Alison Donofrio
and Krissy Jackson Receive Founder's Day Award from
Charlton Heights
Congratulations to Krissy Jackson and Alison Donofrio,
who were chosen as the recipients of the Founder’s Day
Award from Charlton Heights. The Founder's Day
reception was held on Thursday, February 4, at the
Edison Club. Krissy has been active with the PTA
as our co-president for the past two years. She has
also been a committee member of the Magic Maze, and has
been active with Girl Scouts, and as the committee
chair of the Monster Mash and our staff recognition
lunch. Alison Donofrio is a fourth grade teacher who
does much for our school community. As one of the
advisors for Student Council, she has coordinated the
food drive and the Silver Graphics art sale. This year,
she started the recycling program in each classroom of
the school. She is also active with the After-School
Enrichment Drama Club. Congratulations to these most
deserving volunteers. They both help to make our
students shine every day.
Founder's Day is a nationwide celebration to remember
the founders of PTA who first gathered in 1896.
Each year the Charlton Heights PTA honors an
individual who has gone above an beyond in ways that
benefit the children and our community. For past
winners from Charlton Heights, please see
Founder's Day Award Winners.
PTA After-School Enrichment Clubs
Begin Week of February 22
to view the
volunteer schedule or club registration list.
Some of our popular
clubs include the Drama Club, Legos, Ultimate Games,
Judo, Video Game Creation, Basket Weaving, Cooking
Creations, Art and Sculpting, Cartooning Characters,
Pets and Vets, Bowling, and So You Think You Can Dance. The clubs
will be held on either Wednesdays, Thursday or Fridays from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
You can also help as an assistant for one of the clubs.
To volunteer or for
more information, please call Sonja Thomson at 885-3415
or email to
sonjathomson@hotmail.com
The
following forms provide information about the
After-School Enrichment Clubs. Please note that
the Lego City Club will be held on Thursdays:
The PTA has many opportunities for parents and
family members to volunteer at Charlton Heights.
Whether you enjoy working in school with children, or
baking goodies at home, we have something for everyone!
Volunteering is an important way for you to show your
child how important school is, and how the entire
community works together for our children. For
more information on programs, please see
PTA Volunteer Opportunities. For a volunteer
interest sheet, please see
PTA Volunteer Interest Form.
Volunteers Needed for Career Awareness Jamboree on March 31A
career exploration day has been planned for Wednesday,
March 31, 2010, with partnerships between school, local
businesses, and community organizations. The
purpose of the program is to expose students to various
job and career opportunities. Students will have
an opportunity to learn about three different careers
during 35 minute presentations. We are in need of
volunteers who will assist during the day. If you
are interested, please contact Julia Hayden at
chayden357@aol.com.
You may also have any questions answered from Career Awareness Jamboree
Chairperson Paulette Mahar at
pdmahar@hotmail.com.
The sessions will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude
at 11:30 a.m.
Students Donate $1,007 to the Red Cross for Haiti Relief
Thank you so much for our students who donated $1,007.93
to the Red Cross for Haiti relief. We are very
proud of our children who supported this cause through
their generosity. Thanks to the Student Council
and the children from Mrs. Germain's second grade class
who organized the collection.
Cheryl Traver Joins Charlton Heights Staff as School
NurseWe
would like to welcome Cheryl Traver, who is joining the
Charlton Heights team as our school nurse on January
25. She will replace Kathy Greco, who has taken a
position as the school nurse at the O’Rourke Middle
School. Cheryl is currently the school nurse at an
elementary school in the Greenwich Central School
District.
Box Tops for Education Results:
Congratulations to Miss Donofrio and Mrs. Hall's fourth
graders!
The
Box Tops for Education contest has begun for the
winter/spring. We had a very competitive fall/winter contest
which ended on January 15, 2010. The two classrooms that collected the most
Box Tops for Education labels this fall and winter will
receive a special party. The labels are found on
most General Mills, Betty Crocker and Ziploc items, to
name a few. The final results as of January
15 are as follows:
1. Miss Donofrio
1,535
2.
Mrs. Hall
1,150
3.
Mr. Moore 1,065
4.
Mr. Haluska 856
5.
Mrs. Grasso
789
6.
Mrs. Brooks 714
7.
Mrs. Mindel 680
8.
Mrs. Long 597
9.
Mrs. Gobel 555
10.
Mrs. McNeal 489
January PTA Newsletter Now On-line
The PTA will now be using an electronic version for our
monthly newsletters. Families who have given the
school their e-mail address will be mailed an electronic
copy. Families who would like a hard copy should
contact Newsletter Chairperson Sue Hanson. You can also view the newsletters on-line by downloading our Newsletter.
Past newsletters can be
viewed by clicking the PTA Sidebar on the right side of
the web page under the Charlton Heights Quick View.
Absentee Call-In Procedures
The Charlton Heights Main
Office asks that parents let us
know about a child who will be absent for the day due to
illness or other reasons.
Students donate $300 to the Make A Wish Foundation for
the
Adopt an Angel ProgramThe
Student Council collected spare change for the
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeastern New York.
Students brought in money during every lunch period
from December 7 through December 16. We raised
over $300 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Thanks
to our wonderful students and their families who have
generously given of themselves to help others.
Adopt a FamilyStudents
in third, fourth and fifth grade banded together to help
some families who are experiencing financial difficulty
this holiday season. Students donated money so
that presents could be purchased for the children in the
families who needed assistance. We are very proud
to teach our children the spirit of giving to help
others and appreciate all of the support from our
Charlton Heights Knights and their families!
Winter Concert
December 10 The
Charlton Heights Winter Concert was held on Wednesday,
December 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.
Performing in the concert were the 4th and 5th grade
chorus, band and orchestra, under the direction of Gina Kirsty,
Susan Rask and Karen Russell, respectively.
Awards are given
every spring to fifth graders who exhibit
dedication and excellence in the arts.
Award winners from Charlton Heights for the arts can be
found by clicking on the links below:
PTA Reflections Winners AnnouncedThe
National PTA developed the
Reflections program in 1969 to interest children,
parents, teachers and communities in the arts.
This year's contest theme is "Beauty is..."
Students created a piece of art work, took a photograph, wrote
a story or song, and/or created a dance or film about the theme.
Following is a list of students whose work will be
judged at the Regional Level:
Honorable Mention:
Grady Sondgeroth and Mackenzie Jackson
Holiday Shop at Charlton HeightsThe
PTA
Holiday Shop was held at Charlton Heights on
Thursday, December 3, in the gymnasium. Our students
were given an opportunity to independently select and
purchase affordable items for their loved ones.
The event was a great way to
get into the season's spirit. Thank you so much to
all of our volunteers for making the event a success.
A special thank you to Tara and David DeLuke for the
efforts to organize the day!
School Banking
School
banking is now beginning for the 2009-2010 school year
with First Niagara Bank. We
are very excited to have school banking again this year.
School banking is an opportunity to teach children the
important lessons of money management and fiscal
responsibility. We allow students to deposit money
into their account every Thursday before school from
8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
If your child is interested in participating in school
banking, they must open an account with the bank.
Applications are available at the school banking table.
Please do not send deposits with your child until they
have received their account number in the mail from the
bank.
Fire Safety Poster Winners
Announced
Charlton
Heights students participated in our annual fire safety
program on October 7 and competed in the poster contest.
Thank you very much to the Charlton Fire Department
volunteers who came into school for our day
of fire prevention information. The following students
are the winners for their grade level, and the first
place award winners will receive a
$50 savings bond from the Charlton Fire Department.
Kindergarten- 1st Place
Balbina Bouchard and Abigail Miller
Honorable Mention-
Alexis Patrick and Anthony Wakulenko
Grade 1- 1st Place Donovan Cataldo
Honorable Mention-
Alexandra Ayers, Jacob Pashley and Vincent Venditti
Grade 2- 1st Place Andrew Poirier
Honorable Mention-
Christian Erickson, Aina Ozaki and Alizabeth Zarnofsky
Grade 3- 1st Place Hannah Janik
Honorable Mention-
Cassidy Burgner, Vincent Daviero and Lydia DeLano
Grade 4- 1st Place Tyler Doherty
Honorable Mention-
Lauren Buthfer, Kelly Leva and Nate Morrill
Grade 5-1st Place Bailey Sheppard
Honorable Mention-
Natalie Burgner and Madison Ayers
Student Council Officers and
Theme Days AnnouncedStudents at
Charlton Heights have elected the officers and
representatives for the 2009-2010 school year.
Congratulations to fifth graders Kason Snyder, the new
President; Jenna Meany, Vice President; Jake Schuhl,
Secretary; and Lindsay Jameson, Treasurer. A
listing of the Student Council from the past few years
as well as officers from as far back as the 1990's can
be viewed below:
The
Student Council will be sponsoring theme days
during the school year. On these days,
children and staff can wear the special clothing related
to the theme. During on the theme days, the PTA
will be selling bags of popcorn for $.50.
Student Council 2009-2010
Theme Days
Wednesday, December 23rd
Stuffed Animal Day
Friday, January 29th
Super Bowl Team Day (Team Colors)
Friday, February 12th
Twin Day
Wednesday, March 17th
Lucky Leprechaun Day (Wear green!)
Friday, April 30th
Beach Vacation Day
Friday, May 28th
Crazy Sock Day
Thursday, June 10th
Red, White, & Blue Day
The Year in PicturesStudents
and staff gathered on the morning of June 25 to
celebrate the 2008-2009 school year. As part of
the celebration, staff member Pat Kluth put together a
presentation with hundreds of photos of the activities
that took place throughout the year. A copy of the
presentation can be viewed at
2008-2009 School Year. Please be advised that
this pdf file is extremely large (49 mg) and could take
some time to download.
Talent Show Held at Charlton HeightsThe
Charlton Heights Talent Show was held on Thursday, June
18 in the gymnasium. Students sang, danced, played
musical instruments and delighted the audience of family
members and students from the school. For a copy
of the program, please see
Talent Show.
Field Day ResultsThe Charlton Heights Field Day was held
on Friday, May 29, 2009.
Children who placed first, second or third in an
individual event, or first place in a team event,
qualified for the District Field Day on June 2 at Stevens Elementary School. The trophy for most points scored went to Mrs. Hall's
fourth grade class and the fifth graders from Mr. Moore's class.
Results of the Charlton Heights Field Day can be found
by clicking on the link below:
Charlton Heights Field Day results from 2001 through
2009 can be found
by clicking here
At the awards ceremony held on May
29th, Mindy Corney and Ryan Hathaway were honored with
the male and female athlete award. The recipients
of the Sportsmanship Awards were Alyssa Hughes and
Justin Camp. The physical
education staff also distributed the
Presidential Physical Fitness Awards at the ceremony.
Congratulations to all of the participants for great
effort and cooperative spirit. Award winners from
Charlton Heights for
physical education can be found by clicking on the links below:
Charlton
Heights Wins District Field Day
The District Field Day was held
on Tuesday, June 2, 2009, at
Stevens Elementary School.
Charlton Heights placed first for the fifth consecutive
year with 106 points, just barely ahead of Stevens
Elementary with 103 points, and Pashley with 73 points.
The day featured some all time record performances: Tino
Benamati broke the fourth grade boys hurdles record with
a time of 8.5 seconds, and Gianna Flint beat the fifth
grade girls records in the 50 yard dash with a time of
7.2 seconds and the soccer kick with a punt of 109' 2".
Parents and community members enjoyed the beautiful
weather and the wonderful sportsmanship displayed by all
of the participants. Congratulations to all of the participants for great
effort and cooperative spirit.
District
Field Day winners from
Charlton Heights, Pashley and Stevens from 1997 through
2009 can be found
by clicking
here.
Kids Are Runners Too Program
The
Kids Are Runners Too (KART) program began at
Charlton Heights on Monday, May 11, with an opening
ceremony. KART is a half marathon distance
running/walking program designed to give children the
opportunity to increase their daily levels of physical
activity. Each day at recess, the children ran or walked 2/3 of a mile. The children
kept track of their progress in the classroom.
Children received a water bottle and a pedometer
when the program began, and received a medal at the conclusion
of the program. The students ran the last
mile of KART on Wednesday, June 10, at 10:00 a.m. to the
music spun by DJ Paul Pantalone!
Color Me
Cooperative Day Held June 8
The
Color Me Cooperative Day was held on June
8, and began at 9:00 a.m. on the back playing
fields. Children were grouped onto six colored
teams: blue, white, blue, red, maroon, gray and green.
The students participated in three
cooperative games throughout the morning. Some of
the activities included knots, amoeba race, frisbee golf,
five point basketball shoot, stepping stone relay race,
three legged race and the tug of war. A great time
was had by all, and the children all exhibited great
sportsmanship and cooperation. Congratulations to
all!
Reminders from the Nurse:
Students in kindergarten, second and fourth
grades plus any students new to the district
must submit a completed school physical form.
(Click here for a pdf copy of this form.)
Parents: please send completed physical forms and
immunization records to the nurse as soon as
possible.
Also, remember that medications given
during the school day need to come in the
original bottle with a written doctor's notice.
All medications must be delivered by an adult!
CH Staff Donate to
Worthy OrganizationsEach
month, staff members at Charlton Heights have
participated in "Denim Days" to raise money for
community organizations. Anyone who is interested
pays $5 to wear denim on the specified Friday, and the
money goes to a worthy cause. This year, we have
raised hundreds of dollars and supported the American
Heart Association in honor of Barb Pierce, as well as
Breast Cancer Research, Adopt a Family, and the Animal
Rescue Center. Keep up the great work, Team
Charlton!
Chris Holder Fifth
Grade ResidencyThe
fifth grade students at Charlton Heights learned about
ecosystems and how humans and their actions through
history have affected the environmental ecosystem in the
Hudson and Mohawk Valley area over the past 400 years.
The interdisciplinary partnership with Chris Holder was planned by fifth grade staff,
and special area teachers including art, music, physical
education and library. The students researched
specific aspects of ecosystems and presented an
entire school assembly on March 11 at 1:45 p.m. in the
gymnasium. Chris Holder is an actor, singer,
storyteller, songwriter and master Teaching Artist in
arts in education settings across the Northeast.
This program was funded in part by the Decentralization
Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council
on the Arts, administered by the Saratoga County Arts
Council.
Congratulations
to Founder's Day Winner Sonja Thomson On
February 5, 2009, Sonja Thomson was honored with the
annual Founder's Day Award from the Charlton Heights
PTA. Sonja has volunteered her time as the Star of
the Week Chairperson, and she has also chaired the
After-School Enrichment Clubs and the Curiosity Shop
Program. She has also coordinated a program to
allow students to "vote" for president this fall.
We appreciate her efforts and congratulate her on this
well deserved honor.
Founder's Day is a nationwide celebration to remember
the founders of PTA who first gathered in 1896.
Each year the Charlton Heights PTA honors an
individual who has gone above an beyond in ways that
benefit the children and our community. For past
winners from Charlton Heights, please see
Founder's Day Award Winners.
Students present performance of Toby TylerTwenty
three fourth and fifth graders from the After-School
Enrichment Drama Club presented Toby Tyler
on Thursday, February 12, at 1:45 p.m. in the gymnasium.
The
show was about a young boy, Toby Tyler, who decided to
join the circus. There, he met many friends such
as a trapeze artist, living skeleton, and a snake
charmer. He also meets a gypsy and peanut seller
who may not have his best interests at heart.
Brian Gillie Dance Residency
Brian Gillie worked with students in
grades 1-5 on dances from different decades. He performed for the entire school on Monday, October 6 at
9:00 a.m. and the culminating project was on Friday, October 10.
Students performed dances from different decades that the school has been
in operation. First graders did the twist and rock
dances from the 1960's such as the monkey and the swim.
Second graders danced to
tunes from the 1970's such as disco and the bump.
Third graders did the cha cha, stroll and bunny hop with
music from the 1950's. Fourth graders performed
"Thriller" and other dances from the 1980's, and the fifth graders
did the swing,
electric slide and pop dances from the 1990's.
Thanks to the PTA for their generous sponsorship of
quality Arts in Education programs.
Charlton Heights Celebrates 50th Anniversary Charlton
Heights is celebrating our 50th Anniversary in the
fall of 2008. The school was completed in 1958,
and we have planned some
special events for our community.
Monday, September 29-
50th Celebration Assembly
Students, staff and retirees gathered to celebrate the
50th Anniversary of Charlton Heights. The
program included a welcome by Principal Tim Sinnenberg, the pledge
led by Student Council Officers Alex Glowa, Tyler Jessee,
Casey Doherty and Luke LeBel, and a welcome from Board
of Education member Robert Speck. Superintendent
of Schools Jim Schultz donated several books to the
school library, and a painting donated by the family of
Dell Nessle was given to Charlton Heights in honor of
Mrs. Nessle, who was the last teacher at one-room school
house #7, the former Little Troy School. Student
Council representatives presented roses to our school
retirees, and Town of Charlton Supervisor Alan Grattidge
and Charlton Historian Laura Linder presented a historical
marker and resolution to honor the occasion.
Ballston Town Historian Rick Reynolds gave a
presentation about Bob Garling, who painted a beautiful
mural in the halls of the school, and staff member
Cathleen Buff put together a power point presentation
celebrating our past and future. Music Teacher
Gina Kirsty led the students in singing "The Star
Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America." Thanks
to everyone who helped organize the event. You can
view information about the retirees and former staff
members by clicking below:
Tuesday, September 30
A school spelling bee was held at
1:45 p.m. in the gymnasium for students in grades 4 and
5. The winner of the fifth grade Spelling Bee was Sierra
Bach, and Tony Serafini won from fourth grade.
Thursday, October 2-
School History Day Students
learned about the history of the school through
books, newspaper articles, and through other
activities. At 2:00 p.m. the school gathered in
the gymnasium to celebrate students who completed their
Summer Reading Challenge. Later, students went to the
Magic Maze to plant a tree in honor of
our 50th
Anniversary.
Friday, October 3- Color Me Cooperative This
event was postponed due to inclement weather. It
will be rescheduled for another date, and details will
be sent home about the cooperative learning
day.
The day culminated with a PTA sponsored
Sock Hop in the evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. A
great time was had by all in attendance.
School Report Card posted: On
August 11, 2008, the NY State Education Department made the 2006-07 Report Cards for all NY schools public
on its website. You can view or download this
compilation of 2006-07 test scores, class size, attendance and other data for the
Charlton Heights
Elementary School here (pdf
format). More information and the report cards for all
the schools in our district can also be viewed on the
State Ed. website by clicking on "Saratoga County" at
New York State Report Cards.
1,001 Books
continues at Charlton Heights!
Thanks to great support by Charlton
Heights families, community members and staff, the
"1001 Book Kid" program is continuing into
the second year of operation.
The ultimate goal of the program is
that each child
will have heard 1001 stories and have formed a bond
with books and reading that will last a lifetime.
Research concludes that “there is no more important
activity for preparing your child to succeed as a
reader than reading aloud together.” The “1001 Book
Kids” program is one way we can help our busy
families access good books to read to their children
in a quick and easy way.
The program works in the following
manner. We will provide 100 bags, each of which
contains ten high quality, age appropriate
children’s books. The bags will be located in the
Charlton Heights Main Office Lobby where they are
easily accessible before, during and after school
hours. Families who participate can borrow a bag
for a week and share the books with their children.
Upon return of the bag, they perform some simple
record keeping, and then borrow a new bag. After
reading 100 bags of books, the child will then
listen to their 1,001st story from the
principal. There will be incentives offered along
the way as families reach the milestones of 25, 50,
75, and finally, 100 bags.
You can view
more information about the program by going to
1001 Book Kid.
(Click this logo to learn about or sign up for our School
News Notifier)
A
career exploration day has been planned for Wednesday,
March 31, 2010, with partnerships between school, local
businesses, and community organizations. The
purpose of the program is to expose students to various
job and career opportunities. Students will have
an opportunity to learn about three different careers
during 35 minute presentations. We are in need of
volunteers who will assist during the day. If you
are interested, please contact Julia Hayden at
We
would like to welcome Cheryl Traver, who is joining the
Charlton Heights team as our school nurse on January
25. She will replace Kathy Greco, who has taken a
position as the school nurse at the O’Rourke Middle
School. Cheryl is currently the school nurse at an
elementary school in the Greenwich Central School
District. 
The 
The 
The
National PTA 
The
Charlton
Heights students participated in our annual fire safety
program on October 7 and competed in the poster contest.
Thank you very much to the Charlton Fire Department
volunteers who came into school for our day
of fire prevention information. The following students
are the winners for their grade level, and the first
place award winners will receive a
$50 savings bond from the Charlton Fire Department.
The
Charlton Heights Talent Show was held on Thursday, June
18 in the gymnasium. Students sang, danced, played
musical instruments and delighted the audience of family
members and students from the school. For a copy
of the program, please see
Charlton
Heights Wins District Field Day
The
Color Me Cooperative Day was held on June
8, and began at 9:00 a.m. on the back playing
fields. Children were grouped onto six colored
teams: blue, white, blue, red, maroon, gray and green.
The students participated in three
cooperative games throughout the morning. Some of
the activities included knots, amoeba race, frisbee golf,
five point basketball shoot, stepping stone relay race,
three legged race and the tug of war. A great time
was had by all, and the children all exhibited great
sportsmanship and cooperation. Congratulations to
all!
The
fifth grade students at Charlton Heights learned about
ecosystems and how humans and their actions through
history have affected the environmental ecosystem in the
Hudson and Mohawk Valley area over the past 400 years.
The interdisciplinary partnership with Chris Holder was planned by fifth grade staff,
and special area teachers including art, music, physical
education and library. The students researched
specific aspects of ecosystems and presented an
entire school assembly on March 11 at 1:45 p.m. in the
gymnasium. Chris Holder is an actor, singer,
storyteller, songwriter and master Teaching Artist in
arts in education settings across the Northeast.
This program was funded in part by the Decentralization
Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council
on the Arts, administered by the Saratoga County Arts
Council.
Twenty
three fourth and fifth graders from the After-School
Enrichment Drama Club presented Toby Tyler
on Thursday, February 12, at 1:45 p.m. in the gymnasium.
The
show was about a young boy, Toby Tyler, who decided to
join the circus. There, he met many friends such
as a trapeze artist, living skeleton, and a snake
charmer. He also meets a gypsy and peanut seller
who may not have his best interests at heart. 
