Bird's Eye View

Hello Larrie Community,

Thank you for checking out the April issue of Bird’s Eye View. It has been great to see more faces as we have welcomed the community back to campus for elementary concerts, sporting events, the seniors vs. parent/faculty basketball game, and many more activities. Each month's edition of Bird’s Eye View will continue to give you small snapshots of the great things that are happening here at SLC, along with things we may need to ask for a little help with. Our hope is that you will continue to follow us every month, so we can continue to connect our great community with the students and programs that are happening in the district in order to help maximize our students’ futures.

Budget creation season is here. We continue to collect data on both projected expenses and revenues for next year, and hope to have an approved NYS Budget by the time you read this. As a staff, we continue to look at community survey suggestions for programs that will occur both during and after school, as well as during the summer months. We are currently organizing our K-8 summer school as well as structuring our 9-12 summer school. It is our turn to host the 9-12 summer school for three districts this summer (SLC, NN, and PH). We have also set aside some federal money to help sponsor students in attending summer camps. Details on how to apply for the help will be out shortly. If you have questions now, please feel free to contact your building principals and/or counselors. Structural additions will also continue to be calculated for the entire district (a new portable stage for graduation and a new 5-12 cafeteria layout to name a few).

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

• We want to recognize our 3-8 students and staff for giving maximum effort on the 3-8 NYS ELA Testing (first time being fully given in over two years). Although some portions were long, our students persevered with the support of many great staff members.

• Thank you to all our students, staff, parents, and community that participated in any way during our March elementary concerts, class fundraising, and other activities. We could not do this without you!

• Athletics: Best of luck to all our Spring teams as they have been practicing daily to get ready for a great Spring season!

Thank you for following and have a great April.

Senior Career Academy:

As the SLC High School continues to expand our course offerings, we have been working hard on creating an authentic simulated workplace learning environment for our senior students for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. We are proud to announce that we will be launching a “Senior Career Academy” that will be open to current juniors who will not be enrolled at the tech center for their senior year. Students are completing applications, and will be scheduled with interviews to gain admission to the program. The goal of the Senior Career Academy is to develop the soft and technical skills necessary for students when they leave high school, wherever their career path takes them. We are currently actively forming partnerships with our local community businesses to form internship sites that will host students.

Senior Career Academy students will attend SLC High School courses in the morning where they will work on real-life skills through interdisciplinary coursework. For example, their ELA class will consist of reflective journaling for their job site experiences, resume writing, technical writing, and more. Students will be enrolled in our Real World Math class where they will learn valuable skills such as balancing a home budget, completing their taxes, filing paperwork, and more. Students will learn how to reflect their skills in a digital and written portfolio and will develop soft skills such as oral and written communication, dealing with conflict, and more. In the afternoon, students participating in the Senior Career Academy will rotate through various job sites in the community where they will get on-the-job training, feedback, and support as they build their resume with relevant skills to many areas in the workforce. Students will develop community service projects to learn to work collaboratively towards a goal while giving back!

We recognize that now, more than ever, our students need these skills to be successful when they leave the halls of SLC HS, and we are excited to see how this program and the students develop! Please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Zender in the HS Principal’s Office, if you have an interest in hosting students for the upcoming school year!

Update on the New York State Regents Exams:

On Thursday, March 17th, we received notification that the New York State Education Department was moving forward in requiring the high school Regents Examinations in June. The exams will take place at their previously scheduled dates found here on the NYS Education website.

We know and recognize that there will be anxiety for many of our students who will be required to take a Regents Exam for the first time. Please note, our teachers will be providing ample opportunities for Regents review in class as well as separate opportunities for work, and help after school. If you feel as though your child would benefit from working directly with their teacher, please have them contact their teacher to establish times where they may stay after school for additional support. If you have specific questions for teachers on content, please do not hesitate to reach out for support.

Mr. Mark Ruddy was the "Golden Apple" Award Winner for the Month of March.

Mr. Ruddy was nominated by his colleagues.

"I would like to nominate Mr. Ruddy for all he's doing with the play! Also, for how engaged and participatory he always is."

"I would like to nominate Mr. Ruddy for the Golden Apple. I have been privileged to work with him for 3 years on our shows. Mr. Ruddy works wonders with the students through his ability to reach each student with his energy, passion for the written word and the theater arts, and for being sure that each kid feels seen and heard. There was no role too small in the show that Mark didn't carefully attend to, so that each student felt confident and clearly understood their character, or backstage duties. Mark was able to recruit many first-time theater students who have now become part of the drama family here at SLC. He demands a high level of accomplishment, and the students rise to the challenge. Mark involves them in the dramatic decisions that are made both in the delivery of their dialogue and in details, such as when to move a stool to the correct spot on stage. Mr. Ruddy works in such a way that the students will exit the program having a good handle on principles of theater, and many hope to go on to continue their theater involvement in college and beyond due to his influence. And should they never be in a play or musical again, they will have an enduring appreciation for the art form, have gained skills ranging from public speaking, to time management, and more. I count myself lucky to be able to work on our shows with such an accomplished and dedicated individual, and I know each of our students do as well."

Congratulations Mr. Ruddy!

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

This month all of our seniors had the opportunity to participate in the Gateways Career Fair that was hosted at SUNY Canton. This experience provided students with the opportunity to meet with potential employers and to practice their interview skills.

Pictured are some of our seniors participating in interviews at Gateways.

Thanks to everyone who donated blood at our recent blood drive! As usual, our school and local communities came out in full force to show their support, and in this case, literally save lives!

The results are below:

• 28 donors scheduled
• 27 donors registered
• 3 donors deferred
• 2 first time donors

• 26 units collected (including Power Red donations!!)
• 78 lives potentially saved!
• Blood drive goal: 17 units
• % collected to goal: 153%

Thank you to all the donors!

When the district won the budding botanist grant, we decided to establish a garden in the high school courtyard. The conservation students measured out the area to estimate how many growing boxes we could fit in that space, and it’s quite a lot. However, we have the funding and materials to build ten this year, so that’s what we are going to do.

Greenhouse Club members, Ashton Tassie and Rebekah Dibble, created a thank you video for Klorane who awarded the district with the budding botanist grant. You can view the video on the Greenhouse website.

Mr. Newtown’s woodshop workers have been working on building our raised beds out of cedar boards. We will be putting them in place once the ground thaws enough for us to do so.

The greenhouse club has helped some with milling the boards, and has begun planting seeds to grow in the garden itself. We are hoping to have an end of the year plant sale to fund some more raised beds! The club has also started planting flowers for our pollinator garden and they are growing beautifully. The pollinator garden will become part of our future science courses. We will participate in citizen science and study how the creation of the pollinator garden will influence insect populations in the area and what sorts of pollinators and birds will be supported with it.

Not all the stories in the greenhouse end in success. Bladen Sweeny has started writing some lessons about how things can go wrong in the greenhouse. Enjoy!

THE SHADOWS MADE BY PLANTS

Greenhouse Terrors

By: Bladen Sweeny

Lesson 1: Hot Weather Kills

Now, for those that aren't geologists, or don't know much about geography in the U.S.A, the hottest place on earth would be Death Valley in California (the name gives you how pleasant it is there). Death Valley is home to only some species that have learned to survive the sun's vicious and vigorous rays. Now, does that type of weather need to be in a greenhouse with plants that don't grow in those conditions...no, not at all. Well, one day in the greenhouse, the temperature hit 110°F, and scorched most of the plants in the greenhouse. It felt like walking into an oven. Inside of this oven were the sad limp plants that begged for water. Many plants didn't escape the heat’s clutches, and died. Some though were able to recover and continued to thrive like the succulents and the cactus that we had. It happened not just once, but twice! (Only the second time, it only hit 102°F.)

The SLC High School Student Council recently held a successful Money Wars fundraiser to raise $275 and a donation of supplies for the Potsdam Humane Society.

All students are welcome to join our Student Council, which is a group of student leaders who work together to boost school spirit and give back to the community.

Spring sports are in full swing at SLC. Games will be starting soon for all levels. The game schedules for all sports and all levels can be found on the Section X website. Please make sure to regularly check the schedule as games and times can frequently change during the spring sports season.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Reome at jreome@bfcsd.org.

Dear Middle School Parents,

We are in the midst of the state testing season, and our students have impressed us with their effort.

Upcoming State Tests for Middle School:

April 28-29 Math NYS Test

May 24 Science 8 NYS Test (Performance)

June 1 Science 8 NYS Test (Written)

As we approach the end of the year (we are in the final stretches), we ask that you continue to monitor SchoolTool, and structure a homework/study time for your child at home. Our third marking period is ending in just a couple of weeks.

If you have any concerns regarding your child, please reach out to their teachers or counselor.

Best Regards,

Mrs. LaBarge

Carl Pitts Jr. created this amazing lamp utilizing used firefighter equipment in Mr. Newtown's 8th grade Technology class.

Great work Carl!

Mr. Niles A-K

Mrs. LaVoie L-Z

Effective Parenting: What’s the Secret?

Just as there is no such thing as a perfect human being; there is no such thing as a perfect parent. We can all afford to learn new skills in life and parenting is no exception. Much of this article will be information developed by author and family psychologist, John Rosemond. Mr. Rosemond learned through experience. He shares freely the many challenges he faced with his own child. This article will be made up of a series of bullet points, so as to make the information easier to read, and to the point. We hope it is helpful. You can find Mr. Rosemond's books, articles, videos on social media, if you would like to learn more.

“In order for children to become successful at the three “R’s” of reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic, parents must first teach them the Three R’s of Respect, Responsibility, and Resourcefulness. These, not high IQ, define the educable child.”

- John Rosemond

• Your child is not your friend (at least not yet; time for that when they are grown).

• Don’t discuss your instructions or directives to your child. Tell them calmly and confidently what you expect them to do.

• YES - Leadership Speech: "It's time for you to stop whatever it is you're doing and begin getting ready for bed."

• NO - Sweet Talk: "Honey, do you think you can stop what you're doing and get ready for bed? Will you do that for Mommy, okay?

• YES - Leadership Speech: "No."

• NO - Sweet Talk: "Honey, I don't know about that. I mean, I know Billy's parents let him do that, but your dad and I, well, we just feel you're not old enough yet. But I'll tell you what! Maybe we can find some responsibility, like a chore, that you can do to earn that privilege! What do you say?"

• Don’t yell - “Yelling is not good for the parent, and it certainly isn't good for the child. It doesn't traumatize a child, mind you, but it certainly fails to convey confidence in one's authority. And children need a constant, calm, confident authority like they need constant unconditional love. You see, all the love in the world cannot make up for a lack of leadership in a child's life. Authority, properly conveyed, is a form of nurturing, in fact.” -JR

• Follow through is vital! If you provide a consequence to your child DO NOT back down.

• Both parents must be on the same page. Same rules for both and support each other even if (or maybe especially if) parents live apart.

• “A matter-of-fact attitude toward discipline creates a calm, relaxed atmosphere in which everyone’s “place” is clear. This allows life within a family to be simple, as it should be.” -JR

• “Should parents give reasons to children? Of course! Should parents attempt to reason with children? Not if they want to keep their wits about them.” -JR

• “Find at least one activity you and your child can enjoy doing together: hiking, biking, tennis, or just walking then make the time to do it on a regular basis.” -JR

• Help (but don't force!) your child to develop hobbies and get involved in a few extracurricular activities. Show interest by attending performances and sports events. If you can find the time, become a sponsor or volunteer.

Mr. Rosemond's most valuable advice: “A balance of love and discipline creates security for a child. Security forms the pad from which a child launches his or her life. The more solid the pad, the better able the child is to reach for the stars.”

The 8th grade Extended Day students designed and built mouse trap cars with Clarkson University students. Our students tested and modified their cars to make them the fastest and to see which car would travel the furthest!

The Extended Day Program would like to thank Mark Manske of the Adirondack Raptors for coming into school with his birds of prey. Students were able to interact with the birds and even hold them. Mr. Manske taught the students so much about owls and other birds!

SLC Families,

A highlight of the last month has been hosting our first and second grade concerts, along with our Pre-K family night. For many families, this was their first time ever attending an event in our school buildings! We look forward to many more opportunities to bring families in as the school year continues. We plan to host a school-wide family night as well as bring some parent volunteers back to help with Larrie Day.

The Pre-K Program for the 2022-2023 year is nearly full. We only have one spot left! If you have some registration materials submitted, I encourage you to get anything missing turned in as soon as possible to claim our last remaining spot. After the one remaining spot is filled, we will begin a wait list. If you have a child turning 4 by (or on) December 1, 2022, they are eligible to register for UPK for the 2022-2023 school year.

Kindergarten registration has opened. Please do not wait to register your child, as much of our planning for kindergarten hinges on numbers. In order to best prepare for your child's kindergarten experience, we request that you register them sooner than later. Any child turning 5 by (or on) December 1, 2022 is eligible to register for kindergarten for the 2022-2023 school year. Registration information can be obtained on the district website. You can also call the district office at 315-389-5131 ext. 29108 for more information.

I encourage you to take a moment and check out the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES Parent Newsletter for the month of April. We will share these each month, as they are made available to us. They have some great information in them.

The schedule for NYS Math Assessments is as follows:

• Grade 3 - April 28 & 29
• Grade 4 - May 3 & 4

Dates to Know:

• Thursday, April 14 may be a give back snow day, *AS LONG AS WE DO NOT USE ANOTHER SNOW DAY BEFORE THEN.
• Spring Break begins on Friday, April 15 and school will resume on Monday, April 25.
• Report cards go home on Friday, April 29.

Respectfully,

Mrs. Colterman

What Instrument Will Choose You?

Calling all SLC 4th Grade Students!

Next year, as 5th grade students, you will have the opportunity to participate in SLC’s band program! By now, Mrs. Martin has taught you about each instrument, so you may want to start thinking about which you might like to play. I hope you will consider joining us next year as we always have a lot of fun; you might even find a new passion!

We will be having our first In-Person Instrument Petting Zoo since the start of the pandemic on Wednesday, April 27th, 2022 at 6:30pm. So, please mark your calendars now! We will start with an information session discussing what it means to be in the SLC band program, instrument opportunities and Q&A. Once that has ended, students will have the opportunity to try a few instruments to see what might fit; if you feel comfortable doing so.

I am beyond excited to meet you all - See you soon!

Sincerely,

Mr. Matthew Snyder
5-12 Instrumental Music Teacher

St. Lawrence Central Middle/High School

masnyder@bfcsd.org

As the Technology Director at Brasher Falls Central School District, one of my duties is to maintain the technology section of the district’s website in order to meet state and federal requirements that relate to certain information for public viewing. The Technology link is located on the main district page under the About tab, and once you click on Technology you will then click on Technology Department to see the information available for public view.

In this section, you will see several links that provide information on the District's Privacy and Security Policy, the Student Acceptable Use Policy, The Parents Bill of Rights in regards to student data, the district Technology Plan, and the District 1:1 Device Handbook which outlines use of school provided student accounts and devices.

The last section of information provides links to the software programs that the district uses in the daily operations and instruction of students. When researching these links, it must be noted that the link titled “Approved District Software” is where all the programs that district uses are listed. The other two links are related to NERIC and St. Lawrence Lewis BOCES and are only listed as references to other software used in other districts that may contain the same Data Protection Agreement documents that are contained within the district link.

Please feel free to contact me, or any of the technology staff, at any time if you have any questions on the information contained in the technology section of the district website.

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