Check out the Fall 2019 District Newsletter now for updates on school and district news! READ MORE >
Depew Union Free School District was the first school district in WNY to achieve Quality Partner Status from the WNY STEM Hub. This is a high-level, capstone endorsement that demonstrates STEAM learning meets best practice standards. The NYS STEM Quality Learning Rubric guides this recognition program which WNY STEM launched in 2015. Depew’s STEAM journey began... READ MORE >
A Focus on ResiliencyThe term resilience is generally accepted as our capacity to recover from adversity, difficulties or trauma. But in schools, resilience must be about rising above where we are and excelling to new heights. This is our vision for the 2019-20 school year, as we strive to build a stronger school system in every way. Focusing on students’ learning... READ MORE >
An important factor for student success in school is to have open lines of communication. Parents of students in grades 6 through 12 have the opportunity to stay on top of student grades and work through the use of technological tools. One such tool is the PowerSchool Parent Portal. All parents of students in DMS and DHS have access to individual grades as well... READ MORE >
Staff and students worked hard this past month with STEAM integration at all levels. A few examples of their work involved coding in Mrs. Smith's class at Cayuga Heights Elementary and the start of a new STEAM based class at DMS.The coding at Cayuga Heights, is taught in Keyboarding class by Ms. Leary. The students in Mrs. Smith's class choose to code when they... READ MORE >
Check out all the great STEAM education happening at Depew Union Free School District! Our teachers have received professional development for the benefit of our students and have given professional development to other local teachers to benefit students in other schools. From coding at Cayuga Heights to the incorporation of technology in high school music and art... READ MORE >
District residents should have received the 2019-20 Depew Union Free School District Calendar and Parent Information Packet in the mail. If you have not received it or would like to see it online, click here to access the calendar. The Parent Information Packet is also available online. If you would like a print calendar, please contact the district at... READ MORE >
Beginning in September of 2019 Depew UFSD will have a district license for Remind. You may be familiar with Remind from a club, sports team or one of your child's teachers. Remind is a service, and app, that is available for our teachers, advisors, and coaches to communicate with parents, and students. It will enable them to send out reminders, messages, and... READ MORE >
Did you know the acronym “SLP” stands for Speech-Language Pathologist? SLPs may work in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. They treat a variety of communication disorders, including language, articulation, auditory processing, phonological awareness, voice, and stuttering, just to name a few! The Depew Speech and Language Department shared this and... READ MORE >
Twelve teachers and administrators from across the Depew School District attended the National “Schoology Next” conference in July. Schoology is a comprehensive Learning Management System adopted by our District in 2016 that ties together our one to one technology resources as well as connects students together in a collaborative learning experience that extends... READ MORE >
Students in Mrs. Rosch's eighth grade Social Studies Class had the opportunity to do independent research on a variety of topics throughout the year. The "Interest Hour" is closely modeled after the popular Genius Hour and uses aspects of Project Based Learning (PBL). After selecting a topic of their own desire and researching it, students created presentations... READ MORE >
The actress who played Scout in the 1962 film of To Kill a Mockingbird presented to audiences of students and the community in the Depew High School Auditorium Tuesday, June 11. Mrs. Badham spoke about the messages espoused in Harper Lee's novel and connected it to her own life to inspire students to pursue an education and be tolerant of one another. See... READ MORE >
Follow this link to see the coverage on our Valedictorian and Salutatorian twins - Samantha and Elizabeth Maroshick!Channel 2 Great Grads June 5, 2019 READ MORE >
Counselors Katie Malczewski and Erica Gregoire were awarded a grant through the Lancaster Youth Bureau Foundation to purchase socks, underwear, and personal care items for Depew Threads. Depew Threads is a clothes resource located in the high school and available to all Depew students and their families. READ MORE >
For the fifth year in a row, students, staff and administration got together to celebrate the work of Depew Union Free School Districts food service workers on May 3, Lunch Hero Day. “From the warm and compassionate welcoming environment that they provide in the cafeteria to the personal touch that they deliver with every student’s meal, to how they encourage our... READ MORE >
Mrs. Cierzo's third-grade class are participating in the national 3rd Gard Cabbage Program. The Bonnie Plants initiated the program in 1996 in Alabama and by 2002 it had become a national endeavor, shipping more than 1 million free oversized cabbage plants to third-graders in 48 states each year. The mission of the program is to inspire a love of vegetable... READ MORE >
Members of the DHS IMPACT Team presented a check for $700 to Depew Threads from the proceeds of the Father-Daughter Dance held in February. IMPACT stands for "I’M Promoting Activism & Change Today!". Depew Threads is a resource for any Depew student in need of clothing. Racks are full of like-new and new attire for boys and girls of different sizes and ages. READ MORE >
On April 12, the 47th annual Freedom in America essay and poster contest finalists presented their work to a panel of judges. Essay finalists were eighth graders Madeline Doctor, Jessica Palmisano and Kiera Szuba, and seventh graders Krystal Wainwright and Sasa Nguyen. They each picked a topic to express what freedom means to them, using current world events to... READ MORE >
On Saturday, March 16 three Depew Middle School students, Samantha Pintabona, Alyssa Ackman and Makayla Seawood attended the all day Tech Savvy Girls 2019 Conference hosted by University of Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences along with Praxair and AAUW at the UB North campus. "This was a great opportunity for the young ladies to individually... READ MORE >
Earlier this month, DECA Advisor, Ms. Jessica Leary, accompanied three students to the New York State DECA Competition and Career Conference in Rochester. Junior, Tarek Karzoun placed in the top 10 for one of his role plays in the Entrepreneurship competition. Junior, Sarah Rolling, and Christopher Burgio, Sophomore, earned 1st place in the Community Service... READ MORE >
The 8th grade officers surprised every 8th grader on the morning of Valentine's Day with a gift in each person's locker. Officers stayed after school Wednesday to put the gifts in every classmates' locker. Girls received a small stuffed animal and boys received a pack of Skittles with a note wishing them a Happy Valentine's Day. READ MORE >
Cayuga Heights second grade students headed to the Buffalo Museum of Science on January 25. Students enjoyed the interactive exhibits on motion, dinosaurs, electricity and more. It was a great day of learning and fun. READ MORE >
Students in Mrs. Belle-Isle's class wrote and illustrated their own books. The books' subjects varied from dragons to family and vacations to Universal studios to holiday celebrations. To celebrate the students' achievement in creating their own books, the students sang and danced to a song about writing and then proudly held up their finished works and filed to... READ MORE >
The Student Council Holiday Food Drive culminated December 14 with Depew Eagles Club members picking up boxes of nonperishable food items that will benefit 10 middle school families in need this holiday season. The annual event began before Thanksgiving, and students and staff were extremely generous in their donations. All three grade levels competed for a the... READ MORE >
DHS students were treated to two great assemblies recently. The first was part of County Legislator John Bruso's "Find Your Niche" Series, which brought special guest, actor William Fichtner to DHS to speak about focus and determination. Check out News 4 WIVB Buffalo's coverage here: https://www.wivb.com/news/loca... The second assembly encouraged students to... READ MORE >
On Dec. 2-3, Depew music teacher Heather Lovelace presented a session on STEAM lessons in the music classroom at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) conference, covering grades K-12 general music and ensembles. The session was sponsored by the state curriculum committee and was attended by the head of the curriculum committee. Two seniors, Haley... READ MORE >
Thirty students and teachers attended Maker Faire Rochester's first ever Student STEAM Fest. Students got to experience a wide array of hand-on activities in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and math. From making their own ice-cream, to soldering flashlights and playing with robots, students had an opportunity to learn and have fun. READ MORE >
Sources of Strength joined forces with Challenge for Change to create a Path of Thankfulness outside the Fitness center at Depew High School. Sources of strength is a new initiative at DHS whose purpose is to help our student body find their positive supports and personal strengths in their lives to help get them through difficult times. Challenge for Change is... READ MORE >
On Nov. 20, DMS held the first of seven “D.E.A.L. Days”. D.E.A.L. stands for Drop Everything And Lead. All 389 middle school students took part in the program during the first two periods of the day. Students had a choice of 31 teacher-led groups that they selected by completing a Google Form emailed to them the week prior. They picked their top three choices... READ MORE >
For the first time, STEAM Day was held for Pre-K through 5th graders at Cayuga Heights Elementary on November 16. Around 850 students participated in 160 minutes of STEAM instruction, while having fun at the same time. The staff and administration at Cayuga spent nearly six months planning out everything from the time students arrived to the time they left for the... READ MORE >
On November 19 , Schoology is implementing their New Experience-They are updating the site navigation for teachers, students, and parents. The redesign was made to help make accessing information easier and cleaner. Attached are 2 links to give you a preview of what the site navigation will look like beginning November 19. If you have any problems accessing... READ MORE >
Thank you to everyone who participated in our 1st Halloween DHS Blood Drive! 31 donors saved 81 potential lives. Each unit of blood can save up to three lives. We collected 27 units, surpassing our goal of 19 and had 12 new donors with Unyts. READ MORE >
The Girls’ Modified Volleyball team finished the 2018 season undefeated in match play with a record of 12-0. The Wildcats led their division defeating Lakeshore, Pioneer, Iroquois, and Maryvale. The Wildcats also defeated cross-town rival Cheektowaga Central three times during the season, including in their final home match on October 25th. Throughout the season... READ MORE >
Our 10th grade Earth Science students saw first-hand many examples of Earth's History, fossils, sedimentary rocks, weathering and erosion, and evolution during a field trip to Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve on Oct. 25. READ MORE >
The National Junior Honor Society is collecting individually wrapped candy in each of the school offices until Nov. 2 for Operation Gratitude.Your extra candy will be shipped in care packages to troops overseas. Last year NJHS collected 153 pounds of candy! Let's beat that record this year!There are collection bins in each school's main office. READ MORE >
Spirit Week has been a huge success this year. Get ready for Blue and White Day tomorrow!Go Wild Cats! READ MORE >
The Cool Jobs Series kicked off with its first speaker in September. Entrepreneur, Alex Villafranca, CEO of Arbeit Software talked to students about being an entrepreneur. A high school graduate who had an idea and ran with it, Mr. Villafranca is now the CEO of a multi-million dollar company. "Want to be good at what you do? Be determined and investigative. ... READ MORE >
Recently the seventh grade class participated in the annual Team Building Day. Begun by 7th grade class advisers Mrs. Kathy Ward (MS) and Mrs. Theresa Mercuri (MS) several years ago, Team Building Day gives students an opportunity to participate in four activities designed to build cooperation, collaboration, trust and a feeling of community. The seventh... READ MORE >
The DHS French Club has a great year lined up! We meet monthly to enjoy French treats, crafts and guest speakers. We also celebrate the holidays with our annual cake make and taste and our Trois Rois and Mardi Gras parties. Other highlights may include a Sabres game and a French play! We are also holding some fundraisers to support the trip to France that we... READ MORE >
Katelyn Szefler and Joe Pagano attended the Section VI Sportsmanship recognition program Wednesday with Athletic Cooridnator Brian Wilson. Congratulations Katelyn and Joe! Go Wildcats! READ MORE >
Channel 7 covered the first day of school and spoke to our School Resource Officer, Mr. Hossfeld, Middle School Principal Mr. Lupini, Superintendent Dr. Rabey and High School Principal Mrs. Townsend. See their coverage here.Welcome back students! READ MORE >
Ninety of Depew’s student musicians made their way to the “Happiest Place on Earth” this past Memorial Day weekend. High School Band Teacher George Kroetsch said this special group of students and the unpredicted great weather made the trip to Disney World memorable. This is the High School Marching Band’s eighth trip to Magic Kingdom to march in one of... READ MORE >
Sixth Grade teachers, Dawn Thurnherr and Christe Maryanski, were the recipients of the Lancaster Youth Foundation 2017-2018 Grant Program this school year. They were awarded $150. The award went to purchase additional books for the classroom library as well as a celebration of young writers and poets. The goal of the Lancaster Youth Foundation grant program is... READ MORE >
The Depew High School Class of 2018 has yet to walk across the stage at commencement, but seniors made the trip through their former stomping grounds Wednesday, May 30. The Class of 2018 dressed in their caps and gowns and excitedly began the annual Senior Walk Through. The tradition takes the seniors from the high school to the middle school and finally... READ MORE >
Over 150 middle-school students felt like champions the morning of May 22. The Character Education Breakfast is for students who have been recognized by their teachers for exemplifying positive behavior and contributing to the positive culture we are fostering as Depew Middle School. The Depew Rotary Club sponsors the breakfast every year. They commented how well... READ MORE >
The morning of May 22 was a busy one for Depew Board of Education members. After serving students at the Breakfast of Champions, they were off to tour the high school and middle schools. In the middle school they saw a technology class at work creating keychains with the 3D printer, mechanical systems in the basement and the new fitness center. After the tours they... READ MORE >
On Friday, students at Cayuga Heights Elementary and the Middle and High schools demonstrated their appreciation on Lunch Hero Day with signed handmade cards, banners made of decorated lunch bags and paper plates and gifts of chocolate, personalized cookies, flowers and treats. Their kindness was fearured on WIVB's broadcast. READ MORE >
For the fourth year in a row, Depew students honored the “EXTRA-ordinary” “com-MINT-ment” of those serving up a plate of tender loving nutrition every day. On Friday, May 4 Depew Union Free School District celebrated Lunch Hero Day when cafeteria staff say, “I am a Lunch Lady. What’s your super power?” Students at Cayuga Heights Elementary and the Middle and High... READ MORE >
On April 26, Spanish and French Club students attended an evening performance of Phantom of the Opera at Shea's Performing Arts Center. Students thoroughly enjoyed the performance and are looking forward to planning another theater trip next year with the clubs. READ MORE >
Depew High School Student Senate has been recognized as a 2018 National Gold Council of Excellence. Earning the award was no small task. This designation is awarded to middle level and high school student councils and senates that consistently provide quality leadership activities and service to their schools and communities can earn national recognition through... READ MORE >
Depew Middle School crowned the newest winners in the Annual Freedom in America Essay and Poster Contest. This DMS tradition, now 46 years strong, showcased 10 seventh- and eighth-graders, who stood out among their peers. These finalists showed the Depew Middle School community their interpretations of the theme, “Freedom in America.” The esteemed panel of judges... READ MORE >
The Cayuga Heights Elementary running club team is certainly on the move. Members have logged in an impressive amount of mileage. The sneakers designate our students and their sneaker will go underneath which mileage milestone they have achieved. Some of our students have already reached 15 miles. READ MORE >
On Tuesday, April 10, Computer Science 4 all, CS4all, recognized Depew High School for its exemplary efforts in providing learning experiences in Computer Science. Mrs. Townsend accepted the recognition citing a district wide effort in providing students with problem solving and critical thinking activities. She further stated that this is done with the integration... READ MORE >
All are welcome! READ MORE >
Building, creating and experimenting were the activities of the night during the district's first STEAM family event in March. Over 600 members of the school-community filled the high school gymnasium, cafeteria and classrooms to learn how the district incorporates science, technology, engineering, math and arts into the curriculum. The event made a distinct... READ MORE >
Over 100 students at Cayuga Height Elementary came to school early over the past 3 days to make glowbugs for Depew's first STEAM Family Night at Depew High School. Community partnerships with the University at Buffalo and Praxair, as well as a variety of hands-on engineering and technology activities, are to be featured. For the first time, the annual... READ MORE >
Recently, the Potsdam Pitches, a co-ed cappella group made up of students from SUNY Potsdam, ended their winter tour at Depew High School. The artist provided a 40-minute master class for the high school choir students. The singers broke into small groups scattered throughout the music wing as they worked together to lean a cappella song. By the end of... READ MORE >
At the recent Depew Union Free School District Board of Education meeting, the board adopted a new recognition process to go with the Depew Union Free School District’s Board of Education Recognition Award. More information will be forthcoming in the coming weeks, and in the winter edition of the district newsletter. READ MORE >
The 2017 Wall of Fame award recipients have contributed greatly to the well-being of our society by sharing their talents, leadership skills and hard work. With this honor we celebrate their lives, accomplishments and the choices, albeit sometimes the sacrifices, they have made along their career and personal life path. Honorees were recognized in the... READ MORE >
Do you have free time and want to earn some extra money? Depew Schools has openings for substitute school bus drivers. Applications are available at the Bus Garage, 5261 Transit Road. Candidates must be able to drive 60-passenger bus with/air brake and passenger endorsements and have clean driving record. Training arrangements can be provided for those who... READ MORE >
The Cayuga Heights Elementary Reading Department is thrilled to sponsor our 12th annual Summer Reading Awards Program! This program encourages children to read throughout the summer. It is proven that children who continue to read during the summer months will maintain reading skills learned throughout the year. To participate in this program you and your child... READ MORE >
The elementary students at Cayuga Heights were the shining stars of the building's annual Leadership Day as they led a program and building tours for their family members.The annual event showcases what the students from kindergarten to fifth-grade have learned about Steven Covey's 7 Habits.The student welcoming committee greeted guests as they arrived and gave... READ MORE >
Seniors donned their white and blue graduation caps and gowns a little early this year and revisited their middle and elementary school during the Senior Walk. In a single line that snaked quite a distance, the seniors walked the halls of Depew Middle School high-fiving students and waving hello to former teachers. At Cayuga Heights Elementary, former teachers had... READ MORE >
Sunny skies were warming up the garden area at Cayuga Heights Elementary on Wednesday, May 31 as students from all grades planted vegetables in the school's garden.The Healthy Garden is funded by Wegman's and sponsored by the American Heart Association. For several years the garden has provided an outdoor teaching area for students to learn about plants, the... READ MORE >
Depew High School senior Mercedes Jackson took top honors for her business idea, "Afro-Sooth" to earn a $2,500 scholarship at the Junior Achievement Business Plan Challenge. The ninth annual competition brought 15 teams together at Bryant & Stratton College in Orchard Park on May 18. Seniors Mitch Becker and Josh Olewniczak took third place overall with their... READ MORE >
The cafeteria staff at Depew’s three schools got a hero’s welcome today (May 5) when they entered the lunch room. As part of the third annual celebration, students and staff at all buildings will show their appreciation to their lunch ladies with necklaces, special treats and sub sandwiches, flowers and handmade thank you notes. Check out the Buffalo News... READ MORE >
The Depew High School Fitness Center, funded by the $1.1 million Carol M. White Physical Education (PEP) grant, had its official opening this week with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Fitness centers at Depew Middle School and Cayuga Heights Elementary will also open. Watch the WKBW news segment (aired 4/26/17) about the Fitness Center. Click here to watch it now!At... READ MORE >
The Depew Middle School student council coordinated a drop off of eight boxes of fiction, non-fiction and reference books to continue their support of the Depew-Lancaster Boys and Girls Club. The donation of new books, as well as used books that had been identified by the school librarian as excess due to their publication date or condition, were part of the... READ MORE >
Susan Frey, assistant superintendent for Depew Schools, has been selected by the Western New York Educational Service Council (WNYESC) to receive its 2017 Award for Excellence in the category of Administration. She was nominated for this honor and chosen from a large number of outstanding nominees. She will be receiving an individual tribute in the presence of her... READ MORE >