Final Chess Tourney Caps Excellent Year

For the past two years, HHS math teacher, Carl Kossow, has done an excellent job using chess to teach students math, strategy, sportsmanship and team work.  This year was even more successful than the last, with the Hornell team placing second in our end of the year tournament in Friendship, NY.

Chess group has been one of our most highly attended and popular programs for two years running!  In world dominated by smartphone screens and and digital devices, it's nice to know that students still want to engage in face-to-face interactions using a classic game as a platform!

Students facing off at Chess Group's final tournament!

Chess Program Continues to Grow

Our Junior/Senior High Chess Program, led by math teacher, Carl Kossow, has continued to grow over the course of the year.  With an average attendance of over 20 students per week, our students are learning strategy, math, and sportsmanship skills!

In the coming months, our chess students will be participating in competitions with other area school districts.  These tournaments have always been great experiences for our students; they get the opportunity to showcase their skills while meeting and competing with like-minded students from all over our area!

If you or someone you know would like to join our chess program, please contact Mr. Kossow in room 262!

Chess students practicing new skills and strategies during program!

Chess Tournament on 1/27 in Friendship, NY!

Each year, our Junior/Senior High Chess League works with other local teams to participate in a multi-school tournament, and this year's event is right around the corner!  This Wednesday, 1/27, the Hornell team, led by Coach Kossow, will travel to Friendship, NY, where they'll compete against other area teams.  Not only is this an exciting opportunity for our students to test their skills, but it gives them the opportunity to build relationships with students and coaches from other districts who also love the game.

The Hornell Chess Team uses chess as a platform to build many skills.  From creative problem solving to strategy and math to communication, students build all sorts of skills that will help them grow as students and individuals.

Coach Kossow oversees a match being played between some of HHS' finest chess players!

Programming Has Begun!

This year the Extended School Day Program has some great opportunities for Hornell City School District!  Here's a list of what we've got going on so far this year!

Bryant School S.T.A.R.S. Program: This 2^nd and 3^rd grade program takes place daily at Bryant School.  Focusing on homework help, PE, Art, ELA, History and STEM, this program is sure to help students struggling with their daily assignments.  The program also offers students a variety of field trips, all meant to enrich their education.

Hornell Intermediate School F.O.C.U.S. Program:  Just like the S.T.A.R.S. Program, but for 4th through 6th grade students!  Focusing on homework help, PE, Art, ELA, History and STEM, this program is sure to help students struggling with their daily assignments.  It also offers students a variety of field trips, all meant to enrich their education in a fun and meaningful way.

Junior/Senior High Extended Library Hours & Tutoring:  Every Monday through Thursday from 3:03 until approximately 4:45, the library will be open for student use, and there will be a tutor on hand to assist with assignments.  Last year there were over 4,500 instances of students using the library after school, and we're hoping to build on it this year.

After School Open Lab:  Once each week, high school science teacher Kelly Jackson open her lab after school.  Students who need to complete science labs are welcomed to do so in her room.  For more information on this program, please see Mrs. Jackson in the science wing!

Community Service Opportunities:  Each year we offer community service opportunities to our high school students.  Students currently rolled in Government, as well as students taking part in National Honor Society, are invited to volunteer to help with our S.T.A.R.S. or F.O.C.U.S. programs!  Not only is this a fun way for our older students to complete their community service requirements, it also gives those interested in pursuing careers in child care or education the opportunity to get their feet wet!  It also gives our younger students the opportunity to be mentored by high schoolers!

Junior/Senior High Robotics/STEM:  Students design, engineer, build and program robots, then compete against teams from other districts at regional, state, and/or national level.

Junior/Senior High Teen Book Fest Reading Group: Students are given brand new copies of books written by young adult authors and meet throughout the year for discussions.  This program culminates with a trip to the annual Teen Book Festival at Nazareth College, where students meet the authors they've been reading all year!

Junior/Senior High Writer's Circle:  Students meet weekly to work on and peer review books they write themselves.  At the end of the year, the student-written books are bound and published with an ISBN and all!

Junior/Senior High Earth and Sky:  This program offers an in depth and interesting study of our planet, solar system and universe, and is perfect for students interested in science and space.  Throughout the year, this group takes multiple field trips to enrich their studies.

Junior/Senior High Chess Club:  This group will learn how to play chess, and win!  They’ll learn strategy, team work, and the science behind playing chess, and they’ll even have the opportunity to play in tournaments against other schools!

Chess Tournament Crowns Champions

As the school year drew to a close, the Hornell Chess Players held a multi-school tournament.  Led by Hornell's coach, Carl Kossow, and organized by Chess Grand Master and Navy Champion Garry Reynolds, the tournament was a huge success.  A total of 6 area school districts came together to offer students the opportunity to compete, socialize, and see what it's like to participate in a large scale tournament.

The Chess Players Group's intention is use chess as a platform to teach students about creative problem solving, strategy, and math, all while helping students build social skills in a comfortable setting.  That group will be returning for the 2015-2016 school year, so if you'd like to join, please speak with Mr. Crowe or Mr. Kossow!

Hornell students with Coach Carl Kossow and chess guru Garry Reynolds!

1st and  2nd place from both the K-6 and 7-12 divisions!

ESD/SVP Grant Extended Another Year!

We were happy to hear the New York State Education Department has offered current Extended School Day/School Violence Prevention Grantees a 1 year extension!  Having the grant for another year means that we will be able to provide another year of excellent programming for the district's students and families.  From academics to social skills, we're proud of all that our program has to offer, and we look forward to its continued growth.  Next year, we will be looking to bring back our current programming and add some new things into the mix!

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to contact me!

Chess Group Exhibition Tournament with Pioneer High School!

Last weekend, Hornell's robotics group, led by math teacher and exceptional chess player, Carl Kossow, faced off in an exhibition match against Pioneer High School.  The event, which gave 20 of our chess students the opportunity to play new players and meet like-minded peers, proved to be a lot of fun.  This coming April, Hornell will be hosting another event with 5 local districts, so this particular event was great practice.

Thank you very much to Pioneer for busing their students down to Hornell, participating in the tournament, and teaching our kids a thing or two about chess!  Everyone had something to teach on both sides of the board, so it was a great experience!

Students from Hornell and Pioneer face off at HHS!

Chess Group Very Popular - Events To Be Scheduled Soon!

Mr. Kossow's chess group is not only our newest program, but it's shaping up to be one of our most popular!  With an average of 21 seventh through twelfth graders visiting each week, we have a lot of students really honing their skills!

In the coming months, the Chess students will have at least two very exciting events taking place:

First, they will be visited by a Grand Master and former Navy Champion, who will play 5 students at the same time (that's i5 games at once!).  He will also be showing them what it takes to get to the level of Grand Master, teaching them strategy and logic, and offering advice on their own games.

Second, they will be the hosts of a multi-district chess tournament!  Through Mr. Kossow's connections with other district's coaches, Hornell students will face off against nearby school districts.  Whether Hornell wins or loses, they're bound to learn a lot and have a great time!

Chess League to Start Wednesday, 10/15!

On Wednesday, 10/15, Mr. Kossow's Chess League will be starting back up!  If you're new to the game and interested in learning, or a chess veteran looking to improve your game, stop by the interactive classroom after school to get more info!  Not only will players learn the game of chess, they'll also improve strategy and problem solving skills in a fun, social environment!

Over the course of the year, students will have the opportunity to learn about the game in-depth from Mr. Kossow, participate in larger tournaments with students from other districts, and meet/play against chess pros from Western New York!