Bird's Eye View
April 2024
Hello Larries Community,
Welcome to the April edition of the Bird’s Eye View! Each month we will continue to:
- Give you small snapshots of the great things that are happening here at SLC.
- Ask for a little help with some things to make our school and community the most productive as possible.
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.
As budget season is beginning to wind down, we find ourselves at a standstill as we wait for our NYS Governor and Legislature to present us with a final budget. Rumors from Albany make it sound as though the budget may not be done by April 1st, but we will wait and see.
We have looked at some program changes for next year in a few areas, but nothing that will cause any loss of employment by current staff. Again for this summer, we have set aside some federal money to help sponsor students in attending summer camps. Details on how to apply for those have been shared, but if you still have questions, please feel free to contact your building principal and/or counselors.
A few Reminders of Important Educational Dates:
Spring Break: March 29-April 8th - Students and staff will return on April 9th.
Solar Eclipse: April 8th - Glasses have been provided for every SLC student to take home.
Be aware of your child's specific ELA, Math and Science 8 state testing dates for grades 3-8 in April.
1st & 2nd Grade Concerts: April 18th
Instrument Petting Zoo: April 24th - For current 4th & 5th grade students with interest in playing next year.
A few Shout Outs and Reminders:
Congratulations to all those that have been recognized, in this April issue, for the outstanding work you are doing both here and at BOCES.
Congrats to all students that had Regional Artwork on display. A shout out to all of our ES, MS, and HS participants and their teachers, for some outstanding work that is being recognized around the county.
Athletics: Best of luck to all of our spring teams as they have been practicing daily to get ready for a great spring season! Dates and times for upcoming spring sporting events can be found on our BFCSD website and app.
One last reminder to all families with a “little one” getting to be school age. Both Pre-K and Kindergarten registrations are now open. Information can be located on our district website under community/registration. Please get your child(ren) registered as soon as possible, so we can budget for accurate numbers for next year.
April is National Appreciation Day/Week for a number of our employees. This month, I ask you to give extra thanks to the following people: Assistant Principals (Dean of Students), all of our Paraprofessionals, our School Librarians, and all of our Administrators. SLC could not run without you all!
An Ask for Help:
This is an important piece that I need all parents to please read and consider passing onto families that may not get to see this newsletter.
New York State (and many other states in the US) are now requiring all public schools to have a “Workplace Violence Prevention Policy and Statement”. Until this year, public schools in NYS were NOT required to have, or enforce this policy, but all other workplaces in New York were required to do so.
This policy is not just for employees of SLC, but also for any parents, students, and community members that have a relationship with our school. In this policy, we must state the following: The District prohibits workplace violence and will NOT tolerate violence, threats of violence, any intimidating conduct here in the workplace/district. This includes, but is not limited to, face to face interactions, phone conversations, emails/text messages to employees, social media posts, etc.
The last thing I want to do to a community that is so supportive of our school is to “preach” to those who don’t need to see or hear the message above, but to be fair to all, I need to make sure everyone understands the “ask” here. We all have days where we get angry for whatever reason, and lashing out seems to be the only way to solve the problem. My “ask” is this, before you get angry and pick up a phone, or send an angry text or email, please do at least two things for me.
Be sure you have heard all sides of any story before you react. Even the best of people will bend the truth a bit, if it means they won’t disappoint someone they love (been guilty myself).
Give all situations (unless you feel there is immediate danger at hand) at least 24 hours, before reacting or sending out your initial reaction to what you have heard, or been told.
We will listen, but I need for those conversations and correspondences to be civil, and in the best interest of our students, and staff. Do we have many cases of this here at SLC? NO, but I/the district are required to make sure everyone is aware that it can happen, and it will not be tolerated, even in those very few instances.
Please consider sharing this edition with any neighbors, relatives, friends, or alumni you may know that would like to keep updated on SLC.
Christopher Rose
Superintendent
Our school district will be offering in school summer camps again this summer for all grade levels!
These camps will be shared in April, but include:
Creating Games with Gamecrafter, Coding, Golf, Basketball, Nature, Ancestry, Cooking, Book Club, Soccer, Music, Board Games, SLC Sprouts (Greenhouse), Softball, and Incoming Pre-K. In school camps will be held in July for students, and will be shared so that parents can register their children in April.
We also have limited funding for private summer camps. The form to request funding will be shared in April as well.
Dear High School Parents,
The end of the school year is quickly approaching and we have lots of things on our calendar! First, this is our second Regents testing session that will not be allowing previous exemptions and low-pass options for students. All students scheduled for a Regents course should be prepared to take the exam in June. The calendar is included below for your reference. Please note, all exams at SLC HS will begin at 8:15 AM for morning exams and 12:15 PM for afternoon exams in place of the standard times indicated on the New York State schedule. Please email your child’s teacher directly, a school counselor, or myself if you have specific questions pertaining to your child.
On Saturday, May 11th SLC Juniors will host the Junior and Senior Prom. Upon our return from spring break, tickets will be on sale. Please note: Students attending will need to complete and sign with parent signatures a “Prom Expectations form.”
On Tuesday, May 14th at 7:00 PM, our HS choral and ensemble groups will gather for their annual spring concert. We invite you to see how hard our students have worked on their musical pieces!
We will celebrate student awards and scholarships for selected students and their invited guests on Tuesday, May 21st at 6:00 PM. Please be on the lookout for your child’s invitation to be recognized. This is one of our favorite times of the school year to recognize our students’ hard work and dedication to their academics. Please note: The school budget vote is that night and we encourage all to take a little extra time to head to the middle school gym to cast your vote!
St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES will be sending information regarding Regional Summer School. Any student who does not successfully complete their coursework and Regents Exams (where appropriate) will be expected to attend summer school to remediate this coursework. If you have questions on how your child is doing, what they can do to bring their grades up to passing, or how to study for the exams, please contact your child’s teacher, guidance counselor, or myself.
Wishing you a safe, healthy, and happy spring!
Kristen Zender
High School Principal
Hello Families,
We have been continuing to meet with students and families for their yearly scheduling meetings.
Junior scholarship applications were shared with students and are due Thursday, March 28th, at 2:30 pm. If you require any help with your application, please feel free to reach out to your school counselor.
Seniors are encouraged to stop by the Guidance Office to check out the different scholarship opportunities that are coming up. Senior scholarship applications will be coming out later this month.
This month, our Seaway Tech seniors participated in the Gateways Career Fair. All of our participating seniors did an excellent job representing SLC at this event while networking with some of our local businesses and colleges.
As the school year winds down, we urge parents to contact us if you have any concerns, or questions about your child’s academic progress.
Sincerely,
Miss Bethel & Ms. Huntley
The Seaway Career & Technical Education Center is pleased to announce Damen Olson as the Rev. William R. & Crystal E. Cuthbert Vocational Excellence Award sponsored by Brookfield Renewable US for March 2024. Damen is in the Natural Resource Management Program. He is from the Brasher Falls Central School District and is the child of Jason and Monica Olsen.
As a student in Natural Resource Management, Damen has been learning about the sustainable use of natural resources and agriculture-based topics. This includes forest management, equipment operation and maintenance, sugar bush operations, silvicultural practices, dendrology, conservation, plantation practices, wildlife management, integrated pest management, vegetable and fruit production, animal science and crop science.
The instructor has said the following about Damen: “Damen is a very well-rounded, top-notch young man. He works hard in the field and in the classroom. He is a leader among his peers. He can do anything he sets his mind to. He is going to be a US Marine in August. The Marines are getting a fine young man”.
Congratulations to Damen on this great accomplishment!
- Instrument Petting Zoo - Wednesday, April 24th, HS Auditorium and Music Rooms, 6:30 PM
- 9th-12th Grade Concert -Tuesday, May 14th, HS Auditorium, 7:00 PM
- 5th-8th Grade Concerts - Thursday, May 16th, HS Auditorium, 6:00 PM (Grades 7-8) and 7:00 PM (Grades 5-6)
- NYSSMA Solo Ensemble - May 11 and 12 at the Crane School of Music
- Coffeehouse - Wednesday, June 5th, 6:00 PM
- Graduation Rehearsal and Ceremony for Chamber Choir and Grades 7-11 Band Students - Friday, June 28th (9 AM rehearsal, 6 PM Ceremony)
Congratulations to Ruby Passon on her winning research! Ruby and her partner, Zoey Whalen, have an opportunity to present their research on "Nature vs. Nurture: How do movies (2011 and less) that girls have watched impact the way they view themselves?" at the NYS STEP (Science Technology Entry Program) conference this year. Ruby won $250 for her first-place finish.
Spring sports practices are underway, and games will be starting soon. This season is always a mad dash to squeeze in as many games as we can based on weather and official availability. If you haven't already done so, please upload the rSchoolToday App for your phone, and sign up for notifications. Whenever a game change is made, you will be notified immediately through this system.
Speaking of officials, our Section is in dire need of them. Games are constantly moved due to lack of officials. They just signed a new contract. A varsity official now makes, with mileage, over $100 per game. If you have any interest, contact me at jreome@bfcsd.org and I will get you a contact, or you can go to www.sectionxboces.org to register. You need to do this 3-4 months BEFORE the season you want to officiate in order to get certified. It can't be done during a season. If the lack of officials continues, within two years, we will not have enough lacrosse officials and basketball officials to get in a full varsity season and modified games will be officiated by one person, if at all. It's that bad.
We will do Fall sport sign ups the week of May 6th-10th. Fall sport physicals will be given on Wednesday, June 5th. Our biggest issue when it comes to Fall sports are the amount of kids who aren't ready to participate on day one of practice due to no physical. This is especially an issue for football, as you need 10 practices before you can play in a game and there will only be 12 practice days before the first game. So, please make sure your child has one done to avoid these issues.
You can find all schedules at sections710.org, or on our district website and app.
Welcome to Spring!
Although it does not really feel or look like spring quite yet, we will be hitting the end of the year before we know it. There is a lot coming up for our middle school students within the next couple of months, and we can really use your help with our middle schoolers as spring fever hits. We want to make sure that all students finish strong, do their best academically, and are able to enjoy end of the year privileges. Here's how you can help...
Students need:
- A charged Chromebook, writing utensils, and organized classroom materials every day.
- To be filling out their assignments in their agenda every day.
- To check Schooltool assignment grades at least weekly.
- To get enough sleep.
- To follow directions and be respectful to staff and other students.
We do keep our school website updated with upcoming dates and information for parents. You can find it here: https://www.bfcsd.org/o/slcms
Our staff appreciates your support from home. Please reach out with any questions or concerns and have a wonderful spring break.
Mrs. LaBarge
Middle School Principal
Hello SLC Middle School Students and Families,
We can’t believe we are almost done with March and almost to Spring break.
We have a few updates in the MS counseling department. We will be wrapping up our 8th-grade meetings this week and will be moving on to 7th and 6th grade. If you would like to attend your child’s meeting, please call or email the counseling department to set up a time to meet.
We just finished up some great circles this month with Sweetheart and Heroes educator, Pat. We can say, we have noticed a great difference in Middle School. Our monthly circles have been a great resource, and have helped students discuss some great life skills topics.
The next few months can get a little hectic due to state testing, scheduling for next year, end of the year deadlines, etc. A huge topic that has come up with many students is stress around academics and testing. We found a great article that can help check in with your child, and encourage resilience. Also, take a look at this article that we found very impactful, and can help develop healthy ways to handle stress.
As always, our doors are always open. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you!
Stay humble and kind,
Mr. Niles, Mrs. Roldan, and Ms. Ruddy
Students will have artwork on display at the North Country Art Teachers Association (NCATA) 10th Annual Regional Art Show at St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES in Canton, NY. This art show showcases the best of each district with only 16 pieces of artwork from Kindergarten-8th grade being selected. Therefore, it is an honor for these students to be chosen. We are able to showcase one senior as well, our senior is Annica Ramsdell! On Thursday, March 21st there was an opening reception for all students, family, and community members to attend. There was henna and face painting, live music by Zorah Barse, and lots of amazing artwork to view!
Please congratulate the following Elementary School students for having their work in the show: Makenna Chapman, Kayla Trimm, De’Marious Golden, Teagan Sprague, Timothy Dalland, Myla McGrath, Logan Dissottle, and Tanner Gilbert. Please congratulate the following Middle School students for having their work in the show: Raven Barse, Emilee Bernard, Emma Bush, Jordyn Miner, Avery Marcil, Ayisha Provost, Stella Todd, and Ryder VanSleet. The art show will be on display through April 30th, and open to the public to view during building hours: 8am-4pm. We hope you have a chance to see the show!
Mrs. Warner, Mr. Brown, and Ms. VanBrocklin
Several high school service learners are helping in Mrs. Adams middle school Adapted Physical Education class. The service learners volunteer and help the students in the gym, in the fitness center and even in the pool! They are pictured wearing Autism Awareness shirts in celebration of Autism Awareness month in April.
Pictured are Gabe Flannery, Mark Larabay, Roman Flannery, Olivia Bell, Skylee Rust, Zayden Chase, Casey Rizzo, and Issac Larabay.
Hello SLC Families,
The week before Spring Break was a fun-filled one, with classes participating in solar eclipse related activities, in anticipation of the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8. On Monday, we had Mrs. Bissonette from the high school come over with some of her students to present to us and guide us through some activities. For one of these activities, students used chalk and a cup to make a circle on black paper. They then used their finger to drag the chalk outward, creating an image of the corona, which can be seen during the total solar eclipse.
Happy April!
This month's character trait focus is cheering for others' success. It's crucial because celebrating others' achievements not only boosts our own well-being, but also fosters positive relationships in teams, schools, and businesses. Traits of a champion for others include encouragement, positivity, being upbeat, and showing loyalty.
April is Counseling Awareness Month, highlighting the role of elementary school counselors. Here are some things that Mrs. McFarland and Ms. White do daily. They provide vital support by offering a safe space for emotional expression, facilitate social skills development, aid in academic success, offer crisis intervention, and promote college and career readiness. These contributions create a nurturing environment essential for students' growth and well-being.
Mrs. McFarland and Mrs. White
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!
Holly Milne Wells was The Larries Spotlight Award winner for the month of February. February’s trait was social intelligence, and Miss Holly got the award from her peers based on her skills of being a communication expert. Miss Holly has a way with children, and is able to relate to any situation. She is caring and understanding, yet firm in her approach, and this helps her students succeed! She does not only help students, but her colleagues as well. Miss Holly has so much to offer, and is always willing to give her advice. We are blessed to have her at SLC!
Thank you, Miss Holly, for always being able to help in any situation!
SLC Elementary yearbooks can be ordered online at the following website www.ybpay.com. Please use the code: 14720824. The order deadline is May 3, 2024.
Larries Community, as you know the technology tip for each month is usually a tip to help community members keep up on current trends in technology. This month, however, we need to address a more localized matter in regards to the Chromebooks assigned to each student as part of our 1:1 device initiative.
For this month’s topic, the technology department would like to remind all students in Middle and High School and their families that either at the start of the school year, or when they enrolled in the district, each student was assigned a Chromebook, a case, and a charger for educational purposes. As a department, we continue to see students walking the halls without cases on their devices and many having to use the charging stations at school giving the perception of not knowing where their chargers are. As outlined in the 1:1 handbook, which is reviewed with students yearly, all three of these items must be returned at the end of each year.
The failure to return a Chromebook, case, or charger will result in an invoice being sent over the summer for the replacement cost of the missing item(s). At the current time, the cost to replace a Chromebook is $350, a case is $15 and a charger is $50.
As a department, we recommend to all parents or guardians to make sure your student(s) has these items or assist them in finding them before the end of the school year when these invoices will be sent out for missing items.
As always, if you have any questions, you can contact me via email at kwelsh@bfcdsd.org, or call the technology department at (315) 389-5131 ext. 29250.
Contact Information
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
