Shaker Middle School Theater presents "Username" by Brian Hampton, a one act play exploring the role of technology and social media in the lives of young people! Performances will take place on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold online at shsnccs.booktix.com/departments, and sales will begin on Oct. 25, 2026. We can't wait to see you there!
Friday, Oct. 23 marked the annual Latham Ridge Panther Pride Day celebration! Students had the chance to test out new clubs and activities, while spending the day bonding with their peers. Activities ranged from soccer skills to pumpkin pie pudding cups and crafts. The day was full of sunshine, laughs, and LR Panther Pride!
REMINDER for Elementary Families - Thursday, Oct. 22 and Wednesday, Oct. 28 will both be half days for all K-5 students for parent-teacher conferences.
Last week, we introduced you to our Commended Students, this week we want to congratulate our National Merit Semifinalists! Nine Shaker High School seniors are among 16,000 students advancing in the National Merit Scholarship Program. The following students will compete for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships and those finalists will be announced in the spring. Congratulations to:
Rayna Chowdhury
Ahana Gandhi
Tavish Gupta
Rikhil Katpally
Gaven Li
Samuel Lin
Evelyn Lu
William Mao
Darshni Ramesh
Rayna Chowdhury
Ahana Gandhi
Tavish Gupta
Rikhil Katpally
Gaven Li
Samuel Lin
Evelyn Lu
William Mao
Darshni Ramesh
"Register to vote so the decisions being made today reflect the generation that will live with them tomorrow!" The slogan was the theme of the day on Thursday, Oct. 15, as students from the Shaker High School Civic Engagement and Leadership class coordinated with the League of Women Voters to organize a voter registration drive. The drive was an immense success, with over 125 SHS students registered and pre-registered to vote. Students and community members can check their voter registration or their polling place by going to the League of Women Voters nonpartisan website Vote411.org. Great job to our Civic Engagement and Leadership class!
Ready? Set? Read!
Shaker High School junior Michael Banson brought his self-published debut book, The Panda, the Lion, and the Magic Kazoo, to life for a second grade class at Latham Ridge Elementary School on Monday!
Michael first wrote the story in eighth grade and recently revamped it with a rhyming pattern and refined illustrations. Now, he’s sharing his love of writing with the next generation, working alongside his former eighth grade English teacher, Christina Froehlich, and middle school students through a Young Authors Club. His book is also available on Amazon. His next stop is Loudonville Elementary School in November.
Shaker High School junior Michael Banson brought his self-published debut book, The Panda, the Lion, and the Magic Kazoo, to life for a second grade class at Latham Ridge Elementary School on Monday!
Michael first wrote the story in eighth grade and recently revamped it with a rhyming pattern and refined illustrations. Now, he’s sharing his love of writing with the next generation, working alongside his former eighth grade English teacher, Christina Froehlich, and middle school students through a Young Authors Club. His book is also available on Amazon. His next stop is Loudonville Elementary School in November.
Shaker High School senior Tyler Jourdanais recently attended a different kind of open house with his parents, Theresa and Floyd Jourdanais, at the the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center - Albany Campus. Instead of hearing from just his teacher, Tyler was given the chance to show his parents what he has learned at the Welding and Metal Fabrication program at BOCES. The CTE Open House was well attended, with hundreds of family and friends learning more about BOCES CTE programs, viewing equipment demonstrations, and showcasing skills.
October is here, which means it's time for SHS German club to celebrated its annual Oktoberfest! On Wednesday, Oct. 14, club members and their friends gathered to play traditional German party games and dance the Schuhplattler. Tanz mit mir in Lederhosen!
On Friday, October 23, we’re going PINK! In partnership with Real Kids Wear Pink and the American Cancer Society, we’re coming together as a school community to support Breast Cancer Awareness. Show your support, spread awareness and help us turn the school PINK by wearing pink on October 23!
Step right up for National School Lunch Week! Shaker Middle School celebrated this year’s “Cafeteria Circus” theme in a big way, with festive decorations, circus music, and cafeteria staff sporting clown noses and circus hats. Kitchen Manager Jerry Hess embraced the theme to make lunchtime a fun and memorable experience for students.
The celebration also put the spotlight on New York State products, featuring a lunch of beef and cheese nachos or black bean and cheese nachos, with the tortilla chips, beef, and black beans all sourced from NY. In partnership with Community Food Works, students also participated in a taste test, sampling NY tortilla chips and salsa before voting and sharing their feedback.
State Senator Jake Ashby visited SMS for the celebration, speaking with students and staff about their school meal experiences and connecting with district and food services leaders. The visit offered an opportunity to highlight the importance of school meals and the role NY grown and produced foods can play in school cafeterias. The NYS Education Department also stopped by to take part in the celebrations and document the event.
Thank you to the entire SMS cafeteria crew for bringing the circus to lunchtime and making National School Lunch Week a celebration to remember!
Congratulations to these 19 Shaker High School students who have been named Commended Students in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program! They are among 34,000 students nationwide to be honored for their outstanding performance on the 2025 PSAT. The following students placed in the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million programs entrants. Congratulations to:
Bhavya Adhyaksham Venkata
Daneah Ahmad
Ava Bachta
Ella Bagchi
Isaac Deyoe
Alice Elanagwe
Kalvin George
Adam Judson
Chaemin Lee
Lauren Lee-Chung
Aditya Milukuri
Nirvana Monsur
Mustaeen Morshed
Khrishnav Parasuraman
Shreya Sharath
Adithya Thumilan
Aarit Thusu
Amy Wu
What’s the forecast at Southgate? A 100% chance of learning!
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, NewsChannel 10 meteorologist Matt Mackie stopped by Southgate Elementary to give third graders an inside look at the world of weather! Students learned how weather forecasts are made, what weather balloons do, what a typical day in a meteorologist’s life looks like, and what it’s like to be on TV. They also had the chance to ask questions before heading outside for a closer look at the WTEN Storm Tracker truck! A big thank you to Matt Mackie for bringing the science of weather to life!
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, NewsChannel 10 meteorologist Matt Mackie stopped by Southgate Elementary to give third graders an inside look at the world of weather! Students learned how weather forecasts are made, what weather balloons do, what a typical day in a meteorologist’s life looks like, and what it’s like to be on TV. They also had the chance to ask questions before heading outside for a closer look at the WTEN Storm Tracker truck! A big thank you to Matt Mackie for bringing the science of weather to life!
Questions on financial aid? Not sure where to start? Join us at the Shaker High School Auditorium on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. for Financial Aid Night. We hope to see you there!
It's School Board Recognition Week and we want to say THANK YOU to our board for all they do to support our students! Thank you to our dedicated board members - Linda Harrison (President), Matthew Cannon (Vice President), Mary Alber, Janet Appe, Dr. Nicholas Comproski, Michelle Dischiavo, Ayesha Geter, Samuel Johnson, and Dr. Melissa Veino - for their leadership, commitment, and continued support of our students, staff, and community.
We’re partnering with Hatsgiving once again to spread warmth and kindness to children battling cancer and survivors!
Founded 14 years ago by North Colonie alum Jeremy Wernick, Hatsgiving collects thousands of winter hats each year and distributes them to children’s hospitals across the country, including right here in our local community.
Help us make a difference by donating new winter hats at collection boxes located in our school buildings. Every hat helps bring a little extra warmth and comfort to a child in need.
The final day to donate is Thursday, November 12!
Happy Tuesday! Look at these smiling faces! Arjun and Devon are two of our students in the Shaker-Siena Transition Program. Not only are they enjoying their time on campus, but they are spreading joy everywhere they go, including when they pick up and deliver mail around campus every day. Here, Arjun and Devon are seen with former NCCSD employee Mrs. Hunter and Siena student Danny Tyrel, a dual secondary education and history major who is doing fieldwork hours for one of his classes. It is great to see our students thriving in their new program!
Congratulations to the two Shaker High School freshmen that were recognized at the 25th Annual Capital District Council for Young Musicians (CDCYM) Chopin Piano Competition!
Charles Zhang earned first place in the Master division, the highest level of the competition. Charles has played piano for more than seven years and also plays clarinet in the SHS 9-10 Band. Louis Jin earned second place in the Apprentice division.
The CDCYM Chopin Piano Competition is modeled after the international Chopin Competition and is considered the most competitive piano competition in the Capital Region. This is an outstanding accomplishment for both of these talented young musicians. Congratulations, Charles and Louis!
Charles Zhang earned first place in the Master division, the highest level of the competition. Charles has played piano for more than seven years and also plays clarinet in the SHS 9-10 Band. Louis Jin earned second place in the Apprentice division.
The CDCYM Chopin Piano Competition is modeled after the international Chopin Competition and is considered the most competitive piano competition in the Capital Region. This is an outstanding accomplishment for both of these talented young musicians. Congratulations, Charles and Louis!
Reminder: No school on Monday, Oct. 12 in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day and Columbus Day.
Apple season is here and Blue Creek Elementary School recently celebrated in a BIG way. The school took part in the Big Apple Crunch, an annual event that invites participants from across the state to take a bite out of an apple grown in New York. On Thursday, October 8, Blue Creek students all took a synchronized bite into their apples, then enjoyed their crisp fall snack outside in the beautiful autumn weather. Great team work, Blue Creek!
Congratulations to Shaker High School junior David Terrell, who was selected to represent North Colonie at the New York State Education Department's National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebration on Thursday, October 8. David read an official proclamation from Governor Kathy Hochul, but before that, he brought the audience to its feet by telling them about his own story. A math and sports enthusiast, David told the audience about his experience as a Shaker Unified Basketball and Bocce athlete. One of his favorite moments was the Unified Basketball team's back to back sectional championship wins the past two years! NYSED Commissioner Betty Rosa was the first to initiate that standing ovation after David's moving speech.
