Welcome New Staff!   Charlton Heights will have several new staff members this fall.  Joining the kindergarten team is Kate Gurley, who has taught kindergarten and grade 4 for many years at Stevens.  She is the District Staff Development coordinator in the morning, and will teach the afternoon session of kindergarten at Charlton Heights in the afternoon.  Kathy Kindl will be the new Occupational Therapist, after having served in this position at Pashley last year.  Courtney Erhardt will join the staff as a part-time art teacher.  She will teach all of the morning sessions, while Lisa Johnson, who taught at Charlton Heights last year, will teach all of the afternoon sessions of art class.  Courtney taught for two years at Shaker High School, and was also an elementary/middle school art teacher at the Tech Valley Charter School in Albany for one year.  Finally, Jeff Page, who has taught part-time at Stevens for several years, will be teaching the sessions of physical education for the two kindergarten classes on Thursday afternoon.  Welcome to all of the new staff to Charlton Heights!

Students in grades 1 through 5 and family members are cordially invited to attend our annual Open House on September 8 from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.  Children can bring in their school supplies, meet their new teacher, and get together with their friends.  Kindergarten students and their parents will have a scheduled time on September 10 to meet their new teacher and get acquainted with the classroom.  Please contact the Main Office if you are unsure about your scheduled time to come into school. 

The first day of classes for students in grades 1 through 5 is on Friday, September 10, and kindergarten students begin on Monday, September 13.

Charlton Heights Bus Routes

Our bus routes are included in the printed district calendar that was mailed to all households. They are also listed online 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.

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.

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

Charlton Heights Float Wins First Place in the Flag Day Parade

Congratulations to the Charlton Heights Student Council for placing first in the 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 "We are the World, We are the Children."  Children dressed up in costumes from around the world from countries such as Mexico, Gambia, South Korea, Afghanistan, China, and Spain.  On the float was a large three dimensional globe that rotated, and flags from all of the countries represented.  Special thanks to Student Council Advisor Alison Donofrio, Bonnie O'Rourke, Jill Ollari, and community members Tim Long and Pete Ollari.

Student Council Officers  Announced for 2010-2011 School Year Students at Charlton Heights have elected the officers and representatives for the 2010-2011 school year.  Congratulations to Anna Scott, the new President; Monica Muscato, Vice President; Maddy Hicks, Secretary; and  Tyler Doherty, 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 2009-2010

Student Council 2008-2009

Student Council 2007-2008

Student Council Officers 1992-Present

The Student Council accomplished much during the school year.  They began a recycling program for paper and plastic, started a dodgeball tournament, collected money for the Make A Wish Foundation, collected food for the needy during November, and raised money from the Brooks BBQ and the Silver Graphics Art Sale.  Some of their numerous gifts to the school included 2 picnic tables, body microphones, electronic screen, outdoor tents, playground supplies, a mascot flag, Knight costume, and a camera.

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. 

2010 Summer Math and Reading Challenge

See the brochure for all the details.

Spring Box Top Final Results

The Box Tops for Education contest has now concluded for the winter/spring, and results are below.  Congratulations to the third graders from Miss Jones and Mr. Haluska's classes.  They have won a classroom party!  We collected over 13,000 Box Tops, a record for Charlton Heights.  Thank you so much to all of our families who support the program!  The labels are found on most General Mills, Betty Crocker and Ziploc items, to name a few.  

1.  Miss Jones             1,794

2.  Mr. Haluska            1,612

3.  Mr. Deso                1,571

4.  Mrs. Conklin           1,019

5.  Mr. Bold                   895

6.  Mrs. Long                 787

7.  Mrs. Gobel               660

8.  Mrs. O'Rourke          565

9.  Mrs. Ollari                497

10.  Mrs. Hjelmar           483

Talent Show Held on June 17 at Charlton Heights The Charlton Heights Talent Show was held on Thursday, June 17, at 1:30 p.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:

2010 Talent Show

2009 Talent Show

Charlton Heights Wins District Field Day The District Field Day was held on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, at Stevens Elementary School.  Charlton Heights placed first with 114 points, just barely ahead of Stevens Elementary and Pashley Elementary.  The day featured one all time record performances: Hunter Wolfe tied the fourth grade boys hurdles record with a time of 8.5 seconds.  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 results from the past can be found by clicking here.

Award Winners Announced at Spring Concert   The Charlton Heights Spring Concert was held on Tuesday, May 18, 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 were given to fifth graders who exhibit dedication and excellence in the arts.  This year, the fifth grade award winners were Hope Chevalier for chorus, Jared Rotunda for band, and Grace Hartfiel-Carr for orchestra.  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

Ellen Sinopoli Dance Residency   Fourth grade students participated in 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 10 with a performance by the students in the Charlton Heights gymnasium.  In addition, daily journals will be kept by the students during the residency period, allowing them to translate into words and drawings the concepts and ideas that they have been exploring with their bodies.

Chris Holder Fifth Grade Residency

The fifth grade students at Charlton Heights  experienced an in-depth introduction to A Long Way from Chicago .  The students were exposed to songs, poems, stories and dances which enhanced the study of A Long Way from Chicago.   The students  researched specific aspects of topics such as the Great Depression, children's relationships with grandparents, women and men's roles in the 1930's,  differences between life today and in the 1930's, flying in biplanes, anticipating WWII, unexpectedly strong and iconoclastic women, rural and urban life in Illinois 80 years ago.  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 9 at 1:30 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.

Motoko Residency Performance on June 4  Third grade students participated in a week long residency with the Motoko beginning on May 26.  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 4.  Motoko won the 2007 National Parenting Publications Awards for her debut CD "The Promise of Chrysanthemums." 

Six Records Broken at CH Field Day  The Charlton Heights Field Day for students in grades 4 and 5 was held on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 on the back field at Charlton Heights Elementary School. 

Six records were broken at the event by our fourth and fifth grade girls.  For the fourth grade girls, Renee Manosh and Sallie Suski broke ten year old records.  Renee ran a 35.9 in the 220 while Sallie jumped 5' 9" in the long jump.  The girls from Miss Donofrio's class comprised of Ruo Fang Hayden, Catie Ireland, Grace Holzman and Renee Manosh ran 1:10.25 in the 440 relay.

For the fifth grade girls, Amalia Daviero and Abby Stafford broke running records.  Amalia ran a 33.1 in the 220, while Abby went 1:19.0 to win the 440.  In addition, the girls team from Mr. Deso's class broke the 440 relay record with great efforts from Amalia Daviero, Krissy Bikowicz, Caleigh Rotella and Lindsey Jameson.  

Charlton Heights Field Day results from 2001 through 2010 can be found by clicking here

An awards ceremony was held on the afternoon of May 26th at 1:30 p.m. and several fifth graders were honored with the male and female athlete award, and the Sportsmanship Awards.  The male athlete award was given to Tino Benamati and Christian Gramuglia, and Amalia Daviero was named the female athlete of the year.  The sportsmanship awards were given to Krissy Bikowicz and Connor Hotaling. 

The physical education staff also distributed 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

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 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.

First Annual Chuck and Duck Dodgeball Tournament   The Charlton Heights Student Council sponsored a Dodgeball Tournament on Saturday, May 15, in the gymnasium.  Over $2,000 was raised from the event, and the proceeds went towards the Friedreichs's Ataxia Foundation.  Competition was fierce, and all of the participants enjoyed the event.  The winning team was the Dragons, comprised of team captain Jenna Meaney, as well as Max Blowers, Evan Buckley, Darby Larkin, DJ Lashley, Tyler Michaelson, Nick Nelson, and Eric Phelps.  The Dragons defeated the Gladiators in the finals, with third place going to the Firebirds and fourth place to the Anacondas.  Click here to view dodgeball team rosters (pdf format)

Step it Up Running Program

The Step it Up running program began at Charlton Heights on Monday, May 10, with an opening ceremony.  Step it Up is a half marathon distance running program designed to give children the opportunity to increase their daily levels of physical activity.  Each day at recess, the children will be encouraged to run as much as they can.  The children kept track of their progress in the classroom.  The students ran together as a school on Tuesday, June 15, at 10:00 a.m. to the music spun by DJ Paul Pantalone!

Speed Stacking Champions    Congratulations to all of the students from Charlton Heights who participated in the Speed Stacking Championships held at Stevens Elementary School on Tuesday, April 20.  Winners from Charlton Heights were Jason Perregaux, Danielle Traver, Matthew Zoller and Sean McDonald.

Children's Garden held on May 19 and 20  Students participated in Children's Garden activities on May 19 and 20.  Volunteers from the PTA worked with children to understand more about the importance of composting.  Charlton Heights was awarded a 2009 Earth Day Grant from the Air & Waste Management Association so that students can learn how our gardens are a good food source, and that our outdoor classroom is a habitat for happy, helping worms they can touch, watch and view the benefits of what feeding them food waste produces.  Children learned about the concept of "rot, reduce, reuse and recycle," which is easy to see in a worm farm.  In the lesson, the students were encouraged to compost at home so they can help improve the soil and be of benefit to grow usable and edible products.  A special thank you to Laurie Kruppenbacher for her help in the Children's Garden and in giving information for the grant.

Color Me Cooperative Day on May 24

The Color Me Cooperative Day was held on Monday, May 24, 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 amoeba race, frisbee golf, five point basketball shoot, stepping stone relay race, three legged race and the tug of war. 

Agriculture Literacy Week Celebrated at Charlton Heights  Former Charlton Heights alumna Emma Heritage, a BH-BL High School Senior and the 2010-2011 New York State Alternate Dairy Princess, read to the second grade classes during Agriculture Literacy Week on March 17.  During National Agriculture Week, students throughout New York learn about the importance of trees in our everyday lives.  This year's book, The Tree Farmer by Chuck Leavell and Nicholas Cravotta, was read to classes and then donated to the school library.   Prior Literacy Week topics have been apples, maple syrup, vegetable and flower production, and the dairy industry.

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Fifth Graders Participate in Jump Rope for Heart  The fifth graders recently participated in Jump Rope for Heart, and raised $2,178 for the American Heart Association.  A special thank you to Tanner Muro, who was the top fundraiser.  Thank you to Physical Education teachers Laura Barry and Steve Jones for organizing the event.

Career Awareness Jamboree   A career exploration day was held on Wednesday, March 31, 2010, with partnerships between school, local businesses, and community organizations.  The purpose of the program was to expose students to various job and career opportunities.  Students had an opportunity to learn about three different careers during 35 minute presentations.  A special thank you to Paulette Mahar and Audrey Lowe for coordinating the event, to the presenters for graciously giving of their time to expose our youngsters to their career, and to all of our volunteers who made the day possible.

The Emperor's New Clothes Production Performed on March 19

Fourth and fifth graders from the Drama Club presented "The Emperor's New Clothes" on Friday, March 19, at 1:30 p.m. in the gymnasium.  Congratulations to all of our performers who did such a marvelous job with their performance.  Special thanks to staff members Alison Donofrio, Cam LaViolette, Amy Hotaling, Pat Kluth and Bobbi Barringer for helping to put the show together with their amazing talent and to the parents for all of their support!

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 

Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers for making the PTA After-School Enrichment Clubs such a success.  A special thank you to Sonja Thomson for her organizational and creative talents for putting together the program.  You can visit the Charlton Heights Elementary School PTA website at http://chespta.yolasite.com/events-calendar.php to view the club schedule.

Some of our popular clubs included 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 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.

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.

PTA Reflections Winners Announced The 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:

Film:  Jonathan Sinopoli

Music:  Mark Piotrowski

Photography:  Matthew Sinnenberg and Colin Swain

Visual Arts:  Madeline Boussa, Sophia Swain, Rebecca Kelley, Samantha Kelley, and Natalie Burgner

Honorable Mention:  Grady Sondgeroth and Mackenzie Jackson

Holiday Shop at Charlton Heights The 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

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.

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!

Charlton Heights Celebrates 50th Anniversary  Charlton Heights celebrated our 50th Anniversary in the fall of 2008. 

Students, staff and retirees gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Charlton Heights.  The program included a welcome by Principal Tim Sinnenberg, 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:

Charlton Heights Teaching Staff 1958-2008

Charlton Heights Retirees

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.