Graduation rehearsal is held on the morning of the event. This year it will be Friday, June 22 (typically 9-11 am). Seniors will have the opportunity to order invitations that match the district's graduation program. Students can order invitations from a local printer or they may purchase invitations from a vendor of the family's choice. Those options will be explained in details to seniors as graduation gets closer.

The PTSO Screen Free Week is listed on the district calendar from April 2 to April 5.

If the cafeteria is serving salad on a particular day, then salad dressing is included as part of the meal. However, if students want to use salad dressing on non-salad days, for example, to put on other foods (i.e., pizza, dunkers, etc.) then they must purchase the dressing as a separate item.

To be eligible for membership in the National Honor Society a student must be a sophomore, junior or senior; students must be in attendance at the school for the equivalent of one semester; students must have a cumulative average of at least 88 percent; and students will be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, and character. For this evaluation to take place, students must complete an activity information form and essay to aid the faculty council. Letters of verification must be included with the activity form. The selection of each member of the chapter will be by a majority vote of the faculty council.

Yearbooks are on sale now during lunch periods. All order forms are due by Friday, Jan. 27. Yearbooks will not be available for purchase in June. Please see a yearbook staff member during lunch period.

Please direct PTSO questions to PTA President Tina Gamache at ptso@duanesburg.org.

The grades 7 and 8 honors schedule operates a little differently than the 6th-grade model, therefore, the structure in the higher graders will be different. But the plan is to still have an Honors math section in each grade level. Please contact Middle School Principal Penny Hardenstine at the main office or at phardenstine@duanesburg.org for specific details.

The philosophy for modified sports is to have the players receive as much playing time as possible. The coaches are to schedule players' game times so that all players receive as close to equal playing time as possible. There is no greater learning opportunity for athletes than to experience game play and game situations. The modified teams are the "feeder teams" that build our JV and Varsity sports programs. Modified sports are a place for young athletes to hone their skill, build their confidence, develop a of love of the sport and experience what it means to be a member of a team.

The 7th grade literacy magazine is not an after-school club and, therefore, will not be added to the list. Seventh-grade students who are interested in participating should contact the coordinator, English teacher Ms. Meyer. Other students who are interested in an after-school club/activity this is focused on writing are encouraged to get involved in the school newspaper. For more information about the school newspaper, please contact the advisor Ms. Pamela Jackson at pjackson@duanesburg.org.

The goal is to provide a more challenging experience for students who have an aptitude for math. The hope is that this will put more students in a position to take a Regents level math in 8th grade if they are ready. The same holds for science. The goal is to put them in a position, in 8th grade, where if they are ready, they can take a Regents science course.

Fruit was in and delivered on Wed., 12/7. All fruit has been distributed to the members of the class who placed an order

In April a trip to Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown is planned.

A letter was sent home with all students. You can contact Audra Passonno at audrap@collarcityauctions.com for more information.

Monday, Nov. 21 at 3:30 p.m. at the elementary school.

As the district grapples with reduced state aid and the new property tax levy cap as it compiles next year's school budget, all avenues of saving are being researched. NO decisions have been made. At this point, district officials and the board are just collecting information. We encourage all residents to get involved in the budget process this year. Please view our website and sign up for SNN and Facebook to get up-to-date information. We will also be mailing a newsletter to all residents that explains the property tax levy, includes a budget calendar and more.

The elementary school will be getting a class picture. The iSmile organization prefers to include the retake pictures in the class composite. The re-takes were done recently, so parents should be seeing those shortly.

The class of 2013 will begin selling ads around June.

Please contact Class of 2013 advisor Rebecca Meyer at rmeyer@duanesburg.org for information.

A student trying out for select choir is asked to prepare a song that he or she feels demonstrates the best qualities of his or her voice. Students are also asked to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" in a capella. Students have to do sing backs where Music Teacher Mira Ordon plays notes on the piano in different patterns and students have to repeat with their voice. Two songs that students sing in choir for warm ups are "Sing Legato" and "Flexibility" which are used to assess tone quality and pitch accuracy. For more information, please contact Mira Ordon directly at mordon@duanesburg.org.

If you are referring to Peer Tutoring, please contact Guidance Counselor Neal Silverman at nsilverman@duanesburg.org.

Board minutes are posted online once the board has approved them. Prior meeting's minutes are typically approved at the next meeting. Therefore, the Nov. 1 board minutes will be approved at the Nov. 15 board meeting.

No. We still post information on our website and use School News Notifier (SNN) to send information to people via email. We are using Facebook as another way to reach out to residents.

The DCS bus storage unit needs to be replaced due to the beams being rusted out near their bases. Buses are now parked outside on days of heavy snow due to concern over whether the beams could sustain the weight. Before the district pursues possibly rebuilding the structure, we want to see if there could be any cost savings by sharing a building with any nearby districts. Due to the changes in state funding, the district is actively looking to share services wherever it financially creates savings. Our focus is on providing the best possible education for our students. If the bus garage building could be combined with any other district and have no impact on our students and save the tax payers money, we'd consider this option. However, we are only exploring all options at this point and have no information as to whether this would even be feasible and/or would save us money.

The exact start day depends on the coach, but typically practice begins either the week before or after Thanksgiving.

Winter sports sign ups will begin in October. So anyone who will be signing up must pick up the pink slips in PE as well as all of the other forms from the nurse. Varsity practice begins November 7, therefore, any winter athlete who needs a physical should make arrangements prior to November 7.

The HS Semi-formal is Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at the HS. This information and more like it can be found on the district calendar that was mailed to all residents in August.

DCS does not offer a photography class.

All student portal login and account questions should be directed to Chief Information Officer Lucas Larkin at llarkin@duanesburg.org or (518) 895-5350 ext. 268

The Junior Class College Night has been moved to Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. in the MS/HS MOCC.

The ski club is not a district-run program anymore. In the past when the district ran the program, transportation was provided and the cost of the program was built into the budget.

This year, Drama Club is open to students in grades 6 through 12. Grade-level requirements typically depend on the musical the club chooses to perform. This year the club is producing the musical "Oliver," and, therefore, needs middle school students to play workhouse kids and pick-pocketers.

The school district just received the results at the end of last week. The results will be mailed home as soon as the school has a chance to review that data, make copies and put individual student data in the mail.

The 2011-12 Student Handbook and the signature sheet can be found on both middle school and high school homepages. It can also be found on the publications webpage.

Students are allowed to keep a water bottle in their lockers that they can drink from between classes to stay hydrated. Students are asked to keep liquids and foods out of the classroom in an effort to eliminate spills and possible damage to classroom equipment such as computers and other electronic devices.

Any student interested in a Student Portal Account can contact Lucas Larkin at llarkin@duanesburg.org. Students will be asked to supply their student ID number and then they will be assigned a password.

Hurricane Irene impacted many Duanesburg residents and their neighbors. In an effort to help provide relief to those still struggling in the aftermath, DCS is collecting clothing, bathing essentials, cleaning supplies and school supplies on Friday, Sept. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Duanesburg Elementary School. These items will be delivered to the Esperance Elks Lodge, which is working with the local Red Cross Chapter to distribute items to those in need.