The East Greenbush Central School District held an administrative retreat last week at the East Greenbush Town Park.
The East Greenbush Central School District’s administrative team, which includes Superintendent Dr. Kurtis Kotes, Assistant Superintendent Lisa Mahar and principals, assistant principals and directors, gathered at the East Greenbush Town Park on August 25-26 for their annual Administrative Retreat.
The two-day program focused on collaboration, goal-setting, and team building in preparation for the upcoming school year.
Day One: Planning for the Future
The retreat began on Monday morning with Superintendent Dr. Kurtis Kotes and the district’s legal counsel Charles Symons meeting with the Board of Education. They discussed best practices for communication, budget obligations, education law, and how to build a high-functioning board structure.
In the afternoon, administrators joined Dr. Kotes and the board so they could share their “Five Minutes into the Future” presentations. Each presentation included three areas of success, two areas for growth, and one proposal for the 2025-26 school year. This segment provided an open forum for administrators to share their aspirations and highlight how their work directly supports the district’s mission.
Day Two: Team Building and Goal Setting
The second day began with a team-building session led by Questar III BOCES Superintendent Dr. Gladys Cruz. The session, which included an icebreaker and the “True Colors” activity, was designed to help colleagues connect on a deeper level.
The administrators then worked together to evaluate the goal-setting process, providing a framework for administrators to develop school and department goals for the 2025-26 school year.
“Having time to come together as a leadership team, focusing on matters that will truly impact the student experience in our schools could not be more important,” said Dr. Kotes. “Creating an environment where the Board of Education and the district leadership team had an opportunity to share and be heard truly helps to foster a forward thinking atmosphere, giving everyone the chance to provide feedback into the important work that we do on a regular basis for the students of the community.”
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