William S. Hackett Middle School
Kenneth W. Newman Sr., Principal
45 Delaware Avenue, Albany, NY 12202

Ph: (518) 475-6475
Fax: (518) 475-6477
Hackett Web site: http://hackett.albany.k12.ny.us

Back home!

The William S. Hackett Middle School community is excited to be back home for the 2008-09 school year following a complete renovation of the 82-year-old building at 45 Delaware Ave.

The updated school maintains many of the classic architectural elements and blends an array of new elements into a facility that is the jewel of the City School District of Albany's ongoing facilities project to rebuild or renovate its elementary and         The fully remodeled auditorium at Hackett Middle School.

middle schools. Check out a

Photo Gallery highlighting many features of the spectacular new facility.

2009-10 enrollment

The City School District of Albany will transition to a feeder enrollment model for middle school students beginning in 2009-10. Students from designated elementary schools will be assigned to either William S. Hackett Middle School or Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School. Each school will enroll about 650 students. Students in the elementary program at North Albany Academy will continue on in that school's middle-level program, which will serve about 150 students in grades 6-8. Visit the District News section to read more about the district's new model for middle school enrollment, including neighborhood zones.

Students from the following elementary schools will attend Hackett Middle School in 2009-10:

• Delaware Community School

• New Scotland Elementary School

• Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST)

Students graduating from Arbor Hill Elementary School and Eagle Point Elementary School also will attend Hackett in future years. However, current fifth-graders in those schools will stay for sixth grade in 2009-10.

The middle school program at Philip Livingston Magnet Academy will be discontinued after this school year due to declining enrollment. Livingston students currently in grades 6-7 have the option of choosing either Hackett or Myers for 2009-10. Families living within a half-mile of Livingston also have the option of choosing Hackett or Myers under the neighborhood zone policy. Visit the Middle School Enrollment section for more information.

About William S. Hackett Middle School

Hackett Middle School serves students in grades 6-8 and is uniquely organized to educate students of all ability levels, from those struggling academically to those ready to accelerate. The school's environment is upbeat and caring, and there are many opportunities for young people to mature and grow, socially and academically.

Principal

Kenneth W. Newman Sr. joined the City School District and Albany in August 2005. He came to Albany from Schenectady, where he served as assistant principal at the middle- and high-school levels for more than five years. Prior to becoming an administrator, Mr. Newman taught business education.

Mr. Newman's plans for Hackett are to make big differences in small ways. "We've got too many students achieving low academic scores," he says. "I know these kids can do better and I'm here to get them to the next level."

Daily practice, he says, is one way to accomplish this goal. For example, every teacher now begins class with a problem of the day taken from previous New York State exams. At the end of each month, these problems are compiled into an exam that students should "ace," he adds.

"In doing this," he says, "students review NYS exam material throughout the year rather than just at review time. Plus, students get a confidence booster by achieving high scores on the monthly exams."

This technique is just one of Mr. Newman's plans to raise student achievement.

News and upcoming events

• City science champs! -- Hackett sixth-grade students Jordan Garces, Daniel Lacetti, William McTague and Brendan Murphy won the grades 4-6 category at the annual city-wide Joseph Henry Science Fair at The College of St. Rose on April 3. (MORE)

• Learn about Hackett's 'Trashion Show' on April 9.

• Click here to visit the City School District of Albany Photo Gallery.

• Check out photos from Hackett and around the district on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20!

School times

• Breakfast beings at 7:40 a.m.

• The school day begins at 8 a.m.

• The school day ends at 3 p.m.

Absence from school
If your child is absent from school for any reason, call the school nurse at 475-6475 during the morning and provide a written excuse when your child returns to school.