Kindness is Free...
What if every day were similar to a day between Thanksgiving and New Year's? I ask this question because, during that time of the year, people seem to have more patience, they seem to be more cordial, and they seem to be generally positive. I find people saying please more frequently, I see people donating to causes, and I certainly hear the words "thank you" more often for simple gestures like letting someone go onto the escalator first. What would our society be like if every day were like this? I ask this question because I wonder, does everyone suddenly change into some bizarro personality because that's what they think they are supposed to be during the holidays, or do all of the really polite, well-mannered people suddenly emerge from hiding and spend time in public during this month? We all know manners, how to be respectful, how to treat others, so what is so hard about being that way every day? Whether it's how we treat each other, speak to each other, or respect for someone else's property, being respectful and find is free. It doesn't cost anything other than a little effort and energy. In working with our students on these traits, I am proud of our schools' Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) teams who have worked through challenges due to COVID to keep positivity alive in our schools as they find more ways to acknowledge positive behavior. Too often, people don't do the little things in life because they feel like they may go unnoticed or not be given praise. Maybe the praise and recognition we need are not external but internal. Perhaps the feeling that one gets when they do a small gesture of kindness or go out of their way to help another is what we need. We all know that society would be a better place with more random acts of kindness. More than just being free, kindness can help build one's social bank account, making it a win-win for everyone. So, as we continue to emerge from the restrictions of COVID, let's remember the old words that we all heard as a child, "Treat others as you prefer to be treated." Our kindness is free.
Congratulations Athletes
Congratulations to all of our Winter sports scholar-athletes and teams! The NYSPHSAA has released the list of scholar-athletes and teams for the Winter 2021-2022 season. Our Scholar Teams for the Winter 2021-2022 season include: Girls Varsity Basketball coached by Al Bevilacqua, Girls Varsity Bowling coached by Bryan Rondeau, Boys Varsity Ice Hockey coached by Jason Nowicki, Boys Varsity Indoor Track coached by Billie Mays, Boys Varsity Swimming and Diving coached by Michelle Browne, and Girls Varsity Volleyball coached by Pete Keoviengsamay. In total, across all sports, we had 75 students achieve the Scholar-Athlete distinction. Individual awards are given to any student who has a cumulative GPA of 90% or higher; while team awards are given to teams that have 75% of the roster achieving a GPA of 90% or better.
COVID Test Kits
The Governor's office continues to send weekly test kits to school districts, similar to the kits that were provided on New Year's weekend. Each test kit contains two (2) at-home COVID test kits. At this point, we will be distributing test kits to any individual in the community who is in need of test kits at the district office, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. If needed, test kits can also be picked up at your child's school during normal school hours. Unfortunately, we cannot send home tests with students as they do have warnings to keep out of the reach of children. We will continue the test kit giveaway until the supply of tests runs out.
