Good afternoon,

I hope you are having a fantastic summer. It's hard to believe that we are almost in August and the start of school is just over a month away. We are working on preparations leading up to opening day and many of our teachers are spending summer working summer programs or participating in a variety of professional development opportunities. Our maintenance crew is working tirelessly to get our schools, classrooms, and grounds ready. I'm grateful for all our team is doing this summer to support our students. The first day of classes for students is Thursday, September 7. We will be sending information to all families in August including transportation schedules, back to school night schedules, and other back to school information.

We will be providing basic school supplies for elementary and middle school students. High school students will be provided with a list of supplies that will be needed.

We will welcome new staff back in late August as part of New Teacher Orientation.

We received some great news a few weeks ago. We were named by Governor Hochul as one of 12 districts statewide to be awarded $2.7 million in partnership with SUNY Schenectady, Ellis Medicine and the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce to deliver a program that is modeled in part after the successful Early College programming. Through the program, students will be able to earn college credit and career pathways will begin in 9th grade and include workplace learning. This is an exciting opportunity for our students. We will be sharing more during the school year.

The design and construction team provided an update on the Schenectady Revitalization Plan 2030 at the July 19 Board of Education Meeting. A master schedule has been developed outlining the plan, design and construction. Regular updates will continue to be provided as we move forward.

Summer programming is going well. We have a record-breaking 1,530 students enrolled in the Summer Enrichment Program alone, more than 300 staff members working and 16 student counselors. Students are having a good time and are enjoying the events and activities including swimming, fishing, video production, tennis, STEM and even an upcoming theatrical production. Watch the video below to hear from students of all ages and from all sites about what they like best about the program. Also check out the array of photos posted on our website and social media.

We are pleased to share that we will be holding a one-week summer program exclusively for all incoming 8th graders. The program will be held August 14-25 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Oneida Middle School. This is offered as part of a new grant called GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program) which is a national initiative designed to help students prepare for college beginning in 8th grade. The program will continue throughout the school year. Parents are invited to attend an information session on August 25, 5 p.m. at Oneida Middle School. Please let us know if your 8th grader will be attending the 2-week summer program and if you will be attending the kick-off meeting on August 25 by completing this short form by July 30.

Online Registration for fall sports is open. Register online here.

If you are new to our district, we are excited to welcome you. Elementary school orientations will be held as follows:

• Hamilton Elementary School, August 17, 9 - 11 a.m.

• Howe Elementary School, August 16, 12 - 2  p.m.

• Keane Elementary School, August 30, 4-6 p.m.

• Lincoln Elementary School, August 24, 9 - 11 a.m.

• Dr. M.L. King Elementary School, August 31, 12 - 1 p.m.

• Paige Elementary School, August 24, 3 - 4 p.m.

• Pleasant Valley Elementary School, August 22, 1 - 3 p.m.

• Van Corlaer Elementary School, August 23, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

• Woodlawn Elementary School, August 31, 5:30 - 7 p.m.

• Yates Elementary School, August 29, 10 - 12 p.m.

• Zoller Elementary School, September 5, 4 -6 p.m.

Please remember that all children attending school must receive all required vaccinations to attend and remain in school. This is a New York State requirement. We don't want your children to miss any school days because they don't have their vaccinations. Click here for a list of immunization requirements for school.

Ellis Family Health Center is hosting their annual Back-to-School Vaccination Clinic to help children get their school vaccinations in a timely manner. This is a walk-in service. No appointment is needed.

Tuesday, August 22 and Thursday, August 24
4:30 - 8 p.m.
Family Health Center, 624 McClellan St. Suite 101, Schenectady, NY

What You'll Need: Please bring a printed copy of any vaccine record and documentation from the school (to assist in identifying vaccination needs) and insurance card.

For more information call: 518-382-2260

During the last school year, we partnered with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practitioners from Tangible Development to help guide us with our DEI efforts. Our faculty and staff provided input and shared their experiences and thoughts on how we can improve. After we return to school, we will share more information and will be asking parents, students, and community to participate and provide input. Please watch for more soon.

In closing, here are a few reminders:

• We have a job fair coming up on August 10 from 7:30 a.m. - noon at Oneida Middle School. More here.

• The 2023-2024 School Safety Plan comment period is open through August 16. More here.

• The 518 Common Unity Cup kicks off on August 1 at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School on August 1 at 4 p.m.

Watch for the 2022-2023 Spotlight on Schenectady which will hit your mailboxes in August.

I will send out another update in late August with back to school information and updates. In the interim, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

I'm excited for the new school year and can't wait to welcome you and our students back. Please enjoy the remainder of your summer.

Anibal Soler, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

The following were appointed by the Board of Education in June and July. 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 and Volume 2 Briefs, click here.