October 28, 2022
Dear Binghamton Families,
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a cause that is especially close to my heart as a survivor and as a superintendent who has supported many faculty and staff impacted by this disease. It’s been heartwarming to see extra shades of pink around our buildings and on our fields and courts throughout the month, and to hear words of encouragement and solidarity. From teachers in T-shirts to our community walking for the cause at Rec Park this past Sunday, our students and employees are raising awareness of breast cancer prevention each October.
It’s been a fantastic fall for Patriot Athletics! Here are just a few highlights from the past several weeks: freshman and standout tennis player Samantha Dalmolen spent the second half of this week representing Binghamton at the NYSPHSAA Girls Tennis Championship in Schenectady. Our Binghamton High School varsity cheerleaders had an incredible performance at last weekend’s STAC competition, earning first place in the Class A division! Even more important than athletic excellence is character. I’m so proud of our cross country team, and coaches Cody and Butts, for receiving the Spirit & Sportsmanship Award for exemplifying these traits at the Marathon Cross Country Invitational this month.
This week, there was yet another shining example of how incredible our students are. East Middle School students Isiah DeJesus and Malachi Bell were walking to school Monday morning when they witnessed a car accident. A woman was trapped in the vehicle with her airbags deployed. The boys leapt into action, breaking the window, cutting the airbag with a key, and helped the woman out of the vehicle. We are so proud of the heroic actions of these young men, and we will officially honor them at our November Board of Education meeting.
On Tues., Nov. 1, we will officially launch our new district website and mobile app, so please look out for that information in a coming email. We are excited for you to experience BCSD’s new look!
Music, dance and art is in the air and around our schools. Whether they be displays of creative productions or early performances of larger pieces that will be showcased during the winter concert season, our faculty and students continue to impress. I also look forward to our fall production of “Radium Girls” and the annual BHS Community Thanksgiving dinner, along with many more events, opportunities and accomplishments.
With Patriot Pride,
Dr. Tonia Thompson
Superintendent of Schools