Camden High School -

Just a few more sleeps 'til Bedford Falls! We are ONE WEEK away from the CHS Drama Club production of "It's a Wonderful Life!"

We are so proud to announce that Camden High School social worker Michelle Mellon has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Ruth Schwartz Award from the New York State School Social Workers' Association. The Schwartz award is presented to New York's "School Social Worker of the Year", as determined by the organization.

Mellon was nominated for this award by her Camden CSD colleague, Michelle Williams. Below is an excerpt from remarks given by Williams during the award presentation at the organization's annual conference in Canandaigua, NY.

"I met Michelle nearly 20 years ago when I joined the district as a social worker. I remember thinking she reminds me of the house call doctor who traveled to their patient’s home carrying their medical kits. Michelle’s dedication is admirable and truly reflects a grass roots social worker whose fundamental values capitalize on the opportunities of home visits, establishing strong connections and promoting the agency of students and their families. She prioritizes making the time to build the bridge between home and school with clear intentions to collaborate in the best interest of the students.

She is a resident of the district, raising her own three girls in this community, further enhancing her passion in delivering exceptional services within both the school and community. Her non-judgemental, steadfast approach contributes to the steady stream of students, guardians and staff who seek her support on a daily basis. As a district we have encountered a number of off hours crisis, seriously impacting the well being of both students and staff. She is always one of the first to offer help, without exception.

Michelle is often seen attending student activities to show support such as plays, musicals, or sporting events. In the past she has collaborated to establish a clothing closet and food pantry within the building promoting accessibility to those students most in need. Michelle was approached to become the advisor for Morgan’s Message, a new program in the district to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health in student athletes. She was the first to introduce the idea of having an on site therapy dog and is often seen with her faithful companion, Charlie.

In addition to her daily responsibilities, she takes on interns and has inspired HS students to pursue the social work profession."

Superintendent of Schools Jason Evangelist and Camden High School Principal Aaron Fiorini also prepared a congratulatory video for the occasion.

Congratulations to the one and only Michelle Mellon - from all of us at the Camden Central School District!

Check out these upcoming events from the Connected Community Schools team! On November 13th, they're working with the Family Opportunity Center and CFLR to offer "Building Calm Connections" - an exploration of how to help a child displaying aggressive behavior.

On November 20th, Open Hub Hours will be held at Camden High School!

This week is Red Ribbon Week (October 23rd to October 31st). The Red Ribbon Campaign, founded in 1985, is the Nation's longest-running drug abuse awareness program. Since 1988, Red Ribbon Week has stood as an occasion to educate about the dangers presented by drugs, and encourage all youth to commit to a drug-free lifestyle in the long term.

As part of this year's celebrations at CHS and CMS, our CFLR Prevention Specialist, Ambur Kowalski, arranged to have Reality Check visit during lunch periods to speak with students about the dangers of vaping and how marketing targets youth. As part of the week, students created drawings and wrote pledges reflecting their commitment to staying drug-free.

SEE YOU ON SATURDAY! We're going to the finals!

Camden 1, Whitesboro 0 - OT - FINAL
Meagher with the winner, assisted by Morrison with 2:19 left in OT

The CHS Junior Class is pleased to announce it will once again host JoJo's Empanadas at Camden High School on Friday, October 31st. Come and get a delicious lunchtime treat from 11:15 AM to 1:30 PM, with a portion of proceeds going to the junior class! All are welcome.

We are THREE weeks from Opening Night for the CHS Drama Club production of "It's a Wonderful Life!" This year's fall production is scheduled for Friday, November 14th and Saturday, November 15th, with three total performances at the Camden High School Auditorium.

(If you want to call it Bedford Falls High School that weekend, we won't judge....)

Admission is free!

Senior Night for Football and Cheer is tonight! Come celebrate the Class of 2026 for both programs as the Blue Devils meet New Hartford for a 6:30 kickoff at the Camden High School Stadium!

Free Admission, or watch online at this link:
https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ny/camden/organization/17261/camden-high-school/watch?b=QnJvYWRjYXN0MjkxNjUyMw%3D%3D

More scenes from last night's game - a 5-0 Section III quarterfinal win over ESM for the Blue Devils!

That sets up a rematch of last year's semifinal against Whitesboro, which will take place on Tuesday, October 28th at the Camden High School Stadium Complex. From the semifinals forward, each game will carry an admission charge per Section III and NYSPHSAA policy. For Section III semis and finals, the HomeTown Ticketing digital platform is utilized for ticket purchases. When the Section office makes those tickets available, they will be available at this link: https://section3.org/sports/2021/4/29/hometown-ticketing.aspx

The postseason run begins for Blue Devil Field Hockey tonight as they host sixth-seeded ESM in a Section III Quarterfinal matchup! 6:30 PM start at the CHS Stadium! Free Admission!

(Please note: This will be the last Varsity Field Hockey game of the 2025 season to feature free admission. Per Section III and NYSPHSAA Policy, admission will be charged for Section III Semifinal and Final Contests, along with state tournament contests. Details will be provided after tickets go on sale.)

High School FFA officers held an informational LDE (Leadership Development Event) presentation for interested FFA members today after school. LDEs are competitions that put members in situations where they can show their skills in areas such as public speaking, agricultural issues, parliamentary procedure, salesmanship, and more. Successful competitors can advance through multiple layers of competition including state and national level events. Experienced LDE Participants Mary Hall and Kayla Winn went over the competition details for each contest and also showed the attendees what different competitions look like!

On Friday morning, the Camden High School Canine Class had two special visitors! New York State Trooper Trevor Noonan and his K-9 partner, Rya, stopped in to demonstrate what it takes to pursue work as a dog handler for the New York State Police. Topics included tracking, handler protection, narcotics detection, and cadaver location, and of course, a little time to say hello too!

Students were also able to see Rya's bite work in action - with a little help from SPO Dustin Hite - and that was quite a convincing demonstration!

For Section III Field Hockey Teams, the road to the title runs through Camden, NY. We are the proud host of the 2025 Section III Field Hockey Championship Semis and Finals for all classes!

For the Blue Devils, their playoff journey begins on Wednesday, October 22nd when they host East Syracuse-Minoa in a quarterfinal game at the Camden High School stadium. Admission for this quarterfinal contest will be free of charge. Any subsequent rounds of tournament play will require paid admission, per Section III and NYSPHSAA policies.

More details regarding the semis and finals will become available as teams advance, however, we are going to pass along the message from the Camden Field Hockey Boosters right now that they are looking for concession stand help for the many upcoming tournament games that will be played in our complex.

Concession Stand Sign-Up Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A49A4AF2BA2FCC43-59082173-concessions#/

Let's Go Blue!

For the first time since 2019, Boys' Varsity Soccer is back in the postseason! The tenth-seeded Blue Devils will hit the road for a Tuesday night match under the lights at seventh-seeded VVS, and will be looking to turn the tables after a pair of one-goal losses to the Red Devils in the regular season. Go Blue!

Honors ELA 11 student Ford Church takes writing very seriously - especially while learning about how evidence connects to claims.