BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa High School World Language students recently performed an amazing Lip Sync concert of thirteen French and Spanish songs.  Over 150 International Baccalaureate and University in the High School juniors and seniors presented an array of musical performances with some students performing on stage while others provided support backstage in various roles.

The University in the High School teachers include Ms. Alverson, Ms. Gearwar, Ms. Judd and Ms. Quinn. Judges for the event included Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Duca, Interim Principal Mr. Murphy, and teachers Mrs. Kusnierz, Mrs. Rousseau and Mr. Poirier.

The students worked hard and through the music they learned vocabulary, grammar, and culture.  Best of all, they came together as a group, class, and school.  The language teachers indicated that “It was truly a memorable night” and would like to say a big “merci” and “gracias” to all those who performed as well as to those who attended and supported them.  

The winners were:  

1st Place:  Noches del Verano from UHS Spanish 5

2nd Place: Dancing Queen from UHS French 5

3rd Place: Beat it from UHS Spanish 4

The event was hosted by the BSHS International Club and its members helped with ticket sales, programs, etc. All donations will be utilized to fund scholarships for graduating seniors.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — At the latest Saratoga Springs City School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, superintendent Michael Patton said he would ask the board to hire two SROs for the district’s elementary schools at their January meeting.

Patton said the district’s emergency response team agreed with a recommendation made by a safety audit from the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal to hire two SROs for elementary schools within the district. NYSIR Senior Risk Control Specialist Jim Victor was on hand to discuss the recommendation with board members.

Patton said the Board of Education requested the security assessment in July, and said that NYSIR representatives spent three days in the school district in October. The results of the assessment were discussed in a community safety and security forum on Dec. 1.

When asked about the process of the NYSIR recommendations, Victor said that two SROs was “a number that seemed reasonable,” saying NYSIR’s recommendation is for the district to hire one SRO for elementary schools within city limits, and one SRO for elementary schools outside of city limits.

“Two, one for the city schools and one for outside the city schools, seemed to us to be a reasonable recommendation,” said Victor.

When asked about studies in support of SROs in elementary schools, Patton said that while he can only reference experiences in the Saratoga district, concerns of mistreatment “has never been the case.”

“We have an outstanding relationship with those three individuals who serve our school district here in Saratoga Springs,” said Patton. “But I think it’s an important conversation to continue to have that’s essential for our school district and local law enforcement to work with both the chief and the sheriff himself, that we have clear and concise definitions of roles and responsibilities of an SRO in schools.”

Trustee John Brueggeman said the district also needs to discuss adding more mental health resources, saying that Caroline Street Elementary does not have a social worker, and that none of the district’s elementary schools have school counselors.

 Patton said the district has grown from one social worker to a total of ten in the past decade, but ultimately agreed with Brueggeman. Trustee Dean Kolligan said that the district has hired 17 additional mental health service providers in total in the last 10 years.

“It can’t be this or that, it’s got to be a combination of providing support at all levels,” said Patton.

Residents spoke both for and against the NYSIR recommendation during the meeting.

“For the life of me, I cannot see why anyone would not want to have police officers, such as the officers we already have, as SROs,” said resident Mark Crockett. “They’re a valuable resource, they’ve never been used in an emergency, and yet they’re still a valuable resource.”

Resident Jack Burger, who said he spent over 30 years teaching at Troy and Schuylerville High Schools, spoke in support of adding additional SROs, discussing his experiences with the SROs in those districts.

“I’ve seen what school resources officers can offer first-hand. The benefits to our school would be immense,” Burger said. “During my last 15 years working in schools, both of these schools have benefitted from these two great SROs that I have worked closely with, and have had a positive influence on our school.”

Resident Hollyday Hammond said the use of armed officers in schools “does nothing to promote the kind of environment our children and teachers need.”

“It sends a message. We need police to keep us safe because we are not safe,” said Hammond. “I’d rather the message be, we are safe because we create safety by caring about every single person in our school.”

Rebecca Lynch, another resident, said that many of the stated reasons and goals for adding SROs can be achieved by other adults instead of a police officer.

“Another person for kids to talk to. Someone to connect with the kids, to read stories in classrooms,” Lynch said. “That could be done by a social worker or a school counselor, or an aide. It doesn’t need to be done by someone wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a gun.”

The Board of Education’s next meeting will be held on Jan. 10 at Maple Avenue Middle School, according to the district website.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Wednesday, Nov. 30, Saratoga Central Catholic School peer ministers taught second graders at St. Mary’s School in Ballston Spa about what it means to make their first Communion. They practiced prayers, did a church scavenger hunt, and baked bread, all in preparation for their first Communion.

WILTON — In celebration of the first New York State Apprenticeship Month and National Apprenticeship Week, Stillwater Central School District, the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES, and the Classroom Academy hosted New York State Department of Labor Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development Chris White, State Department of Labor Director of Apprenticeship Training Christopher Pinheiro, and the US Department of Labor Regional Representative Charles MacNeil, for a tour of the registered Apprenticeship program in initial state teacher certification. The visit took place on November 30 at Stillwater Elementary School. 

During the visit,, New York State Department of Labor Commissioner of Workforce Development Chris White presented Stillwater CSD Superintendent Patricia Morris and Classroom Academy Program Coordinator Colleen McDonald a proclamation signed by Governor Kathy Hochul celebrating the Classroom Academy as part of the first New York State Apprenticeship Month. 

The Classroom Academy registered as an Apprenticeship in April 2021 and are supporting 25 resident Apprentices in the field this year. Stillwater CSD, one of eight district partners, is currently hosting two apprentices: one second-year at the elementary and one first-year at the high school level. 

“We are delighted that the NYS and US Department of Labor were able to see firsthand how school districts are benefiting from this unique residency and Registered Apprenticeship program, especially during a time when schools across the state are experiencing severe teacher shortages,” said Colleen McDonald, Classroom Academy program coordinator. 

Launched in 2017, Classroom Academy offers teacher preparation candidates a paid two-year residency placement with local school districts to provide on-the-job experience under the guidance of an expert lead teacher. Classroom Academy provides two full academic years of hands-on training to better prepare candidates as they enter the workforce, for the complexities of teaching in their own classrooms. 

With the cost of completing a graduate program and forgoing an extra year in the workforce prohibitive for some students, the stipend provided through the academy and tuition assistance accessed through the Registered Apprenticeship are designed to remove barriers and help candidates afford being able to complete their studies and attain initial state teacher certification.

“We have seen an increase in interest with the reduction of barriers.” said McDonald. “Given the support we can provide, individuals are able to reassess their goals and change careers to pursue their dream of teaching.”

Classroom Academy currently partners with three higher education partners (SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury, SUNY Empire and Sage Colleges) to place students across the region. 

SCHUYLERVILLE —  Schuylerville Elementary School resumed its beloved tradition of hosting an annual Grandparents Breakfast after a hiatus of several years due to the pandemic. Over the course of two mornings, 544 breakfasts were served to students and their families.

Schuylerville Food Service and Central Office staff helped to prepare and serve the early-morning meals. Food Services Manager Sarah Keen, Principal Beckett, and elementary school staff oversaw the event.

“The Grandparents Breakfast has been held for as long as most of us can remember,” said Superintendent Gregg Barthelmas in a statement on the school’s website. “To have it back this year, and to see the joy it brings everyone in attendance, is really something special.”

ALBANY — As members of the Saratoga Springs High School’s Academic Team, students Isabelle Savage, Harrison Schuck, and Prav Mishra were no strangers to competition. But this summer, the trio had a chance for a slightly different competition than what they were used to.

The three students were selected to represent New York State in the Spectrum News Challenge, described as a “team-based quiz show based on the zeitgeist of what is in the headlines,” on Spectrum’s website. Teams from two different states compete to answer questions based on recent headlines, with the winner receiving a $500 prize per player.

The students’ episode was filmed this past August, but Savage and Schuck, who are both seniors at the high school, said the group initially applied for the show over two years ago. Mishra is now a freshman enrolled at Cornell University.

“We heard about this initially two summers ago,” said Savage. “We initially applied for the pilot episodes, and then you kind of had to try out, audition for those. It was really just an interview over Zoom, to see how well you worked on camera.”

The team was not selected for the pilot episodes but were contacted shortly after by Spectrum and secured a spot on the show.

The competition consists of four rounds, with each round worth progressively more points.

“The last question, they asked both teams at the same time, and both teams show their answer at the same time,” Savage said. “But for the three rounds before that, they would go to one school that would do the whole round, and then go to the other school and do the whole round.”

Correct answers are worth 10 points in the first round, 15 in the second, 20 in the third, and 500 points in the final round.

“So obviously the last question was the deciding question,” said Savage.

The students said they prepared by keeping up with the news as much as possible.

“I guess you just kind of watch the news,” said Schuck of the preparation. “It’s literally a news challenge.”

“A lot of headline-based questions, so it was just like scrolling through whatever news app you use and just kind of scanning stuff,” added Savage.

The questions covered topics such as the first released photo from the James Webb Space Telescope.

“One of them was about (President) Biden releasing photos of the James Webb Space Telescope,” Schuck said. “It was asking what telescope it was.”

The students said the experience of the Spectrum Challenge was quite different from their typical Academic Team competitions. 

“Normally, what we do during the school year is we go out and do tournaments against a bunch of different teams,” Schuck said. “This one was just against one team. Although I guess this had more stakes behind it.”

“Because with the tournaments, you typically end up doing them across long periods of time, and you only play either one or a couple schools per place that you go,” said Savage. “Then you end up doing a finals round. That’s where the prizes are determined. This game is where the prizes are determined. It was definitely a different setup than what we’re used to, but we are used to the different rounds, different points, different layouts for the rounds.”

The Saratoga team did not come away with the win, losing to a group of students from Preble High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Despite that, the group said it was still an enjoyable experience.

“It was definitely a fun experience,” Savage said.

“It was interesting to see how TV works, and everything that’s behind it,” Schuck added.

The group also said the experience helped provide feedback for upcoming Academic Team competitions during the 2022-23 school year. 

“There’s certain questions, both in Academic Team and the competition that we went to, where you’re able to discuss as a group. Kind of seeing it on the TV, I realized, we do not discuss for the full, allotted amount of time,” said Savage. “I think we could discuss more, both in Academic Team and using this experience.”

Both seniors said they hope to attend SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, with majors in nanoscale engineering.

“In the building, a lot of companies are there. IBM, Taiwan Silicon Manufacturing,” said Schuck. “There’s an entire computer chip fab in that building, which is like a half a billion dollars.”

“The industry is located right at the college,” Savage added. “The joke is like, you go to school on the second floor, and then you work on the third floor.”

SCHUYLERVILLE —Six students were inducted in the 2022-23 Schuylerville chapters of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) and National Honor Society (NHS). The prestigious memberships are attained by students demonstrating the five pillars that serve as standards for the Society: knowledge, scholarship, leadership, character and service. 

New inductees for Schuylerville’s National Junior Honor Society are: Charles Hughes, Carter Swears, and Arden Talmage. New inductees for the school’s National Honor Society are: Marina Sapone, Abigail White, and Tyler Yocum. 

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District Music Department is presenting several Winter Concerts during the upcoming weeks. The concerts are free,and members of the community are welcome at all venues. Students and families are specifically invited and encouraged to attend and support the performing artists.  

See below for a list of all winter concerts. Middle/High School concerts will be held at the Ballston Spa High School Auditorium.

The JV Winter concert will take place on Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m., and will feature the Choir, Orchestra, Band and Concert Jazz Band. 

The Varsity Winter concert will take place on Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and will feature the Festival Choir, Symphonic Orchestra, Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble.

The 8th Grade will perform on Dec. 5, the 7th Grade will perform on Dec. 13, and the 6th Grade will perform on Dec. 20. All Middle School concerts begin at 7 p.m.

The Elementary Concert series is as follows:

Milton Terrace Elementary School will perform on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Cafetorium at 200 Wood Road.

Gordon Creek Elementary School will perform on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Gymnasium at 50 Wood Road.

Wood Road Elementary School will perform on Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Cafetorium at 300 Wood Road.

Malta Avenue Elementary School will perform on Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Malta Avenue Auditorium at 70 Malta Avenue. 

Please call the appropriate school for additional information and/or check the events calendar on the school district website at www.bscsd.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Team 8C at Maple Avenue Middle School recently participated in a Give Back Day to help show students the many ways they can give back and make an impact, both locally and nationally.

The day began with speakers Cliff Seguin and co-chair Mike Lehet from Operation Adopt a Soldier, as well as Project Lift program director Colleen Potter from the Franklin Community Center. The speakers spoke with students about their programs and the many ways students and their families can make a difference in their organizations.

Students then completed community service activities and experienced giving back firsthand. The team packed over 50 boxes for Operation Adopt a Soldier with goods donated by the school community, created 50 birthday bags for Franklin Community center, and designed more than 200 cards for The Wesley Health Community Center and for soldiers who are overseas.  

Throughout the day, students learned the importance of being civic-minded, and what they can do to make an impact in their communities.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —At Saratoga Central Catholic School, giving back is simply part of the mission.

The school’s National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society recently concluded its food drive, donating over four carloads of food to the St. Clement’s food pantry on Lake Avenue. Up next is the annual ‘Toys for Tots’ drive, with each grade at the school tasked with donating different types of toys.

“We’re trying it differently this year, so that we get a wide variety,” said National Junior Honor Society advisor Susan Barbolt, listing Matchbox cars, Tonka trucks, art supplies, and plush animals as some of the requested items for certain grades.

The toys are picked up by local police and fire departments and are donated to local Toys for Tots drives.

“We try to do as much as we can, just right here,” Barbolt said.

“I think it’s good awareness for us, to recognize what we have and how we can give back to our community,” said senior Annie Munn, the school’s Student Council President and a member of the National Honor Society.

Barbolt, along with National Honor Society advisor Erin Crowther, help organize seasonal drives and donations, but they also host an annual ‘Hoops for Hope’ basketball game that Barbolt said is primarily led by the students.

“The ‘Hoops for Hope’, I will say, the students are the ones doing the fundraising,” said Barbolt. “Erin and I just kind of oversee the events for the day for the basketball tournament.”

‘Hoops for Hope’ sees teachers at Saratoga Central Catholic coaching students. Ronan Roe, a member of the National Junior Honor Society, said, “Everybody likes to play against each other.”

“We kind of talk to each other,” said Roe. “It’s like a rivalry.”

Ava Brown, another member of the Junior Honor Society, said the school sees recurring donations each year from some community members, saying, “We’re just thankful that everybody supports in this community.”

Barbolt said the basketball game serves to raise money for a local organization or family. Last year, the school raised over $11,000 for an employee of the school who was diagnosed with a terminal illness, she said.

“This year, we’ll be meeting probably before Christmas break to decide on our charity,” said Barbolt. “We have a lot of new ideas to make ‘Hoops for Hope’ bigger, and better.”

Senior Ethan Schwaner, a National Honor Society member, said it “definitely feels good” to be able to help the local community.

“It definitely goes to a great cause, and it’s part of our school’s mission,” said Schwaner. “We like to do community service a lot here, and I think the students find a lot of pride in doing it and they feel good about giving back. So it’s definitely a good motivation for them to help in any way they can.”

Brown said it feels good to help the community and “have everybody come together.”

“Our leaders here, and our mentors, they help us and show us how to help and how to support each other, and help us raise money for causes and donate,” Brown said.

Munn also said it is meaningful to be able to help “our own community, and organizations that we interact with and see on a day-to-day basis.”

“I like that we’re helping people that we see every day and live within our own town,” said Munn.

Barbolt said the student participation has been strong every year, saying students “really rally” around good causes.

“I’ve never been here a year where we haven’t had huge participation for any of the events that we’ve done,” said Barbolt. “The food drive was a huge success, and I’m going to speculate that the Toys for Tots will be the same response.

“It’s a great community to work at and to be a part of, because it’s more than a school, it’s a community.”