The following letter is from Albany High School Principal Jodi Commerford. It was mailed to families in mid-August.
Dear Falcon Families,
Hello, and welcome to the start of a new school year! As the first days of school approach, we would like to provide you with some important information to help you prepare for the 2023-24 school year.
SCHOOLTOOL & STUDENT SCHEDULES
Student schedules and information will be available in SchoolTool, our student information system, starting Friday, Sept. 1.
You can log in to your SchoolTool Parent Portal account at www.albanyschools.org/schooltool. If you do not have an account, you can sign up for one there. Your student can access their schedule in SchoolTool using their student ID number. We highly encourage you to check SchoolTool regularly to review schedules, grades, attendance and other important information. This is an easy tool for parents and guardians to stay connected with student progress.
ORIENTATION
We will hold orientation for students to ensure they have an opportunity to learn routines, tour the building and meet staff. Here is our schedule for the first days of school, Sept. 7-8:
Grades 9 and 12 – Thursday, Sept. 7 (no school for grades 10 and 11)
- GRADE 9 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Students should arrive by 8 a.m. to afford entry time.
- GRADE 12 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Students should arrive by 10:30 a.m. to afford entry time.
Grades 10-11 – Friday, Sept. 8 (no school for grades 9 and 12)
- GRADE 10 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Students should arrive by 8 a.m. to afford entry time.
- GRADE 11 12:30-3:30 p.m. Students should arrive by noon a.m. to afford entry time.
FIRST DAY INFORMATION
● Monday, Sept. 11 is the first day of classes for all students. The school day is from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Students should arrive starting at 8 a.m. to enter the building in order to arrive at class on time.
● Free breakfast and lunch are served daily to all students. Students who arrive late will receive a grab-and-go breakfast.
● Due to our growing campus, we encourage students to use their lockers. Many students pack their belongings for the morning, and then switch out materials at lunch. Locker combinations will be distributed on our orientation days, Sept. 7 or 8 depending on your grade level. Students should not share lockers or give their combinations to others. Lockers are provided to students upon request. We ask that you sign up for a locker using this link.
● Students have five minutes to transition between classes. All students must have a pass if they are in the hall during instructional time. No hall passes are issued the first and last ten minutes of class.
IDs
Once classes begin, students must have their IDs with them at all times and visible. IDs must be visible to enter their cafeteria or the library during designated lunch times. Students are required to present their IDs to any staff member upon request.
LEAVING CAMPUS & TRAVEL TO ABROOKIN
Albany High School is a closed campus. Students are not allowed to leave campus for any reason without parent permission. This includes during lunch and study hall. If you have an appointment, i.e. doctor, medical, family matter, etc., you must have a note or phone call from a parent giving their permission for you to leave. All students must be signed out by a parent in order to leave school grounds. Students who leave campus without a valid reason will not be allowed to re-enter without parent contact.
In addition, all students are required to take the bus to and from Abrookin Career and Technical Center and the main campus for any classes. This will prevent you from being late, having to go back through security, and ensure student safety. Students who do not take the bus will not be allowed to re-enter without parent contact. The bus is available at Building 2, Stair 2-2 and at the Abrookin entrance.
STUDENT PARKING
Students are not allowed to park in the parking lot.
CHROMEBOOKS
All students should report with their district-assigned Chromebook fully charged daily. Ninth-grade students and new students will receive Chromebooks at orientation. Students who have lost their Chromebooks should report to their academy office.
ENTRY PROCEDURES
- 8 a.m. – Doors open on Washington Avenue and Building 3, Tower 3 for bus students.
- 8-8:30 a.m. – Students enter with their IDs and proceed through routine security. All students go through routine security procedures, including bag check and metal detector. Students should not bring any illegal items into school. These will be confiscated, and Code of Conduct procedures will be followed.
- 8:30 a.m. – Classes start.
TRANSPORTATION
- Students continue to be eligible for transportation to and from school based on the district’s standard criteria: all students living 1.5 miles or more from school, and all students whose Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan requires specialized transportation.
- Students receiving specialized transportation will ride yellow buses operated by First Student. All other eligible high school students ride CDTA.
- Students eligible to ride CDTA will have their student ID activated to use as their bus pass. CDTA allows a two-week grace period at the start of each school year (through Friday, Sept. 22 this year) when all students are allowed to ride.
- Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 26, only eligible students with an activated ID will be allowed to ride CDTA buses without paying the regular fare.
- Eligible students can ride CDTA tripper buses in the morning and afternoon. Tripper buses are CDTA buses that run direct routes to and from Albany High School. Eligible students also can ride any regular CDTA bus using their activated student ID.
- Please see more information at www.albanyschools.org/transportation.
- Please note that CDTA tripper service for Albany High students will begin Thursday, Sept. 7. Students may ride any regular CDTA route to and from school.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS/PHONE/EMAIL
- Please let us know if your address, phone or email has changed so that you can receive important information from school. You can officially change your address online, by mail or in-person at our Central Registration office at 75 Watervliet Ave. To change it online, visit www.albanyschools.org/registration/index.
- Bus transportation depends on correct addresses being on file at Central Registration.
IMPORTANT FORMS
Please return the enclosed Emergency Contact Form. Please note that you need to return the Media Release Form only if you do not want your student to appear in photographs or interviews used in district publications, district print and digital marketing materials, and media.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Most teachers provide an individual supply list in course syllabi provided to students in classes. Supply lists are online at www.albanyschools.org/albanyhigh.
SCHOOLMESSENGER & SOCIAL MEDIA
SchoolMessenger provides options for parents and guardians, employees and community members to receive news and updates for school and district-level communications, along with weather-related and other emergency updates.
We also use SchoolMessenger to connect with parents and guardians for automated attendance calls. All you need to do to receive SchoolMessenger communications is be sure that your preferred email and phone information is correct in SchoolTool. You can contact your academy office to make any changes.
You also can follow Albany High on Facebook @AlbanyHighFalcons and on Instagram @albanyhighschoolny.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Encouraging regular school attendance and being on time to classes is one of the most powerful ways you can prepare your child for success – both in school and in life. Attendance is important because students are more likely to succeed academically when they attend consistently.
Automated daily calls are made to the primary number listed to notify parents and guardians of absences. Please strive for fewer than five absences a year – excused or unexcused!
Excused absences are:
Illness • Illness or death in the family • Unsafe travel conditions • Religious observance • Medical appointments • Participation in a school-sponsored activity • Approved college visits • Approved cooperative work programs • Academic enrichment • Quarantine • Required court appearances
All other student absences, tardiness reports or early dismissals will be considered unexcused.
Parents and guardians may send a note in with students or email the student’s academy office to provide an excuse. It is the responsibility of a parent or guardian to provide a written excuse within five school days, containing the date of the absence, tardiness or dismissal, along with the reason for such. Each note must contain a working phone number to be able to reach the parent or guardian for verification.
Lengthy or frequent absences may be investigated. A doctor’s note verifying an absence is requested after the fifth consecutive day. Without a doctor’s note, the absence will be marked unexcused. Secretaries will update our student information system as soon as possible after the note is received.
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT & DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT
During the first few weeks of school, we will provide students with an overview of the expectations and opportunities at Albany High through our annual Falcon 101 Assembly. Our administrative team will talk with students about expectations at Albany High and other important information.
Please make sure your student understands the expectations as outlined in the Code of Conduct, which is mailed home in late August and also is available online at www.albanyschools.org/conduct.
Please pay careful attention to the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) information, which can be found in the DASA section at www.albanyschools.org/dasa.
DASA is a federal law that impacts how schools identify and address bullying, intimidation and harassment in schools. We will make sure that students have a clear understanding of what constitutes a DASA issue, how they can prevent bullying, intimidation and harassment, and the consequences for students who engage in behavior that violates DASA.
It is important that you and your child clearly understand how DASA applies to Albany High to ensure that all students have a safe and orderly learning environment.
IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES AT A GLANCE
- Sept. 7 – Freshman Orientation (full day), 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (arrive at 8 a.m. to afford entry time)
- Sept. 7 – Senior Orientation, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (arrive at 10:30 a.m. to afford entry time)
- Sept. 8 – Sophomore Orientation, 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (arrive at 8 a.m. to afford entry time)
- Sept. 8 – Junior Orientation, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. (arrive at noon to afford entry time)
- Sept. 11 – First day of classes for all students, 8:30 a.m.
- Sept. 25 – Yom Kippur (no school)
- Sept. 26 – PTSA mtg 5:30 p.m.
- Sept. 27 – Open House, 5:30 p.m.
- Sept. 30- Homecoming
- Tailgating party/parade, noon
- Football game vs. Mohonasen, 2 p.m.
- Homecoming dance, 7 p.m.
- Oct. 26 – Parent-Teacher Conferences, 4-7:30 p.m.
- Oct. 27 – Parent Teacher Conferences, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (no school for students)
PARENT/GUARDIAN APPOINTMENTS
Outside visitors will be limited at school to ensure the safety and well-being of students, faculty and staff. If you need to meet with a principal, guidance counselor or teacher, please contact your student’s academy office to make an appointment.
The phone numbers are below. Parents and guardians need to present ID to enter the school.
- Citizenship Academy – (518) 475-6220
- Discovery Academy – (518) 475-6230
- Innovation Academy – (518) 475-6240
- Leadership Academy – (518) 475-6250
- Abrookin Career and Technical Center (518) 475-6400
Thank you for your time and attention in allowing us to share this important information. We are excited to welcome all our Falcons for the new year and are looking forward to a successful and productive 2023-24 school year!
