The Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy at Remington recently returned to holding award ceremonies in-person for the first time in more than two-and-a-half years due to COVID-19 previously causing a switch to virtual ceremonies.
Students’ families were invited to attend the in-person ceremony as well. Some students went right over to their families after accepting their awards and gave their family members hugs, received an arm around their shoulder or took pictures. Others caught up with their family after the ceremony while having a doughnut and a cup of juice provided by the school.
“It’s our first in-person open event since COVID restrictions,” said David Itzo, who was the Pathways Academy assistant principal at the time of the ceremony. “It’s highlighting student success, and the families being here – it really shows support on their end.”
The Pathways Academy awards ceremony took place on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at the Herkimer BOCES Remington Educational Complex in Ilion. More than ### were given out.
Itzo, who is now the Herkimer BOCES technical education principal, said it was great to have families in the building for a positive event. At the opening of the ceremony, he thanked the families for being there to support the students.
“I think that’s really important to our children who are here receiving awards,” he said.
The Herkimer BOCES Pathways Academy focuses on students who have had a difficult time in a traditional school structure or have to catch up on credits but have the ability to get a high school diploma. Pathways Academy classes are project-driven and infuse career and technical education.
The quarterly Pathways Academy awards were started in 2017 and are part of the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. The PBIS program includes various aspects including students earning “BOCES Bucks” for positive behavior that they can use on reward days to purchase items or experiences.
Bringing the awards back
The last in-person awards ceremony at Pathways Academy prior to the recent one was on March 2, 2020, shortly before schools closed in-person instruction due to COVID-19. Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, virtual ceremonies were conducted throughout the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, said Pathways Academy teacher Erica Haver, who is a team leader for the PBIS program at Pathways.
“It’s great to be able to bring it back,” Haver said. “It’s just nice to be able to do it in-person.”
Following a suggestion from Pathways Academy teacher Adam Spatto, a new twist was added to the awards ceremony. Instead of announcing the winners alphabetically for the whole school, the awards were first announced for students in grades 7-9 with content teachers for those grades on stage and then for students in grades 10-12 with their content teachers on stage.
The hope is that having the teachers on stage to help give out awards would add to the significance of the awards for students and create a stronger connection, Haver said. Many students reacted with smiles as they accepted the awards from teachers during the ceremony.
Haver said she hopes students see that awards at Pathways Academy are different than most schools because they highlight classes and aspects of school where students are doing well even if they are struggling in other classes or aspects of school.
“Students might be interested in one or two classes but either struggle with or lack interest in other classes,” Haver said. “The way we do the awards gives them a chance to get an award when school isn’t completely their thing.”
Having all students attend the ceremony provides a chance for students to recognize the awards as a goal they can strive for, Haver said.
“When students see their peers getting awards, it helps motivate them to work toward getting awards too,” she said.
Award winners
The following are the Pathways Academy award winners for the first quarter of the 2022-23 school year listed with the awards they won and their home school district in parentheses:
Seventh grade:
- Anthony Albright (Central Valley): PBIS Award, Most Improved, Most Improved Health, Logic Ninja in English
- Brandyn Clark (Herkimer): Most Improved, Most Helpful, PBIS Award, The Speculation Specialist, Math Award, PE All Stars, Missions Critical in English, Award for Reading and Showing Improvement on STAR Test
- Mason McNeil (Central Valley): Most Creative, Most Organized, Confident Participant in English
- Anthony Raiano (Mount Markham): Most Responsible, Star Reader and Helping Other Students Sound Out Words While Reading Aloud, Math Award, Blue Sky Thinker in English
- Noah Hand (Central Valley): Reading Rockstar Award, Go the Extra Mile Award, Enthusiastic Reader in English
- Jordan Hight (Central Valley): Great Effort Award, PE Most Improved, Efficient Contributor in English
- A. Perez (Little Falls): Citizenship Award, Helping Hands Award, Hard-Worker in FACS Lab
- Dylan Morgan (Little Falls): Master Mathematician Award, Magnificent Manners Award, The Steady Scholar, Math Award, PE All Stars
- Coner Bluett (Central Valley): Gaining Traction in English
Eighth grade:
- Velton Walters-Galusha (Herkimer): Award for Reading and Showing Improvement on STAR Test
- Logan Haman (Central Valley): The Enthusiastic Estimator, PE All Stars
- Caleb Smith (Richfield Springs): Clutch Groove in English, Determination Award
- Logan Moshier (Central Valley): Maximum Effort, Compassion Award, Award for Reading and Showing Improvement on STAR Test
Ninth grade:
- Thomas Cline (Poland): Secures the Bag
- Lance Armstrong (Herkimer): Untapped Potential in English
- Isabelle Peeters (Owen D. Young): Participation in Math Award, Tenacious Spirit in English
- Dayton DuPont (West Canada Valley): The Persistent Performer
- Garrett Klein (Central Valley): The Skilled Scribe, Hard-Worker
- Kaden Looman (Frankfort-Schuyler): Math Award, Most Improved Health, PE All Stars
- Michael Grecco (Herkimer): Hard-Worker at Service Lab, The Work Horse, Participation in Math Award, PE All Stars
- Christian Lopez-Pagan (Little Falls): The Intense Inquisitor in Social Studies, The English Inquisitor
- Jaimeson Laraby (Mount Markham): Leader in English
- Juliana Taratuchin (Central Valley): The Prodigal Prodigy in English
- Riley Novak (Little Falls): Making Great Progress
10th grade:
- Tyteona Acevedo (Herkimer): Shows Initiative Award, Service Lab Award, Symbiotic Group Work
- Adrianna Burris (Herkimer): Service Lab Award, Hard-Worker, Making Great Progress, PE All Star, Most Responsible, ELA Achievement Award, Algebra Award
- Brayden Hubbard (Poland): Making Great Progress
- Zayonna Hughlett (West Canada Valley): Making Great Progress, Secretary for Yearbook, Student Council and PBIS, Perseverance Awards
- Gianna Seelman (Frankfort-Schuyler): Shows Initiative, Service Lab Award, Symbiotic Group Work, ELA Achievement Award, Algebra Award
- Lawson Staring (West Canada Valley): Service Lab Award, Making Great Progress
- Douglas Bruce (Herkimer): Making Great Progress, Academic effort, Respectful and Responsible
- Mackenzie Mead (Central Valley): Symbiotic Group Work
- Adam Rogers (Richfield Springs): Making Great Progress, Academic effort, PBIS Award, ELA Achievement Award, Algebra Award, Award for Reading and Showing Improvement on STAR Test
- Frank Tomei (Little Falls): Making Great Progress, Academic Effort, Helpful to Peers and Staff, Kind, Hard-Working, Goes the Extra Mile on Work/Projects, Respectful, Responsible, Overcomes Obstacles, Always Positive, Contributes Frequently in Classes
- Matthew Witte (Frankfort-Schuyler): Making Great Progress, PE All Stars, ELA Achievement Award
11th grade:
- Austin Bowman (Central Valley): Math Whiz
- Macalah Cristallo (West Canada Valley): Sportsmanship Award
- Kearah Davis (Herkimer): English 10 Semester A & Earth Science Semester A Edmentum, Service Lab Award, Supportive of Friends, ELA Achievement Award
- Nicole Emerson (West Canada Valley): PBIS Award, ELA Achievement Award, Award for Reading and Showing Improvement on STAR Test
- Coleman Foster (Little Falls): PE Edmentum
- David Krick (Herkimer): Most Respectful, ELA Achievement Award
- Hadyn Miller (Poland): Makes Us Laugh, Most Respectful, ELA Achievement Award
12th grade:
- Justin Bruce (Herkimer): Hard-Worker or Ability to Focus, PE All Star
- Alexander Colon (Frankfort-Schuyler): PE All Star
- Trent Linder (Herkimer): PE Edmentum
- Franklin Smith (Central Valley): Asks Good Questions, Hard-Worker, Hard-Working, Contributes Frequently in Classes, Respectful, ELA Achievement Award, Geometry Award
- Shane Wood (Mount Markham): PE Edmentum
- Robert Carpenter (West Canada Valley): Hard-Worker Award, Shows Intiative in Service Lab, Great Graphic Designs, Helpful to Peers and Staff (x2), Kind, Hard-Working, PBIS Award, Contributes Frequently in Classes (x2), Hard-Working, Secretary for Yearbook, Student Council and PBIS, English 9 Semester A & Global I Semester A Edmentum, PE All Stars, ELA Achievement Award, Geometry Award
- Emily Getman (Owen D. Young): Economics & English 12 Semester A Edmentum
- Blake Leigh (Poland): Great Graphic Designs, Helpful to Peers and Staff, Kind, Hard-Working, Goes the Extra Mile on Work/Projects, PBIS Award, Overcomes Obstacles, Contributes Frequently in Classes, 360 Degree Turn, ELA Achievement Award
- Izayah Przelski (West Canada Valley): Helpful to Peers and Staff, Respectful, Responsible, Kind
- Cole Youngs (West Canada Valley): Helpful to Peers and Staff, Kind, Respectful, Responsible, Overcomes Obstacles, Always Positive, U.S. History Semester A Edmentum
- Corey Palmer (Herkimer): Making Great Progress
- Jaymeis Vega (Little Falls): Making Great Progress
- Ja’siah Perkett (Little Falls): Paradigm Shifter in English
- Syncerae Wilcox (Central Valley): Prudent Jurist in English, Business Math Award
- Alfonso Davis Jr. (Mount Markham): PE All Stars
Most of the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy students who won awards during a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 22, pose with their awards along with then Pathways Academy Assistant Principal Dave Itzo (front, left).
Most of the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy students who won awards during a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 22, pose with their awards.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy teacher Erica Haver, who is a team leader for the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program at Pathways, announces winners during a Pathways Academy awards ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 22, with grades 7-9 content teachers on stage to help hand out the awards to students.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy teacher Erica Haver, who is a team leader for the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program at Pathways, announces winners during a Pathways Academy awards ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 22, with grades 10-12 content teachers on stage to help hand out the awards to students.