An open house for Hoosick Falls High School will be held on September 25 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Parents will have the opportunity to meet their child’s teacher and visit their classrooms.
School News
Fall Festival Vendor Opportunity – Register Today!
submitted by Sherry Bowman-Kluck
The Berlin School Fall Festival will be Saturday, October 11, from 10 am to 2 pm. This family friendly, free event will feature fun games, food, a variety of vendors and crafters, health exhibits, entertainment for all ages, and more! This year will also include live music from the Tune Travelers in the morning and Tophenjamin in the afternoon.
Vendors wishing to reserve a space may contact Ariel Gilbert at 518-658-2515 x2108 or agilbert@berlincentral.org by September 12. Reserve your space soon; it will be an action packed event!
New Lebanon Girls Varsity Volleyball Loses To St. Joe’s
submitted by New Lebanon Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach Tim Christiansen
St. Joseph’s of Pittsfield, MA, defeated the New Lebanon Central School Girls Volleyball team in four sets 25-15, 13-25, 25-22, 25-14.
The Crusaders were led by Leanne Hamilton who had 4 aces and 7 kills, Ilysaa Creamer who had 6 aces and 6 kills and Pookie Vongprommool who had 4 kills.
New Lebanon had strong games from Jeanie Smith who had 13 aces and 10 digs and Caitlyn Williams who had 2 aces and 8 digs.
HFCS State Of The School
by Alex Brooks
The Hoosick Falls Central School Board presented its State of the Schools report at its August meeting. The District is improving in almost every measurement.
Hoosick Falls moved up in The Capital District Business Review rankings from number 34 to number 26.
The percentage of students earning a Regents diploma remained steady, from 87% last year to 86% this year, but the percentage earning an advanced Regents diploma went from 43% last year to 51% this year.
The graduation rate remained steady, from 93% last year to 92% this year. The number of course failures went down dramatically, from 178 last year to 79 this year. The Regents passing rate was very slightly up from 90% last year to 91% this year, but the Regents Mastery rate was down a bit from 39% last year to 35% this year.
Some Goals Exceeded, Some Not
The District had set goals for student performance for the 2013-2014 year. They exceeded the goal for Regents passing rate but fell short of the goal of 40% Regents mastery rate, achieving a 35% mastery rate.
The District exceeded its goal of 90% graduation rate and exceeded its goal of 50% advanced Regents diploma but missed the goal of 90% Regents diplomas, reaching just 86%. The District set a goal of 20% improvement in proficiency rates on the grades 3-8 Math and English Assessments. They actually improved 1.5% in English and 5.4% in Math on those tests.
Sports And Arts Excel
In addition to progress in academic performance, there was much to celebrate in sports and the arts. The District had multiple teams that were sectional champs and league champs, and nine of the school’s 13 sports teams were scholar-athlete teams. The Drama Department produced two very successful shows, the Choir performed in many prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, and many of the student musicians made the All-County band, and three made the All-State band.
The full State of the School Report is available from the District Office.
Tickets Still Available For Dome Game
by Steve Bradley
Tickets for the Hoosick Falls Panther football team season opener are still available.
Girls Soccer Defeated By Mt. Anthony
by Steve Bradley
The HFCS girls varsity soccer team started the season with a Friday evening under the lights game at Mt. Anthony High School in Bennington. Led by new head coach Brittany Pine, who has been an integral part of the HFCS soccer coaching staff for many years, the girls had their ups and downs throughout the game. With the loss of several key players due to graduation, many players were varsity starters for the first time.
HFCS Golf Now 5 – 1
by Steve Bradley
Last Friday, the Panther golfers hosted Stillwater at the Hoosick Falls Country Club. The Panthers scored 3½ points, with Stillwater gathering 1½. Andrew Hoag and Eric Bloomer shared the medalist position, each shooting a 39.
On Tuesday the Panthers traveled up to the Battenkill Country Club to play the Greenwich Witches. The Panthers suffered their first loss of the season, 0 – 5. Greenwich’s Kevin Williamson was medalist.
The Panthers record now stands at 5 – 1.
Next
Over the next week the Panthers will travel to Troy to play Tamarac at Frear Park on Thursday, September 4, at 4 pm. Tuesday, September 9, they play Mechanicville away at 4 pm. On Wednesday, September 10, the Panthers travel to Hoosic Valley for a 4 pm start.
Panther Golfers Off To Great Start
by Steve Bradley
The HFCS golf team is off to a great start, going 4 – 0 and grabbing 18 out of a possible 20 points.
On Thursday, August 21, the team played its first match against Tamarac at the Hoosick Falls Country Club. The Panthers grabbed the five available points. Eric Bloomer was the medalist and also recorded his first sectional score. Andrew Hoag also shot a sectional score.
The next day the Panthers faced off against Mechanicville at the HFCC. The Panther team once again nabbed the five points. Hoag and Bloomer competed for the medalist position, with Hoag getting it with a 36, Eric Bloomer shot a 38. Hoag, Eric Bloomer and Ryan Bloomer, Eric’s younger brother, all shot a sectional score.
This past Monday the team played Hoosic Valley at the HFCC. Hoosick Falls grabbed four of the available five points. Medalist for the match was Ryan Bloomer, with a 41. Andrew Hoag and Jake Nolan each scored a 42, giving them a sectional score.
On Wednesday, the team gathered at 8:30 am at the HFCC to play Cambridge. The Panthers took four of five points. Andrew Hoag was medalist and was credited with a sectional score. Eric Bloomer was also credited with a sectional score, shooting a 40.
Coming up next week, the Panthers will face Greenwich at Battenkill CC on Tuesday, September 2, at 4 pm. Wednesday, September 3, will find the team traveling to Granville for a 2 pm start, and on September 4 they will face Tamarac at Frear Park in Troy, beginning at 4 pm.
Darrow School Opens 83rd Year
Darrow School is celebrating the start of its 83rd school year by welcoming 110 students to its scenic mountainside campus. Eighty percent of the students are boarders and 20 percent are day students. The school is welcoming its largest ninth grade class in years, with 20 individuals. Students come from Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Vermont. Approximately 28 percent are international students representing nine countries, including the Bahamas, China, Jamaica, Japan, Ghana, Nigeria, Russia, Taiwan and Turkey. The first full day of classes is Tuesday, September 2.
This a diverse group of students with a wide spectrum of interests, talents and abilities, and it is also incredibly strong academically. The faculty is excited about helping these scholars reach their maximum potential.
Darrow has a rolling admissions policy and offers mid-year enrollment on a limited basis. The school will host four Open House sessions in the coming months, providing an ideal opportunity for prospective families to tour the scenic campus, sit in on classes, and meet teachers and students. Open House sessions will be held on Monday, October 13, Tuesday, November 11, Monday, January 19, and Monday, February 16. The Admissions Office also offers individual tours and visits throughout the year. Interested applicants should call 518-794-6000 or visit www.darrowschool.org.
To learn more about Darrow School or apply online, visit www.darrowschool.org.
HFCS Summer Science Enrichment Program
submitted by Judy Frost, Public Information Specialist
A group of incoming Hoosick Falls eighth-graders spent a week in August exploring the great outdoors learning about the environment and a range of environmental careers.