Author: monique.jacobs

Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School inducted 11 eighth grade students into the National Junior Honor Society and recognized 20 seventh grade students as provisional members at a June 21 ceremony at the school.

Congratulations to the following inductees:
Ian Burns
Josephia Carcasole
Owen Castellano
Reanna Germond
Koby Herron
McKenna Karker
Dylan Keane
Taylor Potter
Bailie Richardson
Bradley Rumrill
Dawson Tracki

Congratulations to the following provisional members:
Gamilel Brackett
Aubry Brant
Kala Clapper
Bryellah D’Arcangelis
Keagen Dodson
Mason Gray
Jansheen Haider
Hailey Hayes
Levi Hext
Lilly Lapi
Elle Nare
Alexis Palmeri
Hunter Palmeri
Zionna Robarge
Kendra Sackett
Larry Sanders
Silas Smith
Brady Spaulding
Olivia Sweet
Landon VanGorder

By Wendy Stokna –

A popular country song by Tim McGraw, whose lyrics include the following, “Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you / When you get where you’re going, don’t forget turn back around / And help the next one in line / Always stay humble and kind,” personifies the latest effort by internship student Talia Narzymski.

After being the first student from the Fort Plain Central School District to receive the College Board’s National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program Award, Talia realized that she could use her experience to help her peers win scholarships to help fund their education in times of growing economic concern.

Her internship experience through Mrs. Stokna’s class was inspired by the recent video “Borrowed Future,” directed by David DiCicco, which spotlights how staggering amounts of college debt have become a national concern. In order to do what she could with her knowledge of the process and as a student in a rural community, she set out to make a difference.

Her process began with conversations among teachers, her senior high school counselor and the development of student surveys. Her first step was sending out a survey to her classmates to understand their needs and where they might need support. (She thanks Mrs. Sacco for allowing her to do so during her class!)

With guidance from Ms. Cushing and Mrs. Stokna, Talia created a guideline for her classmates with helpful links and suggestions to assist them on their scholarship journeys. Seniors were given access to this through Ms. Cushing’s Class of 2022 Google Classroom and you will find a link to it here as well: Guide to Scholarships by Talia, which includes Guide to Writing Your Scholarship Resume.

Two displays were created in the school, by the school counselors’ office and outside of Mrs. Stokna’s classroom, that contain QR codes and information about the following scholarship services: https://www.goingmerry.com/, https://www.fastweb.com/, and https://student.naviance.com/fpjshs. The posters in these displays are also displayed throughout the halls.

Talia hopes her fellow classmates discover that the application process is not as scary as it may seem, and that they can continue to apply for scholarships even after they graduate! She also puts emphasis on the importance of looking at every scholarship that is posted, as many students do not seem to realize that there are scholarships for just about anything, not just top academic scores or athletic ability.

Small amounts can easily add up. Talia is also hopeful that this will be the start of something that will continue to grow and can support students of the Fort Plain School District for many years to come.

In the photos: Talia created the displays above in the high school, posting them with the help of fellow student Braeden Mosher (pictured with Talia in the top photo).

This year’s In the Biz class created a city to experience what it takes to build and run a business.

According to teacher Wendy Stokna, “Each student in the class did baseline research to determine which type of business they would like to create.

“The project-based learning experience required them to select a business type, ownership type, create their building, collaboratively perform city planning, develop a vision board for the business, create a brand, develop a marketing plan including social media marketing, create customer avatars, and make decisions about how they would manage, fund and measure business success.

“The city included businesses such as a grocery store, pharmacy, bakery, game store, coffee shop, office building and apartment building. Having the model truly supported discussions about various aspects of the curriculum to aid student visualization.”

Student reflections of this experience include:

“We learned about entrepreneurship and what goes into running a successful business. Not only that, but it shows how tough being an entrepreneur is and the tasks that they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.”

“Location of your business is very important to growing your business. You could have the best business idea ever, but if you don’t have a good location you are not going to go far in that business.”

“A brand is crucial to getting people to come check out your business. The more intriguing the brand is, the more people may want to come check out your business.”

“Hands-on learning while making our businesses has helped me learn a lot better, in many different ways. For example, being able to pick what business we wanted to ‘run’ made it easier to learn about it because I actually had an interest in said business.”

“The parts that I thought were the hardest were planning the city and marketing. You may think planning a city is pretty easy, but you actually have to figure out which businesses go where and what types of businesses there are. Things can get really tough. Even though planning the city was tough, I also thought that it was fun.”

Mrs. Stokna congratulates her students on this successful endeavor. Great job everyone!

Students in Patti Jarabek’s Textile Arts class at Fort Plain High School spent the semester learning the fundamentals of quilt making, and they ultimately made quilts of their own.

“The quilts will serve as a happy reminder of home when the students go off to college!” said their teacher.

In the photos: Students Sarah Florian, Erin Crouse, Hailey Hogan and Emma Oldick show their beautiful work.

By Talia Narzymski 

Mrs. Stokna’s Career Internship Class at Fort Plain High School lent a helping hand to make this year’s Spring Fling and Prom an extraordinary experience for our student body.

The design team put their heads and hands together to design two beautiful archways, and the Spring Fling setup was so beautiful that it was also used in a family wedding the following weekend! The team is pictured (above) with the floral arrangements that they made for the tables at the Spring Fling.

Brianna Krutz was the head designer for the archways, and Braeden Mosher was her trusty assistant who worked alongside Monique Cool. Alyza Scott and Kaitlyn Dodson were more than happy to help the class put together the nine floral arrangements for the Spring Fling, and Talia Narzymski pieced together the two selfie stations many students loved at both events.

The six-member team was grateful for the opportunity to make the student body have wonderful memories. They would like to thank everyone who donated materials and the arch to make this all possible.

The arch design team

The spring fling arch and frame

Working on the spring fling selfie frame

Prom selfie photo frame

Prom arch and frame

[The following letter has been shared with families via ParentSquare and was originally posted on May 11, 2022]

Updated June 3, 2022 – New dates & information as noted below

Dear Families of the Class of 2022:

As the end of the year quickly approaches, our thoughts turn towards graduation and other year-end milestones our seniors have been looking forward to for a long time. While the pandemic has taken away some of these rites of passage, class advisors Paula Colvin and Laurie Capece are working tirelessly to provide as many opportunities as possible for our graduating seniors, while keeping within the constraints of ever changing mandates.

While we have unmasked in school, COVID cases have been rising again, therefore, it is important to understand our plans remain fluid. While it is important for our seniors to graduate as an entire class, we want to reduce the risk of spreading COVID during a large gathering. We will hold an indoor graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 25, at 10:00 a.m. For that to occur we will streamline the ceremony and limit the number of guests. However, all graduates will receive six (6) tickets for graduation. More details will be forthcoming as plans continue to unfold.

Based on student input, the class has created a week of senior activities and celebrations they so greatly deserve. Mark your calendar and save these dates for you and your graduate.

Saturday, June 4:
Junior-Senior Prom – 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. Old Tater Barn, Central Bridge. This is a formal/semi-formal event. Please dress accordingly. All students will take school transportation.

Tuesday, June 7:
Awards Night – 6:30 p.m. Jr. – Sr. High School Auditorium. This will be a ceremony for seniors and undergraduates. Letters will be mailed to students receiving an award.

Sunday, June 12:
Senior Day Trip – A visit to Lake George will include Six Flags, go-karts at Fun Spot, laser tag and miniature golf. All students will take school transportation. Rain date to be determined.

Monday, June 13:
MUD – Moving Up Day is back!

Tuesday, June 14:
Yearbook Dedication and Distribution – 8:15 a.m. Jr. – Sr. High School Auditorium.
NEW DATE: Athletic Awards – 6:30 p.m. Jr. – Sr. High School Auditorium. Awards will be presented for spring sports and annual all-sports, as well as memorial awards. Families and friends of varsity sports teams are invited to attend!

Wednesday, June 15:
Senior Breakfast – 9:00 a.m. Jr. – Sr. High School Cafeteria.
Cap & Gown and Graduation Tickets distribution – Six (6) tickets each

Thursday, June 16:
Senior Bowling – 8:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Iroquois Lanes, Canajoharie.
NEW DATE: Boat Cruise and Dinner – 5:00 p.m. Students will enjoy the scenery of the Mohawk Valley as they cruise the Erie Canal. This will be followed by dinner at school at 7:00 p.m. All students will take school transportation.

Friday, June 17:
NEW DATE: Senior Car Parade – 6:00 p.m. Parade route is being finalized.

Tuesday, June 21:
Senior Walk Through at Harry Hoag – 10:00 a.m. Graduates will report to the elementary school wearing their gowns (NO CAPS). Please make sure gowns are wrinkle free!
Senior Picnic – Wiles Park. Following Senior Walk. Fun, food, and games!

ADDED EVENT: Thursday, June 23:
Baccalaureate Celebration – 7:00 p.m. Our Lady of Hope Church, 115 Reid St., Fort Plain. This will be a voluntary, inspirational celebration honoring our seniors as they reach the end of this phase of their academic career and look to their next journey. Students should arrive at 6:30 p.m. Please wear gowns (NO CAPS).

Friday, June 24:
Graduation Rehearsal – 10:15 a.m. Harry Hoag School Gymnasium.

Saturday, June 25:
Graduation – 10:00 a.m. Harry Hoag School Gymnasium. Graduates report to the cafeteria in cap and gown by 9:15 a.m.

Please note:
Update: COVID is still here. While we do not require masks at any of these events, they are recommended when indoors. Social distancing will be in effect during baccalaureate and graduation.

Graduation is a formal event steeped in tradition. It is expected that all seniors will wear appropriate attire under their caps and gowns. Seniors are asked to refrain from wearing sneakers, flip flops, jeans or shorts. Caps may be decorated as long as they are school appropriate.

In recognition of the Class of 2022, please check out our Senior Spotlight on this website, our Facebook page and on ParentSquare. We have been highlighting our seniors with their photo and information they have shared. Our seniors are also proudly displayed on our high school lobby video screen.

As plans continue to unfold, we will reach out to you with additional details and/or changes. To stay connected please check Parent Square for updates. For any questions, please reach out to class advisors, Paula Colvin or Laurie Capece.

Sincerely,
Deborah Larrabee, Ed.D.
Principal

Eight Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School students were inducted into the National Honor Society at a May 19 ceremony, in recognition of their scholarship, leadership, service and character.

Congratulations to the following students on their induction:

• Americus Cotton
• Madison Delgado
• Andra Fuhs
• Rylee Herron
• Ethan Kilmartin
• Anthony Paradiso
• Natalie Thibodeau
• Stephen Gray

Senior National Honor Society members for 2022 are:

• Erin Crouse
• Brandon Dygert
• Sarah Florian
• Keagen Ford
• Hailey Hogan
• Tucker Jones
• Robert Jordan
• Talia Narzymski
• Noah Norton
• Emma Oldick
• Seth Rivkowich
• Estee Smith
• Levi Thomas

Serving as this year’s National Honor Society officers are Robert Jordan, president; Erin Crouse, vice president; Levi Thomas, treasurer; Sarah Florian, secretary; and Hailey Hogan, public relations. Mrs. Kolbe Gray is the National Honor Society advisor.