News and events - 3/8/24

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Greetings, Falcon families! 


News of the week

  • Spring musical opens TONIGHT – Opening night for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is Friday, TONIGHT! The Theater Ensemble will present three performances of the musical Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on March 10. All shows are in the school auditorium.
  • Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday – We lose an hour on Sunday as Daylight Savings Time 2024 goes into effect. Don't forget to move your clocks an hour ahead!
  • Spring sports begin Monday – The practice/tryout schedule for student-athletes in grades 9-12 for the week of March 11-16 is now available online.
  • Entering the College Zone conference in April – The district is partnering again with the Black Child Development Institute to offer students in grades 6-12 and their parents and guardians an opportunity to attend the free Entering the College Zone Student Conference on April 27 from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Hudson Valley Community College. 
  • In the food pantry – The school food pantry behind the Citizenship Office is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:45-5:30 p.m. or by appointment. Specials next week include pork, chicken and ground beef, a variety of juices, Little Bites and Honey Nut Cheerios.
  • at school Wednesday – Kalynn Bayron, author of "Cinderella is Dead" and other best-selling young adult fantasy novels, will be in the library Wednesday at three info sessions for students.
  • Marching Falcons in two St. Patty's Day parades – The Marching Falcons will put on their collective Irish next Saturday, March 16, at two local St. Patrick's Day parades: The first is at 11 a.m. in North , starting and finishing at American Legion Post 1610 on North First Street. The second is the annual city parade, beginning at 2 p.m. at Central Avenue and Ontario Street and proceeding down Central to State Street, finishing by Broadway. This year, they will march with the U Marching Great Danes!
  • Community forum in April – A second community meeting is planned to provide updates on our partnership with the National Coalition Building Institute and its work with our school community following last December’s student conflicts. The meeting is April 16 in the library at 6:30 p.m.
  • Musician spotlight – The Tri-M Music Honor Society's "Musician of the Month" for March features junior Faith Crapps interviewing sophomore Michael Walker Nelson.
  • Hands on history –  with teachers Jenna Stanzione-Griffin and Joe Alteri on Friday. The items – which ranged from helmets and gas masks to canteens and military badges – were mostly collected in France between 1917-1918.
  •  – "Nippertown," an online magazine covering Capital Region art, music, theater and film, interviewed juniors Nina Scandurra and Iris Whalen about their roles in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." 
  • Five artists' work in juried show – Congratulations to Jo Wunderlich, Ariana Barreto, Rowan Hoehn, Z'Andre Wilkinson and Aleshanee Sharpe! Their work was accepted, out of 590 submissions, as part of the 25th Annual High School Regional Juried Exhibition opens at Opalka Gallery.
  • Honoring Black history – High celebrated Black history on Wednesday with student performances, community speakers and a fabulous soul food dinner. The evening's theme was "Changing the Narrative." and read about the event.
  • Mock Trial Team heads to finals – The Falcon Mock Trial Team advanced in the County Mock Trial Competition after defeating CBA on Wednesday. The team has a rematch against Academies on Tuesday in the county finals. 
  • Let's go Falcons - Good luck to Samir Gardner and Malachi Young! The junior long jumper and senior hurdler, respectively, are headed to New York City this weekend to compete in the Nike Indoor Nationals. The at Thursday's Board of Education meeting.
  • Falcons honored on and off the court – Congratulations to Azera Gates, Iyana Weedon, Jordan Johnson and Jah'Niah George for their hard work and dedication to their sport and academics.
  • Sign up for city summer jobs – The City of is accepting registration through March 31 for the 2024 LIGHT Summer Youth Employment Program.
  • A word about June 4 – High will be administering the Algebra Regents on Tuesday, June. 4. Only students taking the exam need to report to school on that day.

Upcoming events

  • Friday, March 8 – Spring musical, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 9
    • SAT exam, 7:45 a.m.
    • Spring musical, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 10 – Spring musical, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," auditorium, 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, March 13 
    • Author Kalynn Bayon visit (three sessions)
    • All-City Chorus concert, North Middle School auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
    • Virtual Parent University about mental health and crisis response services offered by the , 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 16
    • Marching Falcons in North St. Patrick's Day parade, 11 a.m.
    • Marching Falcons in St. Patrick's Day parade, 2 p.m.
  • Monday, March 18 – Booster Club meeting, library, 6 p.m.
  • Tuesday, March 19 – PTSA meeting, library or attend remotely, 5:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, March 20 – All-City Strings concert, William S. Hackett Middle School auditorium 6:30 p.m.
  • Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 – Robotics Team 1493 in , MVP arena
  • Wednesday, March 27 – All-City Band concert, High auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
  • Friday, March 29-Friday, April 5 – Spring Break, no school
  • Tuesday, April 16 – Community forum  , library, 6:30 p.m.

Important reminders

  • Next Gen Barbers is open for business  Students, staff and community members can get haircuts Thursday and Friday afternoons from from 1:15-2:45 p.m. at Abrookin. Cost is free for students, $5 for staff and $10 for community members, and an appointment is required.
  • Student ID reminder  Please see this important information about student ID cards.
  • Free salon services for 55+ – Attention residents age 55 and up: Get free beauty services from aspiring beauticians every Thursday at High!
  • Leaving school High School is a closed campus. Students are not allowed to leave campus for any reason without parent permission. This includes during lunch and study hall. If a student has an appointment, i.e. doctor, medical, family matter, etc., they must have a note or phone call from a parent giving permission to leave. All students also must be signed out by a parent in order to leave school grounds. Students who leave campus without a valid reason will not be allowed to re-enter without parent contact.
  • Traveling to and from Abrookin  All students must take the bus to and from Abrookin Career and Technical Center and the main campus for any classes. This will prevent students from being late and having to go back through security, and ensure student safety. Students who do not take the bus will not be allowed to re-enter without parent contact. The bus is available at Building 2, Stair 2-2 and at the Abrookin entrance.