AP Highlights

On Tuesday, May 20, residents of the Averill Park Central School District supported a $69.5 million budget for the 2025-26 school year by a vote of 947 (yes) to 482 (no), as well as a proposition for a bus purchase. Read more here.

On this episode of the Every Student Every Day Podcast Superintendent Dr. James Franchini welcomes Heath Quiles (High School Principal) and Sarah Flannery (Director of Special Education) to discuss the new business program at APHS, and the co-taught model of teaching. Click here to listen or find us wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. Just search for "Every Student Every Day".

Averill Park High School’s Director of Instrumental Music, Michael Blostein, has been selected as a quarterfinalist for the 2026 Grammy Music Educator Award! This is the third time that Mr. Blostein has been nominated for the prestigious award. This award honors impactful music educators in the United States. According to the Grammy website, the award recognizes current educators “who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools.” A total of 200 music teachers from 180 cities have been selected for the quarterfinal round from an initial 2,000 nominations. Semifinalists will be announced in September. The winner will be honored during Grammy Week 2026.

Averill Park CSD students and teachers attended Questar III BOCES' annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning event this week at UAlbany. The event is designed for students in grades 8-12 who are interested in teaching to learn about various career opportunities in education. A number of school districts brought students, education ambassadors, and an administrator to the event. The day featured remarks from administration, recognition of participants, a Q&A roundtable session, a luncheon, and a campus tour. All participants received a bag, a Certificate of Recognition, and a book that celebrates teaching and learning.

Mrs. Milkiewicz's FACS class worked hard on The Ice Cream Challenge hosted by the New York State Agriculture in the classroom program! The Ice Cream Challenge allows students to develop their own ice cream recipe, identify their target audience, create marketing materials for their flavor combination, and learn about the dairy processing industry in their community.

Thank you to the Sand Lake Center for the Arts for performing their original theater production of "The Truth About Jack and Jill" for our K-2 students at West Sand Lake Elementary School!

Students in Grade 4 at Miller Hill-Sand Lake Elementary School visited Cherry Plain State Park as part of the annual Spring Day of Service. Students helped clean up and prepare the park for the busy upcoming camping season!

SL@AMS hosted a birthday bag donation drive at Algonquin Middle School. In collaboration with the Brunswick Cares Food Pantry, SL@AMS members and Mrs. Baker put together ‘Birthdays in a bag!’ Each bag includes a birthday hat, pan, cake mix, frosting, candles, decorations, plates and napkins! Thank you to AMS families and staff that donated to this project.

Students from Ms. Guyer's class at West Sand Lake Elementary School went on a field trip to Dyken Pond with Ms. Grogan's 3rd grade class from Miller Hill-Sand Lake Elementary School to learn about the water cycle. Everyone had a great time learning about aquatic life and the importance of the water cycle to trees!

The Averill Park High School Music Department Choral and Instrumental Concert wrapped up an amazing year within this outstanding program!

Averill Park High School students, Sophie Perrotta and Tessa Keeler, received a Certificate of Merit from the Society of Women Engineers recently! They have also been selected to participate in Questar III BOCES' New Visions STEM at RPI and EPICH at SUNY Albany next year.

Mrs. Oldendorf’s AP Bio classes at Averill Park High School, along with some Angler Club students, visited the Warrensburg Fish Hatchery where they learned about a century-old hatchery that supplies fish for lakes and ponds in New York State. One of the three county-run hatcheries in NY, students had a chance to see the stages of fish development and understand how it works. Students were given the opportunity to fish, play disc golf and explore following the tour on the 38-acre property that sits along the Hudson River.

Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Burns' 2nd Grade class at Poestenkill Elementary School completed research projects on insects. They also created and presented their Google Slides from their own computers!

It is a pleasure to list the 442 students who qualified for the Algonquin Honor Roll for the third quarter! View the full list here.

Meghan McGarry, the regional select leader of the Risk Strategies insurance company, visited Mr. Miller’s Financial Algebra classes at Averill Park High School. Mrs. McGarry discussed auto, home, commercial and other types of insurance. She also discussed the history of insurance and the concept of negligence. Students were able to ask questions and discuss insurance-related situations. The Financial Algebra students thank Mrs. McGarry for taking time out of her day to enhance their understanding of insurance.

The Sustainable Horticulture and Garden Club hosted its annual plant sale outside the School Budget Vote. The program fundraised to donate to the AP Food Bank.

Mr. Riccomini and Mrs. Rosher took 4th and 5th graders from West Sand Lake Elementary School to SPAC to see the Classical Kids Program, which reaches out to 10,000+ students annually. The program is offered at no cost and students attending receive free tickets to a selected NYC Ballet or Philadelphia Orchestra performance at SPAC this summer, in addition to a lawn pass good through high school graduation.

Students welcomed the Albany Pride Center to the cafe at Averill Park High School. Sponsored by the SAGA Club, the Center will be back in June to help celebrate Pride Month at the high school.

Fifth grade students from Averill Park CSD were honored with the Sandra Morley Physical Education Leadership Award. This award is given to students who display exemplary sportsmanship, citizenship, and responsibility and whose actions have a positive impact on their school and community.

Congratulations to the Averill Park High School students who participated in the RCSMA Solo Music Scholarship Festival recently at the Robert C. Parker School. Students had to prepare and perform songs for three adjudicators in the hopes of winning monetary prizes. This year, four APHS performers placed either first or second in their category. Congratulations to the following students:

*Maura Lander, 1st place, College category

*Abi Wadler, 1st place, 11/12 category

*Kassidy Rose, 2nd place, 11/12 category

*Val Strano, 2nd place, 9/10 category

Members of Averill Park Teachers Association participated in the CDPHP Workforce Challenge. The group had both walkers and runners complete the 3.5 miles! Way to go, everyone! The funds raised from the event help underwrite many activities and offerings, including college scholarships, grants, and the Just Run Program, which encourages grade school children to run for exercise and fun.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Fall sports start dates have been released

Registration is open now through May 31 for a summer baseball camp

Registration is open for Coach Organ's summer hoop camp.

An AP Youth Soccer Camp will be held in July.

REGISTER NOW: The AP All Sports Camp will be held from June 30 to July 3 at Algonquin Middle School. Visit apallsportscamp.com for more information

Have something you would like to see covered on the website/social media? Email Communications at radewitzb@apcsd.org .

Website: averillpark.k12.ny.us
Location: 146 Gettle Road, Averill Park, NY, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AverillParkCentralSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @AverillParkCSD