“Nisky Spirit” captures the top prize
Niskayuna High School video students emerge victorious in Time Warner Cable’s “How Cool Is Your School” video competition
The results are in. Time Warner Cable has announced the 2008 “How Cool is Your School? video production contest winner is “Nisky Spirit” created and produced by a team of students from Steve Honicki’s Studio in Video class at Niskayuna High School. Congratulations to production team members Nick Batson, Nick Collisson, Stephen Gemmiti, Paul Lyons, Christopher Murphy, Keenan Roberts and Dave Stopera. Read more
The Niskayuna students will be featured in a Capital News 9 story throughout Friday, June 13, as well as online.

Glencliff Elementary School celebrates opening of new classroom additions

Glencliff Elementary School hosted the first of several ribbon-cutting ceremonies that will take place throughout the school district over the next few years. Students joined district administrators and Board of Education members in cutting a red ribbon to celebrate the completion of Glencliff’s two new classroom additions on the north and south ends of the building. The new wings house a total of five classrooms, most of which are now in use. Kindergarten students enthusiastically helped their teachers and parent volunteers move classroom supplies, such as books, blocks and games, into the new space late last week. On the opposite side of the building, fifth-graders energetically worked to move into their new classrooms. One kindergartner described his new classroom as “Awesome!”
Construction on the new classroom additions began in earnest last summer. Work continued throughout the school year to complete the new rooms in late spring. This summer, the project proceeds with renovations to all of Glencliff’s existing classrooms. View more photos

If you build it, they will play
Birchwood Elementary School's new playground open for business
They couldn’t wait. Hundreds of students tested out the new slides, swings and climbing ropes minutes before a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening of Birchwood Elementary School’s new playground.
On Friday, June 6, students and their families joined school district administrators and local dignitaries to celebrate the grand opening of the school’s new play area. The project would not have been possible without the many parent and community volunteers who devoted much time and elbow grease to build the school’s playground. Birchwood’s Parent-Teacher Organization sponsored a variety of fundraising events to raise money for the project, and received generous support from NYS Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco, NYS Senator Hugh Farley and the Schenectady County Legislature, which helped make this new facility a reality for the school’s children and families. The Birchwood community also thanks the dozens of local businesses that provided food and other support to volunteers during the playground build.

Basic calendar for 2008-09 school year
The Board of Education adopted the 2008-09 school calendar during its Jan. 28 meeting. This basic one-page calendar lists the first day of school, holidays and school vacations. It does not include elementary or middle school parent conference days, which will be determined in the spring and published in the complete district calendar that will be mailed in August. Download the basic 2008-09 calendar

Niskayuna High School Senior Gala is Friday, June 6
Contracts for Safety available on-line
Niskayuna High School seniors are invited to attend the Senior Gala on Friday, June 6 from 8 p.m.-12 a.m. at Glen Sanders Mansion. Any senior who plans to attend the Gala must first complete and sign a "Contract for Safety" before purchasing tickets. Contracts were mailed to seniors and will also be available beginning May 14 in the high school's Main Office, in the Counseling Center or downloaded from the district Web site. A Senior Gala information sheet is available here. (all links disabled)

Board of Education honors school district retirees at special ceremony
In a ceremony on June 2, the Board of Education recognized 22 retiring faculty and staff members for their combined 400+ years of dedication to students and commitment to Niskayuna schools. During the ceremony, school principals and administrators shared their thoughts and fondest memories of these dedicated professionals. This year's retirees are: Brian Aylward, Paula Brinkman, Beverly Bryant, Leslie Casey, John Connolly, Yvonne Couch, Grace Cramer, Evelyn Dreyer, Michele Fox, Suzanne Fryling, Miles Garfinkel, Victor Greco, Sven Gudmundsen, Janet Hebert, Donald Launer, Rita Lazarek, Douglas Lohnas, Susan Manny, Charles McCambridge, Mary Jane Olsen, Kathleen A. Smith and Joan Young.

Two receive annual Murray Award
Niskayuna math and social studies teachers recognized for educational excellence
Students in Patricia Ryan’s math class were granted a momentary reprieve from an impending quiz while their teacher accepted an unexpected honor Tuesday afternoon. A contingent of Niskayuna Community Foundation members, school administrators and representatives from student government descended on Ryan’s classroom to present her the 2008 Murray Award for Excellence in Education.
Down the hall, social studies teacher John Sharkey's lecture was temporarily interrupted as the group invaded his classroom to present the second 2008 Murray Award to him. Read more

Niskayuna High School student selected for prestigious national art summer seminar
Hana Omiya, a junior at Niskayuna High School, is one of sixty students from around the country selected for the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation Summer Seminar. This full scholarship program is available nationally to artistically gifted high school juniors (2007-08) in public and private schools through a National Portfolio Competition. The Summer Seminar, held on the campus of Colorado College in Colorado Springs, is designed as an art institute offering an intensive visual art studio program for students. Omiya is the third student from Niskayuna High School in the last ten years to be accepted into this prestigious program.

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