6 minute read
Education
New Banking Option at Galway Jr./Sr, High School
GALWAY — The Galway High School Business Department has announced that it will be partnering with First New York Federal Credit Union to bring banking to Galway Junior/Senior High School. Junior/Senior High School students can open either a Savings Account or an EZ Access Account, which is a VISA Debit Card for children ages 13-17.
Students who already have accounts from their years in Joseph Henry Elementary School don’t have to open a new account; they can continue to deposit at the High School and earn points for the E-Way Café.
Students can bring their deposits of $.25 - $10 to school every Tuesday either before school from 7:40 to 7:55 a.m. or during 3rd and 4th periods from 9:31 to 10:55 a.m.
The banking program will be run by Junior/Senior High School Students Eric Zelezniak, Sakarah Gilboy, and Jack Ryan and overseen by Business Teacher Mrs. Shauna Sitts.
Applications can be picked up at the E-Way Store on Mondays and Fridays. Students can also open up an account online at www.firstnewyork.org.
Empire State College Announcements
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The SUNY Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Lisa Vollendorf, Interim Provost and Chief Academic Office at the University of Northern Colorado, President of SUNY Empire State College.
Vollendorf, who was selected after an extensive national search, will be SUNY Empire’s sixth president since its founding in 1971. Her official start date will be announced soon.
“I am both honored and excited to join SUNY Empire State College as its next president,” said Vollendorf, of her new appointment. “I believe deeply in SUNY Empire’s mission of meeting students where they are to help them achieve their educational needs. I thank the SUNY Board of Trustees, SUNY Empire, and the presidential search committee for putting their trust in me. I look forward to working with the SUNY Empire college community to advance the vital work already underway, find new and innovative ways to serve today’s diverse population, and support the faculty, staff, and alumni at the heart of this amazing institution.”
Dr. Nathan Gonyea, who has served as Officer in Charge at SUNY Empire since December 2020, will remain in that role until Vollendorf arrives to ensure a smooth transition.
“The announcement of Dr. Lisa Vollendorf’s appointment to President of SUNY Empire State College comes at a critical and opportune time for the college,” said Gonyea. “We are developing new programs and initiatives, and we are leading nontraditional higher education in new and exciting areas at a national level. We look forward to our next chapter with great hope and optimism. There is significant, yet exciting, work to be done. Dr. Vollendorf’s vast higher-education experience and her enthusiasm for SUNY Empire’s unique place within the SUNY system make her an excellent choice. On behalf of SUNY Empire State College, I extend a warm welcome to Dr. Vollendorf.”
Dr. Lisa Vollendorf. Photo courtesy of SUNY Empire State College.
CCNE Grants Accreditation to SUNY Empire’s Master’s Program in Nursing
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has granted 10-year accreditation to SUNY Empire State College’s master’s program in nursing, a recognition that reinforces the program’s quality and integrity.
CCNE accreditation is a nongovernmental peer review process that helps ensure a nursing program meets nationally recognized standards of excellence. It signals that a nursing program optimally prepares its graduates for the workforce.
SUNY Empire’s graduate nursing program offers two specialty tracks, Nursing Education and Nursing Administration. SUNY Empire’s BSN program, which received CCNE accreditation in 2015, is due for its next accreditation visit in 2025.
This important accreditation comes amid a growing demand for nurses across the nation and in New York State. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 11 million additional nurses are needed to avoid further shortages in the healthcare industry. Employment opportunities for nurses are projected to grow at a rate of 15 percent – faster than all other occupations – through 2026. According to the American Journal of Medical Quality, there will be a shortage of more than 39,000 registered nurses in New York by 2030.
The accreditation further enhances opportunities recently created by the State University of New York establishing a $3 million SUNY Nursing Emergency Training Fund, which will help SUNY campuses expand program capacity so more students can enroll.
Academy for Lifelong Learning Offering 18 Courses this Winter
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Academy for Lifelong Learning is offering its second winter term sponsored by Prestwick Chase with ten educational courses through Zoom as well as eight, in-person, outdoor classroom offerings. Topics include Introduction to Classical Music, Global Literature, Italian Language, Music, 20th Century Local History, Snowshoeing & Hiking, American Revolution, Journal Writing, Drug Development & the FDA, Mah Jongg, Cooking, Painting, Writing from Prompts, Ancient Game of Go, Intro to Taoism, Six Wives of Henry VIII, and much more. Wherever you are this winter, you can Zoom Academy classes.
Brochures are available by request. Email jeff.shinaman@ esc.edu or call 518-587-2100 x2390 or go to www.esc.edu/all. Registrations will be accepted right up until the start of classes the week of Jan. 24. Some classes will sell out, so sign up soon. Membership is $75 and goes through June 30, 2022. Five-week classes are $50 each. A spring term is also planned to start in mid-April.
BSCSD: A Message From the Superintendent on the Termination of Mask Breaks
BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa Central School District’s Superintendent of Schools, Ken Slentz, has made an announcement on the district’s website regarding the termination of mask breaks during the school day. The Message From the Superintendent is as follows:
“Late Friday afternoon we received the latest Commissioner’s Determination from the NYS Department of Health. While all components of the previous masking requirements for schools remain in effect, ‘This determination does not provide for the implementation of mask breaks during the school day, nor does it provide for an exception to the masking requirement on the basis of minimal social distancing in classrooms.’
Due to the timing of the release, I have informed our staff that today [Dec. 13, 2021] may be used to phase out mask breaks while explaining the new rule to students which is in place until at least Jan. 15, 2022, at which time the state will reevaluate the determination.
Please note that the only change is that mask breaks are no longer allowed. Students will still be able to remove their masks during drink breaks and while eating, and when outside the school buildings for recess and Physical Education classes.”
Contact BSCSD with any questions on this change at schoolopening@bscsd.org.
Read the full Commissioner’s Determination from the NYS Department of Health here: bscsd.org/ cms/lib/NY02211965/Centricity/ Domain/8/Commissioners%20 Determination%20from%20the%20 NYS%20Department%20of%20 Health%20-%2012.10.21.pdf.
SUNY Adirondack’s Early College Career Academy
QUEENSBURY — Saratoga Springs City School District has announced an opportunity for high school students to take part in SUNY Adirondack’s Early College Career Academy. Students enrolled in the Early College Career Academy can receive up to 32 college credits at no cost to them and gain valuable college experience while in high school.
The Early College Career Academy consists of four pathways/programs: Business and Entrepreneurship, New Media, Information Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing.
The program starts at the beginning of junior year of high school where students will spend half the day on SUNY Adirondack’s Campus (Wilton or Queensbury) and half the day at their high school. School Districts provide transportation to and from the college campus. Students will receive a laptop in each program, textbooks, and all other materials specific to each program at no cost to them.
The Early College Career Academy is also open to high school students in other local school districts. To pre-register fill out the form below and you will be linked to more information and more opportunities to learn about the programs. Information Sessions and links will be provided after you fill out the form below. To sign up for a shadowing day, students should see their school counselor before Dec. 22.
Scan the QR Code for the Registration Form:
