

Principal
Mr. Luke Carnicelli
Assistant Principal/AD
Ms. Caitlin Wasielewski
Phone:
315.364.7111 x2103
Fax:
315.364.8207
Address:
2384 Route 34B,
Aurora, NY 13026
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Our 2023-24 School Motto: Strive for Excellence!
Dear Jr/Sr HS Families,
Season’s Greetings to you and your family. I hope you have a great holiday season.
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 marked the end of the 2nd marking period and the end of 12 weeks of school (a 1/3 of our school year). In addition, Marking Period 2 report cards are now available via your child’s Schooltool account via... https://cnyric04.schooltool.co
Also, all updates regarding the SCCS Mascot can be found using the following link: https://www.southerncayuga.org
In the next few weeks we will communicate with students and families regarding 2024-25 course offerings and student scheduling timelines. Soon after the holiday break, we will share our 2024-25 course offerings guide and plan for student scheduling.
Upcoming School Calendar Items:
December Sports Schedule... https://www.schedulegalaxy.com
December 12: Grades 6-8 Concert, 6:00 pm in the SCCS Auditorium
December 13: Grades 9-12 Concert, 6:00pm in the SCCS Auditorium
December 14: Grades 5-8 Spelling Bee, 1:00pm. We plan to broadcast this event for families, check the SCCS website on Dec 14 for the weblink.
December 22: Annual Early Dismissal Drill (Grades 7-12 students dismissed at 1:45pm, Grade 6 at 3:00pm)
December 23-January 2: No School, Holiday Recess
January 3: School resumes & Start of Modified Winter Sports session 2
To stay up-to-date on Jr/Sr HS events, please visit www.southerncayuga.org/648.
Take care. Stay safe. Go Chiefs!
Happy Holidays,
Luke
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November 15, 2023
Hello Families-
Also to note, student dismissal for our required Early Dismissal Drill on Dec 22 will be at 1:45pm for grades 7-12 including PreK and at 3:00pm for grades k-6.
CAC Meeting (grades 6-12)
This evening we held our Fall CAC meeting and covered the agenda items below. For a copy of the slide show from the presentation, please go to the following webpage… https://www.southerncayuga.org
If you have any questions regarding our topics please email us.
Agenda
Title I Grant Review
2022-23 NYS Testing Results
2023-24 Educational Initiatives
P/T Conferences – Nov 20
Another quick notice about the SCCS Booster Club is sponsoring a Doug's Fish Fry event on November 20 from 11am-6pm in the high school parking lot. The Class of 2026 will also be there selling baked goods.
Lastly, next week there is no school for students… P/T conference are Nov 20 & Thanksgiving Recess is Nov 21-24.
Take care & Happy Thanksgiving,
Luke
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November 7, 2023
Hello Families-
I hope all is well. A few announcements regarding upcoming school events...
NYS School Safety Drills:
We completed all our required NYS Fall Fire Drills and we will complete the two required NYS Lockdown Drills in the next several days. One drill is scheduled for tomorrow, 11/8 and the other will be scheduled next week. I wanted to give you advanced notice of the drills so you are aware.
Tomorrow we will make an announcement before the Lockdown Drill so all students and staff are aware, especially since we are using a new safety system for our Lockdown notice in and outside of the building.
The last required NYS Fall Safety Drill will be an Early Dismissal Drill on Fri, Dec 22. As this time approaches, I will communicate the exact early dismissal time with families.
CAC Meeting (grades 6-12):
Families are invited to the Community Advisory Committee meeting, which is designed to discuss and communicate strategies that the school staff can assist with the home-school connection. We will record this meeting and post the link on the HS website for those not able to attend.
Meeting: Wed, Nov 15, 2023.
The meeting will be held via Zoom from 5:00-6:00p.m.
The link to the meeting is posted below...
Time: Nov 15, 2023 05:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/95714962395
Meeting ID: 957 1496 2395
Agenda
Title I Grant Review
2022-23 NYS Testing Results
2023-24 Educational Initiatives
P/T Conferences – Nov 20
2023-24 Curriculum Maps:
Curriculum Maps for all courses in grades 6-12 are now posted and can be viewed using the following link: https://www.southerncayuga.org
Athletics:
JV and Varsity sports begin on Monday, November 13. If your child is interested in playing a JV or Varsity sport, please ensure they are signed up and you selected the sport they are interested in via Final Forms. Additional instructions are on the Southern Cayuga Athletics website https://www.southerncayuga.org
The Booster Club is sponsoring a Southern Cayuga Red and White sale. Please use the following link to order. https://www.southerncayuga.org
The Booster Club is sponsoring a Doug's Fish Fry event on November 20 from 11am-6pm in the high school parking lot. The Class of 2026 will also be there selling baked goods. Please go to https://www.southerncayuga.org
For additional updates please check the Southern Cayuga CSD website via https://www.southerncayuga.org
Take care. Stay Safe. Go Chiefs!
Luke
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October 19, 2023
Greetings Grade 6-12 Families-
We hope you and your families are well. Marking Period 1 ended on 10/13/23 and report cards will be available via Schooltool as well as mailed home during the week of Oct 23. Students should be keeping track of their assignment completion, marking period grades, attendance, etc... in their Schooltool Acct. If students are struggling in any of their classes, teachers have been asked to reach out to students and families. Students should also discuss any struggles with class assignments with their teachers. If you have any questions on parent/guardian Schooltool login, please contact Ms. Bergen in the guidance office via 315-364-7111 x2114 or bergenk@southerncayuga.org.
Also, to note, student report cards in grades 6-12 are generated every 6 weeks and we mail report cards home for the 1st marking period and 6th marking period. Marking period reporting dates are located on page 6 in the student handbook. For marking periods 2-5, we plan to print student report cards and distribute them to students in school. Families and students may also access report cards in their Schooltool account, grades tab, print icon (upper left corner below school year 2023-24). Click the printer icon and the report card will open in another window.
A few announcements...
- School Pictures: Student pictures arrived on Monday and were given to students. Picture retakes are Nov 6.
- Curriculum Maps: All curriculum maps for our 2023-24 courses will be updated in the next few weeks. Maps can be found via the links located on the left side of this page.
- Google Classroom: Please contact your child's teacher for GClass summary reports if you are interested and not already receiving. Families can use Google Classroom to track student assignments, course content and monitor progress. If you are not already enrolled, students can add parent emails to Google Classrooms so families can stay connected with classes. You may also contact one of your child's teachers to add your email to GClass weekly notifications & announcements. Once a teacher adds your email to one class, you will receive notification from all your child's GClasses. The weekly notification will include an update on announcements, course assignments, as well as any assignments a student did not turn in for each of their classes.
- Parent/Teacher Conferences : Monday, November 20 for grades Pk-12 from 12:15-7:30pm. No school for students that day. Conference sign-ups are available by contacting Ms. Bergen in the guidance office via 315-364-7111 x2114 or bergenk@southerncayuga.org by November 13. When you request a conference, we will confirm meeting time and review the room location with you.
- If you may need another copy of our 2023-24 school calendar, a link can be found on the district's main webpage.
Fall Athletics
- Our fall sports teams did a fantastic job! Every single team and player made huge improvements during the season.
- Girls Varsity swim will be heading to IAC’s on October 21
- Varsity Cross Country will run in IAC’s on October 25
- The girls varsity soccer team had their best season in 20 years, congrats! The team won their first round sectional game on Oct 18 and will play in round two at home on Oct 21 v. Marathon @TBA (due to impending weather forecast).
- Congrats to the boys soccer team on their 2nd in a row IAC championship last Saturday. The boys varsity soccer team will have a home sectional game on October 20 v. Downsville/Walton @ 3:30pm
- Students signed up for winter sports last week
- All families with a student interested in a modified winter I or JV/Varsity winter sport received an email with instructions on how to register their student for winter sports via Final Forms (located via www.southerncayuga.org/690)
- Modified Winter I sports will begin on October 23
- JV/Varsity Winter sports will begin on November 13
Jr/Sr HS CAC Meeting: The CAC is designed to discuss strategies that the school staff can assist with the home-school connection.
First Meeting: Wed, Nov 15, 2023.
The meeting will be held via Zoom from 5:00-6:00p.m.
The link to the meeting is posted below...
Nov 15, 2023 Meeting Agenda
Title I Grant Review
2022-23 NYS Testing Results
2023-24 Educational Initiatives
P/T Conferences – Nov 20
Topic: CAC
Time: Nov 15, 2023 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95714962395
Meeting ID: 957 1496 2395
Also, please check our school Twitter feed outlining the great work from our students and events at our school.
Take care. Go Chiefs!
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September 8, 2023
Greetings Grade 6-12 Families,
I am pleased to report that overall we had an amazing start to the 2023-24 school year! I hope your child(ren) feels the same way. I am always impressed with our students as they handle the transition to the start of school so well. It is so great to see all our students back on campus.
If you have not already, please check your child's School Tool Acct in the next few weeks for assignment completion, marking period grades, attendance, etc... Also, to note, each marking period is outlined on page 6 of the student handbook. If you have any questions on your Schooltool login, please contact Ms. Bergen bergenk@southerncayuga.org in the guidance office.
And, we will conduct our Fall safety drills in the next several weeks (Fire & Lockdown drills).
A few announcements...US News & World Report -- Best High Schools
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I am very pleased to report that SC Sr HS students continue to perform at the top level in Cayuga County. Southern Cayuga 7-12 Secondary School earned high National and metro-area rankings in 2023-2024 Best High Schools, which U.S. News released on Aug 29, 2023. Click here for our updated U.S. News profile page, with details about our rankings. SC Sr HS ranked in the top 20% of all High Schools in NYS. Congrats SC!
Pk-12 Open House/Curriculum Night
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On Thurs, September 21 from 5:30-7:30pm. Teachers will be in their rooms for Meet & Greet, Syllabus & Curriculum Map share. At the Jr/Sr HS entrance we will have student schedules and room maps for families to follow at your leisure. Students are welcome to accompany their families at Open House.
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We plan to have all our Jr & Sr HS Curriculum maps updated and posted on the HS website by the beginning of October.
Student Pictures
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School Pictures are planned for Thurs, September 21 in the morning for all grades 6-12 students. Please use the information/website below to pre-order your picture packages. Print forms will be distributed to students next week or you can print another copy from the district website, under announcements. Picture make-up day is November 6.
Website: www.inter-state.com/order -- Order Code: 79226RA
Athletics & Homecoming games/dance
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Please use this link for our Fall Sports Schedule. Our school community is cordially invited to each game. Please come out and support our student-athletes.
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Our 2023 homecoming games are on Sept 29 & 30, use this link to locate games and times. Our homecoming dances will be on Sat, 9/30. Jr HS (grades 7-8) from 4:00-5:30pm and Sr HS (grades 9-12) from 6:00-8:00pm in the HS gym. Tickets for the dance will be sold during lunch the week prior to the event.
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Also, if you are interested in supporting our teams by volunteering at the Booster Club concession stand, please email scboosters34@yahoo.com
2023-24 School Improvement Planning (Year 3 of 3)
Educational Initiative #1: MTSS (Multi-Tier Student Support) Programming
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Teachers will collect individual student data on progress towards the NYS power/priority standards in each content area.
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Academic, behavioral, and attendance data will be reviewed and analyzed every 2-3 weeks in all classes. Academic interventions will then be determined to assist students.
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The MTSS system will be used to analyze overall student progress every 2-3 weeks and reported to student families every 6 weeks to ensure each student is showing growth.
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Interventions will be collected and analyzed (each marking period) to determine if the supports at each Tier level are meeting student needs.
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Other measures & goals:
1. We will update curriculum maps for power/priority standards by September 15, 2023.
2. Our goal is to move all students to proficiency on the power/priority standards through weekly data collection, differentiation, and interventions as needed monitored via the MTSS data collection process.
Educational Initiative #2: Character Ed Programming
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Teachers will implement a SEL/character education program, Second Step at the 7-8 grade level, and Character Strong at the 9-12 grade levels one to two times per month. Students will also participate in character education activities during advisory to continue building skills.
Mascot Change Committee Update – Click here for details
SC Jr/Sr HS Community Advisory Council (CAC)
Background: A large part of our success at SC Jr/Sr HS is tied directly to home-school communication and parental support of our school mission and initiatives. The CAC is designed to advise the Principal with strategies that the school staff can assist with the home-school connection.
Charge: To support academics at home, To make suggestions for the best ways to communicate with parents, To discuss academic initiatives.
Meetings: The following Wednesdays... Nov 15, 2023 and Mar 13, 2024.
All meetings will be held via Zoom from 5:00-6:00p.m. Agendas for each meeting are sent via email.
Please follow us on Twitter...
https://twitter.com/Southern_
https://twitter.com/
Take care & Go Chiefs!
Luke
August 31, 2023
Dear Students,
Students in grades 6-12, please click the following link for the Student Handbook/Chromebook Sign-Off Form.
Please complete this form by Friday, September 8, 2023.
Thank you.
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August 18, 2023
Starting next week, the SCCS Schooltool portal will be open to review school information regarding your child. During the school year, attendance, grades, contact information, disciplinary information, etc. will be available using this program.
Cell Phone Use (Grades 6-12)
Cell phones can be a major distraction to a student’s progress in school. We ask the following of our students…
- Students in grades 6, 7, and 8: Cell phones are off and away the entire school day. If a student brings their cell phone to school, they must keep it in their locker during the school day.
- Students in grades 9 & 10: No cell phones permitted during all classes (phones should be off and away). Teachers will ask students to place their phone in a classroom holder if they have their phone on them. Students may check/use their phone between classes and during lunch.
- Students in grades 11 & 12: Cell phones are permitted during classes if allowed by the teacher. Use of cell phones in a classroom is solely up to the discretion of the teacher. Cell phone use in the hallways and during lunch is allowed.
Consequence Progression: 1st offense: Collect phone, return to student at the end of the day; 2nd offense: collect phone, return to parent; 3rd offense: Collect phone, return to parent, ISS; 4th offense: multiple ISS days. Note: If a student fails to turn the phone over to a staff member the student will be subject to ISS or OSS.
Attendance Policy (Grades 6-12)
Every student has the right to educational opportunities that will enable the student to develop to their fullest potential. To maximize these opportunities, it is the responsibility of the student to be in attendance daily. Southern Cayuga Jr/Sr High School is committed to the philosophy that every student should attend every class every day. Regular attendance and promptness is expected in all classes and are essential for student success in school. An absence will be recorded for each that a student is not present within the class.
Families, please contact the main office if your child is not able to attend school.
Grades 9-12: 315-364-7111 x2103 or cartnerj@southerncayuga.org
Grades 6-8: 315-364-7111 x2114 or bergenk@southerncayuga.org
Under New York State Education Law Section 3205, parents are responsible for the regular attendance of their children for instruction. State law mandates that students must attend school until the age of 16. Students must finish the school year upon turning 16 years of age. Schools are required to code absences (the reason) for the attendance records. When no reliable information is received within a reasonable time and the absence does not meet an excused reason (pg. 11 in the handbook), it will be considered unexcused.
Dress Code (Grades 6-12)
As fully stated on page 16 of the student handbook, we believe that appropriate attire is important in developing worthwhile attitudes about the importance of school. Teachers and all other personnel should exemplify and reinforce acceptable student dress and help students develop an understanding of appropriate appearance in the school setting. Students will wear clothing and carry possessions that are appropriate for the school atmosphere. Backpacks… It is suggested that students purchase a mesh or see-through backpack, especially if they would like to carry items throughout the school day. A limited number of mesh bags will be available for students to use throughout the school year. Small purses/handbags may also be carried for personal items only. Normal type backpacks are not allowed during the school day for safety precautions. However, a normal backpack may be carried to and from school/bus to the student’s locker and left in the locker until the end of the day. Students are encouraged to use their locker throughout the school day to store their books/belongings and to keep their items secure.
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August 1, 2023
Hello Families-
On behalf of SCCS grade 6-12 staff, we would like to extend a warm welcome to the 2023-24 school year. We are excited to welcome all our students back to school on Wed, September 6.
A few announcements...
- Please see the attached school supply list for grades 6-12. Our goal with school supplies is to ask families to purchase only a few items.
- A reminder of our school day times, no changes from last school year...
Grades 9-12: 7:40am-2:11pm
Grades 7/8: 7:40am-2:13pm
Grade 6: 9:00am-3:30pm
- 2023-24 student schedules and our initial school newsletters in grades 6-12 will be mailed by August 18, please be on the lookout for this letter in the next few weeks.
- A reminder regarding the upcoming Fall sports season (grades 7-12)...
Parent/Athlete Information Night: Wed, August 9 at 6:00pm in the Auditorium.
Sports Physicals: August 9 & 17, please email Anne Reynolds, Jr/Sr HS Nurse via ReynoldsAnne@southerncayuga.org to schedule a time.
Varsity Sports Begin: August 21
Modified Sports Begin: August 23
- We will hold an open visitation day for students in grades 6-12 on Thurs, August 31 from 2-4pm. Students and families are welcome to stop into school to get acclimated with locker and classroom locations.
- And, a few September event reminders...
K-12 open house/curriculum night: Thurs, September 21 -- 5:30-7:30pm
Grade 6-12 picture day: September 21. Additional details on picture orders will be shared in September.
Stay up-to-date on Jr/Sr HS news using the school website and Twitter page.
Take care,
Luke
As always, if there is anything I can answer or assist with, please do not hesitate to email me at carnicellil@southerncayuga.org. I look forward to working with you and your child this school year.
SC Jr/Sr HS Community Advisory Council (CAC)
Background: A large part of our success at SC Jr/Sr HS is tied directly to home-school communication and parental support of our school mission and initiatives. The CAC is designed to advise the Principal with strategies that the school staff can assist with the home-school connection.
Charge: To support academics at home, To make suggestions for the best ways to communicate with parents, To discuss academic initiatives.
Meetings: The following Wednesdays... Nov 15, 2023 and Mar 13, 2024.
All meetings will be held via Zoom from 5:00-6:00p.m. Agendas for each meeting are sent via email.
Mission Statement: The Mission of Southern Cayuga Jr/Sr High School is to create an environment that is conducive to personal and academic excellence.
This will be accomplished by creating a school community that embodies the principles of being: Safe, Respectful, Responsible, and Kind.
Southern Cayuga Jr/Sr High School does not restrict students on the basis of race/ethnicity, religion, physical handicap subject to medical eligibility, or gender.
ACT vs SAT
Schooltool Family Login Guide
Tier 2 Vocab List gr 11/12
Tier 2 Vocab List gr 7/8
Tier 2 Vocab List gr 9/10
23-24 Supply List
23-24 Student Handbook Gr 6-12
SCCS Class of 2023 Newsletter
23-24 Chromebook Handbook
Fall 2023 CAC Presentation
Jr HS Program Brochure
SCCS Safety Protocol Guide
Seasonal Flu Info (Eng)
Seasonal Flu Info (Span)