Aug. 29, 2025
Welcome Back Day is Wednesday, Sept. 3!
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, we will celebrate the start of a new school year with our Welcome Back Day event, which will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.!
All students in grades 9-12 are invited to stop by to pick up everything they need for their first day of school, including Chromebooks, IDs, schedules and locker assignments. Additional services and activities also will be offered, such as first-day haircuts by the Barbering and Cosmetology departments and first-day outfits from the Falcon Boutique.
Thanks to our partners at the Regional Food Bank and Â鶹ӰÒô Fund for Education, we will also be distributing food bags from 9 a.m. to noon, or until supplies run out.
Back-to-school details for Â鶹ӰÒô High
Here are some helpful details as you prepare for the start of the 2025-26 school year:
- Thursday, Sept. 4 – First day of school for all students new to Â鶹ӰÒô High School this year.
- Friday, Sept. 5 – First day of school for all students in grades 9-12.
Check out our back-to-school news story for important information about schedules, locker assignments, new cell phone procedures, buses, home-to-school communication and more!
New Citizenship Principal Emma Steckman
Â鶹ӰÒô High School's new Citizenship Academy also has a new principal to start the 2025-26 school year. The City School District of Â鶹ӰÒô Board of Education has approved the appointment of Emma Steckman as the new academy principal. Check out this news story to learn more!
Fall sports are in full swing!
High school sports started on Aug. 18 and our student-athletes have been training hard to prepare for fall competitions. We can't wait to see our Falcons in action in the pool, on the turf and on the courts!
Here are a few helpful resources for our student-athletes, families and Falcon fans:
- Practice schedules are posted on this on the Fall Season page in our Athletics section of the website. We work diligently to keep this schedule up to date. Know that the practice schedules are subject to change and student-athletes are encouraged to stay in touch with their head coach.
- are posted on the Athletics page of our website.
- Fall sports photos will take place on Monday, Sept. 8 and Tuesday, Sept. 9. Visit the for a detailed schedule.
- Registration is open for unified bocce on through Saturday, Sept. 20. Students in grades 9-12 are invited to participate. Stay tuned for more details!
- Save the date! is Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11.
- Be sure to follow Â鶹ӰÒô Athletics on and to see photos of our Falcons in action!
Class of 2026 BBQ Fundraiser
Treat yourself with a meal from Miller's Backyard BBQ and support the ! Pre-order by filling out this by Friday, Aug. 29. Orders must be picked up in the Â鶹ӰÒô High parking lot on Wednesday, Sept. 3 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Heroes Cabaret auditions are coming up!
The Â鶹ӰÒô High Theater Ensemble is thrilled for the upcoming fall show, ! Check out our , and for details about the fall show, please check out this .
Seniors, it's time to book your senior photos!
We will have sessions at Â鶹ӰÒô High available the following dates:
- Monday, December 8 – Thursday, December 11
- Monday, December 15 – Friday, December 19
to book your session. Typically, sessions are available between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Be sure to select “Capital District” as your region.
with important details on photo packages, requirements for attire and the option for a free Yearbook only portrait session.
Momentous milestones
On Aug. 21, we held our Summer Graduation and celebrated 51 amazing Falcons who joined Â鶹ӰÒô High's Class of 2025.
On Aug. 26, the City School District of Â鶹ӰÒô celebrated the highly anticipated completion of its transformational rebuild and expansion of Â鶹ӰÒô High with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and building tours, formally unveiling the Capital Region’s pre-eminent high school facilities following the community’s investment in the future of public education in New York’s capital city.
Save the date: Â鶹ӰÒô High Open House is Sept. 18
Each fall, we host our Open House event for all Â鶹ӰÒô High students and families. This year's event will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Stay tuned for more details soon!
Â鶹ӰÒô High communications
This is our first Â鶹ӰÒô High weekly update of the 2025-26 academic year! To avoid overwhelming your inbox with lots of messages throughout the week, we curate a weekly communication on Fridays at this webpage 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 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!
Follow Â鶹ӰÒô High!
Looking for last week's update?
Graduation 2025 is Sunday, June 29 at the MVP Arena
Here's what you need to know:
- Check out our graduation page on the website to access the , as well as all the important details such as time of arrival, parking, ceremony logistics and more!
- To receive a diploma, graduates must return all school property and pay any outstanding balances prior to graduation, including exam fees, library books, textbooks, athletic uniforms and parking passes. If you did not return your Chromebook, hotspot and/or charger yet, please bring those items with you on Sunday to graduation to turn in.
Seniors, don't forget these other important post-graduation details
- Don't lose your files when you graduate! Google Takeout is available for students in grade 12, which allows students to transfer items from their district accounts to personal Google accounts. If a student would like to participate in transferring files, this must be filled out. Due to recent Google changes, as it relates student privacy, this functionality cannot be turned on until the student graduates. We are collecting a list of students now who would like their files transferred so we can be in touch post-graduation. This provides an overview of how Google Takeout works.
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Our guidance counselors are here to support you as you transition out of high school. Check out the great details in to keep in mind post-graduation.
Falcons fly high at national track & field competition
Nasief Smith, Daaron Harrell, Samir Gardner, Rohan Edwards-Grant and Adam Elia represented Â鶹ӰÒô High at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Philadelphia last weekend. Check out this news story to read about their experience competing on the national stage with awesome performances in the 4x100-meter relay, 4x400-meter relay and long jump!
Senior Reflection Reels
Be sure to visit our and to view our senior reflection reels! Our hearts are full as we wish these seniors and the entire Class of 2025 all the best as they graduate this Sunday!
Celebrating our students in the College-based Transition Opportunity Program
On June 16, Â鶹ӰÒô High School celebrated three exceptional students from its special education program who completed the College-based Transition Opportunity Program. Murana Musa, Rayshawn Quintyne and Angelo Richardson we are so proud of you! Check out this news story to learn more!
Dual Language Program seniors celebrate their roots
On Tuesday, several of our seniors from the Dual Language Program made a special visit to Â鶹ӰÒô International Academy to reconnect with the staff and teachers who played a pivotal role in their early education. Jazzmine Brown, Isadora Carrera, Lucy Edvalson, Ana Martinez, Phillip Shopsis-Kent and Iris Whalen had a fantastic time reuniting with beloved teachers and meeting current students in the Dual Language Program. Check out this news story to learn more!
Summer School Enrichment Courses
Falcons, we offer the opportunity to earn first-time credit for courses during the summer. Our summer 2025 course offerings are Health, Multicultural Studies & Media Literacy. Check out our Â鶹ӰÒô High Summer School webpage for additional details on dates, times and registration.
Summer hours: Falcon Food Pantry & Falcon Boutique
The Falcon Food Pantry & Falcon Boutique will continue to operate during the summer to support our students and families.
Summer hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fall theater season is coming soon!
The Â鶹ӰÒô High Theater Ensemble is thrilled to share details for the upcoming fall show, , as well as the . For details about the fall show, please check out this .
Juniors, you can now book your senior portraits!
Believe it or not, senior year is coming soon and you can now book your senior portrait session!
We will have sessions at Â鶹ӰÒô High available the following dates:
- Monday, December 8 – Thursday, December 11
- Monday, December 15 – Friday, December 19
to book your session. Typically, sessions are available between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Be sure to select “Capital District” as your region.
with important details on photo packages, requirements for attire and the option for a free Yearbook only portrait session.
Summer communications
This is our last Â鶹ӰÒô High weekly update of the 2024-25 academic year! We will send email communications and share social media posts periodically through the summer and will re-start our weekly update when the 2025-26 school year begins. Have a wonderful summer, Falcons!
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!
This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to .