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ASAR A NEWSLETTER FOR R.C.S.D. ADMINISTRATORS AND SUPERVISORS
ASAR Website Up and Running
ASAR has taken another important step into the new millennium with the development of our official union website. Its address is www.asar-saanys.org. We encourage you to visit it regularly.
You will find that, like all new endeavors, it is in its developmental stages. This means your visits and comments are particularly important. Check out all aspects of the site, test out all the elements, even the ones still under construction. Then e-mail us your suggestions for correction or improvement. The site is yours, our members, and must reflect your wants and needs.
A special thank-you to William Gerber, former teacher, for his excellent work helping us to get up and running, and to Adam Urbanski and the Rochester Teachers Association for their assistance in providing Bill’s services.
Once again, Professional Development Funds are available to ASAR members. Each member is entitled to $550.00 for this purpose, plus an additional $150.00 for tuition reimbursement. Payment of conference registration fees is considered to be a legitimate use of these funds. Basically this means that each member has access to $700.00 for this school year.
More information regarding minor procedural changes will be distributed later. Please remember, it is not necessary for a supervisor to sign the approval space on the Request for Travel Allowance form. Supervisors, however, must approve
Eddie Meath Community Service Award
One of our members was recently honored by the community. What follows is an excerpt of what was said and what the honoree said in response.
The Award Presentation:
Tonight’s honoree, Neil Zwierlein, Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics for the Rochester City School District, has spent 30 years as an educator, coach and administrator. Neil has been active with the Section V and State Football Committees, Hall of Fame, and the Ontario Honda scholarship programs for the past thirteen years as co-chairman, and treasurer.
After graduating from John Marshall High School in 1963., Neil worked for Kodak, and the YMCA where he served in such capacities as Family Youth Director, Frontier Valley Day Camp Director, Athletic Director and Outreach Worker, working with street gangs in the Brown Square area of the city. Neil worked on his Associates Degree in Accounting at Monroe Community College before realizing that physical education was his true love. He enrolled at SUNY Brockport and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and a Master’s. Degree in Education
Administration. He has coached football, basketball, swimming, wrestling, and lacrosse during his tenure with the Rochester City School District. He has been the recipient of many awards for his contributions to coaching, physical education and community service. His involvement in the community is extensive. He is on the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association, Past President of the Irish Children’s Program, Monroe County Special Olympics and NYS Special Olympics as the State Competition Director, Board of Directors for MCSO, Operation Offense, Section V Council, and is an active member of his church. “It has always been my contention that strong physical education, health and interscholastic sports programs are as important to the education of an individual as the vital knowledge obtained in the classroom.” In this endeavor, Neil has been the driving force for many new expansion and renovation projects for the city schools. The most recent of which is the completion of the “new” Wilson Magnet physical education and fitness complex. He has given city school district students added physical education time, new resources, and computers and has spared no expense to rent Frontier Field and the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial to showcase city athletics. His contributions to the city school students and their athletes have been nothing short of fantastic.
Neil’s response:
“I am overwhelmed at being selected for the Eddie Meath Community Service Award. It certainly ranks as one of the highlights of my career. I am deeply appreciative to those individuals who are responsible in providing me with the honor of this award. Thank you very much!”
Congratulations Neil!
Leaders’ Institute 2001
Empowering leaders, leading change, connecting with people, building teams, touching hearts, understanding culture, playing games, mastering connections, learning respect, building trust, and surviving a hurricane disaster without getting wet were just a few of the skills learned at this year’s Leaders’ Institute 2001. The 6th Annual Leaders’ Institute took place on August 21-22, 2001 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel preceded by the Pre-Institute Dinner held at Cutler’s Restaurant at the Memorial Art Gallery. The focus of this year’s Summer Institute was John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The format for the Institute was somewhat different from past Institutes with workshops offered on both days. Another change included the participation of student members of the Student Leadership Congress and both cohorts of St. John Fisher’s Urban Administrator Program.
Following opening remarks by ASAR President Dick Stear, who set the tone for the two days with his traditional “Richard story,” Superintendent Clifford B. Janey shared recent data on student achievement with the participants as he linked the district’s efforts to increase student performance with the laws of leadership. Keynote speaker, Dr. Ellen Lowrie Black, consultant to John Maxwell’s company INJOY, inspired the audience with her insights and examples of many of the laws of leadership. Her down-to-earth style touched the hearts of everyone in attendance. After the keynote speech, table discussions centered on how to use the laws of leadership to change the culture of each of our workplaces. Students, teachers and administrators shared their perspectives with Dr. Black during the reporting out session.
Workshop presentations were given by local, national and international experts, such as Dr. Philip Chinn of California State University at Los Angeles, Dr. Andrew Smarkanic of Blue Mountain School District in Pennsylvania, Dr. David Green, Dr. Jason Berman of St. John Fisher College, Margaret Sanchez, Tracy Welch, formerly of the Lewis Street Center, Lori Majchrzak, a graduate student at RIT, Cathy Spoto, former Board of Education member and Rev. Dr. Dwight Cook, current member of the Board of Education. Additionally, workshop sessions were offered by RCSD administrators, Tim Cliby, Alessio Evangelista, Donna Gattelaro-Andersen, Doug Llewellyn, Anne McAndrew, Sean Pogue, Frank Rossi, Dr. Clinton Strickland, John Travers, and Laura Volk. In keeping with the theme, each of the workshops offered corresponded to a specific law of leadership.
Finally, a special commendation needs to be given to the Steering Committee for its hard work, dedication and effort in offering this outstanding professional development opportunity to ASAR and the District. In addition to Co-chairs Judy Ingutti and Frank Rossi, the Steering Committee included Jocelyn Basley, Dr. Jason Berman, Kim Dyce, Donna Gattelaro-Andersen, Marcy Greenspan, Patricia Hart, Dr. Frederick Jefferson, Elizabeth Osta, Susan Passineau, John Rowe, Richard Stear, Dr. Clinton Strickland and Jerome Watts.
