Dear Friends,

Happy Community Service Day!

This was a busy week, which is reflected in this robust Head Lines. 

Congratulations to our Declamation winners and finalists! Declamations are among our most important traditions, with students writing and delivering personal, emotionally powerful orations to our community. Our alumni and alumnae often share that this experience is a touchstone memory of the Academies and the confidence and poise they learned here.

The Cum Laude Society inducted its most recent members this week. Students selected for membership are in the top 20% of their class, have taken a demanding courseload, and demonstrated high character and exemplary community involvement during their time at school. The induction ceremony was one of the most memorable evenings of the year, with faculty providing heartfelt testimonial speeches for each inductee.

Cum Laude was one of many student recognitions this week, including Winter Athletic Awards, Senior Night at the Spring Arts Festival, and a trip to City Hall to honor the Varsity Girls' Basketball Team. Congratulations, one and all!

Today was community service day, with students working both on and off campus. As part of our learning, we welcomed an alumnus back to campus who shared his passion for giving back to the community. We finished the day with a celebration of community, including spirited touch football games and AA house competitions.

This Monday, May 1, we will begin to use the Brivo door access system. This system ensures that our main entries remain locked during the academic day. Upper School students have been emailed instructions on downloading the Brivo smartphone application, and Middle School students have been assigned access fobs. As with adjusting to any new procedure, we anticipate that there will be some hiccups along the way and ask the community to manage these with grace and good humor.

On Thursday, May 11, we are hosting a parent meeting with members of the Board of Trustees in the Stevens Center in the AAG/LS & MS Building. All parents are welcome! We will discuss master facility planning, campus realignment, and upcoming buildings and ground projects. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. To ensure an accurate hospitality count, kindly RSVP to reidm@albanyacademies.org.

Finally, well over 200 people have registered to attend Saturday’s Spring Gathering at the Albany Country Club! It should be an incredible evening, and I hope to see you there!

Best wishes for a great weekend, and good luck to all who will be sitting for AP exams over the next two weeks!

Warmly,

Chris Lauricella

Head of School

Declamations 2023

Declamations dates back to 1813, when The Albany Academy students were tasked with demonstrating to local officials the knowledge they had acquired at school. This tradition changed over time: the Albany Academy for Girls students began participating in the 1970s, and the Declamations is now a friendly on-campus competition. All Upper School students write, memorize, and deliver an original composition, and Middle School boys memorize and recite a poem, speech, monologue, or excerpt of their choosing.

2023 Declamations finalists

MS Boys: Arshan E. '30, Brady S. '29, Patrick V. '28, and Aarav S. '27

US Boys: Zach C. '26, Charles X. '25, Gregory N. '24, and Jakob D. '23

US Girls: Angelina H. '26, Ava O. '25, Jillian R. '24, and Almitra G. '23

2023 Declamations winners

US Girls: Almitra G. '23

Almitra shared the life lessons she learned when bending the rules during a study abroad experience in Spain. 

US Boys: Zach C. '26

Zach's identified three historical events about positive US/China collaborations that changed the world—and his own life.

MS Boys: Patrick V. '28

Patrick delivered a monologue about the value of poetry from the film Dead Poets Society. 

Special thanks to Brooks B. '23 and Erin B. '23 for serving as event emcees!

Cum Laude Inductions

The highest academic honor that an Academy student can earn is induction into the Cum Laude Society. Each year a dinner is held for the inductees and their parents, as well as a number of faculty and advisors. The Cum Laude dinners, held at Normanside Country Club this past week, highlighted what makes the Academies such a special place. At these dinners, faculty spoke personally and movingly about what makes each Cum Laude inductee so valuable to the school. Student speakers Marleigh S. '23 and Jakob D. '23 offered their personal accounts of their experiences at the school. The parents of each inductee basked in the glow of all of these warm feelings and felt proud of what their child has achieved.

AAG Inductees: Erin B. '23, Almitra G. '23, Abby . '23, Katrina P. '23, Marleigh S. '23

AA Inductees: Gordon A. '23, Jacob C. '23, John D. '23, Jakob D. '23, Gianni D. '23, Max F. '23, Parker L. '23, Carter M. '23, Brett N. '23, Jacob O. '23, Jasraj S. '23, William V. '23

Head of School for the Day

Abigail N. '31 was "Head of School" for the day on April 24. Abby's morning began with a review of the architectural renderings of the campus realignment, followed by a visit to the PreK girls' class to read a book, then a walkthrough of our facilities with Mr. Bennett, and a brief check-in with Chef Adam to finalize the lunch menu. The day concluded with meetings to discuss end-of-year activities and the digital campaign to promote our school. Abby's major decision as Head of School was surprising her fourth grade class with no homework! Thank you to Abby for being such an amazing Head of School!

Head of School for the Day is one of the silent auction items at the Spring Gathering!

Community Service Day

Thank you to all of our students, faculty and staff that participated in Community Service Day today! Two Community Service Days are scheduled each school year to give our students the opportunity for hands-on service experiences. The day takes many shapes and forms, with students giving back to our own community and to 22 local community organizations.

Spring Arts Festivals

The Arts Spring Festival: Middle School Dance, Upper School Theatre, Filmmaking, and Upper School Dance & Music Senior Nights

Thursday night we had the culmination of a year of excellent work for many of our students in the Visual and Performing Arts. 

Wind Ensemble, directed by Ms. Kouloriotis, and Chamber Singers, directed by Mr. Streifert, delighted us with music including a song from the Musical 'Moulin Rouge' which all of the students saw as a part of their Visual and Performing Arts trip to NYC. We then were able to see the progression of skills from grade 5 to grade 12 in Dance under the direction of Ms. Whelchel and Ms. Jacob-Zysman. Mr. Streifert and Ms. Jacob-Zysman then collaborated with a dance performed with the Chamber Singers.

Mr. Johnson's Filmmaking class had their first in person film festival showing since the Spring of 2019 including films that had students figuring out how to have two of the same person on screen (clone films) and two films that each student created one section of the film to create an overall story. Finally upper school Theatre Arts presented the play "Appropriate Audience Behavior" which showed the many ways not to be an audience member and the evening concluded with a round of the improv game "Why are you late?" 

Please click here to view the performances.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

In the spirit of community service week, Ms. Whelchel would like to take a moment to recognize the fourth-grade girls whose investment in the dance program has been instrumental in creating enthusiasm amongst our youngest community members. This year, with the addition of dance for PK and K boys, the fourth graders eagerly volunteered to serve as teaching assistants in the ECA dance classroom once a week, during their recess time. Their patience, leadership and positive spirits has without a doubt brought our program to the next level. Thank you, fourth graders....It is a joy to see you "grow" through the ranks of our school. This week in Dance class students practiced their dances and read the book "Finding Your Brave" by Apryl Stott. We shared strategies to overcome fears and find our own brave!  

In Art class, students are putting the finishing touches on their amazing dirt/earthworm mobile sculptures complete with glass eyes! Thank you, Mr., Matinez for guiding ECA in the creation of these fabulous creatures. 

In Science class students are creating their own mini greenhouses with Mrs. Foster. This hands-on project is an opportunity for our ECA students to explore what plants need to grow and thrive. 

Alumni Guest Speaker Michael Obel-Omia '84

We were honored to welcome Michael Obel-Omia from the Class of '84 to speak to the Upper School this afternoon. Michael spent 15 weeks pedaling more than 4,000 miles from Oregon to Boston last summer with #StrokeAcrossAmerica to raise awareness about stroke and aphasia. Michael was an accomplished educator and athlete before he suffered a life-altering stroke in 2016. Now he lives with aphasia which affects his ability to communicate. 

Guest Speaker Tim Apmann

Students in Grade 5 and Grade 6 were able learn about life in East Berlin when the Berlin Wall went up by talking to Tim Apmann, who is a friend of faculty member Laura Kessler. He has been teaching art and German at various private schools around the world for over 30 yrs. He’s now living and teaching art in Magdeburg, Germany. 

He, his younger brother and his parents escaped East Germany in 1973. The boys spent two days talking with him and were able to ask him questions about his experience. Grade 6 students are just finishing a book called A Night Divided, which is about the Berlin Wall being putting up and the Grade 5 students will read it next year. 

AP Exams Policies and Procedures

2023 AP Exams Policies and Procedures

• All exams are administered in the Old Gym on the AA Campus.
• All students enrolled in an AP class will sit for the exam.
• Students have already registered for exams.
• Students must bring multiple number 2 pencils with erasers (NOT MECHANICAL PENCILS) and pens with black or dark blue ink for every exam.
• Students can bring approved calculators for exams that allow the use of calculators.
• Morning exams will begin at 8:00 am. Students should arrive by 7:45am.
• Students taking a morning exam are excused from afternoon classes on the day prior to their morning exam. Students who elect not to attend classes to study for their APs are permitted to participate in scheduled after-school activities (i.e., athletic contests, performances, practices) on that day.
• Afternoon exams will begin at 12:00 pm. Students should arrive by 11:45am.
• Students taking an afternoon exam are excused from morning classes on the day of their afternoon exam.
• Students will adhere to the school dress code for all AP exams.
• Students with an athletic contest on the day of an afternoon exam may wear pregame/warmup gear to the exam.
• Students with accommodations approved by the College Board please check in with your college counselor for your testing location.
• Students who have a morning and afternoon exam on the same day please see your college counselor to discuss lunch options.

AP Exam Schedule

Monday, May 1, 2023

8:00 a.m. AP US Government

12:00 p.m. AP Chemistry

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

8:00 a.m. AP Chinese Language

8:00 a.m. AP Environmental Science

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

8:00 a.m. AP English      

12:00 p.m. AP Comparative Government

12:00 p.m. AP Computer Science A

Thursday, May 4, 2023

8:00 a.m. AP Human Geography  

8:00 a.m. AP Macroeconomics             

12:00 p.m. AP Statistics

Friday, May 5, 2023

8:00 a.m. AP European History

8:00 a.m. AP US History

12:00 p.m. AP Microeconomics

Monday, May 8, 2023

8:00 a.m. AP Calculus AB/BC

12:00 p.m. AP Computer Science Principles

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

12:00 p.m. AP Physics C

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

8:00 a.m. AP Spanish

12:00 p.m. AP Biology

Thursday, May 11, 2023

8:00 a.m. AP French

12:00 p.m. AP Physics 1

Friday, May 12, 2023

8:00 a.m. AP Music Theory

12:00 p.m. AP Latin

12:00 p.m. AP Physics 2

Capital Region Reception at El Loco Café in Albany

The Albany Academies Office of Admissions is hosting a regional reception for families living in the Capital District and surrounding areas on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at El Loco Mexican Cafe, located at 465 Madison Ave in Albany. We welcome current and prospective families to join us for a fun and social outing!

Regional receptions are a great way for families to get to know each other and share experiences about their time at The Albany Academies. For families looking to learn more about our school, academic programs, and the enriching opportunities we offer, the Admissions team will be on hand to answer all of your questions. Current families are also a great resource for new families looking to join our school community. 



To register, please email admissions@albanyacademies.org or call 518-429-2348. We hope to see you there!

Open House and Family Fun Day

Please join us and Refer-a-Family to attend our upcoming Open House and Family Fun Day taking place on Saturday, May 6, from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. Prospective families of boys and girls entering Pre-School through Grade 6 are invited to learn more about our school and meet our faculty and Admissions Team. Current and prospective families who attend will enjoy:

• Fun and educational activities led by our Early Childhood and Lower School faculty
• Tours of our buildings and beautiful 52 acre campus
• Live music performances by Andy the Music Man
• Refreshments

If you are able to attend in advance by calling (518) 429-2348 or emailing admissions@albanyacademies.org. We hope to see you there!

Grade 8 Honors Projects

The Eighth Grade Honors Project is an optional, independent, year-long endeavor, during which students can delve into any topic they choose. Whether investigating a brand-new area or pursuing an already existing passion, these projects are student-designed and end with a culminating presentation, which is presented to their middle school colleagues. Below are the students presenting next week and summaries of their projects. 

May 3, 2023

Sela E. ‘27 “Earthquakes Don’t Kill, Buildings Do”

Sela investigates the advancements of seismic design and technology progression. She argues that earthquakes had much more unpredictable and disastrous effects on society in the past. But now, although earthquake prediction is still not very reliable, the ability to prevent destruction to buildings and lower the hazards to people has increased significantly. Society now does not necessarily have to stop when a large earthquake occurs!

Ahana G. ‘27 “Money Makes the World Go Round”

Ahana’s project focuses on financial disparity in the United States. Over the past few decades, the disparity has been increasing, creating a larger divide between the rich and poor. This is a problem because it will cause an uneven distribution of power, limiting the freedoms of the poorer people. Ahana’s project discusses why this is happening and how to fix the problem to reduce inequality.

Kara C. ‘27  “Tunes and Tones”

Kara’s claim is that music can help teenagers through stress, anxiety, and sadness as well as being a motivator to psych them up when needed. Through research and a survey of our student body, Kara will present the facts and opinions on the role of music in the lives of teens while inspiring us with some fun clips of music.

Upper School Math for Credit Summer Classes

Classes: Algebra 1, Geometry and Pre-Calculus

Dates: June 20-July 31

Time: 8am-11am

Cost: $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

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!

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

PLEASE RSVP for this event here by April 30:

www.albanyacademies.org/family-bingo-night 

Teacher appreciation week is May 8–12. We are having a teacher appreciation luncheon on Wednesday, May 8.

Click here to sign-up for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon.

Reading Challenge Update

Can Tab Drive Results

Thank you to all of the students that brought in can tabs for the annual House competition that supports the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region. Fifty six and a half pounds of can tabs were collected!

The House competition results are:

1st Place: Henry House

2nd Place: Olcott House

3rd Place: Gates House

4th Place: Beck House

Upper School students will be participating in the 19th Annual Team Billy Ride and Walk for Research in honor of Billy Grey, a student who passed away from a brain tumor while a student at The Albany Academy.  Upper School student leaders, prefects and incoming student leaders will be volunteering to help at this event which is being coordinated by Beck House prefects.

The event will be held on Sunday, May 21, 2023 in Saratoga Springs. Proceeds from the Team Billy Ride and Walk for Research benefit the National Brain Tumor Society.

Please visit www.teambilly.org for more information and to register.

Key Club News

A small but might group of Key Clubbers went to the Regional Food Bank on Sunday morning to sort produce. The AAG Key Club is also in the midst of a drive to provide care bags to Cancer Patients at NYOH, spring cheer cards for the residents of the long-term care facility at the VA, and refurbishing books for The Red Bookshelf, a local non-profit that provides free books to children in underserved areas of Albany. Great job helping out our local community!

A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms

Third grade is excitedly working with our new ELA program, Wit and Wisdom. In pairs, students took a deep dive into the story Amos and Boris by William Steig.

Students in Grade 8 visited the AA Archives and met with Archivist, John McClintock '57. The students are working on the Reynolds Prize research project.

Second graders enjoyed a fancy breakfast after reading Our Table by Peter H Reynolds and asking and Badger by Amy Timberlake. They talked about how important it was to spend time talking to the people we care about even with distractions like technology and busy schedules. 

During the Lower School meeting on Tuesday, First Graders promoted the benefits of participating in service projects for our Academy Community Service Day! They spoke about the ways that giving back can bring people together to make our communities stronger. The girls look forward to hearing about the many hands that will support the people and places in our nearby neighborhoods.

Students in Mr. McNally’s Environmental Sustainability class went on a field trip to the City of Albany’s Wastewater Treatment facility. The class enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells as they followed the city’s wastewater from sewer pipe, through the treatment process and finally into the Hudson River. The tour allowed students an in-person experience with one of the most important components of our society’s infrastructure. After the wastewater treatment facility, students conducted surface water testing and a macroinvertebrate investigation on the Vly creek in Voorheesville.

The first graders have been learning all about volcanoes in our Exploration block. After studying them for several classes, we molded our own and exploded them in class! 

Winter Athletic Awards

Varsity Basketball Team Recognized

Our Varsity Girls' basketball team was recognized by Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan at a reception yesterday in the Rotundra at Albany City Hall. Mayor Sheehan honored three local teams for their success this season. Congratulations to our student-athletes and coaches!

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.

May 1, 2023

Day 2

May Projects Begin

AP Exams

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

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

8:00 a.m. AP Exam - AP US Government (Old Gym)

12:00 p.m. AP Exam - AP Chemistry (Old Gym)

3:30 p.m. Afterschool Enrichment Programs

May 2, 2023

Day 3

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

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

8:00 a.m. AP Chinese Language

8:00 a.m. AP Environmental Science

3:30 p.m. Afterschool Enrichment Programs

4:00 p.m. Admissions Regional Gathering & Information Session (El Loco Mexican Cafe)

5:30 p.m. AAPA Family Bingo Night (Stevens Center)

May 3, 2023

Day 4

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

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

8:00 a.m. AP English      

12:00 p.m. AP Comparative Government

12:00 p.m. AP Computer Science A

3:30 p.m. Afterschool Enrichment Programs

May 4, 2023

Day 5

ECA/AAG Grades Preschool - 4 Spring Picture Day

8:00 a.m. AAPA Meeting (Schellenberger Alumni/ae Center)

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

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

8:00 a.m. AP Human Geography  

8:00 a.m. AP Macroeconomics 

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

12:00 p.m. AP Statistics

7:00 p.m. French Honor Society Induction Ceremony (Auditorium)

May 5, 2023

Day 6

AA Grades Preschool - 4 Spring Picture Day

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

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

8:00 a.m. AP European History

8:00 a.m. AP US History

8:15 a.m. AAG Grade 3 Presidents Presentation (Stevens Center)

12:00 p.m. AP Microeconomics

May 6 - Admissions Open House

May 8 - Grade 2 Field Trip to Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center

May 10 - Spring Arts Festival: Middle School Music

May 11 - Board of Trustees and Parent Meeting

May 12 - Spring Arts Festival: ECA & Lower School

May 12 - AAG Grade 4 Dear America Presentation

May 13 - Prom

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 21 - Team Billy Ride and Walk for Research

May 23 - 7/8Theatre Ensemble Performance

May 24 - Division II/III Signing Day

May 25 - Grade 2 Field Trip to NYS Museum

May 29 - Memorial Day (School Closed)

May 30 - June 2 - Upper School Final Exams

June 1 - AAG Grade 6 Renaissance Faire

June 5 - Lower School Field Day

June 6 - Middle School Field Day

June 7 - Last Chapel

June 7 - Final Assembly

June 7 - May Project Fair

June 8 - AA Middle School Closing Ceremony

June 8 - AAG Middle School Moving Up Ceremony

June 8 - Kindergarten Graduation Ceremonies

June 9 - AAG Lower School Closing Ceremony

June 9 - AA Lower School Closing Ceremony

June 9 - AAG Senior Tea

June 11 - AAG Commencement Rehearsal

June 12 - AAG Commencement

June 12 - AA Commencement Rehearsal

June 13 - AA Commencement

June 14 - 16 - Professional Development Days