Owego Apalachin Central School District

Lindsey Williams Read Excerpt From Her New Book, Where the Valley Widens
Listen to OFA Band Director Lindsey Williams read from the first chapter of the new book she has written. In the excerpt, she details one of her first encounters with an administrator who gives her a helpful piece of advice. Listen here, on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/lppaWFmtlz8

Behind the Scenes: AES 3rd Grade Play It's a Hit.
“Well, it was fun, and I really liked it, and I was glad that everyone came to see their kids, and it was really fun as a musical.” Third-grade students are thrilled with what they’ve been able to accomplish from their performance of their recent musical, It’s a Hit. Watch here as the students share what they enjoyed about the experience on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/J2FZ2ZbGL4w

Behind the Scenes: Music Production Class
“This class is very fun, especially with Mr. Cirbus’s high energy; it’s really upbeat in general. And everything I’ve been able to do has been amazing because he teaches us so much.” Students share why music production is one of their favorite classes; and how much they’ve been able to learn. Watch what happens in the classroom in this Behind the Scenes on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/eg2bpS8nJ1Q

OFA Band Director Lindsey Williams Pens Her First Book “Hopefully, school is a place where this happens for everyone. Just that your ideas about who you are and what is possible for yourself are only expanded.” High School Band Director Lindsey Williams will have her new book, Where the Valley Widens, available July 22nd. Learn more about her writing process and inspiration for the book here, on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/Txy7_htZSSM

Jack Buchsbaum Signs to Alfred University for Football “I’m excited, I’ve been there a couple times, got to meet the guys, you know I’ve played football before, but not like that. So I’m excited to get started, and it’s going to be a great culture.” Jack Buchsbaum is headed to Alfred University in the fall to play football. Learn more about Jack and his plans here on Showcase Sports TV. https://youtu.be/lnRuYwk3MZ8

Student Profile: Isabelle Taylor “I just really want my art to be out there and be recognized, like be put in museums and such, and hopefully people get to enjoy my art as much as I do.” Isabelle Taylor had several pieces of her work on display at the District Art Show, even winning a First Place Medal. Learn more about Isabelle and what inspires her as an artist in this Student Profile here on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/BMARk3--YgE

Behind the Scenes: OES and AES Shadow Building Trades Students “This is really cool and I really like it, and I just never thought in a million years I’d get my hands on a power tool this soon.” AES and OES students got to learn how to properly use a drill and use a tape measure, and more, as they shadowed the high school students in the building trades class. Watch here as their Tiny Homes come together on Showcase Classroom TV. https://youtu.be/W__fgYgDO7g

Four Questions: Elliot Cosme “I work very well with a set of loosely defined rules. I don’t like no rules, and I don’t like strict rules because those stifle creativity, but I get a prompt to do something, I do it, and it’s just one of the best ways to do art, I think.” Elliot Cosme shares her love for art class and digital art. Learn more about her as she answers four questions here on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/gPgafwCH-30

In the Classroom: Music Production “To make these mash-ups, we’ve been using a program called Serato and Ableton. The DJ controls have been nice, we’ve been using Serato to experiment with what songs would work well with others.” Music Production Teacher Ryan Cirbus breaks down how the students have been making mash-ups in his class. Learn more about the process here on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/1vfmQ9Jnv8g

We've connected with local businesses to bring you a list of summer employment opportunities in the community! Each business has confirmed they are looking to hire for the summer. If you know of any businesses hiring for the summer feel free to put those in the comments and reach out to us! #careercenter #tiogacounty #summeremployment #summerjobs

OWEGO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECOGNIZED AS A PROMISING PRACTICES PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY AT WORK® (Owego, NY, June 24, 2025)—Owego Elementary School was recently recognized by Solution Tree as a Promising Practices Professional Learning Community at Work® for its initial success in raising student achievement. Owego Elementary School’s commitment to implementing the PLC at Work process has been a major contributing factor in making a visible, positive impact on student learning. PLCs are schools and districts in which educators recognize that the key to improved learning for students is ongoing, job-embedded learning for the adults who serve those students. The three big ideas of a PLC call upon educators to: 1. Focus on learning 2. Build a collaborative culture 3. Create a results orientation Responding to news of the recognition, Superintendent Dr. Corey Green said, "This recognition as a Promising Practices School from Solution Tree reflects the dedication, collaboration, and relentless focus our educators have on student learning. It’s a testament to the belief that when we work together with clarity and purpose, we can create truly exceptional outcomes for all students. I’m incredibly proud of our team and this well-deserved honor." Promising Practices schools are recognized for building a strong foundation based on the PLC concepts, implementation of these concepts for at least one to two years, and clear evidence of improved student learning over that period. Once measurable results can be seen, the school must explain its practices, structures, and culture and submit its application for consideration by the PLC Review Committee. Recognized Promising Practices schools are listed on AllThingsPLC.info, where they share implementation strategies, structures, and performance with other educators interested in improving their schools. Collaboration tools, articles, research, blog posts, and other related resources are also available on the site. The site was developed and is maintained by Solution Tree, a leading provider of educational strategies and tools that improve staff and student performance. For more than 20 years, Solution Tree resources have helped K–12 teachers and administrators create schools where all children succeed. Click here for a PDF version: https://5il.co/3k4r8.

AES 3rd Grade Play Performance: It's a Hit Watch 3rd Grade students from AES perform songs from their recent play, It’s a Hit. Watch here on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/2KUxrW7CBlo

Behind the Scenes: Athlete Signing Day “I’m so grateful, there’s nothing like growing up in a small town like Owego. We’ve had families, coaches, having everyone here today is an amazing feeling, and they helped us get here, so we’re really grateful to see them here.” 20 students signed papers to continue their athletic journey this fall, from Division 1 to JUCO. In total, the group has won seven STAC Championships and 20 Sectional Championships. Hear more from the students about their excitement here on Showcase Sports TV. https://youtu.be/x9_NX5jURl0

OA REMINDER: The Board of Education will hold a regular meeting tonight, Monday, June 23, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., in the Board of Education Room in the OA District Office, 5 Sheldon Guile Boulevard, Owego, NY 13827. The meeting will also be streamed for viewing only on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/live/PKFCFBd2-gw. Board meeting agendas and meetings are posted on Board Docs on our website at www.oacsd.org. We encourage anyone with questions or comments to utilize Let’s Talk! - https://www.oacsd.org/page/lets-talk. Your questions and comments will be addressed by the appropriate district personnel or board of education members. #OARiverHawks #sOArTogetrher

In the Classroom: The Big Build “They get to see what the real world is like for those who are in the trades, and be hands-on with things.” Antoni Talarico helps OES and AES students put together a project for the Building Trades Shadow Event. Learn more from Antoni here on Showcase Classroom TV. https://youtu.be/MkFLMzmI_Z0

OFA Reminder: The 2025 OFA Senior Graduation Commencement Ceremony is tonight, Friday, June 20, 2025, at 6:00 pm. Graduation will take place rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather, we will move the ceremony into the OFA Gymnasium with additional air-conditioned seating in the OA Theater. You can watch the graduation ceremony on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/tYpg7aQf1fw?feature=share. Traffic plan for area roads impacted by the Strawberry Festival - https://5il.co/3ijt6. Congratulations to the OFA Class of 2025! #OFARiverHawks #sOArTogether

Behind the Scenes: District Art Show “It’s great to see the community all come together, especially for something as important as student-based art. Arts are often overlooked, and it’s just awesome that so many people care.” Staff and students are thrilled with the community turnout for the K-12 District Art Show. Learn more about all of the 2D and 3D art that was on display at this year’s show here on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/w8JQ7nq4qEo

Engineering Booth at Finding Your Pathway Event “Next, we have the floor plans, which show the layouts of what the house is going to be.” Declan Ohara has been interning at Delta and has been making drawings for a house that is going to be made. He had a booth at the Finding Your Pathway Event to help sophomores find a potential career. Learn more from Declan here on Showcase Classroom TV. https://youtu.be/gtXU3nX5NjA

Congratulations to the 2025 Block O Sports Awards Nominees and Winners. Below is a list of each category and the winner. You can also see the program with all nominations, photos of the winners, and watch the entire show using the YouTube link. LEADERSHIP AWARD - Evan English FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Eva Crawford MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Dylan Brace JV TEAM OF THE YEAR - Softball EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION - Bella Silvestri BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE - Vasil Brich RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE - Kaelyn Katchuk TOM BRYANT SPORTSMANSHIP & BOOSTER CLUB SCHOLARSHIP - FEMALE: Shannon Maslin MALE: Bobby Struble BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE - Stella Palladino FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Madison McEvoy MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Joseph Palladino OUTSTANDING TEAM - Girls Lacrosse PLAY OF THE YEAR - Football: Carson Morris and Evan English Block O 2025 Program: https://5il.co/3jget Block O 2025 Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oSTotwQ8H1kz8utw5 Block O 2025 Show On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MweIT9TZHKk&t=6144s #OARiverHawks #sOArTogether

Project Winner Isabelle Taylor: District Art Show “I try my best to make sure all my projects are good, and I probably spent a month to a month and a half working on it, and I’m happy that my hard work was shown.” Isabelle Taylor won first prize in the Paper Relief category at the District Art Show. Learn more about the inspiration for her project here on Showcase Arts TV. https://youtu.be/t67QR6uS-Zo