Webutuck weighs faculty, staff Spanish training program

Spanish lessons are planned for faculty and staff at Webutuck elementary and secondary schools.
Photo by John Coston
Spanish lessons are planned for faculty and staff at Webutuck elementary and secondary schools.
AMENIA — Members of the Webutuck Board of Education discussed a Spanish language training program for staff and faculty during a Board of Education meeting on Monday, Oct. 28.
“So we are looking at a Spanish introductory Spanish class for teachers and faculty,” said Paul Wladarczyk, a member of the Webutuck’s Board of Education. “Not just teachers; faculty, staff, clerical — whomever — after school. Two sessions a week, two different times a week to make sure that we get to both our secondary and elementary staff.”
After the second quarter, starting in January, the lessons will begin for faculty and staff to learn Spanish after school. Lessons are planned for throughout the week, in order to reach as many faculty members as possible.
“We have our Spanish teacher, at least one right now, going to be teaching introductory Spanish to our staff and faculty, so that the communication is a little bit better,” Wladarczyk said. “So we are excited about that.”
A member of the board, and parent to a Webutuck student, shared her concerns about how her son in Webutuck’s elementary school has struggled to create deep connections with other children who do not speak the same language.
“I remember Brody in pre-k, just like, ‘Mom, can I learn Spanish? Like I want to talk to my friends?,’” said Lauren Marquis, “So teaching them at a young age helps them, and then there’s so many friends he could speak to, and it’s still a constant barrier for him … They get by when they get on the playground, but I’d think it’d be amazing.”
Webutuck has previously tried to implement foreign languages for younger school students, with Mandarin Chinese. This program did not reach its fullest potential and ended after only a few years, Wladarczyk said.
“One of the biggest problems we have is finding a foreign language teacher, but that shouldn’t exclude us from trying to instill it again,” said Wladarczyk. “If we wanted to build a program, which is really something we should be looking at, I would want to look at another Spanish teacher, build it into a special down at the elementary level.”
The Board of Education has taken their district’s culture into consideration, and is looking into the possibility of creating more programs for Spanish language, especially for younger children.
“It is so important for us, again, with our population, that’s a great idea to do, not only to communicate with each other, but the future,” Wladarczyk said, “So let’s put that on the agenda.”
Habitat for Humanity assisted in the construction and sale of this house at 14 Rudd Pond Road for $392,000.
MILLERTON — Official Dutchess County property transfers for the four months ending in May are fascinating from the sale of the former Presbyterian Church on Main Street for $420,000 to the $300,000 sale of 8.3 acres of the historic Perotti farm for $300,000 where major barn restoration is now underway.
Actively listed properties at the end of July include 14 parcels of land ranging in price from $60,000 for a five-acre lot to six parcels over a million dollars. 15 single family homes are on the market including an $11,750,000 estate on Moadock Road and four village homes for under $500,000.
Residential
14 Rudd Pond Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on .64 acres sale recorded in March for $392,000 to Anthony M. Macagnone.
81 Rudd Pond Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on .45 acres recorded in April for $360,300 to Sara Whitney Laser.
926 Smithfield Road — Historic house and barns on 8.31 acres sale recorded in May for $300,000 to Colonial House & Barn LLC.
5408 Route 22 — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on 5.38 acres sale recorded in May for $465,000 to Erich McEnroe.
The former Presbyterian Church on Main Street in the Village of Millerton was purchased in May for $420,000 and then pained grey.Christine Bates
Commercial
1 Smith Court, Village of Millerton — Office building sale recorded in March for $825,000 to OneJohnStreet LLC.
58 Main Street, Village of Millerton — Sale of former church recorded in May for $420,000 to 58 Main Street LLC.
5546 Route 22 — Sale of former restaurant on 2 acres recorded in May for $70,000 to Haithem Oueslati Trustee.
Land
State Line Road (#789358) — Sale recorded of 20.82 acres of vacant residential land in March for $150,000 to Elliott Squared LLC.
148 Morse Hill — Sale recorded of 30.03 acres of vacant productive farm land in 5 parcels in March for $800,000 to Thorne Water LLC.
*Town of North East and Village of Millerton property transfers from March through May not previously reported as sales in The Millerton News are sourced from Dutchess County Real Property Office monthly reports for March through May. Details on property from Dutchess Parcel Access. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
MILLERTON — Heavy rain brought down trees on Park Avenue, South Center Street and Century Boulevard, causing blackouts across the village on Friday, July 25.
The Millerton Moviehouse cancelled film showings for the afternoon following the outages, as stated in a release sent out to Moviehouse supporters over email Friday afternoon.
Village Clerk Lisa Cope said the downed trees landed on power lines, causing localized blackouts for many village residents and businesses between 3 and 6 p.m. Friday evening.
Central Hudson crews cleared the trees and restored power to the village that evening.