| |
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Albany Academies e-newsletter
Week of January 12
Parent Satisfaction Survey now out!
We recently sent out an online parent satisfaction survey created by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and customized for our use.
Please take 15 minutes out of your busy schedule to complete this survey by Tuesday, January 20. The results of the survey are confidential and sent directly to NAIS. You can access the survey by clicking on the following link:
http://surveybuilder.nais.org/SB/Questionnaire/login.aspx?SurveyID=504
If you come across a question in the survey that asks about a child's specific experience and you have more than one child at our school, please answer the question with the child who has been at the Academies the longest.
Contact Director of Admissions Bramble Buran at buranb@albanyacademies.org or Amanda Torres at NAIS at torres@nais.org with any questions.
Line-up set for Distinguished Authors Series!
Our school will welcome two nationally renowned authors in April as part of the Distinguished Authors Series -- funded by the Parents Association.
|
|
Robert San Souci (pictured at left) will speak to Lower and Middle School students on April 15.
Mr. San Souci is a prolific author of children's books -- many of which are retellings of traditional tales from cultures around the world.
His most recent titles include As Luck Would Have It (ages 4-8), Triple-Dare to be Scared (ages 9-13) and Sister Tricksters: Rollicking Tales of Clever Females (ages 8-12).
|
|
|
Meanwhile, Chris Crutcher will address Middle and Upper School students on April 20. A passionate advocate for the freedom to read, Mr. Crutcher writes about teenagers confronting difficult, real-life issues.
His seven young adult novels and one short story collection have all been named Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and four of his books appear on Booklist's Best 100 Books of the 20th Century. |
Click here for more information about the Distinguished Authors Series.
Winter weather alert...
As the winter continues to hit hard this week with temperatures nearing zero degrees and below, please be sure to have your child/children dress accordingly.
Many students have to cross the street for classes during the day and need to be in proper attire for the weather conditions. Students should have proper outerwear including coats, hats, gloves, etc. Our school has guidelines for dressing in cold weather that include pants, tights and boots among other items.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Alumni Hockey Game scores big!
The Annual Alumni Hockey Game held on January 10 at the Robison Family Hockey Arena in The Albany Academies Field House brought a number of former hockey players together for the opportunity to catch up on the ice.
Fifteen alumni, including former NHL player Craig Darby '91, returned to participate in the annual game. The action was fast paced -- at least it seemed that way to those who were playing -- and everyone had a great time. CBS 6 Albany was on hand to cover the event and interviewed Coach Rider for his comments about the event.
The Boys Varsity Hockey Team presented much needed liquid relief to the alumni at half time and had a chance to share experiences of playing hockey at the Academies. Following a reception in the Buttery after the game, many alumni stayed to watch the varsity team compete against Worcester Academy.
'State of the School' just one week away...
Please plan on joining us for the second annual "State of the School" meeting on Thursday, January 22 at 7 p.m. in Caird Chapel on the West Campus.
This will be a great chance to hear from Head of School Richard F. Barter, AAPA President Deb Nelson, academic leaders and Board of Trustees members as they discuss school initiatives, the budget and the Strategic Plan.
Your attendance is strongly encouraged!
Enjoy a great day of hoops... for a great cause!
|
|
If you are looking to enjoy an afternoon of basketball while supporting a great cause, look no further than the 2009 Coaches vs. Cancer High School Challenge -- hosted by The Albany Academies -- on Sunday, January 25 at the Times Union Center in Albany.
All proceeds from this event will go to the American Cancer Society. Tickets are just $5 for students, $7 for adults and children 5 & under are free!
Both our Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball Teams will be playing in the tournament. Other schools competing include Bethlehem, Bishop Maginn, Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, Mohonasen, Newburgh Free Academy and Schalmont. |
Watch for upcoming ads about the event in the Times Union on January 18 and 22 and on Time Warner Cable.
Click here for the schedule.
Open Houses & Entrance Exam just two weeks away!
Our upcoming Entrance & Scholarship Exam dates include Sunday, January 25 at noon and Saturday, February 7 at 9 a.m.
The Entrance Exam is required for students applying to grades 5-12; students applying to grade 9 are eligible for a Merit Scholarship by taking the Scholarship Exam.
The next Open Houses will be held on Tuesday, January 27 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. for ECA, Pre-K and Kindergarten programs and Wednesday, January 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Register online for the January 27 Open House.
Register online for the January 28 Open House.
Please help spread the word to your family and friends about these upcoming dates. Students entering 9th grade in the 2009-2010 school year will be a part of the historic 200th year graduating class of the Academies (1813-2013).
For more information, contact Director of Admissions Bramble Buran at (518) 429-2300 or buranb@albanyacademies.org, or Associate Director of Admissions Drew Lentz at (518) 429-2300 or lentza@albanyacademies.org.
Learn more about cyber safety!
|
|
Do you know what types of websites your children are accessing? We will be presenting a Cyber Safety Parent Presentation on Tuesday, February 3 at 7 p.m. in Caird Chapel on the West Campus.
Dr. David Adkins (pictured at left), Director of Information Technology for New York State United Teachers, will be discussing threats to cyber safety and how to better protect your children from online hazards.
Immediately preceding the presentation will be a Parents Association meeting at 6 p.m. in Caird Chapel on the West Campus. We look forward to seeing you at both events! |
International Taste of the World Festival set for February 28
    
The International Student Committee, Parents Association and Madame Keegan will host the International Taste of the World Festival on Saturday, February 28 from 3-5:30 p.m. on the East Campus.
This new event at the Academies will help celebrate our diverse and special school community; it will be open to all Academies families. We encourage you to think about a special dish that you would like to share with the school community. You may also want to share a unique aspect of your family's culture.
The deadline to register for the event is Friday, January 30.
For more information, contact Madame Keegan at keegand@albanyacademies.org.
In addition, the International Student Committee and Madame Keegan will be hosting an International Student Assembly for students in grades 8-12 on Thursday, February 5 at 2:45 p.m. in Caird Chapel on the West Campus.
VARIED CURRICULUM DEFINES UPPER SCHOOL
The heart of the matter...
Pictured (left to right) are Val Altounian '09 and Alex Vance '09; Andrew Ford (Form VI), Joe O'Connor (Form VI) and Mr. Young; and Evan Ross (Form VI) and Jin Lee (Form VI).
Mr. Young's Anatomy and Physiology class has been studying the heart as a component of a unit dealing with the human circulatory system. This past Friday, Mr. Young's students performed a pig heart dissection to observe the internal structures of a mammalian heart.
Next on the A&P dissection list is a dogfish shark, Squalus acanthius, upon which the class will perform several "systemic dissections" between now and spring break.
Forensics Team makes historic debut
Our school's new Forensics Team (speech and debate) competed in its first tournament this past Saturday at Shenendehowa High School.
Despite its lack of experience, the team had an outstanding performance. Alydaar Rangwala (Form IV) placed second in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate -- just one place shy of winning a half-bid to the state finals tournament later this spring. You will hear a lot more about this new team in the coming weeks!
3-D Art students creating masterpieces
Pictured (left to right) are Jolisa Smith '12; Paolo LaPietra (Form IV) and Mrs. DeYoung; and Zach MacAffer (Form III) and Sarah Connolly '11 with Jeff Wilk (Form III) and Erik Rayno (Form III) in the background.
Upper School students in Mrs. DeYoung's 3-D Art Survey class have been diligently working on terra cotta architectural sculptures.
They initially studied various forms of architecture used throughout history and around the world before designing their own structure. After that, they created a model out of paper.
After a warm up creating a ceramic cube, the students have begun work on their sculptures.
UPPER SCHOOL LOOK AHEAD CALENDAR
WORLD DISCOVERY ABOUNDS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Discovering a love of French
5th grade students have been designing their own learning games for French Fridays where they will practice vocabulary and grammar. This week, the students have worked on classroom objects, numbers and commands such as "write," "read," "go to the blackboard," etc.
7th & 8th grade students have been working on posters and essays about themselves: their activities, families, vacations and activities they enjoy.
Learning the evils of racism
7th grade girls recently finished reading the novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, in their English class. The book is a story about a southern black family in Mississippi during the 1930s that owned its own land, which used to be part of a plantation during the Civil War.
After reading the book, the girls discussed their feelings about racism. Ms. Conway introduced the poetic element of personification and instructed the girls to think of racism as a "being" and focus on what racism does to people. The students created poems and visual backgrounds (pictured above) on which to frame their words.
The science of genetic disorders & cells
7th grade boys have finished a project in which they created professional looking pamphlets on genetic disorders. The pamphlets were informative and the research helped the boys prepare and learn about inherited diseases, the symptoms and the current treatments.
8th grade boys completed a cell project in which they could choose to create a PowerPoint presentation, an advertising slogan or a poem for their assigned cell organelle. The results were extremely creative and fun!
MIDDLE SCHOOL LOOK AHEAD CALENDAR
LOWER SCHOOL STUDENTS DISCOVER THROUGH HANDS-ON LEARNING
Learning about hospitals through puppets
ECA & Pre-K students were treated to a special visit from the Great Hospital Adventure Puppet Show this past Friday.
The performance is put on by students from Albany Medical College and teaches the students about the world of medicine in an entertaining and lively manner!
Special thanks to Mrs. Palladino for setting up the visit from our friends at the college.
Academies artwork selected for NYS show
Art work by Justin Hackshaw '18 and Emily Ashton '17 has been selected to be part of a statewide exhibit at the New York State Art Teachers Association/New York State Legislative Art Show. Their work will be on display from January 16-23 in the "Well" of the Legislative Office Building on State Street in Albany.
The exhibit is organized annually by the NYSATA in collaboration with NYS Legislators to showcase student achievement in the visual arts. Congratulations to both Justin and Emily for this outstanding achievement.
Teddy Bear Parties a blast!
Lower School girls have had the chance to bring a guest to school this week -- their favorite teddy bear! Mrs. Donnaruma has been hosting Teddy Bear Parties in the East Campus Lower School Library throughout the week.
The girls get to share some information about their friends, play teddy bear games and activities, and enjoy some delicious bear-themed treats. The parties have been part of "Janubeary" month in the library!
LOWER SCHOOL LOOK AHEAD CALENDAR
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST
Rewind: A look back at the sports week that was
Below is a smattering of results from our sports teams at the Academies.
The Girls Varsity Basketball Team lost a close battle to Lansingburgh 54-42 this past Tuesday.
The Girls Varsity Ski Team finished in 4th place at the Slalom at Willard Mountain this past Monday; Michelle Bielak '09 finished in 10th place and Madison Daly '10 in 14th place.
The Girls Modified Basketball Team lost an extremely close game to Ravena this past Monday 21-19 and another close game in overtime to Cobleskill this past Saturday 22-19.
Special recognition to Frances Yanover '12 for being selected the "Athlete of the Fall" for swimming & diving by the Times Union.
The Boys Varsity Basketball Team defeated Lansingburgh 87-68 this past Tuesday; the team also moved up two slots to #7 in the most recent 2008-2009 New York State Sportswriters Association rankings.
The Boys Varsity Wrestling Team lost to Ravena 65-14 this past Wednesday and defeated Mechanicville 48-36 this past Thursday.
The Boys Varsity Swim Team lost to Ballston Spa 100-84 this past Tuesday.
The Boys Varsity Hockey Team lost to Pomfret 6-0 this past Saturday.
The Boys Varsity Ski Team finished in 4th place at the Slalom at Willard Mountain this past Monday; Sam Spitalny (Form VI) finished in 6th place.
The Boys Modified Basketball Team defeated Ravena 50-33 this past Monday and Cobleskill 32-19 this past Saturday; the team is currently 2-0.
Mark your calendars for Spring Gathering
|
|
Please save the date now for our Spring Gathering -- An Evening of Music & Magic set for Saturday, April 18 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at The Franklin Terrace in Troy.
This year's event will showcase the artistic and musical talents of our students. Proceeds from this major fundraising effort will benefit our scholarship funds.
For more information, contact Director of Annual Giving Susan K. Tobin at (518) 429-2448 or tobins@albanyacademies.org. |
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.
|
|
|
2010-2011 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 ISSUE OF A2 ACADEMIES MAGAZINE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Stay up to date with our Online Calendar
|
|
