The HDCS JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society) Team will attend a competition at Clarkson University, Tuesday, March 9. Our students will compete against high school teams around the Northeast in this event. This year the competition is titled Water, Water, Everywhere! The eight member team will be given two 90 minute time intervals to develop and solve well over 90 math and science based engineering problems regarding the design and operation of water use and purification systems. Students will experience first-hand the real-world applications of math and science. Good luck to the team!

Pre-K screening will take place on Wednesday, May 26. Kindergarten screening for students new to the district will take place on Tuesday, June 8 and Thursday, June 10. More information will be available soon.

On Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27 the Theater Production Club (formerly Drama Club) will present Pat Cook's Ax of Murder. Set on the stage of a small theater company, the curtain opens on a group of actors trying to settle on their next production. Things quickly make a turn for the bizarre when a haunted script begins to cause the events written in its pages to unfold on stage. As members of the theater staff begin to fall prey to the haunting, the rest of the cast must hurry to discover the script’s secret before it claims anymore victims.

Despite the dire plot summary, Ax of Murder is first and foremost a comedy, and is as light-hearted as murder mysteries come. We would like potential audience members to know that this show features a series of flashing lighting effects and there is some imagery that very young children may find scary. However, by and large this is a show that the whole family can enjoy. Doors will open at 7:00 PM and performances will begin at 7:30 PM. Ticket prices are $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. We hope you will be able to come support our students' hard work and dedication and spend an enjoyable night trying to figure out Whodunit!

The advisors for this production are Chris Dwyer and Matt Gayle.

Christy Collins, Elementary Art Teacher, would like to request old greeting cards for use in her classes. Please bring used cards to the school.

Hermon-DeKalb Central School, along with Seaway Valley Prevention Council is working with 14 students from HDCS to compete on the 2009-2010 Rite Aid Drug Quiz Team.

What is the Rite Aid Drug Quiz Team?  Rite Aid Drug Quiz was created to help students in grade 5-8 learn information about tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.  Students also, practice important life skills such as decision making, stress management and conflict resolution.

Seaway Valley Prevention Council has made it possible to hold a countywide Rite Aid Drug Quiz competition on March 13, 2010. The competition will be held at SUNY Canton at the Miller Campus Center starting at 8:00 AM.  Seaway Valley Prevention Council will provide lunch and fun events throughout the day. Students are able to compete against several schools countywide. The winners of the county competition are able to move onto the regional competition in Syracuse.

The students from Hermon-DeKalb Central School that will be participating are Rhys Bryant, Chelsea Robinson, Kylea McAdam, Aly Tarner, Alison Weber, and Breanna Robinson.  The peer coaches that will be participating are Kaitlynn Doerr, Sarrah Eckel, Bianca Fadden, Leigh Griffin, Kayla Briggs, Kylie Morrill, Sabrina Petrie, and Lucas Brunet.

Please feel free to enjoy this event with the team because the students learn that everyone is a winner no matter what.

The Scripps Regional Spelling Bee will be held on Tuesday, March 16 at General Brown High School in Dexter at 6:30 PM. Cameron Hance will again represent HDCS. He is the son of Kathy and Robert Hance. The alternate is Garrett Villeneuve son of Shirley and Michael Villeneuve.

The MathCounts Team recently competed at Clarkson University and took second place. The team members are Cameron Hance, Jacob McDonald, Sebastian Durham, and Harrison Chilton. In the individual competition, Jacob McDonald placed fourth. Other members of the MathCounts Club are Eli Smith and Ryan Matthews.

When school is closed or delayed there will be an announcement made over area radio and tv stations. Every effort will be made to make a decision by 6:15 AM. Occasionally it may be necessary to close school when an emergency occurs or weather conditions worsen.

All school closings or delays will be announced over the following stations: WTNY, WCIZ, WNER, WFRY, WPDM (1470, FM 99.3), WSNN, WSLB, WGIX, WQTK, WSLU, (FM 89.5), WNCQ, YES FM, WMSA, WWNY-TV Channel 7, WWTI Channel 50, NEWS 10, and the Watertown Daily Times web site, www.watertowndailytimes.com.

The National Honor Society will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive on March 17 at Hermon-DeKalb Central School. It will be held in the auditorium from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The group would appreciate your support.

Free and Reduced Price Lunch Application

This is a reminder to all families who received free and reduced meals last year. A new application must be submitted for this school year. If no application is received by September 30, your child's status will change on October 1 and they will automatically be charged full prices for their lunches and breakfasts. Also, if you have had a change in income your child may now be eligible for free and reduced meals.

An application may be filled out at any time and is included with this newsletter. Additional information on this process is being mailed to many families by the Food Service and Business Office. If you have any questions, you may contact Tom Fetcie, Food Service Manager or Janet Boyd, Business Manager

Caught Ya's are again one of the ways that we reward students at HDCS. These nominations are given to students who have done something particularly nice or good during the week. Four winners are selected weekly. New winners selected since the last newsletter are Joy Tarner nominated by Mrs. Potter, Danin Graham nominated by Mrs. Mayette, Morgan Gotham nominated by Mrs. Fountain, and Olivia Woodrow nominated by Mrs. Potter.

After Grad Party News

A Spaghetti Dinner to benefit the HD Grad Night will be held on Tuesday, March 23 at HDCS from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. Take outs will be available. Delivery to the DeKalb and Hermon Senior Citizen Housing will also be available that night.

Dinners include spaghetti, meatballs, salad, bread, and dessert. The cost is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for children and seniors, $22.00 for a family and children under 5 eat free.

Please support the HDCS Grad Night and enjoy a meal where you don't have to cook or clean up. Contact Lisa Peters at 347-3605 for more information.

A Silent Auction will be held the day of the Budget Vote and Spring Fling. If you have donations for the auction, please contact Lisa Peters.

A bottle drive will take place throughout the year. Bottles may be taken to Bessette's in Canton or NYSARC in Canton, Hermon, or Gouverneur. Be sure to tell them that the monies need to be credited to the HDCS Grad Night Fund. Should you want bottles to be picked up, please contact Lisa Peters at the number listed below. Also, a bin has been provided at the school for bottle drop offs. Bottles should be clean and packaged in plastic bags before they are put in the bin. This bin is at the front entrance to the school building.

Cash calendar winners since the last newsletter are Vikki Schober, Alexa Cleveland, Richard Fitzgerald, Willis Shattuck, Laura Richards, Zoie St. Andrews, Robin Mienert, Barb Stransky, Cindy Bessette, David Schober, Janet Dyke, Lisa Camidge, and Nate and Kelly Parks.

Parents who would like to become involved should contact Lisa Peters or come to the next meeting. The next meeting will be held on Monday, March 22 at 6:30 PM in the school library. They are discussing fundraising and ideas you may have for the party. For more information, contact Lisa Peters at 347-3605.

HDCS is continuing to collect Box Tops for Education on General Mills products. They have extended their line to include even more products. A list of products that qualify is included in this newsletter. Some examples of products include Pillsbury, Green Giant, Totino's, Progresso, Old ElPaso, Gold Medal, and Lloyd's. Each coupon collected nets $.10 for the school. Please bring box tops to the main office.

The school also participates in Campbell's Labels for Education. A list of qualifying products for this program is also included in this newsletter.

Thank you to all the parents and community members who donate their labels and box tops. The money and merchandise received from these programs is all needed at Hermon-DeKalb.

Did you know.............?

.....that St. Lawrence University graduate student Tim Larose is doing his school counseling internship with Jean Merithew in the Guidance Office this semester?

.....that the 4th Annual Ranger Challenge, an Army based team competition for middle school and high school, is scheduled for May 13?

.....that Taylor Grant will be attending the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Conference (HOBY) as an alternate along with Jocelyn Moulton?

.....that the Laurentian Chapter invited St. Lawrence County Schools to nominate students to apply for a week campership at the Lake Colton Environmental Camp? The students had to write an essay explaining why they would like to attend the camp and Alison Weber from HDCS won.

.....that the second grade class visited Gebarten Farms to learn about dairy farming?

.....that Desiree Webster will be student teaching with Nicole Morenz and Crystal D'Addezio will be teaching with Doreen Radway, both in second grade, starting March 22?