Community Update October 28, 2022
NCS Community Update | 10-28-22
Good Afternoon,
I hope this message finds you well. It seems like just yesterday that were welcoming our students back to school and now we are just a few weeks away from the conclusion of fall and the Thanksgiving Holiday. As such, the end of the first marking periods, both at NES and NJH/HS will also be upon us soon. To that end, this is an excellent time to engage in conversations with your children to have them reflect upon what is going well, what might be challenging, and goals that might make sense for the remainder of the school year, whether they be academic, social, or behavioral in nature. This information can be valuable as you prepare for your child’s parent conference later in November. Specific information will be forthcoming from your child’s principal regarding conferences; our staff appreciates very much these opportunities to connect with our NCS families.
October is also the month which recognizes Board of Education Members across the country. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the NCS Board of Education for their service. This is a role that demands time, energy, passion, and insight on a regular basis. I am proud to work alongside our dedicated BOE members as it is their support that allows our district to best serve our children and community. Please join me in expressing thanks to those who choose to serve in these critical community roles.
The past few days, our fall athletes have brought incredible excitement and pride to our school and community. Both our boys and girls soccer teams displayed a level of competitiveness that was inspiring and though their sectional runs came to an end as the result of shoot outs, there is much to be proud of the future looks bright for both programs. Our Cross-Country team, which has of course seen tremendous success both individually and as a team, will continue to compete in the days ahead and we wish our runners all the best as they conclude their season. Our golf program found similar success this year and again, the future of that program also looks bright with high levels of participation. Congratulations to all of our athletes and coaches for representing the Big Green so well; let’s keep the momentum and enthusiasm going as we enter the winter sports season!
Per NYS school law, school districts are required to conduct an early dismissal drill once each school year. NCS will conduct this drill on Monday, November 7th. On this day, you can expect your child (both elementary and secondary) to return home approximately 15 minutes early as both buildings will conclude their day 15 minutes prior to the typical end time. We appreciate your cooperation and support.
I also wanted to share some exciting news regarding NCS transportation. This past summer, Naples and many districts across the state applied for a federal grant through the EPA that provides districts an opportunity to receive significant monies for electric buses and related infrastructure. Naples was one of just a handful of districts across the state who were awarded this grant; as such we are slated to receive 2 electric buses along with infrastructure for charging. With a NYS mandate in place to make a full shift to electric buses in the future, this is an excellent opportunity for Naples to weigh the benefits and challenges of electric buses without any burden to our budget and without eliminating our diesel bus fleet which has and will continue to serve us well for some time. Details as to when NCS will receive these two buses and charging infrastructure are forthcoming and we will be sure to keep the NCS community posted.
Lastly, NCS celebrated Red Ribbon week with a variety of activities and events in both buildings this past week. An overarching goal of Red Ribbon week is help educate our students about the benefits of living a safe and healthy lifestyle through making positive choices and being informed. I appreciate the efforts our staff have made, at all grade levels, to appropriately engage students in learning about the dangers that many substances can lead to, both in the short-term and long-term. I thank each of you for the conversations you have with your children that support a similar message; together I do believe we have the power to assist our students with developing healthy habits while avoiding those that might have negative consequences.
Enjoy your week end and I wish all of our trick or treaters a safe evening on Monday.
Sincerely,
Kevin Swartz
NCS Superintendent
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