Good afternoon,

I hope you had a great week and all is well. I first want to say thank you to those who have shared feedback in response to the Schenectady Revitalization Plan 2030 proposal. I'm finding that many in the community share my enthusiasm and recognize the work outlined in this plan is needed. We will be sharing information every step of the way. We've also set up a section on our website where we will continue to post updates, documents, presentations and videos. You can find a button to this under the banner photo to the far right. We will also be launching a "Let's Talk" category where anyone from our school community can ask questions or share comments or concerns.

This month is "National Mentoring Month." It's a time to acknowledge the importance of mentoring and to make a point of thanking everyone who mentors, helps others, and serves as a positive role model. Let's celebrate the power of mentoring and focus on how we can all work together to make sure young people in our community have people to look up to. #NationalMentoringMonth

One of the many mentorship programs in our district is My Brother's Keeper. Just before the holiday break, the Mont Pleasant My Brother's Keeper group spoke about the significance of their adult mentors. Click below or watch the video on our YouTube Channel

Earlier this week, we held our elementary and secondary principals meetings. There was great discussion on many topics including the special education referral process, grading, literacy, hiring and interviewing and more. The purpose of these monthly meetings is to provide updates, discuss processes and procedures, to raise issues and concerns and to problem-solve and share best practices. We cover a lot of material in a short period of time. Thank you to our principals for being present and for the thoughtful discussion.

Yesterday, the SCSD Athletic Hall of Fame Committee announced that the 2023 inductees are John DeMeo, Jim Scott, and Gary Przybylo. Our district has an incredible history of outstanding athletes and the 2023 induction class is no different. The 1955-56 Nott Terrace High School Basketball Team will also be honored at the ceremony and dinner which is being planned for September 11, 2023 at The Event Center at Rivers Casino & Resort. Watch for more information soon. Information on the inductees is available here.

Members of our Human Resources team will be on hand at the Community Job Fair that will be held on January 19 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. downtown at Center City. We still have a variety of openings in our district. If you are interested in joining our team, stop down to the job fair, learn more and apply. You can take a look at our openings here.

I'm very proud of the work that our safety team has been doing. The "red shirts" have become very popular and are significant as anyone in our schools can easily identify a member of our safety team. This team continues to grow and embed themselves in the culture of our schools. Jeff Russo, District Director of Climate and Safety, will be doing an overview presentation on safety at the January 25 Board of Education Work Session. We do have a few openings for security monitors, school safety officers and a culture and community engagement officer for those of you who might be interested in joining our safety team. You can learn more about these positions here.

Pictured: Our Safety Team has grown to include over 70 members. Check out the collection of photos from around the district.

Our Extended Learning Programs are underway and going great. The team at Hamilton Elementary School started a fun new club for students that encourages them to work on writing skills. The autograph club sent letters out in December to a number of celebrities and the autographs and letters started coming back to students this week. Check out the first two autographs from Robert Englund and Lynda Carter. This is a great way to make learning fun! If you would like your child to attend the Extended Learning Program at your school, please contact your school principal.

As you probably know, we have so many amazing things going on at Schenectady High School including many opportunities for students to learn about local jobs and internships.

This week sCube Inc. met with SHS students interested in software and programming to share an opportunity to join the company as a paid intern during a six-week summer program. The program is in its 4th year and the company is looking to expand by creating a pipeline of high school and college interns that can become full-time employees at sCube Inc.'s Schenectady headquarters.

If you will be looking for something fun and educational for your children over February recess, we will be offering a STEAM camp for students in grade 1-5. The camp will run February 21 - 24 from 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. More information will be shared soon. I just wanted to provide a heads up.

Just another reminder that I'm forming a Superintendent's Advisory Council and are looking for students in grades 5 through 12 to participate. This is very important to me as we should always know what our students are thinking and feeling about decisions that potentially impact them. The flyer with more information can be downloaded here.

There is no school and district offices are closed on Monday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While it's nice to have a long weekend, I encourage you to attend a local celebration honoring Dr. King over the weekend or on Monday.

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Anibal Soler, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

This week's featured alumnae is Jackie Williams, a 2000 graduate of SHS, and business owner in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Recently, Jackie created the Schenectady Community Schools logo that you will see on items and school buildings. She credits a special relationship with a mentor at school for inspiring her creative side. "Mrs. Masucci at Oneida was never my teacher but she was a mentor in Classics Club and Olympics of the Visual Arts, which I participated in throughout my time at Oneida. I visited New York City and stayed the night in a hotel for the first time through Classics Club! Such an exciting experience for an 11 year old, I cherish those memories to this day."

ALUMNI

Would you like to be featured?

If you are an alumni of SCSD and would like to be featured, let us know by completing this online form.

You can view Alumni Profiles here.

Members of our safety team are so appreciated and loved that they've been asked to pose for still life drawings.

Dr. Shaun Mason, assistant superintendent of planning and accountability, and his brothers of the Phi Beta Sigma (ΦΒΣ) fraternity visited the students at Paige to talk about American agricultural scientist and inventor, George Washington Carver. He was a prominent scientific expert and one of the most famous African Americans of his time. According to Principal Jean-Pierre, they rocked it!

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.