3rd
annual Laps of Love Walk-a-thon scheduled for May 17
Please consider joining us...
3rd Annual Laps of Love Walk-a-thon
Saturday, May 17, 2008---8:30 to 10:30AM
Guilderland High School Track
Benefits the Dale Westcott Scholarship Fund
The Laps of Love Walk-a-thon is an
annual event held to raise money in support of the Dale
Westcott Memorial Scholarship Fund. Dr. Westcott, a good
friend and longtime leader as a teacher and administrator in
the Guilderland School District, died from brain cancer in
the fall of 2005. In the past two years, nearly $6,000 has
been raised from Laps of Love, and two graduating seniors
pursuing careers in math or science education have already
benefited from this scholarship award.
If you are a teacher, administrator,
parent or student whose lives were touched by Dale Westcott
or his wife Barbara, please consider walking with us and/or
making a contribution to Laps of Love on or before Saturday,
May 17. This event is open to all members of the Guilderland
School District community. Children who participate in this
event must be accompanied by an adult.
All pledges and donations will be
collected at the walk-a-thon on May 17 or can be sent to the
main office at Pine Bush Elementary School. The walk-a-thon
will take place rain or shine from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. with a
kick-off ceremony to start things off at 8:30 a.m.
For more information about Laps of Love,
please contact Tim Horan or Trisha McLean at Pine Bush
Elementary School (357-2770). We hope to see you on
Saturday, May 17 at the GCHS track to raise money for the
Dale Westcott Memorial Scholarship Fund and continue to
honor the spirit and memory of Dr. Westcott.
Fall sports sign-ups are underway
Are you interested in playing a fall
sport at GHS?* If so, now is the time to sign-up! Fall
sports packets may be picked up at the high school nurse's
office, or downloaded online at the
Fall Sports Sign-up home page. Completed packets must be
returned to the nurse's office no later than Friday, June
13, 2008.
* Fall sports include: cross country,
field hockey, football, girl's tennis, girls'
swimming/diving, golf, soccer, volleyball, and cheerleading.
Prom information for the Class of 2009
The following information was also sent
home to all parents/guardians on April 30
Dear Parents/Guardians of the Class of
2009: The Junior Prom is quickly approaching. We are
providing basic information regarding the details
surrounding Prom night. The Prom is: “A Red Carpet Affair”
and will take place on May 31, 2008 from 6 PM – 12 AM at
the Empire Convention Center.
Ticket Information:
The ticket cost is $45 per person.
This includes a buffet meal, a DJ, and party favors.
Checks should be made out to GCHS
Class of 2009. Please be sure to include your phone
number on the check.
Tickets will be on sale May 12 – May
23 during Advisory in Room 34. This will be the ONLY
time and place to purchase tickets. (Morning Vo-Tec
students will have an opportunity to purchase tickets
before attending Vo-Tec)
Students will be asked to sign up in
groups of 10 for seating. They will need to bring the
Prom Seating form with them when they purchase their
tickets. The forms will be available in their Advisory
Rooms.
THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS FOR PROM
TICKETS
Directions and Parking: The
Empire Plaza is located in downtown Albany. Take I-90 East,
to I-787 South, to the Empire Plaza Exit. Parking is
available in the Plaza parking garage. There is a $2.00
PARKING FEE. All students MUST BRING AN I. D. with them to
get in the garage.
Walk-in: From 6 – 7 PM we will
have the traditional walk-in. Students will be announced as
they proceed into the Convention Center. Parents are asked
to take pictures of their son/daughter very quickly and then
make room for the other parents, as space is limited. Only
students will be allowed in the Convention Center. Once
inside the Convention Center ALL STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED
TO TAKE A BREATHALYZER TEST.
Expectations for Behavior: All
school rules regarding student conduct apply while at the
Convention Center. We reserve the right to ask anyone not
abiding by school rules to leave the festivities. ONCE YOU
LEAVE THE CONVENTION CENTER THERE WILL BE NO RE-ENTRY TO THE
PROM.
Pictures: There will be
professional photographers offering a variety of photo
packages. Students will receive more information when they
purchase their tickets. PLEASE NOTE -- Money for the
photographer is needed the night of the Prom. Checks should
be made out to Lifetouch and please include your phone
number.
We hope you find this information
helpful. (Click
here to download the text above as a PDF.) We are looking forward to a memorable Junior Prom!
For more information, please contact either Colette
Gallagher or Jackie Gregory, Co-Advisors of the Class of
2009.
Important information regarding Senior
Ball 2008
June 6, 2008 at Empire Convention Center
Walk-in: 6 to 7 p.m.
Ball: 7 p.m. to Midnight
Only full tables of 10 can be reserved
** Please be aware that the Convention
Center parking garage charges $2.00, and a picture ID is
required to park in the garage.**
Prior to entry into the Ball, ALL
STUDENTS must take a breathalyzer test. The student code of
conduct, and all school policies and rules will be in effect
at the Senior Ball. Once you leave the Convention Center
there will be NO re-entry to the Ball.
Dismissal for the Ball Friday, June 6:
1. ONLY students who bought Senior Ball tickets and have
returned a parent permission slip for early dismissal will
be dismissed at 10:40.
2. If a student attending the Ball is NOT in class for
blocks 1&2, then the student MUST be in attendance for
blocks 3&4, in order to be admitted to the Ball.
**NO REFUNDS WILL BE GRANTED FOR BALL TICKETS**
Please note: May 23, 2008 to be a school
recess day
Assuming that the district does not
experience any emergency closings within the next three
weeks, all Guilderland Schools will be closed on Friday,
May 23, 2008 (contingent recess day) due to unused
snow/emergency days allocated for the 2007-08 school year.
In addition, all district administrative offices will also
be closed on that day. As noted in the district calendar,
all buildings will also be closed on Monday, May 26 in
observance of the Memorial Day holiday.
Voter information for residents of the
Guilderland Central School District
On Tuesday, May 20, Guilderland Central
School District residents will go to the polls to decide on
a proposed $83,823,160 budget for the 2008-09 school year.
This budget represents a 2.08 percent increase in spending
over the current year’s budget. If approved by voters, it
would result in an estimated 1.43 percent tax rate increase
for residents in the Town of Guilderland. On that day voters
will also elect three members to the Board of Education and
decide on a bus and equipment proposition. For more
detailed information, please visit our
School
Budget News home page or look for the special edition
budget newsletter in your mailboxes early next week.
Polls will be open on Tuesday, May
20, 2008 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. To vote in this election,
you must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and a
resident of the Guilderland School District for at least 30
days prior to the vote. Residents must vote at the
elementary school in their attendance zone.
Voter registration is required in the
Guilderland School District. If you are not registered,
you must do so prior to the vote. You may register to vote
at any of the district elementary schools on May 6, May 12,
or May 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or at the district
office (6076 State Farm Road) on the above mentioned days
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, please
contact Linda Livingston, district clerk, at 456-6200, ext.
3125.
Absentee ballots will be issued, upon
request, to residents of the school district who will be out
of town or unable to vote in person due to illness or
disability. For more information on absentee ballots,
including a printable absentee ballot application, please
click here.
Yearbook update
Please be aware that the 2008 edition of
the Tawasenthian will be arriving at the end of this
month (exact date to be announced on the school TV) and will
be delivered to students in their advisories. Those who did
not order a yearbook will be able to purchase one in the
school store for $55.00 AFTER the pre-ordered books
have been distributed to the advisories. For questions about
yearbook orders, please contact Beth Whitney (whitneye@guilderlandschools.org).
A gift-giving party to help the Kosiers
get back on their feet
On Wednesday, April 9, the Guilderland
High School community hosted a special "wedding shower" to show their support for two high school
teachers, Dave and Stephanie Kosier, who lost all of their
personal belongings in a fire. Thank you to everyone who
participated in the planning of this event and to all of
those in attendance.
Below is a special message from the
Kosier family: Thank you so much for all of your support--both emotional
and financial. We are so lucky to work in and be a part of
such a wonderful community. We appreciate everything you
have done for us!
With thanks and love,
Dave, Stephanie, Matti and Alexa Kosier
Please join us for an upcoming session of
"Common Grounds: Coffee Talk About Education."
"Common Grounds: Coffee Talk About
Education" series returns
Do you have questions, comments, or
concerns regarding the Guilderland Central School District
and its proposed budget or programming? If so, the Board of
Education wants to hear from you!
“Common Grounds: Coffee Talk About
Education” is designed to give all district residents an
opportunity to meet with Board members in a casual setting.
Upcoming coffees will be held on:
Wednesday, April 23 at the
Guilderland Public Library
Wednesday, April 30 at the
Guilderland YMCA
Saturday, May 10 at the
Guilderland YMCA
All sessions will be held from 10
a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration is not required. We hope to
see you there!
* Please note that the
coffee talk originally scheduled for May 3 at the
Guilderland Public Library has been cancelled.
District-wide ESL Extravaganza set for
May 15
The Guilderland Central School District
English as a Second Language (ESL) Department is proud
to recognize, celebrate, and showcase the hard work of all
our ESL students in grades K-12 at our annual ESL
Extravaganza to be held on Thursday, May 15, from
5:30-7:30 at Farnsworth Middle School Cafeteria.
Families will be attending and sharing a dish from their
native country. The ESL department would also like to invite
everyone who helps our ESL students to be successful:
district teachers, supervisors, board members, staff, and
community members.
This is an event not to be missed!
Department Supervisor Al Martino will kick off the
celebration at 5:45 p.m. with a welcome address. Dinner and
dessert will be from 5:50-6:45. The stage show and awards
ceremony will be from 6:45-7:15. This exciting event will
conclude with a multimedia slideshow that pays tribute to
the ESL students. Please plan to stop by to experience and
appreciate first-hand the multitude of cultures and
diversity our district has to offer! For more information,
or to sign-up to bring a dish, please contact Susan LaFond
at
lafonds@guilderlandschools.org.
Honoring those who help make our
community a better place:
GHS introduces new recognition program, “We Walk With
Giants”
Do you know an outstanding GHS student
or staff member who is helping to make the world a better
place? If so, this is your opportunity to nominate him/her
to be recognized as a Giant!
A Giant is a person (or group of people)
who goes above and beyond in some way to make the world a
better place. He/she might be working in the neighborhood,
organizing a recycling program, or may be a cancer survivor
and an amazing student and/or athlete. A Giant might be
spending time caring for someone who is ill or elderly. This
person is not doing the good deed for credit or community
service; a Giant does an extraordinary act because it makes
our community a better place to live and learn. If you know someone amazing who should
be recognized as a Giant within our school community, please
let us know about it!
There are four categories* of
recognition:
Community Crusader
Defending the Planet
Fighting for Justice
Medical Marvel
*Adapted
from the CNN hero project
Anyone can submit a nomination for
consideration. (Download
a nomination form here - PDF) Please direct completed
nomination forms to Amy Salamone. All submissions will be reviewed by the
“We Walk With Giants” committee (teachers Amy Salamone and
Teresa Wood, Assistant Principal Lisa Patierne, and
Principal Mike Paolino) and honorees will be named on a
monthly basis. Selected Giants will be interviewed for both
The Journal and the GHS Reporter. They will also have their
picture displayed in the high school lobby as a reminder to
us all that we can make a difference in our community!
The “We Walk with Giants” campaign was
initiated by GHS English teacher Amy Salamone and members of
the ninth grade advisory program, as a way to sponsor and
promote a positive school-wide initiative. For more
information on the program, please email
salamonea@guilderlandschools.org.
We hope you will join us in making the
program a success!
Operation Recognition underway at
Guilderland
Guilderland Central School District is
proud to be a partner in Operation Recognition, a New
York State program which grants a high school diploma to any
veteran who left school prior to graduation to serve in the
military during World War II, the Korean Conflict, or the
Vietnam War. Individuals need not have attended GCSD at the
time of service to be eligible for this program. Diplomas
may also be awarded to next of kin, if eligibility is
established.
Community members interested in
participating in Operation Recognition are encouraged to
contact Guilderland Superintendent of Schools John McGuire
at 456-6200, ext. 3102, or
visit our Operation Recognition home page for
additional details and eligibility requirements.
Keep in touch with Guilderland High
School news
Subscribe to The
Journal - Receive seven issues delivered anywhere in the
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number, address for delivery and payment to: Guilderland
High School, c/o The Journal, 8 School Road,
Guilderland Center, N.Y. 12085. Please make checks payable
to The Journal.
3rd
annual Laps of Love Walk-a-thon scheduled for May 17
District-wide ESL Extravaganza set for
May 15
