Budding authors demonstrate their craft in Students First presentation
Fourth-grader Elizabeth Patt has enjoyed writing since the first grade and would someday like to write professionally. "I like to imagine how people will react when they read a story I have written,” said Patt, who finds fiction the most challenging form of writing. “Developing characters is hard work.” Patt was among the 30-40 Glencliff Elementary School students who participated in the Students First presentation during the March 26 Board of Education meeting. Students demonstrated for school board members, administrators, parents and community members, a writing initiative – called the writer’s workshop – launched this year at Glencliff. “We have really immersed ourselves in writing,” said Principal Fran Reinl. “Teachers are seeing great results, and our students are emerging as great writers.”

Educational forum aims to raise parental awareness of safety issues in cyberspace
MySpace, instant messaging, chat rooms, blogs … Tech-savvy teens and younger children are increasingly using the Internet for entertainment and social networking. Harmless fun? Most of the time – but potential danger could be a keystroke away. To help raise awareness of the hazards children can encounter online, the Niskayuna Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and Niskayuna Community Action Plan (N-CAP) have joined forces to present an Internet Safety Forum on Wednesday, April 18 from 7-9 p.m. at Iroquois Middle School. Read more

Van Antwerp drama club presents easy-to-understand Shakespeare in "A Midsummer Night's Midterm"
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." — If you ever had difficulty understanding Shakespeare then Van Antwerp Middle School’s production of "A Midsummer Night’s Midterm" is for you. This year, VA’s drama club, with guidance from English teachers Heather Leader and Lauren Kvam, is presenting “A Midsummer's Night Midterm” on Thursday and Friday, April 26-27 at 7 p.m. The play is about four girls who are studying for their midterms on William Shakespeare's famous play, “A Midsummer's Night Dream,” when the story literally begins to unfold before them. This play within a play is insightful and funny as the girls comment on Shakespeare's language, his characterization of women and men and even his relevance to today's world. The original language is retained but abbreviated for this play, with the students interpreting the more difficult passages.

Inside the Nisky Garage
Restoring vintage racing motorcycle steers hands-on application of math, engineering concepts while accelerating creativity, problem-solving skills
These days, Niskayuna High School’s automotive shop looks like a scene from the popular reality TV shows Orange County Choppers or West Coast Choppers. But in the Nisky Garage, as it’s called, there’s no Paulie Teutul or Jesse James to be found – just a team of dedicated students, rebuilding a vintage racing motorcycle during their spare time under the watchful eye of technology teacher Rich DeSimony. The idea for the project evolved when DeSimony and his college buddy, Rick Ketchum, a technology teacher at Newfield High School near Ithaca, NY, were discussing their affinity for motorcycles over a cup of coffee. It was their passion for teaching that lead the two friends to propose a friendly interscholastic competition to determine whose student team could build the better bike. More about the project

Four Niskayuna students actively involved in outstanding third place finish for Albany Area Math Circle at state competition
The Albany Area Math Circle (AAMC) turned in a phenomenal performance when they competed at the statewide annual math meet held at Stuyvesant High School in New York City on Saturday, April 21.
Four of the students on the AAMC 15-member team are Niskayuna High School students: David Bieber, Eugenia Gisin, Markus Salasoo, and Landy Zhang. Read more

Niskayuna High School choral groups and symphonic band rated superior at North American Music Festival
Congratulations to Niskayuna High School music students on their success at the North American Music Festival, which was held during the third weekend in April on the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College near Washington, D.C. Read more

No debating it -- Niskayuna Speech and Debate Team has stellar year
The Niskayuna Speech and Debate Team emerged as the top team in the region for Lincoln Douglas Debate, dominating the local circuit. Seven students from the Niskayuna team qualified for the New York State Forensics League Championship held on April 27-28 in Albany. Read more about the team's accomplishments and learn which students advanced to national competitions

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