NSCSD Partnering With Contact Community Services for Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention:
Suicide Safety in Schools (SSIS), a mental health education program through Contact Community Services, provides crisis management and suicide safety training to Onondaga County school communities including students, parents, teachers, school support staff and district administration using evidence-based practices, protocols and trainings.
Contact’s SSIS Mental Health Educators are currently piloting the SSIS program in the North Syracuse Central School District where they have provided teen mental health training during physical education classes to over 3,000 students in grades 8-12. Recently, over 500 junior and senior high school students participated in Pathways to Wellness, an educational mental awareness activity using the Six Dimensions of Wellness model. Students ...
|
CNS Students Take Part in OCMEA All-County Jazz Festival:
The Onondaga County Music Educators Association presented the 2022 All-County Jazz Festival at Marcellus High School on Saturday, April 2. The program consisted of the Junior High Jazz Ensemble , Senior High Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Senior High Jazz Ensemble . Cicero-North Syracuse High School had nine students audition for and get accepted into the two senior high groups.
Performing and soloing in the Vocal jazz Ensemble were seniors Katie Wilhite and Lily Thorne, and sophomores Ava Tyler and Addison Romano. Junior Ryan Hill performed in the tenor section while sophomore Aidan Hanas played upright bass in the rhythm section for the vocal jazz group and also gave a solo performance.
...
|
Help NSEEP Throw some Shade, as They Play to Learn!!:
Last summer, the North Syracuse Early Education Program launched its re-envisioned and renovated playground serving the program’s 240 students, as well as the larger community in Onondaga County, New York. This inclusive, fully accessible playground was carefully designed around the needs of children with a myriad of developmental disabilities and those of typically developing children. The school's students have spent many happy hours at the playground during the school day and many children and their families have enjoyed it and at other times, as it is open to the public.
The NSEEP is hoping to raise funds to add shade structures to the beautiful 'still new' playground and has started a GoFundMe page for the cause. Click here to learn more about the project ...
|
CNS Students Participate in First Drone Soccer Showcase:
The Cicero-North Syracuse High School Robotics Club recently participated in New York’s first U.S. Drone Soccer Championship Showcase. On Sunday, April 3, the students, along with their CNS instructor, Martin Miner, traveled to SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica for the event.
The showcase gave students the opportunity to demonstrate how Drone Soccer is played and to participate in some friendly competition with the CNY Drone organization and SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Student Technology Club.
Only one player on each team – the “striker” – can score by flying his or her drone through the circular goal post placed approximately 3 yards above ground. The remaining players must help their striker ...
|
Gillette Road Students Head Off to College:
Fifteen of Dom Liccione’s flute students from Gillette Road Middle School recently participated in Onondaga Community College’s Day of Flute and Percussion. On Wednesday March 30, the students spent the day at the school taking part in workshops and being guided through a music filled day focused on the flute and percussion instruments by OCC instructors Martha Grener (flute) and Rob Bridge (percussion).
For the first session of the day, students were treated to a mini-concert put on by their instructors. Next the students split into groups by instruments with the Gillette Road flute students re-introduced to warm up flute techniques by Ms. Grener.
After lunch in the OCC student center, Ms. Grener gave a master class where most ...
|
North Syracuse Education Foundation Celebrates 20 Years of Giving:
As the North Syracuse Education Foundation (NSEF) celebrates 20 years of giving this year, the NSCSD is helping highlight some of the outstanding programs that have been made available because of their grants. The NSEF serves a simple, but comprehensive purpose: to ensure that North Syracuse Central School District students benefit from a quality education to maintain and enhance the level of excellence in North Syracuse schools. With the unfortunate reality of diminishing local and federal funding, the NSEF has filled the desperate need of stretching budgets by funding projects and materials to enhance students’ education.
In its 20 years of existence, the NSEF has funded more than $200,000 worth of programs that have directly benefited all students from grades pre-k through ...
|
Onondaga County Funding Will Enhance Mental Health Services for NSCSD Students:
In this year’s State of the County speech , Onondaga County Executive McMahon addressed a critical need in the community when he spoke about the considerable mental health challenges being faced by students across the county. In his proposed budget, the County Executive plans to address those needs with the implementation of additional mental health services in the North Syracuse Central and East Syracuse Minoa School Districts. The budget includes three additional services in each district: a Mental Health Outpatient Clinic, an ACCESS Family Liaison and a Promise Zone Student Engagement Specialist. Students in the North Syracuse Central School District will directly benefit from these services.
North Syracuse Central School District Superintendent Dan Bowles spoke about the additional ...
|
Secondary Students Participate in District-Wide Strings Festival:
For the first time since 2019, students in the North Syracuse Central School District had the opportunity to participate in the District-wide String Festival featuring all the orchestra students in grades 7-12. At the March 23 concert at North Syracuse Junior High School, orchestras from each school performed individual selections and at the end, everyone came together playing “Ode to Joy,” a particularly fitting song for the occasion.
Emily Guarino, an orchestra teacher at Roxboro Road Middle School and the Chair of the district's Music Department, was excited to bring the event back. She said, “All the orchestra teachers are so pleased to have this event back this year after several years due to COVID restrictions. Having ...
|
Roxboro Road Elementary School Holds Bowling Fundraiser:
On Sunday, March 20, nearly 200 students, staff and family members of the Roxboro Road Elementary School community came together at Strike-N-Spare lanes in Mattydale to pitch-in for an important project. The school is working on raising money to install a new accessible playground and track and staff decided on a bowling fundraiser to get the ball rolling. Many thanks to everyone who supported the event!
|
Therapy Dogs Make School Days a Little Less “Ruff”:
This week, several schools and lots of students and staff in the North Syracuse Central School District, were able to destress with some canine companions. Therapy dogs from a local agency, PAWS of CNY, accompanied by their humans, made visits to North Syracuse Junior High School, Roxboro Road Middle School and the North Syracuse Early Education Program. Pictures were shared of Connor (a Golden Retriever) and his human, Beth Tollar, a C-NS alum, spent time at RRMS and Miss Moose and her human, Laura Hand, spending time at the North Syracuse Early Education Program. As the year continues and more pooch photos are shared, they will be used for various publications and articles.
...
|
Decades of Design on Display at North Syracuse Junior High School:
For the second time this school year, students in Nita Bellucci’s Fashion in Our Lives classes at North Syracuse Junior High School have turned their school’s library into a fashion runway of sorts. As part of the curriculum for the Fashion in Our Lives course, students spend time exploring clothing styles, designers and trends and investigate influencing factors. As students develop their knowledge of fashion, they learn how to bring their ideas to life by constructing their own textile projects.
For this particular project, students spent time exploring fashion trends from various well-known periods of time and then created presentations about a particular fashion trend/period of time. Additionally, students made clothing replicas from ...
|
Sleep Awareness and Mental Health:
During the month of March, the North Syracuse Central School District’s team of mental health professionals is devoting time to promoting good mental health through sleep awareness.
Working with the District’s technology staff, the group produced a video about the topic. The video gives an overview of recommended amounts of sleep for students of various age-levels, side effects caused by lack of sleep, setting sleep schedules and offers ideas for reducing technology in sleep space. Kristen Stanton is the District-wide School-Based Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator for the North Syracuse Central School District.
Of the video, Stanton says, "We know that our families have very ...
|
CNS Students Advance to State Robotics Competition:
On Sunday, February 27, two teams of Cicero-North Syracuse High School students competed in a Rochester robotics competition and one of those teams has qualified for the upcoming Northern New York State Competition. The State competition will take place on Monday, March 7 at the OnCenter Convention Center in Syracuse. The student team is being led by Cicero-North Syracuse High School Technology Teacher Martin Miner. Good luck to all!
|
March is Music in Our Schools Month:
During the month of March, schools across the nation celebrate National Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM). The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music.
The North Syracuse Central School District is asking students, teachers and families to share their music-related photos and videos throughout the month. The photos will be featured in the weekly NorthStar Lights newsletter and high resolution images will be considered for the NSCSD website. Photos can be submitted online by clicking here or can be emailed to Laurie Cook at lcook@nscsd.org .
|
School Mask Mandate Has Ended:
Beginning March 2, the North Syracuse Central School District adopted new masking guidance provided by the New York State Department of Health for Pre-K - 12 schools. Universal masking will no longer be required for students, staff members, or visitors to schools. This includes on school buses. There will be some cases, which are outlined below, when individuals will be required (or strongly recommended) to wear a mask.
Masking is still required when:
Returning to work or school for days 6-10 post COVID-19 infection. This includes participation in sports and extracurricular activities.
If a person who tested positive is unable to mask, they must be excluded from school or work for 10 days.
Masking is still ...
|
Social Media and Mental Health Webinar:
North Syracuse Central School District families are invited to attend a special, free webinar on social media usage and mental health issues. The webinar, provided through the School Mental Health Resource and Training Center, will take place on Tuesday, March 15 from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.
It is no secret that over the last 15 years that internet and media use has skyrocketed. Today, 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online almost constantly. As a result, many caregivers, educators and individuals are left wondering about the impacts of social media and the digital world on their overall wellbeing.
Information covered will include:
How to start the conversation around internet use
How to set healthy media boundaries
Data to help understand ...
|
Roxboro Road Elementary School Students Have Snow Much Fun Learning About the Olympics:
As elementary school students across the world learn about and see the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in their lives, students at Roxboro Road Elementary School are getting a hands-on feel for one of the events right at school. RRE students were able to take time last week to create and use their very own luge as part of their physical education class. Fina Santangelo and Stephen Mirizio, the school’s two PE teachers, along with Becky Jones, APE teacher and student teacher Lauren Ott, thought the makeshift luge would provide real experience and FUN for the students!
...
|
Kindergarten Registration Dates Continue Throughout March:
The North Syracuse Central School District has announced its registration dates for 2022-2023 kindergarten students. In order for your child to enter school next fall, he or she must be five (5) years old on or before December 1, 2022. Elementary schools are holding registration at individual school buildings on the following dates by appointment.
Families of known new students will receive an appointment letter from their child’s home school in February. Families who will be registering a new kindergarten student and who have not received a letter by the 3rd week in February, should contact the school to schedule an appointment.
Kindergarten registration will take place by appointment at the following locations on the dates and times:
School ...
|
Roxboro Road Elementary Builds Community with “International” Help:
Students at Roxboro Road Elementary School have had a “international” visitor to their school this year as an “Aussie” has come to call. The guest, Sydney, is a 16 year-old Australian Shepard. Sydney’s human, Natalie Walters, is the school’s new Restorative Practices Specialist. Sydney has been joining Natalie at the school some Friday mornings.
Natalie Walters began her new career in the North Syracuse Central School District this year as one of two Restorative Practices Specialists (RPS) to join the District. Both RPS staff work out of the schools on the Roxboro Road Campus and are part of the District’s targeted efforts to address social emotional needs.
Lisa Goldberg, the NSCSD’s ...
|
|
Utilization Study: Learn More
Search Site
