NEWS FROM HOOSIC VALLEY SCHOOLS

NEWS FROM HOOSIC VALLEY
SCHOOLS
Learning … A Shared Goal, A Shared Responsibility
The New School Year is Almost Here…
First day of classes for students is
Wednesday, Sept. 8.
School supply lists can be found on the website.
Students in grades 7-12 supplies can be found
by clicking on their courses.
Before the new school year begins, here is a wrap-up
of the 2009-2010 year.
GOOD CHARACTER AMONG OUR STUDENTS…
A Shared Goal, A Shared Responsibility!
The Character Education Committee is wrapping up its
second year with some positive student activities and great
plans for the future. With simply driving by or walking
through our halls, you may have noticed the impact that
the staff, students and parents of the Character Education
Committee have already had on the District.
The committee started the school year by implementing
and focusing on positive virtues of good character. Every
other month virtues such as Respect, Compassion, Trust,
and Responsibility have been advertised to the community
on the district‘s message board and posted on every classroom and office door in our elementary and high school
buildings. Teachers and staff are encouraged to reference,
explain, encourage and recognize virtuous behaviors. It is
the goal of the committee to extend the same focus and
recognition of positive actions and behaviors throughout
our community.
Over the course of the school year student involvement
and activities accompanied positive virtues. Students in
grades 4-12 attended innovative presentations by Camfel
Productions on Trust and Power. Mike Sgambelluri came
to speak with our staff and students about bullying, identifying characteristics of victims and bullies and encouraging understanding, tolerance and respect for each other.
Diane Wagner and Lindsey Crusan, from Samaritan Hospital’s Sexual Assault and Crime Victim’s Program, visited middle school classes to discuss Self-Esteem, Bullying and Sexual Harassment. Elementary students participated in lessons in Personal Safety.
Compassion was the focus for the holiday season. Students participated in a district wide Compassion Drive to
Summer 2010
Local author,
Matthew
McElligott visited Hoosic
Valley on June 8,
and entertained
the K-6 students
with power-point
presentations
and stories about
the writing, editing, and publishing process. Mr.
McElligott has
written and illustrated eight picture books and
is working on a new series of chapter books.
collect necessities for residents of Unity House. We
would like to give thanks to the students, parents and
families for their compassion during these hard times.
Unity House was impressed and grateful for our bags and
boxes of collections. We have expanded our student
groups and for the second year, with the support of Student Council, were able to attend the Northern U.S. Character Education Youth Leadership Summit. Students returned to the district with a passion to promote positive
relationships and provide their peers with the wonderful
experiences and ideas that were presented to them (by
other passionate students who made a difference in their
districts). Elementary and middle/high school student
groups insisted on working together to have a district wide
impact, with a common message that bullying is not acceptable.
The hard work and dedication of our students and staff
showed on May 20th, when the district celebrated Pink TShirt Day, a day to make the commitment to stand up
against bullying. (See more about this on page 10.)
The Committee remains dedicated to developing a
school environment that allows students to feel safe, confident and eager to learn. The Committee is wrapping up
this year with great plans for next year. New virtues will
be introduced to students, staff will undergo further training in handling bullying, and additional district wide
events will encourage positive characteristics in our students and community.
For more information or to view past activities click on
the Character Education link on the District‘s homepage.
Visit our website: www.hoosicvalley.k12.ny.us
From the Administration
News from HVCS
Good News on 2010-11 Budget
2010 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
The HVCS budget proposed for 2010-11 was
approved by the voters on May 18, as was a critically important bus proposition and return of
BOE member James Ryan for a second five-year
term.
The budget, passed on a 406 to 247 margin, rearranged funding and took advantage of some
reserves to get the District through a very tough
year of cuts in State aid. Thanks to the BOE,
Superintendent and Business Administrator, the
budget called for no cuts in student programs, no
employee layoffs, and two attrition-induced faculty absorptions due to decreased elementary enrollment. The approved budget is projected as a
3% tax levy increase (the first increase in a threeyear span that included a 0% increase in year one
and a 2% decrease in year two), however, with
the state budget still not completed, final numbers
on 2010-11 tax increases are still just an estimate.
Also approved May 18 was the annual bus
proposition, this year‘s even more important as
the three busses approved by voters leveraged
three more busses for purchase – at no additional
cost to the District - via a U.S. Department of
Energy grant. The bus proposition passed by 381
to 237.
Reelected to his second five-year term on May
18 was current BOE Vice President James Ryan,
who ran unopposed for the seat.
The Valedictorian for the class of 2010 is
Lauren Ross-Hixson, daughter of Angela
Ross-Hixson and Mark Hixson of Johnsonville. Lauren received the 2010 Scholarship for Academic Excellence from
New York State, is a Scholar Athlete,
received the Frederick Douglass and
Susan B. Anthony Humanities and Social
Sciences award from the University of
Rochester, and Excellence in Jazz award,
and is an area All-State Band member.
In addition to taking a challenging program of study, Lauren has
been a member of the National Honor Society, school musicals,
Jazz Band, Select Chorus, Foreign Language club, and participated
in cross country, soccer, and track and field. She is also involved
with 4-H.
Lauren will attend SUNY Binghamton to study anthropology
and international relations.
Newsletter Going to the Web
To help save resources both natural and financial, future issues of the district newsletter will be
available on the school‘s website at
www.hoosicvalley.k12.ny.us. rather than being
mailed to individual homes. Community members
can sign up to have the newsletter sent directly to
their e-mail. Details on how to do this will be
posted on the website soon. Anyone who wishes
to receive a paper copy of the newsletter may still
do so by contacting the district clerk‘s office at
753-4458.
The Salutatorian, Ethan Herrington, is the
son of Nancy Herrington of Johnsonville
and the late Keith Herrington. Ethan
ranks 2nd in this challenging academic
program. He received the 2010 Scholarship for Academic Excellence from New
York State, a Presidential Scholarship
from Rochester Institute of Technology
and is a Scholar Athlete. He was nominated for the Robert C. Byrd Honors
Scholarship. As a junior he attended
Boys‘ State and received the Xerox Innovation and Information
Technology Award.
Ethan is a member of the National Honor Society, Mock Trial,
and the Varsity track team. He also does the lighting for the school
musical.
Ethan will attend Rochester Institute of Technology for computer engineering.
Three Alices
and a cast of
100 students
brought Alice
in Wonderland to life at
Hoosic
Valley. See
the story on
page 6.
Page 2
Summer 2010
Guidance Department Welcomed New Counselor
In March, Hoosic Valley
welcomed a new Director of
Special Education, Kyle
O‘Brien. Kyle is originally
from Waterford and currently
lives in Duanesburg with his
wife and 6th grade daughter.
After graduating from the
Waterford-Halfmoon High
School, Kyle received his
undergraduate and graduate
degrees from The College of
St. Rose, as well as his certification of administration.
Prior to joining the Hoosic Valley staff, he served as a
special education teacher for 12 years at the Watervliet
Elementary School and for almost four years at the
Duanesburg school district.
Hoosic Valley was pleased to welcome Guidance Counselor, Rebecca
Kellerhouse to our 7-12 building this
year. Rebecca grew up in the small
town of Grand Gorge, New York,
received her Bachelor‘s of Arts in
Psychology from Russell Sage and
graduated from Sage's Masters Program with a Masters in Counseling.
She first got the idea that she would
enjoy being a guidance counselor
from her experiences as a director of
residents while in college.
For the past few years, Rebecca has been working as an
independent contractor as a job coach and Community Integration Specialist for people with special needs. ―It was an
awesome experience,‖ Rebecca says. ―The best part was
working with the people and their families. Prior to this I didn‘t have a lot of experience working with people with special
needs. It was challenging, but fun and I loved it.‖
Rebecca is loving her job here just as much. ―I started in
October and I couldn‘t ask for better people to help me get
started and feel at home than Joel Beecroft and Jane Somnitz.
The faculty and staff are nice and the students are great,‖ she
says. ―I like the collaboration that goes on between the staff,
but I really love talking with the students...hearing about
what's going on in their lives, they come in to talk about all
different things, and I‘m glad I can be here for them.‖
Rebecca and her family live in the Wynantskill area.
Kyle says the Hoosic Valley school district is similar to the Duanesburg school he came from. ―Both are
close-knit communities and very friendly,‖ Kyle said.
―Everyone here has been very helpful…the staff, parents, the other administrators. I like the small-town
atmosphere.‖
When not at school Kyle enjoys spending time with
his family, playing basketball, and enjoying the log
cabin home he and his wife recently built.
It’s Easy Being Green
Kermit the Frog might argue the above, but it really is easy to be green. For the past several years our student council
has been helping to recycle paper in our buildings. During this past year our business administrator sought a program that
would allow the students to benefit from their conservation efforts.
In just a few minutes with the help of Google, the district was able to locate a local company by the name of GreenFiber. A few phone calls later we had their representative at a meeting of about 24 very enthusiastic students who are on the
recycling teams. A special thanks to teachers Wendy McKernon and Jamie Schiller who head up the elementary school
recycling program, and to Andrea Das who heads up the high school effort.
GreenFiber is a company that manufactures natural fiber insulation, and fire and sound products. In April our first
dumpster arrived and we were off and running with this program. This is a community-based program and open to all who
wish to be involved. We now have GreenFiber dumpsters at both buildings.
The following items are accepted for recycling:
Newspapers Cereal Boxes
Phonebooks
Magazines
Office Paper
Brown Paper Bags
Cardboard
Construction Paper
Junk Mail
Hard and Soft Covered Books
They take shredded paper as well but want you to bag it in either paper or plastic. They will empty the bags at the plant
to avoid any unwanted ticker tape parades here or at the plant. None of the recycled products should have had contact with
raw food. Pizza and produce boxes and such are not allowed. Boxes that have had canned goods and the like are fine.
Please get involved!! During the coming school year feel free to have your child/children bring any of the above mentioned products to school to be put into the dumpster. The dumpsters will be open after school if you would like to make a
recycling trip yourself. If by any chance the dumpster is locked, all custodians have keys.
What‘s in it for the Hoosic Valley Central School District you ask? First and foremost recycling is a good thing for the
environment. Second, cutting down on waste in our regular dumpsters saves the district in waste disposal costs. And instead of paying to have this product removed, we are actually paid by the ton for our recycled paper products. The money
we collect will go back to the students.
Page 3
From the Administration
New Director of Special Ed on Board
News from HVCS
Student Won First Place at the NYS SkillsUSA Competition
John Tremblay, a Collision Technology student from Hoosic Valley High School, finished
first in the Collision Repair contest at the New York State SkillsUSA Competition in Syracuse, New York on April 14-16.
More than three dozen Questar III students representing both the Columbia-Greene Educational Center in Hudson and Rensselaer Educational Center in Troy competed in the
SkillsUSA state finals. SkillsUSA is a national organization for high school students enrolled
in CTE programs. Questar III students competed against more than 1,700 students from across
New York State, testing their technical and professional skills through hands-on and written
contests. Students also networked with educators and representatives from colleges, tech
schools, business and industry. Way to go John!
John Tremblay
News from the 7-12 Building
Artists Recognized
Special congratulations to Courtney Mann and Jessica Harrington for having their work accepted into the 21 st
Annual Hudson Valley Community College High School Invitational Art Exhibit. Courtney received honorable mention
for her painting. A group of eight high school students participated in the Olympics of the Visual Arts this year. Two
juniors, Ethan Griswold and Jessica Harrington will be spending a month of their summer at SUNY Fredonia. They submitted their portfolios to apply for the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) and were accepted! This
is a tremendous honor and it will be a wonderful experience for these students. They will be taking classes in the studios
at SUNY Fredonia and getting a taste of what college life is like being an art major.
Trout in the Classroom
This year‘s Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program was
very successful. TIC is an environmental education program
in which students raise trout from eggs to fry (young fish).
The program finishes the year by releasing the trout in a
state approved stream or creek.
In the beginning of the year, the group set up the tank
about two weeks before receiving the eggs to allow the water temperature and pH levels to balance out. Eggs were
then acquired from the New York State fish hatchery in Van
Hornesville. This year, the group raised Rainbow Trout.
Trout require water temperatures of about 50°F, so a chiller
and insulation around the tank are necessary to maintain the
tank consistently at this temperature.
Throughout the school year, the students met twice a
week to test the quality of the tank water to ensure everything is balanced, such as the levels of pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. After the water tests are completed, a
water change is done, and then necessary water treatment
solutions are added to make adjustments. Finally, the students get to feed the fish.
The group released the Rainbow trout they raised into
the Quackenkill Creek, which is located just off of the
Poestenkill. This unique opportunity of raising and releasing trout allows TIC students not only to learn about some
of our native species but also fosters an appreciation for
efforts to preserve the local environment. The Hoosic Valley TIC program is one of only a few such programs within
the upstate area. Original funding for the tank and setup
was made possible by the Hoosic Valley Educational Foundation and is supported by the local Trout Unlimited chapter and of course, the efforts of Mrs. Givney and the TIC
students!
Page 4
Summer 2010
Hoosic Valley Students Get a Reality Check at Choices 301
as he demonstrated what occurs during a rollover accident.
A number of students were given the opportunity to drive a
golf cart while wearing glasses that simulated the effects of
being under the influence with a blood alcohol level of .07.
A very sobering moment for all was the sound of hand cuffs
being placed on a student for not being able to drive or walk
a straight line.
After lunch students met a former Hoosic Valley graduate, who admitted that although he graduated, he had no
recollection of his freshman through senior high school
years because of his addiction to cocaine which he told the
group began at the age of 14. His story was real; the students met face to face with someone whose decision to
abuse and drive could have cost any one of them, a member
of their family or a
friend their life.
Students came away
from Choices 301 with
a much different perspective than when
they arrived. Most left
a bit shell shocked and
more attuned to the
idea that they have
choices in life and how
important making the
correct one is.
National Honor Society Inductions
Science Club News
Hoosic Valley is very proud to announce its 2010 National Honor
Society inductees Seniors: Sarah Hart, Mark Hill, Alexander McNeice; Juniors: Haley
Culver, Amanda Jones, Lindsey Nightingale, Taylor Sullivan; and
Sophomores: Rachel Beamish, Leah Dugrenier, Whitney Kugler, Rachel Moore, Evan Murray and Patrick Murray. An induction ceremony
was held on June 3 in the district auditorium with a reception immediately following. Welcome to all new inductees and many thanks to all
our graduating seniors for all your help over the years!
The Science Club had an active year. Members of the Science Club designed and coordinated the renovations to the Courtyard. Their
plans were finally put into motion during April
break. Flower beds and a crushed slate walk
were established. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day a grey dogwood tree donated by Dave Weir was planted. Further improvements include a blue & white garden, a
water garden, and a hummingbird/butterfly garden. The last garden is the focus for Mrs.
Messier‘s Life Skills Class. Future work is
planned including granite seats, two small picnic
tables, and more flower beds.
The Science Club would like to thank Mr.
Mike Zaremski for donating the cobbles, top soil,
water garden, and mulch. Mr. Mark Howard
supplied valuable suggestions, a detailed diagram
of the area to work from, and also helped lay out
the walkway.
Science Club students also participated in an
egg drop competition in which they had to design
Continued on next page
Page 5
News from Grades 7-12
Tuesday, May 4th and Friday, May 7th students from
Hoosic Valley‘s junior and senior classes traveled to Altamont to participate in a program called Choices 301. This
program was developed by Ed Frank, a retired police officer
who wanted to give back to the community by helping
young adults realize the dangers of risky vehicular or driving
behavior; drinking and driving; as well as distracting behavior such as using a cell phone and texting while driving.
As the students entered the building they saw caskets,
very vivid and graphic photographs of actual accidents,
sounds of accidents taking place and…shoes left behind by
the hundreds and hundreds of victims.
Mr. Frank‘s compassion for the students and the feelings
they were experiencing over recent tragedies in the Hoosic
Valley community was
evident. Speaking to
the group were two
mothers who lost their
daughters over 21 years
ago. They spoke of
how vivid the pain still
is as pictures of the
girls were passed
around.
Later on students
went outside to listen
to a State Police officer
Summer 2010
Science Club (continued from page 5)
Science Research in the High School
a container that would protect an egg dropped
from a second floor window onto a wood platform. Adam Kocienksi designed the winning
container. Several enterprising students are
also working on a Rube-Goldberg machine
which, when finished, will knock a golf ball
off a tee after completing ten previous steps
involving the transformation of energy.
Anyone in grades 7-12 interested in participating in the Science Club can attend any or all
of its weekly meetings held on Thursday 13th
period in Room 213. For more information see
Mr. Pagano, the Science Club Advisor.
All five seniors in the Science Research Program completed projects
this year, and the rest of the class, juniors and sophomores, are right
behind them collecting data for their own projects.
Two of the seniors had especially memorable years. Emily Paulsen
and Kyle Pallozzi were selected to present their research at the Eastern
New York Section of the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, a
prestigious competition. Both made superb oral presentations. By
placing second in his group Kyle was selected to go on to the Upstate
New York JSHS as a poster presenter. The entire class attended the
Upstate New York event which turned out to be a terrific learning experience. We hope to have more participants in these prestigious events
in the years to come.
News from Grades 7-12
Hoosic Valley Teacher Honored
Congratulations to fifth
grade ELA teacher Shawn
Rossetti who received the
Ira & Elsie Feber Freedman Education Scholarship at the University at
Albany Awards & Scholarships Ceremony on May
11. This scholarship was
established by David and
Ann Freeman in memory
of their parents and is
awarded to a student pursuing a career as a public school educator who
has shown exceptional academic achievement.
―Shawn graduated from Monroe Community College with an A.A.S. in Liberal Arts and
from SUNY Cortland with a B.A. in Childhood Education. He is currently enrolled in the
Master‘s of Science program in K-6 Literacy at
SUNY Albany. Shawn is an outstanding
graduate student as evidenced by his 4.0 GPA.
He has been praised by his co-workers for his
exceptional teaching and excellent problem
solving. Shawn places his students at the center of instruction and strives to help them understand their reading materials. He is committed to teaching his students to become independent readers in and outside the classroom.
He often bases instruction on student interests,
and encourages discussion around student
ideas. Shawn looks forward to remaining a life
-long learner and addressing the challenges his
students present in reading comprehension.‖ (Taken from the SUNY Albany Scholarship
and Award Ceremony program.)
We are fortunate to have many outstanding
teachers, like Shawn, in our Hoosic Valley
classrooms. We join his family and friends in
congratulating him on this hard-earned honor.
Science Research students pictured with teacher Ralph Pagano and
John Quinlan, Lead Forecaster for the National Weather Service
who was the keynote speaker at the 15th Annual
Francis “Bucky” Thompson Student Scientific
Research Synposium held at Hoosic Valley on June 1.
Alice In (Hoosic Valley) Wonderland
On June 11, the very talented cast and crew of the Pleasant House
Players put on an amazing production of Alice in Wonderland, Jr. This
marked the fourth production for the Elementary School Drama Club,
also known as the Pleasant House Players. Nearly 100 students in grades
3 through 6 worked together to create a musical adaptation of Alice in
Wonderland, complete with special effects and the Tweedles!
The cast began rehearsals in early April filling the auditorium almost
every day after school with their voices. The production was directed by
the dedicated and talented Eileen LaCourse, a third grade teacher at HV,
and Helen Sweeney, who recently retired from HV. They were assisted
by Niki Fillipone who helped coach the singers; Karen Carlson and Kim
Phillips who coordinated the costumes and props; and Kolbie Snyder,
Kevin Rigney and Patti Delano who provided assistance with lighting
and sound.
Next year the drama club hopes to present an evening performance
as well as the traditional afternoon performance, so that more of the
community can see the students at their theatrical best.
Hats off to the directors, the volunteers but especially to all the actors
who made this production one of the best yet!
Page 6
News from HVSC
Hoosic Valley Inducts 22 Students into National Junior
Honor Society
Hoosic Valley held its third Learning Fair on
May 18. Nearly 100 students in grades 4th
through 6th brought in easels, glue, catapults,
posters and laptops to show off their learning
and science projects. Ever wondered about Venus Fly Trap plants? Interested in Broadway
musicals? How about learning the intricacies of
worms? These things and many, many more
topics were the focus this year. Students participated voluntarily and the response was huge.
Each project was done on the student‘s own
time outside of school and the creativity was up
to the students.
Being that the Learning Fair was held in conjunction with the school budget vote and special
person‘s day at the school, members of the community browsed the projects and talked with the
students at each table. Students, dressed in an
orange t-shirt provided by the PTO, enthusiastically engaged teachers, voters, and friends with
their projects, explaining the history of the Yankees, how volcanoes explode, and the recipe for
making Flubber. What a great example of the
depth of interest, involvement and enthusiasm
for learning at Hoosic Valley. If you missed it,
be sure to come next year and learn a new fact or
two from one of our future scientists or leaders.
Students share what they learned in the
creation of their Learning Fair Projects.
Page 7
News from K-6
The National Junior Honor Society chapter at Hoosic Valley held its
2010 induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 4 in the district auditorium.
Following the ceremony a reception was held in the auditorium lobby
for students and their families with cookies and soda provided by PTO.
The inductees for this year are 8th graders: Tracy Anderson,
Marissa Charlebois, Sydney Fitzpatrick, Gabrielle Jarosz, Hunter
Johnson, Olivia Logue, Joseph Moore, and Jacqueline Varone; 7th
graders: Emily Campisi, Nicole Casale, Owen Connolly, Ryan Heslin,
Kayla Irwin, Sean McLaughlin, Halle Nightingale, and Kaitlyn Smith;
and 6th graders: Alexander Carlo, Erin Dugrenier, Molly Jensen, Kate
Kennelly, Gabrielle Serafin, and Kolbie Snyder.
Congratulations to each of you and to your parents. This is a great
honor and Hoosic Valley is very proud of you!
Learning Fair Held for Third Year
News from HVSC
News from K-6
Students Win Opportunity to Attend Science Camp
Five Hoosic Valley students were
selected to attend the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science camp at
RPI from June 15-25. The successful
applicants were: Darwin
Honsinger, Will Morris, Riley Nevins,
Kyle Norton and Jade Yando. This two
-week, free residential camp offered
innovative programs to enhance student knowledge in science , technology, engineering and math, while also
fostering leadership and citizenship.
For the two weeks of the program,
50 students in fifth through seventh
grades stayed in residence halls on the
Troy campus and attended daily
classes and workshops in science,
engineering, mathematics and technology. The camp also includes field trips
to places such as the Museum of Natural History in New York City.
The students were chosen to participate based on recommendations
from their teachers, a demonstrable
interest in mathematics and sciences
and an overall grade point average of
at least ―B‖ in those two subjects. Emphasis was also placed on selecting
members of traditionally underserved
and underrepresented populations.
RPI was one of 30 institutions chosen in the United States to host a
ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer
Science Camp (EMBHSSC). The program is named after Bernard A. Harris, MD, an accomplished NASA astronaut, physician and entrepreneur;
Dr. Harris, the first African American
to walk in space, plays an active role
in the Summer Science Camp program
and other programs for underserved
youths. He joined the students at RPI
via a live video feed one morning to
encourage them to continue studying
sciences and mathematics even if
faced with pressure from their peers.
―I‘m a geek and it‘s fun to be a
geek,‖ Harris told them. If anyone
ever makes fun of you for being
smart, he said, ―I want you to point
your finger at them like this and say
‗one day, you‘ll be working for me.‘‖
The students in RPI‘s program also
worked with the school‘s New York
Center for Astrobiology, which is part
of the NASA Astrobiology Institute.
Darius Bendon of Troy and Riley
Nevins of Hoosic Valley test the raft
they crafted at Science Camp.
Information for this story and the photo are from an article on The Record website by Jessica M. Pasko.
Addressing the Needs of our First Graders—Reading Recovery
Hoosic Valley Elementary implemented the Reading
Recovery program during the 2009-2010 school year.
Reading Recovery is a highly effective, short-term, one-onone reading intervention for first graders. It is ranked one
of the most effective scientifically based reading interventions by the What Works Clearing House, a branch of the
United States Department of Education. The goal of the
program is to dramatically reduce the number of first-grade
students who have extreme difficulty learning to read and
write and to reduce the long-term cost of these learners to
the educational system. The intervention is most effective
when it is available to all students who need it and is used
as a supplement to good classroom teaching.
This past year, first grade teachers Keri Rosher and Jessica
Rossetti, as well as Title I Reading Teacher Megan Cooney
were extensively trained in Reading Recovery through a New
York University Graduate course that took place at the Albany School of Humanities. They began the program last
summer and continued each Wednesday afternoon through
the school year. The training continues with once a month
sessions to continue the professional development.
Keri and Jessica co-taught one of the first grade sections. While one of them worked with the entire class, the
other would work one-on-one with the students enrolled in
the program. Megan Cooney spent half her day teaching
Page 8
Reading Recovery and the other as a Title I reading
teacher. 24 students benefited from Reading Recovery this
year. Twelve students took part in the program in the fall
and 12 different students were part of the program for the
second half of the year.
The individual students receive a half-hour lesson each
school day for 12 to 20 weeks depending on the needs of
the student. As soon as the students can meet grade-level
expectations and demonstrate that they can continue to
work independently in the classroom, their lessons are discontinued, and new students begin individual instruction.
The few students who still have difficulty after a complete
intervention are
recommended for
further evaluation
and support.
We are excited
to be offering this
intervention to our
first grade students as part of the
Response to Intervention (RTI) district-wide initiaKeri Rosher, Jessica Rossetti and
tive.
Megan Cooney
News from HVSC
A Fitting Memorial to Bill Town
On April 30th, all students in the elementary school participated
in an event to help raise awareness of disabilities and raise money to
help fight ALS. The school community wanted to honor the memory
of Mr. Bill Town, who passed away this past January after battling
ALS – also known as Lou Gehrig‘s disease. Mr. Town and his wife,
Marilou, have spent countless hours over the years sharing their love
of chemistry with the students of Hoosic Valley. One of the students‘
favorite experiments is when molasses and honey are combined in a
rubber glove, resulting in a lightweight ―hand‖ as the result of a
chemical reaction. These ―hands‖ could be seen in many classrooms
throughout the elementary building. Mr. Town always liked to say
that ―everyone can always use a helping hand.‖ The students took this
advice to heart by participating in either a Hop-a-thon or Muscle Mania walk. Students in grades K-3 ―hopped to help‖ for 2 minutes,
while students in grades 4-6 did a 1 mile walk on the track. Students
had previously collected donations from family and friends in support
of this event. We are very proud to say that our school community
raised over $6,500 for ALS! It was wonderful to see everyone work
together to achieve this goal, and we think Mr. Town would be proud
of how we lent a ―helping hand.‖
Elementary students celebrated Arbor Day by
planting a Little Leaf Linden tree on school
grounds in memory of Bill Town. The Elementary Student Council and ALS Team Town
joined forces to purchase this tree. Students in
grades 4 through 6 gathered together before the
MDA/ALS Hop-a-thon/Walk-a-thon to plant the
tree by the primary playground. Student Council
members and Marilou Pudiak Town filled in the
hole with shovelfuls of dirt. The tree will serve
as a reminder to the students of how one special
chemist touched their lives. Cornell Cooperative
Extension had a plaque made to commemorate
Bill‘s legacy and to help future visitors understand the meaning behind this tree. Years from
now we hope
that
when
students see
this beautiful
tree they will
remember Mr.
Town‘s message –
Get involved
in your
community
and share all
that you are
passionate
about.
Student Council members help Bill Town’s widow,
Marilou Pudiak plant a tree in his memory
at the school
Elementary students hop to raise money for ALS
Student Leadership Award
Each year the Capital Zone of the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance
sponsors the Sandra G. Morley Physical
Education Student Leadership Award. We
are proud to announce that six sixth-grade
students from Hoosic Valley were selected
to receive this award: Danielle Stannard,
Kate Kennelly, Erin Dugrenier, Alexander
Carlo, Justin Akin and Matthew Espey. The
selections were based upon the student‘s
ability to demonstrate responsible personal
and social behavior, sportsmanship, and the
desire to learn and improve. These students
also demonstrate leadership, are a positive
influence on their peers, and exhibit a physically active lifestyle.
An awards ceremony was held on May 3
at Hudson Valley Community College to
honor these students. Congratulations to Physical Education Student Leadership winners pictured with physical edueach of the recipients!
cation teachers Laura Laramie and Larny Chapko .
Page 9
News from K-6
Hopping and Walking to Help Those Who Can’t
Summer 2010
Pink T-Shirt Day at Hoosic Valley
Pink filled the school on May 20 at Hoosic Valley. The students, staff and teachers were sending a message against
bullying by wearing pink to school. The idea began in Nova Scotia some years ago when a ninth-grade boy walked into a
small high school wearing a pink polo shirt. He was immediately harassed and threatened with being beat up by some
school bullies. Two twelfth-grade boys heard about it, and decided to make a statement. At their organizing, students
walked into school the next day, boys and girls alike, wearing all kinds of pink t-shirts. The message was loud and clear.
Hoosic Valley students on our character education team in grades 5-8 decided to adopt the project as their own. They organized the day, decorated t-shirts, made signs and posters, and got the word out that wearing pink on May 20 would show
that Hoosic Valley will not tolerate bullying. To further send the message, t-shirts were purchased for all bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians who proudly joined in. In the elementary school 30 sixth graders distributed Anti-Bullying
stickers (in hot pink) to every class room and student, while having students recite the No Bullying pledge first thing in the
morning. Students in the high school sold pink flowers to support further character education projects in the school, and
both cafeterias had bright pink tablecloths on all tables at lunch. Superintendent Kelley, wearing pink, visited both schools
during the day to congratulate the students and staff on making this positive statement. Students plan on making this an
annual event as many schools in the Capital District already have. The students at Hoosic Valley should be lauded for their
efforts to make positive statements against bullying and for pulling together as a school in this great project.
All of these students and staff and many, many others wore pink to support the district-wide stop bullying day.
Page 10
Summer 2010
Helen Sweeney taught at Hoosic Valley
for 30 years. In fact, she was one of the
first special education teachers in district.
She taught at all grade levels and ―loved
them all‖ she recently said. She particularly enjoyed the group of students she
stayed with while they moved through
from first grade to fifth. ―You get especially close to students when you‘ve
worked with them and watched them
grow and change over that many years,‖
Mary Hurley, secretary to the director of Special Education, retired this
past school year after 25 years at
Hoosic Valley. Since retiring she has
enjoyed travelling to Florida, the
west coast, New Orleans and Texas.
She also is enjoying gardening and
spending more time with her family
including her grandson who attends
Hoosic Valley High School and her
new granddaughter.
Mary has been missed in the elementary school and we wish
to thank her for her many years of outstanding service to our
students and school community.
After 12 years as a special
education teacher at Hoosic
Valley, Carol Eddy retired this
past school year to enjoy some
of her other passions, including playing violin and piano,
singing in a choir, gardening,
quilting and knitting and
working out at the Y. She and
her husband have also been doing some traveling
to see her family in Oregon and her daughter in
England. ―That‘s one of the joys of retirement,‖
she says. ―Being able to take trips.‖ They also have
been kayaking on local lakes thanks to a generous
retirement gift from the staff which enabled them
to purchase kayaks.
Carol is certainly enjoying her retirement so
much so that she says she doesn‘t know how she
found time for a job. We wish her many years to
enjoy and want her to know she is missed by the
students and staff she worked with.
Page 11
2009-2010 Retirees
she said.
Helen had an adventurous spirit before she came to Hoosic
Valley, having served in the Peace Corps in Ghana, Africa, and as
a special education teacher in the inner city schools of St. Louis,
Missouri where she earned her Master‘s Degree. She‘s hoping to
continue that spirit with her time now that she is retiring. But
first, she has dedicated a large amount of time to the Elementary
Drama Club‘s production of Alice in Wonderland. It was Helen
who had the idea to start the drama club. ―I had participated in
theater in college,‖ Helen says. ―And when Eileen Lacourse came
on board as a fourth grade teacher with her performance background, I knew it was time. There was a need for it.‖
In addition to working with the students on the play, Helen
says now that she‘s retired she‘s trying to exercise more, read
and garden more, and spend more time with friends.
Helen says she misses the students and her colleagues and the
day-to-day connection she had with them. ―I still get together
with people from school,‖ she says. ―Some really dear friends
have come from my years at Hoosic Valley.‖
Helen, the teachers, staff and students whose lives you
touched feel the same way. And you are missed by them as well.
The bags were packed,
house sold and car ready
to go that day in November when Dona ThurberKeller said farewell to
Hoosic Valley (with
sixth graders hanging out
the windows shouting
good-byes). Dona had
been Secretary to ten different elementary principals
over the previous 27 years before she and husband
Charles drove to Myrtle Beach, S.C, spending the
first few months in a beach house and later settling
in a nearby development. With their new-found
time, Dona and Charles play tourist, attending festivals, concerts, plays and spending a lot of time at
the beach. She also gets to see two grandchildren
who live nearby and travel north to see her other
four grandchildren, hosting all six of them in Myrtle
Beach whenever they come with their parents. Of
all the things she did at Hoosic Valley, which did
she like the most? The annual kindergarten screening, which she set up and enjoyed immensely, seeing the little kids dressed in their finest and trying as
hard as they could to make good impressions. And
is there anything she misses? The day-to-day camaraderie with her colleagues and, of course, the excitement of working around children. We miss her
terribly. But most of all we wish her good luck,
knowing she will be just fine surrounded by good
friends and lots of family.
2009-10 Retirees ........... 11
Pink T-Shirt Day .......... 10
News from K-6 ............ 7-9
News from 7-12............ 4-6
From the Admin .......... 2-3
Page
POSTAL
CUSTOMER
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
518-753-4458
Schaghticoke, New York
12154
Hoosic Valley School District
CRRT
BULK RATE
Non-Profit Organization
US POSTAGE PAID
Schaghticoke, NY 12154
PERMIT NO. 1
Superintendent‘s Conference Day
(Students do not attend)
Board of Ed. Mtg., 7 p.m., District
Office Conference Room
8
First Day of School for Students
16
K-6 Open House, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
20
Board of Ed. Mtg., 7 p.m., HS LGIA
October
4
Board of Ed. Mtg., 7 p.m., District
Office Conference Room
8
Superintendent‘s Conference Day
(Students do not attend)
11
School Closed—Columbus Day
18
Board of Ed. Mtg., 7
p.m., HS LGIA
21
Superintendent‘s Forum,
6:30-8:30 p.m., HS
Library
22
Hoosic Valley‘s Got
Talent Show,
6:30 p.m., Auditorium
26
Grades 5 & 6 Parent
Teacher Conferences,
3:00—6:00 p.m.
On the Web:
7
www.hoosicvalley.k12.ny.us
DISTRICT DATES TO REMEMBER
September
Seussical Receives High School Musical Theater Award
Congratulations to the cast and crew of Seussical! Hoosic Valley placed
third in the Annual High School Musical Theatre Awards sponsored by the
Schenectady Light Opera Company.
Any school wishing to have its musical adjudicated may apply. During performance week, representatives from the SLOC Board of Directors observe the
musical. Awards are given for individual performance and overall musical excellence. This year there were over 50 area high schools competing.
In addition to placing third, six Hoosic Valley actors were awarded with an
―Outstanding Performer Award‖: Hannah Nesich, Alex Dean, Georgeana
Foley, Maggie Dollard, Amanda Jones and Kayla Carknard.
Some of the comments from the judges included, ―We were so pleased to be
invited to adjudicate your production of Seussical, and were absolutely enchanted by what we saw! What pleased us the most was how your production
remained true to Dr. Seuss and his characters and served to remind us how
special Seussical actually is. ‗A person‘s a person no matter how small‘!‖