The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers.
November 6, 2020
The Skim

  • Snow Days and Inclement Weather
  • Contact Information Update
  • Holiday Food Reminder
  • Parent/Student Satisfaction Survey
  • Open House
  • Lunch Order Reminder
  • Upcoming Parent Events
  • Morning Arrival/Drop-off at The Albany Academies - COVID-19 Screening 
  • November "Composers of the Month"
  • Fall Production: Almost, Maine
  • A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms
  • News From the College Counseling Office
  • Academies Community Unites Together to support the Annual Fund
  • ARTrageous - 2021 Arts Fundraiser
  • Academy Road
  • Fall Sports Update
  • UPDATED GUIDANCE: Holiday Travel and Hosting
Dear Friends,

Although it may seem strange in light of today’s beautiful weather, last week’s early snowfall inspired me to remind everyone about our snow day procedures, which appear below.
 
Before you scroll down to them, I want to make it clear that we will still be calling “traditional” snow days this year, despite our demonstrated ability to “go remote” when necessary. We are doing this for two reasons.
 
First, if ever there was a year when we needed the unintended self-care benefits of unplanned and unstructured “off days,” it would be 2020-2021.
 
Second, we do not think it’s wise to add the complexities of moving to remote learning for inclement weather on top of all the other COVID-related plans and protocols we are currently following and constantly revising.
 
I also wonder if we all won’t find just a little bit of normalcy in breaking out the sleds and complaining about shoveling the driveway. However, if today is any indication, these experiences are still a month or more away, so enjoy the lovely weather and have a wonderful weekend!
                                             

Sincerely,
Snow Days and Inclement Weather
 
Decisions to close school because of the weather are made by the senior leadership team of The Albany Academies and are usually made in consultation with local public schools. Because of the inherent complexities of transportation from over 40 public school districts, the School does not provide a “delayed opening” option. If school is closed due to inclement weather, it remains closed for the day regardless of the profile of the storm.
 
To signal a school closing, the school website will have an alert on the homepage of the site and parents will receive a special text and/or email notification. In addition, local television networks will be informed. 
 
This school closure policy does not address the widespread geographical distribution of our student body. If a parent deems it unsafe to travel in their area, please exercise judgment and keep the student at home and notify the school. The school will then support the student with make-up work.
Contact Information Update

It is important that we have the most up-to-date information on file for parents, so please keep an eye out for a contact update form to appear soon in Blackbaud. When it does, a banner will appear on the main page after you log in and prompt you to update your contact information.
Holiday Food Reminder

We understand that in a normal year, families often send thoughtful treats (cookies, brownies, candy, etc.) into school for faculty, staff, and students during the holidays. While we greatly appreciate the sentiment behind this celebratory food, unfortunately we will not be able to accept it this year for safety reasons.
Parent/Student Satisfaction Survey

Please take five minutes to complete a survey designed to help us better understand your satisfaction with current school operations. We encourage you to complete this survey in partnership with your child(ren) when developmentally appropriate.

Your feedback will help us continue delivering our mission while supporting our school community during this unexpected transition. Individual answers will remain anonymous, but your views in combination with others will help us navigate this changing landscape.

Thank you in advance for your candid feedback. The survey can be found here:
Open House

Tell your friends and neighbors! The Office of Admissions is hosting a Virtual Open House on Saturday, Nov. 7th at 1 p.m. Current Academy families will be given a magnet when they refer prospective families who attend the Open House! Parents can refer families to our school on MyAcademy Parent Resource Board or by clicking https://albanyacademies.myschoolapp.com/app/parent#resourceboarddetail/22927.
Lunch Order Reminder

Please place your order by Tuesdays at 12 p.m. to give Chef Derek and Chef Adam time to order the proper amount of food to prepare. Unfortunately, when student lunch orders are not placed on time, it can cause a shortage of food options and a delay in lunch service.

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.
Please mark your calendars for these upcoming parent events!
Upper School Parent Coffee via Zoom: November 18 at 8:30 a.m.
AAPA Community Meeting via Zoom: December 9 at 8:30 a.m.
Morning Arrival/Drop-off at The Albany Academies - COVID-19 Screening 

As the weather gets colder, we will be moving our morning check-in process inside. The standard for moving inside will be when the real feel is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or when other weather elements (such wind, rain, snow) make the process impracticable. The indoor check-in locations are listed below. Car drop-off will be at the current locations for both campuses and all divisions. The indoor check-in locations are just inside the same doors the children already enter through on a regular basis.
     
AAG 

LS Indoor Location:   
  • Drop off at the Yellow Sign in the main AAG lot as usual 
  • Check in will be just inside the Library Door near the playground until 7:45 am followed by the door next to Pre-K until 8:00 am.   
MS Indoor Location: 
  • Drop off at the Red Sign in the main AAG lot or Temple Lot as usual 
  • Check in will be just inside the Main Doors 
US Indoor Location: 
  • Drop off at the Blue Sign in the main AAG lot or Temple Lot as usual 
  • Check in will be just inside the East Breezeway Door - students will then gather in the DEC 
 
AA 

LS Indoor Location:   
  • Drop off at the Yellow Sign in the Upper Lot as usual  
  • Check in will be just inside the South Door  
MS Indoor Location: 
  • Drop off in the Upper Lot and proceed to the Red Sign as usual 
  • Check in will be just inside the Main Doors 
US Indoor Location: 
  • Drop off at the Lower Lot off Hackett Blvd and walk through the quad to the Blue Sign at the North Door 
  • Check in will be just inside the North Door 
November "Composers of the Month"

The ‘Composers of the Month’ is for the students and the community to become familiar with a variety of composers in many genres of music as a part of our everyday experience. This month's composers [Percy Grainger, Franz Joseph Hadyn, Benjamin Britten, Richard Wagner, and Florence Price] will be played in all our Fine Arts classes to create a soundtrack of the month. 

Please click here to view the first "Composers of the Month" list which is made possible by the Kermani Arts Grant sponsored by Mr. Peter Kermani '58. There are Apple Music links embedded in the PDF for each artist.
Fall Production: Almost, Maine

Cast and crew are filming the last scenes of the Fall Production of Almost, Maine this weekend. It has been an creative adventure for the students and faculty working on the show to figure out how to stage a play in our COVID times. Everyone is excited to show what they've been able to accomplish. Streaming details will be available next week for the stream of the play on November 20th and 21st.  
A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms
Third grade students shared their creative writing prompt: I just woke up and found a dinosaur in my backyard...at Lower School Chapel. The boys made the viewers laugh and visualize all their descriptive details!
Pre-K scientists are learning about pumpkins! They opened a pumpkin and looked inside to find seeds and pulp. They made our own pumpkin models to review what they learned! 
AA Grade 6 students learned about resilience with our school counselor, McKenzie Fruehwirth.
AAG Grade 6 Computer class is working with Minecraft Education Edition to practice coding fundamentals. The program allows students and teachers to work together in a controlled environment to use code blocks that help students understand fundamentals of coding such as sequencing, algorithms, and conditionals. Students can interact with worlds in Minecraft assigned by the teacher by implementing lessons that teach these skills.
Students turned teacher in AA 10th grade English as the boys led lessons on assorted poetry from WWI. Working in hybrid groups of both on-site and remote learners, the boys guided each other through some of the most challenging texts that the period had to offer, drawing links to the current class text, The First Casualty, by Ben Elton.
Mr. Pascone's AP English class spent time delving into the darkest recesses of Macbeth's mind (which is always pretty dark) to begin to understand the nature of the nightmare of his life. A little "dramatic" reading spiced up the discussion. 
News From the College Counseling Office

The College Counseling Team has been very busy over the last few weeks! Our seniors have been meeting with Ms. Poole and Mr. Bestle during one-on-one meetings and during their Leadership 12 classes. Collectively, our counselors have written over 65 letters of recommendation thus far, conducted 62 virtual visits with Admissions Representatives from across the country and submitted official school documents for over 300 applications - 216 of which were in the last 7 days!!  
Academies Community Unites to Support the Annual Fund 
 
Obviously, 2020 has been a year like no other. Since March, our school has been repeatedly called upon to navigate obstacles and overcome unimagined challenges. The results have been amazing (with 90% of our students in our classrooms and no cases of COVID) but the costs have been enormous (widescreen TVs in every classroom, updated technology to support distance learning, PPE and floor graphics at every turn, air scrubbers for high density areas, ventilation solutions, and expanded maintenance staff for constant cleaning). 
 
We are asking The Albany Academies parent community to come together with gifts to the Annual Fund, as the School supports our children through this global pandemic. The current parent appeal formally kicks off on Monday, November 16, but you can give any time between now and June 30, 2021, at www.albanyacademies.org/thank-you-for-your-gift. If you have questions about the Annual Fund, please contact Chief Advancement Officer Ann Wendth at wendtha@albanyacademies.org. Thank you for your consideration!
Splash into the arts with our 2021 Arts fundraiser, ARTrageous! ARTrageous is an annual event to support the arts at the Academies. Mark your calendars now and join us virtually on Thursday, February 18 for an ARTrageously good time! More details to come!
 
If you are looking to get involved, meet other parents, and share your talents, there's still room on the ARTrageous committee. Please contact Sarah Adamowski at adamowskis@albanyacademies.org if you are interested in volunteering. We welcome everyone! 

Academy Road

The student run newspaper, Academy Road, published approximately 30 articles last year which is a testament to the involvement of both our writers and editors. New articles have been added which you can view by clicking here.
Fall Sports Update

The AAG Varsity Tennis Team finished their season on November 4, defeating Holy Names in their last match. The team ended with an overall record of 8-3. The team would like to give a special shoutout of thanks to Coach Peter Green. Congratulations, Bears!
UPDATED GUIDANCE: Upcoming Holiday Travel and Hosting
 
We hope you are beginning to plan for the upcoming holiday season, including managing travel and hosting in such a way that it does not pose a health risk to your family or our school community. As a secondary consideration, we worry that not doing this might put our ability to continue to operate the school in an in-person learning mode at risk.
 
New York State has released new interim guidance regarding quarantine restrictions for out-of state-travel:

For any traveler to New York State from out of state, exempting the contiguous states, the new guidelines for travelers to test-out of the mandatory 14-day quarantine are below:

For travelers who were in another state for more than 24 hours:

  • Travelers must obtain a test within three days of departure from that state.
  • The traveler must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days.

On day 4 of their quarantine, the traveler must obtain another COVID test. If both tests come back negative, the traveler may exit quarantine early upon receipt of a second negative diagnostic test.

For travelers who were in another state for less than 24 hours:

  • The traveler does not need a test prior to their departure from the other state, and does not need to quarantine upon arrival in New York State.
  • However, the traveler must fill out a traveler form upon entry into New York State, and take a COVID diagnostic test 4 days after their arrival in New York.

Please note that these are domestic travel guidelines. Please consult the NY Travel State Guidelines for information about international travel.

While we would prefer that students did not travel, we have aligned our travel guidelines with NY State’s. If you have a student enrolled at the school and they have or are planning to travel out of NY State, exempting the contiguous states, please do the following:

  • Follow the November 3rd NY Travel State Guidelines
  • If possible, plan your travel to have minimal impact on returning to school. For example, families that travel in the first week of a two-week break would have the second week to complete quarantine and testing requirements, if necessary.
  • If required by length of travel, please choose either the 14-day quarantine option or the test-out option for your child upon return.
  • Contact the school nurse to let them know about your child’s temporary remote learning needs in support of his or her quarantine. Please note that temporary remote learning is only provided to support legitimate medical needs and is NOT available for convenience purposes.

We also hope that families will use appropriate judgement about hosting people who have travelled from out of state. For more information on planning for the holidays, see the CDC’s Coronavirus Guide to the Holidays. 

I know how unusual it is to have us weigh in on your out-of-school plans, but we are living in a time when we are interconnected by the decisions we make.