AUBURN - Ron Gorney has been principal of Genesee Elementary School for one month, and he admits he still has a lot more to learn.
Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Genesee Elementary Principal Ron Gorney visits a first grade class during his rounds.
Genesee Elementary Principal Ron Gorney visits a first grade class during his rounds.
After working with middle school adolescents for the last six years at East Middle School in the Auburn Enlarged City School District as an assistant principal, Gorney, 43, of Scott, still needs to master the language of young children.
“I'm moving into completely foreign territory,” he said. “I think that's my biggest learning piece.”
As the leader of the school, it is important for him to understand the children, and for the children to understand him.
“Just knowing how to communicate with 5-year-olds and convey the messages I need to send,” he said.
Gorney is one of six new elementary school principals in six Cayuga-Onondaga Board of Educational Services component schools that just passed their one-month anniversary of opening this academic year.
And while only some have come across an aspect of the job they hadn't anticipated, every single one shares Gorney's feeling that the first month has been a great experience.
As part of his learning curve, Gorney looks at the teachers and how they've learned the necessary body language, tone and vocabulary that's requisite for the teaching of kindergartners, first and second graders.
“They have to be able to turn it on and turn it off,” he said. “They are skill set.”
Discipline, he said, takes a different shape in elementary school than in its older counterpart.
“When dealing with middle school children, they know what they did wrong,” he said. “Kindergartners are a little different. They might not realize what they did is counterproductive.”
But not once does he regret making the move from middle school to elementary school.
“I wanted to lead a building on my own,” Gorney said. “I was ready for the challenge. I was an assistant principal for six years and I was ready to go on my own.”
But being on his own has itself been a challenge, he said. As an assistant principal, he always had the support of the principal. Now, it's all on him.
“I think the scary part is that it's for real,” he said. “It's you. You are accountable for the direction of the building. You are accountable if things go badly. It's always learning that you can be a leader and lead the building.”
But that doesn't mean he isn't enjoying his time at Genesee.
“It's all good,” he said with a chuckle.
Eric Varney, principal of Nelson J. Ramsdell Elementary in the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District, anticipated many things about starting a new job: dealing with the paperwork, myriad meetings, getting into classrooms, being a visible figure to his students. What he didn't anticipate was joining reptile wrestlers of the likes of the late Steve Irwin.
“A few weeks ago I was outside with some fourth graders during recess,” he recounted. “The fourth graders were screaming and pointing to the playground area. I looked and saw they were pointing at a foot and a half long snake. I'm no snake expert, but it appeared to be harmless. So I went looking for the biggest stick and was trying to push it from the playground area to the woods. After fighting with it for five minutes, I picked it up by its tail and brought it to the woods, to the cheers of all of the fourth graders.”
Those students and teachers remember Varney as the “snake charmer,” he said. That, along with greeting children as they get off the bus, roaming the halls, eating lunch with the fourth and fifth graders and even signing a student's cast plastered onto his fractured right arm has introduced Varney to his students as someone approachable and interested in their lives.
“They are not afraid of me,” said the 38-year-old from Clay. “They see that I'm approachable, they tell me things that are going on at home and ask me how I'm doing. It's very important to be kid-centered and relate to them. I've tried to stick to that formula and so far, it's been good advice to follow. It's worked well.”
These six principals don't see mingling with children as optional; rather, they make it their mission to be out from behind their desks and in the classroom as much as possible.
“I'm very much not an office person,” said Timothy Cowin Jr., principal of Weedsport Elementary School. Cowin, like his Jordan-Elbridge counterpart, finds swallowing lunch alongside his students is the best way to learn their names and get to know them.
And it doesn't stop there for Cowin.
“Certainly it's getting into the classroom, getting out to sporting events, getting to association of parents and teachers meetings and getting to know the people, as well,” he said.
Cowin, 36, of Syracuse, joined Weedsport this year after spending the last seven years in Baldwinsville - a year and a half as an assistant principal in the district's middle school and five teaching at Palmer Elementary.
Impressed with the Weedsport Central School District and even more impressed after his first interview, he said, he jumped at the opportunity to lead at Weedsport when offered to him.
One month into his stay, he knows his decision to start anew was the right one.
“As I see it, it will only get better the more I learn abut this job, Weedsport and the community. It's only going to get better,” he said.
Rob Wren spent his first few days as principal of Cato-Meridian Elementary School settling students into their new classrooms and making sure that they were comfortable.
Wren defines his days as “hectic,” especially at arrival and dismissal, but that doesn't stop him from learning his students' faces, and his students from learning his.
“I was pleasantly surprised to get into every classroom (the first day) to introduce myself and talk about my expectations,” he said. “Yes, it's busy the first day, the first few days, but in a good way.”
Administration is not new to Wren. For the last three years he has lead DM Kenney Middle School in the Hannibal Central School District - two years as principal and one year as assistant principal - with his administration internship completed in the Cato-Meridian Central School District. Nor is elementary school new to him, as he started his career teaching third grade with North Rose-Wolcott Central Schools.
Wren thought the time was right to bring his administrative and elementary education fervor together.
“I'm thrilled to be here,” said the 38-year-old from Williamson. “I love being an administrator in an elementary school. I love it here. It's a small community, and I grew up in a small community, Sodus. People have been very welcoming to me. There's a nice community and culture. I enjoy going to football games with my family and the people have been very gracious in welcoming me here.”
While Wren sees the elementary school as high achieving, there are areas to improve upon. Literacy is an aspect of elementary schooling he is passionate about, and he's ready to tackle the issue as part of his long term vision for the school. He also wants to strengthen the bonds between the community and the building.
“I think we all have an opportunity to strengthen community relations with the school. After open house, I was amazed by how many people from the community we had,” he said. “It shows that people are invested in the kids' education and that's half the battle. I think that strengthening that partnership with parents is critical in order to help our students be more successful.”
But for right now, Wren is still learning, still trying to figure out what needs to be done and how to do it while building the bonds between his staff and students.
While improving a school is important, it is equally important for principals new to their buildings not to rush into change.
Howard Seamans, the new principal for Millard Fillmore Elementary in Moravia, emphasized the need to watch, listen, research and assess learning in the building before introducing reform.
“Districts are obviously similar in their ultimate objective to education completely a child to make them responsible adults,” he said. “But there are subtle differences in the climate of the building, and I think it's really important in a new building to reserve making any dramatic changes until you assess what's going well.”
What's challenging, he said, is preventing the tendency for principals to look back to their old buildings and use what worked there in the new environment.
Seamans 47, of Locke, who joins Millard Fillmore from Genesee Elementary in Auburn, already knows the areas he'd like to improve upon - reading and writing as well as communication - but he vows to stand by his steadfast doctrine of assessing before changing.
This is Seamans' first foray in rural education; his entire career was spent in urban areas - Syracuse and Auburn. Coming to Moravia has been an adjustment, he said, but a welcome one.
His first month has been smooth, Seamans said. The children have been receptive to him and the staff has been working with him to make the building as successful as possible.
Balancing his home life and work life is important for Seamans. When the principal position in Moravia opened, the Locke man jumped at the opportunity to be closer to home. While he values his experiences in Auburn, being closer to home provided him the flexibility to do his job well while also maintaining a home life.
Seamans is not the only principal to try to find the balance between work and family. Striking that balance is a common theme repeated over and over again by these new principals.
“The biggest obstacle is still the balance between my personal and professional lives,” said Mitchell Toleson, principal of A.A. Gates Elementary in Port Byron. “This job is important but so is my family.”
As a way to mix the two, he brought his family to the Port Byron Homecoming football game.
This year at A.A. Gates Elementary marks his first administrative role. He's up for the challenge of making a difference as well as being the leader of this school.
“Some days it weighs down more than others,” he said of being the man in charge. “But every morning I always wake up with it being a good day.”
A couple of weeks ago, the pressure started to build.
“There's a period of wonder and disillusionment and once you get out of it you are ready to move on,” said Toleson, 39, of Brewerton. “I'm past that and moving on.”
With a growing mountain of paperwork and a daily schedule stuffed with meetings, Toleson has had to schedule one hour a day to do what he really loves: getting into the classrooms.
“I'd like to be able to go in more, but some days it's that hour,” he said.
He gets a lot of “Hi Mr. Toleson” from his students as he passes them.
“It's like I'm kind of a celebrity,” he said. “But I don't see it that way.”
Toleson credits the staff for joining with him to set goals and work for the future.
“It makes my job easier that I have a staff working for the betterment of the kids,” he said. “It makes sitting in this chair a bit easier.”
And while all six principals have had different experiences and have set different goals, they all agree that no school can be successful without a dedicated staff.
“Staff is the cornerstone,” said Cowin. “That's where it's all about. They are the people that really work day in and day out with students for the 180 days of schooling. They are just the key piece in a very big puzzle.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239.
New kids on the block
Six elementary schools in six local districts have new principals to lead the schools - and their students - to the future:
Timothy Cowin Jr., Weedsport Elementary School, Weedsport
Age: 36
Hometown: Syracuse
Family: Wife, Jessica, sons Alex and Timmy
Education: BA from St. Bonaventure in elementary education, MA from Le Moyne College in elementary education, Certificate in Advance Studies from SUNY Cortland
Hobbies: Reading, running, traveling, camping, big sports fan.
Ronald Gorney, Genesee Street Elementary School, Auburn
Age: 43
Hometown: Scott
Family: Wife, Jennifer, sons Gaven and Maddox, daughter Morgan
Education: BA from SUNY Cortland, MS from SUNY Cortland, Certificate in Advance Studies from SUNY Cortland
Hobbies: Fishing, golf, working out, reading
Howard Seamans, Millard Fillmore
Elementary School, Moravia
Age: 47
Hometown: Locke
Family: Wife, Mary Jane, sons Jason and Eric
Education: BA in biology from SUNY Cortland, MA in education from SUNY Potsdam and Certificate of Advance Study from SUNY Cortland.
Hobbies: Reading, traveling, riding motorcycles, photography and the outdoors
Mitchell Toleson, A.A. Gates Elementary School, Port Byron
Age: 39
Hometown: Brewerton
Family: Wife, Lisa; son, Noah, and daughter, Maria
Education: AA from Onondaga Community College, BS in elementary education from SUNY Oswego, MS in reading from Syracuse University and Certificate of Advance Study in education administration from SUNY Oswego
Hobbies: Reading, golf and spending time with my family.
Eric Varney, Nelson J. Ramsdell Elementary, Jordan-Elbridge
Age: 38
Hometown: Clay
Family: Wife, Julie; sons Anthony, Ethan and Jackson
Education: Certificate of advanced studies in educational administration, Masters in education (SUNY Oswego), Bachelors in business management (all three from SUNY Oswego) and Associates in humanities (Onondaga Community College)
Hobbies: Reading historical fiction/non-fiction and coaching son's soccer team
Robert Wren, Cato-Meridian Elementary School, Cato-Meridian
Age: 38
Hometown: Sodus
Family: Wife, Marisa; 3-year-old twins, Jackson and Grace
Education: BS from Daemen College, MS from SUNY Brockport, Certificate of Advanced Study from SUNY Oswego
Hobbies: Gardening, snowmobiling and playing with my kids
“I'm moving into completely foreign territory,” he said. “I think that's my biggest learning piece.”
As the leader of the school, it is important for him to understand the children, and for the children to understand him.
“Just knowing how to communicate with 5-year-olds and convey the messages I need to send,” he said.
Gorney is one of six new elementary school principals in six Cayuga-Onondaga Board of Educational Services component schools that just passed their one-month anniversary of opening this academic year.
And while only some have come across an aspect of the job they hadn't anticipated, every single one shares Gorney's feeling that the first month has been a great experience.
As part of his learning curve, Gorney looks at the teachers and how they've learned the necessary body language, tone and vocabulary that's requisite for the teaching of kindergartners, first and second graders.
“They have to be able to turn it on and turn it off,” he said. “They are skill set.”
Discipline, he said, takes a different shape in elementary school than in its older counterpart.
“When dealing with middle school children, they know what they did wrong,” he said. “Kindergartners are a little different. They might not realize what they did is counterproductive.”
But not once does he regret making the move from middle school to elementary school.
“I wanted to lead a building on my own,” Gorney said. “I was ready for the challenge. I was an assistant principal for six years and I was ready to go on my own.”
But being on his own has itself been a challenge, he said. As an assistant principal, he always had the support of the principal. Now, it's all on him.
“I think the scary part is that it's for real,” he said. “It's you. You are accountable for the direction of the building. You are accountable if things go badly. It's always learning that you can be a leader and lead the building.”
But that doesn't mean he isn't enjoying his time at Genesee.
“It's all good,” he said with a chuckle.
Eric Varney, principal of Nelson J. Ramsdell Elementary in the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District, anticipated many things about starting a new job: dealing with the paperwork, myriad meetings, getting into classrooms, being a visible figure to his students. What he didn't anticipate was joining reptile wrestlers of the likes of the late Steve Irwin.
“A few weeks ago I was outside with some fourth graders during recess,” he recounted. “The fourth graders were screaming and pointing to the playground area. I looked and saw they were pointing at a foot and a half long snake. I'm no snake expert, but it appeared to be harmless. So I went looking for the biggest stick and was trying to push it from the playground area to the woods. After fighting with it for five minutes, I picked it up by its tail and brought it to the woods, to the cheers of all of the fourth graders.”
Those students and teachers remember Varney as the “snake charmer,” he said. That, along with greeting children as they get off the bus, roaming the halls, eating lunch with the fourth and fifth graders and even signing a student's cast plastered onto his fractured right arm has introduced Varney to his students as someone approachable and interested in their lives.
“They are not afraid of me,” said the 38-year-old from Clay. “They see that I'm approachable, they tell me things that are going on at home and ask me how I'm doing. It's very important to be kid-centered and relate to them. I've tried to stick to that formula and so far, it's been good advice to follow. It's worked well.”
These six principals don't see mingling with children as optional; rather, they make it their mission to be out from behind their desks and in the classroom as much as possible.
“I'm very much not an office person,” said Timothy Cowin Jr., principal of Weedsport Elementary School. Cowin, like his Jordan-Elbridge counterpart, finds swallowing lunch alongside his students is the best way to learn their names and get to know them.
And it doesn't stop there for Cowin.
“Certainly it's getting into the classroom, getting out to sporting events, getting to association of parents and teachers meetings and getting to know the people, as well,” he said.
Cowin, 36, of Syracuse, joined Weedsport this year after spending the last seven years in Baldwinsville - a year and a half as an assistant principal in the district's middle school and five teaching at Palmer Elementary.
Impressed with the Weedsport Central School District and even more impressed after his first interview, he said, he jumped at the opportunity to lead at Weedsport when offered to him.
One month into his stay, he knows his decision to start anew was the right one.
“As I see it, it will only get better the more I learn abut this job, Weedsport and the community. It's only going to get better,” he said.
Rob Wren spent his first few days as principal of Cato-Meridian Elementary School settling students into their new classrooms and making sure that they were comfortable.
Wren defines his days as “hectic,” especially at arrival and dismissal, but that doesn't stop him from learning his students' faces, and his students from learning his.
“I was pleasantly surprised to get into every classroom (the first day) to introduce myself and talk about my expectations,” he said. “Yes, it's busy the first day, the first few days, but in a good way.”
Administration is not new to Wren. For the last three years he has lead DM Kenney Middle School in the Hannibal Central School District - two years as principal and one year as assistant principal - with his administration internship completed in the Cato-Meridian Central School District. Nor is elementary school new to him, as he started his career teaching third grade with North Rose-Wolcott Central Schools.
Wren thought the time was right to bring his administrative and elementary education fervor together.
“I'm thrilled to be here,” said the 38-year-old from Williamson. “I love being an administrator in an elementary school. I love it here. It's a small community, and I grew up in a small community, Sodus. People have been very welcoming to me. There's a nice community and culture. I enjoy going to football games with my family and the people have been very gracious in welcoming me here.”
While Wren sees the elementary school as high achieving, there are areas to improve upon. Literacy is an aspect of elementary schooling he is passionate about, and he's ready to tackle the issue as part of his long term vision for the school. He also wants to strengthen the bonds between the community and the building.
“I think we all have an opportunity to strengthen community relations with the school. After open house, I was amazed by how many people from the community we had,” he said. “It shows that people are invested in the kids' education and that's half the battle. I think that strengthening that partnership with parents is critical in order to help our students be more successful.”
But for right now, Wren is still learning, still trying to figure out what needs to be done and how to do it while building the bonds between his staff and students.
While improving a school is important, it is equally important for principals new to their buildings not to rush into change.
Howard Seamans, the new principal for Millard Fillmore Elementary in Moravia, emphasized the need to watch, listen, research and assess learning in the building before introducing reform.
“Districts are obviously similar in their ultimate objective to education completely a child to make them responsible adults,” he said. “But there are subtle differences in the climate of the building, and I think it's really important in a new building to reserve making any dramatic changes until you assess what's going well.”
What's challenging, he said, is preventing the tendency for principals to look back to their old buildings and use what worked there in the new environment.
Seamans 47, of Locke, who joins Millard Fillmore from Genesee Elementary in Auburn, already knows the areas he'd like to improve upon - reading and writing as well as communication - but he vows to stand by his steadfast doctrine of assessing before changing.
This is Seamans' first foray in rural education; his entire career was spent in urban areas - Syracuse and Auburn. Coming to Moravia has been an adjustment, he said, but a welcome one.
His first month has been smooth, Seamans said. The children have been receptive to him and the staff has been working with him to make the building as successful as possible.
Balancing his home life and work life is important for Seamans. When the principal position in Moravia opened, the Locke man jumped at the opportunity to be closer to home. While he values his experiences in Auburn, being closer to home provided him the flexibility to do his job well while also maintaining a home life.
Seamans is not the only principal to try to find the balance between work and family. Striking that balance is a common theme repeated over and over again by these new principals.
“The biggest obstacle is still the balance between my personal and professional lives,” said Mitchell Toleson, principal of A.A. Gates Elementary in Port Byron. “This job is important but so is my family.”
As a way to mix the two, he brought his family to the Port Byron Homecoming football game.
This year at A.A. Gates Elementary marks his first administrative role. He's up for the challenge of making a difference as well as being the leader of this school.
“Some days it weighs down more than others,” he said of being the man in charge. “But every morning I always wake up with it being a good day.”
A couple of weeks ago, the pressure started to build.
“There's a period of wonder and disillusionment and once you get out of it you are ready to move on,” said Toleson, 39, of Brewerton. “I'm past that and moving on.”
With a growing mountain of paperwork and a daily schedule stuffed with meetings, Toleson has had to schedule one hour a day to do what he really loves: getting into the classrooms.
“I'd like to be able to go in more, but some days it's that hour,” he said.
He gets a lot of “Hi Mr. Toleson” from his students as he passes them.
“It's like I'm kind of a celebrity,” he said. “But I don't see it that way.”
Toleson credits the staff for joining with him to set goals and work for the future.
“It makes my job easier that I have a staff working for the betterment of the kids,” he said. “It makes sitting in this chair a bit easier.”
And while all six principals have had different experiences and have set different goals, they all agree that no school can be successful without a dedicated staff.
“Staff is the cornerstone,” said Cowin. “That's where it's all about. They are the people that really work day in and day out with students for the 180 days of schooling. They are just the key piece in a very big puzzle.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239.
New kids on the block
Six elementary schools in six local districts have new principals to lead the schools - and their students - to the future:
Timothy Cowin Jr., Weedsport Elementary School, Weedsport
Age: 36
Hometown: Syracuse
Family: Wife, Jessica, sons Alex and Timmy
Education: BA from St. Bonaventure in elementary education, MA from Le Moyne College in elementary education, Certificate in Advance Studies from SUNY Cortland
Hobbies: Reading, running, traveling, camping, big sports fan.
Ronald Gorney, Genesee Street Elementary School, Auburn
Age: 43
Hometown: Scott
Family: Wife, Jennifer, sons Gaven and Maddox, daughter Morgan
Education: BA from SUNY Cortland, MS from SUNY Cortland, Certificate in Advance Studies from SUNY Cortland
Hobbies: Fishing, golf, working out, reading
Howard Seamans, Millard Fillmore
Elementary School, Moravia
Age: 47
Hometown: Locke
Family: Wife, Mary Jane, sons Jason and Eric
Education: BA in biology from SUNY Cortland, MA in education from SUNY Potsdam and Certificate of Advance Study from SUNY Cortland.
Hobbies: Reading, traveling, riding motorcycles, photography and the outdoors
Mitchell Toleson, A.A. Gates Elementary School, Port Byron
Age: 39
Hometown: Brewerton
Family: Wife, Lisa; son, Noah, and daughter, Maria
Education: AA from Onondaga Community College, BS in elementary education from SUNY Oswego, MS in reading from Syracuse University and Certificate of Advance Study in education administration from SUNY Oswego
Hobbies: Reading, golf and spending time with my family.
Eric Varney, Nelson J. Ramsdell Elementary, Jordan-Elbridge
Age: 38
Hometown: Clay
Family: Wife, Julie; sons Anthony, Ethan and Jackson
Education: Certificate of advanced studies in educational administration, Masters in education (SUNY Oswego), Bachelors in business management (all three from SUNY Oswego) and Associates in humanities (Onondaga Community College)
Hobbies: Reading historical fiction/non-fiction and coaching son's soccer team
Robert Wren, Cato-Meridian Elementary School, Cato-Meridian
Age: 38
Hometown: Sodus
Family: Wife, Marisa; 3-year-old twins, Jackson and Grace
Education: BS from Daemen College, MS from SUNY Brockport, Certificate of Advanced Study from SUNY Oswego
Hobbies: Gardening, snowmobiling and playing with my kids
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