For the last eight weeks, the Superintendent’s Gallery outside of the Superintendent’s office has featured student artwork from three of our elementary schools. Artists from Boght Hills, Latham Ridge and Loudonville and their families were invited to visit Central Office to see their artwork on display. Superintendent Kathleen Skeals attended the event to meet the artists and learn more about about their work. Thank you to Mrs. Manzella for the beautiful displays and to Ms. Duffy, Ms. Hacklin, and Ms. Gorman for being such wonderful art teachers for our students!
The SHS Multicultural Festival was a resounding success on Friday night! Families from across the district turned out to celebrate the many cultures represented here in North Colonie. There was food from dozens of different countries for people to sample, along with dance, music and crafts from various cultures. The festival was put on by the SHS Cooking and Culture Club with the support of many other school clubs. We can't wait to do it again next year!
It was a party at Walker Field on Wednesday as fifth graders from all six elementary schools came together for the 73rd Annual Fifth Grade Track & Field Meet! The field was buzzing with energy, cheers, music, and nonstop fun! Students participated in more than a dozen events like the softball throw and shot put. To wrap up the day there were three thrilling 4x100 relays ( boys, girls, and coed) which brought the crowd to their feet. Latham Ridge swept them all! Huge thanks to our faculty, staff, and incredible timekeepers for making it all happen!
Thank you to the North Colonie community for supporting the 2025-26 budget! North Colonie residents voted to approve the budget, 937 yes votes to 267 no votes. Linda Harrison and Samuel Johnson were both reelected to their seats on the Board of Education. Learn more on our website at northcolonie.org/news.
North Colonie is once again teaming up with the United Way of the Greater Capital Region... this time for our Season of Service! Throughout the month of May, students from buildings around the district are holding days of service to give back to the community. While they're doing that, we want to help our own students in need. The money raised in this campaign will help provide students with food and other items during summer break and beyond. We are grateful for any and all donations!
Turning leftovers into lessons at Latham Ridge! Kindergarten students recently had the chance to learn all about composting as a part of their day of service. Kindergarteners rotated through stations and learned about the full lifecycle of composting, which included what can be recycled and composted, how to compost, how soil is made from composting, and more! Students even got the chance to see how their own food scraps from lunch could be transformed into rich soil for the school garden.
Science shows that exercising before school helps students pay attention in school, get better grades, show up ready to learn, and do better on tests. With this in mind, for the grade 3, 4, and 5 state testing days, Latham Ridge has been hosting a "Pop-Up Running Club" before school each day. The event has been a success, with 30 to 45 kids showing up each morning of the four state testing days. As of mid-April, students have run a total of 1,452 miles so far this school year - and with each pop-up running club event, that number continues to grow. Great job to our Latham Ridge runners!
Putting FACS skills to the test! Francis Estrella, a student from Morgan Armstrong's Textile & Design class, took what he learned in class and transformed it an official brand.
For the class, students were tasked with creating a clothing company logo and one clothing item. Francis made a beanie hat lined with silk to accommodate people that struggle with frizzy hair. He then took the project a step further, pitching his brand, which he named "Director," to a clothing manufacturer. The slogan for Director is "Your Life Is Your Movie," which Francis says reminds us that we are the boss of our lives - no one but yourself can direct this movie, also known as your life.
"I am beyond proud of him," said Armstrong. "This is exactly what it's all about!"
We have changemakers here in North Colonie! Thursday night, three of those educators were recognized at the Capital Area School Development Association's (CASDA) Annual Awards & Friends of Education Celebration.
Board of Education President Linda Harrison was recognized for Excellence in School Board Service. She is currently serving in her twelfth year as President of the Board. Mrs. Harrison was a social studies teacher at Shaker for 34 years.
Former North Colonie Superintendent Joe Corr was honored with the Friends of Education Award for his service as a social studies teacher, department supervisor and superintendent here in North Colonie. He can still be seen on the sidelines at football games and is very involved in the school community.
Farm to School Facilitator Amber Cost was also honored with the Friends of Education Award. Starting in her new position this school year, Amber will have helped to start gardens at all eight school buildings by the end of the school year. She has worked with Food Services to incorporate produce into the cafeterias and has incorporated lessons on agriculture and sustainability into the curriculum around the district.
Congratulations to all!
Tiny hands, big imaginations! The William K. Sanford Town Library hosted the North Colonie Art Exhibit Reception on Tuesday, April 29. Students in grades K-5 from all six of our elementary schools were in attendance, showing off their work to friends and family. The display was filled with color and creativity, as every piece told a story — great job to our elementary artists!
Thursday night was the annual NCCSD Physical Education Leadership Awards! PE Faculty members selected representatives from grades 5-12 who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and effort in PE classes. 48 students in total were honored in front of family and friends in the Shaker Middle School auditorium. Congratulations to all! For a full list of student winners, click on the link in our bio.
It's Transportation Staff Appreciation Day! All of our transportation staff members were celebrated Monday with a breakfast with Superintendent Kathleen Skeals. Today, there was a luncheon held at the bus garage for all bus drivers, bus aides, mechanics and other transportation staff members. Thank you for everything you do for the students and staff in our district!
Applications to request a mail-in ballot for the upcoming school budget vote are now open! The deadline to request a mail-in ballot online is May 12 at 4 p.m. Any requests after that time must be made in person at the NCCSD Central Office at 91 Fiddlers Lane. Ballots must be received by the district clerk by 5 p.m. on the day of the election (May 20, 2025).
What do a German Shepherd, a German Wirehaired Pointer, a Bloodhound, and a Belgian Malinois all have in common? They all visited Latham Ridge on Friday! The group of K-9 dogs stopped by Latham Ridge, with their handlers from the New York State Park Police, New York State Police and Colonie Police Department, to teach students more about the training police K-9's go through. Students also learn about some of the work these dogs do to help the departments they work for and see live demonstrations of the dogs obedience and detection skills. Thanks for stopping by, officers and K-9's!
Winter Break will run from Feb. 17 to Feb. 21. See you again Monday, Feb. 24.
