COMMUNITY UPDATE
NOVEMBER 2025
Welcome!
Each month we strive to present this Community Update to help you stay informed about exciting accomplishments and important updates from around the City School District of Albany. These are just a sampling of the incredible things happening across our district each and every day, so I encourage you to follow us on our social media and regularly visit us here on our website for even more great news.
As a reminder, my door and my inbox are always open, so please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments or concerns.
Sincerely,
Annie Morton's winning sticker
When you cast your vote Nov. 4, you likely left your polling place with a piece of art crafted by a City School District of Albany student.
Annie Morton, a fifth-grader at Montessori Magnet School, was the landslide winner this fall in the “I Voted” sticker contest sponsored by the Albany County Legislature, the Albany NAACP and the League of Women Voters of Albany County.
Morton’s design beautifully combined Nipper, a tulip bed and the city’s iconic skyline. Her design was selected from dozens submitted by students throughout the county, and from just 10 that made it to the final round of voting.
The 10 finalists also included two other district students: Albany School of Humanities (ASH) fourth-grader Edward Gargiulo, and Roots Academy at West Hill second-grader Alisa Sunday.
Heroes Cabaret was a hit!
Congratulations to the Albany High Theater Ensemble for an amazing weekend of performances of Heroes Cabaret on Nov. 7-9!
Stories of courage and compassion were served up with a big dose of hilarity and a sprinkling of tender moments throughout the course of the show.
Be sure to mark your calendars for our next production, Mean Girls: High School Version, which will run March 12-15!
Beckett launches into 1,000-yard club
Kahlil Beckett capped his high school football career and an exceptional senior season with a stunning performance in his final game, running for 309 yards and six touchdowns to lead Albany High to a 47-9 victory over Columbia!
He went into the game needing 80 yards to reach 1,000 for the season and smashed through that milestone by halftime.
We congratulate him on a dynamic and successful season, and his stellar performance in leading the Falcons to victory!
Bizer blazes through fall season
Albany High senior Noah Bizer turned in one of the best seasons for a member of the boys’ cross country team in more than a decade this fall.
After a string of outstanding performances during the season, Bizer turned in another impressive outing at the Section 2 championships Nov. 8 to qualify for states, where he then qualified for the New York State Federation Championship on Nov. 22. Bizer completed the challenging 3.1-mile course at Bowdoin Park, Wappingers Falls in 17:10, placing 86 out of 290 runners.
Noah's leadership, dedication and tenacity are to be admired, and we are so proud of him!
Gardens and gathering: Roberts' service project
Sophomore Henry Roberts saw potential in a mostly empty courtyard at Albany High and turned it into a beautiful gathering space as his Eagle Scout service project.
He drafted a layout and designs for planter boxes and benches, selected native perennials and shrubs and coordinated scouts, staff, teachers, volunteers and mentors to bring the plan to life.
Congratulations to Henry on a job well-done, and we wish him all the best as he completes his board of review on his journey to become an Eagle Scout!
Our new assistant superintendent
Join us in welcoming Lynne Rutnik as our new assistant superintendent for secondary instruction!
Rutnik is an experienced school leader with deep local roots. Born and raised in Albany, she draws profound inspiration from her mother, the late Mary Ann McNeil, who taught elementary school in Albany for nearly four decades.
“I’ve dedicated 25-plus years to uplifting public education and advancing equity, access and opportunity for every child,” Rutnik said. “Equity is not just what I do; it is who I am.”
She currently serves as the district superintendent and CEO for Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES, and has previously held several leadership positions with Capital Region schools.
Our Board of Education appointed Rutnik on Nov. 20, and we look forward to her beginning her new role with us on Feb. 2!
Leading the way in ENL
Three of our incredible ENL teachers provided important input to their colleagues from around the state at the New York State Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Conference on Nov. 21-22!
Jennifer Warnecke and Kristen Buyce presented a session about how rethinking accommodations and modifications through technology can elevate student voice, boost engagement and ensure equitable access for all learners.
Dylon Peertamsingh gave a presentation on equitable support for multilingual learners, featuring an original flowchart designed to guide educators in exploring student needs more thoughtfully – before jumping to quick interventions.
Warnecke and Peertamsingh both teach at Albany International Academy, and Buyce at Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School.
Way to go!
Once again, kindness keeps our kids cozy
Our community has done it again, stepping up to keep our students warm this winter!
In the past month, the 18th annual City of Albany Cash for Coats drive collected some $41,000 – enough to buy more than 900 coats plus 2,000 hats and pairs of gloves that were distributed at several district schools.
Thank you so much to Mayor Sheehan and all of our amazing partners and donors who make this annual event such a success!
Looking ahead
Don't forget that you can view our online calendar for a look at all the important events coming up throughout the district and at our schools! Also, be sure the contact email we have on file for you is correct so that you automatically receive regular updates through SchoolMessenger, and don't forget to follow us on our various social media platforms!
This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.