PTA Looking for Volunteers 

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 the Volunteer Interest Sheet.

BH-BL Summer Forum is for summer fun & learning!  

It's time to sign up for BH-BL 's own Summer Forum enrichment classes for students currently in grades K - 6. Classes in Arts & Crafts, Musical Theatre, Future Chefs, and Youth Challenge will be given this summer from June 26 to July 20.

Space is limited to 20 students per class, so sign up now! The deadline is May 18. Read all the details in the Summer Forum 2012 flyer.

Award Winners Announced at Spring Concert

Awards were distributed at the Charlton Heights Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.  Each year, the Friends of Music honors one fifth grade student from each of the performing groups for their dedication, excellence in the arts.  Congratulations to Elizabeth Heitzman, Avery Knapik and Abby Evans, who won from the orchestra, chorus and band, respectively.  Performing in the concert were the 4th and 5th grade chorus, band and orchestra, under the direction of Gina Kirsty, Brian Tetlak and Karen Russell.

Award winners from Charlton Heights for the arts can be found by clicking on the links below:

Charlton Heights Band Award Winners

Charlton Heights Chorus Award Winners

Charlton Heights Orchestra Award Winners

Eileen Briggs Art Award Winners

May 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 Lisa Criscone.  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.

CH Field Day Set for May 23 The Charlton Heights Field Day for students in grades 4 and 5 will be held on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 on the back field at Charlton Heights Elementary School.  The rain date will be Friday, May 25th. 

The decision to cancel or delay the event will be made the morning of field day.  Parents may obtain more information by calling the Main Office if you have questions on the morning of the event or by checking the website. Spectators are welcome to attend field day.  We ask that all spectators stand behind the cone area, which will be used for the student athletes and staff members. 

Children who place first, second or third in an individual event, or first place in a team event, will qualify for the District Field Day on June 5 at Stevens Elementary School, with a rain date of June 6.  

Charlton Heights Field Day results from 2001 through 2011 can be found by clicking here

An awards ceremony will be held on the afternoon of May 23rd at 1:30 p.m. and several fifth graders will be honored with the male and female athlete award, and the Sportsmanship Awards. 

The physical education staff will also distribute the Presidential Physical Fitness Awards at the ceremony.   Award winners from Charlton Heights for physical education can be found by clicking on the links below:

Female Sportsmanship Award Winners

Male Sportsmanship Award Winners

Female Athlete of the Year Award Winners

Male Athlete of the Year Award Winners

Field Day Class Champions

Field Day Records for Boys

Field Day Records for Girls

Physical Education Leadership Award Winners

Spring Box Top Contest Update

The spring Box Tops Contest is beginning, and our primary classrooms are off to a quick start.  The two classes that collect the most Box Tops by Friday, June 15, will receive either an ice cream or a pizza party. 

The labels are found on most General Mills, Betty Crocker and Ziploc items, to name a few.  This is the first time that three classes had over 2,000 Box Tops, and that eight classes had over 1,000 Box Tops. 

Charlton Heights was ranked fourth in the Capital Region for the total number of Box Tops collected last year.  In addition, we were ranked 34th out of the 6,874 schools who turn in Box Tops in New York State for the same time period.  The results for the second semester as of May 11 are below: 

1.  Mrs. McNeal           1,409

2.  Mrs. Long               1,130

3.  Mrs. Ollari                 906

4.  Miss Jones               905

5.  Mrs. Gobel               885          

6.  Mrs. Grasso             650

7.  Mr. Haluska             636

8.  Mrs. Martin PM        595

9.  Mrs. O'Rourke          543

10. Mr. Deso                538

Third Annual Chuck and Duck Dodgeball Tournament will be on April 27    The Charlton Heights Student Council, in conjunction with the PTA and the Teacher's Association sponsored a Dodgeball Tournament on Friday, April 27, in the gymnasium.  Over 130 students in grades 3-5 participated, and competition was fierce between the teams.  In preparation for the Summer Olympics, team names were based on countries.  In the finals, Team Japan narrowly defeated Team Mexico for the title.  Members of Team Japan were: Annaliese Blowers, Vincent Daviero, Lily Digman, Jack Fox, Aidan Giaquinto, Colby Jackson, Kyle Larned, Jimmy Mion and Kiahna Pieronek.   Students who have participated in the event in the past are below:

2012 Team Roster

2012 Results

2011 Team Roster

2011 Results

2010 Team Roster

Proceeds from the event will go towards the Friedreichs's Ataxia Foundation again this year.  Over $3,000 was raised from the event this year.  Winners from the past tournament can by found by clicking on the link below:

Chuck and Duck Dodgeball Tournament Champions

Thanks to the Earth Day Volunteers  Thank you so much to the approximately 40 students, staff and parents who helped with the “Earth Day Clean Up at Charlton Heights” on Friday, April 20^th. 

We raked, weeded and cleaned up on the grounds and in the gardens and painted parts of the Magic Maze!

Thanks go out to Cassandra Bowers, Maria Fernandez, Brad Warner, Carly Warner, Natalie Warner, Alea Helmeset, Katarina Helmeset, Brian Pausley, Emma Pausley, Jake Pausley, Rebecca Holder, Emily Holder, Brian Holder, Krissy Jackson, Colby Jackson, Sandy Venditti, Tessa Venditti, Brianna Venditti, Grayce Venditti, Dave Versocki, Amy Versocki, Eileen Stone, Kevin Stone, Kieran Stone, Ethan Stone, Shane Rafferty, Joe Riley, John Duval, Wyatt de lalla, Roberta de Lalla, Jen Pietrow, Roy Pietrow, Mary Pietrow, Kyle Larned, Evan Brennan, Susan Brennan, Sharan Zarnofsky, Josh Zarnofsky, Alizabeth Zarnofsky and Samantha Johnston, Jodi Cataldo for all of their help!

BH-BL Camp Invention Summer Program 

Don't miss out on your last chance to save $15 off your total for registering by May 31! 

Children entering grades one through six will be immersed in a weeklong adventure of creative problem solving through Camp Invention. This is a chance to enhance your child's education while they have fun this summer!  The program will be held at the O'Rourke Middle School from July 30 to August 3, 2012, and the program runs from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. 

One of the real world Science challenges in the Camp Invention program is "Saving Sludge City."  The children will help save this pollution filled city by constructing eco-friendly buildings and transportation to decontaminate the city's water.

For more information, contact Marie DiCristofaro at mdicristofaro@bhbl.org.  Enroll at www.campinvention.org  or caIl 800.968.4332. 

Charlton Heights Drama Club Performs "The Little Mermaid"

70 fourth and fifth graders from the Drama Club presented "The Little Mermaid" on Friday, March 30th, at 7:00 p.m. in the gymnasium. 

The Drama Club began in 2009 with a production of "Toby Tyler."  To view the cast lists from prior shows, please see below:

Little Mermaid 2012

Sleeping Beauty 2011

The Emperor's New Clothes 2010

Toby Tyler 2009

Congratulations to Founder's Day Award Winners Jodi Cataldo, Traci Hall and Sharan Zarnofsky 

Congratulations to Jodi Cataldo, Traci Hall and Sharan Zarnofsky, who were chosen as the recipients of the Founder’s Day Award from Charlton Heights.  The District PTA sponsored the annual Founder's Day Celebration on Thursday, February 2, at the River Stone Manor in Glenville.  All three have been actively involved in the school community, and we are proud of their efforts to positively influence the lives of our children.

Jodi Cataldo has four children at Charlton Heights.  She has been the Co-Chairperson of Arts in Education and the Bookfair for the past two years.  She was also the Co-Chairperson of the PTA Walk for the Arts fundraiser and the Star of the Week program.  Jodi is in charge of costumes for the BH-BL Theatre for Children production of “Pinocchio.”

Traci Hall is a fourth grade teacher and the parent of a third grader at Charlton Heights.  She is the Student Council Co-Advisor, and has been the Co-Chairperson for the PTA Curiosity Shop program for the past two years. 

Sharan Zarnofsky is a parent of a fourth grader at Charlton Heights and an eighth grader at the Middle School.  She is very active in our PTA, and has been the PTA President for the past two years.  This year, Sharan also serves as our PTA Co-Chairperson for Family Programs, School Directory, Kindergarten Orientation, and she is the PTA Webmaster.

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.

Dig Deep Into Books with our Parents As Reading Partners Program  The CH PTA sponsored a Parents As Reading Partners Program during the week of March 5.  Students at Charlton Heights were encouraged to read 15 minutes each day with a parent or friend of the family.  As a kickoff, children's author Steve Tomecek visited Charlton Heights and talked about how he writes his science books.  Steve's nick name is the "Dirtmeister," and Steve mentioned his work with rocks and minerals to the children.  Children enjoyed creating a time capsule, playing games with their family, and celebrating during lunch on March 15 with a "dirt" cake!

Good Things Coming to Charlton Heights! 

This summer, we will be having a lot of construction work completed at Charlton Heights.  A new boiler system will be put into place, which will allow each individual room to be centrally controlled by district staff. We will also have roofing work done for the quads, Main Office area, and the gymnasium.

To get a jump start on this large project, some work will be completed evenings and over vacations.  If you have dropped by Charlton Heights after school, you may have noticed that plumbers and electricians have taped off areas in which they are working.  Please avoid the taped areas and take another route to your destination for safety.

The plumbers are installing pipes which will help prepare for our summer work.  The electricians are placing fire safety lighting in hallways to comply with revised safety guidelines.  In addition, the safety lights and exit signs will be placed in classrooms that have an outdoor exit.

Student Council Representatives Announced for 2011-2012 School Year Students at Charlton Heights have elected the classroom representatives for the 2011-2012 school year.  The representatives can be viewed in the document below.  Congratulations to Lily Digman, the new President; Morgan Skpowski, Vice President; Grace Isaksen, Secretary; and  Tyler Berg, 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:

Student Council 2011-2012

Student Council 2010-2011

Student Council 2009-2010

Student Council 2008-2009

Student Council 2007-2008

Student Council Officers 1992-Present

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. 

February 17                          Mismatch Clothing Day

March 9                                Hat Day

March 30                              Team Day (Wear sports team shirt)

April 20                                 Earth Day (Wear Green)

May 25                                 Red, White & Blue Day

June 15                                Maroon & White Day

June 21                                Tie Die Day

PTA Reflections Award Winners Announced

Congratulations to the following students who submitted entries for the Reflections contest and whose work will be going on to the Regional competition:

Photography:  Matthew Sinnenberg

Visual Arts:  Molly Shea, Sophia Swain, and John Wells

Honorable Mention:  Isabella Antonini, Lily Haluska, and Luke Haluska

The National PTA developed the Reflections program in 1969 to interest children, parents, teachers and communities in the arts.  This year's contest theme was "Diversity means..." 

A listing of students who earned Reflections awards from the past can be found by clicking here:  Reflections Award Winners

Fire Safety Poster Winners Announced Charlton Heights students participated in our annual fire safety program on October 12 and competed in the poster contest.  Congratulations to first place winners Clara Law, Zoey Wyatt, Ada Bouchard, Cabot Smith, Bryce Clark, Abby Shea and Molly Shea.   The first place award winners will receive a $50 savings bond from the Charlton Fire Department. 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 from the past three years: 

Fire Safety Poster Winners 2011

Fire Safety Poster Winners 2010

Fire Safety Poster Winners 2009

Students can learn about China during November half day afternoons  

BH-BL students in grades 1 - 5 will have a new enrichment opportunity this November.

In cooperation with the BOCES, exploratory classes in Chinese language and culture will be offered during the four "half day" afternoons in November when our elementary students have no regular classes. Tuition for the four-day program is $50. Class sizes are limited, and parents should sign up as soon as possible.  READ DETAILS

Walk for the Arts Thanks  The PTA would like to thank everyone who donated money and/or time to the Walk for the Arts fundraiser.  The PTA raised $6,200 for the arts in education programs at Charlton Heights!  The following are the top earners by grade level:

Grade K-  Lily Haluska

Grade 1-  Wyatt DeLalla

Grade 2-  Ella Fowler

Grade 3-  Ella Katz

Grade 4-  Teagan Arras

Grade 5-  Danielle Borden

Top Class-  Miss Jones- Grade 3

Thanks again for all of your support!

Students Honored at Summer Math and Reading Challenge Assembly  Students who participated in the Summer Reading and Math Challenge were presented with medals at an assembly on Friday, October 7.  The students who participated also voted to have staff members go into a dunk tank later that afternoon.  Students were then given a chance to throw a ball at the target and dunk their favorite staff members.  At right, teacher Andy Haluska watches as a student gets ready to throw.  A total of 230 students earned medals in mathematics, and 240 earned medals for reading.  Congratulations to all of the students who participated!

Hey, Charlton Heights Knights: Welcome back!!

The detailed district calendar has been mailed to all BH-BL households and can also be viewed on the district Calendars page.

Charlton Heights bus routes are included in the printed calendar and are also visible on the website at Charlton Heights Bus Routes

Parents: Please remember that a Bus Stop Change Form needs to be filled out EVERY YEAR if your child will be bused to or from a location other than your home. See Child Care Policies for more information, a copy of the form, and a list of state-licensed day care providers within our school district.

Info on this website includes our Student & Parent Handbook that describes Charlton Heights school programs, services and "rules of the road." It has been updated for 2011-12. Parents will receive a printed copy of the handbook in September, but can also review it here anytime as needed. Click on Student Handbook on the right for a copy of this pdf file. (Requires Acrobat Reader.)

More reminders:

The cost of student lunches has increased for the first time in three years. A complete elementary student lunch including milk will now be $2.25.  An 8 oz. carton of milk purchased separately is still 50¢. In addition to the Daily Special, our cafeteria is now offering at least 4 alternate meals a day.  Go to Elementary Lunch Menu for all the details.

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.

See our Absentee Call-in Page for all the details on how best you can do this.

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!

Information has been put together concerning pediculosis (head lice.)  Click here for a copy of the fact sheet.  Also, more information can be found about head lice on the Kids Health web site at

http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/sheets/head_lice_sheet.html

Information from the New York State Department of Health can be found by Clicking Here.

 Congratulations to Dora Law for placing first among all Saratoga County fourth graders in the annual "Be Smart, Don't Start" Poster Contest.  The program targets the youth of Saratoga County, and each year there is a Growing Up Smoke Free! poster contest.  Dora drew a picture of a ballerina dancing, and her poster was judged to be first place by the panel of judges.  She was honored during the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Board Meeting on June 21, and the school received a $1,000 gift certificate to Borders Book Store.  A listing of past award winners from Charlton Heights can be found below:

Poster Contest Winners from Charlton Heights

Talent Show Held on June 23 at Charlton Heights The Charlton Heights Talent Show was held on Thursday, June 23, at 9:00 a.m. in the gymnasium.  Students sang, danced, played musical instruments and delighted the audience of family members and students from the school.   Programs from the past can be found below:

2011 Talent Show

2010 Talent Show

2009 Talent Show

Charlton Heights Float Wins First Place in the 2011 Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade

Congratulations to the Charlton Heights Student Council for tying with Pashley Elementary School for first in the 2011 Burnt Hills Community Flag Day Float Contest in June.  The float was put together by students and staff at the elementary school. 

The theme of the float was "Healthy Minds, Healthy Hearts."  Children dressed up as athletes from different sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and swimming.  On the float was a large three dimensional soccer ball that rotated, and two students were goalies in front of the soccer goals placed on the sod.  Special thanks to Alison Donofrio, Traci Hall, Bonnie O'Rourke, Jill Ollari, George Dorvee, Lisa Johnson, Amy Hotaling, and community member Pete Ollari.

Charlton Heights Wins Second Place at District Field Day The District Field Day was held on Tuesday, June 7, 2011, at Stevens Elementary School.  Charlton Heights, with 114 points, placed second to Stevens Elementary with 127 points.  The day featured one all time record performances: The fourth grade girls from Mr. Bold's class ran a 1:08.8, with Abby Evans, Lily Digman, Madeline Fox and Alaaya Patterson.  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 a cooperative spirit. 

District Field Day results from the past can be found by clicking here.

Chris Holder Fifth Grade Residency Performance on June 15

The fifth grade students at Charlton Heights experienced an in-depth introduction to The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963 .  The students were exposed to songs, poems, stories and dances which enhanced the study of the Civil Rights Movement.   The students researched specific aspects of the Civil Rights era from a variety of different perspectives to help them better understand the context of the 1950's and 1960's events.  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 presented an entire school assembly on June 15 at 1:45 p.m. in the gymnasium.  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.

Ellen Sinopoli Dance Residency Performance on June 9 Fourth grade students participated in a week long residency with the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company.  The participatory aspect of the program consisted of daily workshops taught by two dancers and accompanied by a musician.    The program culminated on June 9 with a performance by the students in the Charlton Heights gymnasium. 

Motoko Residency Performance on June 3  Third grade students participated in a week long residency with Motoko this spring.  The five day residency focused on national holidays, festivals, and seasonal children’s activities in Japan throughout the year. The third grade students gained an accurate picture of contemporary Japan while providing them with a sense of history. Sessions included stories, songs, art, and cultural lessons, and culminated into a students’ performance and art exhibit on June 3.  Motoko won the 2007 National Parenting Publications Awards for her debut CD "The Promise of Chrysanthemums." 

10-11 Recorder Black Belt Honoree List Updated  Each year, our third graders learn about instruments during music class.  As part of their studies, they start playing the recorder to practice reading music and using proper rhythm.  The children spend a lot of time at home in preparation for class, where they can perform a variety of songs, from easier to harder.  For each song the children complete, they are rewarded with a specially colored string to signify their achievement.  When completed, the final song earns the child a black string, or their "black belt".  A listing of students who earned their black belt awards from the past can be found by clicking on the links below:

Black Belt Award Winners 10-11

Black Belt Award Winners 09-10

Black Belt Award Winners 08-09

Black Belt Award Winners 07-08

Black Belt Award Winners 06-07

Black Belt Award Winners 05-06

Holiday Shop The Charlton Heights PTA sponsored our annual Holiday Shop on Thursday, December 2, during the school day.  Our students were given an opportunity to independently select and purchase affordable items for their loved ones.  We had a great variety of crafters who came into the gymnasium to sell their special treats for a lower cost.  A special thanks to Tara and David DeLuke who organized the event, and all of our parent volunteers!  The event was a great way to get into the season's spirit!

Eagle Scout Project Completed at Charlton Heights  

James Klapper, from Troop 65, recently completed his Eagle Scout Project at Charlton Heights.  He organized a group of parents and troop members to complete two planters outside near the side playground.  Students in the future will use the planters to practice their gardening skills.  James is one of five Boy Scouts who have completed projects for Charlton Heights.  A listing of the other projects can be viewed at Eagle Scout Projects

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 1,001^st 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.