Bird's Eye View

Hello Larries Community,

Welcome to the December edition of our 2022-23 school year's “Bird’s Eye View”. Each month's information will continue to give you small snapshots of the great things that are happening here at SLC. Our hope is you will continue to follow us every month, so we can continue to connect our great community with the students, staff, and programs that are here to help maximize our students’ futures.

A few shout outs and reminders:

• Congratulations to all those that have been recognized, in this December issue, for the outstanding work you are doing!

• Thank you to all the parents and guardians that attended our Parent Teacher conferences in November. If you were unable to attend, but feel a meeting would be beneficial, please contact your building's counselors or secretaries to lead you in the right direction.

• Our athletes, and musical departments have been working very hard to provide some great upcoming entertainment at sporting events, and concerts in December. Dates and times for events can be found on our SLC website and SLC app. We hope to see you out supporting the great efforts our students, and staff members.

• On December 19 at 6:00 pm, we will be having a public hearing, prior to the Board of Education meeting, in regards to the upcoming Capital Outlay Project that we have been working on for the past few months. Most of these proposed additions center around improving safety throughout the district. The funding for this project is something that was previously approved years ago, so this is a chance to again see and hear about the proposed improvements.

• We are again asking for anyone wishing to substitute in our district (teachers, support staff, cafeteria staff, and cleaners), to please reach out to 315-389-5131 extension 29108, or click here for more information.

• Reminder: we need your continued support with Home Rules vs. School Rules. I would ask all families to review the following saying that we ask every SLC staff member, in every capacity, to use with our students: “If an SLC staff member, asks you to do something, and it will not hurt you in any way, then do so immediately. If you still have a problem or question about it later, you can ask to see a counselor and/or your principal.” We have a very small percentage of students that are continuing to interfere in the educational process of the majority, as they are spending too much time arguing or asking why they have to do anything. I request that you please remind and explain to our kids that Home and School rules may be different (and that is OK), but they must follow the rules here at school when they are in this building. It's when students feel their parents don’t support the difference that we find the most issues here at school.

• Please consider sharing the link to this edition with any neighbors, relatives, friends, or alumni that would like to keep updated on what goes on here at SLC.

Thanks for following and have a Holiday Season.

The Healthy School Meals for All NY Kids (HSMFA NY Kids) campaign supports the establishment and funding of a statewide, permanent free school meals program. The NYS School Boards Association created this link to connect to our representatives: "Take Action" by clicking here. After entering your address, the prepopulated letter will be ready for distribution to your state legislators, as well as to the Executive Chamber.

Dr. Alisha Ohl, an Associate Professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Clarkson University has provided the district with the following literature and video on how to choose a backpack, and how to properly wear it in order to avoid health problems.

• 1, 2, 3’s of Basic Backpack Wearing
• Backpack Strategies for Parents Students
• Backpack Awareness by Clarkson University's Occupational Therapy Association

On Thursday, November 17th and Friday, November 18th, a large portion of the high school students and staff volunteered to participate in a circle facilitated by Tom Murphy and Pat Fish of the Sweethearts and Heroes program. Sweethearts and Heroes started at the SLC Middle and High schools in September, focusing on building hope, resilience and empathy. Our students have reflected how impactful this time was. You can read more about their presentation here. Based on feedback from our students so far, this has been one of the highlights of their school year to date.

As has been previously shared, each of our students has been partnered with an adult mentor in the building for this school year. The students and staff member have been grouped on similar interests (for example, the love of travel, four-wheeling, hockey, puzzles, etc.). The students and staff meet one time per month to talk, and do some fun activities. For this month, we decided to allow any interested staff member to sign up to participate in a circle activity with Sweethearts and Heroes upon their return. Many of our students participated, and we are excited to look for future dates to have all students attend!

During this session, Tom and Pat facilitated what is called a “circle.” By definition, a Circle is a secure space created to invite sharing of stories and perspectives. It is designed so everyone can see each other, and all voices are heard. It requires mutual consensus to listen, and in sequence respond to a central question. Both Tom and Pat held circles throughout the day, and indicated that our staff and students alike had some pretty profound experiences.

For this update, I thought it would be important to share with you some of the information on Circles as I anticipate you will begin hearing more about this in the community. You are welcome to join us to meet Tom and Pat when they return (date to be scheduled). We are excited about this work, and look forward to seeing the benefits to SLC high school in the future!

• What is Circle?
• Value of Circle
• Intergroup Empathy Bias
• Empathy Killers and Activators
• SEL
• The Web Part I
• The Web Part II

Happy Holidays!

Mrs. Zender

Thomas Morrison was the High School "Golden Apple" award winner for the month of November.

It is a great honor to pass this along to a colleague who received all of the nominations for this month’s Golden Apple. This person has helped me immensely my first year here. I have learned so much working with him in just these few short months. I consider him a friend and am delighted to present this to Tom Morrison. ~Mrs. Haggard

• Tom is a steadfast member of our faculty, and always has time to talk with his colleagues. His influence on our student body is amazing, too. I had the opportunity to hear several of our seniors cite Mr. Morrison's teachings when they exercised their civic rights this summer to ensure their voice was heard. Tom has also been a fantastic support in helping get the D&D rolling this year. His support really put us on the map.

• Tom is one of the most loved teachers in the district. So much so that in a recent year, students chose to dedicate the yearbook to him. An honor, I might add, that is generally reserved for a retired teacher. Not only is Tom always there for students, but he is always there to help a colleague, new or seasoned, in any way that he can. I am proud to call Tom a friend and colleague.

• I would like to nominate Tom Morrison. Tom is a phenomenal teacher who is loved by his students. He is patient and kind with all students. He builds an incredible rapport based on mutual respect and good humor. His students are successful and really enjoy being in his room. Tom is an asset to our faculty and school community.

Congratulations, Mr. Morrison!

Would you like to recognize a staff member? Stop in and see Mrs. Zender or email her at kzender@bfcsd.org.

Winter Sports are underway. Schedules will be changing frequently due to weather, and lack of officials, so remember you can get updates at www.sectionxboces.com or download the "rSchoolToday" APP to your phone.

The swimmers that went to states performed very well. McKenna Bowles set a personal best in the 100 Fly, Ella Bellinger set a personal best in the 200 Free and qualified for the Finals, and our relay team of Ella, McKenna, Erin Lantry and Sonja Wultsch-Fuller set a new school record in the 400 Free, and also qualified for the Finals.

Congratulations to all of our scholar athletes on a job well done! Please click here to view all of our scholar athletes from the Fall season.

Note to Fans: All fans attending games should be aware of a new policy that Section X has passed concerning fan behavior. Should you be asked to leave an event due to remarks deemed harmful to officials or players, and you refuse, stoppage, or cancellation of that event will occur. You will also need to take an NFHS online course before you will be allowed back to games. You can find this new policy on our school website.

NYSSMA Zone 5 Area All-State was cancelled due to lake effect snow in Watertown, but several St. Lawrence County schools sent choral students to gather at Norwood-Norfolk Central School for an impromptu "Area All-State Chorus" day. The chorus teachers took turns refining pieces with the chorus, and the students were able to polish their songs by the end of the day. The students made new friends and learned more about choral music during the day.

Pictured below: Joshua Barkley (Pianist for the day and Alumnus of Madrid-Waddington and Crane School of Music), Gabriel Knouse, Emily Taylor, Emma Stevens, Andrew LaMora, and Jonathan Fraser

Early in November, the Tri-M Music Honor Society inducted five new members. The students in Tri-M focus on being leaders in music and strengthening music involvement in our school and community.

Congratulations to our new inductees: Gabriel Knouse, Hope McDonald, Jennah Strawser, Sydney Miner and Alexis Smith.

It's that time of year again! Our winter concert season is upon us - please see our concert details below.

• 9-12th High School Winter Concert - Tuesday, December 13th, 2022 starting at 7:00pm. Students should arrive no later than 6:30pm.
• 7-8th Grade Middle School Winter Concert - Thursday, December 15th, 2022 starting at 6:00pm. Students should arrive no later than 5:30pm.
• 5-6th Grade Middle School Winter Concert - Thursday, December 15th, 2022 starting at 7:00pm. Students should arrive no later than 6:30pm.

Concert Attire: Per updated band and chorus handbooks from September, we are making a shift to All Black with Black Pants for our concert attire for all students. Students can choose to wear a black button up shirt or blouse. Full black jumpers are also acceptable. Please contact Mrs. Burnett or Mr. Snyder if you have any questions on this.

All-County Festival A:

• Selected Junior High Band (7-8th) students will rehearse Friday and Saturday, January 6 & 7, 2023 with a concert starting at 2:00pm.
• Selected Elementary Band (6th) students will rehearse Saturday, January 7, 2023 with a concert starting at 2:00pm.
• Selected High School Chorus (9-12th) students will rehearse Friday and Saturday, January 6 & 7, 2023 with a concert starting at 2:00pm.

All-County Festival B:

• Selected Senior High Band (9-12th) students will rehearse Friday and Saturday, February 3 & 4, 2023 with a concert starting at 2:00pm.
• Vocal Select Choir (9-12th) students will rehearse Friday and Saturday, February 3 & 4, 2023 with a concert starting at 2:00pm.
• Selected Junior High (7-8th) students will rehearse Friday and Saturday, February 3 & 4, 2023 with a concert starting at 2:00pm.
• Selected Elementary Chorus (5-6th) students will rehearse Saturday, January 7, 2023 with a concert starting at 2:00pm.

Again, please let us know if you have any questions. We're always happy to help the best we can.

Please enjoy these awesome artworks created our by middle and high school art students.

Hello Middle School Family!

We are really excited that we have made it to December. We are looking forward to winter concerts and sports, and I hope to see some of you at these events.

It was nice to see many parents at our conference night, and we want to continue to ask that if you have concerns about your child, that you contact us at school. If teachers requested a conference and you were unable to attend, please contact those teachers to discuss your child. Also on the same night as conferences, we had the ability to honor our new and existing Junior High Honor Society members with our induction ceremony.

We were glad to have Sweethearts and Heroes return back to school in November to work with our students and staff in the middle school and high school. They will be returning again this spring. If you are interested in hearing more about them, you can find a short interview HERE and also an ARTICLE.

Reminders for Middle School Students:

• Communication: Students should communicate with teachers if they have questions or need help. Students should also be checking their Schooltool on a weekly basis.

• Organization: All middle school students are expected to use their agendas, and keep their paper materials in a binder section, or folder for each class.

• Respect: Students should treat each other, and all staff members appropriately at all times. This includes appropriate language, respecting the personal space of others, and keeping their hands to themselves at all times. We want our students to practice for future employment and dress/act the part of their current job as a student.

• Effort: Everyone has their own personal goals, and personal bests, but we want to see every student handing in all assignments, and doing what is asked of them to work to their full potential. This also includes staying after school for extra help.

I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. Thank you to so many of you for your continued support at home.

Mrs. LaBarge

Middle School Principal

Ms. Rutledge's fifth grade class recently sent letters to three SLC alumni soldiers who are currently stationed overseas.

Here is a sampling of their letters:

Hi- my name is Tailynn. I go to SLC and I have always wanted to be in the Army. I've always thought you should chase your dreams and never let someone say you can't do something. If you get scared, you should tell yourself to "just believe." Thank you for your help and I am glad to be writing this letter. You guys are my hero. ~Tailynn - Age 10

Hi- I want to go to the Army when I get older. Thank you for saving us and our community. Thank you to all the Army. ~Trayvonne - Age 10

Hi, my name is Irelynn and I am a Larrie too. If you get scared always tell yourself "I believe" because you may change after saying those words. You inspire me because I've been thinking about being in the army but I am a bit scared. I am so glad to write to you. ~Irelynn - Age 11

Hello Again SLC Family,

I think winter is finally here to stay! With the temperatures getting colder, please be sure your child is properly dressed for the weather. In the winter, boots are always a good idea, but they should also bring their sneakers to school to wear inside the building, and for PE class. If you have a need for appropriate winter wear, please reach out, and we may be able to help.

In my last couple newsletters, I mentioned that we were hoping for parental support in shaping student behaviors in the school setting. One message we have been trying to consistently communicate to our students, district-wide, is that if a staff member asks you to do something, and it won't hurt you, you do it. If they have concerns with it, they can ask to speak to a counselor or principal, but they should be respectful and comply with directives from staff members. It would be helpful if you could discuss, and encourage this with your child at home. The partnership between home and school is critical in supporting the needs of our students, so this message is worth repeating. Once again, we appreciate your support!

I encourage you to review the newsletters below, as they have some very helpful tips and information.

• December Newsletter
• December Daily Learning Planner

Progress Reports Update: Three years ago the elementary school began sending 5 week progress reports home. This is not typical at this level of education, as elementary staff are typically in regular communication with parents/guardians. In fact, after inquiring around the region, we found that there was only one other school sending 5 week progress reports home. The information on these reports is minimal and oftentimes there are no significant changes from the 10 week report cards. This message was shared in last month's newsletter, as well as on Class Dojo. Based on the parental feedback received, we have decided to do away with 5 week progress reports at the elementary level. Thanks to those who shared their perspective on this.

There will be no school on Friday, December 23rd. This will begin our holiday break. School will resume on Tuesday, January 3rd, and it will be a Day 1.

With the holiday season approaching, we will be into the new year before we know it! I wish all of our SLC families all the best this holiday season!

Respectfully,

Mrs. Colterman

The Larries Spotlight Award was created to recognize Elementary Staff who demonstrate a specific trait each month! This award is voted upon by peers who want to give a shout out to one of their colleagues for doing an outstanding job!

Molly Brouillette was The Larries Spotlight Award winner for the month of October. October’s trait was leadership and Mrs. Brouillette got the award from her peers based on her natural leadership abilities. She sees a problem and can always come up with a solution. Mrs. Brouillette is always the first one to sign up to lead a project around the school because she wants to make the best environment for the students. She leads by example when it comes to teaching her students and inspiring others to be the best teacher they can.

Thank you, Mrs. Brouillette, for being an amazing leader!

All Pre-K students worked really hard learning the 26 letters. There was no better way to celebrate this accomplishment, but to have the first ever alphabet parade! Each of the students were assigned a letter to decorate in a special way. The students were given freedom to design it any way they wanted to as long as it went with the letter they were given. All of the letters turned out great and the day was a huge success! Parents and other teachers and classes supported the Pre-K students by lining the hallway to show their support.

The Pre-K team wanted to give a big thank you to everyone that helped and supported the students in learning their letters, and making the alphabet parade a huge success!

Miss Fountain and Mrs. Potter’s Pre-K classes have been finding creative ways to practice the letters that they have learned this year!! One of the students favorite activities is becoming a detective, and going on a letter hunt! Each of the students get a magnifying glass to “help” them find the letters better. The class goes around the school to look for letters, and then we go back to the classroom to go through which ones they find! This is a great activity because it gets the students moving, practices the rules of the hallway, and makes learning fun.

Seasons Greetings!

To begin with, we want to let you know how much we enjoy teaching the Character Education Trait of the Month lessons with Ms. Ronan in the Library, and November’s “Life Lab” on Gratitude was truly awesome. We wish you could be with us to hear the remarkable, and touching things students say. We want you to know that there is a good chance you were mentioned as someone students have Gratitude for, as well as their teachers, bus drivers, maintenance workers, and cafeteria staff. Just about everyone that works in and around our school was mentioned! Thank you for taking the time to discuss and teach these values, they help shape our children into healthy, and happy students, and someday, community members.

December’s Character trait of the month is “Kindness”. A concept even our youngest students understand. As we discuss this trait, we will also be challenging them to step-up their kindness game. The Holiday season tends to invoke kind thoughts, and acts, so we will be discussing the simple idea of “paying it forward”: We aim to see students building one another up, so all students feel supported, and valued by their peers. We will also speak about the simple, and powerful principle of the Golden Rule. Please find some time to reinforce this trait, and its principles with your loved ones.

The Golden Rule: “Treat others the way you want to be treated”.

“Life Lab” is scheduled for Days 4, 5, and 6 and over those 3 days we see every student in the school. We teach the “Character trait of the Month” during the first 6 day cycle of the month, and on the second 6-day cycle we deliver a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) lesson. This month we are moving on to Unit 2 of the Second Step program on emotion management where the discussion will be about self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills. The last 6-day cycle of the month is reserved for special topics or career exploration. This time around we will have Oliva Rowe, a Community Educator from Renewal House visiting again. She will be teaching developmentally appropriate lessons regarding domestic violence, in a manner which focuses on keeping our children safe. If you have any questions about these lessons, please reach out to one of us.

Peaceful Holidays to All!

Ms. White and Mr. Dinan

November 1st began with a discussion about the word THANKFUL, and its meaning. Then the brainstorming began, every morning, of all that we are thankful for. The challenge was to fill our THANKFUL PUMPKIN up with as many thankful things as possible! By November 30th, we had filled the pumpkin from top to bottom!!

One item on our THANKFUL PUMPKIN was BOOKS! Perry’s Pals received their November Scholastic Sponsor book, How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton.

Mrs. Karen MacNeill was our guest reader. Perry’s Pals were surprised to find out she is actually Mrs. Perry’s mom!! While reading this silly book about a turkey who has stage fright before the school Thanksgiving play begins, a few more items were added to the THANKFUL PUMPKIN: clothes and trees. Perry’s Pals also learned about taking deep breaths when feeling nervous.

📚💙Thank you, Mrs. MacNeill and all of our Scholastic Book Sponsors!!! 📚💙

Where has the world of chalkboards, and pencils gone? One does not have to look far in any direction to know that technology plays a major role in our lives. The teachers, and administration of St. Lawrence Central continually work to provide resources and curriculum to students, so that they have the opportunity to reinforce past learning, and to learn new skills using technology.

Recently our kindergartners used Indy Spheros to practice their colors, directions, and actions while coding these little robots using colored mats. Each mat, based on its color, made the robot go forward, turn right or left, and controlled the speed of the robot.

Our middle schoolers are learning about creativity, critical thinking, mechanical engineering, computer science, and coding along with skills such as collaboration and teamwork in their robotics classes. In this class, students are required to build and program their robots to do certain activities with no specific design, which gives them the opportunity to use all the pre-mentioned skills.

In the high school, we have a number of students that are using software to do 3D mechanical drawing to create models that they then print out on the district's 3D printers. In this class students learn hands on activities, creativity, collaboration, graphic design, resilience, and problem solving.

As New York state moves forward with the full implementation of the Computer Science and Digital Fluency standards in 2024, SLC will continue to explore more ways to give students an opportunity to open new possibilities for learning.

Catch up with the latest student stories, events, and news updates. It’s everything Brasher Falls Central School District, in your pocket. Download the app on Android or iPhone it is the best way to get notifications of school closings, delays, and cancellations.

Email: crose@bfcsd.org
Website: www.bfcsd.org
Location: 1039 State Highway 11C, Brasher Falls, NY 13613
Phone: 315-389-5131
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrasherFallsCSD