Art room upgrades spawn students’ creativity

A rehabilitated art room is fostering creativity and success among Menands students this school year. Summer upgrades for the room included new furniture and floor repairs that make it a more “inviting” classroom. “The biggest take-away from the work is that the kids have more creative space and can move around more freely, working together …

Menands to host day-long Hispanic Heritage celebration

Menands School will host a day-long celebration of Hispanic heritage on Oct. 23 at the school. A salsa dance troupe will spend the school day with students, teaching them the finer points of the Latin dance that are characterized by energetic footwork, fluid turns, and  passionate movements. Students in the middle school level will receive instruction …

Menands School receives state funding to boost parent engagement and community support

A $50,000 state grant was presented to Menands School officials during an Oct. 9 ceremony at the school. The funding, secured by Assemblyman Phil Steck, will provide for increased family engagement and community activities, school officials said. “These funds will allow us to continue growing our efforts to connect, educate and empower our Menands families. …

Menands students learn the ‘ropes’ at Thacher State Park

  Menands sixth grade students learned teamwork and other skills during a recent trip to Thacher State Park in Voorheesville. The students spent much of Oct. 1 at the park, helping each other through the park’s rigorous ropes course. “The trip was a team-building exercise for the students to work together and support each other,” …

Sweethearts and Heroes presentation guides middle school students in community building

For the second consecutive school year, representatives of the Sweethearts & Heroes organization visited the Menands School to spread their message of the value of a strong community. During workshops on Sept. 17 led by organization representative Patrick Fish, middle school students took part in roundtable discussions and activities designed to build community in the …

Students find an education (and themselves) during three-day camp stay

Three days at camp may not sound like an educational experience, but for a group of eighth grade students at Menands Union Free School District, the experience may not just be educational, but also life altering. “[The experience] will change a little bit how I look at the world,” said Avi Lopez. “It will change …

Students head to camp for learning, adventure and bonding

Seventeen Menands eighth grade students left Tuesday for the annual three-day trip to YMCA Camp Chingachgook.  The trip is a right of passage for Menands students that is designed to foster community and leadership skills among the scholars. “We look forward each year to their return when we hear their ideas and witness their leadership …

New school year brings excitement, plan for change

All aboard! The Energy Bus is set to depart with the destination being a successful school year in the Menands School. School leaders have adopted The Energy Bus as the theme for the 2025-26 school year with a focus of the school community being similar to the focus of the popular book – using positive …

New faculty join Menands School family

Some familiar faces are among the new faculty members joining Menands for the 2025-26 school year. Deanna Hems is returning to Menands after a brief hiatus and Menands graduate Brianna Coughlin is joining the school faculty for the first time after teaching and serving elsewhere as a teacher. Joining them is veteran teachers Karyn Seymour …

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