The Albany Academies Magazine FALL/WINTER 2014-15 In Memory of a Beloved Teacher Alumni, alumnae and friends gather to pay tribute to Mrs. Marion Thorstensen 1920 – 2014 The Albany Academies Magazine TALKING HEAD SENATOR KIRSTEN 1 19 GILLIBRAND FALL/WINTER AAG DANCE 2014-15 2 WORKSHOP Q&A WITH MICHELLE COLLABORATION 20 KELLEN, AAG ATHLETIC DIRECTOR 2 ENERGY ABOUNDS FALL ATHLETICS 21 HIGHLIGHTS Editor: Ann Wendth, Director of Institutional Advancement LEADERSHIP DONOR Associate Editor: Natalie Jones, Marketing and Communications Associate 3 RECEPTION Contributors: Dr. Douglas M. North ’58, Dr. William G. Durden ’67, 6TH ANNUAL Andrew Fisher IV ’61, Lisa Rubin-Johnson ’76, and Alexis “Biz” Deeb ’08 ALBANY CHILDREN’S Photography: Tom Wall, Gary Gold, Ann Wendth, Natalie Jones and HOMECOMING 22 Alexis “Biz” Deeb ’08 BOOK FESTIVAL 4 CAIRD CLASSIC Design: Evolving Door Design Printing: Fort Orange Press PURSUING A PASSION A2, The Albany Academies Magazine, is published twice a year by the SCHOLAR LUNCHEON Institutional Advancement Office and sent to alumni/ae, parents, 6 23 FOR WRITING grandparents, donors, friends, and other educational institutions. Comments are welcome and should be addressed to Director of Institutional IN EDUCATIONAL Advancement, The Albany Academies, 135 Academy Road, Albany NY, FROM BOOKS TO 12208 or email [email protected]. 8 PRIVILEGE BEGIN 23 TWEETS Board of Trustees RESPONSIBILITIES William J. Belleville, Jr. ’89 Robert J. McCormick P’13, ’15 M. Christian Bender ’78 P’13, ’15, ’20 George C. McNamee ’64 P’12, ’16 2014-15 Darlene Bilinski P’14 Cornelius D. Murray Esq. ’62 NEW SPACES AT 24 ADMISSIONS Peter Campito, P.E. ’78 P’15, ’17 P’99, ’05, ’06 10 THE ACADEMIES Nancy Carey Cassidy P’13, ’15 Dr. Stewart C. Myers ’58 EVENTS Eileen M. Considine Esq. P’08 Debra A. Nelson P’10, ’13 John Hayes ’87 P’16, ’18 Monica Kasselman Oberting Esq. ’91 James Hens P’22, ’23 P’19, ’21 13 SPRING GATHERING E. Stewart Jones Esq. ’59 Brad Rosenstein ’79 LITTLE SHOP OF P’90, ’93, ’97, President James A. Sidford P’19, Secretary 25 HORRORS Dr. Eric Lewis ’83 P’17 Carol Swyer ’71 P’06 IN MEMORY OF Leslie Morgan Marvin ’61 Timothy R. Welles P’06, ’12, Treasurer Dr. Hyacinth Mason P’19 14 MRS. “T” 25 FALL FROLIC The Albany Academy Alumni Association Board of Directors Marcus Q. Pryor ’87, P’15, President Joseph Fitzgerald ’74 FROM SOFTWARE TO Raymond DeMarco ’88, P’22, John Hayes ’87 CLASS NOTES Vice President Brian Lasky ’03 16 SKIRTS TO SATS 28 Neerav Patel ’96, Secretary Jay McMahon ’85, P’22, ’24 Nick Faso ’02, Treasurer David Nardolillo ’94 IN MEMORIAM Thom Besch ’77, P’13, ’15 James Tacy ’50, P’88, ’95, GP’20, ’22 ELISE STEFANIK ’02 Mark Bonavita ’94 Darryl Teal ’88, P’22 16 37 Michael Borisenok ’06 Kenneth C. Weafer ’95 TJ Conti ’97 Dan Welsh ’93 2013-14 Todd Curley ’93 FATHER & DAUGHTER 38 GIVING REPORT Albany Academy for Girls Alumnae Council 18 SHARE A LOVE OF Rosemary Daoud Walsh ’77 P’07, Margaret Lamar King ’65 COOKING ’09, ’10, ’13, President Jennifer Riitano Levy ’93 Jessica DeRosa Davos ’98 P’27, Monica Kasselman Oberting Esq. ’91 Vice President P’19, ’21 Brittiny Belmonte Razzano ’04, Alexandra “Lexi” Moser Buckley ’03 Secretary Josie Tracey O’Connor ’94 Marcia Babcock Aronowitz ’57, Gina Riitano ’00 Treasurer Pat Aronowitz Rubenstein ’53 Mission Statement Suzanne Aronowitz ’00 Staci DeNigris Shea ’00 Carol Crummey ’04 Susan Hengerer Sneeringer ’72 Who We Are: The Albany Academies – The Albany Academy and Albany Academy for Girls – Jessica DeRosa Davos ’98 P’01, ’04, ’08 develop capable and confident students through single-gender education in the Lower and Middle Dr. Sarah Elmendorf ’70 Carol Swyer ’71 P’06 School, and through coordinate education in the Upper School. P’06, ’08, ’10 Allison Walsh ’10 What We Do: Employing individualized and positive education, The Albany Academies provide Kimmey Janco Esq. ’81 Jennifer Walsh ’09 students with the knowledge, skills, and character needed for leadership and success in the creative, Lynne Hutter Kimball Esq. ’97 entrepreneurial century that lies ahead. Talking Head Is Entrepreneurship Teachable? he Mission of the Albany Academies – is a celebrated case in point. Students (on the facing page to your left) says involved in this kind of early learning will T that we aim to prepare students for not be devastated by critiquing later, and the “creative, entrepreneurial century that they will ultimately be good collaborators lies ahead.” The Academies are preparatory later in life as a group of workers take on a schools – which, narrowly and traditionally significant project together. defined, has meant preparing students to OK, enough on the mission and how it get into college. A broader definition is to translates into action. Questions? prepare students from an early age with “the [email protected] knowledge, skills, and character” that will make them successful in college and after college as well. This is the “As With good wishes, the twig is bent, so grows the tree” approach. Let’s take some of these mission concepts and look into them more deeply. Dr. Douglas North ’58 “The creative, entrepreneurial century that lies ahead.” In our Head of School opinion, the working world our current students will make their way The Albany Academies in will increasingly be about creating the future – in fact the future will belong to those who can create it. Virtually every organization in the United States, indeed the world, is now entrepreneurial – involved actively in managing a rapidly changing present and “getting in front of the curve” by creating the next best design, process or product. We want our students prepared to succeed in that world. “Knowledge” has always been a staple of preparation. You have to know your stuff. But how does one most effectively teach knowledge these days. The answer seems be student engagement and motivation – what I call Active Learning. Students are engaged and motivated by the practical use of knowledge. They learn what they need to know while simultaneously experiencing what they can do with that knowledge. A good example of conveying knowledge through active classroom learning will be built as part of the Science Initiative. More on that Capital Campaign project in the next issue of A2. “Skills” There are multiple ways of stating “21st Century Skills,” and if you search for that topic on the Internet, you will find dozens of versions. Here are just a few examples: collaboration, planning, creative thinking, critical thinking, public presentation, and complex problem- solving skills. They are often called “soft skills” and are critical to the new economic order. “Character” Sometimes 21st Century skills go deep enough to be called the development of character. How do we build initiative- taking and leadership skills, as well as followership skills, into children from an early age? Just a simple example: give children practice, early and often, with giving and taking peer feedback. “Austin’s Butterfly” – search for it Fall/Winter 2014-15 1 AAG Dance Workshop Collaborates with Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company and the Center for Disability Services Energy Abounds at Albany Academy for Girls cience, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is directly tied to the nationwide initiative toward S innovation and global competitiveness. Preparing today’s young leaders for tomorrow’s technology and careers in STEM requires not just top-flight educators and cutting-edge curriculum, but also demands a concerted effort to think in an entrepreneurial and collaborative way. Ciara Silipigno ’16 (at right) dances with a This fall GE and Albany Academy for Girls have partnered on a pilot client at the Center for program to provide hands-on education in our classroom and introduce Disability Services. role models to the girls in the fields of STEM. The newly-formed plan is focused on eighth graders this year, but the goal is to add more classes in the future. “I am striving to follow a framework that is designed to help promote education in science and engineering by actively engaging n collaboration with the Ellen Sinopoli real world practices and applying cross-cutting concepts to deepen the Dance Company and the Center for understanding of the core ideas in these fields for our young students,” I Disability Services, Dance Workshop said Ms. Pamela Quinn, Lower and Middle School Director at Albany students from Albany Academy for Girls Academy for Girls. put on a wonderful performance on Learning how to convert kinetic to mechanical energy in a wind Thursday, November 20 in the newly turbine, understanding the mechanical loads assessment process for new renovated Auditorium. The showcase wind turbines, gear ratios and wind turbine gearboxes are just some of was called “A Showcase of Creative the concepts being taught as part of the science pilot program. Equally as M.O.V.E.ment.” The acronym M.O.V.E. important however, is introducing real-life engineers and scientists to the stands for Mobility Opportunities Via girls. Throughout the year, speakers from GE who work in these fields will Experience. visit the classroom and help bring the concepts to life for the students. The program offered an inspiring “Our goal is to start as a pilot program at Albany Academy for Girls and look into the world of the physically then spread it to other schools,” said Ann McEntee P’24, ’28, President disabled and it demonstrated how art and and CEO, Renewables, GE Power and Water. “We want to get more movement can bring added dimension women interested in STEM.” There will also be field trips to Jiminy Peak to their lives.