news from hoosic valley schools - Hoosic Valley Central School

News from Grades 7-12
Summer 2010
Science Club (continued from page 5)
a container that would protect an egg dropped
from a second floor window onto a wood platform.
Adam Kocienksi designed the winning
container. Several enterprising students are
also working on a Rube-Goldberg machine
which, when finished, will knock a golf ball
off a tee after completing ten previous steps
involving the transformation of energy.
Anyone in grades 7-12 interested in participating
in the Science Club can attend any or all
of its weekly meetings held on Thursday 13 th
period in Room 213. For more information see
Mr. Pagano, the Science Club Advisor.
Science Research in the High School
All five seniors in the Science Research Program completed projects
this year, and the rest of the class, juniors and sophomores, are right
behind them collecting data for their own projects.
Two of the seniors had especially memorable years. Emily Paulsen
and Kyle Pallozzi were selected to present their research at the Eastern
New York Section of the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, a
prestigious competition. Both made superb oral presentations. By
placing second in his group Kyle was selected to go on to the Upstate
New York JSHS as a poster presenter. The entire class attended the
Upstate New York event which turned out to be a terrific learning experience.
We hope to have more participants in these prestigious events
in the years to come.
Hoosic Valley Teacher Honored
Congratulations to fifth
grade ELA teacher Shawn
Rossetti who received the
Ira & Elsie Feber Freedman
Education Scholarship
at the University at
Albany Awards & Scholarships
Ceremony on May
11. This scholarship was
established by David and
Ann Freeman in memory
of their parents and is
awarded to a student pursuing
a career as a public school educator who
has shown exceptional academic achievement.
―Shawn graduated from Monroe Community
College with an A.A.S. in Liberal Arts and
from SUNY Cortland with a B.A. in Childhood
Education. He is currently enrolled in the
Master‘s of Science program in K-6 Literacy at
SUNY Albany. Shawn is an outstanding
graduate student as evidenced by his 4.0 GPA.
He has been praised by his co-workers for his
exceptional teaching and excellent problem
solving. Shawn places his students at the center
of instruction and strives to help them understand
their reading materials. He is committed
to teaching his students to become independent
readers in and outside the classroom.
He often bases instruction on student interests,
and encourages discussion around student
ideas. Shawn looks forward to remaining a life
-long learner and addressing the challenges his
students present in reading comprehension.‖
(Taken from the SUNY Albany Scholarship
and Award Ceremony program.)
We are fortunate to have many outstanding
teachers, like Shawn, in our Hoosic Valley
classrooms. We join his family and friends in
congratulating him on this hard-earned honor.
Science Research students pictured with teacher Ralph Pagano and
John Quinlan, Lead Forecaster for the National Weather Service
who was the keynote speaker at the 15th Annual
Francis “Bucky” Thompson Student Scientific
Research Synposium held at Hoosic Valley on June 1.
Alice In (Hoosic Valley) Wonderland
On June 11, the very talented cast and crew of the Pleasant House
Players put on an amazing production of Alice in Wonderland, Jr. This
marked the fourth production for the Elementary School Drama Club,
also known as the Pleasant House Players. Nearly 100 students in grades
3 through 6 worked together to create a musical adaptation of Alice in
Wonderland, complete with special effects and the Tweedles!
The cast began rehearsals in early April filling the auditorium almost
every day after school with their voices. The production was directed by
the dedicated and talented Eileen LaCourse, a third grade teacher at HV,
and Helen Sweeney, who recently retired from HV. They were assisted
by Niki Fillipone who helped coach the singers; Karen Carlson and Kim
Phillips who coordinated the costumes and props; and Kolbie Snyder,
Kevin Rigney and Patti Delano who provided assistance with lighting
and sound.
Next year the drama club hopes to present an evening performance
as well as the traditional afternoon performance, so that more of the
community can see the students at their theatrical best.
Hats off to the directors, the volunteers but especially to all the actors
who made this production one of the best yet!
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