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COMMUNITY UPDATE

SEPTEMBER 2026

Falcons open for Steep Canyon Rangers!

Our Albany High Jazzmanian Devils  Steep Canyon Rangers at The Egg on Sept. 26, and we could not be more proud!

A huge thank you to band director John Halvorsen, Superintendent Hochreiter, Albany Fund for Education, Albany Friends of Music, Can’d Aid, The Egg, and of course, Steep Canyon Rangers!

Prior to the show, Steep Canyon Rangers band members took the time to talk with our student-musicians about how they got their start (as band kids!), their creative process and what life is like in the music world.

Thanks again to everyone who made this incredible opportunity possible, and to all the family and friends who showed up to support our students!

Falcons to perform at All-State Music Fest

Congratulations to Albany High seniors Sidney Blanken and Celine Casasola (left and right, respectively) for being selected to perform as vocalists at the Conference All-State Music Festival in Rochester this December!

Junior Eli Stanwicks (center) also has been selected as an alternate for euphonium.

Congratulations to these talented musicians and their guiding teachers, Brendan Hoffman and John Halvorsen!

Saving lives together at Albany High

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Albany High senior Lyra Stetzer, our first blood drive of the school year was a huge success!

During the drive, 73 units of blood were collected, including 12 Power Red donations. It was truly incredible to see students, alumni, school district employees and community members collaborate for the shared purpose of providing a life-saving resource.

Albany High holds three blood drives each school year, with the next one coming up on Jan. 21.

Goldman named National Merit semifinalist

Congratulations to Albany High senior Garrison Goldman for being named a semifinalist in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Competition!

Goldman earned this designation due to his exceptional score on the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT).

This exam was taken by 1.2 million juniors from approximately 20,000 high schools nationwide, and less than 1% of seniors are entered into the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Additionally, we congratulate seniors Jude Caton, Nathaniel Pupons, Devin Wheeler, Miriam Ustin and Evelyn Shirer for receiving Letters of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation!
 

Free cos clinic for residents 55+

Our Albany High cosmetology students are once again offering free services to Albany residents ages 55+ through May!

Services will be offered on Thursdays from 12:30-2:30 p.m. All services require an appointment, some require a consultation.

You can call our cosmetology classroom at (518) 475-6393 between 12:30-2:30 p.m. on any school day to book your appointment.

If you need to book an appointment outside those hours, or if you have additional questions, you can contact Albany High cosmetology teacher LaQuita Love at llove@albany.k12.ny.us.

Back to School Blast & Safety Day

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our annual community-wide  at Arbor Hill Elementary School on Sept. 19. Beautiful weather set the stage for an incredible day of family fun and community partnership!

A huge thank you to our amazing co-hosts at Mohawk Ambulance Service, our dedicated staff and volunteers, all our community partners and our wonderful families for making it such a fantastic day!

Starting the year with celebrations

Along with our Back to School Blast, the beginning of a new school year is always full of outstanding events that recognize and celebrate our students, staff, families and community partners! From the excitement of the first day of classes, to clap-in celebrations, special person breakfasts, open houses and more, September is a great time for a first-hand look at what makes our district such an incredible place!

Be sure to visit our and to see photos from all these events and more!

Second-grade swim kicks off

The health and well-being of our students is a shared responsibility, and as part of our commitment to keeping students safe in and around water we are offering all second-grade students a new aquatics curriculum focused on water safety and swimming competence.

Throughout the 2026-27 school year, students with parent or guardian consent will be transported to their feeder middle schools for the age-appropriate lessons.

AI & EdTech FAQs

The rapid expansion of AI is an important and ever-evolving topic in education and throughout our society. We uphold a human-centered approach to the use of technology: human relationships, professional teacher expertise and student voice remain the heart of instruction in all of our schools.

With that in mind, we are taking several steps at the start of this new school year to share information with our families and encourage a continued conversation about these subjects, including our online FAQ section that discusses a wide range of topics, practices and guidance related to AI use and educational technology in our schools.

Legal Lives program expands

Thanks to the expansion of the Legal Lives program in our district, all our fifth-grade students will get a look at the criminal justice system through hands-on lessons and mock trials led by district attorney employees, law enforcement, court staff and district educators.

“Our office is dedicated to helping the younger generation make good decisions that will develop and maintain a strong moral compass, and the Legal Lives program is an excellent way to reach our youth and educate them about the perils of crime,” District Attorney Lee Kindlon said.

The Legal Lives curriculum is designed to enhance students' understanding of the law, help them begin to learn about the myriad career opportunities in the legal and judicial fields, and expand the development of critical and analytical thinking skills about the legal system before students reach middle school.