May 31, 2017

It was the opportunity of a lifetime: 28 Mayfield students performed yesterday at the Times Union Center as a part of the enormous 3,000 children American Young Voices Choir.

Students and teachers sang a variety of songs including gospel, folk, rock and roll and pop songs to an arena filled with family and friends. They had the opportunity to sing with a former 2015 Voice contestant, Manny Cabo, and with musicians who have performed on Broadway and played with the Tonight show band, and many others.

Grade 7 student Camie Hart is on stage in the bottom photo at right.
Click on the image to enlarge it.

This article was in today's Daily Gazette newspaper
May 31, 2017
Eleven-year-old in national spelling bee

Local student among 17 New Yorkers to compete

BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS Gazette Reporter

An 11-year-old from Fulton County is among 17 New York State youths competing in this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, which takes place today and Thursday.

Collin Shea, a fifth-grader at Mayfield Elementary School, qualified for the national competition via a series of local and regional spelling bees.  Read more here

That would mean a school tax bill increase of $91.41 in September for the typical Mayfield homeowner with a $100,000 assessment. That is a $7.62 increase per month. Read more here

Mayfield Key Club to benefit Rise Against Hunger with Macaroni & Cheese dinner

April 10, 2017

The Mayfield Jr.-Sr. High School chapter of Key Club, along with the Mayfield Presbyterian Church, will be hosting a meal packaging event sponsored by Rise Against Hunger on Tuesday, May 23rd in the junior-senior high school cafeteria. ​

Rise Against Hunger is an international hunger relief organization that distributes food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable, mobilizing the necessary resources to end hunger by 2030.
About 50 volunteers will package more than 10,000 meals in just two hours!

Please click on the image above to download the flyer.

Stewarts Holiday Match program awards Mayfield $1,000 for SPARRK initiative

April 7, 2017

Stewarts has awarded a $1,000 grant to the Mayfield School District to be used toward expanding the principles of the SPARRK initiative to the athletic program by installing signs in the gymnasium and on the field, purchasing tee-shirts and hosting an inspirational speaker at the end of the year.

In the photo at right, Superintendent Jon Peterson and Principal Christopher Woejeski pose with students Hunter Jones and Taylor Proctor and local store manager Cecil Green along with a "big" check.

Thank you, Stewarts!! Click on the image to enlarge it.

School budget development "in a better position" than a year ago

Thanks to a lower-than-expected increase in health insurance costs, the second draft of the 2017-18 school district budget is about $40,000 short of currently projected revenues - a large improvement from the nearly $350,000 shortfall at the end of February.

“We are in a much better position than we were a year ago,” said Superintendent Jon Peterson, referring to the negative tax cap (less than 0 percent) the state allowed last year combined with the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA - legislation put in place in 2010 to fill the shortfall in the state budget by cutting aid to school districts - was eliminated this school year). “I’m very optimistic that the state will provide more funding for all schools, including Mayfield.”

The state Legislature has until April 1 – this Saturday – to approve a state budget. The state budget has been on time for the past several years. Governor Andrew Cuomo in January proposed a state aid increase to Mayfield totaling $103,209; the Legislature has historically increased that amount beyond the governor’s proposal. Read more here

Students Hunter Jones, Britain Goodemote, Sarah Morehouse, Jacob Petoff, Emmit Frisch, Grace Harper, Taylor Proctor and Ethan Gallup, were accompanied by chaperones Rebecca Woodruff and Cindy Farrell. Ethan and Hunter presented the theme to the conference. Read more here

Students and chaperones tour Status of Liberty and Ellis Island

November 29, 2016

Eighth-grade Mayfield students, 55 in all,  and 25 chaperones visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on Tuesday, November 22. The group boarded a Brown Coach bus early in the morning to drive to Battery Park in New York City where they boarded a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. The group accessed the pedestal of the Statue for a great view of the Manhattan skyline. From there, the trip continued to Ellis Island. Students toured the museum at their own pace to see all of the great exhibits. It was dark when driving out of the city, so the students were able to see the Freedom Tower and Empire State Building lit up in all their glory. It was a truly memorable experience for all who attended. Click on the image above to enlarge it.

Bound for States!

November 7, 2016

Madison Relyea in Cross Country (photo at left) and Kylie Cotugno in Swimming (photo at right) earned their place on the Section II Team that is headed to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Championships!
Madison will compete at Chenango Valley State Park on Nov. 12 and Kylie will compete Nov. 18-19 at Ithaca College.
Madison is in grade 8; Kylie is in grade 12.
Go Ladies! Make Mayfield Proud!!

HS/JHS results lead in water testing results returned to the school district

Feeling rested and ready to get going on a new school year, Mayfield's more than 900 students got right back into the swing of things in class, on the new playground, in the cafeteria and throughout both school buildings.

Check out this link - Read more here - for a few shots from activities today at Mayfield Elementary School and Mayfield Junior-Senior High School.

With  temperatures and humidity levels rising throughout the morning, one thing was clear for the 16-17 volunteers who showed up for the first day of elementary playground construction today: they were hot.

In fact, every man had a sweat-soaked tee-shirt by 9 a.m.

Superintendent Jon Peterson, joining in with the group that included other parents, community members, district administrators and Board of Education members, said work was progressing as they had hoped. "We are doing pretty well here - it's all starting to come together but there's still plenty to be done," he said, stopping to talk while holding a handful of bolts.  Read more here

Now that the old playground has been removed (see picture at right), the moment of truth has arrived - the new playground is about to rise! To make that happen, the school district needs everybody's help! We are looking for a Few Good Men (and Women of course!) to donate two hours or more of their time to assemble the playground behind the elementary school on one of these five days. There will be a supervisor from the playground company on site to guide the work.
Please consider volunteering your time and talents on one of the following dates/times. You could give as much time as your schedule allows:

August 5 - 8-10 am, 10-12 pm, 1-3 pm, 3-5 pm - Tools provided by contractor
August 6 -  8-10 am, 10-12 pm, 1-3 pm, 3-5 pm - Tools provided by contractor
August 8 - 8-10 am, 10-12 pm, 1-3 pm, 3-5 pm, - Tools provided by contractor
August 12 - 8-10 am, 10-12 pm, 1-3 pm, 3-5 pm - Please bring a wheelbarrow, shovel and/or rake with you.
August 13 - 8-10 am, 10-12 pm, 1-3 pm, 3-5 pm - Please bring a wheelbarrow, shovel and/or rake with you.

If you are willing, able and available, please send Superintendent Jon Peterson an email at peterson.jon@mayfieldcsd.org by July 29 indicating the date and “shift(s)” that you are able to help. Additionally, if you have any influence over Mother Nature please order cool and dry conditions!

Thanks in advance!

Check out more pictures of the playground and field work at the elementary school here.

Principal Nicholas Criscone provides this update on the contruction at the elementary school:

Families and Staff,
We’re making great progress. At this point we are closing the access road to the playground and back field area between 6am and 4pm due to heavy equipment needing frequent use of that driveway.
The good news is that we are opening our track and its inner field starting at 4pm each day!
For your safety, please do not enter the back driveway, track, fields or playground area between 6am and 4pm.

You’ll be getting an email in the near future regarding the playground build and the need for volunteers. I’d love to see a show of force to help with the installation! Keep an eye out for a sign up sheet.