LaFayette Central School District

Programming note: The varsity girls' basketball team will be squaring off against the Tully Knights tonight at 4:30 p.m. The match will be broadcast on Facebook Live! We'll see you (digitally) at 4:30!

Onondaga Nation School students and staff recently participated in an annual Snow Snake event, braving the elements and taking advantage of the recent winter weather! The Snow Snake event has teams building an ice track (think of it as a kind of elevated trench that’s about waist-high) that can vary in length, going up to a quarter of a mile. Then, competitors fashion a Snow Snake or Mudcat out of wood (which are about three feet in length), and launch this projectile... down the track. A good comparison would be an ice luge, with these fashioned poles replacing a traditional manned bobsled. Participation in Snow Snake requires considerable labor. Building the track requires the harvesting of lumber, both for conditioning the track itself (heavier round lumber is used to fashion the actual luge) and for carving out the Snow Snakes/Mudcats. It also requires some heavy shoveling in order to build a track of this length. With the preparation complete, it’s time to compete! For this tournament, each student represented their own team, and each team needed to score two points to win the game. A player would take a running start and throw his Mudcat into the track. After every team/player has made two throws, the points will be determined by whose stick traveled the furthest. This is repeated until one team or player has two points. It’s great to see that in these challenging times, some traditions can still be enjoyed in relatively unaltered ways!

The College Reading and Writing Project will be hosting a Zoom workshop for parents and caregivers of students in grades K-8, where they can learn how to better support their child’s literacy education at home, what or how their child is learning in school, how to best engage in home literacy projects, and more. It will be held on Thursday, Jan. 28 from 1-3 p.m. These days are typically 2-3 hours long, composed of a series of 15-minute small-group presentations. Parents and ...caregivers can choose the workshops that match their needs and are free to come for one workshop or many. The schedule of workshops will be made available prior to the event. These sessions are offered live and are not recorded for later viewing. Please click the link below to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The LaFayette Central School District is currently seeking substitutes for the following positions: Teachers Teaching Assistants Nurse... Interested candidates can apply through The Online Application System for K-12 Education (OLAS) at: www.olasjobs.org For more information, please call (315) 677-9728 (option 1), or email [email protected]

***Job Announcement(s)*** The LaFayette After School Program is currently seeking to fill the following positions: Director/Teacher for the Pre-K program... Teacher for the After School Program Both positions will be filled at the Grimshaw Elementary School. If you are interested in applying, please read the information below. Educational Requirements: Bachelor in Early Education, Education, or an Associates Degree in Early Childhood/Education (with a plan to pursue a Bachelor's Degree) Availability: Available Feb. 1, 2021 Monday Friday, school closings and holiday breaks Pre K program 7:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. After School 2 5 p.m The salaries for these positions are negotiable. Interested candidates should contact: Beverly Oliver, Director of LASP (315) 243-4759 [email protected] The deadline for applications is Jan. 30, 2021 The LaFayette Central School District is an equal opportunity employer.

The winter athletic season is well underway. The varsity and junior varsity girls' basketball players are out there putting in the work!

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, the Onondaga Nation School celebrated the end of the year by holding a School Wide Focus on Fractions! Moreover The gathering was held virtually! All told, more than 60 virtual attendees enjoyed these sessions. As part of the School Wide Focus on Fractions, there was baking! Mrs. Hopper shared her recipe for Oñgwehoñwe' Cookies, which provided the perfect opportunity for students to examine fractions; 1/2 a cup here, or 1/8 of a tablespoon there. When the cookies were done, the learning wasn’t finished, as attendees were asked to decorate 1/4 of the cookies, or to share a 1/3 of their cookies with a friend. Baking, cookies, and learning about fractions: A recipe for success!

As part of their physical education classes, these junior high school students are learning something very practical for our CNY winters: Snowshoeing!

There are currently several Red Cross Virtual Blood Drives scheduled to be held in January and February: - Pompey Community Church: Jan. 26 from 2-6:30 p.m. (Sponsor Code: PCC) - Pompey Community Church: Feb. 9 from 1:-6 p.m. (Sponsor Code: PCC) - Lafayette Fire Dept: Feb 9 from 1:30-6:30 p.m. (Sponsor Code: LAFAYETTEFD)... - Tully Community Church: Feb. 13 from 8 a.m. -12 p.m. Individuals interested in donating can click on the image below to set up an appointment, BUT BEFORE DOING SO please log in to (or set up) your Red Cross account! This helps the Red Cross (and the LaFayette National Honor Society) more accurately track donation numbers. You can log in (or set up an account) by visiting: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/login Thank you in advance to all who plan to participate!

We recently mentioned that "getting together for a concert" isn't easy under current conditions, but that doesn't mean the community will have to go without! Check out the video below to hear the LaFayette Music Department's 2020-21 Virtual Winter Concert! Big thanks to all of the Junior/Senior High School students who made this musical magic, and to Band Director Brittany Cole and Vocal Director Jay Czyz for directing this and putting it together. "Even though music-makin...g looks different this year, our students have impressed us every day with their flexibility, hard work ethic, positive attitude, and enthusiasm for music," Said Brittany. "Our students have worked very hard to put together this music, and we are so glad that we can share it with you. We hope you enjoy the selections we have prepared and that you have a safe, warm, and healthy holiday season!" See more

It's "Music Monday..." a day late. But performances this good play well at any time! Click on the link below to check it out!

The LaFayette chapter of National Honor Society recently held a charity drive, collecting donations for COVID patients who are spending the holidays alone at St. Joe's Hospital. Coloring materials, crafts, books, stuffed animals, and more were collected for patients of all ages. All told, five boxes of items were delivered on Dec. 18! A huge thank you goes out to everyone who supported this effort. Pictured: Jonathan D., Tyler F., Aidan G., Andrew P., Carolyn R., Jenna R., Julia Z., Ben H., and Gabrielle D.

Seeking out some strategies for your online learner? "Our Parents as Partners" is an online compendium for parents/guardians who are supporting distance learning initiatives. A curated collection of helpful tips and relevant information, this new website is designed to provide assistance to parents and caregivers navigating today’s current educational landscape. Based on direct insights from teachers and school leaders, the information on this site will help families:... - Address their children’s needs - Facilitate distance learning at home - Support their children's emotional needs - Ensure distance learning is on-track with curriculum standards - Keep their children on the pathway to fulfilling their potential Please click on the link below to visit the site.

We hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!

Some gifted Grimshaw band students recently completed their first session of what will become a recurring "Music Monday" concert series! Current conditions make it harder to hold traditional concerts, but that doesn't mean LaFayette's talented students and teachers can't create something amazing. Please click on the link below to check it out!

The Early Childhood Alliance is hosting a virtual event on Nov. 4 from 2-3 p.m. The Zoom event, The Importance of Bonding and Attachment and its Impact on Early Childhood Mental Health will discuss: - Healthy attachment between mother and child, and how it impacts development. - The effects of trauma on healthy development.... - How mental health professionals and family support workers can supportadvance healthy attachment and where to turn if they need to find support for families in the community. To register for the event, please click on the link below. bit.ly/ECA_PD

The United States Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology recently released a Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide, which aims to help parents and guardians understand how digital tools can provide tailored learning opportunities, engage students with course materials, encourage creative expression, and enrich the educational experience. The guide was informed by the feedback and contributions of digital learning experts representing researchers, parents, educators, and school leaders. This publication is the first in a series that will ultimately provide digital learning knowledge and resources to educators and school leaders, in addition to parents and students. You can access it by clicking on the link below.

Sock Drive update! The Grimshaw Sock Drive concluded last week, and thanks to the efforts and generosity of the LaFayette community and Girl Scout Troop 61124, the Rescue Mission will have 223 pairs of socks donated this holiday season! Outstanding job by everyone involved, and thank you for participating!

Like so many other things in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic will in all likelihood have some affect on this year's Halloween celebrations. Whether you're planning on more traditional activities, or looking for some alternatives to what's become the norm, the New York State Department of Health has some guidance that could help inform your decisions. Please click on the link below to review the health department's recommendations for this year's festivities!

Please click below to view the latest "Lancer Glancer," a digital newsletter designed to keep you up-to-date on what's been going on at the junior/senior high school!

A virtual family forum on the topics of parenting during the COVID-19 crisis and the "digital drain" associated with increased screen time will be held this afternoon at 3 p.m. Please click on the link below to register for the event. Meeting code: 852 9841 3063... Password: FFOCT20 See more

The students of Grimshaw Elementary School have a special message for LaFayette's Board of Education during School Board Recognition Week!

Reminder: The New York State Community Schools Technical Assistance Centers will be virtually hosting "The Science of Hope in a Time of Crisis" on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The presenter will be Dr. Dan Tomasulo, who will help virtual attendees learn about the science of hope and how to cultivate it in young people. While traditional psychology focuses on our weaknesses, positive psychology focuses on our strengths, cultivating our best selves so we can lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. Please click on the link below for more event and registration information.

As a follow-up to the previous post, we've compiled some videos of Dawsun's work being explored by a student! Click on the link below to see the videos.

This fall, Dawsun, a senior from the Big Picture School, decided to undertake a pretty amazing senior thesis project. Now, she’s been kind enough to share the results! Dawsun has been working to implement a sensory/motor pathway at Grimshaw Elementary School. This outdoor sensory/motor pathway works on improving individual skills such as spatial awareness, vestibular sense, and fine/gross motor skills. Thanks to the invaluable guidance from her mentor, Mrs. Bartolomeo, the ...pathway was recently completed. Here are the elements of the pathway: Hopscotch: This can be used as a traditional hopscotch, or variations/conditions can be added such as, Only touch the red and green dots, Only use one foot, etc. Vestibular Sun: It is important students walk "heel to toe" for this exercise. Zig Zag to Apple Hop: Students can run or walk the zig zag, and then hop or jump from apple to apple in some desired order. Arrows: Students are asked to rotate their bodies so their toes are pointing to the direction of the arrows. Path to Flower: Students can traverse the orange path in a variety of ways. They may be asked to run, walk, walk backwards, etc. Dawsun encourages allowing them to use the weight of their upper extremities, via exercises like a bear walk or a crab walk. They can also use the petals to jump side to side laterally on the flower stem. Socially-distanced Clouds: Dawsun arranged the clouds to be six feet apart, which would allow them to remove their masks and take some time to get some deep breaths in. Dawsun encourages teachers to do some guided yoga poses during this time! Incredible job, Dawsun!

Here are a few great snapshots from LaFayette's recent fall sports senior night!

One of the goals of the Big Picture School is to have students experience and participate in real-world work, and one of the ways in which the institution tries to accomplish this is through internships. BPS students typically attend internships on Tuesday and Thursdays, and the program has been very fortunate to have hundreds of mentors work with students in years past. Many LaFayette community members, as well as businesses and institutions in the greater Syracuse area, ha...ve welcomed BPS students into the fold. This year, despite the challenges imposed by COVID, PBS is still valuing the internship experience, while also moving forward with caution. The need to ensure that internship sites are safe and following safety protocols is paramount, as is the need to ensure that students themselves will follow site-specific requirements. That said, BPS is always looking for new mentors and new sites! If you are willing to share your passion and professional experience with one of our students, please don’t hesitate to call us at 504-1000! Note: Pictures attached were taken during internships from prior years.