Students and families from Maple Avenue Elementary recently visited Old Friends at Cabin Creek, a thoroughbred retirement farm in Greenfield. Visitors enjoyed free guided tours, got to pet the horses, and fed the horses treats. Photo via the Saratoga Springs City School District.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Central Catholic and its sister school St. Mary’s Elementary raised slightly more than $2,500 for the Mollie Wilmot Radiation Oncology Center at Saratoga Hospital as part of its annual Pink Day.
Throughout October, all Spa Catholic fall sports teams hosted Pink Games and the student council sold pink ribbons. On October 18, both schools held dress-down days, where students, faculty, and staff dressed in pink and made donations to support the cause. At Spa Catholic, the day culminated in an assembly where a representative from the Mollie Wilmot Center shared information about the work the center does.
ALBANY — Local universities such as Skidmore College, Empire State University, and Siena College joined forces to co-host the 2024 New York State Capital Region Mental Health Week Program last month. The event offered dozens of free trainings, workshops, seminars, and other activities to promote positive wellness and self-care.
The program included a Capital Region Mental Health Town Hall on World Mental Health Day, October 10. The town hall included prominent leaders in the mental health field, as well as a group of student panelists representing each of the participating colleges. The students discussed ways to address the youth mental health crisis.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — At the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs, 6th graders collaborated on a life-sized reproduction of a Peruvian textile in recognition of both Indigenous People’s Day and Hispanic Heritage Month.
They worked together to use a grid-transfer technique to copy the image onto large paper and then painted the geometric pattern with red and black paint. The original, vintage textile is an example of a Peruvian poncho, which would have been a wearable work of art.
SCHUYLERVILLE — 50 Schuylerville High School students took part in the recent “Day in the Life of the Hudson River” initiative that included nearly 100 school districts from across New York State.
In partnership with the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the event was designed to have students collect data from various areas of the Hudson River.
Using seine nets, minnow pots, water-testing gear, and other tools, the students caught fish, tracked the river’s tides and currents, checked water salinity, examined water chemistry and quality, and conducted soil core sampling at Fort Hardy Park.
“It gives a snapshot of the river’s ecosystem and health,” said student Ethan Meskill in a statement. “The Hudson is a very important waterway that supports a lot of animals and plants. Since the river is threatened by pollution and invasive species, we need to do our part to protect it.”
All data gathered by students was submitted to the Hudson River Estuary Program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Agriculture Science and Technology Teacher Carlyn Miller said that Schuylerville will receive the analyzed data back later this fall and continue the conversation in the classroom.
“It was really great to be able to connect with other teachers who participated, but also with the state officials who guided the process,” Miller said. “Seeing how much our Hudson River locations work together and influence everything downriver from where we are here in Schuylerville is incredible.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College Professor of Biology Jason Breves recently became the first researcher from a liberal arts college to receive a top global honor in the field of comparative endocrinology when he won the 2025 Grace E. Pickford Medal from the International Federation of Comparative Endocrinological Societies.
Upon receiving the medal, Breves will deliver a lecture describing his research at the federation’s conference in Sendai, Japan in July 2025.
“I’m honored to receive this medal from such a distinguished community of endocrinologists and appreciate that the research I’ve pursued is receiving this recognition,” Breves said in a statement. “I’m especially proud to see Skidmore listed among the small number of top institutions whose researchers have received the Pickford Medal. This award is an example of our strong natural science programs at Skidmore and the robust research that fellow faculty and I have been able to pursue together with Skidmore students.”
The lead scientist in Skidmore College’s Laboratory of Comparative Physiology, Breves works to understand how the endocrine system enables animals to thrive in dynamic environments.
WILTON — Kelly’s Angels, a local charity, announced last week that it is now accepting applications from high school seniors for its expanded college scholarship program that includes 14 Capital Region institutions and $52,000 in scholarships.
“These scholarships aim to encourage students who have faced adversity at a young age to keep persevering and moving forward,” said Mark Mulholland, founder and president of Kelly’s Angels, in a statement.
Two $1,500 scholarships will be awarded at each of the following area high schools: Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Central Catholic, South Glens Falls, Fort Edward, Glens Falls, Hoosic Valley, Hudson Falls, Lake George, Mechanicville, Queensbury, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Shenendehowa, Stillwater, and Whitehall.
To qualify for this scholarship, the student must be a graduating senior at one of the 14 eligible high schools, have plans to continue their education at an institution of higher learning, be a hardworking student (but not necessarily the highest achieving), have a need for financial assistance, have persevered in the face of adversity, and have shown a commitment to serving others, especially other children.
Online applications are being accepted now through March 14, 2025. For more information, email kellysangelsinc@gmail.com.
Kelly’s Angels is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports children in New York’s Capital Region whose lives have been forever changed by the loss of a parent or sibling to cancer or other illness, and families who are battling a life-threatening condition. Kelly’s Angels was founded in 2010 by WNYT-TV/NewsChannel13 anchor Mark Mulholland in memory of his late wife, Kelly, who lost her battle with cancer in 2007 at the age of 37.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Gayle Stever, a professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Empire State University, has co-authored a new book titled “Parasocial Experiences: Psychological Theory and Application.” The book, published by Oxford University Press, was released on October 25.
Giles addresses theoretical traditions and how they relate to parasocial relationships, including psychoanalytic theory and dream analysis. Stever offers her insight from the participant observer, which she conveys through interviews with famous actors who have active fan groups, including Alexander Siddig, Nana Visitor, Robert Picardo, and Denise Crosby.
Stever also explores the implications of a newer dynamic within parasocial relationships with the use of Cameo, a website where fans can purchase a custom-made video, for a fee, on a variety of topics from their favorite celebrities.
Stever said parasocial relationships have always existed in pop culture and the increase in access to like-minded fan communities on the internet has caused them to become an even more visible aspect of pop culture.
“All one has to do is go back to the era of Elvis or Beatlemania to see that these influences in our culture have been significant as a part of mass media culture,” Stever said in a statement.
Stever and her co-author David Giles are well-revered in the field of parasocial relationships and previously co-authored “Understanding Media Psychology,” which is currently undergoing revision for a second edition.
BALLSTON SPA — FIRST Robotics teams from the Capital Region, other areas of New York, and Connecticut will meet at Ballston Spa High School on Saturday, November 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for the Robot Rumble Off-Season Robotics Competition. This event is free and open to the public.
FIRST Robotics competitions combine the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 15 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. Through the program, students get to learn 21st Century skills; build and compete with a robot of their own design; learn to use sophisticated software and hardware; and compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments.
FIRST Robotics teams from the Capital District have collaborated to organize this year’s event. The GLOBALFOUNDRIES/Town of Malta Foundation provided a grant that will allow the FIRST competition CRESCENDO field from last season to be brought to Ballston Spa High School for the Robot Rumble event.
Off-season competitions provide an opportunity for teams to have fun and recruit new students, industry mentors, and sponsors as they begin preparing for the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition. The 2025 season will kick off for the FIRST Robotics Competition teams in January with a regional event being held at the MVP Arena in March.
Robots Rescue will also be collecting non-perishable food items to be donated to local food pantries.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Three recent fundraisers held by Schuylerville schools netted tens of thousands of dollars for various charities.
Parents as Education Partners (PEP) concluded its 2024 Fun Run with a school pledge profit of $33,947. Grades UPK-5 participated in the school fundraiser to help PEP purchase classroom supplies, plan events, and buy recreational items such as sleds, outdoor play gear, and playground equipment.
The third annual Middle School Booster Bash raised $12,319. The money will be used for middle school field trips for grades 6-8. More than 70% of students registered to participate in the three-week long fundraiser and were awarded prizes throughout the initiative. A color run was held on campus to celebrate the conclusion of the school-wide endeavor.
The 2024 Kickin’ Out Cancer event raised $5,791. Various Schuylerville grade levels, offices, departments, and athletic teams donated hundreds of dollars of items to put together 31 raffle baskets for the fundraising effort. The culminating Kickin’ Out Cancer events were held on Oct. 7 during the boys and girls soccer games, and included a halftime walk, 50/50, and concession stand sales. During the day, a K-12 spirit day was held with students and staff wearing pink or Kickin’ Out Cancer apparel.
