COMMUNITY UPDATE
MAY 2025
A May to remember!
Hail to our champions!
The Albany High School flag football team and student-athletes from the boys’ track and field team brought home Section 2 championships in May.
In flag football, the Falcons took the final step in the championship game this year, holding off Shenendehowa on May 23 to win the Class A title after a runner-up finish in the sport’s inaugural season last year.
The Falcons came up just short against the Syracuse-area champion in the state quarterfinals on May 31, but it was still another exceptional season for coaches Decky Lawson, Rachel Swann and the entire team.
In track and field, Albany High’s dominant 4x100 relay team became the first team in the state to go under 42 seconds in the event this year. The foursome of Nasief Smith, Daaron Harrell, Samir Gardner and Rohan Edwards-Grant finished in 41.93 seconds (the fourth-best time in Section 2 history) to win the sectional championship in the event May 28.
They’ll be competing for a state title June 13-14 at Middletown High School.
The same team also will compete in the 4x400 relay at states after finishing second in Section 2 and posting the state’s sixth-fastest time this year. Gardner also will compete individually at states in the long jump after a third-place finish at the sectional meet.
You can read on to learn more about each of these outstanding achievements.
We are so proud of all of our student-athletes this spring and throughout the 2024-25 school year, and we wish the members of our track and field team the best of luck as they go for gold in Middletown!
Sincerely,
Flag football wins Section 2 championship!
Our Falcons soared to incredible new heights on May 23, winning the Section 2 Class A flag football championship!
After a fantastic regular season and a stellar playoff run (they outscored their quarterfinal and semifinal opponents by a combined 97-0!), our Falcons kept their eye on the prize, thrilling fans with a 38-31 win against Shenendehowa in the final.
Track and field shines at Section 2 championships
On May 28, our boys' outdoor track and field team delivered an impressive performance at the Section 2 Championships, showcasing their talent and determination throughout the competition!
The highlight of the meet was seeing our 4x100-meter relay team in action! Nasief Smith, Daaron Harrell, Samir Gardner and Rohan Edwards-Grant lived up to their top state ranking by winning the Section 2 title with a remarkable time of 41.93 seconds! That was the fourth-fastest time in the event in Section 2 history, and they are now the only 4x100 relay team in New York to run under 42 seconds this season! In addition, they broke their own school record once again, solidifying their status as a dominant force in the competition as they look ahead to the state meet in Middletown on June 13-14.
Black Girl in Summer Surrounded by Butterflies
Albany High Theater Ensemble’s latest showcase of incredible student talent was a huge success, running May 30-June 1.
Written by Albany High Class of 2010 grad Aaron Moore, the first act of follows a young girl’s journey to paint a mural dedicated to her late mother, with a focus on community, art, and – most importantly – how we are stronger together. The second act featured student-created works around these themes, including singing, dancing, acting and more!
Celebrating our student-athletes
We had two big events on June 3 recognizing the determination and talent of our student-athletes! First was our Athletics College Commitment Ceremony, recognizing our 24 seniors who have officially committed to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level! Later in the evening we celebrated even more with our Varsity Athletic Award Ceremony.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the events a success, and for your continued support of our athletic program throughout the year – especially our dear friends at the Albany Booster Club!
Rolling up sleeves to help save lives
Congratulations to seniors Nathan Martel and Anya Stetzer!
In recognition of their hard work and dedication coordinating this year’s blood drives at Albany High, they will receive scholarships from the American Red Cross for their outstanding service!
And thank you to all our incredible donors, and to faculty adviser and librarian Alicia Abdul for your continued commitment to this life-saving work! Thanks to the collective efforts of our outstanding community, we were able to collect 175 pints of blood this year.
Mark your calendars for our next drive on Sept. 26!
A great month for the arts
Albany High's showcased the skills of our students across a wide variety of artistic disciplines, including drawing, painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, textile work, animation, film, electronic media, graphic design and so much more. We are also so proud of all our musical students who performed in our spring concerts throughout the month, as well as the many student-artists whose work was displayed at the accompanying art shows.
And don't miss the Elementary Art Show happening from June 6-8 at Albany Institute of History & Art!
Celebrating our JROTC cadets
Our Albany High School Sgt. Henry Johnson Battalion Junior ROTC held its annual promotion and leadership awards ceremony on June 2. After the awards presentation, Sean Keefe passed along the chain of command to junior Henry Hypnarowski.
Congratulations to our cadets!
Sweeping in Tulip Fest 2025
Eight seniors from Albany High School — Georgina Asante, Jazzmine Brown, Annabelle Clemens, Kaddisha Findley, Renee Geraghty, Jaileny Nunez Almonte, Madeline Penna and Zeta Schofield — braved the rain to assist Mayor Kathy Sheehan in ushering in the 77th annual Tulip Festival on May 9.
Thank you, Albany!!!
Voters overwhelmingly approved the City School District of Albany’s budget for the 2025-26 school year on May 20, with more than 80% of voters saying “yes” for the third year in a row.
A total of 81% of voters supported the district’s $342.4 million budget, which includes a 0.9% tax-levy increase. The approval percentage is the second-highest in the district’s history, less than only the 83% approval percentage a year ago.
President Sridar Chittur, Ph.D., also won re-election to a third four-year term on the Board of Education. Albany High School graduate Austin Wolfgang also won election to the board in a three-way race for two seats. Both will begin their new terms July 1.
Thank you, Albany, for supporting our budget for another year. Your vote of confidence is deeply meaningful and so greatly appreciated!
A first look at some final spaces
As our incredible transformation of Albany High nears completion, that will open for 2025-26!
These include brand new CTE spaces for culinary, technology and barbering, along with Citizenship Academy offices and a host of additional academic, administrative and storage spaces.
The project is on track to be completed for the start of next school year, and stay tuned for information about a ribbon-cutting celebration this summer!
Looking ahead
Don't forget that you can view our online calendar for a look at all the important events coming up throughout the district and at our schools! Also, be sure the contact email we have on file for you is correct so that you automatically receive regular updates through SchoolMessenger, and don't forget to follow us on our various social media platforms!
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