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Tuesday, September 07, 2010
The Albany Academies e-newsletter
Week of September 6
Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year at the Academies!
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We hope that you enjoyed time over the summer with family and friends, opportunities to relax, read, and savor some special moments, and are now ready and prepared to start another school year. For some parents, this is your first experience with a child going to school; for others, it's your first time as a parent at the Academies; and for many, the environment is not so new.
The upcoming school year promises to be a special one -- filled with dreams and high aspirations for parents, students, faculty and staff. Together -- as partners in the journey of your child's education -- we will help you and your son and/or daughter achieve success in every way possible. It's what we do best at Albany Academy for Girls & The Albany Academy.
Our community is a special one, and we warmly welcome you to our campus. Please be sure to join us for our Welcome Back Picnic on Friday, September 24 from 3:30-6 p.m. on the AAG campus -- sponsored by the Albany Academies Parents Association. There will be a wide variety of food donated by area restaurants, pumpkin carving, a juggler and lots of fun for the whole family. We hope to see you!
New faculty arrive
Please join us in welcoming a number of new faculty and staff members to The Albany Academies -- Albany Academy for Girls & The Albany Academy -- for the 2010-2011 school year. Their bios will be available on our new website; for more information about any of our new faculty members, please contact your Division Director or Associate Head of School.
Albany Academy for Girls
Pamela Quinn, AAG Pre-K through Grade 8 Interim Director
Jennifer Rosen, AAG Director of College Counseling
Erica Beyer, AAG School Nurse
Lauren Combs, AAG Middle School Latin Teacher
The Albany Academy
Adam Collett, AA Middle School English Teacher
Julie Deitz, AA Middle School Science Teacher
Kathy Diggins, AA Library Assistant
Joel Donato, AA Middle School Mathematics Teacher
Meaghan Fitzgerald, AA First Grade Teacher
Walter Keeley, AA Upper School Physics Teacher
Tess McCarthy, AA Lower & Middle School Music Teacher
Hamlett Tibbs, AA Middle School History Teacher
Clare Valentine, AA long-term Kindergarten Substitute Teacher
Michael Zabinski '03, AA Upper School Photography Teacher
New website on the way...
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This summer has been very busy at the Academies as we have been developing and preparing to launch a new school website.
You will be amazed at the new site with its ease of navigation; new communication vehicles for parents and alumni/ae to get information pertinent to them through a "My Academy" page; and more efficient ways for faculty to grade students, post comments and syllabuses, make announcements, and communicate with students and parents on their teacher pages.
The look and feel of the new website better positions The Albany Academies -- Albany Academy for Girls & The Albany Academy -- for a third century of greatness. We hope you will agree.
More information will be forthcoming in the coming weeks about the specific launch date, tentatively scheduled for the end of this month. |
Middle and Upper School Orientations -- September 8
We are thrilled to be welcoming nearly 165 new students to the Academies! It's important for all of our students -- but particularly new ones -- to feel comfortable in their environment and to meet their new classmates. Please note that we will be holding our AAG & AA Middle and Upper School Orientations this Wednesday, September 8.
The schedule is as follows:
AA Middle School Orientation, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. -- students should meet in Caird Chapel
AA Upper School Orientation, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. -- students should meet in Caird Chapel
AAG Upper School Orientation, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. -- students should meet in the AAG Main Lobby
AAG Middle School Orientation, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. -- students should meet in the AAG Main Lobby
VISIT OUR ONLINE CALENDAR FOR FULL DETAILS OF EACH ORIENTATION.
Lower School Parent Night -- September 8
Meeting your child's teacher, learning more about your child's division, and seeing other families are very important at the beginning of the school year.
We will be holding our Lower School Parent Night for all AAG & AA Lower School parents this Wednesday, September 8 from 4-5:30 p.m. All Lower School parents will meet at 4 p.m. in Caird Chapel on the AA campus, followed by classroom presentations from their child's classroom teacher on each respective campus. We hope you can join us!
The Middle School Parent Night will be held on Wednesday, September 29 beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the Upper School Parent Night will be held on Thursday, October 7 beginning at 5:30 p.m. More information will be forthcoming about both of these events.
Uniform Exchange available for back to school needs
Are you looking for a convenient and cost effective manner to purchase gently worn uniforms and sporting equipment? If so, you will want to consider checking out the Uniform Exchange -- operated by volunteer members of the Albany Academies Parents Association.
The school year hours for the Uniform Exchange are:
Albany Academy for Girls
First Tuesday of each month (October to June), 8-9 a.m., Caroline B. Mason Lobby, Silipigno Athletic Facility
The Albany Academy
Wednesdays 8-9 a.m. and by appointment, AA Student Lounge across from The Buttery
Please note that the AAG Uniform Exchange will be open this Wednesday, September 8 from 2-3 p.m. and Wednesday, September 15 from 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Contact Carol Filanova (AA) at filanova@mac.com or Hyacinth Mason (AAG) at stainmail@yahoo.com with any questions.
Opening day of school -- September 10
The 2010-2011 school year will begin this Friday, September 10, and all students must be in full uniform (including blazers for Upper School girls).
AAG & AA Upper School students should report to the Auditorium or Caird Chapel, respectively, at 8 a.m. for opening meetings. Lower and Middle School students should report to their respective homerooms. AAG Opening Assembly and AA First Chapel for all students will then begin at 8:30 a.m.
Please note that all district busing -- district and private -- will begin on September 10 as well. We look forward to our students filling the hallways and grounds of our AAG & AA campuses!
Senior Parent Receptions -- September 10 & 13
All senior parents are invited to join us for a reception to celebrate the start of the 2010-2011 school year on the following dates:
AA Senior Parent Reception – Friday, September 10
9:30-11 a.m., Board of Trustees Room, AA
AAG Senior Parent Reception – Monday, September 13
6-7:00 p.m., Drawing Room, AAG (just prior to the mandatory College Night for seniors and their parents)
We look forward to what promises to be a very special year.
AAG Freshman Overnight -- September 10
Albany Academy for Girls has a long history of sisterhood that has been prevalent for almost 200 years. That tradition will continue with the annual AAG Freshman Overnight this Friday, September 10 beginning with a dinner at 6:30 p.m. with their Grade 11 sister class.
There will be a variety of activities after the dinner, and the AAG freshman will then stay overnight. Parents should arrive at 9 a.m. in the Main Lobby on Saturday, September 11 to pick up their children.
College Night -- September 13
All seniors and their parents are required to attend College Night on Monday, September 13 from 7-8 p.m. in Caird Chapel, AA. This event is an excellent way to learn about the college counseling process from AAG Director of College Counseling Jennifer Rosen and AA Director of College Counseling Jak Bestle.
AAPA encourages your involvement!
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The Albany Academies Parents Association (AAPA) held its first meeting of the school year on August 24 in the Board of Trustees Room on the AA campus.
Nearly 50 parents joined us to hear from the new AAPA President Nancy Carey Cassidy P'13, '15 (pictured at left with daughter, Elizabeth); learn more about upcoming events and the many volunteer opportunities available; meet Head of School Dr. Douglas North and other members of the Administration; and discuss the newly published Principles of Good Practice.
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We hope you can join us for the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 6 beginning at 8 a.m. in the Drawing Room, AAG. The AAPA is a great way to get involved at the Academies and meet other parents. We welcome your participation!
Fall athletics have begun!
Our fall varsity sports have begun their seasons and are off to a great start. Please note that all modified teams will be selected after the start of the school year.
Complete athletic schedules can be found by visiting www.albanyacademies.org and clicking on the Athletics section.
Best of luck to all of our AAG & AA student-athletes!
If you have any questions or comments about this electronic newsletter, please contact Ann Wendth, Director of External Affairs, at (518) 429-2385 or wendtha@albanyacademies.org, or Adam Doling, Communications Associate, at (518) 429-2344 or dolinga@albanyacademies.org.
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2010-2011 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 ISSUE OF A2 ACADEMIES MAGAZINE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Stay up to date with our Online Calendar
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