Celebrating your achievements...
Congratulations to the Class of 2009

On Sunday, June 28, 2009, 446 Guilderland High School students walked across the stage at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany to receive their diplomas and begin the next chapter of their lives beyond of the halls of GHS.

Graduation is a time for students and teachers to reflect upon their memories and experiences of the past 12 years. Thoughts of school dances, football games and good friends will always hold a special place in their hearts. Yet graduation is also an occasion to celebrate success. As the Class of 2009 goes forward—whether it be at college, in the workplace, or in the military—they can be confident that they have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful, no matter what the endeavor.

As noted by Superintendent of Schools John W. McGuire in his commencement remarks, “as you embark on the first steps of the next phase in your personal life journey, remember we are all learners, at each stage of this experience we call life.”

“Others can describe a direction, but only you can chart your course,” he added. “I am very happy and excited about all that you will encounter and all that you will do.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2009 for all that they have accomplished. Their hard work and dedication throughout the years are achievements to be celebrated. Best wishes to you all as you enter into a bright and exciting future!

Unable to attend the 2009 commencement ceremony? Watch a replay of the entire event on TWC Channel 16 throughout the summer. For a list of scheduled broadcasts, please click here. (PDF)

GCSD celebrates groundbreaking of district-wide additions and renovations project

On Monday, June 22, Guilderland Central School District students, staff, parents, and community members braved the raindrops to celebrate the start of the district-wide additions and renovations project. The groundbreaking ceremony, held at Guilderland High School, featured a welcome by Superintendent John McGuire, as well as remarks from Altamont Mayor James Gaughan and several selections by our talented high school musicians. In addition, some very special guests from Mrs. Kossmann's second grade classroom at Altamont Elementary were also on hand to help the district recognize this exciting day. To view photos from the event, please click here.

In November, 2007, GCSD voters approved a $26.97 million capital project to be conducted at Altamont, Guilderland, Lynnwood, Pine Bush, and Westmere Elementary Schools, and Guilderland High School. The project, which is expected to be completed by November, 2010, includes:

• New classroom wing at Guilderland High School;
• Renovations to electrical, heating and ventilation, roofing and communications systems at each elementary school;
• Updates to technology infrastructure and program improvements as well as safety and security upgrades; and
• Relocation of district administrative offices to the High School.

To learn more about the district-wide additions and renovations project, or to follow the progress of the project online, please visit the Building Project Update home page.

Summer Reading lists now available

Summer is the perfect time for children of all ages to sit back and relax with a good book...or two! To that end, GCSD's recommended summer reading titles are now available online. Click here to see the full list of titles. Please take a few moments to review the list, organized by grade level, as compiled by our district librarians and teachers. New in 2009: Critical reviews and/or book summaries have been included to help make your selection process a bit easier. Happy reading!

Laps of Love event a great success

Many thanks to Guilderland Central School District staff members, students, parents. and community members for their terrific support of the 4th annual Laps of Love walk-a-thon held at the Guilderland High School track on Saturday, June 13th. The event is held each year to raise money for the Dale Westcott Scholarship Fund which goes to a graduating senior set to pursue a career in math or science education. Dr. Westcott is a former teacher and administrator for science, math and technology who died from brain cancer in 2005.

This year's Laps of Love featured a visit from Mrs. Barbara Westcott who came up from Beaufort, South Carolina to participate in the walk-a-thon. Donations were received from the Guilderland Teacher's Association, the National Honor Society at the high school, and pledges came in the mail from as far south as South Carolina and as far north as Prospect Harbor, Maine. This year's total in donations came in at $3,033 dollars and makes for a four-year running total of over $11,000 dollars raised for the scholarship fund in memory of Dale Westcott. Thanks again and please consider joining us for next school year's Laps of Love walk-a-thon which will take place Friday, June 11th from 7-9PM at the high school track (rain date is Saturday, 6/12 from 9-11AM).

Pictured above: Top Row (L to R): Mark Rudolph (Coach), Noah Rubin, Alonna Rudolph (Coach); Middle Row (L to R): Brian Reed, Kyungduk Rho; Front Row (L to R): Yipu Wang, Jeremy Simon, Bing Zhang, Zagreb Mukerjee, and Ved Tanavde.

GHS Masterminds team wins New York State championship

Congratulations to the Guilderland High School Masterminds team, who recently took home the top prize at the state championship on June 13, 2009 at LeMoyne College. The competition was a round robin tournament consisting of the regional champions from Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. The GHS team went undefeated in states, 3-0, to cap off a very successful season with a final record of 18-1. 

Kudos to team members Greg Barber, Herbie Goldstein, Haejim Hwang, Sunny Hwang, Beatrice Malsky, Dana McLaughlin, Alex Metzger, Sindhura Mandava, Zagreb Mukerjee, Brian Reed, Kyungduk Rho, Noah Rubin, Jeremy Simon, Ved Tanavde, Yipu Wang, and Bing Zhan. Special honors in the state tournament went to Zagreb Mukerjee, for MVP, and Yipu Wang, for making the All-Tournament team.

Guilderland High School student selected to be a delegate at the World Leadership Congress

Congratulations to Guilderland High School sophomore Dustin Maguire, who served as the Guilderland delegate at the Hugh O'Brian (HOBY) Leadership Conference held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy on the last weekend in May. Dustin was selected from 10 finalists at the RPI conference to be a delegate at the World Leadership Congress to be held in Washington, D.C. this July. A total of 400 students from across the globe will attend this conference. Dustin is also one of 5 New York State students to receive a scholarship to the World Leadership Congress.

Upcoming Board of Education Meeting:
Tuesday, July 6, 2009

The Guilderland Board of Education will be holding a meeting on Tuesday, July 6, 2009 in the Guilderland High School LGI room at 7:30 p.m. All community members are invited to attend this meeting, or watch it live on Time Warner Cable Channel 16 in the Town of Guilderland. Agendas for upcoming meetings are typically posted the Monday before the meeting date. View 2008-09 meeting agendas here.

Information for students and parents regarding H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus
April 28, 2009

With recent news attention on confirmed cases of the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus throughout the country, the district has created a Web page providing information and resources for parents and community members seeking facts and information about this strain of the flu virus. Please click here to read more about it. To learn more about how you can help your family prevent the spread of flu, read the letter (PDF) from Superintendent John McGuire, as prepared with the assistance of the New York State Department of Education, sent out to all "District News" SNN subscribers earlier today. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children and our schools healthy.

NYS Department of Education issues new regulations related to the idling of vehicles on school grounds

State law now requires that all school buses turn off their engines when loading or unloading students on school grounds, except when necessary for heating, mechanical, or emergency reasons. The non-idling requirement applies to all other school vehicles (i.e., maintenance trucks), as well. Download a copy of the NYS Department of Education law and regulations here. (PDF) The Guilderland Central School District adopted its own "no-idling" policy back in 2005. To learn more about the district's policy, please click here.

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.