2023-24 YEAR-END REVIEW
Finding our way together through a successful school year
It is hard to believe that my first full school year in Albany has now come and gone.
It seems like it’s barely been a matter of weeks since I was unpacking boxes in my office at Academy Park and my new home downtown, and learning my way from the South End to Pine Hills, and from North Albany to Eagle Hill.
But I can get from Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School to Arbor Hill Elementary School in my sleep now! And, as I reflect on the 2023-24 school year, there was so much to celebrate – beyond my personal triumphs in finding my way around town!
From Albany School of Humanities’ national recognition last fall (read about this and more in our mid-year review), to myriad student successes and employee honors through the winter and spring, we were reminded weekly – and sometimes daily! – of the strength and vitality of the City School District of Albany and our entire community.
Albany High School’s inspiring commencement ceremony for the Class of 2024 on Sunday highlighted that message, with more than 550 new graduates off to amazing places and exciting new challenges.
The school calendar offered us no daylight between the old year and the new year this time around, with 2024-25 formally starting on Monday – with the debut of our newest school!
The Dual Language Program, at our newly christened Albany International Academy, isn’t really new, but its State Education Department designation is. Dual Language now has its own accountability measures, rather than serving as a free-standing program in which student data remains connected to another home school for each child.
Already a 2024-25 moment to celebrate for our school district and the Dual Language community!
As we plan for next school year, we are looking forward to moving ahead with several initiatives started in 2023-24.
Important new positions in Human Resources (to support recruitment and diversity in our workforce), and Communications (to augment our efforts to share even more of the wonderful stories from Albany High), will be important new additions.
So will additional new initiatives in communications, facilities management, magnet programs, cell phone use, and organizational leadership structure and succession planning.
I hope you enjoy these highlights from the 2024 portion of our freshly concluded school year. Have a wonderful start to your summer, and know that we already are hard at work preparing another successful school year in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
Joseph Hochreiter
Superintendent
Congratulations, Class of 2024!!
Congratulations to valedictorian Badia Syed, salutatorian Endri Hoxha – both bound for Cornell University in the fall – and to all of our graduates on your amazing achievements!
We wish you a wonderful summer and continued success as you continue on your journey – Falcons forever!!
You can visit our Facebook page to view photos from graduation, and the livestream of the entire ceremony is also available on our YouTube channel.
Celebrating our faculty and staff
This winter and spring, we were thrilled to see three of our staff members recognized at state and regional levels.
Albany School of Humanities (ASH) Principal Marie Culihan was named Administrator of the Year from The Capital Area Principals and Supervisors Association (CAPSA); Albany High’s Sean Fitzsimons was named a 2024 Outstanding Social Studies Classroom Teacher by the New York State Council for the Social Studies; and Albany High TA James Chaney was named NYSUT’s statewide 2024 School Related Professional Member of the Year!
Falcons win big
Our Falcon student-athletes gave it their all during the winter and spring seasons, leading to many playoffs, championships and personal victories, including:
- Repeat Section 2 tennis champion Masami Surisawa
- Our star 4x400-meter team from the outdoor track and field season
- A truly outstanding first-ever flag football season
- Samir Gardner and Malachi Young's outstanding performances at the indoor track and field state meet
- Girls’ basketball's quest for a threepeat in the AAA semifinals
- Unified basketball’s fourth consecutive championship
- And so much more!
Marching Falcons return to France
Under the direction of Bryan Cady, the Albany Marching Falcons returned to France to perform in a series of events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day!
You can visit our Facebook page to take a look at photos from the trip, captured by Albany High senior Nate Wheeler.
The trip also earned Cady and the Falcons widespread recognition from the community and our elected officials, including Congressman Paul Tonko, who celebrated the Marching Falcons on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives!
MBK scholars
Congratulations to Albany High juniors Rashad Miller and Troy Treece, who have been selected to take part in a prestigious fellowship program started by former President Barack Obama!
The New York State Education Department inducted Miller and Treece into the 2024 My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Fellowship program this spring, along with 95 additional students representing 35 communities across the state.
MBK was created in 2014 and aims to expand opportunities and create pathways for success for young men of color through public-private partnerships.
Welcoming new leaders
We are excited to welcome veteran athletic administrator Kimberly L. Pilla this summer as our new director of health, physical education and athletics!
Pilla currently serves as assistant director of physical education and health in the Schenectady City School District, and will begin in Albany on July 16.
Also join us in congratulating veteran math teacher and administrator Nicole Newman, who began July 1 as the new principal of Giffen Memorial Elementary School!
Newman came to the City School District of Albany as a math teacher in 2003 (following 11 years teaching math in neighboring districts), and began her path toward building leadership with administrative internships in 2016.
She then served as an assistant academy principal at Albany High School from 2018-22 before joining the leadership team at North Albany Middle School at the start of the 2022-23 school year.
Mock trial champions
Albany High’s Speech and Debate/Mock Trial Team had a fantastic season!
The Falcons took first place in Albany County’s competition in March, and advanced to the semifinals of the Regional Mock Trial competition in April, defeating Emma Willard School in the preliminary round but falling to Scotia-Glenville High School by one point in the semis.
A wealth of Fine Arts
The second half of our school year had so many opportunities for our talented students to shine in the world of art, music and theater, including:
- CREATE Fest ‘24 at Albany High
- 10th Annual Elementary Art Show in the spring
- Albany High partnering with the Albany Symphony
- Pit winning best student orchestra
- Albany High’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!”
- Our All-City Chorus, Strings and Band concerts (along with all our winter and spring school concerts!)
- K-8 Art Show at Empire State Plaza in the winter
- Our 2024 Music Teacher Concert
- And so much more!
Robotics celebrates 20th anniversary
From modest beginnings two decades ago, Albany High School’s Robotics Team 1493 has become a force on the Capital Region’s high school STEM landscape!
You can read more about the team and our STEM program in the cover story of our "Capital Education" winter newsletter.
Thank you, Albany!!!
Albany voters overwhelmingly approved our budget on May 21, with a record 83% saying “yes” to the proposal for the 2024-25 school year!
The $326.2 million budget will continue to support all current programs and staffing, while also investing in additional staffing and support for students.
Voters also gave strong support to three additional school-related propositions. Board member Hassan Elminyawi won election to a new four-year term, which began July 1.
Visits from top state leaders
We had several exciting visits with state officials throughout the second half of the school year, including Gov. Kathy Hochul stopping by ASH to see an example of our district’s literacy instruction program in action; SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Deputy Secretary for Education Maria Fernandez and Assemblymember Patricia A. Fahy holding a roundtable discussion on financial aid at Albany High; and Giffen Memorial Elementary School prekindergarten students visiting the Albany Public Library Howe Branch for a special Juneteenth storytime event led by New York State Education Commissioner Dr. Betty A. Rosa!
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