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CELEBRATING OUR SCHOOL YEAR SO FAR

As we wrap up 2023 and make our way toward the half-way point of the school year, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the successes we've celebrated throughout the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú over the past four months.

Of course, it would be impossible to capture all the great things in a single list, so think of what follows as a "greatest hits," and if you don't already, I encourage you to regularly visit our website and our social media for a closer look at all the things that make our district shine.

Such incredible things are happening in our schools each and every day, and as we reflect on what matters most over the holidays, I want to thank you all – our students, employees, families and community partners – for the role you play in helping make our district what it is.

And as important as it is to highlight our successes, I think it is also critical that we acknowledge our challenges, and that the business of education can sometimes be a tricky one. With that in mind, thank you all for your dedication, patience and support as we work together to improve our district, and please know that my door and inbox are always open to hear your concerns.

I hope you enjoy these highlights and a well-deserved holiday break, and look forward to continuing our partnership in 2024 and beyond!

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Joseph Hochreiter
Superintendent

Compilation of ASH students, staff and families

ASH growth earns national recognition

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú School of Humanities students achieved the highest growth of all schools in the entire state on last spring's 3-8 exams!

As a result of this outstanding accomplishment, ASH has been selected as one of 100 schools nationally and only two in New York to receive National ESEA Distinguished School recognition for 2023!

Learn more here!

Community celebration of the new Roots Academy at West Hill sign

Celebrating a new name

Students, employees and community members celebrated the renaming of Roots Academy at West Hill on Dec. 6 with a special assembly marking the installation of the school’s new sign!

Learn more here!

Scene from student play fest

Student playwrights shine

The ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High School Theatre Ensemble presented three performances of the 2023 Short Play Festival from Nov. 17-19.

The festival featured world premieres of five original plays written and directed by ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High students that explored the good and bad aspects of social media!

Learn more on the Theatre Ensemble page

Marching Falcons at the Veterans Day Parade

Marching Falcons returning to France

The ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Marching Falcons once again have been invited to France to help commemorate an important anniversary of the D-Day invasion of World War II.

Under the direction of band director Bryan Cady, the Marching Falcons are scheduled to be one of only two bands from around the world to perform on Omaha Beach in Normandy next June 6.

Learn more here!

Girls' wrestling team

Wrestling: Now a sport for everyone at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High now is one of 20 schools in Section 2 with a girls’ varsity wrestling team! A year ago, two girls competed on the boys’ varsity team, and that number has more than tripled this season – there are seven student-athletes on ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High’s first girls’ team.

“It’s really exciting,” said Harriet Westin, a sophomore who has been a Falcon wrestler since seventh grade. “It’s nice because we are all friends. We practice together and there is more bonding (with the other girls).”

You can learn more by checking out our news story on the team

National merit scholars

National Merit Scholars

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High School seniors Luke Gibson, Julio Davis, and Jo Wunderlich were named Commended Students in the 2023-24 National Merit Scholarship Program this fall!

The seniors entered the National Merit Scholarship Program competition when they took the preliminary SAT (PSAT) qualifying test in October 2022. Their scores placed them in the top 3% nationwide of over 1.5 million who took the test.

Learn more here!

 

Elijah Temple

Temple earns first-team All Star recognition

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High senior Elijah Temple was recognized as one of the top student-athletes from the fall football season with first-team All Star recognition from the Times Union!

Learn more here!

 

Barbering students

Barbering and Cos serving the community

Our Barbering and Cosmetology students at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High now both offer hair and beauty services to the community, including our always-popular Holiday Spa Day

Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Hall of Fame Class of 2023

We inducted the newest members of our ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Hall of Fame!

Our 2023 inductees were Paul Collins-Hackett, Daquetta Jones, Ronald MacKay (Yvar Mikhashoff), Tom McGurn, Dr. Alexander Aiello Paley, Miriam Koblenz Scott, Dr. Melvin Silverstein and Hon. Margaret Walsh.

Learn more here!

 

Jasmine Brown and April Prestipino

New district leadership

Veteran district administrator Jasmine Brown was appointed as our new assistant superintendent for elementary instruction, and we welcomed April Prestipino, Ed.D., as our new assistant superintendent of assessment, accountability and technology innovation!

Annabelle DiStefano

DiStefano breaks new ground

Annabelle DiStefano took home first place in the Falcons’ home Suburban Council meet against Niskayuna and Ballston Spa on Sept. 12, joining 2017 graduate Eileen Bequette as the only members of the girls' team to win a league cross country meet.

Learn more here!

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High junior Jon Booth performing as Elvis

Student musicians in the community

Our talented student musicians played a wide variety of community shows, including the State Education Department, a local technology conference and our annual luncheon at Academy Park, which featured ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High junior Jonathon Booth channeling his inner King of Rock and Roll as Elvis!

Learn more here!

Jill Lastarza

Lastarza recognized as Master Counselor

School counselor Jill Lastarza was selected to be in the first class of New York State Master Counselors!

Lastarza is among 25 school counselors from around the state who were chosen for the program, part of the state's prestigious Master Teacher Program, which was expanded this year to include school counselors.

Learn more here!

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High's swimming pool

Community swim returns

The ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High pool is open for community swimming two mornings a week!

The pool is open from 7-7:45 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday when school is in session.

Swimming is free and open to all ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú residents.

Learn more here!

Four stained glass windows from the original ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High School

A new future for historic windows

We convened a group of 17 community volunteers to assist our  Board of Education in developing a plan for the future use of historic stained-glass windows that originally were on display in two former locations of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High School. 

Learn more here!

Runners at the start of the Falcon 5K

Falcon 5K returns!

The ninth annual ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Booster Club Falcon 5K and Fun Run was a huge success Oct. 1! The ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Booster Club supports a wide-variety of extracurricular activities throughout our district, and this event is one of the largest fundraisers for our students!

Student reading Jerry Craft's "New Kid"

A visit from Jerry Craft

Award-winning graphic novelist Jerry Craft visited our middle school students and families to share his wisdom and encourage their dreams!

Craft is a "New York Times" bestselling author of “New Kid” (part of our sixth grade ELA curriculum district-wide), “Class Act” and "School Trip," and the first graphic novelist to win both the prestigious Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Author Award.

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