Although the academic year has concluded, there is still plenty of activity taking place here at The Albany Academies and I have several important updates to share with you.
Our newly formed Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee has grown to include nearly 70 members with participation from our professional community, alumni, alumnae, parents, and students. To move the work of the committee along, six subcommittees have been formed, the first of which will select an external partner to provide an outside perspective and help move us toward the eventual hiring of a diversity leader. The funding subcommittee is charged with identifying funding to support the education and consultative assistance we’ll need to accelerate and sustain progress. Our learning resources and study group will develop resources for each constituency group and direct reflection on and discussion of those resources. Another subcommittee will review and expand on our holiday and celebrations calendar to assess whether it is inclusive and to make recommendations as needed. The student affinity groups and clubs subcommittee will offer suggestions on new groups to be formed, and the Racial Healing Handbook group will discuss what racial healing could look like at the Academies and consider the meanings, values, and implications for our curriculum. If you are interested in joining the DEI Committee, please contact Chief Human Resources Officer David Lester at lesterd@albanyacademies.org.
The School’s Emergency Response Team continues to work on a comprehensive Framework for Reopening in 2020. The team’s work involves assessing the health and safety of our students and professional community and planning for reopening this fall. Five potential modes of operation are being considered as part of the plan. To learn more about these modes, click on the image above. Stay tuned for more details on the plan in the coming weeks.
It’s always fun to read about the successes of our alumni and alumnae. Click on the following links to read these recent media stories about Melissa DeRosa ‘00 in Harper's Bazaar, Marcus Pryor ‘87 in the Times Union, and Craig Darby ‘91, also in the Times Union.
Remember to share your news and any class notes you may have with me by July 20 as we work to prepare the next edition of A2, The Albany Academies magazine. Submit your class notes here.
Finally, to all of you who supported our fundraising efforts for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, my sincere thanks! Your generosity is incredibly appreciated.
Take care and please stay in touch. Enjoy your summer.
