On Wednesday, we had an exciting event in which we shared information about how our district has removed barriers and are providing families with increased and easy access to food by offering food pantries across the district.

Thanks to the kindness, generosity and support of many community partners, each of our elementary schools has a food pantry serving our families who need the support. The food pantries have replaced the weekend backpack program. Instead of sending backpacks full of preselected food for one student, families now select their food from stocked pantries and can take as much as they need to feed their entire family. The pantries are part of our effort to develop and expand the community school model.

We could not do this work without the amazing support of our community parters. Each of our partners offers a unique contribution from financial support and food donations to providing storage cabinets for food, and volunteer time. Thank you to SICM, MVP Healthcare, Broadview Federal Credit Union, the Regional Food Bank, the Schenectady Foundation, Justice for Orphans, United Way, Liberty Church, Food Pantries for the Capital District and others.

Thank you to Dr. Cotto, Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, Equity, and Engagement and Kayla Ambesi, Community School Supervisor, for leading this effort and to the Innovation, Equity, and Engagement team for the commitment and hard work.

We will be holding a Spanish-speaking Strategic Plan focus group on Tuesday, February 8, 5:30 p.m. at Hamilton Elementary School. You can register by clicking here.

We are pleased to announce that Schenectady High School is now an AVID Certified Site, for the first time. Congratulations to our dedicated AVID staff and students for this incredible accomplishment. Thank you to Corrina Heggan, SHS AVID coordinator, for her leadership. 

Since its inception in 2015, Schenectady High School has seen the AVID program grow  over the years, gaining momentum and traction as it expanded upwards.  In 2019, SHS graduated its first cohort of AVID graduates with a 100% graduation rate.

Currently SCSD offers AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, for our 6-12 students. If you are unfamiliar with  AVID, please visit their website https://www.avid.org/# or call your student’s school counselor. Additionally you can email Carmella Parente, the District Director for AVID, or Corinna Heggan for questions specific to the 9-12 SHS program.

Congratulations to Coach Brian Melanson on his 100th win coaching the Schenectady Swim Team.

If your child needs mental health support, we offer Gaggle Therapy, in which students are matched with licensed counselors who provide weekly 45-minute therapy session held on evenings and weekends.

If you are interested in having your child participate in Gaggle Therapy, please reach out to any member of your child's school Student Support (SSS) Team. The SSS staff member will connect with Gaggle who will reach out to you to explain the program and obtain your consent.

The Schenectady Foundation is offering two Anna Hudson Erbacher Scholarships to Schenectady County students pursuing a career in education. The scholarship provides a total of $10,000 per recipient, paid in equal installments of $2,500 per year, subject to continued qualification. The selection of scholarship recipients is based on academic performance, financial need, character, and extracurricular activities.  More information and the application is available here. Anna Hudson Erbacher was a teacher in our district. This scholarship is intended to support students who share her passion to teach.

Our district offers pre-kindergarten programs for 3 year olds and 4 year olds. Students are selected through a random lottery selection process. Lottery applications will be available in mid-March. We will share widely once they become available.

We are hiring teachers! We will be holding a district job fair on March 19 and are looking to hire immediately. You can apply today here.

Next week National School Counseling Week. This is to bring attention to the hard work and contributions of our school counselors. School counselors have tremendous impact on helping students achieve success. The 2024 theme is "School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused." Please take a moment to stop by and see your school counselor to say "thank you."

As I mentioned in my brief last week, February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans. Below is a video for children that explains why we celebrate Black History Month, the origin, notable Black Americans, and ways to celebrate at home or in school.

The next Board of Education meeting will be held Wednesday, February 7, 6:30 p.m. in the Mont Pleasant Middle School Auditorium. The meeting will include initial budget information and updates from student support services and teaching and learning.

Click here for upcoming sporting events. There are cheerleading, swimming/diving and wrestling events taking place tomorrow.

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Anibal Soler Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

The Blue Roses Theatre Company is excited to announce their second production of the season: From the Mouths of Monsters by Idris Goodwin. The play follows teen poet Michelle, who is used to fading into the background. Performing at a poetry slam feels impossible, until she is offered a mask with the power to remove the wearer’s doubts. But when the mask proves to have other strange powers, Michelle must dig deeper to find her true voice.

Performances will take place in the William W. Ziskin Black Box Theater at SHS on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, February 8th, 9th, & 10th at 7:00pm, with an additional 2pm matinee on Saturday. Tickets are $5 for General Admission, $2 for Senior Citizens, and free for SCSD students and staff. Please see the poster designed by Digital Arts student Ethan Whiting for more information.

Oneida Middle School students completed their health lesson about nutrition and fitness by blending up some delicious fresh fruit smoothies on the district's popular blender bikes.

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, 2 and 3 briefs click here.