June 17, 2021
Hello, Friends,
As this remarkable academic year comes to a close, many Academy traditions were observed and celebrations were held honoring the best of our wonderful school community. Here’s an overview of recent events and experiences on our campus:
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Graduates welcomed into Alumni and Alumnae Associations
At Last Chapel, Nick Faso ’02, president of the Alumni Association, welcomed the Class of 2021 and presented them with their alumni pins, and at Final Assembly Kelley Triscari ’07, president of the Alumnae Association, welcomed the class, presented Alumnae Scholar awards, and gave laundry bags to the graduates. Kelley also helped present awards at the AAG commencement. Special guests Dr. Douglas North ’58 and Joan Dembinski ‘55 (pictured here) also joined us to present awards for excellence in science and poetry at Final Assembly. To view the events, please visit The Albany Academies YouTube Channel.
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Excellence in Teaching Award presented to an alumnus
Also at Last Chapel, Peter Hansen ’91, P’28, Upper School history teacher, was presented with an Excellence in Teaching Award given annually to honor an outstanding faculty member who exemplifies the ideals of the institution through teaching excellence. Please join us in congratulating Peter on this prestigious award!
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Commencement events were culminations of a challenging year
The June 14 AAG commencement and the June 15 AA commencement were wonderful celebrations of the culmination of a remarkable year for our seniors. Suzanne Walsh ’87, president of Bennet College, spoke at the AAG commencement and Tom Tuttle ’84, managing director of Kinderhook Industries, spoke at the AA commencement. Both offered their congratulations and words of wisdom to the graduates. To view videos of their speeches, go to The Albany Academies YouTube Channel.
During the AAG commencement ceremony, Betsy Sonneborn Hamel ’63 presented the Elizabeth Aufsesser Sonneborn ’40 Award to Emily Burgess ’21 (Emily is pictured here with Suzanne Walsh and Laura Hollander '88, P'19 just prior to the start of commencement). The award recognizes a senior girl who will explore and utilize her creativity to make a better world for all.
We wish our graduates much success as they begin the next big adventures of their lives. (Spectrum News attended the AA commencement and you can see a clip of the coverage here.)
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Dave Rider ’73, P’04 is retiring after a long and successful career
After 44 illustrious years as a physical education teacher and dozens of years as a coach at The Albany Academy, Dave Rider ’73 is retiring. Coach Rider began teaching and coaching at Albany Academy in the fall of 1977 and since then has coached all levels of football, hockey, and baseball, in addition to his role as a teacher. In 2010, he was inducted into the New York State High School Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame, as well as The Albany Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. He has also been honored with the Peter Rush Award by the New York State Amateur Hockey Association for his long-term dedication and commitment to the growth of youth hockey, and he received the Bob O’Connor Award from USA Hockey given to a New York District coaching education instructor for excellence in the coaching education program. Coach Rider received the Albany Academy Excellence in Teaching Award in 2006 and 2019 and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He has certainly left an indelible mark on our athletics programs! We offer our very best wishes to Coach Rider for much happiness in his retirement.
A reception with more than 100 alumni, parents, students, and faculty was held in the Michael B. Picotte Field House on Thursday, June 17 to honor Dave and his remarkable legacy at the Academies.
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Class of 2020 Hall of Fame and Distinguished Alumni and Alumnae Awards ceremony
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Reunion Update
We hope you have marked your calendar and are making plans to come to campus for Reunion 2021, to be held on October 1 and 2. Invitations will be mailed in early August. In the meantime, here is some important information:
- This year we will celebrate class years that end in 1 or 6, as well as class years that end in 0 or 5 since the 2020 Reunion was canceled due to COVID.
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To see the full schedule for Reunion weekend please CLICK HERE
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Four local hotels are offering reduced rates to Reunion attendees who book by August 31. CLICK HERE for more information
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Your Reunion Chairs are busy planning Saturday night gatherings. Please connect with them for details by visiting the Reunion page on our website to find the list of Reunion Chairs
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There is still time to make a donation in honor of your class before the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Please go to www.albanyacademies.org/thank-you-for-your-gift to make a gift online or call Joanne DelCarpine at 518-429-2391 for further assistance.
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Please make your gift to the Annual Fund before June 30
I am so grateful to all of you who have supported The Albany Academies in this extraordinary year. On behalf of our students and professional community THANK YOU! If you have not yet made your gift, or if you would like to make an additional gift before the fiscal year ends on June 30, there is still time. Some of you will have received a mailing with a return envelope to send a check to 93 Academy Rd, Albany, NY 12208. If you prefer to use a credit card online please go to
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Academies launch a new campaign
Just this week, the Academies launched a new marketing campaign with the theme: “The road to college starts here.” We are featuring several of our Class of 2021 graduates who entered AA or AAG in Lower or Middle School and are now off to some top-tier colleges. We’re excited about the ads and hope the public awareness leads to some great prospective students considering our school for this fall!
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Thank you to Trustee Neil Murray ’62, P’99, ’05, ’06
The Albany Academies Board of Trustees expressed their gratitude to Neil Murray ’62, P’99, ’05, ’06 for his many years of service and dedication as a member of The Albany Academies Board of Trustees at a board meeting on June 16. During Neil’s time as a trustee, he provided numerous hours of pro bono legal advice, historical knowledge, and guidance to help lead the Academies during some challenging as well as very successful nine years. Neil, joined by his wife, Martha, is pictured here in his new Academy chair given to trustees upon their tenure on the board. Thank you, Neil!
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I hope you have a wonderful, restful weekend!
Warm regards,
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Ann Wendth
Chief Advancement Officer
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