School briefs as unique as our schools

South High and Ballard Elementary welcomed Blake Schafer from CodeHS this week, as part of his 50-state journey to promote coding education.

At Ballard Elementary, Schafer first met third-graders to introduce them to block coding. The students created programs using colorful command blocks that made animated squirrels move and swing across their screens.

Later, Schafer visited Ms. Thompson’s coding class at South High, where he discussed educational pathways and career options in computer programming. The students then applied their learning by creating block-based code projects inspired by Schafer’s CodeHS van.

For newcomers to coding, block programming offers an exciting introduction to computer science. Instead of typing traditional text-based code, students simply connect visual blocks representing different commands, similar to putting together a digital puzzle. This intuitive approach makes programming concepts accessible and fun for young students, according to press materials.

Students from special education classrooms at Queensbury Elementary School and William H. Barton Intermediate School competed in the Fall Games through the Special Olympics of New York on Friday, Oct. 18. Nearly 100 students took part in the activity stations with the support of 25 staff members from the Morse Athletic Complex in Queensbury.

“Our students were very involved and had big smiles!” said Jessica Harris, director of Elementary Student Support Services.

After the event, staff said it was “exactly what the class needed” and they “can’t wait to make it an annual event.”

“We are excited to continue our partnership with SONY to implement the Young Athletes curriculum,” Harris said in a statement, “and provide more inclusive opportunities within our school community.”

The Hudson Falls Central School District, in partnership with the Sandy Hill Chapter of the National Honor Society Induction, will hold its 22nd annual Wall of Distinction Induction on Sunday, November 3, at 11:30 a.m. in the High School Auditorium.

The ceremony will include the induction of new Honor Society members with the unveiling of the Wall of Distinction at 12:45 p.m., followed by a reception for the inductees in the cafeteria.

The intent of the Wall of Distinction is to establish a tradition that honors highly successful graduates who have gone on to distinguished careers in various fields or who have become role models in the community. The wall also shows students and the community the caliber of students the Hudson Falls School District produces.

“The Wall of Distinction provides students with inspiration and motivation to excel,” Hudson Falls Superintendent Daniel Ward said in a statement.

Wall of Distinction inductees for 2024 include: Timothy Horrigan, ’71, musician and teacher; Robert K. Chatel Jr., ’67, teacher/professor; David A. Chatel, ’68, Public Health American Heart Association; Peter C. Chatel, ’74, environmental specialist/consultant; Brooke Goff, ’05, attorney, owner of Goff Law Group; Joseph Gross, ’83, business owner, Gross Electric.

The Granville CSD phone app now includes a parent-teacher chat called ‘Rooms’, along with the latest school events, reminders, blog posts, food menus and more. The District App is an all-in-one place to stay informed and communicate with teachers.

“Parents and guardians who have connected to parent rooms can also see their students’ class announcements and message teachers directly. No more searching for your teacher’s email address or phone number. You no longer have to try to look up a teacher in the staff list,” according to a press release from the school.

Parent rooms in the Granville CSD District app make communicating with teachers and understanding what the child is learning much easier, the news release said. Parents only need to log in once and the family login will remain valid as long as your student is present at Granville CSD.

Not all teachers are using teachers yet, but more and more teachers are turning to this feature to communicate with families. Instructions for using the function can be found at school website.