GASD Superintendent’s Message – October 27, 2022
GASD Superintendent Rich Ruberti delivers his monthly video message – Oct. 27, 2022
Superintendent’s Back to School Message – September 1, 2022
Greater Amsterdam Superintendent of Schools Richard Ruberti delivers a back to school message to parents and staff for the 2022-23 school year.
Superintendent’s Video Message – August 3, 2022
GASD Superintendent of Schools Rich Ruberti visits the district’s first Legos Robotics Summer Camp held in August, 2022 at McNulty Academy for some 300 students. Take a look at the program in action.
Superintendent’s Video Message – June 17, 2022
GASD Superintendent of Schools Richard Ruberti gives a shout out to our staff retirees, our Smart Scholars graduates and updates family and staff the district’s spring Parent Satisfaction Survey results.
Superintendent’s Video Message – May 6, 2022
GASD Superintendent of Schools Richard Ruberti updates family and staff about Teacher Appreciation Week, the new CDTA bus service for Amsterdam families and students and the May 21 GASD Educational Foundation Golf Classic at Amsterdam Muni Golf Course.
Superintendent’s Video Message – March 23, 2022
GASD Superintendent of Schools Richard Ruberti updates family and staff about the Healthy Kids before and after school program, a parent survey associated with the program and other district matters.
November, 2020: School/Transportation update form Superintendent Ruberti
Dear GASD parent/guardian,
I am pleased to announce that on Monday, Nov. 16 (beginning of the second quarter at the secondary level) and Monday, Nov. 23 (beginning of the elementary school second trimester) more than 300 Greater Amsterdam students will be returning to their schools for in-person instruction as part of the Purple and Gold hybrid groups. These were students who chose to begin the school year as Remote Only Learners.
Added to that, GASD will reinstate its Pre-Kindergarten program four days a week beginning on Dec. 1. Wednesday will continue to be a remote learning day for all GASD students.
As a result, there will be some changes to our school bus pickup and drop off schedules as we continue to work with our district transportation company to improve service and keep our students safe. Our returning ROL students are being notified by telephone or mail of their pickup/drop off bus times.
Other students may experience some combining of bus routes at the middle and high school level as we face a nationwide school bus driver shortage and COVID restrictions limiting bus capacity as a result of social distancing rules.
Please be aware that these adjustments will continue per our school reopening plan released over the summer and as we welcome more students back to school for in-person learning. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we do our best to get through this unprecedented time as a result of the national pandemic with student and staff safety being the district’s top priority.
As always, please contact your child’s principal with any questions. In the meantime, we remind all of our families the importance of continuing to practice these COVID bus rules to keep everyone safety:
- Parents are not to send their students to school sick or with an elevated temperature
- Parents should complete the attestation app on Parent Square before sending their child(ren) to school each day
- Elementary school parents are expected to wait with their child(ren) at the bus stop until the bus arrives
- Masks are mandated
- Social distancing is required at bus stops and during loading and unloading
- Family members may sit together, otherwise seats will be assigned and will be enforced
- Students must adhere to the Code of Conduct enforced under COVID-19
- Students are only allowed to ride assigned buses
- Routing is subject to change
September, 2020: Superintendent Ruberti is interviewed by CBS News Channel 6 about reopening of schools
August, 2020: Superintendent Ruberti addresses fall school reopening
My first month as Superintendent of the Greater Amsterdam School District has been both hectic and rewarding. Since coming on board July 1st I have had an opportunity to meet many great people who continually give their all to make our school district and city such a special place.
As someone who has grown up in this area and who has deep family ties to this city I am well aware of the proud traditions and tremendous amount of family and community support that characterizes this school district. I’m reminded of this everyday as I interact and collaborate with others to plan our reopening of schools this fall.
I’m sure we are all aware of the unprecedented disruption to public education that occurred when schools everywhere closed last March due to COVID-19. As educators, we are constantly balancing meeting the social/emotional and academic needs of our students while having our first priority as the health and safety of everyone involved. I look forward to the day when we are able to return to school campuses for in-person instruction in an atmosphere like it was before. I’m sure we all do.
Meanwhile, Greater Amsterdam has joined some 700 other school districts across the state in submitting a school reopening plan to the State Education Department which was posted on our website on July 31. We thank our district SAFER Committee for its leadership in formulating this comprehensive plan and for the many weeks of research and discussions. While this plan is ever-changing as conditions and guidance changes from our health experts, I urge all of you to become familiar with the plan and see the safety measures we are putting in place to protect our students and staff.
Returning to school, we all realize, will not be like it was before faced with new protocols and procedures such as social distancing, mask wearing, greater sanitizing measures and more. We know this will affect everything from the way we learned in classrooms and labs, to transportation, to school meals, extracurriculars and athletics. These are new times for all of us, unprecedented times really, and we will work through this together again never forgetting that health and safety is our top priority.
Recently, our administration, with the support of the Board of Education, revised our reopening plan to enable students to begin the school year with a Remote Only Learning option for parents who are not yet ready to send their children into school due to COVID concerns. While our preferred learning model for students is two days in-school and three days of remote instruction to begin the school year, and full time in-school for our special needs population, I understand some parents have concerns and we are working to meet everyone’s needs. I remind parents choosing the Remote Only Learning model to fill out the online form found on our district website no later Aug. 14th and to commit to this model through the first trimester for elementary school and first quarter for middle and high school students.
This information will help us to schedule and plan our staffing accordingly. More information on scheduling, school and teacher assignments, Chromebook distribution, busing, etc. will be forthcoming so we ask our parents to please be patient.
While there are challenges to reopening our schools under these unfortunate conditions, as your superintendent, I am excited at the thought of having students back in our school buildings, learning and socializing with their teachers and peers. We know there are many questions and we will do our best to answer them as we move forward. Remember, my door is always open.
Finally, as I shared with you at our recent reopening forums, I have school-age children too, and loved ones who I worry about. So do many of our teachers and staff. So do many of you. Together, we all want what’s best for our children, and we will continue to work to the best of our ability to meet their needs, keeping them healthy and safe.
On behalf of the entire Greater Amsterdam school community, we look forward to welcoming you back in September. Thank you for your time and please be safe.
July, 2020: Welcome message for new Superintendent Ruberti
GASD parents, students, community and staff,
Today (July 1, 2020) it is my honor and privilege to start my new position as Greater Amsterdam Superintendent of Schools. I want you to know that I couldn’t be more excited to be here and have the opportunity to work with all of you. I have been anxious to get started.
Since I was appointed in April I have been listening in remotely on various meetings and discussions, and last week I was in the district office meeting with some of you as I began the transition process with the help of Dr. Colucciello. I thank him for all he’s done for our school district over the last 15 months and wish him well.
As someone who has grown up in this area and who has deep family ties to this city I am well aware of the proud traditions and tremendous amount of family and community support that characterizes this school district.
I look forward to working collaboratively with the school board, staff, parents and community to continue building an exceptional educational program while forging innovative partnerships to enhance opportunities for students. I’m committed to ensuring that all students have the ability to reach their full potential while becoming productive members of an ever-changing global society. I truly believe that the Amsterdam community and district are poised for unprecedented positive growth, and I am thrilled that I will be able to be an integral part of the process.
As we begin a new school year together we all know that there are challenges that lie ahead. Be assured that with the guidance of our district SAFER Committee, and state and county health leaders we are all working hard to prepare for a safe and productive re-opening of school. More information will be coming on that as we move forward.
Until then, thank you all for welcoming me aboard. Have a wonderful summer and please know my door is always open.
Sincerely,
Richard Ruberti
GASD Superintendent of Schools
April, 2020: District appoints Superintendent Richard Ruberti
Greater Amsterdam School District Superintendent Richard Ruberti began at the district on July 1, 2020.
Ruberti came to GASD from the Wheelerville Union Free School District, where he served as Superintendent of School there for eight years. He was appointed by the Amsterdam Board of Education on April 28, 2020 following a search led by the HFM BOCES. Ruberti replaced Dr. Raymond Colucciello who was GASD Interim Superintendent for 15 months.
Prior to leading Wheelerville, Ruberti, a Gloversville native, was the assistant principal and then co-principal of Ballston Spa Middle School for seven years. Before beginning his administrative career, he taught business education and economics at Ballston Spa High School and business education in the Greenwich Central School District. He also worked for four years for the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), where he was a licensed financial advisor providing educational programs on corporate pension accounts and retirement plans.
“I am excited and honored to be the superintendent for the Greater Amsterdam School District,” Ruberti said following his appointment. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the school board, staff, parents and community to build an exceptional educational program while forging innovative partnerships to enhance opportunities for students. I’m committed to ensuring that all students have the ability to reach their full potential while becoming productive members of an ever-changing global society. I truly believe that the Amsterdam community and district are poised for unprecedented positive growth, and I am thrilled that I will be able to be an integral part of the process.”
A lifelong area resident, Ruberti has ties to Amsterdam. His grandparents grew up in the city and his father was a former coach at Bishop Scully High School.
Ruberti attended the State University of New York at Cortland where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. He also earned a master’s degree in elementary education from The College of Saint Rose and his school district administrative credentials at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA.
He lives in the town of Mayfield with his wife Katrina and their teenage son and daughter.
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