Congratulations to our newly appointed wrestling varsity coaches, who were approved at Thursday's Board of Education meeting!
🔵GIRLS: Keith Jarrell
🟡BOYS: Mario Schiano
⭐STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Ten schools. Dozens upon dozens of food items and orders. Many staff members who serve our students. There are a lot of details – big and small – to helping run the Food Service Department of a school district. Lucky for us, we have a detail-oriented, hard-working team player in Sarah Herbert! “She has always gone above and beyond the call of duty, always helping out wherever it’s needed,” says WICSD School Lunch Director, Betsy LoGiudice. And yes, that includes even donning an apron and covering a shift as a Food Service Helper on occasion! Thank you, Mrs. Herbert, for all that you do to keep our students satisfied!
💙POSITION: Secretary to the School Lunch Director
💛WICSD SERVICE: 8 years
📍HOMETOWN: A 2004 graduate of Greece Arcadia HS, she still resides in Greece. She earned an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts at Monroe CC.
🗣WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: "Sarah has been an amazing member of our team. Her job description says ‘clerical’ for our department, but that's not where it ends for Sarah. She also recently converted all of our PDF menus into an interactive version that allows families and staff to hover over any item and see the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens for each. This was a months-long, labor-intensive project, which will make everyone's life easier. Thank you, Sarah, for your dedication and positive attitude!" says Betsy LoGuidice, School Lunch Director.
➡ MORE ON HER: https://t.co/KAxUQ4pf0X
🤝Our Board of Education appointed three administrators at Thursday night’s board meeting, including two who will replace staff members who are retiring:
▪️Claire Hamilton, Assistant Principal, Dake Jr. HS
▪️Tyler Johnson, Executive Director of Operations
▪️Kyra Stephenson, Director of Helmer Nature Center
Congratulations and welcome to the team! All three are scheduled to start July 1. Read more at https://t.co/GPU2kEJMl7.
WAX MUSEUM! From a collection of athletes and famous performers to important figures in history, the Southlawn "Wax Museum" last week had a great mixture of people whom our students selected to learn about and portray. Thank you to all of the families who visited "the museum" and to the students for working so hard on their displays and their portrayals! Students were from the classes of Mrs. Caveny, Ms. Lewis, Mr. Rause, Mrs. Stewart and Ms. Vay. Here’s our gallery featuring some students.
CHAMPIONSHIP-BOUND! Irondequoit baseball is headed to the Section V Championship Game for the first time since 2003!
The fifth-seed Eagles stunned #1 Pittsford Mendon, 12-10, in a semifinal slugfest. IHS (12-7) faces #3 Canandaigua (17-5) in Friday's 4 PM title game at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia.
IHS survived a five-run rally Tuesday by Mendon (17-4) in the bottom of the seventh inning and left the tying runs on base. Senior starter Brayden Delly threw 4 2/3
innings, allowing two runs in the first before settling in and allowing 3 earned runs. He struck out 6 and also hit a two-run double. Senior Alex McLaughlin tossed the final 2 1/3 innings.
Much like its 8-1 quarterfinal win at #4 Eastridge, IHS broke the game open with a big second inning. The Eagles exploded for seven runs and kept adding to its lead for a 12-5 cushion headed to the final inning.
Coach Joey Kuhn used some trickery to manufacture runs, as multiple bunts and steals helped plate runners. Eight of the nine Eagles in the lineup scored. Senior Max Spitz led the offense with 3 hits, 2 RBI, 3 Runs and 2 steals. Junior Jackson Mroczek and sophomore Jimmy Jackson each had two hits and an RBI.
The final concert of May featured our IHS Vocal Extravaganza and a salute to seniors in the Choristers, Dapper Singer Society, Sweet Sixteen, Lake Effect and Gold n' Blue!
Enjoy the full performance here: https://t.co/6tbG1dv4DM
MOVING AND MATH! One of the six grants the West Irondequoit Foundation provided for this school year was for Rogers Middle School, which now uses hands-on, visual learning tools and math mats to enable students to practice math while physically moving. Watch more in our video with grant authjor & Rogers fourth-grade teacher, Lindsay Lennertz, and Foundation Student Board Rep, Cooper Petzing, an IHS senior.
◾MORE GRANTS: https://t.co/lfFLUUAQpN
◾DONATE ONLINE: https://t.co/MOfHhTVci4
@MissLennertz@n_dimartino
#6 seed IHS lost in the Section V Class A2 quarterfinals at home today to #3 McQuaid to end the Eagles' season with a record of 7-6. "Our group has showed a lot of promise throughout the spring," first-year head coach Paul Myers said. IHS graduates three seniors. Thanks for the support this season! We'll see you next spring!
☑️ Vote Results by District Clerk - Jenna Lustig
COMMENTS
◾️Supt. of Schools, Dr. Aaron Johnson
◾️Board of Education Pres., Mr. Matt Sullivan
"(Our community members) trust and relish the work that's done in this district and it makes it easier for the community to make decisions like they made today," Sullivan said.
MORE ON THE PROPS: Superintendent Aaron Johnson shares more about the two propositions on this year's ballot, including how the district can save money by accessing additional aid for a new Energy Performance Contract (Proposition #2) that will make our district more efficient.
Read more on our website about each proposition: https://t.co/EqbjEius4M.
Polls open at 6 a.m. Tuesday for the District Vote!
The District Budget Vote and Board of Education election is Tuesday, May 19. Use the links below to learn more about the 2026-27 proposed budget, two propositions on the ballot and two Board of Education candidates.
🔵“The Quote” newsletter: https://t.co/WOaPoVdZiU
🟡Vote page: https://t.co/EqbjEius4M
⭐As an avid bicyclist who once pedaled all the way from Irondequoit to Myrtle Beach, Marc Bigsby knows it’s about more than just reaching the destination – it’s about the journey. That same philosophy guides him as a School Social Worker, as he focuses on supporting students through each step of their personal, academic, and social growth. He meets them where they are and helps them move forward with confidence. Thank you, Mr. Bigsby, for guiding our students as they find their way.
💙POSITION: School Social Worker at Colebrook elementary and Iroquois Middle School.
💛WICSD SERVICE: 19 years (35-plus years overall in education); he also has been Advisor to the Chess Club at Iroquois with about 100 students and trains Peer Mediators.
📍HOMETOWN: Born in Philadelphia, he has lived in Irondequoit for nearly 20 years. Mr. Bigsby also has lived in Germany, Cincinnati, NY’s Southern Tier and the Ithaca area.
❓WHAT’S YOUR WHY? “In my position as a school social worker, I get to meet the most interesting, amazing kids and their families! I am a problem-solver by nature and enjoy helping people find solutions. I really enjoy seeing kids develop new strategies to help them work through social/emotional/behavioral difficulties.”
➡READ MORE: https://t.co/KAxUQ4oHbp
☑ BE INFORMED: We are 4⃣ days away from the District Budget Vote and Board of Education election on Tuesday, May 19. We will share facts all this week about the 2026-27 proposed budget and two propositions on the ballot. Use the links below to learn more.
🔵“The Quote” newsletter: https://t.co/WOaPoVdZiU
🟡Vote page: https://t.co/EqbjEius4M
**INSIDE THE PINEGROVE LEARNING CENTER**
With the R.I.S.E. Project complete, work has started on the $24.6 million Promise Project 2027, the district Capital Improvement Project approved by voters in December of 2024. It includes a major renovation and modernization of the Pinegrove Learning Center, 154 Pinegrove Ave., and the addition of a multi-purpose athletic complex at our main campus behind IHS and Dake Jr. HS featuring new turf baseball and softball fields, plus a new grass baseball diamond at Iroquois MS.
The transformation of the Pinegrove facility, adjacent to the Helmer Nature Center and 70-plus years old, will allow the district to add three Pre-kindergarten classrooms, so we can get more children off our annual Pre-K/UPK waiting list and into classrooms. The work will also add a STEAM Lab (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) for district-wide use, including HNC use. This will be a “full gut” renovation of the existing building including:
• Secure entrance and vestibule
• Administration and Nurse offices
• Restrooms, staff break room and custodial room
Work began in March on a reconfigured drop-off/pick-up loop in front of the building. Oh, we can’t forget this addition: A new age-appropriate playground, too!
TURF FIELDS: Construction on the state-of-the-art turf fields on the main campus will begin after the IHS baseball/softball seasons conclude later this month. Below is an estimated work timeline:
SPRING 2026:
• Begin work at Pinegrove Learning Center
• Mobilize to IHS/Dake (main campus turf) and middle school (grass) fields for construction; expect to happen in late May/early June 2026
SUMMER 2026:
• Mobilize to Iroquois MS for corridor renovations and elevator modernization
• Continuing work at middle school field
• Continuing work at main campus turf athletic complex
FALL/WINTER 2026:
• Turnover interior renovations at Iroquois MS
• Continuing work at Pinegrove Learning Center and both fields
SPRING 2027:
• Final preparation of Pinegrove Learning Center and Pre-K/UPK building
• Final preparation of main campus turf athletic complex and Iroquois fields
• Project Closeout
ALL UPDATES: https://t.co/7zpRgurvmn
☑ BE INFORMED: We are 5⃣ days away from the District Budget Vote and Board of Education election on Tuesday, May 19. We will share facts all this week about the 2026-27 proposed budget and two propositions on the ballot. Use the links below to learn more.
🔵“The Quote” newsletter: https://t.co/WOaPoVdZiU
🟡Vote page: https://t.co/EqbjEius4M
🎉CONGRATULATIONS! Senior Gianna Geesler was honored this morning with the Joe Genier Memorial Scholarship, given annually to the Irondequoit HS Business Student of the Year. The $1,500 award, as selected by the Irondequoit Chamber of Commerce, honored one student from IHS and one from Eastridge, Natalie Zazubec! Congratulations to both!
“Gigi” has had a spectacular high school career! In addition to serving as Treasurer of the award-winning IHS DECA Club, this spring she was named a DECA Emerging Leader, a national honor, along with classmate, Sara Levesque. Gigi also teamed with classmates Elena Lamanna and Brooke Trovato to place sixth in the state and earn a spot in the DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta for their franchise business plan. As a sophomore, Gigi was a DECA Regional Finalist in “Marketing Communications,” and last year her 10-page start-up business plan earned a Top 10 medal at states.
She is an active member of National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society, all while maintaining a 96 academic average. She will receive the State Education Department’s Career & Technical Gold Seal at graduation for demonstrating excellence in her rigorous business class coursework.
Gigi’s charitable efforts have included volunteering for fall clean up at the Sunset House, ringing Salvation Army bells, helping collect food for the Irondequoit Community Cupboard and Special Olympics. Known for being a supportive teammate, Gigi played basketball and lacrosse throughout her career. She will attend St. Bonaventure University and major in Sports Management.
She is the daughter of Julie and Greg Geesler. Greg is a 1992 IHS graduate and coaches football, basketball and lacrosse in our district. Julie (Mordaci) teaches at IHS and is a Bishop Kearney graduate.
IHS business teachers LaVon Bucciarelli, Jeanine Lent and Lou DiCesare, who is retiring at the end of this school year, also attended today’s breakfast at Chapel Oaks along with West Irondequoit CSD Superintendent, Aaron Johnson, and Asst. Superintendent for Business, James Brennan. Gigi’s grandmothers, Gerry Geesler and Carol Mordaci, were there, too, along with her lacrosse teammate, classmate and friend, Revlie Genier. The scholarship is named in honor of Revlie’s grandfather.