The New Paltz Central School District (NPCSD) will be launching a robust continuing education course program this fall with options for children and adults.
“Our district has some great facilities and we want to create more opportunities for our community and students to take advantage of them and learn new things,” Superintendent Steven Glatt said.
Over the past few months, the district has sent out appeals to the community seeking continuing education proposals and has been pleasantly surprised by the response.
“A lot of people reach out to me and say, 'I want to offer this selection, I want to offer that selection,'” Glatt said. “Some offer it for free, and some charge a small fee so people can participate.”
Most courses are held on NPCSD campuses with courses offered at the high school, middle school, and both elementary schools, and the fall schedule meets weekly between early September and mid-December.
“The mission of our continuing education program is to provide wellness opportunities and activities that build community and promote lifelong learning,” a brochure created by the district states.
Continuing education programs were implemented through district-wide health committees.
“The health committee had been talking about wanting to give people more options to eat healthy, exercise and learn how to do things, which by the way are basically our three categories: eat healthy, exercise and learn how to do things,” Glatt said. “And they thought it would be a fun way to improve the health of our community and our students, and that seemed like the way to go.”
Kids' fitness programs include Fighting Spirit Karate classes for Dugin Elementary School students (held Mondays after school from Sept. 9 through Dec. 16 in the school gym) and Fighting Spirit Cardio Boxing/Mitt Work for New Paltz High School students (held Thursdays after school from Sept. 12 through Dec. 19). Both courses are taught by Fighting Spirit Karate instructor Shihan Shawn and both cost $120 for the full program.
Free fitness courses for students include First Friday Basketball, open to middle and high school students, hosted by New Paltz Youth Commissioner Jim Tinger in the middle school gym on Oct. 4, Nov. 1 and Dec. 6. Free recreational Frisbee courses for youth and families will be held every Tuesday from 6-8 p.m., Sept. 17 through Dec. 17. They will be held in the middle school gym when the weather is inclement and outside when the weather is nice.
Lenape Elementary School hosts weekly pickup basketball nights for both adults and students over 16, with insurance coverage for $3 a night. Yoga courses and self-defense programs for women are also available in the fitness category.
Other courses cover a wide range of interests, some of which are one-night-only courses such as “Algebra 1 Tips & Tricks” and “Algebra 2 Tips & Tricks,” self-explanatory classes for high school students, and “Wild Twig Stars,” which teaches ages 13 through adults how to make and decorate rustic stars out of mulberry twigs.
Other weekly courses run for several weeks or months, such as Life Drawing for people 15+, From Chaos to Calm – Parenting Skills for Modern Families for people 18+, and B&W Wood Workshop – Custom Shelving and Storage Solutions for people 15+.
“I think everybody's excited,” Glatt said, “and I know the (school) board is very supportive of the plan.”
More information about the district’s fall 2024 continuing education programs will be available soon.