With a rich history of educational excellence and community spirit, the South Colonie School District is now adding an inspiring chapter to its legacy by fostering a culture of kindness that resonates far beyond the classroom walls.

The campaign, conceived to honor the district’s 75 year legacy, is an invitation for students, teachers, parents, and community members to collectively engage in acts of kindness that make a positive impact. The campaign’s design is strategic – focusing on simple acts that collectively create a substantial positive change.

“More than celebrating the passage of time, this campaign is about celebrating the power of kindness that unites us all,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perry.  “Our building level activities committee led by Sand Creek principal Michael Marohn developed this idea with the  aim to inspire not only our students but the entire community to embrace the beauty of giving back.”

South Colonie’s commitment to the campaign is echoed in its curriculum. 

“Community is one of our four pillars,” Perry added. “From having the opportunity for students to support the larger community through activities like our Toys for Tots campaign or iCare students at the high school raising money year round for a cause, community involvement and support is at the heart of what we do.”

Community members can also join the cause, pledging to participate and share their own acts of kindness using the campaign’s official hashtag,  #ProudlyColonie75Acts or by emailing photos to ProudlyColonie@scolonie.org.

As the school year unfolds, South Colonie is set to showcase the impact of these acts through regular updates, demonstrating the positive change that arises from collective kindness.

For more information on our 75th Anniversary and related activities please visit https://www.southcolonieschools.org/proudly-colonie-celebrating-75-years/.  For suggestions and ideas on daily act of kindness, please view our Kindness Calendar here. 

Embrace Kindness: 10 Sample Suggestions

• Ask someone how they are feeling today.
• Tell a friend why you are proud of them.
• Listen to someone and offer encouragement.
• Validate someone’s feelings.
• Use positive self- talk today.
• Apologize to someone.
• Offer to help a classmate or teacher.
• Forgive a mistake.
• Say thank you to a custodian.
• Leave a kind post-it in a library book.

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Supply lists by grade

Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade

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May 11th from 5:00-6:00

You & your child are invited to join us for a tour of Saddlewood, meet the Kindergarten teachers, and see your classrooms!

Families will be split up into 2 groups alphabetically. One group will tour, while the other group meets the teachers, & then we will switch! We hope you can join us! 

Kindergarten Screening

June 7th & 20th

Parents will sign up for a time at Orientation to bring your child into Saddlewood for a screening on 6/7 or 6/20.  This screening gives us the opportunity to meet you and learn a little about your child before they are officially in Kindergarten!

(Students currently in the South Colonie UPK will not be screened; they will be evaluated in June by their current Pre-K teacher.)

This is such an exciting time & we cannot wait to meet you!

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Playground build set to begin on June 14; Ribbon cutting event to be held June 17

South Colonie Central School District announced today new details about the building of an all-ability playground in honor of Charlie Fernandez, a former Saddlewood Elementary school student who sadly lost her courageous battle with neuroblastoma in April of 2021. 

Through the collaboration with the Fernandez family, the national foundation Where Angels Play and other area organizations like Broadview Federal Credit Union, Hannaford, and the Community Foundation of the Greater Capital Region, a new all-ability playground will be built on the grounds of South Colonie’s Saddlewood Elementary this June. 

“Charlie meant so much to our school community and her family wanted to create something special in her honor but also have it benefit the Saddlewood Elementary students and our community at large,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perry. “This is a perfect example of the kindness and consideration we receive after establishing these deep connections with our students and families. We are excited to partner with Charlie’s family on this special project and welcome our community to view its progress and utilize this area in the way that Charlie would have intended. To have fun and enjoy the outdoors together.”

During a press event held this morning, Dr. David Perry announced the fundraising total to date – $102,417.  The build dates were also announced.  The volunteer-led playground build is set to begin on June 14 with the official ribbon-cutting ceremony to be held on June 17.

Additionally, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism has linked up with Where Angels Play through their mutual sponsor Jersey Mike’s subs, and will be providing special needs panels for the playground so that children on the spectrum will also be accommodated.

 “We at the Flutie Foundation are honored to be a part of the great project, in honor of Charlie Fernandez. We believe that all children of all ability levels deserve the right to play in an inclusive setting with their peers. We are excited that this playground will bring this vision to reality,” said Nick Savarese who serves as executive director of the Flutie Foundation.

Over the years, the Where Angels Play Foundation has worked with families across the northeast to establish playground areas like the one proposed, most notably in honor of students and staff impacted by the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in Newtown, CT.

The Fernandez family has partnered with the Where Angels Play Foundation to develop the fundraising to complete the project. More information about this community-based foundation can be found here: https://whereangelsplayfoundation.org/about-us/.

Individuals who are interested in volunteering for the build can contact Sarah Norton at nortons@scolonie.org.

About Where Angels Play Foundation
The Where Angels Play Foundation was founded and its first tribute initiative “The Sandy Ground Project” was completed in just 18 months. Twenty-six playgrounds were constructed along the coast of three states and built by firefighters, police officers, teachers, school administrators and community volunteers. Each playground reflects the personality of the teacher or child for whom it is named and the project had unanimous approval and blessings of all 26 families.

These very same Newtown families have chosen to “pay it forward” by helping to continue our initiative to build playgrounds in needy communities across the country. More information about the organization can be found here: https://whereangelsplayfoundation.org/.

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Toys For Tots, sponsored by the Marines Corps since 1947, annually provides some 237,000 Capital District children with toys for the holidays.

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Ted Kleniewski visited the school on Tuesday, Nov. 29 to share the message of giving and help the students load the Toys on to the bus.

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South Colonie Central School District announced today its continued partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and the Village of Colonie for the 2022 “Stuff the Bus” Toys for Tots Campaign. For the 16th consecutive year, the district will host numerous toy collection drives to ensure children in the community receive gifts during the holiday season. 

Kick-off Toy Raid at Veeder Elementary

South Colonie Central School District will kick-off this year’s campaign at Veeder Elementary on Monday, Nov. 28  at 10 a.m.

Collection drives to be held at South Colonie locations

Additionally, the South Colonie Transportation Department will facilitate toy pick-ups at the following dates and locations:

• • Tuesday, Nov. 29 at Saddlewood Elementary from 9:30 to 10 a.m. 
  • Wednesday, Nov. 30 at Shaker Road Elementary from 9:30 to 10 a.m.
  • Friday, Dec. 2 at Roessleville Elementary from 9:30 to 10 a.m. 
  • Monday, Dec. 5 at Forest Park Elementary from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m.
  • Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Sand Creek Middle School from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.
  • Wednesday, Dec. 7 at Lisha Kill Middle School from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.

A toy-drive will also be held at the Village Recreation Center in Colonie.  Families can drop unwrapped toys there until close of business on Thursday, Dec. 8. 

Light parade at CCHS to culminate campaign

This year’s campaign will culminate with a  “Lights in the Park”, drive through style show held at Colonie High School on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. 

“Our Colonie families can come out and enjoy a fun festive evening while supporting a great cause,” said Brian Scalzo, associate principal at CCHS. “Families are asked to bring a new unwrapped gift as entry to the event.”

The event will be open to the public. All toys collected will be donated to support Toys for Tots.

Inviting the South Colonie community to participate 

The collection drives will provide South Colonie families with the opportunity to donate new, unwrapped toys for distribution to children in need. South Colonie families who are interested in participating should send their child to school with the toy or make arrangements to drop off the toy prior to the scheduled collection date.  Residents of the community are also invited to participate by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to any of the participating locations or to the district office. 

“We are proud to partner once again with the U.S. Marines Corps and the Village of Colonie to continue this holiday tradition to support families in our community,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perry.  “Inflation has certainly placed a financial burden for many and we are thankful to be able to contribute to children in our community by working with our partners to facilitate these drives. Not only will it give children in our schools the opportunity to model the importance of expressing empathy for others, but South Colonie families will also be able to benefit from the program.”

For more information about the Toys for Tots program, visit www.capitalregiontoysfortots.org.

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 Our elementary schools took part in celebrating World Peace Day on Wednesday, Sept. 21 by attending a read-aloud of the book Can We Say Peace! Students in the district’s five elementary schools participated in individual assemblies geared towards opening a dialogue about what peace means. 

“It is important to teach students what it means to be peaceful and how to work together to create peaceful schools and communities where everyone feels welcome.” Says Roesselville Elementary Principal, Mrs. Tedisco. “We will continue these conversations in a safe and supportive environment with the hopes that it will inspire them to be peacemakers within our community.”

Each school had a unique way of celebrating World Peace Day and incorporated the intended message with their unique population in mind. Rossellville ended their peace day celebration by asking students to participate in a ‘mindful moment’ led by faculty members, where students learned how to create peace within themselves, as well as how to direct their peaceful thoughts outwards into the community. Veeder practiced acknowledging their peers in peaceful ways, demonstrating the power of calm and kind words. Forest Park held a virtual celebration within their community that aimed for inclusivity, and gave students the opportunity to practice peaceful online etiquette. Across all of our elementary schools, our faculty and staff took special care in ensuring that our students had all of the necessary tools to learn about what peace can mean for themselves, others, and their community as a whole.

Teachers and staff members participating in the Elementary DEI committee came together over the summer to discuss themes and age appropriate activities for the 2022-23 school year. This work aligns with the district’s commitment to becoming a more inclusive environment for students and faculty. 

Thank you to our administrators for making this possible!

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Dear South Colonie Parents/Guardians,

This message is to inform you that the 2022-23 school information for your child(ren) will be released and available to view on the ASPEN portal at the following times:

• • Elementary and Middle School schedules and teacher assignments will be available to view on Friday, Aug. 26 at 3 p.m.
  • High School schedules and teacher assignments will be available to view on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 3 p.m.

Information about how to access the ASPEN portal can be found here: https://www.southcolonieschools.org/parents/aspen-portal-information/.  

We look forward to seeing our students back on campus on Wednesday. Sept 7.

Sincerely,

Timothy Backus
Deputy Superintendent

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As curriculums shift, STEAM is an important ally to allow students to learn and function at their highest potential. “STEAM is important in that it incorporates a number of subjects in a relatable manner for students,” said South Colonie Supervisor of STEAM programming Gregory Bearup. “By introducing these areas of programming at an earlier age, students can identify how those subject areas coincide with one another. This is especially important as they grow into their grade-level curriculum and experience how problem-solving becomes more prevalent in their day-to-day classroom activities.”

The $113 million proposed spending plan that district residents will vote on May 17 has outlined key enhancements prioritizing STEAM education at both elementary and secondary levels.

“We feel that the role of STEAM will continually impact today’s students in their ability to understand particular subjects and how they accompany one another,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Perry. “By introducing it at the elementary level, we are able to reinforce the areas that are critical to our elementary students’ success.”

To put its importance into perspective, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that STEM occupations will grow by 8.8% between 2018-2028, compared with 5% for non-STEM jobs. While that is not a huge leap, it is progressively foreshadowing the importance of STEAM and its role in supporting academic success inside the classroom.

For additional information on South Colonie’s 2022-23 proposed spending plan, visit https://www.southcolonieschools.org/budgettaxvoting-information/.

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Earlier this month, students, faculty and staff at Saddlewood Elementary worked to raise funds for humanitarian efforts centering on supporting families and individuals displaced by the recent crisis in Ukraine. As part of that building-wide effort, students – – with support from faculty and staff – – worked to raise $2,400.25, in addition to highlighting the importance of peace and understanding throughout the school building. The funds were shared with the

“As a school community, we continue to present projects to highlight important opportunities to help others in our community,” said Saddlewood Elementary Principal, Mrs. Wranesh. “By partnering with St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, we were able to assist in their efforts and lend a hand to those in need, while sharing the importance of peace and understanding in our classrooms. We are incredibly proud of our students for this successful fundraiser.”

Additional activities to promote the fundraiser included decorating the hallways with beautiful sunflowers and sharing student drawn peace symbols that were displayed  in the hallways and classrooms. Students also wore blue and yellow on the last day of the fundraiser to show their support for helping those affected by the events surrounding Ukraine.

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