November 6, 2020
Dear Lyndonville Community,
A very hearty and happy Veterans Day to our beloved members of the military, both past and present—we thank you for your service! As a reminder, in honor of Veterans Day, there is no school this Wednesday, November 11.
The switch to remote learning for third graders again brought up the issue of access to high speed reliable internet in our community. To that end, I was proud to partner with my superintendent colleagues in Orleans County as we co-wrote this letter to the editor. It has generated supportive comments on social media, and I look forward to continuing advocating for this important need. Under the leadership of Principal Elissa Smith, our students will be leading a postcard campaign to continue to draw attention to this topic. Stay tuned for more details!
If you are interested in tracking our COVID-19 numbers, please visit the official COVID-19 report dashboard, found here. Simply search for “Lyndonville.”
I would like to recognize Principal Aaron Slack for graciously and enthusiastically assuming the role of English teacher, as we seek to address this temporary vacancy (non-COVID-19 related). While Dr. Slack has assumed some of those teaching responsibilities, I will be acting as co-principal, and will deal with a variety of upcoming projects, including Open House and Parent Conferences, in addition to other daily responsibilities.
November is traditionally the month of Open Houses and Parent Conferences. COVID-19 regulations have presented some challenges in hosting these events, so we have modified these important programs as follows:
- Middle/High School Open House will be virtual. Teachers are in the process of creating videos that will be shared and posted our website. I realize this will be an issue for those of you without reliable internet access, so please contact us and we will seek a different method to have you view these videos.
- Middle/High School Parent Conferences will take place November 17 and 18 from 3:15-5:15, and will be phone calls or via Google Meets. As co-principal, I am beginning to work on this program this week and details will follow shortly.
- Elementary Parent Conferences will take place on November 30. This day, November 30, will also be a day of REMOTE LEARNING for all PreK-6 students.
During the course of November, I look forward to recognizing our scholar students and student athletes at our National Honor Society Induction Ceremony (November 10) and our Fall Sports Recognition Night (November 23). Again, we are adapting to COVID-19 regulations by limiting attendance. However, both events will be recorded and be made available on our website and social media (Facebook and Twitter).
As we have now finished the first quarter of the school year, I want to remind you of the communication strategies we use to connect with our families. Please review this flyer for details. You can also download our official school app for free in your app store of choice: just search for “Lyndonville.”
As we are approaching the winter season, I do want to let you know that should we have weather that warrants school closings or delays, we will close as we traditionally have. With many of our families not having access to reliable internet, having a day of unplanned remote learning—as some schools are doing—is simply not feasible for our community at this time. So, enjoy your “snow days” if we have them!
Finally, here are some health reminders as we approach flu season:
- If your children are sick, please do not send them to school.
- Wash your hands and sanitize frequently.
- Do not send your children to school if they have a fever.
- Wear your masks and social distance!
My staff recognition this week goes out to our dedicated third grade team and their equally dedicated Principal Elissa Smith, our talented clerical staff who contacted families (Kim Bow, Corinne Ryan, and Chris Barone), and those many staff members who provided assistance as we quickly transitioned to remote learning in a matter of minutes. Thank you!
Have a great November! My next update will out on Friday, November 20.
Thank you.
Jason Smith, Superintendent of Schools
e-mail: Jasmith@lcsdk12.org
Facebook: Lyndonville Central School
Twitter: @LyndonvilleCSD
@JasonJasmith