• Winter Extended School Day Offerings

    Greetings HCSD Families! The Homer Central School District is excited to offer extended school day opportunities during January and February 2023. The district will be using American Recovery Plan (ARP) funding to offer this programming. The Winter Extended School Day programs will run from January 9, 2023, through February 16, 2023, Mondays through Thursdays of each week. A brief description of each extended school day enrichment program can be found here: Winter 2023 Extended  Day Offerings . Each session is capped depending on the number of faculty and staff available for student support and supervision. You are encouraged to sign your child up as soon as possible as slots are limited. Please note the following additional details:   *To accommodate as many students as possible your child may only attend one program. *There is no guarantee  that your child will be selected as the slots are limited in number. *Please select a program that suits your child's schedule as regular attendance is strongly encouraged. *Transportation will be provided to all students that participate in the extended day programs (a formal schedule will follow) with the exception of the SAT Winter Olympics program. *Programs will end and buses will depart from school at the following times:   4:50 PM from the JM McDonald Sports Complex 5:00 PM from the High School 5:05 PM from the Intermediate/Junior High School 5:10 PM from the Elementary School   The deadline to sign up is December 7, 2022. You can sign up for an extended school-day enrichment program at the following link: Extended Day Enrichment Registration Form   There will be additional extended school day enrichment opportunities during early spring (March 14, 2023 through April 27, 2023). More information will be released at a later date.   If you have any questions please feel free to contact Lisa Miner in the Instruction Office at (607) 749-1206 or  lminer@homercentral.org. Regards, Jeffrey Evener Assistant Superintendent for Instruction [Thursday, Dec 1 at 3:57 PM] The link to the sign up form should now be operational. Thank you for your patience. Link: https://forms.gle/pNWovRwCdKqhNd29A Have a great evening! -Jeff Evener

    Thursday, Dec 01 2022

  • November 18 District Update

    Dear Homer Schools Community,    I am writing to update you on various district items of interest.   BIMAS II Social-Emotional Screener        The Homer Central School District staff understand how important a child’s social/emotional development and well-being are to their success in school and beyond. In order to better understand our children, we plan to utilize a screening tool known as the Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System 2 (BIMAS II). This tool measures students' social-behavioral health and will be completed by the teachers of our students in grades Prek-6 and by the students themselves in grades 7-12.      As a district, we will use this data to guide building and individual student interventions, monitor progress of programming and student behavior as well as expand preventative programs that support the overall well-being of our students.   We do want you to be aware that the screening tool/survey includes an item which assesses the students’ thoughts of self-harm. In the event that your child rates this item, or a teacher identifies this as an area of concern for your child, we will be in immediate contact with you to discuss how we can work together to best support you and your child.      All information regarding your child will be maintained in a confidential manner. Should you wish to discuss your child’s outcome at the completion of a universal screening period, please contact their building principal. Students who will be taking the self-report version of this screening tool will do so on the following days: 12th Grade -  December 6 11th Grade – January 10 10th Grade – January 17 9th Grade –   January 31 8th Grade -    January 23 7th Grade –   December 12      Staff will be completing the screening tool for students in grades Prek-6 between December 6th and December 15th.  If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation, please feel free to contact your child’s building principal.   Check Out the Community Engagement Survey Results!        In September, the district conducted a Community Engagement Survey.  More than 680 people provided feedback on a number of important issues.  The Community Engagement Committee is reviewing the information and will develop action plans to address the items highlighted as important by the community.  It is also important for us to share the results.      Below, please find the link to the survey data.  This interactive data set allows viewers to drill down to examine responses specific to individual questions, as well as by chosen stakeholder groups.        On the left, you will find the individual question topics that were asked as part of the survey.  By clicking on each question, you will see the responses broken down in a series of charts and graphs.  These are interactive, meaning you can click on individual donut charts and graphs to reveal additional subgroup responses.   To reset the survey data to its original state, simply click on the “Reset” tab on the top right of the page.      Moving forward, we will be using a similar format to communicate any survey information that we gather from our school community.   https://datastudio.google.com/reporting/e4705b18-0ba0-4361-a07b-7889c298250f/page/p_7lm76hxozc   Homer Schools Recognized by the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce as a Non-Profit of the Year        At their annual awards dinner last week, the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce recognized Homer, along with the other county school districts, as their 2022 Non-Profit of the Year.  The district was recognized for its commitment to our area youth and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.  We are extremely honored to receive this recognition and want to thank the entire Homer Schools team and school families for pulling together to create a sense of safety and belonging for our students and the community at large.     Boys Varsity Football in State Playoffs on November 19th        The Varsity Football Team recently won the Section III Class B Championship and has advanced to the New York State Playoffs.  The Trojans take on Maine-Endwell tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Cicero-North Syracuse High School in the state quarterfinals.  For those unable to attend, the game will be broadcast on the NFHS network or by listening to Homer’s WXHC 101.5 FM. To view this game on NFHS, you would need to purchase a month's subscription through the NFHS network (you can cancel your subscription at any time). Homer's free membership does not work for postseason play or games at other venues.  Here is the link for the NFHS Network   https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/nysphsaa/gam95240737c2   Best of luck to our group!   Take care and have a great weekend.   Blue Pride! Click Here to Get Involved New to ParentSquare or need help?   Click Here

    Friday, Nov 18 2022

  • Fall 2022 Extended School Day Opportunity

    Greetings HCSD Families! The Homer Central School District is excited to offer extended school day enrichment opportunities during November and December. The district will be using American Recovery Plan (ARP) funding to offer this programming. The extended school day enrichment programs will run from November 7, 2022, through December 15, 2022 Mondays through Thursdays. A brief description of each extended school day enrichment program can be found here . Each session is capped depending on the number of faculty and staff available for student support and supervision. You are encouraged to sign your child up as soon as possible as slots are limited. Please note the following additional details:   *To accommodate as many students as possible your child may only attend one program. *There is no guarantee that your child will be selected as the slots are limited in number. *Transportation will be provided to all students that participate in the extended day enrichment (a formal schedule will follow). Buses will depart from school at the following times:   4:45 PM at High School 4:50 PM at Intermediate/Junior High School 5:00 PM at Elementary School   The deadline to sign up is October 27, 2022 . You can sign up for an extended school-day enrichment program at the following link: Extended Day Enrichment Program Form   There will be additional extended school day enrichment opportunities during the winter and spring seasons. More information will be released at a later date.   If you have any questions please feel free to contact Lisa in the Instruction Office at (607) 749-1206 or  lminer@homercentral.org. Regards, Jeffrey Evener Assistant Superintendent for Instruction

    Thursday, Oct 20 2022

  • October 19th District Update

    Dear Homer Schools Community,    I am writing to update you on two district items of interest.   October 21st 15-Minute Early Dismissal Drill     A reminder that the district will conduct its state mandated 15-minute early dismissal drill this Friday, October 21st.  The purpose of this drill is to ensure that we are able to safely and fully evacuate all students and staff in the event of an emergency and that families have alternative afterschool plans for their children where necessary.      All students and staff are expected to leave school grounds for the afternoon as part of this drill.     The dismissal times are as follows:   Elementary- Pre-K walkers- 2:50 p.m.; K-2 walkers- 2:55 p.m.; 1st Bussers- 3:10 p.m.; 2nd Bussers- 3:20 p.m. Intermediate- Walkers- 3:05 p.m.; 1st Bussers- 3:10 p.m.; 2nd Bussers- 3:20 p.m. Junior High- 2:05 p.m. High School- 2:15 p.m.        ParentSquare   We are happy to report that more than 99% of our school families are contactable using ParentSquare!  With that level of usage, we have been asked to provide additional resources for students and families to customize the communication platform.  Below, please see three documents that will help you to make desired changes to better utilize ParentSquare.   Take care and thank you for entrusting your child’s education to us. Blue Pride! Click Here to Get Involved New to ParentSquare or need help?   Click Here

    Wednesday, Oct 19 2022

  • Road work causing delays

    Dear Homer Schools Community, As you know, road construction is taking place this week in the village of Homer.  Today's work is causing delays in our busses getting in and out of district buildings.  As a result, our busses are running behind on their afternoon routes.  Please know that we will deliver district students home safely but a bit later than usual.  Thank you for your understanding and patience.   Blue Pride! Click Here to Get Involved New to ParentSquare or need help?   Click Here

    Wednesday, Oct 05 2022

  • Road construction that will affect travel this week

    Dear Homer School Community, Below, please see recently released information that will affect travel around the school district this week.   Starting tomorrow, October 3, 2022, Suit-Kote Corporation will be road milling and paving on Clinton Street (Rt 41) between North-West Street (Route 281) and North Main Street (Route 11). The milling on Clinton Street is expected to be completed by the end of the day on Monday.   On Tuesday, October 4, 2022, they will be working on North Main Street and South Main Street from Clinton Street to the city line. They expect for this work to last approximately 5-6 days. Paving on these streets will follow sometime mid next week.   There will be flag persons to try to help keep traffic moving but expect delays. If you travel these streets try and use an alternate route if possible. Take care and have a great Sunday evening. Blue Pride! Click Here to Get Involved New to ParentSquare or need help?   Click Here

    Sunday, Oct 02 2022

  • September 28th District Update

    Dear Homer Schools Community,   I hope that this communication finds you well.   I am writing to give you update you on an item of interest that will affect your child and two upcoming activities that the entire community may enjoy.   Electronic Report Cards In an effort to better communicate with families, Homer Schools will be transitioning to the use of electronic progress reports and report cards this school year. Both five-week progress reports and ten-week report cards will be sent out via ParentSquare as a secure document. Parents, guardians and students will be able to review and, if they choose, print a copy of the progress report or report card.  This will improve upon the traditional way of communicating your child’s progress; requiring them to transport the report card home and return the envelope each marking period. For the first marking period and 10-week reports, we will provide an electronic and paper copy to help with the transition.  Parents who would still like a paper copy sent home after the ten-week mark should call their school to make the request. We expect that electronic academic reporting will improve the timeliness of our communications and allow greater access to this information.     Upcoming Family/Community Opportunities   On Thursday, October 6th at 6 p.m. in the High School Auditorium, Chase Mielke will be speaking to families about how to thrive in a stressful world.  Chase is an award-winning educator, speaker, writer and author who travels all over the world to teach students, parents, and educators the science of perspective, purpose and perseverance.  Chase will be meeting with our Junior High and High School students during the day and will share his insights with families during the evening presentation.   Please plan to join us for what promises to be a timely discussion on how best to support our children.   Homecoming is Friday, September 30th.  The Homecoming parade will begin at 6 p.m. on Main Street in the village and travel along Cayuga Street before ending at Homer High School.  The Varsity Football team will take on the Syracuse Institute of Technology at 7 p.m.  High School students are also invited to attend the Homecoming Dance that will follow the football game at 9 p.m.   If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at school.  Take care and thank you for entrusting your child’s education to us.       Blue Pride! Click Here to Get Involved New to ParentSquare or need help?   Click Here

    Wednesday, Sep 28 2022

  • Free and Reduced Meal Plans

    ​​​​ Parents-We Need Your Help! As you know, Homer Schools is required to once again charge students for their school meals.  To help ensure that all students receive a healthy meal, it is important for EVERY family to fill out the Free and Reduced Meal Application attached to this message or by clicking here.  Doing so helps guarantee a healthy meal for every child, as well as bringing much needed additional money and services to your child’s school and to the Homer Central School District. Homer Schools receives funding from the state and federal governments to support the needs of low-income students. For each student who qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, our district receives thousands of additional dollars in funding. Studies show that many eligible students, in particular junior high school and high school students, do not complete this form each year, leaving thousands of dollars in funding for Homer School District on the table. Even a small increase in eligible forms collected results in significantly more money to support our schools and students.   What if my child doesn't want to eat school lunch? Why should I fill out the form? Even if your child chooses to bring their own lunch, filling out the form is very important! It ensures that your school gets all of the funding and benefits available to support teachers and students. Also, even if your child does not eat school lunch, students who qualify for free lunch also can receive other benefits like: discounts for their family on utilities and internet service, reduced fees for SAT and ACT tests and college applications, and reduced college application fees. Is the information I submit confidential? The information you submit on the Free and Reduced application cannot be shared by the Food Service Department.  Personal information submitted on the form is not shared with the state or federal government: only the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch is shared. Principals and teachers are not told which students qualify for free or reduced lunch benefits.  We do not share information with other organizations that provide benefits. But if your child does qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, you may use the eligibility form provided by Homer Central to qualify for other benefits through providers like Spectrum Cable and National Grid. Blue Pride! Click Here to Get Involved New to ParentSquare or need help?   Click Here

    Tuesday, Sep 06 2022