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Hello North Syracuse Central School District parents, guardians, teachers, and staff,

The month of February marks the celebration of Black History Month, a time to recognize, honor and reflect upon the contributions and achievements of individuals who have played pivotal roles in shaping our shared history and advancing the principles of equality and justice. We have an opportunity to acknowledge the rich array of cultures, traditions and accomplishments that have shaped our nation and continue to influence our community.

Our schools play a crucial role in fostering an inclusive and empowering environment where all students can learn about and appreciate the diversity that makes us stronger. I want to thank our teachers and staff for the work they do every day to cultivate that type of environment in our schools.

As we celebrate the achievements of the past, let us also reaffirm our commitment to creating a future where every student feels seen, heard and valued. Together, we can continue to cultivate an environment that fosters excellence, embraces diversity, and prepares our students to be compassionate and informed global citizens.

Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to the success of our students.

Sincerely,

Daniel D. Bowles, Superintendent of Schools

The North Syracuse Central School District is now accepting registrations for its Universal Prekindergarten program. Applications are available online at www.nscsd.org and can be picked up and/or completed in person at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building (5355 West Taft Rd.) in North Syracuse.

Applications received prior to March 1 will be placed into a lottery drawing for first enrollment. To be eligible for the district’s UPK program, children must live In the North Syracuse Central School District and be four years old on or before Dec. 1, 2024. There is no charge for district residents as the program is funded by the state, subject to the passage of the New York State budget. Children will be enrolled in programs at one of the following five locations based on their address or sitter location.

Click here to read the complete article online.

The North Syracuse Central School District is incredibly fortunate to have many strong partnerships. Our students and staff are devoted to the incredible organizations that serve our community and those groups are equally devoted to our students and staff. Recently, Assemblyman Al Stirpe reached out to our district and asked for contributions to his Valentines for Veterans initiative. That invitation was shared with all staff and the response has been overwhelming!

Each day, hundreds of handmade letters and cards of support have flooded into the district office. Earlier today, CNS Teacher Erin Deaver personally delivered some of that school's cards and shared that many groups, like the Positivity Project, Optimist Club and National Honor Society actually met in the Career Center and worked together on their cards. This was in addition to the individual classrooms that eagerly participated.

Some teachers and principals also shared pictures of their students working on the cards and it was evident that the students enjoyed taking part in the effort. Many thanks to Assemblyman Stirpe and his office for their ongoing support of and efforts to involve the NSCSD as a community partner.

The Optimist Club of Cicero-North Syracuse is sponsoring an Oratorical Contest with a top award of a $2,500 college scholarship. Students under the age of 19 who live within the boundaries of the North Syracuse Central School District are eligible to participate. This year’s contest theme is “How to Change the World with Optimism,” and will take place on Wednesday, February 28 at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building (5355 West Taft Rd., N. Syracuse, NY).

Click here to learn more and download the application form.

North Syracuse Dollars for Scholars is now accepting applications for scholarships. CNS seniors are invited to create an account and apply for scholarships by going to the NS Dollars for Scholars website.

On Saturday, January 27, members of the Cicero-North Syracuse (CNS) High School Human Rights Club, along with the school’s 2024 Seal of Biliteracy candidates, came together to volunteer with InterFaith Works of CNY. InterFaith Works is an organization dedicated to affirming the dignity of people and their faith traditions, building racial and religious equity and creating bridges of understanding.

The collaboration between the organization and CNS is a partnership formed this year by Jessica Keane as the teacher of the school’s new World Culture Exploration course. Representatives from InterFaith Works came to CNS earlier this year to speak to students in the course along with members of the Human Rights Club.

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

This past weekend, the Micron Robotics Challenge brought together middle school students from across the region to showcase their ingenuity and problem-solving skills. The competition took place on Saturday, January 27 at the Syracuse Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) and gave students the chance to work together to solve real-world challenges with robotics.

The 2024 theme, "Design a device that can help a person with a disability complete a task," asked students to conceptualize, build and test a prototype device to address the problem, using microcontrollers, sensors and outputs provided in kits by the MOST.

As part of the competition, students not only had to build functional prototypes but also communicate their design process effectively. Each team created informative posters detailing how they utilized the Engineering Design Process to conceive, build and test their projects.

Click here to read the complete article online.

Congratulations to the North Syracuse Junior High School student musicians selected to participate in the Onondaga County Junior High All-County Music Festival. The festival was held January 26-27 at Eagle Hill Middle school in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District.

Selected students from the NSCSD for Band: Abby Gable, Joe Canella, Mirah Cook, Mark Morris, Katie Chrisley and Kellan Sherwood

For Orchestra: Keira Blackmer, Joey Cassel, Ana’Liyah Williams and Julia Tkachuk

For Chorus: Brigg Liberman and Cole Exner

The North Syracuse Central School District is excited to welcome Jamie Sullivan as the district’s new Director of Elementary Education and ELA. Jamie has a long history with the North Syracuse Central School District and has demonstrated dedication to student success and support. She comes to the District Office from Cicero-North Syracuse High School where she most recently served as the school’s executive principal since 2020. Jamie’s history at CNS is extensive with both administrative experience as a house principal and an academic dean for almost a decade prior to her taking on the school’s lead role. Before working as a school administrator, Jamie was an English teacher at the school and was recognized as part of “Who’s Who Among American High School Teachers” and also received numerous teacher appreciation acknowledgements. Jamie has been a critical part of various district-wide committees and initiatives including working as a facilitator on the NSCSD Strategic Plan.

Jamie shared that she is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve the district and community in this new role. She said, “My goal is to build strong connections with students, parents, and teachers alike, and to work together to create a positive and supportive learning environment for all. I believe that by working collaboratively, we can achieve great things and make a real difference in the lives of our students."

Leading up to the annual school budget vote and board of education member election in May, the district will present important updates and information to the board of education. To receive copies of the presentations and other budget-related news, subscribe to ParentSquare to receive notifications in this category.

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.

Pictured above: CNS Optimist Club officers took time out of their monthly meeting recently to share their smiles in an effort to promote the February 1 Optimist Day hashtag. Optimist Day is set aside to promote random acts of optimism. On the day, Optimist Club members are encouraged to wear something with the Optimist logo on it to spread awareness. Others are asked to participate by spreading positivity and joining in with a smile and a share of the #OptimistDay hashtag! Thank you to our CNS High School Optimist Club Officers: President Zion Mukasa, Vice President Jude Rossi, Secretary Natta Luangaphay, Treasurer Mirella Borte, Sophomore Rep Angel Cuencas, Junior Rep Ethan Mieves and Senior Reps Abby Bouziden and Nadia Greco for sharing the news. The CNS Optimist Club meets next Tuesday, Feb. 6 at CNS High School right after school and always welcomes new members.

#OptimistDay #NSBrighterTogether

Kindergarten students are finishing up their reading unit on farms and have been celebrating the lessons with classroom “farm day” events. On Friday, January 26, kindergarten students at Roxboro Road Elementary School in Mrs. Roach and Mrs. Nuzzo’s classes participated in some hands-on farm chores to mark the lesson's end. Some of the chores included milking cows, collecting and sorting eggs and shearing sheep to make sweaters. Check out their adorable pictures!

At Roxboro Road Middle School (RRMS), the Rising Rox Stars program is shining bright, offering a variety of enrichment activities to students. Among the many opportunities, Carly Hewitt, a counselor at RRMS, is running a new leadership group for students.

The leadership group began earlier this month and currently has about 12 students participating each Tuesday and Thursday. As a school counselor, Carly works with students on a daily basis and often spends time working on skill building and teaching kids how to be the best student possible. For that reason, Carly thought a leadership group would be a good addition to the Rising Rox Stars program. Carly said, “Students this young don’t always see themselves as leaders so I wanted something to help them recognize that potential.” For the first weeks students spent time learning about leadership and exploring the qualities of the leaders in their own lives. One of Carly’s goals is to help students possess those leadership skills and use them to give back to the community.

The group emphasizes essential life skills such as honesty, respect, and being a role model. During the group last week, students went to Roxboro Road Elementary School and some delivered snack bags to that school’s participants and others spent time reading to first graders. At the group meeting yesterday, students spent time working together to make treats for local shelter dogs. Carly hopes to expand the groups’ connections to the community and to find additional ways to give back. Great job RRMS Rising Rox Stars!

Round 3 voting is taking place for the SAMMYS (Syracuse Area Music Awards) and TWO of our talented groups are up for the People's Choice award in the "Local Academic or Musical Organization." Show your support for the talented students in the CNS Jazz Band and the CNS Marching Band by voting today. Round three votes continue through February 4. https://www.syracuseareamusic.com/peopleschoice/

FEBRUARY 5: Board of Education meeting at 6 PM at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building (5355 West Taft Rd.) in North Syracuse

FEBRUARY 19: Presidents' Day - No School for Students or Staff

FEBRUARY 19-FEBUARY 23: Mid-Winter Recess - No School for Students or Staff

FEBRUARY 26: Board of Education meeting at 6 PM at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building (5355 West Taft Rd.) in North Syracuse

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/