Bird's Eye View

Hello Larries Community,

One of the things I value most about St. Lawrence Central is that there are so many stories worth telling. The Bird’s Eye View gives us an opportunity each month to pause and recognize the students, staff, families, and community members who make those stories possible. While we are proud of the big accomplishments, we also know that some of the most meaningful moments happen quietly each day whether in a classroom, on a bus, at practice, during a performance, or in a simple interaction between a student and an adult who cares. We hope this newsletter gives you a glimpse of those moments and reminds you of just how special the SLC community truly is.

We Need Your Support In the Upcoming Year:

1. To continue to increase a culture of awareness and understanding as to why “Educational RIGOR” needs continual support in our district. Attached are this year's three Brasher Falls Central (K-12) District goals presented to the Board of Education. Please take a moment to read over District Goal #1 which explains why and how we plan to continue moving forward with this push. BFCSD District Goal 2026-27

2. Attendance concerns: In New York State, a child is considered “chronically absent” if they miss 18 or more days of school in a year. We are required to do everything we can to prevent every child from reaching that mark. Those requirements involve: reminder letters home at certain levels, phone and/or in-person conversations with parents/guardians, and if needed… reports to CPS and other outside agencies in St. Lawrence County. To help us all understand what missing school days can do, please take a minute to look over the chart below and/or the entire presentation attached here: Attendance Presentation 2026

Reminder of Important Educational Dates:

• October 9th Progress Reports will be available in the Schooltool portal for all grades 5-12.
• October 9th will be our Early Evacuation Drill (mandated every year). Students may get home 10-15 minutes earlier than usual.
• October 12th Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day (No school for students or staff)
• October 30th Early Release for Professional Development (half day) for students, as staff will be working on various goals we have set for the year.

Shout Outs and Reminders:

• Congratulations to all those that have been recognized, in this October issue, for the outstanding work you are doing.
• Congratulations to all of this year's SLC Class of 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees. The ceremony will be held on October 17th in the HS Auditorium and nominations for next year are now being considered. SLC Hall Of Fame Nomination Form

Capital Project:

Our current capital project is just about “wrapped up” with about 98% completed. With that said, we are working on getting our next project to voters very soon (December 2026). This next capital project will be a proposed $16.2 million project that will have ZERO additional tax burden on the local community. In the capital project the district will look to:

1. Complete roof replacements started in this past project on all three buildings.
2. Finish the air conditioning needs that were not able to be addressed in the most recent project.
3. Recreate our HS Science Wing of 4 current classrooms/labs into 5 full classrooms (we need more classroom space).
4. Construct a community paved walking trail around the turf field connecting to the wooded trail behind the HS Gym.
5. Add a paved walkway behind the elementary school connecting the turf field to the new outside bathrooms (handicap accessible).
6. Playground and paved play area upgrades for the elementary school.
7. HS gym floor replacement and basketball hoop replacement in the ES gym.
8. Replace 8 overhead doors at the bus garage.
9. Other items involving windows, boilers, storm drain replacement, etc are also in the initial plans.

Please take a moment to check out two newest Did You Know reels that help the community connect with some of the amazing programs that we have going on inside the walls of SLC: Token Economy and Retirement. All of our Did You Know videos can be found on the District Facebook page.

Please consider sharing the Bird's Eye View with any neighbors, relatives, friends, or alumni you may know that would like to keep updated on what goes on at SLC.

Christopher Rose

Superintendent of Schools

Our annual Chalk the Walk was held on September 18th across all three school buildings at SLC. This annual event promotes positivity, kindness, and encouragement throughout our school community and around St. Lawrence County.

@St. Lawrence County Suicide Awareness Coalition

#stlcyouarenotalone

Dear Students, Families, and Community Members,

It is with great excitement that we welcome you to the 2026–2027 school year! We are honored to serve our school community in our roles as Director and Assistant Director of Special Services. We look forward to partnering with our students, families, educators, and community members to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.

We bring a combined wealth of experience in special education and a shared commitment to supporting students with a wide range of strengths, abilities, and needs.

Anna Hendershot, Director of Special Services, has worked in special education throughout her career, including 10 years with Massena Central School District as a CSE Chairperson and Resource Room teacher. Prior to that, she spent five years teaching in an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program through BOCES and also worked with preschoolers and toddlers in their homes. These experiences have provided her with a strong foundation in developing individualized supports, navigating the special education process, and building collaborative relationships with students, educators, and families.

Kimberly Brockway, Assistant Director of Special Services, brings 17 years of experience in special education, working with students from early intervention and preschool through middle and high school. Having spent the past two years as a special education teacher within the district, Kimberly is excited to continue serving the SLC community in this new capacity. Her experience across a variety of special education settings has given her a deep appreciation for the dedication, expertise, and compassion that families and educators bring to supporting students.

Having two CSE administrators is a tremendous opportunity for our district. It allows us to be more accessible, responsive, and present within our schools while providing additional support to students, families, and staff.

To help us best serve our schools, our primary areas of focus will be:

• Mrs. Brockway will primarily support the elementary school and middle school grades 5 and 6.

• Mrs. Hendershot will primarily support preschool, middle school grades 7 and 8, and the high school.

Although we each have designated areas of responsibility, we will work closely together and collaborate across all grade levels. We will be active in our schools, participating in CSE meetings, conducting classroom observations, supporting educators, providing professional development, and working collaboratively to strengthen programs and services for our students.

We believe that strong communication, collaboration, and relationships with families are at the heart of student success. Families know their children best, and we value their voice, perspective, and partnership throughout the educational process. We encourage parents and guardians to reach out with questions, concerns, ideas, or simply to connect with us. We want our families to feel heard, supported, and confident that we are working together with them to meet their child's individual needs.

Our doors are always open. We look forward to getting to know our students and families, building strong relationships within our community, and working together to create positive experiences and meaningful opportunities for every student.

Thank you for welcoming us into these roles and for the continued support of our students and schools. We are excited about the year ahead and all that we can accomplish together.

Wishing our students, families, staff, and community a wonderful and successful 2026–2027 school year!

Sincerely,

Anna Hendershot, Director of Special Services

Kimberly Brockway, Assistant Director of Special Services

Dear Middle and High School Parents,

As we start out the year, we are focusing on getting students organized and making good habits that will help them be successful. We have a few areas that we hope you can assist us with.

Homework Habits:

• Have a regular time and place for completing homework.

• Keep phones and other distractions away while working.

• Check your child’s agenda and Schooltool assignments.

• Break larger assignments into pieces to work on a little each day rather than waiting until the night before.

• Bring questions to school when your child is confused by emailing their teacher.

Good Study Habits:

• Study in short, regular sessions instead of cramming.

• Put away notes and try to recall information from memory.

• Practice problems without immediately looking at the answer.

• Make flashcards or create practice questions.

• Explain a concept to someone else.

• Review mistakes and figure out why an answer was incorrect.

• Handwrite important information.

• Ask teachers for clarification when something does not make sense.

• Look back at resources such as notes, books, etc for help.

AI, Plagiarism, and Academic Honesty:

If the teacher says the work should be your own, the thinking needs to be your own. Students will learn nothing from copying and not doing thinking on their own, even if that is copying homework problems from a friend.

• Students must also be explicitly told by a teacher that they should use AI

• Students working together should all equally contribute and share thinking.

• Students should all be able to explain their thinking and understanding of the material when working together or using AI.

Our goal is to help students become independent learners who can think, communicate, solve problems, and take responsibility for their own learning.

Thank you for assisting us with this,

Mrs. LaBarge and Mrs. Zender

Middle and High School Principals

Hello Larries Families,

We want to share an important update about changes New York State is planning for high school graduation requirements. With recent discussion about Regents exams and New York State diplomas, we want to clarify what these changes mean for our students and families.

First, Regents exams are not going away. Students will continue to take Regents exams as a measure of their achievement of New York State learning standards. What is changing is the role Regents exams may play in earning a high school diploma for some students in the future.

Brasher Falls Central School will continue to plan and prepare for all changes established by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). This work also connects directly to our NY Inspires and SLC Portrait of a Graduate initiative. During the 2025-26 school year, we surveyed our community to identify the skills and attributes our community believes are important for our graduates. These survey results will serve as our guiding principles as we move forward. We will share those results with families in the coming weeks.

What This Means for Our Students

2026-27 School Year (Class of 2027): Current graduation requirements remain fully in place, including Regents diploma exam requirements.

February-July 2027 (Regulatory Process): NYSED plans to present proposed regulatory changes in February 2027, followed by a public comment period, with anticipated adoption in June 2027 and an effective date of July 1, 2027.

2027-2028 School Year (Graduating Cohorts 2024, 2025, 2026): Students graduating in this window will be among the first to receive the single NYS diploma without the state Regents assessment requirement for graduation.

Fall 2027 and Fall 2028 (Incoming 9th graders): Students entering 9th grade will operate under local assessment strategies and experience the rollout of Redefining Credits and Learning Experiences.

2029-2030 School Year and Beyond: Full implementation of the transformed educational system, including redesigned learning experiences and documentation.

What Families Need to Know Now

There is nothing families need to do differently at this time. Students should continue following their current courses and graduation plans and preparing for Regents exams as appropriate.

As NYSED provides additional guidance, we will carefully review how the changes may affect individual students. If a student's graduation pathway or course selections may be impacted, their school counselor will contact the family directly. Families do not need to contact the school at this time.

Many details of this new system are still being developed by NYSED. We will continue to follow the state's work closely and keep our students and families informed as more information becomes available.

The timing of this statewide work aligns well with the work already underway at St. Lawrence Central through NY Inspires and our SLC Portrait of a Graduate. Our goal is to ensure that our graduates are prepared not only to meet graduation requirements, but to be successful in college, career, and life.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our students.

Kristen Zender
High School Principal

NYSED: NY Inspires Education Transformation

Don’t miss out on the memories from this school year! High school yearbooks are now available to pre-order. Get yours ordered early so you don’t miss your chance to have a copy! More details on ordering here.

Show your senior how proud you are by purchasing a Senior Shout-Out Ad in this year’s yearbook! It’s the perfect way to share a special message, favorite photo, or words of encouragement as they celebrate this exciting milestone. Click here for more information.

Over the last few months, the Saint Lawrence Stingerz have been busy bees! 🐝

After our previous season concluded, we built a new robot to participate in the Balloon BattleBots Competition at Fayetteville-Manlius, where we placed 2nd! Not a bad way to spend the last day of spring break and our robot definitely had a popping good time.

After that, we hosted a summer camp from July 6–9. A huge shout-out to Alcoa for funding the camp! During the camp, we taught students coding and engineering skills and gave them the chance to put those skills to the test. Toward the end of the week, we held a mini competition for the participants, and they had a lot of fun. (So they say.)

We kept busy during the summer festival, too. We marched in the parade and set up a table in the Kids Zone, where we got to show off what we do and talk with the community.

Before school even started, we joined Back-to-School Night and displayed some of our robots. Because apparently, we just can’t stay away from robots for very long.

Then, in September, we kicked off the new school year by attending the robotics kickoff event at Clarkson University. We learned about the upcoming season, got excited about what’s ahead, and—most importantly—we didn’t break anything.

It’s been a busy few months for the Saint Lawrence Stingerz, and we’re excited to see what the rest of the season brings!

The Physics students have been gathering data while enjoying some of the nice weather we have been having.

On September 23rd, the BRAIN-STEM group took a trip to Clarkson University! They were introduced to this year's topic, concussions. They took part in a few activities: role-playing parents, coaches, and neuroscientists discussing concussion protocols and an egg drop design competition. All SLC students' eggs survived the two story drop!!

The IMPETUS students are off to a great start with their first visit to Clarkson University this year. Besides learning about service projects, research projects, and having a great trivia game, the students were able to meet up with friends from other schools. They look forward to having a great year!

Some of our Spanish Club members volunteered selling popcorn at the haunted hayride in North Lawrence to raise money for our club. In addition to our big trip every 2 years, the Spanish Club also holds monthly meetings where we do cultural activities such as cooking, holiday crafts, and more. We have many Spanish Club members who enjoy and participate in these activities!

A special shoutout to Thomas Liberty, Avery Marcil, Addison Marcil, Aleah Phillips, Ella Pike, Channing Fedonick, Abe Snell, Lane Snell, Chase Sirles, Stella Todd and Claire Todd for volunteering. A big thank you to Mrs. Marcil for coordinating this and to the Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity!

Students in Mrs. McGrath's Spanish Intro/IB class have been putting their Spanish skills to work by creating conversation comic strips! Using the vocabulary they have been learning in class, students created conversations that included greetings and farewells, as well as introducing themselves and others. This activity gave students a fun and creative way to practice their new vocabulary and build confidence using Spanish in everyday conversations.

Students in grades 7–12 Spanish classes, taught by Mrs. Arquiett, Mrs. McGrath, and Mrs. Arquitt, helped create a colorful hallway display celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Each student was assigned a Spanish-speaking country and colored its flag while researching interesting facts and information about their chosen country. Together, their work created a vibrant display celebrating the many cultures, countries, and traditions of the Spanish-speaking world.

The girls varsity soccer team enjoyed another trip to the NYSSCOGS New York State High School Girls Soccer Hall of Fame Tournament in Albany. They took part in one of the biggest high school tournaments ever held nationally with 71 teams competing with the biggest display of sportsmanship ever...there were no red or yellow cards issued! SLC had a hard fought 5-0 loss to Waterford-Halfmoon CSD, but they rebounded with a 6-0 win against Cambridge-Salem CSD.

A huge thanks to all who donated to make this trip possible; especially NuMed, ABCD Hardware, Goodrich Refrigeration. Thank you also to Nicholville Volunteer Fire Department and the numerous community members who stopped by to get their car washed!

Fall sports are well under way. Check out a game or meet when you have a chance! You can follow along on Arbiterlive.com keep track of numbered rosters, scores, and schedules.

Winter sports sign ups are going on right now. Emails will be sent soon to notify any student who signed up if they are in need of a physical. We will be offering physicals in district on November 3rd.

Some annual reminders, if attending any games on the turf, the parking lot is intended for game personnel and handicapped stickered vehicles only. No fans are allowed on the far side of the field. This also goes for any soccer games on our grass fields. Everyone must be seated across from the teams, no one is allowed behind the teams or the goals.

Also, many games are already being moved due to lack of officials. This is a direct correlation to our behavior in the crowd. Mr. Reome has worked very hard to make sure our coaches act responsibly. Take their lead. Allow them to deal with issues and allow officials to officiate the game, and mostly, allow our student athletes a chance to enjoy their games.

The 27th Annual Hall of Fame Weekend will be held October 16–17, 2026. Congratulations to the outstanding athletes, team, and contributors who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and contributions to our school community!

Individual Athlete Inductees:

• Michael Deleel, 1977
• Michele Stevens, 1979
• Kody Kocsis, 2015
• Lukas Arquiett, 2015
• Haleigh Agans, 2016

• Christian Normile, 1986
• LaLonde Family Initiative

• 1980-1981 Hockey

All of our athletic teams showed a form of application to their game officials during Official Appreciation Week. Pictured are three of our Modified Soccer players giving thanks prior to their game in Tupper Lake.

Hello Middle School Families and Friends,

🏫Middle School Counseling Office:

The Middle School Counseling Office is excited for another great school year and the opportunity to support our students in grades 5–8!

As a reminder: Mr. Nathan Niles works with students whose last names begin with A–K, and Mrs. Amber LaPierre works with students whose last names begin with L–Z. We are so excited to work with our students and families throughout the year as we support students academically, socially, emotionally, and as they begin thinking about their futures.

📚 Academically Prepared: More Than Just Good Grades!

This October, we will be visiting classrooms to introduce our first Student of the Quarter trait: Academically Prepared. Being academically prepared is about much more than getting good grades. We want students to understand that success also comes from being ready to learn, asking for help, staying organized, putting in effort, learning from mistakes, and continuing to try when something feels difficult.

During our classroom lessons, students will have an opportunity to think about what being prepared looks like in their own lives and how the habits they build now can help them well beyond middle school. Our goal is to help students recognize that they do not have to have everything figured out or be perfect to be successful. Small choices, positive habits, and a willingness to keep growing can make a big difference!

🔧 8th Grade BOCES Visit:

Our 8th-grade students will also have an exciting opportunity this month to visit BOCES and explore the many programs available to them as they begin thinking about high school and their future. Students will get a firsthand look at different career and technical education programs, learn what each program has to offer, and hear about the qualifications and expectations for attending.

Middle school is a great time for students to begin exploring their interests and discovering the many different paths available to them. We are excited for our 8th graders to see some of those possibilities in action!

💛Chalk the Walk:

Our students also participated in Chalk the Walk again this year on September 18th. This initiative, hosted by St. Lawrence County Suicide Prevention, encourages students to spread messages of hope, kindness, encouragement, and positivity throughout our school community.

Our students did a wonderful job filling our walkways with uplifting messages for their classmates and staff. It was a simple but meaningful reminder that our words matter and that even a small message of kindness can brighten someone’s day.

We are looking forward to a great October and a school year filled with opportunities for our students to learn, grow, explore, and feel supported.

Warmly,

Mr. Niles nniles@bfcsd.org (Students A-K)

Ms. LaPierre alapierre@bfcsd.org (Students L-Z)

Brasher Falls Central School is fortunate to offer the Extended Day Grant program for students in grades 3–6. This program provides extra academic support, fun field trips, and opportunities for students to meet new friends in a welcoming environment. This year the program started on September 22nd.

Enrollment is open year-round. An application must be completed before your child can begin. To request an application, please email Mrs. Nezezon at bnezezon@bfcsd.org. She will coordinate with your child’s teacher to send the necessary paperwork home.

We look forward to having your child join us!

5th grader, Jacob Downer, came to school ready to spread, and receive, some hugs! Way to go Jacob!

Our 6th grade scientists did a fantastic job creating posters to show off what they remembered from 5th grade science! Their posters were colorful, organized, and full of great information! It was great to see them work together, be creative, and remember so much after an entire summer.

The 5th and 6th grade teams welcomed The Hovercraft Project on Wednesday, September 30th! The Hovercraft Project is a fully immersive STEM experience where students build, test and ride (yes, ride) hovercrafts. The students were split into teams and worked together to build their hovercraft. They then spent the afternoon enjoying their hard work with test drives and races across the High School gymnasium! A huge "Thank You!" to The Hovercraft Project and Brasher Falls School District for making this opportunity possible for our 5th and 6th grade students!

The Badenhausen Public Library was proud to host its 3rd Annual Art Show, September 24–26, 2026, celebrating the creativity and talent of artists throughout our community.

The show featured a wonderful variety of artwork from local artists of all ages, including pieces created by talented young artists from our community. Visitors had the opportunity to enjoy paintings, drawings, crafts, photography, and other creative works while celebrating the importance of art and self-expression.

We are grateful to everyone who participated, visited, and helped make this year's Art Show a success. A special thank-you goes to the students and families who shared their creativity with us!

We look forward to continuing this annual tradition and celebrating even more local artists in the years to come.

The Badenhausen Public Library's 3rd Annual Art Show featured over 40 works of art from St. Lawrence County artists and student artists from our Brasher Falls School District. The show held a Meet the Artist Reception last Saturday with a great turn out!

Please join us in recognizing the amazing talents of our local artists and students: Owen Aslanian, Lily Benton, Emilee Bernard, Sahara Burnett, Kat DeForge, Alaina Joubert, Fisher LaRock, Nevaeh Logan, Avery Marcil, Liam Marcil, Ellia Mayne, Aleah Phillips, Leah Stauffer, Claire Todd, Stella Todd, and Mikayla Tobin.

Students in grades 4-6 embraced the “90’s summer” trend during the first week of Summer Book Club! Students read Louis Sachar’s Newbery-winning book Holes, a story that blends mystery, magic, and humor to share a powerful message about friendship. Students fully embraced the throwback theme by completing a variety of crafts straight out of the 1990s including lizard keychains, tie dye, perler beads, boondoggle, and shrinky dinks! The book club had a busy week, visiting both the Badenhausen Public Library and the Thomas Dambo Trolls Exhibit at the Wild Center. At the Wild Center students were lucky enough to participate in a private program with Basse Buller, the painter troll, where students created their own flags using the supplies provided by nature!

Thank you to Mrs. Murphy, the Wild Center, and the Alcoa Foundation for an amazing week!

Students in grades 4-6 participated in a one week Summer Book/Cartoon Club! Students read The Cartoonist Club by Raina Telegemeir (one of our favorites) and Scott McCloud. The graphic novel focused on a group of friends on a quest to learn how to make comics and learn a lot about themselves on the way. We also learned a lot about creating comics from the novel, including some fun vocabulary words (did you know the word for a sweat bead in a comic is called a plewd?). We were also lucky to welcome Alexis Laneuville from Art Honey Studios who helped students create their very own comics! We ended the week with a field trip to see Moana, have ice cream, and visit Spring’s Park!

Thank you to Ms. Lex, Massena Movieplex, Dairy Queen, and the Alcoa Foundation for a fun filled week!

SLC students enjoyed the four day IMPETUS camp at Clarkson University this summer.

Students worked and learned about roller coasters and theme park games. The middle school students made a claw grabber game. The 9th and 10th graders designed a roller coaster with the software No Limits. The 11th and 12th graders created a roller coaster to include calculations of g and stopping forces, velocities, and stopping times. They also created 3D scale models of their coaster. All campers went to The Great Escape Theme Park to study coasters up close.

A special thanks to Alcoa for funding this summer camp!

Students learned coding and how coding on a computer can create movements and interactions with robots. They learned how to create both autonomous and teleop programs. They also learned how to program a gamepad, motors, servos, sensors, and encoders.

SLC Families,

How great it is to be back to school! We are starting to settle into our new routines. Thanks to those who joined us for a very successful Open House on September 17th. It was great to see all of those smiling faces as our students shared their excitement for school with their families! A big thank you goes out to our faculty/staff and PTO for the work they put into this evening as well. Thanks to Mrs. McFarland and Ms. LaBarge for organizing and overseeing our Costume Closet! We are always accepting costume donations. They can be dropped off at the elementary office.

Many of you also took advantage of the photo opportunity with our lobby bulletin board, which every member of our SLC Elementary family has contributed to.

The week of October 5th is Fire Safety Week. SLC staff members have been collaborating with local emergency response teams to plan a fun-fill week of learning. This will not only include fire safety, but other emergency response teams/people as well. This week will end with our annual evacuation drill on Friday. Be on the lookout for a letter sent home with more information on this.

There will be no school on Monday, October 12th for Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day. School will resume on Tuesday, October 13th and it will be a Day 3.

We are planning to have Halloween celebrations at school on Friday, October 30th. Students are encouraged to dress in their costumes. We are very excited to welcome families to join us for this fun event! More information will be coming soon on this. On this day, Friday, October 30th, we will also have a 12:30 dismissal for the elementary.

In case you missed the newsletters that were sent out in August, I am sharing them here again because they do contain some important information:

• Back to School Newsletter
• Attendance Newsletter

Also for your information, “Erin’s Law” requires that all public schools in each state implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program. Our school partner’s with Renewal House, who sends an educator into schools throughout the county to deliver the required curriculum to our students. This takes place on an annual basis. More information about Erin’s Law can be found here. Additional information about Renewal House can be found here.

The month of September went by quickly. I would like to thank all school staff members and SLC families for their efforts in helping us get off to a great start for the 2026-2027 school year.

Respectfully,

Mrs. Colterman

At the beginning of each school year, the elementary counselors check in with students using a short Beginning-of-Year Student Screener. This is not a test or something students can get “right” or “wrong.” Instead, it gives us an opportunity to hear directly from students and learn more about how they are feeling as they begin the school year.

Students are asked questions about things such as:

• How they feel about school

• Whether they feel safe and supported

• Friends and trusted adults

• Their strengths and things they feel proud of

• What helps them when they have a difficult day

• Something they want their teacher or counselor to know about them

• Their hopes and goals for the school year

The purpose is to help us build relationships, identify students who may need additional support, celebrate students' strengths, and make sure every child has a trusted adult at school.

Most importantly, the screener gives students a chance to have their voices heard. Sometimes children share things during these conversations that they may not think to tell an adult otherwise. Their responses help guide our counseling work and help us better understand the needs of our students throughout the year.

Life Lab: Learning with Second Step and the “Too Good” Program

Life Lab has been off to a great start!

Our Pre-K friends have been busy learning social-emotional skills through Second Step! So far, we have been practicing skills like meeting new friends, listening carefully, and learning how to be part of our classroom community. Our puppet friends, Ben and Molly, have been helping us along the way by modeling these skills and giving students fun opportunities to practice. We are excited to continue learning and growing together throughout the year!

This year, we are excited to welcome the Seaway Valley Prevention Council (SVPC) into our classrooms to work with students in grades K–4 through their “Too Good” program.

Our students in Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade have been learning about goal setting. Students have been talking about the difference between short-term and long-term goals and created their own goal posters to help put their ideas into action.

Students in 3rd and 4th grade have been focusing on decision-making and consequences. They are learning how the choices we make can lead to different outcomes and practicing how to think through decisions before acting.

These lessons give students opportunities to practice important life skills such as setting goals, thinking ahead, making responsible choices, and understanding how our actions can affect ourselves and others. We are grateful to SVPC for partnering with us to bring these lessons and experiences to our students!

Mrs. McFarland and Ms. LaBarge

The SLC PTO would like to extend a huge thank you to all of our Little Larries families for your incredible support in selling so many Little Caesars Pizza and Cookie Kits! Your participation helps us give back to our students and staff throughout the school year in meaningful ways.

Thank you again for helping make this fundraiser such a success! 💙

**Save the Date: Pizza Delivery Date is Tuesday, October 20th from 12-5:30pm. 🚚

**Save the Date: Sweet Starts with Santa is on Saturday, December 5th from 9-11am. 🎅

This month the Technology Department is reminding all stakeholders in the district about the dangers of emails when you don't verify that they are legitimate. While we consistently remind our staff and students about phishing emails, we think it is important to do so again for everyone, as some local school districts in the area recently experienced phishing email attacks.

Think Before You Click: How to Spot Phishing Emails

Phishing is a type of online scam in which someone sends a deceptive message to trick you into sharing information, opening a harmful attachment, sending money, or giving access to an account. Schools have recently seen an increase in phishing attempts because attackers know that students, families, and staff regularly use email for grades, schedules, payments, transportation, activities, and school communication. Learning a few warning signs can help protect you and the entire school community.

Why Are Schools Targets?

Schools manage large communities and many types of sensitive information. Attackers may pretend to be a principal, teacher, coach, technology specialist, district office, or school activity leader. They may use familiar school names and logos to appear trustworthy. A successful scam could give criminals access to student or family information, staff accounts, financial details, or school systems.

Phishing emails often create urgency so recipients act before thinking. They may claim that an account will be closed, a payment is overdue, a package is waiting, or an important form must be completed immediately.

Warning Signs to Watch For: Remember: Pause, Check, Protect

• An Urgent Demand: Be cautious of messages saying, “Act now,” “Your account will be deleted today,” or “Respond within 10 minutes.” Legitimate school communications usually allow time to verify important requests.
• An Unfamiliar Sender or Strange Email Address: The display name may say “School District Technology,” but the actual address could be a random account or a slightly altered domain. Check the complete address, not just the name.
• A Suspicious Link: Before clicking, hover over the link to preview its destination. Be careful if it leads to an unrelated website, a misspelled school domain, or a link-shortening service. When in doubt, open the school’s official website by typing its address yourself.
• A Request for Passwords or Personal Information: Treat unexpected requests for passwords, student identification numbers, banking details, Social Security numbers, or security codes as warning signs. Schools and reputable organizations do not normally ask you to send passwords by email.

If you have any questions, you can contact Mr. Welsh via email at kwelsh@bfcdsd.org, or call the technology department at (315) 389-5131 ext. 29250.

Catch up with the latest student stories, events, and news updates. It’s everything Brasher Falls Central School District, in your pocket. Download the app on Android or iPhone it is the best way to get notifications of school closings, delays, and cancellations.

Email: crose@bfcsd.org
Website: www.bfcsd.org
Location: 1039 State Highway 11C, Brasher Falls, NY 13613
Phone: 315-389-5131
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrasherFallsCSD