The Beagle School Alumni Newsletter Fall & Winter / December 2022

50TH LOGO

BY: MEGAN CORBARI SHENENDEHOWA HIGH SCHOOL

Celebrate!

Welcome Back JessicaTodtenhagen

COMMUNITY. It is a word that I refer to often when I speak of The Beagle School. It’s always a goal of ours to build our Beagle community each year. We hope to create connections within our classrooms, between our teachers, staff, and families that will last a lifetime. This community, that has become such a staple in our area, was shining brightly the day of our 50th birthday celebration. It was the culmination of decades of community building. It was beautiful and fun, silly and heartwarming, joyous and memorable

It is not only in those big celebratory moments that we see our community shine. This past month, we held a fall cleanup and put out a call to parents to help us take care of what seemed like a never ending supply of leaves. To say I was speechless by the amount of volunteers that came is an understatement. Families came with their leaf blowers, rakes, and generous spirit to help our yard look fantastic. We had over 40 volunteers and in less than an hour, our yard was clear of all leaves, hay bales, twigs, and more. These families embodied the sense of community that we strive for and showed their children what lending a helping hand and working together can achieve

We are looking forward to even more community building this year with our 50th Gala in March, class parties, projects, and so much more thanks to our amazing teachers and Board of Directors. Thank you for being a part of our community and I hope that you will stay in touch, even when your children become Beagle alumni. Once a Beagle family, always a Beagle family.

FROM OUR BOARD PRESIDENT Welcome Back

Putting together The Beagle School’s 50th Anniversary “Open House” was a happy labor of love. The school, decked out in balloons, welcomed families, alumni and former staff. It was an amazing evening, and the Little Red School House was bursting! Photos from five decades of smiling faces hung on the walls, albums were arranged for easy viewing, and on display were beautiful class quilts and projects.

Visitors enjoyed cake and ice cream, essential to any birthday celebration. It was heartwarming to see the scene unfold - and to learn what The Beagle School has meant for people of varying ages. Thank you to all who celebrated with us - you made it so special!

JenniferTaylor

PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PREVIOUS BOARD MEMBER & PARENT OF TWO BEAGLE ALUMNI

And though the cake has been finished, the fun continues. The Board of Directors couldn’t be more so excited for the March 2023 Gala to cap our 50th Anniversary festivities. A special thank you to Allison Miller and Liz Connors for leading the event, and to Erica Engel, Audrey Moore and Jessica Todtenhagen for giving their time and talents to the Open House and Birthday Carnival.

Dozens of Beagle alumni, current and former Beagle teachers and friends and family gathered in the Regent Street schoolhouse on September 28th to celebrate 50 years to the day The Beagle School started.

Among the crowd, a small group of The Beagle School founding families reminisced around the stacks of Beagle photo albums. The beloved albums date back to the 1970's and every decade until today. Included in the small group were John Witt and Adam Witt the sons of Merriam (Mare) Witt and Stuart Witt who were integral in the founding of The Beagle School. Merriam was the first director of the school, which was originally housed at 7 Marion Place, the Witt Family home.

Adam Witt remembered a particularly fun field trip to a cave as he looked through the stacks of albums. He said there was a donkey named Zachary, a 20pound bunny, and a slide into the cubby room.

MERRIAM WITT, THE FIRST DIRECTOR OF THE BEAGLE SCHOOL

ADAM WITT WITH PHOTOS OF HIMSELF AS A YOUNG BOY AT THE BEAGLE SCHOOL

JEFF KURTO AT THE BEAGLE SCHOOL IN THE 1970'S

Beagle Founder Carol Kurto and son and daughter Jeff and Beth also reminisced with the others. Carol said she had envisioned a different school experience and helped to start The Beagle School with a group of parents.

One of the original teachers at The Beagle School, Lili Loveday, celebrated and remembered the beginnings of the school. She is still active today at the school. She teaches music and movement. Holly Schwarz-Lawton (pictured on the next page) who served as a Former Administrator and CoDirector of The Beagle School is credited with locating and acquiring the Regent Street location. She also established the 2-year-old program and a summer program.

Witnessing five decades of hard work, vision, passion and love for The Beagle School in one evening was extraordinary. The original families and leaders continue to inspire the incredible work that continues at the school - and will for decades to come.

KURTO AT THE BEAGLE SCHOOL IN THE 1970'S

BETH

FORMER BEAGLE DIRECTOR HOLLY SCHWARZ-LAWTON LOOKS THROUGH THE ALBUMS AT THE CELEBRATION.

Golden ANNIVERSARY SCRAPBOOK

LONGTIME BEAGLE FRIENDSHIPS BELOVED TEACHERS

Photo Booth Fun!

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE CUBBYROOM INTO A PHOTOBOOTH AT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND CARNIVAL WAS A HUGE HIT!

PHOTOBOOTH BY: SARATOGA PHOTOBOOTH COMPANY

CARNIVAL LOGO BY: ELYSIA SHANNON SHENENDEHOWA HIGH SCHOOL

The Beagle School playground was filled with laughter and excitement for the school's carnival to celebrate the 50th Anniversary.

Beagle students and alumni had a chance to "try their luck" at all kinds of Beagle carnival gamesfrom knocking down rubber ducks to fishing with Ms. Linette to a musical game to win cupcakes. When they needed a break, Lucas' Lemonade Stand and an ice cream and popcorn table were huge hits!

Erica Engel, a Beagle School Board Member who helped organize the carnival also created a craft with the photo booth photos for kids to remember the special day. (Phototop of page 19).

THE BEAGLE SCHOOL Carnival

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, 2022

BOARD MEMBER ERICA ENGEL WHO CREATED & DONATED FUN PHOTO CRAFTS!

BEAGLE THROUGH THE DECADES DIGITAL SCRAPBOOK

THROUGH THE DECADES

DIGITAL SCRAPBOOK

STARTING IN THE 1970'S PHOTOGRAPHS WERE A HUGE PART OF THE BEAGLE SCHOOL TRADITION. PARENTS TOOK PHOTOS ROUTINELY AND MADE THEM INTO SCRAPBOOKS FOR THE SCHOOL. WHILE THE PHOTOS ARE NOT CREDITED IN THE SCRAPBOOKS, THE BLACK AND WHITE FILM PHOTOS ON MANY OF THE PAGES ARE A HUGE AND WONDERFUL PART OF THE ORIGINAL BEAGLE SCHOOL SCRAPBOOKS.

1970's BEAGLE IN THE

THE BEAGLE SCHOOL in the 1970's

THE BEAGLE SCHOOL WAS ORIGINALLY HOUSED AT 7 MARION PLACE IN SARATOGA SPRINGS, THE WITT FAMILY HOME. IN THE MID-70'S, K-3 WAS HOUSED IN A YELLOW HOME ON CIRCULAR STREET. BY 1977, THE SCHOOL WAS HOUSED AT ITS CURRENT LOCATION AT 115 REGENT STREET.

BEAGLE IN THE

1980's

THE BEAGLE SCHOOL in the 1980's

Heather Mabee warmly remembers spending time at The Beagle School in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s. Her three daughters each attended The Beagle School and she volunteered her time as a board member and eventually as Board President. At the school’s 50th Anniversary in September, she enjoyed looking through The Beagle School albums and seeing the classroom and the cubby room. “I liked walking into the school and feeling like they haven’t changed everything. It still has a very nurturing feeling.” Heather also loved seeing the new kitchen, which was renovated in 2016, and the larger backyard which the school added in 2021.

HEATHER'S DAUGTHER KRISTINE SCHLACHTER (MIDDLE) AT BEAGLE

Heather’s first daughter started at The Beagle School in 1985 after work brought Heather from Kentucky to Saratoga Springs. Community service is important to Heather. “It was one of the first boards I was on in the city of Saratoga Springs and it led me to be on many others boards after that.” At the time, Heather remembers, some of the original board members from the school’s founding in 1972 also served on the board of directors in the mid-1980’s. “It wasn’t unusual for people to be on the board for 10 years.” Heather herself served an impressive span of time on the board - from 1986 to 1995 - and from 1994 to 1995, she dedicated her time as Board President. Some of Heather and her three daughters’ favorite memories include the beloved teachers. At the 50th Anniversary, Heather fondly reminisced about former Beagle School Director Julie Van Dusen. “Every child was like her own child. She knew every single kid in every single classroom even though she didn’t teach the 2-year-olds –they had moved into over on Circular Street.”

BELOVED TEACHERS

FORMER DIRECTOR JULIE VAN DUSEN

At the anniversary, she also remembered a well-loved teacher named Margaret. “She was the kindest, sweetest. Nothing ever ruffled her. She always, always had a smile on her face. Heather says she was well-loved by all the kids and taught at Beagle well into her daughters’ high school years. “My kids would come back to the school just to say hello to her. She made an impact on their lives.”

A LOVE OF THE OUTDOORS

"All three of my daughters have a huge love and appreciation of being outdoors," said Heather. Outdoor walks around Saratoga Springs were common at The Beagle Schoolin all seasons, including winter.

Today, one of Heather's daughters lives in Montana, one lives in Utah, and one is in New York City. Kristine Schlachter is a stage manager for theater in the city. She remembers her love of the unique aspects of The Beagle School.

Now, decades later, Heather still keeps in touch with friends from The Beagle School. She enjoyed walking back into a huge part of her and her daughters' lives in September and seeing that it's still a well-loved, nurturing little school house.

"The two things that stick out in my mind the most from my time there was spending a lot of time outside in the fun playground/tree house. And being able to do my own christmas shopping for my parents."

-Kristine Schlachter Beagle Alumna

ARTICLE BY: MARY CARLIN

MARGARET, A WELL-LOVED TEACHER

BEAGLE IN THE

90's

THE BEAGLE SCHOOL in the 1990's

2000's BEAGLE IN THE

THE BEAGLE SCHOOL in the 2000's

BEAGLE IN THE

2010's

THE BEAGLE SCHOOL in the 2010's

THE DECADE BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020 WAS A BUSY ONE FOR THE BEAGLE SCHOOL. INDOOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE KITCHEN AND CUBBY ROOM WERE MADE IN 2013. THE SCHOOL ORGANIZED THE FIRST "SARATOGA DAY OF PLAY" IN 2017, AND IT CONTINUED IN 2018, 2019 AND 2021.

This Decade BEAGLE IN

BEYOND BEAGLE

The Sky Is the Limit!