SARATOGA SPRINGS — A permission form given to students at Saratoga Springs High School was criticized by a transgender student for making them feel “unwelcome and unsafe.”

Levi Goodman, a senior, addressed the issue during public comments at the March 28 Board of Education meeting. “When I brought this form home and showed my parents what it said, they were appalled,” Goodman said. “When we pointed out why this form was problematic, we were told it was provided to the teacher by the school and that it was the standard form. I’m not blaming one person. It’s clear that this is a school-wide, possibly district-wide issue that needs to be addressed.”

The permission form was given to students scheduled to travel to New York City for a performance at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Students’ parents or guardians were given two boxes to choose from. One box granted permission for the parent or guardian’s student to be roommates with other students whose sex assigned at birth is different than the student’s assigned sex at birth. The second box specifically does not grant such permission.

“It seems to me that this form is a clear violation of privacy, both medical and personal,” Goodman said. “I also feel as though this form feeds into the false belief that transgender individuals are predatory, and therefore other students need to be protected from them, which leads me to ask the board, who are you really protecting and who is left vulnerable? As a nonbinary, transgender student, reading the sheet made me feel unwelcome and unsafe.” Goodman said that the school should create a new form and put it into use as soon as possible.

Natalya Lakhtakia, vice president of the board, said that the district should be “taking proactive measures to protect trans folks, especially trans students who deserve to thrive in our school environment.” 

Anjeanette Emeka, a board trustee, said that “inclusiveness is what we’ve been talking about for years, and I appreciate students that come out to express these things and open our eyes when we miss them.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The story of a five-year-old Ukrainian girl separated from her family during World War II will be the subject of a book panel hosted by Skidmore College on April 16.

The nonfiction book “Dominica’s Story: A Life of Courage, Hope, and Love” chronicles the life of Dominica Annese, who was reunited with her family 30 years after the Second World War tore them apart. Now, with Ukraine once again at war, the story is especially relevant.

“My sisters and I wanted to write and publish my mom’s story because it’s pretty inspiring,” said Francine Annese Apy, one of Dominica’s daughters. “This story could be a story of hope and inspiration to Ukrainian people and to people in general because here we are, literally history repeating history again of what my mom experienced as a 5-year-old little girl.”

Apy wrote the forward and epilogue for the book, which was co-authored by Dominica, Skidmore senior Kaitlin McQuade, and Skidmore Political Science Professor Kate Graney. 

At the event, McQuade and Graney will present Dominica’s story, connecting it to contemporary events in Ukraine. The panel will include a Q&A, book sale, and reception featuring Ukrainian cookies. The Annese family will donate all proceeds from book sales to the nonprofit Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E). The book is also for sale on Amazon. 

“The Personal Cost of War in Ukraine Through a Young Girl’s Eyes: Then and Now” will take place on Tuesday, April 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Ladd Hall room 307.

BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa Central School District students will be dismissed early on Monday, April 8, the day of the solar eclipse.

High school and middle school students will dismiss at 1:30 p.m., while elementary students will dismiss at 2:30 p.m. 

Solar eclipse glasses will be distributed to all students during the school day on April 8.

BALLSTON SPA — At the Ballston Spa Central School District’s Board of Education meeting on March 20, Athletic Director Dave Sunkes formally recognized the district’s winter sports scholar-athletes.

“It goes without saying that we do put the student before the athlete here, which is something we pride ourselves on,” Sunkes said. “Three years in a row we’ve been a school of excellence in New York State.”

Nine of the district’s winter teams qualified as New York State scholar-athlete teams. In total, the 114 students had a combined GPA of 93. Specific teams finished the season with the following GPAs (which have been rounded slightly): 

Girls indoor track – 94.7

Boys indoor track – 94.7

Girls basketball – 93.8

Boys basketball – 93.7

Girls bowling – 92.7

Boys bowling – 91.8

Boys swim and dive – 94

Ice hockey – 90.9

Boys alpine ski – 90.8

SCHUYLERVILLE — According to the Schuylerville Central School District, School Resource Officer Chris Grieve alerted the district that a Schuylerville High School student allegedly made a threat to “shoot up the school.” 

The alleged threat was made to another student via the SnapChat app. The conversation occurred on or around March 5, but screenshots of the conversation weren’t discovered until March 21. As of March 22, the student was not in school, and law enforcement was involved in the matter. 

The student has been barred from campus, and further disciplinary action will be taken.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Four Empire State University students have been awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence: Joseph Juntunen, Anton Ruesing, Em Wasserman, and Elizabeth O’Brien. 

The SUNY Chancellor’s Award recognizes students with outstanding achievements that have demonstrated excellence within different aspects of their lives including academics, leadership, campus involvement, community service, or the arts. It is the highest honor bestowed by the university to students.

“The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence is the highest honor SUNY can bestow upon students,” President Lisa Vollendorf said in a statement. “It is an incredible distinction and recognizes our students’ dedication to their educational journey, our university, and their community.”