Genesee Valley BOCES held their annual Opening Day Welcome for the 2025-26 school year at the Richard C. Call Arena at GCC on Tuesday morning.
From left Norbert Fuest/Board President, and Kevin MacDonald/District Superintendent. MacDonald says tomorrow, GV BOCES, between the Batavia and Mt. Morris Campuses, will welcome almost 1600 students to the 2025-26 school year as compared to 2012-13 school year with about 800 students.
After opening remarks by Board President Norbert Fuest and District Superintendent Kevin MacDonald, over 400 employees listened to guest speaker Yantee Slobert, a survivor, and student speaker, Noah Bellinger, an Attica H.S. graduate who graduated from the GV BOCES Culinary Program last year.
“Every student has potential waiting to be unlocked, and it starts with you, noticing, believing and refusing to give up. Think of the student who is struggling quietly right now, imagine how different their life could be if one person chose to sit with them, to push them, to show them they matter. That one choice can echo for years. That one choice will change everything, ” Bellinger told the crowd.
Slobert explained how he battled his way through grade school and high school, picking up the slack for his mother and his family after his father left. He says it was several teachers who reached out at the Junior high level that saved him from failing out of school.
Deputy Superintendent Julie Donlon introduced over 50 new employees.
New employees for the 2025-26 school year.
