LIBRARY NOTES
The elementary and high school libraries are busier than ever as students and teachers make full use of our collections. Most recently, a focus on black studies has brought 7th grade to the high school library to borrow books by black authors. We have a vast display of fiction and non-fiction in this area that students are browsing. 6th grade students are taking full advantage of our resources as they complete research for the annual library research project. 4th grade is beginning study of early Long Lake schools and education as it was 100 years ago. Meanwhile, the third grade has decided to form an acting troupe for our next project. Known as the Long Lake Loons, they are currently rehearsing in order to present their version of Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, The Places You’ll Go,” at the PARP Family Fun Night on March 5!
The Scholastic Book Fair will be back on stage at LLCS from March 1 through March 8. Friends and neighbors as well as parents are invited to come into school during the afternoon to shop. Books tuck nicely into Easter baskets, you know!
We continue to add new books throughout the school year. We also receive the latest selections from the Oprah Book Club through the American Library Association. We recently received multiple copies of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” Marquez received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982.
New books added to the high school library during February:
Fiction:
The trap – Joan Lowery Nixon
When my name was Keoko –
Linda Sue Park
Forbidden forest: the story of Little
John and Robin Hood – Michael
Cadnum
Before we were free – Julia Alvarez
Flight to freedom – Ana Veciana-
Suarez
Crossing Montana – Laura Torres
The broken places – Susan Perabo
The same stuff as stars – Katherine
Paterson
The wedding dress – Virginia Ellis
Parvana’s journey – Deborah Ellis
Behind the mountains – Edwidge
Danticat
The Caine Mutiny – Herman Wouk
Non-Fiction:
Mississippi Trial, 1955 – Chris Crowe
Discrimination: opposing viewpoints
Understanding teenage depression:
guide to diagnosis, treatment and
management
American nightmare: the history of Jim
Crow – Jerrold M. Packard
My forbidden face: growing up under
the Taliban, a young woman’s story
Saratoga (Battles that changed the
world) – Richard Worth
Cesar Chavez – Hal Marcovitz
A brilliant solution: inventing the
American constitution – Carol Berkin
New books in the elementary library:
E-Z Fiction:
Quack, Daisy, quack – Jane Simmons
Two cool cows – Toby Speed
Potch and Polly – William Steig
Too many Valentines – Margaret
McNamara
The giant ball of string – Arthur Geisert
Where’s the big, bad wolf? – Eileen
Christelow
Juvenile Fiction:
Babe and me – Dan Gutmen
Frightful’s daughter – Jean Craighead
George
The last of the Mohicans – James
Fenimore Cooper (juv. Version)
Non-Fiction:
Handel, who knew what he liked – M.
T. Anderson
Olympics! – B. G. Hennessey
Ella Fitzgerald: the tale of a vocal
virtuoso – Andrea Davis Pinkney
John F. Kennedy – David Downing
MORNING PROGRAM–JANUARY-STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Rachelle Frost was student of the month for January. She was nominated for her effort in her school work and cooperation. She also receives this award because she displays kindness and patience when dealing with the Pre-K and Kindergarten children.
PARENTS AS READING PARTNERS
Students in Pre-K through 6th grade are invited to participate in the annual Parents As Reading Partners program which will begin on March 1. Packets of information and contracts will be distributed to students on Friday, February 27. It is hoped that we will have good participation by students and their parents. The basic program includes students reading at least 15 minutes per day for at least 4 days a week with a partner. The partner can be Mom, Dad, a grandparent, babysitter, older sibling, etc. The partner can either read to the child or they can do companion reading. This is a great time to begin to share magazines or newspapers, favorite books, or even non-fiction resources. The important thing is to document the amount of time that the child reads each day. Once a week, beginning March 8, students must hand in their total time from the previous week. Each student who returns the weekly information will receive a small prize and each week there will be drawings for additional prizes. Names will be chosen from returned slips.
On Friday, March 5, we will be having our annual PARP Family Fun Night. More details will be sent home with students but please set aside this date on your calendar right away. Lots of special games and activities are being planned as well as a family supper.
The PARP program will run for four weeks. A celebratory ice cream party will be scheduled after PARP where all students will receive awards for participation as well as prizes and those reading the most minutes will receive special recognition.
GENEALOGY COURSE – with Sharon Waagner
The adult education genealogy course is open to all interested participants. The fee is $2 per class and packets of information and worksheets will be provided. Come for one night or for all five in March – March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. If there is enough interest, we will extend our sessions into April.
This is a great time to start that family research project or to find out more about Long Lake history or even the history of your property. Guest speakers will give special tips and the group will share findings as well as ideas. This is an informal class.
Please call the school office at 624-2221 if you would like to join us. If I have an idea of who is attending, I can be sure to have enough handouts.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAMS FINISH SEASON
The LLCS girls modified and varsity basketball teams recently ended their 2003-04 seasons with mixed results.
The modified posted their best record in years, winning 10 games and losing only two. The team, composed of seventh graders (Leslie Farr, Kathryn Gagnier, and Hannah Lamos) and ninth graders (Alex Holton, Amelia and Emily Powers, and Chelsey Wallace) used scrappy, helping defense, good rebounding, and a fast break as keys to their success. Erratic execution of their half court offense was all that kept them from being undefeated.
The team loses its four freshwomen to the varsity next year and will depend on a crop of current sixth graders to fill its roster. But, with Leslie at the point, Hannah at the high post, and Kathryn at wing or corner, it will be off to a good start.
The girls varsity fared less well than their little sisters, finishing with 2 wins and 8 losses in the MVAC South and 3 wins and 13 losses overall. Highlights of the season were a third-place finish at the Mountaineer Tip-Off Tournament in November, a thrilling overtime loss to Wells just before Christmas, and two resounding wins over arch-rival Indian Lake in January and February.
Despite their record, the team improved markedly over the course of the season. Their defense was consistently good, and whereas they seemed to throw the ball away every other time up the court early in the year, they learned how to take care of it and attack opposing defenses for good shots. Unfortunately, those shots didn’t drop in as often as they needed to.
The team loses three seniors-- high scorer and premier defender Anna Pratt, Katie Smith, and Claire Black—to graduation. However, Sara Lamos, Brittany Billings, Nicole Andrews, and Rachael Croy will return. They, along with the four freshwomen from this years’ modified team, have the potential to cause much trouble for opponents next year.
SENIORS VISIT LOCAL NEWSPAPER
The English 12 class at LLCS traveled to Saranac Lake on February 11 for a tour of The Adirondack Daily Enterprise as part of their journalism unit.
Publisher Cathy Moore escorted the group (Claire Black, Paul McIntyre, Nik Plumley, Anna Pratt, Katie Smith, and Heather Tarbox) and their teacher, Mike Farrell, through the various departments of the paper, and the students were able to talk to reporters, editors, layout people, and photographers about their work. Perhaps most interesting was the press room where the group watched (and listened to) the press at work spewing out an upcoming weekend supplement.
The students are in the process of writing their own personal mini-newspapers over the next month, and their visit to The Enterprise gave them a better understanding and appreciation for the work that goes into producing a newspaper every day of the year.
LIFE IN THE ELEMENTARY LIBRARY:
January and February have been busy in the
elementary library. A variety of wildlife have been spotted throughout the day,
as well as, many Tall Tale and Fairy Tale characters.
Pre-kindergarten
students have been learning about fish.
We have caught fish in
“McElligot’s Pool”, made origami fish, written original stories about fish and
created an underwater sea life mural.
Kindergarten students have explored stories about bears. We have made a bear sleeping in his den, tracked bears and been on a bear hunt. They will soon be our resident bear experts.
Have you ever heard a “tall tale” about homework.? Well, students in First Grade have read many “tall tales” and are now busy writing one of their own. Sorry, parents, but they will soon have the art of exaggeration perfected!
Our four “Cinderellas” in Second Grade have read “Cinderella” stories from around the world. We have read the traditional version from France, “The Irish Cinderlad” from Ireland, “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” from Zimbabwe, “Yeh Shen” from China and “The Turkey Girl”, which is a Native American version. We will continue these stories as we read books from Germany, the Caribbean and Canada.
March will begin new studies for each of the elementary library skills classes. Kindergarten will do a character study on “Clifford, the Big Red Dog”, First Grade will do an author study of Janell Cannon, the author of “Stellaluna”, “Verdi” and “Trupp”. Second Grade will begin reading the autobiography of Tomie dePaola, the author of the “Strega Nona” series of books. This will be the introduction to the unit on autobiographies, as the second grade students begin writing their own biographies. We hope to share some of these works with you in the coming months.
BOARD MEETING
MINUTES
SPECIAL SCHOOL
BOARD MEETING
JANUARY 15, 2004
Ø Mr. Kenneth Slentz, Superintendent, stated the purpose of the meeting was to hear presentations from three invited architectural firms.
Ø Architectural firms of Bernier, Carr & Associates, Cataldo, Waters and Griffith Architects and William Taylor Architects gave their presentations.
Ø Bernier, Carr & Associates was appointed the district’s architectural firm for the school year 2004-2005 capital project.
Ø The Superintendent received authorization to approve field trip requests during the spring semester to Montreal, Canada.
BOARD MEETING
MINUTES
REGULAR SCHOOL
BOARD MEETING
JANUARY 28, 2004
Ø Minutes of the January 6, 2004 and January 15, 2004 meetings were approved.
Ø Next meeting is Wednesday, February 11, 2004 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria.
Ø Treasurer’s Reports, Warrants and Budget Transfers were approved.
Ø Business Manager, James Bateman, reviewed the relationship between projected budgetary expenditures and revenues.
Ø Superintendent Kenneth Slentz reviewed the on-going revamping of the senior trip experience.
Ø Mr. Slentz gave an update on the school’s and state’s high school math program.
Ø Senior Annalee Pratt received a grade of 100% on her distance learning German language course, and is maintaining a 99% on her French IV studies. Senior Katie Smith has been accepted at SUNY Oswego, and senior Nik Plumley was accepted at SUNY Canton.
Ø Mr. Slentz expressed his intention to formally request a cross-service agreement through our local BOCES with Questar BOCES to provide interactive distance learning and internet provider services.
Ø Mr. Slentz gave an update of faculty illnesses and a substitute update.
Ø A meeting is scheduled for February 3 with the district’s architect and NYSEG to discuss this summer’s electrical service upgrade project.
Ø Funding options to replace the district’s lawn tractor and accessories are under investigation.
Ø The skating rink at Mt. Sabattis is up and running.
Ø The District Planning Committee proposed revising its existing mission statement.
Ø The superintendent reviewed his decision matrix for determining whether to close or delay school.
Ø Mr. Slentz gave feedback from his NYSCOSS conference.
Ø Ms. Michelle Gannon was appointed probationary full-time art teacher effective September 1, 2004.
Ø The Board amended the superintendent’s 2004-2005 contract to reflect a $3,000 increase.
Ø Ms.
Wendy Letis was approved as a substitute.
Full board minutes are
available in the Main Office during regular school business hours.
SECOND GRADE NEWS
Second grade has been working on creative writing. Here are some stories about an imaginary creature called a Triangle-ope:
My Day With The Triangle-ope
I was walking to school then a big tornado sucked me up I think into another dimension. I saw a pay phone, but it only took dollars. I saw a goozle zoo. Aliens I think! They said “okalakhana.” I found a girl who told me what that means. She said, “that means “Hey How are you doing?” I asked her, “Can you help me get home?” She said she would, but only if I help take care of the animals. “OK”, I said. I looked and looked for the animals, but I could not find one. Just then I looked behind me and I saw a big Triangle-ope. He was standing very close to me. We had lots of fun.
The End.
Kailah Armstrong
My Day with a Triangle-ope
I’m having a wonderful time with my Triangle-ope. First we played at my house. We played with my Lego’s. Then we played with my dinosaurs. Then we played at his house. Opey has all kinds of stuff. He has his own library. Opey has my favorite book. It’s “Ten Little Dinosaurs”. He has four big spots and 3 little spots. Next we played librarian. Then I went home and got my dinosaur. I went back to Opey’s house. We played dinosaurs again and again. Then we played outside. I went home to get my sled. I also got my snow pants and my skates. I never thought that Opey was such a good ice skater. Then I realized he was wearing double blades. When we were done ice-skating we had cocoa. Of course I made it because Triangle-opes can’t cook. When we were done we played school. Opey was the student first. Then I was the student. Opey also has his own fitness center. He also has his own computer lab and his own math room. Let’s just put it this way. He has all the subjects. Then we had a snack. After I called my mom to see if I could sleep over. My mom said yes. Then we had to settle down because Opey’s mom said so. We watched a movie. Then we had to get ready for bed. Opey said do you want to stay up until 12 o’clock? I said sure. So we told jokes. Opey told this really, really funny one. It goes like this. Why did the cow cross the road? To see the “moooovies”. We both laughed.
The End.
Ranya Hamdan
My Day With A Triangle-ope
I went into the woods and I saw Lopey. I said “want to come over to my house”? “sure” said Lopey. We can do a puzzle. “Okay”, said Lopey. “We can read” said Lopey. “Okay” I said. Hey, I am going to call my Dad and see if I can spend the night at your house. “Okay” Lopey said. I will go tell my dad. He said “I can spend the night”. We went to my house to get my stuff. Lopey’s Mom said to settle down and I said “want to stay up until 10 o’clock?” “sure” Lopey said.
Jazmin Piraino