Dear Friends,

It’s been another productive week on campus! 

Our lower school faculty used Monday’s professional development day to visit a local school using the “Wit and Wisdom” English Language Arts curriculum we will implement in our lower school this September. This learning is part of our ongoing commitment to providing effective literacy curricula based on the most current understanding of how children learn to read. As always, this content is paired with master teachers who skillfully bring it to life. If you want to learn more about changes surrounding the science of reading, The New York Times had an informative article this week that provides a quick overview.

We also hosted a series of check-in meetings with the architectural team designing our facilities' master plan. If you could not attend, a video of the presentation can be found here. A PDF download of the presentation and a Google-based feedback form are also available.

Finally, we celebrated Earth Day today with a dress-up theme day (blue and green) and various educational activities across the campus, including the Middle School Science Symposium (see below). With numerous activities planned across the Capital Region and warm weather forecasted, I hope you can get out tomorrow and enjoy the day!

Sincerely,

Chris Lauricella

Head of School

Science Symposium

Grade Seven students at The Albany Academies participated in a Science Symposium, an academically rigorous project-based learning experience where students are required to present their findings to a panel of judges. The project with the highest point tallies will move on to the Joseph Henry Science Fair in May at The College of St. Rose, one of the largest science fairs in the area!

Latin Honor Society Induction Ceremony

The 2023 Latin Honor Society induction ceremony was held on April 20. Thirteen new members were inducted, and ten graduating seniors were recognized. The ceremony was led by the LHS officers. Mea A. '23 and Alexis S. '23 delivered speeches, and Katrina P. '23, Jakob D. '23, Mea A. '23, and Ellena C. '23 read an excerpt from Vergil's Aeneid. Liam H. '23 and Katrina P. '23 led the torch ceremony, and Patrick J. '24 assisted with the senior recognitions.  

Inductees: Madilyn B. '25, Patrick C. '25, Andrew C. '25, Sadie D.' 25, Zooey H. '25, Theo H.' 25, Kevin L. '25, Sofie L.' 25, Aidan M. 25, Jacob O. '23, Holden S. '25, Charles X. '25, and Payton Y. '25. 

Senior Recognitions: Mea A., Ellena C., Nicole C., Jakob D., Alison D., Liam H., Kate M., Jacob O., Katrina P., and Alexis S. 

Congratulations to our inductees and seniors!

Spring Arts Festivals

Next week is our first performances in our Spring Arts Festival on April 27th!

Upper School Theatre Arts will present the play "Appropriate Audience Behavior" and improv at 6:30 pm in the Black box Theatre. Seats are limited in the Black Box, please reserve by emailing Rich Johnson at johsnonr@albanyacademies.org

Upper School Filmmaking will have their Film Festival in the Caird Chapel at 5:30pm

The Middle and Upper School Dance and Upper School Music will perform in the Auditorium at 4:30pm

How Does Your Garden Grow

How Does Your Garden Grow is an ECA Interdisciplinary project. With just three weeks before our debut, ECA dancers are working hard to put the finishing touches on our performance pieces. This week, in Dance class, we had the opportunity to share our dances with our Academies friends and learned more about what it means to receive positive and constructive feedback. It was incredible to have our older counterparts cheer us on! We read the book "How to Grow Happiness" by Kelly DiPuccio and discussed the importance of working together with patience to "grow" something beautiful. 

Thank you to Mrs. Bowen, who read the book "Water Dance" by Thomas Locker and introduced a water droplet cloud craft in Library. 

Students are busy constructing their garden-themed masterpieces in Art class and continuing their interactive activities in Science. 

Also, thank you to the amazing ECA team for their enthusiastic support of this project. 

Mock Trial Winners!

The Albany Academies Mock Trial Team won the Albany County Bar Association Mock Trial Championship versus Albany High School on April 20.

The team was the plaintiff in a workplace accident case. They now move on to the Regional Competition Saturday, April 22, hosted at the Warren County Municipal Center in Lake George.

The winner of the regionals will head to the State Finals to be held in early May. Congratulations to the team and their coaches Carol Crummey McCardle '04, Tim Service P'29,'29, and Dr. Brown P'18.

Chef for the Day

Third grade student Emmaline G. was "Chef for the Day" at The Albany Academies on Wednesday. Emmaline and Chef Adam Rubino worked together to create the lunch menu consisting of Chicken Noodle soup, pasta with soy sauce, vegetable Lo Mein, steamed baby carrots and macaroni salad. Be on the lookout for "Chef of the Day" as an auction item for this year's Spring Gathering being held on April 29.

Regional Gathering and Information Session

On Tuesday, May 2, from 4 pm – 6 pm we are hosting a Regional Gathering and Information Session for new and incoming families in the Albany area at El Loco Mexican Café at 465 Madison Ave in Albany, which is owned by one our current Academy families. Meet with members of the admissions team and network with families of current students to hear about their experiences with our school. Appetizers will be provided, courtesy of El Loco Mexican Café!

Lower & Middle School Open House and Family Fun Day

Join The Office of Admissions on Saturday, May 6^th from 11 am – 1 pm at our Lower and Middle School Open House & Family Fun Day. Current and prospective families are invited to learn more about our school and enjoy family fun day, which will include entertainment by Andy “The Music Man,” refreshments, games and educational activities, and tours of our beautiful campus and facilities.

Summer Math Credit Classes:

Algebra 1, Geometry and Pre-Calculus

June 20-July 31 in person 8am-11am $1,250

Registration is now open. Click here to view class information. Click here to register for the class.

For math specific questions, please contact Math Dept. Chair, Robert Bischoff at bischoffr@albanyacademies.org

Online registration for summer camp is open! 

Space is limited and is on a first come first serve basis. We have a variety of camps for students entering Pre-K through twelfth grade! 

We have a number of camps already at capacity with a lengthy wait list:

Musical Theatre-Grades 3-6

Musical Theatre-Grades 7-12

Science Academy-Robotics & 3D Printing-Grades 5-6 & 7-9

Classic Camp-Grades 3-8 August 7-11

Join us for a week, a two week session or the whole summer! Program dates and rates, the 2023 brochure and LEAP class charts are available on our website. Please contact Karin Epstein at epsteink@albanyacademies.org or 518-429-2332 with any questions.

From the AAPA

Family Bingo night is Tuesday, May 2 at 5:30 pm!

It's a fun, free, community-building night with pizza and snacks while playing for prizes!

*There will also be bins available to drop off used uniforms for the uniform exchange. See less

PLEASE RSVP for this event here by April 30:

www.albanyacademies.org/family-bingo-night 

Reading Challenge Update

Henry House Can Tab 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 has served more than 17,000 families since 1982.

Henry House kicked off a can tab drive this week to support the Ronald McDonald House. Collection bottles are set up outside of the Main Office.

A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms

Yesterday Grant S. '25 gave a guest lecture in Dr. Dragoni’s history class! Grant taught students about the War in the Pacific during World War II, with an emphasis on the Battle of Midway. Great job, Grant!

Preschoolers have been learning all about the springtime! We have been exploring plants this week, including what plants need to live, their life cycle, the different parts of a plant and their purpose. We have enjoyed playing in the "Flower Shop" during imaginative play, observed different seeds, made predictions and experimented painting flowers with celery and balloons!

The fifth graders are learning about digital drawing using Procreate. This week, they are using the symmetry tool, creating mindful doodles to get acquainted to the different features and brushes the app has to offer.

The Photography classes are experimenting with the Cyanotype process. This involves mixing up the light-sensitive chemistry, applying it to paper, exposing the paper to UV light (the sun!), and finally washing the paper in water to make the image permanent. The Cyanotype is one of the oldest photographic processes and gets it's name from the vivid blue of the final image.

Students from 1/2/3 Robotics enrichment at different exploration stations learn about LEDs, generators and circuitry.

6^th graders figuring out the code to compete against their classmates in a First Lego League competition.

English 8 and 9 girls received their pen pal letters this week from students they've partnered with attending the Istituto Comprensivo Largo San Pio V in Rome, Italy. Euros, pasta, and many other gifts were enclosed in every letter! Girls are already writing their second letter to their new Italian friends. It's been a very exciting cultural exchange for everyone involved.

AA Grade 4 celebrated Earth Day today by creating thoughtful poems about the beauty of our planet and ways to keep it safe and clean!

Pre-K celebrated Earth Day on Friday! The girls made a paper plate Earth, a hat and planted a spider plant. The girls also discussed how we can help our Earth be healthy and beautiful. We love our Earth!

Opportunity to be a Host Family

As we prepare for the 2023-2024 academic year, we are looking for families who are interested in learning about hosting a student-athlete in their home. A host family provides a safe, caring, and friendly home atmosphere and serves as a role model and extended family to the student. Please click here to view the brochure for hosting a student-athlete. If you are interested in learning more about how to participate, please contact Amy McClain.

Save the Date for Spring Gathering

Our annual Spring Gathering gala will be held on Saturday evening, April 29 at the Albany Country Club. This year's event promises to be a very special evening, so encourage parents in your class and friends to join us for great fare, music, wonderful auction items, a paddle raise, and a tribute to three outstanding individuals! Proceeds from this event support merit scholarships and financial aid.

For more information and to join the Honorary Committee or purchase a ticket,

please click here.

April 24, 2023

Day 4

Head of School for the Day: Abigail Nicholson '31

8:00 a.m. Upper School Chapel (Caird Chapel)

8:00 a.m. Upper School Morning Meeting (Auditorium)

3:30 p.m. Afterschool Enrichment Programs

April 25, 2023

Day 5

8:00 a.m. Upper School Chapel (Caird Chapel)

8:00 a.m. Upper School Morning Meeting (Auditorium)

3:30 p.m. Afterschool Enrichment Programs

7:00 p.m. AAG Cum Laude Induction Ceremony (Normanside Country Club)

April 26, 2023

Day 6

8:00 a.m. Upper School Chapel (Caird Chapel)

8:00 a.m. Upper School Morning Meeting (Auditorium)

3:30 p.m. Afterschool Enrichment Programs

7:00 p.m. AA Cum Laude Induction Ceremony (Normanside Country Club)

April 27, 2023

Day 1

8:00 a.m. Upper School Chapel (Caird Chapel)

8:00 a.m. Upper School Morning Meeting (Auditorium)

8:20 a.m. AA Lower School Assembly (Caird Chapel)

1:00 p.m. Senior BBQ (Class of 1970 Pavilion)

Spring Arts Festival Performances

4:30 p.m. Middle & Upper School Dance and Upper School Music (Auditorium)

5:30 p.m. Upper School Filmmaking Film Festival (Caird Chapel)

6:30 p.m. Upper School Theatre Arts Play (Black Box Theatre)

April 28, 2023

Community Service Day

8:00 a.m. Upper School Chapel (Caird Chapel)

8:00 a.m. Upper School Morning Meeting (Auditorium)

6:00 p.m. Grades 7 & 8 Dance (AA Pool Lobby)

April 29 - Spring Gathering

May 1 - May Projects Begin

May 1 - AP Exams Begin

May 2 - All School Family BINGO Night

May 4 - AAPA Meeting

May 4 - French Honor Society Induction Ceremony

May 4 - ECA/AAG Grades Preschool - 4 Spring Picture Day

May 5 - AA Grades Preschool - 4 Spring Picture Day

May 6 - Admissions Open House

May 10 - Spring Arts Festival: Middle School Music

May 12 - Spring Arts Festival: ECA & Lower School

May 13 - Prom

May 16 - Lower School Coffee Break

May 18 - 20 - Reunion Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner

May 19 - Famous Women Presentation, Reunion & Arts Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

May 19 - Arts Hall of Fame Ceremony and Performance

May 20 - Reunion

May 23 - 7/8Theatre Ensemble Performance

May 24 - Division II/III Signing Day

May 29 - Memorial Day (School Closed)