Thursday May 2, 2024 
News From Averill Park CSD
As a reminder, the Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2023 will be held at the MVP Arena in Albany on Thursday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m. We encourage all family members and friends to attend. The event will also be livestreamed for those who cannot make it in-person.
Algonquin Middle School received a No Place for Hate designation in a ceremony at Proctor’s Theater recently. The school also received a gold star for going above and beyond in their efforts to achieve a positive school climate and equality for all. Great job by all involved in this program!
Final Band and Chorus concerts of the 2022-23 school year were held at all levels and everyone did an amazing job on the stage. Bravo to all!
As always, for the latest news from the District, please visit our website – averillpark.k12.ny.us. You can also follow AP on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Submitted by Dr. James Franchini, Averill Park CSD Superintendent
Community Workshop to Explore What is a Door of Hope?
The ideas from the workshop will serve as the springboard for The Doors of Hope Community Mural Project, a collaboration between Arts Letters & Numbers, Doors of Hope, NOpiates Committee, Averill Park High School and the New York State Council on the Arts, where artists and high school students will create the Town of Sand Lake’s first public mural for the Doors of Hope storefront in the Route 43 Mall.
We invite you all to join us in this creative brainstorming session to share your ideas on What is a Door of Hope? No previous experience is needed, all ages and abilities are welcome. The workshop will be held on Sunday, June 25, 2023 at the Sky High Adventure Center, 27 Lake Ave, Averill Park, NY.
For more information and/or to submit an idea for the Mural contact: Ira Baumgarten, 518-441-3535, irabaumgarten@nullgmail.com
Thank You
The Anchor Food Pantry would like to extend sincere thanks to the Hoffman Car Wash Team at their Columbia Turnpike -East Greenbush location for the weekend of June 3rd & 4th that produced the most significant donation total in our recent history of this promotion.
Management and staff coordinated to accommodate 4 pickup trucks full of food to restock our shelves for the upcoming summer months. We also extend thanks to everyone who contributed to the cause and received a professional car wash as a reward.
Rummage Sale
Center Brunswick United Methodist Church, 990 Hoosick Road, Troy, NY.
Friday and Saturday, June 23 & 24, 9:00 – 3:00.
Sunday, Bag Sale June 25, 10:00 – 2:00.
Bake Sale and Lunch Items available.
For more information call Jill at (518) 258-2164.
Painting the Town Purple for Alzheimer’s
Please join us on June 23 – 25, as we Paint the Town Purple for Alzheimer’s. Please stop at any of the following locations and a portion of their proceeds will go towards the “2023 Walk to end Alzheimer’s.”
UNBREAKABLE NUTRITION *
AVERILL PERK *
BRAD’S PIZZA
SIX CENTER REDEMPTION – Accepting can and bottles all year round.
DOORS OF HOPE – Representative from the Alzheimer’s Association will be available to answer questions.
* Take a chance on one of our amazing raffle baskets at Unbreakable Nutrition & Averill Perk.
Share the Wear Clothing Swap – Troy Climate Action
Revamp your wardrobe and reduce textile waste at Troy Climate Action’s Share the Wear Clothing Swap! Join us on Saturday, July 1st, from 9am to 2pm at the Troy Farmers Market and be part of a sustainable fashion movement. The Clothing Swap is a fantastic opportunity for the community to exchange unused clothes for stylish pieces they’ll love.
This free event welcomes everyone to participate, whether you’re bringing clothes to swap, looking for new additions to your closet, or simply interested in learning more about divesting from fast fashion. Explore a diverse selection of pre-loved clothing items and discover hidden gems without spending a dime. Our aim is to create a sustainable resource for the community, and your participation plays a crucial role.
Don’t worry if you’re unable to contribute clothes; your presence and support are equally valuable. However, if you have gently worn clothes that deserve a second chance, we encourage you to donate them at the event. Every item donated contributes to reducing waste and supporting local charities.
Let’s take a stand against the fast fashion industry and divert clothing from ending up in landfills. Together, we can make a positive impact on our environment and promote a more conscious approach to fashion. Join us at the Troy Farmers Market and be part of the change!
See you there! Together, let’s reshape fashion’s future, one swap at a time.
Hope Lutheran announces Operation Restoration VBS – Aug 7-11 8:30 – 12:30
MENDING as opposed to FIXING is about making things whole again, even if they look a little (or a lot) different than they did before. Kids will explore how mending means taking the pieces from something that is broken and putting them back together. As a community, we can practice gathering what’s been torn apart and working together to form something new and whole.
As always, there will be MUSIC! Bible Stories! Creative Activities! Nature/Science and Service Learning! Arts and Crafts! Restorative Yoga! And of course, SNACKS! There will also be parachute fun and maybe even some water balloons! We will hear stories about Jesus Feeding Thousands, the Good Samaritan, and Joseph Forgiving His Brothers. We will explore the Psalms, Prayer, and Parables! all in kid-friendly ways that help them learn to be kind, forgiving, and thoughtful. On Friday at noon, we invite families to join us to share some of the songs and ideas we’ve experienced. Our celebration is followed by an ice cream social! A registration form is available at the church’s website: Hopelc.org. Children ages 4 (potty-trained) thru 12 are most welcome.
As always, Vacation Bible School at Hope Lutheran is FREE! Our offering each day will be non-perishable food to donate to local food pantries which are in desperate need of supplies. We hope to see LOTS of returning campers as well as new ones in August. For questions or additional information, please email Marilyn Dyer (Mama Mare) at dyermm48@nullgmail.com. Hope is located at 470 Wintr St Ext in Defreestville.
East Greenbush CSD Launches New Online Registration Form
In an effort to simplify the Registration process and make it more user friendly for parents and guardians, the East Greenbush Central School District has launched a new online registration form.
Parents/guardians can register their child online at any time, whether the child is a new student transferring from another school district (K-12) or they will be entering as a Kindergarten student in the future.
To learn more, visit www.egcsd.org/register.
Bethlehem Grange 137 Garage Sale
SELKIRK – Bethlehem Grange 137 will once again host the Annual June Garage Sales. For the first ever, we will have 2 full floors of items, plus a big tent of additional items in the back. The 2nd floor is also handicap accessible. We have housewares, kitchen items, linens, toys, puzzles, small kitchen appliances, small wooden furniture, 1 rolltop desk, 1 regular desk, records, cd’s, dvd’s, men’s, ladies & children’s clothing & shoes, jewelry, decorative items, holiday items, dishes, glassware, pictures, mirrors, outdoor furniture, tools, books, collectibles, craft items, antiques, pet items, lots of indoor and outdoor plants, an Aquarian, a reptile Aquarian, dolls, and so much more. You name it, you’ll most likely find it here!! If you don’t see it, please ask us!! It’s probably here!! New Items will be added daily!! There will be lots of indoor tables of items, and lots of outdoor tables of items. 2 Handicap Accessible Ramps. Cash or Checks only accepted for payment. No Credit or Debit Cards accepted!!
We are also adding something new to our Garage Sales!! Flea Market Vendors Wanted for outdoors during the Garage Sales. For more information about becoming a Flea Market Vendor during the Garage Sale, please call Charles Ryan at 518-227-8954.
Bethlehem Grange 137 Garage Sale Dates are Friday & Saturday June 16th and 17th, and June 23rd and 24th. All days are 9am to 3pm. 2 Handicap Accessible Ramps.
Bethlehem Grange 137 is located at 24 Bridge St., Selkirk, NY 12158
The Anchor Food Pantry
The Anchor Food Pantry would like to advise that if you cannot make it to the Anchor, we have 2 locations at Schodack Town Hall-Town Clerks Office and Castleton Village Hall during business hours for these municipal locations, to drop off food items in the bins provided.
Also you can redeem and donate bottles/cans for credit to our account at 6cent redemption center located on 9J -Rensselaer. Just inform staff to credit the Anchor Food Pantry account. As always we thank the Schodack Community for their past and continued support in our efforts to help those in these uncertain economic times.
Columbia High School Annual 70’s Reunion
Mark your calendar for the annual CHS 70’s Reunion on Saturday, August 19, 2023 at the Schodack Island State Park – noon until dusk. 1970-1979 attendees/graduates/teachers – but ALL alumni are welcome! $20 entry fee includes food, provided by the Committee members.
Join our Facebook page: Columbia High School 70’s Reunion for more info and updates OR contact Caroline Lynch Zeyak at elvis628@nullfairpoint.net. Spread the word – see you there!
Western Governors University Offers Two Scholarships for Rural NY Residents
To help remove rural barriers to higher education, accredited nonprofit and online Western Governors University (WGU) has announced the new Learn Where You Live Scholarships exclusively for residents of rural communities. Valued at up to $3,000 and awarded at $750 per six-month term for up to four terms, the scholarships are available to new or returning WGU students living in rural areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
According to the latest Census figures, 2.5 million New Yorkers live in rural areas, including 31.7% of residents (392,263) in the Capital Region.
“For many rural New Yorkers, it’s just not feasible to drive an hour or more to a college campus, especially if they have work and family obligations,” said Rebecca Watts, who oversees operations in New York as regional vice president for WGU. “Completing a degree program can change lives, families and communities, and WGU is doing what we can to remove the barriers of distance, time, and cost.”
In addition, for those New Yorkers who live in a T-Mobile service area for internet service, WGU offers the Online Access Scholarship, which provides students with a laptop, internet service and a webcam to pursue their education studies.
WGU has more than 60 online bachelor’s and master’s degree program in business, IT, education, and healthcare. WGU serves more than 3,400 students and more than 6,300 alumni in New York.
Both scholarship application deadlines are June 30 and more information is available at www.wgu.edu/learnwhereyoulive and www.wgu.edu/access.