Nov. 21, 2025
Albany High Safety Planning Updates
Over the past several weeks, we have shared information about new walk-through and bag scanners that will be installed at Albany High, as well as presentations to answer questions and address concerns. We appreciate your support and partnership as we continue to work together to ensure a positive and safe learning environment for everyone in our school community.
After receiving your feedback, we have updated our timeline of the rollout to Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Please review this news story which has helpful information for both students and parents about the new security procedures starting on Dec. 10!
Seniors, schedule your senior portraits!
Class of 2026, we will be holding sessions for senior portraits the week of Dec. 8 and the week of Dec. 15. Please note these are the only sessions we will offer at Albany High for senior portraits this year.
Appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage seniors to book their session as soon as possible to get their preferred date and time.
Check out this news story for details!
College Center Newsletter
Our fall edition of the College Center Newsletter has lots of great information about upcoming events, such as our FAFSA Help Sessions and College Information Night. Be sure to check it out!
Our next FAFSA Friday help session event is on Friday, Dec. 5. Appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and you must pre-register via this Google Form. For additional details, check out this news story about how to prepare for your session.
Oh snap! Here's how to order your school photos.
For our students in grades 9-11, you can now view your proofs and decide if you'd like to place an order for school photos! Please note if your student missed their photo session or needs a re-take, they can get their photo taken on Monday, Dec. 8. All the details you need are in this news story!
Cooking up memorable moments
Our Albany High students in Culinary II and Culinary III were hard at work on Tuesday roasting ten turkeys for Arbor Hill Elementary School's Harvest Feast, which was held on Thursday evening. Check out these photos of these chefs in action and read about their learning experience in this news story.
Students in Christine Kelle’s Life Skills class at Albany High took a trip to Market 32 to practice their shopping while acquiring the ingredients for some homemade nachos! The outing was a big success, and they capped it off by making this wonderful presentation about their day.
Tis' the season for beautiful music
December is full of festivities, including some amazing performances by our Falcon musicians! Be sure to mark your calendars for our upcoming concerts on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 at Albany High. Also, if you like art and jazz, be sure to come watch The B Flats perform at the Pine Hills Library on Friday, Dec. 5, as they provide tunes for an art exhibition opening!
Gardens & Gathering
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. Check out these photos and news story about this incredible project!
Bizer to compete at Federation Championships
Albany High senior Noah Bizer put forth an amazing performance at the New York State Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 15, qualifying him for the New York State Federation Championships, which will take place this Saturday, Nov. 22! Not only did he have a stellar race, he also was honored as the recipient of the Section 2 Sportsmanship Award. Check out this news story for additional details.
Seniors on a civic mission
At Albany High, we recognize the importance of educating students about civic responsibility and empowering them to effect change in their local community and beyond.
On Wednesday, our seniors pursuing the Seal of Civic Readiness on their diplomas participated in an interactive assembly led by Sierra Sangetti-Daniels from the People's Perception Project (P3). Check out this news story to learn more!
Building knowledge about trades
With our extensive course offerings in career and technical education, Albany High is the perfect place for students to explore their interests and potential career pathways post-graduation! On Nov. 7, students gathered for our first Lunch & Learn event of the year, which focused on the topic of building knowledge about opportunities in trade industries.
To gain more insight about our commitment to Career and Technical Education here in the City School District of Albany, check out this presentation shared by the Director of Career and Technical Education Maggie Palmeri at our recent Parent Teacher Student Association meeting!
After-school tutoring at Albany High
Falcons, do you need extra help with your coursework? Join us at our after-school tutoring program, which runs Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in room 2235. If you need extra help with your classes, come join us and get some support from Albany High teachers. Hope to see you there!
SchooLinks: tracking volunteer hours
Community service is a wonderful way for our Falcons to develop strong character and make a positive difference in the lives of those in our local community and beyond. Check out this news story which provides helpful details for students and families on how to log community service hours in the SchooLinks platform.
Academy Lottery applications are open
Do you know a family with an eighth-grade student who would be interested in enrolling at Albany High? Private, parochial and charter school families in the city who would like to enroll their current eighth-grader in the lottery must be sure to complete an application by Nov. 25, 2025. Please note that all current district eighth-graders will have the opportunity to learn about the high school and complete the application with their school counselors, so no action is required for district families.
Visit our Albany High Academy Lottery web page to learn more.
Albany High communications
We hope you enjoyed this Albany High weekly update! As a reminder, to avoid overwhelming your inbox with lots of messages throughout the week, we curate this weekly communication on Fridays at this web page with important updates and exciting news to keep our Falcon families "in-the-know." Feel free to bookmark this page so you always have the important details you need at hand.
We also have dedicated Albany High social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. Follow us to see lots of great photos and reels!
Exciting events coming up soon
This is a list of events coming up that we want to draw particular attention to for students and families! These are just some of the great things happening here at Albany High, and remember you can view our full calendar to see them all!
Follow Albany High!
Looking for last week's update?
Albany High Safety Planning Updates
On Thursday, we held a public forum to share information and answer questions and concerns about our new enhanced security systems that will be implemented at Albany High. Learn more about the presentation via this news story.
If you were unable to attend the public forum, but would like to learn more information, we have two additional upcoming meetings:
- Monday, Nov. 17 – Virtual conversation with Principal Jodi Commerford, noon
- Tuesday, Nov. 18 – Albany High PTSA meeting, 5:30 p.m., library
Senior Class Group Photo: Nov. 17
Class of 2026, the time has come for our senior class photo! The photo will take place on Monday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. in the cafeteria courtyard. Please remember to adhere to our dress code for your attire.
If you'd like to order a 10x20 panoramic print of the photo, please visit the Upstate Images website. The cost is $20. Pre-order with free shipping to the school is available 48 hours after photo day.
Sensational sectionals
Congratulations to our Falcons for incredible postseason performances in sectional competitions!
- Our girls' and boys' cross country teams had a strong performance at the Section 2 Championships on Saturday, Nov. 8. Freshman Emmaline Dalland led our girls' team, finishing with a time of 20:47. Senior Noah Bizer was our top finisher on the boys’ team with a career personal record of 16:04, which qualified him for the state competition on Nov. 15! Read more about his tremendous season in this news story and purchase your ticket to the state championships via the GoFan website!
- Congratulations to our girls' swimming and diving team for a great season! At sectionals, our Falcons put forth an incredible effort in both relays and individual events, placing tenth overall. Highlight of the competition was Sara Carroll, Juliana DiVirgilio, Abigail Scaringe and Maya Colman placing eighth in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 4:14.06.
Be sure to follow Albany Athletics on Facebook and Instagram!
Winter sports practices & tryouts start Nov. 17
The winter sports season officially begins on Monday, Nov. 17 for City School District of Albany student-athletes in grades 9-12!
You can view practice and tryout schedules for each sport via this Google Sheet.
Check out this news story for additional details.
Albany High Theater Ensemble News
Congratulations to the Albany High Theater Ensemble for an amazing weekend of performances of Heroes Cabaret! Stories of courage and compassion were served up with a big dose of hilarity with a sprinkling of tender moments throughout the course of the show. We are proud of the cast and crew for an outstanding production!
Next week, the Albany High Theater Ensemble will hold auditions for our spring musical, Mean Girls: High School Version. Auditions will take place on Monday, Nov. 17 and Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 4-7 p.m. in the auditorium. Sign-ins for auditions begin at 3:45 p.m. Callbacks will be on Thursday, Nov. 20 as necessary. Students are encouraged to fill out this Google Form if they plan to audition!
Chamber Concert
Albany High kicked off our 2025-26 concert season with their Chamber Concert, featuring the incredible talents of the String Consort, Troubadours, Albanettes, B Flats and Jazzmanian Devils! A big thank you to everyone who came out to support our Falcon musicians under the expert direction of Tony Berman, Brendan Hoffman and John Halvorsen!
Check out this news story for more details about our upcoming concerts on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10!
Exceptional Senior All-Star Football Game
Come cheer on seniors Justin Almonte-Fernandez, Kahlil Beckett, Marvion Bowman, Kha'Davier Farmer, Mekhii Thompson and Maurice Sanders as they take the field at the Exceptional Senior All-Star Football Game on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at Shaker!
Mentorship through Peer Group Connection (PGC)
Navigating the social, emotional and academic pressures of high school can be overwhelming! At Albany High, our school community is dedicated to finding creative and effective ways to support students as they begin their high school journey.
One impactful program is Peer Group Connection (PGC), a school-based, evidence-driven initiative designed to create a welcoming and supportive environment for new students.
Learn more about this program by checking out this news story!
FAFSA help sessions: Nov. 20
Our next FAFSA Help Session event is on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 3-6 p.m. Appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis and you must pre-register via this Google Form. Check out this news story about how to prepare for your session.
Art + Science
Nothing makes your heart beat a little faster like a student who brings a unique, interdisciplinary project to life! Read this news story to see how senior Edward "E.J." Verhoff combined his love of art and science to make something truly special!
After-school tutoring at Albany High
Falcons, do you need extra help with your coursework? Join us at our after-school tutoring program, which runs Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in room 2235. If you need extra help with your classes, come join us and get some support from Albany High teachers. Hope to see you there!
SchooLinks: tracking volunteer hours
Community service is a wonderful way for our Falcons to develop strong character and make a positive difference in the lives of those in our local community and beyond. Check out this news story which provides helpful details for students and families on how to log community service hours in the SchooLinks platform.
Albany Booster Club
The Albany Booster Club is a wonderful organization that supports and promotes athletic and extracurricular programs of the City School District of Albany. The Booster Club will hold their next meeting on Monday, Dec. 15. We hope to see you there!
Academy Lottery applications are open
Do you know a family with an eighth-grade student who would be interested in enrolling at Albany High? Private, parochial and charter school families in the city who would like to enroll their current eighth-grader in the lottery must be sure to complete an application by Nov. 25, 2025. Please note that all current district eighth-graders will have the opportunity to learn about the high school and complete the application with their school counselors, so no action is required for district families.
Visit our Albany High Academy Lottery web page to learn more.
Albany High communications
We hope you enjoyed this Albany High weekly update! As a reminder, to avoid overwhelming your inbox with lots of messages throughout the week, we curate this weekly communication on Fridays at this web page with important updates and exciting news to keep our Falcon families "in-the-know." Feel free to bookmark this page so you always have the important details you need at hand.
We also have dedicated Albany High social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. Follow us to see lots of great photos and reels!
Exciting events coming up soon
This is a list of events coming up that we want to draw particular attention to for students and families! These are just some of the great things happening here at Albany High, and remember you can view our full calendar to see them all!
This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.