Splash Zone Alert! On Tuesday, Blue Creek Principal Chris Turcio took the plunge—again and again—as every grade had a chance to splash him! The reason? Blue Creek Elementary raised $3,278 for the Read for Ronald McDonald House campaign, surpassing the original goal of $2,750. As part of the Principal Challenge, top fundraisers earned the chance to aim for the dunk tank target. Even missed throws didn’t stop the fun! Many students made sure Principal Turcio got soaked by running up to hit the target, which dropped a bucket of water on his head! Congratulations to all the students and staff for their amazing support of a great cause!
Earlier this month, Lam Research generously donated backpacks filled with school supplies for students in grades 3 through 5. This year, six boxes of backpacks and supplies were delivered to North Colonie and other schools across the Capital Region. These backpacks will be distributed to students in need throughout the district. Thank you, Lam Research, for your thoughtful and impactful donation!
Monday was the final day of classes for Shaker High School students and it ended with a roar! The annual Dino and Friends Parade brought big smiles as teachers from every department (Social Studies, English, Math, Science, Special Education, ENL, Guidance, and Administration) dressed in inflatable costumes to cheer on students wrapping up the school year and heading into exams. Thank you to our incredible staff for making the day so memorable. And to the Class of 2025, congratulations! Soon, we will be celebrating your graduation!
Congratulations to North Colonie Bus Driver Marsha Bejian! Marsha has been named the 2025 AAA Hudson Valley Safe School Bus Driver for the district. The award is given to a school bus driver from each school district throughout the Capital Region by the AAA Hudson Valley. The Safe School Bus Driver award recognizes drivers who present themselves in a positive and safe manner, while following all regulations set forth by the agencies that govern transportation. Marsha was given her award during the award ceremony on Wednesday, June 18. Congratulations, Marsha! Thank you for all you do to keep our students safe!
Wednesday afternoon was a time of farewells and well wishes at Central Office. Five members of the staff are moving on to the next chapter of their lives! We are so grateful for all they have done to help keep our district running smoothly. Their kindness, dedication, and compassion have left a lasting impact—and while we’re sad to see them go, we’re excited for what lies ahead. Thank you, Pam, Wendy, Nancy, Pam, and Kathy! You will be missed!
Congratulations to the Shaker High School Hall of Fame Class of 2025! On Monday, June 16, seven new members were inducted into the SHS Alumni Hall of Fame. SHS student government members Pranjal Yadav and Regan Morrissey read the biography of each of the inducted alumni, sharing with the audience their accomplishments. Following this, each member offered some brief remarks on their time at Shaker. Read their remarks on our website here: https://www.northcolonie.org/article/2274095
View the alumni bios here: https://www.northcolonie.org/halloffame
On May 18, Alex Doering, Dante Gonzalez and Nazir King received a Certificate of Completion from the North Colonie-Siena College Transition Program at the Siena College Commencement. We are all so proud of their accomplishments and success that they have achieved while attending the program. Congratulations to Alex who will be working at the North Colonie Bus Garage, Nazir who will be working at Hoffman's Car Wash and Dante who will be attending the Living Resources Adult Program.
Ruby Miracle makes history with record-breaking state championship win! The Shaker High School sophomore soared to vault of 12'6", capturing both the New York State and Federation titles in a stunning display of talent and determination. Ruby shattered the school record and beat her personal best by nearly a foot. She didn’t just win, she made history. Congratulations!
Shaker High School and the North Colonie Central School District are proud to announce the names of our 2025 Honor Graduates. The following students will graduate in the top five percent of the senior class on Friday, June 27, 2025.
Shiyan Ahuja
Sarah Al Shaarawi
Zayd Bhatti
Shashank Boosa
Naomi Bosaka
Jack Bunaes
Sarah Byun
Alyssa Caiano
Julia Cheban
Catherine Cheng
Abeesha Duaa
Shreeya Gillela
Hans Gupta
Pavithra Jayakumar
Kevin Lu
John Park
Neha Prabhu
Victoria Raghubar
April Ren
Marley Ruberti
Rishabh Saha
Gopika Madhurima Sarvepalli
Faiz Shaikh
Hyeonseo Suk
Pranjal Yadav
For more information on these students and their future areas of study, click the link in our bio.
Happy last day of classes, Shaker High School! And congratulations to the Class of 2025! The sun was shining as seniors gathered at Walker Field last week to take a photo wearing the shirts from their college and careers of choice. Best of luck to the Class of 2025!
The North Colonie Teachers' Association hosted its annual retirement party to celebrate the outgoing class of teachers. Employees past and present gathered at The Barn at Power's to honor the 15 NCCSD teachers who are calling it a career. It was a night to reminisce on the years of hard work and dedication put in by so many. Thank you all for everything you have done for North Colonie and we wish you the best of luck in your retirement!
Some of our graduating seniors who attended St. Pius X School for all or part of their K-8 experience went back for a nostalgic stroll through the halls Friday afternoon. Six Shaker seniors were part of the group that visited their former school. Current students and teachers lined the halls for their walk down memory lane. As you can tell, some of those teachers recognized their former students years later! Congrats again to the Class of 2025!
On Thursday night, families, students, and art teachers gathered for the annual Harrison Carnevale Memorial Art Show. Each year, the halls of G Wing are filled with powerful works from media arts students. These works celebrate the life of Shaker High alum Harrison Carnevale, who was killed shortly after graduating in 2007. Harrison had dreams of studying film, and this show honors the creativity, spirit, and artistic passion that he embodied.
On Thursday, June 12, seven Shaker High School seniors signed the line to indicate their college decisions. All seven students in attendance will be going to college and majoring in a program focused on or related to their musical talents. Congratulations to our Shaker musicians - you have a musical future ahead of you!
Kathleen Buffaline - Ithaca College for Music Education (voice)
Katherine Condon - Syracuse University for Music Education (voice)
Stephen Guba - Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam for Music Education (voice)
Tahlia Stefanik - Ithaca College for Music Education (voice)
Rowan Wissenbach - SUNY Fredonia for Music Therapy
Vandy Benson - University of Rhode Island for Music Therapy
Blake Nazarian - Belmont University for Commercial Music
Dozens of eighth grade students in the Accelerated Studio Art and Design program were honored at a portfolio reception on Wednesday afternoon. Art District Supervisor Anne Manzella and members of the SMS art faculty took part in the reception. Over the school year, accelerated art students worked with paint, block print, pencil, pen, graphic design, ceramics and other media. This allows students to explore and experience the wide variety of media available to them and to potentially start to discover their passion. Alina Song and Nandi Htwe were selected by their teachers, Ms. Stanley and Mr. Haacker, to receive a special award for their performance in program. Congratulations to all students and best of luck next year at the high school!
“How can we make the world a better place?” Fourteen students faced that question head-on Tuesday night at the third annual Civic Engagement and Leadership Symposium, presenting bold, forward-thinking projects designed to spark real change from Shaker High School to their communities and beyond. The evening opened with an inspiring keynote from Hon. Mae D'Agostino of the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of New York and continued with compelling presentations by freshmen Nancy Chandra and Lasya Nandikam. The formal portion of the night was followed by individual discussions by students where families and community members could ask questions to learn how these students plan to enact change. Each student brought passion, purpose, and fresh ideas to the stage - proof that the future is not only bright, but it's in excellent hands.
T-minus 16 days until graduation, and these student-athletes are gearing up for their next chapter! On Tuesday night, the Athletics Department and Shaker All Sports Booster Club celebrated 21 of the 40+ seniors continuing their athletic careers at D1, D2, and D3 colleges. Congratulations seniors, we can’t wait to cheer you on at the next level!
Congratulations to SHS senior Nazir King! Nazir, a student in the Capital Region BOCES Automotive Services program, was recently awarded the Joe Fuchs Award. The award is given to a student who exemplifies growth in achievement, the development of skills specific to an occupation, growth in citizenship, work ethic, leadership, and pride in their chosen occupation. Great job, Nazir!
The Shaker High School pool was filled with echoes of "cannonball!" earlier this week, as third grade students from Latham Ridge participated in the pilot swim lesson program. Students were bussed over to the high school, where they attended a water safety class before jumping into the water. The group then spent the remainder of the class reviewing swim techniques, water exercises, and, of course, getting in a few cannonballs.
This past March, 27 11th and 12th grade French students participated in the National French Contest. Please join us in congratulating senior Nicolas Bélizaire, who earned a bronze medal; junior Anabel Corniel, who earned a silver medall and junior Nat Antifaiff, who earned a bronze medal. Additionally, the following students earned an Honorable Mention: Marissa Banson, Surya Bommasani, Sofia Conti, Ryan Keegan, Deepak Kilaparty, Jaahnavi Kollapudi, Chaarvi Krishnamurthy, Angela Li, Everitt Li, Jonathan Lindhurst, Layla Mohamed, Suhaas Poka, Aydan Shahbazli, and Jenna Shaw. Félicitations à tous!
