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Friday, October 02, 2009
OCTOBER ALUMNI & ALUMNAE E-NEWSLETTER
"As the newly named Head of School of The Albany Academies, I had the great pleasure of taking part in Homecoming Weekend. Of course, there was an extra level of meaning for me to the word 'homecoming' because this past week was the first time I had experienced The Albany Academies in full session since I had been a student myself.
I really liked what I saw, from the pep rally to the sports events to the Scholarship Luncheon where scholarship students thank the donors who made their Academies education possible.
What I saw was a dynamic combination of the familiar and the new -- the same striving, the same 'Academy family' connectedness, the same outstanding young people of attainment and character. With that, an added energy comes from having 728 students -- girls, boys, young men and young women from Albany Academy for Girls and The Albany Academy -- in a harmonious balance of union and distinctive identity." -- Dr. Douglas M. North '58, Head of School
Academies community celebrates Homecoming 2009!
Hundreds of alumni/ae, families, students and faculty members joined together this past weekend to enjoy Homecoming 2009 festivities, including an opportunity to play golf & tennis, take part in tailgating activities and enjoy some great athletic events.
Friday's activities also featured a Pep Rally for AAG & AA students and a special reception hosted by the Board of Trustees to welcome new Head of School Dr. Douglas North '58.
On Saturday morning, we held our inaugural Class Secretaries Breakfast to welcome this important group of volunteers that help keep their class connected with our school and inform their classmates about events occurring at the Academies. If your class does not have a Class Secretary and you would like to become one, please contact Director of Alumni/ae Relations Marna Redding at (518) 429-2425 or reddingm@albanyacademies.org.
On Saturday, attendees enjoyed tailgating & carnival games, the first ever Faculty Chili Cook-Off and the Homecoming Football & Soccer games. On Saturday evening, 20 members of the AAG & AA Classes of 2005 gathered together to celebrate their 5-year Reunion at the Victory Cafe in Albany. All in attendance had a great time reconnecting and reminiscing with each other and Academies faculty members.
Special thanks to the warm generosity of our alumni/ae, parents and the Board of Trustees for supporting many of the Homecoming activities.
PEP RALLY
Pictured (left to right) are AA students at the Homecoming Pep Rally; the AAG Bear & Head of School Dr. Douglas North '58; and AAG students.
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GOLF & TENNIS OUTING
Pictured (left to right) are Meghan Early '05, Kristin McNamara '05 & Stephanie Finn '05 in front of the golf course at the Colonie Golf & Country Club; Brad Rosenstein '79 putting on the green; and Betsy Hamel '68 & Margaret Lamar King '65.
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RECEPTION TO WELCOME HEAD OF SCHOOL DR. NORTH
Pictured (left to right) are Dalton Marks '57, Dr. North & Louise Copeland Marks '60; J. Spencer '42 & Patricia Standish; and Andy Fisher '61, Betsey Jones & Keith Willis '58.
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CLASS SECRETARIES BREAKFAST
Pictured (left to right) are Tod Wing '56 & AA Alumni Association President Mike Criscione '80; the 2009-2010 Class Secretaries; and Dr. North & Mason Tolman '78.
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TAILGATING & CARNIVAL GAMES
Pictured (left to right) are Colleen Breiner P'11, '15 & Tammie Jones P'13, '15; Evan Marshall '21 enjoying a carnival game; and Mike Criscione '80, Chuck Berns '71 & George Harder '71.
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FOOTBALL GAME VS. JOHNSTOWN
Pictured (left to right) are Academies fans at the Homecoming football game; the AA Varsity Football Team battling Johnstown; and alumni/ae, parents and faculty on the sidelines.
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AAG & AA CLASSES OF 2005 REUNION
Pictured (left to right) are members of the AAG Class of 2005; Brett Hayden '05, Brandon LeFevre '05 & Mike Watson '05; and Heather Stein '05, Lisa Giombetti '90 & Jodi Stein '05.
Celebrating our scholarship program
Pictured (left to right) are Barbara Hoehn P'90, GP'16, Carol Swyer Noble '71 & James Hoehn P'90, GP'16; Brendan Callanan (Form VI), Vincent Birch (Form VI), Jeanne Dignum Birch '79, Rich Shubert, Katrina Shurbert & Ian Shurbert (Form V); and Harry '41 & Ginnie Taylor and Ann Rogger & Henry Hastings '40 (Class of 1940 Scholarship).
More than 100 members of the Academies community gathered this past Sunday for the Third Annual Scholar Luncheon in Caird Chapel to celebrate the Academies Scholarship Program and provide student scholars and their benefactors with an opportunity to get to know one another.
Student speakers Samantha Miorin '10 (recipient of the Carolyn M. Nardolillo Scholarship) and Christopher Fron (Form VI, recipient of the Ernest Steck Scholarship) shared their reflections about their Academies experiences.
In addition, Head of School Dr. Douglas North '58 (himself a scholarship student while attending The Albany Academy for 13 years) expressed his appreciation for the donors who have created scholarships in order to support worthy and promising students at the Academies.
Master of Ceremonies E. Stewart Jones, Jr. '59 stressed the need for more individuals to support the scholarship funds already in place at the Academies as well as create new ones. There are currently 31 scholarships at the Academies that support 39 students.
Enrollment at the Academies continues to grow
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For the third year in a row, enrollment at the Academies has grown with a total of student body of 728 students. This includes 17 new children of alumni/ae -- always great news for our school!
Our Admissions Office will be hosting a number of upcoming "Lunch On Us" and Open House events to provide more information about the advantages of an Academies education.
Please note the events and dates below and help spread the word to your friends and colleagues about our upcoming Admissions activities: |
"Lunch On Us" -- October 22, November 19 & December 10
Open House -- November 8, 1-3 p.m.
For more information, please contact Director of Admissions Bramble Buran or Associate Director of Admissions Drew Lentz at (518) 429-2300 or buranb@albanyacademies.org or lentza@albanyacademies.org.
Academies sponsors Women Who Mean Business Luncheon
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Our school was proud to serve as the sponsor of The Business Review's 2009 Women Who Mean Business Luncheon this afternoon at the Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia.
AAG Dean of Students Wendy Muhlfelder '67 provided a welcome at the event, and Dana Gough '11 & Paris Naigles '11 had the opportunity to ask questions of the honorees on stage.
Pictured (left to right) are Mrs. Muhlfelder, Ms. Gough, Head of School Dr. Douglas North '58, Ms. Naigles, The Business Review Publisher Carolyn Jones & Upper School Director Scott Milliken. |
Alumni/ae Speaker Series kicks off with a bang!
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Ashley Gersuk '01 kicked off the 2009-2010 Alumni/ae Speaker Series with a tremendous presentation about her role as a female entrepreneur and strong involvement in the community.
Ms. Gersuk shared four points that she believes are crucial for success in life:
1. Don't be afraid to take risks and get out of your comfort zone
2. Be confident in your ability to succeed.
3. Be true to yourself and embrace who you are.
4. Give back to others in any way that you can. |
The Academy lacrosse star was the Captain of Northwestern's Lacrosse team and won a NCAA Division I National Championship in 2005. She co-established WomensLax.com, LLC in January 2007 as a premium online source for women's lacrosse; WomensLax.com is a sports management, promotional and marketing organization with programs operating nationally.
Pictured above (left to right) are Director of Physical Education Elizabeth Hemstead, Ms. Gersuk & Jennifer Riitano-Levy '93 in Caird Chapel.
Please join us for the following speakers:
Speakers:
Lynda Goldstein Shrager '75 -- November 13, 2:55-3:30 p.m., AAG Auditorium
Kauthar Umar '95 -- December 4, 2:55-3:30 p.m., Caird Chapel
John Scicchitano '88 -- January 15, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Caird Chapel
Panel discussion with faculty member Chris Conway
C. Anthony Owens '85 -- January 22, 2:55-3:30 p.m., Caird Chapel
Heath Twichell '52 -- April 9, 2:55-3:30 p.m., Caird Chapel
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPEAKERS.
Calling all NYC alumni/ae
All New York City alumni/ae are invited to an evening of exciting music on Thursday, October 22 at 8 p.m. at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall, 154 West 57th Street.
This will be a great opportunity to witness some of New York's finest performers. Join us for an intimate and informal gathering. Come for the music... stay to connect with old friends at the party afterwards!
For tickets, please call (212) 678-6970. Be sure to mention that you're with The Albany Academies to get the special discount price of $20. Visit www.festivalchamber.org for the concert program.
Amanda Morrison Endowed Lectureship -- October 16
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Join us on Friday, October 16 at 4 p.m. as the Academies presents the Amanda Jill Morrison '02 Endowed Lectureship in Caird Chapel -- featuring a special presentation from environmentalist and renowned author Bill McKibben.
This endowed lectureship was established in loving memory of Amanda Morrison by her devoted family and friends, and will continue in perpetuity to honor her spirit and intellect. |
Registration is required and will be limited. Please RSVP to Allison Collins-Schroeder at (518) 429-2432 or collins-schroedera@albanyacademies.org.
CLICK HERE FOR THE AMANDA MORRISON ENDOWED LECTURESHIP INVITATION.
Send us your favorite Bacon Bat moments
Pictured (left to right) are scenes from Bacon Bat 2008.
Bacon Bat 2009 will be held on Friday, October 16 from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at AAG. In anticipation of this annual event, AAG Dean of Students Wendy Muhlfelder '67 is asking all alumnae to send her their favorite Bacon Bat memory that she can share with AAG students leading up to the Bacon Bat festivities.
Bacon Bat has roots that go back to the first decade of the 1900s. Hot dogs and hamburgers had not become popular yet, and sandwiches were the picnic fare -- along with bacon that was skewered on pointed greens sticks and broiled over an open fire.
Please send your favorite Bacon Bat memory to Mrs. Muhlfelder at muhlfelderw@albanyacademies.org by Friday, October 9.
Reconnect with your classmates!
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For all classes ending in a 5 or 0, this is a special year for you!
We are working with all of the Reunion Classes to plan a fun filled Reunion weekend on May 21 & 22 that includes a kick-off cocktail party, Reunion Rally, lunches, Aqua Duck Tours, and class specific parties. It will be a weekend you won't want to miss! |
"Our 50th reunion was so rewarding and awakened in me a new appreciation for my AAG education as well as pride in the school as it is evolving today. Most of all, coming together after 50 years in welcome and mutual respect to celebrate the people we have become was a sacred and renewing experience. On the lighter side, the entire weekend was filled with enjoyable activities and opportunities to share memories, life stories and fun. I am looking forward to our 55th reunion and the 200th anniversary of the school's founding." -- Terri Bronner '59
Please plan to return on May 21 & 22 to make your own memories!
Do you know a deserving athlete?
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Do you have a friend or colleague who was a remarkable AA athlete and is deserving of becoming a member of the AA Athletic Hall of Fame? If so, then now is the time to nominate him!
We are currently seeking nominations for the 2010 Hall of Fame. |
CLICK HERE FOR THE NOMINATION FORM.
Please contact Director of Alumni/ae Relations Marna Redding at reddingm@albanyacademies.org to have a form emailed directly to you. Nominations are due by December 19!
Young Alumni/ae Holiday Gathering -- December 29
Celebrate the holidays in style with other young alumni/ae from throughout the region on Tuesday, December 29 from 6-8 p.m. at the Pump Station in Albany.
AA alum impresses in race
Sporting the gold & black colors of the newly formed Walden Track Club, Director Keith Willis '58 placed first in the 65 plus age division of The Crossings 5K on September 17 in Colonie -- finishing 77th overall.
His time of 26:33 was almost three minutes better than his previous 2009 best (29:12) in Saratoga on August 1. During the past year, Willis has been taking advice from AA Varsity Track and Cross-Country Coach Jim Poole '68.
Stay in touch with the Academies community
Now is the time to register for our Online Community & Facebook! Stay connected with the community and learn about upcoming programs, events and more!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ONLINE COMMUNITY.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
If you have any questions or comments about this electronic newsletter, please contact Ann Wendth, Director of External Relations, 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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