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Annual Girls in STEM event hosted at HVCC

In Events, Events - Ravena, The Ravena News Herald
March 9, 2022
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Girls in grades 4-8 can sign up for the 9th annual Girls in STEM conference at Hudson Valley Community College. Courtesy of Pexels

TROY — The 9th annual Girls in STEM conference will be held at Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday, March 26, from 8-11:30 a.m. in the college’s Bulmer Telecommunications Center.

This popular annual event includes fun, hands-on activities designed to get young women interested, excited and confident about pursuing science and technology-based careers.

The event is open to girls in grades four through eight. The number of participants for this popular, free event is limited, and online pre-registration is required.

The event will kick off with a keynote talk by Melissa France, a forensic chemist with the New York State Police.

During the preregistration process, students will choose two workshops to attend after the keynote address. All workshops are facilitated by leaders and educators in STEM professions and will cover topics like architecture, electricity, computer science, physics and engineering.

Programs like the Girls in STEM event are essential for youth, especially girls, organizers said. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Department of Labor, much of the growth in the domestic and global economy will come from STEM-related jobs – a highly lucrative and competitive field. According to a 2021 Pew Research study, women represent only 25% of computer science degree graduates and only 15% of engineering degree graduates.

“Hudson Valley Community College is proud to host Girls in STEM again this year, and we are happy to host an in-person event for the first time in two years,” said Hudson Valley President Roger Ramsammy. “Girls in STEM shows young girls, firsthand, the many different educational and career opportunities that are open to them. Seeing successful female professionals also helps them understand that STEM careers are an option worth pursuing.”

For more information about the 2022 Girls in STEM event, contact Courtney Lamport at c.lamport@hvcc.edu or 518-629-7578.

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District looks ahead to a ‘return to normal’

In News, News - Ravena, The Ravena News Herald
September 6, 2022
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By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

School buses will roll again Sept. 7 for the first day of school in the RCS district. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK — The halls of the RCS school district will be alive with the sound of children’s voices once again this week as a new school year kicks off Wednesday.

After three academic years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying restrictions — face masks, virus testing, quarantines, social distancing and more — district officials are now looking forward to a “return to normalcy,” District Superintendent Dr. Brian Bailey said.

“There don’t seem to be any unusual restrictions so for the most part, we will be returning to pre-pandemic status in all things, including arrival and dismissal times, including there currently is no directive around quarantine or isolation, so we are grateful to be thinking about doing the work that we have done for so long in the way that we are accustomed to doing it,” Bailey said.

Mandated face masks — an area of contention in many school districts around the state for much of the 2021-22 school year — appear to be a thing of the past for the moment as there is no state directive requiring them.

Students were also not required to test negative for the virus before returning to the classroom.

“People have the option to voluntarily test before they come back,” Bailey said. “There is no mandate to do that.”

Essentially there are no COVID restrictions at the present time, he said, which will mean a return to how school was conducted pre-pandemic.

“Some of the things that were affected weren’t just about masking, isolation and quarantine,” Bailey said. “We had the classrooms set up differently, our scheduling was different. That will also be returning back to normal so the work students do in the classrooms, especially in the elementary school classrooms, like working in small groups and being able to sit on rugs together, will be back.”

“It’s a very nice return to some social normal,” he added.

One of the changes at the elementary school level is a return to traditional arrival and dismissal times, which were changed during the pandemic to accommodate transportation and social distancing needs.

“Last year the day was a little shortened at the elementary school because when we started the year there was a requirement for distancing on school buses,” Bailey said. “Over the course of the year that did lighten a little bit, but we had really encouraged families to assist us by driving their children to and from school. Because of the number of families that were doing that at the elementary schools, we had to extend arrival and dismissal times.”

Those hours will go back to normal this school year.

“This year, we are actually encouraging people to put their children back on the bus so we can have our traditional dismissal time at the elementary school,” the district superintendent said. “This will give us a little more instructional time with the kids.”

The school day at the elementary level begins at 9 a.m. and dismissal Monday through Thursday is at 3:30 p.m., and Fridays at 3 p.m.

The return to normal is a good feeling, Bailey said.

“The most heartbreaking thing for us and families [during the pandemic] was wanting our kids to have normal social interactions, to have normal access to things, and for two-and-a-half years they didn’t have the same experience we did,” he said. “I think that is going to feel best for families — they will actually see kids being kids, the way we want them to be.”

Community to kick off holiday season with parade

In Events, Events - Ravena, News, News - Ravena, The Ravena News Herald
November 30, 2022
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By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

This year’s Christmas parade and tree lighting ceremony will be held Saturday. Pictured is the 2021 parade. File photo

RAVENA-COEYMANS — With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, the community is looking ahead to the next few weeks of holiday celebrations.

The unofficial kickoff to the season begins this weekend with the annual Christmas parade and tree lighting ceremony for both the village and the town.

The parade will take place this Saturday, Dec. 3, and will begin at Coeymans Landing Park with the lineup of marchers and floats, and the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree.

The Coeymans Landing Park tree will be lit at 6 p.m. and then marchers will take off along the parade route.

After the parade leaves Coeymans Landing Park, marchers will head up Westerlo Street to Main Street and into the village to light the tree opposite the Ravena firehouse before marching to Mosher Park for the parade’s conclusion, Mayor Bill Misuraca said at the village board’s Nov. 15 meeting.

 “We will travel the normal route up the Coeymans hill and then into the village,” Misuraca said. “We will stop briefly at [the village’s] tree, light it, and then we will go to the park like last year. That was really successful — we had a really good turnout.”

“We have our fingers crossed for the weather — hopefully it will warm up a bit,” Misuraca added.

Once marchers reach Mosher Park, there will be a bonfire and more festivities, Town Highway Superintendent Daniel Baker said.

And what’s a Christmas parade without activities and a visit from Jolly Ol’ St. Nick?

“We’ve got a really cool craft this year. I won’t ruin the surprise, but it’s very interactive and it’s going to be good,” Misuraca said. “We will also have music and refreshments, and Santa Claus will be there. People can take photos, and we will have a bonfire, too.”

There will be light refreshments donated by local businesses, ornament decorating with the mayor and more activities.

The annual parade and tree lighting ceremony is just the start of the holiday season. There’s plenty more in store for those looking to get their holiday groove on.

On Saturday, Dec. 3, before the big parade, families in the Coeymans Hollow Fire District are invited to “Lunch with Santa,” beginning at noon, in the community room at the Coeymans Hollow firehouse on Route 143.

Lunch will include chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, and, of course, cookies! The Coeymans Hollow Ladies Auxiliary will be making huge batches of cookies for Santa and all his young fans. Kids can also do arts and crafts, and another special guest will be attending to get everyone in a festive mood.

“Lunch with Santa” is for kids ages 10 and under who live in the Coeymans Hollow Fire District. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

A members-only Christmas party is also scheduled by the Coeymans Hollow Volunteer Fire Corporation for Dec. 10, beginning at 6 p.m. If you are a firehouse member and want to attend, please sign up on the sheet posted in the downstairs kitchen of the firehouse no later than Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Got a sweet tooth? You can also head to the RCS Community Library on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 10:30 a.m. for “Sweets with Santa,” where little ones can enjoy holiday stories and seasonal cheer. Enjoy a holiday craft and a winter science experiment, write a letter to Santa and pick out a book to take home, along with your sweet treat goodie bag. The event is for children ages 2-10, accompanied by a caregiver. Registration is appreciated by contacting the RCS Community Library at 518-756-2053 or info@rcscommunitylibrary.org.

On the evenings of Dec. 16 and 17, the Village of Ravena Fire Department will escort Santa Claus through the village, beginning at 6 p.m. both evenings. The trip is Santa’s preview of the neighborhood in preparation for his big night on Christmas Eve.

“As is the case every year, Santa would love nothing more than to say hello to everyone as he tours the village of Ravena,” according to the Ravena Fire Department.

Are you a whiz at holiday decorations? The village is holding its annual Christmas Decorating Contest later this month, with three prizes for the winners.

“We will be driving around checking out those lights,” Misuraca said at the Nov. 15 meeting.

Village board members will travel around the community judging holiday light displays at local homes from Dec. 17 through Dec. 19, and the winners will be announced Dec. 20.

First place winner will receive a $100 gift card, second place will get a $75 gift card and third place, a $50 gift card.

The annual contest always draws a lot of participation, with homeowners jazzing up their homes and properties with holiday lights, wreaths, Christmas trees, Santas and more.

“Everybody always does an awesome job with that,” Misuraca said.

If you are looking to get some holiday shopping done and want to support local artisans and businesses, you can head to the Coeymans Auxiliary’s annual Holiday Fair this weekend, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Coeymans firehouse at the intersection of Church and Main streets.

The next couple of weeks will be busy in Ravena and Coeymans, with plenty of other events and activities sponsored by local churches, organizations, and the school district.

Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected for errors in the parade route and start time. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Ravena News-Herald

The Ravena News-Herald is a weekly newspaper reporting on the news in the Ravena, Coeymans and New Baltimore communities of beautiful upstate New York.

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