Student Services

Counseling Services

Greater Amsterdam School District created the Family Advocate position to enhance communication between home and school by providing information about resources and options available for your child.

Counseling Office

The focus of the Greater Amsterdam School District’s Counseling Department is to provide a Developmental School Counseling Program consisting of a comprehensive plan of academic, career, and personal development. The program is an essential part of the total school program and supports the goals established for all students.

Click here to view Amsterdam High School’s Course Catalog, and many resources to help students plan for college or a career following graduation.

School Climate & Culture

Dignity for All Students Act

A regulation named the Dignity for All Students Act went into effect July 1, 2012 in New York State. Its purpose is to ensure that all elementary and secondary public school students have the right to attend school in an environment that is free of discrimination, harassment, and bullying.

Learn more about DASA and how to submit a reporting form.

Contact the GASD DASA Coordinator for more information

Internet Safety

View the district’s Cyberbullying and Internet Safety policies.

Our children have many opportunities for socializing online, but they come with certain risks. Parents can help reduce these risks by talking to kids about making safe, responsible decisions.

Place the computer in the most public room in your home.
Establish ground rules for Internet usage.
Share time online by surfing on the Internet with your child.
Instruct your child not to give out personal information without your permission.
Instruct your child never to respond to email or chat messages that make them feel uncomfortable. (And ensure that your child reports such messages to you when/if they occur.)
Check your computer’s Internet history, monitor your child’s email and blogs and let him/her know why you will do this.
Know exactly what various parental control tools can and cannot do and how they work.

Internet Safety Websites

GASD Technology Plan

View the district’s technology plan.

Sex Offender Information

In accordance with New York State’s Sex Offender Registration Act, local law enforcement agencies will, at their discretion, be notifying officials at the Greater Amsterdam School District of sex offenders living or working in this district. Such information may include the offender’s address or zip code. All information the district receives from local law enforcement can be accessed here. If you have any questions, please contact the reporting law enforcement agency.

District Safety Plan

Emergencies and violent incidents in school districts are critical issues that must be addressed in an expeditious and effective manner. Districts are required to develop a District-wide School Safety Plan designed to prevent or minimize the effects of serious violent incidents and emergencies and to facilitate the coordination of the district with local and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies. The District-wide School Safety Plan is responsive to the needs of all schools within the district and is consistent with the more detailed building-level emergency response plans required at the school building level. The District-wide School Safety Plan provides the framework for the Building-level Emergency Response. View District-wide School Safety Plan Here.

Codes of Conduct

Food Services

Our district is committed to providing every student with the tools they need to succeed, including nutritious meals they can enjoy. We are approved for the Community Eligibility Provision, a meal program option offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that allows us to serve school breakfast and lunch at no charge to all enrolled students, regardless of financial condition.

Though all district students receive free meals, the state requires families to complete these forms to ensure students continue to eat for free.

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The Greater Amsterdam School District does not discriminate in its employment and admission to programs and activities as applicable: on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, economic status, marital status, veterans’ status, political affiliation, domestic victim status, use of a guide dog, hearing dog or service dog, disability, or other classifications protected under federal or state law, and provides equal access to designated youth groups.

The designated district compliance officers will coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, and the New York State Human Rights Law.

The Greater Amsterdam School District Compliance Officer may also be contacted at: cssmith@gasd.org

You may contact the district’s compliance officer at Greater Amsterdam School District, 140 Saratoga Ave, Amsterdam, NY 12010. Phone Number: (518)-843-3180 x7302

Complaints may also be filed with the Office for Civil Rights, New York Office, U.S. Department of Education by:

Mail: Office for Civil Rights New York Office, U.S. Department of Education 32 Old Slip, 26th floor New York, NY 10005-2500
Phone: (646) 428-3800
Fax: (646) 428-3843
Email: OCR.NewYork@ed.gov