Schenectady City School District

Issue No. 4, September 27 2024

Good afternoon,

I hope this update finds you well. I will start today by saying "thank you" to everyone in our school community who attended the listening session Tuesday evening, the board meeting Wednesday and to all who reached out through Let's Talk and other ways. We received important input in response to recent events with many thoughts and ideas regarding how we can improve as we move forward. Please continue to reach out. We want to hear from you. Safety is always our top priority and we want to do everything that we can do to ensure that all students, staff, and visitors not only feel safe but are safe in our schools and on our grounds.

I understand that this has been a difficult few weeks, but please know that I and my leadership team share your concerns and we are committed to listening and taking the steps necessary to improve. We hear you and are taking action. I have included the summary of key discussion and responses from the session on Tuesday here.

The Board of Education will continue the safety discussion, including conversations about weapon screening systems, on Monday, September 30 at 6 p.m. at 530 Liberty St. This is a special session, open to the public. Public comment will be allowed for 30 minutes at the beginning of the meeting and 30 minutes at the end of the meeting. Each speaker will be allowed three minutes.

If you attend the meeting, please enter through the main entrance under the awning. If you plan to speak, please sign up when you arrive. There will be two sheets available for sign up. There will be one in the main lobby, which is used as an overflow room, and one in the Board of Education meeting room. Once seating is at capacity in the BOE room, all visitors will be seated in the main lobby. You will still be able to watch the meeting and will be called to make comment when it's your turn.

As I mentioned Tuesday evening, I will be holding monthly listening sessions. October dates are as follows:

• October 24, 6 p.m., 530 Liberty St.

• October 25, 7 a.m., 530 Liberty St.

We will be sharing the November and December dates soon.

I'm also including a link to the safety presentation that Mr. Russo provided at the board meeting Wednesday and a link to the safety overview video that I recently shared. Please remember that you can reach out to us any time through Let's Talk.

Rosh Hashana Holiday

At the board meeting Wednesday, the board approved a resolution designating October 3 as a holiday in which the district will be closed in observance of Rosh Hashanah. In addition to no school for students and teachers, all district offices will be closed and all staff will be off on this day.

This Week

Earlier this week I had the great honor of hearing Colleen Keough, who is our Teacher of the Year and the 2025 New York State Teacher of the Year, speak at the NYS Council of School Superintendents Fall Leadership Summit. As you can see, we also had the opportunity to spend some time with our former and Yonkers current superintendent, Anibal Soler, Jr.

This week I, along with Andrea Tote-Freeman, Juliet Benaquisto, Bernice Rivera, Nohelani Etienne, and Mike Silvestri, attended the NYSUT Disconnected conference. This event brought educators together to explore the impact of cellphones, social media, and technology on children, school and learning. Governor Hochul, AFT President Randi Weingarten and many others were in attendance. The conference included conversations and panel discussion about the challenge and how everyone can work together to problem-solve what is best for students.

After School Programs

Registration for Elementary After School Programs is still open. Please see the flyer and links below to register. The programs begin October 15 and run through the end of the school year.

Farm to Wheels

The Farm to Family Wheels Program brings free fresh produce to the community. Just bring your bag and pick up your produce. The truck will run October 2, October 10, October 24, and October 30. The truck is at each stop for a half hour.

The schedule is as follows:

• 4:30 p.m., Mont Pleasant Back Lot, 1121 Forest Road

• 5:15 p.m., Family Opportunity Center 120 Emmons St.

• 6 p.m., Northside Village across from Hudson St.

• 6:45 p.m., Schenectady High School by the tennis courts, 1445 The Plaza

Job Fairs

Our Human Resources department is holding a monthly job fair on the third Wednesday of each month from 2 - 4 p.m. at 530 Liberty St. We are hiring for a variety of different positions. Current Openings Apply Online here.

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) is a time to celebrate and recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanics in the United States. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by learning more about the rich history and culture of the Hispanic community. Here are 10 fun facts about Hispanics in the U.S. Source is the Hispanic Star Children's Toolkit 2024.

Principal Appreciation Month

October is National Principal Appreciation Month. I want to express heartfelt gratitude to the amazing principals who lead our schools. Every day, our principals inspire teachers, staff, and students. They navigate challenges and create environments where your children can thrive.

To our principals, thank you for all that you do and for making a difference in the lives of so many.

Plan join me in recognizing, thanking and honoring our principals for their tireless efforts and dedication to student success. Let’s all take a moment to #ThankAPrincipal and show our appreciation for their invaluable contributions to our schools and community.

Athletic Events

Please come out and support our athletes! The schedule of events is available online here. I hope to see you there.

Volunteer in the Community

I sometimes join the Street Soldiers of Schenectady.  The street soldiers are a caring group of grass roots volunteers who help out in various ways in the community. They hold a variety of events throughout the year supporting different causes, and each week they provide food and other necessary items such as personal hygiene supplies, items for pets, and so much more.   The Street Soldiers have an open door volunteer policy, and they are always looking for volunteers. They meet every Sunday (rain or shine) in the parking lot of the Zion Lutheran Church at 3 p.m. You can just show up and help out. For more information about what they do, visit their Facebook page here. Some volunteers choose to bring items for distribution.  It is not a requirement to bring anything to share in order to volunteer. If you can, please consider volunteering your time.

Reminders

• October 3: No School/District Offices Closed (Rosh Hashanah)

• October 4: Emergency Early Release - All students will be dismissed 15 minutes earlier than usual. Buses will be bringing kids home 15 minutes earlier than usual. This is a required annual drill to test the emergency communication systems.

• October 14: No School/District Offices Closed (Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day)

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work together to make the changes necessary for our students. We are in this together and I appreciate you all.

I wish you a great weekend and look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

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

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