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
- Flu Shots!?
- A Message from the Health Office
- New Guidance from NYDOH
- The Next Normal
- Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
- Cum Laude Inductions
- PSAT Information
- Fall Picture Days
- Composers of the Month
- Fine Arts Kits
- Summer Reading Book Reports
- Extended Day Message
- AAPA
- New Member of our Professional Community
- Spirit Wear
- Sports
- Legacy of Dreams a Great Success
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Dear Friends,
We have reached the end of the third week of our collective “Next Normal,” which included virtual versions of our traditional Back to School nights and the Legacy of Dreams fundraiser. Thank you to all who produced and participated in these unique events. I’m hopeful that next year we will look back at them as singular, historical anomalies.
To get there, “the best way out is always through.” Students seem to be embracing this ethos as they continue to adapt to "COVID-school Their resilience is inspiring, and there are lessons to be learned from them as we focus on the long-term sustainability of our current efforts.
On the virus front, we continue to monitor what is happening with positive cases in the county, the region, and the state, and current metrics suggest that in-person operations will remain manageable with proper precautions. I am hopeful this won’t change as we face the next challenges of transitioning indoors when it gets colder and dealing with cold and flu season (have you gotten that flu shot yet?).
But that’s next week’s concern. For now, happy Friday, and best wishes for a restful weekend!
Sincerely,
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Flu Shots!?
Yesterday, 87 members of our Professional Community participated in a flu shot clinic. At least ten others let us know that they received the vaccine prior to our clinic (we held a raffle!). Thank you to Angela Sears for organizing and to all who participated. We hope you will join us by getting your family vaccinated as well.
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A Message from the Health Office
Please remember to complete your child's Magnus COVID-19 Screening daily. If your child is out sick due to having a symptom on the COVID-19 symptom list, please continue to fill out the screening daily during the days they are out of school. It is important for tracking and maintaining compliance records for the school. Please click here for guidance from the NYSDOH for fighting the flu.
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New Guidance from NYDOH
Yesterday, we received long-awaited guidance from the New York Department of Health. This guidance clarified some practices and procedures that were previously ambiguous. Most notably:
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Individuals who have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 symptoms do NOT need to stay home from school/work as long as that individual does not test positive and is evaluated by a health care provider within 48 hours.
- Symptomatic individuals can return to school/work without a COVID test if they have written and signed documentation from a healthcare provider of a diagnosis of a known chronic condition with unchanged symptoms or a confirmed acute illness. The documentation must also confirm that COVID-19 is not suspected.
We have adjusted our daily symptom screening questions accordingly.
The NYDOH guidance also contains useful flowcharts that help explain screening, evaluation, and return to school protocols. We have posted this information to the reopening page and suggest that you download it and keep it handy.
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Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 to October 15
More Quick Facts
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This year’s theme - Hispanics: Be Proud of Your Past, Embrace the Future - invites Hispanics to embrace their backgrounds, to be proud of who they are, and where they came from.
- As of July 1, 2019, the United States’ Hispanic population was 60.6 million people, making people of Hispanic origin the nation's largest ethnic or racial minority (18.5% of the total U.S. population).
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The United States has the 2nd largest population of Hispanic people in the world, second only Mexico.
- 61.9% were of Mexican background, 9.7% Puerto Rican, 4% Cuban, 3.9% Salvadoran, 3.5% Dominicano, and 2.5% Guatemalan (in 2018).
- After Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, and Spain, the United States has the 5th largest Spanish-speaking population in the world (42.3 million).
- 12 states have over 1 million Hispanic residents: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania & Texas.
- 1.28 million Hispanics are Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces (in 2018).
- 4.65 million businesses in the U.S. were Hispanic-owned (in 2018).
Sources:
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Cum Laude Inductions
Being inducted into The Albany Academies chapter of Cum Laude is the highest academic honor that a student can earn here. In the fall we induct roughly the top 10% of the class, and only students who have attended The Academies since ninth grade are eligible. The following members of the Class of 2021 were recently inducted into Cum Laude: Emily B., Tia D., Grace G., Anqi Carol W., Eli T., Nick F., Alex L., Erik P., Jay M., Boden R., and Yiming Z. All of the students who have earned this honor are taking very rigorous academic programs. We congratulate them on their success and thank them for their hard work.
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PSAT Information
The PSAT will be given to the class of 2022 at the Academies on the morning of Wednesday, October 14. All juniors will test together in the AA Gym, seated by advisor. The exam starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. Please plan to arrive with enough time to check in at your designated tent and head straight to the Gym for 7:45 a.m. Students need to bring number two pencils and a four-function calculator.
Due to COVID-19 and our protocols for social distancing, building use, and cohorting, The Albany Academies will not be administering the PSAT to sophomores this year. The decision of many colleges and universities to go testing optional for the foreseeable future aligns well with our commitment to both the academic success and the mental health of our students. The College Counseling Team will closely monitor changes in testing policies and availability and will continue to adapt accordingly in the best interest of our students.
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When:
AA: October 8, 2020
AAG: October 14, 2020
Remote Learners: November 4, 2020
What to Expect:
- Virtual students will receive online scheduling instructions via email soon.
- A Photo Info Sheet will go home on Picture Day that contains your child's unique access code & how to order online.
- Use your unique code to see and order portraits.
- Orders are delivered directly to school within 3-4 weeks.
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What to Wear:
Lower School
AA: red polos, and blue pants
AAG: white polo and jumper
Since photos will be from the shoulder up, students can wear sneakers, and girls may wear sweatpants under their jumpers.
No Class pictures. A montage will be created by i-Smile for each class.
Middle School
AA: house polo with navy blue joggers
AAG: white polo (with logo if you have one) and blue skort
Upper School
Full formal uniform including blazers and ties
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Composers of the Month
The ‘Composers of the Month’ is for the students and 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 [Camille Saint-Saëns, Rachel Portman, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Edvard Grieg, and Kenneth Little Hawk] will be played in all our Fine Arts classes to create a soundtrack of the month.
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Fine Arts Kits
To help our students to be as creative as possible while keeping them as safe as possible, the Fine Arts Department has created kits with individual supplies and materials for our students. Over 120 Lower School music kits and over 230 PreK-Grade 12 Visual Art kits have been created. Students will begin to use these kits in classes within the next couple of weeks. In addition, the Fine Arts Department, with assistance from the Kermani Arts grant, provided by Peter Kermani '58, will be providing band or theory workbooks to our middle school music students in the coming month. We will have kits and books available for remote students who are taking these classes.
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Summer Reading Book Reports
AA Grade Four completed book reports after discussing their summer read, The Voyage of the Half Moon by Tracey West. The historical fiction adventure is about Henry Hudson's third attempt to find the Northwest Passage. Instead, Henry Hudson sailed up what would come to be known as the Hudson River.
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Extended Day Message
If you were provided a key card to access the building last year for picking up your child from Extended Day, please return the key card in an envelope with your child's name on it to the Extended Day Director or to your child's homeroom teacher. Please note that for security purposes the cards have been deactivated.
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AAPA
The AAPA Uniform Exchange will be accepting any gently used uniforms & spirit wear items from October 15 through October 30. This will be the only time donations will be accepted during the 2020-2021 school year. Donations can be dropped off to Ms. Katie Conroy at AAG and Mrs. Dodie Motley at AA.
Please mark your calendars for an AAPA meeting on October 14 at 9:00 a.m. Webinar details will be forthcoming.
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New Member of our Professional Community
We are pleased to welcome Mrs. Deborah Ostrander to the Office of Institutional Advancement in the part-time role of Data Entry Specialist and Office Administrator. Deb joins us after fifteen years in the health care sector, most recently at The Innovative Health Alliance of New York. Deb earned her Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and brings a wealth of experience in database management to our school.
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Sports
It is great to see our student athletes practicing on the courts and golf course! Below are pictures from the three teams that will be competing in the Colonial Council during Fall 2020.
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Legacy of Dreams a Great Success |
Legacy of Dreams, a fundraising event to support athletics, was held virtually on Thursday, October 1 from the James E. Poole Athletic Facility and live streamed on Facebook. Thank you to the many parents, coaches, alumni, alumnae, and students who participated in the event. A special thank you to the many organizations and honorary committee members who generously donated to and sponsored Legacy of Dreams. As a result, the event raised more than $52,000 and the number continues to grow!
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