The Bottom Line

Alternatives Credit Union @ LACS is open every Wednesday during lunch in the main hallway.  Students are encouraged to make weekly savings deposits (no matter how small!) in order to establish a weekly savings habit.  Any student with an Alternatives account can use the LACS branch OR they can open a new account for just $2.00!

For more information, please contact:

Joe Cummins, Community Development Educator
Alternatives Federal Credit Union
125 North Fulton Street, Ithaca, NY 14850-3301
(607) 216-3429
Joe@alternatives.org

KARATE: the after-school Karate class meets every Tuesday and Thursday, 4-5:30 pm. It is an ongoing class open to any member of the Ithaca community over six. This is a class in all the different aspects of martial arts, including the artistic, the competitive, to the harmonizing of mind and body,  to the very effective self-defense techniques. There is a fee; LACS students and staff get a huge discount.

EKP provides an opportunity for both kids and adults to learn self-defense, concentration, self-respect and discipline through a State approved program. The class is free. It meets Tuesday, after school.

Contact Ira (irabois@icsd.k12.ny.us) for more information.

Would you like to place a business advertisement in the LACS yearbook?   It is only $30 for a full page, and $15 for a half page.  If you would like to do so, please send ad copy to Sarah Jane Bokaer at: sbokaer@icsd.k12.ny.us, or mail it to me at LACS, 111 Chestnut St, Ithaca, NY, 14850.  Questions?  email me or call: 351-1234.  Thank you on behalf of Yearbook Committee.

Wednesday, February 10, 7:00 pm

Please come and take part in the annual State of the School event to be held in the school’s gym.  The agenda will include some opening remarks by Joe, including the sharing of relevant data about areas where the school appears to be doing well and areas of concern and needed improvement.  Also featured will be a progress report on the school construction project, and an overview of the Site-Based Council’s School Development Plan and the goals and benchmarks set forth. 

Like last year, the State of the School is also an interactive experience - an opportunity to be directly involved in thinking abojut and responding to issues affecting the school.  This includes sharing information and feedback about the devlopment of the district’s education budget for next year and potential impact on our school; the issue of the size and configuration of LACS in the future; and other issues that warrant our shared understanding and voice.  All present will be invited and encouraged to participate and share what they see as the successes and challenges of our school.

Monday, February 8, 7:00 pm

Please consider joining our PTA group for our monthly meeting for community planning and other parent/caregiver business.

Tuesday, February 9, 9:15-11:00 am 

The ICSD PTA Council will meet in the Board Room.  We will discuss the budget and TBA: learn about some community programs that are making a difference for our students.

Monday, February 1 , 6:30-8:30 pm, Holiday Inn

Community Forum: Unleashing the Power of Community: Continuing the Dialogue on Racism, Tolerance, Collaboration, and Commitment.  Learn about on-going efforts to promote equity, diversity, and tolerance! Hear what is needed to continue this work and how you can get involved!   Community leaders will be there, please come and speak up.  Be inspired to create a community that is truly committed to equity and anti-racism!  Get Involved!

January 25-29

Our 2nd cycle and 1st semester courses end on Friday, January 22nd.  The following week begins with a Superintendent’s Conference Day for staff on Monday, January 25th, so there is NO SCHOOL for any students. The remainder of this week is officially the State’s Regents Testing week. As explained in an earlier issue of The Vox, LACS is one of a select number of New York schools that has been granted an important testing waiver from the New York’s Department of Education - essentially allowing us to offer alternative assessments to all but one of the high school Regents exams.  LACS students are still required to take the ELA (English/Language-Arts) Regents exam. It is important to note that our middle school students are not exempt from any of the New York State standardized tests; however, this year all the testing for grades 6-8 will be administered later in the year, beginning with the English exams towards the end of April.

Although LACS is not administering many of the standardized tests the last week in January, the week in between semesters allows us the time to conduct our own teacher-generated assessments and exhibitions of final projects that fulfill portfolio requirements. The end of the week is reserved for the important family conferences we hold to go over evaluations with students and their families to review progress and learning goals, as well as create schedules for the 2nd semester.  Family Group Leaders will be contacting families directly to arrange conference times. Evaluations will be available online for review by Wednesday, January 27th and hard copies will be available at the family conference or can be mailed to homes by request.

On a practical front, what this will mean for our students at both the middle and high school levels will be that they do not have a regular schedule during this final week in January. For year-long classes it is more than likely students will have some work assigned to do at home. It is also likely that most students will be required to come into school for one or more scheduled assessments or presentations - as well as their scheduling and evaluation review conference with their parent-caregivers and Family Group Leader. While this is not a regular week of school, we ask that families do not schedule vacations during this week as it is important that students are available for these scheduled commitments. A special bus schedule will be running on Tuesday and Wednesday to get students to and from school (see bus time schedule below). The school’s cafe will be open and offering a limited menu for breakfast and lunch on these two days. Please feel free to contact the school at 274-2183 should you have any questions or concerns.

LACS State January Assessment-Exhibition Week Schedule
(Please note additional assessments or exhibitions may be added and information will be shared with students and families directly from teachers should this be the case for one of their courses).

Various Dates, Times & Locations
 Phys. Sci.-Math Presentations at ICSD elementary schools

Saturday, January 23rd
Senior Team Studies Interdisciplinary Project Presentations — All Day

Monday, January 25th
Superintendents Conference Day — NO SCHOOL
                                                
Tuesday, January 26th
Colonial America Living History Museum Exhibition — 9:05a-11:30a
Calculus I Final Exam — 9:30a-12:00p
High School English Arts Regents Exam (Grade 11) — 1:15p-4:15p

Wednesday, January 27th
Beg. Algebra-Geom.. Mid-Term Exam — 9:05a-12:00p
Interm. Algebra-Geom.. Mid-Term Exam — 9:05a-12:00p
Inquiry & Tools Exhibition — 9:30a-10:30a
Molecular Biology — 9:05a-10:30a/10:40a-12:00p
High School English Language Arts Regents Exam  (Grade 11) — 1:15p-4:15p
Practice ELA English Language Arts Regents Exam (Grade 10) — 1:15p-4:15p

Thursday & Friday January 28th & 29th
Evaluation & Scheduling Family Conference — Various Times by Appointment
Stop-Motion Animation Exhibition — All Day

Bus Schedule:

- A normal morning pick-up (for morning tests, etc.)
- A pick-up at 11:00-11:30 (for afternoon tests, etc.)
- A bus to take students home at 12:15am (after morning tests)
- A bus to take students home at 3:30pm
- A bus to take students home at 4:30pm (after afternoon tests)

Happy New Year!  - Joe

Sara and Judy’s Family group are sponsoring a food drive now through the end of January.  Non-perishable food items can be left in the large box located just outside the Staff Room near the main entrance.  All donations will be given to the Ithaca Ktichen Cupboard.  Thanks in advance for supporting this effort.

Wednesday, January 20, 700-8:30 pm, LACS Gymnasium

Please join Jon Raimon and students from the service learning program at LACS for an evening of delicious dessert nd exciting discussion!  We will come together as parent/caregivers, staff, and students to learn more about the role community service plays in the educational philosophy and day to day life of LACS. We also hope to generate ideas about ways in which the program can grow in new directions. Hope to see lots of staff and families there!

For those in need of transportation to the event, please stay tuned for a follow-up e-mail letting you know how to arrange transportation with Ithaca Taxi, paid for by the LACS.

If you need childcare for the event or if you would like to contribute a dessert for the evening, please contact Lauren Korfine at 256-0132 or lk79@cornell.edu.