SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Leap Day, two teams from Geyser Road Elementary School competed in the regional Odyssey of the Mind Tournament. The team coached by Peter Murray took 2nd place in the Networking Problem and the team coached by Michelle McMurtrie took 1st place in the Effective Detective Problem. Both teams are going to Binghamton on April 4 for States.

SARATOGA SPRINGS/SCHUYLERVILLE — On Saturday March 7, Girl Scouts from 12 troops in the Saratoga-Schuylerville Service Unit held their annual EXPO and this theme this year was Women First. 

The Service Unit was rewarded a grant from the National Girls Collaborative Project to provide Limited Edition Matchbox cars created with Mercedes-Benz to commemorate Ewy Rosqvist’s 1962 Argentinian Road Rally record breaking victory.

Scouts at the Expo participated in activities to learn about women who were considered the first in their endeavor and broke down gender or social barriers.  Women who were featured included: Danica Patrick, Junko Tabei, Harriet Tubman, Katherine Johnson, Sally Ride, Katie Sowers, Ellen DeGeneres, Greta Thunberg, Ewy Rosqvist, Marie Curie, Shirley Muldowney. 

The National Science Bowl® is a nationwide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science and mathematics. Middle and high school student teams from diverse backgrounds are comprised of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. These teams face-off in a fast-paced questionand-answer format, being tested on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, physics, energy, and math. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl® and sponsors the NSB finals competition. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit www. energy.gov/science.
Inspiring and Challenging the Nation’s Future Leaders in Science and Technology
SARATOGA COUNTY — Middle school and high school students begin competing this month in the 2020 National Science Bowl,® sponsored by the Department of Energy and managed by DOE’s Office of Science, leading up to the National Championship in April 2020. Buzzers, not bells, will ring in the New Year for thousands of middle- and high-school students all across the U.S. That’s because they’ll soon be pitting their math and science knowledge — and their reflexes — against one another in regional competitions of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) 30th National Science Bowl® (NSB). Students from Saratoga Springs High School and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School will be participating, among several other schools in the Albany area. The competitions start this month, with four students from each team facing off in a fast-paced, question-and-answer format. (More information about the date and location of specific regionals can be found through the NSB Homepage). The winning team from each of the 50 middle- and 65 high-school regions will compete in the National Finals, held in Washington, D.C. from April 30 to May 4, 2020. At the Finals, winning teams can score exciting adventure trips to Alaska and national parks across the country to learn firsthand about science in the field, as well as trophies, medals, and supplies for their schools’ science departments. But to many, the ultimate prize simply wou ld be the prestige of winning the National Championship. Each year, the NSB draws more than 14,700 middle- and high-school competitors. More than 305,000 students have faced off in the NSB Finals since the first competition in 1991. The knowledge that former NSB competitors have acquired – and more importantly, the habits of study that they’ve learned along the way – have led them to success in a variety of fields. Many have become researchers; others are science and math professors at some of our nation’s most prestigious universities. While those career paths might seem intuitive, the math and science knowledge students need to be successful in the NSB also can lead to successful careers in other fields. The 2020 NSB competitors will follow in the footsteps of previous National Science Bowl® contestants, and will blaze a trail for students in science, math and engineering for the next quarter-century.

Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar Appoints Cindy Hollowood as Co-Executive Director
SARATOGA COUNTY — Cindy Hollowood was recently named Co-Executive Director of Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar (SSAS), current Executive Director Jim LaVigne announced. Hollowood will serve alongside LaVigne for one year before becoming the new Executive Director. LaVigne will continue with the organization as a board member concentrating on program development and fundraising. “This is a bittersweet decision for me, but I believe it’s time. The past 13 years have been wonderful, and I have loved every aspect of this job, but I needed to put a succession plan in place. For the past three years, the board has discussed finding a suitable replacement, and we’ve spent countless hours reviewing the key requirements of the position and potential candidates,”
LaVigne explained. Hollowood said the she has been impressed with the work of SASS since they first began. “Anything we can do as a community to help deserving students overcome the barriers that prevent them from getting a college education, we should do. The program has done a remarkable job. There are participants of the SASS program succeeding in high school, college and in life because of the effort and commitment of the program’s board, mentors and volunteers. These young people will change the world, and they have the program to thank for that. I am humbled and very happy that Jim and the SASS board think I can continue to grow what they have so successfully nurtured for these 13 years,” she said.
Hollowood just finished a 38-year career as Managing Partner of the Saratoga Holiday Inn. While at the Holiday Inn, Hollowood served in a variety of leadership roles in the community and the hospitality industry. Her community involvement includes serving on the Saratoga Springs Zoning Board, the Special Assessment District, the boards of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, Hudson Valley Community College Foundation and the Saratoga Race Course Community Advisory Committee. She was a founding member and three-time chair of the board of the Saratoga Convention Bureau and Chaired the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, the Saratoga America Red Cross and the Saratoga Next Step Downtown Redevelopment Committee. Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar’s ninth class graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 2019. All 84 graduates have been accepted into college. For more information go to the Saratoga Sponsor A Scholar website: www. saratogasponsorascholar.org

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Independent School (S.I.S.) provides an excellent education to students in Pre-K through Middle School and enrollment is now open for the 2020/2021 school year.  On Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 10 a.m., S.I.S. will host an Admissions Open House. 

During the open house, prospective families will have an opportunity to meet Lisa Brown, Head of School, as well as other faculty and staff. Ms. Brown will welcome families and provide a brief history and overview of S.I.S.  Members of the faculty will take families on tours of our campus, discuss the curriculum, and answer questions about the school.

For more information and to register, visit www.siskids.org/admissions/open-house.cfm.

S.I.S Highlights:

• Rigorous academic curriculum,following the state standards of education
• Two dedicated science labs
• Small class sizes
• Curriculum-based field trips throughout the Capital Region and beyond
• After-school enrichment programs, including engineering, computer programming, team sports, piano, French language, and Odyssey of the Mind
• Specials including art, music, and Spanish starting in Pre-K
• Physical Education utilizing our playing fields and expansivewooded campus
• Safe and Secure 60-acre campus for hiking, snowshoeing, outdoor learning, and sleddinghill for recess fun
• Wholesome lunch program in partnership with Healthy Living Market
• Interscholastic soccer, cross-country, and track opportunities
• Before-Care daily from 7:30 a.m.  
  After-Care daily until 5:30 p.m.
• 5 minutes from I-87 Exit 14and 5 minutes from downtown Saratoga Springs

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Spring High School Drama Club will present Shrek the Musical on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m., Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday March 14 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The performances will be held in the Loewenberg Auditorium at
Saratoga Springs High School. Based on the Oscar-winning animation film, Shrek the Musical is a Tony-award-winning fairytale adventure, featuring all the beloved characters you know from the film. Shrek is a musical joy children and adults will love. Ticket prices are $15 for reserved seats, $12 for adult general seating, and $7 for students and senior general seating. Seats are available online starting March 1 at brownpapertickets.com or at the door one-hour before the performance. Reserved seating is only available online. “Rehearsals are going great! It’s a wonderful show about acceptance and accepting people for who they are. The musical itself is a great musical,” said director Bob Berenis.
Berenis has directed for Saratoga Springs Drama Club for the last 21 years. “When I announced the show, I was a little ambivalent, I thought some kids would like it and some
wouldn’t, but they screamed so loudly I had to cover my ears. They were so excited,” he laughed. Parents and community members have been on hand to help build the sets, which are massive.

THE CAST:

Shrek – Kai Farr Donkey – Spencer Boyce Fiona – Katy Hawthorne Lord Farquaad – Liam Epstein Pinocchio – Phineas Goodman Gingy/Sugarplum Fairy – Maria Sablich Dragon – Tessa Rivenburg Dragon at Saturday Matinee – Sarah Trimmings Young Fiona – Ainsley Martell Teenage Fiona – Mira DeGregory Young Shrek/Dwarf – Kylee Martin Papa Ogre – Teddy Vandeven Mama Ogre – Maddy Mergl King Harold – Ethan Crowley Queen Lillian – Tessa Rivenburg Wolf – Ethan Crowley 3 Blind Mice – Sarah Trimmings, Mira DeGregory, Maddy Mergl Ugly Duckling – Molly Egan Fairy Godmother – Margaret Scala Humpty Dumpty – Skye Vilca Wicked Witch – Izzy Pipino Mama Bear – Grace Davis
Papa Bear – Teddy Vandeven Baby Bear – Sabrina Martin Mad Hatter – Alex Lippincott 3 Pigs – Ainsley Martell, Maddie Cook, Sofia Bolier Elf – Lucas Pelletier Peter Pan – Eli Jaques Bishop – Max Novik Pied Piper/Dance Captain – Sophia Sulkin Thelonius – Amelie Przedwiecki Captain – Siobhan Rogers-Harrigton

ENSEMBLE: Madeline Slavett Trinity Taylor Amelia Winn Max Novik Kate Lindley Anabelle Brueggeman Samantha Corrigan Graciella Dorsey Yliana Syed Fiona Taylor Amy Vich Elle Wilcox Naava Wilson

SARATOGA COUNTY —  Middle school and high school students begin competing this month in the 2020 National Science Bowl,® sponsored by the Department of Energy and managed by DOE’s Office of Science, leading up to the National Championship in April 2020.

Buzzers, not bells, will ring in the New Year for thousands of middle- and high-school students all across the U.S. That’s because they’ll soon be pitting their math and science knowledge — and their reflexes — against one another in regional competitions of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) 30th National Science Bowl® (NSB).

Students from Saratoga Springs High School and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School will be participating, among several other schools in the Albany area.

The competitions start this month, with four students from each team facing off in a fast-paced, question-and-answer format. (More information about the date and location of specific regionals can be found through the NSB Homepage). The winning team from each of the 50 middle- and 65 high-school regions will compete in the National Finals, held in Washington, D.C. from April 30 to May 4, 2020. At the Finals, winning teams can score exciting adventure trips to Alaska and national parks across the country to learn first-hand about science in the field, as well as trophies, medals, and supplies for their schools’ science departments. But to many, the ultimate prize simply wou
ld be the prestige of winning the National Championship.

Each year, the NSB draws more than 14,700 middle- and high-school competitors. More than 305,000 students have faced off in the NSB Finals since the first competition in 1991. The knowledge that former NSB competitors have acquired – and more importantly, the habits of study that they’ve learned along the way – have led them to success in a variety of fields. Many have become researchers; others are science and math professors at some of our nation’s most prestigious universities.

While those career paths might seem intuitive, the math and science knowledge students need to be successful in the NSB also can lead to successful careers in other fields. The 2020 NSB competitors will follow in the footsteps of previous National Science Bowl® contestants, and will blaze a trail for students in science, math and engineering for the next quarter-century.

The National Science Bowl® is a nationwide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science and mathematics. Middle and high school student teams from diverse backgrounds are comprised of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. These teams face-off in a fast-paced question-and-answer format, being tested on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, physics, energy, and math. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl® and sponsors the NSB finals competition.

DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit www.energy.gov/science.

SARATOGA COUNTY — Cindy Hollowood was recently named Co-Executive Director of Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar (SSAS), current Executive Director Jim LaVigne announced. Hollowood will serve alongside LaVigne for one year before becoming the new Executive Director. LaVigne will continue with the organization as a board member concentrating on program development and fundraising.

“This is a bittersweet decision for me, but I believe it’s time.  The past 13 years have been wonderful, and I have loved every aspect of this job, but I needed to put a succession plan in place.  For the past three years, the board has discussed finding a suitable replacement, and we’ve spent countless hours reviewing the key requirements of the position and potential candidates,”
LaVigne explained.

Hollowood said the she has been impressed with the work of SASS since they first began.

“Anything we can do as a community to help deserving students overcome the barriers that prevent them from getting a college education, we should do. The program has done a remarkable job. There are participants of the SASS program succeeding in high school, college and in life because of the effort and commitment of the program’s board, mentors and volunteers.  These young people will change the world, and they have the program to thank for that. I am humbled and very happy that Jim and the SASS board think I can continue to grow what they have so successfully nurtured for these 13 years,” she said. 

Hollowood just finished a 38-year career as Managing Partner of the Saratoga Holiday Inn. While at the Holiday Inn, Hollowood served in a variety of leadership roles in the community and the hospitality industry. Her community involvement includes serving on the Saratoga Springs Zoning Board, the Special Assessment District, the boards of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, Hudson Valley Community College Foundation and the Saratoga Race Course Community Advisory Committee. She was a founding member and three-time chair of the board of the Saratoga Convention Bureau and Chaired the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, the Saratoga America Red Cross and the Saratoga Next Step Downtown Redevelopment Committee. 

Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar’s ninth class graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 2019.  All 84 graduates have been accepted into college.  For more information go to the Saratoga Sponsor A Scholar website: www.saratogasponsorascholar.org   

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Spring High School Drama Club will present Shrek the Musical on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m., Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday March 14 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The performances will be held in the Loewenberg Auditorium at Saratoga Springs High School.

Based on the Oscar-winning animation film, Shrek the Musical is a Tony-award-winning fairytale adventure, featuring all the beloved characters you know from the film. Shrek is a musical joy children and adults will love.

Ticket prices are $15 for reserved seats, $12 for adult general seating, and $7 for students and senior general seating. Seats are available online starting March 1 at brownpapertickets.com or at the door one-hour before the performance. Reserved seating is only available online.

“Rehearsals are going great! It’s a wonderful show about acceptance and accepting people for who they are. The musical itself is a great musical,” said director Bob Berenis.

Berenis has directed for Saratoga Springs Drama Club for the last 21 years.

“When I announced the show, I was a little ambivalent, I thought some kids would like it and some wouldn’t, but they screamed so loudly I had to cover my ears. They were so excited,” he laughed.

Parents and community members have been on hand to help build the sets, which are massive. 

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THE CAST:
Shrek – Kai Farr
Donkey – Spencer Boyce
Fiona – Katy Hawthorne
Lord Farquaad – Liam Epstein
Pinocchio – Phineas Goodman
Gingy/Sugarplum Fairy – Maria Sablich
Dragon – Tessa Rivenburg
Dragon at Saturday Matinee – Sarah Trimmings
Young Fiona – Ainsley Martell
Teenage Fiona – Mira DeGregory
Young Shrek/Dwarf – Kylee Martin
Papa Ogre – Teddy Vandeven
Mama Ogre – Maddy Mergl
King Harold – Ethan Crowley
Queen Lillian – Tessa Rivenburg
Wolf – Ethan Crowley
3 Blind Mice – Sarah Trimmings, Mira DeGregory, Maddy Mergl
Ugly Duckling – Molly Egan
Fairy Godmother – Margaret Scala
Humpty Dumpty – Skye Vilca
Wicked Witch – Izzy Pipino
Mama Bear – Grace Davis
Papa Bear – Teddy Vandeven
Baby Bear – Sabrina Martin
Mad Hatter – Alex Lippincott
3 Pigs – Ainsley Martell, Maddie Cook, Sofia Bolier
Elf – Lucas Pelletier
Peter Pan – Eli Jaques
Bishop – Max Novik
Pied Piper/Dance Captain – Sophia Sulkin
Thelonius – Amelie Przedwiecki
Captain – Siobhan Rogers-Harrigton

ENSEMBLE:
Madeline Slavett
Trinity Taylor
Amelia Winn
Max Novik
Kate Lindley
Anabelle Brueggeman
Samantha Corrigan
Graciella Dorsey
Yliana Syed
Fiona Taylor
Amy Vich
Elle Wilcox
Naava Wilson