Bird's Eye View

Welcome to the second edition of our 3rd year of the “Bird’s Eye View”. This month's information will hopefully 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 reminders of important educational dates:

• Parent/Teacher Conferences are set for November 17 & 18 in the elementary school and November 21st in the middle/high schools. Please know that face-to-face interaction with your child's teachers only builds a stronger relationship with you, and the teachers, as well as an increased positive relationship between your child and their teacher.

• Parent Financial Aid Workshop will be offered here on November 21st. A presentation will be given at 5:00 pm, prior to the Open House, and staff will be here until 8:00 pm to help with filling out the FAFSA form and other documents.

• December 1st - Additional half staff development day. The district had one half staff day to add, and our teams chose December 1st to continue curriculum work, so adjustments/suggestions can be made among the grade levels both vertically and horizontally. Dismissals will follow our normal half day schedule (MS/HS 11:30 - ES 12:30).

A few shout outs and reminders:

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

• A thank you to all the first responder units that came and gave of their time during Fire Prevention Week. The elementary students were “fired up” the morning before getting to go see all the stations our local first responders had set up for the day.

• Congratulations to all of our fall athletes and coaches. Special congratulations to our girls swim team for the greatest “tie” in SLC sports history over Canton a few weeks back and to our girls soccer team who lost a hard fought Class C Championship game in overtime to Canton.

• Reminder help with Home Rules vs. School Rules: I would ask all families to review this saying that we ask of every SLC staff member, in every capacity, to use with our students: “If an SLC staff member, in our district, 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. My request is this…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 this edition with any neighbors, relatives, friends, or alumni you may know that would like to keep updated on what goes on at SLC. Thanks for following and have a great November.

On October 20th, the district sent out a feedback survey: MS/HS Parent Feedback: Progress/Report Card Mailings vs. Digital

Reasons for sending out this survey:

1. There is currently a national paper shortage in the United States. Our BOCES was not able to secure even one binder for the paper contract for this school year.

2. The cost of postage is going up again. This would save a lot of money in mailings every 5 weeks.

3. Our secretaries spend many hours printing and stuffing envelopes every 5 weeks, in a short time frame, from the time grades come in to when reports need to be mailed home.

4. A few other local area school districts have given digital reports a try (during Covid), and had so much success with them, that they are continuing with digital reporting.

With 140 families in MS/HS responding, here are the results. Based on the percentages approximately 82% of MS/HS families that responded would be good with Digital 5 week Progress Reports only and Paper copies mailed home for 10 week Report Cards. Our teams will continue to look at these results and come back to you with our thoughts moving forward. Please note: if we do go to digital copies of either, or both reports, we will always give the option of asking for a paper copy for any families that requests it.

Any families wishing to get digital access to the parent portal on Schooltool can do so by going to our website under the COMMUNITY tab and then clicking on Parent Portal Request. You will then be sent the login credentials that you need to give you digital access to your children(s) grades at any time you wish to see them.

As the end of the first ten weeks of school comes to an end on Friday, November 11th, the SLC high school staff would like to remind students and families of all of the opportunities for academic success that we have! It is important that students, and families reach out to let us know how we can best support each child in their courses.

During the academic day, we have a variety of options available for students. New to SLC HS this year is the “Opportunity Area.” The Opportunity Area is a place where students can go to get support with academics, and organization. Students can sign out to the Opportunity Area by checking with their study hall monitor or connecting with Mrs. Murray at bmurray@bfcsd.org. Additionally, all teachers are available most days of the week for academic support from 2:30-3:25 PM. Students should sign up with their individual teachers. Bussing is available for all students Monday-Thursday.

All families of SLC HS are invited to attend our Conferences/Report Card Day and Night that will be held on Monday, November 21st. We will be reformatting the conference style so that all teachers will be in their classrooms from the hours of 1:00-3:00 PM and also from 6:00-8:00 PM. Families can connect with any staff member at that time, and are encouraged to send teachers any questions or concerns you may have ahead of time, so that your time may be best utilized. Report cards will be available at these times in the high school lobby, and will be mailed home on Tuesday, November 22nd, if not picked up.

As always, we look forward to collaborating with you about your child. Please feel free to connect with myself, your child’s teacher and/or guidance counselor to let us know how we can best support you.

Wishing your family the warmest Thanksgiving this year!

Kristen Zender

HS Principal

Margaret Haggard was the High School "Golden Apple" award winner for the month of October.

Mrs. Haggard brings an enthusiasm and level of experience to the classroom that is refreshing. She has hit the ground running this year, but already has her students, and their accommodations being met in a fair and flexible way. She is a true asset for this school! She has come out of retirement to take on the work of not just one special education teacher, but two. She has a large student load, but she handles it with ease. She has a great rapport with the students, and is the perfect addition to SLC. Mrs. Haggard is delightful to be around and work with. She really, really cares about the kids and they can tell! She has a wonderful relationship (already) with staff, and students alike.

Congratulations Mrs. Haggard!

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

Fall sports are wrapping up. The girls' soccer team advanced to the Class C Championship game vs. Canton, and lost in a hard fought battle with a score of 2-1 in overtime. The football team lost to Gouverneur in the Class Championship.

The swim Sectionals were held on Sunday. The SLC swim team came in second in Section X and will be sending the following swimmers to states: Ella Bellinger in the 200 free, McKenna Bowles in the 100 fly, and Ella Bellinger, McKenna Bowles, Erin Lantry, and Sonja Wultsch-Fuller in the 400 free relay (this team broke the school record at 3:58.43!!).

Congratulations also to our swim team for ending Canton's 125 meet winning streak with a miraculous come from behind, 47-47 tie!! The swim team finished the season with a 9-0-1 record. Great job swimmers!

Hall of Fame weekend was a success as we inducted our 225th member onto the Hall of Fame Wall at school.

Winter Sports will get underway on November 14th for JV and Varsity teams, and November 21st for Modified teams.

Anyone needing a physical to participate, can receive one at school on November 15th. Please see Ms. Hallahan in the nurse's office to register.

The high school counseling department will be holding a senior parent presentation and financial aid workshop on November 21, 2022. The parent presentation will start at 5:00 pm and support will be available following the presentation until 8:00 pm to assist parents and students in completing their FAFSA. Information regarding what to bring to the financial aid night are included in the accompanying image. Parents and students will need to create their unique FSA IDs prior to attending: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

The drama students are hard at work rehearsing Euridyce for their fall play. The show will be on Friday and Saturday, December 2 and 3 at 7:00 pm.

Students have also just completed auditions for our Spring Musical, The Wizard of Oz. The show will be on March 3rd and 4th, 2023. It will be our first full fledged musical since 2020!

We look forward to seeing families and friends at both productions!

St. Lawrence Central students have begun competing in regional Speech & Debate tournaments. Gracelyn Clary won first place in Declamation in October with her performance of Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!" Nekoda Barse & Sophia Guerard have now earned two first-place finishes in Duo Interpretation, reading a selection from the play 'night, Mother.

High School/Middle School picture retake day is November 14th from 8:00-12:30. Any student who did not have his or her picture taken already, should plan to have it taken on that day. Any student who wishes to have a retake, must bring their original pictures with them that day, so they can be returned to the photographer.

Happy fall SLC!

We have had a busy first couple of months in the middle school. In October, we had Seaway Valley Prevention come to talk to students about Vaping. They will be returning in December to do Jeopardy with students.

We look forward to having Sweethearts and Heroes return to us in the middle of November to do circle work with both our Middle and High school students. You can find more information out about them on their website: https://www.sweetheartsandheroes.com/ and on social media platforms.

Term 1 ends on Friday, November 11th. Students and parents are reminded to refer to Schooltool assignment grades to make sure that all possible assignments have been completed and turned in. Schooltool access can be requested under the parent and student selections on our website. It is recommended that this is reviewed on a weekly basis, so that students are keeping up with their assignments throughout the term.

Parent teacher conferences for middle school will take place on November 21 from 1-3 and 6-8. Teachers will be meeting in person in the middle school gym. All parents are encouraged to attend. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 that day.

Our students in grades 5-8 go out for recess when it is nice outside. Please make sure your child has warm clothing to go outside in the colder temperatures.

Please reach out to our teachers, counselors, or myself if you need anything.

Jamie LaBarge

MS Principal

Happy November!

On Halloween, we had our second “Student Meeting” of the year. Mrs. Donie and Mr. Niles joined their student groups to enjoy costumes, treats, and two crafts. Both groups made homemade fidgets with Mrs. Donie, and Halloween lanterns with Mr. Niles. Everyone really enjoyed the activities.

Building relationships is so important in Middle School!

The Playground Committee is excited to announce the arrival of our newest piece of playground equipment; The GaGa Ball Pit! For those of you who are unfamiliar with GaGa Ball, it is similar to dodgeball, but is played in an octagonal ring, players can only hit the ball underhanded, and to get someone out you must hit them below the knee. We would like to thank everyone in our school, and community that had a hand in fundraising for this piece of equipment, especially this year's freshman class for their efforts in starting the Playground Committee last year, and this year's 6th Grade Class for raising over $1000 towards playground improvement. The Playground Committee would also like to thank Gregg Villnave and Danny Phelix for installing the GaGa Ball Pit for our students.

We knew the students would enjoy GaGa Ball, but we had no idea just how popular it would be. The students have absolutely loved playing GaGa Ball during lunch recess, Extended Day, and we’ve even had students come out on their own time to pick up a game with friends.

The Playground Committee is continuing to plan fundraisers and explore grant opportunities to further expand our Middle School Playground. Please keep an eye out for future fundraising initiatives and additions!

Hello SLC Family,

In October's newsletter, 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, then 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.

This month we have been focusing on bus expectations. As you read the section from our school counselors, you will learn more about this effort. I ask that if your child rides a bus, please discuss appropriate bus behavior with them at home as well. The partnership between home, and school is critical in supporting the needs of our students. Thanks for your help!

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

• November Newsletter
• November Daily Learning Planner

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. For these reasons, we are considering doing away with the 5 week progress reports. We are sharing this idea in hopes to solicit any feedback you may have. Please reach out to me if you'd like to further discuss, or have concerns over eliminating progress reports. Please keep in mind that we will still send 10 week report cards home each quarter even if we choose to do away with 5 week progress reports.

We will be holding parent-teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday, November 17th and 18th, with dismissal at 11:30 for elementary students. After the first quarter, we like to meet with each child's parent/guardian. Please be on the lookout for information regarding scheduling your conference from your child's teacher.

On Wednesday, November 9th Brasher Falls Central will be holding our mandated Evacuation Crisis Drill at dismissal. All elementary staff and students will participate in the off-site evacuation drill, which will begin with a fire drill.

• Parent Pick-Ups: If your child is a permanent parent pick-up or needs to be picked up for an afternoon appointment, you are asked to pick up your child before 2:15. You will need to sign out your child at the Elementary Office. There will not be any announcements this day. Students will not be allowed to leave once the evacuation drill has begun, and will be put on a bus.

There will be no school on Thursday, November 10th for staff development. There will be no school on Friday, November 11th in honor of Veterans' Day. School will resume on Monday, November 14th and it will be a Day 5.

There will be no school on Wednesday, November 23 through Friday, November 25, in honor of Thanksgiving. School will resume on Monday, November 28th and it will be a Day 6.

On Thursday, December 1 the elementary will have a 12:30 dismissal, for staff development. Please plan accordingly.

I cannot believe how quickly the first couple months of school have come and gone. With everything going on in November, it is sure to fly by just as quickly. Enjoy what's left of our warm, sunny days!

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!

Vanessa Hahn was The Larries Spotlight Award winner for the month of September. September’s trait was citizenship and Mrs. Hahn got the award from her peers based on her ability to think outside the box and push others to do the same. She leads by example and makes others around her better. Mrs. Hahn strives to provide the best possible environment for her students to learn in where they can be creative, engaged, and wanting to learn more.

Thank you, Mrs. Hahn, for pushing us to think outside of the box!

Hello from the Elementary Counselors!

It feels like this school year is flying by, and we are really looking forward to the Character Education Assembly and Award Ceremony on November 8th. Awards will be presented to students in each classroom that exemplified the character traits we studied in September and October, they were Citizenship and Leadership respectively. November’s character trait is Gratitude, and as we work with students to cultivate an attitude of gratitude we hope parents and caregivers are having discussions with students about this all-important character trait.

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”- Will Arnett "Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.”- Doris Day

Bus Behaviors on the Rise:

Speaking of gratitude; it’s great that we have busses and drivers that transport our students to and from school every day, but bus drivers’ are dealing with stress and potentially dangerous situations because many students will not stay in their seats, and don’t use indoor voices. A calm bus is safe for our students physically and emotionally, but a rowdy bus is stressful for the driver and other students. We are using the first week of November in “Life Lab” class to review the rules on the bus, and developing a program to reward positive behaviors. The bus drivers we spoke with say it could be very simple: they ask that students stay in their seats when the bus is moving, and use indoor voices at all times. Please reinforce this message with your child.

Community Resources:

Recently, a representative from Helping Hands in Potsdam visited to remind us of resources they provide. We were surprised and happy to learn that they have a fund specifically for dental emergencies, and can even help with heating and utility bills. There is a state-of-the-art soup kitchen offering nutritious well-balanced meals served at 12:00 pm each Monday through Thursday. The food pantry is available on a once per month basis to families in need of non-perishable food, and a limited number of perishable items including bread and, on occasion, fresh vegetables when in season. They also have an assortment of used donated furniture, appliances, and household goods available. Find out more by visiting their website or give them a call.

Looking for help with child care costs?

New York State is offering assistance with child care expenses. There is a 3-4 page application to complete and income limits. You can find out all you need to know at their website Child Care Assistance Program.

We wish you and yours a warm and happy Thanksgiving!

Mrs. White and Mr. Dinan

The entire elementary school would like to send out a giant thank you to the many volunteers who helped to make our first ever “First Responder Friday” such a huge success!

Students spent the day visiting different stations to learn about fire safety and the jobs and duties of various Firemen, police officers and paramedics. Some of the 10 stations included: spraying a fire hose to knock down a cone, crawling out of a Fire Escape Simulator room, practicing stop drop and roll, discussing the importance of smoke detectors, petting the State Police K9 bloodhounds, sitting in a state police cruiser and learning about their daily duties, exploring an ambulance, and watching the ladder truck go up high.

It was a truly fantastic experience for our students to be immersed in these opportunities to explore, and learn about topics that can save a life.

A special thanks to: Brasher-Winthrop FD, West-Stockholm FD, Lawrenceville FD, North Lawrence FD, NYS Trooper Dambros, the NYS police, NYS Trooper Thornhill and his two K9 dogs, and Tri-Town Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Students are having fun in Mr. Dow's gym playing Angry Birds and trapping Mr. Dow in the tower.

Fourth graders at Extended Day created pumpkins last week. They had to glue string to a balloon. After "pumpkins" dried completely, students picked the dried glue off, and cut out the balloon, then they added a stem to the top. Also this week, they colored some fun Halloween bookmarks.

At the beginning of the school year, first graders are learning all about having a growth mindset! A big part of this mindset is to keep trying, even when we make mistakes, or are disappointed, no matter how many times it takes! This is called having GRIT!

Another focus, at the beginning of first grade, is students working hard to make appropriate choices during math center time such as using a voice level 1 (whisper), completing jobs (without fooling around with friends), not interrupting anyone else’s learning, growing our brains, etc. On Sept. 26th, Perry’s Pals set a goal of having 5 days in a row of no reminders during center time to earn DONUT DAY! After LOTS of hard work, some disappointment, and a BUNCH OF GRIT, Mrs. Perry is proud to announce they reached their goal, and enjoyed 🍩 Donut Day 🍩 on November 2nd!

Third grade team had some fun learning on Halloween. We did some fun rotations. The kids did a stem activity, math activity, made a witches potion, and then wrote about it.

Thanks to the generosity of some community members who want to pass on the love of reading, Perry’s Pals received their October Scholastic Sponsor book, The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano.

Mrs. Claire LaShomb was our guest reader who visited our classroom to read this book to our first grade class. After listening to the story, Perry’s Pals were inspired and excited to create their own unique shaped and colored pumpkins! On Halloween, we watched the movie and discovered it was much different than the book!

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

St. Lawrence Central strives to better serve our students and community through communication using technological means. One of the avenues SLC uses to provide students, parents, and guardians with valuable educational information is SchoolTool, which is the district's Student Information System. It is here where students, parents, and guardians can track assignments, discipline, and grades through electronic means.

Getting access to this information is simple and it all begins with filling out a Parent or Student Portal Request form. These electronic forms can be found on the District’s website under the Community tab on the homepage. Once in the Community section, parents and guardians will click on the Parent Portal SchoolTool Request tab and students will click on the Student Portal Request tab, or parents can simply click here.

The person making the request form will then provide some information including their name, student name(s), grade level(s), email address, and confirmation that you have read and understand the statement of agreement. Users will then be emailed all credentials needed to access the portal from that point on.

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