The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers.
August 7, 2020
The Skim

  • Webinar: Can We Actually Reopen Schools Safely?
  • Remote Learning
  • Reopening Update
  • One Family Referral Campaign
  • Admissions Asked & Answered
  • Billing Information
  • Wednesday Weekly Updates
  • Uniform Exchange Information
  • Yearbooks
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Meeting: August 11
  • Legacy of Dreams
  • Getting Ready for Reopening: Summer Practices for Families
  • Getting Ready for Reopening: Face Coverings
  • Getting Ready for Reopening: COVID-19 Student Honor Code for Middle and Upper School Students
Dear Friends,

Earlier today we reached two more milestones towards reopening.

First, Governor Cuomo authorized reopening schools across the state. You are probably aware that his follow-up remarks put renewed focus on the logistics and efficacy of testing as part of schools' mitigation strategies, and we are already holding internal conversations reviewing this aspect of our planning.

Second, we submitted our reopening plan to the New York State Department of Education (NYSED). This version of the plan further refines the one submitted to the Department of Health last week. We have posted it to the reopening page should you wish to review it and have embedded a copy of the NYSED standards in the draft, so you can have a sense of them.

We are now turning our attention to exploring plan elements that need more detail, beginning with remote learning. Although we have a good framework for this learning mode, next week we will be taking a deeper dive into its logistics, and will share this information with you as it develops.

We will also be sending a few more surveys to get a fuller understanding of your needs and sensibilities. When we do, we would really appreciate receiving your feedback in as timely a manner as possible.

The tempo of our communications is also increasing as we get closer to September. Each Wednesday, you will receive an update from our Senior Academic Team (Hilary, Michelle, and Scott).

Each Friday, you will receive a Head Lines, and we have expanded its distribution to include Upper and Middle School students.

We will also be loading a lot of information up to the reopening page.

I know how disorienting the current state of affairs can be and how daunting it is to make back-to-school decisions right now. This HGSE Webinar with Dr. Ashish Jha was particularly useful in helping me make sense of some this, at least from a public health perspective (I've also included a link and description below).

Finally, in the spirit of back to school preparation, there are three pieces of reopening information in this Head Lines for your review:

  • Summer Practices for Families
  • The COVID-19 Student Honor Code for Middle and Upper School Students
  • Information about Face Coverings

As time allows, I hope you will review these items with your child(ren).

Have a great weekend!

In this Webinar, Dr. Ashish Jha, the Director of the Harvard Global Health Initiative, discusses this question with Bridget Long, Ph.D., the Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

With disease outbreaks flaring in various states, and a shortage of reliable guidance from the federal government, the country is grappling with the challenges of sending children back to school. Families, local leaders, and school-based educators hold much of the burden of balancing trade-offs between in-person and remote learning. They are asking one important question. Can we actually reopen schools safely? This Webinar addresses this pressing question and provides guidance on how educators and families can approach the very tough decisions they have to make.
Remote Learning
Please contact Dr. Scott Milliken if you would like to explore having your son or daughter learn remotely in the Fall.
Reopening Page Update

The following items have been uploaded to the reopening page this week:

Click here for more details (there's an incentive for this!) and the referral form.
Admissions Asked & Answered Series
We are continuing to offer in-person and virtual tours for prospective families, and our “Asked & Answered” series of informational sessions continues to generate interest. The next session, to be held on August 12, will focus on our Lower School. If you know of a family that would like to learn more about enrolling a student in the Academies or who might be interested in the Asked & Answered series, please have them visit the admissions page.
New Tuition Billing Portal
 
We have begun rolling out our new tuition management platform through Blackbaud. Most families should have received an email by now from Blackbaud (not from an Academies email). These communications began rolling out on July 29th, so please check your spam or junk folders. If you have not received a message from Blackbaud or if you have questions about your account, please contact Kim Russ at russk@albanyacademies.org or 518-429-2409.
 
Please note: implementation of this new system was delayed. No student account is considered to be past due and no late fees are being assessed at this time.
Wednesday Weekly Updates

The Senior Academic Team began sending out the Wednesday Weekly Update this week. Please look for these updates on academic operations to arrive in your email every Wednesday afternoon.
Uniform Exchange Information

There will be no annual summer uniform exchange this year. Please contact the AAPA with any questions regarding gently worn uniform items.

Gail Rawson - AAPA President
gailrawson@hotmail.com

Marci Murphy- AA Uniform Exchangemurphymarci@gmail.com

Karen Williams- AAG Uniform Exchange
kwblgranola.1999@yahoo.com
Yearbooks

The yearbooks have arrived and are available to be picked up from school. If you ordered a yearbook, please contact Katie Conroy for AAG yearbooks or Dodie Motley for AA yearbooks to arrange for a time to pick yours up.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Meeting: August 11

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is responsible for leading organizational growth in this area over the next five years. The Committee is open to all interested community members and is composed of board members, students, faculty, school leaders, parents, past parents, alumni, and alumnae.

We would love to have more families and students join this committee.

To do so, kindly email David Lester at lesterd@albanyacademies.org
Legacy of Dreams
We have made the decision to move Legacy of Dreams to Saturday, September 26, still to be held at Frog Alley Brewing in Schenectady. We hope you will consider joining us at our spacious, outdoor venue to support the athletics programs at The Academies. Even in these uncertain times, our student-athletes rely on this event to fund their teams and programs. If you'd like further information on Legacy of Dreams, please visit the event page on our website here, or contact Sarah Adamowski at adamowskis@albanyacademies.org. 
Getting Ready for Reopening: Summer Practices for Families

  • Help your child understand how important his or her personal health and hygiene behaviors are to keeping our community safe by reviewing the reopening plan as a family.

  • For middle and upper school students, please join us in discussing the COVID-19 Honor Code with your child (see below).

  • Please refrain from traveling to states on the New York State “restricted travel” list that are experiencing a significant degree of community-wide spread of COVID-19, particularly two weeks prior to our planned opening on September 11th. 

  • This list can be found at: 


  • Families who travel to these states must quarantine for 14 days prior to sending students to school.
Getting Ready for Reopening: Face Coverings

  • All individuals on our campus over the age of two will be required to wear a face covering at all times before entering school facilities, grounds, or any other space owned or administered by the school, with the exception of eating and scheduled face-covering breaks.
  • Per the NYSDOH acceptable face coverings include but not limited to cloth-based coverings (e.g., homemade sewn, quick cut, bandanas) and surgical masks that cover both the nose and the mouth.
  • Please note that vented masks are not reliable for protection in transmission of COVID-19.
  • Individuals who believe they are unable to medically tolerate a face covering should discuss their status with the School's Health Office.
  • Students will be allowed to remove their face covering during meals and for short breaks as directed by teachers so long as they maintain appropriate 6 feet physical distance.
  • Students and parents/legal guardians should take responsibility for maintaining face coverings, which should be cleaned or replaced after use and must not be shared.
  • The Albany Academies will issue one reusable and washable face covering for each student/
  • Additional face coverings can be purchased through Lands' End: please click here to purchase.
  • Students may also provide their own face coverings.
  • Student-provided face coverings may not have distracting graphics or inappropriate messages on them.
  • Families are encouraged to purchase multiple coverings and to label or embroider them with the student's name.
  • If a student forgets a face covering, a disposable covering will be provided.
  • Wearing a face covering is a matter of public health and disciplinary consequences have been developed to reinforce this if necessary.
  • How to wear, handle, and care for a face covering:

  • Wash your hands before putting on your face covering
  • Inspect the face covering and do not use it if it is damaged or dirty
  • Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin
  • Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face
  • Make sure you can breathe easily
  • Don’t put the face covering around your neck or up on your forehead
  • Don’t touch the face covering, and, if you do, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer to disinfect​
  • Change your face covering once it gets dirty or wet
  • Before removing your face covering, clean your hands first
  • Remove it by the the straps (not by the face covering itself)
  • Wash your hands again after removing your face covering
  • If you need to reuse your face covering, store it in a clear resealable bag
  • Remove and handle the face covering by its straps (not by the face covering itself)
  • Wash face coverings in hot water and detergent, preferably after each use
  • Do not share your face covering with others
  • For a visual demonstration visit: 

Getting Ready for Reopening: COVID-19 Student Honor Code for Middle and Upper School Students

All middle and upper school students will be asked to read and affirm the following:

During this COVID-19 public health emergency, our individual actions and decisions will have a significant impact on the health of those around us. 

Together we must agree to diligently follow a shared set of behaviors designed to keep us all safe:
 
  • Making sure our families accurately complete our daily symptom screening surveys.
  • Maintaining six (6) feet of physical distance between one another during normal activities.
  • Wearing a face covering as required by the School’s reopening plan.
  • Regularly washing or sanitizing our hands and being careful to sneeze or cough in a way that doesn’t affect others.
 
If any one of us fails to do these things, that person risks infecting themselves, his or her friends, his or her family, and our community. 

Therefore, as a member of this community I affirm that I will:
 
  • Monitor my health daily.
  • Ensure that my family accurately completes my daily symptom screening survey.
  • Bring my own personal face covering to school each day.
  • Wear my face covering as described in the reopening plan and as directed by teachers.
  • Maintain physical distancing as described in the reopening plan and as directed by teachers.
  • Hold the health and safety of my friends, family, and faculty in the highest regard by being diligent about these behaviors.
  • Be positive and open to any reminders about health and safety.
  • Be a good community citizen, with the understanding that my behavior will either move us forward as a community that can engage in in-person learning or negatively impact my friends, family, and our faculty.
Next Update: August 14, 2020