Only two weeks until Shaker High graduation, and our seniors are feeling the excitement! Today, June 12, a group of Shaker seniors returned to St. Pius X, a place where many of them spent their K–8 years, for a nostalgic walk through the halls that helped shape their journey. Current students and teachers lined the hallways to cheer them on as they took a walk down memory lane. This is just the first of many elementary school walkthroughs as we countdown the days until our grads take the stage. Get ready for more celebrations, memories, and graduation moments! Congratulations class of 2026!
She did it! With your help, Shaker junior Shreya Sharath reached her fundraising goal to support the donation of 240 GleeBoxxes to students throughout the North Colonie Central School District. On Wednesday, June 10, Shreya and more than a dozen employees at Sunmark Credit Union helped assemble the boxes, which were delivered to Central Office. 40 boxes will then go to each elementary school, where they will be distributed to students before school is out. A GleeBoxx can have school supplies, treats, fun trinkets or even a kind note to help brighten the day of the recipient.
Thank you, Shreya, for your dedication to making the lives of those around you better. Thank you, Sunmark, for your support of Shreya and the rest of our students.
Thank you, Shreya, for your dedication to making the lives of those around you better. Thank you, Sunmark, for your support of Shreya and the rest of our students.
"Von Berlin bis nach New York - From Berlin to New York" is the chorus of a rap song that German students grade 10-12 produced in a workshop with the German rapper and "incluencer," Graf Fidi. The event was hosted by the Goethe Institute, located in NYC. In his lyrics, the German artist from Berlin explores the situation of people with disabilities and promotes inclusion. Participating students wrote their own lyrics about the topic of inclusion and disability support. They presented their raps and recorded lines from the chorus like in a music studio. Grad Fidi will use their ideas and recordings to produce the last song of his new album, which will be released on Spotify soon. All participants were thrilled about this wonderful opportunity. The trip was chaperoned by Frau Connor, Frau Brandt and Frau Reeves, the German teachers at North Colonie.
It was a big day for Shaker Middle School on Wednesday, June 10!
The day began with Career Day, where students had the opportunity to hear from dozens of professionals representing a wide range of careers and industries. From orthodontists, lawyers, insurance specialists, firefighters, government officials, restaurateurs, and EMTs to representatives from sports organizations and media professionals, there was truly something for everyone. Students engaged with speakers, took notes, asked thoughtful questions, and gained valuable insight into the many career paths available to them. Thank you to all of our guest speakers for generously sharing their time, experiences, and expertise with our students!
In the afternoon, eighth grade students traveled to Shaker High School for orientation. Guided by members of the Student Leadership Council, students toured the building, learned about the school’s layout, explored the block scheduling system, received information about Yondr pouches, and discovered the many electives and special programs available to them. Students also had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion, where they could ask questions and gain a better understanding of the school they will call home for the next four years.
After a day filled with learning and exploration, it was time for some fun! Students returned to Shaker Middle School and enjoyed a spirited kickball game alongside their peers and gym teachers, a perfect way to wrap up an exciting day!
Monday night, June 8, the Shaker Athletics Department and Shaker All Sports Booster Club celebrated over twenty seniors at the annual College Recognition Night. These students have committed to continuing their athletic careers at D1, D2, and D3 colleges. Congratulations seniors, we can’t wait to cheer you on at the next level! Check out the full list of names, colleges and sports below!
Caroline Merolle - Volleyball - Lasell University
Teagan Martinovich - Lacrosse - Western New England University
Drew Waldorf - Lacrosse - Western New England University
Ruby Szemplinski - Softball - Rowan University
Olivia Lutz - Swimming - SUNY Oneonta
Tanner Donovan - Lacrosse - Florida Atlantic University
Lily Maynard - Field Hockey - Skidmore College
Talyn Chernosky - Softball - Caldwell University
Madeline Fazziola - Soccer - SUNY Potsdam
Eleanor Keough - Soccer, Flag Football - Marymount University
Arianna Castracani - Soccer - Westfield State University
Nicholas Mirabile - Lacrosse - Western New England University
Peyton Hoblock - Basketball - Dartmouth College
Briella Fiacco - Lacrosse - Connecticut College
Tessa Carroll - Lacrosse - Iona University
Emma Davis - Lacrosse - Newberry College
Mya Endres - Lacrosse - Lynn University
Peyton Cerrone - Lacrosse - Saint Anselm College
Brayden McElroy - Lacrosse - SUNY Oneonta
Gannon King - Soccer - Ithaca College
Jake Gaudette - Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field, Cross Country - SUNY Geneseo
Quinn Roberts - Lacrosse - Western New England University
Madeline Fazziola - Soccer and Flag Football - Russell Sage College
Ava Boncordo - Tennis - Union College
Congratulations to SHS seniors Harika Byraju and Everitt Li, for receiving a state honorable mention from Population Education for their video submission in the World of 8 Billion video contest. Harika and Everitt created a video about the importance of wetlands for their Civic Engagement and Leadership course at SHS. Learn more about the contest here: https://www.worldof8billion.org/winners-2026/state-and-international-honors-2026/
Shaker Robotics Team 2791 takes home the win! The team competed at the BattleCry Competition at WPI, creating a winning alliance with three other teams. Competition was fierce at the event, with 45 teams competing in total. Congratulations Shaker Robotics Team 2791!
Friday, June 5, marked an exciting day at Shaker High School! The Art Foundations Micro Show transformed the walls of the art gallery with an incredible display of student creativity and talent. Our Foundations students have worked incredibly hard on these pieces, and the show gave them the opportunity to share their artwork with friends, families, classmates, and teachers. Amazing job everyone!
Congratulations to Shaker High School senior Elena Hymes! Hymes has been named Capital Region BOCES Faculty Association Outstanding Student of the Year at the Career and Technical Education Center – Albany Campus. Hymes is a senior in the Criminal Justice program and was presented the award on June 4 at the senior awards ceremony on the campus. Read more about this accomplishment on our website: https://www.northcolonie.org/article/2969384
Shaker High School senior Harika Byraju recently celebrated her Civic Engagement and Leadership capstone project by hosting "The Creative Collective” art show, which focused on educating the community about the overall benefits of art and art education. The exhibition showcased the works of Shaker High School students and gave Harika a chance to discuss the benefits of art. Community members expressed delight in seeing the work on display. Thank you to everyone who took part in and attended this art show.
A special thank you goes out to:
SHS Faculty Members: Genevieve Chornyak, Andrew Krakat, Carrie Lue, Anne Manzella, Lynn Marie Paris, Marcus Puccioni
SHS Students: Anvi Adikoppula, Summer Artis, Jillian Carrothers, Alessandra Conti, Julia Cowan, Andrew Iannacone, Hana Kim, Lauren Lee-Chung, Meiqi Liang, Kayra Etirnne Maitre, Faitha Naj, Madeline Simson, Alina Song, Caroline Stark. Shanjana Vasanthakumar, Anya Vedhathiri
A special thank you goes out to:
SHS Faculty Members: Genevieve Chornyak, Andrew Krakat, Carrie Lue, Anne Manzella, Lynn Marie Paris, Marcus Puccioni
SHS Students: Anvi Adikoppula, Summer Artis, Jillian Carrothers, Alessandra Conti, Julia Cowan, Andrew Iannacone, Hana Kim, Lauren Lee-Chung, Meiqi Liang, Kayra Etirnne Maitre, Faitha Naj, Madeline Simson, Alina Song, Caroline Stark. Shanjana Vasanthakumar, Anya Vedhathiri
North Colonie is happy to announce that for the 2026-2027 school year we will be partnering, once again, with Colonie Youth Center, Catholic Central School, and Tiny Town of Latham to offer Universal Pre-Kindergarten to our North Colonie community. This year, for the first time, we will also house one class of UPK at Southgate Elementary.
Important Dates:
June 9, 2026 - UPK Lottery - Notification goes out to all registered families, letting families know if they have been selected for a seat or placed on our wait list.
June 12, 2026 - Families who are selected in the lottery must inform our registrar by 12 p.m. if they are accepting or declining their seat.
Read more about the program on our website: https://www.northcolonie.org/article/2967027
Shaker High School’s Microsoft Office class has done it again! Students from Mrs. Jachym’s class achieved an impressive milestones in both Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint at the New York State level. This competition challenges students to demonstrate their mastery of Microsoft Office applications, with participants competing against both high school and college students across New York State.
Notably, Aiden Brady placed first in both Excel and PowerPoint, demonstrating exceptional skill across multiple platforms. Please see the list below for the full placement results from Shaker High School in New York State.
1st Place - Aiden Brady - Microsoft Excel
2nd Place - Shwe Zin Than - Microsoft Excel
3rd Place - Boshra Benantar - Microsoft Excel
6th Place - Amra Mohammed - Microsoft Excel
8th Place - Alex Mahan - Microsoft Excel
1st Place - Aiden Brady - Microsoft PowerPoint
2nd Place - Adrien Wirfel - Microsoft PowerPoint
3rd Place - Boshra Benantar - Microsoft PowerPoint
5th Place - Caleb Lopez Ruiz - Microsoft PowerPoint
6th Place - Laiba Awan - Microsoft PowerPoint
Congratulations to all of our students on this remarkable accomplishment—great work!
Notably, Aiden Brady placed first in both Excel and PowerPoint, demonstrating exceptional skill across multiple platforms. Please see the list below for the full placement results from Shaker High School in New York State.
1st Place - Aiden Brady - Microsoft Excel
2nd Place - Shwe Zin Than - Microsoft Excel
3rd Place - Boshra Benantar - Microsoft Excel
6th Place - Amra Mohammed - Microsoft Excel
8th Place - Alex Mahan - Microsoft Excel
1st Place - Aiden Brady - Microsoft PowerPoint
2nd Place - Adrien Wirfel - Microsoft PowerPoint
3rd Place - Boshra Benantar - Microsoft PowerPoint
5th Place - Caleb Lopez Ruiz - Microsoft PowerPoint
6th Place - Laiba Awan - Microsoft PowerPoint
Congratulations to all of our students on this remarkable accomplishment—great work!
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!
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
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.
Shaker High School’s Microsoft Office class has done it again! Students from Mrs. Jachym’s class achieved an impressive milestones in both Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint at the New York State level. This competition challenges students to demonstrate their mastery of Microsoft Office applications, with participants competing against both high school and college students across New York State.
Notably, Aiden Brady placed first in both Excel and PowerPoint, demonstrating exceptional skill across multiple platforms. Please see the list below for the full placement results from Shaker High School in New York State.
1st Place - Aiden Brady - Microsoft Excel
2nd Place - Shwe Zin Than - Microsoft Excel
3rd Place - Boshra Benantar - Microsoft Excel
6th Place - Amra Mohammed - Microsoft Excel
8th Place - Alex Mahan - Microsoft Excel
1st Place - Aiden Brady - Microsoft PowerPoint
2nd Place - Adrien Wirfel - Microsoft PowerPoint
3rd Place - Boshra Benantar - Microsoft PowerPoint
5th Place - Caleb Lopez Ruiz - Microsoft PowerPoint
6th Place - Laiba Awan - Microsoft PowerPoint
Congratulations to all of our students on this remarkable accomplishment—great work!
Notably, Aiden Brady placed first in both Excel and PowerPoint, demonstrating exceptional skill across multiple platforms. Please see the list below for the full placement results from Shaker High School in New York State.
1st Place - Aiden Brady - Microsoft Excel
2nd Place - Shwe Zin Than - Microsoft Excel
3rd Place - Boshra Benantar - Microsoft Excel
6th Place - Amra Mohammed - Microsoft Excel
8th Place - Alex Mahan - Microsoft Excel
1st Place - Aiden Brady - Microsoft PowerPoint
2nd Place - Adrien Wirfel - Microsoft PowerPoint
3rd Place - Boshra Benantar - Microsoft PowerPoint
5th Place - Caleb Lopez Ruiz - Microsoft PowerPoint
6th Place - Laiba Awan - Microsoft PowerPoint
Congratulations to all of our students on this remarkable accomplishment—great work!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
“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!
