And the envelope please…
Bids opened for preliminary renovations to begin at the high school

In a routine that will become more common at the Niskayuna Central School District throughout the next several weeks, construction project managers, the lead architect and school district representatives gathered to publicly open sealed bids for preliminary general contracting work to renovate an area in the north (or old) cafeteria at the high school. The space will become the temporary home of the high school counseling center and some administrative offices during the building project. The construction of temporary – or swing space – for these offices is essentially a precursor to the much larger-scale construction and renovations that will begin taking place at the high school during the summer.

Craig Elementary and Van Antwerp Middle School in the spotlight as second round of groundbreaking ceremonies takes place on June 6
On Wednesday, June 6, district officials, school administrators, students, faculty members, parents, local dignitaries and honored guests gathered for the second round of groundbreaking ceremonies in two days.
Wednesday's first ceremony took place at Craig Elementary School, and was immediately followed by a ribbon-cutting to unveil the school’s new playground — installed by community volunteers on June 1-2 — that replaces existing older equipment, which needed to be moved to accommodate a new four-classroom addition. Following the Craig celebration, school district officials and project managers from Sano-Rubin packed up the shiny, gold shovels and white construction hats and headed for Van Antwerp Middle School — the scene of the fourth and final groundbreaking ceremony for Phase I of the $94.5 million capital improvements project that will soon be underway at four of the district's eight buildings. Read more

Students, teachers, district officials and special guests mark beginning of transformation of schools
On Tuesday, June 5, ceremonial groundbreaking events at two Niskayuna schools marked the beginning of the first phase of the $94.5 million capital improvements project that will soon be underway at four of the district's eight buildings. District officials, school administrators, students, faculty members, parents, local dignitaries and honored guests gathered for the first groundbreaking at Glencliff Elementary School in Rexford. A second groundbreaking celebration followed at Niskayuna High School.
“Today is the culmination of more than two years of planning that involved students, staff, parents and the community. The groundbreaking symbolizes the beginning of a complex process that will help to transform our school buildings into 21st century learning spaces,” said Dr. Kevin Baughman, Superintendent of Schools. “We are honored today to have students present for this groundbreaking to always remind us that we do all of this to meet the needs of our children and their future.” Read more

Five Niskayuna seventh-grade students win an opportunity to make a positive impact on their communities through annual GE essay contest
Van Antwerp Middle School seventh-grader Maggie Jordan is wise beyond her years. In an essay, submitted to the annual GE ELFUN Society essay contest by English teacher Kathy Cotugno-Surin, Maggie wrote: “A simple gesture of kindness can change lives. By giving young cancer patients a unique toy, I could really be giving them something much bigger; I could be giving the gift of hope.” For the GE essay contest, students describe how they would use $500 to make a positive difference in their community.
In another winning essay, Maddie Rojas-Lynch, a second Van Antwerp student, wrote of her plan to establish a “lasting library” at a hospital in her community to help young patients. She even contacted nearby hospitals to research a location where a children’s library would be needed most. Read more

Niskayuna High School Senior Gala is Friday, June 8
Niskayuna High School seniors are invited to attend the Senior Gala on Friday, June 8 from 7-11 p.m. at Glen Sanders Mansion. Any senior who plans to attend must first complete and sign a "Contract for Safety" before purchasing Gala tickets. Contracts have been mailed home to seniors, and will also be available in the high school's Main Office or in the Counseling Center beginning May 18.

Board of Education honors school district retirees at special ceremony
In a ceremony on June 4, the Board of Education recognized 12 retiring faculty and staff members for their combined 273 years of dedication to students and commitment to Niskayuna schools. During the ceremony, school principals and department administrators shared their thoughts and fondest memories of these dedicated professionals. This year's retirees are: Anne Coleman, Caroline Glenn, Robert Flynn, Karen Polsinelli, Patrcia McMahon, Wade Burdick, Nancy Sieper, David Orcutt, Carol Andrews and Carol Piccirillo. Missing from the photo are Robert Cervera and Patricia Gosda. Thank you, and best wishes for a happy retirement!

Regents exams begin June 13
Regents exams will begin the afternoon of Wednesday, June 13. Download a copy of the June Regents exam schedule. (link disabled)

Summer school registration
Summer school registration for all students will be on Tuesday, June 26 from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm in the main entrance lobby of Iroquois Middle School. The summer program will take place Mondays through Thursdays from July 5-August 15. Summer Regents/RCT Exams will be administered on Thursday, August 16 and Friday August 17. Questions should be directed to Dr. Shelley Baldwin-Nye, who is serving as summer school principal. Please call 382-2511 ext. 4306 or email sbaldwin-nye@niskyschools.org

Niskayuna tops Business Review's annual ranking of area school districts
The Capital District Business Review has placed Niskayuna Central School District first in its annual rating of local public schools. School rankings are based on analysis of 2005-2006 New York State Report Card information, including test scores, percentage of graduates attending college, and Regents diploma rates. Last year, Niskayuna was rated fourth among 85 public school districts in the greater Capital Region. The annual report was featured in the June 8-14 edition.

Niskayuna Foreign Language Department receives prestigious state award for outstanding program
Congratulations to the Niskayuna Foreign Language Department on being selected a recipient of the James E. Allen Award. This award is presented by the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers annually to an outstanding language program in each region of the state. Niskayuna's language department was selected from among schools in the Capital Region based on strength of curriculum, innovative programs, community involvement, and exchange activities as well as student performance on state and national assessments and teacher professional activity. Read more

Niskayuna students receive award for e-Commerce Web site
The Niskayuna ScoresUp Web site has received a "Most Well-Written" award from Genium Corp. for the fifth consecutive year. The award recognizes students in business teacher Janice Lindsay’s e-Commerce class for their excellent writing skills, style and creativity. The ScoresUp Web site is an integral component of the e-Comm Ed curriculum, developed by Genium Corp. and piloted seven years ago in Schenectady City schools and the Niskayuna school district. This e-Commerce course helps prepare students for college-level study and introduces them to the challenges of doing business in today's technology-based environment. Through the ScoresUp Web site, Niskayuna’s students are developing teamwork, time-management, communication, organization, critical-thinking and decision-making skills necessary for success in any career, but especially in today’s high-tech business environment. Visit the award-winning Niskayuna ScoresUp Web site

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