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EDUCATION FOUNDATION SALUTES DONORS The Averill Park Education Foundation's Excellence in Education 2003! fund drive generated a total of $6800 in donations, a 20% increase over our previous fundraiser! We are grateful for the outpouring of generosity from so many of our community members. These funds will enable the Education Foundation to continue its work in 2003-2004. In the past year, the Foundation provided funding for the High School Musical, the Albany Symphony program in the elementary schools, and other projects. With your help we will continue to grow into the future! Enrichment Circle ($500 or more) Joseph and Mary Arena, L. Craig and Mary Jean Bryce, Karen and Chet Opalka, Bridget Ball Shaw and Christopher Shaw, Rudy Stegemoeller and Mary Lynch Educators Circle ($250-499) Robert and Judith MacChesney, Thomas and Ginny McGreevy, Dick and Julie Miller, The O'Byrne family, Bonded Concrete Inc. Colleagues Circle ($100-249) Jack Alexander and Lyn Howard, Les and Penny Apple, Paul and Olga Ashline, The Avitable family, Martha and Dennis Bove, Ron Choquette, Diane Geary and Jonathan Gradess, Bob and Bette Jewell, Cathey Kennedy, Michael and Candi Koonce, William Manfred and family, Mark and Anne Minehan, The Peake family, Steven and Susan Powers, William and Laura Rogers, William and Dori Salisbury, Douglas and Nancy Worden Patrons Circle ($50-99) Kathy and Marty Andrews, Geralyn and John Archer, Gretchen Armlin, Paul and Gail Belles, The Bentley family, George and Patti Breen, Michael and Lisa Bryk, Marie Robitaille and Thomas DeGenero, William and Pilar Dexter, Barry Donovan and family, Clay and Beth Ernest, Casey Everett and Rebecca Ladine, John Farrell and family, Liz and Pete Finn, John and Nanette Hawes, Kathleen W. Jimino, Wayne Johnson and family, Michael Johnson and family, The Lantry family, Daniel and Lynn Miller, Joseph and Margieann Morris, Tom and Lois Oliver, Martin Reid, William and Tracy Schwarz, Sheila Sullivan, Sunshine Fund (Poestenkill teachers) Donors Circle (up to $49) Lisa and John Buell, Gerard and Gail Calamari, Kevin and Suzanne Carpenter, Philip Catalano and family, Edward and Laura Degenhart, Sandra and Matthew Doring, Christopher and Susan Gibbons, Priscilla Fairbank, The Hadiprodjo family, Mark and Pam Hatfield, James and Deborah Jewell, David Johnson and family, James and Nancy Kelley, Barbara and Sid Martinage, Barbara McNamee, Carol Mitchell, Virginia Pastizzo, Robert Ryan and family, Raymond and Renee Seney, Lois and John Staugaitis, Philip J.Sweet and family, John Twomey and family, The Averill Park Education Foundation is an independent, all-volunteer, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to enhancing and promoting the educational and cultural opportunities of students within the Averill Park School District. For more information, please contact us at P.O. Box 56, Averill Park NY 12018 or visit our website, www.AverillParkEF.org. |
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DONORS RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING TEACHERS Many donors to the Averill Park Education Foundation expressed the wish to show support for teachers and administrators throughout our district who do such an outstanding job year after year. In the 2002-03 fund raising appeal, donors made gifts in recognition of the following educators: TeacherSchool Abbietello, Joan Algonquin Anthony, Tina Algonquin Barrato, Michele Algonquin Benson, Kathy Poestenkill Boudreau, Clare West Sand Lake Bove, Martha Poestenkill Brown, Jenn Miller Hill Brown, Miss West Sand Lake Bush, Nancy Poestenkill Cain, Toni Miller Hill Card, Kristin Poestenkill Cronin, Christine Poestenkill Cunningham, Nadine West Sand Lake Ennis, Lisa Miller Hill Grasso, Rose Marie Sand Lake Halse, Maria Poestenkill Harausz, Martha West Sand Lake Lawrence, Sharon Poestenkill Lance, Marylin West Sand Lake Mazzeo, Jenn Miller Hill Pieper, Margaret West Sand Lake Radley, Susan Miller Hill Riccomini, David West Sand Lake Root-Clement, Heather West Sand Lake Roy, Ellen Poestenkill Salluzzo, Lisa Miller Hill/Poestenkill Siver, Carol Algonquin Smead, Michele Poestenkill Stone, Kelly High School Weatherwax, Melissa Poestenkill Zaffuts, Gerald High School "all music teachers" The Education Foundation salutes all of the fine educators who serve the children of the Averill Park School District. On behalf of our children and our community, we thank you! The Averill Park Education Foundation is an independent, all-volunteer, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to enhancing and promoting the educational and cultural opportunities of students within the Averill Park School District. |
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Third graders from George Washington raise their "air batons" and keep time.
Martha Bove, Karen Opalka, David Allen Miller, and Chet Opalka
Hands-on experience with a cello News from the Averill Park Education Foundation THIRD GRADERS COMPLETE AN INSPIRING YEAR WITH THE ALBANY SYMPHONY! The kick-off year for the partnership between Averill Park schools and the Albany Symphony Orchestra was a resounding success. Funded by the Averill Park Education Foundation, through a special grant from Karen and Chet Opalka, the goal of the first year was to bring each of the third-graders in the district into close contact with professional musicians and their instruments. Music director David Allen Miller opened the year with a set of dazzling performances in which he turned each group of third graders into junior conductors. Each school then received separate visits from members of the string, woodwind, brass, and percussion families, as well as from Michael Torke, a famous American composer. The year culminated in a field trip to the Palace Theatre , and a performance in which Maestro Miller appeared from a Time Machine and brought Beethoven to life for the boys and girls. Here are some of the comments received from third graders: "I really liked when Beethoven came to the future, and I liked the props from the orchestra. I loved the music, it was incredible. All the players were funny and at the orchestra I thought the time machine was cool, and I thought your show was funny and I hope to see you next year when we're in fourth!" "I liked when the string players came. I loved when the percussions came. I liked when the brass players came. I loved when the woodwind came. I love all the instruments. The flute is my favorite." "I liked watching the bows move up and down to make the beautiful music. I liked it when the cello played with the violin." "I liked the brass instruments the best because it is cool how there are all kinds of trumpets." "I liked it when he came through the time machine. And he talked about his country. It was the very best of my entire third grade life." A generous donation from Karen and Chet Opalka allowed the Averill Park Education Foundation to fund the first year, and program coordination was performed by Martha Bove, the music instructor at Poestenkill and George Washington. The program is planned to continue into future years, with a more advanced curriculum being developed for next year's fourth graders, while incoming third graders will take part in the introductory program. The expansion of the program is made possible by donations to the Foundation's Excellence in Education! 2003 fund drive, and by a matching grant from the Karen and Chet Opalka Foundation. Many thanks to all who helped make this possible. Please continue to support the Foundation so that we can continue to challenge and stimulate our kids. The future of these programs depends on you!
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MAGNETIC EXCITEMENT AT WEST SAND LAKE! Last spring, each of the fourth grade classes at West Sand Lake School experienced a fascinating program on electromagnetics delivered by the Scotia-Glenville Children's Museum, through a grant from the Averill Park Education Foundation. Boys and girls were given a review of magnets, magnetism, and simple circuits. Students had the opportunity to build their own electromagnets with the use of a SOLO cup, a battery, two paper clips, a wire coil, and a magnet. The results were amazing! The children also had the opportunity to explore other electromagnets at work with hands-on discovery, including: a telegraph using the Morse Code "SOS," hand generators, motors, light bulbs, car parts, iron filings, magnets, the insides of a dust buster, in addition to many others. The Averill Park Education Foundation is an independent, all-volunteer, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to enhancing and promoting the educational and cultural opportunities of students within the Averill Park School District. |
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HISTORY COMES TO LIFE AT WEST SAND LAKE SCHOOL! Upstate New York during the days of the Erie Canal came alive for each of the fourth grade classes at West Sand Lake School this spring. Anne Chesky from the Scotia-Glenville Children's Museum used hands-on artifacts, slides, and music to bring the 19th century to life for the boys and girls. The children were given a chance to manipulate a scale-model replica of a canal lock; they ground coffee in an old hand-powered grinder, and played with toys that children would have used 150 years ago. (Needless to say none of them required batteries.) This program was brought to the children of West Sand Lake through a grant from the Averill Park Education Foundation. The Averill Park Education Foundation is an independent, all-volunteer, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to enhancing and promoting the educational and cultural opportunities of students within the Averill Park School District. |
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PRESIDENT'S CORNER Dear friends, Thanks to all of you, it has been a busy year for the Education Foundation. In our first year of full operation, we helped to fund a musical at the High School, living history and science demonstrations at West Sand Lake, movement and dance at Miller Hill, the Albany Symphony project in all of the elementary schools, and more. None of these things would have happened without your support. Thank you! As school district budgets continue to grow tighter, the role of the Foundation in bringing new, stimulating programs into our schools becomes more important. One thing you can be assured of, though, is that your contributions to the Foundation will not be used to facilitate cuts in the school district budget. This policy was put to the test last spring. When a popular high school program was on the budget chopping block, there was discussion of whether the Foundation ought to try to step in to save the program. After a long and spirited discussion, the Foundation's trustees decided unanimously that, painful as it may be to see a good program cut, the Foundation cannot be in the business of replacing tax-funded programs. In the long run, that would only contribute to the continued pressure to cut school budgets. In this case, though, there was a happy ending: As the district budget developed, money was found to continue the program. I'm looking forward to another great year. If you get a chance, try to look in on one of the Symphony visits to the 3d or 4th graders. (Call the music teacher at your local elementary school for a schedule.) I guarantee you will be inspired. Rudy Stegemoeller
Separate item: ADVENTURE-BASED LEARNING, PIANO ADOPTED AS GOALS FOR CORPORATE APPEAL After listening to presentations from faculty members, the trustees have selected two projects as goals for our upcoming Corporate Appeal. Adventure-based learning is an exciting physical education concept involving high ropes, climbing walls, and similar challenges. A strong emphasis is placed on teamwork and creative problem-solving. Physical education instructors at every level in the district came together to propose this project. The other priority for the corporate appeal is a performance-quality piano for the Algonquin auditorium. The old piano presently at Algonquin is missing vital parts and, even if it were in perfect working order, would not be loud enough to support a choral performance. We are compiling a list of potential corporate donors to support these projects. If you can provide us with names of people responsible for corporate giving, please call Dick Miller at 674-2960.
Separate item: FOUNDATION SEEKS OUTSIDE GRANTS Now that the Foundation has become established, we have begun the process of seeking outside grants from larger foundations, to help support our programs. In this way, your contributions can be leveraged to produce greater benefits for our kids. This year, our funding of the Albany Symphony program is being matched by a grant from the Chet and Karen Opalka Foundation (although since Karen is a member of our Board it's hard to call it an "outside" grant!) Thank you Karen and Chet! If you have information regarding a private or corporate foundation that might be interested in helping the Averill Park Education Foundation, please let us know. Call Carol Nash at 674-3648.
Separate Item: FOUNDATION WELCOMES NEW TRUSTEES AND THANKS DEPARTING TRUSTEES At its Annual Meeting on September 10, the Education Foundation voted to approve Sandy Doring, Penny Gebhard, and Sue Powers as incoming trustees. Each of them brings a long history of working to improve educational opportunities for our schoolchildren. We look forward to tapping their energy and expertise. The Foundation also regretfully accepted the departures of Bob Jewell and Bob Welch, two of our founding trustees. We thank them for their service and their invaluable help in getting the Foundation up and running.
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