Long Lake Central School Newsletter

 

Kevin O. Crampton - Superintendent                                                                    

Fred Short - Acting Principal

                                                          

 

Superintendent Office -   624-2147                                            March 2006

Acting Principal Office - 624-2221                                                                                       

                                               

                                                        

Long Lake Central School Newsletter is published irregularly by Long Lake Central School, PO Box 217, Long Lake NY 12847-0217

www.longlakecsd.org

 

From the Superintendent’s Desk:

 

            The school year is flying by and many positive things are happening in our district.  The District Planning Committee, that meets the first Thursday of each month, has been working on the federally mandated health and wellness policy. The District Planning Committee is chaired by Tisha White. Members are Cindy Austin, Lorrie Hosley, Hallie Bond, Julie Helms, Hillarie Dechene, Fred Short, Karin Cook, Tina Pine, Jim Pine, Gail Seaman, Heather Black and I.  The health and wellness plan has had input from Coach Olbert, Chef Karl Geiger and Health teacher Bernice Burnham.  We are always receptive to hearing ideas from the community so please do not hesitate to share your thoughts and questions with any of our members.

 

The Committee is also looking to develop an informational brochure we can distribute to local businesses to share with our summer guests and to provide pertinent information to people who may be interested in attending our school.  We are encouraged by the affordable housing project and by the fact we have had several visitors of all different ages over the last few weeks.

           

            This is the time of year we really start working on the budget, and not only is it important that the Board, business office and myself pay close attention to Governor Pataki’s proposal, I urge every member of the community to pay close attention.  As it stands right now, Long Lake CSD would have a slight decrease in state aid.  We are all aware that rising costs in health care insurance, employee benefits and energy products will not be enjoying a decrease in price anytime soon.  We must also be constantly planning ahead to monitor the condition of our facility so that we may provide a safe and environmentally sound school building each and every day for our children and for the adult education programs we hope to increase in the coming year.  We will accomplish this by being prudent in our planning and thrifty in our savings by using reserve funds as allowed and recommended by the State Comptrollers office.

 

Mark your Calendars!

 

Mrs. Cook will be producing 2 Melodramas to be performed on March 24&25.

The Veggie Villain (or he had a steak in it)

Mischief in the Magnolias (or weed “Em and Reap)

March 24th – Superintendent’s Conference Day

March 17th- Happy St. Patrick’s Day J

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Kevin O’Crampton

Superintendent



LLCS Health and Wellness Committee Update

 

     In 1999 LLCS began working on meeting the requirements for the forthcoming legislation that was going to mandate Health and Wellness Policies for school districts. On June 30, 2004, President Bush signed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 into law, which contains a local school policy provision, to address obesity and promote lifelong healthy eating and physical activity through changes in school environments.

 

     The wellness policy requires school districts that participate in the federal school meals program to establish a wellness policy by the first day of the 2006-07 school year.

 

     The school policies must address:

 

● goals for nutrition education

● goals for physical activity

  nutrition guidelines for all foods available at school

  goals for other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness

  assurances that school meals guidelines are not less restrictive than federal          requirements

  plans for evaluating implementation of the policy

  involvement of parents, students, school food service staff, the school board, the public, and school administrators and staff in development of policies


    LLCS formed a Health and Wellness Committee in the spring of 1999 to begin addressing health and wellness issues involving the school and our local community.  Family University Community Night, the fitness center, changes in school lunches and policies to eliminate soda, candy and other less than healthy snacks during school attendance have been developed and implemented. Other issues have been discussed and suggestions have been made.

 

     This year the Health and Wellness Committee will be working on the final language for our local policy, Family University Night, and other health and wellness issues. Currently, Gail Seaman, Tisha White, Dave Olbert, Sharon Waagner, Karl Geiger, and William Cortis, are committee members. We need to have a parent, a community and a local board of education member added to our committee. In addition, another student member will be asked to join William as student representative.

 

     If you would like to serve our school and community by being either a parent or community representative please let Gail Seaman know ASAP. Meetings will be held the third Thursday of each month at 7:00am in Mrs. Seaman’s room. April’s meeting will be on Thursday, April 13th due to Spring Break. Community input is welcome and you are always welcome to attend meetings or submit comments or suggestions to committee members.

 


 

LIBRARY NEWS

By Sharon Waagner

 

JANUARY WINNERS

 

     Congratulations to our January reading contest winners, Meg Smith and Shaneka Burch.  The girls won posters as a result of entering their names in our monthly drawing. Each time a student in grades 1 through 6 finishes  a book, they file a report with Mrs. Waagner. In addition to winning prizes at three levels on the way to reading 25 books, their names are automatically entered in the drawing for the current month.

Our prizes for February are already on display and are brainteaser games. There will be three winners this month so please encourage your child to read and to turn in that book report!

 

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR RETURNING!

 

     The Scholastic Book Fair is arriving on March 8 and will be set up on the stage. It will be open from 9:30 to 2 p.m. daily on Thursday, March 9 and Friday, March 10.  It will open again on Monday and Tuesday, March 13 and 14.  Additional information will be sent home with students. The theme is Camp Read A Book and can work in really well with spring and summer vacations.  Remember, books make great tuck-in gifts for Easter baskets as well!

 

PARENTS AS READING PARTNERS


    

     Our annual Parents As Reading Partners program will take place during the month of March. This year’s theme will be I Love New York and students will work their way around New York State as they complete each week’s charts. Parents are asked to read with their child for at least 15 minutes each day or to at least observe their child reading and to note how many minutes of reading have taken place each day. Reading materials can vary and include books or magazines. Students may read with a partner, read to someone, or sit quietly and read under an adult’s supervision. Each Monday students are asked to turn in their charts for the previous seven days. Each student turning in a slip will receive a prize. We will also have weekly drawings for new books.

    

     Our annual Family Fun Night has been scheduled for Friday, March 31. It is for those students who have been actively participating in PARP. Siblings may attend the supper as well as the after supper activities but must be accompanied by a parent. Students are invited to stay after school to participate in a variety of activities and silent reading sessions. Parents are invited to join them for supper and to stay for the evening activities which will end at 8 p.m.

 

     Packets with complete information as well as weekly reading charts will be sent home with K-6 students by March 1.  The first slips will be due in the elementary library on March 13. PARP will continue through April 3 and will be followed up later in the month with an ice cream party along with certificates and prizes for all students who completed the four-week program.

 

 


 

Long Lake Central School District Planning Committee

 

Thursday, February 2, 2006

 

Present:  Fred Short, Karin Cook, Kevin Crampton, Cindy Austin, Lorrie Hosley, Tina Pine, Jim Pine, Hallie Bond, Julie Helms, Hillarie Dechene, Gail Seaman, Heather Black, Dave Olbert, Tisha White

 

Minutes:

Reviewed and approved the January 12, 2006 minutes as presented.

 

New Business:

 

     This meeting focused on the new requirements for a district wellness policy that must be in place by July 1, 2006. 

     Mr. Olbert gave us an overview of the physical education program.  In grades K-6, students have PE for one period every day.  Grades 7-8 have one period of PE three days a week.  Grades 9-12 have PE one period 2 days one week and 3 days the next (alternating).  Occasionally he has all 9-12 students come on Wednesday for larger group activities and tournaments.  He would like a daily PE class for all students.  With 10 minutes of change time at the beginning and end of periods, he focuses on getting the students to participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each class.  This includes warm up, the activity and stretching.  His main goal is to instill in the students a life habit of daily activity.  Grades K-6 focus mainly on skills for team sports in an effort to encourage all of our kids to participate in interscholastic sports.  In addition to skill practice for interscholastic team sports, the 7-12 program includes cross country skiing, badminton, dodge ball, pole hockey, volleyball, ping pong, etc.  He estimated that about 5-7% of our students don’t participate regularly in team sports.  He tries to schedule an annual 7-12 PE field trip (usually skiing), but this depends on the weather.  There are several physical trips scheduled in the elementary by teachers.  Kevin Elkin (Trailblazers) comes on Fridays to work with the 6th grade.

     Dave would like to have more time to teach aerobic exercise science (how to get benefit from aerobic activity) and proper resistance training.  Hallie suggested that this be offered as an elective for high school students.  He sees a weakness in the program that he does not have enough time for annual safety programs (CPR) without giving up significant activity classes.  CPR training cannot be done annually as part of the health curriculum.  Grades 7-12 receive ½ credit of health between 7-8 and ½ between 9-12.  There is no decision of who will teach the health program next year.  Ms. Burnham has indicated she would still be interested in teaching health first semester.  Ms. Havas and Mrs. Virostek are also certified in health.  The K-6 teachers should be using the Body Shop curriculum for their health program.  Dave is also interested in developing a voluntary program for students with weight issues.  The K-6 Family Consumer Science program did address nutrition education but that program was also cut last year in an effort to increase the focus on core academics.

     We have a district wellness committee that has been in place since 1999 and has contributed to planning Family University Night, the school fitness center, improvement to the skating rink, increased adult education health classes, better nutrition in the lunch and breakfast program and various other projects.  The wellness committee will be charged with developing draft language for the wellness policy.  Current members include Gail Seaman, Dave Olbert, Karl Geiger, Sharon Waagner, Will Cortis and Tisha White.  We would like to find a parent and board member as well as a female student member.
     Committee members asked about the possibility of opening the school in the evenings and/or weekends for student physical activities.  There was a discussion about reviving a weekend ski bus and what would be involved.  When Tupper reopens, they plan on offering open ski for

Tupper Lake students.  Hillarie suggested sending a letter asking if our kids could be included in this offer.  The committee would like to return to discussion of these issues at the next meeting.

 

Next meeting: March 2, 2006 at 7am in Mr. Short’s room.

 


LONG LAKE CENTRAL SCHOOL

2ND QUARTER HONOR ROLL

2005-2006


 


Annual Notification of Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

 

PPRA affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams.  These include the right to:

 

  • Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas (“protected information survey”) if the survey is funded in whole or part by a program of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) -

1.      Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;

2.      Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;

3.      Sex behavior or attitudes;

4.      Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;

5.      Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;

6.      Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;

7.      Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or

8.      Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

  • Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of –

1.      Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding;

2.      Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under State law; and

3.      Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.

  • Inspect, upon request and before administration or use –

1.      Protected information surveys of students;

2.      Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and

3.      Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

 

These rights transfer from the parents to the student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State law.

 

Long Lake Central will directly notify parents of students who are scheduled to participate in any such activities or surveys as noted above and will provide an opportunity for the parent to opt his or her child out of participation of the activity or survey.  Parents will also be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys.

 

Parents who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202-5920

 


GIRLS’ VARSITY HOOP TEAM ENDS SEASON, SHOWS PROMISE

By Mike Farrell

 

The LLCS girls’ varsity basketball team completed its season in early February on an up note with two exciting wins over Johnsburg and Kings.

 

The Johnsburg game saw several lead changes in the last minute and a half before Hannah Lamos’ shot with 10 seconds left put the Lakers over the top, 37-36.  The girls went to overtime in beating Kings, 34-31, with another shot by Hannah and a free throw by Nicole Andrews making the difference.

 

For the year, the team finished 3-7 and in a tie with Indian Lake for fourth place in the MVAC South.  Overall, its record was 5-14.  Despite relative inexperience and lack of size, the team’s scrappy, hustling, defense made life difficult for other teams, including first-place Bolton, which struggled for its two wins over the Lakers.  A lack of out of season play continued to hurt the girls’ shooting, but the offense perked up during the last few games, suggesting better times ahead next year.  Although the team will sorely miss senior Nicole Andrews in 2006-7, everybody else will be back, a year older, wiser, and more experienced.  If they practice their shooting in the off-season, they’ll be even better.

 

The team:  Nicole Andrews, senior; Alexandria Holton, Leah Lamos, and Chelsey Wallace, juniors; Felicia Cortis and Hannah Lamos, frosh; Elizabeth Hamdan, Colleen Nerney, and Sierra Olbert, 8th graders; Brooke Armstrong, senior and scorekeeper;  Mike Farrell, coach.  


   

 

LONG LAKE CENTRAL SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

 

 

Student Review and Assessment on the Internet

School Island

@

www.schoolisland.com

 

Long Lake Central has purchased for all 7-12 students a web-based student review product produced by School Island.

 

It is accessible from any computer connected to the Internet at school or at home –        24 hours per day/7 days per week/52 weeks per year.

 

 

Please continue to check the school web site daily

 

@

 

www.longlakecsd.org

 

It does change!

 

 

 

 

Watch for the LLCS Class of 2007

 

Yearbooks and Ads

 

to be on sale soon!