January 28, 2021
Hello, Friends,
There is a lot happening here at The Albany Academies, and so this update is a pretty extensive one…
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“Chat with the Head” session planned for next week
Head of School Chris Lauricella will conduct another virtual “Chat with the Head” session for alumni and alumnae on Tuesday, February 2 at 8 a.m. Contact me at wendtha@albanyacademies.org if you would like to join in and I’ll provide Zoom login information. This is a great opportunity to ask any question on your mind to our Head of School!
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Alumni of Color Affinity Group being formed
I am happy to share with you that we are forming an Alumni of Color Affinity Group. This group has a three-fold purpose: to increase awareness of and appreciation for the common experiences of being alumni of color; to engage alumni in meaningful conversations and activities related to their experience in being alumni of color; and to offer a regular mechanism for feedback that can inform our initiatives, programming, and planning. Members of an affinity group have shared interests, experiences, and goals and racial affinity groups are especially important to DEI commitments because they affirm identity and foster a sense of belonging. The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 22 at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom. Thank you to Ervil Clayton ’00 who has agreed to chair the group. If you are interested in participating, please contact Ervil at evrilclayton@yahoo.com or me at wendtha@albanyacademies.org. The Alumnae Council is working on launching an Alumnae of Color Affinity Group so please stay tuned.
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Surveillance Testing conducted
You may have read in local media that starting the week of January 4, 2021, we conducted a four-week pilot program of COVID-19 surveillance testing. This kind of testing helps gauge the prevalence of a disease within a community by periodically evaluating samples from pre-selected groups of non-symptomatic individuals within that community. It was conducted in response to the rising rate of infections in the region at the time and in anticipation that we may be required to do surveillance testing by New York State. Every individual on campus and even some remote learners were tested once during the four-week pilot period. We were one of the first schools in the Capital Region to undertake surveillance testing.
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Alumni and Alumnae Speaker Series launched
We kicked off our virtual Alumni and Alumnae Speaker Series with a terrific panel on Thursday, January 14 as four very accomplished alumni and alumnae shared their military experience with our Upper School students. Our sincere thanks to Lieutenant Frank Blake ’96 (Army), Major Conor Stewart '05 (Marine Corps), Commander Meghan Poukish-Bodnar '99 (Navy), and Tara Somersall Parten '06 (Army) who all shared lessons they have learned, talked about the importance of leadership and service, explained the many opportunities in the military and discussed their personal transition to the private sector. We are also grateful to Joe Fitzgerald '74 for moderating the discussion and to Nick Faso ‘02 for fielding questions. It was a fantastic event for students, alumni, alumnae, and teachers! The next discussion in the series, which will focus on the health care field, will be held on Thursday, March 4 at 2:20 p.m. so mark your calendar and watch for more details.
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Reunion planned for October 1 and 2
With Reunion now set for Friday and Saturday, October 1 and 2 we are looking for Reunion Chairs for classes ending in 1’s and 6’s. If you are interested, please contact Joanne DelCarpine at delcarpinej@albanyacademies.org or me for more details. A schedule of events will be posted on our website soon.
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Celebrating Beloved AAG Teacher Arvilla Cline
We all know that teachers make a real difference in the lives of their students. Their influence doesn’t end when the school year is over; the memories of a teacher’s impact often last a lifetime. When we learned that former AAG Latin teacher Mrs. Arvilla Cline was turning 95 years young on January 22, we asked our current Latin teachers and students to celebrate her and the impact she has had on so many. Students in the Latin classes made and mailed individual cards to Mrs. Cline to help her celebrate this big milestone. She was thrilled with the gesture and even expressed her gratitude on Facebook! Arvilla was invited back to the 50th Reunion luncheon at AAG in May of 2019 (pictured here) and it was a thrill to see her.
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Alumna Treats Lower School students to Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical
Thanks to the generosity of alumna Joan Dembinski ‘55, our Lower School students were treated to a showing of Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical earlier today. The play follows eight-year-old Lily Polkadot who just moved to the “Squares Only” small town of Rockaway. As the first Polkadot in an all-Square school, Lily faces an almost impossible task of gaining acceptance from her peers. From daily bullying, to segregated drinking fountains, Lily’s quest seems hopeless until she meets Sky, a shy Square boy whose curiosity for her unique polka dot skin blooms into an unexpected pal-ship. Inspired by Ruby Bridges and the events of The Little Rock 9, Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical serves as a colorful history lesson, reminding us that our individual differences make us awesome, not outcasts. Our sincere thanks to Joan for bringing this experience to our students!
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The Mourning of a local alumnus and business leader
Many leaders in the Capital Region and alumni have reached out to me this week to be sure we were aware of the death of Tom Hans ’76 who passed away on January 23, 2021. While a student at The Albany Academy, Tom demonstrated his strength and leadership as captain of the hockey team his senior year and as a member of the undefeated Albany Academy football team. He also received the All Metroland Football Award. Following college, he continued his career at H.L. Gage Sales in Albany, to carry the second-generation family business to new heights. Tom has two nephews who attended The Albany Academy, 2015 and 2020, and four brothers who are also alumni; 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1979.
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Your support is appreciated!
Cold weather is upon us. Stay warm and healthy, friends!
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Ann Wendth
Chief Advancement Officer
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