County plans additional H1N1 clinics

Sunday in Albany, Tuesday in Berne

Albany County will hold additional free H1N1 vaccination clinics at the Times Union Center on Sunday and at Berne-Knox-Westerlo Elementary School on Tuesday.

Please note that pre-registration is required for both clinics. Visit www.albanycounty.com/health for more information.

The City School District of Albany also continues to remind families about practices to help reduce the spread of flu and steps to take to address flu-like symptoms following reports of H1N1-related deaths in the Capital Region. (MORE)

Albany High Theatre Ensemble presents

'The Laramie Project' through Sunday

Challenging conventional ideas is nothing new for Albany High School’s award-winning Theatre Ensemble. This fall, teacher/director Ward Dales and his talented students are presenting perhaps their most thought-provoking performance yet.

The Theatre Ensemble is presenting “The Laramie Project” through Sunday, delving deeply into themes of intolerance, hate and violence. The play examines the effects prejudice and intolerance have on a community.

WNYT/TV-13 featured the performance on its evening news Nov. 10; check it out at WNYT's Web site. You also can read about it in the Nov. 12 Times Union.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. (MORE)

New weekly procedures for gym lockers

at Albany High School

In an ongoing effort to keep Albany High School healthy and safe, all students are being asked to empty their gym lockers every Friday afternoon beginning this week. This will allow the high school's custodial staff to properly clean the locker rooms every weekend.

Any items that are left in gym lockers on Friday afternoon will be discarded. This includes sneakers. The City School District of Albany and the custodial staff will not be responsible for any items left in gym lockers on Friday afternoons. (MORE)

Alternative Education Think Tank

plans first meeting Nov. 30

The City School District of Albany's new Alternative Education Think Tank will hold its first meeting Monday, Nov. 30. Raymond Schimmer, chief executive officer of Parsons Child and Family Center, will chair the group.

The think tank is a collaborative initiative between the district and community. It aligns with the district’s strategic plan, “A Vision for Tomorrow,” which the board approved in November 2008.

For more information, contact Carol Roberson in the district’s Office of Secondary Education at croberson@albany.k12.ny.us or (518) 475-6015. (MORE)

MacDonald's success caps championship season for girls' swimming team

For the second year in a row, Albany High School’s fall sports season won’t be complete until Hanlon MacDonald is finished swimming.

Hanlon, a junior, qualified for state meet in both the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 free for the second year in a row. She will be shooting for top-20 finishes in both events this weekend at Webster Schroeder High School in suburban Rochester.

Her success caps an outstanding season for the girls' swimming team, which shared its league championship and sent nine qualifiers to the Section II meet. (MORE)

Five Albany High School seniors recognized

in national academic programs

Albany High School seniors Owen Daniels, Benjamin Miller, Lauren Schaefer, Immanuel Washington and Matthew Wu have been recognized in the annual National Merit Scholarship and National Achievement Scholarship programs, ranking them among the top students in the country. (MORE)

Important safety tips for families

to review with children

The safety of our students is a top priority in the City School District of Albany. In light of recent reported cases of attempted abductions of children in Capital Region communities, including Albany, the district is reminding families of important safety tips to review with the entire family.

These tips are intended to keep children safe while they are walking, biking or riding a bus to school in the morning and home again in the afternoon, as well as anytime they are out in the community without parental supervision. (MORE)

Leadership Profile Report to guide search

for the district's next superintendent

A master communicator able to interact easily and effectively with all members of the community. A good manager, with a high level of integrity and accountability. An educator with a passion for excellence and high standards.

Those qualities are at the top of the list as the City School District of Albany Board of Education launches its national search for the district's next superintendent.

The board received a Leadership Profile Report at its meeting Oct. 6, summarizing the feedback gathered over the past two months in a wide range of meetings with community groups and individuals in the district and throughout the city.

We invite you to visit our District News section to read more about the search process. You also can download the full Leadership Profile Report.

Celebrating the important role

of parents in student achievement

Parents are the most important partners any school can have.

They volunteer in class- rooms and at school events, as coaches and chaperones, as mentors and role models. They bake. They read. They listen. They are there in good times and bad.

The City School District of Albany is proud to recognize all of those parental role models who invest their time and talent to help students succeed.

We have highlighted examples from every school, both in the 2009-10 district calendar and on this site. We invite you to visit our Parent Champions section to read more about the ways these individuals choose to get involved in school, and why that extra effort is important to them.

It's just one small way of saying thanks to every parent, grandparent and guardian for their tireless commitment to our students, teachers and school community.