Spring Concert on May 21

The Spring Concert will be held on Tuesday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.  Performing will be the 4th and 5th grade chorus, band and orchestra, under the direction of Gina Kirsty, Brian Tetlak and Karen Russell. 

Awards will be distributed at the Charlton Heights Spring Concert.  Each year, the Friends of Music honors one fifth grade student from each of the performing groups for their dedication, excellence in the arts.   

CH award winners for the arts from the past can be found by clicking here.

Career Awareness Jamboree Planned for May 23, 2013

PTA and staff members are starting to plan for the Career Awareness Jamboree on May 23.  The event will be held in the morning, and children will be exposed to three different career options.  We are looking for volunteers for the day.  Please contact Heidi Todd, Audrey Lowe or Tim Sinnenberg at tsinnenberg@bhbl.org if you are interested in being a volunteer.  Volunteers will needed throughout the morning to help children find classroom locations. 

Hey Charlton Heights Knights!  It's time to register for Summer Forum classes

Students looking for some fun learning experiences this July should check out the Summer Forum classes that are open to BH-BL resident children currently attending kindergarten through 6th grade. You can sign up for Musical Theater, Arts & Crafts, Future Chefs, and/or Youth Challenge classes from July 1 to 26.

Read all the details in the Summer Forum 2013 flyer. NOTE: Registration forms are due by May 22.

May PTA Newsletter Now On-line  The PTA is now using an electronic version for our monthly newsletters.  Families who have given the school their e-mail address will be mailed an electronic copy.  Families who would like a hard copy should contact Newsletter Chairperson Lisa Criscone.  You can also view the May Newsletter here. Past newsletters and all things PTA can be viewed via the Charlton Heights PTA webpage.

Field Day to be held on May 29

The Charlton Heights Field Day for students in grades 4 and 5 will be held on Wednesday, May 29.  The event typically lasts a couple hours and will be held on the back field at Charlton Heights Elementary School. 

Students will be wearing their physical education uniform.  However, if it is cold, students may wear under armor, sweat pants, sweat shirts, etc.  Students will also be encouraged to bring a water bottle with them out on to the field.

The rain date for field day is Friday, May 31.  The decision to cancel or delay the event will be made the morning of field day.  Parents may obtain more information by checking the website. Spectators are welcome to attend field day.  We ask that all spectators stand behind the cone area, which will be used for the student athletes and staff members. 

Children who place first, second or third in an individual event, or first place in a team event, will qualify for the District Field Day on June 5 at Stevens Elementary School, with a rain date of June 6.  

Charlton Heights Field Day results from 2001 through 2012 can be found by clicking here

An awards ceremony will be held on the afternoon of May 29 at 1:30 p.m. and several fifth graders were honored with the male and female athlete award, and the Sportsmanship Awards.  The physical education staff will also distribute the Presidential Physical Fitness Awards at the ceremony.  

CH award winners from the past can be found by clicking here.

Chris Holder Fifth Grade Residency Performance "Going Green-Ecosystems of the World" on June 12

The Town of Ballston Community Library is proud to announce that they are the recipients of a Saratoga County Program for Arts grant in partnership with Charlton Heights Elementary School.  This grant is partially funded by the Saratoga Arts Council and New York State Council on the Arts.  The grant is being used to fund the fifth grade "Going Green-Ecosystems of the World" arts residency with Chris Holder beginning on June 4, 2013.  Chris Holder is a story singer from Hammondsport, NY.  The culminating performance will be on Wednesday, June 12, at 1:30 p.m. in the gymnasium.  The Saratoga Program for Arts Funding-Arts Education is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and Saratoga Arts.

Fourth Annual Chuck and Duck Dodgeball Tournament  The Charlton Heights Student Council, in conjunction with the PTA and the Teacher's Association, sponsored a Dodgeball Tournament on Friday, April 19, in the gymnasium. Over 180 students in grades 3-5 participated, and competition was fierce between the teams.  To highlight healthy eating, team names were all vegetables or fruits.  In the finals, Team Fig beat Team Raspberries for the title.  Members of Team Fig were:  Andrew Poirier (team captain), Josh Fugal, Aiden Giaquinto, Sophie Howard, Kyle Rosselli, Sophie Swain, and Skyla Torres.

Students who have participated in the event in the past and the results of the tournament are below:

2013 Team Roster

2013 Results

2012 Team Roster

2012 Results

2011 Team Roster

2011 Results

2010 Team Roster

Proceeds from the event will go towards the Friedreichs's Ataxia Foundation again this year.  Winners from the past tournament can by found by clicking on the link below:

Chuck and Duck Dodgeball Tournament Champions

Record Breaking Fall Box Top Contest!

The spring Box Tops Contest has now begun after a record breaking fall. The records that were broken this fall were we collected 20,988 Box Tops, the most ever.  This brings the school $2,099!  In addition, the top two earning classes collected over 3,000 Box Tops.  Miss Donofrio and her class collected 3,399, while Mrs. Hall and her class had 3,101.  Also, nine classes were over 1,000, which is more classes over 1,000 than ever before. 

The spring Box Tops program will end on Friday, June 14.  The two classes that collect the most Box Tops will receive either an ice cream or a pizza party. 

The labels are found on most General Mills, Betty Crocker and Ziploc items, to name a few.   

Charlton Heights was ranked fourth in the Capital Region for the total number of Box Tops collected last year.  In addition, we were ranked 34th out of the 6,874 schools who turn in Box Tops in New York State for the same time period. 

The spring results as of May 20 are below: 

1.  Mr. Bold                  2,341

2.  Mrs. Bomm             2,273

3.  Mr. Deso                 1,238

4.  Mrs. Long                1,136

5.  Mrs. Ollari               1,047          

6.  Mrs. Gobel              1,018

7.  Mrs. McNeal              932

8.  Mrs. Berg                  849

9.  Mrs. Grasso              700

10. Mrs. Brennan pm      643

Camp Invention Comes to Burnt Hills

Inspire creativity and inventive thinking during a weeklong summer adventure of fun and exciting real world challenges led by qualified educators! One of the real world challenges in the GEO-QUEST™ program is Cache Dash™ .  Join us on an international expedition, navigating your way to treasure-filled caches containing global challenges from youth around the world! 

Geo-Quest is coming to O’Rourke Middle School from July 22 - 26, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  The camp is for children entering grades one through six. 

For families registering one child, they can use the spring discount code and receive $15 off until May 30.  For families registering two children from the same family, they will receive $25 off, and for families registering three children from the same family, they will receive $50 off the fee for the remainder of the season.   More information can be found on the Middle School web site, including a registration form.

Congratulations to Founder's Day Award Winners Tracy Blowers, Jill Ollari and Beth Stephens 

Congratulations to Tracy Blowers, Jill Ollari and Beth Stephens, who were chosen as the recipients of the Founder’s Day Award from Charlton Heights.  The District PTA sponsored the annual Founder's Day Celebration on Thursday, February 7, at the River Stone Manor in Glenville.  All three have been actively involved in the school community, and we are proud of their efforts to positively influence the lives of our children.

Founder's Day is a nationwide celebration to remember the founders of PTA who first gathered in 1896.  Each year the Charlton Heights PTA honors an individual who has gone above an beyond in ways that benefit the children and our community. For past winners from Charlton Heights, please see Founder's Day Award Winners.

Kind Star Award Winners

Staff members have been on the look out for students who are exhibiting kind behavior at Charlton Heights.  We look for children who are polite and helpful with their words and actions, and who are thoughtful of how others feel.  These traits are seen in so many children at the school.  When some of the kind behaviors are noticed, a student or staff member can fill out a star describing what they witnessed.  An announcement is made each morning about who exhibited kindness towards others, and the star is put on a bulletin board outside of the Library Media Center.

Some of the Kind Star Award Winners from the past few months are listed below:

Kindergarten: Megan Smialek, Cooper Igoe, John Gloud, Maddie DeLuke, Louis Frattarola, Warren Williams, Catherine Groth, Rachel Crupe, Anthony DeMarco, Christopher Ricketts, Leah Higgins, Emily Martin, Mia Berghela, Louis Frattarola

Grade 1:  Jacob Finkle, Shelby Cataldo, Dominick Sollecito, Emily Motel, Kaitlyn Calabro, Reilly McCormick, Lindsy Lawyer, Thatcher Smith, Jacob Aiken, Andrew Cheely, Ryan Agan, Emma Page, Ashlyn Hickey, Natalie Todd, Maddie Tse, Lily Haluska, Jordyn Hunt, Sofia Somerville

Grade 2:  Asa Tompkins, Macy Kingsley, Adam Crooker, Ana Zepf, Meghan Poirer, Dana Poremba, Naomi Williams, Sam Hladik, Rocco DelSorbo, Samuel Booth, Brendan Tricozzi, Jessica Zalucki, Keira Patrick, Lily Sisler, William Antrim, Katie Ziegler, Matthew Rounds, Brianna Venditti, Abigail Crowe

Grade 3: Michael Puglisi, Kyle Strait, Hayden Rusnica, Alex Gibelius, Gabby Aiken, Matthew Hunt, Zachary Andrews, Caitlin Strait, Anthony Wakulenko, Riley Northrup, Shelby Carusone, Jake Gibson, Alayna Shimkus, Jacob Caron, Matteo Rossini, Josiah Strock

Grade 4:  Donovan Cataldo, Justin Sisler, Dana Golden, Jillian Muller

Grade 5: TJ Thomas, Jackson Tse, Kelly Andersen, Abby Shea, Alizabeth Zarnofsky, Adam Orlando, Tucker Bold, Adam Kelley, Alexa Michaelson, Katie Miller, Leanne Meaney, Gabby Puglisi

Charlton Heights Drama Club performs "Aladdin"

60 fourth and fifth graders from the Drama Club presented "Aladdin" on Wednesday, March 27th, at 7:00 p.m. in the gymnasium. 

The Drama Club began in 2009 with a production of "Toby Tyler."  To view the cast lists from prior shows, please see below:

Aladdin 2013

Little Mermaid 2012

Sleeping Beauty 2011

The Emperor's New Clothes 2010

Toby Tyler 2009

A special message from Superintendent Patrick McGrath

Dec. 17, 2012

District takes immediate safety steps in response to shooting in Connecticut

BURNT HILLS:  In a letter to parents and staff, superintendent Patrick McGrath outlined several safety improvements to be taken in district schools.

The letter cites several changes he is instituting immediately as well as "medium-term" and "long-term" improvements that are being researched. "There is a growing field of expertise on school security and best practices that can be implemented to increase the safety of our students and staff," he says.  READ MORE including  Mr. Grath's letter and tips on talking to children about scary news

Yearbook Ordering Information 

Have you ordered your yearbook?

Yearbooks do more than showcase the yearly school portraits. They document many of the events that are held at the school throughout the year as well as capturing fun candid moments in the classroom. They are a great memento of the fun our children have at school each year.

Yearbooks can be ordered early, and they make a great gift from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles!

Go to: https://ybpay.lifetouch.com

Enter school code: 6039613 (or select Charlton Heights through the drop down menus. State: NY, City: Ballston Lake)

Follow the online steps to order a yearbook for only $16.

You can also send in an order form through backpack mail with the envelopes that went home in November. If you need to use another envelope, please include your child's name, teacher, grade and choice of any additional options (stickys $1.50, current events $1.75) on the front.

Student Council Representatives Announced for 2012-2013 School Year Students at Charlton Heights have elected the classroom representatives for the 2012-2013 school year.  The representatives can be viewed in the document below.  Congratulations to Collin Digman, the new President; Colby Jackson, Vice President; Christian Erickson, Secretary; and  Sam Verdile, Treasurer.  A listing of the Student Council from the past few years as well as officers from as far back as the 1990's can be viewed below:

Student Council 2012-2013

Student Council 2011-2012

Student Council 2010-2011

Student Council 2009-2010

Student Council 2008-2009

Student Council 2007-2008

Student Council Officers 1992-Present

The Student Council will be sponsoring theme days during the school year.  On these days, children and staff can wear the special clothing related to the theme.  During on the theme days, the PTA will be selling bags of popcorn for $.50. 

May 24             Mismatch Clothing Day

June 21            Tie-Dye Day

Holiday Shop December 6 The Charlton Heights PTA sponsored our annual Holiday Shop on Thursday, December 6, during the school day.  Our students were given an opportunity to independently select and purchase affordable items for their loved ones.  We had a great variety of crafters who came into the gymnasium to sell their special treats for a lower cost.  Special thanks to Tara and David DeLuke, the organizers of the event, and all of our great volunteer!  This event was a great way to get into the season's spirit!

Fire Safety Poster Winners Announced Charlton Heights students participated in our annual fire safety program on October 11 and competed in the poster contest.  Congratulations to first place winners Caitlin Smith, Marshall Schmidt, Cianna Benamati, Meghan Poirier,

Caitlin Strait, Peyton Reno and Abby Shea.  The first place award winners will receive a $50 savings bond from the Charlton Fire Department. Thank you very much to the Charlton Fire Department volunteers who came into school for our day of fire prevention information. The following students are the winners for their grade level from the past three years: 

Fire Safety Poster Winners 2012

Fire Safety Poster Winners 2011

Fire Safety Poster Winners 2010

Fire Safety Poster Winners 2009

"Go Math" online resources

This link  https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com will allow parents and students to access the district's Go Math program. It provides access to the Student Workbook and several other useful tools to assist students with their homework.

Project Chinese classes will offer 4 half-days of fun & learning to elementary pupils

Deadline to register has been extended to November 1

BH-BL students in grades 1 - 5 will explore Chinese language and culture with BOCES teachers at the Charlton Heights elementary school from 12:30 - 3:00 on the four November half days. (That is, on the four afternoons that regular elementary classes are suspended so that BH-BL teachers can hold parent conferences.) These four half days are November 13, 14, 27 and 28.

Class size is limited, so parents should click on the link below and submit their student's application as soon as possible.  Stevens and Pashley students taking Project Chinese will be transported by school bus to Charlton Heights on the four half days.  All parents should plan to pick up their children at Charlton Heights at 3:00 and transport them home after class on these dates. The cost of the program is $75.

For more details and a copy of the BH-BL registration form, go to WSWHE BOCES Project Chinese.

School Banking is Back!

The PTA will offer school banking on Thursday mornings from 8:15 until 8:45 a.m. in the cafeteria starting on October 18.  The program is sponsored by First New York Federal Credit Union, and it is very easy to join.  If your child already has an account, there is no need to open another account.  Students receive great prizes for every third deposit made.  Students who bank also have a chance to win a $5 gift card in our monthly drawing!  Volunteers are needed!  If you have any questions, please contact Chris Katz at ckatz@nycap.rr.com

Staff Compete in Hero Rush Staff members from BH-BL Central Schools, also known as "The Educators," competed in the Hero Rush on Saturday, September 8, at Ellms Farm in Charlton.  The group participated in the 3.8 mile course, complete with 16 challenges such as sliding down a fireman's pole and navigating through a smoky building.  The event was planned to give an appreciation for the hard work and dedication of firemen and women around the country.

Welcome back, Charlton Heights Knights!

The detailed district calendar has been mailed to all BH-BL households and can also be viewed on the district Calendars page.

Charlton Heights bus routes are included in the printed calendar and are also visible on the website at Charlton Heights Bus Routes

Parents: Please remember that a Bus Stop Change Form needs to be filled out EVERY YEAR if your child will be bused to or from a location other than your home. See Child Care Policies for more information, a copy of the form, and a list of state-licensed day care providers within our school district.

Talent Show on June 21 at Charlton Heights The Charlton Heights Talent Show was held on Thursday, June 21, 2012,  in the gymnasium.  Students sang, danced played musical instruments and delighted the audience of family members and students from the school.   Programs from the past can be found below:

2012 Talent Show

2011 Talent Show

2010 Talent Show

2009 Talent Show

Charlton Heights Float Wins Award in the 2012 Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade

Congratulations to the Charlton Heights Student Council for winning an award in the 2012 Burnt Hills Community Flag Day Parade.  This year, the Flag Day Committee decided to give Charlton Heights the "One of the Top Three Floats" Award.  This continues a tradition of excellence in the Flag Day Parade.  Below are the places from prior years:

2011- 1st Place

2010- 1st Place

2009- 3rd Place

2008- 2nd Place

The float was put together by students and staff at the elementary school.  The theme of the float was "Go for the Gold."  Children dressed up as athletes from different sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and swimming.  On the float were three athletes on podiums for winning first, second, or third place in the Olympics, flanked by the Olympic flame and the five rings.  Special thanks to Chris Deso, Alison Donofrio, Traci Hall, Terry Koster, Jill Ollari, and community member Pete Ollari.

Charlton Heights Wins District Field Day  The District Field Day was held on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, at Stevens Elementary School. Charlton Heights, with 126.5 points, placed just ahead of Stevens Elementary with 105 points.  One all time record was broken at the District Field Day by Caitlyn Carr, a fifth grade girl from Pashley, who won the 50 Yard Dash in 7.1 seconds.  Parents and community members enjoyed the beautiful weather and the wonderful sportsmanship displayed by all of the participants.  Congratulations to all of the participants for great effort and a cooperative spirit. 

District Field Day results from the past can be found by clicking here.

Ellen Sinopoli Dance Residency Performance on June 7 Fourth grade students participated in a week long residency with the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company.  The participatory aspect of the program consisted of daily workshops taught by two dancers and accompanied by a musician.    The program culminated on June 7 with a performance by the students in the Charlton Heights gymnasium. 

Motoko Residency Performance on May 31  Third grade students participated in a week long residency with Motoko this spring.  The five day residency focused on national holidays, festivals, and seasonal children’s activities in Japan throughout the year. The third grade students gained an accurate picture of contemporary Japan while providing them with a sense of history. Sessions included stories, songs, art, and cultural lessons, and culminated into a students’ performance and art exhibit on Thursday, May 31, at 1:45 p.m. in the Cafeteria.  Motoko won the 2007 National Parenting Publications Awards for her debut CD "The Promise of Chrysanthemums." 

Absentee Call-In Procedures

The Charlton Heights Main Office asks that parents let us know about a child who will be absent for the day due to illness or other reasons.

See our Absentee Call-in Page for all the details on how best you can do this.

Reminders from the Nurse: Students in kindergarten, second and fourth grades plus any students new to the district must submit a completed school physical form. (Click here for a pdf copy of this form.)  Parents: please send completed physical forms and immunization records to the nurse as soon as possible.

Also, remember that medications given during the school day need to come in the original bottle with a written doctor's notice. All medications must be delivered by an adult!

Information has been put together concerning pediculosis (head lice.)  Click here for a copy of the fact sheet.  Also, more information can be found about head lice on the Kids Health web site at

http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/sheets/head_lice_sheet.html

Information from the New York State Department of Health can be found by Clicking Here.

10-11 Recorder Black Belt Honoree List Updated  Each year, our third graders learn about instruments during music class.  As part of their studies, they start playing the recorder to practice reading music and using proper rhythm.  The children spend a lot of time at home in preparation for class, where they can perform a variety of songs, from easier to harder.  For each song the children complete, they are rewarded with a specially colored string to signify their achievement.  When completed, the final song earns the child a black string, or their "black belt".  A listing of students who earned their black belt awards from the past can be found by clicking on the links below:

Black Belt Award Winners 10-11

Black Belt Award Winners 09-10

Black Belt Award Winners 08-09

Black Belt Award Winners 07-08

Black Belt Award Winners 06-07

Black Belt Award Winners 05-06

Eagle Scout Project Completed at Charlton Heights  

James Klapper, from Troop 65, recently completed his Eagle Scout Project at Charlton Heights.  He organized a group of parents and troop members to complete two planters outside near the side playground.  Students in the future will use the planters to practice their gardening skills.  James is one of five Boy Scouts who have completed projects for Charlton Heights.  A listing of the other projects can be viewed at Eagle Scout Projects

1,001 Books continues at Charlton Heights! 

Thanks to great support by Charlton Heights families, community members and staff, the "1001 Book Kid" program is continuing. 

The ultimate goal of the program is that each child will have heard 1001 stories and have formed a bond with books and reading that will last a lifetime. 

Special thanks to the Committee and Benefactors who made this program possible. 

A listing of students who have completed the program can be found at 1001 Book Kid Hall of Fame.

You can view more information about the program by going to 1001 Book Kid.