The Buffalo State campus community will observe a moment of silence on Friday, December 21, to honor the victims of the Newtown, Connecticut, tragedy. The vigil will mirror remembrance ceremonies to be held in Connecticut on Friday morning where Gov. Dannel Malloy has called for a statewide moment of silence at 9:30 a.m., exactly one week after the shootings began.

The Western New York community is invited to join Buffalo State faculty, staff, students, alumni, current teacher education candidates, student teaching supervisors, and others for a brief ceremony on Friday at 9:00 a.m. in front of Rockwell Hall. After the ceremony and moment of silence, the Rockwell Hall clock tower will sound 26 times to honor the victims. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Rockwell Hall lobby.

Buffalo Seminary, a private independent all-girls high school located in the Elmwood Village neighborhood of Buffalo, will offer its Entrance and Scholarship Exam for prospective students on two dates: Saturday, December 1, 2012, and Saturday, December 15, 2012. On both days the exam will begin at 9 a.m. at 205 Bidwell Parkway, Buffalo. Students interested in attending Sem beginning in fall 2013 must register for one of the two exam dates, as well as complete all other requirements of the application process. The deadline for first-round candidates is December 15, 2012, for the 2013-2014 school year. Applications received after this date will be processed on a rolling basis.

The COMMUNITY Charter School Board of Trustees elected five new members with a diverse range of experience in fields such as education, accounting and youth development to three-year terms on the board. All appointments received approval from the New York State Education Department.

Daniel S. Ricigliano, CPA, a three-term veteran of the board, was elected president and second-term member Michael J. Littman was elected vice president.

The new appointments come as the East Side charter school implements a comprehensive reform effort aimed at improving student achievement.

“COMMUNITY Charter School has become a community asset, providing a safe and nurturing learning environment for its 315 students,” said Ricigliano. “With our ‘School Improvement Plan,’ the board looks forward to help affect changes to improve student learning and continue the school’s mission to support students’ academic achievement and social-emotional development.”