Category: Archive
FPHS honors Students of the Month
Congratulations to our Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School Students of the Month for April 2021:
7th Grade- Daniel Lancaster
8th Grade- Mariah Deese
9th Grade- Sadie Mollel
10th Grade- Amelia Gallagher
11th Grade- Sarah Florian
12th Grade- Zavia Allen
In the photo above, from left: Sadie, Mariah, Zavia, Sarah, Amelia and Dan
Sheriff Smith presents skateboard crafters with helmets, stickers & safety advice
The weather on Friday, May 14, was as spectacular as the longboard skateboards crafted by 16 Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School 8th grade students, who were presented with helmets, stickers and safety advice by Montgomery County Sheriff Jeffery T. Smith at a ceremony in Wiles Park.
Sheriff Smith was joined by Undersheriff Carl Rust and Sergeant TW Flickinger in making the presentations, which also included certificates for their technology teachers, Kreig Heroth and Ted Arndt. Sheriff Smith, in turn, was presented with his own custom-made longboard, complete with an emergency beacon. The teachers said it was a culmination of all that they – both faculty and students – learned during the project.
After donning their Sheriff-donated helmets, the students road-tested their quick and colorful longboards in the park, experimenting with standing and seated rides and gaining confidence and skill with each ride. Some even wove their longboards around obstacles on a curvy path. Teamwork and encouragement were abundant as the students offered tips and cheered each other on.
The helmets, the project and the day were a big hit with all in attendance, even Superintendent of Schools John Bishop, who took one of the longboards out for a smooth cruise.
Mr. Arndt and Mr. Heroth said that earlier in the year, they thought it would be exciting for the students to build the longboards as a class project. 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. The students worked on the project over several months. Read more about what they learned.
Judging by the success of the 2021 longboard project, there are likely more cool crafted cruisers to be crafted at the high school in the future.
Visit our Facebook Photo Album!
Media coverage:
CBS-6 Albany, Friday, May 14:
Times Union, Sunday, May 16:
Reminder: School budget & Board of Education vote is May 18
A reminder to all Fort Plain Central School District residents: the Annual School Budget Vote and Board of Education Election will be held on Tuesday, May 18, from 1 – 9 p.m. in the Harry Hoag Elementary School gymnasium.
Please also note that the Board of Education will meet in regular session on May 18, beginning at 6 p.m. in the elementary gymnasium.
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. Visit the budget webpage for more information about the budget and board election.
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.”