We hope you had a restful summer and are ready for a successful school year beginning September 2nd. Principal Dr. Katy Berner-Wallen and the Lake Shore High School team have sent families a full welcome back letter covering orientation, schedules, new staff, the bell schedule, cellphone policy, and attendance expectations. You can download the original letter below, and the complete contents are also laid out on this page for easy reference.

Freshmen/New Student Orientation

September 1st, 12:00–3:00 p.m. Students will receive schedules and Chromebooks, tour the school, and attend an activity fair. While the students are occupied, parents will attend a mandatory Drug and Alcohol training session in the auditorium.

Open House

September 23rd, 6:00–7:30 p.m. This is an informal opportunity to visit classrooms and meet teachers. No formal schedule will be sent home.

Student Schedules

Student schedules will be mailed and available on PowerSchool on the 26th. If you notice an error, please reach out via email to your counselor. Only necessary adjustments (missing core classes, programs/prerequisites) will be accommodated. Sometimes, due to scheduling constraints a student may be locked out of a course and another may have been substituted.

Drop/Add

Drop/Add is from 9/2-9/11. As the counselors are busy making these changes, "drop ins" to the counseling office will be sent back to class.

We are welcoming some new and new-to-the High School team members this year as well including:

• Miss Lauren Guido - Math
• Andrew Gonzalez-Kennedy - Academic and Cultural Competency Coordinator
• Mr. Justin Hauret - Technology Education
• Mrs. June Matucci - Special Education
• Mr. Neil Singh - Special Education
• Mrs. Janice Ricotta - Front Desk Secretary

On the attached pages, you find some important information to get your school year started smoothly. Please pay specific attention to some of the changes contained in our Bell Schedule, the Bell-to-Bell Cellphone Ban, and our Student Attendance expectations.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katy Berner-Wallen - Principal Lake Shore HS (kberner-wallen@lscsd.org)
Mr. Daryl Besant - Athletic Director, Assistant Principal (Gr. 10 & 11) (daryl.besant@lscsd.org)
Mr. Jason Sullivan - HS Assistant Principal (Gr. 9 & 12) (jason.sullivan@lscsd.org)

Daily Operations

School Schedule

• School Hours: 7:45-2:30. This is 5 minutes earlier than last year.
• Morning Arrival: Students may not be dropped off before 7:20am. Students arriving before 7:30 should enter through the main entrance and report and remain in the cafeteria until 7:30. At 7:30, students may enter using the Tim Horton's side.
• Late Students: After 7:45, students will need to enter through the MAIN entrance and not from the West (Tim Horton's) side of the building.
• After School: Students staying for extra help, clubs, or detentions (2:30-3:10) must be supervised. Unsupervised students will be asked to leave.

Entering/Exiting During the School Day

• Sign-Out: Students leaving for appointments must be signed out at the Main Office by a parent/guardian.
• Sign-In: Students returning must sign back in at the Main Office.
• Late Arrivals: Students arriving late must enter through the Main Entrance. Please email the Main Office at hs.attendance@lscsd.org for all attendance-related updates.

Transportation

• General Inquiries: Call Transportation at (716) 926-2240.
• Here Comes the Bus: Track your bus in real-time via the Here Comes the Bus app (Code: 29788).
• Late Busses: Available Tuesday–Thursday, departing at 3:10 p.m. using elementary routes.
• Sports Busses: Depart Monday–Friday at 5:00 p.m. There are 4 busses. Students should ask the driver which bus to ride.
• Seneca Nation: Students should contact (716) 532-8152 for territory-specific bus information.

School Breakfast & Lunch

All students receive free breakfast and lunch. Funds may be added to student accounts for a la carte items or second meals. Charging is not permitted; no cash refunds or change are provided at the register.

School Pictures & Yearbook

• Pictures: Sept 16–17 (during PE) provided by Upstate.
• Senior Portraits: Oct 14 at LSHS. Portraits must be head-and-shoulder shots, blue background, no props/hats. Use your own photographer or the district photographer (free). ID photos will be used if no portrait is submitted. Contact: Mrs. Zittel (kathryn.zittel@lscsd.org) for more information.
• Yearbook: to order a yearbook, click the following link: Jostens website.

Student Parking

Juniors/Seniors driving to school must submit a Parking Registration Form (available in the HS office). Previous passes are honored, but a new form is required if your vehicle has changed.

Clubs and Activities

We encourage all students to join school clubs and activities. Visit Eagle News or the Advisor list for details.

PowerSchool Access

Monitor grades and progress via the PowerSchool App or Portal. Details are on our counseling website.

Parent Square

Use Parent Square to receive class and school updates from teachers and district officials.

Policies & Expectations

Student Attendance Expectations

Families should make every effort to send their child to school every day. Regular attendance is essential for academic success. Students absent for more than 10% of a class are considered chronically absent and will be referred to our Attendance Review Team.

• Excused/Unexcused Absences: If a student is absent, you do not need to call the building. A written note is required upon return. Absences without notes are unexcused and may impact academic averages and participation eligibility.
• Activity Eligibility: Students must be in attendance for at least 5 instructional periods on the day of (or the day prior if on a weekend) any school-sponsored event, including athletics, clubs, and field trips. This will allow students to check in with their teachers and to get any work they'll miss.
• Overnight Field Trips: Students must be present for 5 instructional periods for the 3 days leading up to an overnight trip.
• BOCES: Per BOCES policies, students who miss more than 20 days of their BOCES program may not be permitted to continue in the BOCES program and can be removed from their BOCES program at the request of the BOCES administration.
• Tardies: Punctuality is essential for maintaining an optimal learning environment. Below is our policy regarding tardiness and attendance privileges:
  • Unexcused Tardies & Detention: Students are allowed up to three unexcused tardies per semester. Excused tardies require documentation (e.g., medical/dental appointments, court appearances, illness, or family emergencies).
  • Detention Escalation: Beginning with the fourth unexcused tardy, and for each subsequent unexcused tardy, a detention will be assigned. Skipping a scheduled detention will result in an escalated 5:00 PM detention.
  • Late Arrival & Early Dismissal Privileges: Seniors with late arrival or early dismissal privileges must maintain consistent punctuality. Privileges will be evaluated at the end of the second marking period and re-checked every five weeks thereafter. Persistent tardiness will result in the loss of these privileges.

Cellphone Policy

This year, we are prioritizing consistent, school-wide enforcement of this mandate to ensure a distraction-free learning environment. Per NYS law students are prohibited from possessing or using internet-capable devices during the school day. During the school day these devices must be TURNED OFF and STORED IN A LOCKED LOCKER for the duration of the school day. Cellphones are no longer an acceptable substitute for a school issued Chromebook and will not be allowed in the classroom, hallway, lunch room, or library.

• 1st Offense: Device is secured in the Main Office and returned to the student at the end of the day.
• 2nd Offense: Device is secured in the Main Office and the device must be picked up by a parent/guardian.
• 3rd Offense: Device is secured in the Main Office immediately upon student arrival. This will continue for five weeks and parent and student shall meet with the administrator/counselor to devise a support plan to follow the law. Failure to adhere to the plan will result in escalated consequences.

Academic Probation & Eligibility

A student's first responsibility is to their academic achievement before all other activities. Students who consistently fail to progress academically run the risk of repeating an academic year. Participation in our activities and athletic programs is a privilege granted to students who demonstrate ongoing academic success.

Code of Conduct

All students will participate in a Code of Conduct assembly within the first two weeks of school to review the expectations for Student Behavior. Parents and students are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct.