Schenectady City School District

Issue No. 10, October 25, 2024

Good afternoon,

I hope you had a great week and are finding some time to enjoy this beautiful fall weather.

I'm pleased to share that on Wednesday the Board of Education adopted the 2024-2030 "Schenectady 30" Strategic Plan. Please familiarize yourself with the plan. Moving forward, we will refer to the plan often and will connect work and progress to the pillars.

As you see, the pillars of excellence are the same as the previous plan. They remain relevant, critical to the success of our students, and will continue to drive our actions through 2030. Within each pillar we have set new priorities. We do continue to prioritize inclusivity and equity.

The plan was developed after receiving input by members representing all corners of the community. The top five priorities identified from the input included 1) safety, 2) programs and services, 3) rigorous curriculum, 4) high-quality teachers, and 5) a positive school culture.

The four pillars are:

Student and Graduate Success
Every student in SCSD will have the academic capacity and skills that prepares them for life and career success.
Passionate People
SCSD will recruit, train, and support a world class workforce focused on growth, wellness, and continuous improvement for the benefit of students and families.
Partnerships with Families and Community
SCSD will build strong partnerships with family and community members, enhance after-school programming, and expand community school models to support student learning.
Efficient Systems and Equitable Resources
SCSD will ensure the financial sustainability, facilities maintenance, and equitable resource allocation to ensure students and personnel have access to safe learning environments.

Please refer to the document or visit our website for more information including goals for each pillar.

The District Data Committee will work with stakeholders to develop a dashboard that shows the power metrics outlined in the plan. Keep in mind, the plan is designed to be high-level and to provide overarching goals guided by our district's vision.

We will continue to set annual goals, strategies, and progress monitoring measures that are aligned to our strategic plan. We will review, monitor and adjust these each year.

Again, you will be hearing references to this plan often. Please feel free to ask questions at any time here.

Also at the board meeting, representatives from Planned Parenthood provided a presentation on their programming. They shared data, spoke about how they served the district a few years back, provided an update on current programs they offer, and asked the board to consider bringing their programs back. I explained that the district will be hearing from a variety of organizations and health resource providers and will consider all information moving forward.

SEI also provided an update on the capital project work taking place across the district. At this point, all projects are running on schedule.

Next meeting: The Board of Education will hold a work session on Wednesday, November 6 at 6:30 p.m.

Safety Fair

Thank you to everyone who attended the Safety Fair held yesterday at Schenectady High School and to the vendors who demonstrated the weapon screening systems and answered questions. We collected feedback from those who attended to learn to what system they preferred. If you attended and did not complete the survey or if you are familiar with the systems and have a preference, you can share your feedback here.

Safety Round Table

Thank you to those who attended the safety round table meeting last week. We discussed how the committee should look moving forward. I appreciate those who took time to attend and share their thoughts.

Lights on Afterschool

The 21st Century Program participated in the national 25th annual Lights On Afterschool event yesterday. Lights On Afterschool is held to celebrate and recognize afterschool programs and the importance of these programs in the lives of children, families and communities. More than 8,000 events nationwide showcased the many ways afterschool and summer programs support students and families. We held a variety of activities such as STEAM, Ghanaian Drumming, arts and crafts, writing, team building activities and so much more.

Conversations with students

Thank you to the middle and high school students and community members who joined me for the conversation last week. I enjoyed listening to concerns and hearing their ideas. Their voices, insight and wisdom matters greatly and has an impact on our planning and decision-making. I am grateful to everyone who came to the table and I promise to continue to listen.

Coffee Chats

This week, I also held my first two Coffee Chats. Thank you to the parents and faculty members who stopped by. It was great to chat with you. I appreciate your input and feedback and I will follow-up with anything you bring to my attention. I welcome anyone in our school community to stop by to any of the upcoming chats. The next dates are November 21 at 6 p.m. and November 22 at 7 a.m.

Reading at Lincoln

I enjoyed a visit to Lincoln Elementary School this week and reading with the students.

Photo: Dr. Cotto with students at Lincoln

PSAT/SAT Day at SHS

SAT School Day is an opportunity for all SHS students to take the SAT free of charge during regular school hours. This removes barriers such as having to pay a fee, needing transportation to a different location, and having to take the test on a Saturday when students and families often have other obligations. Approximately 800 students took the exam yesterday morning at Schenectady High School.

While I was visiting the high school yesterday, I ran into Reyah Drepaul, a 10th grader who was at school to take the PSAT. She's looking to go into forensics.

SAT Test Scam Call

We were notified by NYSED that throughout New York State, there are parents and/or guardians of students who have recently taken an SAT or PSAT exam and are receiving scam calls. These calls are requesting that the parent/guardian provide personal information, including a credit card number, to mail the test results.

Please let this serve as a reminder that you should not share personal or financial information over the phone with unsolicited callers. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately.

Additional tips about how to protect yourself from SAT test-related scams can be found on the Better Business Bureau website and below:

Always be wary of unsolicited callers: If you receive a random call from someone asking for payment, research their organization before sharing any personal information.
Double check with your child: If someone claims they're calling because of a service your child requested, hang up and check with your child first.
Understand the College Board's practices: The College Board will never ask you for your bank or credit card information over the phone or through email.
Don't give your financial information to strangers: Never agree to pay a stranger with any form of payment for a purchase you didn't initiate.

If you have further questions, please reach out to:

Privacy Office and Information Security Office
NYS Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234

Phone: 518-474-0937
Email: Privacy@nysed.gov

Art Shows

Please be sure to take notice of the amazing creative talents of our students around the city and in the Butzel Gallery.

Check out the beautiful art installation that lines the fence on Grand Blvd. The IB Art Class at the high school, local artists, and Safe Inc. collaborated on the creation of this show. The objective is to create awareness. I was over there when the pieces were being hung last Friday. It's incredible. Please pause and take a look.

Here are a few pics from the Amazing Weather/John Hampshire art show that is hanging in the Butzel Gallery at Schenectady High School through November 4. This is just a tease of the show. Please stop by and check out all the beautiful pieces that are part of this show. It's truly incredible. I am so proud of our students.

The Traveling Art Show opened at Schenectady City Hall Thursday. This show includes art work from students in all grades from across the district. If you are at or near city hall, please stop and take notice. It was great to see all the students and parents at this magnificent show. We will let you know where and when it will be installed next. Thank you to Mayor McCarthy for taking time to recognize our students and congratulate them. He presented each artist with a certificate.

NYSSBA Convention

Thank you members of our student support team who gave a presentation at the NYSSBA Convention and Education Expo earlier this week on nurturing the whole student . They represented our district well and did a great job talking about how to provide a culture of care.

FNYFCU 20th Anniversary Celebration of SHS Branch

Last week, the Patriot Branch of the First New York Federal Credit Union, celebrated the 20th Anniversary. Thank you to the credit union who continues to be a partner to the school district. This student-led branch provides amazing opportunities for our students and a great service to the students and staff in school.

Thank you to Alltown Fresh

Thank you Alltown Fresh and all in the Schenectady community who bought coffee in September. The local and corporate management team presented Schenectady High School Principal Dennis Green with a $2,600 check towards prom night activities for students. Students always receive a discount with their ID!

Rooms Support

Rooms is the district's two-way communication tool for parents and teachers. It can be accessed from our website and the district app. There is no cost.

If you are not currently active in Rooms, please sign up now. Every parent has been emailed information including a code to set up your account for your students. Please check your email for this information.

If we have a correct phone number in the system for you, you can also access your account by clicking on the phone icon on the Rooms app sign-in page. Enter your phone number and you will receive a code to put in. If you follow the steps and do not receive a code, we probably do not have updated information in the system. Please contact your child's school to update your contact information.

For resources and support navigating rooms, please click here.

Exciting concert coming to Mont Pleasant.

We are pleased to welcome Raphaël Feuillâtre, a Djibouti-born, France-raised young artist considered to be one of the finest guitarists in the world and who has an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon recording contract. He will be performing at Mont Pleasant Middle School on November 14 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is pay as you wish. Students are free. For more information visit this website: https://capitalregionclassical.org/product/feuillatre/

Grading Information Sessions

We will be hosting three information sessions for parents on grading. These sessions are to discuss the new grading policy that the board adopted, changes as a result of the policy, and will give parents an opportunity to ask questions. We are asking parents to register to attend. Sessions are:

October 29, 6:30 p.m., Keane Elementary School
November 7, 5:30 p.m., Virtual Session
November 13, 5:15 p.m., Schenectady High School

Road Work Taking Place Near Howe and SHS

The city of Schenectady informed us that upcoming paving work will impact the traffic flow near Howe and Schenectady High School. The work will begin Monday, October 28 at 6 a.m. and is expected to be completed by November 4 at 6 p.m.

The paving will be on Union St. from Van Antwerp Rd. in Niskayuna through McClellan St.

Union St.will become one way with east-to-west traffic flow.

A flagger will be positioned in the morning from 7 - 8 a.m. and 2 - 3 p.m. to allow for bus traffic from Baker onto Union St. (right hand turn only).

We wanted to make you aware in advance so you can plan your travel to and from school while the paving takes place.

We will let you know if anything changes.

Daylight Saving Time Ends November 3

Don't forget to turn your clocks back at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3.

Winter Sports Registration

Winter Sports registration is open. Click here to register today: https://students.arbitersports.com/organizations/schenectady-city-school-district-athletics

Please don't forget to come out and support our athletes. There are many events on the schedule this weekend including cross-country, swimming and diving, football, and soccer. The sports schedule is online here.

Halloween is coming up. This is often a fun and exciting day for young children. Please check out the safety tips on safekids.org

There is no school for students on Tuesday, November 5. This is a professional development day for faculty and staff in the district. This is also Election Day. Please do not forget to vote.

Wishing you a fun and restful weekend,

Dr. Carlos M. Cotto, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

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