Happy Monday! I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend and took a little time to rest and rejuvenate!
It's a wrap! "Music in Our Schools" month officially ended with our All-City Band Concert last Wednesday at 鶹Ӱ High School. Congratulations to our talented student musicians and dedicated music teachers for another incredible year of outstanding music, and a big thank you to all our families and community members who showed up to support music in our schools. to take a look at this year’s All-City Band Concert. Also, mark your calendars for Hackett Middle School's upcoming Spring Concert and Art Show on Tuesday, May 13!
This week, we begin the 2025 New York State Assessment period with the English language arts exam this Tuesday and Wednesday (see the full state assessment schedule below). Over the course of the school year, a lot of work has gone into ensuring that all students are prepared and confident to take this year's assessments. It is our hope that students do their best without feeling pressure, fear or anxiety. These tests serve as a tool for us to measure student learning and inform our instructional practices ensuring that we are providing the best possible education for all our students. Please make every effort to have your child in school and on time, especially during testing days. If you have any questions, please contact my office at (518) 475-6475.
Our April PTA meeting will be held this Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in room 112. Please note that this date was changed so as not to conflict with last week's All-City Band concert. Can't make it in person? .
Snapchats don't last forever, but yearbooks do! Hackett yearbooks, featuring customizable pages, are now available for preorder! Please visit and enter our school's passcode: 1016488352114359 for details on purchasing and customizing your child's yearbook!
Third quarter grades close this Friday. Please be sure your child has handed in all assignments for the third quarter prior to this date.
This week's Friday Fun Day theme will be “Hat Day.” Let's show our school spirit and celebrate by wearing our favorite hat! We look forward to celebrating each Friday in a different way in order to add a little fun to our day and show our school spirit. This is a great way to build healthy relationships and look forward to the weekend.
We will pause the demands of school next week for Spring Break, which begins on Monday, April 14 and runs through Friday, April 18. School will resume on Monday, April 21. I hope the week off allows you and your family valuable time to relax and reconnect and return to school with renewed energy and excitement!
As a final note, Hackett Middle School continues its fire drill emergency response procedures. Holding practice fire drills, as well as lockdown drills, is crucial to our overall emergency planning, and we will continue to conduct planned drills throughout the school year.
... and that was the week that was!
Now for our 'Don't Snooze and Lose News'
- New York State test schedule for 2025:
- English Language Arts: April 8-9
- NYSESLAT Speaking: April 21-25
- Math: April 29-May 2
- NYSESLAT Listening, Reading and Writing: May 12-22
- Science: May 13
- Our May PTA meeting will be held Wednesday, May 7 at 6:30 p.m. in room 112. Please note that this date was changed so as not to conflict with the All-City Band concert on April 2. Can't make it in person? .
- Fourth-quarter interim grades close on Friday, May 13. Please be sure your child has handed in all assignments for first half of the fourth quarter by then.
- Our third-quarter Honor Roll Ceremony will be held Wednesday, May 21 at 8:30 a.m. in the auditorium.
- 鶹Ӱ High School Spring Open House will be held on Thursday, May 29 from 5:30-7 p.m. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A NEW DATE. Will your student be heading to high school this September? Incoming ninth-graders and their families are invited to 鶹Ӱ High to learn about the school's academic, athletic and extracurricular opportunities. Students can meet administrators and other students, take a tour of the campus and have their questions answered.
- We will have three days off at the end of May: Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day), Tuesday, May 27 and Wednesday, May 28 (recess days for unused snow days). School will resume on Thursday, May 29.
Important reminders
- Join our team! The City School District of 鶹Ӱ is hiring for a variety of positions. A list of employment opportunities can be found on the Human Resources page of the district website.
- Extended Day Program applications are available at the attendance desk in the main foyer. Programs include swimming, cooking, judo, cosmetology, dance, arts and crafts, yearbook and more! The after-school program takes place Monday through Thursday from 3-5:15 p.m. and includes a free snack and free door-to-door transportation home. 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. The program will run through June 13.
- Speed cameras are up and running, and $50 fines are being imposed on drivers exceeding the 20-mph school zone speed limit on Delaware Avenue and in several other school zones throughout the city. Please drive safely and avoid these fines by being mindful of the school zone on your daily route. You can visit our website to read more from earlier this school when the city launched the school speed zone safety program.
Hackett corner quotes
"April is a reminder that life is a beautiful, ever-renewing cycle." – E.E. Cummings
