Forestville Central School District

Welcome to Forestville Middle/High School!

Mr. Daniel Grande -MS/HS Principal   

Email Address: dgrande@forestville.com 

Phone # (716) 965-6522

Ms. Melody Voigt - MS/HS Main Office Secretary   

Email Address: mvoigt@forestville.com 

Phone # (716) 965-6521

Dear Forestville Community,

I hope this letter finds you well. As we gear up for the new school year, I wanted to take a moment to update you on some exciting developments happening at our school.

As Dr. O'Connor mentioned in his recent letter, we have undergone significant construction and reconstruction projects over the summer months. This includes improvements in classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms. We have also upgraded our roofing and heating systems in most areas, with a focus on safety, comfort, and convenience.

Our middle school has been a particular area of focus. We have refined the schedule to confine middle school traffic to the second floor and high school traffic to the third floor as much as possible. This will help create better identities for both groups. Additionally, we have contracted with a company to create a new "feel" as students enter the middle school area. The main hallway will receive a much-needed facelift that we believe will contribute to our students feeling more connected than ever before.

With all of this new work being done in and around our school, we anticipate a great turnout at our annual open house scheduled for October 19th at 6:00 pm. Be on the lookout for a flyer that will detail the evening's events, including a cookout, building and classroom visits, and a fall concert.

We are not only focusing on the physical aspects of the school building but also increasing the value of our educational component for our students. Last year, we tested the waters by offering an accelerated math class in middle school and an Advanced Placement science course at the high school. Both ventures were highly successful, and now we are ready to add more.

Continuing to add more course offerings begins with the reinstatement of two critical teaching positions lost a few years ago in the areas of social studies and science. Our main goal moving forward is to enable our students to graduate from Forestville with an opportunity to gain more college credits than ever before. Currently, students graduating from Forestville can earn up to approximately 24 credit hours towards college. The new plan that will be phased in over the next two years is projected to increase the course offerings by 83%, which means that students may earn as much as 44 credits upon graduation. This is exciting news for our school community.

For this to have the greatest potential for success, we may need to work on a culture shift. The Covid years had a negative impact on attendance and enthusiasm for academics with some students. Last year, we made huge strides in getting the majority of students back on track, but our work is far from over. Expect to hear more this school year on how you can help support these goals and give your child every opportunity for success.

Before I sign off, I would like to extend a special thank you to our secretary, Melody Voigt, and counselor, Brianne Hazelton, who have been hard at work getting the office and student schedules ready for September. I would also like to thank our buildings and grounds, custodial, and cleaning staff, who have been working around all the construction to ensure the students return to a clean and safe building. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to our Superintendent, Dr. O'Connor, and the entire Board of Education, who have made a substantial investment in the educational plans listed in this letter. Without their support, none of this would be possible.

These are very exciting times in and around the Forestville community. Next year will mark a milestone year for me personally. At the end of the 2023-24 school year, I will have completed 20 years of service to Forestville CSD. There is no other place I would rather be than right here, working with your kids. Thank you for your support over the years, and for your continued support in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Mr. Daniel Grande 

Middle and High School Principal