Hello Families!
A very happy Cinco de Mayo to everyone who celebrated the observance of Mexican culture and heritage on Monday. I would also like to wish our amazing team of educators a very Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! I cannot thank our staff enough for the incredible dedication, compassion and commitment each of them brings to our school community. They shape lives, spark curiosity and help build a future filled with promise. They are the heart of our school, and we are beyond grateful for all they have done and continue to do.
New York State testing in English Language Arts and math is almost complete at this time. Testing for English-language learners continues with the speaking portion, while next week we proceed with the listening, reading and writing portion. Our focus for the upcoming week will be finishing any make-up testing and preparing for eighth-graders to take the New York State science test on Tuesday, May 13.
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.
Please note that the May PTA meeting scheduled for Wednesday, tomorrow, has been CANCELLED, leaving our final PTA meeting of the school year on Wednesday, June 4.
This week's Friday Fun Day theme will be “Exercise Day.” Let's show our school spirit and wear our favorite exercise clothes! We look forward to celebrating each Friday in a different way 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.
As you know, our annual Spring Concert and Art Show will take place next Tuesday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m. As part of the spring concert, the PTA is once again holding a dessert raffle at this event. The raffle is one of the many fundraisers that the PTA uses to raise funds to support programs and activities at Hackett. Please sign up here if you’d like to donate a dessert. If you forget to sign up and would like to donate a dessert, that's fine too! Please drop off your item in the Principal's Office next Tuesday morning.
Please note, interim grades for the fourth quarter close on Friday, May 16. Please be sure your child has handed in all assignments for the first half of the fourth quarter prior to this date.
Snapchats don't last forever, but yearbooks do! Hackett yearbooks, featuring customizable pages, are now available for preorder! Please visit www.treering.com/validate and enter our school's passcode: 1016488352114359 for details on purchasing and customizing your child's yearbook!
This year's budget vote and Board of Education elections will be Tuesday, May 20. If approved, the $342.4 million budget would continue to support programs and services that students need and deserve while also minimizing the impact on taxpayers.
You can visit our Budget section to learn more about the items voters will consider and get a calendar of in-person and online budget forums in the coming weeks.
The annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Breakfast, giving thanks to the faculty and staff at Hackett, will take place on May 23! The PTA will have a donation box at the concert for those wishing to donate money in support of the breakfast. Volunteers are needed to help set up for this event on the morning of May 23 before school starts. If you are interested, please email Laura Duffy at HackettPTA@gmail.com.
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 that was the week that was!
Now for our 'Don't Snooze and Lose News'
- New York State test schedule for 2025:
- Science: May 13
- NYSESLAT Listening, Reading and Writing: May 12-22
- Our Hackett Jazz Band will be performing on Wednesday, May 7 (tomorrow) at the annual "Evening in the Garden" celebration hosted by The Vegetable Project. This year's event, open to all, will be held at New Scotland Elementary starting at 5:30 p.m. Check out the talents of our musicians and learn about this terrific community partner!
- Our Spring Concert and Art Show will be held on Tuesday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m.
- Fourth-quarter interim grades close on Friday, May 16. 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.
- 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.
- Attention eighth-grade families: Albany High School will host a Spring Open House on Thursday, May 29 from 5:30-7 p.m. Incoming ninth-graders and their families are invited to Albany 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.
- Our final PTA meeting of the school year will be held Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. in room 112. Can't make it in person? Join us virtually.
- The last day of our Extended Day Program is Friday, June 13. Questions? Email Ms. Lewis at dlewis2@albany.k12.ny.us.
- Thursday, June 26 will be the last day of the 2024-25 school year. We will have a full day of school, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Class of 2025 events
- Grade 8 Dance – Friday, June 20, 6-8:30 p.m. Please note that this is a new time!
- Mandatory Grade 8 Moving Up rehearsals.
- Wednesday, June 25, periods 1-4
- Thursday, June 26, periods 1-4
- Grade 8 Moving Up Ceremony – Friday, June 27, 9 a.m.
Important reminders
- Join our team! The City School District of Albany is hiring for a variety of positions. A list of employment opportunities can be found on the Human Resources page of the district website.
- 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
"I am the one thing in life I can control. I am inimitable - I am an original." – Lin Manuel Miranda
