September 7, 2012
Superintendent's Message: The Niskayuna Team is
Back to School!
Dear Niskayuna Families:
Today marks the end of our first week of the
2012-13 school year. As I visited each of our
schools throughout the week, I observed our
staff and students embarking on the path that
makes for a great year. The Niskayuna Team is
back to school!
For most of our students, opening week was about
getting reacquainted with friends and staff and
meeting new teachers. For others, it was about
transition.
Grade 6 made the transition to Middle School at
VA and Iroquois. Parents at both schools helped
celebrate this transition and assist in it
with visits to help their children get
comfortable with organizing and using their new
lockers.
Ninth graders were welcomed to the school that
will be home for the next four years NHS.
Freshmen enjoyed a redesigned orientation that
included tours of the high school, guided by
staff and student volunteers in grades 10-12. An
extended homeroom, special assembly program,
class with every assigned teacher, and their
first lunch at the high school made it a special
day. On Wednesday, they were joined by the rest
of the student body and classes were in full
swing!
Our kindergarten students came to school on
Thursday. I visited every Kindergarten class In
the district that day, and what I saw would have
warmed your heart it certainly warmed mine!
Faculty and staff waited expectantly by the main
entrance of the school - ready to take a hand,
wipe a tear or two, and welcome our youngest
learners into the fold of Niskayuna Schools.
Right from the start, teachers were showing
students the routines that create comfort and
consistency in a new environment. Their work
throughout the day was magic! Music, dance,
reading, math, playground, lunch, and a ride to
and from school on the big yellow bus all
contributed to an excellent first day.
As we conclude a successful first week, I want
to emphasize how important communication is to
sustain not just the excitement of a new year,
but the partnership between home and school that
is a critical ingredient in student success. I
am sure that your child's principal and/or
teachers have talked about the communication
avenues between home and school. Our website is
a great resource, and over time has become the
best source for news and information from the
district. I encourage you to check it often. In
addition, we will also be using the School News
Notifier system to send e-mails to you with
important district news and announcements
throughout the year. If you have not yet signed
up for SNN, please do so at
https://snn.neric.org/niskayuna/.
Please enjoy the pictures below from across the
district during the first week of school.
