NorthStar Lights

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

Our first full week of the 2021-2022 school year has been a busy one filled with all the activities of a more typical school year. I had the chance to get out to several athletic events this week including girls soccer and volleyball and I'm looking forward to tonight's HOME football game at the Michael J. Bragman Stadium.

I can't begin to tell you how refreshing it has been to see our students in action being cheered on by family and friends. These young people deserve these opportunities and I am proud to support them. If you haven't had a chance to see an athletics competition, please take time to put an event on your calendar. You can visit the athletics website by clicking here. Our fall sports include boys golf, girls swimming and tennis, boys and girls volleyball, soccer and cross country, cheerleading, field hockey and football. We have some very talented athletes in this District so be sure to see them for yourself!

Also taking place tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 18 is the Starburst Marching Band Competition at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Gates open at 4:30, show begins at 5:30. Tickets are available for $9 at the gate. Click here: https://nysfbc.org/cns-2021/ for details.

As we work together to preserve the opportunities for our students to participate in extra-curricular activities and attend five days of in-person instruction, I am sending a reminder about following safety protocols. Please remember to properly mask, maintain physical distance and to stay home when sick. Following expert guidance will help keep us all safe and healthy!

Sincerely,

Daniel D. Bowles, Superintendent of Schools

The Cicero-North Syracuse High School Marching Band took part in the Sept. 11 Spartan Spectacular at East Syracuse Minoa High School. The band took 3rd place in the National Class. The C-NS Marching Band will hold their home show, Starburst, this weekend on Saturday, September 18. Gates open at 4:30 and the show begins at 5:30. Tickets are available for $9 at the gate. Click here: https://nysfbc.org/cns-2021/ for details.

The North Syracuse Central School District has a goal of preserving the current schedule of five-days of in-person learning and extra-curricular activities. In order to preserve those offerings, the decision has been made to have all open houses held virtually this year. Schools will be communicating details of individual events with their families.

On Friday, September 10, in honor of “World Suicide Prevention Day,” students and staff at Cicero-North Syracuse High School kicked off a month-long campaign to raise awareness about the topic. The mental health team at C-NS used the day to bring attention to the issue by engaging students in activities to educate and promote suicide prevention as well as overall mental wellness.

Kristen Stanton is the District-wide School-Based Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator for the North Syracuse Central School District. As such, she is instrumental in the District’s mental wellness promotion and she helped plan events at C-NS for their World Suicide Prevention Day.

Throughout the school day, students had opportunities to learn about suicide prevention and wellness issues and to participate in fun activities to win prizes. Many students took time to participate in an “I Matter” activity through which they shared some valuable traits about themselves.

The North Syracuse Central School District is focusing a great deal of time and resources on mental wellness this year in an effort to combat issues brought to light during the pandemic. Thanks to specific mental health funding, the District has been able to add additional mental health professionals throughout its buildings. At the high school, two additional social workers, a promise-zone specialist and a student assistance counselor are now available to work with students in need.

Click here to read the entire article online with information about resources available.

Eileen Gleason, a 6th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, has taught students at Gillette Road Middle School for almost three decades. During her time at the middle school, she has worked with hundreds of students both in her classroom and through her work with student council and other extra-curricular activities.

Every day, Gleason finds value in her work with young people but has a special appreciation when she makes a true connection with a student. Two years ago, Ms. Gleason worked with a special needs student, Enrique Gonzalez, who has been in a wheelchair for his entire life. After sharing a story about running, a special hobby of hers, Ms. Gleason and Enrique connected about the experience of being a runner.

Gleason became a runner more than 10 years ago and has run many races throughout that time, from 5Ks to half marathons. One of the races she regularly runs is the Onondaga ARC 5K each fall. ARC of Onondaga is an association that assists individuals with developmental disabilities in meeting their full potential. The ARC race is unique because in addition to typical runners, it provides an opportunity for athletes who have a disability to compete in tandem with another athlete.

Click here to read the complete story online.

On Friday, November 5, 2021, in honor of Veteran’s Day, the North Syracuse Central School District will honor a group of inductees to its Military Honor Roll. The Honor Roll was established in 2012 to recognize former District students that have gone on to military service.

In order for the honor roll to be as complete as possible when it is unveiled, we are asking for the community’s help. If you are a graduate of the District or have attended Cicero-North Syracuse High School and have gone on to military service for at least one year, please contact the District to be included.

Click here to submit your information for consideration. In order to be recognized during the November 5th ceremony, names must be submitted to the District no later than Friday, September 24, 2021.

Due to delays receiving updated COVID guidance, this year's print calendar has been delayed. The calendar is now available online at http://www.nscsd.org/tfiles/folder1084/Calendar%20Final%20web.pdf.

Please remember that this version of the District calendar is subject to change. While it serves as a reference for families in the North Syracuse Central School District, it is important to check the online calendar at www.nscsd.org/calendar to verify event dates and times and/or check with your child's school. The online calendar provides more specific, up-to-date event information than this print version. Users can customize their online calendar to include multiple schools, District events and meetings and can even download event information to their mobile devices.

Did you know that the North Syracuse Central School District, in partnership with the USDA, has a temporary program allowing us to feel all students breakfast and lunch for free each day? Click here to learn more and see menu options for each school.

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.

Patty Calabria, mom of Freshman Adrianna Calabria, a student at North Syracuse Junior High School, shared the above photo of her daughter and the Girls Junior Varsity Soccer Team after their 3-1 win against Skaneateles. The team took time to get together for a group picture before settling in to watch the Varsity Team play.

We had so many families and teachers share photos of their students' first days of school and we appreciate them so much! We have combined all the photos into a Facebook album which can be accessed by clicking here. Below are a some of the additional pictures we received this week.

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