Bird's Eye View

Hello Larrie Community,

Thank you for checking out our June issue of Bird’s Eye View. It has been great to see many parents, grandparents, relatives, and community members back here on campus for so many activities, both in and out of the building, this last month.

I want to personally thank everyone that came out to vote on our 2022-23 school budget. Again, we are going to focus heavily on rebuilding and creating programs that will first and foremost address the following:

1. The gaps in learning that have occurred since the pandemic in March of 2020.

2. The new age of technology, and preparing ALL of our students (K-12) for the necessary, and safe uses, both educationally and socially, with technology . This includes the continued support and maintenance of 1-to-1 computing for ALL students, and teaching staff.

3. The reintroduction of work based skills and socialization skills, so our students have the tools they need to again be successful both in, and out of the classroom.

• Congratulations to all students who have been recognized in this June issue for the outstanding work you are doing!
• Congratulations to all of our Band and Chorus members and teachers on some great performances during the month of May. It was great to see live audiences again for sure!
• Reminder: The district has set aside federal money to help sponsor students with attending summer camps. Details on how to apply can be received by contacting MS Principal, Mrs. LaBarge at jlabarge@bfcsd.org. If you have never attended a camp before, and wish to look into it, please reach out. This is a great opportunity for ALL our families.
• SLC Senior Class of 2022 would like to extend their thanks to the SLC Class of 1988 for their generous donation that enabled them to have a “coach bus” for their recent senior trip to Niagara Falls.
• High School Graduation will again be on our beautiful turf field on Friday, June 24th at 6:00pm. As of today, audience numbers will not be limited, unless we need to move the ceremony inside.

Thank you for following and have a great June.

Our high school students and teachers have been busy finishing strong for the end of the school year. As the last few school years have resulted in some big changes, we wanted to take some time to remind our families of what is expected for high school students at the end of the school year.

Students must pass all required courses as well as specific Regents exams in order to meet the criteria for graduation. With the COVID pandemic, this brings different requirements for different grade levels. Each student and family should work collaboratively with your child’s guidance counselor to be knowledgeable about these requirements as they pertain to your child individually. This can be done via email, telephone, or at your child’s annual planning meeting with their counselor.

Final exams are required for students at the high school, and are (in most cases- consult with your child’s teacher about specifics) worth 16% of a child’s final overall grade in the course. Final exams will be given on Monday, June 13th and Tuesday, June 14th in their scheduled classes. Attendance is mandatory on these dates for all high school students.

Regents Exams will be given beginning on Wednesday, June 15th and concluding on Thursday, June 23rd. Students are only required to attend for the Regents Exam dates they are scheduled for, but many teachers will be offering review sessions in courses. Students can work with their individual teacher to know about review session dates. Please see below the schedule for NYS Exams. Please note: Exams for SLC HS begin at 8:15 AM and 12:15 PM in place of the 8:00 and noon noted on this schedule. Students are expected to arrive no later than 15 minutes before a scheduled exam. If a student is late for the exam, they are not allowed extra time by New York State. Thus, it is important to adhere to these time schedules. Students are not permitted to have any electronic devices and must come prepared with materials for the exam (for example, pencils, pens, etc.).

In the event that a student is not present for the exam, they will be required to sit for that exam at another time. For example, if a student is not present for their Algebra I exam, they may be scheduled for summer school to either retake the class, the exam, or both. Depending on the specific circumstances, it may result in a student being rescheduled for the course the following year.

Students sitting for science exams will have a lab component that must be completed prior to being afforded the ability to sit for the Regents Exam per New York State. These students should work with their teachers to ensure both the required labs and number of minutes is reached in order to qualify for entrance into the exam.

Finally, transportation to and from school for exams is available, but families must make arrangements with Mr. Redmond in the transportation office to be scheduled for pickup. Please contact Mr. Redmond if your child needs transportation at 315-389-5131extension 29440.

Thank you,

Mrs. Zender

Dylan is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald and Darlene Bissonette. Dylan is a member and President of the Student Council and the Tri-M Musical Honor Society. Dylan’s memberships also include; National Honor Society, Jazz Band, Concert Band, Varsity Football (Captain), Basketball (Captain), Baseball (Captain), Whiz Quiz Team, FTC Robotics Team, The Boy Scouts of America, Order of the Arrow and was awarded the Eagle Scout Award.

Dylan’s plans after graduation are to attend Princeton University Majoring in Computer Science.

Dylan has been awarded a number of different awards, scholarships and honors due to his exemplary character, academic merit and drive throughout his high school career. Dylan has been awarded the Evergreen STEM Scholarship, The New York State Scholarship for Academic Excellence, The Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award offered by The Rochester Institute of Technology, The Clarkson Leadership Award, and The Rensselaer Medal from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dylan was selected as the Student Liaison representing Brasher Falls for Section X NYSPHSAA. In addition, he earned the Section X Athlete of Distinction Award in Varsity Football and Basketball and the Section X Outstanding Sportsmanship Award in Varsity Football.

Dylan would like to thank his parents, sister Daisy, family and friends, and all of his teachers and coaches for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout his life. Dylan’s advice to high school students is “Don’t procrastinate, and don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, that is how you grow.

Danaye is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony and Heather Ramsdell. Danaye is a multi-sport student-athlete participating in Soccer, Basketball, and Softball. She is a senior class officer, a member of student council, President of The Outing Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society Officer, and is a member of The National Honor Society. In addition, she enjoys participating in Chorus.

Danaye’s plans after graduation are to participate in the Gap year program entitled “Momentum” which is coordinated through her church. When she returns, she plans to attend Clarkson University majoring in Pre-Med. Danaye hopes to someday practice in Honduras as a Physicians Assistant or Medical Doctor, but plans to serve there annually in the meantime.

Danaye is a hard-working conscientious young woman. As a result of her tireless dedication to her academics, she has been awarded the following scholarships and awards: The St. Bonaventure University’s Bonnie Scholar Award ($80,000), The University of Rochester Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology. In addition, she was nominated for The St. Lawrence University Augsbury North Country Scholar Award.

Danaye would like to thank her family for always supporting her and for pushing her to do her best. She would also like to thank all of her teachers who have helped her achieve her academic goals throughout her high school career. Danaye’s advice to high school students is to set goals for yourself and work to achieve them. Take every opportunity to ask for help if you need it. Be involved and put yourself out there.

Mrs. O'Gorman was the "Golden Apple" Award Winner for the Month of May.

Mrs. O’Gorman was nominated by one of her colleagues: Mrs. O'Gorman is always friendly and helpful, and has a great rapport with students. She also has a great ability to separate the truth from blown smoke. She is a tireless advocate for students, and for staff. She is an experienced teacher who helps other teachers, and helps students succeed.

Congratulations to Mrs. O'Gorman!

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

SLC's Greenhouse Club is hosting an Open Greenhouse! It will take place on June 10th, from 5-7 pm in the Greenhouse located by the High School gym. There will be a multitude of plants being sold, including succulents, flowers, garden starters, and more. We will also be giving tours of the greenhouse. Admission is free.

Please come support our Greenhouse Club!

Congratulations to the following artists who had their work selected to represent St. Lawrence Central in The Gibson Gallery High School Art Show at SUNY Potsdam this year! The artists are: Brionna Foster, Kristen Crump, Zorah Barse, Ava Johnson, and Merlyn Bordeleau. Pictured below is artwork by Kristen Crump and Merlyn Bordeleau.

Using well established lab techniques, Mr. Gendler's College Biology students successfully transformed bacteria this May. Though the end result may not seem like much, those green glowing dots are genetically engineered bacteria that contain a gene for producing a green fluorescent protein that was originally found in jellyfish. The students did an excellent job following the stringent laboratory safety protocols!

SLC high school had our first in-person pep rally since December of 2019 with a fun and competitive Blue and White theme held out on our turf field!

Freshmen and seniors teamed up as Team Blue with sophomores and juniors joining forces as Team White. Students and staff participated in a variety of games, and competitions including a giant tug-of-war, a three-legged race, a dress-up relay race, an egg-spoon race, a powderpuff football game, and a staff-student soccer game.

The Chamber Choir and Swing Choir inspired us with their wonderful performances, the Larrie Bird Mascot made a delightful appearance, and our emcees kept the event organized and fun with trivia and prizes. Staff and students had a blast and in the end...Team White took the trophy as the champions for this event!

Thank you to Sheila Daoust with Tri-Town Candid Photos for documenting the fun. A full album of pictures can be viewed here.

As part of the Words to Live By unit, students in Ms. Winters’ English 12 class have left advice for the underclassmen at SLC. The following is the advice they think is the most important:

“Have a purpose.” - Jayden Ashley

“You become who you hang out with.” - Conner Cline

“Grow up and stop being immature.” - Danny Brewer

“Do what you want.” - Connor Foster

“There’s always going to be tough times. You have to keep going.” - Karlee Hartson

“Live in the present.” - Royas Barney

“Don't stop building on your self worth.” - Cohl Breiner

“Do something that feels illegal but isn't. It's fun.” - Kenny Charleson

“Self expression beats copy and paste every time.” - Ren Burnett

“Don’t let people tell you who you are.” - Grace Coughlin

“Don’t give up no matter how hard things get. There’s always a chance you will get through it.” - Anthony DeMao

“Listen before you speak.” - Derrick Fiacco

“Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.” - Cheyanne Giles

“Have fun.” - Gabe Hornung

“Be kind to most people you meet, but don't let them easily persuade you onto the wrong path.” - Logan LaValley

“Don’t let the tough spots in life stop you.” - Morgan Nolan

“Good things don't come easy.” - Lindsey Phippen

“Don’t let people beat you down.” - Gabe Phillips

“Make good decisions.” - Jasmin Razis

“Be kind and help others.” - Kevin Robar

“Your answers lie inside of you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.” - Tyler Robar

“Wear what makes you feel good.” - Alexys Savage

“Put your phone down and pay attention; life is too short to be missing all the good stuff.” - Meadow Wilson

“Better late than never, but never late is better.” - Caleb Honey

“Develop healthy habits.” - Airianna Stone

“Show compassion.” - Bladen Sweeney

“Take responsibility for your actions and choices.” - Josh Merrill

“Don’t let people’s words get you down.” - Andrew Williamson

The varsity sports school year has come to an end. Varsity baseball lost to Norwood-Norfolk 11-1 in the Class C Semi Finals. Varsity lacrosse loss to Salmon River in the Sectional Semi Finals with a score of 11-3. Varsity softball lost to Norwood-Norfolk 6-5 in the Class C Championship game.

Congrats to Jayden Ashley on his D2 signing day held that May 19th in the auditorium. Jayden will be going on to play lacrosse at Davenport College in Michigan.

Our softball and baseball teams were named NYSPHSAA Scholar Athlete Teams this spring. This makes 9 out of our 11 varsity teams that were named Scholar Athlete Teams this season. This qualified SLC to be awarded NYSPHSAA's School of Distinction Award.

Fall sports for varsity teams will begin Monday, August 22nd and modified sports will begin August 29th.

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

Congratulations to SLC's Northern Zone Physical Education Leadership Award Winners:

Elementary School Winners:

Kain LaFave

Addison Marcil

Olivia Bell

Middle School Winners:

Gage Lamb

Zaida Sweeney

Joleigh Bush

High School Winners:

Jayden Ashley

Danaye Ramsdell

Bladen Sweeney

These students demonstrate competency in a variety of movement forms and/or sport skills. They demonstrate knowledge of movement concepts, rules, and procedures. They value learning and exhibit a healthy lifestyle. Our leaders are a positive influence on peers and they demonstrate responsible personal and social behavior, sportsmanship, and citizenship.

Dear MS Parents,

It is hard to believe that we have already made it to June. It seems that the school years go by quicker every year. I enjoyed seeing so many of you at our Awards Ceremony on June 1st. It was wonderful to be back in person again, and to have the opportunity to recognize so many of our students.

We have a lot of end of the year activities coming up in each grade level.

June School-Wide Important Dates:

June 13th and 14th - Final Exams for Grades 7 and 8.

June 14th - Last Day for Grades 7 and 8. (Some of our students do have interviews, regents, or testing after this date)

June 14th - Chromebook Return Grades 7 and 8.

June 17th - End of 4th Quarter

June 20th - No School

June 22nd and 23rd - 11:30 Early Dismissal

June 23rd - Final Day of School

June 24th - Report Cards Mailed and Graduation

Summer School:

Parents of students recommended for summer school will be receiving notifications in June. Summer school for middle school will take place from 8:30-11:30 July 11-29th.

Enjoy the warm weather,

Mrs. LaBarge

MS Principal

The SLC Arts Council is Sponsoring Teen Summer Arts Camps for teen aspiring artists. All experience levels are welcome. Please see the images below and click here for more information.

SLC Families,

Ten months ago June seemed so far away, yet here we are, bringing another school year to a close. I have to say that I am glad things are feeling a little more "normal." We have successfully held in person concerts for all grade levels this year. I would like to extend a huge thank you to Dianna Martin for her efforts in making these concerts happen. In early May, we held our first in person character ed awards ceremony in two years. It was nice to bring families into the school buildings to join us for these events.

Our little Larries are gearing up for some fun on Larries Day (June 10)! I'm not sure who's more excited, the kids or the teachers!

Next year, we are excited to bring a new social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum to our school! We have been without a social and emotional learning curriculum for at least 7 years, and we definitely see a need for this type of support. The program our committee selected is Second Step. You can check out more by clicking here. Our intent is for our school counselor, Mr. Dinan, to collaborate with Mrs. Ronan to provide these lessons during Learning Lab time.

The Pre-K Program - We are excited to announce that we will be offering a full day UPK option, in addition to the half day option. 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 rather than later. Any child turning 5 by (or on) December 1, 2022 is eligible to register for kindergarten for the 2022-2023 school year. Please call the district office at 315-389-5131 for more information.

Dates to Know:

• Larries Day will be held on Friday, June 10. The rain date is Monday, June 13.
• The Student of the Quarter Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 16. As was past practice, this event is by invitation only.
• There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, June 20, in observance of Juneteenth.
• On the last two days of school (Wednesday, June 22 and Thursday, June 23) we will have 12:30 dismissals in the elementary. Please plan accordingly.

I wish you a safe and enjoyable summer, and look forward to our return in the Fall!

Respectfully,

Mrs. Colterman

We were filled with joy to welcome families back to school for Math night. Students and families enjoyed learning how to use dice to help with math concepts. Students practiced facts, place value, area and even played battleship! Of course we had some extra fun with a piñata and nachos!

We would like to thank SLC PTO, Truly Chiropractor, King Coat Sealing, and Stewart's Grant for donations to make this all possible.

We look forward to many more nights next year!

On Thursday, May 26th the Kindergarten class was overjoyed to be able to celebrate "Special Person's day" and have a fun-filled afternoon with them. They participated in a picnic lunch on the back lawn and tye-dyed a shirt together. They ended with fun and laughter on the playground! It's memories like this that last a lifetime!

Fourth grade students have begun a "reading buddies" program with the kindergarteners. This is a great way to build positive relationships, and allow our older students to offer some support and guidance to the younger students in elementary school.

Pictured are Miss Miner's and Ms. Zook's fourth grade classes reading to Ms. Vanier's kindergarten class.

The images below are from the Elementary Student Character Ed Awards Ceremony that was held on May 6, 2022. It was the first in person ceremony since the pandemic began.

Congratulations to all award winners!

Third graders enjoyed their first concert in a few years! They did a wonder job and everyone is so proud of them!!

Hello SLC families!

We have a lot of exciting changes happening in fourth grade for the 2022-2023 school year that are new to our district.

Next year, students are going to be switching classrooms once throughout the day. This will give them an “introduction” for when they go to middle school, and make the transition to fifth grade easier.

Each student will have two teachers and two separate classrooms to go to throughout the day.

The way this will work is:

• Ms. Miner and Ms. Zook classes will be shared
• Mrs. McHenry and Ms. Vivlamore classes will be shared

Teacher Subjects:

• Ms. Miner and Mrs. McHenry: Reading/Writing
• Ms. Zook and Ms. Vivlamore: Math/Science/Social Studies (science and social studies are taught half-year)

We are excited and look forward to this opportunity!

Sincerely,

The 4th Grade Teachers

As the end of the 2021-22 school year winds down, as the Director of Technology it is my responsibility to remind the St. Lawrence Central community that all school district provided Chromebooks, cases, and chargers must be returned to the district before the end of the school year. These items must be returned for the purpose of inventory, security updates, and examination for damage.

At the beginning of the year, each student was assigned a Chromebook, charger, and case. As outlined in the 1:1 computing handbook, any of the items mentioned above not returned at the conclusion of the school year can be billed to the student. The current replacement cost for these items are $338 for a Chromebook, $57.95 for a charger, and $16.00 for the case.

Students that will be attending summer school will have their Chromebooks returned to them on the first day of summer school. These students will then leave them here at school on the last day of summer school.

Each school building will have different collection days, which can be viewed below:

Elementary School:

• All prek-4 students should bring their Chromebook, charger, and case to school on Tuesday, June 21st. The students will leave them in school on this day, and will have access to the devices on June 22nd and 23rd for in class usage.

Middle School:

• Students in grades 5 and 6 will have their Chromebooks, chargers, and cases collected during 8th period on Friday, June 17th.

• Students in grades 7 and 8 will have their Chromebooks, chargers, and cases collected during 8th period on Tuesday, June 14th.

High School:

• Students in grades 9-12 will have their Chromebooks, chargers, and cases collected during 8th period on June 14th.

If for any reason a student is not in school on any of these collection days, all items mentioned above must be returned to the appropriate school building by 3:00 pm on Thursday, June 23rd.

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, cancellations, and events.

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