January 15, 2021
Dear Families and Community,
Please accept my belated wishes for a Happy New Year! I was thrilled to see our students and staff back in school last week, after the remote learning period and the winter recess.
Feedback from students, parents and teachers indicated that our temporary remote learning period was successful, and many of the kinks we experienced last spring were worked out. Our remote learning drill we held earlier was helpful in this process as well. However, if you have any feedback or suggestions, please contact myself or one of our administrators.
Thank you for the wonderful responses to the communication survey I sent out last week. We had over 200 responses, and the results were helpful. For the next few of these updates, I will focus on various aspects of these results:
- Over 85% of you who responded indicated you agreed or strongly agreed that the District has communicated well, so we will continue our efforts.
- 96% of respondents indicated text messaging was the preferred method to receive information.
- Only about half the respondents knew about the District app, so here is a reminder to visit your app store of choice and download the official Lyndonville School District app—just search for “Lyndonville.’
Our District is in the process of submitting our final SMART Schools application. Funding for this program was approved by New York State voters in 2014, and our District has used these funds to upgrade our technology. A required part of this process are parent forums, and one has been scheduled for Tuesday, January 19 at 5:00 pm via video conferencing. Please send an e-mail to Aaron Slack at Aslack@lcsdk12.org to receive an invitation/link to attend this virtual forum. In addition, the draft plan may also be found here: SMART School draft application
We are currently planning additional ways we can support our students academically, as our Academic Assistance Day in December was successful. Our administrators are developing strategies to support our students after school, while still being aware of budget and staff time constraints. Details to follow from our principals.
Have you completed the Internet survey? If not, please do so as we need to hear all voices in the venture! Information may be found here: Internet survey
We are still awaiting word on the future of our athletic seasons, but we have begun to open facilities for conditioning sessions, following all health and safety protocols. I have personally met with our coaches and Athletic Director to review criteria, as we need to keep our students engaged as much as possible in all aspects of our programs!
I am working closely with our Health Department regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. Specifically, I am seeking to host a vaccination clinic for staff (Category 1B) in the coming weeks. We are also testing staff members as needed, and are prepared to test students if we are required under Yellow Zone conditions (which we are not yet under).
Next month, our Educator of the Year applications will be made available. At our last Board of Education meeting, the Board requested that we select 2 educators (one from Elementary and one from Secondary) and also create a new recognition program for staff members (i.e, any employee who is not a teacher). Essentially we will have the opportunity to recognize a total of three employees then: an elementary teacher, a secondary teacher, and a staff member. More information will follow in a month or so.
As a reminder, our snow day procedures will be the same as they have always been: if school is closed due to weather, all classes and events/activities are cancelled, including remote learning.
We have a long holiday weekend in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. so please enjoy the extra time you have with your families, while we honor the important teachings and legacy of Dr. King.
As a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan, I must end with this: GO BILLS!
Thank you for your continued support!
Jason Smith, Superintendent of Schools
e-mail: Jasmith@lcsdk12.org
phone: 765-3101
Twitter: @LyndonvilleCSD
@JasonJasmith
Facebook: Lyndonville Central School
Past updates can be found here