MAGNET OPEN HOUSES THIS WEEK
Taking stock of our school year at the halfway point
The start of February marked the official start of the second half of our school year – two marking periods down at the secondary level, and two to go. It’s a perfect time to take stock of all that we have achieved so far in 2024-25, and to look ahead to all that is still ahead!
From the start of school Sept. 6 and our lively back-to-school Summer Celebration at Arbor Hill Elementary School the following weekend, through Albany High School’s exceptional Culture Fest and our boys’ and girls’ basketball teams’ Suburban Council sweep of Columbia at the end of January, it has been a rewarding school year to date.
Certainly, we also have experienced challenges and heartache as a school community this year.
The tragic loss of two North Albany Middle School students in an accident on the Washington Park lake in early December was a terrible blow. Our hearts remain with the families and friends of these students.
In our own employee family, we mourned the sudden and wrenching losses of Early Childhood Director Melissa Hasty in September, and music teacher Minitria Slade over the holidays. Both will live on with us through the countless lives they enriched during their long, distinguished careers in our school district and community.
We begin the second half of our school year amid much uncertainty in our federal government as well. Be assured that we will remain steadfastly committed to protecting the rights and dignity of everyone in our school community, and continuing to strive for excellence in all that we do to support our students’ success.
There are many, many celebrations awaiting us in the months ahead – and of course the biggest one of all, graduation ceremonies for the Albany High Class of 2025, at MVP Arena on Sunday, June 29.
We will continue working hard until then to keep you informed of all the great things happening throughout the City School District of Albany.
Please read on to relive some of the highlights from our school year so far.
Sincerely,
109 seniors join Honor Society
In recognition of their individual academic achievements, 109 Albany High seniors were inducted into the Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society on Jan. 6!
Inductees and their loved ones gathered for a beautiful ceremony in which the pillars of scholarship, leadership, service and character were celebrated with short speeches given by student leaders.
Congratulations to all!
Azera Gates reaches 1,000 points
Albany High senior Azera Gates made history Jan. 14 when she became just the sixth member of the girls' basketball program to reach 1,000 career points.
A four-year starter, Gates achieved this impressive feat by sinking a foul shot in the second quarter during the Falcons' game at Colonie, prompting Falcon fans to erupt with excitement!
Iris Whalen accepted into elite choir
Albany High senior Iris Whalen was accepted to perform in the highly competitive Treble Chorus of the Conference All-State Music Festival on Dec. 8 at the renowned Eastman School of Music in Rochester!
Whalen was chosen from thousands of singers throughout the state after her exceptional performance at last spring’s New York State School Music Association solo festival.
Fall scholar athletes
We were thrilled to share the news that 92 Albany High student-athletes had a 90 or above grade-point average and received pins from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association for their scholastic achievements!
Additionally, seven of our fall teams earned the Scholar-Athlete Team Award, with the average GPA of the top 75% of the roster being 90 or greater.
Marching Falcons at State of the State
All eyes and ears were on our Albany Marching Falcons as they kicked off Gov. Hochul’s State of the State address on Jan. 14!
Congratulations to our student musicians for an outstanding performance and thank you for proudly representing our district!
Boys' soccer makes semifinals
We celebrated a huge playoff win for our boys’ soccer team when our Falcons won 2-1 against Shenendehowa in overtime, advancing to the section semifinals for the first time since 2019.
Villain Cabaret a big success
The Albany High School Theater Ensemble welcomed friends, family and community for their Villain Cabaret at the start of November!
A fun-filled and interactive performance, the cabaret examined the complex nature of humanity, and what exactly it means to be a “villain.”
Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Congratulations again to our City School District of Albany Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductees Robert Alter, Ph.D. ‘53, Dr. Kai Dallas ‘05, Robert Menchel, Ph.D. ‘53, Richard Robelotto ‘61, Pastor David Traynham ‘72 and Narobi Vives ‘02!
You can visit our Hall of Fame section to learn more about their incredible accomplishments.
Three new Master Teachers
Congratulations to Kevin Allen, Emily Lawlor and Kerry Welcome for their acceptance into the prestigious New York State Master Teacher Program!
Master teachers are selected for their ongoing work in STEM education and their commitment to deepening their knowledge about their area of study, their students and their teaching strategies.
Allen and Lawlor both teach at Albany High School; Allen teaches technology and Lawlor teaches science. Welcome teaches grade 7 science at Hackett Middle School (and also happens to be Allen’s sister)!
Music Teacher Concert 2025
Along with being an outstanding showcase of the musical and comedic talents of district staff, the concert raises money to benefit Albany Friends of Music, a nonprofit group of parents, teachers and music lovers who support music programs and initiatives in our schools.
This year’s concert was also dedicated to the memory of longtime district music teacher Minitria Slade, and the show opened with two heartfelt performances honoring her life.
A big thank you to everyone who helped make the night a success, especially music teacher Jimmy Affatigato who organized the event!
Hackett science heading to space
For the fourth year in a row, an experiment proposed by a team of eighth-grade scientists at Hackett Middle School will be performed on the International Space Station!
Later this spring, astronauts on the ISS will conduct research on “The effect of microgravity on mentha piperita” – the effect of weightlessness on the growth of peppermint seeds.
The proposal was designed by Grace Fruehwirth, Simone Schou and Naomi Richards, all students of Allison Sheehan.
Hall Monitor Academies
We've welcomed 30+ hall monitors in the fall and winter classes of our new Hall Monitor Academy!
The 10-day academy is designed to provide the newest members of our security team with de-escalation techniques and crisis response, familiarize them with safety and security procedures in buildings, meet our school resource officers and develop an overall foundation of skills that will allow them to start out successful from day one.
Interested in applying to be a hall monitor? Visit our employment page to learn more and apply!
Two life-saving blood drives
Albany High has held two of it's three annual blood drives, with the first in September, and the second in January.
A huge thank you to our student coordinators Anya Stetzer and Nathan Martel, librarian and drive advisor Alicia Abdul, and of course all of our fantastic students, staff and community members who donated!
Falcon 5K turns 10!
A spectacular October morning in Washington Park provided the perfect backdrop for another exceptionally fun Falcon 5K and Fun Run!
The Albany Booster Club’s 10th Falcon 5K brought out hundreds of runners and walkers to build community and help raise funds to support programs and activities for students in our district.
Community swim returns
The Albany High pool is open for community swimming two mornings a week!
The pool is open from 7-7:45 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday when school is in session.
Swimming is free and open to all Albany residents.
Cell Phone Use Taskforce
Our district is currently reviewing policies and procedures related to student use of cell phones at school.
In addition to surveying families, staff and students, we have convened a task force that is currently working to analyze the data, research the topic and provide recommendations to the superintendent later this school year.
You can visit our taskforce page for more information.
Albany High's new cafeteria
We were thrilled to unveil Albany High's completely redesigned cafeterias, kitchen and serving areas at the start of the school year!
Summer Celebration a big success
More than 400 people turned out for food, music and great prizes at this year’s Summer Celebration and Safety Day at Arbor Hill Elementary School on Sept. 14!
Thanks to our sponsoring partner Mohawk Ambulance – we couldn’t have done it without you! Also, a shout-out to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York for providing some 200 bags of food, and to all our community partners who enjoyed the day with us.
Best of all, thanks to the families and friends who joined us on such a beautiful day!
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