Congratulations to Shaker Middle School seventh grade student Vibhav Doppalapudi for advancing to the state level of the National Civics Bee! The National Civics Bee is a prestigious nationwide program that challenges middle school students to deepen their understanding of American government, civic responsibilities, and community engagement. Vibhav was invited to compete at the regional level after his essay was selected from over 400 others. On April 2, he advanced through multiple rounds of civics knowledge and scenario-based reasoning to be named a regional winner. From here, he will compete at the state level on Thursday, June 18 . Good luck, Vibhav!
100%! The North Colonie CSD transportation mechanics received a perfect rating on their New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) inspection for the 2025-26 school year! Congratulations to our team of eight and thank you for your dedication to keeping our students safe on buses each and every day.
During Women’s History Month in March, the Shaker Music Department is joined the #PurpleBaton campaign, celebrating great conductors who are women! The campaign features the color purple for the batons to represent equity, loyalty, and justice. SMS Orchestra Teachers Desiree Burke and Nina Canestrari picked up the Purple Baton in an effort to share awareness of famous women conductors. SMS girls were also invited to the front of the room to take a turn at conducting their peers.
On Wednesday, April 15, Shaker Middle School proudly hosted a naturalization ceremony for the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, welcoming fifteen new citizens from countries including India, Moldova, Albania, and China in a powerful celebration of unity and opportunity. The event was made especially meaningful by members of the North Colonie community, as Director of Instructional Technology and Innovation Renata Relyea shared her journey to citizenship as a guest speaker. Shaker High School food service employee Mariana Zahopoulos, a recently naturalized citizen, led the group of new citizens the Pledge of Allegiance. With remarks from Superintendent Kathleen Skeals and New York State Senator Jacob Ashby, a stirring National Anthem by eighth grader Arya Parikh, and patriotic performances by the Shaker High School 11th-12th grade band, the ceremony reflected the pride, diversity, and shared promise that define our community. Congratulations to our newest citizens on this inspiring milestone.
Today is the last day to nominate for the Shaker Alumni Hall of Fame! Do you know a Shaker alum making a difference or doing outstanding work in their career field? All nominations are due by Wednesday, April 15 by midnight! Don’t miss your chance to recognize someone deserving. You can find a link to the nomination in our bio. #alumnihalloffame
The North Colonie Central School District and Shaker High School are mourning the loss of longtime teacher and coach Ed Springstead. Coach Springstead passed away on Friday, April 10, at the age of 93.
A United States Army veteran, Coach Springstead spent more than 50 years as a physical education teacher and cross country and track coach at Shaker. In his decades as a coach, his cross country teams won two state championships, one at Colonie High in 1962 and another here at Shaker in 2010. His 2010 state championship team went on to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals and finished 13th in the country.
Mr. Springstead’s tenure as a coach lasted long beyond his retirement as a teacher in 1989. A member of the Shaker High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the Greater Capital Region Cross Country and Track and Field Hall of Fame, Coach Springstead impacted the lives of thousands of student-athletes across the Capital District. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and former athletes and colleagues. Our thoughts are with all of those who knew and loved Coach Springstead during this difficult time.
A United States Army veteran, Coach Springstead spent more than 50 years as a physical education teacher and cross country and track coach at Shaker. In his decades as a coach, his cross country teams won two state championships, one at Colonie High in 1962 and another here at Shaker in 2010. His 2010 state championship team went on to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals and finished 13th in the country.
Mr. Springstead’s tenure as a coach lasted long beyond his retirement as a teacher in 1989. A member of the Shaker High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the Greater Capital Region Cross Country and Track and Field Hall of Fame, Coach Springstead impacted the lives of thousands of student-athletes across the Capital District. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and former athletes and colleagues. Our thoughts are with all of those who knew and loved Coach Springstead during this difficult time.
Congratulations to Shaker Middle School eighth grade students Rohith Krishnan and Louis Jin for receiving an Honorable Mention in the Toshiba ExploraVision Competition! The yearly competition is widely recognized as the world’s largest K–12 science competition and is organized by Toshiba in partnership with the National Science Teaching Association. Rohith and Louis worked together to research and develop a proposal for a future technology concept for "NOSSA- Self Secreting Cooking Oil." Their Honorable Mention recognition reflects the creativity, research, and teamwork put into the project. Every year, more than 6000 students from across the United States and Canada participate in this competition. Great job, Rohith and Louis!
Receiving SNAP secures kids free school meals. Together SNAP and school meals provide kids the food they need to learn. Learn more about how SNAP grocery benefits can support your child’s education: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/snap/
Happy Assistant Principals Week to our Shaker Shaker Middle and High School hall principals and deans! We appreciate everything you do for our students everyday! It may be spring break but be sure to show your appreciation when we come back next week! #assistantprincipalweek
The Bison is wishing everyone a great Spring Break! Don’t forget we are one month away from the Bison getting a name, and celebrating the 75th anniversary together!
You're Invited to Shaker Unified National Banner School Celebration on Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m. in the H-Gym at SHS. This celebration is to recognize our recent recognition as a National Unified Banner School. We would love to have the North Colonie community there to celebrate this milestone!
The celebration continued for World Language Month, as the World Language Department hosted a poster contest at Shaker Middle School. Students created posted related to this year's theme of "Languages: The Key to a Global Community." This year's winners are:
3rd Place: Izzy Gorman and Joni Gorr
2nd Place: Deeparjo Ganguli
1st Place: Lily Stone
Congratulations to our winners!
3rd Place: Izzy Gorman and Joni Gorr
2nd Place: Deeparjo Ganguli
1st Place: Lily Stone
Congratulations to our winners!
A group of Shaker Middle School sixth graders has a lot more knowledge about mummies! That’s thanks to several visits by Janine Moon from the Albany Institute of History and Art over the past two weeks. Ms. Moon, the Education Manager for AIHA, presented Ancient Egypt: Mummies on the Move, for the students of Ms. Meade, Ms. Silver, Ms. Ackerly and Mr. Futia. Our students had a lot of great questions about Ancient Egypt and Ms. Moon answered every one of them! She brought ancient tools to show off and students got to make a Shabti out of model magic clay and decorated it.
The Albany Institute is the legal guardian of two mummies, which means it is their responsibility to take care of those mummies. They sign a contract with specific terms like making sure the mummies are under plexiglass and have specific temperature and humidity requirements for their protection. Thank you to Ms. Moon and the Albany Institute of History and Art for the fun and educational experience!
Congratulations to SMS eighth grader Inaayah Ashar! On March 14, Inaayah came in first place in the Junior Division for the Capital Region History Day at the New York State Museum, where she presented her original documentary, titled "Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History: How a Peaceful Protest was the Only Solution for the Courageous Country of Lithuania." She also won an award from WMHT for best documentary in both the Junior and Senior Division. Inaayah will move on to compete at the state competition at SUNY Oneonta in April. Congratulations and best of luck at States, Inaayah!
Congratulations to SMS student Livia Lu SHS student Gianna Zhang for their winning submissions in the Albany County Legislature essay contest! The contest, a part of the commemoration of Women’s History Month, invited students across all grade levels to reflect on what a sustainable future looks like to them. Congratulations Livia and Gianna!
Families and students gathered at the Empire State Plaza K-8 Abstract Expressionism Art Show reception on Thursday, March 12 to celebrate the creativity of young artists from across the region. Students proudly shared their work while exploring inspiring pieces from the Rockefeller collection on the concourse. Local children’s book author and illustrator Liz Zunon delivered an engaging keynote, encouraging students to keep creating and expressing themselves through art. Congratulations to all the students who shared their work!
Have you seen the latest district newsletter? Featuring staff spotlights, Capital Project updates, district news, and more, find the digital version here: https://www.northcolonie.org/o/nccs/page/district-newsletters.
Stay tuned for more information about the Bison Birthday Bash on May 9, 2026!
Stay tuned for more information about the Bison Birthday Bash on May 9, 2026!
Last week during lunch at SMS, students were invited to place a star on the world map, indicating the place where they feel most connected. Students gathered around to place stars on places they liked to vacation, had family living at, were born, and more, with stars placed across the globe. The "Where We are From" map will be hung up on display in the school as a celebration of our students.
From pencils and paper in 2006 to a classroom full of curious minds in 2025, learning has always been at the heart of our schools. We’re proud to look back at the students who filled our classrooms years ago and just as proud of the learners continuing that tradition today!
Have photos from the last 75 years? Send them to us at communications@nccsk12.org. We’d love to see them! #NC75 #ThrowbackThursday
SOLD OUT! We're not the only ones excited about Shaker Middle School's performance of the "Descendants: The Musical." Our students and staff are putting the finishing touches on the show, which will take place on Friday, March 13 & Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15. Best of luck to the cast and crew, it's sure to be a wickedly fun show!
