Author: monique.jacobs
Sheriff to make special presentation to longboard-skateboard crafters
On Friday, May 14, at 1:10 p.m., Montgomery County Sheriff Jeffery T. Smith will meet with 16 Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School 8th grade students, their technology teachers Kreig Heroth and Ted Arndt, and school officials at Wiles Park as the students road-test their handcrafted, custom-designed longboard skateboards.
The students know they are showing their longboards to the Sheriff and receiving stickers, but Sheriff Smith also has a special presentation to make to them. A rain date of May 18 has been set for the event, but the forecast looks positive.
About the skateboard project, Mr. Arndt and Mr. Heroth said:
“Early this year, we decided it would be exciting for the 16 students of our 8th grade co-taught technology class to build special skateboards called longboards. Unlike typical street boards, longboards are used for gracefully cruising around town, on the bike path, etc. They are very long (38 to 45 inches) with a correspondingly long wheelbase.
“We made the boards using two layers of 1/4-inch marine-grade plywood. Students first designed their board by making a mock-up out of tag board. They then transferred their individual design to the plywood blank and rough cut the shape with a bandsaw or jigsaw. The students then applied glue and laminated the boards using a special custom press. They helped us, their teachers, build a double board press that uses hydraulic jacks to compress the board blanks as they are laminated. With the press, we could make the bends and shapes we needed to create super strong, custom decks.
“Once pressing was completed (24 hours per board), we then needed to prepare the boards for finishing. This was done first by cutting the final shape using the bandsaw or reciprocating (scroll) saw. We then used a variety of power and hand sanding techniques to complete the process.
“Finishing was done using a variety of techniques. Some students masked and spray painted their boards, then coated them with polyurethane. Others used contact paper to cut out custom graphics for painting. Still others finished their ride by printing graphics and applying them with adhesive.
“The final step before installing trucks and wheels was to apply grip tape or otherwise create a non-slip surface for the top of the deck. One student even used two-part epoxy gel-coat and sandblasting beads for an original finish. School counselor Kayla Mahoney helped some students print adhesive stickers using a Cricket sticker maker.
“There were no donations for the boards. Fort Plain Schools supported the class and paid for all materials.”
Here’s what some of the students had to say as they neared the end of the months-long skateboard project:
- “I didn’t like it at the beginning, but I did in the end. I made my board into something I could relate to.” – Jorge Medina
- “I liked the project because we could make our own details. My board is a classic but with anime stickers!” – Emily Rood
- “I learned that patience, perseverance and determination are all you need to make an awesome longboard!” – Yunus Demir
- “The boards are coming out really good!” – Tristen Morey
View a photo album of the project on our Facebook page.
May 5 Budget Hearing starts at 7 p.m., Board meeting to follow
Please note: The Public Hearing on the Proposed 2021-22 School Year Budget will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5, in the Harry Hoag gym, with the regular Fort Plain Board of Education meeting to follow.
Grade 4 presents “Fables,” a readers’ theatre production
Every picture might tell a story, but a fable teaches a life lesson. Harry Hoag fourth graders recently capped off their study of traditional literature with a focus on fables. Students were asked to develop a readers’ theatre production to demonstrate their comprehension of the genre.
They presented live to their peers, and we videoed their work to share with families at home. Fables feature talking animals who tell a story that teaches a life lesson. After learning about different fables and their morals, the fourth graders created staging with colorful sets, backgrounds and props, along with puppet-like characters for each tale. The students worked hard to author and perform the productions.
Harry Hoag Principal Mrs. Crisman said, “Our fourth graders did a beautiful job with the fable performance tradition. It was clear that all students contributed to the group project. I was most impressed with the performances! It is not easy to speak publicly in front of peers, let alone perform. Great job by all! ”
“This is a highlight of our fourth grade year!” said teacher Libby Arndt. “It is not only a great activity to end our traditional literature unit, but a great opportunity for students to work together. They write the screenplay, decorate the set, and build the puppets and props as a group. They are so nervous and excited to perform, and then get up in front of their friends and do such a great job! I’m always so proud of their efforts.”
View their video and learn the moral of their stories!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1am2aUBdP-30fyzgObvxK1S1UgHDGziW8/view?usp=sharing
The fables include:
“The Fox and Leopard”
“The Frog and the Mouse”
“The Owl and the Grasshopper”
“The Dog and His Reflection”
“King Lion and the Beetle”
“The Fox and the Stork”
“The Fox and the Goat”
“The Ant and the Dove”
The Donkey, the Rooster and the Lion
“The Baboon’s Umbrella”
“A Raven and a Swan”
“The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf”
FPHS earns high national, area rankings from U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report has awarded Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School high rankings nationally and regionally rankings in its “2021 Best High Schools” report.
Schools were ranked on six factors based on their performance on state assessments, graduation, and how well they prepare students for college. Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School continues to rank high in the national report.
Fort Plain was ranked number one in the Amsterdam, N.Y. metro area, number 467 in New York State, and number 5,470 out of 24,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Great work, Hilltoppers!
Glow Day lights up learning excitement
Who said that getting ready for state testing had to be boring?
As children across the state have been preparing for the NYS ELA assessments that will take place this week, the students in Mrs. Amy Bartholomew’s 6th grade English Language Arts classes have been doing the same . . . sort of.
Students spent all last week in her class reading incredibly challenging text passages and then analyzing and answering multiple choice questions. But since she was asking for so much effort and focus from them, Mrs. Bartholomew decided to reward her students and their hard work by making the experience as fun as possible.
They call these days “Glow Day,” and students spend their ELA class in complete darkness with blacklights, glowsticks, glow in the dark balloons, and highlighters to light their way as they work. When students completed test questions accurately, they were allowed to play glow-in-the-dark bowling, ring toss, tic-tac-toe, and basketball as a reward.
It is one of the most fun weeks in 6th grade ELA and students were actually THANKING her for their week of test prep! Mrs. Bartholomew shared that she is incredibly proud of her 6th graders and all of the hard work they’ve put in this past week, as well as throughout this entire school year.
Seth Wintermute, Patti Jarabek honored with CASDA Scholars Recognition awards
Fort Plain senior Seth Wintermute and Spanish teacher Patti Jarabek have been honored with 2021 Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA) Scholars Recognition awards.
Seth was nominated for the award by Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School counselor Colleen Cushing. He was then asked to nominate a teacher and selected Mrs. Jarabek.
A CASDA website article about the awards said this about Seth’s nomination: “Seth is an outstanding student who will be attending Syracuse University in the fall. A recipient of Syracuse’s Leadership Scholars Award, Seth will be studying Political Philosophy and Political Science.
“While a student at Fort Plain, Seth participated in Track and Field and Cross Country, and held leadership roles on both teams. Seth received the Rensselaer Medal, The Julia Innella Memorial Award, and the Bausch and Lomb Science Award.”
About Patti Jarabek, CASDA said, “Mrs. Jarabek has been teaching Spanish for the Fort Plain Central School District for 29 years, influencing the lives of hundreds of students. Seth chose to recognize Mrs. Jarabek as the teacher that has had the most significant influence on his education because, in his words, ‘her class and guidance has helped me immensely through my career in high school and I would like the opportunity to thank her for that.’”
Congratulations Seth and Mrs. Jarabek!
Senior’s graphic project educates classmates about careers
A Fort Plain High School senior’s creative and information-packed graphic display project is serving as a resource to educate fellow students about more than a dozen career clusters and the job opportunities they offer.
Justin Schumacher, a student in the high school’s work-based learning program, produced the educational graphics as part of his work-based learning project as a teaching assistant.
“Justin used skills learned in school and applied them to a work setting,” teacher Wendy Stokna said. “His focus on quality work and patience was a top priority in this experience.”
The graphics are displayed in Mrs. Stokna’s classroom to remind all students about the 16 career clusters and types of work that each contains. Justin researched the careers using the O*Net resource and decided on the career image that he thought would best represent each cluster.
“In this experience,” Mrs. Stokna said, “he learned about editing and proofing his work to produce the best result. He has a natural talent for using technology and remembering facts that served him well throughout this learning experience.”
Thank you Fort Plain True Value!
Fort Plain True Value has honored their community’s educators, staff and students by donating to Fort Plain Central School several boxes and bottles of health and safety supplies, including hand sanitizer, germicidal cleaner, masks, a spray bottle, pumps and blue painter’s tape for marking social distancing.
Fort Plain True Value owners Tanya and Shawn Kilmartin presented the donation to Matt Hearn of Fort Plain Central School at their store on Wednesday morning, April 21. The donated items took up a good portion of the district’s pickup truck bed and will be used to help keep students, staff and visitors safe and healthy.
The Kilmartins made the donation as part of the True Value Educational Heroes Safety Campaign. Last fall, they donated items including soap and masks to Fort Plain Central School.
Board adopts proposed $21.8 million budget with no tax levy increase
The Fort Plain Board of Education adopted a proposed $21,875,000 budget for the 2021-22 school year at their April 14 meeting. The proposed budget would maintain all academic programming with no increase in the tax levy.
The proposed budget is an increase of $500,000, or 2.34%, over the current-year budget, but does not raise the tax levy, as funds would be allocated from increased state aid to cover school faculty and staffing costs, as well as adding offerings such as summer and after-school enrichment.
When district residents vote on the proposed budget on May 18, they will also consider a referendum authorizing the district to acquire school vehicles at a maximum cost of $275,000, with the funds to be drawn from the Bus Purchase Reserve Fund. The purchase would not have an impact on the tax levy, and would allow the district to replace aging buses and minimize maintenance costs.
Voters will also elect two members of the Board of Education for three-year terms running from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024, to succeed Mary Beth Hudyncia and Kimberly Keane, whose terms expire on June 30, 2021. Petitions to run for the Board can be picked up at the District Office and must be returned by April 19.
“Our goal is to always put forward a responsible budget that maintains high quality programming. This year, we can achieve this with zero impact on the tax levy,” Superintendent John Bishop said.
Student-crafted Kachina Masks display learning, creativity
While some masks obscure things, those crafted by students in Patrick Hanifin’s 5th grade social studies class at Harry Hoag School provide a big, bright display – of learning, knowledge and creativity.
The students recently studied the Pueblo people. Then, each of the students created a Kachina Mask.
“The Hopi tribe used Kachina Masks in dance ceremonies to become the spirit their mask represents,” Mr. Hanifin said. “The students were very creative with their mask designs.”
He added, “The Hopi, native to Arizona, look to the Kachina spirits to renew the land each year and guarantee water for another season. Ceremonies honoring the Kachina take place from the winter solstice until July.”