Charlton Heights History - Burnt Hills - Ballston Lake Central School District

A rich history

Celebrating our successes

The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District is steeped in history, and here, at Charlton Heights we like to recognize and honor both the district’s and school’s many successes over the years.

To the right you’ll find links to archives of our many student awards and honors, drama production cast lists, retired staff, poster contest winners, Eagle Scout Projects and much more.

Scroll down to learn more about Charlton Heights beginning in 1792.

Where it all began

A snapshot of our history

1792

The township of Charlton was created in March of 1792. Little is know about the earliest schools of the town, but before 1786, settlers of Charlton had a schoolhouse serving students for three months in the winter. The curriculum was confined to reading, writing and arithmetic. The school was conducted by John McKnight on a farm on south Sweetman Road.

1812

Charlton resident Gideon Hawley is named the first State Superintendent of Schools. He organized the public school system, and is called the “Father of the Common Schools.” Young Hawley attended Ballston Academy and then Union College from which he graduated in 1809. During his tenure as superintendent, laws were passed providing for compulsory common school districts and an instructional syllabus written.

1816

The first schoolhouse for District #7 was located as early as 1816 at the east corner of Valentine Road, where Valentine Road used to meet Stage Road.

1818

The Charlton District #8 school is built on Main Street in the Charlton hamlet on the southwest corner of what is now the Gideon Hawley Park.

1859

The Charlton District #7 School, also called the Little Troy School, was erected on Old Stage Road.
The district paid Hiram Morehouse $65, and was able to move the first building, build the second schoolhouse and surround the lot with a tight board fence.

1860

A replacement structure was built for District #8 school on the west side of Maple Avenue just north of Charlton Road.
The building is now owned by the Charlton Historical Society.

1871

The Charlton District #5 School is constructed around 1871 on the east side of Cook Road north of Eastern Avenue.

1915

Three one-room schools join to form the “Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Union Free School District,” New York state’s first “consolidated” school district.

1916

The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School of Agriculture & Homemaking opens on Lakehill Road on the site of the current Stevens Elementary School.

1925

The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central Rural School District is created.

1930

By the early 1930’s, report cards show that ten subjects were being taught at the one-room District #7 schoolhouse, including reading, spelling, English, arithmetic, geography, history, writing, drawing, physiology and nature study. The teacher was Helen G. Robinson.

1948

On June 8, School District #7 and #8 became part of the BH-BL Central School District. Delphena Nessle was the last teacher at District #7, which was serving only elementary students at the time. Other teachers at School #7 were Edna Young Phillips from 1929-1932, and Ethel McChesney Myers from 1950-1953. Some teachers at School #8 were Rose Dalton Mitchell from 1923-1929, Mildred McDowall Hansen in 1930, Jess E. Martin from 1937-1956, and Doris Koulbach Mason from 1957-1960.
On June 24, the one-room schoolhouse District #5 school becomes a part of the BH-BL Central School District. Some teachers at the School #5 were Nellie Stephenson (1913-1914), Eugenia Cook (1914-1916), Ina Armitage Hunter (1920-1921), Jean Teller Wood (1922-1923), Mildred McDowall Hansen (1927-1931), Celia Gray Barrett (1937), Edna Gray LaRue (1938), and Ruth Callenins Smith (1942-1944).

1956

Proposition for purchase of the 14 acres on the Barnett Family Farm is approved by district voters.

1957

Proposition to build school at 170 Stage Road is approved by district voters.
Construction begins in spring of 1957.

1958

Charlton Heights Elementary School is not ready for occupancy. The students instead are housed in the Ballston Lake Elementary School, today known as Stevens Elementary School.
On April 17, the Board of Education approves the name Charlton Heights Elementary School. The district held a contest to name the elementary school and tenth-grade student Charlene Bogue submitted the winning name. The second place name was Stage Road Elementary School submitted by Paul Brown and the third place name was Charlton Elementary submitted by Edward Prentiss and Joan Manchester. On July 22, the first Charlton Heights PTA meeting was designated. Delays in construction kept the building from opening in the fall and classes continue to be held in temporary space in the Episcopal Hall and the Ballston Lake Elementary School building. Emily Speer is named the first principal at Charlton Heights.
The first PTA fundraiser is held at Slims Supermarket on Route 50. On October 24, the first square dance is held for adults. Square dancing stays very popular in the building until 1969, due to a lack of interest.

1959

On February 16, Charlton Heights Elementary School opens. Scout Troop 54 and Cub Pack 4 use Charlton Heights as a gathering space. PTA donates shrubs, stage curtains, a microscope, the metal letters spelling out the school name, three bicycle racks, the amplifier in the cafeteria, a movie screen on stage, a creative playground, library books for preschool, a microfiche reader for the library, a deacon’s bench, a picnic table and more to the school.
Charlton Boy Scout Troop 54 is formed.
Classes are held for students in grades 1-6 at the new school on February 16. Kindergarten is held in the Charlton Village and Little Troy schools.
First open house held.

1960

First field day held.

1961

The PTA plans Square Dance lessons for adults, films for the pre-school parents, and “Sex Education for Moms and Dads.”
Students in fourth, fifth and sixth grade participate in a trial “activity period” from 8:45 to 10:25 a.m. each morning to concentrate on instrumental music, remedial reading, chorus, and enrichment activities like ornithology, geography through stamp study, and sculpture in various media is offered. Children who are too burdened by their regular studies will have a study hall.

1962

Addition of 12 classrooms and the cafeteria added to Charlton Heights. Jim Dunham appointed as the first Assistant Principal. He serves in this position until 1965, when he is named principal.

1963

The PTA hosts a round-table discussion on the topic “Are Our Children Growing Up Too Fast?”
Kindergarten students moved to the Charlton Heights building.
First PTA Book Fair held.
Parents hear about academic achievement tests at the elementary level.

1964

PTA members donate money to put the name “Charlton Heights” outside the building.
Library volunteer training workshop is held.
Girl Scout Troop 165 begins.

1965

Principal Emily Speer resigns as principal and moves back to the classroom. Jim Dunham is named the second principal at Charlton Heights. Leon Van Orman is chosen as the second Assistant Principal, a position he holds until 1967 when he resigns.
Brownie Troop 123 starts.

1966

Student Council is established, and they initiate a good citizenship campaign.

1967

Vincent Caringi is chosen as the last Assistant Principal, a position he holds until 1972 when these elementary positions are abolished by the District.
Intramural programs held, including basketball, volleyball, soccer, football, field hockey and wrestling for students in grades 4-6. Teams from Charlton Heights compete with teams from the other three elementary schools.

1968

PTA disbanded in the spring of 1968 due to a “lack of interest.” It begins anew in September thanks to Clark Briggs, who becomes the next PTA President.

1970

Back-to-School Night evenings held
Teacher Recognition Day held.

1972

The PTA offers a program to parents to help them understand the special services being offered in the areas of speech, hearing and tutorial reading. The speakers were Dorothy Kelsey, Emily Speer and Richard Bennett.
The Charlton Environmental Conservation Commission sponsors the school recycling project.

1973

Bus safety is presented to parents in a novel way. Parents rode their children’s bus routes on their way to a meeting where bus drivers narrated a slide presentation of transportation situations around the district.

1974

Student enrollment hits an all-time high of 732 students in the building.

1975

The PTA publishes a cook book and the district holds a Mother and Daughter and Father and Son Night presentations.

1978

The Ice Cream Social and Walk About are held.

1979

Parents, students and community members paint a picture of the United States on the blacktop area behind the school. Work is started in June of 1979, and is completed one year later.
To improve home-school communication, the PTA publishes its first Newsletter.

1980

Artist in Residence Bob Garling, a local artist, begins a mural depicting the daily events of the school.
The Little People’s Theater at Charlton Heights, a parent supported group designed for children in grades K-6, is created. The first performance is Tom Sawyer, Pirate. The last performance of the group is in 1985.

1981

Eileen Briggs Memorial Art Award established. Eileen was a PTA volunteer who started the Preschool Program at Charlton Heights. She was an unassuming individual who had a true artistic gift which she shared with many children.

1982

Two full casts of “Pinocchio” are presented by the Little People’s Theater, allowing 149 youngsters the opportunity to participate in a staged performance.
Charlton Heights PTA named as “Most Outstanding” in New York State. Special notations by the selection committee were the Little People’s Theater, the growing membership, participation in district and convention workshops, and work in legislation. Some of the outstanding programs offered by the PTA were the children’s bazaar held in October, family programs such as square dancing, caroling, ice skating and roller skating, and the book fair.

1983

Charlton Heights PTA celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the school and its organization. View a published historical document about the school’s first 25 years.

1984

Charlton Heights PTA begins the CHESS Program, which allows students to publish books with the assistance of parent volunteers.

1985

The Computer Laboratory is established at Charlton Heights. Volunteers were asked to aid in running the lab.

1986

The Banana Splits Program is established to help children from transitional families.

1987

Jean Pokrzywka receives the BH-BL Custodial Excellence Award.
Jim Dunham retires as school principal, and Stephen Honicki named as the third principal at Charlton Heights. The James Dunham Citizenship Award is established.
Charlton Heights becomes a Kindergarten through grade 5 building as the sixth graders move to the newly created Middle School.

1988

Dustin Quimby receives the BH-BL Custodial Excellence Award.
The Open Door Program is established at Charlton Heights to supplement the educational experience for children in pre-first and first grade who are having difficulty adjusting to school.
Charlton Heights receives the BH-BL Building Excellence Award for district custodial crews.

1989

The Children’s Garden established at Charlton Heights. PTA volunteers help with supplies and give students experience planting a garden.

1990

From May 29 through June 3, the Magic Maze playground is built by community volunteers after a two-year effort from a group of parents who turned a dream into reality. The goal of the playground was to be a unique space that could be enjoyed by all children in the District.
Parents and volunteers hold the first Fifth Grade Event after-school to honor our graduating students from Charlton Heights. This event replaces a fifth-grade dinner with games, music and pizza. The fifth graders vote unanimously for this change.
Fifth-grade students earn the praise of President George Bush for being responsible citizens who help their community. The students completed a Civic Achievement Award program under the leadership of the fifth grade teachers Fred Acunto, Mary Conklin, Carol Douglas and Bob Youmans.

1991

BH-BL Theatre for Children established, replacing the name Pashley Players. This is a community effort from all district schools to provide a theatre experience for children each spring. The first play is The Reluctant Dragon.
Building Council established at Charlton Heights. The group is comprised of parents, teachers, administrators and staff to improve the education of our children.
The Totes Program is established at Charlton Heights. Students are able to bring home a bag of books related to different themes. The Totes Program is replaced by the 1001 Book Kid Program in 2007.

1992

Charlton Heights holds its first Holiday Sing-Along, a tradition that continues to the present day.
George Dorvee receives the BH-BL Custodial Excellence Award.

1993

First-grade students adopt an acre of rain forest land in both Brazil and Costa Rica through the Nature Conservancy and Monteverde Conservation League, respectively.

1994

Bob Garling completes the school mural.
Stephen Honicki retires as school principal, and Daniel Riggins named the fourth principal at Charlton Heights.
Fourth graders present an evening performance of the musical “Grease.”

1995

Charlton Heights receives the BH-BL Building Excellence Award for district custodial crews.
Helen Moore receives the BH-BL Custodial Excellence Award.
Students in grades 3, 4 and 5 participate in a day of cooperative activities called “Color Me Cooperative.”

1996

The PTA creates the Jim Dunham Star of the Week Program to honor students at Charlton Heights.
The first Milan Fiske “Think Like a Scientist” Award is given to worthy fifth grade students. Please see the past Science Winners.
Charlton Heights receives the BH-BL Building Excellence Award for district custodial crews.

1997

Odyssey of the Mind “Heroic Proportions Team” places first at the New York State Championships. On the team are Sarah Lamparelli, Katie Campe, Ryan Godshalk, Katie Kirschman, Jessica Schreiner, Lindsay Schwarting and Jimmy Armbruster.

1998

On January 29, the school hosts a Citizenship Ceremony sponsored by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service. Nine children from Korea, Russia, El Salvador, Bulgaria and China became US citizens when their new American parents swore the Oath of Allegiance on their behalf.

1999

Charlton Heights awarded a Best Practice Validation Award from the Schenectady County School-To-Work Partnership for hosting the Career Awareness Jamboree.
Charlton Heights honored with the Capital District YMCA Century Club Award for generous support of the community.

2000

Third graders participate in the Math-a-Thon for the Children’s Research Hospital, a fundraiser that has continued to the present.

2004

Daniel Riggins retires as school principal, and Tim Sinnenberg is chosen as the fifth principal at Charlton Heights.
On April 8, PTA members and co-chairpersons Paulette Mahar and Elizabeth Herkenham help plan the Career Awareness Jamboree.
The first School Yearbook is published in cooperation with the Charlton Heights PTA.
The PTA plans the first Monster Mash Halloween Dance, an evening of dancing games, food and a jack-o-lantern contest.

2005

Charlton Heights awarded the Parent Involvement Certification of Excellence honor from the National PTA, in recognition of outstanding parent involvement practices.
First graders participate in the Lions Club International eyeglasses recycling project.

2006

Charlton Heights Odyssey of the Mind students are National Champions!
Fifth graders given the Disabilities Awareness Award for the encouragement and positive attitude toward people with disabilities.
Bob Taylor receives the BH-BL Custodial Excellence Award.
Third grade teacher Susan Brooks named a News 13 Teacher of the Week.

2007

1001 Book Kid Program established at Charlton Heights Elementary School. The goal of the program is to encourage reading for students entering kindergarten and beyond. Students who have completed the program are now entered into the 1001 Book Kid Hall of Fame. Jared Schreiner collects books and builds two shelves to hold the book bags for the 1001 Book Kid Program as part of his Eagle Scout Project. 1001 Book Kid Sponsors.
First grade teacher Elsa Hjelmar named a News 13 Teacher of the Week.
On April 5, PTA members and co-chairpersons Paulette Mahar and Barb Becker help plan the Career Awareness Jamboree.
From June 13 to 17, the new Magic Maze Playground is built by an outpouring of community volunteers. See lots of fun photos and details about this two -year effort! Chris Fernandez completes a garden next to the Magic Maze Playground as part of his Eagle Scout Project.

2008

Justin Sarsick repaints the map of the United States, adds basketball hoop, and paints hopscotch and four-square lines on the back playground as part of his Eagle Scout project.
Student Council float places second in the annual Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade. Charlton Heights celebrated our 50th Anniversary in the fall of 2008.
Students, staff and retirees gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Charlton Heights. The program included a welcome by Principal Tim Sinnenberg, and a welcome from Board of Education member Robert Speck. Superintendent of Schools Jim Schultz donated several books to the school library, and a painting donated by the family of Dell Nessle was given to Charlton Heights in honor of Mrs. Nessle, who was the last teacher at one-room school house #7, the former Little Troy School. Student Council representatives presented roses to our school retirees, and Town of Charlton Supervisor Alan Grattidge and Charlton Historian Laura Linder presented a historical marker and resolution to honor the occasion. Ballston Town Historian Rick Reynolds gave a presentation about Bob Garling, who painted a beautiful mural in the halls of the school, and staff member Cathleen Buff put together a power point presentation celebrating our past and future. Music Teacher Gina Kirsty led the students in singing “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America.”
Chris Frewin builds a storage shed, fixes benches and performs maintenance in the Courtyard as part of his Eagle Scout project.

2009

Twenty-three fourth and fifth graders from the After-School Enrichment Drama Club presented Toby Tyler on Thursday, February 12, at 1:45 p.m. in the gymnasium. The show was about a young boy, Toby Tyler, who decided to join the circus.
Charlton Heights receives the BH-BL Building Excellence Award for district custodial crews. Congratulations to George Dorvee, Shelley Brantley, Bob Taylor and Joyce Murphy for their hard work. Noted was building cleanliness, teamwork, positive communication with parents, staff and students, and an ability to complete tasks efficiently.
The Color Me Cooperative Day was held on June 8. Children were grouped into six colored teams: blue, white, blue, red, maroon, gray and green. The students participated in three cooperative games throughout the morning. Some of the activities included knots, amoeba race, frisbee golf, five point basketball shoot, stepping stone relay race, three legged race and the tug of war.
The Kids Are Runners Too (KART) program began at Charlton Heights. KART is a half marathon distance running/walking program designed to give children the opportunity to increase their daily levels of physical activity. Each day at recess, the children ran or walked 2/3 of a mile. The children kept track of their progress in the classroom. Children received a water bottle and a pedometer when the program began, and received a medal at the conclusion of the program. The students ran the last mile of KART on Wednesday, June 10.
Student Council float places third in the annual Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade.

2010

Twenty-nine fourth and fifth graders from the After-School Enrichment Drama Club presented The Emperor’s New Clothes on Friday, March 19, in the gymnasium.
Former Charlton Heights alumna Emma Heritage, a BH-BL High School Senior and the 2010-2011 New York State Alternate Dairy Princess, read to the second-grade classes during Agriculture Literacy Week in March. During National Agriculture Week, students throughout New York learn about the importance of trees in our everyday lives. This year’s book, The Tree Farmer by Chuck Leavell and Nicholas Cravotta, was read to classes and then donated to the school library.
A career exploration day was held on Wednesday, March 31, 2010, with partnerships between school, local businesses, and community organizations. The purpose of the program was to expose students to various job and career opportunities. Students had an opportunity to learn about three different careers during 35 minute presentations. A special thank you to Paulette Mahar and Audrey Lowe for coordinating the event, to the presenters for graciously giving of their time to expose our youngsters to their career, and to all of our volunteers who made the day possible.
The Charlton Heights Student Council sponsored a Dodgeball Tournament on Saturday, May 15, in the gymnasium. Over $2,000 was raised from the event, and the proceeds went towards the Friedreichs’ Ataxia Foundation.
Student Council float places first in the annual Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade on June 10. The theme of the float was “We are the World, We are the Children.”
James Klapper builds two planters so that children can reap the benefits of planting and harvesting on the Side Playground as part of his Eagle Scout project.
Marc Brown, acclaimed author of the Arthur series, came to Charlton Heights on Wednesday, October 20, during a school-wide assembly. Brown is celebrating Arthur’s 35th Anniversary by spending it with the kids who have made Arthur a worldwide phenomenon. Marc Brown is the creator of Arthur, the #1 New York Times bestselling book series, which began in 1976. There are now more than 60 million Arthur books in print in America alone. His six-time Emmy Award winning television series Arthur is seen in almost 100 countries around the world.

2011

Charlton Heights Elementary ranked 34th out of the 6,874 schools who turn in Box Tops in New York State for 2010-2011 school year. The labels are found on most General Mills, Betty Crocker and Ziploc items, to name a few.
The Charlton Heights Student Council sponsored a Dodgeball Tournament on Friday, May 13, in the gymnasium. Over $2,000 was raised from the event, and the proceeds went towards the Friedreichs’ Ataxia Foundation.
The Step it Up running program began at Charlton Heights on Monday, May 2. The Step it Up running program is designed to give children the opportunity to increase their daily levels of physical activity. Each day at recess, the children were encouraged to run as much as they can. The children kept track of their progress in the classroom. The students ran together as a school on Tuesday, May 24, at 10:30 a.m. to the music spun by DJ Paul Pantalone!
Student Council float places first in the annual Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade on June 9. The theme of the float was “Healthy Minds, Healthy Hearts.” Children dressed up as athletes from different sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and swimming.
The fifth-grade students at Charlton Heights experienced an in-depth introduction to The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963 with a residency by artist Chris Holder. 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.
Fourth Grader Dora Law placed 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 Bookstore.

2012

Fourth and fifth graders from the Drama Club presented “The Little Mermaid” on Friday, March 30th. This year, there were 69 students who participated in the musical production.
Forty students, staff and parents helped with the “Earth Day Clean Up at Charlton Heights” on Friday, April 20th. We raked, weeded and cleaned up on the grounds and in the gardens and painted parts of the Magic Maze!
The Charlton Heights Student Council, in conjunction with the PTA and the Teacher’s Association sponsored a Dodgeball Tournament on Friday, April 27, in the gymnasium. Over 130 students in grades 3-5 participated, and competition was fierce between the teams. In preparation for the Summer Olympics, team names were based on countries. In the finals, Team Japan narrowly defeated Team Mexico for the title. Members of Team Japan were: Annaliese Blowers, Vincent Daviero, Lily Digman, Jack Fox, Aidan Giaquinto, Colby Jackson, Kyle Larned, Jimmy Mion and Kiahna Pieronek.
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.
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.

2013

PTA and staff members put on the Career Awareness Jamboree on May 23, 2013. The event was held in the morning, and children were exposed to three different career options. Presenters came into school and shared information about their profession to our students.
Winners of the Dodgeball tournament were the Figs, under the leadership of team captain Andrew Poirier. Also on the team were Josh Fugal, Aiden Giaquinto, Sophie Howard, Kyle Rosselli, Sophie Swain, Skyla Torres.
59 fourth and fifth graders perform Aladdin on March 26, 2013 for a crowd of very appreciative parents and family members.

2014

The Jungle Book musical is performed by 66 students in the Charlton Heights Drama Club on April 24, 2014.
The Kangaroos were victorious in the annual Dodgeball tournament. Team members were Anna Nikiforov (team captain), Emily Berg, Dylan Bringhurst, Jackie Cabral, Cameron Fugal, Aidan Knapik, Cabot Smith, Layla Solberg, and Colden Swisher.
The Charlton Heights Student Council placed first in the Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade.

2015

With the celebration of the district Centennial, Charlton Heights students participated in several activities to commemorate the occasion. The school participated in a dance residency with the Ellen Sinopoli troupe, with each grade level dancing to a song from a specific decade. Students also spent time learning about what school was like 100 years ago, and they watched an assembly with local and school officials that gave information about our school district.
Shrek is performed by 58 fourth and fifth graders in the Charlton Heights Drama Club, complete with an ogre, gingerbread man, and a singing donkey.
Team Seoul won the Dodgeball tournament with Ryan Buthfer serving as team captain. His team included Howard Bearce, Lucas Hayes Ben Hladik, Grayson Johnson, Aidan Knapik, Kendall Reno, Lily Sisler, and Madeline Tse.
Charlton Heights narrowly defeated Pashley to place first at the District Field Day, 116 to 113 points. Fourth grader Mary Kate Lescault had two all time District records, in the 220 (33.8 seconds) and the long jump, jumping 6 feet, 4.5 inches. Also securing a district record was fourth grader Danielle DeBonis in the softball throw. She threw 118.8 feet.
The Charlton Heights Student Council float received second place in the Burnt Hills Flag Day parade.

2016

Luke Haluska led Team Juneau to the Dodgeball tournament championship. Others on the team were Bethany Bearce, Andrew Capella, Cody Gladding, Georgianna Harris, Brooke Hughson, Mary Ireland, Marshall Schmidt, Thatcher Smith, and Jessica Zalucki.
74 students participate in the Charlton Heights Drama Club production of Lion King Junior. For the first time, a traveling spotlight and back lights were used to enhance the performance which was held for two shows on March 30 and 31.
The community came together during the first week in May, 2016, to build the Knights Arena Playground outside the doors of our fourth grade classrooms. Dylan Bringhurst completes his Eagle Scout project on the Knights Arena and the back playground area, where he plants flowers, mulches gardens, and repaints the USA map and four square game boxes.
Charlton Heights defended its crown at the District Field Day, held on June 7, 2016, at Centennial Field. This was the first time that District Field Day was held on the new all purpose track and turf field.
The Charlton Heights Student Council float received second place in the Burnt Hills Flag Day parade. Students dressed in 1950’s clothing and danced to songs from Elvis Presley.
Construction begins on July 1, 2016, for Charlton Heights Elementary School. An addition is built in the courtyard with three work rooms and one conference room. Classrooms also receive 21st Century upgrades like new electrical outlets, ceiling tiles, univents and lighting.

2017

The construction project is completed February, 2017. Included in the project are one multi-purpose room that can be split into three separate spaces, and three smaller spaces with a kidney shaped table that can be utilized for small group instruction. Students hold a contest to name the new spaces, with the winning names being all related to the knights theme: Castle Room, Garden Room, Sir Charlton’s Conservatory, Great Hall, and the Knights of the Round Table.
Fourth grade students participate in the second annual science demonstration day at the BH-BL Senior High School. Students are exposed to different science topics and hands-on experiences on January 25.
The first Science Fair is held on Friday, March 24. Twenty-five students participate in the fair and demonstrate scientific topics they learned about.
87 students participate in the Charlton Heights Drama Club performance of Grease Junior. A new lighting system is installed for the production thanks to parent Charlie Smith.
Grade 2 students present their Arctic Animals projects to the school and community.
Career Awareness Jamboree is held. Students learn about different occupations from over 30 presenters.

The Charlton Heights Kindness Ambassadors hold the first ever kindness week at Charlton Heights, complete with theme days and awareness activities. Student Council members create a kindness float for the Burnt Hills Flag Day parade, and the float earns third place for all entries.
Charlton Heights wins their 11th District Field Day title on June 12 at Centennial Field.

2018

Jason Morris holds an Olympic Judo performance on February 9 for the students at Charlton Heights before the 2018 Winter Olympics begin.
The Saakumo Dance Troupe from Africa comes to Charlton Heights on March 14 for a day filled with workshops for each grade level, and a performance at the end of the day for the entire school.
Team Hounds win the annual Chuck and Duck Dodgeball Tournament on May 4, with Gianna Aldi, Elyse Bachert, Sarah Corey, Jack DiLorenzo, Madeline Evans, Max Hamilton, Jenna Hunt, Mason McGuire, Jake Muller, Christopher Ricketts and Ava Smith. Team coaches were Matthew Sinnenberg and Brian Corey.
99 students participate in the Charlton Heights Drama Club performance of Willy Wonka Junior on April 18 and 19. The Drama Club also sees the show on Broadway as a field trip.
The fourth grade students have a week-long residency with Circus Smirkus, culminating in an assembly for the entire community on May 18. Students juggle, spin plates, and tumble during the performance.
Charlton Heights wins their 12th District Field Day title, and fourth in a row, on June 5 at Centennial Field.
The Charlton Heights Student Council places first in the Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade, held on June 7. The theme of the float is “Learning is Sweet,” and the students and staff dress up as characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Fifth graders present their anti-bullying public service videos at the assembly on the last day of school, June 22. The students work with Mr. Mike for a week-long residency, and write, perform and produce the video.
On October 19, Charlton Heights celebrates it 60th Anniversary with an assembly. Speakers include principal Tim Sinnenberg, student Addisyn Knapik, Superintendent of Schools Patrick McGrath, Ballston Town Historian Rick Reynolds, and retiree Carol DiLallo. A special picture of all students and staff is taken. A 60th timeline is placed in the main hallway of the building outside the gymnasium.
The fourth grade students end a ten-week residency with SPAC and their director of outreach, Dennis Moench, with a performance on December 4.
Students dance to songs from the stars of Motown, including the Jackson 5, the Supremes, and the Temptations.
A Respite Night is held for over 50 students who benefit from special services in the building on December 7, after school. Students participate in activities such as cookie decorating, arts and crafts, sleigh rides and time in the Multi-Sensory Experience Room.
Charlton Heights is voted the Best Public School in the Official 2018 People’s Choice Awards for Best of the Best by the Daily Gazette.

2019

On Saturday, March 2, Charlton Heights Elementary School team won the Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award at the Odyssey of the Mind tournament. Congratulations to team members Lucy Capo, Arden Heiner, Emme Fischer, Stella Kibler, Gabi Tatro, and Caroline Welsh ( and coaches Kodi Kibler and Sara Welsh). This is the highest award in Odyssey of the Mind, and it represents the essence of the program. The award is given to teams who exhibit exceptional creativity. The team later in the year placed third in the World and second in the United States of America at the Odyssey of the Mind World Championships, held May 22-25 at Michigan State University.
The Saakumu Dance Troupe performs for students and families at Charlton Heights.
114 students participate in the Charlton Heights Drama Club performance of Aladdin Junior on April 11 and 12. The Drama Club also sees the show on Broadway as a field trip.
Team Irish Breakfast wins the annual Chuck and Duck Dodgeball Tournament on May 3, with team captain Lily Mastrella and team members Brody DiCaprio, Sarah Digman, Jaycob Hunt, Liam Keane, Michael Malloch, Riley Murphy, Tristan Vrooman, Alexa Weygant, Jacob Williams, Melissa Williams. This is the tenth annual tournament, and former student Jacob VanBuren is the guest of honor for the event.
Fourth and fifth graders participate in Field Day, with classes from Mr. Haluska and Miss Donofrio winning the event for fifth grade and fourth grade, respectively.
Charlton Heights wins their 13th District Field Day title, and fifth in a row, on June 4 at Centennial Field.
The Charlton Heights Student Council places first in the Flag Day Float competition, held on June 13 through Burnt Hills.
Charlton Heights is voted the Best Public School in the Official 2019 People’s Choice Awards for Best of the Best by the Daily Gazette for the second year in a row.
A sensory path is placed in the hallways of the building so that students can take movement breaks throughout the day. There are places for students to practice yoga, hop, do wall push-ups, and jump.
The PTA hosts the annual Walk for the Arts on October 11, and raises close to $10,000 for arts in education programs for the students.
The Student Council members take a field trip to Ellms Farm to learn leadership skills and make plans for the school year.
Fourth grade students take a field trip to General Electric to learn about the scientific method, and to gain information and appreciation for a career in science.

2020

The Centennial Spelling Bee is held on January 31 for students in grades 3-5.
The BH-BL School District cancels classes during the week of March 16 due to the world-wide COVID-19 health pandemic. All schools in New York State, based upon the recommendations of Governor Cuomo, are closed for the school year for in-person learning. The students learn virtually from home for the remainder of the school year. Classroom teachers set up launch pages from the district website, and the students have google meet sessions, learn from teacher made videos, and have assignments that are completed at home.
Students and staff participate in virtual theme days at home. Some of the themes are school spirit day, rainbow day, patriotic day, and dress to impress day with all of the elementary schools. Students send in pictures of themselves and they are posted to the district website and building PTA Facebook accounts.
At the end of May, Charlton Heights Elementary School team wins the 2020 Odyssey of the Mind Virtual World Championships and the Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award, beating 117 teams from all over the world. Congratulations to team members Lucy Capo, Arden Heiner, Emme Fischer, Stella Kibler, Paige Reyes, and Caroline Welsh ( and coaches Kodi Kibler and Sara Welsh).
The fourth and fifth grade drama club put together a movie version of the musical. The movie is filmed in the garage of one of the students, complete with lighting, microphones and a green screen. Backgrounds are added in the editing process.
On June 1, the BH-BL Teacher’s Association holds a drive-through for district families at the high school. Students and families drive around the parking lot at the high school, while teachers, staff members and administrators wave from the sidewalks.
On June 15, fifth graders are honored with a YouTube Live video of the virtual graduation ceremony. Pictures of the students are placed in the video, speeches are given by staff members, students and our DARE officer. Awards are also given to the students. The fifth graders have a drive through event later in the afternoon where they are given their certificates, and the staff congratulate the children on their achievements in the parking lot. Congratulatory signs are placed on all of the fifth grader’s lawns.
Staff members put together a video for the children to the music of “Mr. Blue Sky,” and the students meet their new teachers on June 17 with a google meeting.
Families are given the option of having students attend school in-person, or virtually. Some families decide to home school their children (12 students), 89 children were in the virtual school, and 332 students learn in-person at Charlton Heights.
By November, 20 students return from the virtual school for in-person learning. Most teachers have two classrooms of students, because based upon recommendations by the Health Department, students must have their desks six feet apart, and all students and staff wear masks. With two classrooms, many staff are hired to become “pod teachers” so that instruction can occur in two locations at once. Special area teachers like art, music and library have materials on a cart, and go to into one of the classrooms while using technology so that they can communicate with the other students.
Parents and staff fill out a health survey every morning to enter district buildings, and temperatures are taken at the entrance areas. New York State offers free lunches and breakfast food for students.
All meetings in the district are held virtually through google meets and zoom meetings. The PTA has their first virtual meeting on September 17, where there is a lengthy discussion about how best to hold events for all students. Some ideas are to have virtual arts in education experiences and how to creatively plan for activities.
The Children’s Garden activities are hosted by PTA volunteers in October. Pods of students are taken outside so they can spruce up gardens and beautify the school grounds.
Charlton Heights is voted the Best Public School in the Official 2020 People’s Choice Awards for Best of the Best by the Daily Gazette for the third year in a row.
Fourth graders participate in a dance residency with staff from the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The staff from SPAC have two socially distanced sessions in school, and the students also view several instructional videos. The fourth graders from the virtual school and Charlton Heights send in a taped version of the dance taught to them by SPAC.
Over 20 families participate in a virtual Holiday Sing Along. The show features singing, dancing and instrumental performances of favorite holiday songs.

2021

Charlton Heights students come back to school in September. Students and staff members are required to wear masks due to the CoVid pandemic.
The Walk for the Arts is held outside on October 15, with a 30 minute session for primary students, and 30 minutes for the intermediate students.
The PTA sponsored Monster Mash is held outside after school on Friday, October 29. It runs from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Halloween costume parade was held outside that morning at 9:30 a.m.
Fourth graders participated in a virtual dance performance on November 22 with the SPAC professionals. Children dance in the gymnasium and the cafeteria, and the program is streamed to families, community members, and classrooms to enjoy.
The PTA sponsored the Reflections Art Contest. Winners from Charlton Heights are Olivia Giufre, Theodore Mody, Calvin Stevens and Chloe Swain for literature, and Max Aabo, Teresa DeMarco, Emily Derrick and Alex Sollecito for visual arts. Their work goes on to the local level. Moving on to the NYS level were Theodore Mody and Calvin Stevens.
The fourth grade SPAC dance residency video is given a World Premiere on February 8, and is also featured in all of the Stewart’s Stores around the Northeast.
Charlton Heights is named a National PTA School of Excellence which symbolizes our work as national leaders in developing strong family-school partnerships. In addition, our school achieved the Male Engagement Award from the New York State PTA.
The students in all three elementary schools learn about Beethoven, Mozart and Scott Joplin with three music based arts in education performances, sponsored by the PTA.
On Thursday, May 20, all three elementary schools participate in a virtual Career Awareness Jamboree. Over 40 presenters share information about their chosen profession with the children in the district. The culminating activity is a showing of the musical “Polka Dots” by the actors from the Park Playhouse Theatre in Albany.
The Charlton Heights field day is held on Wednesday, June 2. Fourth grader Cameron Smith runs the fastest time ever in the hurdles with an 8.7, while the fifth grade team of Talon Immel, Travis Rorick, Tristan West and Cameron Hulett tie the relay record in 1:05.7.
The senior class of 2021 visits Charlton Heights to recall their time in the building with our current and past staff members.
Charlton Heights wins their sixth consecutive title at the District Field Day on Wednesday, June 16. Tucker Sunkes earns the fifth grade 220 record with a time of 31.6.
The Drama Club hosts an extravaganza at Ellms Farm on June 18. Early in the summer, the movie “Annie Junior”premieres on showtix4u. All year, the drama club members film their scenes and sing songs from the popular Broadway musical. The movie trailer is featured in the National Broadway Teaching Group newsletter in June.
The Chuck and Duck Dodgeball tournament is held at Charlton Heights on June 21. No spectators are allowed due to safety concerns, but the fourth and fifth graders participate in the tournament, wearing masks. Winners from the fourth grade are the Orangutans with Josie Olsen (team captain, Armando Cerrone, Evan Falcon, Luke Little, Emmett Mazurowski, Macie Ollari, Cameron Smith and Chloe Swain. The fifth grade winners are the Mongrels, with Hunter Dyminski (team captain,) Lucas Carver, Donovan Childs, Sarah Digman, Tate Gobel, Megan Goodell, and Alexa Weygant.
The fifth grade moving up ceremony is held outside on June 23 by the Knights Arena. Family members and friends attend the festivities as awards are announced and certificates are distributed.

2022

The Centennial Spelling Bee is held on Friday, February 4. The spelling bee is live streamed to the community.
At the beginning of March, the mask mandate was lifted for New York State Schools.
On April 13, drama club students from Pashley, Stevens and Charlton Heights Elementary School take a field trip to New York City to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway.
The dodgeball tournament resumed in person at the BH-BL High School on April 29.
The Walk About is held at Charlton Heights on May 12, and all parents, students and community members were welcomed back into the building to visit classrooms and celebrate classroom projects.
90 students participated in the Charlton Heights Drama Club performance of High School Musical Junior, live in the gymnasium. Earlier in the week, the fourth and fifth graders met with Broadway performer and BH-BL graduate Allen Fawcett, who talked about his theater experiences.
Field Day was held on June 2 at Charlton Heights. Winning classrooms were fourth graders from Mrs. Kritz, and fifth graders from Mrs. Olsen’s room. Alex Capo smashes a record from 1979 in the fifth grade 50 yard dash, while Seth Agans breaks the fourth grade school record in the long jump by four inches.
Charlton Heights wins their seventh consecutive district field day championship title on June 6. Alex Capo tied the district record in the fifth grade 50 yard dash with a time of 6.8, while Tyson Eppendorfer tied the fourth grade 50 yard dash district record with a time of 7.0. Fourth grader Seth Agans jumps to a district record of 6’11”.
Student Council members from Charlton Heights won the first prize award in the BH-BL Flag Day parade.
In June, Rowan Updyke earned the Charlton Heights Beast Challenge Award. Every month, there is a Beast Challenge before school, and the participating students try to get to the determined level for challenges like pull ups, the mile run, and sit ups. Rowan was the only fourth or fifth grader who attained these levels for each of the 10 challenges.
The fifth grade moving up ceremony was held outside by the Knights Arena on June 22, a day before school ended. A celebration was held after school, planned by parent committee members with a beach theme.