Red Hook Education Foundation is delighted to have once again co-sponsored The Red Hook Summer Academy, a grant-funded enrichment program for rising 8th grade students through graduating seniors. This program is FREE to students and includes courses such as SAT Prep, Automotive Tech, Coding, Farm to Table Cooking, Acoustic Guitar, World Languages and much more!
Registration is closed, but you can check out these links to see what was on offer in 2021:
The Sunday afternoon of May 23rd, 2021, marked the soft launch of the new 700-seat performing arts theater, with the high school spring musical performance of The Fantasticks, which was web-streamed from there live. (Click here for more info.)
It’s been a long journey — from the special vote in late 2017, to the groundbreaking in June of 2019, to the continuation of construction through a pandemic, all the way to its completion this past April of 2021.
We are so proud to have been a part of helping make the auditorium a reality, and are so delighted that Red Hook kids are now, at long last, getting to enjoy it. We’re looking forward to all the wonderful performances and community events that will surely grace the stage!
RHEF contributed $100K towards the construction of the auditorium, thanks to the generous contributions from gala sponsors and community contributors! And we wish to thank Assemblyman Kevin Cahill for securing $4M in grant funding for the project! If you haven’t yet seen the progress in construction, be sure to drive through the high school campus! It is exciting to see this valuable community resource become a reality.
The following is from Assemblymember Cahill’s Facebook feed:
While making his routine visits throughout the 103rd District this week, Assemblymember Cahill was thrilled to see the construction progress of the Red Hook School Auditorium. Mr. Cahill, who secured $4 million in funding for the project stated, “Each theater, music and choral student strives for the opportunity to perform on stage in front of the bright lights and before an audience of adoring fans – we are raising up this already beautiful community just a little bit more.”
In a press release published by the Red Hook Central School District, Superintendent Paul Finch stated, “The lack of a high school auditorium has been a blot on the otherwise stellar reputation of the Red Hook Central School District. With this project, our facilities will finally reflect the talent of our students and the value we place on the performing arts.”
Construction of the auditorium will continue through the 2019-2020 school year with an anticipated opening in the fall of 2020!
Thanks to all who came out on Friday, February 21st for our 8th Annual Winterfest Fundraiser! We enjoyed the drinks and digs of Hudson Valley Distillers, the music of the always lively T McCann Band, and the company of good friends and neighbors. It was a wonderful night of music, food and fun in support of the PTA’s STEAM Night at Mill Road — over $2500 was raised! We can always count on our wonderful Red Hook community to come together in support of our schools and kids.
The original invite for this event:
The Red Hook Summer Academy provides local students — incoming 9th-12th graders, plus those who just graduated — with learning opportunities that would otherwise not be available to them during the typical school year. Best of all, these courses are offered at no cost to the students, thanks to sponsorships from local organizations, including the Red Hook Education Foundation.
The program was conceived and implemented by the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, launched in the summer of 2018, and draws on the many skills and expertise of the school district and our community.
See below for this year’s offerings, as well as previous summer curricula. To register, visit Family ID (an online tool the Red Hook School District uses for various school programs) and search ‘Red Hook Summer Academy Program’. Complete course schedules, including dates and times, are viewable there.
SAT English: Learn to navigate the SAT reading, vocabulary and writing skills. Students will learn strategies for all question types (sentence completion, vocabulary, critical reading, and writing).
SAT Math: Students will review the style and content of the SAT Math exam. Learn helpful strategies and techniques. An SAT book will be provided. Students must have a graphing calculator and have completed Algebra I and Geometry as prerequisites. Two sections of this course will be offered.
Video Production: Learn how to storyboard a short film from start to finish in all roles of production. After compiling a sufficient amount of footage, students will learn to edit and create a finished product.
iSquad: Training for students interested in being part of the first-ever RHHS Student Tech Support Team. Work with members of the district’s technology department to build this pilot program while getting on the job experience as tech support during the school year.
Construction Systems: Students will learn basic construction techniques, such as: framing, roofing, and installing drywall. Along with practical knowledge, tips and tricks, students will be immersed in a plethora of equipment that are used by professionals in the field.
Sustainability for a Brighter Tomorrow: This class will give you the opportunity to learn about sustainability and the many ways we can use our understanding of what goes into producing and discarding goods to become conscientious consumers. We will develop strategies that we can use to diminish our impact on the environment and create materials that we can use to advocate for a more sustainable lifestyle.
Farm to Table Cooking and Baking: This class will showcase the abundance of wonderful agricultural resources in the Hudson Valley, utilizing fresh, seasonal ingredients from local sources.
Talking About Money: High school students are at most a few years away from some very adult decisions. Participants in this class will have conversations about money and finances as we address issues that may arise in the first few years of adulthood. Topics include budgets, savings, debt, credit, investing, transportation, housing, and taxes.
Automotive Technology: Learn basic car maintenance from how to fix a flat tire to changing your oil, basic car care and how major systems of a car work.
Hamlet in a Hurry: This course is designed for high school students who want to “Speak the speech, trippingly on the tongue.” For one week we will explore an abbreviated version of Shakespeare’s HAMLET and rehearse it as quickly as was done in 1599. The last hour of the class we will present it to anyone willing to attend!
Topics in Food Studies: A wide range of current topics in food from post workout eating to event planning, catering, and more. The culminating project will have students creating a food truck experience.
Computer Aided Design (CAD): Students will begin to dig into the engineering design process, applying STEM standards to hands-on projects of innovation and design improvement. Designs will be brought to life using Autodesk Inventor. Basic and advanced concepts will be covered.
Coding with SCRATCH: Learn coding skills by creating games using the program language SCRATCH. Learn about coding concepts such as sequencing, loops, events, conditionals and operators while creating different games. Share your games online where you can challenge your friends to beat each other’s scores.
Peer Tutoring Training: The Peer Tutoring class is designed to train students how to be motivational and effective peer tutors. We will learn strategies and design implementation plans to assist Red Hook High School students who struggle with academics. Students who complete the training and commit to tutoring hours during the school year will receive Community Service Credit.
The College Essay: Do you want to get a jump on the college essay process or even complete your essay before the school year starts? Polish and organize your writing in this helpful workshop.
Improv and Storytelling: This program will focus on cultivating group mind, creating characters, and exercising the most integral part of improv “Yes And!” Participants will learn to take risks, explore authentic forms of self-expression, and operate as a collaborative group.
Computer Science: Learn how to write code in the popular programming language Python. Use computer science concepts such as variables, loops and functions while creating projects. Learn how to build graphics using Python’s Turtle.
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Every summer, the Red Hook Education Foundation holds its annual fundraising gala to celebrate our community, its excellent schools, and the projects RHEF has supported. Every gala features live music, delicious food, festive cocktails, a live and silent auction, and of course dancing! They’ve even been known to have a photo booth for fun!
There are various ways to support the Gala & RHEF:
Red Hook had been the only school district in the Hudson Valley and one of only a few in New York State without an auditorium to accommodate theatrical productions, band and chorus concerts, lectures, assemblies, graduations and community events.
Historically, cafeterias and a gymnasium with inadequate seating have been utilized as makeshift spaces for large group events. That meant that gym classes and sports teams needing to train had 20% less access to the gym than teams they compete against. Meanwhile, our band, chorus and theater groups were required to host their artistic performances in the school gymnasium or outside venues with many rehearsals taking place in corridors, classrooms and elsewhere.
But that’s about to change!
The new auditorium design is truly multi-purpose, with flexible space options to accommodate a broad base of school and community needs. The flexible configuration allows for both large-scale seated performances, small group meeting areas, as well as additional classroom and workshop spaces.
The auditorium will be connected to the front of the high school with an open flow for students during school hours that can then be closed off with a separate entrance for public events in the evening. Locating the Auditorium at the high school has many advantages – including easy access for out of town guests and adequate parking – a big cost saving for a project of this scale.
The Benefits
In addition to providing a space that matches the high caliber of local performances and activities, there are many additional benefits that the auditorium will offer the students and citizens of Red Hook. It will:
The district has worked hard to secure millions of dollars in NY State aid and they have kept the budget limited. The cost of the project is low:approximately $2.50 per month for the median priced home with basic STAR. The Red Hook Education Foundation has raised additional funds and worked closely with local public officials to offset costs.
