Academics

Thomas A. Yorke, Superintendent/Principal
(518) 284-2266
tyorke@sharonsprings.org

Sharon Springs Central School is a rural school district in Upstate New York, located about 45 minutes southwest of Albany. With an enrollment of approximately 300 students in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve, SSCS prides itself as being one of the New York state’s small, rural K-12 public schools that thinks big. Students at SSCS enjoy the many benefits of a small school where they can thrive in settings that promote “connectedness” or a sense of belonging, and where relationships count. SSCS provides a total school program in small, personal classes. Like members of the SSCS community, students and staff establish close interpersonal connections where individuals know, share with, and care about each other.

SSCS has invested heavily in technology and is proving to be a leader in integrating technology into learning. All of our classrooms are equipped with an interactive Eno Board. Students in grades 7-12 are issued an individual iPad, with a Verizon cellular account to be able to access the Internet from their homes. Teachers across the curriculums have integrated iPads into their day-to-day learning to include use of electronic textbooks, online learning platform and discussion boards, project-based learning activities, and the implementation of a vast array of related educational learning applications. Additional iPads and computer rooms are utilized by our elementary students as well.

SSCS provides a wide array of opportunities for students. Our vision has always been to provide a high-quality education to our students at a reasonable cost to our taxpayers. The district maintains a strong commitment to student leadership with programs such as Future Farmers of America (FFA), Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Varsity Club, National Honor Society and Student Council. Some of our other student activities include Poster Club, Spanish Club, Science Club, and Role Playing Games (RPG). In addition to a strong lineup of traditional high school course offerings, a sampling of available high school electives for this past year include: Driver’s Education, Agricultural Science, Meteorology, Music Theory, Contemporary Political and Social Issues, and Digital Literacy. Our elementary school offers both a traditional grade configuration and multi-age classrooms. The district has maintained a strong commitment to providing additional exposure and experiences to students by continuing to provide field trips, even during times of financial contraction.

The hard work of our staff has resulted in some of the highest diploma rates in the area, as well as successful results in many other areas of academic achievement. At SSCS, most of our students graduate with a Regents Diploma (85 percent either Regents or Advanced Regents in 2013), with the majority going on to attend a two- or four-year college. Recent graduates of SSCS are attending such colleges as Geneseo, Clarkson, Albany, Siena, George Washington, Plattsburgh, Stony Brook, SUNY IT, Wells, LeMoyne, and the Culinary Institute of America, to name just a few. Those students not attending a college or university are serving in the military or going directly into the workforce.

SSCS strongly believes in providing a wide range of activities for students to take part in outside of the classroom. Fine arts and extracurricular activities, as well as interscholastic sports opportunities are available to all of our students. In addition to Band, Chorus and other select ensembles, the district produces a high school musical in the fall and conducts musical performances several times a year. We have many opportunities in sports including soccer, basketball, baseball and softball. In addition, the district works in conjunction with local youth organizations such as AYSO, Bitty Basketball, Little League, and the Sharon Youth Commission.

At SSCS, we’re proud of the fact that as a small learning community, we invest in the entire child.

College Credit Course Offerings

UHS College Accounting
UHS Business Law
UHS Micro Computers
UHS Pre-Calc/ Calc
UHS Statistics
UHS English
UHS Environmental Science

Virtual Advanced Placement Course Offerings

English Literature and Composition
United States History
Psychology
Art History

Apple Distinguished School logoSharon Springs Central Schools Named
Apple Distinguished Program

Sharon Springs Central School District was named an Apple Distinguished Program for its implementation of the one-to-one iPad Program in November 2013. The Apple Distinguished Program designation is reserved for programs that are recognized centers of educational excellence and leadership.

The selection of Sharon Springs as an Apple Distinguished Program highlights its successes in enhancing and extending teaching and learning with thoughtful and innovative implementations of technology.