June 10, 2022
 
Hello, Friends,
 
The 2021-2022 school year is coming to a close but we still have a few events planned to celebrate with our students and our alumni/ae. We hope you’ll join us!
Commencement speakers announced
Commencement events for both The Albany Academy and Albany Academy for Girls will take place next week with the AAG event on Monday, June 13, and the AA event on Tuesday, June 14. The events will begin at 10 a.m. and will be held in tents on the respective campus. We’re excited to share that Dr. Meenakashi Gupta ’99, retina surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, will be the AAG commencement speaker. Dr. Gupta’s work focuses on restoring eyesight, as well as hope and quality of life, to her patients. The featured speaker at the AA event will be Iqram Magdon-Ismail, the co-founder of Venmo. In addition to his work at Venmo, Mr. Magdon-Ismail is currently working on Smalltalk, a platform for people to create audio communities. Both speakers are sure to delight graduates and their families with their remarks. Both commencements will be live-streamed on The Albany Academies YouTube Channel.
Closing ceremonies held all week
This final week of school is always one of the busiest and special ones of the year! We held Final Assembly, Last Chapel, Kindergarten graduation, and Lower and Middle School Closing and Moving Up ceremonies. Many student achievement awards were presented and lots of tears were shed! Congratulations to all of our students and thank you to the teachers and parents for their support.
Class of 1970 Pavilion getting lots of activity
The newly built Class of 1970 Pavilion is already being put to good use. Many of the receptions after closing ceremonies this week were held under the pavilion. It is such a wonderful space and all of us are enjoying it so much. Thank you again to the Class of 1970 for this very special reunion gift.
May Projects Fair held
The May Project program is an educational experience that gives seniors the opportunity to pursue a variety of professional experiences ranging from work in a research laboratory or museum, to recording music, to learning about technology development in a gaming company. In early May, the students – instead of going to classes – participate in an internship that pertains to an area of study they intend to pursue in college.
 
The student is required to keep a daily journal to document and reflect on the experiences and lessons learned, and the entire project culminates in a fair in early June where the student has an opportunity to share their project with the school community. Local leaders, professionals, families, faculty, and students gather together to see the students’ reports, exhibits, and documentaries.
 
Porter Wilsey ’22 spent his time in the Office of Institutional Advancement working on writing stories for the A2 Magazine, putting together social media posts, assisting with events, and learning more about marketing. He was a true professional and we wish him well as he heads off to college!
Make reservations for the Academies’ Golf Outing
On Monday, June 20, we’ll hold The Albany Academies Golf Outing, the first in many years sponsored by the Athletics Council, at the Colonie Country Club. Albany Academy for Girls senior Meleena Ottati ’22 has organized the event in partnership with Athletic Director Angela Marathakis ’99 and the IA Office as part of her May Project. We are thrilled that WNYT News Channel 13 Sports Director Rodger Wyland will serve as emcee. In addition to the four-person scramble golf, the event will include dinner and drinks at the country club. The cost is $200 per person for golf and dinner and $75 per person for dinner only. For more details or to register, visit www.albanyacademies.org/golf-tournament-2022.
AAG Golf Team finishes in second place
Speaking of golf, congratulations to the Albany Academy for Girls Golf Team on their second-place finish in the final round of the New York State Girls' Golf Championships! Kennedy Swedick '24, Nicole Criscone '23, Samantha Von Rohr '25, and Jillian Rawson '24 made a strong showing at the local McGregor Links Golf Club. Congratulations also to Kennedy for being named the New York State Girls' Golf Individual Champion! View the article in the Daily Gazette here. View the article in the Times Union here.
Memorial service to be held in memory of James Caird ‘52
We are so pleased to be hosting at The Albany Academy a memorial service in honor of Jim Caird ’52 who sadly passed away. It seems only appropriate to hold this special tribute in Caird Chapel. The service begins at 1:30 pm on July 23 and is open to all alumni and alumnae. It will also be live-streamed on our YouTube channel. We hope you can join us.
Summer Camp has openings
Those of you who are still looking for summer programs for your students, or know someone who is, should know that there are still some openings in our camps. We offer several, including Little LEAP (Learning Enrichment Activities Program) and Junior LEAP for students entering pre-K, kindergarten, and grades 1 and 2; and LEAP for those entering grades 3 through 8. In addition, there are several options for students in grades 3 to 12, including Science Academy, Rocketry Camp, Musical Theatre Camp, Theatre Camp, The Leading Edge, Instrumental Music Camp, Immersion Chinese, and Class Day/Sports Camp. It’s wonderful to see the campus full of activity during the summer months and we know students really enjoy the programming. For more information about the individual camps and registration fees, visit www.albanyacademies.org/summer-programs.
Campus tours available all summer
The Academies’ Admissions Office has several events coming up to introduce potential families to the school. If you or a family you know are interested in learning more, plan to attend our most popular information session, Lunch on Us!, on June 29, July 27 or August 24, all Wednesdays, for a delicious meal and to hear all about The Albany Academies and all it has to offer. Register online here
Welcome reception set for next week
On Thursday, June 16 we’ll welcome new families to a reception in the Class of 1970 Pavilion at 5 p.m. If you are interested in joining us, please contact me. This is a great opportunity to meet other families joining our community in the fall of 2022 and share your experiences as an alumnus or alumna.
Support our Annual Fund
Thank you to the many of you who have already made a gift to our Annual Fund in honor of Reunion or for this fiscal year! If you haven’t done so yet, please visit the Giving page at give.albanyacademies.org/campaigns/reunion-2021 and join your classmates in making a year-end gift. Donations can be made on this site via credit cards, Venmo, Google Pay, Apple Pay, BitCoin, PayPal, or bank transfer, and you can even set up a monthly recurring gift to spread your donation out over time. Checks can also be mailed to The Albany Academies, 135 Academy Road, Albany, N.Y. 12208, and if you’re interested in making a gift of stock or securities you can find the instructions HERE.
Class Notes due soon
We’re in the process of putting the next edition of A2 together and want to be sure to include any news you’d like to share with classmates and friends. Please send any information you have for Class Notes to me by Saturday, June 25. We would love to hear what you’re up to and about your experiences at Reunion!
I’m hoping your summer is off to a great start. Please keep in touch!
Sincerely,
Ann Wendth
Chief Advancement Officer