Category: Archive
Talia Narzymski is first FPHS student to win National Rural & Small Town Recognition Award
Talia Narzymski is Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School’s first-ever recipient of the College Board’s National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program Award. Talia, a senior, is being honored for excellence and academic achievement, based on her grade point average and PSAT score.
“Talia is a super kid and a great student,” said FPHS School Counselor Colleen Cushing. “This is the first time one of our students has won this award, which recognizes academic achievement in school and outstanding performance on the PSAT.
To qualify for the College Board’s National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program Award, a student must score above a certain level on the PSAT and achieve a grade point average of at 3.5 or higher. Students work with their school counselors to apply.
Talia said she plans to study psychology at Siena College after graduation, with a career goal of working in “some form of psychology or therapy and applying that degree in criminal justice. After Siena, I definitely plan to attend graduate school to earn a master’s and then possibly a doctorate.
“I’ve been interested in the field since the beginning of high school, and taking UAlbany University in the High School psychology and sociology classes here at Fort Plain confirmed it for me,” Talia said. “I’m taking forensics right now, and there are so many job options and branches in the career field.
“English and forensics are my favorite classes, and I also loved history classes,” she said. “I wrote an English paper on the psychology of serial killers, and I love to do research. Maybe some day, kids will be reading my research.” Talia enjoys creative writing during her free time, including working on projects with her younger sisters.
Talia’s other interests include dance – growing up, she took dancing classes and “always wanted to be a famous singer and dancer” – and participating in theatre productions. “I hope to join the dance team at Siena and also act in theatre productions there,” she said.
In announcing this year’s honorees, the College Board said that students who receive the National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program Award “have accomplished this milestone during an immensely demanding period of their high school career. We couldn’t be more delighted to share this great news.”
The College Board created National Recognition Programs to “help address systemic barriers to higher education faced by underrepresented students,” including those from rural and small town school districts. In addition to recognizing outstanding achievement, the awards provide students with an academic honor that can be included in scholarship and college applications and help connect them with a wider range of higher education options.
In the photo at top: Talia Narzymski with school counselor Colleen Cushing
School is closed Friday, Feb. 4
Fort Plain schools are closed Friday, Feb. 4, due to weather.
Afterschool activities cancelled Thursday, Feb. 3
All afterschool activities are cancelled for Thursday, Feb. 3.
Fort Plain schools on a 2-hour delay Thursday, Feb. 3
Fort Plain schools are on a two-hour delay on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022.
Superintendent Search Listening Session slated
Posted Jan. 24, 2022; reposted Feb. 2, 2022
Fort Plain families and community members are invited to participate in a Community Listening Session on Wednesday, Feb. 2, to share feedback concerning the search for a new Superintendent of Schools.
Participants will be asked to provide input regarding the characteristics and attributes desired of the next superintendent and what opportunities and challenges they will face. The meeting will be held in a small-group format with sessions scheduled every 20 minutes beginning at 4 p.m. Advance registration is required. Call Becky Smith at 518-993-4000, ext. #1000 for more information and to sign up for a time slot.
The Fort Plain Board of Education is seeking a new district leader to replace Interim Superintendent of Schools Jeffery Ziegler.
The position is now posted on several education job boards with professional organizations including the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS), the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS), the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) and OLAS, the On-line Application System for Educators. The posting can also be found at: http://www.hfmboces.org/FortPlainSearch.
The application deadline is Feb. 21. The Board of Education’s goal is to have the next superintendent in place by July 2022.
Congratulations to the latest 7th grade Most Valuable Students
Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School’s 7th Grade Team has announced the Most Valuable Students for November 2021, December, 2021, and January 2022. Congratulations to Gamliel Brackett, Brady Spaulding and Mason Gray, respectively.
Most Valuable Student is a monthly award that was developed for students who are caught “doing their job.” According to teacher Dale Smith, “Students who most demonstrate characteristics in one or more of the following categories will receive a Most Valuable Student award for the month:
- Responsibility/accountability
- Kindness
- Academics
- Good citizenship
- School pride
- Perseverance
- Self-control
- Helpful to peers/teachers, and
- Accepting of new challenges.”
Each monthly winner gets a Medal and Certificate congratulating them on their achievement.
Congratulations to the most recent Most Valuable Students:
November: Gamliel Brackett
December: Brady Spaulding
January: Mason Gray
Animals do the talking while students learn, create and teach
Dr. Dolittle may have talked to the animals, but at Harry Hoag Elementary on Jan. 26, 2022, the animals talked to the second graders, thanks to their older schoolmates.
Students in Jade VanGorder’s fourth grade class researched, wrote and illustrated books about the life cycle of animals as part of an integrated English/language arts and science project. Each story was told from the vantage point of the animal, be it a panther, fox, tiger or other creature great or small. The students then read their books to second grade classes.
“In addition to what they learned during our study of animals during science class, the students conducted their own research to gather information about the life cycle of their chosen animal from various sources,” VanGorder said.
“Then, they had to tell their life story from that animal’s point of view. I encouraged the children to use lots of details, giving their readers a vivid description of each stage. The students illustrated pictures along the way to enhance their stories even more.
“The fourth graders were so excited and so proud to complete their books and read them to the second grade classes.”
The project was a hit with all. VanGorder shared a few of her students’ comments after they read to the second graders:
“This was soooo much fun.”
“It was really cool, because I got to talk about black panthers and answer lots of questions.”
“The group of second graders LOVED it because they were asking lots of questions!”
“I really liked reading to them because they loved my fun facts section.”
Writing and sharing books isn’t limited to Harry Hoag’s fourth grade students. Kindergartners recently hosted sixth graders for an author celebration event, where the younger learners shared their written pieces with the older students, then toasted their work with fruit juice. Elementary Principal Lauren Crisman noted, “It is great to see more author celebrations at Harry Hoag!”
History of Sports class spotlights FPHS athletes
Kolbe Gray’s History of Sports class has created a cool Athlete Spotlight featuring FPHS students. View their project below to learn more about our talented Hilltoppers. The class has also created a website to provide some great info about Hilltopper sports.
Fort Plain Athlete Spotlight
Mask ruling update – January 25, 2022
January 25, 2022
Dear Fort Plain Central School Families,
As you may have seen or heard through various media outlets this afternoon, the Governor and the State Department of Health filed an appeal from the recent Demetriou decision. This afternoon arguments were heard before the Appellate Division, Second Department, on the issue of the status of the masking regulation. At this time, the Appellate Court has temporarily stayed the Order and Decision set forth in Demetriou through at least January 28, 2022, to permit the parties an opportunity for additional arguments on that date, and should this result in a change in our current plan, we will update you as soon as possible.
In light of this ruling, public school districts in New York State remain subject to the Department of Health masking regulation at least through January 28, 2022. We will continue to monitor these proceedings and inform you of additional developments as they arise.
This has been a rather challenging 24 hours for students, parents/guardians, and our staff alike, and we are grateful for everyone’s patience. While there are certainly disagreements with this mandate and the various restrictions currently in place, we are hopeful that with the declining number of positive cases, across the county, and in New York State in general, we will begin to see the state project when such restrictions can be lifted.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jeffery Ziegler
Interim Superintendent of Schools
Mask mandate ruling
January 24, 2022
Dear FPCS Families,
The Fort Plain Central School District is aware of today’s ruling by the Nassau County Supreme Court regarding mask mandates.
The following communication was received this evening from the New York State Education Department:
“The State Education Department understands that Nassau County Supreme Court has ruled that the Department of Health exceeded its authority in enacting the mask regulation, 10 NYCRR 2.60, in Demetriou et al. v. New York State Dep’t of Health et al. This regulation is the subject of conflicting decisions, insofar as Albany County Supreme Court recently upheld the regulation in Massapequa UFSD et al. v. Hochul, et al.
It is SED’s understanding that the Department of Health will appeal the Nassau County Supreme Court decision, which will result in an automatic stay that will unambiguously restore the mask rule until such time as an appellate court issues a further ruling. Therefore, schools must continue to follow the mask rule.”
We understand that this Nassau County ruling has caused confusion. We ask parents, students, and staff to be patient and comply with our mitigation strategies accordingly, including the wearing of masks. We appreciate the support and patience we have received from our families, staff and students and acknowledge that these times are challenging for all of us. Additional information will be shared with families as we learn more.
Thank you.