Bison Brew is now official! There was a huge crowd in attendance for the formal ribbon cutting of the popular Bison Brew at Shaker Middle School on Friday, May 29. There was even a special appearance by Bryson the Bison!
What started as a "coffee cart" has expanded into an every other week cafe and delivery service of drinks and snacks for two periods of the school day. The Bison Brew is supported completely by our special education students and faculty members and has become so popular that their mugs are on back order! Thank you to the Colonie Chamber of Commerce Board members who attended and helped welcome their newest member! We look forward to serving for years to come!
What started as a "coffee cart" has expanded into an every other week cafe and delivery service of drinks and snacks for two periods of the school day. The Bison Brew is supported completely by our special education students and faculty members and has become so popular that their mugs are on back order! Thank you to the Colonie Chamber of Commerce Board members who attended and helped welcome their newest member! We look forward to serving for years to come!
On your mark... get set... read! Last month, Shaker Middle School Library hosted a "Read-a-Thon," an all day reading event. The event took place from period 1 to period 9, with teachers signing up to bring their classes down to the library for 20 minute blocks. The event was an immense success, with the library hosting a total of 50 classes during the day. Kudos to SMS for getting their read on!
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!
For the 16th time, the North Colonie Central School District has been named a “Best Communities for Music Education” by the NAMM Foundation. The award recognizes school districts and individual schools for their leadership and equity in music education, with more than 1,000 schools and school districts from across the country receiving this honor this year. Congratulations to our North Colonie musicians for this great accomplishment and thank you to the North Colonie community for your continued support of our music education programs.
We know it’s May now, but we were so blown away by all the support that we decided to wait a little longer to announce the winner of the North Colonie March Madness 2026 Challenge.
Thank you to everyone who supported their school and, in turn, our district. Every building did an incredible job, but three schools really stood out: Boght Hills placed third with $593, Shaker Middle School came in second with $700, and for the second year in a row, Southgate took first place with $1,155. Congratulations to the Gators on earning another banner and the bragging rights that come with it.
Most importantly, every dollar raised stays right here at North Colonie to support students and families in need through United Way. Thank you to every donor, family, and school community that helped make this districtwide challenge such a success.
Thank you to everyone who supported their school and, in turn, our district. Every building did an incredible job, but three schools really stood out: Boght Hills placed third with $593, Shaker Middle School came in second with $700, and for the second year in a row, Southgate took first place with $1,155. Congratulations to the Gators on earning another banner and the bragging rights that come with it.
Most importantly, every dollar raised stays right here at North Colonie to support students and families in need through United Way. Thank you to every donor, family, and school community that helped make this districtwide challenge such a success.
The Shaker High School Neuroscience Club recognized Brain Awareness Week (March 16-22) by giving back to their community. For the week, which is a national initiative dedicated to promoting brain health and neuroscience education, the 11 members of the Neuroscience Club organized a schoolwide donation drive and fundraiser. Led by SHS juniors and Neuroscience Club co-founders, Nirvana Monsur and Aleena Saleem, the club raised over $500 for the Alzheimer’s Association and the Parkinson’s Foundation. The club also collected over 1,200 donated items from SHS classes, including fidget toys, blankets, pillows, cozy socks, and stuffed animals. These donations were distributed across multiple care units at Albany Medical Center, including the Neuroscience ICU, Neuroscience Progressive Care Unit, Neuroscience Medicine Unit, and Pediatric Neurology, with additional support extending to patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as to patient care units within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. Great job, Neuroscience Club!
Good luck to Shaker Middle School sixth grader Krrisha Agrawal, who is headed to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. next week! Earlier this week, she made an appearance on the NewsChannel 13 morning show to talk about how she's feeling ahead of the competition and to give the anchors a few pointers on spelling.
Reminder: There is no school on Friday, May 22 and Monday, May 25.
Congratulations to the Shaker Rowing Association (Shaker Crew), whose team earned top finishes at the New York State High School Championships Regatta. The girls junior quadruple sculls placed second and the boys junior double sculls placed fourth, allowing them to advance to compete in the national competition at the end of this month in Nashville. Best of luck to these teams!
Thank you to the North Colonie community for supporting the 2026-27 budget! North Colonie residents voted to approve the budget, 1,103 yes votes to 355 no votes. Dr. Nicholas P. Comproski was re-elected to his seat and Janet Appe was elected to the open seat of Mary Nardolillo. Learn more on our website at northcolonie.org/news.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Join us in spreading awareness by wearing green on Thursday, May 21. Let’s show our support!
Budget voting day is here! Our annual North Colonie CSD school budget and Board of Education election vote will take place today, Tuesday, May 19, until 9 p.m. Voting will take place at Central Office (91 Fiddlers Lane, Latham, NY 12110).
Please note that all mail-in ballots must be received by the school district clerk by 5 p.m. today in order to be canvassed.
The Shaker Chess Club, led by Advisor Mr. Rodriguez and President Nirvana Monsur, hosted the Inaugural Shaker High School Chess Tournament in collaboration with The Right Move on Saturday, May 9. Nearly 100 players from across the Capital Region joined us for a full day of strategy, competition, and community.
Congratulations to freshman Ethan Chen, who achieved a perfect 4–0 score to win 1st place in the Knight (K–12) Section, and to sophomore Jiashen Li, who secured 2nd place. Junior Jiayi Chen also represented Shaker as a competitor, while junior Nirvana Monsur served as the Chief Assistant Tournament Director and Event Organizer.
Congratulations to freshman Ethan Chen, who achieved a perfect 4–0 score to win 1st place in the Knight (K–12) Section, and to sophomore Jiashen Li, who secured 2nd place. Junior Jiayi Chen also represented Shaker as a competitor, while junior Nirvana Monsur served as the Chief Assistant Tournament Director and Event Organizer.
We have some amazing artists here at North Colonie CSD! From the art show at the Town of Colonie Library to our Advanced Senior Art Reception and Secondary Art Reception at NYSUT, North Colonie student artwork has been on display across the town! Thank you to Omar Williams and the Shaker Middle School Jazz Ensemble for their performance during the NYSUT event. For more photos and student artwork, visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NorthColonieCSD
This month, Shaker High School junior Shreya Sharath is being recognized as the May North Colonie Kids Care recipient. Shreya was nominated by Shaker High School Student Assistance Counselor, Mrs. Stacey Angell, for her work as the founder of GleeBoxx.
Gleebox is a youth-led nonprofit initiative, grounded in the belief that small acts of kindness can create powerful change. Guided by the idea that no individual should feel defined or diminished by their circumstances, GleeBoxx creates thoughtfully curated care packages that combine essential items with personalized touches such as handwritten notes and small, joyful additions. Through this work, Shreya not only addresses immediate needs, but also fosters a sense of dignity, connection, and belonging among recipients. Shreya is currently organizing a large-scale drive to distribute 240 GleeBoxx care packages to elementary school children here in North Colonie. It’s an effort that reflects both her organizational skills and her unwavering dedication to serving others.
Shreya’s work through GleeBoxx is not only changing lives in our school community, but also reshaping how people think about giving—emphasizing empathy, dignity, and human connection. We are proud and honored to call Shreya one of our own here in North Colonie. Congratulations Shreya, you are so very deserving of this honor as a North Colonie Kids Care recipient.
Gleebox is a youth-led nonprofit initiative, grounded in the belief that small acts of kindness can create powerful change. Guided by the idea that no individual should feel defined or diminished by their circumstances, GleeBoxx creates thoughtfully curated care packages that combine essential items with personalized touches such as handwritten notes and small, joyful additions. Through this work, Shreya not only addresses immediate needs, but also fosters a sense of dignity, connection, and belonging among recipients. Shreya is currently organizing a large-scale drive to distribute 240 GleeBoxx care packages to elementary school children here in North Colonie. It’s an effort that reflects both her organizational skills and her unwavering dedication to serving others.
Shreya’s work through GleeBoxx is not only changing lives in our school community, but also reshaping how people think about giving—emphasizing empathy, dignity, and human connection. We are proud and honored to call Shreya one of our own here in North Colonie. Congratulations Shreya, you are so very deserving of this honor as a North Colonie Kids Care recipient.
There was plenty of sunshine and lots of smiles at Unified Field Day last week! Unified athletes from Shaker High School visited the @ShenendehowaCSD campus for a day filled with games, friendly competition, and lots of cheers.
Please join us in congratulating North Colonie CSD Board Member Mary Nardolillo and Shaker High School Hall Monitor Mary Kay Smollin on receiving awards from the Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA)! On April 30, the two were among those honored at the CASDA Annual Awards and Friends of Education Dinner.
Nardolillo was given the Excellence in School Board Service Award for her time on the North Colonie Board of Education and her dedication to creating opportunities and positive outcomes for students. Smollin was given the Friends of Education award for her unwavering commitment to enriching the lives of students and strengthening the North Colonie community.
During the evening, it was noted that both Nardolillo and Smollin have worked tirelessly - often behind the scenes - to support our district and ensure our students thrive. Congratulations Ms. Nardolillo and Ms. Smollin! North Colonie is lucky to have you!
Nardolillo was given the Excellence in School Board Service Award for her time on the North Colonie Board of Education and her dedication to creating opportunities and positive outcomes for students. Smollin was given the Friends of Education award for her unwavering commitment to enriching the lives of students and strengthening the North Colonie community.
During the evening, it was noted that both Nardolillo and Smollin have worked tirelessly - often behind the scenes - to support our district and ensure our students thrive. Congratulations Ms. Nardolillo and Ms. Smollin! North Colonie is lucky to have you!
Our new bison has found its permanent home! Thank you to the Class of 2026 for this incredible gift which you can now see as you walk up the center sidewalk at Shaker High School. Huge thanks to Mr. Jim Perry and several of our art teachers who spent time making Bryson's new best friend look so lifelike. Stop by and see it!
Monday, May 11 was an evening of celebration, as North Colonie CSD awarded tenure to 43 employees. The evening also celebrated over 80 faculty and staff members who reached milestone anniversaries of 20, 25, 30, 35, and 41 years of service. Surrounded by family, friends, and colleagues, honorees were recognized during a ceremony featuring remarks from Board of Education President Linda Harrison and Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Skeals. Please join us in celebrating these remarkable educators and staff members for their commitment and contributions to the district!
Due to anticipated weather conditions, the Bison Birthday Bash and 75th Anniversary Celebration will now be held indoors at Shaker High School's H-Gym.
We are pleased to share that all planned activities will continue as scheduled. Guests can look forward to booths, food, Kona Ice, the official Bison name reveal, student performances, games, and plenty of exciting surprises throughout the event. We hope to see everyone tomorrow (Saturday, May 9), from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
For entry, please use either the H-Gym entrance or the Main Office entrance at Shaker High School. Student and staff volunteers will be available throughout the event to assist and provide directions to help ensure a smooth and welcoming experience for all attendees.
Thank you for your understanding and flexibility. We look forward to celebrating this special milestone together indoors and making it a memorable day for the entire North Colonie community.
We are pleased to share that all planned activities will continue as scheduled. Guests can look forward to booths, food, Kona Ice, the official Bison name reveal, student performances, games, and plenty of exciting surprises throughout the event. We hope to see everyone tomorrow (Saturday, May 9), from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
For entry, please use either the H-Gym entrance or the Main Office entrance at Shaker High School. Student and staff volunteers will be available throughout the event to assist and provide directions to help ensure a smooth and welcoming experience for all attendees.
Thank you for your understanding and flexibility. We look forward to celebrating this special milestone together indoors and making it a memorable day for the entire North Colonie community.
