NorthStar Lights
North Syracuse Central School District's Electronic News
Hello North Syracuse Central School District parents, guardians, teachers, and staff,
This week I have the honor of being able to share the outstanding news that one of our CNS esports teams, the Star Shockers Team 1, has earned the title of New York State Champions. In an incredible showdown against Silver Creek High School just yesterday, the CNS team emerged victorious after a close back and forth battle. The victory was the exciting cap to an incredible, perfect, undefeated season for the team of Reece Balduzzi, James Pierson, Zach Purcell, and Zach Strait and their coaches Mike Brisson and Kathryn Leo.
Esports is a relatively new extracurricular offering in our district and I want to take just a moment to talk about it for those who may not be familiar with the activity. I’ve heard people talk about “gaming” as though the activity is just something fun to do in spare time. Esports is so much more than that.
For those of you who haven’t had a chance to see a match, one of the most impressive things you’ll notice when you do is that the players truly work as a team. Competitive gaming requires teamwork and communication and the players are developing their skills together and sharing strategies in real time. It is amazingly similar to what you would see on a basketball court or football field.
Another tremendous benefit of esports is the development of digital literacy skills. These students are becoming experts in technology, online platforms and various software tools, which will give them advantages to succeed in today’s digital age. The opportunities for these young people to turn their passion into careers are pretty amazing.
I want to express my gratitude to coaches Mike Brisson and Kathryn Leo for their dedication and leadership and I have to acknowledge the role of our IT team for their hard work getting esports up and running in a safe and secure environment. Jason Clark and TJ Adams have been instrumental and deserve our thanks.
As we approach the holiday break next week, I encourage all students to take a moment to celebrate their accomplishments and recharge for the challenges ahead. We have a brand new year ahead of us and we will continue to celebrate the good things taking place. Our board meetings will provide more opportunities to publicly recognize students and staff successes and we will continue to use this newsletter to share their accomplishments.
Once again, congratulations to the CNS Star Shockers Team 1 on their undefeated season and State Championship title. I wish everyone a joyful holiday break filled with rest, relaxation, and the company of loved ones.
Sincerely,
Daniel D. Bowles, Superintendent of Schools
On December 7, 2023, thirty students from Roxboro Road Middle School, Gillette Road Middle and North Syracuse Junior High School gathered at the North Syracuse Central School District Office to compete in a districtwide spelling bee.
The talented youth from grades five through eight were challenged with a variety of words ranging from simple spellings such as “manual” and “recital” to more difficult spellings such as “mischievous.” All students came to this competition after completing written and oral exams within their schools.
The competition ended with the correct spelling of “categorically” and “chasm” by Matthew Conner (5th grade) from Gillette Road Middle School. Finishing in second place was Hayden Totty (6th grade) from Gillette Road Middle School and in third was Isaac Butterfield (5th grade) from Gillette Road Middle School. The top four competitors from each school will now advance to a written spelling bee in February.
In an outstanding display of teamwork and skill, the CNS Star Shockers Team 1, featuring Reece Balduzzi, James Pierson, Zach Purcell, and Zach Strait, capped off their remarkable undefeated season by clinching the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe finals and, most notably, securing the New York State Championship title.
The team's journey to the finals has been marked by exceptional gameplay and an undefeated streak, culminating in a perfect season. In a thrilling showdown, they emerged victorious against Silver Creek High School from Chautauqua County, just south of Buffalo.
Esports, a relatively new venture for CNS, gained momentum last year, and this season, CNS expanded its esports program to include several teams, including one at North Syracuse Junior High School. The success was not limited to Mario Kart, as CNS had two teams competing in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, showcasing the diverse interests of the student body.
Coached by teachers Mike Brisson and Kathryn Leo, both newcomers to coaching but not to gaming, the CNS teams have been making waves in the esports scene. Coach Kathryn Leo, expressing her enthusiasm, said, "I played esports in college, am an avid gamer, and have been looking for this opportunity for years."
KWS Bear Road Elementary School has shown amazing generosity this holiday season. The school recently held two very successful collections, one for Golisano's Children's Hospital and the other, a Mitten Tree collection that goes directly to local North Syracuse families in need.
The donation drive for Golisano's Children's Hospital included items for children of all ages, some of which include bibs, blankets, coloring books/crayons, activity books, various card games and a variety of pajamas. Specific items were requested at each grade level and Bear Road students, staff and families delivered in a big way! Boxes of items are now overflowing with the generous gifts and waiting to be delivered to the hospital to spread joy.
The school’s annual Mitten Tree collection gave children the opportunity to collectively decorate the school’s tree by hanging their donations of new hats, mittens, and gloves on it as they came into school. This tradition is something that many look forward to year after year. The donations will be brought to the local teachers’ union office and included in holiday food baskets that will be given directly to local North Syracuse families in need.
Many thanks to Jo Andrews for inviting us to the school to get some pictures of the donations and for providing details of the school’s holiday spirit. Happiest Holidays from the KWS Bear Road Elementary School Staff and Community!
CNS hosted the first ever Griffin’s Guardians spirit day last Friday, December 8th. Sara Bambino shared photo of students wearing red, which was Griffin’s favorite color, both in his memory and to acknowledge that no one in our community fights pediatric cancer alone. In conjunction with the spirt day, Mrs. Bambino’s Team Building classes are now collecting can-tabs that will be recycled as a fundraiser for the organization.
Pop tabs are being collected through March at Plank Road Bottle Return if you'd like to contribute. #nsbrightertogether
Cicero-North Syracuse High School’s World Culture Exploration Course participated in another great activity this week. Heather Robillard, who is the liaison for the district’s Native American Education Program, told the class the traditional story of the corn husk doll.
While different tribes have varying stories, the message is the same – one of humility and equality. After sharing the story from the Haudenosaunee, Mrs. Robillard led the students to create their own corn husk dolls. The students enjoyed walking away with a piece of Native American culture with the story fresh in their minds.
Last week was Computer Science in Education Week and we have to say thank you to Danielle Barrett for sharing some pictures of Roxboro Middle School students and teachers celebrating by participating in an Hour of Code activity.
Danielle shared pictures from Mrs. O'Connor, Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Finger's classes. Hour of Code is an introduction to computer science using fun tutorials to show that ANYBODY can learn the basics. This is available year-round, but every year in December classes can join millions of students around the world celebrating Computer Science Education Week with Hour of Code. Our Roxboro Road Middle School students learned how to code a Dance Party!
Computer Science in Education Week is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the importance of computer science skills in today's world. #NSBrighterTogether
North Syracuse Central School District
Email: webmaster@nscsd.org
Website: www.nscsd.org
Location: 5355 West Taft Road, Syracuse, NY, USA
Phone: (315) 218-2100
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