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Friday, May 21, 2010
The Albany Academies e-newsletter
Week of May 17
May Projects offer real-world experiences
Our seniors have been busy working at a variety of companies and organizations as part of their May Project experiences. This week, we wanted to focus on two of our seniors conducting work at the Albany Institute of History & Art and the Times Union Center, respectively. Brendan Callanan (Form VI), our own intern in the Marketing & Communications Department, was on assignment to conduct the following write-ups.
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"Leddy Sullivan '10 (pictured at left) has thoroughly enjoyed her experience working at the Albany Institute of History & Art for her May Project. She has had a hands-on experience working with researchers and families interested in examining certain pieces for their work or finding family heirlooms.
During her first day, a woman brought in a collection of plates from the 1700s. The writing on them was difficult to discern, providing Leddy with her first challenge. Leddy figured out that the plates contained a Tuscan dialect of the Italian language, providing closure to the case.
Her experience has tied in very well with her intended major in college, Art History, which she will be studying at Lesly University in Boston, MA this fall. Working with historical objects has reassured Leddy that she is following the right path as she heads to college, and she credits the May Project program for giving her the opportunity to be experiencing work in the real world." |
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"Bradan Liberty (Form VI, pictured at left) is currently working at the Times Union Center as part of his May Project. Set to major in business as part of a co-op program at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, Bradan is interested in becoming an event manager and believes that working at the TU Center is an excellent way to get acquainted with the field.
Bradan has been working on a variety of tasks at the TU Center, including a media packet to be distributed to local colleges in hopes that they will hold their graduations at the facility and a packet distributed to shows looking to perform at the TU Center.
He experienced the fascinating work that the Ringling Brothers put in to set up their show, which included more than 20 hours of setting up animals and equipment from 59 20-foot trailers. Bradan cites good problem-solving skills and being able to work on one’s feet as essential qualities needed to perform the job, because day-to-day events are very unpredictable in such a large facility. |
The experience has reaffirmed his interest in the field, and he is looking forward to an intensive year-round program in college that will include six months of internships to provide him with even more real world experience."
Middle School student-led production wows audience
Our Middle School students had the opportunity to display their theater skills during a MS Musical production of "Aesop's Fables" on Wednesday in the AAG Auditorium.
The production was entirely student-driven, and each grade level created a fable based on the classic tale, including "The Ants and the Grasshoppers"; "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"; "The Lion and the Mouse"; "The Milkmaid and Her Pail"; and "Venus and the Cat." Congratulations to all of the students involved with the production for their excellent performances.
Many thanks to Arts Chair Greg Cummings and Music Director Matt Streifert for their dedicated efforts with the students.
Academy student excels at prestigious Intel competition
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Alydaar Rangwala (Form V, pictured at left) was recognized for his outstanding work in the field of UVA1 phototherapy at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair -- the world's largest international pre-college science competition -- from May 9-14 in San Jose, CA.
He received a $3,000 award, medal and certificate from the U.S. Army for "Best in the Cellular and Molecular Biology" category during a special awards ceremony on May 13; he also won second place in the category at a grand awards ceremony on May 14 out of 55 top projects from around the world. For that honor, he received an additional $1,500 prize and an asteroid will be named in his honor. |
Congratulations to Alydaar on this outstanding achievement. The Times Union ran an excellent story about Alydaar in today's Capital Region section on page D3. The article was also picked up in the India Times newspaper and on the Technology Marketing Corporation website.
VIEW THE TIMES UNION ARTICLE.
Academy student selected to top summer programs
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Safouane Lachgar (Form V, pictured at left) has been accepted into three prestigious and highly selective summer programs: the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Each program has only 500 slots, and thousands of high school juniors from across the country apply each year.
Safouane will experience a similar schedule to those students currently attending the schools, including an early wakeup, intense physical training, participation in academics and athletics, and military drills. He will also be monitored and taught by the schools' faculty and staff. |
Safouane credits his service in the Cadet Corps to greatly strengthening his application and providing him with a strong background in leadership -- an essential trait the three schools seek in applicants. Safouane is currently learning towards attending the Naval Academy after high school due to its strong reputation.
He will be attending the Air Force Academy program beginning June 8, the Naval program beginning June 19 and the Coast Guard program beginning July 4. We wish Safouane the best of luck during these once-in-a-lifetime experiences! -- reporting for this story was done by our intern, Brendan Callanan (Form VI)
AAG students explore leadership opportunities
Logan DeVost '13, Rebecca Smith '13, Clara McNulty-Finn '13, Morgan Wojtusik '13 & Dominique Bukovan '13 took part in the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Community Workshop on May 8 at Shaker High School in Latham.
The event consisted of a day-long leadership development program hosted by the Kiwanis Clubs of Latham and Troy. The mission of the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership organization is to inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation.
AAG student recognized for community outreach efforts
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Kate Shadlock '14 and her family were presented with the Historic Albany Foundation Preservation Merit Award on May 11 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany for their work in restoring an 1854 row house in downtown Albany.
Kate was prominently mentioned for her hands-on role and dedication in the restoration process.
Pictured at left is Kate with her parents, Robert & Nadine Shadlock.
Congratulations on this great honor! |
Opening books, opening minds...
Pictured (left to right) are Head of School Dr. Douglas North & his wife, Dr. Ellen Cole, about to lead the Storybook Parade at the Albany Children's Book Festival; children and families interacting with authors & illustrators; and young attendees proudly showing off their books.
Pictured (left to right) are student volunteers at the Book Festival; author Sylvie Kantorovitz, Picture Book Writing Contest grand prize winner Keenan Boscoe (Form I), his mother, Micaela Boscoe, & author Daniel Mahoney; and attendees enjoying a conversation with author Steven Krasner.
Wizards, magic and wonder filled the AAG campus on May 15 as nearly 750 children and families attended the Albany Children's Book Festival. Authors, illustrators, exhibitors, the Tulip Queen and her Court, a juggler and even the mascot from the Tri-City ValleyCats were a part of this special community event.
"The theme of the Book Festival was 'Opening Books, Opening Minds,' and this is exactly what we accomplished by introducing children to the award-winning books and authors present at the festival," said AA Lower School Librarian & lead Book Festival coordinator Karen Schimmer. "It remains an essential fact that reading and writing are not necessarily natural occurrences in a child's development; they are ours to foster and hone. This event went a long way in helping to do just that."
Special thanks to faculty members Ms. Schimmer, Janet Harris and Karen Sbuttoni, along with parent volunteers and Steering Committee members Blanche Demoly P'18, Donna Frank P'21, Jennifer Hayes P'16, '18 and Tammie Jones P'15, '19 for their time and extraordinary efforts to make this event so successful.
Billy Grey Ride brings community together
More than 500 members of the community came out in support of the Team Billy Ride and Walk for Research on May 16 at the Farmer's Market at High Rock Park in Saratoga.
The event is held in honor of Billy Grey, a student at The Albany Academy who passed away from a brain tumor at the age of 13. All proceeds from the event benefit The National Brain Tumor Society.
"The Team Billy Ride and Walk for Research exceeded all expectations with a record number of donations," said Ken Grey, President of Marshall & Sterling Upstate Inc. "Please know that the work that we do together is helping to make a positive difference in the lives of brain tumor patients and survivors. Thank you to Albany Academy for Girls & The Albany Academy for keeping the spirit and purpose of Team Billy alive and well. See you in 2011!"
Aspiring authors display their work
Our Kindergarten girls celebrated "Awesome Authors Day" on Tuesday in the AAG Auditorium. The event acknowledges each of the students as writers and illustrators and embraces all stages of writing.
The girls were so excited to have parents, their peers and the AAG community visit their special "writers booths" and view their original stories. In addition to original works, the girls shared books on special themes such as "Weather and Temperature," "Hatching Baby Ducklings" and "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" from their research on author Eric Carle.
The goal of the year-long project is to promote a lifelong love of writing and reading in all Kindergarten girls. That was truly evident as the students shared their enthusiasm with their visitors!
Our Pre-K girls also held an Authors Day on Tuesday in their classroom for parents and Lower School students.
Young girls become famous women
Through the magical powers that exist at the Academies, our AAG Lower School girls were visited by a number of famous women on May 13 in the Silipigno Athletic Facility.
In what has become a 2nd grade tradition, each of Ms. McGivern's students conducted research during their Library and Computer classes, wrote a script and then represented a famous woman at the presentation. The girls adopted appropriate mannerisms and costumes and shared a wealth of information about a wide variety of female role models, including Anne Frank, Helen Keller, Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews.
The girls portrayed these inspirational women in front of their parents, Lower School students, Head of School Dr. Douglas North and his wife, Dr. Ellen Cole.
MS World Language students honored
Our Middle School students were recognized for their world language accomplishments at the Middle School World Languages Awards Assembly on May 13 in the AAG Auditorium.
Students taking Spanish, French and Latin received awards for their academic achievements and presented a variety of skits, movies, and dances. All awards recipients were individually recognized for their achievement, and many more participated in a variety of performances.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch!
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For the past three weeks, the Kindergarten boys have been learning about a chicken's development from egg to chick. After all their time and effort, they are proud to announce the birth of 11 chicks!
The boys have enjoyed having the chicks in their class, as well as visits from other Lower School classes, Head of School Dr. Douglas North and his wife, Dr. Ellen Cole.
The class has already learned a great deal about life cycles and will continue to do so throughout the rest of the school year. |
A celebration of Japanese culture
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Having completed a research paper on the Japanese samurai in History class, the 6th grade boys hosted a Hanami lunch on May 13 while dressed up as young samurais.
The celebration of Hanami is a Japanese tradition that includes a walk-about to view and celebrate the blooming of the cherry trees.
The 6th grade families and faculty enjoyed their own version of a Hanami as they walked around the class and viewed displays of research and a collection of Japanese artifacts.
Pictured at left are the 6th grade boys with faculty member MaryEllen Tomson in The Buttery on the AA campus. |
A taste of Belgium
Pictured (left to right) are Upper School students enjoying a taste of Belgium with Dr. Ebert.
May 11 was no ordinary day in Dr. Ebert's World History II class. As part of their intensive study of World War II, Dr. Ebert took a very hands-on approach by having his students bring in waffle irons to create delicious waffles in recognition of Belgium's role in the war.
The idea originally developed out of a PowerPoint presentation on Belgium, and turned out to be a very tasty success.
Spring athletic season winding down
As the spring season winds down at Albany Academy for Girls & The Albany Academy, we wanted to take a look at our sports teams at all levels -- Varsity, Junior Varsity & Modified. Please note that AAG & AA did not field Junior Varsity Lacrosse Teams this season due to lack of players.
ALBANY ACADEMY FOR GIRLS
Caroline Gersuk and Kaitlin Pericak each scored four goals to spark the top-seeded and unbeaten AAG Varsity Lacrosse Team to a 19-4 victory over Emma Willard in a Class C Sectional semifinal game on Wednesday. The team will face # 2 Glens Falls on May 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the University at Albany. Pericak, Gersuk and Bridget Malicki have the led the way for the Bears throughout most of the season.
The AAG Varsity Track & Field Team finished up its Colonial Council Dual Meet schedule with tough losses to Schalmont and Cohoes on May 13. The highlights of the meet were a few more school records being broken. Fran Yanover improved on her own triple jump school record with a jump of 32'11. In addition, Nora Lankhof won the 800 Meter Run with a time of 2:34.
The AAG Varsity Softball Team has had a solid season with Rebecca Smith putting up great numbers on the mound. The team defeated Ravena 6-5 in eight innings today in its best game of the year.
The AAG Modified Lacrosse Team has experienced a great deal of success this season despite playing only four games. The team has a record of 4-0 with just 14 girls on the team. The future looks very bright for AAG lacrosse!
The AAG Modified Softball Team has only played a total of four games so far, being limited by a low number of girls and poor weather. Despite a rough start to the season, the girls are having a great time and learning a variety of fundamental softball skills.
THE ALBANY ACADEMY
The AA Varsity Lacrosse Team has had an excellent season, winning a total of 12 games for the first time in more than 10 years. The team will know its Sectional fate this Friday when the seedings are determined. The team competes in Class B and is in contention for a first round home game.
The AA Varsity Track & Field won the Colonial Council Championship for the third time in the past four years on May 18 at Lansingburgh. The Cadets had league champions in Quadir Phillips in the shot put, Connor Ferris in the high jump, Zach Nelson in the 3200 meter run, and Jelanie Currie in both the long & triple jumps.
The AA Varsity Tennis Team defeated Glens Falls 5-2 on May 13 in a Class A Sectionals quarterfinals match. Stefan Kuhar, Chris Savo, Ankur Patel & Peter Lobel all picked up wins in singles matches, and Kevin Butler & Dylan Paratore picked up wins in doubles matches.
The AA Varsity Baseball Team had one of its best seasons in years and currently has a record of 11-6. With Tuesday's victory over Cobleskill, the team secured a position in Sectionals -- set to begin next week. Pitchers Ted Smallwood and Brian Flood have played key roles in the Cadets' success this season.
The AA Junior Varsity Baseball Team has had a strong season and has an impressive 8-3 record in the Colonial Council. After losing their first two games, the team responded with six victories in a row. The team has been led by Ian Bennett, and strong contributions have come from Ryan Butler, Justin Davis, Bobby Lasch, John Moutopoulous, Matt Orenstein, Austin Teal and Darrien White.
The AA Modified Lacrosse Team has gone 3-1 this season so far, with its only loss against a very strong Queensbury team. The team has four games remaining and looks to continue its successful streak.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS
A celebration of our student-athletes
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Join us for the 2010 Legacy of Dreams on Saturday, June 19 at the Fort Orange Club in Albany. All proceeds from this event benefit the athletic programs at Albany Academy for Girls & The Albany Academy. It promises to be an evening of celebration of the many opportunities for our student-athletes.
REGISTER ONLINE FOR THE LEGACY OF DREAMS. |
BECOME A CORPORATE SPONSOR.
LEGACY OF DREAMS CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP FORM
Please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (518) 429-2432 or
collins-schroedera@albanyacademies.org with any questions. Invitations will be mailed shortly.
Academy students to perform in musical this weekend
Kiley Hinkle '12, Miranda Hart '12 & Dana Gough '10 will be starring in Debuts Theater Company's production of "13: The Musical" from May 21-30. Performances will be held in the theater in the back of Westgate Plaza in Albany behind Price Chopper (formerly the Hilton Center).
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. The show has a rotating cast, so if you are coming to support a specific student, make sure you come to the show that they're featured in. The schedule is as follows: Friday, May 21 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 22 at 2 & 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 23 at 2 p.m.; Friday, May 28 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 29 at 2 & 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 30 at 2 p.m. Please note that the May 30 show is the only performance that features all three Academy girls at the same time.
Visit www.mydebuts.com for more information.
Mark your calendars
Spread the word about the following upcoming events:
****Preschool Teddy Bear Picnic -- May 28
10-11:30 a.m., Preschool room, AA
Prospective families can meet our Preschool teachers, spend time in the classroom, and take part in storytime, music, coloring, crafts and outdoor play. All prospective families should RSVP to Shellie Carr in the Admissions Office at (518) 429-2348 or carrs@albanyacademies.org.
****Community Picnic -- June 2
3:30-7 p.m., AA Quad (food will be served beginning at 4:30 p.m.)
This is an opportunity for our families to celebrate the 2009-2010 school year and welcome our newly enrolled families to our community.
Enroll your child in Summer Camp now!
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Summer Camp 2010 at the Academies is filling up quickly and we hope that your children will join us this summer. We will be offering a wide variety of courses through our LEAP Camp along with sports camps, a drivers education course and an SAT Prep Course.
If you or someone you know would like a printed brochure, please contact Director of External Affairs Ann Wendth at (518) 429-2385 or wendtha@albanyacademies.org. |
SUMMER CAMP 2010 BROCHURE
SUMMER CAMP 2010 REGISTRATION FORM
REGISTER ONLINE FOR SUMMER CAMP 2010.
If you have any questions or comments about this electronic newsletter, please contact Ann Wendth, Director of External Affairs, at (518) 429-2385 or wendtha@albanyacademies.org, or Adam Doling, Communications Associate, at (518) 429-2344 or dolinga@albanyacademies.org.
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2010-2011 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 ISSUE OF A2 ACADEMIES MAGAZINE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Stay up to date with our Online Calendar
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