Belle Sherman Elementary

Share Your Feedback on the 2024–2025 Academic Calendar! The ICSD is considering important changes to the 2024-2025 academic calendar, including shifting the March conference days and adding a Regents Day in June. The Board of Education will vote on these changes on November 12, and we want your input by November 11. 📅 View the proposed changes: ithacacityschools.org/article/1838708 🗣️ Provide feedback via Let’s Talk: ithacacityschools.org/letstalk

🍎It's National School Lunch Week! 🥗 At the Ithaca City School District, we’re proud to support our students with healthy, balanced meals every day through our Child Nutrition Program. 🍽️ Learn more about our meals and how we support students: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/page/child-nutrition

We’re proud to share that Kathryn Cernera, ITA President and ICSD educator, has been recognized in the 2024 Labor Power 100 list! This honor highlights her unwavering commitment to our students, educators, and community. We are incredibly grateful for her exceptional leadership on our team! Congratulations, Kathryn! Read the article here: https://www.cityandstateny.com/power-lists/2024/08/2024-labor-power-100/398966/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFzpo1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdrzLIhuENTammfU5gIUx7UTGIkEa_ydoTd5LSGuiVZjObxDgQ7cOHVc4g_aem_K5WZKoeN1OmZyXYG-MsURA

Today is a scheduled early emergency dismissal drill for all schools in the district. Please follow the dismissal times listed below for your child’s school. Dismissal Times In accordance with NYSED guidelines, the drill will occur 15 minutes prior to normal dismissal times. All schools will implement standard dismissal procedures, just 15 minutes earlier. - All elementary schools will dismiss at 1:45 p.m. - Boynton Middle School, DeWitt Middle School, and Lehman Alternative School will dismiss at 3:15 p.m. - Ithaca High School will dismiss at 3:25 p.m. All staff and students must evacuate the building at the times listed above until the last bus departs. Buses will arrive early for dismissal, and bus drop-off times will be 15 minutes earlier. Please refer to communications from your individual schools for details on after-school activities and programs. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority and requires continual emergency preparedness planning, practice, and review. All parents and caregivers listed in student records have been notified via email, text, and push notification. If you did not receive a notification via text or push notification, and you wish to, please reach out to icsdcommunications@icsd.k12.ny.us.

🎒 Happy First Day of School to all elementary, 6th, 9th, and new entrant students! 🎉 To kick off the new school year, check out our September issue of the e-Insider, now available! This month's edition features: ✨ A special welcome back message from Superintendent Brown 🥞 September breakfast and lunch menus 📱 Information about a new app 🏫 Highlights from our ongoing 2019 capital project 📋 Annual notices and important updates And much more! 👉 https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/icsd/page/icsd-e-insider

All elementary open houses will be held on Tuesday, September 3, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 🎉 We hope you'll join us to meet your teachers and get a glimpse into the exciting year ahead. Students in pre-K through 5th grade, as well as 6th and 9th graders and new entrants, will start school on Wednesday, September 4! (Please note that some pre-K and kindergarten classes will have a staggered start. Refer to the schedules sent home for details.) See you there! 👋

🎉 On August 15, we welcomed family and friends to celebrate the incredible work of our students in Project Innovation, our inclusive, project-based summer program! Throughout the summer, students engaged in dynamic projects and case studies, tackling complex questions and offering innovative solutions to real-world challenges. All classrooms are multi-grade level (K/1st, 2nd/3rd, 4th/5th, 6th-8th) and fully integrated, bringing together general education and special education students.

📝✨ School Supply Lists for the upcoming school year are now available on our website! Head to our Back to School Hub 👉 https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/icsd/page/back-to-school-hub to find everything you'll need! Don't see your school listed? 📬 Mailings were sent home this week, so keep an eye on your mailbox this weekend.

🎒 Students are back in two weeks! 🎒 Check the graphic below to see when your student's first day is. Some Pre-K and kindergarten classes have staggered start dates, so be sure to review the details included in the summer mailings sent out this week. Keep an eye on your mailbox toward the end of the week! Have questions or concerns about the start of school? Reach out directly to your school or icsdcommunications@icsd.k12.ny.us. Don't forget to visit our Back-to-School Hub for all the info you need to start the year off right!: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/icsd/page/back-to-school-hub

We're excited to welcome our students back in just 16 days! 🎒 Are you ready? Be sure to visit our Back-to-School Hub for everything you need to start the year off right: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/.../back-to-school-hub If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at icsdcommunications@icsd.k12.ny.us. We'll keep updating the hub with the latest info as we gear up for another school year! 📚✨

The tennis courts at Ithaca High School will be closed for maintenance from July 22 to August 19 in preparation for fall sports. When the courts re-open, reservations will need to be made using MLSchedules (https://www.ithacacityschools.org/page/facility-use-requests).

🎓✨ Across the district, we have been celebrating our graduates! 🎉🌟 Today marks the last day of school for students, and our seniors are ready to graduate! LACS and IHS will both hold their ceremonies today. Congratulations to all of our graduates and their families! We are so incredibly proud of your accomplishments. For those moving on from the district, you will always have a home with your ICSD family. 🌟🎓

Today, Tuesday, June 18, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) community will be presented with a new 2024-2025 budget adopted by the Board of Education. The re-vote budget is $163,012,098, and the proposed levy increase of 2.92 percent is below the state tax cap. We are grateful for the significant community engagement this budget season, and with the valuable input shared, we are presenting a new budget that keeps our community’s needs in mind, while also upholding our commitments to high-quality education for all. Through strategic, priority-based reductions—including articulating a clear focus on ELA, math, and inclusion, decreasing administrative labor costs, and pausing on filling vacant positions—we developed a budget that is $5.9 million less than the one originally proposed on May 21. The re-vote budget will require 50% voter approval. Also on the re-vote ballot will be Proposition 2, which the Board voted to amend on May 28, reducing the original request of $3.2 million by half to $1.6 million. The amended proposition asks voters to authorize the district to purchase up to two electric buses, only with rebates to defray costs, two ultra-low emission propane buses with wheelchair-accessible lifts, and three passenger vehicles. Proposition 2 is not taken from the General Fund but rather from a savings account called “Capital Reserve,” which can only be used for bus purchases. The district has already secured a rebate through the EPA 2023 Clean School Bus (CBS) Rebates in the amount of $800,000, which can be immediately used to defray the cost of the two electric buses. For more information on Proposition 2 visit: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/icsd/page/2024-prop-2 Polls will be open on June 18 from 12 noon until 9 p.m. Please continue to reach out directly or provide suggestions and feedback via Let’s Talk: ithacacityschools.org/letstalk. For more details on the June 18 Budget Re-Vote, including propositions and district poll site locations, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote. Together, we can engage, educate, and empower all learners in the ICSD.

The ICSD Board of Education will meet today for a Facilities Committee Work Session at 5:00 p.m. On the agenda: E-Bus Presentation, Sustainability Presentation, and a progress report on the district's capital project work. Following, there will be Finance Committee Work Session at 6:30 p.m. On the agenda: Re-vote revenue and re-vote proposed budgeted expenditures line-by-line. Those who wish to attend may do so in person at IHS York Hall or tune in on Zoom. For more information, please visit ithacacityschools.org/board.

ICSD's Deputy Superintendent, Lily Talcott, and Chief Operations Officer, Amanda Verba, join WSKG to discuss the upcoming budget re-vote. Polls will be open on June 18 from 12 noon until 9 p.m. Please continue to reach out directly or provide suggestions and feedback via Let’s Talk: ithacacityschools.org/letstalk. For more details on the June 18 Budget Re-Vote, including propositions and district poll site locations, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote. Listen here: https://www.wskg.org/2024-06-12/ithacas-school-budget-was-rejected-by-voters-heres-whats-been-cut-in-their-latest-proposal?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1INBzs3M4BZUwtYKEfnCz3P2yzxt-DyC8GknDw4tK35t6l0eYjywwNfJI_aem_AfZCS5GxLeEJVITDCZqyW-DJAE5LbsvtQdJ6iaq38W5jHzQkZLl0vUoGW6GwsItkNpXOiZTXDDSs1l85HVOmFqhM

Please join us tonight, June 10, at the Southside Community Center at 5:30 p.m. for a community conversation about the new proposed budget. The ICSD will hold the budget re-vote on Tuesday, June 18. Polls will be open from 12-9 p.m. For more information, including district polling locations and absentee and early mail ballot applications, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote.

The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) was notified that its application for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebates was selected for funding in the amount of $800,000. The reserved funds are for four new electric buses, eligible infrastructure, and other eligible expenses to be used over the course of two years. On June 18, residents of the ICSD will head back to the polls to vote on a new budget and an amended Proposition 2, which will ask voters to authorize the district to purchase up to two electric buses, only with rebates to defray costs, two ultra-low propane buses with wheelchair-accessible lifts, and three passenger vehicles. Notably, Proposition 2 was reduced from $3.2 million to $1.6 million. Proposition 2 is not taken from the General Fund but rather from a savings account called “Capital Reserve,” which can only be used for bus purchases. Every year, the district replaces buses that have aged out of the fleet and need to be taken off of the road as well as other vehicles that support students and facilities. Check out the news story to learn more: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/article/1632589

On Monday, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) Board of Education voted to approve a new budget for the fiscal year 2024-2025 in the amount of $163,012,098, a 2.79% increase over the current year (below the state tax cap of 2.9%). This is $5.9 million reduction to the budget proposed on May 21. Please join us this Friday, June 7, at the Enfield Community Center at 4:30 p.m. for a community conversation about the new proposed budget. The ICSD will hold the budget re-vote on Tuesday, June 18. Polls will be open from 12-9 p.m. For more information, including district polling locations and absentee and early mail ballot applications, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote.

This year's Budget Vote and School Board Election will be held on Tuesday, May 21. Polls will be open from 12 noon until 9 p.m. To check your polling location and learn more about early mail and absentee ballots, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote!

Last week, students at LACS and DeWitt Middle School shared part of their day with Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, and Melinda Person, President of New York State United Teachers. The day fostered collaboration and celebration of the shared commitment to educational excellence and served to highlight the way our educators incorporate hands-on, real-life skills like cooking, interpersonal relationship-building, and student self-care into the curriculum. Read more about it here: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/article/1501987