Sept. 5, 2025
Welcome to the 2025-26 school year!
We kicked off the 2025-26 school year with lots of smiles, laughs and moments to remember!
- On Thursday, our freshmen and new students started their Albany High journey with an enthusiastic welcome from teachers, staff, administrators, upper class students and community leaders.
- On Friday, we welcomed all students in grades 9-12 to our newly completed Albany High campus.
Falcons, we wish you all the best this school year!
Important CDTA information
CDTA has agreed to a grace period through Friday, Sept. 12. Students will be allowed to ride without their activated ID swiper card during this time. Beginning Monday, Sept. 15, only eligible district students with an activated ID swiper card will be allowed to ride CDTA buses without paying the regular fare, currently $1.50.
Visit the Transportation page of our website for CDTA routes and schedules.
Back-to-school reminders
As we start off the new school year, we know there are many details students and families need to have at hand! Check out this news story that provides helpful information for our Falcons.
Spectacular moments in sports
Our Falcons have had a thrilling start to the fall sports season! Here's a few highlights from this week:
- Senior Annabelle DiStefano came in first at our first girls' varsity cross country race of the season against Colonie and Niskayuna on Tuesday with a time of 17:37 on a 2.54-mile course.
- Our volleyball team soared to victory in their home opener against Colonie on Thursday! After losing the first set (24-26), our Falcons rallied valiantly to win the next three sets (25-21, 25-13, 25-17). Our Falcons now boast a 2-0 overall record, 1-0 Suburban Council!
- Girls' varsity tennis defeated Amsterdam at their first home game on Thursday, winning 7-2!
Be sure to follow our Albany Athletics Facebook page and Instagram page to see our Falcons in action!
Fall sports photos & other reminders
- Fall sports photos will take place on Monday, Sept. 8 and Tuesday, Sept. 9. Visit the Albany High calendar for a detailed schedule.
- Practice schedules are posted on this Google Sheet on the Fall Season page in our Athletics section of the website. We work diligently to keep this schedule up to date. Know that the practice schedules are subject to change and student-athletes are encouraged to stay in touch with their head coach.
- Competition schedules are posted on the Athletics page of our website.
- Registration is open for unified bocce on Final Forms through Saturday, Sept. 20. Students in grades 9-12 are invited to participate. Stay tuned for more details!
- Save the date! Homecoming Weekend is Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11.
Teen Night is Friday, Sept. 19
All Falcons in grades 9-12 are invited to join us for Teen Night on Sept. 19 from 5-7 p.m. This event is free of cost. Check out this graphic with more details!
Heroes Cabaret auditions kick off Monday, Sept. 15!
The Albany High Theater Ensemble is thrilled for the upcoming fall show, Heroes Cabaret! Check out our audition schedule for the 2025-26 season, and for details about the fall show, please check out this Google Form.
Seniors, it's time to book your senior photos!
We will have sessions at Albany High available the following dates:
- Monday, December 8 – Thursday, December 11
- Monday, December 15 – Friday, December 19
Visit Upstate Images to book your session. Typically, sessions are available between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Be sure to select “Capital District” as your region.
Check out this flier with important details on photo packages, requirements for attire and the option for a free Yearbook only portrait session.
Albany High Open House is Sept. 18
Each fall, we host our Open House event for all Albany High students and families. This year's event will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Stay tuned for more details soon!
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 webpage 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?
Welcome Back Day is Wednesday, Sept. 3!
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, we will celebrate the start of a new school year with our Welcome Back Day event, which will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.!
All students in grades 9-12 are invited to stop by to pick up everything they need for their first day of school, including Chromebooks, IDs, schedules and locker assignments. Additional services and activities also will be offered, such as first-day haircuts by the Barbering and Cosmetology departments and first-day outfits from the Falcon Boutique.
Thanks to our partners at the Regional Food Bank and Albany Fund for Education, we will also be distributing food bags from 9 a.m. to noon, or until supplies run out.
Back-to-school details for Albany High
Here are some helpful details as you prepare for the start of the 2025-26 school year:
- Thursday, Sept. 4 – First day of school for all students new to Albany High School this year.
- Friday, Sept. 5 – First day of school for all students in grades 9-12.
Check out our back-to-school news story for important information about schedules, locker assignments, new cell phone procedures, buses, home-to-school communication and more!
New Citizenship Principal Emma Steckman
Albany High School's new Citizenship Academy also has a new principal to start the 2025-26 school year. The City School District of Albany Board of Education has approved the appointment of Emma Steckman as the new academy principal. Check out this news story to learn more!
Fall sports are in full swing!
High school sports started on Aug. 18 and our student-athletes have been training hard to prepare for fall competitions. We can't wait to see our Falcons in action in the pool, on the turf and on the courts!
Here are a few helpful resources for our student-athletes, families and Falcon fans:
- Practice schedules are posted on this Google Sheet on the Fall Season page in our Athletics section of the website. We work diligently to keep this schedule up to date. Know that the practice schedules are subject to change and student-athletes are encouraged to stay in touch with their head coach.
- Competition schedules are posted on the Athletics page of our website.
- Fall sports photos will take place on Monday, Sept. 8 and Tuesday, Sept. 9. Visit the Albany High calendar for a detailed schedule.
- Registration is open for unified bocce on Final Forms through Saturday, Sept. 20. Students in grades 9-12 are invited to participate. Stay tuned for more details!
- Save the date! Homecoming Weekend is Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11.
- Be sure to follow Albany Athletics on Facebook and Instagram to see photos of our Falcons in action!
Class of 2026 BBQ Fundraiser
Treat yourself with a meal from Miller's Backyard BBQ and support the Class of 2026 BBQ Fundraiser! Pre-order by filling out this Google Form by Friday, Aug. 29. Orders must be picked up in the Albany High parking lot on Wednesday, Sept. 3 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Heroes Cabaret auditions are coming up!
The Albany High Theater Ensemble is thrilled for the upcoming fall show, Heroes Cabaret! Check out our audition schedule for the 2025-26 season, and for details about the fall show, please check out this Google Form.
Seniors, it's time to book your senior photos!
We will have sessions at Albany High available the following dates:
- Monday, December 8 – Thursday, December 11
- Monday, December 15 – Friday, December 19
Visit Upstate Images to book your session. Typically, sessions are available between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Be sure to select “Capital District” as your region.
Check out this flier with important details on photo packages, requirements for attire and the option for a free Yearbook only portrait session.
Momentous milestones
On Aug. 21, we held our Summer Graduation and celebrated 51 amazing Falcons who joined Albany High's Class of 2025.
On Aug. 26, the City School District of Albany celebrated the highly anticipated completion of its transformational rebuild and expansion of Albany High with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and building tours, formally unveiling the Capital Region’s pre-eminent high school facilities following the community’s investment in the future of public education in New York’s capital city.
Save the date: Albany High Open House is Sept. 18
Each fall, we host our Open House event for all Albany High students and families. This year's event will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Stay tuned for more details soon!
Albany High communications
This is our first Albany High weekly update of the 2025-26 academic year! To avoid overwhelming your inbox with lots of messages throughout the week, we curate a weekly communication on Fridays at this webpage 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 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.