Mrs. Laura Nadler is a homegrown North Colonie kid. She graduated from Shaker High School in 2007 before going on to study Childhood and Special Education at the College of Saint Rose and receive her Masters degree at the University at Albany. Mrs. Nadler has wanted to be a teacher since she was five years old and says many of her teachers here in North Colonie fueled that desire in her. She helped launch the Special Education Program at Latham Ridge where she spent the first three years of her career teaching before transitioning to kindergarten. In her free time, Mrs. Nadler enjoys traveling with her husband and two children. They consider themselves thrill-seekers. Mrs. Nadler has been skydiving and cave diving and would like to go cage diving with great white sharks some day!

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: "I feel like our mission at North Colonie really aligns with my teaching practices... We have such a diverse group of students here, which I think is amazing. And the teams that I've worked with in both special education and gen ed, they have been amazing teams. They have always advocated for the best possible education for each student that I've worked with. I feel like I have the best colleagues - I've made lifelong friendships with my colleagues here since becoming a teacher at North Colonie."

Mrs. Julie Torre is a Queens native who spent the first five years of her career there as a special education teacher before moving to the Capital Region. She did her undergraduate studies at SUNY Cortland, where she met her husband, before attending Brooklyn College for graduate school. Mrs. Torre is in her first year as a special education teacher at Forts Ferry after 15 years at Shaker High School. Her passion is advocating for accessibility for all students. In her short time with the Lions, she has encouraged the installation of visual supports and communication boards for students with speech and language delays. Her next project is making the building, specifically the playground, more accessible for all students. Mrs. Torre has helped form a committee to oversee the proposal and construction of a new adaptive playground at the school. When she is not busy advocating for her students, Mrs. Torre is spending time with her family.

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: "Just continuing to fight for equity for all students and just making sure if we see something, we say something. And I always say all students should have access to all things. Really the equity, accessibility and inclusion are all what I'm working for here."

Mrs. Monica Smialek graduated from the school district on the other side of town (South Colonie), but we won't hold it against her. She has always had a passion for helping others, so when Mrs. Smialek moved back to the area more than two decades ago, she took a job as an educational aide here in North Colonie. "I was like I'm just going to do this for five years and then I'll see where I land! I fell in love. And I'm like 'This is it for now. This is it! 21 years later here I am still and I'm loving it," said Mrs. Smialek. She has also worked with Best Buddies and Shaker Unified (basketball and bowling). In her free time Mrs. Smialek enjoys reading and spending time with her three children and three grandchildren.

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: "Knowing that I've made a difference, whether it's big or small, is the most amazing part of my job. And when I see a student learning something new, and they have a smile that lights up their face, and I think that I had a part in that, and then they build this confidence and self-esteem that's amazing- that's an incredible feeling."

At the age of 8, Mr. Austin decided he wanted to be an orchestra teacher and with the help of several mentors, he did just that. He attended the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam before beginning his career in education. Mr. Austin is synonymous with North Colonie. He has spent the entirety of his 34 year teaching career with NCCSD… the first 18 years at Shaker Junior High School (Middle School) and the last 16 at Shaker High School. He is retiring at the end of this school year. Even if you haven’t had him in orchestra, there’s a chance you know him. Mr. Austin is “The Voice of the Bison,” serving as the public address announcer at football games and other athletic events around campus. He also deejays the school dances! Even after his retirement in June, Mr. Austin says he will stay on as “The Voice of the Bison” for football games.

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: “It’s just a great school district. I tell the student teachers that come through that this is kind of a dream job. When you get a job at a district like this, you should really count your blessings because it’s few and far between. So, I am very fortunate to have been in a district as good as North Colonie.”

Mrs. Avellino has been a fixture at Shaker High School as both a math and computer science teacher for nearly three decades. An Albany native and graduate of Albany High, Avellino played softball at the College of Saint Rose where she double majored in business finance and computer science. She loves to learn. In fact, Mrs. Avellino loves taking classes so much that she still takes the occasional class at Siena College and says she would take more if she could! She has two daughters and likes to work out in her free time. In the past couple years, Mrs. Avellino has taken up pickleball and teams up with fellow SHS math teacher Mrs. Simkulet, playing in a partner league together.

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: “I just love working with students. Especially with computer science, I’m teaching them something brand new. It’s not even just a little bit of a continuation of what they’ve been doing for years. I just love that. I can see when they’re actually getting something and when they really get into it.”

A Syracuse native, Mrs. Hwang is relatively new to the North Colonie Central School District. She joined NCCSD in August of 2024 as an ENL Teacher at Shaker High School. Her experience working in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program as an undergraduate college student solidified her decision to pursue a career as an ENL teacher. Mrs. Hwang has a strong interest in learning about different countries and cultures, which fuels her passion for traveling both in the United States and internationally. In her free time, she cherishes spending time with her three daughters and her husband.

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: “The most rewarding part of my job is witnessing my students’ growth and success. Whether it’s a student speaking English confidently for the first time, mastering a challenging concept, or sharing how their new skills have positively impacted both their personal and academic lives. I find it especially fulfilling to see them working hard to develop their English language skills. Their dedication and progress inspire me every day.”

Ms. Weimer loves to read. That should come as no surprise since she is a librarian! A Schoharie native and graduate of Middleburgh High School, Ms. Weimer initially started as a computer and business teacher, but was laid off during the financial crisis. As fate would have it, she was hired as a teaching assistant at North Colonie in the SMS library and that allowed her to discover another passion… books! Ms. Weimer went back to school for her library masters and quickly earned a job as a full-time librarian in the district! She spent 10 years at Shaker High School before making the move to the middle school, which is a place she loves. Her favorite books are graphic novel comics and science fiction/fantasy. In addition to reading, Ms. Weimer also loves cats, baking and local history.

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: “I just love the middle school. They always say it takes a crazy type of person to be a middle school teacher and I think I fit that. I love the energy and the chaos of middle school and the kids have the type of motivation and that interest level still at this age which I love.”

Mrs. Coons is an Altamont native and Guilderland graduate who has been an ENL (English as a New Language) teacher in NCCSD for 25 years. Her love of teaching was sparked by a semester abroad in Japan her junior year of college, when she tutored junior high school students, teaching them English. Now, she helps students from around the world not only learn English, but also to feel welcome at Blue Creek. In her free time, Mrs. Coons like to read, hike, spend time with her children and travel.

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: “I would say the most rewarding part of my job is being a part of my families’ journeys. Once they arrive at Blue Creek, who knows what they’ve been through to get here. A lot of my families come directly from their native country and I can only imagine the obstacles they’ve overcome and the challenges they’ve faced. So, I do see it as a privilege to be in this position where I am one of the first faces that welcome them.”

Mrs. Amanda Cutter is originally from Niskayuna and spent 16 years in the Niskayuna CSD transportation department before joining North Colonie. Originally a stay-at-home mom to three children, she initially enjoyed working in transportation because she could work during school hours and still be home with her kids and have summers off! In her free time, Mrs. Cutter enjoys baking and crafting. In fact, she has made two of her three kids’ wedding cakes and is making her daughter’s wedding cake when she gets married in March! 

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: Cutter was quick to cite the people she works with as being one of the best parts of her job. But she also appreciates the district as a whole, saying “I feel like every staff member matters at North Colonie.”

Mrs. Johanna Denniston knew she wanted to be a teacher since the third grade. She grew up in Clifton Park and graduated from Shenendehowa, where she also began her teaching career after college. Life took her to Boston and then Omaha, but she returned home to the Capital Region after having her two children. Denniston started at NCCSD three years ago, first at Southgate and then onto SMS. In her free time, Denniston enjoys “reading about reading.” She has enjoyed her time at the district, saying that the people are her favorite part of the experience.

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: “It’s actually really rewarding when kids don’t need to come to reading anymore. The kids are just so proud of themselves. It’s great just seeing that little light go off in their head, when they can understand and do things they couldn’t before.”

Mr. Joyner is a long-time counselor and track and field coach at SHS. An Albany native, Joyner graduated from Guilderland CSD and went on to attend SUNY Geneseo for his undergraduate degree in psychology. After completing his graduate studies at Russell Sage, he started at NCCSD as the coordinator for the Personal Improvement Program for students at risk of not graduating. Joyner served as a counselor in the program for 23 years before transitioning into his current role. He has two kids and loves sports, especially football for which he is involved in a number of fantasy leagues.

Most Rewarding Part of Your Job: “Occasionally, when I’m out in the community and someone comes up and says, ‘Hey Mr. Joyner, that thing you told me way back when I was a student and ever since I remembered that and it helped me.’ That’s kind of rewarding and that happens a lot actually. That would be the best thing, running into people you see down the road that you’ve had some impact or influence in their life and you didn’t know you did.”