eNews

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students: 

I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the latter half of August. If you have visited our campus recently you probably noticed that our building and grounds are receiving some major renovations. We are excited to unveil our new look for the start of the 2022-2023 school year. The first day of school for students will be on Thursday, September 8.  Please be on the lookout for additional communication from teachers and teams in the days and weeks ahead. I wish you a restful, healthy and safe last few weeks of summer! 

Student Schedules:  Students and their families may view their schedules on the parent portal beginning on Monday, August 29. I want to commend our counselors for their work this past spring. Each student had the opportunity to meet with their counselor and construct a personalized schedule that strives to meet their individual needs and interests. Once you have received it, you may reach out to your child’s counselor with any questions. Please note that Friday, September 23 will be the last day to make any schedule changes. While we do not anticipate there will be a need for significant amendments, there may be some students with conflicts that need to be corrected. Please note that study halls and lunch periods may not be changed. In the case of multiple sections, due to balancing of class sizes, we are unable to honor student requests for individual teachers. 

Counselors: Your child’s counselor will be an invaluable resource throughout middle school and high school. Your child will work with the same counselor from 6th grade through high school graduation. 

Here is the breakdown of student-counselor assignments: 

Our Counseling Center may be contacted by email or by phone at (518) 279-4600, ext. 2406. Please join me in welcoming Ms. McKeon as the new counseling center secretary!  

Lockers: Every student will be provided with an assigned locker. Students in grades 10-12 will keep the same locker they had last year. Incoming 9th graders will receive their locker assignments through email.  The email titled “LOCKER ASSIGNMENT: 2022-23” will be sent to your child’s account sometime during the last week of August.  You may contact Andrea Lammerts, (alammerts@brunswickcsd.org) Middle School Office Secretary if your child does not receive this correspondence by September 2. Middle school students will receive their locker assignments during homeroom on the first day of school. 

Transportation: 

  • Regular instructional start and end times for the HS/MS are 7:30am - 2:11pm. 

  • Pickup and dropoff will be in the front of the building in the inner loop or main parking lot. The inner loop is a no standing zone from 7:00am-7:30am daily. Please do not drop off your child in the auditorium parking lot.

  • Doors to the main vestibule will be open at 7:05am for student dropoff. Students may enter the building at 7:15am. 6th and 7th grade students and any student eating breakfast should report directly to the cafeteria. 

  • 8th grade students report to the upstairs 8th grade wing. 

  • While construction continues on the auditorium, 9th and 10th grade students should report to the high school gym. 11th and 12th grade students may go to their locker before first period. 

  • Students that are driving or riding home will be dismissed at 2:11pm. 

  • Due to limited parking, only 12th grade students will be permitted to drive. Students requesting to drive should return the application to Andrea Lammerts at alammerts@brunswickcsd.org

  • Student parking is facing route 2 in the auditorium and main parking lots only. 

  • Here is a link to the parking application: https://5il.co/i04r 

Attendance: Attendance will be taken daily in homeroom/period 1 and then period by period.  Studies have found that by 6th grade, chronic absence in school becomes a leading indicator that a child will drop out of high school. Please be aware that we will be in communication with families, beginning with letters and/or phone calls, and home visits should concerns arise with your child’s attendance.  More serious cases of chronic or undocumented absenteeism may be referred to Rensselaer County Probation.  We understand that your child may occasionally miss school due to illness - please do not send them into the building if they do not feel well. You should contact Andrea Lammerts in the attendance office to report all absences. Students are responsible for any missing instruction and work while not in school. Please have your child email their teachers and counselor if they are absent for more than two days. We also want to encourage parents/caregivers to have conversations with your child about the importance of daily engagement with their teachers, study habits and completion of school work. 

6th Grade Orientation (and ICE CREAM!): A reminder to families of our incoming 6th graders that our orientation program will take place from 9-2pm on August 31. Students will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. This will be a great opportunity for your child to meet their counselor, some of the instructional staff, and familiarize themselves with their classrooms, lockers, etc...National Junior Honor Society students will be on hand to give tours. If you are unable to attend, the information will also be made available to students on the first day of school. 

Students who attend 6th grade orientation between 11am and 1pm will be able to enjoy ice cream sundaes with the principals and counselors! This will take place right in front of the main entrance to the building (construction permitting). We look forward to seeing many of you there! 

College Kick Off: Our new College Kick-Off program is open to all juniors and seniors. It will take place Tuesday, September 6, from 9:00am-1:00pm. This will be a great opportunity for students to learn about the college application process. Registration is still open (students must register in advance). 

9th Grade Orientation: Our freshman orientation program is scheduled for  Tuesday, September 6 from 2:00 pm-3:30pm. The program is open to all incoming 9th grade students. It is a great opportunity for students to meet new people and prepare for the start of high school. Please reach out to Ms. Brianna Rolston (brolston@brunswickscsd.org) with any questions. 

Sincerely, 

Ken Rizzo

Principal, Tamarac Secondary School