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Potsdam Central School will be subject of newest North Country Matters episode

Posted 11/6/16

A back-to-school report at Potsdam Central is the topic of discussion on the latest program from North Country Matters, the local news video magazine produced at WCKN at Clarkson University. NCM …

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Potsdam Central School will be subject of newest North Country Matters episode

Posted

A back-to-school report at Potsdam Central is the topic of discussion on the latest program from North Country Matters, the local news video magazine produced at WCKN at Clarkson University.

NCM hosts Ann Carvill and Donna Seymour talk with Potsdam Central School Superintendent JoAnn Chambers and new Lawrence Avenue Elementary School Principal Jennifer Gray.

Chambers talks about all the new hires at PCS, including two building principals.

Gray talks about several new programs this year at the elementary school, including the "Snack Pack" program which gets underway this month with community support. The elementary swim program is back, and there is a new latchkey child care program that helps families who need before- and after-school day care.

The panel also discusses the mental health needs of the school-aged population and how the school is working toward meeting those needs. As many as one in five kids living in the U.S. show signs or symptoms of a mental health disorder in a given year; in a classroom of 25 students, five of them may be struggling with the same issues many adults deal with: depression, anxiety, substance abuse.

They also look at teaching civics in this presidential election year, school finances, and how Potsdam is using the $1.3 million they received under last year’s Smart Schools Bond Act to upgrade technology education in the district.

This semester SUNY Potsdam students in Prof. Trevor Blank’s communication class are assisting with the video production at WCKN and with social media to publicize the work of NCM. People may visit the NCM Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NorthCountryMatters/ or follow them on Twitter: @NCMattersNY.

The NCM civic partners working to educate North Country residents about critical public policy issues facing our region include AAUW-St.Lawrence County, the League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County, and Clarkson and SUNY Potsdam communication students.

Check the websites for AAUW-St. Lawrence County (http://stlawrence.aauw-nys.org/) and the League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County (http://slc-leaguewv.org/) for specific program links as they become available

The shows are always available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnsRt0cUL5YdjA8ScVG8cQ.