MALTA — The Ballston Spa Central School District received $16,000 in grant awards from the GLOBALFOUNDRIES-Town of Malta Foundation. The bulk of the funds ($10,000 to be exact) will support the Robotics Team and Competitions. $5,000 will be devoted to Senior Class activities and the annual After Prom event. The final $1,000 will help fund a digital safety program for students and parents.
“We are thrilled to receive the support of the GLOBALFOUNDRIES-Town of Malta Foundation to enhance our programs throughout the district,” said Superintendent Dr. Gianleo Duca in a statement. “We appreciate their ongoing investment in providing the best learning experiences and opportunities for students.”
The GLOBALFOUNDRIES -Town of Malta Foundation funds organizations, programs, and projects that benefit Malta residents. For more information, visit sites.google.com/site/gfmaltafoundationorg/home.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa school districts are both plagued by bus driver shortages that may threaten to eliminate some bus routes.
At a Board of Education meeting last month, Saratoga Springs City School District Director of Transportation Jerry Keenan delivered an annual report that stressed the urgent need for new hires.
“We were scheduled to have 76 permanent drivers approved in our budget this year,” Keenan told the board. “Unfortunately, we’ve lost more drivers than we’ve hired since school has started.” Keenan said that the district will have twelve openings for permanent positions this month.
Keenan said that he and Assistant Director of Transportation Kim Ross both drive buses themselves to help make up for the lack of drivers. “We work very hard to ensure every day that we are getting our kids to school,” he said.
Ross said that the transportation department hired five new employees but all of them left their positions for various reasons. “We bring them in and they go out, but we do try,” she said.
The Ballston Spa Central School District also needs more transportation workers. “Unfortunately, the Ballston Spa Central School District continues to eliminate certain bus routes as we are confronted with a need for additional staff members,” the district said on its website. “Bus drivers, substitute bus drivers, and bus attendants are all needed to ensure the district can transport all students on the district’s bus routes each morning and afternoon.”
Bus driver shortages are not unique to the region. Data from the Economic Policy Institute indicates that from September 2019 to September 2023, there was a 15.1% decrease in the total number of K-12 bus drivers nationwide. Private school bus driver employment also declined by 21.5% over the same four-year period.
Those interested in an open transportation position at the Ballston Spa Central School District can call the department at 518-884-7140 or visit www.bscsd.org/Page/279.
For information on openings at the Saratoga Springs City School District, visit saratogaschools.org/departments-services/employment/.
BALLSTON SPA — Passer la nuit à danser! That’s a rough French translation for “dance the night away,” which is what more than 150 high school students did at the Ballston Spa world language lip sync concert earlier this month.
Performances included the Barbie movie’s hit anthem “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa (in French), “Cruising for a Bruisin” from “Teen Beach Movie” (in Spanish), and Queen’s iconic song “Bohemian Rhapsody” (also in Spanish). Barbie finished in first place. One can only speculate that the Kenergy must’ve been surging.
The event was hosted by the Ballston High School International Club. All donations from the concert will help fund scholarships for graduating seniors.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A new student-designed lunch truck will make its debut this spring on the Saratoga Springs High School campus.
Eric Bush, the district’s School Lunch Program Director, said the truck was designed by students from the high school’s graphic arts class. “They worked on all the signage, all the graphics, the look, the name; everything came from the high school students designing it,” Bush said.
High School seniors are allowed to leave the campus for lunch, and the goal of the food truck, Bush said, is to entice them to stick around for what Bush called “a different, unique experience.”
A promotional image from the district described the truck as “a novel dining experience that will expand meal options for students and staff.” The image also stated that the truck will embody “a fusion of culinary diversity.”
In terms of cost to students, the truck will essentially operate the same as the existing cafeteria. Free meal packages will be available at the truck, along with a la carte items that can be purchased for an additional fee. Proceeds from those purchases will go back into the school’s cafeteria fund.
“The more kids that participate, then the more money I can put back into the program,” Bush said.
Despite claims to the contrary found on a local Facebook page, Bush said that no “COVID money” was used to purchase the truck. According to Bush, the vehicle was bought using money from the school’s self-sufficient cafeteria fund, which is separate from the school’s general fund. “I did see that [Facebook post], which I thought was pretty funny,” Bush said.
The high school’s cafeteria is currently undergoing renovations, but is set to re-open in mid January. Then, Bush will turn his attention to getting the lunch truck up and running. “We’ve been working on it for a couple months,” Bush said, “doing the [request for proposal], going out to bid, then getting it delivered, and now it will have to go to Glens Falls for the health inspection.”
The school will create menus for the truck in the coming months. Bush estimated that the truck will be operational by April.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —Thirteen six-week courses are available for adults 55 and older, thanks to the Academy for Lifelong Learning.
The courses begin the week of Jan. 22 and cost $50 each. A course catalog is available at allsaratoga.org. Catalogs can also be found at local libraries, YMCA locations, and retirement communities.
The volunteer-led courses cover subjects such as literature, Italian, the Biology of Aging, writing, history, horse racing, space, and more. Courses can be attended on site, or via Zoom.
Registration is currently open by mail. For more info, visit allsaratoga.org, call 518-290-6988, or email jeff@allsaratoga.org.
SCHUYLERVILLE — All nine of the Schuylerville Central School District’s fall sports teams have been recognized by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association for their academic success. To earn recognition, a team’s average GPA for 75% of the roster must be 90 or above. The following teams met this criteria for academic success:
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame has launched a reading initiative called “Readers Up!” The free program allows teachers throughout the county to receive one of three books about horse racing. Once students have read the book, the Museum will offer either in-person or virtual presentations of museum artifacts.
“We recognize that some schools may lack the time or resources to visit us, so we’ve decided to bring elements of the Museum experience to them,” said museum educator Matt Reichel in a statement. “Readers Up! is a remarkable program that both encourages reading and connects students with our sport in new and unique ways.”
The three books included in the program are the illustrated children’s book “The Long Shot,” the novel “The Jockey and Her Horse,” and the biography “Ruffian: Burning from the Start.”
The program is sponsored by Stewart’s Shops.
To learn more about Readers Up!, visit racingmuseum.org/education/readers.
Dec. 9 marked the first graduating class under the new designation as Empire State University, formally SUNY Empire State College. Photo provided.
ALBANY — Empire State University celebrated the class of 2023 on Dec. 9 at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, where 259 graduating students attended the event.
The event marks the first graduating class under the university’s new designation as Empire State University, formally SUNY Empire State College. President Lisa Vollendorf was in attendance.
Members of the SUNY Empire class of 2023 collectively live in 60 different New York state counties, in 27 U.S. states and territories, 27 countries around the world, and range from ages 19 to 76. Graduates traveled from across the state, country, and even the world to attend the ceremony, with four students traveling from the Dominican Republic to walk across the stage.
Empire State University was founded in 1971 as the innovative campus of the State University of New York. SUNY Empire’s 97,000 alumni are teachers, nurses, entrepreneurs, and leaders in their communities and their fields. Visit www.sunyempire.edu.
SARATOGA SPRINGS/ ALBUQUERQUE, NM — On November 19 the EQUUS Film & Arts Fest announced the winners of their 2023 WINNIE Awards in Albuquerque, NM. Two local children’s books, “Upset, The Original Dark Horse”, and “Jim Dandy, A Dark Horse on a Dark Day” were both granted WINNIE awards. Written by local author Maddy Zanetti and illustrated by local artist Gretchen Tisch the children’s books have been a fan favorite in the area.
EQUUS Film & Arts Fest was founded in 2013 by Lisa Diersen to highlight and reward creative efforts in film, music, advertising, and literature that pay homage to the horse.
Maddy Zanetti, co-owner of Impressions of Saratoga and The Dark Horse Mercantile with partner Marianne Barker own Upset, the miniature Dark Horse. Together they take him on the road and around Saratoga. The legend of Upset beating Man o’ War in 1919 is what inspired The Dark Horse brand and her stories.
Gretchen Louise Tisch is an Artist and owner of Feathered Antler, a boutique located on Broadway. Her shop is filled with her hand painted fashion and home decor that doubles as her Art Studio.
The original book, “Upset” won the WINNIE Award in Children’s Book category while “Jim Dandy” received an Honorable mention. “Upset” is based on the infamous thoroughbred aptly named Upset who beat the previously undefeated Man o’War in Saratoga in 1919. “Jim Dandy” tells the story of the 100-1 longshot that ran in the 1930 Travers Stakes against Gallant Fox. Though he had never won a race he never gave up, and with a little motivation from his friend, Upset, Jim Dandy learns that it is not just luck that gets him across the finish line. Each page is filled with vibrant works of art and a twist on the real story of Upset. Some creative license was taken to tell the stories. Upset teaches everyone to believe in themselves even if they are the longshot or the “Dark Horse.”
For more on the EQUUS Film & Arts Fest visit www.equusfilmfestival.net.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — $30,000 in scholarships is up for grabs, thanks to the Saratoga Springs Lions Club.
Applications for the 2024 Scholarship Program are available from the guidance counselors at Saratoga Springs High School and Saratoga Catholic High School. All graduating high school students in the Saratoga school district are eligible to apply.
There are several different categories of scholarships:
•$10,000 Lions Foundation Jack Berkowitz Memorial Award
•$5,000 and $2,500 Four-Year Academic Program Awards
•$2,500 Leos Club Member Scholarship Award
•$2,500 Two-Year Academic Program Award
•$2,500 Career Technology Education Award
Most of the scholarships pay out a portion of the award money on a yearly basis. The scholarships will be granted to students attending a two or four-year accredited institution or career technology education school. Applications are due by April 15, 2024.
