Happy Spring to all! There's more daylight, we're closing in on the fourth quarter, and it's April Break. Spring really is here.

As we head into the final stretch of this school year there is much to celebrate. Above all, I am so proud to highlight that we have successfully offered PK-12 in-person instruction five days a week since September. This would not be possible without the dedication, hard-work, and flexibility of our students, staff, families, and everyone who plays a supporting role in our school community. If there was ever a year to shout from every mountaintop how great it is to be part of a small school community, this is the year. We've worked hard to pull off something that very few schools across New York State have been able to do, and for that we should be proud.

As we progress into the final stretch of the school year, we will share details on plans for our traditional end-of-year celebrations. We will continue to be creative in our efforts to meet health and safety standards, while also celebrating our school community. Thank you for your continued help and support.

I'd like to also use this opportunity to bring your attention to our small school being overlooked in the allocation of federal COVID-relief funding. I have worked hard to advocate on our school's behalf by way of phone calls, emails and letters, and will continue to do so, but I could really use your help in letting our federal and state representatives know that anything less than an expedited solution is unacceptable.

The bottom line is that Long Lake CSD has not received any federal COVID-relief funding due to the funds being allocated based on a formula that leaves out schools like ours. We don't fit the formula and as a result we have been left out and left behind. While there is $134,948,000 allocated for the North Country, Long Lake is not currently scheduled to receive any of that money.

To give some comparisons, some of our neighboring school districts will receive the following projected COVID-relief funding. It's important to note that this does not include any previous funding received through two rounds of the CARES Act at the end of 2020. This is the third round of funding projection:

Wells CSD: $245,000

Lake Pleasant CSD: $199,000

Newcomb CSD: $153,000

Minerva CSD: $262,000

Johnsburg CSD: $808,000

Westport CSD: $702,000

Tupper Lake CSD: $984,000

Lake Placid CSD: $743,000

To see the full district-by-district breakdown you can visit this website. This will bring you to Senator Schumer's webpage and then prompt you to download an Excel spreadsheet that is organized by region and county. You will notice that Indian Lake CSD is the only other school in the North Country that is not projected to receive any funding.

To note, I highlight the projected funding for our neighbors to simply make clear what Long Lake CSD deserves to receive. The same is true for Indian Lake CSD. I have worked closely with Indian Lake CSD Superintendent David Snide in our efforts to reach out to our representatives to make our story known. I believe that our neighbors deserve every dime of their projected funding and am asking our representatives to find a way for our district to receive comparable funding. The money is there. They just need to do the work to advocate on our behalf and find a solution.

Why aren't we included? The problem is simple. The money was allocated based on a formula that is reliant on past census data that doesn't adequately represent our true population.

The money is allocated based on the Title I formula. The Title I formula is reliant on census data to identify schools based on need and it requires a minimum number as the threshold. According to the 2010 census, Long Lake CSD has 5 students between the ages of 5-17 that identify as living in poverty, which according to that same data represents 11% of our population. To be eligible for Title I funding, you need at least 10 students.

If our district's poverty rate is the only means that qualifies our district for funding, we more than meet the requirement. Our Free and Reduced Lunch population, which is updated on an annual basis and more accurately represents our student population, is at 39% of our students. In sum, we have been knocked out of the funding because the census data is old and is only as good as the number of people who participate. Additionally, since the formula is based on a minimum number rather than a percentage, we do not qualify.

Long Lake Central School deserves funding just as much as any other school district. We have incurred significant financial expenses due to COVID and we also deserve the opportunity to invest in upgrades in technology, programming, and equipment that positions our school to be better prepared for future challenges.

COVID knocked us all down, and it is only fair that all schools are given equitable access and support to get back up on our feet. While we are one of the few schools in the state that has been left out of any federal funding, I am confident that our elected officials at the state and federal levels can work together to find another funding source to correct this oversight.

Please join me and asking them to step up and speak out for us. Below is contact information for our elected officials. There is power in numbers, and whether you still live in Long Lake or not, as someone who is connected to our school, your time and support would mean a great deal.

Senator James Tedisco:

Albany Office: 518-455-2181

Email: tedisco@nysenate.gov

Office Addresses: https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/james-tedisco/contact

Assemblyman Robert Smullen:

Albaby Office: 518-743-0964

Email: smullenr@nyassembly.gov

Office Addresses: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Robert-Smullen/contact/

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik:

DC Office: 202-225-4611

Glens Falls Office: 518-743-0964

Website Email and Office Addresses: https://stefanik.house.gov/contact

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand:

DC Office: 202-224-4451

Albany Office: 518-431-0120

Website Email: https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/email-me

Office Addresses: https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/office-locations

Senator Charles Schumer:

DC Office: 202-224-6542

Albany Office: (518) 431-4070

Website Email: https://www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck

Office Addresses: https://www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/office-locations

Sincerely,

Ms. Noelle Short

Superintendent/Principal

(518)624-2221 ext. 206

nshort@longlakecsd.org

#llcsstrong

#adktough

#smallschoolbigideas

#smallschoolbigheart

Public vaccination clinics next Monday, Tuesday at Adirondack Medical Center

SARANAC LAKE – Adirondack Health will conduct COVID-19 vaccination clinics open to the public on Monday, April 5 and Tuesday, April 6.

The Monday clinic is open to all New York state residents 30 years of age or older (scheduling link:https://apps2.health.ny.gov/doh2/applinks/cdmspr/2/counties?OpID=B9996975FD8004BCE0530A6C7C166199).

The Tuesday clinic is open to all New York state residents 16 years of age or older (scheduling link:https://apps2.health.ny.gov/doh2/applinks/cdmspr/2/counties?OpID=BEC5E1195C8F10FCE0530A6C7C16F254).

Anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Appointments are required.

Both clinics will administer Pfizer vaccine and run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Annex building at Adirondack Medical Center.

To learn more, visit adirondackhealth.org/pages/vaccine.

A special thank you to Mrs. Cohen, Mrs. Zaidan, and Mr. Sass for their efforts and teamwork. They do all of the behind-the-scenes work that make the conferences possible. This year that has included figuring out the technology for virtual conferences. We couldn't do it without them!

We would like your feedback on how the virtual meetings went and if you'd like to see this as an option for the future. We plan to return to in-person meetings once it is safe to do so, but we have learned that the virtual option offered families the opportunity to login from wherever they were, allowing for flexibility with work schedules, family routines/schedules, and all of the other pieces of the daily puzzle for our students' families.

Please click the title to go directly to the Google Form to answer just a few questions.

Across the MVAC there are additional rules that we will need to follow in order to have a safe and successful season. At this time we are limited to two spectators per player at each game. Players will each receive two spectator passes that they will distribute.

Home Games: When spectators arrive, they will be asked to provide their spectator pass and complete a health questionnaire. Appropriate social distancing/wearing of masks will be required.

Away Games: A spectator list will need to be sent to the opposing team. The same process of showing a spectator pass and completion of a health questionnaire is to be expected.

We are excited to have a spring season and look forward to seeing Orange athletes out on our fields once again. In order to be able to have spectators at our games, we need your help in making sure the rules are followed. We will provide any updates to the guidelines if and when we receive them.

This year state testing at the 3-8 and Regents level will take place, but the scores will not be tied to the District's accountability measures and there are several modifications to the format and number of tests. In sum, this is a great opportunity for our students to gain confidence, comfort, and to practice in a testing environment.

The most important thing to highlight is that these testing opportunities will be practice. The scores will not affect our school this year. The data gathered will only be used to help gauge where students are at and to help our teachers make plans for supporting students in the future. We really see this as an opportunity for students to practice. They can practice and gain comfort and confidence without the high-stakes pressure. This is a great opportunity for a transition between the challenges of last school year and the return to slow return to normalcy we've experience this school year.

3-8 ELA, Math, and Science:

Each content area will take place over one day per subject, rather than the traditional two days of testing. We are excited that for the first time our entire district will be participating in computer-based testing for both ELA and math.

3-8 ELA:

1 Session - Multiple Choice Only

Wednesday, April 21

3-8 Math:

1 Session - Multiple Choice Only

Wednesday, May 5

4th and 8th Grade Science:

Written Test Only

Monday, June 7

Regents Exams:

The Regents Exams that will be given this school year include Algebra, Earth Science, Living Environment, and ELA. As approved by the NYS Board of Regents, all other exams will not be given this school year. Like the 3-8 tests, the Regents Exams that are given will not be tied to the District's accountability score and will also serve as practice.

Our District has a final exam period, including for Regents level courses. We will have more information to come with specifics, including the schedule, but in the courses where a Regents exam will be given (Algebra, Earth Science, Living Environment, and ELA) students will take their local exam and the Regents exam, as they always do. We will also continue to offer students the opportunity to use the higher of the two scores as their sixth score (four quarters + midterm + final exam or Regents exam). This will only help students. If their local exam score is higher than the Regents score, the Regents score is left out entirely due to the waiver. If it is higher than the local exam score, it is the score that is used in their final average. It is our hope that this setting allows students to practice in a Regents Exam setting to do their best

It is very important to underscore that students will only be eligible for the Regents Exam exemptions, just like last year, if they pass the course for the school year. It's very important that all students in Regents-level courses put their all into this fourth quarter of studies. If they fail the course they are not eligible for the exemption and will be required to take the exam in the future. We anticipate Regents Exams returning to normal next school year.

If you have any questions on the Regents exams, please reach out to your child's teacher, Mrs. Cohen, or Ms. Short.

March is Parents as Reading Partners month. This year LLCS students proved once again what voracious readers they are! Led by Mr. Tremblay, LLCS Library Media Specialist, LLCS celebrated PARP at all levels this month.

The PK-6 students kept a tally of the total number of books they read. Together they read an impressive 129 books!

The 7-12 students challenged the faculty for pages read during the month. The students topped the faculty/staff by reading a total of 12,365 pages compared to the faculty's total of 11,124 pages.

There will be more PARP highlights to share, but below are a few highlights of faculty/staff getting pied and first grade students tallying their completed books!

7-12 grade students look on and share that victory is sweet!

Bracket winners, from left to right, Weslie Clark, Avery Preuss, and Carrerra Lance, show off their March Madness prizes from Spanish class. Spanish students completed a "Locura de Marzo" bracket challenge by ranking 16 different Spanish pop songs and voting for their favorites. Spanish students across the country participated in this March Madness event.

First place was awarded to Avery Preuss and second place was a tie between Weslie Clark and Carrerra Lance.

LLCS favorite pie was a tie between apple and pumpkin pie.

After all their time spent studying pie statistics they got to enjoy a sweet apple pie treat!

We are extremely excited for the opportunity to upgrade fundamental components of our building, including plumbing, lighting, and communication/safety tools. Our students are looking forward to the current tennis courts that are no longer safe to use being replaced with multi-use courts that they can enjoy during and after school.