The School Shooting Issue Comes To Hudson Valley

Photo Credit: Graphic based on an image by Nina Schutzman

Today, and yesterday, and days before that, social media has been ablaze with parents and community members talking with each other about school shootings. It's the underlying current in any grocery store encounter, any client meeting, and school pickup or drop off. And Beacon's not alone. So many communities around the country are gripped with fear, dealing with fresh threats to schools by what seem to be vengeful kids. More conversations grow out of each threatening event.

At first, this article was planned to inform about actions taking place within the Beacon City School District, based on questionable threats that came in this week. However, other schools in the area closed yesterday, with Poughkeepsie shuttered for a second day today because of a threat. As one parent put it: "A snow day will be a welcome relief," as a nor'easter approaches the area today.

Schools all over the country are facing similar threats. But listening to the radio for local news upon the morning car commute, and a subsequent catch-up on articles from local newspapers, processing this all became very dizzying.

So What's Happening Around The Hudson Valley?

In brief, and this isn't all of the coverage around what is happening, according to WALL Radio based on an article at MidHudson News and the Albany Times-Union, a father and son in Saugerties were arrested after a cache of illegal guns and homemade weapons were found. On February 21, a student alerted authorities after reading the social media posts of her classmate - an 18-year-old senior - as he was praising the teens behind a 1999 shooting in Columbine, CO. When police interviewed him and his father, they both denied having the weapons at their home. Later, according to the article, the father "went home and removed five guns from his home, including a fully automatic 9mm Uzi and an AR-15 rifle." More weapons were found after a search, and a new warrant is pending. Both men were arraigned; the father was released on his own recognizance, while his son was sent to jail, later released after posting $10,000 bail.

Dutchess Deputy SRO Connected to Pivotal Diversion in Vermont

You may have heard about this NPR report covering the text messages back and forth between a girl and her guy friend at Fair Haven Union High School in Vermont after the Parkland shooting. This incident that followed has prompted the governor of Vermont to reconsider looking at gun control measures. According to the NPR report, the governor is a lifelong gun owner and gun rights supporter, but has amended his position after learning more about the almost-shooting that happened in a high school there.

A high school-aged girl texted a friend of hers letting him know about the Parkland shooting, and he replied with, "That's fantastic, 100% support it." She told him he couldn't say that, and he replied with something about "natural selection." The girl reported it to her school guidance counselor, and events unfolded leading to the friend being arrested and held without bail. Included in that discovery leading up to his arrest was a journal he kept called Diary of an Active Shooter, a list of intended human targets, and a recently purchased shotgun.

Dutchess Deputy Evan Traudt is a School Resource Officer (SRO) at Arlington High School. According to a Poughkeepsie Journal article, he went to Fair Haven Union High School in Vermont. He said that he heard about the report from a social worker at Arlington High School. He immediately called Vermont and got in touch with the agency that handles that school district, and passed along information he had.

The Beacon City School District has been considering having an SRO in its schools (see this statement from Beacon's Superintendent in September 2017). According to the Poughkeepsie Journal article, "though not the standard daily duty of a school resource officer, the events underscore key ideas of having a school resource officer - students or staff can reach out to the officer, someone they know and see every day. Ideally, the officer can step in before tragedy occurs."

Back in Vermont, the governor has said: "I'm open to anything. Everything's on the table." According to the NPR report, the governor's table spread includes:

• Supporting a measure that would allow police to temporarily remove a firearm in a case of domestic violence, without a court order.
• Giving police the right to seize guns from people deemed dangerous.
• Raising the age for someone to purchase a gun to 21.
• Considering universal background checks, magazine capacity limits and other changes.

Meanwhile In Poughkeepsie...

At the Poughkeepsie Journal, school beat reporter Nina Schutzman has been covering the unfolding events, and summed it up in one Facebook screenshot:

Photo Credit: Nina Schutzman

In one instance, according to this Poughkeepsie Journal article, a threat was made to the BOCES Tech Center in Hyde Park through the social media platform Snapchat, which shows a short video for 24 hours, then the video disappears. A message sent from a person on that platform threatened to "shoot up the school." The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office responded, and charged a teenage girl from Pawling with "making a terroristic threat, a felony, and falsely reporting an incident, a misdemeanor," according to the article. After investigating, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal article, "the threat was found to be non-credible, according to police, and there was no indication that staff or students were in danger at any point." The girl has since been arraigned, during which time she was ordered to take a mental health evaluation, and will report to probation and be electronically monitored.

Shaking Off - Or Breaking Through - The Discomfort Zone

This is all extremely uncomfortable and difficult to talk about because so many issues are colliding at one time:

• Freedom to bear arms.
• The right to protect oneself.
• Unhappy children and teens.
• What happens next to teens who are arrested after making threats? School expulsion and isolation didn't prevent the Parkland shooting. Clearly, some students who are emotionally upset and depressed begin to think of guns as a solution.
• Feelings of unpreparedness in active-shooter situations; simply saying the words "active-shooter situations" makes the stomach turn with a variety of uncomfortable feelings.

So we're exploring these issues, and will be delivering a few more articles on the topic in order to break through the discomfort zone to help our community feel and stay safe. Updated articles will be posted below as they get published:

• Beacon Increases School Searches & Safety Measures

Beacon Superintendent Responds to School Safety After Parkland, FL Shooting

Beacon's Superintendent, Matthew Landahl, issued a statement the day after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Dear Beacon City School District Community:

The tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday of this week weighs heavily on us all. The morning after the shooting, I had the opportunity to walk my son to school for a special field trip that was leaving before the regular school day began. The 40-odd students and their parents gathered excitedly with teachers and staff to wait for the bus. Standing there watching over my son and talking with other parents, I would guess that not one of the students knew what happened the day before. I also felt that I knew what was in the back of each parent and staff member’s mind. As we stood there and waved goodbye to the bus, I reflected for a few moments on the beauty of being both an educator and a parent in times like this.  The beauty lies in the fact that no matter what is happening in the world, our young people wake up ready for what’s next, expecting not only our best in terms of learning experiences but also that we do our best to keep them safe.

While I strongly believe that the Beacon City School District collectively takes safety seriously, I also believe that we should always strive to do better with this and everything we do. Yesterday, our building principals already began making some revisions to their Emergency Response Plans in light of what we are learning from Parkland. Our District Emergency Response Team, comprised of Beacon administrators and local law enforcement, is meeting on Wednesday, February 21, to review our plans and drill procedures, especially in light of what can be learned from the most recent events. Our entire district administrative team will meet on Thursday, February 22, to discuss any changes in our plans so we are all consistent in our implementation. While these building plans are not public documents, I will keep the community updated throughout the remainder of this year on our efforts to keep us all safe. As always, thanks for your support.

Sincerely,
Matt Landahl
Superintendent

See all updates from the Superintendent here.

Latest from the Beacon City School Fundraising Guide: Rombout at Chipotle

Happening tonight - the Chipotle Challenge! Just kidding, it's not called that, but it is Rombout Middle School's turn at 50% of Chipotle's profits, when you buy dinner from 5 to 9 pm. Several of Beacon's public schools have been taking advantage of this corporate donation opportunity, and this is an easy way to indirectly donate to Rombout Middle School.

Take a look at what else is on the horizon in A Little Beacon Blog's Beacon City Schools' Fundraising Guide by clicking here. You'll note that the Wizards (basketball) are coming, and you'll find more easy ways to support the schools while meeting your entertainment and feel-good goals as well!

Insider Pro Tip: These school fundraiser nights are getting popular! So go early to get a seat, or plan to take that big burrito to go.

Rombout's Fundraising Goals:

Four to six tables to go outside the cafeteria doors, so students can earn the privilege of eating outside.
The Rombout PTO would also like to raise money for benches to be put in front of the building, in the bus drop-off area.
You can also donate directly to their GoFundMe campaign >

Update From Sargent's Fundraising Trivia Stars Night

Trivia Night was held at Hudson Valley Brewery with food cooked by Barb's Butchery and a slew of amazing raffle prizes from local businesses, including a growler from Obercreek Brewery, artwork, and other wins. According to the fundraiser's organizer, Erin Giunta, the night raised $2,700 for Sargent Elementary, whose fundraising goals include improving the Recess Experience, field trips, and a beautification project for the school's auditorium.

Love This Guide?

So do we! Want to get behind it as a Guide Sponsor at A Little Beacon Blog? When we promote the Guide, we'll mention your business as a supporting sponsor in the blog post and in social media shares. Please contact us for details.

High School Students Can Get Writing Help In Writing Lab Thursdays at Library

Beacon High School students looking for help with writing projects can stop by the High School Writing Lab on Thursdays, after school from 2:30 to 4 pm, at the Howland Public Library. Support, assistance, and encouragement will be available for students in grades 9 to 12 who are working on school or personal writing projects and college essays.

Drop-ins are welcome; no registration is needed. Facilitator Jess Conway is an instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University.

To see more opportunities like this one for kids, see A Little Beacon Blog's Classes for Kids Guide.

Beacon Votes Yes to School Improvements from Capital Project - A Trend With Other Districts

Hot off the Beacon City School District's Twitter account! Beaconites voted yesterday to approve the Capital Project, which includes designing a modernized science room at Rombout Middle School, and at other schools, ripping out old carpet from several classrooms, fixing doors, turf for sports, and other improvements. Votes were 480 Yes to 98 No. When this writer voted at 2 pm, the total number of voters was at 95. It was a long election day. Read more about the Capital Project here.

Nina Schutzman of the Poughkeepsie Journal, who covers education for the newspaper, looked at election results for the Beacon City School District, Red Hook Central School District and Spackenkill district, and noticed that this year produced a higher voter turnout than other years, as well as majority votes of Yes in these districts to approve their Capital Projects. Voters approved the Red Hook Central School District's $10 million capital plan with 1,637 Yes to 615 No, according to Nina. Quoting the Spackenkill's Board of Education President, Nina reported that their $24 million capital plan passed, 882 Yes to 385 No.

Beacon Superintendent Matt Landahl tweeted his approval: "The Beacon City School District capital project passed today with 480 yes votes and 98 no votes. Thanks to the community for the support of the project!" According to Dr. Landahl, the next steps for the district include going through a review process by the state, and seeking bids. "Most construction will take place during the summer of 2019. We put out for bids around January 2019 give or take. The state has a lengthy review process before we begin but the planning work with architects, engineers, district staff and board members begins immediately."

Beacon School Budget Vote Is Today (December 5, 2017)

Today is the day for voting on the Beacon City School District Capital Project. The proposal includes a lot of improvements in all public schools, while not increasing taxes. We reported on it a bit ago, so go refresh your mind about what's in the proposal. Then head to Beacon High School or Glenham Elementary School (depending on where you live) by 9 pm to cast your vote.

The ballot pictured here was, at 2 pm, the 95th ballot to be cast.

Learn about what's in the proposal here.

Student Produced "Cinderella" Opens at Beacon High School Theatre - 80 Students in Cast and Crew

Photo Credit: Beacon High School Players

SHOW TIMES
Friday, November 17 @ 7 pm
Saturday, November 18 @ 2 pm
Sunday, November 19 @ 2 pm
 
Beacon High School Seeger Theatre
101 Matteawan Road
Beacon, NY
 
Tickets: $5 for students/seniors; $12 for adults.
Available online or at the door (but don't wait!)

The Beacon High School Seeger Theatre opens to the public this weekend to premiere Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” produced by The Beacon Players. This student-produced production creates an opportunity for more than 80 students to participate in the cast and crew, from making sets and costumes, to running the sound board, to performing in the musical.

Students work for months on this production, from designing and building the sets, sewing costumes, and rehearsing scenes. The Beacon Players Director, Anthony Scarrone, provides ample opportunities for many students to be involved through workshops over the summer, and during the school year.

Involvement in Beacon's student theatre challenges students in new ways. Anthony guides the student cast through thoughtful performances, evident in each interview of some of the student actors published this week in the Beacon Free Press. Just like promos with movie stars, the newspaper published interviews with student performers who recalled their interpretation of their characters and how they are played. Elizabeth Cenicola (playing Cinderella) reveals that she plays the star character as a girl with little confidence, who grows to become empowered and believes that she can do anything.

The Beacon Players aren't afraid to challenge the norm by reinterpreting a story to show and tell it a little differently. The Prince, for instance, played by Alexander Ullian, takes on a dorky personality who isn't filled with bravery. The stepmother, played by Ellery Harvey, eventually shows remorse for hardships she has bestowed upon Cinderella.

Photo Credit: Beacon High School Players

Says actress Elizabeth in the Beacon Free Press, " 'Cinderella' is a story of having strength even when the situation around you may be a difficult one, which is something everyone can relate to. Children will also be inspired by Ella because she doesn't wait around for her dreams to come true. She goes out and makes them come true herself."

Photo Credit: Beacon High School Players

Photo Credit: Beacon High School Players

Fundraising Opportunities for The Beacon Players

Marvel at the showstopping ballgowns and detailed sets, built and designed by The Beacon Players. There is a Princess Luncheon from noon to 1:45 pm before the performances on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18 and 19. Luncheons include visits from princesses, good food, and perhaps an appearance from Cinderella herself. Space for the lunch is limited, with only about 50 tickets available for each day. Tickets for the luncheon are $15 each, and sold separately from show tickets. Update: As of now, the Princess Luncheon is Sold Out! And general admission tickets are about to be, so get your tickets to "Cinderella" now!

If you want to donate in other ways, you can sponsor a seat here, or become a VIP Member.

Students can join the Beacon Players by clicking here.

Photo Credit: Beacon High School Players

The Coolest Lemonade Stand Opens - But With Vegetables - At Beacon Elementary Schools

Photo Credit: Ashley Lederer Chinen, founder of Thoughtful Food Nutrition, based in Beacon.

Summer may be over for lemonade stands, but it's just starting for the newest farm-fresh favorite activity to hit Beacon - vegetable stands. Fleeting vegetable markets have popped up in Beacon for a few years now, with the green truck from Green Teen (a program connected to Common Ground Farm) parking in designated lots, as well as appearing at the Beacon Farmers Market (of course) on Sundays.

Now, thanks to an initiative from the Beacon Parks and Recreation Department, Hudson Valley Seed (an education-based food-growing program that is woven into Beacon City Schools' curriculum), and Common Ground Farm, kids from Beacon's After School Program (A Little Beacon Blog first wrote about the program here) will be running "Crop Shops," pop-up vegetable stands during the students' Food Fridays, rotating Fridays among South Avenue, J.V. Forrestal, and Sargent elementary schools.

In the After School Program, each weekday has a theme, such as baking, karate, yoga, or bird-watching, run by a business or nonprofit from the Beacon community. During the program's first quarterly session, Fridays are designated Food Fridays, and the kids learn to make snacks. Thanks to this program, the kids will also learn commerce as they run the vegetable stands. "Staff from the After School Program as well as Hudson Valley Seed will be on hand to make sure the kids have a great experience and learn about produce, small business and salesmanship," says Nate Smith, the Recreation Department's assistant director. "Please be patient while a second grader figures out your total and makes change!"

Donation to the After School Program's Tuition Assistance Program

The kid-run vegetable stands are open to the public, and will rotate among three of the Beacon district's four elementary schools. (Glenham Elementary isn't participating right now.) The stands, which will spend two Fridays at each school, will be open from 4:45 to 6 pm. Half of the stands' proceeds will go toward the After School Program's Tuition Assistance Program, which offers a 50 percent discount to students who qualify for the Free Lunch Program. Kids in roughly half of the families in Beacon qualify for free lunch program.

Schedule for Farm Stand Fridays

Here's the lineup. Check back with this article to make sure you're going on the right day!

OPEN HOURS
Fridays, 4:45 to 6 pm

10/6 and 10/13 – South Avenue
Front entrance near the disabled parking

10/20 and 10/27 – Sargent
Lower cafeteria entrance

11/3 and 11/10 – J.V. Forrestal
In front of main entrance

Kids Fun Day and Fundraiser at Glenham Elementary for Touch-A-Truck

The Glenham Elementary School playground

The Touch-A-Truck fundraiser is happening on Saturday, September 30, from 10 am to 3 pm at Glenham Elementary School, put on by the Glenham School PTO. Tickets are $5 per person or $20 per family. Kids will be able to do the following fun things:

• Climb all over trucks of all shapes and sizes
• Have their faces painted
• Jump around in a bouncy house
• Work on crafts

It's a dream day for your kids. Drop by after you test drive a Ford at Beacon High School for the Drive4U fundraiser, to benefit the high school and Rombout Middle School. It's a win-win for families and Beacon City Schools.

Local Ford Dealership Partners to Get $20/Person Donated to Beacon Schools

The opportunity to donate the easiest $20 you've ever contributed is happening today at Beacon High School from 10 am to 3 pm. Freedom Ford, located on Route 52 and owned by Hudson Valley native Rick Brownell, has applied for and was granted partnership in a nationwide program from Ford called Drive 4UR School to donate $20 for every test drive taken in a Ford vehicle today from the parking lot of Beacon High School.

Freedom Ford can raise up to $6,000 for Beacon High School and Rombout Middle Schools, if you get behind the wheel of Freedom Ford's vehicles in the high school parking lot. Proceeds will be donated to two fundraising initiatives:

• Beacon High School: Funds will go towards PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports), which is a schoolwide system of support program that includes proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create a positive school environment.
• Rombout Middle School: Funds will go toward sending the eighth-grade class to Washington DC in the spring. Says the PTA President for Rombout, Kelly Ellenwood: "Please come on by and test drive a Ford. It's free and it will do our community good. We need 300 drivers!"

Says Rick Brownell of the initiative: “We have been serving the Hudson Valley for over 75 years. When this became available for Freedom Ford to apply for the Drive 4UR School Program, it was a no-brainer for us to partner with Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School to help raise funds for the schools and for the kids. It was just the way I was raised, to always give back when you can.”

The event takes place today, Saturday, September 30, from 10 am to 3 pm at the Beacon High School, located at 101 Matteawan Road, Beacon, NY 12508. Participants test-drive the cars, and Freedom Ford makes the $20 donation per driver up to a total of $6,000.

5th Annual For Goodness Bake Sale Benefits Tuition Assistance Fund for Beacon's After School Program

It's here - the most delicious day of the year, when the Beacon community comes out to fundraise for a cause whether you like it or not. How could you not buy the delicious homemade brownies and cupcakes on sale at this year's For Goodness Bake, happening today, Saturday, from 10 am to 4 pm at Catalyst Gallery at 137 Main Street?! This year's edition of the sale has already been dubbed "Best spread so far!" by Beacon resident Jennifer Sarah Blakeslee.

The pop-up bake-sale-for-a-cause, For Goodness Bake, has dedicated this year's proceeds to the Tuition Assistance Fund for Beacon's After School Program. The 2016-17 school year marked the first that children and parents of the Beacon City School District had direct access to an after-school program within the schools themselves. That's right. No busing required to get kids into an enriching childcare program, from 3 to 6 pm at their very own schools. Until last fall, of the four elementary schools in Beacon, only one had an in-school after-school program: Glenham Elementary, and it was a joint program with Fishkill.

Thanks to the efforts of the Beacon Parks and Recreation Department, a five-day program was designed to offer themed content for kids, until 6pm. It's a little unbelievable at first, so pay attention to how it works: Planned in quarterly sessions, each day presents a different theme, which might include baking, yoga, bird-watching (yes, really!), theater, filmmaking, martial arts, and more. Speaking from experience, the program has been incredible. Kids learn to use cooking utensils (and may take over salsa-making in your home), and have interviewed city leaders including the Chief of Police during their filmmaking class.

The Tuition Assistance Fund offers 50 percent off of After School Program tuition to families who qualify for the Free Lunch Program in the Beacon City School District. Roughly 51 percent of Beacon families participate in the program, yet of the 175 children enrolled in After School at three Beacon elementary schools (Glenham is not included because it's in Fishkill's budget), only 21 kids used the Tuition Assistance Fund last year. But just over 80 kids would be eligible, according to the Free Lunch Program statistics. Word spread about After School's first year, but not everyone knows about the tuition assistance, which helps working families afford childcare. However, children in families who have stay-at-home parents certainly still benefit from the After School Program's activities.

Who Pays for Tuition Assistance

Right now, according to the Parks and Recreation Department's Assistant Director Nate Smith, the City of Beacon pays for the tuition assistance, and takes it as a loss. The After School Program was designed to fund itself. Tuition for one child to register for five days during one quarterly session is $600. Families eligible for tuition assistance pay $300, which is matched right now by the City of Beacon.

Hence the fundraising effort through For Goodness Bake, which has been known to raise $4,000 or more per sale. Past bake sales have been dedicated to organizations such as the Kids R Kids Feeding Program, Green Teen Beacon, the Beacon Community Kitchen, and the Children's Organ Transplant Association.

On sale at the bake sale for $5 each are works of art produced by kids in Camp @ the Camp, a summer program created by the Parks and Recreation Department.
Photo Credit: For Goodness Bake

Back to the Bake Sale

But really, let's get down to business and discuss what's available at the bake sale. Contributions from talented amateur and professional cooks alike include a wide array of sweet and savory baked treats, confections, and vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free options. Also available is locally roasted coffee from Tas Kafé and hand-crafted sodas from Drink More Good.

The team at For Goodness Bake, Kristen Pratt and Tara Tornello, thanks the following people (and more not mentioned here): "ENORMOUS gratitude goes to these fine folks and establishments: Drink More Good for donating drink syrups, seltzer, and ice; Tas Kafé LLC, Adams Fairacre Farms, Inc. for sponsorship; Viridescent Floral Design for flowers; The Roundhouse for table linens; Beacon Bread Company for to-go containers; The UPS Store 4839 for printing; Catalyst Gallery for the lovely space; City of Beacon Recreation for tables and overall support; the kids of Camp @ the Camp for creating artwork to display; Kit Burke-Smith for hanging the artwork; Diana Vidal for photography; Patti McAlpine for her collection of cake stands and platters; our wonderful volunteers Christopher Dawson, John Fanning, Mary Jean, Ivette Mateiescu, Jessica Nash, Tara D'Andrea, and Maureen Neary and her sweet daughter (and baker extraordinaire) Tallix."

Registering for the Tuition Assistance Fund

To register for tuition assistance, contact Nate Smith at (845) 765-2470 or nsmith@cityofbeacon.org. Registrants fill out one form, keeping the process relatively simple.

My bounty, delivered by a friend from Cold Spring who was dropping off a baby gift after she finished Pilates class at Beacon Pilates. Sweetness all around.

Beacon Players Offer Free Wednesday Workshops to Prep for 2017/2018 Theatre Season

View fullsize

The lights onstage in the Beacon High School will not go dark this summer, as the Beacon Players will hold free theater workshops all summer long. They'll meet every Wednesday from July 5 to August 16, from 9 am to noon. This is an open call to all Beacon High School students, including incoming ninth graders, as well as Beacon Players, Cast and Crew.

These workshops are a student's best chance at getting audition tips for the fall's upcoming student performance of Cinderella, and for hands-on experience at building the sets. Design work will start on the costumes, as well as on the horses (oh, the glamour!). Theater games will be played, lighting techniques will be practiced, and there will be donuts. Donuts!

Registration is not required. Students simply need to walk into the theater on Wednesday mornings at 9 am.

Kids Color Blasted For South Avenue Elementary Fundraiser June 10th

Sitting in a PTA meeting at 8 pm in the elementary school cafeteria, hearing from a representative from the kids' library that their budget is about to get cut - again - (did you see what's been going on down there?), you don't feel like there's the brightest of forecasts. Another bummer: hearing at a City Council meeting that the Board of Education is fighting for hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, dollars of unpaid funds that was designated for the Beacon School District from the state, but didn't make it down here to Beacon.

Here in the office of A Little Beacon Blog, we get pitched from time to time about fundraisers that are happening for different schools. From roller rink nights, to this most recent Color-A-Thon from the South Avenue Elementary PTA, parents community-wide are trying to get untraditional with their fundraisers, to go "beyond the bake sale." Often they seem fun, yet we hear about them at the last minute - if we hear about them at all.

So a couple of things: 

• We're going to dedicate a Guide to Beacon City School Fundraisers, to capture these opportunities, and try to illustrate where the money is going. Because that's the exciting part. You get to be a part of long-lasting, sometimes permanent change within the walls of one of the six school buildings in Beacon's school district. If you are such a person who runs a campaign, please email editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com as far in advance as you can, and spread the word to others to email in their dates and where raised funds will go.
• There is a fundraiser going on RIGHT NOW that you can participate in! You get to sponsor little racers who are going to get blasted with colorful powder as they run, and you could even BE a color blaster! This is to raise money for park equipment, landscaping and classroom supplies (like replacing super old books, or upgrading smart boards).

It can be hard knowing what is going on inside the walls of the kids' schools, even if the teachers, administrators and PTA are doing very well with internal promotion of flyers and Morning News Shows inside the walls. But if you hardly go inside the school, you won't see any of it. That's why we at A Little Beacon Blog are trying to bring that from the inside of the schools, out to you.

South Avenue Color-A-Thon Walk/Jog Run
Registration Starts: 9 am (new walkers/runners welcome, $30 Registration)
Race Starts: 10 am
Ends: Noon
Race Route: On neighborhood streets surrounding South Avenue School
Enjoy! Food, music, games!

What Is a Color-A-Thon Fundraiser? 

You may have seen the puffs of color - neon pinks and blues and yellows - rising in the distance through the trees and behind some houses for a cause you vaguely heard about. It's the rising trend of color-a-thons, marathons accompanied by color powder, similar to the holiday Holi celebrated in India. Known as the "festival of colors," it signifies the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil. Groups are embracing it as a fundraising method to make a big difference in a cause at hand. The Beacon High School just had one, as did the Newburgh Illuminated festival.

The South Avenue Color-A-Thon is a new thing the South Avenue PTA is trying out. They get together with an official Color-A-Thon race program, who then manages the registration bags of running T-shirts, color blaster powder, and prizes. It's important to me that my kids know what they are fundraising for, and aren't just fundraising to get prizes for each dollar level. So with this fundraiser - I knew exactly what we were fundraising for, and it has been a great teachable moment for my kids, as they could see exactly where their fundraising efforts would go - to the park! To the classrooms!

This time, with my awareness of the rising trend in color-a-thons that I know of from A Little Beacon Blog's 5K Race Guide, I knew this could be a highly engaging fundraising effort. Yet for the first year, how many people will turn out? There may be a few sitter-outers who watch the pictures in social media the day of the event, vowing to come next year. Don't be that person! You can make a difference to change that right now.

Fundraising for a New Gazebo on the Playground, With Extra Going to Equipment and Classrooms

South Avenue has a great playground that kids would play on all day long if they had their choice. Over the years, the PTA fundraised for and got a new basketball hoop, swings, and a Buddy Bench. This year, they are aiming for a gazebo or pavilion, a covered structure that has seating on the inside. The kids will be able to take their learning experience in the class outside by going to this pavilion, and also play on it during recess and after school. 

The color bag "blast pack" the racers get includes a t-shirt, bottle of powdered color blast, rainbow wig, and ... a weird emoji thing. 

How You Can Get Involved

Donate to a little racer: So far, I know of the sponsor links for two little racers, and one general South Avenue account if you want to donate at-large and not to one child specifically. YOU can donate to any of these little people. And if you want to add your link for last minute donations, add your link in the comments below and we will put it on this list!

• Little Racer Ruby: http://shop.schoolathon.org/index.asp?PID=377219
• Little Racer Fiona: http://shop.schoolathon.org/index.asp?PID=377070
• All The Little Racers - South Avenue's General Racer: http://shop.schoolathon.org/index.asp?PID=377664

Volunteer!

• Color Thrower: There are spots open for color throwers (you'll get to throw color at the runners!!)
• Games: People are needed to run some games
• Registration table/food table
• Set up/clean up (set up 8 to 9 am and clean up noon to 1 pm)
• And more!! Everyone is welcome to come and help.

Register to Race!

• Kids can register at the event to be racers. Registration starts at 9 am and is $30. Our inside sources says that they may not get an event t-shirt, because almost all of the t-shirts have gone to pre-registered racers, so have your kid wear a white t-shirt, prepared to get blasted with color.

To volunteer, contact Erica Way at way.erica@gmail.com or Cara Heaton at cara_heaton@yahoo.com.

The wig and sunglasses might have come as prizes with our color registration bag. 

Some of the prizes that just showed up include colored shoes - a reminder to get excited about running or walking in this race!

Is Fundraising Still Going On?

Heck yes! With these online donations, you can give money up to event day! If you are a parent whose child is in the race, here are some ideas to meet or surpass your donation goal:

• Take pictures of your child in racing gear (aka tennis shoes and any T-shirt), and add a note from your child about how excited they are.
• Share a link on your Facebook page, asking long-distance friends and family for support.
• Have your child call a donor and thank them personally.
• Email your own people with updates and if you've almost reached your goal.
• Include the link to your child's donation page so that people can easily donate online.

And remember, if you don't know of a child to sponsor, you can sponsor the whole school using the general link above. And know this: This isn't the last you'll hear of color-a-thons. I Am Beacon is having one, and there are more and more for adults. So watch our 5K Races Guide, as well as our future Beacon City School District Fundraising Opportunities Guide. 

Thank you!

Must-Watch Morning Show: Mr. Burke's The Morning News at South Avenue Elementary School

There's a new morning show that you need to know about that doesn't contain a lot of commercials and depressing news or outlandish demonstrations: The South Avenue Morning News. Actually, it does contain outlandish demonstrations, thought up by one man in the basement library of South Avenue Elementary School: the famed Mr. Burke. I'm told by my 7-year-old that The Morning News airs at South Avenue Elementary School every morning (have not fact-checked this yet, but it does seem to broadcast often), and for those of us not inside the school walls every day, we can see some of the best episodes on YouTube. The show is actually not new, as it has been produced out of South Avenue's library and additional locations such as stairwells, the outdoors, and school hallways for a number of years.

UPDATE 5/5/2017: We have confirmed with South Avenue that The Morning News is indeed shown daily to kids on their smart boards in each classroom. That's a LOT of ideas and editing!

Other parents who are super in-the-know already know about this Morning News show, but I only just discovered it when doing research for South Avenue's (hopefully) mega Color-A-Thon fundraiser mini-walk/race coming up on June 10th: South Avenue kids are currently fundraising online for the South Avenue PTA, who is raising money for new playground equipment, library needs, classroom supplies and other things that teachers need but can't always get due to constant budget cuts.

Take a minute right now and binge-watch The Morning News! It's incredible to see what Mr. Burke comes up with down there in the library, as he invents different characters who make recurring appearances in different episodes, which also feature homemade props, editing, and music.

If you have a little one at home, show these Morning News episodes to them. They may be amazed to watch on YouTube and get excited to share their day-to-day with you!

Mr. Burke delivers a PSA about the South Avenue PTA's Color-A-Thon video. He snores through it at first, then sees the videos of kids being blasted with color powder, and tries to recreate with crayons falling on his head (ouch)!

In this Morning News, Mr. Burke reads letters from imaginary students. This one is from "Not Getting The Reference" after Mr. Burke may have made a reference to Chim Chim Chiminey and perhaps a simile. Mr. Burke then turns into a chimney sweep in order to give a refresher as to what a simile is. Don't know what a simile is? You should watch the video. Then you'll remember!

Have you ever tried to make a Homework Machine? My dad and I did one time, and Mr. Burke here has done it! But what happens when he takes it into a Test Taking room?

If you like the Lego Movie theme song, "Everything Is Awesome," then you will love how Mr. Burke covers it, but with idioms. What's an idiom? Mr. Burke explores an Idiom Of The Day here in this edition of Morning News for South Avenue: "Chewing the Fat."

Another idiom mystery for you..."hitting a brick wall."

Mr. Burke  took the kids on a virtual field trip to his kitchen to harvest his first honey from his bees in 2015.

I know you're hooked, and you want more episodes. Subscribe to Mr. Burke's channel here on YouTube for the latest postings. You might even catch outtakes, because believe it or not, Mr. Burke does not seem to get it right on every scene, and does several takes.

Beacon Library Hosts Filmmaker Series for Middle Schoolers with Reel Life Film Club

Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison libraries have teamed up for Reel Life Film Club, a new film series for middle school students. The Reel Life Film Club is an opportunity for middle school students to view award-winning documentary films and talk about them with the filmmakers.
 
The next screening will be in Beacon on June 2 at 6 pm at the Howland Library. The club will be viewing the documentary Racing Dreams (2009). The film follows three young racers as they compete in the World Karting Association's National Pavement Series. Writer and director Marshall Curry will be on hand to talk about his film with the kids. This movie has won Best Documentary at six film festivals.
 
The third film, Spellbound (2002), will be shown on July 7 at 6 pm at Desmond Fish Library in Garrison.
 
Pizza will be served at the events and registration is encouraged: For Racing Dreams, at Howland Library on June 2, call 845-831-1134; For Spellbound at Desmond-Fish on July 7, call 845-424-3020. Like the libraries’ Facebook pages for up-to-date information.
 
For more information, contact Michelle Rivas, Howland Library, community@beaconlibrary.org, or Karen Thompson, Desmond-Fish Library, kat@highlands.com, Maureen McGrath, Butterfield Library, jbl.libraryservices@gmail.com.