Dear North Colonie Families,
Today, Governor Cuomo stated he will address the status of school closures in tomorrow’s briefing. We will share any updates with our community as soon as they are available.
In the meantime, I wanted to take some time to share some good news with you all. I know we could all use some. Earlier this week, the New York State Education Department announced that Boght Hills, Loudonville, Southgate and Shaker High School were among 582 Recognition Schools statewide. Recognition Schools are those with high academic achievement and strong progress, that also perform acceptably for all subgroups for which they are accountable. There are 4,433 public schools in the state and only 13 percent received this honor. Four of our schools, or 50 percent of our district, received this recognition. This announcement is an honor for our entire community. Congratulations!
In addition, for the tenth year in a row, North Colonie has been named a Best Community for Music Education! The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation recognized the district for its outstanding commitment to music education in providing music access and education to all students. When I think of these difficult times, I can’t help but reflect on the number of moments where the gift of music has given us joy and uplifted our souls. I want to thank our Director of Music, Deb Keough, and her staff, as our students experience the benefits of their skills, dedication, compassion, and commitment on a daily basis.
I also want to give a huge shout out to our awesome Food Services Department. This week, they informed me that we have surpassed distributing 20,000 meals since the beginning of our closure. Thank you so much for your amazing and important work! We are so grateful!
Finally, I want to address some concerns that I know parents in our community have had in regard to the use of the Zoom platform. I want to assure you that the district has acquired a paid subscription to Zoom from Erie 2 BOCES that is fully Ed-Law 2D compliant. This means that any communication you or your child has with teachers in the North Colonie Central School District through Zoom is safe and all information discussed is private and protected. Please reach out with any questions.
Again, please be on the lookout for more information tomorrow in regard to an announcement from the governor. I hope you’re all doing well.
Sincerely,
D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools