Good afternoon,

I know everyone is anxious to get on with the long weekend so I'll try to keep my update brief today.

I will start with a huge "thank you" to the Schenectady community for approving our 2024-2025 Budget proposal and both propositions on Tuesday. Congratulations to Jamaica Miles who was re-elected to the Board of Education and Alexandria Carver who was elected to her first term and will take her seat on the board in July. I also wish to extend a huge "thank you" to Erica Brockmyer who has been serving on the board for the last three years. She will be entering the last month of her term in June. We appreciate her service to our schools and community.

At Wednesday's Board of Education meeting, Rebecca Gleason and Michael Kovall from the Office of Teaching and Learning, presented the 3rd quarter academic report. The report includes English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics assessment participation rates and an overview of scores. We made improvements in some areas across all grade levels and have many opportunities to improve. Ms. Gleason and Mr. Kovall spoke about next steps which include the following:

The report also includes passing rates for all schools. We are happy to share that seven elementary schools show an improvement. At the elementary level we will continue implementation of Tier 1 curriculum across all schools (English, math, social studies). At the secondary level, we will continue the expansion and development of leadership communities and pathways and provide professional development to school leaders with a focus on ensuring all students have the supports and resources they need to be educationally successful, passing courses and graduating from high school.

As you know, the first part of my entry plan as superintendent is to listen and learn. I've been in schools, meeting with school leaders, faculty/staff, and students, and I've been out in the community meeting with leaders and many of our partners. This week, I met with staff members at Hamilton Elementary School, members of our Restorative Practice team, Board Vice President Nohelani Etienne and today I met with board member Vivian Parsons. Earlier this week I was pleased to welcome and meet with Mayor Gary McCarthy at our Family and Community Engagement Center.

Next week I have meetings scheduled with Schenectady High School Principal Dennis Green and SUNY Schenectady President Dr. Steady Moono.

I had the great honor of joining Lieutenant Governor Anthony Delgado and Chancellor John B. King, Jr. for the launch of the Empire State Service Corps at SUNY Schenectady on Tuesday,

Today we celebrated the Superintendent Student Advisory Council and had our last gathering of the school year. We enjoyed lunch at the pavilion at Central Park and had another great discussion. I'm grateful to all the students who take the time to meet with me and share what is important to students. It's important that we continue to listen to student thoughts and ideas. I look forward to reconvening the council in the next school year. We will be looking to fill the open seats.

Congratulations to all the underclassmen who were recognized at the Schenectady High School Leadership Community Recognition and Awards night held Tuesday evening. I'm looking forward to Senior Awards Night on June 11. This is a wonderful night of recognition and an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our graduating seniors.

I offered congratulations to the Schenectady High School Class of 2024 Top 10 students in my video message last week but want to again highlight them. They will be recognized at the June ceremony.

I'm always proud when our students are asked to speak at public events and represent our district. Schenectady High School Senior Omarion Pedragon was invited by Junior Achievement to be a guest speaker at the Capital Region Business Hall of Fame event at The Crowne Plaza last week. He was exceptional and proudly represented Schenectady High School. Way to represent, Omarion!

Congratulations to the 27 Schenectady High School students who participated in the 5th Annual Business Plan Competition at SUNY Schenectady. Students developed business plans and presented them to local business owners, SUNY Schenectady staff, SHS staff, and district administration. Students incorporated personal stories, financial data, marketing strategies, prototypes, and samples. Prizes were awarded to the top five teams as follows:

1st Place: Sumayaa Mohammed and Hutashan Hardat, Sweet Heaven's Delight
2nd Place: Izaiah Jones, Impact Zone 81
3rd Place: Ramesh Ramoatar, Munchies Vending
4th Place: Jerrmey Appan, Tropical Treats
5th Place: Chandanie Sugrim, Ashley's Caribbean Grocery Store

Thank you to Ms. Nicole Peek at the high school and Mr. Matthew Farron at SUNY Schenectady for organizing the event. We also want to thank The Schenectady Educational Foundation for making this event possible. I had a great time talking with the students and learning about their business plans.

Congratulations to the students from Howe, Paige, Keane, and Woodlawn elementary schools who participated in the "Girls on the Run" capital region event last weekend. Girls on the Run programs inspire our young ladies to recognize their inner strength, increase their physical activity, imagine possibilities and confidently stand up for themselves and others. I was very proud seeing them, and members of our team including Dr. Jean-Pierre, in action last Saturday. I told them I would begin preparing now so that I can run in the 5K with them next year.

I want to give a shout out to Schenectady High School Music Teacher Jennifer Lamb and the high school Serendaers Choir which will be performing music in the Parks Festival at Six Flags New England tomorrow, May 24. The students will be rated and receive constructive feedback.

The Serenaders will also be performing a medley from Les Miserables at the Festival of Young Artists at SPAC on June 2 from 2 - 5 p.m.

Thank you to everyone in our school community who provided input and feedback on the district-wide safety survey. If you haven't participated yet it's not too late. The survey will be open for another five days. We are seeking feedback from everyone in our schools community. The links are below:

• FACULTY / STAFF SURVEY

• PARENT SURVEY

• STUDENT SURVEY

• SCSD COMMUNITY SURVEY

Also, thank you to our parents, guardians, and caregivers who participated in a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) focus group this month. The last two focus groups will be held next week. It's not too late to sign up. Information about focus groups and the schedule is located here. The password for focus group registration has been emailed to families. If you did not receive the password and want to participate, please let us know by clicking here.

I will be presenting my 90-day plan to the Board of Education in early June. I will also share it with the school community and provide regular updates. More to come in June.

There is no school and district offices are closed tomorrow, May 24 and Monday, May 27. While Memorial Day is considered by many as the unofficial start of summer, let's remember that it is a day to celebrate, honor and remember the brave men and women who died serving our country.

I wish you a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Carlos M. Cotto, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

May 24 and May 27
No School

May 31
Blue Roses Theatre Department presents a series of Student-Written Plays (See flyer below)
May 31, 7 p.m. and June 1, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m., SHS Black Box Theatre

May 31
World War II Plaque Rededication (See flyer below)
5:30 p.m., Mont Pleasant Middle School

June 1
Read is Fun Scrabble-Rama

June 5
Board of Education Meeting
6:30 p.m., Mont Pleasant Middle School Schenectady Room.

June 24
SHS Key Club Blood Drive
June 24 from noon - 5 p.m. in Proctors Key Hall.
To schedule an appointment go to www.redcrossblood.org

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

To download as a pdf, click here.

File Cabinet: For the index updates, click here.