June 18, 2021
Dear Lyndonville Families and Community,
Throughout the year, it has been my pleasure to write these bi-weekly updates for you, and this will be my last one for this school year. I intend to write an update in July and in August, and then I will resume with the bi-weekly updates with the onset of the new school year—you can rightly consider these updates to be part of the “new normal” post-COVID 19.
While New York State has lifted almost all restrictions, all current guidance for schools has not changed and remains in place. School districts are anxiously awaiting guidance for the next school year, but it is my fervent hope and expectation that we resume as fully as normal as possible with little to no restrictions. On behalf of our District, I intend to make these wishes known to our local state lawmakers, who thus far have been receptive to our local concerns.
Let’s take a minute to reflect on the year we have almost completed under the most challenging of times.
- Together, we maintained a fully open school year (with of course a brief remote period in December).
- Together, our students followed the protocols and rules, and often did so with grace.
- Together, our teachers provided both in person instruction and remote instruction—sometimes at the same time.
- Together, our counselors and psychologist provided the needed social and emotional supports for our students, while keeping them on a focused academic path.
- Together, our clerical staff gracefully made difficult “contract tracing” and “quarantine” phone calls.
- Together, our administrative team led in the most challenging of circumstances amidst continually changing rules and regulations.
- Together, our Board of Education fully supported our reopening plan and provided the necessary resources to do so.
- Together, our aides and assistants tended to every unique situation that came their way and provided a comforting ear to children in need.
- Together, our bus drivers safely brought your children to and from school each day, while enforcing COVID-19 guidelines.
- Together, our employee associations were committed to safe and responsible reopening and worked collaboratively with administration to address items of concerns.
- Together, our buildings and grounds crew kept our campus safe and clean.
- Together, our business office staff worked to secure the resources we needed to keep our school open and keep up with the ever-changing personnel requirements related to COVID-19.
- Together, our school nurse worked tirelessly to ensure safe and reasonable responses to the demands and challenges of COVID-19.
- Together, our athletic department and coaches provided four seasons of athletics, and streaming events for those who could not attend.
- Together, our music and drama departments provided both virtual and in-person concerts and performances.
- Together, our food service staff provided healthy meals each day for our students—and were offered for our remote students as well.
- Together, our technology support team worked tirelessly to ensure high quality equipment for our student use--for all learning environments.
I also want to extend a thank you to Deputy Jason Barnum and our good friends at the Orleans County Sheriff's Department for an outstanding partnership.
I am indeed a proud Superintendent of Schools, and am forever appreciative of all the groups above and our parents and families—together, we did it!
Our school year will officially culminate with graduation next week, which is always a special event in Lyndonville, and I look forward to celebrating with the Class of 2021 and their families.
I want to extend my congratulations to…
Alisha Duffina and Maegan Suhr for obtaining tenure--we look forward to their continued contributions to our District and improving the lives of our children!
Our Staff and Educators of the Year:
Staff Member of the Year - Mary Kurz
Elementary Educator of the Year - Jennifer Neroni-Trupo
Secondary Educator of the Year - Dan Dragula
We had an especially difficult selection process this year. Mary, Jennifer, and Dan were humble in their remarks and recognize that their success is our success as a District! Congratulations to Mary, Jennifer, and Dan!
Finally, I had the personal and professional honor of celebrating the career of teacher retiree Jeff Gress at our Board meeting this past Monday night. In my remarks, I spoke about Jeff's commitment to our District, his true love of teaching, his ability to connect with all students, and his unwavering commitment to providing quality programs. Jeff, you will be missed, but your contributions to our District and our students will last generations.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Jason A. Smith
Superintendent of Schools
e-mail: Jasmith@lcsdk12.org
phone: 585-765-3101
Twitter: @LyndonvilleCSD
@JasonJasmith
Facebook: Lyndonville Central School