Dear Science Academies of New York Charter Schools Community, 

Believe it or not, it’s finally that time of the year, a season of joy, giving, and well-deserved relaxation. You’ve all been extraordinary examples of leaders and strong community members. Let’s take a moment to commend ourselves on the impeccable progress we’ve made during the first semester, regardless of the obstacles we’ve encountered. 

Syracuse Academy of Science

• The Science Academies of New York celebrated the 20-year milestone of providing high-quality public school education to children in the Syracuse community.
• The SAS High School Robotics Team attended the First Tech Challenge Kick-Off event at Mohawk Valley Community College.
• Three SAS ES Elementary students are featured in the prestigious NYSSBA Art Exhibit. 
• SAS Elementary partnered with families to create a Home/School Organization (HSO)
• SAS High School was visited by representatives from several colleges and Universities, including Syracuse University, Utica College, Canisius University, Elmira College, St. John’s University, and Damen University.
• SAS High School Robotics team members won first place in the CNY Steamboat Challenge.
• SAS Middle School students won 4th place in the CNY Steamboat Challenge.
• SAS High School Robotics team achieved first place in the CNY Bridges Challenge held at the Museum of Science & Technology. 
• SAS Middle School won 1st and 3rd place in the CNY Bridges Challenge.
• The girl’s basketball team celebrated their first win against Syracuse West and coach Nicholson’s first win as the girls' basketball coach.
• CNY Central anchor Megan Coleman was a guest speaker at SAS Elementary during College & Career Week. 

Citizenship & Science Academy of Syracuse

• Onondaga Community College President, Dr. Hilton, held an assembly at CSAS Middle School.
• CSAS Elementary School teacher MS. Fagan was awarded the Distinguished Atomic Educator for the 22-23 school year.
• CSAS Elementary celebrated Heritage Month in October, ending with a cultural day celebration. 
• CSAS Elementary music teachers formed the Atomic Singers and the Ukulele and Guitar Clubs. 
• CSAS Elementary participated in a collection drive to benefit the CNY Care Package Project.
• CSAS Elementary hosted P2 Night, celebrating students who have won Positivity Project awards throughout the semester. 
• CSAS Middle School students participated in the CNY Bridges Challenge at the MOST. 
• CSAS faced SAS in a historic boys-modified basketball game coached by two SANY alumni.

Utica Academy of Science

• UAS celebrated the 10-year milestone of providing high-quality public school education to children in the Utica community. 
• Retired NYS Judge and SANY board member Jawwaad Rasheed hosted a lesson with UAS JSHS students.
• UAS HS came in 6th place at the CNY Steamboat Challenge at the Museum of Science & Technology in Syracuse. 
• Boys Varsity Soccer achieved a Sectional game win against South Lewis on October 18th.
• UAS Elementary held the first annual Trunk-Or-Treat event at the school.
• UAS JSHS Atoms participated in the CNY Bridges Challenge & an 8th-grade team received 9th place.
• Girls Varsity Basketball defeated Morrisville and achieved their second win in a row.
• UAS Elementary School holds a special breakfast for November Student of the Month recipients.

 Citizenship & Science Academy of Rochester

• CSAR adds 3rd grade, making the Elementary school Kindergarten through third grade. 
• New and returning families, teachers and staff, and cherished community members are able to meet Dean Jasmine Mathis during Dinner with the Dean.
• CSAR introduced Drop Everything And Read with Distinguished Men (DEAR), where members of the community came to school and read to students every Thursday during the month of November.
• Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and Regent Adrian Hale visited CSAR for the last day of ‘Drop Everything And Read.’
• CSAR hosted a Positivity Project (P2) night, celebrating Atoms who displayed kindness, perseverance, and actions.

Now, it’s time to deck the halls and share precious memories with loved ones. Remember, we are not just a district but a family. I look forward to building success one Atom at a time in the New Year. 

Happy holidays!

Sincerely,

Dr. Tolga Hayali
SANY Superintendent

Thursday, December 7th, 2023: CNY Central Anchor Megan Coleman paid Syracuse Academy of Science Kindergarteners a special visit! Megan told Atoms about how her job as a journalist is to get information and tell people’s stories. She showed students fun videos of her trying different foods and rides at the New York State Fair. Scholars were very excited to welcome Megan into their classroom. We have some future journalists in our school!

You’re the gift that keeps on thanks-giving. While you prepare your Thanksgiving dinners, before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season sets in, we want to express our sincere gratitude to each of you. It's easy to get lost in the things we don't have. The fancy car, the clothes, the latest phone. Instead, try focusing on everything you do have. Ultimately, you will find it's a much greater list with a more significant impact.

This season, focus on the things you're thankful for, and the gratitude will follow. May your blessings be many, your troubles be few, and your Thanksgiving be wonderful.

Superintendent Dr. Hayali has prepared a special Thanksgiving message. Take a look.

Wednesday, November 8th, 2023: Everyday is STEM Day at the Science Academies of New York, but we’re honoring National STEM Day today. Let's celebrate the exciting world of science, technology, engineering, and math! STEM is an important part of our education at Syracuse Academy of Science. From powering our technology to inspiring new ways of thinking, students who learn essential STEM skills have the potential to revolutionize our society.

On National STEM Day, honors Chemistry students conducted the flame test during chemistry lab. The flame test is used to visually determine the identity of an unknown substance based on the color the flame turns on the Bunsen burner.

We promised something special for the spooky season, and we are delivering. Coming to you straight from Nevermore Academy… I mean SANY… we present “The Atoms Family.” Don't miss out on this highly unique take on a classic where cartoon-like gothic macabre meets a twist of contemporary humor. Plus, you’ll definitely want to see Wednesday’s killer dance moves. 

Whether you’re a newcomer to the Addams Family or a seasoned veteran, there’s something here for everyone to love. 

So do us all a favor, grab your friends and neighbors, no don’t you wait ‘till later…. Here’s the Atoms Family! *Snap* *Snap*

If you want to be part of the Atoms Family, visit apply.sany.org.

Saturday, September 9th, 2023: Mr. Kovar and Mr. Zengin took Syracuse Academy of Science High School robotics members to the First Tech Challenge Kick-Off event at Mohawk Valley Community College. This year's mission was revealed, and the game is called "CenterStage." It challenges our students to unleash their creativity and problem-solving skills as they design, build, and program robots. The game's objective is to collect hexagon-shaped plastic pieces, known as pixels, in four different colors, lift them to the desired level, and then place them on the backdrop panel. 

Participants include Andre McClain, Migual Mathis, Jenel Virgilio, Yakina Sika Amoah, Mickayla Pagan, Samara Hurtado, Araceli Goodyear, Quatice Williams, Aamiran Ridha, Lester Gonzales, Arna Boatema Amoah, and Elda Goodyear.

Congratulations Atoms, and good luck!

Greetings, Science Academies of New York Families and Staff, 

With great pleasure, I welcome you to another exciting year at the Science Academies of New York. Serving SANY Charter Schools with nearly 3,000 students in grades K-12 in Syracuse, Utica, and Rochester as the Superintendent for the 2023-24 school year is a privilege. I look forward to working with you. I hope you had a safe and enjoyable summer and are ready to tackle anything the new school year brings. I am especially looking forward to introducing Virtual Reality learning at the High School.

SANY Scholars completed 2022-23, including graduating with an associate degree, completing many college-level courses for free, receiving nationwide known micro-credentials through cybersecurity, regional championships in robotics, Gold and Silver Medals from the Congressional Award Program, science fairs, and many more. I hope that the list will grow this year. SANY celebrated the milestone of serving the community for 20 years. SANY continues to be the most extensive Charter School system in Syracuse. We pride ourselves on offering high-quality public education with a college preparatory STEM-based curriculum. Incredible things take place in our classrooms thanks to our outstanding teachers and staff, as well as the hard work and dedication of our Atoms. From music and art to sports and extracurricular activities, our scholars are well-rounded in and out of the classroom.

Almost one-third of  SANY High School graduating scholars completed most college-level courses needed to earn a two-year associate's degree, and a few even graduated with both a High School and Associate’s Degree Diploma. Through this program, SANY Charter Schools cover the cost of classes, books, technology fees, and lunch. Last school year, SANY celebrated its first student in history to graduate high school with an associate's degree. Our philosophy is the money SANY receives from the New York State per-pupil funding belongs to each student and will be spent for whatever helps make them successful. It is a beautiful feeling building a village through partnerships with higher education institutions like OCC, MVCC, SUNY ESF, LeMoyne College, Utica University, and D'Youville University and partnering with community business leaders. The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" comes from an African proverb and conveys that it takes a large group of people to provide a safe, healthy, loving environment. I am grateful to our community for working together and looking forward to seeing caring, contributing citizens from our beautiful Syracuse, Utica, and Rochester communities. 

Safety remains the top priority of our school. Our teachers and staff received safety and crisis management training over the summer, and I am confident we will have a safe and healthy year with the implementation of our safety protocols. Seeing recent events in the news can be highly upsetting, but with our vigorous efforts, I know we can continue to keep violence out of our school. While we succeeded in our efforts last year, we must always be active regarding safety. Your efforts in assisting with this are highly appreciated. While looking ahead to this year, please take the time to go over our emergency and safety plan: https://www.sascs.org/about-us/required-notifications/emergency-and-safety-plan.

Our faculty and staff care significantly about every student who walks through the door. I admire how teachers diligently plan their lessons while catering to each student’s ability. This year, I will continue my school visits and special events like Breakfast and Lunch with the Superintendent. I cherish the days that I get to spend with our bright students. They always teach me something new!

Thank you for all you do, and I look forward to working with you for the 2023-24 school year. 

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Tolga Hayali, Ed.D
Superintendent
SANY Charter Schools

Grab your headset and get ready to explore a new way of learning. Syracuse Academy of Science high school is delving into the technology of the future. During the 2023-24 school year, the school will add Virtual Reality and META software to its learning library, where teachers and students can immerse themselves in a new world of education. Software programs have been installed on the VR headsets where students can talk with people from the past, dive into plant and animal cells, and explore virtual artifacts which make learning come to life. We are so excited to be able to offer our students and educators this opportunity.

Friday, August 11th, 2023: Caleb Crowder was selected to perform in the First World Premiere of the “Rip Van Winkles” Opera at the Glimmerglass Theatre in Cooperstown, New York! Caleb is going into 11th grade at Utica Academy of Science. He’s been a singer and performer since the age of three. He has sung for many events in the Utica area and cities all around the East Coast. He has won First place twice and second place in three local talent shows. Caleb dreams of becoming a professional actor/singer, songwriter, and philanthropist. 

Caleb is also a young entrepreneur and business owner with his two younger twin brothers, David and Andrew. Their business, We3Cre8, is a tie-dye and apparel business serving the greater Utica area. We3Cre8 was also recognized by the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) program led by Michelle McCarrick Truett.

Come support Caleb in the finale on Friday, August 18th, at 1:00 pm. Break a leg, Caleb!

Wednesday, August 9th, 2023: Dr. Basic, SANY District Safety Coordinator, provided a presentation to SANY parents, families, students, staff, and stakeholders for the annual public hearing for the District-Wide School Safety plan. The Science Academies of New York places huge importance on school safety and works with all stakeholders to ensure we are constantly improving our policies and emergency plan.

The 2023-24 SANY Safety Plan can be found here.

Thank you for working together to make our school safer for all Atoms.