Tuesday night was an exciting one for our Civic Engagement and Leadership students, as they presented their yearlong capstone projects at the gallery walk symposium. To earn their Seal of Civic Readiness, students identified and investigated issues, developed methods to address the issues, and took informed civic action to address their findings. During the symposion, students shared their presentations with those in attendance, focusing on topics such as mental health, the power of mentors, the importance of art classes, the court system, and more. It was an afternoon filled with thought provoking discussions!
about 3 hours ago, North Colonie Communications
Shaker High School and the North Colonie Central School District are proud to announce the names of our 2026 Honor Graduates. The following students will graduate in the top five percent of their class on Friday, June 26, 2026. In alphabetical order, they are:
Charles Adelstein
Akshaya Annam
Nathaniel Antifaiff
Surya Bommasani
Varun Chaganti
Sofia Conti
Anabel Corniel
Emma Freed
Peize (Peter) Gong
Renat Gosmanov
Ryan Isernia
Nawaf Kassem
Ryan Keegan
Deepak Kilaparty
Hana Kim
Jay Lee
Angela Li
Everitt Li
Jonathan Lindhurst
Cristiano Logrippo
Shayla Mieu
Daniella Morgan
Mya Sanchez
Anya Vedhathiri
Emily Yang
Eva Zheng
Rui Zheng
about 20 hours ago, North Colonie Communications
Have you heard about GleeBoxx? Founded by Shaker High School junior Shreya Sharath, GleeBoxx is a youth-led nonprofit initiative, grounded in the belief that small acts of kindness can create powerful change. GleeBoxx creates thoughtfully curated care packages that combine essential items with personalized touches such as handwritten notes and small, joyful additions - and you can help! Shreya is currently organizing a large-scale drive to distribute 240 GleeBoxx care packages to elementary school children here in North Colonie. Scan a QR code to learn more and donate to this great cause!
1 day ago, North Colonie Communications
Latham Ridge second graders traveled back in time on Thursday, May 21, thanks to a visit from a dedicated group of Civil War reenactors. As a follow up to the CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) unit on the Civil War, students were presented with a “first person” narrative from both the Confederate (Crenshaw’s Battery) and Union (NYS Third Light Artillery) sides.
Students visited six stations, learning information about railroads, artillery, and provosts (military police) among other things. Actors portrayed Harriet Tubman and Clara Barton, telling their stories and about the important roles they played in the war. It was a wonderful way to bring history to life for our students.
1 day ago, North Colonie Communications
On Wednesday, May 27, 40 students in grades 10-12 were inducted into the Shaker High School chapter of the English National Honor Society. Over the course of this year, NEHS’s inaugural year, members fostered a love of the English language and literature and completed a combined 1,000 hours of volunteer literacy service in the North Colonie community.
2 days ago, North Colonie Communications
The Principal’s Challenge has officially been fulfilled! Blue Creek students and the community rallied together during the annual Fun Run Fundraiser and not only met the $17,000 goal, but surpassed it by raising an impressive $19,760. As promised, Principal Mr. Turcio held up his end of the bargain with a student selected rainbow buzzcut and colorful mutton chops. On June 2, Alex Cook, owner of Alexandria Beauty in Latham, brought the winning style to life alongside her children, Eloise and Henry, and three randomly selected Blue Creek students, all of whom had the opportunity to help shave Mr. Turcio’s hair before Mrs. Cook completed the transformation. Taking it one step further, she even added color to his eyebrows and mutton chops. Mr. Turcio will proudly sport his colorful new look for the remainder of the day, celebrating the students’ incredible fundraising achievement and outstanding school spirit!
2 days ago, North Colonie Communications
Students from the SHS Engineering Capstone visited Siena College last week to pitch their startup business and engineering designs to a panel of Siena faculty. Students had to give a ten minute pitch, followed by a five minute Q & A. The students did a great job, with faculty praising their hard work and professionalism!
3 days ago, North Colonie Communications
Southgate student Micah was recently given the unique opportunity to participate in the "Beautiful Lives Project and the Albany Firebirds Football Team for a Field of Dreams" event on May 8. Beautiful Lives Project was co-founded by Bryce Weiler and aims to give kids of all abilities an opportunity to access sports. Bryce is blind and found that being able to sit on the Evansville men’s basketball bench changed his life, as he was surrounded by people who believed in him and wanted to help him be successful. Wanting to do the same, he created the Beautiful Lives Project to help others with disabilities to live their dreams in life.
On May 8, over 200 students attended the Fields of Dreams event at Afrim's alongside the Albany Firebirds, who co-sponsored the camp. Firebirds players worked with students so they could participate in drills, route running, throwing, and even a touchdown celebration.
As for Micah, when he was asked if he had a good time at the event, he replied, “It was AMAZING!”
4 days ago, North Colonie Communications
Students in Ms. Armstrong's Gerontology class recently had a special guest speaker, Frank Berlin. Not only was Mr. Berlin a math teacher at Shaker High School for over 30 years, but he is also Ms. Armstrong's grandfather! Mr. Berlin talked to the class about different aspects of his life, discussing how he went from growing up as the son of a German pastry chef in Plainfield, NJ to landing a job as a math teacher in Latham, NY. He touched upon the importance of surrounding yourself with good quality people and how while school feels like the whole world right now, but it is really only a part of our lives. Mr. Berlin left students thinking about their future and what legacy they want to one day leave behind. Thank you to Mr.Berlin for always willing to come back and share his own life legacy!
5 days ago, North Colonie Communications
Bison Brew is now official! There was a huge crowd in attendance for the formal ribbon cutting of the popular Bison Brew at Shaker Middle School on Friday, May 29. There was even a special appearance by Bryson the Bison!
What started as a "coffee cart" has expanded into an every other week cafe and delivery service of drinks and snacks for two periods of the school day. The Bison Brew is supported completely by our special education students and faculty members and has become so popular that their mugs are on back order! Thank you to the Colonie Chamber of Commerce Board members who attended and helped welcome their newest member! We look forward to serving for years to come!
6 days ago, North Colonie Communications
Get ready, get set, go! All six elementary schools came together on Thursday, May 28 for the 74th Annual Fifth Grade Track & Field Meet! Despite a little rain, the students brought nonstop smiles, energy, and school spirit! Everyone did an incredible job, and the excitement from the stands was truly unmatched! Congratulations to all of the students who participated and placed in the races. A huge thank you to our faculty, staff, and amazing timekeepers for all of their hard work in making this special event such a success!
6 days ago, North Colonie Communications
On your mark... get set... read! Last month, Shaker Middle School Library hosted a "Read-a-Thon," an all day reading event. The event took place from period 1 to period 9, with teachers signing up to bring their classes down to the library for 20 minute blocks. The event was an immense success, with the library hosting a total of 50 classes during the day. Kudos to SMS for getting their read on!
7 days ago, North Colonie Communications
On Monday, May 18, also known as 518 Day, Southgate held a Day of Service honoring Coach Pete Mravlja. The day began with a Gator assembly honoring Coach Mravlja, followed by buddy classes partnering up to complete activities together. Activities included packing lunches for Sidewalk Warriors, potting flowers for veterans, creating mini paintings for seniors in local nursing homes, and students making plant stakes for the district gardens. Pictured are students creating garden stakes in the art room.
7 days ago, North Colonie Communications
Thank you to our friends at Community Food Works, all Forts Ferry students had the opportunity to do a taste testing of tortilla chips and salsa during lunch on Wednesday, May 27. The chips were made with corn grown in Hurley, NY and the processed in Queens. Community Food Works partners with schools and food pantries in the Hudson Valley and beyond to provide a variety of locally sourced foods. The reviews from students were almost unanimously positive! "I don't like it, I love it," and "Put it on the menu, please," were some of the comments left by the Lions.
7 days ago, North Colonie Communications
Tuesday, May 26, marked a new chapter for the Tri-M Music Honor Society and National Art Honor Society!
Before the Tri-M Music Honor Society ceremony, Shaker senior and Tri-M member Charlie Adlestein honored longtime Shaker music teacher Mr. Peter Suzuki with an Honorary Member Induction. More than 40 students recited the Tri-M Music Honor Society pledge and were officially inducted. Following the ceremony, new members, families, and friends attended a reception provided by the North Colonie Friends of Music.
About an hour later, the National Art Honor Society began its induction ceremony, where around 30 students were inducted. Senior officers were also awarded National Art Honor Society honor cords to wear at graduation. After the ceremony, the nine high school art teachers recognized students for their impressive work, kindness, and perseverance.
Congratulations to all the inductees and recognized art students on this incredible achievement!
8 days ago, North Colonie Communications
Congratulations to North Colonie Board of Education President Linda Harrison on being named one of Assemblymember Phil Steck's 2026 Women of Distinction honorees! Mrs. Harrison has dedicated more than 50 years to education and student success. Upon graduation from the University at Albany, she taught social studies at Shaker High School from 1971 to 2005 and continues to make a lasting impact through her leadership on the North Colonie Board of Education.
“Linda has dedicated so much of her time and energy to supporting students, families, and educators,” Steck shared. “Her commitment to public education and our community has made a lasting impact on countless families throughout the Capital Region.”
Thank you, Mrs. Harrison, for your unwavering dedication to our schools, students, and community. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!
9 days ago, North Colonie Communications
On Wednesday, May 20, Deputy County Executive Mike McLaughlin and Chief Communications Officer at Albany County Executive’s Office Mary Rozak visited Shaker High School to recognize the Shaker Speech & Debate Team for their historic and successful season.
The team was honored to receive Albany County Executive Certificates of Recognition celebrating the hard work, dedication, leadership, and achievements of our members throughout the year. Congratulations on a successful year!
11 days ago, North Colonie Communications
Members of the Hudson Mohawk Weaver Guild (Connie LaPorta, Ginni Goggins, Kathy Munn, Doris O'Brien, and Debbie Youngelman) visited Boght Hills recently to share their skills with kindergarten and third grade classes. In connection with the Colonial Tradespeople CKLA unit, the guild demonstrated weaving, spinning, quilting, and butter making for students, giving them a unique look into the process.
12 days ago, North Colonie Communications
For the 16th time, the North Colonie Central School District has been named a “Best Communities for Music Education” by the NAMM Foundation. The award recognizes school districts and individual schools for their leadership and equity in music education, with more than 1,000 schools and school districts from across the country receiving this honor this year. Congratulations to our North Colonie musicians for this great accomplishment and thank you to the North Colonie community for your continued support of our music education programs.
13 days ago, North Colonie Communications
We know it’s May now, but we were so blown away by all the support that we decided to wait a little longer to announce the winner of the North Colonie March Madness 2026 Challenge.
Thank you to everyone who supported their school and, in turn, our district. Every building did an incredible job, but three schools really stood out: Boght Hills placed third with $593, Shaker Middle School came in second with $700, and for the second year in a row, Southgate took first place with $1,155. Congratulations to the Gators on earning another banner and the bragging rights that come with it.
Most importantly, every dollar raised stays right here at North Colonie to support students and families in need through United Way. Thank you to every donor, family, and school community that helped make this districtwide challenge such a success.
13 days ago, North Colonie Communications
