NO SCHOOL: Thanksgiving Recess
COMMUNITY UPDATE
NOVEMBER 2024
Giving thanks for our school community
Happy Thanksgiving!
As we pause for a few days to celebrate the gifts of family and friendship, I wanted to take a moment to share my thanks with everyone in our school community. From our caring employees to our supportive families and community members, I am grateful to be able to work in partnership with all of you to serve our students.
I hope you enjoy today’s holiday with your loved ones, and that it allows you time to reflect on our successes from the first three months of the school year and the opportunities that lie ahead when we return in December.
That includes the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful sounds of the season. Our winter concert schedule begins with performances Dec. 3 at Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology, and Dec. 4 at Albany High School. Check out our concert schedule to find out the day and time for your school’s performance.
And while you’re giving thanks at home during the break, I hope you’ll also be sure to enjoy an extra helping (or two!) of rest and relaxation.
Sincerely,
Community swimming returns
Community swimming at Albany High is back!
As of Nov. 19, the Albany High 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 18 years of age and older. Bathrooms, showers and locker rooms will be available for use during the 7-7:45 a.m. timeframe.
View our full community swim story for additional details about parking, check-in procedures and more.
Cash for Coats success
A big thank you to all our community partners and the City of Albany who helped maked this year's Cash for Coats drive such a success for our students!
The annual month-long drive collected some $35,000 during October, enough to buy over 700 coats plus 2,000 hats and pairs of gloves that will be distributed to students throughout the district.
You can read more in our news story covering the Nov. 25 press conference at Delaware Community School.
Falcons fly with NFL
Three cheers for Albany High student-athletes Maia Gallagher and Elana Temple for making the NFL Regional U18 Flag Football Team!
These Falcons will be headed to the Philadelphia Eagles NFL Flag Football Regional Tournament in Downington, Pa. on Nov. 30.
Maia and Elana were key members of Albany High's inaugural girls’ flag football team last spring, and it’s thrilling to see them fly to new heights this fall.
Congrats, Maia and Elana. We’re so proud of you!
First-prize chili!
Congratulations to seniors Luna Santacruz and Omar Thomas Jr. on winning first place in this year’s Albany High Chili Cookoff!
Shout out to Chef Lisa Valentine and all of our culinary students for putting on an outstanding event, and thank you to everyone who came by to support our program and sample the chilis!
Need a shed?
Need a solution for outdoor storage? Our Construction Technology students have you covered!
As part of our students’ work-based learning requirement for earning their Career and Technical Education Technical Endorsement Diploma, they will be building small lean-to-style sheds, which are now available for order.
For potential buyers, the sheds measure 4 feet by 8 feet, and the total cost of the project is averaging $1,400 for materials and delivery.
Additional details and info on ordering is available in our earlier news story!
Celebrating our employees
American Education Week was Nov. 18-22, and we took a moment to celebrate all of our outstanding employees and everything they do for our students, our families and the success of our district.
The video above is a message of recognition from Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter. And while American Education Week may only be five days each November, we are grateful for our educators each and every day!
Capital Education out now
Be sure to check out the fall 2024 edition of our Capital Education district newsletter!
This edition includes a feature on our post-pandemic progress, interviews with Albany High’s automotive tech students, Director of Transportation Durett Miles and Class of ’72 alum Pastor David Traynham, along with a message from Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter, awards and achievements from around the district, and more.
And be sure to check your mailbox for a print copy!
Welcoming our new administrators
The Board of Education appointed three new administrators at its Nov. 21 meeting:
- Assistant Director of Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Jason Davis has taken over as director of the district's safety and security functions
- Albany School of Humanities Assistant Principal Glenn Westfall Jr. will be our new assistant director of health, physical education and athletics
- Albany International Academy biliteracy instructional coach Christina Zontini will be the new assistant principal at Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology
Congratulations to all!
Looking ahead
Don't forget that you can view our online calendar for a look at all the important events coming up throughout the district and at our schools! Also, be sure the contact email we have on file for you is correct so that you automatically receive regular updates through SchoolMessenger, and don't forget to follow us on our various social media platforms!
This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.