- Is it possible to book a Shen gym or athletic field? And a follow-up question, could we book the middle school rooftop for a concert?
A. Due to safety concerns, the rooftop would not be an option. To book another facility on campus, please contact Amy Cullen in our Community Education Office to reserve the use of a facility.
Grapevine and PlainFacts Archives – Facilities and Grounds
Latest Grapevine and PlainFacts Posts - Facilities and Grounds:
- Are teachers suppose to have their doors propped open during class?
A. No, doors are supposed to be closed and locked at all times.
- Why are some teachers allowed to have kitchen appliances in their classrooms for personal use? I thought that was against district policy due to fire safety.
A. Refrigerators, microwaves, coffee pots, hot plates, portable heating units, toaster oven, or other household appliances are not to be in classroom areas, with the exception of Family and Consumer Science and Special Education Life Skills classrooms. If you know of a situation where one is being used, please inform your principal.
- What are the machines that have a tube going out the widnow in some classrooms for? (HSW)
A. They are a vent for the portable air conditioning units for those rooms.
- Why are there so many potholes by the swimming pool and when will they be fixed
A. The potholes in this area are from the heavy school bus traffic. These potholes have been repaired twice with patching solutions during the winter, however proper adhesion is not favorable with the weather and cold temps. Once the asphalt plants reopen in the spring more lasting repairs will be made.
- Why does water, out of the HSE filtered water fountains, taste salty. I understand that filtration does not dispose of salt, but really?? You spend all this money on filtered water fountains and then the water is still terrible due to salt.
A. The water service for High School West and the entire district town is supplied from the town of Clifton Park. Water fountains provide filtering and many offer bottle filing devices.
- why aren’t there paper towels in the bathrooms, the hand dryers don’t dry my hands.
A. Hand dryers are better for the environment and more cost effective.
- Why does the white gym have no water fountain?
A. It was disconnected to avoid damage to the gym floor and a safety risk when wet, plus it was rarely being used. Students are allowed access to nearby fountains.
- Why do we have to use dryers instead of paper towel in the bathrooms? It takes way too long and makes it hard to make it on time to your next class
A. Air dryers are much more environmentally friendly.
- Is High School West open on weekends?
A. Only if an event is scheduled to take place there.
- Why is the Shen pool at Gowana not open to the public during the summer. Taxpayer money is going into it’s upkeep while it sits unused for almost three months during the summer. As taxpayer money pays for it, it should be open to those taxpayers, as other Shen athletics facilities are, such as the track and tennis courts.
A. Other facilities do not need certified lifeguards.
- Which parts of HSE have air conditioning
A. The majority of the building has some type of cooling. Areas such as hallways and entries, restrooms and some storage spaces do not.
- Who is paying for the football field lights when they are on? I saw a non Shen soccer team on it last night with all the lights on. My taxes?
A. We charge an hourly rate for turf rental, which includes the cost of lighting.
- Is the SHEN weight room open to alumni?
A. It is only open to current students. It is utilized by students from 6:00 am in the morning until 8 pm in the evening.
- Why are there no recycling bins on athletic fields? They should be there.
A. This has been tried repeatedly over the years and people simply use any receptacle as a trash receptacle. The recycling company will not take these once non-recyclables and garbage are mixed in.
- Can the public start using the pool for just swimming during the summer? How much is it? When is it open? Do shen students get in for free? Thank you for answering my questions.
A. The pool is not open for public swim. The primary purpose of the Aquatic Center is for student physical education and athletic events. There are various programs that run through community education and through summer camps. Information and can be found on the community education website.
- Why does Okte have so many air conditioners in the classrooms?
A. Okte is a two-story school building and there is no central air conditioning in the classrooms. Air conditioners are provided in the front, upper classrooms because they become excessively hot during some of the early summer and fall days. At times, air conditioners are also provided in classrooms for specific students with disabilities.
- I was noticing that there are different speed limits around the district. For example Okte is 30, Chango is 20, the campus seems to be 15. Who determines what the speed limit should be?
A. It depends on who owns the road…the town, county, state or school.
- I hate drinking from the water fountains. I use them in emergencies, like after gym, and I don’t bring in bottles as some teachers don’t allow them. Why don’t the custodians wash the fountains as much as they should? That is a state health violation as the mold can contaminate the water. Can something be done to encourage more frequent washing of the water fountains?
A. Water fountains are check and wiped down once per day. They are also thoroughly cleaned each day after school, so that the fixture can be sanitized with a product that kills germs and bacteria.
- Does the Shen HSE building block my cell phone signal, I get poor reception inside the building and then LTE a few yards away from the building
A. No the district does not block cell phone signals. The poor reception is a result of the building construction.
