Oct. 24, 2025
Important update: water bottles
For the safety and well-being of our students, teachers and staff, starting on Monday, Nov. 3, students will not be allowed to bring metal water bottles or thermoses to school or to after-school activities. This includes, but is not limited to, Owala, Hydroflask, Yeti and Stanley metal drinkware containers.
Upon request, students can receive a reusable water bottle, courtesy of the Albany Booster Club.
Please be sure to talk with your student at home about this and plan accordingly.
Per our City School District of Albany Wellness Policy, students will be permitted to carry transparent, plastic, sealable water bottles to support consistent access to fresh drinking water throughout the day.
Magnificent masons
Students from Art Erbe's Construction Technology II and Construction Technology III classes enjoyed a fascinating, hands-on job shadow experience at Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local Union #2 Training Hall on Wednesday! Check out this news story about their experience and photos of them working alongside masons, learning techniques for properly mixing and applying mortar with trowels while laying both brick and cement blocks.
Six Falcons to perform at the Area All-State Music Festival
Six brilliant Albany High School musicians have been selected to participate in the Area All-State Music Festival of the New York State Music Association (NYSSMA) on Nov. 22 at Proctors Theatre!
Margaret Ardrey, Celine Casasola and Anna Ustin will perform in the mixed chorus, Eli Stanwicks and Cameron Volk will perform in the symphonic band and Aidan Carlson will perform in the symphony orchestra.
Congratulations to each of these dedicated students for this outstanding accomplishment! Check out this news story to learn more!
Spectacular sports
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On Oct. 18, our girls’ tennis team had a strong performance in the Section 2 tournament hosted at Shenendehowa. In the singles bracket, the highlight of the competition for our Falcons goes to Azia Barao for her huge second round win vs. Niskayuna. A shout out to our number one doubles team of Audrey VanAmburg and Rikame Ayahao who took a first-round win 10-1 vs. Maple Hill in the doubles bracket.
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Congratulations to our unified bocce team for their 5-4 win over Colonie on Wednesday! Check out this news story to read about their upcoming tournament!
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On Thursday afternoon, our boys' soccer team faced off against Shenendehowa in their quarterfinal game. It was a thrilling competition, with our Falcons ultimately succumbing to Shen in overtime, 2-1. We are proud of our team for giving it their all on the field at yesterday's quarterfinal and throughout the season.
- Winter sports season is right around the corner! Read about the registration process in this news story.
October Spirit Week
Student Government has queued up a festive and fun October Spirit Week, which will take place Monday, Oct. 27–Friday, Oct. 31. Check out this graphic with all the daily themes!
Parent Student Teacher Association Meeting on Oct. 28
Parents and students, your voices matter! Join us for our Parent Student Teacher Association Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m.! Visit our calendar event to learn more.
Parent University: Teletherapy Info Session on Oct. 29
Our district is committed to supporting the well-being of our students and supporting their mental health. With that in mind, we’ve partnered with Cartwheel Health Services to provide teletherapy, family check-ins and guidance, and psychiatric care – all with licensed clinicians and no waitlists.
Come to our Parent University at Albany High on Oct. 29 from 6-7 p.m. to learn more and check out this news story with helpful details about this initiative!
FAFSA FRIDAY: Friday, Oct. 31
Our first FAFSA Friday of the school year is on Oct. 31 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Students and families must book an appointment to participate. Check out this news story with details on how to prepare for your session and how to book an appointment.
Our next FAFSA Help Session event is on Thursday, Nov. 6 from 3-6 p.m. Visit our calendar for more details!
School photos are coming soon!
Students in grades 9-11 will have their photo taken during gym class on one of the following dates: Monday, Nov. 3-Thursday, Nov. 6. (Link below includes the schedule so students and families can determine the day and class period for their school photo session!)
Students in grade 12 are reminded to book their senior photo session. Senior photos will be offered Monday, Dec. 8-Thursday, Dec. 11 and Monday, Dec. 15-Friday, Dec. 19.
Check out all the important details for school photo days in this news story!
Creating a future-ready Albany
On Oct. 24, faculty and staff from the City School District of Albany gathered at Albany High to envision a future-ready Albany. It was wonderful welcoming so many district leaders and educators to our building to share the incredible career and technical education learning spaces and programming we have to offer. Check out this news story to learn more.
Register for Ski Club by Friday, Oct. 31!
We have extended the sign-up deadline for Albany High students in grades 9-12 to would like to participate in ski club for the 2025-26 school year! The final deadline for sign-up is Friday, Oct. 31.
Paperwork / fees to turn in to Albany High:
- For all returning and new ski club participants, the following items are due by Friday, Oct. 31 to Mr. Vacanti (room 1311):
- Filled out and signed permission form: hard copies are available in Mr. Vacanti's room (1311) or online via this Google Document.
- Filled out Google Form.
- $200 bus payment (check to “Albany High School” or cash).
Online registration / fees to complete for Jiminy Peak:
- All participants must fill out the Jiminy Peak online registration form by Friday, Oct. 31.
- Step 1: Visit the Jiminy Peak snow sports program landing page and enter the school username and password. The school username is 00SG-AHS and the school password is ALBANYHIGH26! (You must utilize our school's dedicated link and log in credentials so when you set up your personal username and password at checkout, your child is tagged to our Albany High ski club program in their system.)
- Step 2: Select the items you need to purchase for your student. All participants must purchase the lift tickets. Additional options include lessons and ski/snowboard equipment rental. During checkout, you will create a personal username and log in so your purchase information is on file.
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!
Join us for Heroes Cabaret Nov. 7-9!
The Albany High Theater Ensemble is thrilled to present our fall musical Heroes Cabaret which will run Friday, Nov. 7 to Sunday, Nov. 9!
Come help us pick Albany's next superhero at this one-of-a-kind production directed by Rose Biggerstaff and stage managed by seniors Millie Casanova and Freddy Lizardo!
Show times are as follows:
- Friday, Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.
General admission tickets are $15 and student tickets are $5.
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?
Falcon pride at Homecoming 2025
Homecoming Weekend 2025 was an incredible celebration, and we are thankful to all the students, faculty and staff, coaches, community leaders, family members and friends who made this a memorable experience for our Falcons! Check out this news story about the event and some of our favorite photos from the weekend.
Sign up for parent teacher conferences!
Parent-teacher conferences are Thursday, Oct. 23 from 4-7 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 24 from noon-3 p.m. Please note all schools will be closed on Oct. 24 to accommodate this schedule.
Parent-teacher conferences are an opportunity for parents/guardians to meet individually with teachers to discuss student progress in academics, behavior and attendance.
To schedule a conference, you can contact your child’s teacher using the school’s directory or by calling your child's academy office. The numbers are listed below:
- Citizenship Academy (518) 475-6220
- Discovery Academy (518) 475-6230
- Innovation Academy (518) 475-6240
- Leadership Academy (518) 475-6250
When accessing the school directory, scroll down to the section labeled "Instructional Staff" and select the subject area to view the list of teachers and their contact information.
If you need to know your child’s teacher for a certain course, you can access that information via SchoolTool. If you need to create a SchoolTool parent account, please visit our SchoolTool page of the website for instructions.
Amazing moments for Albany Athletics
- We are so proud of our senior student-athletes! We celebrated our seniors on the boys' soccer team, cheerleading team, girls' soccer team and volleyball team at home games over the past week.
- Our boys' cross country team and girls' cross country team had a double team victory on Friday evening at the Kiwanis Glover Cross Country Invitational at Maple Hill! Senior Noah Bizer completed the 3.1 mile course in 16:24, finishing first overall and beating the former course record by 37 seconds!
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Congratulations to our Unified bocce team for their 6-3 win against Guilderland on Wednesday!
Registration is now officially open for high school winter sports for the City School District of Albany! Be sure to check out this news story with all the important details our student-athletes and their families need to know.
Don't forget to follow our Albany Athletics Facebook and Instagram pages to see lots of great sports highlights throughout the season!
Teen Night is this Friday, Oct. 17!
Falcons, please join us for Teen Night on Friday, Oct. 17. This free event will be held at Albany High from 5-7 p.m. is open to all Falcons in grades 9-12. We hope to see you there!
Yondr pouches
As part of our commitment to creating a focused learning environment, students are issued a Yondr pouch each day to securely store their cell phones and personal devices during school hours.
Please be reminded that:
- Yondr pouches are school property.
- Students are responsible for keeping their assigned pouch in good condition throughout the day.
- Pouches must be returned at the end of each school day in the same condition in which they were issued.
We will follow our Code of Conduct if students intentionally damage, destroy or fail to return school property.
Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a positive and distraction-free school environment.
Albany High senior takes the stage with Albany Pro Musica!
Congratulations to senior Anna Ustin for earning an internship with Albany Pro Musica, an elite, professional-caliber choral ensemble that rehearses and performs in the Capital Region. Read this news story to learn more about this talented Falcon!
Join us for our annual Chili Cookoff on Oct. 23!
Mark your calendars for our annual Albany High Chili Cookoff, which will be held on Thursday, Oct. 23 from 4-7 p.m. Come sample some delicious chilis prepared by our Culinary II and Culinary III students. A suggested donation of $10 (cash or check) supports our career and technical education students who participate in SkillsUSA.
We hope to see you there!
After-school tutoring at Albany High
Falcons, do you need extra help with your coursework? We're please to announce the start of 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!
College-readiness at Albany High
Understanding how to best navigate the financial aid process can be overwhelming and confusing for both parents/guardians and students. We are here to help! Check out this news story with details about our FAFSA Friday help sessions and resources for families needing support with the financial aid process.
Additionally, many New York State colleges are offering free applications through the month of October! Visit the Higher Education Services Corporation website for details.
Students are invited to stop by our College and Career Center if they have questions or need support. The College and Career Center is located in room 1230 and is open Monday-Thursday after school from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Mean Girls Audition Workshop: Oct. 22
Falcons interested in auditioning for the spring musical Mean Girls are invited to our audition workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. in room 4200. All are welcome!
Register for Ski Club by Friday, Oct. 31!
We have extended the sign-up deadline for Albany High students in grades 9-12 to would like to participate in ski club for the 2025-26 school year! The final deadline for sign-up is Friday, Oct. 31. We have approximately 40 spots left, which are first-come, first-served.
Paperwork / fees to turn in to Albany High:
- For all returning and new ski club participants, the following items are due by Friday, Oct. 31 to Mr. Vacanti (room 1311):
- Filled out and signed permission form: hard copies are available in Mr. Vacanti's room (1311) or online via this Google Document.
- Filled out Google Form.
- $200 bus payment (check to “Albany High School” or cash).
Online registration / fees to complete for Jiminy Peak:
- All participants must fill out the Jiminy Peak online registration form by Friday, Oct. 31.
- Step 1: Visit the Jiminy Peak snow sports program landing page and enter the school username and password. The school username is 00SG-AHS and the school password is ALBANYHIGH26! (You must utilize our school's dedicated link and log in credentials so when you set up your personal username and password at checkout, your child is tagged to our Albany High ski club program in their system.)
- Step 2: Select the items you need to purchase for your student. All participants must purchase the lift tickets. Additional options include lessons and ski/snowboard equipment rental. During checkout, you will create a personal username and log in so your purchase information is on file.
School photos are coming soon!
Students in grades 9-11 will have their photo taken during gym class on one of the following dates: Monday, Nov. 3-Thursday, Nov. 6. (Link below includes the schedule so students and families can determine the day and class period for their school photo session!)
Students in grade 12 are reminded to book their senior photo session. Senior photos will be offered Monday, Dec. 8-Thursday, Dec. 11 and Monday, Dec. 15-Friday, Dec. 19.
Check out all the important details for school photo days in this news story!
Reminder: morning arrival details
We wanted to share a few important reminders to help ensure a smooth entry process in the morning at Albany High.
- Students need their school ID to enter the building. They should bring it with them each day to school.
- Due to the size of our student population at Albany High, it takes time for everyone to enter the building and pass through our standard security protocols. We highly recommend that students arrive to school at 8 a.m. and no later than 8:15 a.m. When large numbers of students show up right before the start of school, long lines form at the door, making it challenging to get everyone in the building in a timely manner. Please note we understand that students who commute to school via bus may not be able to arrive during the recommended timeframe of 8-8:15 a.m. due to the schedule of their route.
- Period 1 begins at 8:30 a.m.
Falcons, join us for Collegiate Odyssey!
We are excited for the launch of Collegiate Odyssey, a free program in which your child can engage in a range of reading and writing activities with graduate students from the University at Albany literacy specialist program. Participating students will spend time thinking, reading, and writing in ways similar to scientists, historians, literary scholars, artists, and architects.
In-person sessions began on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and virtual sessions began on Thursday, Oct. 16.
- To learn more, about in-person sessions, please view this flyer and letter with permission slip.
- To learn more about virtual sessions, please view this flyer and letter with permission slip.
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!
This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.