Request forms for transportation to non-public schools for students in grades K-12 for the 2020-21 school year are now available. These forms are required to be completed each year and filed with the district’s transportation department no later than April 1 of each year.

Forms may be completed here.

Forms are also available at the Transportation Department located on the Shaker High School campus at 445 Watervliet-Shaker Road, Latham, New York.

New district residents, or current residents with incoming kindergarteners, intending to send their child(ren) to a non-public school for the 2020-21 school year must contact the district’s Central Registrar at (518) 785-8591, to provide the district with proof of  residency at the time of submitting the application.

Any questions regarding the forms should be directed to the Transportation Department at (518) 785-9486.

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Board of Education petitions are now available for the Tuesday, May 19 board election. The election will be held along with the district’s annual budget vote. This year, there are two seats available, each for a five-year term. At least 25 signatures from voters registered in the district are required on the petitions.

Petitions can be obtained from the District Clerk at Central Office on Monday – Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. All petitions are due back to Central Office by Monday, April 20.

The post Board of Education petitions now available appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

This morning, Thursday, March 5, Shaker High School administrators were notified of a threatening statement made last night. The threat was made by a student from another district. One of our students shared the threat on social media. Administrators immediately reported the threat to the district’s School Resource Officer, who worked with local police departments to investigate. It was determined that the threat was not intended for the North Colonie Central School District, and that it originated from another school district in the area.

The student, who is not enrolled in the North Colonie Central School District, was taken into custody last night and police determined the threat was not credible.

Safety is paramount in our district. If at any time safety is potentially threatened, we take it very seriously and a full investigation will be conducted. The district works collaboratively with law enforcement in any instance where student safety might be compromised.

We appreciate the student who brought this to our attention so that we could take proactive measures to ensure our school’s safety. As always, if your child has questions or concerns, they should contact a school counselor or administrator. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact principal Richard Murphy at the high school main office at 518-785-5511.

The post District statement on social media threat appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

High Honor Roll – Grade 9

Esam Abisse, Aabidah Afzal, Aditi Agni, Saurav Bavdekar, Nicholas Bennett, Joshua Blake, Samantha Bogert, Lauren Brissette, Alex Brunco, Bryan Chae, Grace Cometti, Katherine Conjalka, Giancarlo Conti, Lauren Curley, Brian Devendorf, Corey Ditzel, Regan Doherty, Darren Duan, Rosila Elebyjian, Ilhan Eser, Nathaniel Fesel, Eloise Gall, Raina Gandhi, Maria Gauna, Jack Gialanella, Max Ginsburg, Abbigayle Gorman, Ani Gregori Asadourian, Neil Gupta, Jeffrey Guzy, Kaleigh Higgins, John Hoblock, Alexandra Joslyn, Daniel Jung, Andrew Kang, Anna Karpen, Isabel Kats-Rodgers, Lilla Korniss, Chaehyeon Lee, Bret Lortie, Lara Luczak, Ryan Martinkat, Bridget McLoughlin, Roshan Mehta, Yuktha Milukuri, Owen Niles, Danil Orlioglu, Olivia Pardo, Jillian Pierone, Saraaga Poka, Jenna Pollicino, Sophia Rayburn, Mason Roberts, Annika Robin, Pradham Rodda, Kyla Ryan, Steven Sadek, Shashank Sekhar, Harry Shen, Kaitlyn Stanton, Jongmyeong Sung, Haroon Syed, Micaela Tahoe, Milen Tesfaye, Maura Gyan Thukral, Alyssa Turcotte, Ethan Valente, Noa Wacholder, Thomas White, Alex Xu, Hannah Yu, Yaoxuan Zhang, Toby Zheng, Lauren Zhu

High Honor Roll – Grade 10

Wesal Adam, Andrew Alexander, Joanna Andrews, Jessica Andrews, Gage Antifaiff, Avi Bagchi, Labesh Baral, Ayaan Bargeer, Emily Bette, Sarah Clare Biazon, Ciara Bullington, Hannah Byun, Sydney Carron, Karly Cavanaugh, Esther Chang, Minyi Chen, Patrick Dai, Jordyn Doran, Jessa Engelmann, Harrison Fazzone, Evan Fecko, Emily Flores, Sean Gilday, Amitai Goldmeer, Madeline Green, Aditri Gupta, Ashley Halko, Kathryn Hanrahan, Mahnoor Hasan, Christian Haver, Sean Hong, Dean Hood, Zackary Howe, JoAnna James, Jacob Joslin, Seung Heun Joung, Kalyna Karpishka, Grace Keane, Miles Kear, Allison Kunin, May Le, Lily Luper, Ronan Malga, Dylan Mattison, Jacob McCormick, Grace McManus, Juana Merino-Lopez, Louis Meunier, Kevin Mieu, Mary Moryl, Rajani Nimma, Jaaziel Olayinka, Dylann Palmer, Hyerin Park, Nicholas Passino, Prapti Patel, Alisha Patel, Zachary Paton, Tristan Peloquin, Victor Petitti, Jemma Pipe, Abigail Poole, Abigail Powell, Jared Randall, Akeana Rootes, Justin Schulte, Logan Shaw, Safwan Shikder, Aaron Sittig, Mary Sullenberger, Victoria Swider, Ansley Teal, Isabelle Tedesco, Kishore Venkatarajan, Olivia Wilson, Cadence Young, Ying Zhi Zheng

High Honor Roll – Grade 11

Karim Abouzeid, Atharv Agashe, Wasif Ali, Muhammad Ali, Ethan Andrews, Caroline Bae, Lauren Beshaw, Dolly Bhashyam, Dani Bhashyam, Mahnoor Bibi, Emory Blanchet, Mikayla Brunell, Ashley Cheffolway, David Clemenzi, Ava Connery, Dylan Conroy, Jacob Contois, Isabella Cowan, Taylor Crain, Gage DeLair, Zackery Diehl, Logan Drake, Sophie Dvorak, Bryn Fecko, Mackenzie Ferris, Anna Hallock, Andrew Huang, Olivia Hudy, Grace Isernia, Micah Juman, Surya Krishnakumar, Shruti Kunadia, Matthew Lammon, Jethro Ronald Lee, Shannon Lipscomb, Emma Loffredo, Reth Lopes, Sneha Malneedi, Kara Martin, Kate Musser, Veda Nandikam, Calista Orlyk, Lilith Phelps, Dylan Pollay, Salwah Riaz, Jonathan Richardson, Laura Romania, Anna Ryu, Madeline Santore, Angelina Schaefer, Kendall Schilling, John Schneider, Luca Spadinger, Nathaniel Spence, Elise St Pierre, Cindy Sze, Saikalyan Thimirisetty, Hunter Trifaro, Alvira Tyagi, Catalina Varela, Aarohi Vasavada, Hayley Whitsett, Jalen Wu, Sinthia Xhabej, Il Young Yang, Kirari Yokoyama

High Honor Roll – Grade 12

Fatima Alarcon, Gianna Aquino, Rohan Bagchi, Chloe Baldwin, Labika Baral, Shreya Bavdekar, Elizabeth Bernardini, Jahnavi Bonagiri, Eric Brunco, Sydney Bulatao, Emily Bunkoff, Molly Burns, Kimi Canete, Ihunanyachi Chimezie, Seo Rim Choi, Kayleigh Collins, Emma Commisso, Kevin Cozzolino, Brian Cunningham, John Curley, Rachel Dentinger, Meadow DeRusso, Conor Desmond, Raymond Eah, Keeley Frazier, Fiona Gassett, Heather Giordano, Joseph Green, Angela Gross, Vaishali Gupta, Justine Hulbert, Aaliyah Hussain, Maximillian Jackson, Eric Ji, Michael Kelsey, Virag Korniss, Molly Langevin, Kristen Leach, Haejin Lee, Andrew Lenart, Emily Masline, Lauren Massry, Reilly McCarthy, Mary Kate McGuirk, Olivia Miles, Marie Miller, Varun Mondaiyka, Kaitlyn Montimurro, Varun Morishetty, Madison Murray, Chloe Opperman, Margaret ORourke, Ashley Owens, Tanya Pai, Grace Papa, Rose Petitti, Julia Phelan, Meghan Piser, Alexis Plouff, Michelle Quiachon, Brendan Rafferty, Davis Ratigan, Jarred Reepmeyer, Hunter Ritchie, Sabrina Salam, Juan Jose Salazar, Ellianna Sarratori, Zaidalyn Schiappa, Victoria Shamlian, Elizabeth Shamlian, Bridget Sheppeck, Jennifer Shields, Hyo-Jean Shin, Isabella Snyder, Yun-Woo Son, Tiffany Tang, Nidhi Vadnere, Stephanie Warner, Giovanna Wiltsie, Claire Wu, Agnes Yang, John Yin, Angela Zheng

Honor Roll – Grade 9

Caleb Alemu, Kelly Alexander, Mir Ali, Ajwad Aloraifi, Varun Appalaneni, Caitlyn Asher, Ridika Badshah, Yervant Bardakjian, Isabella Bermudez, Andrew Caiano, Lucy Catalano, Ajalay Christopher, Andrew Church, Cassandra Clovis, Grace Commisso, Kevin Conjalka, Emily DeVoe, Bess Dunsker, Thomas Egan, Ishrar Eusha, Katherine Field, Isabel Fowler, Emily Guba, Yassin Hag-Elsafi, Charlie Hansel, Afia Haque, Brianna Hardwick, Minh Ho, McKenzie Horton, Abigail Hotaling, Nahian Huda, Jason Iancu, Benson Jovel-Truong, Zainab Khan, Pranav Kumar, Vincent Lau, Hannah Lee, Gabriel Lee, Dharini Madadi, Zain Majid, Nayib Mall, Thomas Marino, Aldion Markocaj, Connor Martin, Jamie Martino, Abigail McManus, Christina Mezza, Isabella Miller, Julianna Mirabile, Prapti Mishra, Mia Momot, John Montalto, Benjamin Montimurro, Hisham Naina, Aditya Nayak, Conner Orr, Isabella Pafundi, Pranav Puviarasu, Emily Quinn, Roshni Ramesh, Sudhanva Rao, Zain Raza, Cristiane Richardson, Romeo Salcedo, Lesedi Sekhobo, Mohammed Shahid, Jacob Shapiro, Mariya Shareef, Christopher Smith, Jaren Stivers, Sandesh Thapa, Aarya Tyagi, Matthew Valoze, Shivangi Verma, Madylin Victorin, Sahana Vinothkumar, Alexandra Wallace, Abigail Walsh, Brody Williams, Yehji Yoon, Vincent Zhang

Honor Roll – Grade 10

Zoha Ahmed, Gabrielle Audi, Lucy Beyer, Jacob Biel, Timothy Braman, Aryn Bucci-Mooney, Connor Bunkoff, Kaylynn Buonpastore, Aidan Caplan, Kaelah Carter, Hsuan Yi Chen, Adam Comolli, Isabella Connell, Grant Covington, Miah Curtin, Makayla Cusack, Lily DeBellis, Sage Dirtadian, Abigail Dranichak, Ibrahim Faisal, Natalie Fox, Hanna Fraley, Jason Giambertone, Alannah Gottehrer, Sydnee Hanrahan, Nolan Horn, Fiona Houghton, Skylar Hults, Jason Isiguzo, Aidan Justino, Joseph Karpierz, Sai Shreeya Kollapudi, Michael Krupitza, Alexa Labella, Azzam Ladkhan, Alyce Lavoie, Vicky Lin, Allison Luks, Isabella MacNiven, Zain Magdon-Ismail, Avery Marshall, Ryan Mazzariello, Lucas McGarry, Dur E Shahwar Mehmood, Lizbeth Mejia, Nicholas Montalto, Vivian Nartey, Mahad Nasir, Madison OConnor, Uriel Olayinka, Abigail ONeill, Olivia Papa, Satyam Patel, Aidan Pelon, Rachel Peregrim, Mia Raiti, Sagar Sahu, Emily Satterday, Christina Savastio, Isabella Scavo, Abigail Schneider, Nicholas Segarra, Liam Shaw, Sandra Sheedy, Peyton Strand, Vinishasree Thumilan, Ciara Torrey, Thanh Tran, Pranav Woody, Andrew Yocum

Honor Roll – Grade 11

Victoria Adediran, Taha Ahmad, KayLee Alix, Alisa Anufrieva, Maliyka Aziz, Nathaniel Bancroft, Julia Barker, Madeline Beretvas, Victor Botti, Angela Bulone, William Buono, Jake Burleski, Amanda Carey, Sharon Charles, Mina Conklin, Brynn Connors, Hailey Cook, Amaya Cozzy, Devin Cuthbert, Gozde Dagci, Aislinn Dailey, Jasmin Cate Dela Rosa, Connor Doherty, Sienna Dunham, Abby Fay, Alexandra Felt, Alexandra Feurer, Joshua Foglia, Robert Fratangelo, Shashank Garg, Aftab Gondal, John Graney, Christian Grimmick, Dean Hartl, Eva Hymes, Sarah Jamil, Baylee Johnson, Yifan Kao, Nimra Khan, Shaheer Khawaja, Sunmin Kim, Drew Kolaya, Aika Kuroki, Bria Labella, Jamie Lau, Juha Lee, Jordan Lev, Sameeha Liton, Frances Marino, Dominic Martuscello, Shiny Melhiraj, Joseph Mirabile, Peter Mostert, Ammara Nazir, Francisco Oh, Alex Page, Anavi Parikh, Anna Pustay, Alexei Robin, John Ross, Connor Ruberti, Aayan Sayed, Gabriella Schaefer, Samuel Shurin, Soniya Singh, Istan Slamet, Clare Smith, Jewel Tanksley, Whitney Thomas, Owen Tobias-Wallingford, Isabella Tronco, Maya Villanueva, Jeremy Wernick, Jonah Wygel, Shahd Yasin, Ethan Zhang

Honor Roll – Grade 12

Khawaja Abdul Rafeh, Samantha Allen, Evan Austin, Heather Baran, Brooke Bogart, Taylor Bowers, Mackenzie Brewer, Tara Bryan, Kanakaharini Byraju, Cater Ciavardoni, Ava Clemenzi, Kaeleigh Commisso, Haliey Coyne, Evan Czolowski, Anthony DiIanne, Avo Elebyjian, Jenna Fazzone, Bridget Felt, Gabriel Formica, Sophia Fusco, Christopher Garretson, Emily Geel, Leah Giambertone, Emily Grinnell, Blake Iftiger, Apurva Jakkani, Carina Joslin, Bhanu Kakulla, Aarya Kaushik, Alexander Kelley, Meghan Kennedy, Ruchika Kilaparty, Junseo Kim, Roy Kippins, Austin Kwon, Kevin Lee, Zhaoxin Ma, Alan Majo, Tori Mariano, Stephen Martino, Anthony Mezza, Lana Mohamed, Abdelrahman Mohamedali, Alexandros Moisidis, Justin Montagne, Justin Osborn, Joseph Peregrim, William Pipe, Isabella Provost, Delia Quinones, Benjamin Richardson, Danielle Roemer, Abigail Rys, Daniel Schneider, Zachary Sheremeta, Margaret Smith, Tianna Stefanik, Jack Tervay, Jiqian Zhao

Merit Roll – Grade 9

Tabish Alam, Mohammed Ali, Julia Alvey, Riley Appel, Aviva Banks, Claire Beshaw, Peyton Bobersky, Aiden Burns, Alexa Cavosie, Sydney Cody, Annabella Coluccio, Edward David, Birtu Diefenderfer, Mason Dils, Raine Dischiavo, Elijah Gach, Stanley Gao, Hudson Garber, Abigail Geffrey, Claire Gordon, Ally Guzy, Matthew Iannotti, Sabrina James, Michael David Josol, Timothy Kelsey, Samantha Kinnicutt, Alicia LaBarge, Christopher Lawrence, Brian Li, Francesca Logrippo, Stela Loshi, Bridget Martinkat, Karleigh Mirabile, Annaliese Myers, Thomas Mysliwiec, Iqra Naz, Kaitlin Neumeister, Lauren OHagan, Victoria Omotayo, Nicholas Palladino, Diya Patel, Janna Pervaiz, Trista Polsinello, Raina Rahman, Caleb Ratigan, Evelyn Rigney, Ava Roth, Joshua Ryan, Shashank Salgam, Eric Schlaeg, Aytin Shariq, Ella Smith, Angelina Sokaris, Olivia Stein, Natalie Sullivan, Kaylee Ward, Connor Wheatley, Eric Zheng

Merit Roll – Grade 10

Ahad Al-Hemyari, Robert Arvin, Allison August, Sara Bawla, Lili Bazargan-Lari, Myah Bermudez, Colin Brant, Stephen Bruno, Samuel Case, James Cook, Alexis Cornwell, Sarah Cuerdon, Emilie DeGroff, Jaya Dixon, Jacquelyn Driggs, Fiona Dunkel, Carter Emerson, Donish Faiz, John Charles Favreau, Sana Fazlani, Anthony Gilchrist, Mia Greco, Yashwitha Gunji, Arietta Hallock, Andriana Harding, Lyla Hasan, Meredith Hayes, Maaz Hussain, Elena Kaplan, Aidan Lafnitzegger, Jeremy LaParl, Vuong Le, Alexander Liranzo, Shreya Mahesh, Ryan Mahoney, Faith Malo, Olivia McCabe, Ella McCarthy, Christopher McGarvey, Angelina Merolle, Matthew Mittleman, Amy Nadeau, Keara Papa, Stephen Petersen, Michael Pisinski, Alexander Qian, Ella Raiti, Gabriella Reagan, Corinne Rosi-Moon, Isabelle Rowley, Katie Rullo, Daniel Rys, Mohamed Salamah, Christinelle Santos, Christalline Santos, Elisabeth Scheu, Madeline Segarra, Andrew Sennoga-Kimuli, William Sheppeck, Imran Siraj, Naasiah Syud, Dillon Teger, Olivia Tronco, Ryan Unser, Cierra Walker, Demetrius Washington, Tori Wasula, Natalie Wolf, Shubham Yadav, Melissa Zanou, James Zhang

Merit Roll – Grade 11

Temiloluwa Ajijola, Ashritha Annam, Fahad Ansar, Katherine Arpey, Gabriella Audino, Amy Awad, Logan Blind, Jackson Bogert, Annabella Britt, Adam Buresh, Zachary Caldwell, Matthew Calicchia, Isabella Canavally, Benjamin Casler, Tess Cody, Amber Crain, Jacob Daniels, Owen Doorey, Fatima Dosso, Kayla Dragon, Jesse Duke, Grace Ferris, Liana Folmsbee, Emma Forcucci, Michael Ford, Ethan Fowler, Myriam Gall, Leah Geel, Michael Genito, Aiva Geracitano, Patricia Gomez, Vanessa Granato, Nolan Harris, Riley Hegarty, Mary Hessinger, Ashley Hudy, Sarah Jacob, Pranav Jagannath, Christian Jeram, Naomi Jurman, Ishita Khambete, Zahra Khan, Habiba Khan, Thomas Kita, Ananya Kothapally, Arpana Kumari, Julie Laurent, Khoi Le, Nathan Mattison, Kierstyn McClements, Zachary Mein, Anna Miller, Geena Motto, Bridget Munro, Zachary Novkov-Bloom, Alexander Phillips, Nicole Resnick, Michaela Ridley, Kayla Robbins, Emile Rodriguez, Christopher Sanchez Adames, Scout Santoro, Jae Young Seo, Ariel Siegfeld, Michael Simkulet, Emily Sprague, Jessica Sweet, Brian Tenney, Maya Terry, Tiffany Truong, Noah Tutunjian, Anna Volynsky-Lauzon, Coddy Vuu, Runa Yokoyama, Lara Yusuf

Merit Roll – Grade 12

Mena Abdelmeged, William Acquario, Ammr Alharbi, Emily Allocco, Olivia Ames, Tierney Amodeo, Bianca Anastasio, Nikit Arora, Sierra Basco, Ariana Becker, Olivia Botelho, Samuel Bunkoff, Michael Buonagura, Thomas Burek, Emelene Burek, Emily Butler, Cassidy Careccia, Mia Ceccucci, Hardhik Chirra, Anthony Commisso, Francesco Congiusta, Brooke Cornwell, Sophie Crehan, Ryan Daniels, Julia Debeatham, Lindsey Domenick, Garrett Drake, Jenna Eagan, Margaret Enila, Anna Ethier, Jonathan Feliciano, John Flint, Nathan Gach, Emory Garber, Raymond Gifford, Shore Goldberg, Thomas Greene, Harmony Hamilton, John Harting, Grace Holodak, Kristen Iancu, Devin Jackson, Lily Jerome, Ian Justino, Caleb Kromrey, Roya Lewis, Winnie Lin, Alyssa Lortie, Madison Lozano, Cathleen Mahoney, Bailey Malo, Holli Matrassi, Jenna McCutchen, Nicheal McKenzie, Olivia Merolle, Mehvish Munir, Kayla Na, Mark Newell, Ji Min Oh, Yewon Park, Robert Pisinski, Kara Quackenbush, Thomas Randall, Mishal Razi, Nicholas Rotolo, Olivia Rowley, Brady Rudnick, Kassandra Savage, Brenna Schilling, Meghan Schramm, Gabrielle Seebold, Zachary Shapiro, Hannah Sharlow, Tia Snyder, Tyler Stanton, Ana Stiso, Matthew Sullivan, Andrea Swenson, Eliot Szary, Tahira Tariq, Jason Treffiletti, Kseniia Valihunda, Michael VanWormer, Tatiana Varela, Patrick Walters, Ava Wasula, Fergus Younger, Emily Yu

The post Shaker High School announces second quarter honor roll appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear parents,

In a few weeks, the New York state grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics tests will be administered to students. The ELA exam will be given on two consecutive school days, March 25 and 26, and the math exam will be given on two consecutive school days, April 21 and 22. While some districts have chosen to administer the tests on a computer, North Colonie will continue to have students take the test on the paper version.

Below you will find a summary of the changes that were made to the grades 3-8 English Language Arts and Mathematics tests over the past several years.

• Fewer testing sessions. The grades 3-8 ELA and Math tests were reduced from three test sessions per subject to only two sessions per subject, meaning each subject will have two days of testing instead of three.  With fewer test sessions, each test will have fewer questions than in past years, lessening test fatigue for students and better enabling them to demonstrate what they know and are able to do.
• The tests continue to be untimed so students who are still working on their exams will be allowed to continue to work, within the confines of the regular school day. Students who finish may be permitted to hand in their test materials and leave the room. If so, students should exit quietly so they do not disturb any students still working.
• Test questions reviewed and written by New York state teachers. Hundreds of New York state educators were involved in creating and reviewing questions for 2020 grades 3-8 ELA and Math tests and selecting the questions for the test forms.

Teacher and Principal Evaluation/APPR

• Student performance on the 2020 grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics tests will have no employment-related consequences for teacher and principal evaluations. This means no teachers or principals in New York state public schools will be affected by the results of the 2020 grades 3-8 ELA and Math tests.

Release of Test Questions and Instructional Reports

• Test questions and instructional reports will be released before the end of the school year. Like the past several years, the State Education Department will release 75% of questions from the 2020 tests and the instructional reports for educators on or around June 1. You can view 2019 test questions on EngageNY (https://www.engageny.org/3-8).

You can find more information about the State tests on the State Education Department’s website (http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/ei/eigen.html).

Sincerely,

Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools

The post Letter from Superintendent Corr about 3-8 testing appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

A video of the entire meeting and presentation slides can be seen here.

On Monday, March 2, district officials presented the overview and context for the 2020-21 budget process at the Budget Committee’s first meeting of the year. Below are highlights from the meeting:

• Superintendent Corr started the presentation by sharing the district’s mission statement and emphasized key pieces including “all students are provided the opportunity” and “academic and social growth and development.” He added that the biggest single factor when determining student achievement is the quality of the teacher in the classroom. Mr. Corr also talked about the three pillars that go into educating the whole student: equity, social-emotional health, and academic excellence.
• North Colonie Central School District is considered a low needs district by New York state. 75.7% of our revenue comes from property taxes and 18.9% comes from state aid. 5.4% comes from fund balance, reserves and miscellaneous revenues.
• Assistant Superintendent for Business Scott Hoot spoke about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the NYS School Funding Transparency. Both laws require schools to report expenditures and budgets by building, and funding can be withheld for failure to comply with the respective regulations.
• Assistant Superintendent Hoot also talked about the governor’s proposed Executive Budget, which increases aid to K-12 education by a total of $825.7M or 2.98%. In total, the district is projected to get about $638,000 more in state aid through the governor’s proposed Executive Budget. That number could increase or decrease as the budget process moves forward.
• Mr. Hoot shared that the district’s preliminary tax cap for the 2020-21 budget is 2.61%
• Mr. Corr said as district, we face a challenge and questioned “how do we close future and present budget gaps? The options include:
  • Use attrition gained through retirement to consolidate or not fill positions
  • Consider a redesign of existing programs to accomplish long term structural savings
  • Reconsider upcoming and future plans to re-imagine previous ideas and challenge previous assumptions or;
  • Seek additional revenue sources.

The New York state budget is due April 1 and once that happens, the district will have a better outlook on how it will be impacted.

The next Budget Committee meeting will be on March 11 at 7 p.m. in the Central Office Curriculum and Instruction Workroom. All Budget Committee meetings will be live streamed on YouTube and links to the live stream are sent out to district families and community members via School Messenger the day of the meeting. See a list of Budget Committee meetings and topics.

The post 2020-21 Budget Meeting #1 Highlights appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear North Colonie Community Members:

In recent weeks, you have heard much about the COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), and we would like to provide you with updated information. As of right now, the North Colonie Central School District does not have a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19. However, we are taking necessary precautions to keep all of our students and staff safe as we continue to learn more about this relatively new virus.

District administrators and nurses are participating in weekly updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which provides us with additional information and updated guidance as to how we can maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone. Beginning Monday, Capital Region BOCES will be hosting a conference call for district officials to share information and discuss regional impact. Administrators from our central office plan to participate in these weekly conversations.

For now, we want to share measures the North Colonie Central School District is currently taking.

• Custodial staff has increased intense disinfecting of surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, stairwell railings, counter tops, and all surfaces children, staff and volunteers may come in contact with.
• All district Health Offices will alert the Superintendent and local Health Department about large increases in student and/or staff absenteeism, particularly if absences appear due to respiratory illnesses.
• If staff or students are sick, Health Office staff will send them home as soon as possible. They will be kept separate from well students and staff until they can leave.
• We continue to emphasize common-sense preventive actions for staff and students:
  • stay home when sick
  • cover coughs and sneezes
  • wash hands often
    • Hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
  • Families are encouraged to wipe down commonly used equipment such as keyboards and computers their children take home. Staff will also be sure to wipe down desks, remote controls, and equipment used in school.

Schools are not able to screen students or staff to identify cases of COVID-19. If you or a family member begin showing symptoms of a respiratory disease and suspect it may be COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider. Before going to your healthcare provider’s office, inform them that a case of COVID-19 is suspected, and follow their advice.

As we learn more, we will continue to keep you updated as new information is released each week. For updated interim guidance, please check the following CDC website periodically: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school principal.

Sincerely,

D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools

The post An update on the Coronavirus from the Superintendent’s Office appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As of today, Monday, March 9, the North Colonie Central School District does not have any confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. We are carefully monitoring the situation and following all guidance from our local, state, and federal health departments. State officials continue to emphasize that the general risk to the public is low and that while we all need to be vigilant and cautious, it is also important to stay calm and not contribute to any undue panic.

On Saturday, March 7, Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York, which gives the state certain purchasing and hiring abilities during this time. This declaration does not impact any North Colonie school or district activities at this time. Currently, experts from the New York State Department of Health have not recommended that the district cancel or reschedule classes or other school events. Accordingly, all school-based curricular activities will continue unless we receive different guidance from the New York State Department of Health or the Governor’s office.

During Governor Cuomo’s update this morning, he introduced a new joint regulation from the Department of Health and the State Education Department. This regulation will require a school to close for 24 hours for a mandated assessment by the Department of Health if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19. Should this occur, the district will communicate this information through our website and SchoolMessenger. 

It is important to note that exposure to COVID-19 can occur from any person-to-person contact and is not limited to a particular race or ethnicity. Please be sensitive to those who may be more impacted (international students, individuals whose families have recently traveled to affected countries, students at risk for discrimination).

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Please call your doctor if you develop symptoms, and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or have recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19.

The district’s first responsibility is always the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community. There are a number of steps that our staff members are taking to help minimize the spread of all respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19:

• District administrators and school nurses are participating in all training calls with the Department of Health and our regional BOCES. If not directly involved in these sessions, they are receiving immediate updates on content, process, and protocols. 
• Our custodial staff is continuing with routine cleaning and disinfection in line with recent guidance from the Department of Health. 
  • Specific locations such as the health office, lunchrooms, athletic rooms, and other frequently touched surfaces are cleaned and disinfected throughout the day.
• Principals and teachers are incorporating frequent breaks and reminders (particularly at the elementary level) to allow for frequent handwashing/sanitizing
• Principals and teachers are, to the extent possible, minimizing the sharing of classroom supplies
• Our custodial staff is ensuring that an ample supply of disinfectant wipes are located in all of the buildings.
• Our school nurses are ensuring that tissues are readily available in all classrooms and offices.

There are a number of steps that we can all take to help minimize the spread of all respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, according to the New York State Department of Health:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Heavily soiled hands should be washed.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. 
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Stay home when you are sick.
  • The district is asking parents to keep their children home when they are sick to keep all illnesses from spreading. Children should be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

Finally, regarding travel and quarantine measures, please know that the New York State Department of Health has made quarantine a mandatory measure for individuals returning to the United States from a known high-risk exposure area (i.e. China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea). Based on this, any student, student family member, or employee who has traveled to a known high-risk exposure area must notify the county health department and inform the school principal of the quarantine.

If students are quarantined by the Department of Health, students will be provided with their work and it will be recorded as an excused absence. Per regional guidance, if a family is choosing to self quarantine a child without a doctor’s note, it will be recorded as an unexcused absence, and the district will not necessarily be able to provide work. 

For more information and updates, please visit the Center for Disease Control’s web page for coronavirus and travel, at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html.

We will continue to share more information as it becomes available. As always, if you have any questions please reach out to your school principal.

Sincerely,

D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent

The post An update from the superintendent regarding the coronavirus (Monday, March 9) appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Shaker High School Theatre is set to present its spring musical “Chicago” on March 27-29. The performances will be held as follows:

• Friday, March 27 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m.
• Sunday, March 29 at 2 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online. Thank you for your support!

The post Shaker High School Theatre to present “Chicago” on March 27-29 appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are aware of the announcement earlier this morning about two confirmed COVID-19 cases in Albany County. As of today, Thursday, March 12, the North Colonie Central School District does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution, two students at Shaker High School are under self-quarantine per doctor’s advice. The students are not showing any symptoms nor have they been identified to have COVID-19 at this time.

We continue to carefully monitor the situation and follow all guidance from our local, state, and federal health departments. State officials continue to emphasize that we all need to be vigilant and cautious.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Please call your doctor if you develop symptoms, and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or have recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19.

We will continue to share more information as it becomes available. As always, if you have any questions please reach out to your school principal.

Sincerely,

Joseph Corr
Superintendent

The post Letter from the superintendent about the coronavirus (March 12) appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to provide you with updates about COVID-19 and our district plans. As of today, Thursday, March 12, the North Colonie Central School District does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19.

We have made the decision that tomorrow, Friday, March 13 will be a Superintendent’s Conference Day and there will be no school for students. We will be using this day to develop a collection of online resources in the event that the district or a school needs to close for a period of time. As of right now, there are no plans to close the district or a school. Many schools in the area are also holding a Superintendent’s Conference Day tomorrow for their employees to develop a collection of resources. 

Typically, North Colonie hosts four Superintendent’s Conference Days a year, two in September, one in November and one in March. This year, due to construction, we decided to hold all four days in September to ensure that our construction team would have the time needed to open the buildings. The use of this March day will be counted as an unused snow day. This decision will not extend the school year, as we have not used our allotted snow days.

This decision was not made lightly, and we apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, but we have determined this is the best course of action for the district to be prepared to support our students and families in the event that a closure is required.

Sincerely,

Joseph Corr
Superintendent

The post Superintendent’s Conference Day to take place Friday, March 13 appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

The North Colonie Central School District DOES NOT currently have any confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. At this time, experts from the New York State Department of Health have not recommended that the district cancel or reschedule classes or other school events. Accordingly, all school-based curricular activities will continue unless we receive different guidance from the New York State Department of Health or the Governor’s office.

Letters from the district

• March 12 letter from the superintendent about the March 13 Superintendent’s Conference Day
• March 12 letter from the superintendent
• March 9 letter from the superintendent
• March 6 letter from the superintendent
• Feb. 27 letter from the superintendent

Resources

• NYSED Information and Guidance for Schools
• New York State Department of Health
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• What you need to know about COVID-19 Fact Sheet
• What to do if you are sick with COVID-19 Fact Sheet

The post Coronavirus Updates and Information appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

The SAT exam scheduled for Shaker High School on Saturday, March 14 has been canceled. If you have any questions, please contact the College Board at sat@info.collegeboard.org or 866-756-7346 from 8 a.m.– 9 p.m., Monday–Friday.

The post SAT at Shaker High School on Saturday, March 14 is canceled appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

We continue to monitor all guidance from local, state and federal agencies. At this time, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the North Colonie Central School District. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are joining with other area districts and closing school for students for the week of March 16-20, 2020.

Given that this is a rapidly evolving public health issue, we feel that this is the most proactive and prudent action available to us. This is designed to help limit the spread of illness and to provide time to reassess the situation next week.

During this time, students and 10-month staff will not be required to report. All 12-month employees will continue to work during the closure, barring any further direction from the Department of Health.

We recognize that this is an inconvenience to our families, but our primary concern is the health and well-being of all students and staff. The district has been and will remain in communication with local health department officials.

It is our hope that this closure will provide time to prevent any potential community spread of illness.

Instructional Online Resources

We are committed to providing educational resources for our students during this closure, but it is important to acknowledge that there are practical limits to instructional program continuity. Instead, our commitment will be to sharing a variety of resources for parent-guided and self-guided learning for students. Accordingly, our teachers have created a Google document of online age-appropriate resources that you may use with your child. It includes links and resources that will give students the opportunity to practice skills, review content and explore topics at home. Principals will also be available by email during normal school hours to answer any questions you may have regarding the resources. We encourage you to look at the online resources that have been created by our teachers with the learning needs of all children in mind.

Relatedly, we encourage you to the extent possible to maintain a schedule and routine with your child. You should also consider varying the amount of time using technology and media and avoid excessive exposure to media coverage. Reassure children that they are safe and let them talk about their worries, share your own coping skills and add time in your day for stress relief.

Food Services

The district will provide meals to any student in the North Colonie Central School District starting on Tuesday, March 17. “Grab and go” drive-thru style stations for breakfast and lunch will be set up at Blue Creek Elementary School, Forts Ferry Elementary School and Shaker High School. Breakfast can be picked up from 8-8:45 a.m. and lunch can be picked up from 11:45 am.-12:45 p.m. Meals will be available that are free of the big 8 allergens.

As Gov. Andrew Cuomo stated during his press conference today, school superintendents have the ability to decide to close their school districts, and the superintendents of our region have made that determination.

The New York State Education Department continues to work with the governor’s office, the New York State Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Education to provide guidance to our schools around issues such as instructional time and test scheduling.

This situation is very fluid and could change as we continue to work with our local departments of health and New York State Department of Health. 

The most current and accurate information about the coronavirus can be found at www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus.

Thank you for your continued patience and partnership, and we will provide you with more information as soon as we can. Please keep checking your email and the district website for the most accurate and updated information. We appreciate your support, cooperation and understanding.

Thank you,

D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools

If you are in need of community resources, please review this list of contacts and resources.

The post Coronavirus update: North Colonie Schools closed March 16-20 appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear North Colonie Families,

First, I want to thank you all for your continued patience, understanding and cooperation during this difficult time. The North Colonie Central School District DOES NOT currently have any confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. As announced on Friday, North Colonie Schools are closed through Friday, March 20.

Today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that due to ongoing public health concerns related to COVID-19/coronavirus, all schools in New York state will be closed for two weeks, effective Wednesday, March 18. However, the details of that declaration have yet to be provided to the district. Accordingly, we plan to remain closed through Tuesday, March 31. We recognize that there are many questions and we are committed to working our way through all issues and to providing as much information as we can, as frequently as we need to. Please see the important information below regarding food services, chromebook distribution and free Wi-Fi for students in need and instructional resources.

Food Services

Beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17, the district will begin providing free “grab and go” meals. There will be two times for pickup, where families can receive both breakfast and lunch items. The meals will be handed out each day from 8- 8:45 am. and then again from 11:45 a.m. -12:45 p.m. The following sites are open to all of our families:

• Forts Ferry Elementary School (glass door of the cafeteria)
• Blue Creek Elementary School (back parking lot door, CYC entrance)
• Shaker High School (back glass door near receiving entrance)

Families who cannot pick up meals can contact Food Services at LisaOstrowski@ncolonie.org and arrangements will be made for them to be delivered. During the closure, times and locations may be re-evaluated to ensure as many children as possible are receiving meals. If there are any changes, we will provide you with updates. We appreciate your patience as we work through these challenging times.  

Chromebook Distribution

As a district, we are 1:1 with Chromebooks starting in grade 5. If you have a child in grade K-4 who is in need of a Chromebook to access our online resources, please email Julie Scriven at jscriven@ncolonie.org and we will arrange an opportunity for you to come pick one up. Families can also sign up for a time to get a Chromebook at one of the food pick-up sites.

Instructional Online Resources

We are committed to providing educational resources for our students during this closure, but it is important to acknowledge that there are practical limits to instructional program continuity. Instead, our commitment will be to sharing a variety of resources for parent-guided and self-guided learning for students. Accordingly, our teachers have created a Google document of online age-appropriate resources that you may use with your child. A link to this resource document can also be found under “Quick Links” on our district website. This resource will give students the opportunity to practice skills, review content and explore topics at home. Principals will also be available by email during normal school hours to answer any questions you may have regarding the resources. We encourage you to look at the online resources that have been created by our teachers with the learning needs of all children in mind. 

On that page you will also find resources to help talk with your child about the Coronavirus and ideas for how to relieve stress and reduce anxiety during these uncertain times.

Free Wi-Fi for Students

Beginning today, Monday, March 16, Charter will offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription at any service level up to 100 Mbps. To learn more and enroll, visit their website.

Board Meeting on Monday, March 23

The Board of Education meeting originally scheduled for Monday, March 23 at Boght Hills has been moved to Central Office at 91 Fiddlers Lane. Following CDC guidelines, this meeting will NOT be open to the public, but we will provide a live stream link to our community the morning of the meeting.

This is a fluid situation. For the most updated information, please visit our district website, www.northcolonie.org. Again, we will continue to provide our community with all of the necessary resources that we can at this time. Thank you again for your support.

Sincerely,

D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools

The post An update from the superintendent – Monday, March 16 appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

The following is a message from the Albany County Dept. of Health:

As a precautionary measure, the Albany County Department of Health is looking to contact anyone who attended the events of two local congregations and may have come into contact with individuals who have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). If you were present at the Welcome Chapel mass on Sunday, March 8 at 11 a.m. or the Our Lady of Assumption Confirmation Mass on Sunday, March 8 at 10:30 a.m., you are being asked to remain in your home under precautionary quarantine until Sunday, March 22 and to contact your local health department immediately.

This is a preventative tool to uphold the health and safety of residents. Testing for individuals without symptoms is not recommended. If you do show any of the signs or symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, cough, and shortness of breath, please contact your primary care provider and notify the Albany County Department of Health at (518) 447-4580.

While under precautionary quarantine, please follow the below guidelines:

• Individuals should remain separate from the family in their own bedroom with a bathroom to themselves. If sharing a bathroom, it must be cleaned after every use.
• Individuals should not have face-to-face contact with family members close than six feet for fourteen days.
• Staff from the County Department of Health will be reaching out daily to check on the progress of individuals and to ensure they are abiding by the quarantine measures and have all necessary food and supplies.

  We have said as more people are tested that we expect we are going to get more positive cases.

The post COVID-19 Notice from Albany County Department of Health appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear North Colonie Families:

At this time, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the North Colonie Central School District; however, as you are most likely aware, Governor Cuomo has closed schools in our region for a two-week period beginning Wednesday, March 18. With this extended closure, we know that there are many families who may be worried about items that were left in school. Accordingly, each of our school buildings will be open on Friday, March 20 from 9-11 a.m. for students/guardians to retrieve necessary supplies. All visitors to the building must enter through the main office and sign in. School nurses will be present if parents need to pick up medications from the health office.

School buildings will close immediately after the pick-up period on Friday and will not open again until after the two-week closure. Additionally, based on advice from the Albany County Department of Health, all playgrounds are not to be used.  The district fields, tracks, and tennis courts are available, but please be mindful of the call for social distancing.  

If you have a student in grades K-4 and need to borrow a Chromebook from the district, we have a process to make those available to you.  If you would like to reserve a Chromebook, please fill out this form by noon on Thursday, March 19. Those who reserve Chromebooks will be able to pick them up at Shaker High School on Friday, March 20 at times that will be pre-arranged with and shared by our Director of Technology.

Students/guardians should get any materials they may need from their school on Friday, March 20. All of our buildings will be closed to public access as of Saturday, March 21 and will remain closed to outside parties so that we may further clean and sanitize our buildings to ensure that they are safe and secure. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work through these extraordinary times.

Sincerely,

D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent

The post An update from the superintendent – March 17 appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear North Colonie Community,

First, I want to thank you all for your continued patience, understanding and cooperation during this difficult time where things continue to change by the day.

As you are most likely aware, Governor Cuomo has closed schools in our region through Wednesday, April 1. With this extended closure, we know that there are many families who may be worried about items that were left in school. Accordingly, each of our school buildings will be open on Friday, March 20 from 9-11 a.m. for students/guardians to retrieve necessary supplies/items from lockers, but we are unable to provide access to individual classrooms as those have already been sanitized and sealed.  School nurses will also be present if parents need to pick up medications from the health office. All visitors must enter through the main office and sign in. After the Friday pick up period, all of our buildings will be closed to public access and remain closed to outside parties so that we may further clean and sanitize our buildings to ensure that they are safe and secure. 

Additionally, based on advice from the Albany County Department of Health, all school playgrounds and fields (including Walker Field and the track) are closed to the public until further notice.  

We recognize that there are many questions and we are committed to working our way through all issues and to providing as much information as we can, as frequently as we need to. Please see the important information below.

Instructional Online Resources

We are committed to providing educational resources for our students during this closure, but it is important to acknowledge that there are practical limits to instructional program continuity. Originally, we announced that our initial district closure was for a week. Our goal for that first week was to reduce student stress and anxiety while simultaneously keeping them engaged and connected to school. Now that the Governor has mandated a longer closure, we will be using the remainder of this week to update our digital learning platform to ensure that it best meets the needs of all our learners. In the meantime, please continue to use the resources that our teachers have archived in a Google document of online age-appropriate resources that you may use with your child. A link to this resource document can also be found under “Quick Links” on our district website. New resources will be shared with families on Monday, March 23.

Food Services

The district is providing free “grab and go” meals to any student in the North Colonie Central School District. There are two times for pickup, where families can receive both breakfast and lunch items. The meals will be handed out each day from 8- 8:45 a.m. and then again from 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. The following sites are open to all of our families:

• Forts Ferry Elementary School (glass door of the cafeteria)
• Blue Creek Elementary School (back parking lot door, CYC entrance)
• Shaker High School (back glass door near receiving entrance)

Families who cannot pick up meals can contact Food Services at LisaOstrowski@ncolonie.org and arrangements will be made for the meals to be delivered. In fact, you may see a school bus or two on the road delivering those meals. During the closure, times and locations may be re-evaluated to ensure as many children as possible are receiving meals. If there are any changes, we will provide you with updates. 

Chromebook Distribution

If you have a student in grades K-4 and need to borrow a Chromebook from the district, we have a process to make those available to you. If you would like to reserve a Chromebook, please fill out this form by noon on Thursday, March 19. Those who reserve Chromebooks will be able to pick them up at Shaker High School on Friday, March 20 at times that will be pre-arranged with and shared by our Director of Technology.

Free Wi-Fi for Students

Charter is offering free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription at any service level up to 100 Mbps. To learn more and enroll, visit their website.

As you are aware, things are changing by the day. For the most updated information, please visit our district website, www.northcolonie.org. We will continue to provide our community with all of the necessary resources that we can at this time. Thank you again for your support.

Sincerely,

D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools

Watch a video message from Superintendent Corr

The post An update from the superintendent – Wednesday, March 18 appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear North Colonie Community,

I want to remind you that each of our school buildings will be open tomorrow, Friday, March 20 from 9-11 a.m. for students/guardians to retrieve necessary supplies/items from lockers, but we are unable to provide access to individual classrooms as those have already been sanitized and sealed. School nurses will also be present if parents need to pick up medications from the health office. All visitors must enter through the main office and sign in. After the Friday pick up period, all of our buildings will be closed to public access and remain closed to outside parties so that we may further clean and sanitize our buildings to ensure that they are safe and secure. 

Instructional Online Resources

We are committed to providing educational resources for our students during this closure. Thank you for your patience as we work on updating our digital learning platform to ensure that it best meets the needs of all our learners. Teachers will be sharing new resources directly with their students beginning on Monday, March 23. We will keep the district-wide resource page available on our district website.

Social Worker Request Form

If your child is experiencing an emotional wellness concern during this unsettled time, please do not hesitate to reach out to us, and one of the district’s social workers will be in touch with you to discuss strategies, skills and supports. This information will be kept confidential. 

Note: this is not a request for emergency services. If your child is having a psychiatric emergency, or you fear they are a danger to themselves or others, please call 911 immediately.

Food Services

The district is providing free “grab and go” meals to any student in the North Colonie Central School District throughout the closure. There are two times for pickup, where families can receive both breakfast and lunch items. The meals will be handed out each day from 8- 8:45 a.m. and then again from 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. The following sites are open to all of our families:

• Forts Ferry Elementary School (glass door of the cafeteria)
• Blue Creek Elementary School (back parking lot door, CYC entrance)
• Shaker High School (back glass door near receiving entrance)

Families who cannot pick up meals can contact Food Services at LisaOstrowski@ncolonie.org and arrangements will be made for the meals to be delivered. In fact, you may see a school bus or two on the road delivering those meals. During the closure, times and locations may be re-evaluated to ensure as many children as possible are receiving meals. If there are any changes, we will provide you with updates.

Board Meeting on Monday, March 23

This is a reminder that the Board of Education meeting originally scheduled for Monday, March 23 at Boght Hills has been moved to Central Office at 91 Fiddlers Lane. Following CDC guidelines, this meeting will NOT be open to public attendance, but we will provide a live stream link to our community the morning of the meeting. The link will also be located on the district homepage on Monday.

Budget Committee Meeting on Wednesday, March 25

As of right now, the Budget Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 25 will still take place. This will be live streamed for the public. However, we will not be allowing in-person attendance. Please stay tuned for more information.

Campus Facilities Closed to Students and Community Members

Based on advice from the Albany County Department of Health, all school playgrounds and fields (including Walker Field and the track) are closed to the public until further notice.

Spreading Positivity

Through this difficult time, we want to keep spreading smiles in our community. We are starting  #NCFriendsWithSigns. We want to see you create a sign with a positive message and take a photo of you with it! Post it on Twitter and use the hashtag to make us all smile!

You can also post your photo on Facebook! Look for a post on the district page tomorrow morning where you can share your positive sign photos as well!

And, in case you missed it, Superintendent Corr recorded his reading of “Because Amelia Smiled”. Watch his reading here.

Please continue to visit our district website, www.northcolonie.org for the latest information and updates. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools

The post An update from the superintendent – Thursday, March 19 appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.

Dear North Colonie Families, 

Thank you for taking the time to read all of the updates we have been sending. Per Governor Cuomo’s orders, we are closed through April 1. It is important to note that we have to be closed per Governor’s directive or per Department of Health directive in order to be compliant with the Governor’s waiver of the 180 day requirement. Accordingly, we must work with the closure time frame that is currently in effect. 

There is a great deal of important information that is rapidly changing, and we will continue to share all updates with you as we get them. Thank you for your continued support. We will get through this!

Child Care for Critical Professions and Occupations

As part of the COVID-19 response effort, North Colonie Central School District is working with the Colonie Youth Center (CYC), YMCA and other local child care providers to provide childcare resources to families who work in critical professions in our community.

Critical professions and occupations are defined as:

• Essential health care workers may include licensed health professionals such as physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, LPNs and nurse assistants or laboratory personnel.
• Direct support professionals may include clinicians and support staff serving the behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disabilities and child welfare communities in residential and community- based care settings.
• First responders may include paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, and firefighters, correctional officers or related support personnel necessary to execute these duties.
• Food manufacturing, production, distribution and supply including supermarket workers and food preparation.
• Transportation including commercial truck drivers of necessary supplies and equipment, transit workers, air and rail and carriers of critical and essential materials.
• Construction and Manufacturing including specialized equipment related to health or safety of the public.
• Nonprofit and social service agencies providing support to families and employees in related fields.

Child Care Providers

• The Colonie Youth Center (providing services at the Rudy A. Ciccotti Center)
  • https://www.colonieyouthcenter.org/
  • https://www.ciccotticenter.org/
  • (518) 438-9596
•  YMCA
  • www.CDYMCA.org/EmergencyChildcare
  • (518) 869-3500

Other Providers:

Families needing child care resources for non-school-age children (birth to age five) can contact A Child’s Place at Unity House at http://achildsplace.unityhouseny.org/ or (518) 271-6777

Additional child care resources in the Capital Region can also be found by contacting BrightsideUp (formerly the Capital District Child Care Council) at https://www.brightsideup.org/find-child-care or (518) 426-7181.

State Testing Update

Today, the Chancellor announced the suspension of New York state 3-8 testing program. 

The Chancellor writes, “It is important that during the time of closure, schools are able to continue to focus their efforts toward local school and community needs, as they have been doing, and not be concerned about State assessments. NYSED has applied for federal waivers for testing, accountability and reporting requirements.”

This suspension applies to the following New York State testing programs:

• NYS Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Test
• NYS Grades 3-8 Mathematics Test
• NYS Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
• NYS Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test
• NYS English as a Second Language Achievement Testing Grades K-12
• NYS Alternate Assessment for students with severe cognitive disabilities in Grades 3-8 and high school

Instructional Update

We will view the period of Monday, March 23 – Wednesday, April 1 as a transition period. What does this look like?

• Teachers will be available to their students during “real time” office hours for a minimum of one hour daily. The office hours may be:
  • Emails where you are “live” and responding in real time to students’ questions
  • Discussion boards where teachers and students can participate with each other in real time
  • Chat/messaging apps which allow group conversations without actual phone numbers
  • Google Hangouts/Meet or Zoom for live instruction or simply a check in
• Teachers will be communicating these office hours directly with their students.
• Beginning Monday, March 23, teachers will post assignments and resources through digital platforms that they have been using throughout the year to share information with their students and their families. These platforms include Google classroom, Bloomz, SeeSaw, and Class Dojo.  
• Unlike other states, New York state does not have a digital learning platform.  We are all responding to the changes in real time, and we will be joining other districts in the region to use this transition period to establish not just digital resources but a framework for distance teaching and learning that will best meet the needs of all children should we have an extended closure.  
• Please make sure all students in grades 7-12 are looking at their North Colonie email for messages from teachers, in addition to Google classroom.

Social Worker Request Form

Just a reminder: If your child is experiencing an emotional wellness concern during this unsettled time, please do not hesitate to reach out to us, and one of the district’s social workers will be in touch with you to discuss strategies, skills and supports. This information will be kept confidential. 

Note: this is not a request for emergency services. If your child is having a psychiatric emergency, or you fear they are a danger to themselves or others, please call 911 immediately.

Buildings Closed Week of March 23

Beginning Monday, March 23, all district buildings and facilities will be closed. All school playgrounds and fields (including Walker Field and the track) will also remain closed to the public until further notice.

Shout Out!

I want to thank our Transportation Department for the exceptional work they are doing to make sure our students and families have the resources they need during this time. Just today, five volunteer drivers delivered:

• 62 backpacks with food for two weeks
• 22 daily food packs with enough food for the weekend
• 3 Chromebooks 
• 1 set of AFO medical braces

Please continue to take care of yourselves, your loved ones, and each other. Set aside some time to relax this weekend. We have a wonderful community here in North Colonie, and I am proud to be a part of it. 

Sincerely,

D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools

The post An update from the superintendent – Friday, March 20 appeared first on North Colonie Central School District, Latham, NY.