NorthStar Lights

Hello North Syracuse Central School District Parents, Guardians, Teachers and Staff,

You are not alone! This week’s message is not an easy one for me to write because I’m going to address a topic that is difficult just to think about, let alone talk or write about. Last weekend, a neighboring school district experienced the tragic loss of a student to suicide. The devastating loss has opened up a community dialogue. As much as it hurts and makes us uncomfortable, the conversation is one that needs to happen. We know that no community is immune to this type of tragedy and we need each other for support.

This week I was part of a news segment that NewsChannel 9/Local Syr did on mental health and suicide awareness and prevention. Through the segment, I had the chance to speak with two Cicero-North Syracuse High School students, senior Sam Klein and junior Hannah Boyle. I honestly can’t even begin to tell you how impressed I was with these young ladies and their sincere efforts to destigmatize mental health issues and let students know that it is OK to have conversations about difficult topics such as suicide. If you haven’t seen the story, PLEASE take a few minutes to watch it online by clicking here. The students’ resounding message to their peers is an important one – “You are not alone.” If you are struggling you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The number is (800) 273-8255.

The Local Syr story will continue tonight as reporter Iris St. Meran, continues the important conversation with me and school staff with Contact Community Services. We will be talking about an important mental health pilot program, Suicide Safety in Schools (SSIS), that is being launched. More information about the program will follow in next week’s newsletter.

It is hard to believe that today is April 1 and we are in the last few months of school. My conversations with high schoolers have definitely centered around the next step for them…what are they doing after graduation. We all know that there can be tremendous stress associated with that decision but it is important to understand that every students’ next steps are not the same. I commend our counselors, faculty and administration at C-NS for helping students explore ALL next steps. Through counseling services and our career center, students can explore trades such as welding, culinary arts and radiology as well as military careers and continuing education. There are so many options because every person is unique. We are all part of a support team.

On Monday, our Board of Education will hear our final budget proposal for the 2022-23 school year. There are a number of highlights that I encourage you to learn more about including a significant focus on recovering from COVID-19 and addressing the social & emotional needs of our school community.

Sincerely,

Daniel D. Bowles, Superintendent of Schools

If you are struggling call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255

Students in Pam Woznica’s Career for Health & Human Service class at Cicero-North Syracuse High School recently researched and presented on some very important and timely issues. The students, in grades 10-12, were required to pick a topic related to counseling and mental health services and to research and present the topic to their classmates.

Woznica shared this photo of her students Annalisa Emmi, Jenna Pickard, Lauren Roberts and Holly Costello, who did their presentation on mental health. She said, “With suicide and mental health always being a top concern with students and with the topic being in the news due to the tragic local situation, I thought it important to show that our students are researching the topic.”

Woznica’s other students researched and presented on topics that included: poverty, addiction, domestic violence, depression and suicide and death and grief.

This week, 157 Cicero-North Syracuse High School students were honored with Northstar Pride awards. The students were recognized by teachers and staff for exhibiting the core values and attributes expected of our students at C-NS. Students were honored with individual cards filled out by teachers and staff. Counselors and House Principals were on hand to offer congratulations. We are so proud of our shining Northstars and all the positive examples they set as they go throughout their time at school. The core values they demonstrated fell in one of the following categories: personal responsibility, respect, integrity, discipline and engagement. Students will also be honored on the marquee at C-NS, the morning announcements, and the C-NS webpage. Congratulations to all our honorees!

Click here to see a list of honorees.

Cicero-North Syracuse High School families, click here or on the picture above to view this month's high school newsletter.

Danielle Delfanian, a music teacher and orchestra instructor at Smith Road Elementary School and Lakeshore Road Elementary School shared a photo and video of her Smith Road orchestra students hard at work rehearsing for their concert in June. She said that the students were doing such a great job and having so much fun that she wanted to capture the moment and share it with families. Danielle is so proud of the students’ hard work and tremendous efforts learning instruments this year and is very grateful for their early introduction to string instruments. Smith Road Elementary School will hold their 3rd grade orchestra and band concert on Monday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. The event will take place in the auditorium at Gillette Road Middle School so be sure to mark your calendars now and help celebrate the students’ hard work!

On Sunday, April 10, Gillette Road Middle School student Brigg Liberman will take part in an important project for a great cause. As part of The Broadway Star Project Sunflower Seeds Concert, Brigg will be helping Save the Children's mission in Ukraine. To learn more and support the project, visit their Facebook page by clicking here.

The NSCSD uses SchoolMessenger to send text and email messages to our families. We recently noticed that some families are “blocking” our messages. We use the system to send important information regarding COVID, academic deadlines, yearbook reminders and much more. We don’t want you to miss out so if you think your email or cell phone is inadvertently blocking the NSCSD, we can help!

You can check your SchoolMessenger settings using an easy and convenient app. If you don’t have the app, you can easily download it to your phone or mobile device. Just search “School Messenger app” in the App Store or in Google Play. Once you have the app downloaded, “Sign up” using the email address you have on file with the District in SchoolTool. Within the app you’ll be able to see and change the types of messages you receive by text/email/push. If your settings show that you should be getting text messages from the NSCSD but you’re not, you can opt in my texting the word YES to the number 67587 from your cell phone.

If you have any questions about SchoolMessenger or your settings, check online at www.nscsd.org/schoolmessenger or email our school information officer, Laurie Cook at lcook@nscsd.org.

Did you know that the North Syracuse Central School District is hiring? There are a variety of positions available, both full and part-time. Learn more about employment with the District online by clicking here. Applications can also be submitted online.

We love to share photos and videos from our students, families and teachers. If you're willing to share, please send your high quality images using the link below. We'll be using your photos in this newsletter and other publications throughout the school year. Additionally, high resolution, horizontal photos will be considered for the District website. If you'd like to share pictures, please email them to our Communications Officer, Laurie Cook at lcook@nscsd.org or click here to upload them.

Katrina Wheeler, and English as a Second Language teacher at Smith Road Elementary School, shared this photo of two of her first grade students showing Wit and Wisdom classwork.

Did you know that the North Syracuse Central School District's Athletics Department has a weekly email newsletter? If you'd like to subscribe to the newsletter, click here to fill out the necessary form.

The North Syracuse Central School District produces a weekly digital newsletter, "NorthStar Lights," to share important information and good news with NSCSD families and staff. Parents and staff members automatically receive the newsletter through SchoolMessenger.

Grandparents, community members and all friends of the NSCSD are welcome to subscribe by providing an email address by clicking here. Newsletters are emailed each Friday when school is in session. Help us share the good news and the great things happening in the NSCSD!

Email: webmaster@nscsd.org
Website: www.nscsd.org
Location: 5355 West Taft Road, Syracuse, NY, USA
Phone: (315) 218-2100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NSyracuseCSD/
Twitter: @NSyracuseCSD