The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers.
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The Skim
- International Taste of the World Festival
- Spring Gathering
- Black History Month
- Safety Reminder
- Coronavirus Communication
- Blood Drive
- Around Campus
- Wizard of Oz Day
- Athlete Spotlight: Riley M. '22
- New Staff Members
- Summer Camp Spotlight: Driver's Education
- One Family Referral Campaign
- Henry House Drive for Ronald McDonald House
- News You Can Use: Coronavirus Is Spreading. Should You Cancel Your Family Vacation?
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Dear Friends,
“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
-John Wooden
One of the many wonderful things about my role as Head of School is the ability to meet with alumni & alumnae and see the impact that The Albany Academies have had on their lives. This was a week of such reflection as I met with past parents, alumni, and alumnae during a quick visit through Florida, then returned for an alumnus’s memorial service and the AAG Alumnae Association’s
Journey to Success
gathering last night.
“Success” is an apt word to describe one of the qualities that seemed to connect all of these meetings, which reminded me of Coach Wooden’s quote (above). The alumni and alumnae I had the privilege of meeting this week all seemed to have the peace of mind that he describes.
I believe that much of the foundation for this success was set at the Academies, as it continues to be set today. It is created in the skills that we build and the relationships we create, and is just one of things that makes an Academy education so powerful.
Have a great weekend!
Warmly,
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International Taste of the World Festival
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The 12th Annual Taste of the World Festival will take place on Saturday, February 29 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Silipigno Athletic Facility. This year's event will feature food and craft tables representing many cultures from around the globe. Live entertainment will include student and professional dance, martial arts, and musical groups. Please plan to join us to celebrate the myriad of cultures represented at The Albany Academies.
This event, which is suitable for all age groups, is free and open to the public.
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Spring Gathering 2020
Consider joining the Honorary Committee for Spring Gathering!
This annual event - to be held on April 25, 2020 at Franklin Plaza - benefits today’s students by helping to ensure that the Academies remain accessible to all deserving young men and women. Proceeds from the event support the financial aid and merit scholarship programs at our school.
Registration is now available:
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Black History Month
The Albany Academies celebrated Black History Month in a variety of ways throughout the School. A sampling includes:
- Mrs. Marchetti's Senior English V: Race and Gender in Art, Music, and Literature Class investigated artwork by Allan Rohan Crite, and Alma Thomas, and poetry by many authors including Maya Angelou.
- English 11 Class read the Harlem Renaissance book Passing, by Nella Larsen and discussed the question of identity.
- Basic Design students also read about the Harlem Renaissance and created collages in the style of artists Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and Faith Ringold.
- Grade 6 boys worked on improving their inference skills by reading quotes from African Americans who impacted politics and sports, then sharing their thoughts about the quotes meanings based on the content clues in each quote.
- Each February morning in Chapel, Morning Music featured some of the greatest black artists and influencers in the history of music. Artists included: B.B. King, Scott Joplin, Beyoncé Knowles, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Chuck Berry, and Aretha Franklin.
- Students learned about the artists's story while listening to their works.
- Mr. Fitzmaurice's class began each class with a poem from an African American poet, and spent the month discussing post colonialism and what the effects of colonizing an entire people can have that ripple through history and culture.
- 8th grade History classes discussed the role of Sgt. Henry Johnson (from Albany) during World War I and his posthumous Medal of Honor which his family received under President Obama.
- In AAG Middle School, Mrs. Hughes led an assembly for 5th through 8th graders and showed a video clip of Martin Luther King, Jr. addressing middle school students in the late 1960s. In his talk he encourages students to think about the "blueprint" of their lives and how each has an obligation and opportunity to design the type of life they wish to lead. This led to subsequent conversations with students about their own lives and what types of students, friends, citizens and young women they hope to become.
- In AA Chapel, Dr. Milliken also shared reflections on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s belief in the doctrines of "Love not Hate" and the idea of a "keeping a tough mind while maintain a tender heart."
- In AA MS Chapel there was a presentation on the 15th amendment and the voting rights restrictions that lasted until the Voting Rights Act.
- Academy Road has published articles summarizing and reflecting on two articles from the New York Times 1619 Project and another on the new No Place For Hate Club at the The Albany Academies.
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School's Out by Allan Rohan Crite
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The Eclipse by Alma Thomas
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Poetry books students read in Senior English V: Race and Gender in Art, Music, and Literature Class
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Safety Reminder
When bringing your child to school or picking them up from school please utilize the designated drop off/pick up areas in the AAG parking lot. We have experienced an increase of cars dropping students off and parking in the front circle. We need to keep the front circle clear for pedestrian safety, bus safety, and any emergency vehicles.
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Coronavirus Communication
This will most likely be an ongoing feature of
Head Lines
for the foreseeable future as we add Coronavirus to the list of concerns that we regularly monitor. Steps we have taken thus in response to this concern include:
- Canceling a planned student trip to China
- Currently reviewing all planned student trips
- Restricting travel to affected regions for international students in our care
- Daily monitoring of all student and employee medical absences, with enhanced emphasis on physician clearances to return to school
- Daily monitoring of guidance from the NYS Department of Health and the CDC
- Ongoing review of the physical and emotional health of our community in relation to this outbreak
Our next steps:
- The School’s Emergency Response Team will be meeting early next week to develop a comprehensive approach and response protocols for physically and emotionally supporting our community in the event we are affected by this outbreak.
- We will be guided in this work with information from the NYS Department of Health, the CDC, and a network of peer schools doing similar preparation
Here’s how you can help:
- If you have traveled to areas with confirmed cases of Coronavirus and you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travel, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your recent travel or close contact.
- If you have had close contact with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel. Your healthcare provider will work with the NYS Health Department to determine if you need to be tested.
- Follow our procedures for reporting an absence due to illness and returning to school:
- Please call the Main Office (518-429-2300) or email at attendance@albanyacademies.org when your child is absent from school. These messages must be received by 8:00 in the morning.
- When calling in your student's absent please be sure to include your child's symptoms or formal medical diagnosis, as this information is vital to effective illness tracking.
- Please do NOT send your student to school if he/she has or has had:
- Fever of 100 F or above within the last 24 hours (must be fever free without medication).
- Vomiting or diarrhea within the last 24 hours.
- Continuous coughing not relieved with cough medicine.
- Strep throat. They may return 24 hours after starting antibiotics.
- Please remember to notify the School Nurse or Front Office if your child has a contagious illness!
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Blood Drive
On Thursday, March 5, from 12:15 to 5:30 p.m., the Human Ecology Club is hosting a blood drive. The drive will be held in the Silipigno Athletic Facility. It is amazing how such a small sacrifice can save a life! The goal is to exceed 50 donations and we would greatly appreciate the participation of our families. If you would like to donate, please contact Bob Bischoff at bischoffr@albanyacademies.org.
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Professor Marci Murphy, parent of a 7
th
grader, visited Mrs. Cotter’s Science class to lead a dissection of a sheep heart. The class recently completed a unit on the human body and compared the anatomy and function of the sheep heart to the human heart. The class loved the experience and wish to extend a big thank you to Professor Murphy!
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On February 26, Clifford the Big Red Dog (from the Norman Birdwell picture book series) and his pal Barbara Lukas, from WMHT PBS, visited the Pre-K through Grade 2 students at the AAG library to celebrate his birthday! We enjoyed a DVD of a Clifford story, crafted dog years, and even had the opportunity to high five the birthday boy himself!
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On Thursday, February 20, eighteen of our newest Key Club members were inducted into the AAG Key Club . Founded in 1925, Key Club International (Kiwanis Empowering Youth) is the oldest and largest service program for High School students. The goal of the club is to encourage leadership through serving others. Currently, eighty-one Upper School girls are involved in Key Club.
Congratulations
to our newest members and thanks to all members for the great work that you do
!
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Each Friday morning in Caird Chapel different disciplines of art are highlighted. This week Upper School Drum Line performed in Morning Chapel celebrating Fine Arts Friday.
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AAG Fourth Graders in Sra. de Rosier's Spanish class completed a Spanish Foods unit this week by presenting on foods from various Latin American countries. Each student chose a country to study and researched the unique dishes and flavors from that culture. A total of thirteen countries were highlighted.
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Wizard of Oz Day
The Albany Academies held the second annual Literacy Immersion Day on Thursday. This year's theme celebrated the magic and legacy of the 120th anniversary of L. Frank Baum's
The Wizard of Oz
. The halls were adorned with decorations created by students, faculty, and staff. The community dressed as their favorite characters and citizens of Oz. The excitement lasted throughout the day with different activities including trivia games, costume contests, science experiments, and many more. Mrs. Hoffman's Grade 2 Library Class created a video connecting moments from the Wizard of Oz with the Schools' Core Values.
Click here
to view the video.
Thank you to the dedicated faculty and staff that worked hard behind the scenes planning and preparing to make this learning event special for our students!
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Athlete Spotlight: Riley M. '22
Congratulations to AA Varsity Basketball team member Riley M.'22 for being selected the WNYT News Channel 13 Rensselaer Honda boys high school basketball all-star team! Riley is being courted by a number of Division I schools including Iowa, Siena, and Rutgers, just to name a few.
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New Staff Members
We are pleased to announce that Mr. Joseph Johnson and Mr. TyiQuaveis McGill have joined the maintenance department, reporting to Mr. Scott MacFarland. Joseph’s primary responsibility is The Buttery level at The Albany Academy. Tyi’s primary responsibility is the new James E. Poole Athletic Facility.
Please join us in welcoming Joseph and Tyi to our community!
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Summer Camp Spotlight:
Driver's Education
This non-credit course contracted with Bells' Auto Driving School will include 24 hours of classroom instruction and 24 hours of road instruction. Students must have a valid NYS Learner’s Permit or license prior to taking the program.
Dates: Weekdays
daily
-July 6- July 27, Classroom instruction 10:30-12:00 with drive time selected during online registration.
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Click here
for more details (there's an
incentive
for this!) and the referral form.
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Henry House Drive for Ronald McDonald House
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region provide a home away from home for families of seriously ill children seeking treatment at nearby hospitals. The Ronald McDonald House in Albany has 25 bedrooms and serves over 650 families per year. The Ronald McDonald Family Room, located within the Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center, offers families support and a comfortable respite while remaining close to their ill child and caregivers.
Henry House is running can tab drive to support the Ronald McDonald House. AA Middle and Upper School students will receive one point for their house for each can tab donated. Collection bottles are set up outside of the Main Office. AA Lower School is collecting single serving sized snacks to fill the snack cupboard at the Ronald McDonald House.
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News You Can Use
From New York Times Parenting Section:
Experts weigh in on the latest warning from the C.D.C., which says that clusters of infection are likely in American cities.
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Week at a Glance
March 2 - 7, 2020
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Monday, March 2
Day 3
Lower School Parent/Teacher Conference Day (
No Lower School Classes
)
12:15 p.m. AA Middle School Chapel (Caird Chapel)
2:20 p.m. AAG Upper School Assembly
2:20 p.m. AAG Snack Shack
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Tuesday, March 3
Day 4
8:15 a.m. AA Middle School Parent Coffee
8:15 a.m. Athletic Council Meeting (Athletic Conference Room)
11:00 a.m. Tuesday Talks (Faculty & Staff) (Caird Chapel)
2:20 p.m. AAG Snack Shack
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Wednesday, March 4
Day 5
The Albany Academy Charter Day
8:15 a.m. AAPA Board Meeting (Drawing Room)
8:15 a.m. AAG Kindergarten 100th Day of School Fashion Show (AAG Lower School Hallway)
12:15 p.m. AA Middle School Advising
2:20 p.m. AA Charter Day Assembly 9
2:20 p.m. AAG Snack Shack
3:45 p.m. AAG Upper School Faculty Meeting (Room 20-10)
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Thursday, March 5
Day 6
8:20 a.m. AA Lower School Chapel (Caird Chapel)
12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. American Red Cross Blood Drive (Silipigno)
2:20 p.m. AAG Snack Shack
3:45 p.m. AAG Upper School Faculty Meeting (Room 20-10)
3:45 p.m. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Meeting (Schellenberger)
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Friday, March 6
Day 1
12:15 p.m. AA Middle School Clubs
2:20 p.m. AAG Snack Shack
3:30 p.m. AA/AAG Grades 5 & 6 Skate Party (Ice Rink)
6:30 p.m. AA/AAG Grades 7 & 8 Snowflake Dance (Stevens Center)
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Saturday, March 7
7:15 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. GE Science Bowl Team Competition (GE Niskayuna)
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Looking Ahead
3/9/20 Spring Sports Begin
3/11/20 AAG Grade 4 Play
3/12/20 AAG Grade 3 Wax Museum
3/12/20 Admissions Lunch On Us
3/16/20 - 3/27/20 Spring Break
3/30/20 Classes Resume
3/31/20 Tuesday Talks (Faculty & Staff)
4/1/20 AAG Upper School Coffee
4/1/20 AA Lower School Coffee
4/2/20 Admissions Lunch On Us
4/2/20 Grade 8 Field Trip
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