NorthStar Lights
North Syracuse Central School District's Electronic News
Hello North Syracuse Central School District parents, guardians, teachers, and staff,
I am pleased to share some great news that speaks to the dedication and talent of the NSCSD's amazing educational community. On Monday, October 16, one of our very own, Steve Bacon, a teacher at Gillette Road Middle School, received a prestigious honor while surrounded by his colleagues and framily.
Steve Bacon was recognized as the Elementary/Middle School Educator of the Year by the Technology Alliance of Central New York (TACNY) during their 23rd annual Celebration of Technology Awards Banquet at Le Moyne College. This accolade is awarded to educators who have made outstanding contributions to STEM Education at the elementary or middle school level in Central New York.
Steve is not only a valued, longtime employee of the North Syracuse Central School District, but his journey as an educator has been quite remarkable. After beginning his NSCSD career at Gillette Road Middle School 30 years ago, he taught at various schools within our district, including Allen Road and Cicero Elementary School. Notably, during his time at Allen Road, he taught every grade level, demonstrating his adaptability and commitment to our students.
What sets Steve apart is his non-traditional background. He came to us from a private sector career in math and science, which has served our district and students by giving our educational environment a unique perspective. His innovative teaching methods have been an inspiration to countless students, encouraging them to explore the wonders of science and mathematics. As Steve himself has said, "Science is the art of learning from malfunctions or misunderstandings, and finding ways to make adjustments." This mindset has ignited a passion for learning in his students, making each day a new and exciting challenge.
Beyond the classroom, Steve has been an active participant in extracurricular activities aimed at enhancing the learning experience for our students. He has been involved in STEM Club, Homework Club, after-school parties, and various evening events. Steve was also one of the NSCSD educators who generously dedicated their time to assist with Micron's Chip Camp during the past summer.
I was honored to be among the large group of district employees present at the TACNY ceremony to support Steve. It was a heartwarming and truly awe-inspiring experience to witness the overwhelming support for Steve. As I said that evening, "We are thrilled to see Steve receive this well-deserved honor as the Elementary/Middle School Educator of the Year. The size of the group of people here tonight to support him speaks volumes about the type of educator he is and the impact he has made on our students and the district."
Steve's dedication to STEM education and his commitment to nurturing the next generation of problem solvers and innovators perfectly embodies the spirit of excellence we aim for in the North Syracuse Central School District. We are very proud to have him as a member of our educational community, and his achievement is a testament to the outstanding work happening in our schools every day.
Please join me in extending our heartfelt congratulations to Steve Bacon for this well-deserved recognition. It is through the dedication and passion of educators like him that we continue to provide a world-class education for our students.
Sincerely,
Daniel D. Bowles, Superintendent of Schools
Talk about riding to school in style! The winners of the Mattydale Fire Department’s recent Fire Prevention Coloring Contest were given a special ride to school on Friday, October 20. The Roxboro Elementary winners also received a gift card from Hollywood Theatre, and a bag of chocolate filled marshmallows.
Out of more than 90 entries, the winners were: Katalina Cherry (k), Trinity Thorpe (1st), Shukriti Khatri (2nd), Neleysha Gonzalez (3rd), and Rose Smith (4th). Congratulations!
All of the entries will be on display during the department’s Fire Prevention/Community Day this Sunday October 22.
On Monday, October 16, Gillette Road Middle School teacher Steve Bacon was honored by the Technology Alliance of Central New York (TACNY) during the 23rd annual Celebration of Technology Awards Banquet at LeMoyne College. He was named the Elementary/Middle School Educator of the Year!
The title is awarded to educators who have made outstanding contributions to STEM Education at the elementary or middle school level in Central New York.
This year marks an exciting milestone as we proudly introduce the district’s inaugural Ex-Officio Student Board Member on the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education.
We extend our congratulations to Thomas Wills, a Cicero-North Syracuse High School senior, for assuming the role for the 2023-24 term. This voter-approved position aims to give a voice to the student population.
Thomas was selected for this role after a thorough evaluation and interview process of senior candidates. He will have the privilege of attending all public board meetings and public hearings, although he will not be present during executive sessions.
Some Cicero North Syracuse High School students are enjoying a new elective, World Culture Exploration. The half year course provides students with diverse perspectives on various world cultures while looking through a local lens.
Throughout the semester, several guest speakers and performers from the Central New York community will visit students and present their cultural experiences. These guest speakers will include a musician, businessman, politician, artist, language enthusiast, activists, and more.
The class already met musician Piper Jack, who has been playing the bagpipes since he was 15. He plays at regional events as a solo piper and as the Pipe Major for the Syracuse Highland Pipe Band. During his presentation, Piper Jack spoke about bagpipe culture and history as well as how the instruments are made and played. Of course, he also played a few songs.
The North Syracuse Central School District is celebrating high school senior Ashton Murdock for earning a perfect score on the Computer Science Principles Advanced Placement (AP) Exam in the spring of 2023.
AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. Ashton not only received the top score of 5, but was also one of only 459 students in the world to earn every point possible.
“This outstanding accomplishment is likely a direct reflection of the top-quality education being offered at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. We applaud Ashton's hard work and the AP teacher responsible for engaging students and enabling them to excel in a college-level course” said Trevor Packer, head of the Advanced Placement Program.
Congratulations to this year’s New York State Assembly Summer Reading Challenge winners from the North Syracuse Central School District. A total of 14 students from various elementary schools in the NSCSD completed the requirements of the Challenge (reading for a minimum of 15 minutes each day for at least 40 days in the months of July and August) and were eligible to receive certificates.
New York State Assemblyman Al Stirpe attended the NSCSD Board of Education meeting on Monday, October 10 to personally present certificates to this year’s winners. While not all recipients were able to attend the meeting, Assemblyman Stirpe gave award certificates to several very proud students and their families.
The North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education has approved an updated calendar for the 2023-2024 school year. The update changes a previously scheduled half-day of school from April 3, 2024 to April 8, 2024. The calendar also notes that the December/January Holiday Recess is from December 22, 2023 - January 2, 2024. The print calendar incorrectly lists the dates for the Holiday Recess. Please remember to always check the district's online calendar (www.calendarwiz.com/nscsd) for the most accurate and up to date event information.
The North Syracuse Central School District is interested in finding members of the Apple Muffin Gang to celebrate its contributions to the district and state history.
Back in 1987, students in Mary Craven’s fourth grade class at KWS Bear Road Elementary School campaigned to create a law making the apple muffin the official state muffin. The students wrote to state legislators promoting their bill, handed out countless apple muffins, and made four trips to the Capitol to lobby for it. They tasted victory when the state Assembly and Senate passed the bill and former Governor Mario M. Cuomo signed it into law, making the apple muffin the official muffin of New York.
To celebrate this past accomplishment, the district decided to plant an apple tree and install a monument outside the Jerome F. Melvin District Office Building. The district is now looking for students and teachers involved with the Apple Muffin Gang to further celebrate this historic contribution. If that’s you, please reach out to our school information officer by emailing Laurie Cook at lcook@nscsd.org.
Lakeshore Road Elementary School Principal Chmielewski shared some pictures from a special visit at the school on October 18. She said they partnered with the South Bay Fire Department to teach students about fire safety and shares that "it was exciting to see some of our Lakeshore Road Elementary alumni, Jonathan Bitner and Aaron Purdy come back to teach students about presentations they loved as Lakeshore Road Elementary students." What a great collaboration! #nsbrightertogether
A couple weeks ago we shared information about Maria Carozza's North Syracuse Junior High School students and their Monday "Common Grounds" coffee cart. This week, Maria shared a few new pictures and wanted to let us know that the response to our original Facebook post was tremendous. We are so lucky to live in the community we do. After the post, which was shared by others, Maria received several donations for the students and the coffee cart program. Students now have their own "Common Grounds" t-shirts and the cart has a sign. She also wanted to say THANK YOU to the people (Edmund Kieszkowski) who donated money and coffee for the program and let us know that because of your generosity, all the teachers who ordered coffee today, got it for free. #nsbrightertogether
District Reminders!
OCTOBER 20: BOOK VANGO Family Fun Spooktacular - 4-6 PM at NSEA (210 South Main St.) in North Syracuse
OCTOBER 23: Board of Education meeting at 6 PM at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building (5355 West Taft Rd.) in North Syracuse
OCTOBER 31: Half-day of school for all NSCSD students - staff workshops
NOVEMBER 3: Northstar Lights newsletter to go out
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
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NSyracuseCSD/
Twitter: @NSyracuseCSD