Two representatives from the New York State Education Department's Office of Child Nutrition were on hand to check out our Harvest of the Month. Thank you to North Colonie Food Services for another successful tasting!
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, members of the Parliament of Uzbekistan visited Shaker High School to meet with students from AP Government, Civic Engagement, and Gender in Politics classes. Representing a young democracy less than 30 years removed from the Soviet Union, the parliamentarians discussed topics such as modernization, civil rights, youth engagement, and women’s participation in government. The five members were accompanied by two translators, one speaking Russian and the other Uzbek, the country’s primary language. As a recently independent nation, the parliamentarians main goal for this visit was to learn about the structure and workings of the United States government, as well as to gain a deeper understanding of American culture. Their trip was supported by the International Center of the Capital Region (ICCR) and the Congressional Office for International Leadership.
On Thursday, Feb. 5, Mrs. Parks’ Innovation Lab students enjoyed a tasty change of pace with help from the Charlie Cart, a fully equipped mobile kitchen that rolled into school for a Farm to School learning experience. Students tackled hands on tasks like crushing dried parsley with a mortar and pestle, zesting lemons, chopping broccoli and cauliflower, peeling Brussels sprouts, and making breadcrumbs, all while learning knife safety, nutrition, and where food comes from. After discovering that these veggies are all part of the Brassica oleracea family, students watched their dish roast in the Charlie Cart’s convection oven, and, best of all, got to taste their delicious creation!
Shaker's Blue Team and White Team, composed of 15 students each, battled it out with 18 other competitive teams from the Capital District in 23 different science events, ranging from builds like Boomilever to labs like Forensics. The Blue Team came out on top, while the White Team placed 8th. The teams received a combined 23 medals—15 of which were top three placements. Not only was it the first time the team has qualified for States in 15 years and only the third time in Shaker history, but it was their best ever performance at a regionals competition.
On Friday, Jan. 30, the War of 1812 Museum traveled from Plattsburgh, NY to Latham Ridge Elementary. As a follow up to the third grade War of 1812 CKLA Unit, Assistant Museum Director Joy Demarse brought the museum with her to the school. Demarse, a retired educator, focused on sharing the Battle of Plattsburgh with the third graders. She told the stories of Commodore Macdonough (the naval commander) and General Alexander Macomb (the land commander) and how these two encounters ended the war and led to the signing of the peace treaty on Dec. 24. She also showcased artifacts from the museum, offering a "show and tell" of items used during that time, such as writing desks while on a horse, quills, bonnets, lanterns, and more. Thank you for stopping by, Ms. Demarse!
Thank you to the Chinese Community Center for bringing the spirit of Lunar New Year to Boght Hills!
The performance kicked off by teaching students how to say “Happy New Year” in Chinese, along with the proper hand gestures. From there, students were treated to a vibrant celebration of Chinese culture through food, traditions, and incredible performances.
Highlights included a lively dragon dance, unicycling, juggling, and impressive tricks, with two students even joining in on the performance! Lunar New Year will be celebrated on February 17, 2026, welcoming the Year of the Horse.
Shaker High School also had two other Microsoft Office Certification students place at the state level. Alex Mahan earned second place, while Aiden Brady earned third place, both with perfect scores as well. The final placements were determined by a tiebreaker based on exam completion time. Great job to our SHS students!
Southgate's 3rd Annual Multicultural Festival was bustling with activity on Friday night, January 30, as students and their families traveled around the world. Students had their passports stamped as they traveled to various countries in the gymnasium, experiencing the many cultural intricacies as they went. In the cafetorium, people sampled a variety of different cuisines while also watching student performances on the stage. It was a fun night had by all!
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Leave your troubles outside! The Shaker High LaFollette Cafeteria was transformed into a 1920s-style jazz club on Friday night, Jan. 30, for the North Colonie Friends of Music annual Jazzart showcase and fundraiser. More than 30 Shaker Middle and High School students filled the night with vibrant jazz, while eighth-grade chorus students served as wait staff, completing the speakeasy vibe. A special shoutout to Mr. Suzuki, who is retiring after 30 years as a Shaker High School music teacher. This marked his final Jazzart, but his influence will always be an essential note in the ensemble. All proceeds from the evening support future Friends of Music events, celebrating music, students, and community.
Library Trivia is back at Shaker Middle School! On Tuesday, Jan. 20, nine teams gathered in the SMS Media Center for Library Trivia, hosted by SMS Music Teacher Mark Lewis. The event featured questions about popular culture (with an appearance from 6 and 7), all things library, and books that have been turned into movies and TV shows. In the end, "Houston, We Have an Answer!" walked away as the winning team, taking home the (literal) treasure chest of prizes. Great job to all our teams for participating! Thank you to Mr. Lewis for hosting, for the SMS library team for bringing back this event, and to all the teams for giving their best effort!
Both members of Science Olympiad at the high school, they recognized a need at the middle school level and took it upon themselves to find a faculty advisor, a space to meet and got the club started. Mr. Steadham, a science teacher at SMS, says Sam and Simran are kind and that they want everyone who comes out for Science Olympiad to feel welcome and like they have a role to play on the team... so much so that they even put together a second team to allow more students to participate. This is a wonderful example of students not only advocating for increased opportunities for other students, but also putting in the work to make it all happen. Congratulations Sam and Simran, and thank you for being kids who care here in North Colonie!
