CiTi earns school safety excellence award
The Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation (CiTi) has received the highest distinction in school safety excellence, an award presented annually by Utica National Insurance Group.
CiTi was among the 156 school districts and BOCES in New York State to receive the 2019 Utica National School Safety Excellence Award at the titanium with honors level, the highest honor given out by the group. The honor recognizes district’s safety efforts as they work to help keep students, staff and visitors safe.
“School safety is of the utmost importance at CiTi, and it takes a community to make all the pieces fit and work together,” said CiTi Coordinator of Safety and Risk John Raflowski. “Considering how our world and society has changed in recent years, CiTi believes in taking a proactive, multi-hazard approach to safety.”
Officials from CiTi accepted the award at a March ceremony in Syracuse, and also received $500 from the insurance group to use in furthering safety efforts.
Categories considered during the award process include bullying prevention programs, playground safety and other areas which are measured using quantifiable surveys. Mr. Raflowski said Aleisha Hartford and Mary Anne Kirkpartrick put in hours of “hard work” ensuring the application was assembled and completed correctly.
Mr. Raflowski thanked the hard work of CiTi administration and teaching staff along with the Safety and Risk Department — namely Safety Officers Hartford and Charlene Walthert, Superintendent Christopher Todd, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services Mike Shepherd and Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Mark LaFountain.
The Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation was recently recognized with the 2019 Utica National School Safety Excellence Award. Pictured, from left, with the are Exceptional Education Principal Antwaun Dixon; Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Mark LaFountain; Safety Officer Charlene Walthert; Safety Officer Aleisha Hartford; Coordinator of Safety and Risk John Raflowski; Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services Mike Shepherd; and Career and Technical Education Principal Mike Thurlow.