SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, beginning with a fall festival in October. 

As you venture down Broadway in Saratoga Springs this week, you might notice the flags popping up to announce the celebration of the Waldorf School’s 40th anniversary. They will kick off their year-long celebration by partnering with Pitney Meadows to put on a fall festival open to the public. The Waldorf School is an alternative to conventional public school, where you will find students not only learning their multiplication tables and reading the classics, but also knitting, gardening, moving, playing instruments, and more.

Save the date! Saturday, October 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is the first celebratory event – Jump Into Fall: Fall Festival with Pitney Meadows and The Waldorf School of Saratoga. Join the Waldorf School for their anniversary as Pitney Meadows Community Farm also celebrates their 5th anniversary. The festival, held at Pitney Meadows Community Farm (223 West Ave, Saratoga Springs) will be reflective of the fall season with interactive activities such as sheep shearing, basket weaving, a hay jump, and more. Admission is free, just pay-to-park; $12 pre-pay or $15 the day of the event. To learn more about the festival, pre-pay for parking, or sponsor the event visit: jumpintofallsaratoga.com.

 Established in 1981, with its first graduating senior class in 2001, the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs began teaching pre-school and then primary students. They purchased the old public high school on York Avenue in 1987. They now have three campuses across the city with the High School on Regent Street (an old Skidmore College building), the Lower School at the York Avenue location, and Forest Kindergarten on Spa State Park land near Kaydeross Creek. Class sizes range from 8 to 15 students who learn in blocks, focusing on one subject during 3 to 4 week periods. 

Here are some things you will find Waldorf School students learning about: 

At the Forest Kindergarten, youngsters learn how to garden, cook, and more in a playful setting focused around the seasons, helping them to develop their motor skills. 

In the Lower School, field trips are introduced. The students are taught the French language and get to take a hallmark trip to Quebec to practice it in real-life scenarios in the French culture. Although with COVID, they creatively improvised to set up a French village of their own with French speakers who graciously traveled to the area to participate. 

At the high school, there is continued focus on academics, but also community service. The Waldorf School has a unique  Junior Internship Program, where high schoolers spend a week working with a community member. Students have shadowed police officers, filmmakers, attorneys, contractors, financial advisors, and many other professions. In their senior year, students delve into a chosen passion and show how they have grown into young adults throughout their time at the school in a year-long individual project. 

“We are proud of our graduates. They learn many diverse skills at our school and become creative thinkers and excellent problem solvers. They do remarkable things with their lives,” said Abigail Reid, Administrator of the Waldorf School. 

Through all grade levels there is a progression in academic and practical skills, a hands-on education, and connection to the arts. 

“There is beauty and truth in education. You can see that idea everywhere you look in the school,” said Evelyn Barber, retired Waldorf School teacher and 40th anniversary committee member. 

“Our school has grown incredibly during these 40 years. This school originally was supported by the parents who wanted this education for their children. And to this day we are here for the same reason. Now we are even stronger,” added Reid. “We love our school, and we are looking forward to celebrating these 40 years with the greater Saratoga community.” 

For more information on the Waldorf School visit their website at www.waldorfsaratoga.org. For additional information regarding tuition, contact Elisabeth Garofalo, Admissions Coordinator, at 518-587-2224 or admissions@waldorfsaratoga.org. For additional information on how you can support the Waldorf School, contact Carla Metz, Development Director, at 518-581-1466 or highschool@waldorfsaratoga.org. 

SARATOGA COUNTY — As we roll out of summer into September, it’s back-to-school time for children and students. It’s a time of year that is equally exciting and stressful for students, parents, teachers, administrators and support staff, particularly with COVID-19 still on the rise around the country.

Over the past several months, the Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness has been highlighting different aspects and forms of homelessness that affect our community – but one of the rarely told stories of homelessness is that of homeless students. Back-to-school time is different for everyone, but it is particularly challenging for students who are experiencing homelessness. Most often, discussions around homelessness focus on adults, but what is often overlooked is discussing how homelessness of a family unit impacts children, their education, and social development.

According to the NYS Department of Education, Saratoga County school districts reported 474 registered K-12 students experiencing homelessness in the 2019-2020 school year. Across New York State (excluding NYC) that number swelled to 31,611. In 2019, CAPTAIN Community Human Services housed 92 youth in their shelter alone. The Saratoga-North Country Continuum of Care reported 21 unaccompanied youth in staying in an emergency shelter on a single night in January 2021. It is a significant issue and highlights the often forgotten and untold story of childhood homelessness. 

The contributing factors leading to family/youth homelessness vary widely, and the resulting predicament can significantly impact a student’s education trajectory and social network. For example:

• A mother of three flees a domestic violence situation and is fearful for her children to continue to attend school in their home district as their abuser will know where to find them.
• A family of four, with two young elementary school-aged children, are evicted from their home and placed in a motel outside of their home district by the Department of Social Services. The supportive educational environment at school, where the teachers know them and their friends, is now gone. 
• A high school senior is kicked out of their home and finds themselves at a runaway and homeless youth emergency shelter and struggles without the emotional support they need to graduate successfully. 

National studies confirm that if a student remains connected, active, engaged, and present in their home school district, the rate of reaching graduation successfully is significantly increased. When there are disruptions to school attendance, periods of non-enrollment, multiple moves from one school district to another, and/or falling behind grade level academically, students are negatively impacted and the chances of graduating successfully – and on time – is severely reduced. According to the National Center for Homeless Education, when students were administered a survey measuring the stress of life events, researchers found that students reported changing schools being as stressful as the hospitalization or incarceration of a parent. Coupled with worries about where they will be sleeping at night or if they will have food to eat, this kind of dramatic transition is especially stressful for children experiencing homelessness. Nationally, 75% of homeless children perform below grade level in reading, 72% perform below grade level in spelling, and 54% perform below grade level in math.

Thankfully, in Saratoga County there are committed resources, programs, and dedicated school employees who are focused on the needs of homeless students to ensure they are successfully connected to the school system and have the resources they need to continue their education with their cohort. Federal legislation called the McKinney-Vento Act provides rights and services to children and youth experiencing homelessness. 

Melanie Faby, the State McKinney-Vento Coordinator – who happens to reside in Saratoga County – explains the importance of this legislation, as it protects “the students’ rights to receive a ‘free, appropriate public education,’ by mandating that elementary and secondary school students without a ‘fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence’ are provided educational services comparable to those provided to their permanently housed peers. This provides stability that may be missed when a student is temporarily housed.”

Although the McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law, New York State laws further clarify some of the federal protections and add more. Some important, additional protections for New Yorkers are: 

• Continued enrollment and transportation for students in their final year in a school building (such as their senior year in high school), even if they have found permanent housing in a different school district.
• Transportation responsibility is assigned to the designated district of attendance (or to the Local Department of Social Services (LDSS) under certain conditions) regardless of the student’s present location.

Ultimately, the goal of the legislation is to ensure that homeless youth are identified, enrolled in school, and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed academically. This can include academic support, transportation to and from their home district for the entirety of their homelessness episode or the end of the school year, access to school breakfast and lunch programs, after-school programming, and many other support services. The McKinney-Vento Act also requires all school districts around the country to have a Homeless Student Liaison to work with children, and their families, when they enroll in school as a homeless student or become homeless at any point during the school year.

In the big picture of addressing homelessness and creating successful outcomes, the community of service providers working together to serve the whole family is critical. Although the primary focus is helping families find, secure, and maintain permanent housing, careful attention must also be paid to the particular needs of children – ensuring that students maintain the vital link to school to help them successfully complete their education. The housing providers and services agencies which comprise the Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness, and several school district Homeless Student Liaisons contribute to this collaborative work. 

For more information on resources for students experiencing homelessness or contact information for local Homeless Student Liaisons please visit www.nysteachs.org 

BALLSTON SPA — U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has recognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021, including 19 schools in New York. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. 

Malta Ave. Elementary School in the Ballston Spa Central School District was among the list of New York schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools. Other schools honored in upstate New York include Castleton-on-Hudson’s Green Meadow Elementary in the East Greenbush Central School District and Fonda-Fultonville K-4 School in the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District. 

“I commend all our Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs,” said Secretary Cardona. “In the face of unprecedented circumstances you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have so much to offer and can serve as a model for other schools and communities so that we can truly build back better.” 

Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools. 

NEW YORK — The New York State Office for New Americans (ONA) and CanCode Communities have announced the opening of registration for the Fall 2021 session of Digital Literacy Training. Known as NewAmericans CanCode, the program provides digital literacy training to assist newcomers to New York State in gaining basic computer skills. 

“We are proud to partner with the New York State Office for New Americans to provide computer education and training to immigrants across the state,” said CanCode Communities Founder and CEO Annmarie Lanesey. “Digital literacy is essential for building a career in today’s information economy, and by equipping more New Yorkers with those critical skills, we are enhancing the tech talent pipeline to support the needs of employers.” 

As part of NewAmericans CanCode, students learn Microsoft Office, how to manage calendars and email, basic internet safety skills, and basic computer usage. The course is available to any immigrant living in New York regardless of status, who meets eligibility requirements. 

Fall courses will be offered remotely, with real-time instruction and hands-on learning. Classes will begin the week of Sept. 27, run for 10 weeks, and be conducted on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. 

For more information and to register, visit www.cancode.org/virtual-digital-literacy-program, email info@albanycancode.org, or call 518-238-6808. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs City School District held a Board of Education meeting on Sept. 21 to discuss a new COVID screening testing partnership with Saratoga County, “Stay Open Plan” updates, as well as updates on the capital Legacy project

New COVID Screening Testing Partnership

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Patton has announced a COVID screening testing partnership with the Saratoga County Department of Health, working closely with the County Director of Health. Saratoga Springs City School District is a couple of weeks away from implementing weekly screening and diagnostic tests, with the opportunity for those who ae vaccinated to opt out. As of Sept. 21, 79% of eligible people in the county ages 12 and up are vaccinated, and based on staff reports, 83% of staff members in the Saratoga Springs City School District are vaccinated.

“Saratoga is leading the way when it comes to having both screening and diagnostic testing available to school districts,” said Dr. Patton. 

Federal funding is available for the district to run this program and is available to all districts in the area. Saratoga will begin with the staff, having them provide proof of vaccination or their Excelsior Pass to get an accurate count on the unvaccinated and the logistics of how many need to be tested on a weekly basis. Once the district is comfortable with the testing process, information and parental consent forms will be shared with parents. School nurses will also have PCR tests for symptomatic students, also requiring parental consent; within 24 hours students will be notified of their PCR test results. 

“Stay Open Plan” Updates 

Updates to the districts “Stay Open Plan” were also announced at the most recent Board of Education meeting. 

Approximately 6,000 students are attending classes in-person again throughout the district. Since the first day of school, there have been 21 confirmed positive COVID cases between students and adults; 9 in elementary, 11 in middle school, and 1 in the high school. Currently, 101 students are on mandatory quarantine by Saratoga County. The school is required to report the following key indicators to the county for contract tracing: consistency of mask use, social distancing and time of association, and vaccination status of those 12 years and older. The county, not the school district, determines who quarantines and for what length of time. 

The academic plan in place is PIVOT. PIVOT is for classes, grade levels, or the entire school to transition to temporary online learning. Students will Zoom in daily for live instruction, following their normal daily schedule. Teachers should have already shared procedures with grades K-12, with additional information regarding study halls and flex to be announced. Attendance will be taken and Zoom links can be found on Seesaw for grades K-5 and Canvas for grades 6-12. 

Looking ahead, an enhanced quarantine support plan will also be implemented beginning the week of Sept. 20 for 6th graders and in October for everyone else. This enhanced online support is for individual students under a longer quarantine period; a longer quarantine consists of three or more days. This is the information available as of Sept. 21: 

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Students and parents will access work and communicate with teachers using Seesaw and Canvas. Teachers will do live check-ins with students under these longer quarantines. Additionally, their online classes will be structured on a set schedule 1-2 hours per class depending on grade level band with a New York State Certified Educator approved by NYSED for live instructional online support. All of which is coordinated by the school district. If a student needs a device, please contact the school’s main office. Students should access their teachers during daily flex time upon returning from quarantine for additional help. 

“Since March of 2020, we learned that students need more live instruction, access to technology, and also alternatives, set schedules and expectations, relationships with peers and adults are even more important, and that we need to do a better job as a district communicating and using communication tools,” said Lisa Cutting, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment.

Capital Project Updates 

Phase 1 of the Legacy Project is complete, and the district is now looking to move on to Phase 2. The Legacy Project includes enhancing security with a new visitor management system, security cameras, etc., as well as other building improvements and energy efficiencies. The bid was this fall (Fall 2021), and estimated completion is Sept. 2023. 

The specific Dorothy Nolan/Greenfield/ Transportation projects include a secure entrance vestibule, cafeteria upgrades, and replacements in the transportation building. The bid for these projects is Fall 2022 with an estimated completion by Summer 2023/2024. 

The bid for projects in the high school will also be in Fall 2022 with an estimated completion in Summer 2025. This includes a renovated dining hall, upgrading from a serving line to scattered food court stations with a variety of counter, group, and booth seating, as well as a renovated fitness center, with the current weight room being converted to a wellness center. 

Now that the district is coming out of Phase 1, the bidding process, they will proceed into the design review and construction phases. Members of the district will be updated on the progress of Phases 2 and 3 in future board meetings.

LAKE LUZERNE — The Double H Ranch will host the Annual Backyard Oasis Gala on Saturday, Sept. 18 to raise funds and awareness for year-round, in-person, virtual, and alternative programs for children living with a serious illness. Led by chairpersons Lisa and Robert Moser, and Lone Ranger Supporters Christine Mallozzi & David Buicko and Dee & Steve Haraden, “guests” will gather in their own “Backyard Oasis” wherever it may be while enjoying Gala To Go food delivered by Mazzone Hospitality with signature cocktails and beer provided by DeCresente Distributing. 

A highlight of the Double H Ranch Gala is always the incredible live and silent auctions. Over 150 items are available online with something for everyone and every home, starting at $50. Registered supporters will be able to view the items, place bids, and “buy it now” starting at 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 15. The auction will remain open until 10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19. Bidders can register for free at doublehranch.cbo.io, and do not need to be attending the virtual event on Saturday to participate. 

Showcase Auction items include a one-week stay and farm tour at Live Oak Stables in Ocala, FL; Lake George getaway for up to 18 people at Villa Nirvana, next to The Sagamore; a one-week stay in Anguilla Villa Abbey, which sleeps up to 12; outdoor pizza oven; ultimate backyard party; new deck system from Curtis Lumber; and a Florida Fishing Charter. 

Virtual guests are also invited to sponsor a camper by visiting fundraise.doublehranch.org/oasisgala. For more information, please visit www.doublehranch.org/special-events/oasisgala 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Canadian Road poet Scott Cook is coming to the Caffe Lena stage on Sept. 29. From 7 to 9 p.m. Scott Cook sings with “his heart and soul,” providing uplifting and inspiring music to anyone who listens. He is “truly one of Woody Guthrie’s children” and a concert you can’t miss!

Caffe Lena, Youth2, and All Hands and Hearts hopes you will join them in-person for the concert; however, in-person ticket holders will also be provided with a complimentary livestream link upon request. If you are certain you will not be attending in-person, you are encouraged to buy a livestream ticket now so you can support Youth2 and enjoy the event from home. 

This concert will benefit Youth2 – Youth Helping Youth, a youth philanthropic group and All Hand and Hearts – Smart Response, an organization committed to effectively and efficiently addressing the immediate and long-term needs of global communities impacted by natural disasters. Youth2 is a field of Interest Fund formed under the guidance of the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region. Youth2 seeks to encourage young people to participate in meaningful community service work. The participants of Youth2 serve on the Advisory Board and learn leadership and philanthropic skills. Youth2 helps to fund and give guidance to social action projects that are proposed, approved, and led by young people. Youth2 is also committed to connecting youth to already existing community service projects. 

In-person at Caffe Lena: Scott Cook Benefit Concert “Songs of Social Action & Social Justice” on Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. Ticket Link: www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-squared-presents-scott-cook-songs-of-social-action-social-justice-tickets-160013230881.

Live Stream Ticket Link Only: www.caffelena.tv/programs/live-scott-cook?categoryId=94013 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Sponsor A Scholar (SSAS) is accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year. SSAS is entering the 14th year of helping deserving high school students attend college. Applicants must be a sophomore attending Saratoga Springs High School and an engaged learner with a good attendance record and a desire to attend college. Students must also meet economic qualifications. 

Participating students will receive two Dell computers (one for high school and another for college) and will be assigned a mentor to assist with professional and life skills development. SSAS also pays for SAT and ACT prep courses, as well as school- related expenses such as school trips, prom tickets, club fees, yearbooks, caps and gowns, and even college deposits. SSAS will also cover the cost of college tours, cultural immersion trips, and social skills development. Participants will also receive $1,250 per semester for 8 semesters while attending college. 

Past participants have attended local community colleges as well as schools such as Brown, Columbia, Cornell, RPI, Skidmore, and all NYS colleges and universities. 

SSAS works with the Saratoga Springs High School Guidance Department. Students interested in applying to the Sponsor A Scholar program should contact Brandy Crary or Matt Nelson in the Guidance Department at the High School, 518-587-6690. The application deadline is October 28, 2021; teacher recommendations may be required. 

For more information on the Saratoga Sponsor A Scholar program or for more information on how to support the program, please contact Executive Director Cynthia Hollywood at 518-207-7682 or email cindyhollywood@gmail.com. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Independent School (SIS) has hosted its annual Kite & Flight Festival for many years. The greater Saratoga community has come to love this free, family event and will be even happier to know that it will be in-person on Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the SIS campus. SIS will comply with the health and safety measures put forth by New York State. All individuals, regardless of vaccination status will be asked to social distance and wear a mask when not eating. The event will be outside, rain or shine, with an open-air tent. This year’s Festival will provide local families the opportunity to embrace flight in a fun and creative way, with new and exciting activities, and delicious local food vendors. 

The festival will feature a hot air balloon on display (weather dependent), a climbing rock wall, flight-themed crafts, face painting, room to fly kites, DIY kites, kites and frisbees for sale, Kite & Flight swag for sale from Nourish Designs, nature trails, local food vendors such as Kaleidoscope Café, Jay’s Pizza, and Ben & Jerry’s, and so much more. The event is free to attend, and while many activities will be free, some will require a small fee. 

For more information about this year’s Kite & Flight Festival, please visit www.siskids.org/giving/kiteandflight.cfm 

SARATOGA COUNTY — Tri-County Literacy Center is excited to announce that they have received a three-year pledge from The Sandy Hill Foundation for their reorganization project. 

This funding will enable Tri-County Literacy Center (TLC) to help their neighbors improve their lives by fostering literacy skills through practical, learner-centered education. TLC provides adults in Warren, Washington, and Saratoga Counties with one-to-one volunteer tutors who work with their learners to help them achieve their literacy goals. 

Tri-County Literacy Center’s main office is located in Crandall Library in Glens Falls, and according to Kathy Naftly, Director of Crandall Library, “Crandall Public Library is honored to be able to support Tri-County Literacy Center and its adult learners and tutors by providing a home base for a myriad of services. When our shared community thinks of our public library, they envision books. The ability to read, or literacy, is the key to unlocking our complex and delightful literary visions. Both of our organizations honor all who want to gain from said services; rich or poor, old or young, native-born or immigrant, worker or soon-to-be-employed, all are welcome. The Library and literacy – a perfect match.” 

Tri-County Literacy Center offers a variety of tutoring services free of charge to adults including basic literacy skills (reading, writing, and math), high school equivalency preparation, English as a new language and assistance with preparation for the US Citizenship exam. TLC is dedicated to creating partnerships with other local social service organizations to assist individuals as they pursue their educational path and to help provide opportunities for independence and economic mobility. 

Marilyn Bien, Tri-County Literacy Center Board Chair, states, “Tri-County Literacy Center is very grateful to The Sandy Hill Foundation for their generous support of our fledging organization. We appreciate this community partnership as we build Tri-County Literacy Center’s outreach in Glens Falls and the surrounding areas. Providing more adults with improved literacy skills, helping them attain a high school diploma, or learn English as a new language helps the entire community grow. Now with the Foundation’s help we can continue our mission to adult learners.”