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BH-BL High School named a
"Grammy Signature School"
BURNT
HILLS: The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School
has been named a "2012 Grammy Signature School
Semi-finalist" by the Grammy Foundation.
Only 125 public high schools in the
nation received this honor, including two schools in
the Greater Capital Region: BH-BL and Guilderland.
Finalists in the annual competition will be
announced in March.
READ MORE |
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Six candidates remain in
contention to be the next BH-BL
superintendent
Board of Education selects 7
semi-finalists after interviewing 15 candidates, but one
withdraws for personal reasons
Earlier in January, Board of
Education members interviewed the top 15 of 29
applicants to be the next BH-BL superintendent of
schools. Board members have now selected seven of
the 15 as semi-finalists, who advance to interview
round number two with stakeholder representative
teams.
READ DETAILS IN THE JANUARY 31 PRESS RELEASE
Or
go to the Superintendent Search page for all
information including the
search timeline, all press releases, and a copy of the search brochure
& application form.
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BH-BL residents &
staff invited to series of budget meetings
Preliminary budget numbers
discussion starts Feb. 1
Press release of January 27
BH-BL Board of Education members
will be discussing next year's budget numbers at a
series of public meetings starting at 7:00 PM on
Wednesday, February 1. The 2012-13 preliminary
request budget is $57 million, which represents a
4.1 percent budget-to-budget increase from the
current year.
READ MORE
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Pertussis
Update:
Friday, January 27
Two cases of pertussis
are confirmed
at Stevens School,
Some children are returning to school too soon
A
second case of pertussis, also known
as whooping cough, has been confirmed in a fifth
grade pupil at Stevens Elementary School who was
recently in close contact with the first child. The school
has sent informational letters home to all
parents. The Saratoga
County Department of Health reminds parents that
tested children must finish their course of
antibiotics before returning to school.
See pertussis info & any updates here |
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Community Swim
registration is January 17
Swim classes are beginning
on January 23 in the high school pool. And
wait till you see the pool area improvements
from our summer and fall renovations!
Registration will be held on Tuesday,
January 17 in the high school from 7:00 -
8:00 pm. See the
Community Swim flyer for all the
details. |
Continuing Education
registration is January 17 & 18
Brochures for the upcoming
winter-spring semester of evening adult education
classes will be mailed home the first week
of January. You are welcome to register by
mail or in person at registration sessions at the O'Rourke Middle
School from 6:30 - 8:00 pm on January 17 and
18.
See the
Winter-Spring 2012 Continuing Education
brochure
(pdf format) for all the details,
including class titles, dates, times and
fees. |
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BH-BL students present holiday
music on TV
The BH-BL High School Select Choir
is once again performing on WMHT's Music for the
Holidays radio and television program. The
singers auditioned through a DVD submission in
October and were one of 18 Capital Region school
choirs to be chosen. The choir, under the direction
of teacher Ann Derrick, was recorded at the WMHT
studios in Troy in November.
You can tune in to enjoy some
delightful music and see our students perform in the
one-hour Music for the Holidays special at
the following times:
WMHT-TV: Thursday, December
22 - 8-9 p.m.; Friday, December 23 - 5-6 p.m.;
Sunday, December 25 - 4-5 p.m.
WMHT-FM: Sunday, December
25 - 6-7 p.m. |
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BH-BL staff member is killed in
traffic accident. No students involved
Press release of December 15
BH-BL school bus driver Bob
Kucharski was behind the wheel of his personal
vehicle on Dec. 15 when he collided with a bus
driven by one of his fellow drivers and was killed.
The accident occurred near the intersection of Hubbs
Road and Schauber Road in Ballston Lake.
READ MORE
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Spartan "Iron Chefs" show off
their skills
The
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School Family and
Consumer Sciences (FACS) department held their 1st
Annual Spartan Iron Chefs competition on December 1,
2011. Three teams of students who had taken at least
one foods course participated.
The
student chefs submitted their lab plan and
vegetarian recipes beforehand. They were required to
use fresh ingredients and at least one locally grown
ingredient.
SEE STORY & MORE PHOTOS |
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Three students chosen for
"All-States" music conference in Rochester
Congratulations to BH-BL seniors
Steven Kirsty, Brandon Mooney and Sam Evans, who
were selected by state-wide auditions to participate
in the New York School Music Association Conference
All-State Music Festival to be held in Rochester,
NY on December 1-4.
Steven Kirsty - Tenor Saxophone
will be performing in the All-State Jazz Ensemble.
Brandon Mooney - Trumpet will perform with the
All-State Symphony Orchestra, and Sam Evans -
Trombone will perform with the All-State Symphonic
Band. This event brings some 800 of the best music
students from across New York to perform together
under nationally acclaimed conductors. Students
competed against thousands of other music students
in the state to become members of these select
ensembles. |
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Volleyball
Team wins State Championship!
Congratulations to our fabulous
girls volleyball team and coach Gary Bynon for
winning the Class A State Championship at the Glens
Falls Civic Center on Nov. 18 and 19. This is the
team's first state championship since 2005.
Way to go
Spartans!!
You can see photos & tournament
details on the
Times Union website. |
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The play
"All the Great
Books -- Abridged"*
comes to BH-BL High
School, Nov. 18 & 19 at 7:30 pm
Confused by Confucius? Thoroughly
thrown by Thoreau? Wish Swift was swifter? The BH-BL
High School Drama Club invites you to enjoy a
raucous, irreverent and supremely ridiculous romp
through all of Western Literature as they valiantly
attempt (and fail) to cram all of the great literary
masterworks into a single evening.
Tickets are $7 at the door or by
visiting
ShowTix4U
*Warning: Very funny and
slightly educational (any similarities to an actual
education are entirely coincidental).
Parents are advised that the
subject matter and language of this play are more
appropriate for secondary school students.
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11 Students Chosen for Area All-State,
Nov. 18-19
Eleven BH-BL high school musicians have
been selected by New York State School Music
Association audition to participate in
the Area All-State Music Festival at Saratoga
Springs High School on November 18th & 19th. The festival brings together some of the best music students from NYSSMA Zone 7, an area of 200 miles in and around
Albany.
Colin Foster & Erin Kilmer will
participate in the Area All-State Chorus. Marcy
McCarthy & Emily Roehl will perform with the Area
All-State Band. Steven Kirsty & Brandon
Mooney will join the Area All-State Jazz
Ensemble. Abigail Baumbach, Jessica Port,
Nolan Hale, Stacie Bradley & Julia Boschi will
perform with the Area All-State Orchestra.
The public is invited to hear all four ensembles
in concert at Saratoga High School at 2:00 pm on
Saturday, Nov. 19th. Admission is $5 adult and
$3 senior citizens/students.
Congratulations to these talented
BH-BL musicians!
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New schedule announced for high
school January testing dates
A district decision means that
BH-BL high school students will now have two more
days of instruction than in previous years, but
still be able to take Regents exams in January.
All high school parents should
read this important press release
and download a copy of the
new high school schedule for January 2012
(pdf format). |
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Veterans Day ceremony is
Thursday, Nov. 10 at high school's Freedom Circle
Members of the public and
particularly all VETERANS are invited to
participate in a short Veterans Day ceremony at 9:15
AM on Thursday, Nov. 10, in Freedom Circle in front
of the BH-BL High School, 88 Lakehill Road, Burnt
Hills.
Veterans are also invited to a
breakfast in their honor after the ceremony.
Members of the high school Student
Government Organization are conducting the ceremony.
Organizers are particularly excited that 18 veterans
have already indicated they will attend, including a
95-year-old World War 2 vet who survived both the D
Day invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. |
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High school students team up
with local businesses for "Meet the Candidates" on
Nov. 3
Approximately 200 residents and high school students gained new insights into the working of town
government on November 3 when the Student Government
Organization co-sponsored a "Meet the Candidates"
debate for town of Ballston and Charlton candidates
with the BH-BL Business & Professional Association.
READ MORE |
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"Education Speaks" blog linked
to BH-BL website
The
Capital Region BOCES Communications Service has launched
a new blog called "Education Speaks" devoted to
thoughtful discussion of the issues shaping public
education in New York today. "The
blog is a regionalized approach that gives school
leaders a platform to talk about the real-world
implications of issues
such as the tax-cap, common
core standards, APPR and other
matters that impact our public schools,"
says BOCES District Superintendent Charles Dedrick.
Click the Education Speaks logo here or below on the
right to read more or to view a 3-minute video of Dr.
Dedrick. |
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"Ford Driving Skills for Life"
training comes to BH-BL High School on October 12
One
of only 2 locations in NY Capital Region
BURNT HILLS: The back parking lot
of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake high school was
the site of a national, award-winning teen safe
driving program on October 12, 2011.
The Ford Motor Company brought
its hands-on "Driving Skills for Life" training to
only two Capital Region high schools this year as
part of a 30-city national training tour. In New
York state, BH-BL was selected to participate in the
program on Oct. 12, followed by Colonie Central High
School on Oct. 13.
READ MORE |
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Senior
Joe Durand wins state contest in use of heavy equipment
Congratulations to BH-BL senior Joe
Durand of Charlton for placing 1st in the Heavy
Equipment category at the sixth annual SUNY Cobleskill
Agriculture & Natural Resources High School Day
competition on September 23.
READ MORE |
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Fall Community Swim
classes cancelled due to renovation delays
Parents who were hoping to
sign up their children for Saturday Learn to
Swim classes this fall will have to wait
until winter. Delays by pool
dehumidification unit manufacturer Desert
Aire have resulted in cancellation of all
fall semester public swimming except for
early AM lap swim times.
READ MORE |
Continuing Education
registration is September 19 & 20
Anyone who has not already
registered for fall evening adult education
classes by mail should attend the
registration sessions at the O'Rourke Middle
School from 6:30 - 8:00 pm on Monday and
Tuesday, September 19 and 20.
See the
Fall 2011 Continuing Education brochure
(pdf format) for all the details,
including class titles, dates, times and
fees. |
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Project
Chinese classes starting at BH-BL
Classes offered for students in
grades 1 - 12
Exploratory Chinese classes for
BH-BL students in grades 6 - 12 will start on
September 29, and for grades 1 - 5 on November 16 in
a new "Project Chinese" venture offered in
cooperation with the BOCES. Secondary classes
include online learning, while elementary classes
take place during the "half day" afternoons when
students have no regular classes. Class sizes
are limited, and parents should sign up as soon as
possible.
READ DETAILS |
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High school pupils assist with
Sept. 11 memorial at Indian Meadows Park
An estimated 400 people attended a
community memorial service on Sunday, September 11 at
4:00 pm at Indian Meadows Park on Droms Road, Glenville,
to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9 / 11. The
service was sponsored by the BH-BL Interchurch Council, as
well as local scout groups and fire companies -- who
had requested assistance for this unique occasion from high
school music students and teachers.
Members of the high school Concert
Band under the direction of Peter Giroux and a high
school string quartet under the direction of Karen
Russell participated.
The theme of the memorial service
was "Remember, Reflect, Recommit." Attendees
could also write the names of those
whose lives were lost or changed by 9/11 on ribbons
and tie them to a tree, which will be
permanently planted in the park.
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Superintendent Jim Schultz to
Retire June 30, 2012 after 40 years with school
district
BURNT HILLS: Thursday, September 1,
was the last opening day district-wide staff meeting
for Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake superintendent of
schools Jim Schultz.
Speaking to roughly 500 staff
gathered in the high school auditorium, he announced
that he will be retiring at the end of the current
school year on June 30, 2012.
READ MORE |
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School tax bills mailed
Aug. 29
BURNT HILLS: BH-BL Board of Education members have
approved a September 2011 total tax levy of $34,281,282
-- the same amount as was projected last May. An
increased equalization rate for the town of Ballston,
reduced overall property assessments in Clifton Park and
Glenville, and a new state cap on STAR savings are three
factors impacting the tax bills that were mailed out
to property owners on August 29.
READ MORE |
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Planning
ahead:
Complete 2011-12 school calendar is now available
The complete, 28-page calendar for the 2011-12
school year is
now available. This document includes not only important
events, like concerts and Back to School nights for all
grades, but also an updated staff directory, bus routes,
and list of PTA contact people.
For links to the new calendar in
various formats, see our
Calendars page. Parents:
Please note that classes for grades 1 -
12 will start on the Wednesday (rather than the
Thursday) after Labor Day: namely on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
Kindergarten classes start on Sept. 8.
We expect that more than 7,000 copies of the new
calendar can be printed, stuffed, addressed, and placed
in the mail to BH-BL families by August 15. In the
meantime you are welcome to use the pdf versions that
you can download from the
Calendars page. |
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Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake ranked 5th
out of 85 area school districts
The Capital Region edition of the Business Review
newspaper has released its annual "Schools Report" with
data and rankings for 85+ school districts in an
11-county region of upstate New York.
With an overall ranking of 5 out of 85,
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake remained in the top group of
districts. We were also 5th last year, and are annually
ranked anywhere from 4th to 7th in the Business
Review's analysis of state test scores and
graduation data. The new report is based on State
Education Department data from 2009-10, which is the
most recent available.
BH-BL was ranked 5th overall, but 77th
in per pupil spending, which means that 76 areas
districts spent more per pupil than BH-BL. The
entire Schools Report is available here. |
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Baseball
Team wins State Championship!
The title game in Binghamton was postponed
due to rain, but that didn't stop those
amazing Spartans from winning the Class A
state championship in baseball on Sunday,
June 12, versus Pittsford Sutherland. The 12
seniors on the team will be graduating in a
couple weeks knowing that they brought the
school its first ever state championship in
baseball. For a detailed account and photos,
go to
Times Union story by James Allen |
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Congratulations to all Honors Night
winners
May 26 was a high point for many BH-BL
staff and parents who love to see the results of so many
hard working students at the high school's annual Honors
Night. It took nearly three hours to announce all the
scholarships and awards that high school students have
earned this spring. You can view the
complete list of this year's winners here. |
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Calling all BH-BL Alumni!
Details posted for upcoming Class Reunions
Members of the Class of 1961 and Class of 1996 should RSVP now for
their reunion in July. Does your class have a reunion coming up? You can
read all the information we have about BH-BL reunions (or send us updated information for your class)
by clicking the "Alumni" button on the
left or
by going
directly to our Reunion Info page here. Also, check out and join the
BH-BL Alumni Database
and see who else has registered from your class. |
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1st Annual Athletic Hall of Fame
Inductions are June 11
The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Athletic
Association inducted its Hall of Fame Class of 2011
members at a dinner celebration on June 11,
2011 at the Holiday Inn Saratoga. Inductees include 13
BH-BL alumni athletes, coaches and other staff members,
and a community member, plus the district's 1st ever
State Champion Team.
Go to the new Athletics Homepage for a list of
honorees' names |
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Posted
May 17, 2011
BH-BL Election Results
for 2011:
Budget & Bus
Proposition pass
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake residents approved the
proposed 2011-12 school budget of $54.8 million by a
passing percentage of 62 percent at the district election on May 17, 2011.
A
proposition to borrow up to $400,000 to purchase four
school buses was also approved.
Incumbents Joe Pericone, John Blowers and Patre Kuziak were elected in
the race for three
Board of Education seats.
READ MORE
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A
new honor for the Spartans:
High School achieves 100%
Scholar-Athlete Team status
For the first time in school history,
all 27 varsity interscholastic sports teams fielded by
the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake high school this year have
earned "Scholar-Athlete" awards by
having team grade point averages (GPAs) of 90 percent or
higher. This puts BH-BL in a special category achieved
by only 16 NY schools last year.
READ MORE |
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Breakfast
program exemption sought The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake school district has again
applied for an exemption from the federal requirement
that its schools offer breakfast to pupils in grades K
through 6. The district has been granted this exemption
from the National School Breakfast Program every year
for the past 16 years.
Assistant Superintendent Jacqueline St.
Onge noted that, when surveyed again this year, only 7% of BH-BL
families indicated they would participate in a breakfast
program. "There is a strong likelihood we would lose
money on this if required to offer breakfast," she said,
"because so few children would participate."
Only 4% of BH-BL children qualify for free lunches (a
frequently used indicator of student poverty), compared
to 40% of public school pupils statewide. |
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2011 Founders' Day winners
announced
Twelve individuals who have
gone above and beyond in their service to the
BH-BL school district over a number of years
were honored at this year's PTA Founders' Day
dinner.
Linda
Mindel & Laurie Kruppenbacher received Founders
Day awards from the Charlton Heights PTA.
Susan Vine and Krissy Neddo were honored by the
Pashley PTA. The Stevens PTA honored Cheryl
Brott. Middle school Founders' Day awards went
to Poppy Picozzi and Kim Sprenger. The High
School PTA recognized Mary Ann Doyle and Mike &
Monique Batty. PTA Council gave Founders' Day
honors to Andrew Haluska and Colleen Grabb. You
can view all past & present
Founders' Day honorees here. |
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BH-BL
students advance in Junior Science & Humanities
Symposium
Congratulations to Science Research
students Zachary Wood & Kathleen Bashant for finishing
1st & 2nd, respectively, in their sessions at the local
Junior Science & Humanities Symposium. Both will be
attending the state-level competition in Albany in
March.
READ MORE |
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Parents
of children with disabilities learn about guardianship
issues
Attorney Ed Wilcenski spoke to parents
of high school and middle school children with
developmental disabilities on Guardianship and
Special Needs Trusts for Individuals with Developmental
Disabilities on January 13. The
presentation was part of a series called Parent
Transition Sessions 2010-11 sponsored by the BH-BL
Special Services Department. For more information, call
399-9141, ext. 3347 or email
mleach@bhbl.org |
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State and Local Government
Interaction/Relationship
Senator Hugh Farley and Schenectady
County Legislator Robert Farley spoke with Mr.
Semon's Participation in Government and Mr. Mosall's
Economics students on Wednesday, December 22. The
lesson gave students with an overview of historic
and current state and county government operations
with a focus on economic development and government
reform. Students also enjoyed a question and answer
session with the legislators.
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BH-BL
students & community
learn about in new anti-bullying initiative
on Dec. 15
Rachel Scott was the first person
killed in the Columbine High School Tragedy on April
20, 1999. She left behind an amazing legacy and a
simple challenge to anyone who will accept it:
treat others with kindness and compassion and you
just may change the world you live in.
On Dec. 15, BH-BL high school
pupils took part in Rachel's Challenge assemblies
during school. Their parents and community members
were invited to do the same at a special free
presentation that evening.
More information and video clips
about this powerful program can be found at
RachelsChallenge.org We need to confront
bullying in ALL schools across the country. You can
be part of changing BH-BL for the better! |
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Local boy
Brent Simons makes good in Hollywood
BURNT HILLS: Once upon a time,
Brent Simons lived on Lakehill Road and graduated
from BH-BL High School with the Class of 1993. Now
he and Alan Schoolcraft are co-authors of the
animated mega-hit movie Megamind.
Recently Brent told told CBS 6 News
that one person who gave him a start in film was
BH-BL high school teacher Christine Gangemi in her
still-popular English class The Art of Film.
Gangemi remembers teaching Brent
during both his freshman and senior years. She also
recalls his role in the BH-BL production of Arsenic & Old Lace, and
his stand-up comedy
act for Spartan Spotlight. To hear Simons' comments,
go to
CBS 6 Albany video clip |
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Want
to learn more about school closings & school news?
If you would
like to receive an automatic email and an automatic cell
phone text message when school is closed
or delayed, please sign up for our "School News
Notifier" service by clicking on the "BH-BL SNN"
logo on the right. The School News Notifier is
an opt-in
service that users control. Closing/delay announcements on SNN and on the
district website may have more details than what appears
on local TV stations where space is very limited. You
can get
more information here or click directly on the SNN
logo. |
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290
eighth graders participate in 16th annual Community
Service Day on Nov. 23
BURNT HILLS: On Tuesday morning,
November 23, all 290 eighth grade pupils at the O’Rourke
Middle School in the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake school
district took part in a long-standing school tradition:
Community Service Day. Students were bused
to 25 separate locations around the region to perform a
wide variety of volunteer services.
READ MORE |
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"Tech Valley comes to BH-BL"
Public
learns about impact of GlobalFoundries & technology
revolution at November 16 forum
That global economy we've all been
reading about has arrived -- and it's right on BH-BL's
doorstep.
On Tuesday, Nov. 16, speakers from
GLOBALFOUNDRIES, GE Wind Energy, Regeneron
Pharmaceuticals, 1st Playable Productions, and the HVCC Biotechnology
project answered audience questions about how this is impacting our area
and the skills and education they look for in new
employees. Parents, residents, staff and students
participated in an engaging community forum in the
O'Rourke Middle School cafetorium.
READ MORE
See
also News Channel 13 video about the forum:
BH-BL looks to cash in on major move to Malta |
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November
9, 2010
Colleen Kane hired as new Middle
School principal
Superintendent Jim Schultz has
announced that Colleen Kane of Goshen, New York, has
been selected as the new principal of the O’Rourke
Middle School in the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake school
district. She will assume her new duties on December 13.
READ MORE |
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Program Reviews scheduled for Board
of Education meetings
The public is invited to join Board of
Education members in learning more about selected BH-BL
initiatives, departments or curriculum areas through the
"Program Review" presentations that are held once a
month at school board meetings. These are now posted on
our Board Meeting Schedule page, including this
year's topics, dates and locations. The first of these
this year will be presented on Tuesday, Oct. 26
and will feature efforts underway to help students
develop two key 21st Century Skills: Innovation and
Creativity. |
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Community
honors Bob Speck at Open House
BH-BL parents, taxpayers and staff
gathered to thank Bob Speck for his record 36 years
of volunteer service on the Board of Education at an
Open House in
October 2010. The Open House took place -- of course
-- in the middle school library media center that is
named after this incredible and dedicated individual.
READ MORE & VIEW PHOTOS
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Hostetter Building is listed for
sale at $1,395,000
After interviewing several realty
firms, the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Board of Education
has selected Hunt Commercial to handle the sale of the
Hostetter Building, which is now listed on
the firm's website for $1,395,000. For more
information on the building and its 38 acres of land, contact Hunt realtor Tracy Metzger at (518)
426-5211 ext. 103. For background on the Board's
decision to sell the building,
READ MORE |
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School Board
votes to reduce tax levy
Tax rates increase an average of
2.1 percent
Members of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Board of
Education have approved a 2010 tax levy that is $100,000 lower than the levy advertised in
May. Tax rates will increase by an average of 2.1 percent across the district,
but many homeowners will also benefit this year from
higher STAR exemption values.
READ MORE |
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Class of 2006 members cycling across the USA in
tribute to former friend
Four intrepid
members of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Class of 2006
are biking across the USA to to honor former friend Eric
Zagorda, who died of leukemia in 2008. On August 3
they were greeted by a cheering crowd when they arrived at the BH-BL High School
-- one stop in their
trans-continental bike journey to raise money to fight
leukemia.
READ MORE
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English & math proficiency rates
decline as NY raises the bar
(July 30 press release) Test
results made public by the State Education
Department on July 28 show a sharp decline in the
percent of pupils in grades 3 - 8 deemed proficient
in English and in math -- not because the students'
performance declined, but because the state has
raised its standard of what constitutes proficiency.
READ MORE
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Higher state testing benchmarks to
impact BH-BL
(July 23 press release) Burnt Hills school administrators
expect they will have more pupils needing extra help
when classes start this September. The change is
likely because on July 19 the Board of Regents
approved the State Education Department’s plan to
change the definition of what constitutes
“proficiency” in English and math for pupils in 3rd,
4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades
READ MORE
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BH-BL has
best graduation rate
in Suburban Council
Once again our high school has tied
with Niskayuna for having the highest cohort graduation
rate among all 13 Suburban Council High Schools.
Data released by the State Education
Department on March 9 shows that 93% of BH-BL and
Niskayuna pupils who started high school in the fall of
2005 successfully graduated with a local, Regents, or
better diploma by August 2009 -- as opposed to pupils
who, after four years, are still in high school,
received an IEP certificate, dropped out, or entered a
GED program. All 13 Suburban Council
schools had graduation rates significantly above the
state average of 72%, but at 93%, Niskayuna and BH-BL
were the best among Saratoga County
and Suburban Council schools. Data for the whole state
is available at
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/pressRelease/20100309/home.html
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BH-BL
Referendum Results:
Energy proposition
passes, safety & technology defeated
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake residents
approved only one of three propositions at the
district's Renovations Referendum on December 9,
2009.
Results were as follows:
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1. |
Energy Bond
Issue Proposition of $12,538,550:
613 votes for
450 votes against, a passing margin of
58%
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2. |
Student Safety Bond Issue Proposition of
$3,973,000:
526 votes for
537 votes against
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3. |
Technology Bond Issue Proposition of
$3,102,000:
504 votes for
558 votes against
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A total of 1,064 residents voted,
including 41 who voted by absentee ballot. This is
higher than the 914 who voted in the previous EXCEL
referendum in March 2007, and a reasonable turnout
considering the significant snow storm that the
Capital Region endured during the morning of the
vote.
Superintendent Jim Schultz thanked
the residents who took the time to come out and vote
despite the bad weather. "I'm heartened that in this
tough fiscal environment our citizens are willing to
support the critical infrastructure and energy
conservation projects in proposition 1," he said.
The biggest projects in the
approved proposition include $4.1 million for
roofing work, $3.9 million for new boilers and
heating system at the Stevens Elementary School,
$1.7 million to replace single-pane windows at three
schools, and new heating control systems at three
schools.
Schultz expressed his
disappointment at the defeat of propositions 2 and
3. "We will continue to ensure student safety and
address students' technology needs with current
resources as best we can," he said.
For background, see
Referendum overview |
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Pashley Elementary School video
wins free technology
Congratulations to Mr. Kopa's 4th grade
class at Pashley Elementary School!
Their brief music
video "The Wizard of E" puts new lyrics to music from
The Wizard of Oz. It was chosen as one of
the top 5 videos submitted by an elementary school in
this year's "Interactive Classroom Makeover" national
contest sponsored by eInstruction.
Although the Pashley kids did not win
the overall contest (which included
$30,000 of free technology), they did receive an
excellent consolation prize of $2,500 of free hardware
and software.
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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 just 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
Fall interscholastic sports try-outs and
practices start on August 17 and 24. See the
high school homepage for details. |
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"This is the best 'attaboy' a business office can
get."
NY State Comptroller's
office gives BH-BL top marks
After weeks of analysis, the NY State Comptroller's
office announced that its auditors were unable to
find ANY reportable weaknesses in the financial controls
and recordkeeping of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
school district. Fewer than 5% of school districts
audited to date have received a record of no findings
like BH-BL.
More information. |
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"Is
my child safe at school?" is a question that
parents can't help but wonder when there are so many
stories about safety
in the news. To view a list of the many things the
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake school district does to
protect students and staff, go to
School Safety Update. |
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Special
website feature:
"Policy Search" feature is live The Burnt
Hills-Ballston Lake Board of Education Policy Manual
has literally hundreds of policies that describe and
control how all aspects of our schools will operate. All
these policies are available on this website. We also
have a simple way to search through them
instantly using key words or phrases that interest you.
At
BH-BL Policy Manual, you can view both the list of
all policy titles and our policy search feature. |
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Non-Idling Policy State law requires that all school buses turn off their engines
when loading or unloading students on school grounds,
except when necessary for heating, mechanical, or
emergency reasons. The non-idling requirement applies to
other school vehicles as well. A copy of the law and
memo explaining it can be viewed at
www.emsc.nysed.gov/schoolbus/anti-idling/home.html. |
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