4Staff Bios

Mr. Kowalczyk

In his sixth year teaching for the Fonda-Fultonville School District, Mr. Gregory Kowalczyk is the Grades 5&6 Instrumental Music Instructor. Along with his two ensembles of Pre-Band and Fifth and Sixth Grade Band, he also teaches small group instrumental lessons. Mr. Kowalczyk is currently helping with the FFCS Marching Band as assistant director and is really looking forward to the upcoming competitions like the Sherburne Pageant of Bands. In addition to helping with Marching Band, Mr. Kowalczyk started the FFCS Junior Jazz Ensemble in the 2002-2003 school year which includes students from grades 5-8. In his first year, the junior jazz ensemble came in third place at the Sherburne Pageant of Bands. In 2004 the junior jazz ensemble brought back to FFCS the First Place trophy!! The students worked very hard all last year to defend their title at the Sherburne Pageant of Bands and for the second time in a row, brought home the First Place Trophy!!! The junior jazz ensemble also participates in the Oneida Jazz Festival where they received a high silver grading.

Mr. Kowalczyk graduated from Gloversville High School with a Regents Diploma. He holds a Bachelor of Music/Music Education and a Masters Degree in Music Education, both of which are from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Mr. Kowalczyk began his teaching career in 1994 for the Gloversville Enlarged School District. During his seven years at GESD he taught general music classes to elementary and middle school students along with middle school chorus. He had the pleasure of creating and implementing Gloversville's first elementary instrumental program and All-City Band. Additionally, he gives private lessons when time allows.

In the summer, Mr. Kowalczyk enjoys playing alto saxophone for the Gloversville Citizens Band and playing tenor saxophone for the Johnstown Civic Band. In addition, Mr. Kowalczyk was the guest junior high school band conductor for the Fulton County All-County Festival in 2004. For two summers (2003/2004) Mr. Kowalczyk enjoyed his role as Conductor for the Friends of the Visual and Performing Arts summer festival Concert Band. During his free time Mr. Kowalczyk spends time with his wife, Lynn, and six year old son Garrett. He is a Disney fanatic!!! He also enjoys playing golf and working on his various home improvement projects.

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Miss Cassidy

Miss Anne V. Cassidy, a Johnstown resident, has been an active Fonda-Fultonville employee for 24 years. After teaching grades 6-12 for 17 years, she holds the positions of 5-8 General Music Teacher, 5-8 Chorus Teacher, and Music Department Chairperson.

Miss Cassidy is currently an active member of the Fonda-Fultonville Alumni Association, which gives several $500 scholarships yearly ($5,000 to the Class of 2008!) to F-FCS seniors who are descendants of F-F Alumni. She is in the Honors Edition registry of the Cambridge Who’s Who Among Executive and Professional Women Teachers in Education. She has served on The National Junior Honor Society Committee, the Starbase Training Committee, the Discipline Committee, the Principal Search committee, and the Scheduling Committee. She has been a guest conductor or accompanist outside of Montgomery County several times. She has been a member of the Mohawk Valley Chorus, Specialist Coordinator, Drama Club Advisor, National Junior Honor Society Advisor, and a high school class advisor.

Miss Cassidy grew up in Tribes Hill. After graduating with a Regents Diploma from F.F.C.S., she graduated cum laude with Bachelor of Science Degrees in Studio Music and Music Education and a Masters Degree in Music Education, all from the College of St. Rose. Currently, she is dedicated to raising standards in music education at Fonda-Fultonville in accordance with the New York State Education Department by viewing the voice as an instrument, and by trying to make sure that ALL students get a well-rounded music education. So far, through her department, she has implemented high school voice lessons, and is working toward improving the music facilities and course offerings at F.F.C.S. Over the years, Miss Cassidy has voluntarily prepared students for auditions for WRGB’s “Melodies of Christmas,” New York State Music Association Festivals (NYSSMA). and the Area All-State Concert. Her voluntarily prepared NYSSMA soloists still consistently receive “Excellent” and “Outstanding” ratings. Miss Cassidy believes the students at F-FCS are without a doubt the best part of teaching.

She has played keyboard for The Actors’ Company musicals, most recently including Titanic: The Musical, and Aida. A highlight of her career was when she was the Saratoga Holiday Show piano accompanist for Ted Keegan, who previously played the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. In productions by the F.F.C.S. Spotlight Performers in the past three years, she accompanied Annie , played keyboard for Grease, and was the Musical Director for The Music Man.

In her spare time, Miss Cassidy gives private piano lessons, is a keyboard player for the group Jonesy and the Jazz Cats, and also plays keyboard for another corporate party/wedding band starting up. She also enjoys golf and cooking. Her son Ian is a freshman in the Honors Program for Computer Science at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.

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Mr. Lenig

Mr. Charles Lenig is now in his seventh year as a member of the Fonda-Fultonville Music Department. His responsibilities with the district include: directing High School Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, Middle School (7th and 8th grade) Band, Marching Band, and High School Jazz Ensembles I and II.

Mr. Lenig holds bachelor's degrees in both Music Education and Music Composition and also his Masters Degree in Music Technology. He earned his undergraduate degrees at the S.U.N.Y College at Fredonia and his Graduate Degree at The College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y.

Mr. Lenig is also currently involved in composing music for an independent film company based out of New York City. He also performs with and records many different groups on a regular basis. These groups encompass styles from jazz to modern rock.

Currently Mr. Lenig is member of Upstate New York’s T.S. Ensemble. This an eight piece band that performs many of the premier venues throughout the Northeast.

As member of the music faculty at FFCS Mr. Lenig hopes to continually promote the excellence that is a tradition at FFCS.

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Mrs. Vosburgh

Mrs. Lisa Vosburgh is currently in her eighth year of instruction in the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District. She holds the position of general/vocal music teacher for grades 9-12. She conducts both the Select and Mixed Choruses, gives small group voice lessons throughout the day and teaches three classes, Music In our Lives, Theory I and Theory II.

As choral director, Mrs. Vosburgh is also responsible for preparing high school students for the annual Montgomery All-County Festival. In addition, she has worked with students in preparation for auditions for WRGB's Melodies of Christmas and New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) festivals. Under her direction, chorus members have participated in both of these events, as well as Area All-State Festivals. Her choruses have performed live on the air at the WGNA studios, as well as at the Festival of Trees in Amsterdam, the Christmas program at the Noteworthy Company in Amsterdam, the Illumination
Celebration at the Fonda Fairgrounds and at Amsterdam City Hall. Her groups have also participated in the High Note Music Festival in Lake George and the High School Choral Festival at Schenectady County Community College. Her Select Chorus was chosen for the past two years to participate in WMHT's Music for the Holidays.

Mrs. Vosburgh is an active member of the Montgomery County Music Teachers' Association, serving as secretary. She also serves as judge for the youth talent expo at the Fonda Fair. She is currently organist at Sprakers Reformed Church. Mrs. Vosburgh is a 1996 graduate of FFCS. She holds both Bachelor and Master of Science Degrees in Music Education summa cum laude from the College of Saint Rose. She resides in Johnstown with her husband Kevin and daughter Elizabeth.

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Ms. Pegrum

Ms. Barbara Pegrum is in her fourth year of teaching in the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District. She teaches all general music classes in Kindergarten through Fourth Grade in the Elementary Building. This position includes performances of grades one through four in the Student Star Assemblies throughout the year, various musical performances of individual classes, and a holiday musical in December.

Ms. Pegrum grew up in New York City where she performed in several singing and instrumental groups before graduating high school. She went on to graduate with highest distinction from Castleton State College in Castleton, Vermont with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education, and later got her Masters degree in Education from SUNY at Albany.

Ms Pegrum started her teaching career in Maine before settling in the upstate New York area where she taught at Broadalbin-Perth for eight years. Over the past twenty years she has directed several choirs in Broadalbin and West Sand Lake and currently continues to sing in two choirs.

Ms. Pegrum lives in West Sand Lake, but enjoys spending time at her family's summer home in Maine. She enjoys camping, reading, cooking and spending time with family and friends and her cats, Tricksy and Snickers. She is very proud of her son Tom who graduated from RPI this past May and works as a mechanical engineer in Albany.

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