Dear Gardner Dickinson Families,
Over the past several weeks Dr. Yodis and I have been working together to find ways to enhance our athletic programs at Gardner Dickinson.
We understand how important athletics are to the overall success of children and want to provide as many opportunities as possible. We held a Modified Sports Forum on March 1st and obtained some great feedback from several family members.
Immediately following the sports forum, Dr. Yodis and I set up a meeting with Dr. Robert Zayas, Executive Director of the NYS Public High Schools Athletics Association. He let us know that since Wynantskill is a part of the “Friends and Neighbors” and are not members of Section II, that we are prohibited from playing with or merging with any other schools at this time.
Dr. Zayas clarified that we must apply for full membership status with Section II and NYSPHSAA before we would have any options to join other districts’ sporting opportunities. We immediately filled out the application and will await approval in the next month or so.
Once Gardner Dickinson is classified as a full member of Section II, Dr. Zayas suggested that we formally request that our students in middle school be afforded the opportunity to play modified sports at our neighboring partner schools (Troy, Averill Park, East Greenbush, Tamarac). He mentioned that there are thirteen K-8 school districts in NYS that could benefit from this request and was hopeful this could be a great opportunity for many.
Our hope is that students in grades 7-8 can play a modified sport (one that is not offered at GD) at one of these schools without having to commit to that school as their high school choice. Ultimately, this will have a positive impact on our students.
We are also looking to bring back clubs and intramural sports for students. In order to determine what we should offer and when, we are asking for your help. Please check your recent email for a survey from the school district. We appreciate you taking a few minutes to share your thoughts, and it will be very useful as we make plans to best serve our students and families!
Thank you,
Mr. Daniel DiSotto
Athletic Director
Wynantskill Union Free School District