons, Express or Lions. Please take the time to vote for your selection. The survey opens today, July 14, and closes on Friday, July 21. We value your input and look forward to selecting our new mascot! Vote here: https://forms.gle/QeB97KSSBUi4LwuJ7 Sincerely, Matthew T. Carpenter Superintendent of Schools

The Oneida City School District is holding open interviews for multiple Teacher Aide vacancies across all elementary buildings for the upcoming school year! Where: Willard Prior Elementary School - 205 East Ave, Oneida, NY 13421 When: Friday, July 28 from 9am – 12pm Please bring with you: Your Driver’s License and Social Security Card, or Passport 3 References: Names and Phone Numbers For more information, please contact Mrs. Alana Boylan, Willard Prior Elementary Principal, at 315-363-2190 or [email protected].

The Oneida City School District will be offering a free summer meal program for everyone under the age of 18! Adults can purchase meals with CASH ONLY for $6.00. Meals will be available at Durhamville Elementary, North Broad Street Elementary and Willard Prior Elementary. Please call (315) 363-6901 ext. 5 with any questions you may have.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from Mr. Clarke's class at Willard Prior Elementary! Mr. Clarke's students authored and illustrated a class book, "The One and Only 3rd Grade." On Wednesday, Mr. Clarke held a publishing party with parents in attendance to celebrate these students. Congratulations to our Willard Prior 3rd-grade authors! Also in this video, our elementary schools held Senior Marches, and our seniors revisited their old elementary schools and teachers as our younger students cheered them on. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! Our Shared Decision Team narrowed down the wonderful suggestions community members submitted in a previous survey to three potential mascots: the Dragons, the Lions and the Railhawks. In this form, please vote on your favorite mascot concept. In addition to the mascot ideas, we have included a sample design of what our mascot/logo could look like. Thank you again for all of your help and support! Link to survey: https://forms.gle/Lsq6zKeaYXFAZmLy7

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast celebrates Memorial Day and the contributions and sacrifices made by many Oneida CSD alumni and community members. We would like to thank Ms. Lynn Everhart for her generous donation of school-related paraphernalia collected by her father, Richard Everhart, who was an Oneida CSD alumnus and veteran of WWII. In advance of Memorial Day, many of our schools across the district also held USA Spirit Days, with students and teachers decked out in red, white and blue. Additionally, we would like to congratulate Mr. David Hawthorne on receiving the WCNY Music Educator Award for May. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from the Shared Decision Team meeting at Oneida High School, as representatives across the district worked together to narrow down the choices for our new mascot. After narrowing down the numerous responses we received from the community to 26 choices a few weeks ago, our team reconvened, having thought about the options, and made a selection for the top three options. The top three mascot concepts were the lions, the dragons and the railhawks, and these three options will go out to the public for a final vote within the coming weeks. Thank you to all in the Oneida City School District Community for your suggestions and support during this process. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast focuses primarily on the Cultural Festival at North Broad Street Elementary School! Our students had a wonderful time learning about several different cultures worldwide, and we are thankful for all of our presenters. Last week was also Teacher and Nurse Appreciation Week, and we are grateful for all the wonderful nurses and teachers we have throughout the district. Don't forget to vote on the 2023-24 school year budget and school board member elections on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Oneida High School and Durhamville Elementary School. At Oneida High School, voting will take place in the back of the Fariel Gym. Lastly, please take the time to complete our 2022-23 OCSD Family Survey by Wednesday, May 17 (the form reads "May 10" as the deadline, but it is still open). Your feedback helps us move forward and plan ahead as a district. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

We value our school, our students, and our families, so it is important for us that we continue to seek feedback to celebrate successes and consider areas for improvement. Linked below you will find the 2022-23 OCSD Family Survey. If you have children in more than one building, please submit a separate form for each building by selecting the submit another survey button after you submit the first form. Please submit your survey responses by Wednesday, May 10th. Thank you.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast is in recognition of all of the hard work and accomplishments made by our district-wide music and art departments! Recently, Oneida was once again recognized as a "Best Community for Music Education" by the NAMM Foundation. Additionally, our art department will be holding its annual District-Wide Art Show next week on May 10 at OSMS from 4:30 - 7:30 PM, with a special display for our Scholastic Art Award winners. Come along as we explore art and music classes across the Oneida City School District! Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Don't miss out on the district-wide art show on May 10 at Otto Shortell Middle School!

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs and unique enrichment opportunities in our district-wide newsletter. We hope you enjoy the May 2023 Budget edition of our district newsletter.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from Oneida High School as our Shared Decision Team discusses the survey results regarding changes to our mascot going forward. This week, the New York State Board of Regents unanimously voted to prohibit public schools from using Native American team names, mascots and logos. Our Shared Decision Team is in the process of narrowing down the survey results, in order to put another 3-5 potential mascots out to the community for a vote. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast features a reminder from the elementary schools about our playground rules. As the weather improves, we know that more of our students and families will want to utilize the playgrounds outside of school hours, but please be aware of the rules and expectations we have in order to keep our students safe. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

The Oneida City School District is currently in the process of choosing a new mascot, and we would like your help! Click here to submit your idea for Oneida's next mascot. The survey will be open from 04/01/23 - 04/07/23, so be sure to submit your thoughts as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you!

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from Willard Prior Elementary as they received a very special visit from the Utica Zoo! The zoo visit was part of the conclusion of Willard Prior's "Wild About Reading" program which was held throughout March. Our students (and staff) had an excellent time seeing and learning about the different animal "ambassadors" that the zoo brought to us! A huge thank you to the Utica Zoo for supporting our school district. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast is all about March Mammal Madness at Otto Shortell Middle School! Follow along with us as our science teachers explain the school-wide activity, students tell us their favorite things about March Mammal Madness and see how the whole school participates in the fun. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

The Oneida City School District is excited to announce that we will be offering full-day pre-K, starting in September of 2023! Registration for pre-K is now open online at https://hello.familyid.com/, you will need a valid email address to register. If you have already registered your child for pre-K for the Fall of 2023, you will not need to re-register in light of this shift. Please call Nancy Marji in Student Registration at (315) 361-6072, with any questions or conerns that you may have. The Student Registration office is located at the Costello Transportation Building, 1136 Freedom Drive, Oneida, NY.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from Oneida High School as the Drama Club prepares for their upcoming production of Something Rotten! The show will be held on March 24 and 25 at the V.V.S. High School auditorium, due to ongoing construction at Oneida High School, and tickets are available at www.bit.ly/oneida-events. There will also be an open dress rehearsal on March 23 at 7:00 pm with tickets available at the show. We would like to thank V.V.S. CSD for giving us the opportunity to put on a show for our students. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from Willard Prior Elementary as the school launches its March reading challenge, with the theme "Wild About Reading." Throughout the month, students will compete as classes to achieve the most minutes of reading, and the winning class will receive a pizza party provided by the Willard Prior PTO! Check out some of our favorite moments from the launch of Willard Prior's reading challenge. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! In this week’s Superintendent's Video Blast, we are proud to congratulate Andrew Hicks on signing his letter of intent to swim for Colgate University! We know Andrew worked hard to achieve this accomplishment, and we wish him the best of luck as he plays at the Division 1 level. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our monthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy the February 2023 edition of our district newsletter.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast celebrates Seneca Street Elementary teacher and Girls Tennis coach, Todd Hicks, for receiving the 2021-2022 NYS-NFHS Coach of the Year Award! Congratulations on this achievement, Mr. Hicks! Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Kindergarten Registration for the 23-24 school year opens February 17th for children residing in the Oneida City School District who have turned 5-years-old on or before December 1, 2023.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from Oneida High School! This week, we are celebrating our art students for their fantastic achievements at the CNY Scholastic Art Awards. Additionally, we would like to congratulate Oneida CSD alumnus, Doug Salati, on receiving the Caldecott Medal for his book "Hot Dog." Check out our students' wonderful work from the CNY Scholastic Art Awards here. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from the Oneida Family YMCA. To start off the New Year right, we wanted to remind students and families of the outreach services provided by the district and our partnership with the Oneida Family YMCA. Later this month, the YMCA will be offering a free night for Oneida High School students with live music, food and various activities! Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast comes from Durhamville Elementary School, focusing on one student who, over Thanksgiving, experienced a house a fire. Using safety procedures that he learned from a fire safety and prevention assembly earlier this year, this student was able to lead his siblings and cousins to safety, and his quick actions allowed Thanksgiving to be saved. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

Greetings Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent's Video Blast focuses on Oneida High School, where Mr. Schneider's Participation in Government class is discussing the recent memo sent out by the New York State Education Department, requiring all schools to discontinue the use of Native American-inspired mascots and team names by the end of the 2022-2023 school year. In this video, Oneida High School seniors discuss the directive, look into previous bills on this topic introduced in NYS legislature and suggest possibilities going forward. Best, Matt Carpenter, Superintendent

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our monthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy the November 2022 edition of our district newsletter.

Greetings, Oneida City School District Community! This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast focuses on Veterans Day celebrations across the district, with a focus on North Broad Street Elementary School's celebration on Thursday, November 10.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast​ focuses on the technology class at OSMS, where our students are learning about different types of motion. Then, we move on to Willard Prior Pre-K where our students showed off their knowledge of the pumpkin life cycle, from seed to pumpkin!

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast comes from our School Resource Officer and School Security Personnel about staying safe this Halloween. Have a safe and spooktacular weekend!

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s ​Superintendent’s Video Blast comes with an update from our Elementary Schools! High Five for Oneida Pride!

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast comes from our music department. Rock on Oneida!

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast comes from our Willard Prior Elementary Pre-K Piranhas! Enjoy!

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast comes from Oneida High School's Spirit Week. Hail to thee Oneida High!

Upon checking voice messages this morning at North Broad Elementary School, Administration received a message from an undisclosed caller. Administration immediately coordinated with our District School Resource Officers and contacted law enforcement. In conjunction with the Oneida Police Department and New York State Police, a threat assessment/search was conducted and it was determined the threat was not credible. Additionally, the building was deemed safe by law enforcement.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast is all about school safety and security. Enjoy!

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast comes from Oneida Athletics. We look forward to a successful and safe season. Go Oneida Strong!

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast explains all of the work that's been going on this past summer. Welcome back to school! We look forward to a great school year!

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our newsletter. We hope you enjoy the September 2022 district newsletter! Welcome back to school! ​

This year, parents will have the option to pay for their student’s meals online with MySchoolBucks. MySchoolBucks is an easy and secure way to add funds to your child’s meal account, either online or with the MySchoolBucks mobile app. With MySchoolBucks you’ll be able to view cafeteria purchases, check your student’s balance, receive low balance alerts and pay for school meals from anywhere! Stay on the lookout for additional information on how to set up your MySchoolBucks account, which will be coming shortly.

Dear OCSD Community, I hope you had a wonderful summer. As we welcome students and staff back to school, I wanted to share the latest information from the NYS Department of Health and the NYS Education Department regarding COVID-19. Please see the attached list of Frequently Asked Questions from the NYS Department of Health. To summarize: • Students and staff exposed to COVID-19 will not have to quarantine. People who were exposed to COVID-19 should follow CDC recommendations to wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after the exposure and get tested. • “Test to stay” will end — students will no longer be required to receive a COVID test if exposed to an infected person. • Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate for 5 days at home. Those with symptoms may resume attending school after 5 days if they are fever-free without fever reducing medicine for 24 hours, their symptoms are improving and they wear a mask through day 10. CDC guidance indicates that people can use the test-based strategy outlined in its isolation guidance to potentially shorten the duration of post-isolation mask use. Please read the FAQ on these points. • Universal masking is not required at this time. Local health departments have authority to implement masking requirements. • Schools will no longer be required to offer or conduct screening testing. • Schools are not required to test unvaccinated staff. • Schools are not required to report daily test results to DOH. • Schools will not be required to conduct contact tracing. This news is welcome and certainly a step towards a return to normalcy. We will update staff and parents with any changes. Should you have any questions, please reach out to your building principal or school nurse. Sincerely, Matthew Carpenter

Oneida City Schools will be offering a free summer feeding program this year. The meals are available free of charge to everyone under the age of 18. Grab and Go meals must be picked up at each site. Each G&G bag will included 1 breakfast meal and 1 lunch meal. Please take note: if your child is attending a special program such as LEAP or Summer school etc., the free meals will be available to them also at the time of their program.

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our monthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy the June 2022 district newsletter.

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast is all about the wonderful end-of-year celebrations happening throughout the district this week! Enjoy!

Our 2022-2023 budget vote and Board of Education election results are in! We would like to thank the Oneida City School District community for its support.

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our monthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy the May 2022 Budget edition of our district newsletter.

As you are aware, the statewide universal mask mandate for schools was lifted as of March 2, 2022. This means that most students, staff, and school visitors are no longer required to wear a mask in our school buildings or school buses. Of course, mask wearing continues to be optional for everyone. As you also know, health and safety guidance from the state and local health departments related to COVID-19 continues to evolve. While the latest state guidance removes the mask requirement, the following health and safety protocols remain in place:

Yesterday afternoon, Governor Hochul announced that the state-wide mandate for wearing masks in school will be lifted beginning Wednesday, March 2. The Governor’s announcement is based on data regarding declining positivity and hospitalization rates. However, while the school mask mandate will be lifted, counties and cities with high rates of transmission may still require masks in schools depending on local conditions. We understand that the New York State Department of Health and the State Education Department are preparing a final guidance document for schools. Pending the release of new guidance, OCSD will maintain our other Covid-19 protocols including social distancing, hand washing and sanitization.

Greetings Oneida City School Community, I joined several local Superintendents to express our interest in getting clear communication and guidance for safely lifting Covid-19 mandates in schools. Attached is a copy of a letter that was sent to the Governor’s Office, State Health Department, and the State Education Department. I will keep you updated as we receive any information from the Governor’s Office, NYS Health Department, and NYS Education Department.

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our newsletter. We hope you enjoy the February 2022 district newsletter!

Online Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration for Fall 22-23 NOW OPEN! For children residing in the Oneida City School District who have turned 4-years old on or before December 1, 2022 for Pre-K or 5-years-old on or before December 1, 2022 for Kindergarten. *Students previously enrolled in the OCSD Pre-K program in the 2021-2022 school year will not need to re-register for Kindergarten, but will need to submit updated health information.

Tickets for the Spring Musical “Crazy for You” are now available for purchase! This year’s ticket sales will be completely on-line. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 on March 11 and March 12. To place your order go to http://www.bit.ly/oneida-events, visit the Oneida District Homepage or scan the QR Code. You can print out your tickets to be scanned by the ushers the night of the performance or you can have an “E Ticket” delivered to your email. Tickets are reserved seats and can be purchased for $10 plus fees. There will be an open dress rehearsal on March 10 at 7:00. All seats are general admission and can be obtained at the door the night of the dress rehearsal for a suggested donation of $10 each.

New York State requires schools to track each student’s Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight status category, as reported on the physical examination form. Every year, the NYS Department of Health will survey 50% of schools for the number of pupils in each of six possible weight status categories. This year, Oneida City School District has been selected to participate in this survey. The information sent to the New York State Department of Health will help health officials develop programs that make it easier for children to be healthier. If Oneida is surveyed by the state, the district will share summary group data only, not individual names or information. Parents who wish to exclude their child’s data from such group calculations may contact the nurse in their child’s school by January 12th. The information sent to the Department of Health will help health officials develop programs that make it easier for children to be healthier.

On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 within our community. Events have continued to unfold, and we recognize that this raises questions about potential impacts on students, families and our full community.

Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide goal of providing students the opportunity to be tested for COVID-19 as school resumes after holiday break. There is no requirement that families test their children, but the Governor is encouraging the testing of students in order to keep students and school communities as safe as possible. The Governor stated that they will be sending test kits for distribution to our schools and local BOCES.

Notice is hereby given that the Oneida City School District Board of Education will hold a public hearing at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at the Costello Transportation Center, 1136 Freedom Drive, Oneida, NY concerning the proposed contract to provide Special Patrol Officer services between the School District and the Oneida County with a cross contract with Madison County. The public is invited to provide input regarding the development of this contract at the public hearing.

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our newsletter. We hope you enjoy the November 2021 district newsletter!

The New York State Education Department is asking parents/ guardians to complete a Digital Equity survey (for each student in the family) in grades Pre-Kindergarten – Grade12. This survey will provide information on student access to devices and internet access in their places of residence. Collecting accurate data regarding digital resource access for our students will greatly help educators to better serve their students and families. In order to accomplish this, the district will be sending out a nine-question survey created by NYSED.

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our newsletter. We hope you enjoy the September 2021 district newsletter! Welcome back to school!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful summer! I am writing to share updated information on our plans for returning to school in September. I would also like to take a moment to thank the parents and community members who attended (both in person and virtually) the Community Forum on Monday evening. I appreciate your viewpoint as we make these difficult decisions.

The School District is evaluating a Special Patrol Officer agreement between the School District and Madison County. You are hereby invited to provide input regarding the development of the proposed security services agreement between the School District and the Madison County at the Board of Education meeting scheduled for Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at 5:30 PM. The meeting will be held at Costello Transportation Center, 1136 Freedom Drive, Oneida, NY.

Fall varsity and junior varsity sports registration has opened Friday, July 23. Students interested in playing a varsity or junior varsity sport need to register and be medically cleared before Monday, August 23, 2021. ​Fall sports: Football, boys soccer, girls soccer, boys & girls cross country, girls tennis, cheerleading and girls field hockey. Modified Sports registration opens August 30, 2021

Oneida City Schools will be offering a free summer feeding program July 6- August 12, Monday - Thursday each week at Durhamville Elementary, Willard Prior Elementary, North Broad Elementary and Otto Shortell Middle School from 12pm - 12:45pm. The meals are available free of charge to everyone under the age of 18. Meal Packs will be Breakfast and Lunch Grab and Go and will be available at the lobby entrance of the building for pick up.

The Federal Government has put aside American Rescue Plan Act Funds for school districts to provide support for students by addressing the risk of learning loss due to COVID -19. Funds may be used to for the following : Summer programming Supplemental after school programming Technology purchases Discretionary funding to address individual needs of each building

The Oneida City School District is moving to ParentSquare! We are excited to let you know that starting July 1st, ParentSquare will be replacing SchoolMessenger as the new district-wide communication/robo platform. ParentSquare, will allow Oneida to unify all parent communication from the district, schools, classrooms and school activity groups under one umbrella.

Please see the Updated Interim Guidance for Pre-K to Grade 12 End of Academic Year Celebration Events, including Graduations. The June 7, 2021 update to the Interim Guidance for In-Person Instruction at Pre-K to Grade 12 Schools During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency does not apply to end of academic year celebration events, such as graduations and moving-up ceremonies, which are large, public events that occur outside the scope of in-person instruction, scholastic, and extracurricular activities.

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our monthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy the June 2021 district newsletter.

The Oneida City School District Board of Education appointed Matthew Carpenter as its new Superintendent of Schools at its May 25 meeting. The Board selected Mr. Carpenter after a multi-step process and careful deliberation that included feedback from many stakeholder groups. He will join the district on July 19. Mr. Carpenter has served as the Director of Early Childhood Education for the Syracuse City School District since 2018, overseeing approximately 2,000 students in 19 school-based pre-k programs in Syracuse as well as 25 pre-k programs at community agency sites.

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act or CRRSA provided a little over 2.5 million dollars in funding to the district to offset costs caused by the pandemic and support the academic and social emotional needs of students. The American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA provided a little over 5.6 million dollars in funding to the district to provide financial relief and respond to the learning loss resulting from the pandemic.

The Oneida City School District voters approved the 2021-2022 school budget with 282 in favor and 92 opposed. Voters also approved the bus lease proposition by a vote of 295 to 92 and the capital reserve proposition by a vote of 292 to 93. Congratulations to Dr. Gormely on his 5 year term seat with the BoE and Mr. Coakley on his 1 year term seat with the BoE. Thank you to all of the community members who took the time to vote on 5/18. We are grateful for the continued show of support!

The Oneida City School District Board of Education has two seat openings. One seat has a 1-year term and begins May 19, 2021, and one seat has a 5-year term that begins July 1, 2021. Each candidate has the opportunity to introduce themselves and discuss some of the important issues facing the school district. ​On May 18th, district voters will elect two members to the Board of Education and vote on a school budget. Voting will take play at Oneida High School and Durhamville Elementary School. Everyone must wear a mast at polling locations and in school buildings.

There was a Public Hearing on the Proposed 2021-22 Oneida City School District Budget on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 6:00PM in the Oneida High School Auditorium. Click HERE to watch recording of Public Hearing.

As part of our improvement planning process we will be surveying our parents, students and staff to obtain feedback to assist us with planning forward. The following survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will help identify whether our improvement efforts have made an impact over the last year, and bring attention to additional strengths and opportunities. The results of this survey will continue to guide the future direction of the district.

The Oneida City School District Board of Education will take the next steps in its search for a new Superintendent of Schools when its three finalists visit the district on May 3-5, 2021. During the course of the visits, the candidates will meet with representatives of various stakeholder groups, including administrative leaders, instructional and non-instructional staff, students, parents and community representatives. They will also tour some of the district’s facilities and learn more about the culture of the community. Following the visits, the Board of Education will select a final candidate for further consideration. The Board anticipates appointing a new Superintendent around June 1. The Board has been working with Madison-Oneida BOCES District Superintendent Scott Budelmann as its search consultant since January and remains committed to a thorough, transparent and timely process to appoint a new district leader.

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our monthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy the May 2021 Budget edition of our district newsletter.

Please see the Updated Interim Guidance for End of Academic Year Celebrations During the COVID-19 State of Emergency. This updated guidance from the New York State Department of Health (DOH) supersedes the June 14, 2020 guidance for “Graduation Celebrations during the COVID-19 State of Emergency” and is informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Guidance for Organizing Large Events and Gatherings,” updated March 8, 2021.

As we prepare for your child’s return on Monday, April 19th to in-person learning four days week, we are providing you with a video to share with your child to ease their transition. The Amended Reopening plan will be posted on the website Friday, April 16th for your review.

The NAMM Foundation recognized Oneida City School District for its commitment to music education with the Best Communities for Music Education Award again this year!! Congratulations to all of our students and teachers on this honor and thank you to the community for your support!!

OCSD K-12 will be changing to “four” days a week in-person learning. Wednesday will remain as a virtual learning day for all students to provide time for teachers to meet virtually with learners, have office hours, and allow us to deep clean classrooms. Students that are currently virtual and have confirmed they are staying virtual for the remainder of the school year, will continue to receive instruction.

I’d like to give you an update on the status of the Superintendent search. As many of you know we conducted a survey on the Thought Exchange which resulted in numerous responses. In addition to that Mr. Scott Budelmann, our search consultant, met with Five focus groups - Leadership, Instructional, Non-instructional, Parents, and Students. With both the Thought Exchange and focus groups we asked for and received information on the strengths of the District, opportunities for growth, and qualities and characteristics desired in a Superintendent. Many thoughtful responses were offered and we are using these responses to craft our questions for the interviews. You are part of the process. Many thanks to all who participated in any fashion. Please know the Board is taking your thoughts and beliefs to heart.

2021-2022 Registration for Pre-K and Kindergarten is now OPEN! For children residing in the Oneida City School District who have turned 4-years old on or before December 1, 2021 for Pre-K or 5-years-old on or before December 1, 2021 for Kindergarten.

Every year Madison-Oneida BOCES art teachers have an art show showcasing their work alongside one of their student's work that has a common theme/tie. This year, Oneida has 5 art teachers and their students that are participating! Check out the virtual gallery!

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our monthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy the March 2021 edition of our district newsletter.

Linked below you will find two documents from NYS with updated information on travel and quarantine guidelines. For more information about COVID19 or travel guidelines please visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory

The Board of Education of the Oneida City School District is seeking a new Superintendent of Schools and we need your input! We greatly appreciate your participation with the first ThoughtExchange question. All of our voices matter and your continued participation in this process is crucial and valued. Click here to participate in the second and final question ​ https://my.thoughtexchange.com/177834104 . You'll be asked to respond to one open-ended question, consider and assign stars to some of the ideas shared by others (20 to 30 is ideal), and learn what's important to the group. You can rate as many thoughts as you’d like before moving on to Discover where you can see all the thoughts sorted by the average star rating

We are pleased to announce that Kindergarten will be full day, four days a week, effective March 8, 2021. The schedule will run as follows:

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our monthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy the February 2021 edition of our district newsletter.

The Board of Education of the Oneida City School District is accepting applications for the position of Superintendent of Schools. The search process will be conducted over the next several months. The Board will be assisted in the selection process by Mr. Scott A. Budelmann, District Superintendent of the Madison-Oneida BOCES. All application materials should be sent to Mr. Budelmann for initial review. Candidates are prohibited from contacting the Board and individual Board members. The Board will make all decisions concerning the selection process, the evaluation of candidates and the initial appointment.

This is a friendly reminder that the Oneida City School District is operating under the national summer food service waiver program until June 30, 2021. Any resident of the district 18 years old or younger is eligible for free breakfast and lunch. Please contact your child’s building principal for more information!

On Tuesday, January 19, 2021, students will resume their typical learning schedule. The building principals will communicate specific information regarding the hybrid schedule. We ask that our community members, students and staff remain vigilant with CDC recommendations of masking, socially distancing and washing hands frequently. We also want to urge all families to keep your children home from school if they are ill or answer yes to any question on the health screener.

As the Oneida Reopening Advisory Committee considers options for reopening our buildings in the future, one model the committee is collecting data on is synchronous instruction. The Committee is asking that you take a few minutes to consider and record your thoughts on this model of instruction and complete the following ThoughtExchange.

The Oneida Board of Education has appointed Dr. Kathy Davis as Interim Superintendent to lead the district while it searches for a permanent successor to Mary-Margaret Zehr. Davis will join the district in February. ​Board President Robert Group said Davis is already familiar with the district, having served as Interim K-12 Executive Principal last year, which will allow for a smoother transition period.

A BIG Oneida Thank You to the members of the community who came out and voted for the facilities improvement project! In Favor- 221 Against-64 The $21.6 million facilities improvement project that was passed (with no additional tax impact) will: Replace outdated syste

District staff spent Monday deep cleaning Otto Shortell Middle School and Oneida High School and prepared documentation for the Department of Health to begin contact tracing. Custodial/ maintenance staff and administrative/office staff went above and beyond for the district.

Today, the District was notified that a student at Oneida High School has tested positive for COVID-19. Additionally, the student who tested positive has a sibling in the home who attends Otto Shortell Middle School. District officials in conjunction with the County Health Departments immediately began their investigation, which is ongoing. The District is not permitted due to privacy laws to identify the student involved and we have provided as much information as possible.

This week, Superintendent Mary-Margaret Zehr accepted a position in another school district and will be leaving Oneida in a few months. In the four years she has led this district, Mrs. Zehr has made a tremendous impact on students, staff and our educational programs. We would like to thank her for all of her hard work, dedication and expertise during her time here. We wish her well in her future endeavors.

Please click on the link below to view the results of the ThoughtExchange " What is working well will remote learning and hybrid learning and what are the biggest challenges you are seeing or experiencing with remote and hybrid learning?"

Updates on elementary report cards for the 2020-2021 school year.

The attached document from Superintendent Zehr provides additional guidance about COVID protocols, ThoughtExchange, and staying home when sick.

The attached document from Superintendent Zehr provides additional guidance about COVID protocols, next steps, and staying home when sick.

In the past six months, we have worked tirelessly to follow the NYSDOH and NYSED guidelines to open our buildings to staff and students. We are thrilled to have students return to our schools. School districts are now being asked to make a local decision of determining if and how to begin athletics given the current guidelines and requirements. ​ The District has over 20% of our students learning virtually due to concerns with health, safety, and COVID-19. Additionally, we are still unable to have 100% of our high school students in attendance each day, and it is considered unsafe to have a bus operate at full capacity. The District is approaching the decision regarding the start of athletics with the same health and safety concerns we applied in determining our modes of instruction.

The attached document from the Superintendent provides additional guidance about the first day of school, athletics, staying home when sick and communication.

Please fill out the School Meal Google Survey linked HERE. IMPORTANT: All deliveries will take place between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. One breakfast meal and one lunch meal will be delivered per day if requested. Due to limited resources, the District can only provide a “drop-off” service. Per NYS regulations, meals can only be delivered to a parent, guardian or the student. We cannot deliver to day care providers. If you are requesting meal(s) to be delivered, you must have a cooler or other container that can be placed either at the end of the drive or near the front entrance as all meals contain milk and may contain other perishable items such as yogurt. Meals requiring payment must be prepaid on MySchoolBucks. To set up an account please contact Hollie Ackerman, Food Service Director, 315-363-6901 x-2581.

There will be three virtual events for parents and staff to get additional information and ask questions about the start of school. Wednesday, August 19 at 10:00 AM Join Zoom Meeting https://moric-org.zoom.us/j/92440094066 Meeting ID: 924 4009 4066 One tap mobile +19292056099,,92440094066# US (New York)

We launched an exchange to discover different perspectives to help inform our decisions on the reopening plan. The specific question posted was "What are your thoughts and questions regarding our reopening plan?" You can explore the results of this exchange with the interactive tools in the link below.

Today, Governor Cuomo provided school districts with approval to open school buildings this fall. Oneida City School District will start the 2020-2021school year with a hybrid model. The attached document from the Superintendent provides additional guidance about informational meetings, instructional schedules parent requests for remote instruction, and parent requests for changes to group assignments.

Oneida City School District has received several guidance documents from the NYS Department of Education, NYS Department of Health and the NYS Governor's office. All of the documents can be found here.

As we plan for instruction in the fall, we do so with parents as partners in mind. Through the recent Thoughtexchange survey parents requested for more ways to help their child. That’s why, for the first time, we are inviting parents to participate in our online Google trainings! You can learn how to better help your child work in Google Classroom, how to create slides, docs, or access their school email. Materials can be found on the district website under Parent Resources > iLearning Parent Resources > Google Support. ​https://sites.google.com/ocsdny.org/ocsdilearning/home . A list of the Google 101 training sessions can also be found in the PDF below.

Thank you to NBT Bank for the school supplies and $75 donation for additional supplies! Every bit helps and we are so grateful!

We have just completed over two weeks of instruction and we are looking for feedback about what we are doing well and what we need to adjust with our remote learning. Your input is valued and appreciated.