Community Update 10-11-2024

Good afternoon,

I hope this message finds you well.  As we approach the middle of October, NCS students at all grade levels have settled into their school routines.  I thank you for your efforts in sending us students who are well prepared to learn each and every day.  A few updates and reminders as we look ahead:

Across the board, our fall NCS sports teams, both boys and girls, have had remarkable regular seasons.  These events serve as a great source of pride, and we look forward to a very competitive sectional tournament for our varsity teams.  Keep an eye on our website/athletic page for updates regarding sectional dates and times in the weeks ahead.

For your planning purposes, NCS will conduct our annual early dismissal drill on Friday, November 1^st.  On this day, all NCS students will be dismissed approximately 10 minutes early.  This is a drill that is required annually by NYS and we appreciate your cooperation and flexibility with planning for that day.

Over the past few months, you may have seen in the news that NYS Governor Kathy Hochul is considering legislation that would seek to limit students cell phone use in schools.  Without question, cell phone use by students, particularly as it relates to social media sites, has proven to be a challenge.  While smart phones provide many positives and opportunities for students, we also know that they can be used in ways that might be unsafe, inappropriate, threatening, or distracting.  Further, current research is now indicating that there are direct correlations between screen time and depression/anxiety with students as this is certainly good reason to take pause and assess our practices. 

While we do not know when or if the governor will pass legislation, as a district we will take the necessary steps to be compliant per our code of conduct.  I do not believe the goal here is to take phones away from students, but rather to ensure they are less of a distraction in school and to that end, our administrators and staff do currently take steps to minimize these distractions daily.  I do believe it is important to note that even if schools greatly limit cell phone use during the school day, this alone will no eliminate the issues with phones if students (even elementary age) have regular access to social media and the wide array of content that exists online.  I have attached to this message a presentation that has been shared at our UPK/K Parent Orientation the past few years; it sheds some light on what the current research says about screen time for kids, the impact at home and school, and some suggestions to assist parents and guardians as they make decisions about screen time and access.  

It is my assertion that we all have a role to play in this work.  In addition to schools taking reasonable steps to prevent disruptions, parents certainly can determine what level of access their child is ready for if any.  Social media sites must do more to regulate content and ensure ages of users, and perhaps some legislation will follow that will put parameters on the age one must reach before having access to smart phone technology.  Navigating this challenge will no doubt be a multi-faceted endeavor and of course NCS will continue to work with our students to assist them in making positive choices within the technology driven world they work in.  I will keep the NCS community updated regarding any forthcoming updates from NYS.

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend and as always, do not hesitate to reach out with any questions and concerns.

Sincerely,

Kevin Swartz

NCS Superintendent