South High and Ballard Elementary welcomed Blake Schafer from CodeHS this week as part of his 50-state trip to promote coding education.

At Ballard Elementary, Schafer first met with third-graders to introduce them to block coding. Students created programs using colored command blocks that made animated squirrels move and swing across the screen.

Later, Schafer visited Mrs. Thompson’s coding class at South High, where she discussed educational paths and career opportunities in computer programming. Students then applied their learning by creating block-based code projects inspired by Schafer’s CodeHS truck.

For newcomers to coding, block programming provides an engaging introduction to computer science. Instead of typing traditional text-based code, students simply connect visual blocks that represent different commands—similar to assembling a digital puzzle. This intuitive approach makes programming concepts accessible and fun for young learners, press materials say.

Special education students from Queensbury Elementary School and William H. Barton Intermediate School participated in the Fall Games through Special Olympics New York on Friday, October 18th. Almost 100 students participated in the activity stations with the support of 25 employees. members at the Morse Athletic Complex in Queensbury.

“Our students were very involved and had huge smiles!” said Jessica Harris, director of Elementary Student Support Services.

Following the event, staff members said it was “just what the class needed” and “can’t wait to make this an annual event.”

“We are excited to continue our partnership with SONY to implement curriculum for young athletes,” Harris said in a statement, “and to provide increased opportunities for inclusion in our school community.”

The Hudson Falls Central School District, along with the Sandy Hill Chapter of the National Honor Society, will hold the 22nd annual Wall of Distinction Induction on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 11:30 a.m. in the High School Auditorium.

The ceremony will include the induction of new Honor Society members with the unveiling of the Wall of Distinction at 12:45 p.m., followed by a reception for inductees in the cafeteria.

The intention of the Wall of Distinction is to establish a tradition that honors highly successful graduates who have gone on to distinguished careers in various fields or who have become role models in the community. The wall also demonstrates to students and the community the caliber of students produced by the Hudson Falls School District.

“The Wall of Distinction provides inspiration and motivation for students to excel,” Hudson Falls Superintendent Daniel Ward said in a statement.

Wall of Distinction inductees for 2024 include: Timothy Horrigan, ’71, musician and teacher; Robert K. Chatel Jr., ’67, Professor/Professor; David A. Chatel, ’68, Public Health American Heart Association; Peter C. Chatel, ’74, environmental specialist/consultant; Brooke Goff, ’05, attorney, owner of Goff Law Group; Joseph Gross, ’83, business owner, Gross Electric.

The Granville CSD phone app now includes parent-teacher chat called “Rooms” along with the latest school events, reminders, blog posts, meal menus and more. The District app is an all-in-one place to stay informed and communicate with teachers.

“Parents and guardians who have signed in to Parent Rooms can also view their students’ class announcements and message teachers directly. Stop trying to find your teacher’s email address or phone number. Stop trying to search for a teacher in the Staff Directory,” the school said in a press release.

Parent rooms on the Granville CSD District app make it easy to communicate with teachers and understand what your child is learning, according to the news release. Parents only need to sign up once, and the family login will last for the duration of your student’s attendance at Granville CSD.

Not all teachers use teachers yet, but more and more teachers are enabling this feature to communicate with families. Instructions on how to use the feature can be found on school website.