Winter 2007-08 - Scotia-Glenville Central School District

ScotiaglenvilleSchools.org T a r t a n R e p o r t
Winter 2007-08
Grade 11 student Jess Danz prepares to move a
Spanish phrase under the correct picture on an
electronic whiteboard, or ActivBoard, in Lorri
Sammons’ Spanish 3 class. Teachers are discovering
that using the latest technology in the classroom
is a way to keep students interested. During this
lesson, virtually every hand in the room shot up when
Sammons asked for volunteers to go to the board.
Teaching a tech-savvy generation…
Electronic whiteboards
change the way students
learn and teachers teach
Scotia-Glenville students, like most other students
across the country, probably watch too much
television and spend a lot of time in front of a
computer screen every day.
They also listen to music on IPods, send text messages
and photos on cell phones and author their own
web sites and pages.
Education is catching this exploding trend by in-
See “Changing ClaSSroomS…,” page 2
Central SChool DiStriCt
Exploring the needs
Board of education studying possible building
project to use $834,000 in extra state aid
W
These stories are inside…
Page 3 ➧ Pictures from around Scotia-Glenville
Page 4 ➧ Two generations share ideas with each other
Page 5 ➧ MS students collect $2,000 - a penny at a time
Page 6 ➧ Frank Rosselli named assistant MS principal
Page 7 ➧ S-G Recognitions of students and staff
Page 8 ➧ Calendar of Events
S-g
hen the community approved the 1999 building renova-
tion project, Scotia-Glenville’s buildings were boosted
out of the 1950s and into the 21 st century.
While that project did the “heavy lifting” to bring S-G up to
date, several projects were removed to save money. And, since
that time, some things have fallen into disrepair.
Many repairs and improvements have been done during the
past nine years through annual budgets. Others remain and, because
of their high cost, will likely not be factored into an annual
budget.
The needs are the “meat and potatoes” of everyday school life,
things like roofs, water heaters, drinking fountains, fields, etc.
In November, Superintendent Susan Swartz presented a few
scenarios that would use an estimated $834,731 in state EXCEL
(EXpanding our Children’s Education and Learning) aid set aside
for Scotia-Glenville by the state. Combining EXCEL aid with
regular building aid would allow about $4.4 million in needed
repairs – at no local cost to S-G taxpayers.
“This project includes many more needs than wants,” said
Swartz. “Some of the items have come to our attention since the
See “Sg lookS to the future,” page 6

Central SChool DiStriCt
ScotiaglenvilleSchools.org Winter 2007-08
Changing classrooms with
activBoard, from page 1
troducing more and more technology
into the classroom – technology that
students readily understand and are
eager to use.
The latest example is the ActivBoard.
The ActivBoardis an interactive
electronic whiteboard that allows
teachers to tap into technology right in
front of their students’ eyes. It brings
learning to students in a way they can
understand and that they already use
every day.
So much potential
“I like it a lot because it has so many
uses and so much potential,” said
Spanish teacher Lorri Sammons, who
has watched the unfolding tech revolution
since coming to S-G in 2001.
“I love the response time because the
kids really get into it; they participate
and learn at the same time.”
She and teacher Regina Cabrera
use the ActivBoard for their Spanish
classes for students at all levels.
“Even the kids who don’t always do
their homework or pay attention, seem
to connect with the ActivBoard,” said
Sammons.
Spanish students were reviewing
for a test on a recent day. She grouped
three students together and handed
them a small console controller called
“Activote.” On it are buttons that
correspond to the correct answers for
series of questions. The students work
together to select the correct answer.
“…because it’s interesting”
Students say learning on the ActivBoard
is better than hunching over
a textbook and listening to the teacher.
“I like it because I see it right up
there and I can remember it better,”
said freshman Elena Favata.
“This isn’t boring; we can actually
do things on this,” said freshman Eric
Squires. “It makes me pay attention
more because it’s interesting.”
Grade 4 students Nate Rankin, left, and Jesse Rankin move text
around an electronic whiteboard or ActivBoard in Trish Roeser’s
class at Glendaal Elementary. The ActivBoard allows students to
participate in the lesson plan, instead of just watching.
2
“The
ActivBoard
allows us
to be more
interactive in
our teaching
and during
presentations,”
said
Trish Roeser,
who teaches
students
with special
needs
in grades
3 and 4 at
Glendaal.
“The children like this type of activity
because it is visual…that is what
they are used to,” said Roeser. “They
have grown up in that world and are
very comfortable with it.”
Roeser uses the ActivBoard, manufactured
by Georgia-based Promethean
Inc., for two or three lessons every
day. She also uses it to call up various
web sites during her lessons, allowing
students to see the same thing at the
same time and react together.
Students use an electronic pen or
want to move objects around the ActivBoard.
“They actually become part
of the lesson, and they really like it,”
added Roeser.
more activBoards planned
David Versocki, director of technology,
said the ActivBoards cost about
$2,200 each and come with a five-year
warranty.
Former foreign language chairperson
Connie Cunningham, upon
retiring last June, arranged for $1,000
– including some personal money – to
go toward the purchase of an ActivBoard
for a second foreign language
classroom at the high school.
“This has been a pilot that has
worked out extremely well for everyone,”
said Versocki. “It has proven to
be an important initiative…it gives
teachers another way to provide information
to students.”
There are two ActivBoards at the
high school and one each at the middle
school and Glen-Worden and Glendaal
elementary schools. He hopes to continue
the program in the future, with
ActivBoards planned for the Lincoln
and Sacandaga elementary schools
among other places. ❧

ScotiaglenvilleSchools.org Central SChool DiStriCt
Winter 2007-08
Scotia-Glenville students learn beyond the textbooks.
UPPER LEft: From left, grade 2 Glen-Worden students Sophie
Mailey and Elizabeth DeDell, both in Sandy Belfance’s class, and
Mary Kate Palleschi and Marina Cox, both in Laura Bonville’s
class, perform for seniors from the Baptist Health Nursing and
Rehabilitation Center. The event featured singing, a play and a light
breakfast for the children and seniors.
CENtER LEft: Grade 10 students Kelly Kapusta and Michael Dwyer
show off their replica of a seed drilling machine and discuss how
it shaped the industrial revolution. Students in the Global Studies
class, taught by Christopher Crounse and resource teacher Marilyn
Johnson, studied various inventions of the industrial revolution
– such as the steam engine, cotton gin, steam ship, telegraph – and
developed replicas of them for their oral reports to the class.
LOWER LEft: From left, grade 4 Glen-Worden students Alyssa
Williams, Michael Borbee, Dennis
Pollicino, Matt LeGere and Peter
Marola look over the Native
American displays during the
Harvest Feast. Students in Christine
DeCarlo’s and Marcia Smith’s classes
were involved in the feast, which
teaches about Native American
customs and foods.
RIGHt: Andrew Shattuck, a grade
2 student in Katie May’s class at
Sacandaga, tries his hand at the
Hoola Hoop during the annual
Heart Health and Wellness Day.
LOWER RIGHt:
From left, grade 8
students Ben Keane,
Nick McCloskey and
Nick VanAuken mix
it up during the
annual Hoops for
Heart fund-raiser.
Physical education
teacher Carol Atkins
said students last
year raised about
$5,000 for the
American Heart
Association.
3

Central SChool DiStriCt
ScotiaglenvilleSchools.org Winter 2007-08
Two generations share
ideas with each other
english 10 students interview retirees
about their lives and share part of their
lives and memories in the process
T
he 53 sophomores in Amanda Faulkner’s two
English 10 classes got to talk in class for 90
minutes one day last fall.
And they didn’t have to raise their hands. They
even talked out loud to some new friends – some of
whom were four or five times as old as the 15- and
16-year old students.
In fact, the students had detailed conversations with
retirees about a variety of topics – everything from describing
their first car and favorite childhood memory
to their most embarrassing moment and their opinions
on President Bush and the war in Iraq.
“This is a great experience because the kids get to
see something from another person’s viewpoint – we
really try to bridge the generation gap,” said Faulkner,
who recruited retirees from her church, through the
GIVE service learning program and “just calling a lot
of people.”
This was just the first step of a journey.
The students wrote essays about the retiree in the
first person – from the retiree’s viewpoint. It could be
based entirely on their discussion or students could
blend fiction and non-fiction from their talks.
The retirees also wrote about their “interviewers,”
detailing their impressions of the student, what
they liked most about the experience and what they
learned about the student.
Students will continue writing to their seniors for
the next several months and, in May, a year-end celebration
is held to reunite the students and seniors.
Faulkner said several students from last year
stopped by to greet the retirees they had interviewed.
The project was in conjunction with reading Harper
Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. A character realizes the
importance of learning another person’s experiences
and how that shaped their view of the world. ❧
Above, Myron Hermance, left, makes a point to grade 10
student Dom Brino during their interviews as part of Amanda
Faulkner’s English 10 intergenerational project. Students in the
class interview retirees and others to better connect with an
older generation. They continue their relationships throughout
the school year.
Below, grade 10 student Tom Bovard, left, listens as Stan Gordon
discusses an adventure in his life.
4
Want to run for the Board of education?
Three seats on the Board of Education are up for election this
spring. The vote for board candidates and the 2008-09 budget
will be on Tuesday, May 20.
Board members serve three-year
terms and are unpaid. Candidates
must collect signatures from community
members and be elected during
annual voting in May. Board of Education meetings are typically
held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.
More information is available from the S-G business office,
382-1222. ❧

ScotiaglenvilleSchools.org Central SChool DiStriCt
Winter 2007-08
Middle School students raised
$2,000 in pennies - one at a time
roundtable of students to distribute
money to needy community causes
Middle School students and staff raised $2,000
by collecting pennies from friends, parents
and neighbors during a Penny Harvest, the
first done by SGMS.
“This has been a wonderful experience,” said Allen
Calhoun, technology teacher and advisor to the GIVE
service learning program, which organized the event.
“Our students came up with many ways that this
money could benefit the community. Some of them
searched under couch cushions and car seats looking
for pennies.”
The final tally showed students brought in 1,500
pounds of pennies, which is equivalent to $2,000.
He said students came up with novel ways of finding
pennies in a society that doesn’t value the now
mostly-zinc coin featuring Abraham Lincoln’s face.
In fact, a recent government report said it costs 1.67
cents to make each 1 cent penny.
Calhoun said 25 30-pound burlap bags of pennies
equals about $1,100; students and staff collected
double that amount, with homerooms competing
against each other to raise more. David Swain’s grade
6 classroom was the winner of the contest, collecting
121 pounds of pennies.
Students in the grade 8 Discover service program
weighed the pennies and kept track of each homeroom’s
total. A chart at the school entrance showed
how many pennies each homeroom collected.
helping worthwhile programs
The Penny Harvest, which began in New York
City in 1991, is a program done by schools across the
country that encourages students to collect pennies
and convert them to money to use for worthwhile
programs in their communities.
Grades 6-8 social studies classes at Scotia-Glenville
discussed the various social issues – homelessness,
poverty, animals at the shelter, struggling seniors
Grade 8 students Corey Lussier, Jes Briere, Clara Pinheiro
and Mercedes O’Connor show off a few of the bags filled
with pennies that were collected by the GIVE service learning
program. Students plan to distribute the $2,000 collected
through the Penny Harvest to community organizations.
and environmental issues – facing the community. A schoolwide
assembly was held to discuss the program with the 670-student
body.
A 15-member roundtable of students and staff will be established
to review proposals for grants to various community
organizations. The grants will be based “on where the money
should be spent and where it will do the most good for the community,”
said Calhoun.
Grade 8 student Jes Briere, who collected about 3 pounds of
pennies, said she “looked in all kinds of places, in the couch and
all around” to collect her coins. She said she’d like to see some
money go to help the homeless and shelters in the area.
Mercedes O’Connor, also an eighth-grader, “went to neighbors
and asked if they had any pennies...my uncle had a whole bunch
of pennies.” She collected about 10 pounds of pennies for her
homeroom. “I really didn’t expect to collect this much,” added
Mercedes, who said both the homeless and animal shelters would
make good use of the money.
“I looked in a lot of the odd places,” said grade 8 student Clara
Pinheiro.
Corey Lussier was a bit more aggressive. “I called all my family
members and asked them to mail me some pennies,” said the
eighth-grader. Several did tape them inside envelopes and sent
them to Corey. ❧
5

Central SChool DiStriCt
ScotiaglenvilleSchools.org Winter 2007-08
S-g looks to the future,
from page 1
last project and others were cut at that
time to save money.”
Crunching the numbers
Here’s an overview of what the
Board of Education is considering:
w The 50+-year-old SG buildings
were, by and large, upgraded in the
1999 building project. There are still
some items – such as floors, doors,
water heaters, drinking fountains,
elementary school roofs and other
routine items – in need of repairs
because they may not have been done
during the project nine years ago or
have deteriorated since then.
At the six schools and the District
Office, a state-required building
condition survey last year pointed to
an estimated $4.7 million in improvements
that should be done over the
next five years.
w The 50+-year-old athletic fields
have only been patched over the
years. Those upgrades were also
removed from the 1999 proposal
before it was considered by the voters.
Redoing and upgrading the fields
would cost an estimated $4.6 million.
A pool at the high school, which has
been supported by some groups in the
community, would cost an additional
$9.7 million.
w The 50+-year-old District Office,
which is a former U.S. Navy
barracks at the end of Lark Street, is
in disrepair with leaking roofs and
costs thousands of dollars a year to
maintain. And, while the district has
leased the building for $1 per year
since 1980, the building will be owned
by SG in 2011. That means the district
must decide whether to upgrade it,
replace it or demolish it. As well, any
environmental issues at the site will
become the district’s responsibility in
2011.
One option being considered is to
move the District Office to B-wing at
the high school would cost $5.2 million,
including reconfiguring space and replacing
those lost classrooms elsewhere
in the building.
w Several academic items not included
in the figures above that could
be considered and that would generate
state aid include: enclosing the middle
school library, revamping science
classrooms at the middle school and
upgrades to the family and consumer
science, technology and art rooms at
the middle school and high school. In
all three cases, those spaces have not
been renovated since the buildings
were constructed.
w While $834,731 has been set aside
by the state for Scotia-Glenville
through the EXCEL state aid program.
That amount would be leveraged with
S-G’s 81 percent building aid ratio to
produce a project totaling $4.4 million.
Combining the two state aids would
leave no local tax cost.
EXCEL funding can only be used for
certain projects. It cannot be used for
athletic fields unless accompanied by a
building construction project.
EXCEL aid can only be used for: educational
technology, health and safety
repairs, improving accessibility for
those with disabilities, physical capacity
expansion with school construction
and projects that would reduce energy
costs and/or energy consumption. ❧
6
Frank Rosselli
named assistant
MS principal
F
rank Rosselli, who taught music
at the Gowana Middle School at
Shenendehowa, has been named
as the new assistant principal at the
Middle School.
The Board of
Education made
the appointment
December 3.
Rosselli’s salary
will be $73,000 per
year. He began his
duties January 4.
Frank Rosselli
Rosselli, who
lives in Glenville, taught music at
Shenendehowa since 2001. Before that,
he was a music teacher at Catskill
Middle School.
He was instrumental in beginning
the Summer Enrichment Exploration
Camp at Shenendehowa in 2004 and,
since last June, he had served as the
districtwide community education
coordinator at Shen.
He received a bachelor’s degree in
music education from the College of
St. Rose, a master’s in curriculum and
instructional technology from SUNY
Albany and is working towards his
educational administration degree
through SUNY Albany.
He has also served as director of the
Saratoga Springs Youth Orchestra Jazz
Ensemble.
He succeeds Interim Principal John
Haher. Previous Assistant Principal
Herb Tedford resigned after two years
in August. ❧

ScotiaglenvilleSchools.org Central SChool DiStriCt
Winter 2007-08
S-G Recognitions
A small sampling of the many
wonderful things happening among the
students and staff in your school district.
These high school students were named as Students of
the Quarter for the first quarter of the 2007-08 school year
in November:
Subject Name Class year
G.O.A.L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chloe Tibbits . . . . . . . . . soph.
Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Mossey . . . . . . . senior
Business Education . . . .Ben Wegener . . . . . . . . . . senior
English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Erik Skibinski . . . . . . . . . senior
Family & Consumer
Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shasha Wu . . . . . . . . . . . . senior
Foreign Language . . . . .Victoria O’Connor . . . . . junior
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kyle Coombs. . . . . . . . . . soph.
Mathematics . . . . . . . . . .Rachael Bishop . . . . . . . . senior
Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Adam Sloan . . . . . . . . . . . junior
Physical Education . . . . .Scott Debiase . . . . . . . . . soph.
Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Katie Smith . . . . . . . . . . . senior
Social Studies . . . . . . . . .Rachael Bishop . . . . . . . . senior
Vocational Technology . .Daniel Thomson. . . . . . . junior
Technology . . . . . . . . . . .Jonathan Zabin . . . . . . . . junior
❧ ❧ ❧
Several S-G students were winners in the annual Open
Door Book Store Book Jacket Design contest.
Lincoln School students Sophie Johnson, grade 2, placed
second; Lily Johnson, grade 2, placed third; and Madeline
Johnson, grade 5, earned honorable mention. Their art
teacher is Adrienne Hall.
Among Middle School students:
w Grade 6: Kiersten Kastberg placed first; Ben Tunison
placed second; and Claire Schmitz placed third.
w Grade 7: Forest Higgins placed first; Sean Sayles
placed second; and Connor Flaherty placed third.
w Grade 8: Linnea Feldman placed first; Kerry Lewis
placed second; and Corey McKenna placed third.
All of the Middle School students are in Susan Campbell’s
art classes.
❧ ❧ ❧
7
Several high school
students in the chorus,
orchestra and band have
been selected to perform
in the Suburban Council
High School Music Festival
on February 9.
Students representing 13
school districts will perform
at a special concert at 3 p.m.
at the High School that day.
Scotia-Glenville chorus
members who will perform
are: Tabitha Bandy, Noah
Busman, Wilson Cheung,
Rachel Feurer, Danielle
Giammatteo, Ryan Glynn,
Molly Hay, Jillian Hyland,
Marie LaBrie, Gabby
Mason, Marie Militano,
Melanie Shank and Kaitlin
VanHeusen.
Scotia-Glenville orchestra
members who will perform
are: Meghan Adams,
Megan Comins, Nichole
Houst, Kelly Trepess and
Morgan Valachovic.
Scotia-Glenville band
members who will perform
are: Rachael Bishop, Hannah
Carroll, Kate Pettinato,
Adam Sloan and Emily
Taft.
❧ ❧ ❧
Derek palmatier
receives albert m.
Danzig Youth award
Whether he’s slicing ham
at Price Chopper or overseeing
volunteers at the
ARC’s Lewis House, Derek
Palmatier isn’t afraid of
responsibility.
“I like helping out with
things around the community,”
said Derek, a
grade 12 student in Sarah
Hoffmann’s Skills Development
Class. “I don’t like to
just sit at home every day;
I’d rather work.”
That gung ho attitude
helped earn Derek the
Albert M. Danzig Youth
Award through the county
Stop DWI program.
Derek is an ARC house
director in the GIVE service
learning program, is active
in Students Against Destructive
Decisions (SADD)
and volunteers at Holyrood
House. He also works parttime
at the Glenville Price
Chopper. ❧

Central SChool DiStriCt
ScotiaglenvilleSchools.org Winter 2007-08
Reshaping teaching – down to her soul…
HS English teacher Cathy Cassady
earns National Board Certification
C
athy Cassady, who has taught high school English
for 17 years at Scotia-Glenville, has become S-G’s
second teacher to earn National Board Certification.
“It is a process that makes you much more reflective
about everything you do in the classroom,” said Cassady,
who teaches English 11, English 10
and drama to seniors.
“When I am more reflective
about what I want them to do, and
the goals I have for them, they
become more reflective about what
they are doing and why.”
Her journey toward National
Cathy Cassady
Board Certification (NBC) began in
the spring of 2005, with urging from reading teacher Jaime
Massaro. Cassady spent summers, nights and weekends
independently reviewing information online, reexamining
her own work and building portfolios.
Teachers must present teaching portfolios, which include
student work, videotapes and written analyses of the candidates’
classroom teaching and of student learning.
Claire McDermott, who teaches kindergarten at Glen-
Worden, also holds NBC. There are 779 New York teachers
and 47,000 teachers nationwide with national certification.
The NBC candidate fee is $2,565. Certification may take
the better part of a school year and 200-400 hours of work.
The National Board Certification is valid for 10 years. ❧
BoarD of eDuCatIoN
margaret Smith, President
pamela S. Carbone, Vice President
kurt W. ahnert
Colleen Benedetto
Benjamin a. Conlon
gary t. normington
John r. Yagielski
❧ ❧ ❧ ❧ ❧
The Tartan Report is produced in cooperation
with the Capital region
BoCeS Communications Service.
Labeling done by the: High School
Skills Development class of
Sarah Hoffmann
Mailing sorted by the:
high School ptSa
Editor/Photographer: robert hanlon
Scotia-Glenville
Central SChool DiStriCt
900 preddice parkway, Scotia, nY 12302
Superintendent’s office: (518) 382-1215
ScotiaGlenvilleSchools.org
District Administrators
Susan M. Swartz
Superintendent
Joseph F. Kavanaugh
Director of
Curriculum and Instruction
Andrew M. Giaquinto
School Business Manager
8
Scotia-glenville’s Calendar
u monday, february 11
Board of Education meeting,
Glen-Worden Elem. School
u mon.-fri., february 18-22
President’s Day recess
no SChool
u monday, february 25
Board of Education meeting,
Middle School
u mondays, march 3, 10, 17
Board of Education meetings,
Middle School
u friday, march 21
Good Friday – no SChool
u monday, march 24
Board of Education meeting,
Middle School
u friday, march 28
Superintendent’s Conference
Day no SChool for students
u mondays,
march 31 and april 7
Board of Education meetings,
Middle School
u thursday, april 10
half DaY of SChool for
students, grades k-5,
Report card preparation
u mon.-mon., april 14-21
Spring recess – no SChool
Classes resume Tuesday, April 22
u monday, april 28
Board of Education meeting,
Middle School
all Board of education meetings begin at 7 p.m. unless
otherwise noted. please call 382-1215 if you have any
questions about time or locations.
S-G begins central registration
Along practice has come to an end at Scotia-Glenville.
For years, each school registered its own students.
As of January 28, students have been registered centrally,
ensuring consistent entries in the student database.
The central registrar will register incoming kindergartners
and new students. Kindergarten registration will conclude
on February 15. Parents should contact Karol Newton, the
central registrar, at 382-5876 for a registration appointment.
Registration requirements are posted on the district’s
website, ScotiaGlenvilleSchools.org. ❧
PoStal CuStomer
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