ARRR you ready for this? Fourth graders at Latham Ridge had a pirate-themed day last week to end their ELA unit on the book "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson. The day was full of learning, creativity, and pirate adventure. Students participated in pirate-themed learning activities, took part in a treasure hunt around the school, and dressed up in pirate-themed clothes. Students also participated in creative writing, read about pirates, and completed a math escape room.

Another day, another North Colonie CSD Transportation award! Congratulations to Melisa Glodich, who has been named the New York Association of Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) School Bus Attendant of the Year for 2025! A bus aide with the district since 2018, Melisa will receive the award on July 15 at the NYAPT Summer Conference in Saratoga Springs. "Melisa exemplifies all the good qualities of being a bus aide. She has terrific attendance. She is kind, caring, attentive, and compassionate," said NCCSD Director of Transportation Denise Towne. A Waterford native, Glodich says she has always loved children. “Forming strong, trusting relationships with special needs children and their families is incredibly rewarding. I love being a supportive presence in their lives and journey. Interacting with children with diverse needs and learning about their unique characteristics can be a valuable and enriching experience,” she said. Congratulations Melisa and thank you for your service to our students here in North Colonie!

That's a wrap on the Southgate Senior Walk! On Monday, June 23, Shaker High School seniors who graduated from Southgate Elementary School donned their caps and gowns to walk the school halls one last time. Seniors were greeted with cheers, signs, and high-fives from the Southgate students lining the halls. Congratulations to the Class of 2025! And remember, "Once a Gator, always a Gator!"

Shaker Middle School sixth grader Cam had an idea to make someone's day better and made it happen! Cam partnered with the SMS Latino Student Alliance to host a blanket drive, collecting blankets to donate to Albany Medical Center to help kids of all ages feel warm and comfortable. Cam and the Latino Student Alliance worked together to divide up tasks such as creating promotional materials, labeling collection boxes, and making announcements to the school. The assignment was a success, with the students collecting almost 80 blankets. Staff from Albany Medical Center stopped by SMS to pick up the blankets and thank the students for their hard work. Great job, students!

After 13.5 years, Nancy Mason is wrapping up her time in the North Colonie CSD Central Office. Working at North Colonie was an easy choice for her, as it put her within close proximity to not only her home, but also her granddaughter who graduated from the district in 2018. The familial ties have only added to her enjoyment of her time with the district. “I like the people in the building,” said Nancy. “I’ve made some really good friends here.” In her free time, Nancy enjoys reading, participating in Bible studies, crafting, bird watching, counted cross stitch, and card making. In retirement, Nancy hopes to travel more. She visited Ireland in 2017 and Israel in 2019, but has yet to travel internationally since COVID. Nancy is well-known throughout the Central Office for her thoughtful and beautifully creative cards. Her daughter offered the following on Nancy’s hobbies, sharing, “My mom enjoys making sure each life event is celebrated with a card for people in her circle, because everyone deserves to know they are special on their special day with a greeting from her creative space.” Most Rewarding Part of My Job: “Greeting the visitors and staff, and students, and making them feel welcome.” Fun Fact: Nancy can often be found wearing fun socks with unique designs, though she clarifies that “they have to match.”

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!