"Lights, Camera, Gallery" was the theme of the evening at Shaker High School on Thursday, May 1, as students, families, and friends gathered for the Senior Art Show. At the show, a total of 13 students shared their portfolio works, their current concentration, and their other elective work. The event was completely student run, organized, and curated by the group as a whole, overseen by instructor Genevieve Chornyak.
The movie theme was carried throughout the night, with storyboards, bloopers, and prequels sections of artwork on display. The event also featured a concession stand, red carpet, marquee with artist names, film reel guest book, and many more movie themed details. Great job to Samaita A., Toby B., Izzy D., Hans G., Luke H., Angel H., Sakthi J., Landon L., Meili L, Ava P., Marley R., Katie S., and Vivian Y. for an excellent event!
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!"
These are three of Shaker High School's senior leaders in Physical Education! Congratulations to PJ Strand, Alana DeLaCruz and Karam Abdalrahman, who were recognized by the Capital Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYS AHPERD) on Sunday, April 27. All three students were selected by their PE teachers for their high level of physical performance, scholastic achievement, exceptional leadership qualities and outstanding service to the school/community.
Congratulations to Pragna Obiddi, Evelyn Lu, Aleena Saleem, Gianna Zhang, and Ella Bagchi for their outstanding performances on the Shaker Speech and Debate Team! These members have all qualified to compete in the NCFL Nationals tournament on Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago. Pragna, Ella, and Aleena will compete in the Original Oratory Speech category, Evelyn will compete in Extemporaneous Speech, and Gianna will compete in Lincoln Douglas Debate. The success of Speech and Debate has been taken to new heights this year, with the hard work of all of its members has earning awards for the team. Great work to the Shaker Speech and Debate Team!
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!
We have two winners! Congratulations to Elijah Goldberg and Elena Hymes. Elijah (pictured photo 1, top left photo 3) and Elena (pictured right photo 2) represented North Colonie at the state level SkillsUSA on April 23-25. Elijah won the bronze medal for his Employment Application Basic as part of Digital Media Design. Elena was elected to the statewide office in the SkillsUSA organization by the organization’s House of Delegates. Great job, Elijah and Elena!
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!
Happy Belated Earth Day! Did you know the second leading cause of pollution is textile waste? Shaker High School freshman Nancy Chandra decided to tackle this problem by hosting Shaker's first ever clothing swap... on Earth Day! Nancy collected 15 bags of clothes and partnered with the Capital City Rescue Mission to donate these clothes to people in need. Around 80 people came to the event to find fresh threads and support the cause!
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.
Over April break, 30 students explored Spain with their chaperones Jessie Morgan, Kelly Mattice, Jaimie Weiss and Lauren Sheeler. Students were able to practice their Spanish skills while experiencing the culture and visiting inspiring historical sites. Places visited included the Prado museum in Madrid, the Roman aqueduct in Segovia, the cities of Toledo and Mijas and the Cathedral of Sevilla, the third largest in the world. Students also visited the Alhambra of Granada and the Mezquita-Cathedral of Córdoba which are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A day trip to the British overseas territory of Gibraltar was another highlight where students got up close with the Barbary Macaque Apes, the only wild primate population in Europe. During the trip many churros were eaten and miles covered, but the open minds and new friends made were the favorite things the students brought home with them.
We have a winner! Congratulations to Shaker High School senior Catherine Cheng who has been selected as a winner of the National Merit 3M Scholarship. Catherine was among more than 16,000 students across the country who scored in the top one percent on the PSAT exam. She is one of approximately 770 corporate-sponsored award winners announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation today.
In addition to Shaker Select performing in Hartford on Thursday, Shaker senior Mia Sorrentino and junior Isabel Yang will be performing there this weekend. Both students were accepted into the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Eastern Division All-Eastern Music Festival. Mia will perform with Treble Chorus while Isabel will perform with Mixed Chorus. Only three students were selected from the 82 school districts in this NYSMMA zone and Mia and Isabel are two of them. What an incredible accomplishment! Congratulations!
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).
Shaker Select is headed to Connecticut this week! The group has been chosen to perform in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Eastern Division Conference in Hartford on Friday. Shaker Select is one of the seven NYS ensembles chosen to perform at the conference and is the lone upstate public school represented. Congratulations Shaker Select!
Welcome to the newest members of the German National Honor Society! Last week, a group of Shaker High School seniors were inducted into the SHS chapter in front of family and friends in Taft Cafeteria. There was also a ceremony highlighting the National German Exam winners. Shaker students took home 10 gold, 11 silver and 7 bronze medals in the competition. Congratulations to all!
It's the annual Free Prom Dress & Attire event at Shaker High School! This year, in addition to dozens of dresses, shoes and purses for the ladies, we have menswear! Suits, shirts, ties and shoes are available and it's all free. We are here from 9am-1pm in LaFollette Cafeteria. We hope to see you there!
Congratulations to some of Shaker High School's finest! Twelve of our SHS students competed in the Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair at RPI in March with seven earning awards. These students have dedicated themselves to exploring a scientific phenomenon, carrying out an investigation and analyzing the results. They then presented their findings to a team of judges at RPI.
No party like a World Languages Block Party! Shaker High School's Upper J-Wing hosted the Block Party after school on Wednesday, April 2, in celebration of National World Languages Month. All language students were invited to use their "passport" to travel through various rooms and activities that included international dance, party games, crafts, international trivia, food and even "Gladiator School." As you can imagine, a fun time was had by all!
On Friday, March 28, Shaker High School’s Student Government hosted its annual Spring Leadership Conference with a guest speaker— Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan! The theme of this year’s event was empowerment, and the Mayor shared her inspiring journey to leadership, offering valuable advice to our future leaders. In addition to her talk, students engaged in leadership and team-building activities. It was an incredible experience for everyone involved. A big thank you to Mayor Sheehan, the student organizers, and all the Student Gov members who attended. See you next year!
