Majella and Quentin Briggs received a surprise on Apr. 19 when their father, Brandon, surprised them at school after returning from serving overseas with the Navy Reserve.
Thank you Mr. Briggs for your service to our country!
Author Archive: Wynantskill
Troy Lodge of Elks Donates Books
Third and fifth graders received dictionaries and thesauruses from the Troy Lodge of Elks 141 on Apr. 19, something the organization does every year for Gardner-Dickinson students.
Thank you so much for visiting our school and for your generosity!
District Receives $1,000 Check from Hannaford
Wynantskill UFSD received a $1,000 check on Apr. 10 from Brittany Vogel, Assistant Store Manager at Hannaford in Wynantskill, as part of the Hannaford Helps Schools program.
The program supports schools by providing shoppers a way to earn school dollars for their school. Gardner-Dickinson earned the $1,000 bonus check because the school raised the most funds in the community.
Thank you to Hannaford and our community for your support!
Students Encouraged to Take Gr. 3-8 Exams
Wynantskill UFSD would like to ask parents to please help us improve education for their children by allowing students to take the upcoming Gr. 3-8 ELA and Math exams.
“These exams provide us critical information that we use to strengthen our curriculum by showing us what teaching approaches work best for our students,” said Superintendent Dr. Thomas Reardon. “Test refusals create incomplete information which hinders our ability to improve the educational program for all students.”
Here are details of the tests and changes NYS has made to improve them:
- 3-4 exams take about 60 minutes to complete.
- 5-8 exams take about 80 minutes to complete.
- Students are given as much time as they need.
- Testing takes place over two days, not three days.
- There are fewer questions on each exam.
- Results have no impact on a student’s grade.
- Results have no impact on teacher evaluations.
- ELA tests may be read aloud to students with Individualized Education Plans.
- Exams help prepare students for similar tests such as Regents exams in High School.
“These proficiency exams are a great measure that tell us where our students are in relation to their grade level curriculum and standards. It helps ensure that we are providing all of our students with the enrichment and interventions they may need to be successful high school graduates earning a Regents diploma,” said Principal Dr. Mary Yodis.
If you have any questions or concerns about the exams, please call Principal Mary Yodis at 518-283-4600 ext. 10.
Pre-K Program to Start in Fall With One Classroom
To ensure the cost of creating a new Pre-K program does not impact existing programs for K-8 students, Wynantskill UFSD will start Pre-K with one classroom in the fall.
“We want to be fiscally responsible and start slow with the hope of growing the program over time if it’s affordable,” said Superintendent Dr. Thomas Reardon. “Our Pre-K program will not be subsidized by state aid so we want to be careful of the impact to our budget so we can maintain programs for our students.”
While New York State provides some state aid for Pre-K programs, it is limited to districts with high needs. Dr. Reardon confirmed with the State Education Department that Wynantskill UFSD does not currently qualify.
The Pre-K classroom will be run by CEO Headstart, an organization that runs numerous pre-kindergarten programs locally. It was selected through a Request For Proposal process.
“We had a chance to see them in action when our Pre-K Committee did site visits. They’ve responded to all our questions and share our vision. They’re also trained to provide early childhood education and have a lot of experience in different school settings so they can adapt to our program’s needs,” said Dr. Reardon.
The Pre-K program will serve 18 students who must be 4-years-old by Dec. 1. The district is developing its selection process which is expected to start in June. The district will provide more updates as they become available.
“We know it’s later than a typical registration process but the program is dependent on the building project because that’s where the classroom will be,” explained Dr. Reardon. “We didn’t want to promise something that might not be there but we are now assured that the building project will be completed by the fall.”
Gr. 4 Learns About Construction
Gr. 4 students learned about construction on Apr. 10 from Maurizio Cassano, Superintendent for Finelli Construction which is building the Capital Project addition.
Mr. Cassasno offered to speak with students about the project and tools that relate to student studies about simple machines.
U.S. Rep. Tonko Delivers Books to School
Congressman Paul Tonko met with some of our students today while delivering 35 free books from the Library of Congress Surplus Book Program.
Library Media Specialist Linda Fecura applied to the program, which provides books that are no longer of use to the Library of Congress to institutions and organizations to help them build their library collections.
“I want to thank our school ambassadors. You make all the book connections so important because it’s your education that matters so much,” Rep. Tonko told students. “And I’d like to thank parents for being here, not only as partners for reading but for partners in education.”
Gr. 8 Class Trip to Washington, D.C.
Grade 8 headed to Washington, D.C. on Mar. 27 for their class trip.
We will continue to add photos as we receive them.
Kindergartners Harvest Magic Lollipops
Kindergartners picked lollipops on Mar. 26 that grew from magic jelly beans over the weekend that Food Services Director Lori Audi helped them plant.
Gr. 3-5 Science Fair a Hit
Gardner-Dickinson held a Gr. 3-5 Science Fair in the school cafeteria on Mar. 14 where students explained their projects to guests. Great job!