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!
#nationalschoolcounselingweek
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!
-1st Place Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate – Victoria Chung
-1st Place Intermediate Lincoln Douglas Debate – Gianna Zhang
-First Place Intermediate Lincoln Douglas Debate – Sima Amiri
-First Place Intermediate Public Forum Debate – Simran Nichani / Niharika Lumb
-Third Place Intermediate Public Forum Debate – Chloe Li / Sharvi Gawad
-Third Place Varsity Extemporaneous Speaking – Charita Devarampati
-First Place Original Oratory Speech – Pragna Obiddi
Prior to this success, the team had another first place win on January 17, when Aven Kilmer and Gianna Zhang competed in the Mt. Markham Invitational. Aven finished first place in both Extemporaneous Speaking and Oral Interpretation, while Gianna finished first place in Intermediate Lincoln Douglas Debate.
Great job to our Speech and Debate students on these wonderful accomplishments!
Tomorrow’s Board of Education meeting previously scheduled to take place at Blue Creek, will be rescheduled for Tuesday, January 27. The location will be moved to the District Office at the Goodrich building (91 Fiddlers Lane) due to a previously scheduled event taking place at Blue Creek. The start time for the Board meeting will remain 6:30 p.m.
Spring 2026 Continuing Education registration is officially OPEN! Classes begin Monday, February 23 and offer opportunities to learn new skills, explore hobbies, and grow personally and professionally. There’s truly something for everyone! In-person registration will be available on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 3–5 p.m. (snow date Feb. 12) at the Central Office, 91 Fiddlers Lane, Latham, NY. Please note that in-person or phone registrations must be paid by check. Kick-off spring with learning and register today!
"The time is always ripe to do right.”
Reminder: No School Monday, Jan. 19 in Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
