The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers.
January 15, 2021
The Skim

  • Please use the Magnus App!
  • Surveillance Testing
  • AIM Survey
  • Alumni/ae Speaker Series
  • A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms
  • Open House
  • Blogging with the Academies
  • ARTrageous
  • Financial Aid Program
  • College Search Kickoff for the Class of 2022 Webinar
Dear Friends,

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending a virtual lower school chapel hosted by the 4th-grade class at AA. They presented “Attitudes of Gratitude” for the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in anticipation of celebrating his legacy on Monday. I was duly impressed by their understanding of his historical importance and the lasting impact of his work on our lives. 

From my perspective, one of Dr. King’s continuing legacies is an annual reminder of how potent cogent thought and rhetorical eloquence can be in the service of societal growth. So those of us with a little more life perspective also attempted to impress upon the boys the power that words have to either unite and inspire or divide and discourage. 

When Monday rolls around, I will take some time to read and listen to Dr. King’s words and share this experience with my family. I almost always return to his Letter from a Birmingham Jail and revel in both his command of source texts and his logical construction (and dismantling) of arguments and counter-arguments. I also watch his speech, "What Is Your Life's Blueprint?" delivered to students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on October 26, 1967. Both of these experiences speak to me as an educator.

I share this with you, hoping that you might also enhance the classroom lessons of this week by discussing Dr. King with your families this weekend in whatever way works best for you and yours.

Sincerely,
COVID Surveillance Testing

We sincerely appreciate the cooperation of everyone who participated in the second round of testing this week.

Here are the results:
 
  • 627 tests were conducted on samples submitted on January 13
  • 622 samples returned negative results
  • 5 returned positive results
 
This calculates to a positivity rate of .80% for the tested cohort

  • One of the tests is being re-confirmed because of a logistical issue
  • The four confirmed positive individuals are students
  • Two students are remote learners with no campus contact
  • Two students are in-person learners. One is enrolled in the lower school at AAG, and one is in middle school at AA.

We have contacted all confirmed positive individuals. Per NYDOH protocols, they will be isolated at home for ten days. We have also identified close contacts, communicated with them directly, assisted the Albany County Department of Health with quarantine orders, and will have sent a separate update regarding how this affects school operations next week.
Please Use the Magnus App!

We have noted a significant decline in the use of the Magnus Symptom Screening Application this week, which adds additional work to our health office as they determine who can be on campus. Please help them help you by remembering to complete the symptom survey each morning school is in session, regardless of your child’s learning mode.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the AIM Survey

Our vision for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work at the Albany Academies is to build a community in which all accepted students are authentically included in the full life of the school and feel like they fully belong.

To help us with this, the Albany Academies will soon be conducting the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM). This survey will provide us with a statistical understanding of our current climate of inclusion and clarify our next steps towards realizing our DEI vision.

All stakeholder groups will be asked to participate in this survey. Questions will be tailored to faculty, staff, administration, Board of Trustees, students in Grades 7 - 12, alumni/ae, and parents. As NAIS will not share individual responses with the school, your confidentiality is assured.

More information about the AIM assessment will be sent before its dissemination via email later this month. We hope you will complete the survey when you receive it.
Alumni/ae Speaker Series
We kicked off our virtual Alumni/ae Speaker Series with a great panel on January 14! Thank you to our four very accomplished alumni and alumnae for sharing their military experience with our upper school students. Lieutenant Frank Blake ’96 (Army), Major Conor Stewart '05 (Marine Corps), Commander Meghan Poukish-Bodnar '99 (Navy), and Tara Somersall Parten '06 (Army) all shared lessons they have learned, the importance of leadership and service, and transition to the private sector. Thank you to Joe Fitzgerald '74 for moderating the panel discussion. It was a fantastic event for students, alumni, alumnae, and teachers.
A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms
"What happens when you apply bright colors to a dark canvas? The AAG Second Graders pictured here were enthusiastically layering vivid colors on black paper using oil pastels. Creative energy was bubbling up as they used their imagination to make their own bubbly patterns with worlds of color inside each orb." 
Grade 5 students in Coach Rider's Physical Education Class participate in warm up exercises with remote learners following along on Zoom. After exercises, the remote learners follow an exercise video while the in-person students play broomball.
First Grade is jumping into 2021 as fantastic writers! After a Zoom read aloud of Squirrel's New Year's Resolution by Pat Miller, they each wrote their own New Year's resolutions. They are also working on a narrative piece about what it would like to live in a snow globe!
Collaboration with classmates in Grade 6 might look a little different than it usually does, but these three were hard at work exploring the causes of the Renaissance as we wrapped up our unit on the Middle Ages. They each delegated duties and worked just as efficiently as ever.  
Students in Grade 4 honored and celebrated the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during Lower School Chapel this week.
The Varsity Ski team attended the Niskayuna Ski Invitational at West Mountain on Wednesday. Pictured are Veronica G. '22 and Eleeza M. '22
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.
Blogging with the Academies

The Albany Academies are excited to announce our new admissions blog, 'Blogging with the Academies" - https://www.albanyacademies.org/admissions/blogging-with-the-academies. Director of Admissions and Enrollment Nicholas Forcier and the admissions team launched the blog this week to help prospective parents learn more about The Albany Academies.

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.
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.
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!