The Camden modified and varsity cross country teams took on Whitesboro, CVA, and Holland Patent in a dual meet held yesterday at the Town of Deerfield's Wilderness Park.
Photos Courtesy Of: Alana Golden
This morning, Camden High School had the opportunity to host guest speaker Veda Tucker from the Rachel's Challenge organization.
Rachel's Challenge is an organization that addresses the challenges posed by bullying and school violence through programming that examines the problems at their source, and promotes connection and kindness across school communities. By taking "Rachel's Challenge", a student pledges to spread kindness, set a positive example, and make their school a better place to be. To date, the organization has presented to over 30 million people worldwide.
For some students, Tucker may be familiar. A few years ago, she came to Camden Middle School to facilitate the Rachel's Challenge "Chain Reaction" event on behalf of the organization.
Following a general school-wide assembly, Tucker has been working in a small group session this morning with members of the CHS Student Leadership group. As part of these sessions, the group became the first to sign the new CHS Rachel's Challenge Banner!
Flu Season is coming. Stay ahead with these tips from the New York State Department of Health.
We are just over a week away from the registration deadline for the 2024 Camden Homecoming Festival Parade! The parade takes place on Saturday, October 5th at 1 PM here in the Village of Camden.
Parade Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4AGhmis4IhQPgduijPq6EtBiAItovcg7NiYBxrujuKxcL_w/viewform
Parade Instructions: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/2998/CCSD/3441722/ParadeInstructions2024.pdf
BLUE DEVIL NEW STAFF SPOTLIGHT
In the coming weeks, we’ll introduce you to members of our Blue Devil family who are new, or are changing roles between buildings for the school year.
Today, we welcome CHS Special Education teacher Crystal O’Hara! Crystal is a graduate of Appalachian State University and East Carolina University who is joining us for the first time this year.
Crystal brings a dozen years of experience to Camden, and this will be her second year in the State of New York. She taught for 11 years across two districts in North Carolina before heading to the Empire State, and has found a sense of community here in Camden.
“The community vibe that permeates the halls has been the most enjoyable experience and something that I am not accustomed to,” O’Hara said. “Coming from a military family and having moved around throughout my life, I have always wanted a place that feels like home. I am so excited to feel so welcomed and look forward to being a part of such a wonderful community.”
Within any community, the schools are an important component, and the importance of the opportunity to propel students to their potential is not lost on her.
“I am super excited about the opportunity to work with everyone to ensure success for our children in the future,” She said. “Thank you so much for sharing your most precious gifts, I promise to treat them like my own, challenge them to always do better than yesterday, encourage them to shoot for the stars, and always follow their dreams.”
When she’s not in the classroom at CHS, she enjoys grilling, painting, karaoke, and spending time with family. Welcome!
The modified boys' soccer team is back in action today against Holland Patent, one of eight contests across Camden Athletics on a busy Monday afternoon!
For more updates on Camden Boys' Soccer at all levels, visit the "Camden Boys' Soccer" page on Facebook!
Friday night was a memorable night, and fittingly, it was dedicated to someone who made so many Friday nights memorable for the Camden community.
During the football game against Homer, we held a special recognition ceremony in memory of legendary community fixture Donald "Pops" VanDresar, who passed away in June at 92 years of age. Many of those 92 years were spent as a devoted member of our community, including a tremendous half century-long run as the public address announcer for Blue Devil football games.
Whether it was on the microphone, through philanthropic endeavors, his work with local civic organizations, or his service to our country in the United States Navy, "Pops" was a man who had a knack for helping others, and through those efforts, made our community better every single day. We are lucky that he chose Camden to call home for so many years.
In that spirit, we are pleased to say that going forward, the newly-added press box at the Camden High School stadium will be known as the Donald "Pops" VanDresar Press Box. Signage will be put in place soon.
We were fortunate to host a huge contingent from his family during Friday's ceremony, led by his wife of 64 years, Dolores. Thank you all for coming to celebrate his life with us, alongside so many individuals that have been impacted by his commitment and dedication to Camden.
Full story to follow.
(Photos courtesy Danielle Danaher and the Camden Football Boosters)
Rise and shine, Blue Devils! This morning, we'll recognize the Camden Girls' Varsity Tennis Class of 2025! Match time is set for 11 AM as Camden takes on Central Valley Academy. Senior day festivities will happen before then, so please arrive early!
Here we go, Blue! The third game of the 2024 season has arrived as the Blue Devil varsity battles Homer under the lights at the CHS Stadium. 6:30 PM Kickoff. Free Admission. It's alumni night at the stadium, and we will also be honoring the memory of a beloved member of the Blue Devil Football family, Donald "Pops" VanDresar. It will be a truly special evening.
Live Stream: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ny/camden/organization/17261/camden-high-school/video
Some helpful reminders about procedures for tonight's game:
-An adult must accompany all elementary and Middle school students. Students not accompanied by an adult will not be allowed in.
- Playing catch or games of any kind will not be allowed.
- Students should not wander around and should be cheering for our Blue Devils!
- Capital project construction is still happening. Please stay away from any taped-off areas.
- Spectators are expected to abide by the Camden Central School District Sportsmanship Policy. (https://5il.co/2x2uy).
Thank you for your continued support of the Blue Devils!
(Image In Graphic: Emily Petrie, Valley View Studios, https://valleyviewphotoco.com/)
It's a great day to get out and support Blue Devil girls' soccer at CHS! JV and Varsity are set for 5 PM starts against Central Valley Academy today!
Senior Nights are just around the corner, beginning with girls tennis on Saturday!
Fall Sports Senior Nights are just around the corner!
At CHS, our Global 10 students totally "Rule"! Mrs. Hastwell and Mrs. Philpott's ninth period class was learning about absolute monarchies, and sophomores Ella Lynch and Gabby Lebron were excited to show off the crowns they made!
Join Connected Community Schools and CFLR for this pair of free stress management seminars for students and families. Valarie, our Connected Community Schools project manager, is available for questions. A contact number is included in the flyer.
The Camden varsity field hockey team was in action on Friday with a challenging test against Morrisville-Eaton. Camryn Shenk had the Blue Devil goal, Rylie Meagher added an assist, and Alyssa Vera made seven saves in a 4-1 loss to the Mavericks, who reached the Section III Class D final a year ago.
Tonight, the JV and Varsity teams are both at Whitesboro. Match times are set for 4:30 and 6:00, respectively, at Whitesboro High School. Let's go Blue Devils!
Scenes from Friday's varsity boys' soccer match against Hamilton Central.
Waiting for the next home match? That will happen tomorrow, Tuesday, 9/17! The Blue Devils will meet Oneida at 4:30 PM at CHS.
This week is National Arts in Education Week! We're grateful to have a school community that supports our students in their artistic pursuits, and a group of staff and students that consistently create top-notch work in the visual and performing arts!
When you come to a concert, play, musical, or art show, you let our staff and students know that their work matters greatly, so we hope to see you at these events throughout the year!
BLUE DEVIL NEW STAFF SPOTLIGHT
In the coming weeks, we’ll introduce you to members of our Blue Devil family who are new, or are changing roles between buildings for the school year.
Today, we’ll tell you more about our new High School Agriculture Teacher, Erin Curtis! You may have already seen Erin out and about, as she was very proactive in getting to know our students and families this spring. She is a recent graduate of SUNY Cobleskill, where she rocked this outstanding cap at graduation, and spent her high school years at Cazenovia.
As an eighth generation farmer, Erin has been very involved in agriculture throughout her life from the very beginning, and is especially passionate about dairy farming. She has been a major advocate for the Ayrshire Cattle Breed, which her family raises. She has amassed countless awards for showing her dairy cattle at major events like the New York State Fair, the World Dairy Expo, and the All-American Dairy Show.
Curtis is also the new High School FFA advisor, and recently led a group of Camden FFA members to competition at the New York State Fair. She will draw heavily on her experiences as an active member of her hometown chapter at Cazenovia. She was a state champion and national medalist in the FFA Nursery/Landscape Career Development Event. Her brother, Andrew, is the current New York State FFA Treasurer for the 2024-25 school year.
Her favorite thing about Camden so far is meeting her students and seeing them get excited about animal agriculture.
When Erin’s not with her students, or with her cows, she is probably hiking or fishing.
Pictures from yesterday's Girls' Varsity Soccer match against VVS.
The Blue Devils fell behind 2-0 in the first half, but showed a lot of determination in the second half to cut the lead to one on a simply fantastic goal from Emily Gilsenan. The Blue Devils gave their visitors all they could handle, but were unable to find an equalizer as they fell 2-1 in a TVL match. The team will be back on the pitch on Saturday morning when they head to the Copper City to take on Rome Free Academy.
Did you know that at school, at home, or around the globe, the WCHS News Morning Announcements are just a click away? They're posted every school day here! https://www.camdenschools.org/o/chs/page/current-announcements