BH-BL Theatre for Children to Present Pinocchio and Treasure Island on February 3 and 4  The BH-BL Theatre for Children will perform both Pinocchio and Treasure Island on February 3 and 4 in the High School Auditorium.  There will be one performance on February 3 at 7:00 p.m. and two shows on February 4 at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.  Treasure Island is being presented by the adults, with a mixture of students in Middle School and the elementary school.  A group of children in grades 3 through 6 are in the Pinocchio show.  There will be a fifteen minute intermission between shows, and the evening will run approximately two hours.  Presale tickets for $6 can be purchased at Mail 'n More, and tickets for $7 can also be bought at the door the day of the show.  Proceeds from the show go towards arts in education programs at the elementary school level.

Dig Deep Into Books with our Parents As Reading Partners Program  The CH PTA will be sponsoring a Parents As Reading Partners Program during the week of March 5.  Students at Charlton Heights are encouraged to read 15 minutes each day with a parent or friend of the family.  As a kickoff, children's author Steve Tomecek will visit Charlton Heights an talk about how he writes his science books.  Steve's nick name is the "Dirtmeister," so it sounds like a fun time for all.  A week of activities is planned:

March 5  Wear the color red to show that you will be participating in the program.

March 6  Play a fun game with your family!

March 7  Bring in a canned good to support a local food pantry.

March 8  Complete a card for a "Time Capsule" during lunch.

March 9  Wear a hat to school.

March 15 Celebrate during lunch with a "dirt" cake. 

Mr. Moore's Class Narrowly Defeats Mr. Bold's Class in the Fall/Winter Box Top Contest

The Box Tops Contest came to a thrilling finish on January 20 at Charlton Heights.  Mr. Moore's fifth grade class came out on top with 2,692 Box Tops, just beating Mr. Bold's fourth grade class, who had 2,593 Box Tops.  The top two classes will win a pizza or ice cream party for their efforts. 

The labels are found on most General Mills, Betty Crocker and Ziploc items, to name a few.  This is the first time that three classes had over 2,000 Box Tops, and that eight classes had over 1,000 Box Tops. 

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 results for the first semester are below: 

1.  Mr. Moore              2,692

2.  Mr. Bold                2,593

3.  Miss Donofrio         2,302

4.  Mrs. Conklin           1,346

5.  Mrs. Gobel             1,312           

6.  Miss Jones             1,245

7.  Mrs. Hall                1,187

8.  Mrs. Grasso           1,117

9.  Mrs. Bomm              985

10. Mrs. Buff                 867

Good Things Coming to Charlton Heights!  This summer, we will be having a lot of construction work completed at Charlton Heights.  A new boiler system will be put into place, which will allow each individual room to be centrally controlled by district staff.  There will also be roofing work done for the quads, Main Office area, and the gymnasium.

To get a jump start on this large project, some work will be completed evenings and over vacations.  If you have dropped by Charlton Heights after school, you may have noticed that plumbers and electricians have taped off areas in which they are working.  Please avoid the taped areas and take another route to your destination for safety.

The plumbers are installing pipes which will help prepare for our summer work.  The electricians are placing fire safety lighting in hallways to comply with revised safety guidelines.  In addition, the safety lights and exit signs will be placed in classrooms that have an outdoor exit.

Charlton Heights Drama Club Will Perform "The Little Mermaid"

Fourth and fifth graders from the Drama Club will present "The Little Mermaid" on Friday, March 30th, at 7:00 p.m. in the gymnasium.  Sign ups for the club are happening during December, and auditions will be held in January.  The club will run on specified dates before and after-school in February and March.  More information can be obtained from the Information Board in the Main Lobby of the building.  A rehearsal schedule and cast list are posted below.

Little Mermaid Rehearsal Schedule

Little Mermaid Cast List

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

Sleeping Beauty 2011

The Emperor's New Clothes 2010

Toby Tyler 2009

Student Council Representatives Announced for 2011-2012 School Year Students at Charlton Heights have elected the classroom representatives for the 2011-2012 school year.  The representatives can be viewed in the document below.  Congratulations to Lily Digman, the new President; Morgan Skpowski, Vice President; Grace Isaksen, Secretary; and  Tyler Berg, 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 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. 

February 17                          Mismatch Clothing Day

March 9                                Hat Day

March 30                              Team Day (Wear sports team shirt)

April 20                                 Earth Day (Wear Green)

May 25                                 Red, White & Blue Day

June 15                                Maroon & White Day

June 21                                Tie Die Day

December PTA Newsletter Now On-line  The PTA will now be 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 newsletters on-line by downloading our Newsletter.  Past newsletters can be viewed by clicking the PTA Sidebar on the right side of the web page under the Charlton Heights Quick View.

PTA Reflections Award Winners Announced

Congratulations to the following students who submitted entries for the Reflections contest and whose work will be going on to the Regional competition:

Photography:  Matthew Sinnenberg

Visual Arts:  Molly Shea, Sophia Swain, and John Wells

Honorable Mention:  Isabella Antonini, Lily Haluska, and Luke Haluska

The National PTA developed the Reflections program in 1969 to interest children, parents, teachers and communities in the arts.  This year's contest theme was "Diversity means..." 

A listing of students who earned Reflections awards from the past can be found by clicking here:  Reflections Award Winners

Fire Safety Poster Winners Announced Charlton Heights students participated in our annual fire safety program on October 12 and competed in the poster contest.  Congratulations to first place winners Clara Law, Zoey Wyatt, Ada Bouchard, Cabot Smith, Bryce Clark, Abby Shea and Molly 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 2011

Fire Safety Poster Winners 2010

Fire Safety Poster Winners 2009

Students can learn about China during November half day afternoons  

BH-BL students in grades 1 - 5 will have a new enrichment opportunity this November.

In cooperation with the BOCES, exploratory classes in Chinese language and culture will be offered during the four "half day" afternoons in November when our elementary students have no regular classes. Tuition for the four-day program is $50. Class sizes are limited, and parents should sign up as soon as possible.  READ DETAILS

Walk for the Arts Thanks  The PTA would like to thank everyone who donated money and/or time to the Walk for the Arts fundraiser.  The PTA raised $6,200 for the arts in education programs at Charlton Heights!  The following are the top earners by grade level:

Grade K-  Lily Haluska

Grade 1-  Wyatt DeLalla

Grade 2-  Ella Fowler

Grade 3-  Ella Katz

Grade 4-  Teagan Arras

Grade 5-  Danielle Borden

Top Class-  Miss Jones- Grade 3

Thanks again for all of your support!

Students Honored at Summer Math and Reading Challenge Assembly  Students who participated in the Summer Reading and Math Challenge were presented with medals at an assembly on Friday, October 7.  The students who participated also voted to have staff members go into a dunk tank later that afternoon.  Students were then given a chance to throw a ball at the target and dunk their favorite staff members.  At right, teacher Andy Haluska watches as a student gets ready to throw.  A total of 230 students earned medals in mathematics, and 240 earned medals for reading.  Congratulations to all of the students who participated!

Founder's Day Nominations Being Accepted 

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.

The District Founder's Day dinner will be on February 2, 2012.  Anyone may nominate an individual who has given their time, energy and talents in ways that benefit and enrich the lives of the children at Charlton Heights.  The nominee can be a leader or someone who is a behind the scenes volunteer, and the nominee can be a parent, teacher, support staff or community member.  If you have any questions or would like to nominate someone for this award, contact Chris Katz at 357-3219.  Nominations are due by Friday, November 18, 2011.

Hey, Charlton Heights Knights: Welcome back!!

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.

Info on this website includes our Student & Parent Handbook that describes Charlton Heights school programs, services and "rules of the road." It has been updated for 2011-12. Parents will receive a printed copy of the handbook in September, but can also review it here anytime as needed. Click on Student Handbook on the right for a copy of this pdf file. (Requires Acrobat Reader.)

More reminders:

The cost of student lunches has increased for the first time in three years. A complete elementary student lunch including milk will now be $2.25.  An 8 oz. carton of milk purchased separately is still 50¢. In addition to the Daily Special, our cafeteria is now offering at least 4 alternate meals a day.  Go to Elementary Lunch Menu for all the details.

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.

 Congratulations to Dora Law for placing first among all Saratoga County fourth graders in the annual "Be Smart, Don't Start" Poster Contest.  The program targets the youth of Saratoga County, and each year there is a Growing Up Smoke Free! poster contest.  Dora drew a picture of a ballerina dancing, and her poster was judged to be first place by the panel of judges.  She was honored during the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Board Meeting on June 21, and the school received a $1,000 gift certificate to Borders Book Store.  A listing of past award winners from Charlton Heights can be found below:

Poster Contest Winners from Charlton Heights

Talent Show Held on June 23 at Charlton Heights The Charlton Heights Talent Show was held on Thursday, June 23, at 9:00 a.m. 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:

2011 Talent Show

2010 Talent Show

2009 Talent Show

Charlton Heights Float Wins First Place in the 2011 Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade

Congratulations to the Charlton Heights Student Council for tying with Pashley Elementary School for first in the 2011 Burnt Hills Community Flag Day Float Contest in June.  The float was put together by students and staff at the elementary school. 

The theme of the float was "Healthy Minds, Healthy Hearts."  Children dressed up as athletes from different sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and swimming.  On the float was a large three dimensional soccer ball that rotated, and two students were goalies in front of the soccer goals placed on the sod.  Special thanks to Alison Donofrio, Traci Hall, Bonnie O'Rourke, Jill Ollari, George Dorvee, Lisa Johnson, Amy Hotaling, and community member Pete Ollari.

Charlton Heights Wins Second Place at District Field Day The District Field Day was held on Tuesday, June 7, 2011, at Stevens Elementary School.  Charlton Heights, with 114 points, placed second to Stevens Elementary with 127 points.  The day featured one all time record performances: The fourth grade girls from Mr. Bold's class ran a 1:08.8, with Abby Evans, Lily Digman, Madeline Fox and Alaaya Patterson.  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.

Two Records Broken at CH Field Day  The Charlton Heights Field Day for students in grades 4 and 5 was held on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 on the back field at Charlton Heights Elementary School. 

Two records were broken at the event by our fourth grade girls.  Lily Digman broke a fifteen year old record in running a 1:22.3in the 440 while Abby Evans jumped 5' 9.5" in the long jump.  In the team category, Mr. Bold and Mr. Deso won the class competition for fourth and fifth grades, respectively.  

Charlton Heights Field Day results from 2001 through 2011 can be found by clicking here

An awards ceremony was held on the afternoon of May 25th at 1:30 p.m. and several fifth graders were honored with the male and female athlete award, and the Sportsmanship Awards.  The male athlete award was given to Tyler Doherty and Nathan Katz, and Sallie Suski was named the female athlete of the year.  The sportsmanship awards were given to Ruo Fang Hayden and Artem Smith. 

The physical education staff also distributed the Presidential Physical Fitness Awards at the ceremony.   Award winners from Charlton Heights for physical education can be found by clicking on the links below:

Female Sportsmanship Award Winners

Male Sportsmanship Award Winners

Female Athlete of the Year Award Winners

Male Athlete of the Year Award Winners

Field Day Class Champions

Field Day Records for Boys

Field Day Records for Girls

Physical Education Leadership Award Winners

Chris Holder Fifth Grade Residency Performance on June 15

The fifth grade students at Charlton Heights experienced an in-depth introduction to The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963 .  The students were exposed to songs, poems, stories and dances which enhanced the study of the Civil Rights Movement.   The students researched specific aspects of the Civil Rights era from a variety of different perspectives to help them better understand the context of the 1950's and 1960's events.  The interdisciplinary partnership with Chris Holder was planned by fifth grade staff, and special area teachers including art, music, physical education and library. The students presented an entire school assembly on June 15 at 1:45 p.m. in the gymnasium.  This program was funded in part by the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by the Saratoga County Arts Council.

Ellen Sinopoli Dance Residency Performance on June 9 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 9 with a performance by the students in the Charlton Heights gymnasium. 

Motoko Residency Performance on June 3  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 June 3.  Motoko won the 2007 National Parenting Publications Awards for her debut CD "The Promise of Chrysanthemums." 

Second Annual Chuck and Duck Dodgeball Tournament Held May 13    The Charlton Heights Student Council sponsored a Dodgeball Tournament on Friday, May 13, in the gymnasium.  Winning the tournament were the Matadors, led by team captain Tyler Doherty, along with Teagan Arras, Anna Butler, Josh Parker, Brayden Solberg, Hunter Valley and Ethan VanVorst.  The Matadors beat the Owls in an exciting and very close tournament final game.

2011 Team Roster

2011 Team Bracket

2010 Team Roster

Proceeds from the event went towards the Friedreichs's Ataxia Foundation again this year.  Over $2,000 was raised from the event last year.  Winners from the past tournament can by found by clicking on the link below:

Chuck and Duck Dodgeball Tournament Champions

Award Winners Announced at Spring Concert   The Charlton Heights Spring Concert was held on Thursday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.  Performing in the concert were the 4th and 5th grade chorus, band and orchestra, under the direction of Gina Kirsty, Brian Tetlak and Karen Russell, respectively. 

Awards were given to fifth graders who exhibit dedication and excellence in the arts.  This year, the fifth grade award winners were Matthew Zoller for chorus, Tyler Doherty for band, and Dayton Kenneally for orchestra.  Award winners from Charlton Heights for the arts can be found by clicking on the links below:

Charlton Heights Band Award Winners

Charlton Heights Chorus Award Winners

Charlton Heights Orchestra Award Winners

Eileen Briggs Art Award Winners

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

Holiday Shop The Charlton Heights PTA sponsored our annual Holiday Shop on Thursday, December 2, 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.  A special thanks to Tara and David DeLuke who organized the event, and all of our parent volunteers!  The event was a great way to get into the season's spirit!

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 into the second year of operation. 

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.  Research concludes that “there is no more important activity for preparing your child to succeed as a reader than reading aloud together.”  The “1001 Book Kids” program is one way we can help our busy families access good books to read to their children in a quick and easy way. 

The program works in the following manner.  We will provide 100 bags, each of which contains ten high quality, age appropriate children’s books.  The bags will be located in the Charlton  Heights Main Office Lobby where they are easily accessible before, during and after school hours.  Families who participate can borrow a bag for a week and share the books with their children.  Upon return of the bag, they perform some simple record keeping, and then borrow a new bag.  After reading 100 bags of books, the child will then listen to their 1,001^st story from the principal.  There will be incentives offered along the way as families reach the milestones of 25, 50, 75, and finally, 100 bags. 

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