Category: Jr./Sr. High News
A proactive approach to Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School is taking a proactive approach to wellness, offering students in grades 7 through 12 a variety of engaging activities and workshops during their lunch periods.
Offerings throughout the month will include self-care tips, a hydration station with fruit-infused water and create your own healthy snacks, as well as sessions on yoga, mindfulness, aromatherapy, coping skills, personal safety plans, and a rock painting session and walk to place the rocks outside near the school.
School counselors Colleen Cushing and Kayla Mahoney, Psychologist Dr. Lara Gordon and Principal Dr. Deborah Larrabee have teamed up to coordinate the month’s activities, with input and ideas from students.
Just like physical health, good mental health requires awareness, positive behaviors and learning new skills, particularly during busy times of the year and when confronted with challenges. FPHS’s Mental Health Awareness Month activities are designed to offer students enjoyable opportunities to learn and grow, both in school and beyond.
Parents/guardians may sign up their students for activities and workshops by contacting their school counselor. Lunch periods are scheduled between 11:05 and 1:05 p.m.
Outstanding student-athletes Sarah Florian, Robert Jordan, Levi Thomas sign with colleges
Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School celebrated college signings by three talented student-athletes the afternoon of May 4, 2022, in the high school lobby.
The students-athletes and their coaches were introduced by Fort Plain Athletic Director Charlie Karker, who congratulated them on their dedication, effort and success.
Sarah Florian signed today with Utica University for indoor and outdoor track and field. She closes out an impressive high school career competing in shot put and discus and other events. Sarah was praised for her work in the athletic and academic arenas by Track & Field Coach and Social Studies Teacher Brad Niles.
Robert Jordan signed today with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for basketball.
Levi Thomas signed today with Albany College of Pharmacy for basketball.
Robert and Levi helped Fort Plain clinch the 2022 varsity sectionals at the Cool Insuring Arena in March and were spotlighted in an article in the Daily Gazette. Basketball Coach and P.E. Teacher Casey Russom spoke about Robert’s and Levi’s achievements and praised all three students for their hard work behind the scenes leading to their success being celebrated today.
Students must meet college standards to sign with NCAA Division III schools, and signing is evidence of an outstanding high school career and commitment to a college’s program.
Congratulations to all!
Robert Jordan, Sarah Florian, Levi Thomas
Robert, Sarah and Levi with Coach Russom, Coach Niles
and Athletic Director Karker
Levi and his family
Sarah and her family
Robert and his family
173 FPHS students achieve 3rd Q Honor Roll or Principal’s List
Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School is proud to announce that 81 students have been named to the Honor Roll and 92 students have been named to the Principal’s List for the third quarter of the 2021-22 school year. To achieve Principal’s List, a student must earn an average of 89.445 or higher. To achieve Honor Roll, a student must earn an average between 84.445 and 89.444.
Congratulations to all of the students listed below.
Honor Roll
Grade 7
Kayden Battisti
Henry Crandall
Bryellah D’Arcangelis
Jeremy Gebhardt
Jansheen Haider
Lyllie Handy
Nathalieann Hisert
Madison Lewis
Gavin Massie
Elle Nare
Brodie Poultney
Jaydin Roosevelt
Kendra Sackett
Brady Spaulding
Riley Spraker
Olivia Sweet
Grade 8
Alexis Buley
Marcus Dunbar-Eller
Noah Fonda
John Fountain
Natashia Hammond
Grace McFee
Nicholas Skiffington
Grade 9
Alyssa Agnew
Zachary Briggs
Dakota Cooper
Kaedence David
Mariah Deese
Dakota Dodson
Kaylie Field
Jasmine Lapi
Damien Massie
Asaiah Muha
Nevaeh Rivers
Emily Rood
Calen Van Alstine
Dustin Welch
Grade 10
Carter Baldwin
Karissa Battisti
Ezekiel Brown
Kelsey Buley
Mason Cook
Jasmine Fonda
Vandwane Hisert
Ethan Hubbard
Payton Kretser
Sadie Mollel
Devan Sanders
Joseph Sherman
Payton Skiffington
Alex Smith
Breanna Steinhauer
Delana Tracki
Marissa Wilder
Grade 11
Madison Delgado
Andra Fuhs
Alexandra Handy
Madeline Heroth
Vivian Nunez
Alyza Scott
Page Stone
Savonna Tyler
Aleigha Van Alstine
Phoebe Wagner-Gollinger
Jeffrey Wilday
Grade 12
Nicholas Blowers
Laura Chambers
Monique Cool
Jacob Curtis
Keagen Ford
Emma Karker
Owin Landry
Patrick LeMoine
Vincent Lince
Hunter Lounsberry
Griffin MaGinnis
Tyrell Martin
Craig McMurray
Kasidy Rouse
Robert Trumbull
Johnathan Williams
Principal’s List
Grade 7
Trinity Belliveau
Jordyn Best
Gamliel Brackett
Aubry Brant
Kala Clapper
Aaliyah Delgado
Deegan Fountain
Mason Gray
Hailey Hayes
Levi Hext
Brooke Jones
Jay Kwasny
Lilly Lapi
Faith Narzymski
Alexis Palmeri
Zionna Robarge
Larry Sanders III
Silas Smith
Landon VanGorder
Cheyanne Wall
Grade 8
NyKisha Brown
Logan Burgess
Ian Burns
Josephia Carcasole
Owen Castellano
Emma Cook
Daniel Euler
Reanna Germond
Breyanna Gilot
Koby Herron
McKenna Karker
Dylan Keane
Daniel Lancaster
Kyera Murray
Constance Narzymski
Taylor Potter
Bailie Richardson
Bradley Rumrill
Morgan Stock
Jayde TenEyck
Dawson Tracki
Grade 9
Nathan Benson
Jordan Brown
Yunus Demir
James Douglas
Alexander Ellis
Cris-John Fuhs
Ashlynn Hart
Vienna Jackson
Payton Landry
Xavier Rivera
Adriyanna Rouse
Grade 10
Kaeden David
Aidan Guile
Brady Keane
Monika Kulczynski
Michael Palmeri
Matthew Paul
Austin VanGorder
Grade 11
Americus Cotton
Cameron David
Hannah Edwards
Stephen Gray
Rylee Herron
Ethan Kilmartin
Brianna Krutz
Anthony Paradiso
Kaitlyn Parker
Mayreni Quiroz-Romero
Alex Rivkowich
Kristin Sanders
Joseph Stinebrickner III
Natalie Thibodeau
Grade 12
Bryce Anderson
Erin Crouse
Brandon Dygert
Sarah Florian
Michael Harris Jr.
Hailey Hogan
Kerri Johnson
Tucker Jones
Robert Jordan
Shantel Kretser
Braeden Mosher
Talia Narzymski
Emma Oldick
Seth Rivkowich
Lawrence Sinisi
Estee Smith
Levi Thomas
Cheyanne Wahl
Clayton Welch
Lauren Crisman named Fort Plain superintendent
[Updated May 5, 2022]
The Fort Plain Central School District Board of Education, at their May 4, 2022, meeting, appointed Lauren Crisman to the position of Superintendent of Schools effective July 1, 2022, contingent upon successful contract negotiations.
Crisman, who has been the principal of the Harry Hoag Elementary School since 2016, will replace current Interim Superintendent Jeffery Ziegler.
“We cast a wide net during the search process to ensure we found the best fit possible for Fort Plain,” Board of Education President Mary Beth Hudyncia said. “The ideal candidate was already here in our district. As our elementary principal, Lauren Crisman has served the district and the community exceptionally well, and we look forward to her leadership as superintendent.”
“It is an honor to be offered the opportunity to serve as the superintendent of schools for Fort Plain Central School District. I have enjoyed being a part of so many Hilltopper traditions for the past six years while serving as the elementary principal, and I am deeply proud of our school community,” Crisman said.
“I look forward to working collaboratively with the board, faculty and staff, students and families to ensure that each student reaches their fullest potential. We will be a school district where success is experienced often and celebrated frequently. I thank everyone for the support that I’ve been given thus far and for letting me be a part of your children’s lives. I am excited to continue supporting the development of our district as we plan for the infinite possibilities of the future in education.”
Before coming to Fort Plain, Crisman served as the elementary principal and K-12 curriculum coordinator in the Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School for five years. Also at Cherry Valley-Springfield, Crisman worked as an English Language Arts coordinator, reading coach and elementary teacher. She also has teaching experience at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Little Falls, and North Colonie. In addition to her duties as the Harry Hoag principal, Crisman has been serving as a student teacher supervisor at the State University of New York at Oneonta for the last three years.
Crisman has a bachelor’s in Elementary Education from SUNY Cortland and a master’s in Literacy from SUNY Albany. She also earned a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from SUNY Cortland.
College signing celebration set for May 4 for Sarah Florian, Robert Jordan, Levi Thomas
All are welcome as Fort Plain celebrates college signings by three talented student-athletes on Wednesday, May 4, at 3 p.m. in the high school lobby.
- Sarah Florian will sign with Utica University for indoor and outdoor track and field.
- Robert Jordan will sign with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for basketball.
- Levi Thomas will sign with Albany College of Pharmacy for basketball.
Students must meet college standards to sign with NCAA Division III schools, with signing evidence of an impressive high school career and commitment to a college’s program.
Above, from left: Robert Jordan, Levi Thomas, Sarah Florian
Sticker Mule field trip offers close-up view of IT in action
Students in Rachel Heroth’s App FUNdamentals class at Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School got a close-up view of information technology (IT) applications and explored a range of IT career opportunities during an April 14, 2022, trip to Sticker Mule in Amsterdam.
But before they even left on their trip, the students participated in a design challenge to create a logo for their high school’s Computer Science program.
The winning logo design was created by Andra Fuhs and Madison Delgado. The students used software to adjust and convert the image so it could be cut out of heat-transfer vinyl, which they then used to create t-shirts.
During their tour of Sticker Mule, the students viewed a similar process, on a larger scale with industrial size equipment.
“At Sticker Mule, the class toured the facility and witnessed sticker printing, cutting, and packaging processes,” Heroth said. “Sticker Mule’s chief technology officer explained the technology involved in each step on the production floor and what went into the development of the programs that are vital to the company’s success.
“After the tour, students attended a presentation given by IT department members at the Amsterdam location and members who video-conferenced in from Brazil. The class learned what aspects of computer science and programming languages are used in different operations of the company.”
The presentation also highlighted different career paths in information technology, and values that technology leaders seek in employees. “It was really cool to hear how much the directors value hard work and computer science skills,” said Tucker Jones, a 12th grade student.
Students capped their field trip by receiving “swag bags,” which included their logo design on two different sticker materials and a variety of Sticker Mule products.
FPHS named a U.S News & World Report Best High School, ranked number one in region
Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School has been named the region’s top high school and among the state’s and nation’s Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report, retaining an honor that recognizes student achievement and academic and program excellence.
The Best High Schools 2022 Edition ranks nearly 18,000 schools by state and census-designated metropolitan areas with three or more high schools.
Fort Plain was ranked number one in the Amsterdam, N.Y., metro area, number 446 in New York State – in the top 34 percent, and number 4,978 in the nation – in the top 40 percent of public high schools in the U.S. Fort Plain has been highly ranked for several years.
Schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation rate and how well they prepare students for college. Specifically, rankings are based on enrollment, student body demographics, location and school type, graduation rate, and results of state assessments and Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests.
According to U.S. News & World Report, “The Best High Schools rankings, available online only, are produced in conjunction with RTI International, a global research firm. U.S. News doesn’t collect data directly from high schools – all data comes directly from official third-party sources. U.S. News receives AP and IB data directly from the College Board and International Baccalaureate, respectively, for use in the rankings. The state assessment data and graduation rates are from each state, and other data comes from the U.S. Department of Education Common Core of Data.”
Congratulations Hilltoppers!
Attention FPHS seniors: It’s time to apply for Scholarship Association of Fort Plain awards
The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain has been awarding scholarships to deserving students since 1947, and Fort Plain High School seniors are encouraged to apply. All a student has to do to apply is complete paperwork available from the high school counseling office.
The goal of The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain is to assist qualifying seniors in obtaining a higher education. The Association awards scholarships to seniors who have achieved an average of 75 or above through their high school years, and grants special awards to students who have maintained an average of 85 or better.
The Association believes it is very important that every deserving student receives a scholarship, that all who qualify receive an award. All a senior has to do is fill out the application, which is kept strictly confidential.
Information and scholarship applications are available in the Fort Plain High School Counseling office and are due back there by May 25, prior to the Memorial Day recess. Questions may be directed to Colleen Cushing at colleen.cushing@fortplain.org or (518) 993-4000.
“Fort Plain Central School recognizes the ongoing generosity of The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain and thanks them for their commitment to our students,” said Fort Plain Interim Superintendent Jeffery Ziegler.
Honoring achievement since 1947 – A brief history of the scholarships
The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain held its first formal organizational meeting on May 15, 1947, and awarded its first scholarship, $1,000, the following month to Fort Plain graduating senior Helen Brown. The Association’s endowment grew significantly over the years, thanks to the generosity of many donors, both individuals and organizations.
By 1994, the Association had awarded $58,000 in scholarships. In November of that year, the scholarship fund got a big boost when the Association received a bequest from Clifford Abel for $1 million, enabling the presentation of many more annual awards. Mr. Abel was a 1944 Fort Plain High School graduate who served in the Navy, then worked his way through college and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1950. His sister, Janet, also graduated from Fort Plain, in 1950.
A sizable life insurance policy was also left to The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain, and several estates have contributed to the Association’s successful program over the years, including the estates of the Wiles family, Frank and Mary Smith, George Weeks, Lore and Leo Koppel, Thelma Temple, and Dr. Charles Slater, who requested awards be given to students enrolled in an accredited American medical college.
Numerous memorials, merchants, families and individuals have donated to The Scholarship Association of Fort Plain, and their generosity continues. Many of the donors to the scholarship fund are past recipients. Students are welcome to become members of the Association.
No school May 26, 27, 31 due to unused snow days
Fort Plain Central School will be closed on Thursday, May 26, Friday, May 27, and Tuesday, May 31, due to unused snow days. This is a change from the printed calendar mailed late last summer. On Monday, May 30, school is closed for the Memorial Day holiday.
Saluting our Scholar-Athletes and All-Stars
Fort Plain’s student athletes are excelling in their sports and in the classroom. A number of teams have been named New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Scholar–Athlete teams, and Fort Plain’s winter sports teams had 40 Western Academic Conference (WAC) All-Stars.
To be named NYSPHAA Scholar-Athletes, teams must have an average of 90 or above to qualify. The following teams are being honored:
- Girls basketball
- Boys basketball
- Cheerleading
- Swimming (merged team with Canajoharie)
- Wrestling (merged team with Canajoharie)
According to NYSPHSAA, “At the end of each sports season, the NYSPHSAA honors those teams and individuals that excel in the classroom. Those student-athletes, teams, and schools work very hard throughout the year and deserve to be recognized for their academic success.”