HFCSD would like to send a big THANK YOU to today's Budget Vote volunteers, Caroline Bornt, Eleanor Tracy, Judy VanDerkar, and Pam Cottrell. You still have time to stop in and vote today, until 8:30 pm. While you're here, you can take a look at our amazing student artwork in the Art Show, get some ice cream in a student-made bowl for the Empty Bowls Fundraiser, and support our student musicians in the Spring Concert. There is also a PTA Members' Meeting tonight at 4:45 pm in room 161 and a BOE Meeting at 6:30 pm in the high school cafeteria.
Tomorrow is the HFCSD 2025-2026 Budget Vote! Please come out to vote!
5/20/25 - HFCS High School Gymnasium- 9 am - 8:30 pm
Student events will also be happening during the budget vote. See flyers for more details. For more budget information, please visit our website: hoosickfallscsd.org
Spring Concert #1 is tonight at 7pm! Come out and support the students for this free concert!
Important reminders for May 2025!
🐾2025 High School Graduation Schedule!🎓
Today is the day of the Hoosick Falls Community Job & Career Expo! 46 vendors are coming and these businesses have ~300 job openings in a wide variety of sectors. Stop by and see what our area has to offer!
🎉Hoosick Falls Drama Club won the Outstanding Achievement Award for their spring musical, Into The Woods!🎭🎶
On Saturday, May 10th, HFHS students Mea Cleary and Ashley Druckenmiller participated in the High School Musical Theatre Awards at Proctors. Both students performed in the Opening and Closing numbers of the ceremony, along with student representatives from 20 other schools across the Capital Region. Mea also performed with the other students nominated for Outstanding Lead Performer. "The Outstanding Achievement Award represents recognition for a school that demonstrated remarkable resilience and success despite facing challenges... This award celebrates the group’s perseverance, teamwork, and determination to deliver a great performance... highlighting their dedication and commitment to their craft."
Both Mea and Ashley gave impressive performances, and carried themselves with maturity and grace in a demanding environment. They were amazing representatives of our school community amongst the best of the best in high school theater! Congratulations to Mea, Ashley, and the HFCS Drama Club!🎉🐾
(Thank you to Ms. Melissa Zimmermann for submitting this update and pictures.)
☀️Our Summer OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAM (OEP) is registering students now! ☀️This free program is open to HFCS students entering grades 8 - 12. 🌳🥾🛶🏹 Let's get the kids outside this summer, hiking, kayaking, and trying archery! Over a 3-week period in July, students will experience activities that may be entirely new and some activities they may already participate in at home. The activities are introductory, providing each student an overview of basic technique and application. See letter for full details, times, rain dates, and for more information on how to sign up!️ Questions? Contact Mr. Nelson: nelsonl@hoosickfallscsd.org
🎉Congratulations to our latest Middle School Students of the Month, nominated for demonstrating the Panther PRIDE character trait of Integrity. The Middle School Student Council also selected music teacher, Mr. Robert Allen, as the Teacher of the Month! 🐾
Everyone in the community is welcome to attend this free event, happening at HFCS tomorrow, 5/10!
Join author Mariah Blake for a compelling discussion about her new book, They Poisoned the World. Mariah will be in conversation with Brendan Lyons of the Times Union and several Hoosick Falls residents.
The forecast is calling for rain, so there will be hot coffee and plenty of amazing baked goods that Michelle Martinez Vandemark made in honor of her brother, Marcus Martinez, for tomorrow's event!
The Bennington Bookshop will also be at school, selling copies of the book.
ABOUT THE BOOK
They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals is a landmark investigation of the chemical industry’s decades-long campaign to hide the dangers of forever chemicals told through the story of Hoosick Falls and its successful fight for clean drinking water.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mariah Blake is an investigative journalist whose writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Mother Jones, The New Republic, The New York Times, and other publications. She was a Murrey Marder Nieman Fellow in Watchdog Journalism at Harvard University. As part of her book research, she spent eight years following the Hoosick Falls story.
ABOUT THE HOST
Brendan J. Lyons is a managing editor for the Times Union overseeing the Capitol Bureau and investigations. Lyons joined the Times Union in 1998 as a crime reporter before being assigned to the investigations team. He became editor of the investigations team in 2013 and began overseeing the Capitol Bureau in 2017. It was Lyons who broke the story of the water contamination in Hoosick Falls back in 2016.
VISIT THE FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE FOR MORE DETAILS.
***Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled!***
The Key Club is hosting the annual Staff v. Sheriff's basketball game! Come and cheer on your HFCSD faculty and staff. All proceeds from the event will go towards the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office Adopt A Family Program.
The Book Launch with Mariah Blake is right around the corner! This event is free and open to anyone in the community. Saturday, 5/10, from 11 am-12:45 pm in the school auditorium. Read the Bennington Banner article about the book and this event here: https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/they-poisoned-the-world-book-launch-will-be-held-in-hoosick-falls-on-saturday/article_637f0808-6cf6-4c00-b99d-c90163ce9479.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwY2xjawKF8MpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETE3eDhZaGd2d2NyV3NGVGtXAR4WNJrWfyA3LDqm8jNifR0lLjQcADMkr2uF9BWERGKux1NsmfgwKxw6pm0BNQ_aem_bxgSI_LsTeRO4wOAI7JtbA
The Hoosick Falls 4-H Senior Class of 2025 has a rich history and deep roots in Rensselaer County 4-H. Included in the photo are 4-H seniors Luke Hoag, Jessica and Lucy Haynes, Amelia Pello, Rich Stifter, and Evan Wilwol, along with Rensselaer County 4-H Educator Kandis Freer. Collectively, these seniors have more than 55 YEARS of involvement in Rensselaer County 4-H, not including the years their parents, grandparents, and likely great-grandparents have been involved.
The Hoosick Falls 4-H Senior Class of 2025, with their extensive involvement and family legacy, exemplifies the impact and importance of 4-H in fostering growth, learning, and community engagement. We will miss this group of seniors, but have enjoyed watching them grow and wish them luck as they continue to lead with their head, hands, heart, and health. (Submitted by Kandis Freer)
Our National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society students have been busy fundraising! 🐾
The Isabel M. McGuire chapter of the National Junior Honor Society donated $461.62 to the Hoosick Area Church Association (HACA) for the Food Pantry. Students collected donations for a trivia challenge in March to raise funds to help offset increasing food costs and to give back to our community as part of the pillars of leadership, community service, and character.
The Philip Leonard Chapter of the National Honor Society recently hosted a Pickleball Tournament to raise money for the HFCS Christmas Wish program. They had a great turnout and fun day with 12 women’s teams, 9 men’s teams, and 14 mixed teams participating. They would like to send a big “Thank you!” to all who participated, to Penny Acre, who was instrumental in organizing the event, to the Hoosick Armory for the use of their fabulous court space, and to the local Hoosick Falls Pickleball Club for their help with the event.
Don't forget, tomorrow, 5/2, is the fundraising deadline for the Hoosick Falls PTA Color Run! 🌈
As the weather gets warmer, please see this friendly reminder from our School Nurses- Nurse Conte, Nurse MacDonald, & Nurse Reyman.
Last Call for Field Day T-Shirt Sponsorships! 📣
The PTA is excited to bring back field day t-shirts to our Elementary school this year! We are still looking for a few more sponsors from local businesses or families who would like their logo or a name displayed on the back of each shirt!
This is a wonderful opportunity to support your local school community in a commemorative way!
If you have any questions, please email the PTA at PTA@hoosickfallscsd.org
All sponsorships are due by May 9th!
🎉Congratulations to sophomore Reed Hoag, who is 1 of 10 NY students to receive a $500 FFA grant for his Supervised Agricultural Experience project! Reed applied for this grant in March and <20% of applicants were funded. He will receive his grant onstage at the 100th NYS FFA Convention in May. Reed’s project involves starting a regenerative agriculture program at his house to restore soil quality. He will use his $500 grant to purchase supplies for his new sheep flock. He has already saved up money, built his fencing, and bought 2 sheep, Devil and Daffodil. Reed will be rotationally grazing his sheep to improve soil health by allowing the soil to rest and recover, which ultimately leads to richer forage growth. His goal is to eventually expand to cattle as a multi-species regenerative program. HFCS has an active agricultural program and a local FFA Chapter. Teachers Kaylah Gulley and Kim Davidson bring practical, real-life experiences into the classroom and organize many out-of-classroom activities too. Mrs. Davidson leads the Jr. High FFA and PALS (5th & 6th grade Ag Club), and Ms. Gulley leads the Sr High FFA. Congratulations, Reed! 🐾
Join Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) for a free community event on Tuesday, April 29th from 5 - 6:30pm at Brown’s Brewing in Hoosick Falls. The reception will feature an update on healthcare initiatives and expansions that will improve access to care for eastern New York residents. The event is filling quickly! RSVP by Sunday, April 27th to reserve your spot. Registration link: https://bit.ly/42lpld7 SVMC’s President and CEO Thomas A. Dee and Chief Medical Officer Trey Dobson, MD will discuss clinical service expansions and system updates. Dr. Dobson will also lead a panel discussion with the physicians and advanced practice providers from Twin Rivers Medical, P.C. Remarks to begin at 5:30pm. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. Cash bar available.
Register today: https://bit.ly/42lpld7
Our National Honor Society is sending a big "Thank you!" to Stewart's Shops for their generous Holiday Match donation of $750 to our Christmas Wish program. Stewart’s customers donate to the Holiday Match program from Thanksgiving through Christmas, and each individual donation is matched penny for penny by Stewart’s Shops.
Our Christmas Wish program provides winter clothing such as pajamas, underwear, hats, mittens, boots, snow pants, winter coats, shoes, and toiletries to families in need. Families have the opportunity to “shop” from the inventory of supplies, all for free. This past season, the program provided “Christmas Wishes” to over 120 students from more than 40 families. For questions or to learn more about how you can help and donate to this program, please contact Holly Cary: caryh@hoosickfallscsd.org
