Niskayuna middle school “mathletes” advance to state MATHCOUNTS competition
Student teams from Van Antwerp and Iroquois middle schools captured first and second place, respectively, in the chapter competition of MATHCOUNTS at the GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna on Saturday, January 30. Both teams will advance to the New York state competition on March 13 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy.
The VA team of Cecilia Holodak (captain), Rajesh Bollapragada, Martin Schreiner and Alex Wei, coached by Niskayuna High school senior David Bieber, edged out their counterparts Aniket Tolpadi (captain), Shreya Arora, Suman Padhi, Vineet Velagandula and Samir Menon of the Iroquois team, coached by Niskayuna High school senior Anagha Tolpadi. Read more

Niskayuna High School Music Department to present "Bye Bye Birdie" in February
Mail orders are currently being accepted for tickets to Niskayuna High School's production of Bye Bye Birdie in February. Download, complete and mail your ticket order form to: Musical Tickets, Niskayuna High School, 1626 Balltown Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309. Orders are filled first-come, first-served and are assigned best available seating. Early reservations are strongly recommended. Orders will be held at the box office. If you would like your tickets mailed, please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with your order.
The high school box office will be open February 1-26, 10:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. and 4:30-5:30 p.m. on school days only.
Performances of Bye Bye Birdie will take place on Thursday-Friday, Feb. 25-26 at 7:30p.m., and on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Niskayuna students, staff organize fundraising events to help Haiti
Wearing hats, playing hoops and selling hearts are three ways that Niskayuna students and staff are raising money to help the people of Haiti, which was struck by a devastating earthquake earlier this month. Several efforts are underway in the district to raise funds for disaster relief efforts in the impoverished island nation.
Iroquois Middle School students raised $346 for the American Red Cross with a "Hats for Haiti" day, organized by several seventh-grade students. For a $1 donation, students, faculty and staff enjoyed the privilege of wearing their favorite hat for the entire school day on January 28.
On Wednesday, February 3, Van Antwerp Middle School will host a "Hoops for Haiti" faculty basketball game at 3:30 p.m. in the school gym. A student-sponsored bake sale/concession during the basketball game will also raise money. VA's eighth-graders have also opened their hearts to Haiti's earthquake victims and will be selling decorated valentines for $1 each through February 5. Students who purchase a “Heart for Haiti” may choose from a list of English or French messages such as “Don’t Give Up Hope” or “Warm Wishes from Upstate, NY.” Valentines will be sent to injured patients recovering on the U.S.N.S. Comfort, a medical naval vessel stationed outside of Port au Prince. Proceeds from the basketball game, the bake sale and the valentine hearts will benefit the American Red Cross. Read more

Schenectady County to host H1N1 vaccination clinic February 24
The Schenectady County Health Department is sponsoring an H1N1 flu and seasonal flu vaccination clinic from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24 at Niskayuna Town Hall. View the flyer for additional information. (PDF)

Get ready for a “countrified” Niska-Day 29 on May 22
Niska-Day 2010 is "Going Country!" on Saturday, May 22 at Craig Elementary School on Balltown Road. The Niska-Day Committee is planning a country theme for the 29th annual community celebration. Festivities may include square dancing, line dancing, country bands and more! The day begins with a family fun run, followed by the time-honored Niska-Day parade. The day-long celebration will feature arts, crafts, food, children’s games, rides, and a breathtaking fireworks display at dusk. For more information about the day's activities, visit the official Niska-Day Web site.

Birchwood students debut on local segment of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
Twenty fifth-grade students from Birchwood Elementary School make their television debut on My4Albany during the local channel’s segment of the popular game show, “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?”
Principal Debra Berndt says that My4Albany randomly selected one school each from several area districts to appear on the broadcast. Students were also selected at random from Birchwood’s fifth-grade classrooms. A three-person crew visited the Niskayuna school on Jan. 15, to begin taping. Students were given their question ahead of time to memorize prior to taping, because once the camera started rolling, no retakes were allowed. Each student read a trivia question, a hint, and the answer. Birchwood students will be featured, one per half-hour show, now through Feb. 5. “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” airs locally from 7-8 p.m. each weeknight.
The local segment, called the “Extra Credit Question of the Day” can also be viewed online. Visit my4albany.com

Niskayuna High School senior named semi-finalist in prestigious Intel Science Talent Search 2010
In mid-January, Niskayuna High School senior Arunima (Nima) Balan, who earlier this year was named a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist, learned of her latest academic achievement in an interesting way.
“My mom woke me up at 6 a.m. after she received an e-mail from a friend congratulating her on my being named an Intel Science Talent Search semi-finalist,” Balan said, adding that she freaked out for about 15 minutes before getting ready for school.
Balan was named a 2010 Intel Science Talent Search (STS) semifinalist along with 300 students from across the country. Her research project was among those selected from 1,736 entries from 472 high schools in 37 states and the District of Columbia this year.
“The Intel competition is the benchmark for all other high school science competitions,” says Balan, who credits her family for her enduring interest in science. “My mother is a physicist, my dad's an engineer and my uncle is a professor of biochemistry.”
The Intel STS encourages students to tackle challenging scientific questions and develop the skills to solve the problems of tomorrow. Congratulations Nima! Read The Daily Gazette article (PDF)

Governor intends to pay school aid deferred in December
Niskayuna district officials await word on whether the 19 percent lag in January STAR payments due schools will be restored
Niskayuna Central School District and other districts around the state have received word that state aid payments held back by Governor Paterson in December will be paid as constitutionally required by law. (Times Union article)
Last month, Paterson was widely criticized for delaying 10 percent, or $750 million, in payments to schools and local governments to help combat the state's growing deficit. For Niskayuna schools, the resulting loss of revenue in December was approximately $68,000.
According to media reports, the Governor reversed his decision based on news that state revenues had risen to a "comfortable level" in January.
“We are relieved to hear that the Governor has authorized the December state aid payments that the state was legally obligated to provide to schools when the state budget was signed into law last year,” said Superintendent of Schools Kevin Baughman.
The more pressing concern for Niskayuna and other districts around the state, however, is whether or not the Governor will restore the 19 percent reduction in STAR payments deferred earlier this month, which for Niskayuna schools results in a loss of $836,500.
Baughman cautioned that because the state’s financial crisis is far from over, the 2010-11 school budget development process may prove even more challenging than last spring when the district made $1.3 million in reductions to its baseline budget.
He added that when Governor Paterson presents his Executive Budget next week, school officials are anticipating it will include significant reductions in aid to education.
The Niskayuna Board of Education will begin developing the 2010-11 school budget in earnest at its January 25 meeting as they consider the impact of the Governor’s proposed state budget on the district’s finances.
District officials encourage the community to attend Board of Education meetings in the upcoming months and budget workshops throughout March to learn more about the school budget process.

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 now 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

Date changes announced for Friends of Music meetings
Due to some conflicts with Niskayuna High School PTO meetings, the dates of some Friends of Music meetings for the 2009-10 school year have been changed. The new meeting dates are as follows: Wednesday, October 14; Monday, November 16; Monday, February 8; and Monday, April 12. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the high school choir room.

This page was last updated February 8, 2010