Fall 2004 - Taconic Hills Central School District

Vol. 17 No.1 TACONIC HILLS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT▲ REACHING OUT (pages 4,5)▲ TEEN FORUM (page 10)FALL 2004

2Superintendent’s MessageDear Parents and Friends:It was a beautiful fall season this year, and while the weather permitted, weaddressed the required safety concerns for the school facility. Prior to theend of the October, we conducted nine fire drills at various times of the dayand had one facility-wide lockdown drill. We hope that none of you wereinconvenienced by our drills, but we wanted to be sure that everyone withinthis large facility knew how to respond in emergency situations. Oneway that you can help us is to not leave cars unattended in the drop-offlane. Local law enforcement officials have expressed concern about thepotential problems that this causes in an emergency situation.If you are a parent of any K-12 grade level children, please note that wehave added a half day parent-teacher conference date to the school yearcalendar for the afternoon of Friday, November 19. It was brought to ourattention that many of you had conflicts with evening conference times,and we want to be able to communicate with as many parents as possible.Last month, we held our first “Breakfast with the Superintendent” here atTaconic Hills. It was decided by the group that attended that we shouldconduct the next one as a “Luncheon with the Superintendent.” Therefore,please plan to attend on Monday, November 22, 2004 from noon to 1:30 p.m.This luncheon will provide a way for you to discuss things openly with me.There is no cost for the luncheon, and the discussions are open to the generalpublic of our district.Beginning in November, we welcomed our new Transportation Supervisor,Mr. Robert McGhee. He is an experienced transportation supervisor fromanother school district. Also, we have filled our vacant Performing ArtsCenter Director’s position with a very talented and experienced individual,Mr. Douglas Clapp. Please prepare to see many performance opportunitiesavailable to you here at the school’s theater.As you know, we have placed great emphasis this year on the importanceof good daily attendance by all students. Our attendance supervisor, Mr.Ed Jacklin, has been very busy following up on absences this year. Pleasegive him your support. Everyone wants to see all of our students succeed.For this to happen, it is imperative that all students be in school everyday unless they are ill. Mr. Jacklin’s telephone calls and home visits aresimply our way of letting students know that we miss them when they areout of school.Please know that your school system continues to try to be a leadershipdistrict for this part of our state. We will soon become a pilot district foroffering a Business Employment Certificate that will open employmentopportunities to our older students. We will also be a pilot district by offeringan in-school office to Department of Social Services representatives—this will enable students to receive services at the school rather than travelingto Hudson. Recently, our students received recognition from the RedCross for earning the highest blood-donor participation rate, which earnedthem a $2,000 check. Our students were also recognized by the New YorkState Dollars for Scholars for having the greatest level of participation at therecent Freedom Walk in New York City, earning another $500 scholarshipfor our students.As you can see, your school system is showing continued progress, andour students are showing great pride in their accomplishments and growth.Sincerely,David PacienciaSuperintendentBOARD OF EDUCATIONRobert Garon, President (2008)Paul B. Robertson, Vice President (2009)Gordon E. Belt (2005)John Mastropolo (2006)Bruce Meyers (2007)John Mullins, Jr. (2006)Hansel Schober (2007)P-L Schroeppel (2008)Richard J. Viebrock (2009)BOARD MEETINGS — The Board ofEducation meets on Wednesday eveningsonce a month as noted in the annual schoolcalendar. The meetings are held in the BoardRoom at the school and begin at 7:00 p.m.The Board welcomes and encourages thepublic to attend these meetings.PUBLIC FORUM — Two 10-minute “PublicForum” sessions are scheduled at eachBoard meeting, at the beginning and near theend. These times are set aside so that residentsmay address the Board directly onissues of importance. Because the Board hasa great deal of business which it mustattend to during meetings, the public isasked to confine its participation to thesepublic forum sessions.DISTRICT OFFICE(518) 325-0310 or (tollfree) 1-877-359-5393David Paciencia . . . . . . . . .SuperintendentKathleen Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Superintendent for. . . . . . . . . . . .Curriculum and InstructionMary Grden . . . . .School Business OfficialDavid Paciencia . . . . . . . . . .District ClerkCatherine Drumm . . .Cafeteria CoordinatorRobert McGhee (325-0335) . .Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SupervisorHarriet Kane . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tax CollectorPLEASE ADDRESS MAIL TO:Taconic Hills Central School DistrictDistrict OfficeP.O. Box 482Craryville, NY 12521BUILDING ADMINISTRATION• High School: 325-0390John V. Gulisane, Jr. – Principal• 5–8 Middle School: 325-0420Michael Hartner – Principal• K-4 Elementary School: 325-0370Anthony Marchesano – Principal• Dean of Students: 325-0400Kelli Campionwww.TaconicHills.k12.ny.us

SCENES FROM A FIRST DAY OF SCHOOLTwo 1st grade students used the buddy systemto find their way to Tara Dunspaugh’sclass in early September. Ryan Hathawaywas greeted by a large red dog.TRADING SPACES The Taconic Hills Middle School andHigh School began the school year in new spaces, withgrades 9–12 moving predominantly to the front of thebuilding and middle school classes to the back along thesecond floor. The middle school office is now located at theback of the elementary atrium. Principal Michael Hartner isresponsible for a middle school composed of grades 5–8.Grades K-4 are under the supervision of Principal AnthonyMarchesano.How are people adjusting to the changes?Mr. Hartner sees an improvement from the standpoint ofcurriculum. “Having teachers in 5th, 6th, 7th and 8thgrades talking together on a constant basis helps preventcurriculum drift,” he said. Another positive outcome of themove is the fact that the location of his office makes it possiblefor him to see what is going on in the middle schoolhallway—and to be seen by students.Anthony Marchesano, the other principal most affected bythe change, says that the rearrangement has made his jobeasier to do. “I see this as a very natural grouping, and verymuch in line with the state tests,” he said. He said that ingrades K-4, discipline is less an issue for a principal so thathe and his teachers can concentrate on setting a solid educationalfoundation for their students.“Our teachers have always been trying to build cohesiveness.I think making the elementary school more compacthas helped them continue to do that.”ON THE COVERON THE COVER Justin Hines and Kaylee Kadingwere two of 10 seniors voted into the homecomingcourt this fall. Principal John Gulisane did thehonor of making the royal presentations.3

TACONIC HILLS REFOCUSESON TEACHING—ONE STUDENT AT A TIMETo reach students’ minds,you have to reach their hearts.That was the keynote message of this fall’s Superintendent’sconference day, delivered by M.B. “Flip”Flippen, an internationally known motivational speakerfrom College Station, Texas and a man who practiceswhat he preaches: he and his wife have raised 21 childrentogether. Flippen’s key message to the Taconic Hillsstaff this fall was that teaching is about reaching out anddeveloping strong one-on-one relationships even in aclassroom of 25 students. That message is resonating inthe hallways and classrooms of the school.“We’ve gotten off to an excellent start this year,” saidPrincipal John Gulisane. “The atmosphere has beennoticeably improved. If you go to the high school hallwaywhen kids are changing classes, you’ll see teachersgreeting their students as they come in the door, shakingtheir hands. It’s not only the result of a greater emphasison reaching out, but things are also different becausestudents are getting more of a say in what goes onaround here.” Mr. Gulisane cited the results from lastyear’s Teen Forum, in which high school students wereallowed to express their feelings about the school environmentand how it might be changed. (See page 10.)Superintendent David Paciencia and AssistantSuperintendent for Curriculum Kathleen Collins bothsaid many Taconic Hills teachers having been puttingMr. Flippen’s message into practice for years. But the jobof teaching has gotten harder.“What teachers and principals have to deal with now farexceeds what they dealt with in the past,” Mrs. Collinssaid. “Societal issues, the accountability requirements,the necessary reporting and the constantly changing curriculumare just some of the issues. There is a lot ofpressure on teachers to increase test scores—pressurethat comes from newspaper reports and from the publicnature of the testing and ranking process. But there’s alarger picture and I hope that we can help our teachersput things in perspective. Yes, we want to do well on thetests. But beyond how a student performs at one time onone day is the reality of what they have or have notlearned at the end of the year. Have they become moreconfident? Have they gained a greater appreciation forlearning? To exchange these qualities solely for highertest scores is too narrow a focus.”Meeting in groups with Mr. Flippen, the teachers continuedwork they have been doing in training sessions overthe past three years. In these training sessions, Mrs.Collins has stressed the concept of “individualizedinstruction.” In essence, the goal is for every teacher to4

work with every child as an individual, from the mostfocused student to the most distractible, from the studentwho is a visual learner to the one whose languageskills are exemplary.“We have to create an environment where all studentscan be successful,” Mr. Paciencia said. “It’s a dauntingtask, we know that. But ultimately, there’s really noother reason for us to be doing this job. If your goal isn’tto help all students succeed, then you’re accepting a kindof a caste system. And we’re not going to allow that tohappen here.”“Teachers have an exhausting job,” Mrs. Collins said.“But the truth is, you haven’t really taught unless the studenthas learned. At Taconic Hills, we want to live by thephilosophy that all kids learn, but all kids do it in adifferent way and on a different pace.”“Beyond how a student performs at one timeon one day is the reality of what they haveor have not learned at the end of the year.Have they become more confident? Havethey gained a greater appreciation for learning?To exchange these qualities solely forhigher test scores is too narrow a focus.”Mrs. Collins has led an initiative to encourage teachersto turn to their colleagues for support and advice, eveninviting them into their classrooms to observe.“Cognitive coaching is a technique that allows theteacher to be reflective, to share his or her issues withcolleagues, to examine goals and take responsibility forhis or her own professional growth.”Both Mr. Paciencia and Mrs. Collins know that the challengethey face is considerable. But both believe that evenincremental changes can have a powerful effect.“We always want to improve our test scores,” Mrs.Collins said. “And I’m a firm believer in testing as a wayof aligning curriculum and building a measurable baseline.But if kids are confident and teachers are confident,there should be an automatic rise in scores over the longhaul. Improving the dynamic between teachers and studentsis really the way to build long term change in aschool.” ▲DEMANDS OF THE JOB Though most teachers haveat least 20 students in their classrooms at any giventime, their challenge is to teach every student one-onone.At left, high school living environment teacherStacey Sabini works with her classroom students inan individualized manner.COWBOY UP Motivational speaker M.B. “Flip” Flippenwas the special guest at a Superintendent’s conference dayin September.WHO’S CLOWNING NOW?Superintendent David Paciencia put himself on theline during conference days before the opening ofschool. He arrived on stage dressed in a clown suitand began to describe the kind of student who mightcome to school in different clothes, who has all theoutward trappings of failure and seemingly nochance of success. As he spoke, he removed hiscostume piece by piece, until, in his suit and tie, helooked directly at the audience of teachers and staffand said: “I know all about that kind of kid. Thatkid was me. The son of an immigrant, living in adifferent environment, with limited hope of succeeding.But because some people were willing to reachout to me, I now wear this suit. You see me as a suit.But deep inside, I’m still that kid who once hidbehind a mask much like a clown—the kind of kidwho too often gets ignored.”5

BRINGING ON THE BARDFor the third year in a row, Taconic Hills students have been able to participate inShakespeare and Company’s annual Fall Festival, in which the region’s high schools eachstage a Shakespeare play, perform in their own buildings and then gather in Lenox for afestival of plays. This year’s production at Taconic Hills is “Twelfth Night.” Funding forthe school’s involvement in the festival has come predominantly from private donations andgrants, including THE E Fund, a grant from the Greene County Council for the Arts and agrant from the Sellon Charitable Trust. Here, the members of the cast posed for a photowith local legislator and former Vassar theater student, Assemblyman Patrick Manning.6WALKING FOR A CAUSEOn October 16, over 30 walkers from TaconicHills—mostly high school students—joined hundredsof other volunteers raising money forDollars for Scholars chapters in New York andConnecticut. The Taconic Hills walkers made a 5Ktrek along the Hudson River and raised more than$2,100 from community pledges. In addition,because Taconic Hills had the most walkers in theevent, the TH Dollars for Scholars won a $500scholarship. The walk was sponsored by theumbrella organization for all Dollars for Scholarschapters, Scholarship America. English teacherTonya Frickey (center) and social studies teacherDarby Dellea (left) were responsible for getting theTH walkers down to New York City and back thisyear. Renee Nostrand (right) helped coordinateTaconic Hills’ involvement in the event.

THE PRODUCERDoug Clapp is the new director of theperforming arts center at Taconic Hills.Part of his job is to bring in performancesfor the Taconic Hills community, such asDecember’s “Nutcracker” by the AlbanyBerkshire Ballet and the William Michalsconcert on Saturday, November 20 (seepage 12). Mr. Clapp’s other responsibilitiesinvolve scheduling the day-to-day useof the performing arts center space—atask made difficult by the number of variousschool activities and functions thatnormally occur there. He is also responsiblefor the technical side of the space,maintaining everything from the lightsand sound system to the school’s prizedgrand piano. Mr. Clapp’s background isin television production. He is anxious toget going in his new job. “It’s an incrediblespace,” he said. “My goal is to bringin a variety of really high quality performancesfor the benefit of the community,especially the students, faculty andtaxpayers.” Mr. Clapp looks forward tohearing directly from community membersabout any ideas they may haveabout possible performance events.He can be reachedat 325-0570or at his TaconicHills e-mail, dclapp@taconichills.k12.ny.us.RITES OF FALL TH homecoming was held on October 1.The homecoming court—seniors chosen by the entire highschool—are pictured at top. Two future competitors cleaned up.▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲7

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF…SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT ROBERT GARONAND VICE PRESIDENT PAUL ROBERTSON8Across the country, school boards stand as abastion of grass roots democracy, as unpaidcommunity members work with highly trainedadministrators on everything from curriculumto construction projects. At Taconic Hills,Robert Garon and Paul Robertson are the currentpresident and vice president of their boardof education, following in a long line of volunteers. Fortheir work, their compensation is satisfaction and pridein what they do.At the age of 40, Mr. Garonneeded a change. He had beenworking in what he calls a“negative environment” as acorrections officer. In 1985, Mr.Garon was attacked by aninmate in Green HavenCorrectional Facility and afterthree months recovered enoughto return to duty. (He workedfor 14 more years before beingre-injured and forced to retire in2001.) Recovering from majorsurgery in 1998, Mr. Garonrealized that he wanted to dosomething positive, to help buildsomething better than the worldhe saw at work every day.Mr. Garon ran for a spot onthe school board. Now he is afull-time house dad who spendsapproximately 10 hours a weekactively doing board work and“40 hours a week thinkingabout it.”“Some of our decisions aretough,” he said. In particular,the handling of the sale of theRoe Jan and Ockawamick buildingsand the controversy overROBERT GARON“Being president meanshaving good listening skills.You’re responsible forbuilding consensusand keeping thingson schedule.”one or two bell bus scheduling were very divisive in thecommunity.“We’ve been through some tough times, but we’ve stucktogether and remained friends,” he said. “I’m proud ofthe way we have worked together and the way we workwith our superintendent, Dave Paciencia. We have agreat board here.”While Mr. Garon’s daily life is based at his home, Mr.Robertson works a full scheduleas a nurse anesthetist in Albany.He is also a member of the ArmyReserve who has recently seenduty in Iraq with a 20-membershock trauma team assigned toinfantry and armor divisions.“It was an eye-opening experience,”he said. “I was there for120 days treating our wounded,wounded Iraqis, POWs, the sick.In a trauma team, our goal is toextend ‘the golden hour,’ that onecritical hour that can save a person’slife. We worked out of twotents, a miniaturized major medicalstation. We were under fireand constantly saw casualtiescaused by improvised explosivedevices, firefights, mortar fire.There were plenty of nights youslept with your flak jacket andhelmet on.”Many of the wounded Mr.Robertson treated were not mucholder than the students he is partiallyresponsible for at TaconicHills. He is extremely humbleabout his volunteer job here onthe home front.

“As a school board member you’re probably the leastimportant person in the whole district. You can’t losetouch with the people in the trenches: students, teachersand parents. You have to listen to what they think. Andyou have to come to agreements that are sometimes lessthan perfect for everyone.”Mr. Robertson said that the hardest part of the job is toequitably represent all sides at the same time. “There arealways issues that pit people against each other. We haveto find common ground. It doesn’t take much for a smallissue to become a big thing. You try to head off those‘show stopper’ issues. Because they can bring the importantwork of education to a complete standstill.”The administration supplies all board members with apacket of information the week before the monthlyboard meeting so that the board members can processthe decisions they face. For legal and personnel issues,the board often goes into executivesession.“We encourage the public toattend our meetings and takeadvantage of the public forumtime,” Mr. Garon said. “But toprotect the public legally weoften have to have discussionsthat are confidential.”Board meetings are held onWednesday evening. They startat 7 p.m.. Said Mr. Garon, “Wetry to get out by 10:30–11:00.But there have been times in thepast when we’ve been thereuntil one in the morning.”Mr. Garon is responsible forrunning the meetings. In hisabsence, Mr. Robertson wouldfill in. “Being president meanshaving good listening skills,”Mr. Garon said. “You’reresponsible for building consensusand keeping things onschedule.” He is in touch withMr. Paciencia on a daily basis,by phone or e-mail.In dealing with an experiencedprofessional superintendent,PAUL ROBERTSON“Our goal is to help.To communicate acrossall socioeconomic andeducational lines. Everyone’skids are as important aseveryone else’s.”Mr. Robertson said that the key is communication.“We represent the community,“ Mr. Robertson said.“Mr. Paciencia might want something, but we don’tnecessarily rubber stamp it; we have a sense of historyand community that he might not have. And it worksthe other way around. We might have an idea and he’llcome back to us and say that something else wouldwork better.”Mr. Garon talks about the pleasure the workbrings him.“Yes, there have been controversies. But you live andlearn. I love being a part of it, going to school onopening day, meeting new staff members. I certainlywouldn’t be entering my second term if I didn’t enjoythe work.”Said Mr. Robertson: “I think we have a good mix ofprofessions on this board. Robhas worked for the State in corrections.Bruce Meyers and I bothwork in health care and deal withissues of personal welfare. RichardViebrock and John Mullins arewell versed in construction issues.Hans Schober works in agriculture.John Mastropolo and Gordon Beltare both businessmen and knowfinance. P-L Schroeppel has abackground in education andfundraising.”“Our goal is to help. To communicateacross all socioeconomic andeducational lines. Everyone’s kidsare as important as everyone else’s.I always think, when you comethrough these doors, whetheryou’re a volunteer, a school boardmember or a superintendent, yourfirst thought should be: what can Ido for these kids?” ▲9

TEEN FORUMGIVES STUDENTSA VOICE—ANDGETS RESULTS10In her second year as a health and consumer scienceteacher at Taconic Hills, Abby Brannen-Wilson volunteeredfor the job of prevention program coordinatorin the fall of 2003. Before she started any new programsor activities to help TH students succeed, Mrs. Brannen-Wilson decided that the first thing to do was get a senseof how students were feeling about the school in general.Last spring, 42 teens, representing a cross-section of thehigh school population, met off campus to spend the dayat Columbia-Greene Community College with Mrs.Brannen-Wilson, TH counselors and volunteer teachersacting as facilitators. The “Teen Forum” was a formatMrs. Brannen-Wilson had used in the past and had successwith. The forum was entitled “Strengthening Our SchoolCommunity” and allowed students to speak freely aboutlife at school. In this all-day workshop, they could alsogenerate ideas for improvement and identify what wasworking well.The students used skits, breakout sessions and a townmeeting format to express their opinions, ideas andvisions. Adult facilitators included Kelli Campion, JuneSkula-Chaning, Elena Evans, Mike Robbins, RichGuevrekian, Shana Prata and Dave Kelsey.“Seeking this kind of input is really valuable,” Mrs.Brannen-Wilson said. “The students had a lot to say aboutthe climate of the school—from how they felt they weretreated by teachers to how they were treating each other.They compiled a great list of ideas for programs, activitiesand opportunities.”Based on the teen forum, feedback was given to a previouslyestablished high school improvement team so thataction planning could begin. The school improvementteam, a committee originated by the school administration,will continue working this year with a representativefrom each high school grade level. These students,along with teachers, counselors and administrators,are focused on maintaining and improving the schoolenvironment for everyone.As a result of the teen forum, specific changes havealready been put in place, including new clubs andactivities and rewards for good behavior in the formof increased freedom to utilize the school campus.Changes, privileges and special events are designed topromote attendance, positive behavior and academics.Another new aspect of student life this year is amonthly open student forum. These sessions will continuea dialogue about school life. A middle school“Teen Forum” is scheduled for this month.“This ongoing process gives students a greater stakeand sense of responsibility,” Mrs. Brannen-Wilsonsaid. “It also has increased the flow of informationbetween students and adults at Taconic Hills.”

VOTER EDUCATION High schoolsocial studies students took turns gettingfamiliar with a voting booth in the weeksbefore November 2. Some TH studentswere eligible to cast their first votesin the election.“It’s a pretty neat processto see the kids steppingup and giving moreinput into improvingthe school climate. It’sgood for them and it’sgood for us, too.”High School Principal John Gulisane said theresults of the teen forum have been “amazing.”“It’s a pretty neat process to see the kids steppingup and giving more input into improving theschool climate. It’s good for them and it’s goodfor us, too.”“We have a diverse population of students here,”Mrs. Brannen-Wilson said. “A lot of studentshave different ideas, interests and concerns. We asa school community can promote student successat Taconic Hills by addressing those needs.” ▲HELPING HAND Senator Steve Saland was responsible fordirecting more than $290,000 in state aid to Columbia Countyschools to update and improve technology and technologyrelated programs. Pictured here with Senator Saland andSuperintendent David Paciencia are Hudson School DistrictSuperintendent Jim Clarke, former Chatham SuperintendentMarilyn Barry, Ichabod Crane Superintendent Daralene Jewelland New Lebanon Superintendent Patrick Gabriel.❄ ❅ ❄ ❅ ❄ ❅ ❄ ❅ ❄ ❅ ❄❅ ❄ ❅ ❄ ❅ ❄ ❅ ❄ ❅ ❄ ❅WINTER’S COMING—DO YOU KNOW HOW TOFIND OUT IF SCHOOL IS CANCELED OR DELAYED?When bad weather appears to conflict with the normalopening of school, Superintendent David Paciencia is upin the wee hours of morning, on the phone with roadcrews and then to media outlets if there is a delay orclosing. But because parents frequently call the school,the school’s phone lines become tied up before themedia calls can be completed. As winter approaches, ifyou think school might be closed, please do not call theschool. Instead, check these radio and TV stations. Theirschool closing or delay announcements will include thelatest information about Taconic Hills.WCTW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ”The CAT” 98.5 FMWDST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.1 FM & 96.9 FMWFLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92.3 FMWGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810 AMWHUC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1230 AMWKZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1020 AM/98.1 FMWNYT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 13 TVWQQQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103.3 FMWRGB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 6 TV/87.7 FMWRNN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 62 TVWRVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99.5 FMWSBS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 860 AMWTEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 10 TVWYJB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95.5 FMWXXA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Channel 23 TVWZCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93.5 FM11

BROADWAY STAR PERFORMS AT TACONIC HILLS: Saturday, Nov. 20, 7:30 pmWilliam Michals, an acclaimed Broadway singer and actor, visits TaconicHills as an encore to his popular performance this past summer. Currentlystarring as Mack the Knife in Opera Omaha’s “Threepenny Opera,” Mr.Michals has starred on Broadway as The Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” asJavert in “Les Misérables,” Harold Hill in “The Music Man,” Billy Flynn in“Chicago” and Lancelot in “Camelot.” At Taconic Hills he will sing stageclassics as well as a mix of sultry and lighter fare, including “The Music ofthe Night,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” and “The Impossible Dream.”He will also be signing copies of his recent CD “Broadway in Concert.”The event is being produced by the Copake Theatre Company. Ticketsare $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors, veterans and students and$10 for groups of six or more. As a special offer, the price for Taconic Hillsstudents who purchase their tickets in advance is $7.50.Tickets may be purchased at Dad’s Copake Diner in Copake and theTaconic Lawn and Garden in Hillsdale. Reservations can be made bycalling the Copake Theatre Company at 518-329-2506. Also in theperforming arts center in coming weeks: the Albany Berkshire Ballet willbe performing “The Nutcracker” on Sunday, December 12 at 2 p.m. and5 p.m. Ticket information is available by calling 1-800-476-6964. ▲DATES TO REMEMBERNovember 19November 22November 24November 30December 1December 2December 9December 12December 16Early Dismissal, K–12 Parent-Teacher ConferencesLuncheon with the Superintendent, 12 noon to 1:30 p.mThanksgiving RecessHigh School Parent-Teacher Conferences, 6 p.m.Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences, 6 p.m.The Parent Connection: Workshop on Adaptive Parenting,6:30–7:30 p.m. Room E121Grades 5-12 Choral Concert and Art Display, 7 p.m.“The Nutcracker,” Albany Berkshire Ballet, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.Grades 5–12 Instrumental Concert, 7 p.m.12THE TITAN HERALDis published by theTaconic Hills Board of EducationEditor: John SlotePhotographer: David LeeDesign: Ron ToelkeRon Toelke AssociatesPlease address correspondence to:The Titan Heraldc/o Taconic Hills School DistrictP.O. Box 482Craryville, NY 12521TACONIC HILLSCENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICTP.O. BOX 482Craryville, NY 12521Please deliver to…BOXHOLDER—ORRURAL ROUTE RESIDENTof the Taconic Hills Central School DistrictNON-PROFITORGANIZATION U.S.POSTAGE PAIDHUDSON, NY 12534PERMIT #211