Children’s author Emma Otheguy with Schuylerville 4th and 5th graders. Photo via the Schuylerville Central School District.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Schuylerville’s 4th and 5th grade students recently had an opportunity to meet acclaimed children’s author Emma Otheguy, thanks to a partnership with the Department of Education Studies at Skidmore College.
Otheguy’s newest release is “Cousins in the Time of Magic,” a historical fiction novel that follows three cousins who are transported from present-day Miami to 1862 Virginia after stumbling upon a mysterious portal in their aunt’s yard. As the children journey through Civil War-era America, they gain a deeper understanding of Latin American and U.S. history.
Otheguy spent over an hour speaking with Schuylerville students. The conversation touched on the joys of storytelling, the writing process, and the importance of seeing oneself reflected in literature. With a Ph.D. in History from New York University and a research focus on colonial Latin America, Otheguy’s work often explores the connections between Latin America and the United States.
“One of the things I’ve always loved about being a reader is the chance to connect with authors,” Otheguy said in a news release. “When schools bring authors into the classroom, they’re not just encouraging reading—they’re inviting students into a lifelong relationship with books.”
Photo via the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
ALBANY — Dr. Stacy Pettigrew, a 1992 graduate of Saratoga Springs High School, was recently named the 2025 Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) Researcher of the Year.
Dr. Pettigrew is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Director of The Collaboratory in Albany’s South End.
“Her work exemplifies excellence in scholarship, innovation in public health practice research, and deep, sustained community engagement,” said Joseph J. Carreno in an email sent to ACPHS colleagues.
Over the past year, Dr. Pettigrew submitted 18 extramural grant proposals and secured five competitive awards totaling $393,580. Her projects tackle urgent public health priorities, including opioid harm reduction, chronic disease management, and food insecurity. Notable initiatives include the Food Farmacy, which operationalizes the concept of food as medicine, and a telehealth blood pressure monitoring program managed by a public health pharmacy technician—both offering scalable models for public health innovation.
Dr. Pettigrew has recently published extensively in high-impact journals such as Science of the Total Environment, Clinical Infectious Diseases, and the Journal of Cleaner Production. She has integrated students into grant-funded research, co-authored peer-reviewed publications, and helped launch the careers of young professionals.
US Representative Elise Stefanik’s official 115th Congressional portrait via her website.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, whose district includes parts of Saratoga County, wrote a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on Monday calling for a federal probe of the Saratoga Springs School District over its alleged “direct violation” of President Trump’s executive order banning trans athletes from competing in girls’ sports.
A copy of the letter, which was first obtained by the New York Post, said that the district’s recent “Affirming Our Support for Every Student” resolution also violated Title IX of federal education law, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools and programs that receive federal funding.
“Allowing biological males into girls’ sports and locker rooms is in direct violation of President Trump’s executive order,” Stefanik stated in the letter. “Our daughters should not be forced to compete against biological men in competitive sports or share a locker room with biological men. Under Title IX and articulated in President Trump’s Executive Order 14201, educational institutions that receive federal funding must be in compliance with Title IX’s requirements to protect opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports. I join President Trump in his commitment to protect our nation’s girls and daughters. This Far Left woke ideology has no place in our communities.”
Stefanik’s letter comes in the wake of increasing national scrutiny of the Saratoga school board’s resolution, which didn’t change any of the district’s existing policies, but did push back against the Trump administration’s stances on both transgender students and DEI policies.
On April 10, the Riley Gaines Center sent its Ambassador Kaitlynn Wheeler to a Saratoga school board meeting. Wheeler, who advocates for “fairness and the protection of female athletes,” said in a press release that the board had departed from federal protections designed to ensure fairness in women’s sports.
At that same meeting, Dr. Emanuel Cirenza, the district’s physician advisor, said that he could think of only one example of a trans athlete in the district during the last 28 years. “To a large extent, this is very much a manufactured controversy,” Cirenza said.
Critics of the resolution often say that the district’s federal funding could be threatened by the resolution, although Board Vice President Tony Krackeler has said that the $3.1 million in federal funds received by the district are only amendable by an act of Congress.
Stefanik is reportedly considering a run for governor after her nomination for UN ambassador was withdrawn last month.
BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa’s 3US First Robotics Team 3044 0xBE4 has received and accepted a wild card invitation to attend the World Championships happening in Houston, Texas from April 16-19. They are one of 600 out of 3,690 teams worldwide to receive an invitation.
Earlier this month, the team was ranked the 4th best team in New York State following the New York Tech Valley FIRST Robotics Competition at MVP Arena. The squad also earned its 32nd team award with the Gracious Professionalism Award.
Prior to the event at MVP, 0xBe4 competed at the Finger Lakes Regional against 54 teams from New York, Ohio, and West Virginia. The team qualified in 11th place and was selected to compete in Eliminations with the 5th seed Captain. The team’s record was 10-4 and their robot placed in the top ten in many categories. At the time, they were ranked #147 out of 2,947 teams in the country, and they were ranked #189 out of 3,712 teams in the world.
Photo of Saratoga County Deputy Paula Wilbur via the Schuylerville Central School District.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Saratoga County Deputy Paula Wilbur will be the new School Resource Officer (SRO) for the Schuylerville Central School District following the departure of Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Greive, who served as the district’s SRO since September 2023.
Deputy Wilbur has been a Sheriff’s Deputy with Saratoga County since June 2024, and previously worked in law enforcement in Whitehall, as well as a Child Protective Services caseworker for Washington County Social Services.
“I’m excited to work in Schuylerville and make a positive impact on students,” Wilbur said in a statement. “I look forward to working with kids of all ages and being part of their day-to-day at school. Helping children view law enforcement as positive role models is something that can benefit them throughout their lives.”
Deputy Greive has accepted a new position with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
Photo via the Ballston Spa Central School District.
ALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa School District’s Middle School Problem 4 team was recently crowned New York State Champions at the Odyssey of the Mind State Finals Tournament in Syracuse. The team was one of five squads representing Ballston Spa.
The Wood Road Elementary team, participating in the tournament for the first time, came in 8th place for their problem/division and got the highest spontaneous score.
Riley Gaines Center Ambassador Kaitlynn Wheeler speaks at the April 10 Saratoga Springs School District board meeting. Photo via the district’s livestream.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School auditorium was packed last Thursday night with a divided crowd of attendees that debated a recent resolution passed by the school board that reaffirmed the district’s support for, among other things, transgender students’ ability to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity.
The resolution did not change any of the district’s existing policies, but it did attract the attention of many locals and even national political activists such as the conservative X account “Libs of TikTok,” which accused the Saratoga Springs School District of supporting “radical gender ideology” in a post that garnered hundreds of thousands of views.
It also attracted the attention of the Riley Gaines Center, which sent its Ambassador Kaitlynn Wheeler to the April 10 Saratoga school board meeting. Wheeler, who advocates for “fairness and the protection of female athletes,” said in a press release that the board had departed from federal protections designed to ensure fairness in women’s sports.
“As someone who has experienced firsthand the importance of fair competition, I am deeply concerned about policies that undermine opportunities for female athletes,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and a former member of the women’s swim team alongside Riley Gaines. According to Wheeler, she was “violated” when a transgender athlete was allowed to undress with her and her teammates at the 2022 NCAA championships. The incident was partly what inspired Wheeler to become “a fierce advocate for upholding our freedoms and rights to privacy, safety, and equal opportunity.”
Wheeler’s visit caused community members on both sides of the trans athletes debate to attend the April 10 meeting, where they offered their often passionate opinions during public comment periods.
“Boys do not belong in girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, or sports, period,” Wheeler said at the meeting. “No resolution, no board has the right to rewrite federal law. No state is absolved from following federal law.”
Wheeler continued speaking after her allotted time, causing the auditorium to erupt in commotion as School Board President Anjeanette Emeka repeatedly told Wheeler that her time had expired. Many attendees cheered when Wheeler concluded her remarks.
Saratoga Springs High School student Sarah Pipino thanked the board for passing the resolution.
“There are a lot of people who are very scared to speak at meetings and I’m friends with a lot of those people and we’ve been talking a lot and they feel more safe and accepted and loved in the community and they are so grateful, so I am saying ‘thank you’ from all of them who have talked to me,” Pipino said to a round of applause.
Dr. Emanuel Cirenza, the district’s physician advisor, said that “to a large extent, this is very much a manufactured controversy…I’ve been here for coming up on 28 years and this issue has come up one time to my knowledge. I did a little investigating, and it was a track athlete essentially trying to get onto a team where nobody was pushed out and nobody was made to feel uncomfortable. These issues have always been handled, I can reassure everybody in this room, with the greatest amount of sensitivity to everybody’s needs.”
The controversial resolution at the center of the debate, titled “Affirming Our Support for Every Student,” states, among other things, that the Board of Education would:
reaffirm its support for the district’s policy and regulation 0105 titled “Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Education”
uphold New York State laws safeguarding vulnerable populations and not comply with directives that violate civil rights protections;
affirm that every student has a right to an education regardless of immigration status, and that law enforcement officers may not question students on school property except under very specific conditions;
respect students’ chosen names and pronouns while also ensuring their right to use facilities and participate in activities and sports consistent with their gender identity.
The resolution appeared to be a clear attempt to combat several Trump administration policies that threaten to rescind federal funds from educational institutions that don’t comply with the president’s orders. According to Board Vice President Tony Krackeler, $3.1 million of the district’s 2024-25 budget came from the federal government. All of those funds, Krackeler said, are only amendable by an act of Congress.
BALLSTON SPA — Last week, the Ballston Spa Education Foundation announced its 2025 grant recipients. The grants, totaling $8,799, were made possible through the support of community members.
The five funded projects were:
Gordon Creek M.O.V.E. Room Coffee Cart – A student-run coffee cart that will provide hands-on learning experiences in fine motor skills, social interaction, and business operations while utilizing assistive technology for inclusivity.
Birch High School Special Education School Store – This project, led by the 12:1:1 Life Skills Students and the Ballston Buddies Club, provides valuable lessons on running a business, benefiting both the student “business owners” and the entire High School population.
Assistive Technology/OT – Outdoor Expression Swing for Gordon Creek – This swing fosters inclusive play, creating an environment for children of all abilities to engage in meaningful, accessible play alongside their peers.
Smart TVs for Universal Pre-K at BACC – The Education Foundation is funding the purchase of four internet-connected Smart TVs, which will be installed in Universal Pre-K classrooms at the Ballston Area Community Center to enhance science curriculum and improve learning through multimedia technology.
Sensory Bubble Wall for Special Education Middle School – This project includes a 4-foot, floor-standing sensory bubble wall with eight color settings, paired with a sensory knot ball and sound machine. It’s designed to create a calming environment to support sensory and emotional regulation. This space will provide a safe space for students to regroup to return to learning.
St. Mary’s School Principal Katie Fleming. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
BALLSTON SPA — St. Mary’s School in Ballston Spa has a new principal with a long history in education.
Katie Fleming, who took over the position in January, was previously the principal of a private school in Clifton Park. She also taught 4th grade at St. Mary’s while earning a master’s degree. She then worked for an education-related consulting firm for four years. She’s also been a St. Mary’s parishioner for 18 years.
“It’s a dream job,” Fleming said. “I’m really excited to be here.”
Fleming called herself kid-centered and said she’s regularly in and out of classrooms. Among her top priorities are ensuring that the parish and school work well together, and being ahead of the curve on early literacy standards.
“Governor Hochul has lots of things that are happening, early literacy wise and just literacy in general wise, and we are meeting all those standards ahead of time which I’m excited about,” Fleming said.
Fleming said she wants her students to have “a really balanced day; some good social and emotional learning, lots of educational opportunities, lots of curiosity—those are certainly things that are really important to me as an educator.”
After three months on the job, Fleming said the position is “a lot of work but a lot fun. Seeing those little faces makes it worth it every day.”
St. Mary’s School is a small, private, Catholic, co-ed Pre-K through fifth grade school located in downtown Ballston Spa. For more information on the school, visit www.smsbspa.org.
RUPERT, VERMONT — Fourth graders from the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs recently visited the Merck Forest and Farmland Center in Vermont to learn about mapling.They learned how to identify a Sugar Maple tree, how to tap it, and also how to collect its flowing sap. After a walk in the woods, students got a tour of the Sap House, where sap is boiled and then strained into syrup.
The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs serves children and their families from preschool through 8th grade.
