NorthStar Lights

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

This morning I received an email from our Gillette Road Middle School Resource Officer, Deputy O'Neil, about some positive parent feedback he had gotten because of their school's participation in Chalk the Walk. O'Neil relayed that parents were thrilled with the project and inspired by the students' encouraging messages and drawings. He told me that the idea was a homerun with students, parents and staff and that he would love to see the inspirational messages become a more "permanent" fixture at our schools. One message in particular stood out and I wanted to share it with you here because it stresses the importance of the connections our students are making in school.

More of the students' messages from Gillette Road Middle School are available at the end of this newsletter so be sure to check those out as well. We are now into October and the first full month of the school year. We have had some challenges as we navigate a world of COVID and keeping our schools safe but we continue to take things day by day. Our focus remains staying safe and maintaining five days/week of in-person instruction. With this schedule, our students continue to be uplifted by the opportunities available to them.

This past week students at Cicero-North Syracuse High School celebrated Spirit Week. I made a point of visiting the school each day and found it uplifting to see how many students were participating. Our students truly want to be in school and want to be a part of that community. It is our job to preserve that and to keep them safe. The more I spend time at our events, the more I am certain that we are heading in the right direction. Our students are excelling academically and are thriving in extra-curricular activities.

Like the Chalk the Walk messages, I want to encourage you to keep going. We can and will do this by working together. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Daniel D. Bowles, Superintendent of Schools

Students and staff at Smith Road Elementary School were excited to kick off their Character Education campaign this past week during the school’s first full assembly in almost two years! To bring students together safely, an outdoor gathering was help on Wednesday, Sept. 29, which turned out to be a beautiful, sunny, fall day.

Five 4th grade student leaders directed the assembly along with Principal Lyndsey Maloney and Music Teacher Rebecca Hall. The student leaders, who were chosen for that role because they had all demonstrated positive character traits, had the job of teaching other students about those traits:

• Responsibility
• Honesty
• Character
• Respect

Click here to read the full article and see more pictures online.

The North Syracuse Central School District is currently accepting nominations for their Wall of Distinction’s class of 2021. Nomination forms are available online by clicking here or by calling the office of Christopher R. Leahey, Ed.D., North Syracuse Central School District Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, at (315) 218-2148. In order for candidates to be considered for the class of 2021, nomination forms must be submitted by Friday, November 19, 2021. The ceremony honoring the selected candidates will be held on Friday, February 11, 2022.

Click here for more information.

Students in Arlene Osborne's 3rd grade class in room 168 at Lakeshore Road Elementary School were featured this week on NewsChannel 9 LocalSyr.com's Morning News Pledge of Allegiance segment. Click here to view the Sept. 28 segment online.

Syracuse.com is seeking applications from CNY 2021-2022 high school seniors for their Best and Brightest Awards. Do you excel in academics, sports, theater? Are you a community or environmental activist? Have you done something to make Central New York a better place? We want to hear from you. Learn more by clicking here.

In accordance with CDC guidance, students, teachers and staff who have symptoms of infectious illness (influenza or COVID-19), should stay home and be referred to their healthcare provider for evaluation care and testing. Individuals who are absent from school will need to provide either a medical note or proof of a negative COVID test (PCR test).

Students or staff members who develop symptoms during the school day will be sent home immediately. Parents of students will be contacted immediately to come and pick up their child.

Please remember the symptoms of COVID 19 include:

● Fever or chills

● Cough

● Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

● Fatigue

● Muscle or body aches

● Headache

● New loss of taste or smell

● Sore throat

● Congestion or runny nose

● Nausea or vomiting

● Diarrhea

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.

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!

We love to share photos 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.

Pictured above: Deputy Wright, a School Resource Officer at Roxboro Road Middle School, shared this photo of some students he met riding their bikes on the Roxboro Road Campus last week. Through the Safe Kids Program with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Wright was able to provide new bike helmets for the kids. Big smiles all around!

Pictured below: Carolyn Mowers Art students at Smith Road Elementary School participated in the #WhatLiftsYou global campaign. Click here or on the picture below to learn more.

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