NorthStar Lights

Hello North Syracuse Central School District Students, Families and Staff!

I hope that everyone has enjoyed the beautiful summer and is looking forward to another outstanding school year. For those of you I have not yet had the opportunity to meet, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Michael Schiedo and I am honored to be serving as the interim superintendent for the North Syracuse Central School District.

I had the opportunity to work with Former Superintendent Bowles and am excited to be able to continue the great work he accomplished during his tenure. Mr. Bowles has left the district in excellent shape, with strong programs, dedicated staff and a focus on student success that we will continue to build upon. I am confident that, together, we will have an exceptional year full of growth, achievement and new opportunities.

It has been a very busy summer due to the transition process, changes in administration, the new construction associated with the Capital Projects, and the relocation of Lakeshore Road Elementary School. Our custodial staff and contractors have been working extremely hard throughout the summer while preparing our buildings for opening day. We are incredibly proud of the work that has been accomplished and appreciate the tremendous efforts to ensure our buildings and grounds looked their best on opening day. The hard work has paid off and I am pleased to report that all the places I’ve visited thus far have been in excellent condition. Thank you for going above and beyond to make that happen.

With the new school year now upon us and having had opportunities to meet so many staff, I am truly confident that we will have a successful year with many opportunities to celebrate the successes we create together. It was heartwarming and wonderful to see so many staff front and center to greet students as they walked through the doors. The welcoming atmosphere in each building and classroom has been tremendous and our instructors should be commended.

The wide range of talents possessed by our faculty and staff has far-reaching effects toward establishing a rich and stimulating learning environment for NSCSD students. We will continue to foster a climate and culture within our schools that promotes outstanding citizenship and academic success for all students.

I look forward to working with all of you and continuing to support the incredible students, families and staff of the North Syracuse Central School District. Let's make this year one of our best yet!

Warm regards,
Michael Schiedo, Interim Superintendent
North Syracuse Central School District

Did you know the North Syracuse Central School District has more than 140 vehicles to transport approximately 8,000 students every day? It is a big job and a lot of work and coordination so THANK YOU to our drivers, attendants, aides and the rest of the transportation department staff who literally keep things and people moving every day. Please anticipate changes and delays for the first few days and weeks of school as routes are finalized. Please remember our Transportation Hotline is open to help with issues. Call 315-218-2035.

The CNS Optimist Club is once again sponsoring a girls' basketball league! Registration is due by Sept. 27. Learn more and download the registration forms.

Cicero Elementary School Principal Melissa O'Donnell was recently featured by LocalSyr.com News Channel 9 for her efforts to welcome students prior to the start of the school year. Click here to view the segment online.

The North Syracuse Central School District and our schools utilize ParentSquare for school to home and district to home communications.

Parent/guardian information is pulled from SchoolTool, the district's student data management system. All parents that have an email or cell phone in SchoolTool automatically have an account created in ParentSquare. ParentSquare training is available online for parents/guardians looking for additional information or online help and resources.

We love to share photos and videos from our students, families and teachers. If you're willing to share, please do! 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.

A big "THANK YOU" to all our students, staff and families who shared back to school pictures! We are looking forward to a great school year with you all. All photos will be kept on file and potentially used in a publication or on the NSCSD website throughout the school year.

Many thanks to Lakeshore Road Elementary School Principal Ms. Chmielewski, for capturing and sharing this picture of a brand new student arriving on the first day of school and eagerly accepting a hug from Lakeshore's school mascot.

On the first day of school, Allen Road Elementary School students in Mrs. Conese's kindergarten class read the book The Kissing Hand and then went on a search for Chester the raccoon throughout the building. Mrs. Conese said, "We didn't find him but he left us some Kissing Hand cookies and a book for each of my littles to add to their at home personal library." She added her reflections on the day and optimism for the school year saying, "It was a great day but everyone was very tired by the end of the day! It is going to be a great year!" Thank you Mrs. Conese for sharing!

SEPT. 9: Board of Education meeting at 6 PM at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building (5355 West Taft Rd.) in North Syracuse

SEPT. 9-13: Maintenance and Operations Appreciation Week

SEPT. 11: Patriot Day marking the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Patriot Day serves as a remembrance of the lives lost.

SEPT. 16: Starburst Marching Band Festival at Cicero-North Syracuse High School

SEPT. 23: Board of Education meeting at 6 PM at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building (5355 West Taft Rd.) in North Syracuse

SEPT. 30-OCT. 4: FOOD SERVICE APPRECIATION WEEK

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