Complete 2010-11 District Calendar is available now
Classes begin Tuesday, September 7
Dates for Back-to-School nights, concerts, Regents exams and conference days are listed in the complete 2010-11 district calendar, that will soon be mailed to parents of Niskayuna students. Copies of the printed calendar are also available for pick up at the District Office during regular business hours (8 a.m.-4 p.m.). You can view and print (20 MB PDF) the 2010-11 calendar here. Dates in the printed calendar are subject to change. The district also maintains online calendars by month, which are updated throughout the year to reflect any changes.
School begins for students in grades 1-12 on Tuesday, September 7. Kindergarten classes will begin Friday, September 10.

Niskayuna schools introduce new e-mail notification system for parents, community

Niskayuna Central School District parents and residents will now have the option of receiving the latest news and information about school events quickly and easily through “School News Notifier” (SNN).
Subscribers to this new opt-in e-mail alert system can have reminders about school events, district news, information on school closings and more delivered directly to their e-mail in-boxes. SNN also offers the option of receiving text message alerts about school closings and delays.
By “opting in,” users select which alerts they want to receive and they can unsubscribe at any time. (Your e-mail address will not be shared with any other organization.)
Parents and community members may subscribe to Niskayuna SNN today by simply clicking on the icon above and creating a user profile.

Date change for Freshman Parent Dinner at the high school
Please note: The date of Niskayuna High School's PTO Freshman Parent Newcomer Dinner has been changed to Monday, September 27 at 6 p.m. It was originally scheduled for Thursday, September 16.

Educators, staff members celebrate career milestones
During the 2010-11 Opening Day for faculty and staff on Wednesday, Sept. 1, four Niskayuna Central School District staffers were recognized for 25 years of service and dedication to the school district and its students. Superintendent of Schools Kevin Baughman offered congratulations to Peggy McDermott, executive secretary for Human Resources; Connie Nadas, executive secretary at Glencliff Elementary School; Niskayuna High School social studies teacher Peter Warren; and educational technologist Michael Greene (pictured right to left).

Community and Continuing Education Fall 2010 program
Community and Continuing Education catalogs for Fall 2010 have been mailed to district residents. The catalog can also be downloaded from the Web site (PDF). SAT prep classes will again be offered.
Math will meet on September 13, 23, 27, and October 4, 13, 18.
English will meet on September 21, 28, and October 5, 12, 19, 26.
(Please note the later start date for English.)

Niskayuna welcomes new teachers for 2010-11
Niskayuna Central School District's new teacher orientation signals that the start of a new school is fast approaching. The new faculty members attended a three-day orientation from August 25-27 at the New York State United Teachers facility on Route 7. The orientation provides an opportunity for new teachers to become acquainted with district policies and procedures, meet their teacher mentors and participate in staff development activities. Welcome to all new teachers and support staff, and welcome back to returning faculty and staff members, as well!

Board of Education adopts final tax rates for 2010-11 school year
On August 17, the Niskayuna Board of Education adopted final tax rates for the 2010-2011 school year. For most Niskayuna Central School District residents, those rates are on target with the tax increase district officials had projected during the school budget vote in May. (Link to tax rate information by town.)
As a result of changes in assessed values and equalization rates, Niskayuna residents will see their tax rate increase 2.4 percent from $16.37 to $16.76 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value.
School tax rates are calculated based on final assessment figures provided by each assessor in the four towns that comprise the district. Final equalization rates and STAR exemptions are set by New York State’s Office of Real Property Services (ORPS) in July. Read more

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

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

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 September 2, 2010