Back to School Reminders

Please note there is a change to the elementary school schedule.  School Hours in 2023-2024 are as follows:

• Elementary School (Pre-K through Grade 5):  7:45 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.

• Middle School (Grades 6-8):  8:25 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

• High School (Grades 9-12):  8:25 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Letter to Families
Click here to download the letter and calendar that was mailed to all families in August.

Contact Information
Please be sure your contact information is always up to date. We will be sending notifications, reminders, news and updates using push notifications, email, phone and text messages. It's important that we can reach you. Please contact your child's school if you need to update your contact information. School contact information is on the backside of the calendar.

Breakfast and Lunch
We are pleased to let you know that our district will be implementing a meal certification option available to schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2023-2024 School Year. That means all students in any Schenectady City School District Schools are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at no charge each day of the school year. No further action is required by you. Your children will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit an application. If you have any questions, please contact our Food Service Manager.

You should have received "back to school" information from your child's teacher or school. If you have not received anything, please let them know.

You can reach us through Let’s Talk 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Submit your question, concern, or idea by going to our website and clicking on the Let’s Talk button on the right-hand side or by texting 518-900-7318.

It's been an exciting and very busy summer. During the month of August, 8th graders attended the Gear Up Program at Oneida Middle School. If you have a child who is in 8th grade, you'll be hearing more about Gear Up. Many of our schools held new student orientations and welcome back events over the last few weeks. We also welcomed approximately 125 new teachers and clinicians at New Teacher Orientation earlier this week. Below are photos from a few of our events.

While many of our administrators, maintenance staff (who have been working tirelessly to prepare our schools for opening day), and other staff members worked over the summer, we are excited to welcome all faculty and staff back on Tuesday.

For photos and more, visit our website.

Thank you to First New York Federal Credit Union and the Schenectady Educational Foundation for providing our new teachers with gif cards for classroom supplies.

We had a great turnout of families and students during Thursday's Freshmen Connection orientation. SHS and Freshmen Academy staff are ready to thrive in 9.

The 518 Unity Cup has been going on all summer. The finale was held on the turf field at Schenectady High School Thursday evening.

Congrats to our high school seniors who worked hard over the summer to earn a high school diploma. Persistence and commitment pays off. Each student has their own story and we are proud of them. A ceremony was held on August 24 at Schenectady High School.

All questions regarding P-EBT benefits should be directed to the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA).

• Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available here.

• The online form is available here.

The Schenectady City School District Educational Foundation is planning the annual Education Celebration which will be held at Proctors on April 11, 2024.  The foundation will be recognizing an Outstanding Graduate of the Schenectady schools and an individual or organization providing important service to the students and community in Schenectady. If you have someone in mind for either of these awards, please complete the nomination by following this link: https://www.scsdef.org/awards/nominations"

I wish you a great start to the new school year and look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

Anibal Soler, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

The following were appointed by the Board of Education in August. If you are new to the district, "Welcome to Schenectady."

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.