Category: Jr./Sr. High News

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

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

Throughout the week of Dec. 6-11, Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School celebrated Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) by participating in the international Hour of Code.

CSEdWeek was founded as an international call to action to raise awareness of the need to elevate computer science education at all levels and to underscore the critical role of computing in all careers.

Fort Plain High School’s Toppers participated in Hour of Code activities with teachers Kevin Bogus, Laurie Capece, Louise Clute, Kreig Heroth, Kajee Quick, Lucas Santiago, Wendy Stokna, Susan Summerfield and Lisa Trembley. Teachers worked with Educational Technology Specialist Rachel Heroth and Library Media Specialist Tariyka Chaulk to integrate coding into their curriculum, and students enjoyed accessing content through a computer science lens.

Hour of Code activities included various hands-on coding, robotics, and computational thinking lessons. Students in Materials Processing, Keyboarding, and Math used Ozobot and Cubelet robots to understand how mechatronics is utilized in manufacturing, how to write and transfer code to robots through multiple sensors and channels, and how robots can be used to solve and illustrate mathematical equations.

In English, students learned how to code a program using block and JavaScript languages to animate poems to convey mood, and how to code a storyboard. In Science, students wrote programs to create a solar system, illustrate the importance of recycling, and create a tether game to simulate the principles of physics.

Students also had some fun writing code to create their own video games and complete challenges based on popular video games and pop culture characters.

CSEdWeek is just the beginning of what the future holds for FPHS students as the district implements new Computer Science and Digital Fluency standards adopted by the state last December. The district will work toward full implementation of the new standards, with three years to build awareness and capacity.

Events like the Hour of Code are great opportunities for introducing computer science skills into our classrooms and getting students excited about learning how to code. Computer science and digital fluency are being further integrated into existing courses and curriculum, and computer science is being developed into future course offerings.

More information about the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards can be found at http://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/computer-science-and-digital-fluency.

Article submitted by Rachel Heroth, educational technology specialist

In the photos:
At top: Student working with Cubelet robots
Middle photo: Students coding Ozobots
Bottom photo: Rachel Heroth teaches about Cubelet robots with Kreig Heroth

Congratulations to Taylor Potter on winning the Patriot’s Pen essay contest through VFW Post 3275. Forty-two 8th grade students submitted an essay on the topic, “How to be A Good American” to our local VFW Post for review.

Taylor’s essay will advance to the VFW District 3 regional competition. Best of luck, Taylor!

In the photo at top: Fort Plain VFW Jr. Vice Commander Laurence Maynard, Taylor, and Fort Plain VFW Commander Tom Ellwood.

Attention Fort Plain High School families: Lifetouch school picture retake day for the high school is Monday, Dec. 20.

Picture envelopes are available in the main office. Parents can also visit mylifetouch.com and enter picture day ID: EVT3CN8WG

Please contact Mrs. Linda Cole with any questions at linda.cole@fortplain.org.

Attention Hilltopper fans: Fort Plain student-athletes are being provided with passes for spectators at this season’s home games per guidelines issued by the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

Each Fort Plain athlete will receive four (4) spectator passes for home games, and two (2) spectator passes for away games. Home passes are white, and away passes are purple. Please present passes and check in at the table in the lobby by the Harry Hoag gym.

Limited seating will be available on the bleachers behind the players’ benches. Home fans may also sit in the bleachers by the cheerleaders. Guests will be seated on the bleachers opposite the home team. Chaperones will be available to guide spectators to proper seats.

As a reminder, masks must be worn properly at all on-campus activities. Masks will be available at the front table. Anyone refusing to wear a mask will be asked to leave. Please practice social distancing (3 feet) when around non-family members.

Fort Plain cheerleaders will be performing at home games only.

There will be no admission charge and no concession stand. Food or drink is not allowed in the gym except for players and coaches.

For Hilltopper fans who would like to view virtually, links to live streams and recordings of home games are posted on this website’s View Sports Online page. Check the WAC website for other schools’ streaming links.

For WAC events held at other schools, please check with the host’s school’s website or athletic office regarding their spectator policy. Passes must be presented for entry to sporting events at any school.

Thank you for your cooperation and support as we work to provide opportunities for students and their families to continue to safely enjoy athletics and other activities at our schools.

Please direct any questions to Athletic Director Charlie Karker at charlie.karker@fortplain.org, (518) 993-4000, ext. #2134.

The FPHS Topper Store popcorn machine is back in business, thanks to some Hilltopper teamwork and very talented students.

“Our popcorn machine was in need of a cart,” said Wendy Stokna, business education teacher and work-based learning coordinator. “We had the machine, but no safe way to transport or display merchandise.

“Students from Mr. Heroth’s Tech and Design class solved that problem by designing and creating a cart for the popcorn machine. After listening to design requests, his students went to work developing the design, submitting the design for approval, and then putting the design into production,” Stokna said.

“We are now thrilled to have the machine back at the Topper Store!”

The Tech and Design students built the cart from the ground up – fabricating it from raw materials and finishing it with bright red paint. The completed, custom-designed cart holds the popcorn machine securely, can be moved easily and features fitted, on-board sliding trays and a storage cabinet for displaying the popcorn and storing supplies.

Stokna noted that Work-Based Learning students benefit from working at the Topper Store when it is open and from working on all of the behind-the-scenes activities, including making and bagging popcorn, cleaning the machine, staffing, tracking sales, keeping store records, and promoting sales.

“Thank you Mr. Heroth and Tech and Design Students – great job!”

Corporal Richards from the Fort Plain Police Department gave an engaging demonstration of his crime technician skills in Dale Smith’s and Kevin Bogus’ Forensics and Criminology class. Corporal Richards showed students how crime techs in the field lift prints off everyday items like windows, water bottles and even dust.

“The students learned it is not as easy as it looks on TV, but it is a very important duty in catching the bad guys,” Bogus said.

Congratulations to Canajoharie-Fort Plain cross country team member Olivia Schaffer, who finished third in the Class D race at the Sectional Meet in Saratoga Springs on Friday, Nov. 5, and then went on to place 13th at the Class D State Meet at Chenango Valley State Park on Saturday, Nov. 13. Olivia is a junior from Canajoharie.

Fort Plain High School Class of 2011 graduate Chelsea Koch has a lot to share with the current students of her alma mater. A microbiologist with New York State by day, she is also the author of “Creatures Most Vile,” a novel for young adults.

Chelsea, who writes under the name Chelsea Lauren, visited with students in Lisa Trembley’s English classes at Fort Plain High School on Nov. 12, including the English 11 Honors class, where she once was a student. She talked with the students about writing, publishing and what she likes to read herself, as well as sharing a bit about her background.

Chelsea talked to the morning classes, reading part of her novel to each class, and answered questions posed by the students. Four students won signed copies of her novel: Natalie Thibodeau, Bree Cassanova, Vincent Lince and Isaac Paul, and all of the students received bookmarks.

“Seeing our students succeed is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a teacher,” Trembley said. “Today, I got to share that reward with my current students when one of my talented former students came in to share her debut novel called ‘Creatures Most Vile’. Through her strong anti-hero, Anora, and through her own experiences, Chelsea encouraged the students to be true to themselves and to fight for what they want in their own lives.”

Chelsea has fond memories of her high school classes, particularly English, which prepared her well for college and beyond.

“As a former student in Mrs. Trembley’s English class, what I remember most is her enthusiasm and encouragement of creative writing,” Chelsea said. “The writing skills she taught provided a great foundation going into college English courses.”

After graduating from Fort Plain, Chelsea attended Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, where she double-majored in biology and chemistry. Hartwick is a liberal arts college, which means students must take courses in a wide variety of subjects for a well-rounded education. Chelsea took an introduction to creative writing course for this requirement, and that is where she developed her love for writing.

Professionally, Chelsea is a food microbiologist with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, where she analyzes various food and dairy products for food-borne pathogens such as e. coli and salmonella. Her work has contributed to recalls and helps keep food on the shelves safe for consumers.

In addition to writing, Chelsea enjoys crafting and watching monster movies, the latter of which inspired her novel. She is working on a second book of “Creatures Most Vile” and a science fiction project for middle grade readers.

Chelsea lives in Fort Plain.