Split Rock Elementary

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-June 26, 2026

As we close the chapter on another incredible school year, I want to take a moment to thank our students, staff, and families for making the 2025-2026 school year such a special one.

I continue to be amazed by the growth, perseverance, and accomplishments of our Wildcats. Throughout the year, our students demonstrated what it means to work hard, support one another, and strive to be their very best. Whether in the classroom, on the playground, during school events, or throughout our community, our Wildcats represented Split Rock with pride.

To our Grade 4 students, congratulations on reaching this important milestone! We are so proud of all you have accomplished during your time at Split Rock. As you prepare to begin your journey at West Genesee Intermediate School, know that you will always be a part of The Rock. We wish you all the best as you take this exciting next step.

As summer begins, it is my hope that all of our students, staff, and families enjoy a relaxing, safe, and memorable break filled with time spent with family and friends. You have certainly earned it!

As a friendly reminder, the main office will be closed from July 6 through July 31 and will reopen on Monday, August 3. After reopening, you will begin receiving information and updates as we prepare for the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

Thank you again for a wonderful year. We look forward to welcoming our Wildcats back in September, ready for another year of learning, growth, and success.

Until then, have a terrific summer and, as always...

Be Awesome!

Mr. Kimpland

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-June 12, 2026

It is hard to believe that we have completed our last full week of school for the 2025-2026 school year. As we begin to look toward the finish line, I remain incredibly proud of our students and staff for the way they embody what it means to be Split Rock Wildcats, working hard, supporting one another, and, of course, continuing to rock and Be Awesome!

This week, our staff had the opportunity to review our universal screening data, and Wildcats crushed it! The growth and progress demonstrated in both literacy and mathematics were truly impressive. Our students have worked hard all year long, and it certainly shows. We know how to finish strong at "The Rock!"

Today was also a wonderful day as we celebrated Flag Day. Our Grade 1 students did an outstanding job performing in front of the entire school prior to our Flag Day Parade. A big thank you to former Split Rocker Charlie Lockwood for coming in to speak with our staff and students as a guest speaker! The celebration concluded with an amazing solo performance by Mrs. Jennifer Catney at the flagpole. It was a meaningful event that allowed us to honor our flag and our country.

As we head into our final stretch, we look forward to finishing the school year with just 5 more full days of learning, fun, and celebration together.

A reminder that Monday, June 15, is our school-wide Field Day! Please be sure your Wildcat is dressed appropriately for the weather and prepared for a day of outdoor activities. A special thank you goes out to all of our volunteers who will be helping make the day a success. We are excited to spend time together outside and create some lasting memories.

Thank you for your continued support throughout the school year. Let's make these final days some of our best yet!

BE AWESOME!

Mr. Kimpland

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-May 29, 2026

At this point, I think the better question may be… what haven’t we done at Split Rock lately? The past couple of weeks have been packed with exciting experiences, special visitors, learning opportunities, and memorable events for our Wildcats!

Since my last message, our kindergarten team kicked things off with an exciting field trip to the zoo, while our Grade 2 and Grade 3 students enjoyed an engaging and educational visit from the Planetarium. It has been wonderful seeing our students continue to learn through these hands-on experiences. Later in the week, our Grade 3 and Grade 4 chorus, band and orchestra students put on a phenomenal spring concert for all families and friends. They sounded amazing and certainly showcased their talents, demonstrating everything they have learned throughout the year.

We also want to take a moment to thank Officer Tim for organizing another outstanding First Responders Day — always a favorite event for our students! Thankfully, the weather cooperated, allowing everyone to fully enjoy the day. We are incredibly appreciative of all the departments and volunteers who took time to visit Split Rock, including the K-9 Unit, Taunton Fire Department, WAVES Ambulance, Camillus Police Department, and the Hazardous Devices Unit. Students and staff had an amazing time learning about the important roles each unit plays in keeping our community safe. Thank you again to everyone who volunteered and helped make the day such a success.

The excitement continued as the Boys Varsity Lacrosse Team visited our building to read with classrooms and share some of their program's traditions and values. They even brought along a very special guest, the Wildcat mascot, which certainly brought plenty of smiles and excitement throughout the building!

Boy, did we finish strong yesterday at the Wildcat Olympics! What an incredible showing from Split Rock. Congratulations to all of our students who participated and represented our building so proudly. This continues to be one of my favorite events of the year. It is always great to see the camaraderie, sportsmanship, and excitement shared by both students and staff from across the district.

The action certainly does not stop here. Over the next several weeks, we will continue to stay focused, work hard, and finish the school year strong in the classroom. Next week, all students in Grades K-4 will participate in our spring universal screening assessments. We look forward to seeing and celebrating all of the wonderful growth and success our students have made throughout the year.

Please continue to stay connected, as this is certainly a busy time of year filled with many fun and exciting events and activities.

BE AWESOME!

Mr. Kimpland

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-May 7, 2026

I want to begin by recognizing our Grade 3 and Grade 4 students for their tremendous effort during the New York State Math and ELA Assessment. Your resilience, flexibility, and focus have truly stood out. While we experienced a small hiccup that first Wednesday, our students handled it with maturity and perseverance, adjusting and continuing to give their best effort. Congratulations to all of our Grade 3 and 4 students for their hard work and commitment, you’ve made us proud!

Continuing on that same line of celebrating our students, I would like to congratulate and recognize our Golden Award winners, as well as, our Wildcats Of the Month! Job well done! Keep up the great effort!

We were also fortunate to welcome Officer Brand back into our building last week. She spent time with each grade level, sharing important messages and lessons that help our students feel safe while also building valuable life skills. We always appreciate her visits and the positive impact she has on our school community.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our visiting readers from the high school. Our Kindergarten and Grade 1 students had the wonderful opportunity to listen to stories shared by these students, and it was truly a special experience. The visiting readers did such a great job engaging with our students and were wonderful role models throughout their time in the classrooms. Thank you for helping create such meaningful moments for our young learners!

Looking ahead, we are excited to officially kick off field trip season! Our Grade 1 students lead the way as they visited Hospital Land. It was awesome to hear about their experiences and all the meaningful learning that took place during these trips.

As we move into a busy spring season, this is a great reminder to stay connected with your child’s classroom updates. There will be a number of upcoming events and field trips, and teachers will be sending home permission slips and requests for participation. Timely return of these materials is essential to ensure smooth planning, organization, and, most importantly, student safety.

Finally, with the warmer weather allowing us to enjoy more time outdoors, our staff continues to review recess and playground expectations with students. We encourage families to have conversations at home as well, reinforcing the importance of safe, respectful play so that all students can enjoy this time together.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We are looking forward to a strong and exciting stretch ahead!

BE AWESOME!

Mr. Kimpland

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-April 24, 2026

First, a big thank you to our PTO for organizing a fantastic Rockin’ Saturday event this past weekend. It was truly a great morning for our Split Rock community. Our students had the opportunity to engage in a variety of fun and creative activities, from bracelet making to indoor golf, while also enjoying some well-earned popcorn and finishing the event with ice cream. We are incredibly grateful to our PTO and all of our community members who helped make this such a memorable experience for our students.

I would also like to recognize our Grade 3 and Grade 4 students for their efforts during the New York State Math Assessments this week. Our students showed great focus, determination, and perseverance. We are proud of the hard work they’ve put in and look forward to finishing strong as they take on the ELA assessments next week.

As we move forward, many of our classrooms will begin heading out on field trips over the next several weeks. This is always an exciting time of year, and we encourage families to stay connected and up to date with communications regarding any upcoming events your child may be participating in.

Over the past two weeks, a combination of weather and state testing schedules has made it challenging to complete our required safety drills, including evacuation and lockdown drills. Please know that we will continue to look for appropriate opportunities to carry these out over the next couple of weeks to ensure we are meeting all expectations and maintaining a safe learning environment.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and partnership. I hope all of our Wildcats and their families have a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

BE AWESOME!

Mr. Kimpland

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-April 10, 2026

It was a great first week back from Spring Break, and we are hopeful that the sunshine is here to stay! This past week served as a nice warm-up, and as we move forward, things will certainly begin to pick up over the next couple of weeks with many exciting events and important milestones ahead.

First, I would like to extend a big congratulations to our Wildcats of the Month and Golden Award winners for March! Your hard work, positive attitudes, and ability to lead by example continue to make us proud. You have truly exceeded expectations in all that you do, keep up the outstanding work!

As we begin to plan ahead, please note that our Grade 3 and Grade 4 students will be participating in the NYS assessments in the coming weeks. The NYS Math assessment will take place on April 22–23, followed by the ELA assessment on April 29–30. Our students are well-prepared and ready to show what they know. A good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast will help set them up for success!

With the arrival of warmer and drier weather, we will also begin conducting our required Spring safety drills, including evacuation and lockdown drills, over the next few weeks. These drills are an important part of ensuring a safe learning environment for all students. We encourage you to have conversations at home to reinforce that these procedures are in place to help keep everyone safe.

In closing, we are looking forward to seeing many of you next Saturday, April 18 at 9:00am at our PTO-sponsored “Rockin’ Saturday” event! This is always a fun and memorable event for our school community.

BE AWESOME!

Mr. Kimpland

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-March 26, 2026

What a fantastic two weeks we have had here at “The Rock” leading into Spring Break! It has truly been a time filled with community, celebration, and student pride.

We kicked things off with a wonderful St. Baldrick’s Assembly, highlighted by a special visit from the talented dancers of the Francis Academy of Irish Dance. Their 30-minute performance was outstanding and thoroughly enjoyed by all. This was followed by our “Brave the Shave” portion of the assembly, an inspiring moment for our school community. I am proud to share that Split Rock raised $3,021 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. This is yet another example of the generosity and strength of our Wildcat community.

Last Thursday, we also had an incredible turnout for our Spring Open House and Learning Fair. It was truly amazing to see our school filled with families, excitement, and celebration of learning. I want to extend a big congratulations to all of our Learning Fair participants. The effort, creativity, and pride in their presentations were evident, and it was inspiring to see such curiosity and enthusiasm on display.

As we now head into Spring Break, I hope all of our families have the opportunity to rest, recharge, and enjoy time together, hopefully with a little sunshine and warmer weather for those staying local!

As a reminder, school will not be in session from March 30 through April 3, and we look forward to welcoming students back to “The Rock” on Monday, April 6.

Please be sure to review the information below, as there are many exciting events and opportunities happening throughout the community in the coming weeks that our Wildcats can take advantage of.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Enjoy the break!

BE AWESOME!

Mr. Kimpland

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-March 6, 2026

We are officially in the full swing of things as we have completed our second full week back from winter break. It has been wonderful to see the energy and enthusiasm throughout the building. Our staff and students continue to impress each day, working hard and achieving new learning together. The dedication of our Wildcats is something we are incredibly proud of, and it shows in classrooms, hallways, and across our school community.

Last Friday was especially enjoyable as we hosted our Family Bingo Night, and we must extend a sincere thank you to our PTO for organizing such a fun event. The turnout was incredible, and there were certainly many big winners throughout the evening! More importantly, it was great to see our Wildcats and their families together in a different setting, laughing, cheering, and enjoying each other’s company. Events like this help strengthen the sense of community that makes Split Rock such a special place.

As we look ahead to next week, we have a few important calendar reminders for families. The Split Rock PTO will be hosting a meeting with our Superintendent of Schools, Mr. David Bills, to discuss and provide information about the upcoming Capital Project vote. This meeting will take place on Thursday, March 12 at 6:00 PM in the Split Rock Library, and all families who are interested are welcome to attend.

We are also excited for one of our most meaningful school traditions, our St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser Assembly on Friday, March 13. During the assembly, several staff members will bravely shave their heads in support of this important cause. Prior to the head shaving, members of the Francis Academy of Irish Dance will join us for a special dance exhibition. It is always a memorable assembly as our entire building comes together to support a great cause and enjoy the experience as a school community.

Please also mark your calendars for Thursday, March 19, when we will host our Spring Open House from 6:00–7:00 PM. In addition to visiting your child’s classroom, families can enjoy several activities throughout the evening, including the Scholastic Book Fair from 6:00–7:30 PM and our Learning Fair from 6:30–7:00 PM. This is one of the biggest evenings of the year at Split Rock, and we look forward to welcoming many of you into the building to celebrate the great learning happening in our classrooms.

Finally, a quick reminder that school will not be in session for students on Friday, March 20 due to a Superintendent’s Conference Day for staff.

Have a wonderful weekend!

BE AWESOME!

Mr. Kimpland

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-February 13, 2026

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-January 30, 2026

Message from Split Rock Elementary School Principal-January 9, 2026