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Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Albany Academies e-newsletter
Week of September 7
Academies kicks off 2009-2010 school year!
The start of the school year at The Albany Academies brought excitement and a sense of wonder among our students as a variety of events were held on both the AAG & AA campuses. Lower, Middle & Upper School students were buzzing with pride and enthusiasm as they walked the halls of the Academies.
The first day of school also brought growing enrollment and an increase in our admissions goal for the start of the 2009-2010 school year. We are opening the school year with 725 students and remain one of the few Capital Region schools to have increased enrollment the past few years; that number includes an impressive 13% increase in Lower School boys.
Thank you for all of your support and referrals to other families. We are looking forward to an excellent school year!
Enjoy the following photos that provide a snapshot of the beginning of the school year.
LOWER SCHOOL PARENT NIGHT
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UPPER SCHOOL ORIENTATION DAY
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MIDDLE SCHOOL ORIENTATION DAY
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FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
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FIRST CHAPEL
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OPENING ASSEMBLY
Senior parents prepare for important year
Parent Receptions were held this morning for the parents of our senior girl and boys in the Drawing Room and Board of Trustees Room, respectively.
Parents had the opportunity to meet with each other and discuss this very important year for them. Special thanks to Julie Gersuk P'01, '04, '10 and Annette Lehner P'10 as well as the Albany Academies Parents Association for their efforts with organizing both events.
A big thank you
A number of Academies faculty & staff members were recognized this morning at First Chapel and Opening Assembly for their extraordinary efforts during the summer.
Congratulations to the following individuals: John Kafer & Ed Beauparlant of the Maintenance Department; William Diggins & Mike Sammartano of the IT Department; Registrar Jenn Anetzberger, Arts faculty member Martha Houghton, AAG & AA Middle/Upper School Head Librarian Audrey Koester and World Languages Chair Donna Keegan.
In remembrance of 9/11
In remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001, the Cadet Corps and Conservative Club are placing 2,977 flags – one for each American that died on 9/11 – on the AA front lawn. The community is invited to view the display and pause for a moment of silence at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 11.
Created in 2005, the Cadet Corps is a voluntary, non-JROTC affiliated group that emphasizes skills such as dedication, discipline, loyalty, leadership, strong work ethic and honor. The Cadet Corps marches in parades, performs at special events and presents colors at athletic and other school functions.
For more information about the Cadet Corps, contact Major Taylor Mextorf at mextoft@albanyacademies.org.
Sitton Spelling seminar a s-u-c-c-e-s-s
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More than 40 educators from the Capital Region took part in a Sitton Spelling and Word Skills On-Site Seminar hosted by the Academies on September 3 in the AAG Auditorium.
The seminar was presented by Tina Valtierra, Certified Trainer for Sitton Spelling and Word Skills, and included Grades 1-6 teachers from the Academies, Susan O'Dell Taylor School and Saratoga Independent School. Attendees had the opportunity to bolster their teaching methods using a variety of exciting new methods. |
Presentation on Bullying featuring New York Times best-selling author Rachel Simmons
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The Women's Fund of the Capital Region presents New York Times best-selling author Rachel Simmons on Tuesday, October 6 beginning at 7 p.m. at The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
Ms. Simmons will discuss the topic of bullying among middle and high school girls. Ms. Simmons is the author of Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls and The Curse of the Good Girl. |
The event is open to the public and strongly recommended for middle and high school parents and girls. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for girls under 19 years old.
The Albany Academies is proud to serve as one of the sponsors of the event. Our Upper School girls will participate in a workshop by Ms. Simmons at The Troy Savings Bank Musick Hall during the morning of October 6.
For more information or to order your tickets, call (518) 273-0038 or visit www.womensfundcr.org.
CLICK HERE FOR THE EVENT FLYER.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Academy tennis star impresses at U.S. Open Juniors
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Former AA tennis star Matt Kandath '08 has been turning heads at the U.S. Open Juniors this week, upsetting #4 seed Liang-Chi Huang of Chinese Taipei 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) in the opening round. Matt was eliminated in singles play earlier this week, losing to Arthur DeGreef of Belgium 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Matt and his partner, American Jack Sock, defeated Ahmed El Menshawy of Great Britain and Harry Fowler of the U.S. 6-4, 7-5 in their second-round doubles match in the junior boys division. Matt is an incoming freshman at Stanford University. We wish him continued success in his endeavors! |
A royal welcome for a Royal Couple...
Kaili Ebert '19 had the privilege of welcoming Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima of the Netherlands when they arrived at the Cultural Education Center in Albany this week.
The Royal Couple visited Albany as part of the celebration of the 400-year-old relationship between the Netherlands and the U.S.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Mark your calendars for upcoming events
We encourage you to visit The Albany Academies Online Calendar on a regular basis to help plan your schedule for the 2009-2010 school year. The calendar serves as an excellent one-stop resource for all upcoming events through June 2010.
The calendar is located on the homepage of our website and in the Academics, Parents and Events & News sections. Also, you should have received a printed calendar at your home. If you did not receive one, please contact the Marketing & Communications Department at wendtha@albanyacademies.org.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CALENDAR.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
Meet the Coaches Night
Today, September 10
6-8 p.m.
Caird Chapel, AA
Attendance is strongly encouraged for all Upper School student-athletes.
A light dinner will be held for all Upper School student-athletes at 5 p.m. in The Buttery.
AAG Grade 9 Retreat
AAG Grades 9 & 11 Sister Dinner
3:30-9:30 p.m.
This traditional event assists 9th grade girls with becoming acclimated to the Upper School at the Academies. The girls will join with their 11th grade "Big Sisters" for a special dinner from 6-7 p.m. in the AAG Cafeteria.
College Evening -- "An Insider's Look at the College Admissions Quest"
Monday, September 14
7-9 p.m.
Caird Chapel, AA
Dr. Paul Marthers, Vice President of Enrollment & Dean of Undergraduate/Graduate Admissions at RPI, will be the featured speaker at this event. Attendance is mandatory for all seniors.
All-School Picture Day
Thursday, September 17
8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Students should be in full uniform. These are the photos for student IDs and ordering packages. All students in Preschool through Grade 12 must have a picture taken.
Homecoming 2009 -- including 2009 Golf & Tennis Outing, Board of Trustees Reception to Welcome Head of School Dr. North, Tailgate & Carnival Games, Athletic Events and more
September 25 & 26
Please note that there will be an unveiling of a new AAG Swimming Record Board (that includes both school and all-time pool records) before the AAG Girls Varsity Swim meet vs. Amsterdam at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, September 25. All are welcome at this event.
Athletics at the Academies
Our fall sports teams are off to a great start so far. The AA Varsity Football Team came from behind to defeat Schalmont 35-18 this past Saturday. Meanwhile, the AAG Varsity Soccer Team lost a close battle to Albany High School 5-3 last week. The AA Varsity Golf Team is off to an impressive 4-1 start overall (3-0 in the Colonial Council).
All athletic schedules -- Varsity, JV, Freshman and Modified -- for the fall season are available in the Athletics section of our Academies website.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Albany Academies Parents Association
The Albany Academies Parents Association (AAPA) is currently seeking Room Parents for the 2009-2010 school year. If you are interested in serving as one, please contact Nancy Carey Cassidy at ncareycassidy@picotte.com.
CLICK HERE FOR THE ROOM PARENT DESCRIPTION.
Please take note of the AAPA Division Representatives: AAG Lower School -- Kate Teal P'22; AA Lower School -- Sabrina Daniels P'18; AAG Middle School -- Hyacinth Mason P'14, '16; AA Middle School -- Isobel Connell P'16; AAG Upper School -- Julie Gersuk P'01, '04, '10; AA Upper School -- Joan O'Connor P'06, '09, '12, '14
Please contact them with any questions you may have until Room Parents are determined.
The first AAPA meeting will be held on October 6 at 8 a.m. in the Board of Trustees Room, AA.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF MEETINGS.
We encourage your participation in the AAPA this school year!
The Albany Academies is committed to developing the potential of the whole individual by building a community that fosters scholarship, leadership, character, service, and creativity. Our Compass of Core Values includes responsibility, self-discipline, compassion, ingenuity, respect, service, integrity and perseverance.
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
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