Photos provided.

SCHUYLERVILLE — The students at Schuylerville Elementary were very excited to get “caught” eating their vegetables!

Sarah Keen, the Foodservice Manager at Schuylerville Central School District, partnered with local King Brothers Dairy to provide a “Caught Eating Veggies” contest the week of December 7.  If students were “caught” eating their vegetables they would receive a ticket.  The tickets were collected for each class and counted. At the end of the week, the top class in each grade won an ice cream party donated by King Brothers Dairy.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County’s Farm to School Coordinator, Nicolina Foti asked students about their experience, vegetables they tried, and what their favorites were.   

“This was so well received! Multiple parents emailed to tell me how excited their kids were about the contest, and even kids who pack lunch were begging their parents to put veggies in it. The kitchen went through nearly double our usual quantities of veggies during the contest. It was so nice to do something fun and ‘normal’,” said Keen.

The Farm to School program for Saratoga county has been working to keep things going during these unfortunate and unusual times of COVID-19. It was excellent to get back into the school and get to hear firsthand how this program impacts students all over our county, said Foti.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County’s Farm to School Coordinator, Nicolina Foti.

Saratoga County — Several libraries in Saratoga County have announced changes this week due to the increasing spread of COVID-19. 

The Saratoga Springs Public Library building will be closed to the public until Monday, Dec. 28.  Digital materials and virtual programs will be available. Librarians will be available by phone, e-mail, and chat to answer questions Monday-Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., and on Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (They are closed Dec. 24 and 25).

Library return drops will be open however, borrowers are encouraged to hold on to any items they have checked out until the building reopens. There are no fines for overdue materials, and the period for items on hold will be extended.

For more information, go to www.sspl.org

The Schuylerville Public Library will revert to Curbside Service and will be offering computer use time by appointment only.

Library returns should be placed in the front porch bin.  Materials will be kept in quarantine for 4 days or more upon return and will remain on patron’s accounts until that time is up.

For more information, go to schuylervillelibrary.sals.edu, or call 518-695-6641. 

The Town of Ballston Community Library is open for Curbside Service only. Curbside pickup hours will remain the same as pop-in hours. Staff is available by phone during these hours for assistance. toblibrary.sals.edu

As part of a multi-year attempt to balance their budget, the College of Saint Rose approved a plan to close 16 bachelor’s, six master’s degree, and three certificate programs. 

“It is no secret that weighty financial challenges are pressing on colleges and universities throughout the country. The higher education sector is in a period of real transformation. We are being proactive by making hard decisions now, as painful as they are,” said Interim President Marcia White. 

HISTORIC CUTS
To reduce academic expenses by $5.97 million, programs in the School of Arts and Humanities will be particularly hard hit.  Others on the chopping block include programs in the Education, Business, Mathematics and Sciences departments. 

These closures will eliminate 33 of the College’s tenured and tenure-track faculty positions by December of next year. Eight visiting faculty contracts will not be renewed. 

Earlier this year, the College made an additional $8 million in administrative and staff expense reductions.

ORPHANING A VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY
Estimated to directly affect only 14% of students currently enrolled at Saint Rose, the larger impact of these cuts will change the educational landscape of the entire region.

“Their arts programs fueled the community in such a number of ways – they were the center of the arts community here. It will fundamentally change the arts ecosystem of the Capital Region that St. Rose was a part of,” said Elizabeth Dubben. 

“So many professional artists, designers, and arts educators across the state have gone there. It is such a high-quality, rigorous program and very accessible,” she said. 

Dubben, who earned her BFA from the College in 2005 and Masters in 2009, has emerged as a powerhouse in the local art world. Her impressive resume includes founding Albany’s Amrose Sable Gallery, serving as the Saratoga Arts Exhibition Director, currently the Executive Director of Collar Works, and the Entrepreneurial Artist Initiative Coordinator and Lecturer at Skidmore College under Arts Administration.

SQUEEZING OUT THE ARTS
This is the second time in five years budgetary cuts at Saint Rose have dealt a devastating blow to their arts programs. 

“The arts programs are always the first to get cut. This is a question of; what are the priorities of our society? We have no problem consuming the arts. In hard times especially, everyone gravitates towards the arts, but artists still struggle to be valued and paid fairly and equitably for their work,” said Dubben.

Combining a rigorous, quality, arts education with the business acumen necessary to make it a financial success is Dubben’s specialty, and she is grateful for the arts appreciation she’s experienced in her various roles within this passionate community.

“When students are connected to arts programming, their outcomes across the board are better. It helps improve their critical thinking, test scores, their mental health and so much more. The benefits are connected across curriculums,” she said.

FIGHTING HITS CLOSE TO HOME
While these cuts may take a while to be felt in the larger community, they hit especially close to home for Dubben, not only because of her arts career, but also because her husband, Rob O’Neil, a Saint Rose photography professor for decades, will be one of those looking for a new job. 

“Thankfully, there’s a little bit of time to figure out what the next step for us is. There’s a big grieving process that he and his fellow colleagues are going through now. It was such an incredible program and it’s impacting so many people’s lives. It’s a big loss for our community,” said Dubben. 

So, what’s the best way to help conserve the arts in your community?

“Buy from local artists. Shop small. Contribute to the arts. Put a little bit of money behind your desire to elevate and conserve them. Show artists with your wallet that you value them,” she said. 

Wilton — The WSWHE BOCES Enrichment Resource Center is offering an Online Enrichment Program for Middle School Students in grades 6-8. 

Courses include digital photo manipulation and basic cell animation; an introduction to DNA (where students learn the history of how it has been used and the future of this science); cybersecurity, internet safety and the career paths connected to it; and have a chance to get in on the action during mock trials.

This six-week program will be held on Wednesdays from 4-5:30 p.m., beginning Jan. 6, 2021. Tuition includes supplies. 

For more information, email giftedresources@wswheboces.org, call 518-581-3585, or visit www.wswheboces.org/enrichment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Lions Club is proud to announce that scholarship applications for more than $32,000 in awards are now available. Students graduating from Saratoga Springs High School, Saratoga Central Catholic School, The Waldorf School, as well as homeschooled students pursuing post-high school academic and vocational programs are invited to apply. Application forms are available online at www.saratogaspringslions.com/scholarships and at each eligible school’s Guidance Office.  Applications must be submitted by March 15, 2021.

Schuylerville — Logan Methven, a 7th grader at Schuylerville Middle School is asking you to donate your redeemable cans/bottles to help support Hood’s House of Hoops, a recreation center in Albany. 

Owned by his basketball coach, Jamil Hood, Hood’s House of Hoops will be a safe place for the community in the Arbor Hills neighborhood, where he is hoping to offer reading programs, youth services, and senior activities, in addition to coaching and mentoring.

They are currently in need of building renovations and resources (books; kitchen appliances; etc.).  To donate cans/bottles for collection, call or text Jeff Methven at 518-232-8474. Monetary donations are also being accepted. Checks should be made out to Hoods House of Hoops. 

Top Photo: Deputy Diana Buehler, Principal Gianleo Duca, SRO Director Ken Cooper, District Health Leader Colleen Ferlo, CEC Chief Tim Thomas, Deputy Jonathan Becker, Sheriff Michael Zurlo outside of Ballston Spa High School. Photo provided.
Bottom Photo: CEC Chief Tim Thomas, Deputy Chief Daryl Clifford, Deputy Jonathan Becker, School Nurse Diane Sabanos RN, St Mary’s Principal Lynn Fitzgerald, District Health Leader Colleen Ferlo RN, Deputy Diana Buehler outside St. Mary’s School. Photo provided.

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Community Emergency Corporation recently donated Bleeding Control Kits to the Ballston Spa Central School District for use in the district’s six buildings and also provided a kit for the St. Mary’s School.  The kits are to be utilized during emergencies before first responders are able to reach the scene.

“The partnership between the District, the Community Emergency Corporation, and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office continues to benefit our students and staff in our focus on maintaining a safe, secure, and welcoming environment in our schools. While we hope that our student support network, practice drills, “See Something Say Something” approach, and our overall planning will help us avoid traumatic situations, building a skill set in our students and providing our staff with the tools to react quickly to such a situation gives us that much more confidence in our readiness if one were to occur. Simply put, today’s donation can help save lives,” said Ballston Spa CSD Superintendent Ken Slentz.

The donation is a continuation of their commitment to school safety, which has also included adding STOP THE BLEED® instruction to Physical Education classes and the school district’s nursing team. 

Ballston Spa Middle and High School Resource Officer Deputy Jonathan Becker coordinated the donation along with the school district’s Health Leader, Colleen Ferlo and Athletic Director, David Sunkes.

If you are worried that the 2020 spring slide, missed school days, remote learning, and this year’s other numerous stressors, are causing your child’s education to slip – have no fear, because across the region, tutoring help is here!

“Helping a student to be engaged with their education and to learn the basic reading, writing, and math skills, puts them on a path for later success in life. The sooner they get on that path, the better,” said Fern Hurley, Program Director, CAPTAIN Community Health Services.

MEETING LEARNING NEEDS IN CHANGING TIMES
Under-resourced and under-engaged kids in the Shenendehowa Central School District are finding the help they need at Cheryl’s Lodge, CAPTAIN’s outreach center in Clifton Park. 

They’ve made numerous changes to adapt to the changing times. They’ve exchanged their large communal tables for individual desks, added computers, and boosted their Wi-Fi capabilities. 

They’ve also limited their afterschool program, which at its’ peak capacity last year served 40 students, down to just 15. Middle and high school students receive help at staggered times and remote learners are seen for a couple hours, two days a week, to help them catch up. 

“Kids are happy to have someone explain problems to them if they don’t understand the directions or the teacher’s expectations,” said Hurley. 

What’s still needed there are volunteers willing to help. Expertise in a specific subject area is not required.

“The smile on their faces when the kids get done with their assignments says everything,” she added.

For more information, go to captaincares.org.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS OFFER SOLUTIONS
The Ballston Spa Central School District provides two unique mentor/tutor programs with extra instructional support for their McKinney Vento students (those considered homeless because they are without a fixed, regular, and adequate residence) and their English Language Learners. 

The district’s Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) program addresses academic needs and provides behavioral supports within the school day for students.   

At the secondary level, there are specific staff office hours available for students, as well as additional assistance opportunities (for example, with Math Lab). 

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At the elementary level, the Academic Intervention Service (AIS) providers and teachers offer extra support during WIN (What I Need) time each day to students. 

For students with extended absences (due to illness or other reasons) additional tutoring options are available.

For more information, go to www.bscsd.org/Page/166

STUDENTS STEP UP
When they need help, the Saratoga Springs City School District encourages students to first talk to their teachers. 

There is afterschool help time offered two days a week and currently, at the secondary level, Wednesdays are being used as a support day. 

The school’s Kaleidoscopes Peer Mentoring Program, for grades 6 through 11, arranges free online or combined tutoring help from other students. 

Whether your child needs help with classroom assignments, instrumental lessons, or just someone else their own age to connect with, this is the place to find it. 

The district guidance office also offers scholarship and financial aid support, mindfulness essential skills, and self-care tips for caregivers.

For more information, go to www.saratogaschools.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS ­— On Tuesday, December 8, residents in the Saratoga Springs City School District approved The Legacy Project, a $129.7 million capital project referendum for improvements and renovations to all eight school buildings and the transportation facility. The final tally came in at 1530 votes to 364 votes. 

Once officially approved by the Board of Education, the Legacy Project will fund improvements to the buildings by prioritizing safety and security, educational spaces, energy and operational efficiencies.

“The District would like to thank the community for their support of this long-term investment in our schools and facilities.  I appreciate the feedback and collaboration of District stakeholders and the community during the last four years of the Legacy planning process,” said Dr. Michael Patton, Superintendent of Schools.

To learn more about The Legacy Project, go to www.saratogaschools.org

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Paul Tonko, one of just a handful of engineers currently serving in Congress, announced Dec. 8 his Artificial Intelligence Education Act passed the House as part of this year’s final National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 335-78. 

The bipartisan legislation would establish grants and other support to be administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help K-12 students develop artificial intelligence (AI) skills, experience and a deeper understanding of the ethics and social implications of this emerging field. 

The original idea for the bill was presented to Tonko by then – Shaker High School senior Nathan Wang, who is now a freshman studying biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

“We have only begun to scratch the surface of what AI can do to revolutionize our health care, manufacturing, technology and other fields that will drive America’s 21st century economic and technological growth,” Congressman Tonko said, in a prepared statement. 

“I was excited to receive this recommendation from Nathan Wang, who was a Shaker High School senior at the time, to expand K-12 training in AI education,” Tonko added. “I’m proud to say we introduced and advanced a powerful piece of legislation to deliver on Nathan’s vision. I remain hopeful that this inspiring bill will be signed into law this year, thanks in large part to the tireless work of our Science, Space and Technology Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson, and I urge my colleagues to continue to support our efforts to open the doors to AI education to all of America’s students, educators and schools.” 

Tonko’s AI Education Act would ensure that artificial intelligence education is accessible to K-12 students, increase awareness of potential ethical, social, safety, and security risks of artificial systems, promote curriculum development for teaching topics related to artificial intelligence, and support efforts to achieve equitable access to K-12 artificial intelligence education.