'It’s Like I Won The Lottery!': Area HS Senior Wins $300K Scholarship 'It’s Like I Won The Lottery!': Area HS Senior Wins $300K Scholarship
'It’s Like I Won The Lottery!': Area HS Senior Wins $300K Scholarship A high school senior from the Hudson Valley is being rewarded for her hard work with a more-than $300,000 scholarship to her dream school.  Putnam County resident Franceska Drejaj, a senior at Brewster High School, won the four-year scholarship to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where she is planning on studying government and legal studies, according to an interview released by the Brewster Central School District.  Drejaj won the scholarship through QuestBridge, a nonprofit that helps high-performing low-income students attend leading colleges. She was o…
Decade After Sandy Hook School Shooting, New Tech Gives Teachers, Students ‘Layer Of Security' Decade After Sandy Hook School Shooting, New Tech Gives Teachers, Students ‘Layer Of Security'
Decade After Sandy Hook School Shooting, New Tech Gives Teachers, Students ‘Layer Of Security' Gun control advocates will tell you that not much has changed since a 20-year-old gunman walked into a Connecticut elementary school and murdered 20 students and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown on Dec. 14, 2012. Since that day, another 279 people have died in 189 different shootings that have occurred at schools across the United States, BBC News reports. Among them are the 19 students and two teachers who were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022. What has changed, though, is the technology that’s available to schools to help keep students a…
Student Stabbed During Fight At High School In Region Student Stabbed During Fight At High School In Region
Student Stabbed During Fight At High School In Region A high school student from the region is recovering after being stabbed by another student during an altercation on campus. The incident happened Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 6, at Schenectady High School, a district spokesperson told Daily Voice. During an altercation between two students inside a campus bathroom, a male student pulled a kitchen knife out of his pocket and cut the other student before fleeing the school, according to a district message sent to parents. The injured student required “minor” medical treatment and went home with a parent, officials said. Immediately following the…
Several Middle School Students In Region Exposed To Marijuana Edibles Several Middle School Students In Region Exposed To Marijuana Edibles
Several Middle School Students In Region Exposed To Marijuana Edibles A school district in the region is warning parents after several middle school students were exposed to marijuana edibles. The incident occurred at North Albany Middle School, Principal Andrea Piper said in a statement to parents Thursday, Nov. 17. “I am writing to let you know of a situation involving several students in our school community who reported exposure to, or ingestion of, suspected marijuana edibles Thursday,” Piper said. The students were evaluated by the school’s nurse and none were found to show symptoms while in their care, she said. It was not immediately clear how many…
Gotta Go: NY Education Dept. Orders Schools To Replace Native American Mascots, Team Names Gotta Go: NY Education Dept. Orders Schools To Replace Native American Mascots, Team Names
Gotta Go: NY Education Dept. Orders Schools To Replace Native American Mascots, Team Names Schools in New York can no longer have Native American mascots or team names without risking serious consequences. In a letter sent to all school districts on Thursday, Nov. 17, the State Education Department’s Senior Deputy Commissioner, James Baldwin, ordered schools with a Native American mascot to find a replacement by the end of the 2022-23 school year. The order also applies to team names and logos. Schools that don’t retire their mascots could have their school officers removed or have state aid withheld, Baldwin said. Thursday’s order came after the Cambridge Central School Distr…
Superintendent In Area Resigns Just Over A Year After Taking Job Superintendent In Area Resigns Just Over A Year After Taking Job
Superintendent In Area Resigns Just Over A Year After Taking Job An openly gay Hudson Valley school superintendent has resigned amid backlash over his sexual identity by a small group of organized mothers.  In Orange County, Florida Union Free School District Superintendent Larry Leaven announced his resignation on Monday, Nov. 14 on the district's website, saying his resignation will take effect Wednesday, Nov. 30. "It has been a pleasure to practice my craft alongside some of the best in education," Leaven said. "I look forward to hearing great things about the Florida learning community and wish everyone well as they continue to connect, lea…
Fairfield County Educator Fired After Video Shows Him Making Sexual Comments About Students Fairfield County Educator Fired After Video Shows Him Making Sexual Comments About Students
Fairfield County Educator Fired After Video Shows Him Making Sexual Comments About Students A teacher at a private school has been fired after a hidden camera video was posted on YouTube allegedly showing him making inappropriate comments about his female students in Fairfield County. The video of Iman Rasti, a teacher, writing director, and middle school dean at Green Farms Academy in Westport first surfaced online on Project Veritas on Thursday, Nov. 10. By Friday, Nov. 11, the school had fired Rasti, according to a letter sent to parents and obtained by Daily Voice. "Dr. Rasti claimed that the statements in the edited video were taken out of context," wrote Bob Whelan, he…
Hundreds Of Drivers Shown Passing School Buses At District In Hudson Valley Hundreds Of Drivers Shown Passing School Buses At District In Hudson Valley
Hundreds Of Drivers Shown Passing School Buses At District In Hudson Valley A pilot program employed by a Northern Westchester school district has found that nearly 400 drivers illegally passed stopped school buses over the span of two months.  The program, used by the Hendrick Hudson School District which serves over 2,000 students in Buchanan, Verplanck, Crugers, Montrose, Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-Hudson, and Peekskill, came from a partnership with technology provider BusPatrol, officials from the company announced on Tuesday, Nov. 1.  Through cameras installed on 49 school bus stop arms, the company captured a total of 367 il…
This Hudson Valley High School Ranks Among Top 20 Statewide, New Report Says This Hudson Valley High School Ranks Among Top 20 Statewide, New Report Says
This Hudson Valley High School Ranks Among Top 20 Statewide, New Report Says A high school in Westchester County is among the top 20 in New York, according to a new ranking from the school review site Niche.  Scarsdale Senior High School, in the Scarsdale Union Free School District, was ranked No. 13 out of 1,255 public high schools in the state with an overall grade of A+. It was also ranked No. 1 in best public high schools in Westchester County. Scores are based on a variety of school statistics like math and reading test scores, in addition to reviews from students and parents, according to Niche. Scarsdale High earned top marks in several categories, in…
These Hudson Valley Public Schools Rank In Top 25 Statewide, New Report Says These Hudson Valley Public Schools Rank In Top 25 Statewide, New Report Says
These Hudson Valley Public Schools Rank In Top 25 Statewide, New Report Says The Hudson Valley is well-represented in brand-new rankings of the best public schools in New York. The website Niche says its 2023 "rankings and grades are calculated using a series of steps to ensure statistical rigor and useful guidance in the school choice experience." The criteria used in making the selections are outlined by Niche here. Westchester County led the way among regional selections, with Scarsdale High School No. 1 in the Hudson Valley and No. 13 in the state. View Niche's profile of the school here. Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua was the next-highest school in th…
These Hudson Valley Schools Named 2022 Blue Ribbon Winners These Hudson Valley Schools Named 2022 Blue Ribbon Winners
These Hudson Valley Schools Named 2022 Blue Ribbon Winners Multiple Hudson Valley schools were named 2022 National Blue Ribbon winners. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, a part of the United States Department of Education, announces hundreds of award recipients annually. The award was created to recognize schools that are considered outstanding, and the winners are honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, where schools receive plaques and flags. The following Westchester County schools were named winners: Croton‐Harmon High School in Croton-on-Hudson  Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua Bronxville Elementary School …
Power Outage Causes Closure At High School In Area Power Outage Causes Closure At High School In Area
Power Outage Causes Closure At High School In Area A high school in the Hudson Valley is closed on Tuesday, Sept. 13 due to a power outage. In Orange County, Warwick Valley High School is closed for both in-person and remote learning due to the power outage caused by a blown transformer, the Warwick Valley Central School District announced. "The power outage is isolated to Warwick Valley High School," the district said in an announcement on its website. "Therefore, this will not impact our other schools or students who attend morning or afternoon CTEC." Check back to Daily Voice for updates.