Dear Parents and Guardians:
I hope everyone had a great weekend and was able to get outside and enjoy the last few beautiful days of summer. Friday's back-to-school barbecue was very enjoyable and a great way to celebrate the start of the school year. I would like to thank our PTA parents who assisted and supported this school function, as well as Stewart's Ice Cream shop for donating the ice cream sundaes. You can see a Facebook photo album taken during one of the lunch shifts.
CDTA extended the back-to-school grace period for tripper buses for one more week. All students are able to continue to ride trippers for free. Beginning next Monday, however, only eligible students with an activated ID card will be allowed to ride the trippers.
NWEA math assessments continued to be administered in the school library to students in grades 6-8. These assessments help us monitor our students' academic progress in math as well as provide teachers with information to guide classroom instruction. We were happy to welcome district administrators to Hackett on Wednesday as they conducted various classroom visits throughout school.
Last week's Friday Fun Day theme was College Day! Staff and students really showed their school spirit by representing their favorite college or the college they attended. We will continue to celebrate each Friday in a different way in order to add a little fun and freedom. This is a great way to build healthy relationships and look forward to each weekend! This Friday's Fun Day theme is Mismatch. Students are encouraged to wear bizarre combinations of tops and bottoms.
... and that was the week that was!
Now for our 'Don't Snooze and Lose News'
- Orders are due this Wednesday for the Hackett Ski Club annual mum sale fundraiser. Cost is $12 each for 9-inch potted mums in red, orange, yellows, white, pink/purple and coral! Place your order online, and you can pick it up at school on Friday between 5-7 p.m. Besides being a great way to welcome the harvest season, your purchase will help offset ski club expenses and make the club more affordable for all.
- Open House will be held this Thursday at 6 p.m. Parents and guardians will attend all their child's nine (Day 1) class periods as indicated on their schedule. Each period will be 10 minutes long. Please be reminded, the purpose of this time is for you to review classroom expectations, grading policies, content to be covered, contact information, etc. Feel free to email a teacher at a later time with any specific questions or if you wish to discuss your child in more detail.
- There will be no school on Thursday, Oct. 3 in observance of Rosh Hashana.
- If you haven't already, don’t forget to register for the Oct. 6 Falcon 5K in Washington Park. The annual community event raises money for the Albany Booster Club (ABC).
- Our Extended Day Program is set to begin on Monday, Oct. 7 and will run through Friday, June 13. The after-school program takes place Mondays through Thursdays from 3-5:15 p.m. and includes a free snack and free door-to-door transportation home. Applications will be available at this Thursday's Open House and at the Attendance Desk after that. Completed forms should be returned to the Guidance Office, and any specific questions should be directed to Ms. Lewis at dlewis2@albany.k12.ny.us.
- Our next PTA meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 7:15 p.m.
- First quarter interim grades close on Friday, Oct. 11.
- Our annual "Go Home Early" emergency dismissal drill will be Friday, Oct. 11, when school will dismiss 15 minutes early. The State Education Department requires all schools to conduct this test each year. Learn more.
- There will be no school on Monday, Oct. 14 in observance of Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day.
- School pictures will be taken on Wednesday, Oct. 16 and Thursday, Oct. 17. Pictures are taken during the student's regularly scheduled PE classes.
- Please consider signing up for a concession stand shift during the fall athletic season. In addition to student-athletes, the ABC funds author visits, our food pantry, marching band, robotics, indoor percussion, Junior ROTC and many more organizations and groups that make our district special!
- Sign-ups for modified winter sports begin on Friday, Oct. 25.
- Save the dates! Parent-teacher conferences will take place Thursday and Friday, Oct. 24-25. Details to follow!
"Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world." –Malala Yousafzai
