I reside in Valley Falls with my husband, Michael, and our two children Logan and Landon. Logan graduated from Hoosic Valley in 2023, and Landon is currently a junior. After graduating from Hoosic Valley in 1991, I attended SUNY Oswego where I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a middle school math extension. From there, I received my master’s degree in literacy from SUNY Albany in 2001, while teaching full-time. I have been teaching for twenty-seven years in grades four through six, and currently teach sixth-grade math at the Saratoga Springs Middle School.

I have been very active in a variety of Hoosic Valley community roles and functions. I was an active member of HVAA when my children were young in both coordinator and coaching roles. I have served on several interview committees for both faculty and administration at the elementary and Jr/Sr high schools. I volunteer for the Hoosic Valley Booster Club and Transfiguration Parish fair booths each year. I am currently the co-chair of the Jr/Sr High School Academic Awards. 

I have been serving on the Hoosic Valley Board of Education since being elected in 2020 and am seeking my second term. I am proud of the working relationship the school board members have with each other and our Superintendent. I believe in providing our students with a well-rounded education while remaining fiscally responsible. 

What separates me from other candidates is my unique ability to evaluate the issues the Hoosic Valley community faces through the various lenses of a graduate, parent, community member, and veteran teacher. Because of my teaching experience, I understand the inner workings of a school campus and a school district. I am invested in ensuring Hoosic Valley provides a quality education for all of our children. I recognize the value of an open dialogue among stakeholders and the Board of Education.

I hold myself to a very high standard personally and professionally. I care deeply about serving the Hoosic Valley School District and this community. As a candidate seeking re-election I look forward to building on my experience. I will continue to listen objectively and make informed decisions.

My name is Karen Eileen Carlson and I am seeking a second term with the Hoosic
Valley School Board. I grew up in the finger lakes and was raised in a family of public-
school educators, with my mother teaching English for over thirty years and my father a
music teacher and administrator.

My husband and I moved to Valley Falls 28 years ago. Our daughters Sarah and Eloise
both attended and graduated from Hoosic Valley classes of 2016 and 2019,
respectively. I have been an active Hoosic Valley parent and community member since
moving into the district.

I began my legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Rensselaer County
prosecuting sex crimes. I then moved to the NYS Office of Professional Medical
Conduct prosecuting physician misconduct. Currently I supervise a staff of prosecuting
attorneys for the NYS Office of Professional Discipline. I have served and collaborated
with community organizations including board member and past President of the Board
of Directors at Unity House of Troy; The START Children’s Center and The Rape Crisis
Center (now called the Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program) at
Samaritan Hospital.

My daughters, the elder a graduate from St. Michaels College in Vermont and the
younger a graduate of St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, brought me into the
Hoosic Valley community. The commitment and dedication of the teachers, community
members and administrators I have met and worked with over the years are what keep
me volunteering. I have been in the classroom; worked class fundraisers; am a past
president of the Hoosic Valley PTO; and am very proud and still passionate about the
work and effort put in by so many in establishing the Hoosic Valley MAC – the booster
club for music, art, and theatre in our schools. I have been an active member of
interview panels for Hoosic Valley principals, superintendents and teachers and been
active volunteering in various roles for the school musical. For the past four years I have
been a member of the School Board having served as President for three of those
years.

I recall shortly after moving here speaking with a then member of the School Board and
thanking him for all his work with the Board on behalf of the school. He said to me
“Everyone has a turn and is needed to volunteer.” That statement stuck with me over
the years and I finally stepped up in 2020 to run for my first term. I am running now for a
second term to complete the work we have begun and to further the responsibility we all
have to create and foster an environment where our children can safely, learn, create,
and be prepared for the world they will face as adults.

Our Hoosic Valley community faces some daunting challenges in these next few years
and must be thorough and thoughtful in the decisions that impact that environment. I am
committed to face those challenges honestly, openly, and collaboratively with the
community and would be honored to again have your support in that effort.

The school budget vote and Board of Education vote will be on May 16th.

Anyone who is a U.S. citizen, 18 years or older, and a resident of the Hoosic Valley Central School District for at least 30 days prior to the vote. You do not need to own property in the school district to be eligible to vote.

This year there is one candidate running for one seat on the board. Rather than holding an inperson event we will be accepting questions on our website and posting the candidate’s responses.

The questions may be submitted until May 8th and we will be posting the questions and responses on our website by May 12th.

About Amanda Akin

I have resided in the Hoosic Valley school district for 34 years and attended and
graduated from Hoosic Valley Central School. I currently reside in Johnsonville with my
husband (also a former student and graduate of Hoosic Valley) and 3 children ages 12,
9 and 8 who are all engaged in school activities, programs, and sports that the district
has been able to offer them.
I believe in encouraging our students to be active members in our community. With my
children in school, I have strived to be an active member of the school community. I
have been involved in HVAA and coached my kids along with many others in softball
and soccer over the years. I have held positions in PTO and supported programs they
have been able to offer. I have coached and assisted Odyssey of the Mind teams, assist
with the elementary musical and many other volunteer opportunities through the school
and community.
I have been a Registered Nurse for 13 years and currently work with children and their
families to obtain supportive services in the home and community. This has given me
insight on what children with special needs and their families need from the school
system.
I will challenge myself and others to make the best decisions for the students, staff, and
all residents of the Hoosic Valley community.
I will continually strive for improvement and excellence in our district for our students,
teachers, and community.
I look forward to working with current board members to give our students the best
education possible while supporting fiscal responsibility for our community.

Hoosic Valley PTO

Meeting Minutes

Date: March 21, 2023

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Hoosic Valley Elementary School library

In Attendance

President: Liz Ruepp

Vice President: Lissa Kalbfliesh

Secretary: Lisa Meehan

Treasurer: Carolyn Gifford

In Person attendees:  Denile Paro, Tiffany Hurley, Stacy Maxon

Virtual attendees: none

Call to Order:

The meeting was called to order at 6:34pm

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the January meeting were approved.

Committee Reports

• Treasurer Report: Treasurer report account balance of $30020.66
  • Still some outstanding reconciliations from Vendor Fair and Odyssey of the Mind t-shirts.
  • Significant upcoming expenses include PARP reimbursement and senior scholarships..
• Yearbook – Deadline to purchase has been set at April 30 in order to receive and distribute in a timely fashion. Work continues and candid pictures still needed. See Tiffany Hurley if you would like to help.
  • Marketing for yearbooks begins immediately – social media posts, in school campaign and flyers to go home with kids in the next few weeks.

• Vendor Fair – Denile Paro reported that the event was successful with 48 vendors in attendance. Last minute cancellations were able to be filled, food sales and raffle went smoothly.. Mixed comments from vendors – some reported less traffic. Perhaps consider moving the weekend depending on when Easter falls next year. This committee is looking for a co-chair for next year – please contact Liz or Denile if you are interested.
  • Also, a great big thank you to the 4-5 volunteers who make this day a success. Please consider getting involved next year – many hands!

Unfinished (Old) Business:

• Plants for staff room:  Even more donations have been received, to be delivered soon.
• Writing Olympics: Unfortunately, this event will not be held this year due to scheduling issues and lack of volunteers. It was suggested to try it again next year but move it to January when there are fewer conflicting events.
• Stewart’s Holiday Match:  received an award of $1000 for classroom libraries. This falls short of the amount needed for giving a meaningful amount to each teacher. Looking for ideas to raise those additional $2000 to meet this need. Any ideas should be forwarded to Liz.
• STEAM night: This event was not able to get started in time for this school year. Lisa suggested having an initial meeting this year to setup up goals and targets to keep us on track for establishing this event next year. Liz will forward that request to Mrs. Greco.
• Spring Pictures: All students PreK-6 were photographed on 3/10. The vendor continues to be incredibly efficient at getting through all the students with the least amount of disruption. Families can still order pictures on the website: Adirondack School Portraits.
  • Thank you to Liz and Megan Luskin for assisting that day with getting kids photographed.

New Business

• Senior gifts:  After a brief discussion,it was decided to go with socks again this year for every graduating senior.
• Senior Scholarships: Looking for volunteers to serve in reviewing applications and selecting recipients based on outlined criteria for the 3 awards that HVPTO sponsors. Please contact Carolyn Gifford if you are interested.
• Teacher Appreciation Day: The official day is on 5/2, soliciting ideas for a unique way to appreciate our teachers and staff at Hoosic Valley. Last year was baked potato bar and tacos which was a big hit but a lot of work for the few volunteers. Please bring forward any ideas to Liz ASAP.
• PARP: The program kicked off and is going well. Thanks to Mrs. Silverman and all the teachers who stayed to decorate the school and build enthusiasm for this great reading program that also benefits Ronald McDonald House in Albany.
• Meet the Candidate Night: May be held in early May, depending on the number of candidates who submit petitions to run for the single seat. Stay tuned and reach out to Liz if you have interest in assisting with this event to benefit the community.
• School Banking: Broadview Credit Union is bringing back a kids banking program, however it will be outside the realm of school. They are offering a donation to PTO if we distribute information to students. This was tabled until better information is gathered and the deadline to act is June 30.
• Learning Fair:  This event will coincide with BOE/School Budget vote night on 5/16. Participation was low last year but it is expected to build back up this year. Amanda Akin has agreed to coordinate the event –  please contact her or Liz if you are interested in helping. 
• School Supply Kits: It was agreed to continue with the same vendor as last year- Bright School Kitz.  Lisa Meehan is looking for a co-chair on this as she begins to work on getting updated lists from teachers and quotes in place for ordering. Contact Lisa or Liz if you are interested in assisting. Help is especially needed on kit delivery day during the last week in August.
• Summer Fundraiser Help Needed:  We expect HVPTO to be called up to assist with the 50/50 raffle at the Schaghticoke Summer Concert. This is a very easy and lucrative fundraiser and it takes just a few people a few hours of time on a summer evening. Please consider volunteering when the details are released and request for assistance is made.
• Yearbook Signing Party:  Tiffany Hurley suggested hosting a Friday evening event to distribute and sign yearbooks for those who ordered them. This could be a fun family event and give “early access” to yearbooks. It was agreed that we should try to hold this event. See Tiffany if you are interested in assisting with planning the details or assisting at the event.
• Zillah Herrington Fund: The balance needs boosting since Scholastic has changed policies about getting books through the BOGO book fair. In the past, local businesses were solicited to obtain monies for this specific program which was well received. 
• HVPTO Officer elections:  If you are interested in running for any of the offices for this organization, or if you have any questions regarding officer positions, please reach out and let it be known. 

Funding Requests

• No funding requests were received.

Future Discussion 

• Guptills skating night – Unable to contact Guptills so this event will not happen.

Next Meeting

Date: April 18, 2023, 6:30 pm Elementary School library

Motion to adjourn was at 8:00pm

submitted: LJM 3/27/23

Hoosic Valley PTO

Meeting date:1/17/23 @ 6:30pm

Meeting location:  Elementary School library 

• Call to Order
• Minutes:  Review of minutes
• Treasurer Report
• Committee Reports 
  • Yearbook
• Unfinished (Old) business 
  • Plants for staff room
  • Writing Olympics
  • Stewarts Holiday Match
  • STEAM night
• New Buisness

• Funding Requests
• Future Discussion

• Adjournment 

Hoosic Valley PTO

Meeting date:11/15/22 @ 6:30pm

Meeting location:  Elementary School library 

• Call to Order
• Minutes:  Review of minutes
• Treasurer Report
• Committee Reports 
• Unfinished (Old) business 
  • Halloween Night recap
  • Plants for staff room
  • Book fair recap
  • Festival Of Wreaths
  • Conference Night Pot Luck recap
  • Ornament Night
  • Mass MoCA student admission not needed

New Business

• Guptill’s Night
• Winter Activity – STEAM night? Bingo? other?

• Funding Requests
• Future Discussion

• Adjournment 

Hoosic Valley PTO

Meeting date:  10/18/2022 @ 6:30pm

Meeting location:  Elementary School library 

• Call to Order
• Minutes:  Review of minutes
• Committee Reports 
• Unfinished (Old) business 
  • Tenure Gifts – 13 teachers & staff
  • Halloween Night
  • Picture Days – Oct 20, 21, need volunteers
  • Plants for staff room
  • Book fair – Oct 20-31
• New Business
  • Festival Of Wreaths
  • Conference Night Pot Luck
  • Ornament Night
• Funding Requests
  • Sara Straub Screaming Eagle Concessions Food Truck for Professional Development $1000/obo
  • Erin McCauliffe – Mass MoCA.student admission $220
• Future Discussion

• Adjournment 

AGENDA

Hoosic Valley PTO

Meeting date:  6/21/2022 @ 6:30pm

Meeting location:  Elementary School library

• Call to Order
• Minutes:  Review of minutes
• Committee Reports 
  • Yearbook
  • Writing Olympics
  • School Supply Kits
• Unfinished (Old) business
  • Meet the Candidate Night
  • Teacher Appreciation
  • Learning Fair
  • Book Fair/Zillah
  • Senior Gift
  • Scholarships
• New Business
  • Town Hall Concert 6/30

• Funding Request
  • Granted via virtual vote
    • Camp Day bouncy bounce and popcorn $549.70 benefiting all elementary students
    • 6th grade science “rockets” $100 benefitting 75 students

• Future Discussion

• Adjournment