Glens Falls High School will be adding to their sports program this year with the addition of Unified Bowling. The season will begin on February 15, 2023, and will last about four weeks, with five matches against other area schools. It is a commitment of three days a week for students who would like to participate. The Glens Falls home bowling alley will be Kingpin’s Alley in South Glens Falls, and transportation will be provided for both practices and matches. There will be a parent and athlete information meeting on January 18, 2023, at 5:30 PM at the high school.
Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center has been owned by Doug and Alison Bohannon since 2013. Doug started out as a bowler, and has been a part of the bowling industry for over twenty years – he is known for his exceptional work with leagues, pro shops, and lane machine technology. Doug’s bowling knowledge matched with Alison’s business knowledge make a perfect partnership – Alison graduated from SUNY Brockport with a degree in international business. The couple live in Queensbury with their two daughters.
The new year brought an overtime loss home for the Queensbury Varsity Girls Basketball team against Burnt Hills. In this non-league match-up, Queensbury inched ahead in the first quarter, scoring 10 points vs. Burnt Hills’ eight points; however, Burnt Hills pulled away in the second quarter, and the first half ended with Burnt Hills up, 21 to 14. In the fourth quarter, Queensbury scored 13 points to tie the score at 37, and send the game to overtime… However, Burnt Hills proved to be tough to the finish, scoring nine points in overtime to take the victory from Queensbury, with a final score of 46 to 43.
Burnt Hill’s leading scorer Mackenzie Cahan – a five foot nine Junior – drained 16 points for Burnt Hills. She was closely followed by Ella Neary – a five foot five Senior – who scored 12 points. The Queensbury girls were led by Shea Canavan – a five foot six Sophomore – with 19 points, and Dyllan Ray – a five foot nine Junior – with 12 points.
Queensbury (3-5) will host Schuylerville (3-4) tonight, with the tip-off set for 7:00 PM.
The superintendent’s update via the parent-squared email system provided a link for family members and caregivers to opt into the email news system. This system delivers information about district activities and events, which includes Board of Education meetings, the school budget, and school closings and delays. Community members who opt into receiving the emails can choose to provide a cell phone number to get text messages about school closings and delays due to snow or other unplanned events as well; and this source for the information would be available before announcements are made on local television or radio. This school news notifier is being made available to anyone in the greater school community.
The Glens Falls School District is also making an effort to “meet students where they are and accelerate them to where they need to be” by offering extra support to children that need it. This program takes place in each of the elementary schools on Mondays and Wednesdays, and focuses on math and reading. There are approximately 130 students who currently participate in this program.
In January, the Middle School and High School will be launching “evening school” for students who struggle to attend regular school day hours. For more information, please visit GFSD.org.
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered our lives in previously unimaginable ways… From the early days of quarantine to today, different variants and strains of the virus continue to mutate and affect people’s lives in different ways. As a society we continue to live with COVID-19; and as the virus mutates and changes, so does our societal and governmental response to it. Assemblyman Jeffery Dinowitz recently put forth a bill in the New York State Assembly to include the COVID-19 vaccination in the mandatory vaccinations needed for schools; however, this bill never reported out of the Health Committee! A bill is assigned to a committee for discussion and analysis; if a majority of members on the committee support it, the bill is reported to the floor. If not, the bill is said to have “died in committee”.
This bill, which has been sponsored by Assemblyman Jeffery Dinowitz and co-sponsored by Assemblyman Phil Steck and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, has caused opposition, especially on social media – a petition against the bill, which is on Change.org, has been circulating around Facebook for about a year. This petition reads: “New York State Parents Against Bill A8378 Requires Immunization for Kids K-12” and currently has just under 100,000 signatures; the goal of the petition is 150,000 signatures.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Federal Government has declared a public health emergency – a Public Health Emergency (PHE) was initially declared by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in late January of 2020, pursuant to Section 319 of the Public Health Services Act. A PHE lasts for 90 days, and must be renewed to be continued; the PHE for COVID-19 had been renewed as recently as October of 2022, and is scheduled for the next renewal mid-January 2023.
This proposed bill A8378 would add the COVID-19 vaccination to the list of required vaccinations to attend school. The summary of the bill reads: “Authorizes the commissioner of health to develop and supervise the execution of immunization against COVID-19 for purpose of state aid to schools; requires immunization against COVID-19 for attendance at school”.
Assemblyman Dinowitz represents the 81st assembly district in the Bronx. His district includes Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Van Cortlandt Village, Kingsbridge Heights, Marble Hill, Norwood, Woodlawn, and Wakefield. Via an email interview, Dinowitz said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has killed nearly 1.1 million people, including more than 77,000 New Yorkers. The vaccine is incredibly effective at reducing the risk of severe effects from a COVID-19 infection, and community immunity has a significant impact on reducing transmission of the virus. Children already have to be vaccinated against viruses like measles, tetanus, polio and many other deadly diseases. My bill would simply add the COVID-19 vaccine to the existing list once it receives full approvals from the CDC and FDA.”
For this bill to go to a full floor vote, it would have to be reported out of the Health Committee and subsequent committees, which has not happened. This is among the many hurdles that this bill faces – the vaccines are currently in use under an emergency use authorization, and need to receive full approval from the CDC and FDA before they would be considered for the bill.
Parents who have signed the petition to stop bill A8378 support the parental right to decide what vaccines are best for their child. The petition says: “The COVID-19 vaccine has not had sufficient study trials for children, nor has it been tested long enough.” Comments in the “Reason for Signing” section of the petition include, “I DO NOT CO PARENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT”, “Our children are not science experiments”, and “My kids my choice…my choice!”
Assemblyman Matt Simpson of Assembly District 114 – which is Essex County, Warren County and parts of Saratoga, Washington and Fulton Counties – is not in favor of the mandate. He said via phone interview: “I am opposed to mandating the vaccine. I believe that is a parental rights decision.” Simpson is hopeful that we are on the other side of the pandemic, and that a vaccine mandate is not in line with the current status of COVID-19 – he pointed out that this legislation may be from the height of COVID-19, when some “Draconian” measures were being looked at to control the spread of the disease.
The petition has been circulating on Facebook for almost a year, and new signatures are constantly being added to it; within the last hour, two more people have signed the petition, showing an active public concern with the state of the issue.
Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine is still being used in an emergency capacity. The bill has not been reported out of committee, and therefore has “died in committee”; although this bill has been drafted, the State Assembly is not in session, and there are no State Assembly committees currently in session. This parental movement against immunization requirements continues to maintain their dissent of this bill as the petition continues to circulate on Facebook, with concerned parents continuing to sign it… As this issue continues to change and evolve, talking to local representatives is important – both Assemblyman Simpson and Assemblyman Dinowitz were very responsive to questions and inquiries about this issue.
Friday, December 16, Glens Falls Schools stayed open while other area schools closed; Glens Falls did cancel after school activities, and postpone and reschedule games and meets.
The Glens Falls City School sent out a district-wide email explaining their decision to community members: the email explained the variables that are involved in making the decision to close schools or keep them open. Current and forecasted weather is considered, as are the conditions of the roads, parking lots, and sidewalks.
The Glens Falls role in the community is also a consideration – the schools offer every student free breakfast and lunch. These meals are very important on Fridays and Mondays to students and families who face food insecurity, so providing these services is a factor in deciding to keep the facilities open. The school also provides winter clothes, boots, hats, and gloves to students in need through the HOPE boutique. The email said: “The learning, nourishment, social-emotional community, and consistency of schedule for students and families are important.” The goal of the Glens Falls City Schools is to keep every child in school – both safely, and consistently.
The advanced walk-though concealed weapons detection system for the high school and middle school arrived this week. This system scans for shapes of weapons and individualized firearm components, unlike traditional metal detectors or wands; so the system can distinguish between threats and everyday items, like cell phones, coins and keys. The system will enter into uservice once it is fully calibrated and staff members are trained in its use. This will make entry into the school more secure, and reduce the bottleneck of checking backpacks as the students enter. The expected start date for this system is mid-January.
The process to add an additional school resource officer from the Warren County Sheriff’s office is also nearly complete: this officer will be housed at the Middle School, but will work district-wide. The officer will partner with current SRO Norton to provide additional support for safety and community building. This position is expected to be added in mid-January. A local Glens Falls parent said, “After what happened at the beginning of the school year, I think it’s a sad necessity. It’s been so challenging for the kids and the community. Then the backpack searches made kids late to class which added stress. The school district has responded to the needs of the community, which is nice to see.”
Safety at Glens Falls High School has been a concern since the first day of school: on September 8, 2022 at approximately 11:20 AM, a student was directed on two occasions to leave the building. This student went outside, damaged speakers, and was asked to leave campus; the student then proceeded around the building and knocked on doors until let back into the school. Once inside, the student put on a mask and walked the hallways, and engaged in an altercation with the school’s hall monitor and principal. During this altercation, a BB-gun fell out of the student’s backpack. The Glens Falls School resource officer called for additional assistance from the Glens Falls Police Department to remove the student from the school. The high school then called for a Lock Out, and the middle school sheltered in place until the situation was resolved.
It was less than a week later on September 14, 2022, when the middle school and high school went into lock down again over a possible weapon; a student at the middle school saw what looked like a weapon fall out of another student’s backpack. Police recovered a toy gun, and then took the student into custody and removed the student from campus. Since those two incidents, Glens Falls Middle School and High School have taken campus security and student safety very seriously – the district responded by checking backpacks daily, and not allowing students to carry backpacks in the hallways between classes.
On Saturday December 10, the HOPE Holiday Gift Boutique was held on the lower level of the Glens Falls High School. 142 shoppers participated in the event, the mission of which is to build and support trusting relationships with district families, compassionately fulfill immediate needs of students, and foster connections with community resources.
The Hope Boutique offers free clothing items, personal care items, and shoes; these items are donated by and accessible to all members of the school community. This event was a huge success due to the hard work of the HOPE committee, volunteers, students, staff and administrators. On Friday, after school preparations to set up for the event began, volunteers donated baked goods and refreshments – including sugar cookies made by Mrs. Shaffer’s middle school class.
Lia Auto Group made a huge “Stuff the Truck” donation of new winter clothing and toiletries; in addition, Lia donated $700 of merchandise.
Holiday music created a festive background as shoppers wandered the hallways, which were filled with items ranging from toys and games to holiday and home decor. Shoppers were able to get 10 items and five stocking stuffers per person. The shoppers were also given the opportunity to have the items gift wrapped, and then head to the clothing boutique.
This Committee began seven years ago, and has expanded to serve anywhere from 50 to 100 families a month. The HOPE Committee has fundraisers, food drives, clothing drives, a sock drive, and hat & glove drives to supply the pantry and boutique; for more information, visit gfsd.org.
Glens Falls Goalkeeper Ayden Grieve was named Goalkeeper of the Year in Class B at the Section II boys soccer banquet. He was also named to the all-state fourth team in the small schools division. Grieve has played on the Glens Falls High School Varsity Team for 3 years; during his freshman season, he was the starting fullback and back up goalkeeper, and throughout his Sophomore season, Ayden took over as the fulltime goalkeeper. Through that season, he recorded 111 saves and allowed 32 goals. During this past season as a junior Ayden was named team captain, and was instrumental in the team’s success – by the end of the season, Ayden had allowed only 14 goals. The Glens Falls 11-5-2 record helps to reflect Ayden’s contribution… This is an impressive improvement from the previous year, when the team was 4-13-1.
Ayden has been a goalkeeper since he was 8 years old, and in addition to playing with the Glens Falls Boys Varsity Team, Ayden also plays club soccer with FC Dutchmen Premier.
Athletic Director Shane Jones said: “We are very proud of Ayden for his accomplishments. He is a very talented multi-sport athlete, as he recently just came in 2nd place in our Mat Mania Wrestling Tournament this past weekend.”
The Board of Education of the City of Glens Falls met on Monday December 12, at 7:00 PM. The Board represents the interests of five schools – including three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
Items on the agenda for the meeting included:
Approve discarding obsolete/damaged library books from Kensington Road Elementary School, Big Cross Elementary School, Jackson Heights Elementary School and The Glens Falls Middle School.
Approve the indoor track meet at Springfield College in Massachusetts on January 8, 2023. Approve the memorandum of Agreement with CSEA. Approve disposing of GE washer & dryer from the Middle School.
Accept the Bid Report for Phase 1 of the Construction Project, and award contracts to the following bidders:
Gallo Construction corp.- General Construction (Total Contracted Amount: $1,177,000.00)
RF Gordon Mechanical, LLC-Mechanical/ Plumbing Construction (Total Contracted Amount: $148,650.00)
Harold R. Clune, Inc.-Electrical Construction (Total Contracted Amount: $99,800.00)
The role of this board is to develop the policies through which the Superintendent administers the educational programs, students and staff. It is the philosophy of the board that the schools are the responsibility of the entire community, so The Board of Education would like community members to take an active role in the development of the schools.
The board is made up of nine members, who are elected by qualified voters in the district during the annual school budget vote in May, and serve for 5-year terms without pay.
Any candidate that is interested in running for the Board of Education can pick up a nomination petition at the District Office in mid-March: the Petition requires 100 valid signatures of district residents in order to have their name placed on the ballot. The petitions must be returned to the Board Clerk in mid-April.
Current Board of Education Members for 2022-2023:
Timothy Graham, President
Matthew Levin, Vice President
Jeremy Deason
Kelly Culliton
Cate Fitzgerald
Laura Kennedy
Karin Maurer
Randy Rath
Jason Rivers
The Board of Education meets on the second Monday of each month, at 7:00 PM at the District Office. If school is not in session, the meeting dates are moved to the week prior to or the week after. The Board’s Curriculum Committee generally meets in conjunction with the board meetings; for more information, please visit gfsd.org
Teddy Bears on the ice after Queensbury Scored Photo provided
Queensbury 5, Saratoga 4; the Queensbury Spartans faced off against the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks at the Glens Falls Recreation Center on Friday night. This event featured the Annual Teddy Bear Toss – for the traditional Christmas season, promotion fans are encouraged to throw stuffed bears onto the ice!
Saratoga was the first to score with 2:50 remaining in the first period. Their goal came off the stick of Payton Borak, with no credited assist.
The second period was dominated by the Queensbury Spartans. To start the period off, Mack Ryan scored with 14:06 remaining; the assist was credited to Quinn Theis and Julien Shafer. This goal was followed by two more Queensbury goals – the first with 6:07 remaining was scored by Tyler Dufour, with the assists credited to Tanner Fearman and Oli Coughlan. Then, less than 2 minutes later, Tanner Fearman scored, assisted by Michael Deutsh and Tyler Dufour. Saratoga found the net once more with 2:46 remaining in the 2nd period; this goal was unassisted, and scored by Charley Oak.
Queensbury added to their lead on a 3rd period powerplay when Tyler Dufour connected with a pass from Oli Coughlan and Tanner Fearman, who were both credited with the assist. Queensbury was not done yet! Tanner Fearman put the “biscuit in the basket” unassisted for Queensbury’s final goal of the game. Saratoga staged a comeback with 2:31 remaining as Jake Bader scored a power play goal with the pass from Charlie Oke… But, as time ran out, Queensbury took the win over Saratoga: 5-4.
The goalie from Saratoga was Xander Clarke, who had 26 saves; Queensbury Goalie Jacob Fanciullo had 24 saves.
Queensbury will be on the ice against Shen on Wednesday, December 14th, at the Glens Falls Rec Center. Puck drops at 7:30 PM!
