Superintendent Dr. Ryan Sherman

Superintendent's Office
14 Spring Street
Schuylerville, NY 12871
Phone: (518) 695-3255
shermanr@schuylerville.org

 

Welcome to the Superintendent’s online office. This page is just one of the many ways I’ll be communicating with the Schuylerville community. It will include commentary on a broad range of topics, from important district events, school budgeting and academics to issues that arise in the district and observations garnered from my experiences in our schools. I appreciate your interest and invite your suggestions and comments; you can e-mail me at shermanr@schuylerville.org.

 

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2010-2011 Notes 

[September 2, 2010]

 

welcome to the new school year!

I hope you and your family had an enjoyable summer. On campus, our days were filled with the sounds of power tools and construction equipment as the district’s capital project progressed. The project is now winding down and the new facilities are looking great. We’ll be ready to open school on Thursday, September 9, 2010.

As you wander through the new areas at both the Elementary School and the Jr.-Sr. High School, I’m sure you’ll be impressed. You may also notice a few minor odds and ends that need to be finished; this is typical of any large-scale construction project and won’t impact the our ability to start the new school year with a sense of optimism and enthusiasm.

To help introduce our students to their new schools and new classrooms, we’re holding some orientation sessions for selected grade levels on Tuesday September 7, 2010. Here’s a schedule:

Kindergarten Open House: 5-6 p.m. in the kindergarten classrooms. Click here to view the letter sent home to kindergarten parents [PDF file].

Grade 7 Orientation: begins at 5 p.m. with a picnic, presentation at 5:45 p.m., open house at 6:30 p.m. and dance at 8:20 p.m. All events are taking place at the Jr.-Sr. High School. Click here for more information [PDF file].

Grades 4-6 Tour of New Elementary School Wing: 7-8 p.m. Meet at the entrance to the new addition. Click here to view the letter sent home to parents about this event [PDF file].

 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Best Regards,

Dr. Ryan Sherman

 

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[July 15, 2010]

 

District places high in annual Business Review school rankings

Each year, The Business Review ranks school districts based on student performance on state assessments and Regents exams in English Language Arts, social studies, science and math. Rankings also take into consideration the percentage of students who graduate with a Regents diploma or a Regents diploma with advanced designation and the percentage of seniors who plan to attend college.

In the latest ranking, Schuylerville placed 12th overall among the 85 districts in the 11-county Capital Region, moving up 12 places from last year’s ranking. We’re very proud of this recognition and want to thank teachers, parents and staff members for their efforts in helping students achieve at their highest levels. This ranking is a tribute to everyone’s hard work and commitment in the district.

The Business Review also ranked financial data for all 85 school districts. Schuylerville was positioned 58th in expenditures per pupil.

For more information on the newspaper’s “School Report Card,” visit http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/reports/schools/index.html.

 

Board of Education meetings changed to Monday evenings

Beginning next week, Schuylerville’s Board of Education meetings will be held twice monthly (except during holiday seasons) on Mondays at 7 p.m. This is a change from previous years when meetings were held on Thursdays. Click here for a complete schedule.

 

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

 

Best Regards,

Dr. Ryan Sherman
Superintendent

 

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2009-2010 Notes 

[May 20, 2010]

 

Budget Support/Showcasing the Arts

I’d like to express my appreciation for everyone who took the time this week to vote on the proposed 2010-11 school budget. The budget was approved by voters by a margin of 540 to 244. Residents also approved a proposition to purchase buses and re-elected our longtime Board member Stan Barber.

Our school staff and Board of Education members appreciate the support shown by our community over the years and especially during these tough economic times.

This week’s activities also included a showcase for the arts, with the annual Jr.-Sr. High School Art Show and the extraordinary Pops concert. Our newly refurbished auditorium was filled to capacity for the concert and the new sound and lighting systems were certainly welcome additions to the facility.

On Tuesday, May 25, the focus on arts will continue with the fifth annual Looking Glass Coffee House Gala, which takes place at 7 p.m. in the Jr.-Sr. High School chorus room. Students published in our award-winning art and literary journal, Looking Glass, will present their artwork and literature in a fun and inspiring coffee house setting. I hope you’ll join us for the event.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be gearing up for a number of activities that might be termed “pillar events” in students’ lives—kindergarten registration on June 3 and 4, sixth-grade moving up events on June 22 and, of course, the Class of 2010 graduation ceremony on June 26.

 

We’ll also be moving offices and staff to accommodate the summer construction work (more details to follow on this).

 

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

 

Best Regards,

Dr. Ryan Sherman
Superintendent

 

 

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[April 15, 2010]

 

Schuyler Park/New Auditorium/Budget Proposal

We’re welcoming the arrival of spring with the opening of Schuyler Park, a 27-acre recreational area on Route 29. The park is the result of a joint effort by the Towns of Saratoga and Northumberland with support from Schuylerville Central School District. We’re excited that our J.V. softball team played on the park’s fields this week during the first official athletic contest at the site. We’d like to recognize the countless hours donated by volunteers and the immeasurable support from local businesses and individuals who turned the dream of a park into reality. Our athletes and the community as a whole will certainly reap the rewards of your actions and generosity for years to come.

This week also marks the opening of another beautiful facility—the Schuylerville Jr.-Sr. High School auditorium. After many months of renovation work, the auditorium will have its official grand opening this evening as our Drama Club presents the musical, “Leader of the Pack.” I’m sure you’ll be impressed with the bright new space, the refurbished seats and upgraded lighting and audio systems and, of course, the air conditioning! Again, this is a facility that will benefit both students and residents now and in the future.

Earlier in the week, the Board of Education adopted a $32.1 million budget proposal for the 2010-11 school year. The spending plan, which represents a 3.34 percent increase in spending over the current year, would yield no increase in the tax levy for our property owners. I invite you to hear specific details about the proposed plan at our budget hearing on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Administration Building. The vote takes place on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 from noon to 9 p.m. in the Elementary School. A budget newsletter will be sent to all residents in the coming weeks and updated budget information can be viewed by clicking here.

If you have any questions about these initiatives, please feel free to contact me.

 

Best Regards,

Dr. Ryan Sherman
Superintendent

 

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[March 1, 2010]

 

international education

More than three dozen Schuylerville Jr.-Sr. High School students had a great opportunity to practice the foreign language skills they learned in our classrooms as they traveled throughout France and Spain over the February break. The travelers will likely find this to be one of their most memorable high school experiences, as they were immersed in French and Spanish cultures.

The students’ itinerary included tours of castles, visits to the Eiffel tower and Versailles and such museums as The Louvre and the Dali Museum, an overnight ride on a sleeper train, tours of smaller cities and a boat ride on the Siene River. In both countries, Schuylerville students spent time with their peers in French and Spanish schools. According to the travelers, these experiences were the most impactful, as they provided a teenaged perspective on life and culture in other countries.

Schuylerville Elementary School students are also taking advantage of international opportunities. This week, Parents as Education Partners (PEP) is starting the next session of foreign language instruction classes. Students in grades 1-6 are offered classes in German, French and Spanish. This program, called FLiP, began last year and has been extremely popular.

FLiP was developed based on feedback from parent surveys that indicated in interest in foreign language instruction and cultural programming at the Elementary School. In addition to the language instruction, PEP also organizes the Elementary School’s Culture Club. Each month, participants learn about a different country, its food, language and customs. These activities are kicked off at the beginning of the school year with PEP’s International Festival, which features musical and dance performances, food, interactive activities and informational booths representing different countries.

With today’s global economy and shrinking borders thanks to technology, a focus on international education is a definite plus for our students.

 

If you have questions or feedback on these activities and initiatives, please feel free to let me know.

 

Best Regards,

Dr. Ryan Sherman
Superintendent

 

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[February 3, 2010]

 

thanks to our community

I’d like to express my appreciation to Schuylerville residents for supporting our proposal to install FieldTurf on our current football field. The vote on February 2 passed by a margin of 428 to 288. Both our students and the community as a whole will benefit from the field. We’ll begin the installation process in the spring and anticipate being able to use the field by the time fall sports practices begin in August.

On another sports-related note, the Executive Committee of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) voted in favor of the proposed changes in classification numbers for football as submitted by the State Football Committee. As a result, Schuylerville Central School District has been elevated to Class ‘B’ status as determined by the district’s fall 2009 enrollment numbers.

The reclassification has an immediate affect on scheduling. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, the district will not be playing against some of our traditional rivals or WASAREN League opponents. Instead, we’ll be matched with other Class B schools, such as Ichabod Crane, Hudson Falls, Schalmont, Cohoes, Broadalbin-Perth, Ravena, Johnstown, Cobleskill-Richmondville, Hudson, Albany Academy and Cairo-Durham.

Obviously, these matches will create increased travel for the upcoming season. The 2010-2011 schedule has not yet been finalized. However, as soon as it becomes available, we will post it on our Web site. As our enrollment remains steady and the potential for growth is imminent, we can expect to be playing Class B districts for the foreseeable future.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Athletic Director Beth Sciurba at (518) 695-3255, ext. 2248 or me.

 

Best Regards,

Dr. Ryan Sherman
Superintendent

 

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