October 18th - 22nd was School Board Appreciation week. We would like to send an additional "THANK YOU" to our dedicated Board of Education Members Robert Larrabee, Christopher Marquart, Christina Martin, Kate Halleron Murphy, Keith Rosser, Victor Rycroft, Steven P. Sanderson, Daniel Thomas, and Wendy Todd.
Vaccine Clinic
Children ages 5-11 may now get vaccinations for COVID-19. Because the CDC has approved the vaccine, families can make appointments at local pharmacies, or call their health care provider. In addition, there is a vaccination clinic on November 13, 2021 at St. Lawrence University. Click on the QR Code of the image below to pre-register. Being vaccinated makes chances of being quarantined minimal, and significantly reduces the chance of becoming infected with COVID. Please share this information!
Quarantine Guidelines Reminder
Below are the current guidelines for determining if a person is a contact of an individual that has tested positive for COVID-19. These guidelines, issued by Public health based upon CDC recommendations, are considerably different last year.
Unvaccinated Students:
When all are masked inside a general classroom setting, the exposure limits are:
A distance of 3' or less if the infected individual is a student, or 6' or less if the infected individual is an adult and;
If the exposure is for a time of 10 consecutive minutes or for a total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
When all are masked inside while on a bus, in chorus or band, the exposure limits are:
A distance of 6' or less for 10 consecutive minutes or for a total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
While eating in the cafeteria or whenever not masked for a meal, the exposure limits are:
A distance of 6' or less for 10 consecutive minutes or for a total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
Unvaccinated Staff
When all are masked in an indoor setting, the exposure limits are:
A distance of 6' or less for 10 consecutive minutes or for a total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
Vaccinated Staff and Students:
No quarantine will be required as long as the exposed individual remains symptom free.
Public Health does recommend that these individuals be tested 3-5 days after exposure.
When determining which students and staff exceed exposure limits of distance and time, we rely upon seating charts and questions posed to the instructional staff regarding any activities that may have had individuals in closer proximity than shown on the seating chart. If a staff member is not certain about the distance and time, we will err on the side of caution and initially classify the affected individual(s) as a potential contact.
Please note that the District does not issue quarantines. Rather, we notify individuals that they may be considered contacts to a COVID positive individual, and that Public Health will determine if they are in fact a contact. During the time of our notice until Public Health contacts the individual, the individual is not permitted to be in school.
Elementary Updates
Adirondack Adventures
On Thursday, October 21st, our third grade students had the opportunity to climb Mount Arab and experience the beauty of the Adirondacks. Everyone ad a great time, and the kids felt a sense of accomplishment!
Mount Arab is a 1.9 mile hike with a 738 ft. elevation gain. Once part of a larger network of active fire tower observation stations, Mount Arab is currently one of only two towers in Saint Lawrence County.
All Things Halloween
Students at Banford Elementary had celebrated Halloween by wearing costumes and participating in several Halloween themed learning opportunities! Enjoy some photos from our day!
The First Snowfall of Many!
Students were thrilled to experience the first snowfall of the year! Lucky for them, there is a lot more where that came from!
McKenney Middle School
The Science of Learning
Seventh grade General Science students recently conducted experiments to determine the effect of various liquids on the emergence of sponge creatures from their capsules. Each class brainstormed possible liquids to use in their experiment and then cast their votes to finalize their liquid (the independent variable in the experiment). The selected liquids included vinegar, kool-aid, hydrogen peroxide, and coconut milk. Students worked with a partner to run both an experimental group (sponge creature placed in the selected liquid) and a control group (sponge creature placed in water). With the experiments behind us, students are now examining, graphing, and analyzing their data. Learning is always an adventure in science!
Why is the seventh grade team all dressed in black?? HINT: it has to do with the novel The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Stay tuned for updates…
Question Now....Answer Later!
Why is the 7th grade team all dressed in black????
Hint: It has to do with the novel The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Stay tuned for an update!
Reality Check
Canton Central School Reality Check students participated in Seen Enough Tobacco Day, which is observed on October 13th each year. The students designed wall art to help educate their peers. Seen Enough Tobacco Day highlights the fact that the average age of the new daily smoker in New York stat is only 13 years old.
High School Happenings
Many Thanks!
Due to the pandemic, prior to this school year, it had been 18 onths since the entire high school student body was together on campus. As a special way to welcome them back, students were selected at random from each grade level to receive door prizes between periods on the first day of school. Over 100 prizes were donated by local businesses.
Hugh C. Williams Senior High School students & staff would like to formally thank the following donors for contributing door prizes to our First Day Back to School in September. All prizes were greatly appreciated and we cannot thank you enough for your generous support.
