The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers. |
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The Skim
- Resources for Talking to Children about Violence and Disruptive Events
- New COVID Protocols from the Albany County Department of Health
- Survey Results: Winter Term Instructional Mode Preferences
- Open House
- Blogging with the Academies
- ARTrageous
- Annual Fund Thank you
- Financial Aid Program
- College Search Kickoff for the Class of 2022 Webinar
- App Reminders
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Dear Friends,
On the eve of the presidential election, I shared with you that “politics has become a nearly inescapable force in our personal and professional lives.” This November message focused on civil discourse as a critical component of the American political process and our commitment to teaching students “how to think and act as civil, productive members of society.”
The violence that played out at the U.S. Capitol this week has elevated the urgency of returning to this type of decorum.
I am mindful that many of us, most notably our children, watched these events unfold in real-time, in part because we are spending more of our lives online during the pandemic. I imagine this has us finding our own equilibriums while also taking care of our children’s well-being. I have included some resources below that I hope will help with this.
The path ahead is clear for educators. We have a direct role in teaching the fundamentals of democracy and exemplifying it in words and actions. We will continue to focus on helping our students understand the political process and civil discourse in an age-appropriate, non-partisan, and unbiased manner. As for Wednesday's events, while we will always value diverse perspectives, we must condemn violence and the divisive rhetoric that fuels it.
As parents, you are our partners in passing on to the next generation the traditions of free and fair elections and peaceful disagreement. We can do this together by reinforcing the community standards envisioned in our mission, core values, and code of honor. These standards emphasize compassion, tolerance, and mutual respect. They ask us to demonstrate the courage to support and affirm one another by conducting ourselves with civility in all aspects of our lives.
As I wrote in November, similar values and vision statements have sustained The Albany Academies since their founding in 1813 and 1814, when James Madison was president.
These are the same values that will see us through 2021 and beyond.
Sincerely,
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Resources for Talking to Children About Violence and Disruptive Events
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Survey Results: Winter Term Instructional Mode Preferences
Thank you all for completing the winter term instructional mode preference survey, which indicates family preferences for either remote learning or in-person instruction for the winter term. This table presents aggregated results as of today.
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New COVID Protocols from the Albany County Department of Health
Siblings of symptomatic individuals will be excluded from in-person learning. In conjunction with COVID-19 positivity rates experienced locally, effective immediately, the Albany County Department of Health advises the exclusion of siblings of symptomatic students from attending in-person classes pending COVID-19 test results of the symptomatic student. This does not mean that the whole family who may be asymptomatic needs to have a COVID test to return.
Quarantine periods reduced to 10 days. Quarantine for individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end after ten days without a testing requirement if no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period.
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Results of January 6 Surveillance Testing
We look forward to resuming in-person instruction on Monday, January 11, for those students who wish to access it. As you know, one of the mitigation measures now in place is COVID surveillance testing, and we sincerely appreciate the cooperation of all the families who participated in the first round of testing this week.
Here are the results:
- 610 tests conducted
- 607 negative results
- 3 positive results
This calculates to a positivity rate of .49% for the cohort that tested on January 6.
The three positive individuals were upper school students. We have contacted them directly and per NYDOH protocols, they will be isolated at home for ten days. We wish them a quick recovery back to full health.
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Revised Surveillance Testing Plan for January
Given the continued prevalence of COVID-19 in the region, we have decided to modify our surveillance testing plan for January.
We will test the entire on-campus population again on Wednesday, January 13, instead of a smaller, random sample. We believe that this approach is better aligned to keeping the community’s positivity rate below 1% and monitoring for individuals who might be COVID-positive. More information about next week’s testing will be sent on Monday, January 11.
Please remember that while surveillance testing may be a useful mitigation tool, it is being used in addition to all of our other mitigation efforts. We must all continue to be vigilant about these efforts and work together to keep our community safe.
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Tell your friends and neighbors! The Office of Admissions will be hosting a Virtual Open House on Saturday, January 23rd at 1 p.m. This is a great opportunity for prospective families to learn about our programs. If you would like to share names of prospective families, please complete the One Family Referral form on the Parent Resources Board on your MyAcademy account. Questions? Contact the Office of Admissions at 518-429-2348 or admissions@albanyacademies.org.
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Blogging with the Academies
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ARTrageous
Save the date! Our annual fine arts fundraiser will be held virtually on Thursday, February 18. Previously known as Splash, ARTrageous supports all fine arts programs at The Albany Academies. Visit ARTrageous21.givesmart.com to buy your ticket or join the Honorary Committee today!
If you would like to join the planning committee, please contact Special Events Coordinator Sarah Adamowski at adamowskis@albanyacademies.org.
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Thank you!
On behalf of the Office of Institutional Advancement, thank you to the many parents who supported the Annual Fund in 2020! Your generosity will have a lasting impact on the experience of all students at The Albany Academies. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a community to educate one. THANK YOU for being a part of our community.
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Financial Aid Program
Families who are planning to participate in our Financial Aid program for the 2021-2022 school year are encouraged to submit their Parent Financial Statement at School and Student Services as soon as possible. Information about our Financial Aid program is available on the Parent Resources Board on your MyAcademy account. Questions? Contact Shellie Carr at 518-429-2348 or carrs@albanyacademies.org.
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College Search Kickoff for the Class of 2022 Webinar
Thursday, January 21st @ 7:15 pm
The college search process is officially about to begin for the Class of 2022 – virtually this year! To help start this process, three senior enrollment officers have been invited to present an overview of the process. This is a mandatory event, so both juniors and parents should plan to attend. The journey starts now! More detailed information will be sent directly to families next week. Please look for an email from Amy McDonald.
Presenters
- Christopher O’Brien – Associate Director of Admissions, Boston College
- Robert Springall – Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Education and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Pennsylvania State University
- John Young – Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Sophomores – your time is coming! We have a sophomore college night planned for February 11th. Stay tuned for more details!
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Have you ordered next week's lunch using the FLIK Dining App?
- Orders should be placed by parents of students in Lower School and Middle School. Parents of Upper School students: please remind your child to place their order.
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Have you planned to complete the Magnus symptom screening survey on Monday morning?
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Please do this regardless of your child's learning mode, as it is one of the primary ways we monitor our community’s health.
- NY State also requires us to collect and share this information.
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