Contributed by: Lori Ruhlman

The new Skaneateles 2010 calendar is now available from Marianne Angelillo. The calendar is a high photo quality big calendar featuring 12 beautiful months of Skaneateles scenes. It makes a great gift for everyone especially those out of town who are missing the moments at home. The calendar is $32 including sales tax.

View the calendar slides and order the calendar here.  You can also order the calendar via email here.

By Lori Ruhlman

Skaneateles Middle School eighth-grader Calvin Bohrer addressed an audience of 450 people at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center recently when he accepted an award for the Skaneateles Middle School Student Council.

As vice president of the student council, Bohrer stood before big cameras and smiling faces and said he was accepting the award “on behalf of the 75 students who make up the student council.”

Written by Lori Ruhlman

Elementary students served up sheer delight during poetry concert; encore performance September 21st was open to the general public.

Whatever your image might be of something called a poetry recital, toss it out the window. You have to see and hear it to believe it: a poetry recital called “Poetry on Parade” is a feast for the senses, a lesson in how students learn, and a real concert of words. Friends and family members who attended the poetry recital given by Janet Fagal’s third graders last spring went so far as to call it one of the most enjoyable events they’d ever attended.  They were so impressed and moved that they suggested Fagal and her students repeat the performance for the general public.

The resulting encore performance of Poetry on Parade was held from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, September 21, in the Skaneateles High School auditorium.  Donations were accepted for Todd’s Fund, which supports area children and families in need.

Fagal, who discovered that third graders have an uncanny gift for memorization, began sharing the delight five years ago with these recitals. What was once a “best kept secret” for those close to her third graders has spread – earning Fagal the first ever “Friend of Poetry Award” by the American Pen Women last spring. She hopes community members and other educators will took the hour to enjoy the recital, which is the first – and perhaps only – public showing of what young students can achieve with poetry.

Contributed by: Lori Ruhlman / loriruhlman@msn.com

Orchestra students district-wide are preparing for an “electrifying” experience:  performing with Emmy Award-winning electric rock violinist Mark Wood on the high school stage at 7 p.m. April 1. Tickets are $5 in advance or $10 at the door. The public is invited.

A national sensation, Wood will work with students in grades 3 to 12 during school on March 31 and April 1, said Karen Veverka, high school and middle school string teacher.

Contributed by Lori Ruhlman

Image: As they gather in the courtyard, visitors marvel at the gardens. Sitting on a bench are Elizabeth Shoenfelt, current Environmental Club president, and Elli Krause, an active member of the club.

The sounds of the Skaneateles Madrigal Choir filled the courtyard at Skaneateles High School on Tuesday evening as a crowd gathered to celebrate three years of work that turned the gravel hole between buildings into a place of beauty.

Principal Georgette Hoskins said the courtyard represents vision, persistence and collaboration. She said it is a tribute to the students who had the vision, used persistence and collaborated with staff and community members to make their dream come true. “It is also a beautiful tribute to those who were once a part of our school community, from students whose lives ended prematurely to staff who dedicated themselves to students,” she said.

Superintendent Phil D’Angelo Jr. said the amazing effort that went into making the courtyard a reality is the type of thing that makes him very proud to be a part of the Skaneateles community.

Patience Brewster attributed much of the success of the student-led project to Rick Garrett, teacher and Environmental Club adviser. She called him a “magical person” whose quiet guidance made others join in and work hard.