Please note: May 23, 2008 to be a school recess day

Assuming that the district does not experience any emergency closings within the next three weeks, all Guilderland Schools will be closed on Friday, May 23, 2008 (contingent recess day) due to unused snow/emergency days allocated for the 2007-08 school year. In addition, all district administrative offices will also be closed on that day. As noted in the district calendar, all buildings will also be closed on Monday, May 26 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

Please join us for an upcoming session of  "Common Grounds: Coffee Talk About Education."

"Common Grounds: Coffee Talk About Education" series returns

Do you have questions, comments, or concerns regarding the Guilderland Central School District and its proposed budget or programming? If so, the Board of Education wants to hear from you!

“Common Grounds: Coffee Talk About Education” is designed to give all district residents an opportunity to meet with Board members in a casual setting. Upcoming coffees will be held on:

• Wednesday, April 23 at the Guilderland Public Library

• Wednesday, April 30 at the Guilderland YMCA

• Saturday, May 10 at the Guilderland YMCA

All sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration is not required. We hope to see you there!

* Please note that the coffee talk originally scheduled for May 3 at the Guilderland Public Library has been cancelled.

Voter information for residents of the Guilderland Central School District

On Tuesday, May 20, Guilderland Central School District residents will go to the polls to decide on a proposed $83,823,160 budget for the 2008-09 school year. This budget represents a 2.08 percent increase in spending over the current year’s budget. If approved by voters, it would result in an estimated 1.43 percent tax rate increase for residents in the Town of Guilderland. On that day voters will also elect three members to the Board of Education and decide on a bus and equipment proposition. For more detailed information, please visit our School Budget News home page or look for the special edition budget newsletter in your mailboxes early next week.

Polls will be open on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. To vote in this election, you must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and a resident of the Guilderland School District for at least 30 days prior to the vote. Residents must vote at the elementary school in their attendance zone.

Voter registration is required in the Guilderland School District. If you are not registered, you must do so prior to the vote. You may register to vote at any of the district elementary schools on May 6, May 12, or May 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or at the district office (6076 State Farm Road) on the above mentioned days from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Linda Livingston, district clerk, at 456-6200, ext. 3125.

Absentee ballots will be issued, upon request, to residents of the school district who will be out of town or unable to vote in person due to illness or disability. For more information on absentee ballots, including a printable absentee ballot application, please click here.

District-wide ESL Extravaganza set for May 15

The Guilderland Central School District English as a  Second Language (ESL) Department is proud to recognize, celebrate, and showcase the hard work of all our ESL students in grades K-12 at our annual ESL Extravaganza to be held on Thursday, May 15, from 5:30-7:30 at Farnsworth Middle School Cafeteria. Families will be attending and sharing a dish from their native country. The ESL department would also like to invite everyone who helps our ESL students to be successful: district teachers, supervisors, board members, staff, and community members.

This is an event not to be missed! Department Supervisor Al Martino will kick off the celebration at 5:45 p.m. with a welcome address. Dinner and dessert will be from 5:50-6:45. The stage show and awards ceremony will be from 6:45-7:15. This exciting event will conclude with a multimedia slideshow that pays tribute to the ESL students. Please plan to stop by to experience and appreciate first-hand the multitude of cultures and diversity our district has to offer! For more information, or to sign-up to bring a dish, please contact Susan LaFond at lafonds@guilderlandschools.org.

A.C.E.S. Day set for May 16

Altamont Children Exercising Simultaneously is part of a worldwide effort to promote fitness in children. Parents are also invited to join in the school-wide fitness walk, which starts in front of the school at 1:20 p.m.

Mark your calendar: Jelly Bean Field Day is June 20

Mark your calendars for June 20 as AES celebrates Jelly Bean Field Day 2008!

Operation Recognition underway at Guilderland

Guilderland Central School District is proud to be a partner in Operation Recognition, a New York State program which grants a high school diploma to any veteran who left school prior to graduation to serve in the military during World War II, the Korean Conflict, or the Vietnam War. Individuals need not have attended GCSD at the time of service to be eligible for this program. Diplomas may also be awarded to next of kin, if eligibility is established.

Community members interested in participating in Operation Recognition are encouraged to contact Guilderland Superintendent of Schools John McGuire at 456-6200, ext. 3102, or visit our Operation Recognition home page for additional details and eligibility requirements.