WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 21, 2022 | VOLUME 2 ISSUE NO. 9
Good afternoon and happy Friday,
As we close out this week, which is School Board of Recognition Week, I wish to extend a huge thank you and recognize each of our school board members for their commitment, dedication and service to our students and community. School Board Recognition Week serves as an opportunity to raise community awareness and understanding about the role that school board members have in our school community.
Board of Education members are volunteers who devote countless hours of their time. While you see them at board meetings, behind the scenes they spend time at trainings, studying, learning, developing and approving policies, leading and participating on committees, visiting schools and attending events, listening to community stakeholders, advocating and representing our district. They are responsible for creating a shared vision that sets the direction of the district. The board provides accountability for students, develops policies, approves the district budget ensuring that resources are aligned with goals, and so much more. I am grateful to each of our members for all they do for our staff, students and community. Please join me in thanking them for their service. The members serving our district are as follows:
Board of Education Members: Erica Brockmyer, Vivian Parsons, Princella Learry, Cathy Lewis, Bernice Rivera (President), Nohelani Etienne ( Vice President), Jamaica Miles, Superintendent Anibal Soler, Jr. Click on each board member's name to learn a little more about them.
I'm pleased to continue our celebration of principals this month for National Principals Month. Throughout the month we recognize and thank our principals for being hard working, determined, caring and visionary leaders. Today we recognize elementary principals Rob Flanders, Kristin Munrett, and Tanya Delamater. Please take time to consider how our principals continue to help shape our community and pause to say "thank you." Nothing makes a principal happier than hearing kind words from students. Please encourage students to write thank you notes to their favorite principals. #thankaprincipal
Phase II of the Secondary Redesign efforts is underway. The work has evolved from the larger redesign committee structure to a more intentionally focused approach with each of our leadership communities. Our Teaching and Learning Department is working with each pathway community using the design thinking process. This opens up an entirely new way to think about our systems and structures to better understand our students, faculty and staff as we improve the path forward for our scholars and school community. Our work is to dig deeper and challenge assumptions about the secondary education system as we know it.
I'm happy to also share that earlier this week we kicked off the second year of the Patriot Leadership Academy which serves to encourage and support our current administrators as well as faculty interested in becoming a school or district leader. This "grow our own" initiative allows us to seek and recruit rising stars within our own district. The program consists of coaching and mentoring, workshops and problem-solving sessions, team building, discussion and practice of learning methods and best practices. We are fortunate to have such dedicated and inspiring faculty and staff that continue to help Schenectady rise.
Unity Day 2022 took place on October 19. Students and staff across the district participated by wearing orange to show unity for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion and to send a visible message that we stand united against bullying.
Thursday, after school, the district celebrated "Lights on After School," a nationwide event recognizing the importance of after school programs. Students from Mont Pleasant Middle School attended a "lights on" event at Schenectady High School. Thank you to Durham Transportation for providing free transportation for the students. It was an exciting event. Also, thank you to Mayor McCarthy and the city of Schenectady for proclaiming October 20, 2022 as "Lights on After School Day" in Schenectady.
We are looking to immediately hire for several positions including paraprofessionals, custodians, cleaners, secretaries, nurses, safety personnel and food service workers. Watch for information soon on two upcoming job fairs aimed at hiring for these positions. If you don't want to wait and wish to apply, you can do so here. We hope you consider joining our team.
Congratulations to Sela Tatum, this week's "Athlete of the Week." Sela is a leader on and off the volleyball court. She is also a member of our City as Our Campus Leadership Community.
So many wonderful and exciting things are going on. Thank you to everyone in our district and school community who is committed and working hard to ensure that all of our students have what they need to be successful. I am grateful to all of you. That is why we are #schenectadyrising
I hope you have a restful and enjoyable weekend. It looks like tomorrow is going to be another beautiful fall day. Unplug and enjoy.
Sincerely,
Anibal Soler, Jr.
Superintendent
National Principals Month 2022
Celebrating Our School Principals
YEAR 2 OF THE PATRIOT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
The second year of the Patriot Leadership Academy began earlier this week. Thank you to facilitators Lynn Rutnik (Deputy Superintendent), Tony Farina (Oneida Middle School Principal), Joe DiCaprio (Executive Director of Elementary School) and Tyrone O'Meally (Executive Director of Middle School)
LIGHTS ON AFTER SCHOOL
Mayor McCarthy signed a proclamation declaring October 20 "Lights on After School Day" in the city of Schenectady.
ALUMNI PROFILE
This week's featured alumni, Nicholas Clay, is a 2003 graduate of Schenectady High School who works as a mindfulness coach. Nicholas credits the strong relationships he's built in the Schenectady community with inspiring him to continue to give back to the community. "I've had an interesting journey that has brought me to where I am today filled with many people who have inspired and supported me."
Alumni
Would you like to be featured?
If you are an alumni of SCSD and would like to be featured, let us know by completing this online form.
UNITY DAY ACROSS THE DISTRICT
Union College STEP Visits MPMS & CPMS
Student mentors from Union College Science and Technology Entry Program visited middle schools students at Oneida and Mont Pleasant this week to build marble rollercoasters.
SHS Digital Arts Now on Twitter
Students started a new digital arts project this week highlighting Schenectady cityscapes. Follow @digitalartsshs on Twitter to check on their progress.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Everyone wore orange for Unity Day!
Farm to School
Help Schenectady Schools win prizes, including a virtual NFL experience, just for learning about New York Dairy farming. Visit Milkvids.com and follow the directions on the photo to enter the New York Thursdays promotion and one of our schools could win.
October is National Farm to School Month and National Apple Month! Our district gardens are being harvested by students, we continue with our monthly Harvest of the Month cafeteria taste tests with an apple kale salad, and on the 18th, honey from local farmer Mike Nally was delivered to all our elementary classrooms along with apples as part of the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program snack.
October is National Farm to School Month and National Apple Month! Our district gardens are being harvested by students, we continue with our monthly Harvest of the Month cafeteria taste tests with an apple kale salad, and on the 18th, honey from local farmer Mike Nally was delivered to all our elementary classrooms along with apples as part of the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program snack.
Staff Notes
Flu Shot Clinic for SCSD Employees
October 27 from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Schenectady High School Pool Lobby
Book Appointment
Mont Pleasant Middle School Health Office
Book Appointment
Bring a photocopy of your insurance card to the clinic.
Insurance Accepted: CDPHP, MVP, Cigna, BSNENY (Highmark), Blue Shield Western NY, Empire Blue Cross BlueShield, Medicare, Medicaid, The Empire Plan (NYSHIP), or cash, check or credit card.
Community Note
Scare-nectady Haunted Patrol Stops
Thursday, October 27
beginning at 5 p.m.
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