Is It Sense...

If I had a nickel for every time I have had a conversation post-COVID where somehow the topic of common sense arose, I may have been able to retire and pay off college loans before the age of 30. It feels as if everywhere you turn, people are talking about a general lack of common sense existing in our society today. Common sense has always been tricky because it can mean something different to different people, but still, one should expect that there are general guidelines in society that you would hope we all learned throughout the course of growing up. The more this topic comes up, the more I reflect on it and then watch people's actions. Lately, I've begun to wonder, is it common sense that we have wandered off the path or is it common DECENCY? You can say that they are one and the same, but not totally. For example, not touching a hot stove burner or putting a paper clip in an outlet is common sense, but not common decency. However, holding the door for a stranger at the store, or asking someone to help carry something, or cleaning up after someone are all examples of common decency. Decency can certainly lead to improved common sense, but in general, it leads to a better and kinder society. We have become so focused on the negative and working to bring each other down, that we have definitely lost our way with doing the simple things that help and support an individual. Ironically, a little bit of common decency actually also improves a person's mental health, specifically the receiving party. You see, doing nice things for people just because it is the right thing to do, goes a long way. Even in today's society where everyone wants to believe conspiracy theories or run in the rumor mill, common decency is the one thread that can help restore a better place than we remember prior to COVID. The challenge is how do we show an entire generation what common decency is? Teaching general content every day in a post-COVID world is challenging enough. Does it fall on the schools to restore common decency and sense? I would say, you bet! We can do this because common decency is developed through kindness to each other and doing the little things to help a colleague or a student through their day. It takes zero effort to provide common decency. What it takes is a little swallowing of one's pride to commit a random act of kindness that they otherwise wouldn't do, but the end result is a larger sense of pride afterward. It's like pruning a tree. It grows bigger if it's trimmed back from time to time. In the end, the question stands. Have we lost common sense or common decency? While they are connected, I would argue that it isn't common sense that needs the improvement. It's common decency. This week, start increasing your random acts of kindness, and let's see what happens. Perhaps, it could be the start of something amazing!

SELSI Survey - Round 3

We are currently conducting our third and final round of the Social-Emotional Learning Skills Inventory survey for our students PreK-12. The goal is to learn more about adult perceptions as they relate to a student's resiliency and ensure that we as adults are not missing cues from students that are in need of social/emotional support. In the end, we as a community will be better equipped to support our students as we will have a better understanding of their needs. Parents are encouraged to take the survey as well to provide input on their own perceptions/beliefs of their students. To complete the third round of the survey, please use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K3MBVCZ. You will need your student's ID number to participate which can be found in your parent portal account. The survey will be available until June 21.

Juneteenth Reminder

As a reminder, this year New York State will be recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday. Schools will be closed on Monday, June 20. Juneteenth marks the day (June 19) when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.  

2022-2023 Immunization Requirements 

As you know, New York State has several requirements for school admission. These requirements are not COVID related and are the general requirements for schools in New York State. The link below will take you to the State Education Department website that outlines the required vaccinations. Please speak to your school nurse or family physician if you have any questions regarding any requirements. 

School Vaccine Requirements

Parent Information Regarding School Vaccines

Parent Portal Reminder

With the end of the year coming and report cards on the horizon, I want to remind folks that Parent Portal is the quickest and easiest way to monitor your child's academic progress. Parent Portal is an online method for families to access our student management system, SchoolTool. We will once again be utilizing Parent Portal this year for the communication of progress reports and ongoing grade reporting. If you do not already have an account and would like to sign up for an account, please contact your child's school.