phone
(518)497-6611
fax (518)497-3170
From the Superintendent
Thanks and good luck
I want to personally thank all of the
Chateaugay Central School residents who showed up to vote for the
proposed building project on Tuesday, November 17 for your
overwhelming support. Many of the upgrades and repairs included in
this project are very badly needed, and I am pleased that they will
be addressed over the next few years.
I am continually in awe of the level of support that the
community gives to the school, and I am very proud to be a part of
such a special place.
PS.....Go Bulldog Volleyball!!!!
Alert Now Message - Nov. 13, 2009
Dear All CCS Parents/Guardians:
I am writing to give you an important update on this
weekend's girls' soccer and volleyball regional playoff times, and
also to make an announcement about an upcoming H1N1 flu clinic just
scheduled for CCS.
Unfortunately, both the girls' soccer and volleyball regional
playoff appearances were scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, November
14 at 4:00 pm. The girls' soccer game will be played at 4:00 pm at
Plattsburgh HS while the girls' volleyball match will be played at
4:00 pm at Potsdam HS. We are very proud of both of these teams, and
I ask that you make an extra effort to attend one of these regional
events so that we can have a great crowd at both sites.
Moving on to the topic of the H1N1 or "swine" flu, I am very
pleased to announce that the Franklin County Department of Public
Health has agreed to schedule an H1N1 flu shot clinic at Chateaugay
Central School on Monday, November 23 from 3-5 pm. Please note that
we are in the early planning stages of this clinic and will get more
specific information out to all of you early next week.
Thank you very much for supporting Chateaugay Central School,
and have a great weekend. GO LADY BULLDOGS!!
Swine Flu Update and Information
Links of interest - CDC H1N1 Flu - CDC Hints - NYS Flu Information
Dear Parents:
I wanted to share some important information regarding
concerns that I have heard about the H1N1 or “swine Flu” virus.
Each day, we receive a few calls from parents asking if we
have any confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu. The simple answer is no.
At a meeting I attended on Wednesday, the director of the Franklin
County Department of Public Heath made the following statement.
“Most of the cases of flu that they are seeing are all assumed to be
H1N1. It is so widespread, that there is no point in confirming
cases at this time. While some doctor’s offices are doing basic
tests to confirm flu, the in office test does not indicate whether
it is H1N1 or just another variation of influenza A. The only people
who will be tested specifically for H1N1 will be those who are
severely ill and need to be hospitalized. On a positive note, the
children who appear to have already had the flu are recovering
pretty quickly.” The public health director also wanted people to
remember that “H1N1 does not appear to be any more dangerous than
the regular seasonal flu for a normally healthy person with no other
underlying medical conditions. One important fact that helps to put
H1N1 into prospective is to remember that the regular seasonal flu
causes numerous deaths and hospitalizations every single year.” It
seems that many media outlets are leaving these facts out so that
fear created around the H1N1 virus can keep you tuned in.
With all of this in mind, I would like to ask you to remember
the following. If your child has a fever above 100 degrees combined
with a cough, sore throat, or headache, please keep him/her home
until he/she is fever free without medication for at least 24 hours.
If your child has diarrhea, please keep him/her home, as we are also
seeing a stomach bug in school. Finally, please know that if you
send your child to school with any of these symptoms, we will be
sending him/her home.
If you would like more information on the H1N1 flu, please
visit chateaugay.org and click on the superintendent’s link.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. We must
remember to all work together so that panic and fear do not
interfere with the educational process.
Proposed Capital Project
By now many people have heard about a proposed building project
for CCS. A vote on this matter will be held November 17 on a nearly
9 million dollar project that will address a number of long overdue
projects. A special mailing with all the details has been prepared
to help explain the project.
CLICK HERE for a detailed report about the
proposal.
Public Hearing - November 12, 2009 at 7:00 PM
Public Vote - November 17, 2009 in the school auditorium from
1PM - 9 PM.
Alert Now
CCS will once again utilize the Alert Now system for notifying parents, family members, staff and the community about important events, school closing and more. A test call will be made in November. If you do no get a call it is important that you let the school know immediately. Click HERE for a pdf of the information that was included in the November newsletter.
Swine Flu Information - April 28, 2009
This letter is to inform you that the
State of New York has entered a heightened surveillance stage
resulting from the presence of a swine flu virus that is making
people sick in several states, including New York State, and also in
Mexico. Although, to date, only mild illness has occurred in the
United States, we realize that many people are worried and we hope
this letter will help address your concerns. Despite confirmed cases
of swine flu in a private school in Queens, New York City, we
believe students can safely attend classes and schools will remain
open at this time (with the exception of the school in Queens at
which confirmed cases were discovered).
At this time, the state and local health departments have
advised us that students can continue to come to school, as long as
they are not sick and do not think they have flu symptoms. Flu-like
symptoms include: fever (over 100 degrees F.), feverishness, cough,
sore throat, runny nose, or stuffy nose. Additional symptoms may be
experienced with swine flu, including muscle pain, fatigue, and
sometimes vomiting or diarrhea.
Flu spreads easily. If you suspect your child is getting the
flu, it is important that he/she does not attend school or go
anywhere else—such as group childcare, the mall, or sporting
events—where other people would be exposed to flu germs. It is also
important to teach your children how to reduce their risk of getting
the flu and protect others from infection.
- Teach your children to wash their hands often. Washing with soap
and hot water for at least 20 seconds is ideal (that’s about as long
as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
- Teach your children the proper use of hand sanitizer. Gels, rubs,
and hand wipes all work well, as long as they contain at least 60%
alcohol. Hand wipes must be disposed of properly. Always read and
follow label instructions when using hand sanitizer.
- Teach your children to keep their hands away from their face and
avoid touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.
- Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by
coughing into the inside of their elbow. Cough or sneeze into your
sleeve—not your hands!
- Help your children to learn these healthy habits by setting a good
example and always doing them yourself.
If we all practice good hygiene, health officials
believe we can limit the spread of swine flu in our school at this
time. We are consulting with local health officials regarding best
cleaning practices for infection control in our buildings.
While the current situation does not warrant school closure,
if swine flu continues to spread and more students become ill, it
may become necessary to close schools for a period of time. We are
working with our School Medical Director and County Health officials
to monitor the situation here and will make all decisions in
consultation with them and state officials. We will inform parents
immediately if the situation changes and it becomes necessary to
close schools.
If schools are closed, please do not make arrangements—such
as sending children to a friend’s home or group childcare—that will
put them in close contact with other children. It is important to
plan ahead. Have a family discussion now to consider options in
advance of the event of a school closing.
Please stay informed by paying attention to media reports.
You may also get information at www.cdc.gov, www.nyhealth.gov,
www.schoolhealthservicesny.com, or the 24 hour toll-free hotline
that New Yorkers across the State can use to get answers to their
questions. The hotline is 1-800-808-1987. We will also keep up to
date information on the school’s website at www.chateaugay.org, or
you can always call the school at 497-6611 should you have
questions.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children and
our schools healthy.
Sincerely,
Dale L. Breault Jr.
Superintendent
Peanut Butter - Lunch reminders and more....
****Information on the Peanut Butter Recall****
When the massive peanut butter recall went into effect last
month, the cafeteria at CCS immediately stopped serving peanut
butter as a precautionary measure even though the peanut butter that
we serve was not on the list.
Even though our suppliers assured us that our peanut butter
was safe, we decided to wait a period of time to make sure that our
peanut butter would not be added to the recall list at a later time.
Chateaugay Central School uses only USDA peanut butter that
is supplied by the federal government. Throughout the nationwide
recall, we have received multiple messages from our suppliers that
our peanut butter is safe, and is not part of the recall.
With the above information in mind, we will begin serving
peanut butter again as of February 23, 2009.
****Free & Reduced Lunch (and Breakfast)****
What is the Free & Reduced Lunch program? The National School
Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in over
101,000 public and non-profit private schools and residential
childcare institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost
or free breakfasts and lunches to more than 30.5 million children
each school day in 2007. In 1998, Congress expanded the National
School Lunch Program to include reimbursement for snacks served to
children in after school educational and enrichment programs to
include children through 18 years of age.
Does the school pay for it? No. The school is reimbursed by
the United States Department of Agriculture for all of the meals
served through the program. The meal reimbursement rate is very
competitive and can be helpful for the school's cafeteria program.
Will other students know if my child participates in the
program? No. One of the biggest advantages of our new electronic
payment system is that students who receive free/reduced lunch can
remain anonymous. Every child who goes through the line punches a
pin number into a keypad at the cash register. Because of this
system, it is very difficult for other children to tell if a student
is receiving free/reduced lunch or has a prepaid account.
How do I know if my family qualifies? Children from families
with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are
eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and
185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-price
meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents. (For
the period July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009, 130 percent of the
poverty level is $27,560 for a family of four; 185 percent is
$39,220.) The income levels listed above can be adjusted up or down
depending on the size of your family. There are also other ways that
families can qualify. For example, foster children and families who
receive food stamps are immediately eligible.
How do I apply? Simply call Terri Janisewski at 497-6611 and
ask for an application. Mrs. Janisewski can answer specific
questions about the program and can give you more detailed
information on eligibility. Mrs. Janisewski and our cafeteria
cashier, Joelle LaPoint are the only employees in the district who
review the applications and they take confidentiality very
seriously.
Does the school benefit from the number of free & reduced
lunch applications? Believe it or not, there are many funding
sources for the school that are directly related to the free &
reduced lunch program. Because we live in a rural, high need area of
the state, our free & reduced lunch percentage actually allows the
district to participate in certain programs and apply for grants
that are not available to other schools. The free & reduced
percentage is also used in calculating state aid to our school. The
state makes adjustments for poorer schools in order to attempt to
equalize educational opportunities around the state.
What is the bottom line? Many families may have not been
comfortable in the past applying for free & reduced benefits for
their children for many reasons. Please know that student privacy is
very important to us, and we feel that our new electronic payment
system has helped greatly in this regard. Gone are the days of
having different colored tickets or vouchers. Having a large number
of free & reduced lunch eligible students does not hurt the school,
and in many cases, can help the school. In these tough economic
times, families are encouraged to take another look at this program
to see if it can help.
Nutri-Kids
CCS
is excited to provide parents with a convenient, easy and secure
online prepayment service to deposit money into your child’s school
meal account at any time. This service also provides parents the
ability to view your child’s account balance or even get a low
balance alert by email through a web site called MyNutrikids.com. By
having money in each child’s account prior to entering the
cafeteria, we find the lunch lines move along much faster so your
child has more time to eat and be with friends.
Also, parents will have the ability to print out a copy of
their child’s eating history report. This history report will show
you all dates and times that your child has purchased a breakfast,
lunch, or other items within the past thirty days. It is important
to note that you can create an account and view your child’s eating
history whether or not you choose to use the online prepayment
system.
These new services are now available.
To access these services:
Simply go to the CCS web site at
www.chateaugay.org
Click on the Cafeteria
link.
Click on the MyNutrikids.com link. From this site you will
create your account and add money to your child’s school meal
account. All you need is your child’s name, student ID number and
school’s ZIP code. (To find your child’s student ID, look at a
recent report card, or call the elementary or HS office. You must
use all nine digits, even if they are zeros.)
Things to know:
If you have more than one child in the District, you can
handle all online prepayments from the same online account.
Payments may be made with a major credit or debit card or
through an existing PayPal account. Even if you do not have a debit
or credit card, you can use PayPal’s E-check service, which
electronically transfers funds from your checking account.
In order to use the online prepayment service, a small convenience
fee for each transaction will be assessed to cover the bank fees.
The convenience fee is $1.75 per deposit transaction. Parents
placing money into multiple meal accounts will only be assessed the
$1.75 fee once per deposit transaction. CCS will not profit from the
use of this site. To offset the cost of this convenience fee, CCS
will provide one FREE meal for your child for every $20 you put on
his/her account.
School Parking Reminders
With the winter concert season recently behind us and basketball
season in full swing, I thought that it would be helpful to remind
all of our visitors to school about some of the parking issues that
we continually monitor.
During concerts and basketball games, it is extremely important that
people do not park along the curb of the bus circle (flagpole
entrance). This area is a fire lane and is needed to provide
immediate access for rescue personnel. Please use the student
parking lot or the large parking lot on the other side of the
building if the limited spaces in the circle are full.
At a recent concert, it was noticed that some people parked along
the roadside and blocked private driveways. Blocking a private
driveway is illegal and is not very nice. It also puts the school in
an awkward situation with our neighbors and could result in your
vehicle being towed if the owner of the private driveway were to
call the police.
Alert Now - Rapid Communication System
December
3, 2008 - Keeping you informed is a top priority at CCS.
That’s why we have adopted the ALERTNOW Notification Service which
will allow us to send a telephone or e-mail message to you providing
important information about school events or emergencies. We
anticipate using ALERTNOW to notify you of school delays or
cancellations due to inclement weather, as well as remind you about
various events, including report card distribution, open house,
field trips, and more. In the event of an emergency at school, you
can have peace of mind knowing that you will be informed immediately
by phone.
What you need to know about receiving calls sent through ALERTNOW
- Caller ID will display the school’s main number when a general announcement is delivered.
- Caller ID will display 411 if the message is an emergency. ALERTNOW will leave a message on any answering machine or voicemail.
- If the ALERTNOW message stops playing, press any key 1-9 and the message will replay from the beginning.
The successful delivery of information is dependent upon accurate
contact information for each student, so we will be sending an
information update letter home with all students in the coming weeks
in order to ensure that we have accurate information.
We will be launching a test call on December 10 at 6 pm. If you do
not receive this call, please call the school with updated
information so we can update our records. Note that your primary
phone number will be called for standard and emergency calls; the
emergency number, cell phone number, and work numbers will only be
used in an emergency, and all will be dialed simultaneously. We
sincerely appreciate your cooperation, and if you have any
questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We are very excited to incorporate ALERTNOW as a tool to improve
parent communication and look forward to having the ability to
deliver real-time information to you and provide awareness of all
the great events that take place within the school.
Mr. Dale Breault
Contact Information
PO BOX 904
Chateaugay, NY 12920
email dbreault@mail.fehb.org
Helpful School Food and Nutrition Links
WeCan - Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition
BAM - Body & Motion