SARATOGA SPRINGS — Tracy Galuski, an Empire State University professor and educational studies department chair, has been awarded a $1 million grant from the State University of New York (SUNY) and New York State’s Office of Strategic Workforce Development.
Galuski’s proposal, “Equity in Action: Supporting Upward Mobility for Paraprofessionals in Early Childhood,” was selected for funding as part of the Education Workforce Investment Upskilling
Paraprofessionals Program. It will increase opportunities for paraprofessionals to obtain initial teacher certification in high-need areas through Empire State University’s new baccalaureate-level teacher education program in Early Childhood Education.
“SUNY Empire will offer the Early Childhood Education program in a virtual learning format to maximize access to underserved communities,” Galuski said in a statement. “We are excited for the opportunities this program, supported by the grant, will provide for paraprofessionals in New York.”
Photo of Rita Penny via the Saratoga Central Catholic School.
hoto of Kelly Cataldo via the Ballston Spa Central School District.
Ballston Spa School District’s Wood Road Elementary and the Saratoga Central Catholic School each hired new faculty members last week.
At Wood Road, Kelly Cataldo will be joining as their new building principal.
Cataldo is a 2001 Ballston Spa graduate. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Adolescent Education Social Studies from SUNY Oneonta and a Master’s Degree in Literacy from the College of St. Rose. She earned both her School Building Leader and School District Leader Certificates from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Cataldo brings twelve years of teaching experience at the middle school and high school levels from the Lansingburgh Central School District. She transitioned into administration in 2019 as the assistant principal of Turnpike Elementary School and has spent the last three years as the building principal there.
“Coming home to work in Ballston Spa has always been a dream of mine,” Cataldo said in a statement. “As a graduate and current parent in the district, I am honored to join this amazing school district and lead Wood Road Elementary.”
The Saratoga Central Catholic School added Rita Penny as its new theology teacher. She’ll be teaching Religion 6, Religion 7, Religion 8, and Theology 9.
Penny holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical and Early Christian Studies from Christendom College. She previously served as an Assistant Teacher at both Chelsea Academy and Padre Pio Academy in Front Royal, Virginia, where she taught middle school and high school students. Penny also has experience in Latin, having tutored the subject in recent years.
Raised in Saratoga Springs, she is an active member of St. Clement’s parish.
Construction underway at the St. Mary’s School in Ballston Spa. Photo via the school’s Facebook page
BALLSTON SPA — St. Mary’s, a pre-K through 5th grade Catholic school in Ballston Spa, is upgrading its playground and revamping some of its offices during the summer break.
According to the school, one new office will house the attendance team and allow staff to inspect visitors’ identification before they are allowed into the building. Another project includes upgrades to the school’s playground, which will have sod, rubber mulch, and a new six-foot tall privacy fence.
“Lots of teamwork is going into the exciting projects taking place at St. Mary’s,” the school said in a social media post. “We can’t wait to open our doors to our students for all to see these transformations with their own eyes.”
Image of Tom Durkin via the Saratoga Central Catholic School.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Central Catholic School announced last week that Tom Durkin, an award-winning Saratoga Race Course announcer, will be joining its faculty as the Public Speaking Basics teacher. The class is a new elective offered by the school’s business department.
Durkin was a track announcer at the Saratoga Race Course from 1990 to 2014. He also worked as a sports commentator for ESPN and NBC Sports from 1984 to 2010. Durkin’s career has earned him numerous accolades, including the Jockey Club Gold Medal and the Eclipse Award of Merit. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from St. Norbert College.
The Public Speaking Basics course aims to equip students with essential skills such as structuring and delivering speeches, overcoming stage fright, and engaging with audiences effectively. Through practical exercises and real-world applications, students will gain confidence and proficiency in public speaking, preparing them for future academic and professional success.
Photo of the “Mehan Trail” mural in the Schuylerville Elementary School building via the district’s website. The mural was painted by 5th graders in honor of a former teacher who succumbed to cancer in 2023.
CHUYLERVILLE — Schuylerville Elementary School students have painted a mural in their school’s hallway in memory of Dave Mehan, a teacher who passed away in 2023 after battling cancer.
The mural, named “Mehan Trail,” is filled with images of nature, reading, kindness, and peace; images that are reflective of Mehan’s legacy. During his tenure of almost 26 years, Mehan was known as a devoted educator who had a unique ability to connect with students and staff in a meaningful way.
Shortly after Mehan’s passing, Schuylerville faculty and staff members wrote reflections of their experiences with the beloved teacher. One faculty member wrote:
“When I was going through my own cancer battle in 2016, he helped to organize my fundraiser. When he himself became sick, I could not believe the strength and determination he had. He has fought so hard this past year, traveling to whatever doctor he needed to, never giving up hope that he would beat it. I saw him for the last time a week ago and although exhausted and in pain, he was still cracking jokes and being the sarcastic Dave we all know and love.”
LATHAM — The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced its 2023-2024 Schools of Distinction and Excellence on Friday. Ballston Spa Senior High School and Saratoga Central Catholic High School were named Schools of Distinction, while Saratoga Springs High School and Schuylerville High School were designated as Schools of Excellence.
Winning schools will receive their commemorative awards at their local athletic director workshop this fall.
To earn School of Distinction status, 100% of the school’s varsity teams must qualify for and receive the Scholar-Athlete team award during their respective sports seasons. School of Excellence status is awarded to schools with 75% of varsity teams that qualify for and receive the Scholar-Athlete team award.
According to NYSPHSAA, the purpose of the School of Distinction and School of Excellence Awards are to unite athletic departments in challenging their teams to achieve a statewide academic honor. This year, 114 schools earned the School of Distinction Award and 226 schools earned the School of Excellence Award.
SCHUYLERVILLE — On July 10, the Schuylerville Central School District launched ParentSquare, an app and communication system that keeps users updated on school news and announcements.
Parents and guardians can sign in to ParentSquare to activate their account and customize their communication preferences. All users are encouraged to download the free ParentSquare mobile app available on both the Apple Store and Google Play.
Users can choose to receive district news (information and announcements about school-building events, athletic events, musical performances, and the annual school budget/Board of Education election), as well as school delay and closure notifications.
Once downloaded, ParentSquare offers the following options:
Receive messages from the school via email, text, phone call or app notifications
Choose to receive information as it is sent or all at once with a daily digest that evening
Communicate in your preferred language
Parents and guardians who did not receive an email from ParentSquare on July 10 should contact the main office of their child’s school building to update their parent portal account. Additional ParentSquare questions can be directed to the district’s Communications Director Taryn Kane at kanet@schuylerville.org.
ParentSquare has become increasingly popular locally, and is already used by the Saratoga Springs City School District. District officials have said that ParentSquare has helped them combat chronic absenteeism.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga City School District students can pick up free summer meals until August 16. The meals will be available Monday through Friday, from 10:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the food truck at Maple Avenue Middle School, and from 11:15 a.m. until noon at Jefferson Terrace.
Photos of scholarship winners provided by Kelly’s Angels.
WILTON — Kelly’s Angels, a Capital Region charity devoted to helping children and families facing loss and grief, has awarded $36,000 in scholarships to 24 local high school graduates. The scholarship winners have all overcome significant adversity and shown a commitment to helping others.
Recipients of the $1,500 scholarships include Willow Donaldson and Santino Ciccone from Saratoga Springs; Joseph Andrews and Isabella San Angelo from Saratoga Catholic; Angela Morrison and Luis Caminero from Glens Falls; Ashton Humphries and Lauren Durfey from South Glens Falls; and Jacob Niznik and Catherine Carney from Stillwater.
Members of the Leadership Saratoga Class of 2024 pose with representatives from Saratoga Pride. Photo provided by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The award-winning Leadership Saratoga program recently completed four impactful projects for local nonprofits, and is currently seeking project ideas for the upcoming 2024-2025 class.
Sponsored by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the program is dedicated to the development of leaders who will serve their communities today and in the future. As part of the program, the class assists up to four local nonprofits to help enhance or re-envision programs, operations, and strategies key to their future success.
The class of 2024 completed the following projects:
Saratoga Pride
Saratoga Pride is an all-volunteer organization that has served the LGBTQ+ community and allies for more than 15 years. Leadership Saratoga class members helped to create a strategy to expand county-wide programs and opportunities for effective partnerships with businesses and non-profit organizations aligned with Saratoga Pride’s mission. Additionally, Leadership Saratoga helped Saratoga Pride expand its public library partnership program in Saratoga County.
Our Lodge Foundation
Our Lodge Foundation’s primary purpose is to support Frederick Allen Elks Lodge #609, a black international fraternal organization, in their philanthropic efforts, as well as the sustainment and upgrade of their building located on Beekman Street. Leadership Saratoga helped Our Lodge Foundation with a communications, outreach, and development strategy.
Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar
Saratoga Sponsor a Scholar assists students from Saratoga Springs High School in graduating from high school and attending and graduating from college or other technical higher learning programs. Leadership Saratoga helped Saratoga Sponsor-a-Scholar to re-envision and update its mentor handbook and provided additional consulting on mentor recruitment.
Lifeworks
Since 2005, LifeWorks (formerly Saratoga County EOC) has conducted an annual photography workshop and exhibit titled “Estamos Aquí” (We Are Here) and hosted an annual celebration of the photographers and new photos with the goal of providing the resources and platform for self-representation for Latinos in Saratoga. Leadership Saratoga provided research, planning, and strategy for LifeWorks for a potential expanded community showcase of Latino art and culture coinciding with the annual reception for “Estamos Aqui.”
For the upcoming 24-25 school year, nonprofits serving Saratoga County are encouraged to submit a project proposal detailing their organization’s needs. Proposals are reviewed by a subcommittee of the Leadership Saratoga Advisory Board, which selects up to four projects for groups within the incoming class to complete as part of the nine-month-long program.
Project proposal applications should be submitted to Leadership Saratoga by Friday, August 23. Organizations will be notified in early September of their status. More information about Leadership Saratoga and how to submit a project proposal is available at www.leadershipsaratoga.org.
