Good afternoon,

I hope all is going well and that you had a great week.

I'll kick off my brief today with another reminder that this month is National Principals Month. Today I am pleased to feature and thank four elementary school principals, Christina Howard, Michelle Manners, Kerri Messler and Patrick Jean-Pierre. Our school leaders work hard every day and are committed to the success of all of students. #thankaprincipal

The Grading Committee has been meeting and engaging in dialogue over the last year to develop clear guidelines for grading expectations including work to provide greater clarification when it comes to grading Academic Intervention Services (AIS) and English as a New Language (ENL). The committee will continue its work to develop a grading policy that is equitable and meaningful. As I've mentioned before (September 9 Brief) we will be moving away from averaging and traditional grading practices.

As you know, last Friday was a Superintendent's Conference Day. I'll share a little about what that is for those who might not know or who wonder why kids don't have school. A Superintendent's Conference Day is a full day of learning that includes all our faculty and staff. Not everyone participates in the same professional development activities. The sessions and activities are specialized trainings tailored to an employee's role in the district. For example, elementary teachers participated in training around our new reading program and iReady platform. Attendance specialists and paraprofessionals collaborated with community partners to discuss ways to support families and to eliminate attendance barriers. School counselors participated in training and collaborated to discuss the comprehensive counseling plan. Restorative practice specialists attended sessions with social workers. Paraprofessionals and teaching assistants learned about supporting students with disabilities in all areas. All members of our safety team participated in safety-related training as well as trust and team-building activities. Secretaries, all of our maintenance staff, parent liaisons and program specialists all participated in collaborative learning sessions designed to support them in their work each day. I'm proud of our team and appreciate everyone's dedication and willingness to learn and grow. It's how we continue to rise.

Congratulations to Varsity Boys Soccer Player Rashid Okine, our Patriot Athlete of the Week. #PatriotPride You can catch Rashid, or any of our student athletes in action, by attending a game. We all appreciate your support. You can find the schedule here. I hope to see you there.

I want to thank Bernice Rivera, our Board of Education President, for visiting Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School to read about and discuss her history in the Dominican Republic. On Wednesday evening at the Board of Education meeting, Ms. Rivera spoke about how much she enjoyed reading and talking with the students. #HispanicHeritageMonth

Diwali is a festival of lights and is one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. The festival usually lasts five days and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika. Diwali begins on Monday, October 24 this year. At the October 12 Board of Education meeting, Schenectady High School students performed traditional celebration dances. Watch the video to hear more about Diwali and see highlights of the student performance.

Thank you to Clarkson University and Rise High for inviting us to be part of a fantastic ceremony this week. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Marc Christensen, the new Clarkson University President, to our community.

As you know, we launched our "City As Our Campus" initiative this school year. The students are enjoying their classes at Proctors and SUNY Schenectady. Earlier this week, Deputy Superintendent Lynne Rutnik caught some feedback on video from students who attending at Proctors. If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.

Our high school redesign work continues to be underway. We look forward to sharing more about potential programs and opportunities in the near future. #schenectadyrising

I love spending time in our schools and visiting with staff and students. Today, I had great visits at Hamilton, King and Central Park.

I wish you a restful and fun weekend. I know we have many football and baseball fans in our community so it should be an exciting weekend for all of you. The forecast looks sunny and nice so I hope you take advantage and get out and enjoy the fresh air.

See you Monday,

Anibal Soler, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

National Principals Month 2022

Hamilton Elementary School

King Elementary School

Watch this video to learn about Diwali and see highlights of the student performances.

We were pleased to join Clarkson and Rise High for a "ribbon-joining" ceremony earlier this week.

Mont Pleasant High School and Siena Alumnae Dawn Vavala (center) was recognized at a Siena College Entrepreneur Dinner this week. Natalya Harris (right), a Schenectady High School Senior and business owner and Dr. Cotto also attended.

Goldy Muhammad, author of "Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy" saw a tweet from Paige Elementary about their new mural featuring one of her quotes. The mural was painted by 2022 graduate, Alyssa Gangaram, who attended Paige Elementary as a child. Gangaram has contributed a number of original designs to Paige, and also the district's BookMobile. Check it out on Twitter here.

Check out these Keane Dragons who earned "Dragon Bucks" for being respectful, responsible and safe in school. See on Twitter here.

Harvest of the Month Taste Testing

September's Harvest of the Month is tomato. Food Services will be offering tastings of tomato and corn salad in all our school cafeterias on Friday, September 23, and then will get feedback from students on what they liked. If a majority of students like the dish, it will be incorporated into our school lunch menus. Several varieties of tomatoes are grown in NY state, including during the winter months. These are usually grown hydroponically in climate controlled greenhouses.  Tomatoes are a great source of vitamins C and A, and can help keep blood sugar levels in check. If your child is not sure about trying tomatoes, cook them down into a tasty sauce to serve over spaghetti.

Logo Contest
The Schenectady City School District is holding a contest to design a winning logo for our Farm to School program. Top three logo designs will receive a Stewart's Gift Card of $25 (1st place) $20 (2nd place) or $15 (3rd place) Visit here for more details and requirements. Designs must be submitted to Rebekka Henriksen by October 30.

Flu Shot Clinic for SCSD Employees

October 27 from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Schenectady High School Pool Lobby
Book Appointment

Mont Pleasant Middle School Health Office
Book Appointment

Bring a photocopy of your insurance card to the clinic.

Insurance Accepted: CDPHP, MVP, Cigna, BSNENY (Highmark), Blue Shield Western NY, Empire Blue Cross BlueShield, Medicare, Medicaid, The Empire Plan (NYSHIP), or cash, check or credit card.

Letter Regarding Grading

Click here for a letter from the Grading Committee regarding grading.

Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp
Fall Spooktacular

Saturday, October 15
Noon- 4 p.m.
Around City Hall and Jay Street
Download Flyer

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