Category: Jr./Sr. High News
6th grade students scope out FPHS
Fort Plain’s 6th grade students enjoyed a preview of their upcoming junior/senior high school days when they toured and explored FPHS on June 14. Their insider’s view came with lunch and a Q&A session with upperclassmen.
Grades 7-9 school counselor Mrs. Kayla Mahoney coordinated the event to support the students’ transition to junior high school in the fall. Grades 10-12 school counselor Elliott Cohen also guided students at the event.
Eleventh grade students volunteered as tour guides and panel participants. Tour stops included each 7th grade core classroom as well as the cafeteria, auditorium, library, gym and various offices in the high school.
“The students also practiced what their lunchtime routine would be like and enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the high school cafeteria staff,” Mahoney said.
“In the auditorium, students heard from Mr. Bertram, athletic director, about opportunities in athletics at the 7th grade level. Then, they had the opportunity to ask questions about 7th grade and the junior/senior high school to the panel of juniors.”
Welcome to FPHS, rising seventh graders!
Fort Plain grad, published author and microbiologist shares with students
Fort Plain Class of 2011 graduate Chelsea Koch Ross is a microbiologist by day, but at night and in her free time, she writes – and gets published. The author of “Creatures Most Vile,” a novel for young adults, Chelsea recently shared her experiences with fifth and sixth grade students.
Chelsea writes under the pen name Chelsea Lauren. She met with the students at Harry Hoag School to talk about being a writer and having her novel published.
“The students were given the opportunity to ask questions. They were very excited to hear about her book and the experience she had writing it,” said Eileen Kretser, guided reading teaching assistant. “She writes as a hobby, and is a microbiologist with New York State.”
Chelsea has also shared her knowledge and experiences with high school students. Last school year, she visited with English classes at FPHS, including the English 11 Honors class where she once was a student.
After graduating from Fort Plain, Chelsea attended Hartwick College in Oneonta, where she double-majored in biology and chemistry. Chelsea developed her love for writing after taking a college creative writing course.
Gr. 9-12 exams and Chromebook collection schedule
The following grades 9-12 June 2023 exams and Chromebook collection schedule has been shared via ParentSquare with high school families. Best of luck to all of our students on your exams and thank you for returning your Chromebooks.
VFW honors winning student essay authors, teachers
VFW Post 3275 Commander Thomas Elwood recently visited FPHS to honor the winners of the VFW’s annual Patriot’s Pen and Voices of Democracy essay contests. Commander Elwood also presented two Teacher of the Year awards to Fort Plain educators.
Congratulations to our student essay winners:
Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest- Theme: My Pledge to Our Veterans
1st place – Lilly Lapi
2nd place – Levi Hext
3rd place – Silas Smith
(All are 8th grade students)
Voices of Democracy Essay Contest – Theme: Why is the Veteran Important?
1st place – Alex Smith (11th grade)
The winning essay writers read their essays in front of the entire 8th grade.
Kolbe Gray was honored as the 6th-8th grade VFW Teacher of the Year, and Casey Russom was honored as the 9th-12th grade VFW Teacher of the Year.
Congratulations to all!
HS yearbooks available
There are still some high school yearbooks available for purchase, beginning the week of June 12.
The books are $40. To purchase, see Mrs. Summerfield or Mrs. Cole in the high school.
Race horses provide lessons, opportunity to help
Students in Kolbe Gray’s and Lucas Santiago’s History of Sports/Sports Statistics class culminated their study of horse racing with a field trip in May to Saratoga Springs to learn more about the horse racing industry, horse breeding and thoroughbred retirement.
At the Oklahoma Training Track in Saratoga Springs, the students watched practice sessions, learning about the different exercises and workouts performed by horses based on their racing schedule.
During a barn visit, the students got a behind-the-scenes look at where workers and horses stay and live when they are not working. They met a pony rider, Mary Keiser, who has worked for many years at the Oklahoma Track, and learned about ponies and their role at the track. Santiago noted, “The students were able to get up close with some of the horses and even got to feed them!”
At Sugar Plum Farm, the students saw where the process all begins. They learned about the breeding industry and a typical day in the life of a breeding farm worker.
At the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, the students were given a guided tour of the history of horse racing as it pertains to American history. They also had a special guest appearance by famed jockey Ramon Dominguez, who has ridden more than 21,000 horses, won close to 5,000 races and made almost $200,000,000 in his career.
At 18 Karat Farm, as a culminating activity, the students learned about the start of the charity, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, or TRF. TRF helps owners of thoroughbred horses, providing a farm where retired racehorses can live out their rest of their lives.
The students had the following thoughts about their field trip:
Stephen Gray said, “The Oklahoma Track was my favorite place because we got to actually see them run. It was cool to see the future of the sport at the beginning of their racing careers and we also got to see some pretty good trainers. I didn’t know that they had a logo type on their silks to identify the trainer of the horse.”
Ezekiel Brown added, “It was awesome to see the horses and the jockeys warm up. I have never seen an animal run that fast in my life. It was awesome. There’s a lot of rich history behind the Oklahoma Track and the history we learned that was behind Saratoga was also awesome.”
Vivian Nunez said, “I enjoyed hearing the story of how the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm came to be. The walk throughout the horse paddocks and getting to pet the horses was really fun. They were so sweet.”
Anthony Paradiso added, “I really enjoyed the breeding farm to see how the racing bloodline is done. I think it is always nice to see the origin of where everyone’s stories begin. Personally, that is why it was my favorite because it’s the start of something amazing. Some of those horses can be future winners.”
Alex Smith said, “I enjoyed the museum tour and the video that was played in the theater box. It was a very cool video with very fun presentation. It was very informative and interesting.”
“On the behalf of our class and Fort Plain School District, we want to thank our hosts at TRF and NYRA – Kim Weir, Sharon Dominguez, Maude Walsh, Keith McCalmont, Stephanie Cowser and Stephen Geissler – for making this field trip possible and giving our students a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Santiago and Gray. “Our class was able to donate $500 to the TRF as a thank you for hosting us!”
At the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame with jockey Ramon Dominguez
Learning about horses, barns and the racing industry
Group photo!
For more photos, visit our Facebook album.
Congratulations to our 2023 National Honor Society inductees
Five Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School students were inducted into the National Honor Society at a May 17 ceremony, in recognition of their scholarship, leadership, service and character.
Congratulations to the following students on their induction:
- Madeline Heroth
- Ethan Hubbard
- Brady Keane
- Monika Kuczynski
- Matthew Paul
Senior National Honor Society Members for 2023 are:
- Americus Cotton
- Andra Fuhs
- Stephen Gray
- Rylee Herron
- Ethan Kilmartin
- Anthony Paradiso
- Natalie Thibodeau
The chapter’s officers and senior members led the ceremony, for which National Honor Society advisor Kolbe Gray provided an introduction.
Serving as this year’s National Honor Society officers are Anthony Paradiso, president; Stephen Gray, vice president; Ethan Kilmartin, treasurer; Andra Fuhs, secretary; and Natalie Thibodeau, public relations.
Fort Plain’s chapter of the National Honor Society was chartered in 1954.
A positive, wellness-centered approach to mental health awareness
Just like physical health, promoting one’s emotional well-being takes skill, resources and knowledge. Fort Plain Central School is observing Mental Health Awareness Month in May with a proactive approach to support community wellness.
At Harry Hoag, students and staff are observing Mental Health Awareness Week from May 15-19 with themed days that offer positive coping tips and tools.
- Mellow Monday’s tip was to wear your pajamas to relieve stress. The hallways were colorful and relaxing!
- Twin Tuesday advised students and staff to team up against stress by dressing like a friend or someone in their house, because they are not alone.
- Be Someone’s Superhero Wednesday encouraged dressing like a superhero, because in someone’s eyes you are their hero.
- Tie Dye Thursday will have students and staff wearing tie-dye colors to represent a range of emotions, and it’s okay to feel them.
- On Friday, all are encouraged to wear green for mental health awareness.
The Jr./Sr. High School has been observing Mental Health Awareness Month using a host of daily activities meant to deepen each student’s personal set of skills. Each week features Mindfulness Monday, Thankful Tuesday, Wellness Wednesday, Thursday Tips and Feel Good Friday. Activities range from learning about self-care tips and sleep resources, to practicing mindfulness and deep breathing, understanding the importance of developing resilience and relationships, and many other exploratory activities aimed to deepen our understanding of how to promote mental health.
The Jr./Sr. High School Counseling Office offers daily tips during announcements and coordinates each day’s activities. Students can participate in activities during their lunch periods and via the Counseling Office’s Google Classroom links to reliable resources.
The Montgomery County Public Health Department teamed up with the school on a mental-health-themed poster contest and the lunch-time activity on May 25 will feature visits and information by community partners including Catholic Charities, Family Counseling, Domestic Violence/Human Trafficking Prevention, the Mental Health Alliance and the HFM Prevention Council.
All are invited to an evening of wonderful music at Fort Plain Central School’s Spring Concert
All in the community are invited to enjoy a Spring Concert musical spectacular on Wednesday, May 24, when Fort Plain’s talented grades 5-12 students will perform music of many styles, from popular pieces to traditional ensemble music, beginning at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Performances will feature the 5th Grade Chorus, 5th and 6th Grade Band, the Jr./Sr. High School Chorus, and the Jr./Sr. High School Band. Highlights will include featured soloists and a duet at the Jr./Sr. level for both band and chorus. The band and chorus will each perform selections from classic Disney movies.
“All are welcome to attend our spring concert, including families, friends and members of our community,” said music teachers Dalton Burrello and Julieanne Sincavage. “This will be our last performance of the school year, so we hope everyone can come and enjoy the music.”
Ocean City trip made possible by waves of fundraising
Fort Plain High School seniors will be heading out for a weekend of fun in Ocean City, MD, in mid-June, a trip made possible by years of fundraising that began when they were freshmen.
Beginning in ninth grade and despite time lost to the pandemic, members of the Class of 2023 fundraised enough to cover a good portion of the cost of their trip.
“Students earn one point for each $5 they fundraise or for each 30 minutes they work on class committees during their high school years, and those points can be used to reduce the cost of the senior trip,” said teacher and senior class advisor Kolbe Gray.
The senior class covered the costs of various activities thanks to their energy and determination during the past four years. “Fundraising is what made all of the events possible for us,” noted student council representative Andra Fuhs.
Class officers and student council representatives led many of the fundraising activities and are part of a core group of students and families supporting such efforts. “We park cars each year at the Fonda Fair from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” said senior class president Stephen Gray. “There are three shifts, but many of us work the whole time.”
“The Fonda Fair is our most fun fundraiser,” said class vice president Anthony Paradiso. “We can be kids but still do our job.”
The most lucrative fundraiser is the annual Krispy Kreme doughnut sale. “We earned more than $3,000,” Ethan Kilmartin, secretary of the senior class, noted.
The Class of 2023 also held chicken barbecues to fundraise. “The barbecue is held the Tuesday before Thanksgiving every year, and the weather is always cold,” Stephen said. “This year, we were able to stand in the bus garage, which was warmer.”
Selling potted mums was not only another successful and popular fundraiser, it was also the quickest: the senior class officers said they had the unloading and delivery tasks down to a science.
This year is the first since 2019 that the senior class is going on an overnight trip – the classes of 2022 and 2021 went on a day trip and the previous two years’ trips were canceled due to the pandemic – and the senior class officers are advocating to revive a good tradition. Ocean City was chosen as the destination following a vote by the entire senior class, who also considered Lake Placid and Camp Oswegatchie.
“As class officers, we meet as a group to look at destinations and select three for the entire class to vote on. Then we present the trip to the Board of Education for approval,” said council representative Vivian Nunez.
“For our trip, we didn’t want to go to the same places as other classes in the past; we wanted to make the trip our own,” said Rylee Herron, senior class treasurer. “We also wanted to go somewhere a little farther than we could go with our families.”
The students also decided to move their trip from the traditional May timeframe to mid-June to take advantage of warmer weather. Ocean City was attractive because of its distance from home – far enough away and yet a shorter bus ride from home than Virginia Beach, another designation they explored – as well as because of its beach, boardwalk and warm-weather activities such as sightseeing, go-karts, amusement park, and Assateague Island boat ride and tour.
In view the challenges presented by the pandemic, and in recognition of the hard work of the Class of 2023 despite school closures, the Board of Education stepped in to cover the cost of the bus transportation for the trip, helping to keep the cost within reach of the student body.
Fitting fundraising and class activities into a busy schedule can be a challenge, yet when asked what advice they would give younger students, the dsenior class members were both enthusiastic and encouraging.
“Be active in your class,” Anthony said. “Get involved and make the most of your high school years. You can fundraise and make your senior year be what you want it to be.”
“Learn how to make the not-so-fun things fun,” Vivian said, “like sorting doughnuts or standing out in the heat, sun, rain or cold.”
“Make sure you sell and advocate for your class,” Andra said. “You are limited on fundraising so you want to take advantage of the good ones and sell the most you can to build up your opportunities.
“And you try to build up a class that strives and endures for the end goal. I feel that our class always wanted this extravagant senior trip, different than others, and through always picturing the end goal as our motivation we made it happen.”
In the photo above, from left: Student Council Representative Vivian Nunez, Class Treasurer Rylee Herron, Class Secretary Ethan Kilmartin, Class Vice President Anthony Paradiso, Class President Stephen Gray and Student Council Representative Andra Fuhs.