Dr. Lisa Vollendorf Named President of SUNY Empire State College

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The SUNY Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Lisa Vollendorf, Interim Provost and Chief Academic Office at the University of Northern Colorado, President of SUNY Empire State College. 

Vollendorf, who was selected after an extensive national search, will be SUNY Empire’s sixth president since its founding in 1971. Her official start date will be announced soon. 

“I am both honored and excited to join SUNY Empire State College as its next president,” said Vollendorf, of her new appointment. “I believe deeply in SUNY Empire’s mission of meeting students where they are to help them achieve their educational needs. I thank the SUNY Board of Trustees, SUNY Empire, and the presidential search committee for putting their trust in me. I look forward to working with the SUNY Empire college community to advance the vital work already underway, find new and innovative ways to serve today’s diverse population, and support the faculty, staff, and alumni at the heart of this amazing institution.” 

Dr. Nathan Gonyea, who has served as Officer in Charge at SUNY Empire since December 2020, will remain in that role until Vollendorf arrives to ensure a smooth transition. 

“The announcement of Dr. Lisa Vollendorf’s appointment to President of SUNY Empire State College comes at a critical and opportune time for the college,” said Gonyea. “We are developing new programs and initiatives, and we are leading nontraditional higher education in new and exciting areas at a national level. We look forward to our next chapter with great hope and optimism. There is significant, yet exciting, work to be done. Dr. Vollendorf’s vast higher-education experience and her enthusiasm for SUNY Empire’s unique place within the SUNY system make her an excellent choice. On behalf of SUNY Empire State College, I extend a warm welcome to Dr. Vollendorf.” 

CCNE Grants Accreditation to SUNY Empire’s Master’s Program in Nursing

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has granted 10-year accreditation to SUNY Empire State College’s master’s program in nursing, a recognition that reinforces the program’s quality and integrity. 

CCNE accreditation is a nongovernmental peer review process that helps ensure a nursing program meets nationally recognized standards of excellence. It signals that a nursing program optimally prepares its graduates for the workforce. 

SUNY Empire’s graduate nursing program offers two specialty tracks, Nursing Education and Nursing Administration. SUNY Empire’s BSN program, which received CCNE accreditation in 2015, is due for its next accreditation visit in 2025. 

This important accreditation comes amid a growing demand for nurses across the nation and in New York State. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 11 million additional nurses are needed to avoid further shortages in the healthcare industry. Employment opportunities for nurses are projected to grow at a rate of 15 percent – faster than all other occupations – through 2026. According to the American Journal of Medical Quality, there will be a shortage of more than 39,000 registered nurses in New York by 2030. 

The accreditation further enhances opportunities recently created by the State University of New York establishing a $3 million SUNY Nursing Emergency Training Fund, which will help SUNY campuses expand program capacity so more students can enroll. 

GALWAY — The Galway High School Business Department has announced that it will be partnering with First New York Federal Credit Union to bring banking to Galway Junior/Senior High School. 

Junior/Senior High School students can open either a Savings Account or an EZ Access Account, which is a VISA Debit Card for children ages 13-17. 

Students who already have accounts from their years in Joseph Henry Elementary School don’t have to open a new account; they can continue to deposit at the High School and earn points for the E-Way Café. 

Students can bring their deposits of $.25 – $10 to school every Tuesday either before school from 7:40 to 7:55 a.m. or during 3rd and 4th periods from 9:31 to 10:55 a.m. 

The banking program will be run by Junior/Senior High School Students Eric Zelezniak, Sakarah Gilboy, and Jack Ryan and overseen by Business Teacher Mrs. Shauna Sitts. 

Applications can be picked up at the E-Way Store on Mondays and Fridays. Students can also open up an account online at www.firstnewyork.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Caroline Elementary participated in a Penny Drive during the month of November to benefit the SNACPack program. 

Mrs. Pipino and her math students have been keeping a tally. The last day for the penny drive was Nov. 24, and they announced the final donation amount and the grade-wide winner on Wednesday, Dec. 1. 

Kindergarten raised $356.20; 1st Grade raised $193.94; 2nd Grade raised $443.05; 3rd Grade raised $301.42; and 5th Grade raised $193.94 as well. The 4th grade won, raising an impressive $533.46 in pennies. The school total raised was $1,953, all going to benefit SNACPack. 

The students had fun helping the community through the Penny Drive! 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In collaboration with the SPAC School of the Arts, the Saratoga Springs City School District has announced a new after school enrichment opportunity for Saratoga Springs students in grades 2nd–5th. The Arts Discovery Program is designed to introduce students to a variety of art forms with an emphasis on building creativity, curiosity, emotional awareness, and self-expression. Students will be grouped by age and rotate through art forms every few weeks. 

This 11-week program mixes in theatre, music, and dance while building toward a collaborative performance piece. Space is limited and students will be placed on a first come basis. Register online at forms.gle/rC8sJo3L6BLbqCaa7 by Dec. 17. 

All courses will be held at the SPAC School of Arts in Saratoga Springs (99 South Broadway) on Tuesdays from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Program dates are Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25; Feb. 1, 8, 15; March 1, 8, 15, 22 (snow date: March 29). Tuition is $220 per student (make checks payable to Saratoga Springs City School District). Mail tuition checks to WSWHE BOCES, 267 Ballard Rd., Suite 5, Wilton NY 12831. Transportation to the SPAC School of the Arts will be provided; parents are responsible for pick up (must sign student out). 

For more information visit www.saratogaschools.org. 

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District held a Board of Education meeting on Dec. 1 to award the latest round of grants from the Ballston Spa Education Foundation, give updates on the CTE programs and curriculum, and appoint a new board member. 

Ballston Spa Education Foundation Grants 

The Ballston Spa Education Foundation is celebrating 25 years of “supporting the innovation and creativity of teachers” in the district. This latest round of grants brings the total donation to the district to nearly half a million dollars over these past 25 years.

This fall, two grants were presented for a total of $4,607.92. The first grant of $3,679.92 went to Brian Retersdorf, BSCSD K-12 Music Coordinator, to purchase ukuleles for the elementary school. The second grant of $928 dollars went to Tracy Larocque and Marissa Bongo, high school social studies teachers, to purchase collaboration station whiteboards for their self-paced learning classrooms. 

The spring grant cycle opens prior to spring recess. Any interested staff employed by the district is encouraged to submit an application. Stay tuned for Ballston Spa Education Foundation events in the spring celebrating their 25th year. For more information, visit www.bspaedfoundation.com. 

CTE (Career & Technical Education) Programs

The relocation of underused computer labs has been in the works for two years. At the meeting, it was officially announced that a computer lab has been fully converted into a state-of-the-art TV studio to expand upon student-run communications. The studio is also being used for the weekly morning news show that is broadcasted throughout the building.

In addition, the district is in the process of developing a new Digital Multimedia department with CTE programs such as Media and Arts Technology, Video Production and Editing, Advanced Broadcasting, and Visual Effects and Motion Graphics. The Video Production and Editing will be a CHS class with SUNY Adirondack. 

BSCSD currently has 4 CTE programs approved by NYSED. There are 102 students enrolled in Business Management/Entrepreneurship, 83 students enrolled in Marketing, 120 students enrolled in Building Sciences, and 145 students enrolled in Pre-Engineering. 

Also announced, this 2021-22 school year, the News program was converted into a SkillsUSA Chapter. For the 2022-2023 school year, there are plans to add a DECA Chapter (Distributed Education Clubs of America) for Business and Entrepreneurship. 

CTE or CDOS (Career Development and Occupational Study) can now also be an endorsement on Regents Diplomas. 

Curriculum 

The district has adopted a tiered social and emotional learning curriculum for grade levels K-5. Implementation began in the fall of 2020, and has helped students through the pandemic. The curriculum is intended to teach students self-regulation, perspective taking, building and managing positive relationships, and navigating through conflict to help them benefit even more from classroom instruction. Elementary school counselors (there is at least one in every building) provide weekly in-person lessons to all classrooms, and teachers follow up with smaller lessons each day throughout the week.   

The district is in Year 3 after implementing changes to other areas of their curriculum. In the ELA, or literacy, curriculum, students have a set routine for learning, with content that grows with them as they move up to the next grade level. Students have 3, 45-minute instructional blocks a day, and all students now have access to and are reading at grade-level or above. In the math curriculum, the use of pre-assessments has helped teachers notice gaps in learning in certain grades levels and can now address what skills they are lacking as a result of virtual learning during the pandemic. And in the science curriculum, students are now receiving more hand-on learning, rather than memorization. 

Addressing the social studies curriculum is the next step in Year Four. In Year Five, the data will be reviewed and refined then implemented and developed. In Year 6, the curriculum will continue to be monitored for effectiveness and adjusted as necessary. 

Appointment of New Board Member 

Following a board member’s resignation on Nov. 3, Lawrence Ryan was appointed to fill the vacancy during the Dec. 1 Board of Education meeting. Ryan will hold office for the remainder of the term, until June 30, 2022 and the next regular school election. He will be a sitting board member at the next meeting on Dec. 15.  For more information on Ryan and the other BOE members, please visit www.bscsd.org/domain/19. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City School District held a Board of Education meeting on Dec. 7. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Patton gave a district health & safety update, and the Transportation Department gave their annual report. To view the full meeting and the annual report on district transportation, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4DiZ5odXow. 

During the public comment period, several district residents spoke to garner support for a new capital project that would include an indoor pool on school grounds. They stated that the varsity and modified swim/dive teams rely on the Saratoga Regional YMCA and Skidmore College for pool time. A pool would save the district money and generate revenue, as well as provide opportunities to host meets and tournaments and for grade schoolers to take swimming lessons. 

Health & Safety Updates 

Superintendent Dr. Michael Patton announced that the seven-day rolling average for positivity rate in Saratoga County is at 7.2%, and that increase in positive COVID cases are consistent with other regions across the state. Since the beginning of the 2021-22 school year SSCSD has had 284 cases of COVID among students and staff, and 105 are currently in quarantine. 

By encouragement of the County and State Departments of Health, school districts are asked to continue offering vaccination clinics. As long as there is a high demand for the vaccinations in the district, including for the next eligible age group of 5- to 11-year-olds, SSCSD will be scheduling additional clinics in January. 

Dr. Patton was also able to provide and update on South Glens Falls “Test to Stay” pilot program. Over three weeks, they have tested 1,000 students, and those tests have saved over 900 instructional days for kids who would otherwise be quarantined. 

Due to the supply chain demand, there is currently an issue in getting these rapid tests, but local school district officials were scheduled to have a meeting on Dec. 8 to discuss the potential of implementing the “Test to Stay” protocols across Saratoga County. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Committee of the Saratoga Springs City School District has picked four new community members to join the board, while parents’ concerns about the committee are still not being addressed. 

In an email sent out to members of the district, and at the Nov. 22 DEI Committee meeting, the names of the four individuals picked to join the committee were announced. Over 60 parent/community member interest forms were received, but applicants heard nothing about the progress of their applications until the announcement. 

Amy, a parent who applied for the DEI Committee confirmed that after submitting her interest form, she received no further correspondence from the committee regarding her application status. 

 “The committee is not being transparent,” said Amy. 

The first element from the NYSED DEI Framework, which the Saratoga Springs City School District had adopted, is governance – “Establish a district Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee that is representative of all stakeholders.” 

Brian, a conservative parent from a minority family, applied for the DEI Committee and was not selected. He can attest that this governance element is not closely followed.

“The committee is not representative of the conservative district members,” said Brian. 

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Michael, another minority parent who is conservative, also submitted an application. He expressed similar concerns to Brian’s. 

“There is not an equal an opportunity for a diversity of races to be on the committee,” said Michael. 

According to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Patton, “A subcommittee (student, staff member, two community members, and two building administrators) volunteered to review the interest forms to select four new members. This subcommittee reviewed each individual’s response of why they were interested in serving on the committee and their personal or professional experiences that will assist the work of the committee.” 

Although Amy added that from a parent’s perspective, “there is no real mission statement.” 

Board of Education (BOE) President Anjeannette Emeka added that the board trustees on the committee serve by invitation, just like any other stakeholder. 

Parents in the SSCSD have real concerns about DEI/CRT, as do countless other parents across the country. All DEI Committee meetings are available to the public and can be watched via WebEx; meeting links can be found on the events calendar on the district’s website: www.saratogaschools.org. At the BOE Workshop on Oct. 26, Dr. Patton announced the possibility of an open forum with community members to address their concerns about the DEI policies, but no further information has been posted. 

ALBANY — St. Anne Institute, an agency that has been providing therapeutic programs and services for young women, individuals, and families for over 100 years, has recently received a $100k donation from Business for Good. 

Founded by local philanthropists, Ed and Lisa Mitzen, Business for Good is a non-profit committed to investing in people and communities by providing access to resources and support to the underserved and those in need. BFG’s donation will help jump start the capital improvements that are needed to modernize and repair some of the older structures at the agency. 

Business for Good and St. Anne Institute both believe in helping others. Their partnership will allow St. Anne Institute to improve and modernize its currently successful offerings and advance the positive impact on their clients, including gained confidence and applicable skills that make them better equipped to overcome crisis in their lives. 

“Business for Good is aligned with St. Anne Institute’s mission of changing lives for the better by providing the tools and resources to help people thrive,” said Ed Mitzen, Business for Good Co-Founder. “We are excited to support their next phase of success.” 

The Capital Campaign was launched in August of 2021 with a goal of reaching $4.5 million to provide the improvements and modernization to the Agency. Projects such as a much-needed elevator to updated air filtration improvements are a few in the long list of items on St. Anne’s checklist. The $100,000 donated by Business for Good will be used to begin such projects. St. Anne Institute is grateful for the generous support from BFG, which will allow them to continue the mission to help any child, adult, or family entrusted to their care.

For more information on how you can help, please contact Sandy Tarkleson, Director of Fund Development & Grants Management at 518-437-6563 or starkleson@s-a-i.org or you can donate online at www.stanneinstitute.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga’s Credit Union is offering local high school seniors a chance to win scholarships for college. Saratoga’s Credit Union is participating in the New York Credit Union Association’s statewide credit union college scholarship program, which provides credit union members with scholarships. In 2021, scholarships awarded ranged from $500 to $1,500. 

To be eligible, students must be high school seniors attending two- or four-year accredited educational institutions for the first time in the fall of 2022. They must also be members of Saratoga’s Credit Union or another participating New York credit union. 

Students/applicants will be competing against other credit union members from across the state. Applicants will be judged based upon academic achievements, extracurricular and community activities, and the quality of written essays. Last year, the New York Credit Union Association awarded $30,750 in scholarships to 41 students through the program. In addition, Saratoga’s Credit Union will award a $1,000 scholarship to two local students. 

“Saratoga’s Community Federal Credit Union has been awarding scholarships to deserving students for many years,” said Don Denofio, CEO. “Recipients are selected by a volunteer Scholarship Committee and are chosen based on academic achievement, leadership activities, service to the community, and responses to an essay question. We are pleased to continue to award these scholarships and support education in our community.” 

For more information about the scholarship program, contact the credit union at 518-583-2323. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — U.S. News & World Report has ranked Skidmore No. 38 in the National Liberal Arts Colleges category of its 2022 Best Colleges rankings. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. The publication has once again named Skidmore in the top 50 for “Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching” as well as “Best Value School.” 

The Princeton Review has also named Skidmore to its 2022 overall list of the Best 387 Colleges. In addition, the publication has identified Skidmore as a “Best Value College” for the educational opportunities it affords students and has ranked Skidmore among the top 20 schools for “Best Financial Aid.” 

Skidmore was also recently recognized as one of the 2022 Best Colleges in America by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. 

Since rankings cannot capture the distinct and complete nature of any college, prospective students are invited to learn more about Skidmore at skidmore.edu/admissions.