Friday, September 22nd, 2023: Utica Academy of Science Junior-Senior High School hosted the annual Back to School Night. This year, the event was taken to another level by not being a simple “Back2School BBQ,” but it was instead a community meeting. More than 20 community organizations (including Utica Fire Department, Neighborhood Center, Mohawk Valley Community College, etc.) were invited to present their services. Our community was able to see how these organizations can help our families, students, and staff.

This highly successful night brought in around 400 visitors. Old and new families enjoyed the traditional BBQ food and ambiance. We appreciate our staff organizing this event and helping make some epic memories.

Friday, September 1st, 2023: Grilling, Chilling, and Getting Ready to Inspire, Which is Thrilling! Utica Academy of Science Elementary School teachers took a well-deserved break from their preparations for the start of the year by firing up the grill and having a courtyard BBQ. Burgers, veggie burgers, and hot dogs were on the menu, and the staff brought a variety of homemade dishes. After lunch, the faculty worked on a special tie-dye project that will be worn on the first day to greet students. 

Only two more days until our classrooms come back to life!

Greetings, Utica Academy of Science 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. 

SANY Scholars successfully 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. Utica Academy of Science celebrated the milestone of serving the community for 10 years. 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. I know we will have even greater success in the next decade. 

Almost one-third of  SANY High School graduating scholars completed most college-level courses needed to earn a two-year associate's degree. A few even graduated with 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 the 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.uascs.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

Monday, August 28th, 2023: Utica Academy of Science started the Summer Institute, providing teachers with professional development and team-building activities. One of the main goals is to introduce SANY's history, goals, achievements, importance, and future projects. This was explained in a presentation by Ms. Vickie Smith. We hope this was a beneficial time of enrichment and growth for our teachers.

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. Utica Academy of Science 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.

Friday, June 16th, 2023: 2nd graders took a field trip to Sherrill Brook Park. Teachers set up obstacles for soccer, relay races, and hula hoops. After all that exercise, Atoms chilled out with some popsicles and the playground. It was a great way to celebrate the end of the school year!

Thursday, June 6th, 2023: Utica Academy of Science 4th graders visited the underground wonders of Howe Caverns. Atoms enjoyed an afternoon exploring the 1.25 miles of the caves and even took an underground boat ride.

Friday, April 28th, 2023: Utica Academy of Science 2nd graders had an electrifying time on Friday, April 28th, at the NY Energy Zone in Utica. They were introduced to the exciting world of electricity. Through interactive exhibits and videos, Atoms learned how different forms of energy can be used to power our homes and communities.

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023: Utica Academy of Science 6th-grade entrepreneurs presented their business ideas in our version of Shark Tank. Scholars designed their products, calculated the cost to get their company up and running, and showed their vision to our panel of Sharks. The scholars were questioned about the sustainability of their fictitious companies, the cost of making the product, and the profit they expect to make. 

Thursday, May 18th, 2023: Utica Academy of Science kindergarten classes went on a field trip to Fort Stanwix in Rome. The Scholars had a wonderful time getting a first-hand look at what life was like in Colonial Times and exploring a military fort. Students had fun dressing as the children did, learning to do some of their chores, and playing with the toys made so long ago!