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Picture days: grades 9-11

School picture days for Â鶹ӰÒô High students in grades 9-11 will take place Monday, Nov. 2 through Thursday, Nov. 5! Students will get their photo taken during gym class according to this schedule in Google Sheets. If you are not sure which day your student has gym and/or who their assigned gym teacher is, you can access this information via Infinite Campus using the "schedule" tab.

Every student is encouraged to participate so that their school identification photo can be updated, and their photo can be included in the Â鶹ӰÒô High yearbook. Check out this news story to learn more!

As a reminder, Upstate Images will be holding senior portrait sessions at Â鶹ӰÒô High on Dec. 4, Dec. 7-10 and Dec. 15-18.  to learn how to book your session.

Kandie Antonetti serving as interim principal

Principal Jodi Commerford will be out for the next few weeks for personal reasons. During her absence, Kandie Antonetti will serve as Â鶹ӰÒô High School's interim principal. 

To ensure continuity of leadership and a smooth transition during this interim period, we are pleased to welcome back Ken Cioffi, a former district administrator, who will step into Antonetti’s role as operations principal until Principal Commerford returns.

Our district has every confidence in Antonetti's leadership and her ability to guide Â鶹ӰÒô High. We are thankful for her willingness to serve our students, families and staff during the coming weeks by stepping into this role.

Falcons to perform at Â鶹ӰÒô Lantern Parade

Come see our Falcon musicians perform at the 11th Annual Â鶹ӰÒô Lantern Festival on Sunday, Nov. 1! This event is hosted by the Washington Park Conservancy and is free and open to the public.

The Â鶹ӰÒô High intermediate jazz ensemble will perform at 4:30 p.m. in the Lakehouse and the Marching Falcons will lead the way for the walk around the park at 5:15 p.m.

Also, be sure to mark your calendars to see our Marching Falcons perform in the Veterans Day parade on Wednesday, Nov. 11!

Winter concert series kicks off Nov. 4

You're invited to join us for our winter concert series at Â鶹ӰÒô High School! First up is our Chamber Concert on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m., featuring performances from the Albanettes, Troubadours, Chamber Choir, Jazz Ensembles, and the String Quartet/Consort! 

Save the dates for our other two winter concerts on Wednesday, Dec. 2 and Wednesday, Dec. 9!

Shrek The Musical auditions: Nov. 9 and 10

The Â鶹ӰÒô High Theater Ensemble is thrilled to present "Shrek The Musical" this coming spring! Auditions for the show will take place on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 from 4 to 7 p.m. Students only need to attend one day of auditions, but must be present the full three hours. Callbacks will take place on Nov. 12 at 4 p.m. if needed.

Students who are interested in being on crew for the musical should plan on attending a mandatory informational session on Monday, Nov. 16 at 3:45 p.m. Additional details are on our event calendar. 

Â鶹ӰÒô High Ski Club: sign up by Oct. 30!

Â鶹ӰÒô High Ski Club is a great way for students to enjoy the outdoors with friends in the wintertime. If students were unable to attend the informational meetings this week, here are some of the important details families need to know:

All the steps below must be completed by Friday, Oct. 30:

• Students and families must complete this and return it to ski club adviser Tom Vacanti. Hard copies are available in Room 1311.
• Students and families must fill out this with important details for the upcoming ski club season. 
• Students and families must log into the Jiminy Peak snow sports program page using our . The school username is 00SG-AHS and the school password is Â鶹ӰÒôHigh27! Select the items you need to purchase for your student. All participants must purchase the lift tickets. Additional options include lessons and ski/snowboard equipment rental. During checkout, you will create a personal username and log in so your purchase information is on file.

If you have any questions, please email Tom Vacanti. 

Spectacular sports

Postseason competitions are in full swing for fall sports and winter sports are starting soon. Here are some important details for our student-athletes and Falcon fans:

• If you plan to come cheer on our Â鶹ӰÒô High football team at their away game on Friday, Oct. 30 vs. Shenendehowa, you will need to purchase a ticket. Tickets are $4 and can be purchased at the gate via credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Fans can also purchase tickets ahead of time . Please be advised there is NOT a cash option for payment. Senior citizens 65+ years old and children under the age of five get free admission.
• Come cheer on our Â鶹ӰÒô High cheerleading team at the Section 2 Game Day Cheerleading Championships! The competition will take place on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Saratoga Springs High School. Doors open for spectators at 9 a.m. and the competition begins at 10 a.m. Our Falcons are slotted to perform their routine at 12:30 p.m.Tickets must be purchased online . Spectators 12 years old and under attend for free. 
• Registration is open for high school winter sports for the City School District of Â鶹ӰÒô!  Any student in grades 9-12 who is interested in trying out for boys' basketball, girls' basketball, bowling, cheerleading, boys' indoor track, girls' indoor track, spirit team, boys' swimming and diving, boys' wrestling and girls' wrestling is invited to register via Final Forms.  for additional details!
• of our fall sports competitions! 
• We invite our student-athletes in grades 9-12 to get ready for upcoming sports seasons by joining our fall open gym sessions. The is available on the Athletics page of our website in the "Additional Links" dropdown.
• City School District of Â鶹ӰÒô students in grades 7-12 are invited to participate in free off-season pitching training clinics hosted at Out of the Park Softball Facility in Voorheesville. The sessions will be facilitated by Â鶹ӰÒô High JV Softball Coach Joe Mannarino and will take place on Thursday evenings from 7-8 p.m. starting on Nov. 5 and ending March 4. Permission slips are required and can be submitted .

• The next Â鶹ӰÒô Booster Club meeting will take place on Monday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. in the Â鶹ӰÒô High Library. We hope to see you there!

Follow our Â鶹ӰÒô Athletics and pages to see our sports highlights! 

Class of 2028 class officers

We are excited to announce our Class of 2028 class officers:

• President: G'ahnah Skervin
• Vice-President: Norah Sweet and Mi'Ani Perkins  
• Secretary: Rinchen Palden
• Treasurer: Kathrine Okine
• Media Specialist: Paige Lemmon

Congratulations, Falcons!

Open Mic Night is Nov. 3

Falcons, do you have a talent you'd love to share with our school community? Sign up to perform at our Harvest Open Mic Night! This event will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 4-6 p.m. in the Â鶹ӰÒô High library. Spoken word, poetry, songs and instrumental performances are welcome. Light refreshments will be available for both our performers and our audience members. Visit our event calendar for additional details and to sign up.

Casasola selected to intern for Â鶹ӰÒô Pro Musica

Â鶹ӰÒô High senior Celine Casasola has been selected for a prestigious internship with Â鶹ӰÒô Pro Musica (APM), an elite, professional-caliber choral ensemble here in the Capital Region! Casasola auditioned for the Alto 2 part earlier this October and landed one of four internships offered to high school students annually. Visit our website to learn more!

April Henry, Ahead of Time: Mini Read-A-Thon: Nov. 5

Falcons, we are counting down the days until our author visit with April Henry. Get ready for the big event by joining our April Henry, Ahead of Time: Mini Read-a-thon on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 4-6 p.m. in the Â鶹ӰÒô High Library. This event includes snacks, silent reading, giveaways and activities before April Henry's visit on Nov. 19.

New York Times bestselling author April Henry has written 31 mysteries and thrillers for teenagers and adults, and we are ecstatic that she will be visiting the Â鶹ӰÒô High library to share her experiences as an author with our school community!

Please stop by the library to sign up by Wednesday, Nov. 4 to participate!

UÂ鶹ӰÒô students lead college prep workshop

During the college application process, students typically receive guidance and coaching from parents, counselors and other trusted adults. On Monday, our seniors at Â鶹ӰÒô High had an amazing opportunity to add a fresh set of voices to the mix — current college students from the University at Â鶹ӰÒô! Check out this news story to learn more.

Important info from the PTSA

• Our next PTSA meeting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the Â鶹ӰÒô High Library. There is also a virtual option if you would like to participate, but cannot join in person.

  If you have questions, ideas or issues you'd like the PTSA to address, please utilize this . 

• Falcon families and friends — save the date for the Â鶹ӰÒô High Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) Del Lanes Bowling Fundraiser! The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, Nov. 14, from noon to 2 p.m. Cost is $20 per person for two hours of bowling and includes shoe rentals. Come on your own or invite a group of friends — all are welcome! Reservations are recommended and can be completed by using .

• Get a jump-start on holiday decorating by ordering a beautiful wreath and supporting the Â鶹ӰÒô High PTSA! The fresh 24-inch wreaths from Majestic Tree Farm are just $30 and can be ordered via this Please place your order by Sunday, Nov. 29. Wreaths will be delivered by the PTSA on Dec. 1.

• The PTSA has a limited number of Class of 2027 varsity footballs still for sale at a discounted price of $15. If interested in purchasing one, please email the PTSA or purchase online .

• If you'd like to become a member of the Â鶹ӰÒô PTSA, learn more by !

Thrilling moves

Who has the best moves? Our Â鶹ӰÒô High dance students, of course! Students from Donna Mannarino’s classes brought a thrilling routine to our hallways this Friday, stopping by our academy offices to showcase what they are learning in class. of our Falcon dancers in action. 

Making mooncakes in Mandarin Chinese class

Students in Hua Lin's Mandarin Chinese classes had the opportunity to learn about the cultural and historical significance of mooncakes in a fun, hands-on lesson last month! Mooncakes are a traditional pastry eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival that feature intricate designs and are typically filled with a sweet-bean or lotus-seed filling. During their class activity, our students had the opportunity to roll the dough and utilize special molds to shape the mooncakes prior to baking. Visit our website to learn more.

After-school tutoring

Free after-school tutoring is available for all Â鶹ӰÒô High students in grades 9-12. After-school tutoring will take place Monday–Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Â鶹ӰÒô High library. Tutoring sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays will focus on ELA and social studies. Tutoring sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays will focus on math and science.

To ensure effective support for our participants, space is limited to 30 students daily, so please arrive promptly. Light snacks will be available. Please note that no transportation is provided, so students and families must make their own arrangements. 

Â鶹ӰÒô High Yearbook Information

Â鶹ӰÒô High has chosen a new vendor for our Prisms Yearbook — Jostens Yearbooks. If you are receiving emails from Jostens about ordering a yearbook, the emails are legitimate. We will also be sharing details directly with students and families via our Â鶹ӰÒô High channels, so stay tuned!

Donations needed for the Falcon Market

Our Falcon Market is a free resource for our Â鶹ӰÒô High students and families that includes a beautiful clothing boutique and food pantry. We are currently seeking donations of winter outerwear, athletic wear and sneakers, shoes and plus-sized clothing items. New clothing and gently-used clothing that has been laundered is welcome. Donations for the Falcon Market can be dropped off at the Â鶹ӰÒô High main office from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on school days.

Community swimming at Â鶹ӰÒô High

The Â鶹ӰÒô High School pool is open for community swimming two mornings a week. The pool will be open from 7-7:45 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday when school is in session beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 13, for the 2026-27 school year. Swimming is free and open to all Â鶹ӰÒô residents 18 years of age and older. Bathrooms, showers and locker rooms will be available for use during the 7-7:45 a.m. timeframe. Check out this news story for additional details!

Â鶹ӰÒô High communications

We hope you enjoyed this Â鶹ӰÒô High weekly update! As a reminder, to avoid overwhelming your inbox with lots of messages throughout the week, we curate this weekly communication on Fridays at this web page with important updates and exciting news to keep our Falcon families "in-the-know." Feel free to bookmark this page so you always have the important details you need at hand.

We also have dedicated Â鶹ӰÒô High social media pages on and . Follow us to see lots of great photos and reels!

Exciting events coming up soon

This is a list of events coming up that we want to draw particular attention to for students and families! These are just some of the great things happening here at Â鶹ӰÒô High, and remember you can view our full calendar to see them all!