Cortland student interviews winner of teacher of the month

By Delaney Pace

CORTLAND,NY-- In the beginning of November, a survey went out to all of the Cortland High School students where they could vote for a teacher that they thought deserved to win Teacher of the Month. Usually, the Teacher of the Month is voted by only teachers. As a result, Mr. Palm was pronounced winner of this month's Teacher of the Month; voted by students.

This “student vote” approach for Teacher of the Month gives students the opportunity to give recognition to teachers they felt deserved credit for their extraordinary work. Mr. Palm is a current high school Spanish teacher, who started teaching at Cortland in 2014. When interviewed and asked “What does winning Teacher of the Month, voted by the students, mean to you?”, he responded with “It truly is a surprise, I am honored to have been nominated as teacher of the month. I am also humbled as I see the amount of work and enthusiasm that other teachers have with their classes and content area”.

Senior Collin Williams, gave Mr. Palm his vote. When asked “Why do you think Mr. Palm deserves teacher of the month?” he responds with “Because he is always there for every student. He always puts in the effort to be a great teacher”. Williams says Palm always gave extra help if anyone needed it and he taught the lessons well, making sure everyone understood. Mr. Palm is a well known, helpful and selfless teacher in our school. He shares “I am honored and humbled by all of the students that have participated in the voting. I would like to thank all staff and teachers at Cortland, including a huge thank you to the World Language Department, for their support and helping to improve myself as a teacher. You all make me proud to be a Cortland Purple Tiger, thank you!”.

By Adam Coon

CORTLAND, NY -- Mathematics teacher Mr. James Robison’s fifth year of teaching is already one to remember. With uncertain circumstances looming above the school year at all times, Cortland High School’s Algebra and Geometry teacher was nominated as the Teacher of the Month for the opening month of the 2020-21 school year by his peers. The September recipient discussed the differences from a standard year of teaching to the new format of teaching during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, a majority of schools nationwide opened back up in the fall to return to in-person learning for the first time since March. Mr. Robinson said 38% of his students attend his class through Google Meet, preferring to stay safe at home. That number has risen through the year already. “Having the students split in-person and remote at the same time, [there’s] just a lack of consistency,” Mr. Robinson said. The biggest challenge teaching dual classes simultaneously is “interacting with both groups [of students] and making sure you’re not accidentally ignoring one,” he said. “It’s just easier to talk to people that are in the room, then you have to remember there’s people online, too.”

Colleague Mr. Paul Drexler has worked down the hall from Mr. Robinson for over three years and has taught for a total of 21 years himself. “He’s doing a lot with technology and teaching us [other teachers] how to use it,” Mr. Drexler said, speculating on Mr. Robinson’s nomination. “He’s constantly being bombarded with questions and really great with helping people out.”

For a 10-day period in October, all Cortland Schools transferred to remote learning after a confirmed case within the district. Mr. Robinson explained the differences for his teaching between home and in school. “Teaching at home I had fewer issues, especially then because all the students are [all] at home. When I was up [teaching] at the board, I almost never looked at [the remote learners].” Since returning in late October, he’s implemented a new system of teaching in-person to better assist the remote learners.

Senior Michael Williams explained Mr. Robinson’s personality was the highlight of his time in his class. “He’s always there to talk to you about sports and just life in general.” Michael said. He had Mr. Robinson as a teacher for two years and as a learning block advisor.

By Hailey Walker

There is a new teacher in CHS, but what do we know about this teacher? Well this teacher's name is Mr. Hewitt. Before coming to work at CHS Mr. Hewitt worked at Liverpool schools as a substitute. You might be wondering why Mr. Hewitt decided to work at CHS, “I thought before at the high school level its been a while but I wanted to get back into teaching at the high school level special ED is something I really enjoy so being able to work with different teachers and different students and different classes and rooms is something that is enjoyable and rewarding” said Mr. Hewitt.

Mr. Hewitt teaches 9th and 10th grade, and teaching this grade level can be a little challenging because cell phones are a discretion for in-persion learners and remote learners. Mr. Hewitt teaches Special ED, he goes into various social study and english rooms and he supports the students who need extra help, “ I am an extra teacher in the classroom” said Mr. Hewitt.

Mr. Hewitt has been teaching for fifteen years. His least favorite thing about teaching would have to be competing with cell phones and having students on their cell phone when they shouldn't be. You might be aking what made Mr. Hewitt want to go into teaching it started in middle school “ When I first started taking spanish that was a class I really liked and I have teacher certification in spanish so that is one class I could teach and that I used to teach and basically the teacher made me like it and the material and the class itself and kinda made me want to pursue something in teaching” said Mr. Hewitt.

Watching students grow from the beginning of the school year to the end of the year and seeing students make large growth would probably be Mr. Hewitt's favorite thing about teaching. So now that you know something about the new teacher Mr. Hewitt, make sure to stop by and say hello because after reading about him you are no longer strangers.

Cortland, NY- CHS Cousins Owen Riley and Hannah Partigianoni share what it’s like to be committed to a college during high school. Owen has recently committed to Nazareth College as a member of the lacrosse team. Hannah has been committed to Brown University as a member of the hockey team.

Hannah has been playing hockey basically her whole life, she started skating when she was about 3 years old and then a few years later she started playing hockey. Since she has started playing she has played for multiple teams including travel. Hannah was approached by Brown University in about 9th grade. She made a verbal commitment then and just last year she officially committed as a player. Brown is a prestigious college that is located in Providence, Rhode Island. “The mix between prestigious academics and storied hockey history is what made the campus a perfect fit. I also love the coaches” said Hannah describing why she wanted to dedicate herself to this college. As you can expect Hannahs’ mindset has definitely changed. She wants to push herself to the limit whenever possible in both academics and athletics, “I have to focus on myself and my abilities so that I can perform above the level asked of me”. Already she has seen improvements in herself such as her “Time management” and “Understanding mistakes happen”.

Owen Riley has recently committed to Nazareth College for lacrosse. Similar to Hannah he has been playing almost his whole life. He started playing competitively when he was about 6. Since then he has played on multiple different teams including Orange Crush, Coldbrook Lacrosse, Upstate Salt Kings, and of course our own high school team. This wide variety of teams helped him develop sharp skills and instincts during games. The Nazareth College lacrosse team is highly respected and skilled and he also has some family history there. “My dad played on the first lacrosse team, it feels like home and I just love everything about Naz, between the Athletics and Academics it's a perfect fit” said Owen when asked about what truly made him want to play there. Committing to this college has affected Owen more than he thought it would, he feels the need to pay respects to Cortland High School for what it has allowed him to do, “I've worked out and practiced so I can make my last year as a purple tiger the best i've had yet”. Although this may be Owens last year here he still has many more to go at Nazareth College.

Teacher Of The Month is a tradition that has been in place at Cortland High School for years. To receive this prestigious honor, a staff member is nominated by their fellow colleagues. For the month of November, High School Guidance Counselor Kindra Catalano received this honor from her colleagues. Catalano has been a part of the staff here at CHS for 8 years, and is entering her ninth year of service to the school in 2021. She was the Head Coach for Modified Field Hockey for a total of 5 years. Catalano is now onto her 7th year as Head Varsity Girls Lacrosse Coach.

There are many ups and downs when it comes to being a High School Guidance Counselor, and head of the guidance department at that. “The biggest challenge happened when Michelle Hughes retired. After only a few years here, I became Head of the Department, so learning the job as well as creating quality leadership skills has been an ongoing challenge that i've accepted.” Catalano said in the interview. These ups and downs bring constant opportunities for growth for all involved.

With those challenges, we stay reminded that there are positive parts that are opportunities to grow. A common theme that the students at Cortland recognize is that the teachers and staff are constantly working together to make this school a better environment for all. “What I like most about working with the staff at CHS is the collaborative nature that we have created in my soon to be nine years here. Different ideas and different backgrounds all coming together for one common goal here… so the people really.” Catalano said in the interview. She is known around school for helping her colleagues and students whenever they need, for being kind and someone who is always willing to lend her helping hand.

The 2019-2020 school year brought along the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented time for all. “This pandemic has improved students' use of online programs and email, preparing them for post graduation experiences. This pandemic has left me missing interactions with students, which is why you become a counselor, to work with people and not through technology. It's taught really good lessons but taken away the human interaction that I enjoy the most.” Catalano said in the interview. This pandemic has brought on great struggle for teachers, but also Ms. Catalano reminds us that there is always something positive in something that feels so negative. The students and staff are thankful for Ms. Catalano’s dedication to her students, teams and school. Congratulations Ms. Catalano for receiving teacher of the month, November 2020!

By Hailey Walker

CORTLAND,NY-- CHS, there is a new teacher and his name is Vincent Lizama. Mr. Lizama is a Physical Ed teacher and he teaches 9th through 12th grade. To Mr. Lizama, teaching these grade levels is “ interesting from where I came from, the pre. K elementary level more of a learning and enjoying skill looking for my skills in sports v.s looking at lifelong activities so it is different it’s fun especially when now i’m looking for activities for lifelong wellness and i’m looking for what can I give to students to enjoy for the rest of their life instead of teaching students even though I do teach students the skill work but that is not the main focus, the main focus of high schools is more of how do I let them enjoy a sport, or how do I let them become interested in being active for the rest of their life.” said Mr. Lizama.

Mr. Lizama taught at Saint Mary’s for two years before deciding to come work at CHS. Mr. Lizama has now been teaching for three years at CHS. This would make it his third year of teaching. Here are some CHS students feeling about their teacher Mr. Lizama “ I would say Mr. Lizama is a very fun teacher. He takes care of the kids and goes over the curriculum well. I’ve also had him for football and he was very good during that as well. He knew when there was a time to have fun and when to be serious.” said Senior Christopher MacDuffee.

Mr. Lizama’s favorite thing about teaching would have to be that he is giving a chance to improve and change an individual in some way “ You know, it feels great when a student comes back to you and says that I had a positive impact in their life and when that happens the jobs done and I have made an impact in someone's life so that is my favorite thing about teaching.” said Mr. Lizama.

“I think he’s a great teacher, he’s fun to be around while being a good coach and teacher in general. He makes me want to be good at what I do.” said Senior Luis Mendez. Mr. Lizama is a wonderful teacher and couch so hopefully by reading my article you can agree with Luis and Chris and hopefully get a chance to meet or even have Mr. Lizama as your teacher or coach.

December’s Teacher of the Month is Mr. Petit, who was chosen by his peers. Mr. Petit has been working at CHS for 34 years. He started here right after college. Mr. Petit is the DDP and computer design teacher.

Over Mr. Petit’s many years of teaching, he has kept the teaching philosophy “to help every student excel and achieve more than they had when they first met me.” Sophomore Sarah Davis-Howard, a former student, said Mr. Petit “goes above and beyond for his students. He was always very understanding. I never felt overwhelmed.”

This school year has been like no other. When asked how he has adjusted to teaching during COVID, Mr. Petit said “It has been very difficult. I have had to learn Google Classroom, which I have never used.”

Considering the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, Mr. Petit believes all teachers should be recognized for their efforts. “I think every staff member deserves an award every month that we’re going through what we’re going through,” said Petit. He does not want this school year to discourage new teachers.

“Teaching is an amazing career,” said Petit, “and even with all of the craziness going on, we’re still having a positive impact on students’ lives, so we all have to remember that.”

by Hailey Walker

There is a new club in CHS and it is SAI and this stands for Students Against Injustice. This club is about students joining together to learn about and talk about anti-racism and it has blossomed into a little bit more than just race and ethnicity, they have conversations about sexuality, and analyzing social inequities.

The SAI club was thought of by Jenna Phalen and Jon Keefner and they had a conversion about being disappointed with the way that a lot of teachers and students but mostly teachers where addressing race or not addressing race at the high school and so the idea was developed of getting together and hoping to increase awareness. “Race is a very important factor regardless of what you identify as like if you are white your witness is equally salient if not more importantly salient and important in your daily life” said Mr. Keefner.

Anyone is welcome to join the SAI club and will be completely welcome if they choose to join, at the moment they are 7-12 and are quite low on junior high kids and would not mind to have a few. Meetings are held after school at 2:05 pm until 3:05 pm every Thursday.

The SAI club has in-person and remote learners so if you want to join and are a remote learner it is still possible. To join the SAI club you would just have to email Mr. Keefner.

CORTLAND, NY -- With December just starting, Cortland High School has entered the fourth month of the 2020-21 school year, yet is still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising cases across the country have once again left major cities re-adding restrictions.

After 12 weeks so far this year, four have been spent remotely after several positive COVID-19 tests from students within the building forced mandatory 14-day quarantines. These mandatory remote periods made up the majority of both October and November. Many students have switched to remote learning, either temporarily through the end of the semester, or permanently.

John Zarcone, the 11th-12th Grade Principal at CHS, talked about the process for shutting down and his view.

“I selfishly don’t like it when there are no kids in the building,” Mr. Z said. “I also realize how it’s more frustrating for teachers and students because they’re the ones with the schedules of classes every day and they get impacted directly.”

During the virtual-only weeks, Mr. Z explained that he’s had to find new avenues as a principal after seven years. “I’ve had to get creative with the way I do things, I have popped into a lot of classes virtually. It worked out well, I got to see the creativity of our teachers.”

He believes the school had prepared properly ahead of time. “To my knowledge, there have been zero cases of COVID-19 from inside this building,” he said. “Students and staff are getting quarantined because of circumstances from outside of the building.” He began praising the CHS community. “[I’m] incredibly pleased. I knew we had the greatest staff on the planet and the best kids in the world… there’s hiccups -- nothing’s perfect, right? Seeing how we’ve reacted to this as a school building and as a district solidified my thoughts we have a real special place, incredibly pleased with how everyone’s reacting.”

“I think we’re doing everything right,” he continued. “Major applause to our students for abiding by our mask rules from what I’ve seen in the hallway. Hats off to our teachers for abiding by our policies, but also implementing them and enforcing them. I think we’re doing everything we have to do here.”

“We promised students who wanted to come to school five days a week, that we would offer five days of school and we’re doing it safely,” said Mr. Z. “There’s not conversation about going remote just because, but there’s always conversations about going remote if numbers change and dictate if we should.”

Some teachers have been vocal about the negative consequence of still being at school. With students swapping from in-person to remote by the day and kids being taken out of class due to contact tracing policies, some teachers believe we should swap to an all-remote process, for at least a limited time. “We’re always talking about the possibility of going remote, but it all depends on numbers within this building; quarantines and positive cases here,” Mr. Z said, in response to these complaints. “These things are always being worked on, always being thought about and talked about. We have to keep going.”