John H. Buhrmaster appointed to fill vacancy on Niskayuna Board of Education
During a special meeting on Tuesday, July 20, John H. Buhrmaster of Glenville was appointed to serve on the Niskayuna Central School District Board of Education.
He is filling a vacancy created when veteran board member Terry Weiner resigned in June to become provost at the Sage Colleges. Buhrmaster will serve through the next Board of Education election on May 17, 2011. Read more

State test results to reflect newly adopted scoring procedures
Raising the bar on achievement could initially result in lower test scores for students taking state English and math exams
When state English and math test scores are released next week, the results will reflect new scoring procedures adopted recently by the State Education Department (SED)—and could potentially raise concerns for some students and parents.
As part of a comprehensive effort to raise student achievement, SED is applying more stringent grading procedures to the grades 3-8 English and math exams. Consequently, SED officials are cautioning that many school districts could see a decrease in the number of students scoring in levels that indicate proficiency starting with the exams administered this past May.
It is yet to be seen how the change in the “cut scores”—a measure SED uses to determine proficiency—will affect Niskayuna’s test results.
“Because we are a high-performing district, it’s difficult to tell if the change in scoring will significantly affect the number of students not meeting the standards measured by the assessments,” says Superintendent of Schools Kevin Baughman. Read more

Congratulations Class of 2010!

A standing-room-only crowd gathered to recognize and congratulate the nearly 360 graduates during Niskayuna High School’s commencement on Thursday, June 24 at Proctor’s Theatre in Schenectady. Read more

2010 Golf Tryouts scheduled for August 24-26
Golf team tryouts for the 2010 season will take place Tuesday, August 24 through Thursday, August 26 at the Mohawk River Golf Club on Riverview Road in Rexford. Students trying out for the golf team must have a physical either by the school district’s physician or by their own family physician. Required health forms, available in the Athletic Department, must be completed and returned to the high school nurse’s office to be eligible to participate. More information

Important information about summer sports physicals and tryouts
Sports physicals for the Fall season will be held Monday, August 16 and Wednesday, August 18 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. The physicals will take place in the new nurse’s office in C Hall, Room C238 and are done on a first come first serve basis. Completed gray Athletic Cards and Interim Health forms are due at this time.
If your child has had a physical by your family physician, a copy of the physical must be provided to the high school nurses office. The physical must be dated after August 1, 2009. No student will be allowed to try out for any sport unless the school nurse has a copy of the physical, the interim health form and a gray card completed and signed by a parent/guardian. A new gray card is required for each sports season.
The high school nurse will not be in the office until August 16, but will periodically check incoming mail. Completed paperwork may be mailed or delivered to the high school prior to this date. Completed forms may be left in the main office in a designated box.
Please note: forms are available by visiting the High School web page and clicking on the link to the Nurse’s Office.

Class reunion news
The classes of 1970 and 1971 will host a joint reunion in October. For more information about the event, click the "Alumni" button on the upper left side of this page. If you are planning a class reunion, e-mail jfrost@niskyschools.org to have the information posted on the Alumni Reunions page. For current news about your former classmates, register and search Niskayuna's Alumni Database.

Preview upcoming student and instructional presentations at Board of Education meetings through 2010
Want to know what student and instructional presentations are being planned for the remainder of 2010? View a list of Board of Education meetings through December

2010-11 school calendar adopted
On March 8, the Niskayuna Board of Education adopted the calendar for the 2010-11 school year. View next year's calendar. A complete calendar, listing district and school events, will be mailed to all parents in the summer.

Information for private school students enrolling in Niskayuna schools
If your child currently attends a private/parochial school but you plan to enroll him/her in a Niskayuna school for the the 2010-11 school year, contact the district registrar at (518) 377-4666, ext. 50714, beginning in January to register your child for school.
The Niskayuna school district is committed to neighborhood elementary schools while maintaining reasonable class sizes. The district utilizes an elementary class size guideline as well as an elementary class size enrollment management plan to meet this objective. More information

Parent portal available to parents of Niskayuna High School students
With a couple clicks of the mouse, high school parents will now be able to access their child’s grades online. The district's Parent Portal through PowerSchool is currently open for high school students only. Parents may sign up for an account in person at the high school attendance office between 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Parents must bring a photo ID and complete a brief form. Please call Niskayuna High School's main number at 382-2511, and speak with Theresa Poleto. More

This page was last updated July 23, 2010