HUDSON–Students, coaches, teachers and parents received recognition at the Hudson City School District (HCSD) Board of Education meeting Monday, June 13.
“You make Hudson proud,” Superintendent Maria L. Suttmeier told all of them, present and not present. She called parents “the engine” behind student achievements, who made sure their children fulfilled both academic and extracurricular activities.
The board thanked student representative Noah Taylor for his year of service and contributions. Dr. Suttmeier told him she valued his “insights.” Noah, a senior at Hudson High School (HHS) and president of the Student Council, plans to attend SUNY at Geneseo and study business with a focus on finance. His successor, student representative for 2018-19, will be Kyle Ublacker.
Noah announced that six seniors, who will graduate from Hudson High School June 22, have also graduated from Bard’s Early College program, where they took courses that counted for both high school and college credit. These students are: Angel Canarte, Jimmy Canarte, Michael Dolan, Dominick Domkoski, Connor McCagg and Alicia Salvatore.
He also announced additional awards, including the eight students who won recognition in the Children’s Book Festival Young Writers’ Competition: 9th graders Fariah Sultana and Finlay Turnquist; 10th grader Jamar Beauford; and 12th graders Saima Hannan, Connor McCagg, Tahrima Siha, Annaliese Tampasis, and Ian Vitellaro.
Board members Sage Carter and Linda Hopkins reported that the district’s first ever music awards assembly was a happy occasion, with the hardworking teachers themselves excited.
Derek Reardon, who is both Hudson Junior High principal and HCSD athletic director, announced Scholar Athlete Awards. Teams get them if at least 75% of their students achieve a “composite” academic grade of at least 90. Students get them either by belonging to that 75% in an awarded team or by participating in another school sport while maintaining an academic average of at least 90. This year three HCSD teams got the award: Bowling, coached by Steve Markowitz, 10 students awarded; Swimming, coached by Jane Blakeman and James Mort, 13 students awarded; and Baseball, coached by Kevin Bowes and assistant Evan Bernockie, 11 students awarded. HCSD students who got the award for either or both of the reasons, and their sports, were: Jasmin Ahmed–track; Shimram Alam–track; Maya Alvarez–basketball; Theodora Avramides–track; Lili Barglowski–track; Bryant Barrientos—swimming,volleyball; Gabriel Barrientos—swimming, track; Hailey Beaumont—softball; Nicholas Bernockie—baseball; Tyler Bleau–baseball; Matthew Bowes—bowling; Stephen Bowes—baseball, bowling; Zyan Brown–track; Monsour Choudhury–track; Zainul Chowdhury–track; Zakhariah Chowdhury–track; Nicole Conte—softball; Lynette Dellavechia—bowling; Karissa Garbarinni—swimming, softball; Cameron Krager–baseball; Osman Gofran–tennis; Maison Goldstein–volleyball; Charles Goodermote—baseball, volleyball; Matthew Haigh—bowling; Ian Hutchings—bowling; Jacob Hoffman—bowling; Melina Jeune–swimming; Byonte Jones–track; Taznim Khan– track; Most Khatun–track; Aaron Li–track; Connor McCagg—bowling,tennis; Kayleigh McCagg–softball; Neil Minqua—track; Jackson Moon–baseball; Ahmed Mufti—track; Trevor Otty—bowling; Gillian Perry–swimming; Zachary Porreca—bowling; Jeremy Ramirez—baseball; Josh Ramirez–baseball; Brian Rodriguez–swimming; Jarret Rhoades–bowling; Tanzil Sami–tennis; Kaitlin Scalera—track; Tahrima Siha—swimming; Megan Smith–swimming; Devon Sweatt–track; Matthew Sweet—baseball, basketball; Dewan Tamika—swimming, track; Noshin Tasnim—swimming, track; Noah Taylor—swimming, track, volleyball; Mark Tomaso–baseball; Hasiter Tonni—swimming, track; Kyle Ublacker—swimming, tennis; Mykal Walters—volleyball; Jonathan Wynn–baseball;
Also at the meeting:
• Technology teacher Jack Beyer showed rectangles of wood cut from old bleachers, which he had imprinted Hudson High School 1969-2017 Bleacher. He said he hopes to have his students make more such plaques and sell them for $20 apiece, with half of the proceeds going to the robotics team and half going to Dollars for Scholars. Board members suggested variations
• Coordinator of School Improvement April Prestipino said she is continuing to enroll students for Camp Invention, hoping to get 41
• The board welcomed two new STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics) teachers: Sierra Burt for 6th grade and Samantha Moses for elementary school. Samantha said, “I’m very excited to be in Hudson and be a full member of the team.”
• Dr. Suttmeier announced, “We just have not been able to find someone” for the approved budgeted position of Behavior Specialist, to help teachers improve behavior in their classes. Meanwhile, school psychologists are cancelling routine counseling sessions with students who benefit from them in order to handle crises. Ms. Prestipino noted that the need to help students through traumas has increased. Therefore, Dr. Suttmeier reported, Director of Student Services Kim Lybolt suggested splitting the Behavior Specialist position into two—each with a different function
• Board member Willette Jones said many students do not like swimming because it gets their hair wet and wondered about optional alternates to Physical Education’s swimming units
• Dr. Suttmeier praised the marching band’s participation in the Flag Day parade June 9, saying, “I could hear our band come down Warren Street.” The only concern she had was for the lack of uniforms. There has been talk of the Booster Club raising money for them.
The next meeting of the HCSD Board of Education will take place Monday, July 2, at 6:30 pm, at the HHS library.