by Alex Brooks
The Hoosick Falls School District’s budget passed by a vote of 533 to 176. The bus proposition passed by a vote of 496 to 172. Laurie Gormley was re-elected to another term on the School Board with 522 votes, and newcomer Ryerson Mausert, 3rd was elected to the School Board with 484 votes.
At the School Board meeting on Tuesday the Board granted tenure to 13 teachers. The Board President, the
Superintendent and the Principals all had great things to say about this group of dedicated and talented teachers. After approving tenure for all of the teachers recommended, the Board held a small reception with cookies and punch to celebrate.
Teachers receiving tenure were music teacher Robert Allen, social worker Alicia Backus, elementary school teacher Linda Bird, elementary school teacher Katie Brownell, special education teacher Kuan Chan, special education teacher Heather Charkow, technology teacher Theodore Drew, ESL/Spanish teacher Amy Graziane, English teacher Judy Petrino, special education teacher Christina Stebbins, biology/science teacher Brian VanArsdale, music teacher Ambigay Yudkoff and teaching assistant Kathy Carknard.
There were a great many presentations at the beginning of the meeting. In addition to Valedictorian Samantha Merwin and Salutatorian Ethan Myers, High School Principal Steven Leunig gave awards to eight others who were in the “Top Ten” in grade-point averages in the senior class. These were Sarah McMahon, Benjamin Taylor, Kevin Woods, Emily Ciuk, Marissa Wong, Laura Stevenson, Danielle Pelletier and Sara Smith.
Seniors Danielle Pelletier and Ben Taylor talked about their experience on the Shared Decisionmaking Team re-thinking the graduation ceremonies. This year there will be an awards night on Thursday evening followed by a dinner for the seniors, and the graduation ceremony on Friday will not have the awards in it, but it will have a speaker chosen by the students. This year the seniors chose English Teacher David Coffey.
The Board recognized third-graders Ryan Landry and Michaela Telford, whose letters to President Obama were chosen from among 2,000 submitted, for inclusion in a book, now on sale in bookstores everywhere, of children’s letters to the new President. The Board recognized two Hoosick Falls students, Ethan Myers and Simeon Youngmann, whose artwork was chosen from a great many submissions for inclusion in an art show at HVCC of work by students in the Questar III BOCES group, and it recognized Brennen O’Donnell, who was the only student from the Capital District chosen to participate in a high level astronomy camp (fully paid) in Arizona this summer.
Jennifer McDonald showed a slide presentation with pictures of an eighth grade trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
New Outdoor
Education Program
Howard Romack described a new outdoor education program available to HFCS seventh-graders this summer. The five day program will take place August 10-14. The program will include trips to Ball Mountain Dam in Vermont, a fishing trip on Lake Champlain, a hike, a trip to Howe Caverns and a day at the Salem Fish and Game Club with several invited speakers. Superintendent Ken Facin spoke highly of Romack’s ability to get the kids excited about science through these explorations of the natural world. The program expenses are paid by a grant, so each student only needs to bring $20 for spending money. Other than that there is no cost to the students.
New Web Site
Robert Allen gave a quick tour of a new website he has made for the District. It was launched this week and will be fully implemented over the course of the next several months. The goal is to put more material on line and to have information about the District more easily accessible. A link to the new website is on the front page of the old web site at Hoosickfallscsd.org.
Other Matters
The Board agreed to participate in a group study of transportation needs and solutions among Rensselaer County Schools in the Questar III group. The idea is to see if the schools can save money by collaborating on transportation activities. The cost of the study will be shared equally among all of the participants. Facin did not know what the cost to the District would be, but he characterized it as “nominal.”
The Board accepted a donation of art books from Diane Zarnetske valued at $860.
The Board accepted a bid for interior painting at $25 per hour from Jeffrey Hunt and appointed Marcus Martinez, MD, as the School Physician at an annual cost of $8,500.