Good afternoon,

We will keep today's update brief today knowing that you're probably ready to begin the holiday weekend and upcoming spring recess.

This week Dr. Cotto continued with department staff meetings as well as some community engagements. Earlier this week he met with the Student Support Services Team and today, Dr. Cotto met with the Safety and Security team leaders and with the District Initiatives, Planning and Accountability (DIPA) team. Today, he also met with leadership at Proctors.

Last Saturday, Dr. Cotto attended the ELA Boot Camp held at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community School. Despite the snow, ice, and rain on Saturday, thirty-five 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders came to MLK for the second annual ELA Bootcamp. They participated in five rotations practicing reading, writing, and test-taking strategies. It was a fun morning of learning. This was a fantastic event that provided support for students in preparation of the upcoming New York State English Language Arts (ELA) exams. Kudos to Principal Munrett and her staff, and to all of the schools who provided an opportunity such as this to our students.

On Tuesday, Dr. Cotto attended the Community School Advisory Board Meeting at Paige Elementary School. The purpose of these meetings are to talk about how our community schools are doing, what we can improve upon and how we can continue to advance our efforts.

Dr. Cotto also visited some schools this week and enjoyed the Holi celebrations held on Tuesday. Below are photos from the Holi celebrations held at MLK and Lincoln.

Dr. Cotto was in attendance at the Bowling Team's Banquet Wednesday evening.

In the photo with Dr. Cotto is Coach Sharon Sager and Coach Bill Nolan, Senior Co-Captains Sarah Bellrose and Selena Wolf.

Dr. Cotto attended an event today with our high school students at Proctors. Representatives from RPI met with students to talk about and spark interest in the field of Nuclear Energy. Students viewed the movie Oppenheimer and learned about Schenectady's history in the development of nuclear energy and the future of renewable nuclear energy. RPI will be following up for future sessions and soon be introducing younger students to STEM fields with a focus on nuclear energy. The goal is for opportunities like this to create an interest and a pathway for students.

This evening, Dr. Cotto will be meeting with the NAACP. He plans to share his entry plan with the group. He has a standing meeting each month. He also will plans to attend the SUNY Schenectady Art Gala at the college.

Over the recess week, Dr. Cotto will be meeting with a few school principals. His meetings with department teams and school principals will continue following the recess week.

CONGRATULATIONS

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced its winter 2024 Scholar-Athlete teams. We had five winter sports teams recognized for this award. Congratulations to the following:

• Varsity Boys Indoor Track and Field

• Varsity Girls Indoor Track and Field

• Varsity Boys Wrestling

• Varsity Boys Swimming and Diving

• Varsity Girls Bowling

To qualify as a Scholar-Athlete team, 75% of the team's average GPA for the season must be equal to or greater than 90%.

ELA STATE TESTING COMING UP

Shortly after we return from Spring recess, the New York State ELA tests will be administered to students in grades 3 - 8. The schedule is as follows:

• Grades 3 & 4: April 10, April 11

• Grade 5: April 16, April 17

• Grades 6 - 8: April 10, April 11

These tests are designed to measure how well students are mastering the learning standards that guide classroom instruction and help ensure that students are on track to graduate from high school.

We do require that any test refusal/opt-out be submitted in writing to your child's principal. Your request must indicate the exam you are opting your child out of along with a parent/guardian signature. This request must be provided prior to the date of the exam. The expectation for any student not taking an exam is that they will be reading quietly.

If you have any questions, please contact the principal of your child's school. 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI)

Also shortly after the Spring recess, we will begin rolling out the DEI survey to parents. This is the survey done with Tangible Development that Superintendent Soler referenced many times. The survey will be open April 10 - May 1. We ask parents to please watch for the email. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a focus group. We will also be sharing that schedule with you too.

Students recently had the opportunity to participate in a survey in school. Student focus groups are also being offered following the break.

We are collecting this input to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive for our students, parents, caregivers, and employees.

Both the survey and the focus groups gauge perceptions of the district' policies and practices as they relate to DEI. It also allows participants to share personal experiences and behaviors related to DEI.

We will be sharing more including FAQ's soon.

We are looking for family members of the 86 Mont Pleasant High School graduates who died while serving in World War II.

If you are a family member or know how we can contact family members, please contact Steve Balogh at baloghs@schenetadyschools.org.

The list of Mont Pleasant graduates who died in service is here.

The district is planning a plaque rededication in honor of these 86 men who lost their lives.

The original plaque once hung in the Mont Pleasant High School hallway. The plaque was removed from the wall and placed in storage during one of the district Capital Projects at Mont Pleasant.

A ceremony, and plaque rededication will take place on May 31, 2024.

We would very much like to invite family members of these men, and their guests, to attend the ceremony. Please look over the list of names and ask around, so that we can extend an invitation. We are also seeking photos of these in men in uniform to use for a display during the ceremony.

Next Wednesday is Paraprofessional Appreciation Day. Thank you to our paras for all that you do for our students, parents, faculty and staff. Our paras are tireless workers who show care and compassion to our students, provide support to our teachers, and are an important member of our team. We appreciate all that you do each and every day.

There is no school tomorrow, Friday March 29 in observance of Good Friday. This is an important religious holiday celebrated by many.

We wish you a very Happy Easter on Sunday.

Enjoy your extra long break. Remember there is no school on April 8 but we look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday, April 9.

IN THE NEWS

• City Schools' Capital Project Construction to Ramp Up, Daily Gazette Story, March 28 2024

• School Board Welcomes Two Student Reps, Times Union Story, March 28 2024

REMINDERS:

March 29: No School, District Offices Closed, Holiday: Good Friday

April 1 - 8: No School (Recess), District Offices Closed April 8

2024-2025 Pre-K : We are accepting 2024-2025 Pre-K Lottery Applications for 3 and 4 Year Olds. More here.

Summer Enrichment Program: Registration for Summer Enrichment is open through April 12. More here.

MOBILE APP SUPPORT Click here to watch a short video on how to set your school and language preferences on our mobile app: hhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saNC9ek2Lqg

PREVIOUS BRIEFS: For the index of Volume 1, 2 and 3 briefs click here.