Good Morning America Weekend Edition

Checkout Saturday mornings, Good Morning America Weekend Edition, starting July 4 on Channel 10,  to hear "Your Three Words" from our 2009 graduates.

BH-BL sports program ranked #1 in New York

Ever heard the saying "you can't hide that Spartan pride" ??

Well, here's one more reason why. The New York State Sportswriters Association has ranked Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake as having the # 1 interscholastic sports program in the state for the 2008-09 school year.

Way to go, Spartans!!!   Read more

Summer School signups will be held on June 29 from 8:00am until 3:00pm and June 30 from 8:00am until noon.  Summer School begins on Wednesday, July 1 at 7:30am in the Red Room at the high school.  Classes will be July 1 and 2 and resume on Monday, July 6, Monday through Thursday each week.

Driver's Education - Next session will be the fall session

Registration will take place at the beginning of the 09-10 school year. This program is open to students attending Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School who are age 16 or older and have their New York State Learner's Permit or Driver's License.  Students are accepted based on their grade, seniors first and/or a lottery draw if there are not enough seats for all in a grade.  There are two driving instructors, which will accommodate 40 students.  Cost of the program is $300 plus a $3 registration fee (checks payable to BH-BL Schools). All accepted students are required to purchase a textbook for $35.

Enrolled students receive 24 hours of classroom instruction, 18 hours of in-car observation and 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction.  Attendance at all sessions is mandatory to meet the State time requirements.  No make-up classes will be scheduled for missed classroom or driving time.  Parent/guardian assistance is needed to provide at least 20 hours of supervised driving time in the family car.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be issued an MV285 "Blue Card" allowing the student to obtain a senior license at age 17 and an insurance card to be presented to your insurance company to obtain any applicable premium discounts.

Health requirements to play a sport

Please contact the school nurse with questions or concerns. High School: Mrs. Fredericks, ext. 3102,  Middle School: Ms. Ferlo, ext. 4035.

2008-2009  Important Dates

National Prize Winner, Cassandra Hartt

Congratulations to Junior, Cassandra Hartt.  She is a National Prize Winner in the Being an American Essay Contest sponsored by The Bill of Rights Institute.  Cassandra was one of three winners chosen from over 30,000 students around the country who answered the question, What civic value do you believe is most important to being an American? Trace the enduring importance of this value throughout the American story by discussing: a Founding document that reflects this value; a figure from American history who embodies this value; and ways you can personally put this value into practice.

Cassandra has been invited to a four day, all expenses-paid, trip to Washington, DC with one parent and her Social Studies teacher March 29-31, 2009.  On the last evening there will be a gala where Cassandra will receive her award of either $1,250, $2,500, or $5,000 from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.  Other activities will include a tour of the White House, a viewing of the IMAX film We the People and a Congressional luncheon on Capitol Hill.  The person Cassandra profiled was Eldridge Gerry of Massachusetts, submitted by her teacher, Karen Ferris-Fearnside.

High School Senior Awarded Silver Prize

John "Declan" Crowley, an Irish step dancer, was awarded the silver prize and $5,000 from youngARTS, a program sponsored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.  Declan was selected from a pool of more than 6,000 young artists who represent the top 2 percent of visual and performing artists in each of the 50 states.  Declan will participate in an all-expense-paid trip to New York City as part of an artistic residency program where he will perform at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and participate in master classes and workshops with other Irish step dancing artists.

BH-BL High School English Teacher is Top Teacher of the Week on WNYT

Dennis Harrington is featured as Top Teacher of the Week for week of March 8. See his video clip at WNYT.

Science Bowl Team Competition

Congratulations to the Science Bowl Team comprised of Eric Brousseau, Andy Cook, Doug McErlean, Sam Wilson, and Zach Wood who competed Saturday, March 7 going undefeated in their division.  The team lost a very competitive game in the quarter finals. 

2009-10 High School Course Guide now available:

BH-BL students thinking about courses they may take in the future at the high school can download our Curriculum Guide for 2009-10 in pdf format. (Warning to dial-up users: This is a very big file.) Students receive a printed copy of this 36-page booklet from their guidance counselor. Parents should also take a look at the list on page 6 of the 32 courses that offer pupils a chance to earn college credits while still in high school.

Global 10 Classes Adopt a School in Ghana

Students in Global 10 classes at the high school have adopted the Akuffo Tom School in Ghana this year.  Burnt Hills residents, Joan and Harry Thornhill, who lived and taught in Ghana, were guest speakers recently and spoke with students about their experience teaching Ghana.  The students recently completed their first fundraiser and sent $688.64 to the school for school supplies and other items needed at the school.  The classes plan on continuing to raise funds for the school throughout the year.  The Global 10 classes are taught by Mrs. Ferris-Fearnside, Mr. Turner, Mrs. Tolan, Mrs. Wang, and Mrs. Austro.

• 3rd place Cell Biology - Doug McErlean and Katie Fogg
• 4th place Chemistry Lab - Andrew Muller and Joe Maher
• 1st place and 3rd place Elevated Bridge - Andrew Muller, Matt Fitts, Christian Mesh, and Stephanie Bodensieck
• 4th place Experimental Design - Kaitlyn Madden, Sara Mahar, and Joe Maher
• 5th place Herpetology - Shelby Delgado and Sam Roecker
• 5th place Physics Lab - Andrew Muller and Stephanie Bodensieck
• 5th place Solar Power - Craig Maughan and Sam Wilson
• 3rd place Technical Problem Solving - Matt Fitts and Andy Cook
• 5th place Trajectory - Dan Fortin

Congratulations to all the students who participated.

Fine Arts:  Please refer to the quick link on the right to view the Fine Arts updated web page.

Alex Flinn, Young Adult Author, Visits High School

Pictured from left:  Alex Flinn hands high school student, Alexandra, a signed copy of her latest novel, Beastly, while Mrs. Roberts-Pekar looks on.

School Report Card posted:  On August 11, 2008, the NY State Education Department made the 2006-07 Report Cards for all NY schools public on its website. You can view or download this compilation of 2006-07 test scores, graduation data, class size, attendance and other data for the BH-BL High School here (pdf format). More information and the report cards for all the schools in our district can also be viewed on the State Ed. website by clicking on "Saratoga County" at New York State Report Cards.

"For our dear old Alma Mater, cheer maroon and white!"

Spartans shine at Graduation on June 25

Nearly 300 members of the BH-BL Class of 2008 crossed the stage of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, June 25, when the High School celebrated its 89th Annual Commencement. Go to Graduation 2008 to view photos of the day's smiles and activities.

High School Time Capsule readied   What local photos and other materials can convey the current spirit of BH-BL to those who come to our school 50 years from now?? Go to Time Capsule to see how high school students have answered this question.

BH-BL Student Art Gallery  Check out the Student Art Gallery featuring work by Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School students.

More views of the students' pieces are available at Student exhibition.

Safety measure: High School pupils should have identification at sports events   Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake parents and students are advised that 8th grade and younger pupils may not attend evening varsity interscholastic sports contests without an adult. This policy means that older (high school) pupils may need to show identification to document that they may attend without an adult. The change was made due to a growing number of youngsters being left unsupervised at games and more incidents of fighting, belligerence and other inappropriate behavior. Read more

Clarification  The "BH-BL Spartan Cards" that provide card holders with discounts at local merchants are being sold by our many sports booster clubs, not the school district. For more information, contact booster club presidents, many of whom are listed on page 11 of the printed district calendar. The school district appreciates the many efforts that various groups make to support our kids, athletes and programs.