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
- Using Our Systems & Updating Your Information
- Message from the Health Office
- COVID & Reopening
- Extended Day Registration
- New Parent Gathering
- New Professional Community Members
- Host Families for Hockey Players Needed
- Legacy of Dreams
- The Ahmad Praileau ‘20 Memorial Fund
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Dear Friends,
As we wind down summer, we are gearing up for the 2021-2022 school year. Over the next two weeks, we will continue to share or reshare many pieces of information necessary to help start the school year as smoothly as possible.
With this in mind, if you take away only one thing from this week’s email I hope it is this:
Please check the information we have for your family in Blackbaud, our student information system, and update it if it is inaccurate.
There is a step-by-step guide on how to do this below. In addition to communicating about our usual operations, this year it is crucial that we can reach you quickly if we have an urgent need to share information with you.
The excitement is building here on Academy Road as we get ready for the best year yet!
Warmly,
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Using Our Systems & Updating Your Information
The school uses the following platforms to collect and share information. As we prepare for the 2021-2022 school, please review the use of these systems and update any information that may have changed since your last review. This is particularly true of your contact information, given the potential need to quickly share information and updates with families.
Blackbaud is our primary student information system and houses your “core” information, which is the source for many of the other digital tools we use. We use Blackbaud for student schedules, student progress reports, directories, and other posted resources having to do with a student’s journey through school.
Please note that Blackbaud becomes more integral to the Academies’ experience as students get older and is particularly vital in the upper school. Lower school classes will still use some of the core features of the platform and supplement them with other means of communication. Regardless of the age of your students, it is very important that your contact information is kept up to date in this system.
To review your information:
- Visit My Albany Academies Login
- Enter your username or email address.
- Enter your password.
- Click on the Children icon (upper left of screen).
- You will be able to view your child’s advisor, classes, and schedules.
- Click on the contact card, review your contact information, and make any necessary changes to phone numbers, addresses, and emergency contacts using the edit button.
- Tour the rest of the site to familiarize yourself with how it works
BrightArrow is a new piece of technology that we are deploying this year. It is a parent notification system that we will use for urgent or emergency communications. It will allow us to quickly broadcast texts, emails, and phone calls to you, using your Blackbaud information. We will be testing this system next week.
Magnus Health is how we manage all student health records. This platform provides our health office with secure access to your child’s health history information and allows you to upload physical forms, immunizations records, and medication orders directly into your student’s account. Magnus is designed for this purpose and is fully HIPPA compliant. Magnus also has a phone application that is very user-friendly.
Logging on to Magnus Health (on a computer) and updated your Child’s Vital Health Record:
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Visit the school website and sign in to your Albany Academies parent account. My Albany Academies Login
- Once you have logged in, click the “Resource” tab.
- Click the link for Magnus Health.
- Update your child’s Vital Health Record.
- Then hover over your name on the top left of the screen.
- When the menu appears, choose "Change Credentials".
- Create a Username & Password that only you know and will remember.
- Use these credentials to access the Magnus Mobile App.
Downloading the Magnus Mobile App to your phone:
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Search for “Magnus Mobile V2” app in the Apple or "Magnus Health" app in the Google Play store
- Download the app to your phone
- Use the Username & Password you just created to login to the app.
- To upload forms or complete health history, click on the student health tracker icon.
Need Help? Contact:
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Message from the Health Office
Please remember to submit your child's health information to the Health Office prior to the start of the school year.
- Physicals need to be completed within a year of the start of school for new students, PreK, K, 1st, 3rd, 5th, & 7th-12th..
- Up-to-date immunization records also need to be submitted.
- Medication Order forms, if your child requires any medication during the school day.
Please have you child's medical provider complete a medication order form if your child requires over the counter or prescription medications during the school day. Medication order forms can be found on the school website under the Health Office section, on Magnus Health, or a copy can be provided by the Health Office.
Forms should be uploaded directly into your child's Magnus Health account. Directions are provided here.
Please contact your Health Office with any questions.
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COVID & Reopening
August 27 CDC Risk Assessment for Schools in Albany County.
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The Centers for Disease Control uses several indicators and thresholds for the risk of introduction and transmission of COVID-19 in schools. We assess this risk weekly using county data and adjust our mitigation strategies accordingly.
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Screening Test Sample Collection Day is now September 8.
We have moved the sample collection day for COVID screening students to September 8, 2021. Sample kits are available for pick up during business hours from the main offices at AA or AAG or families can pick up a kit on the 8th, collect a sample in your car, and return it immediately. More information regarding this can be found here.
2021-2022 Close Contact Standard
The Albany County Department of Health has confirmed that they will be following the CDC’s standards for designating “close contacts” in schools:
- Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period is considered a close contact and will be required to quarantine.
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Except for K–12 indoor classroom settings in which students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student, if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time.
- Fully vaccinated people will not need to quarantine as long as they are symptom-free.
Uploading a Vaccination Record & Completing Informed Consent Form for Testing
If your child is vaccinated for COVID 19, please share this information using the secure Magnus App. Having and verifying this information ahead of time will help minimize potential disruptions should we have to contact trace and forward this information to ACDOH (see standard above). Here is how to upload a record in the app:
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New York State Guidance to Come
Governor Hochul announced Tuesday that all students and staff at all New York schools, including nonpublic schools, will be required to wear masks at school. We do not know whether that mandate will apply to toddlers, or how that will affect outdoor activities and field trips. As soon as we have clear information from NYSDOH and/or NYSED, we will share it.
Review of Reopening Plan
Thank you to those parents who have reviewed the 2021-2022 reopening plan, which can be found here:
We will leave the working draft available for review until August 31st, at which time the link will become inactive. If you wish to provide feedback, please use the comment feature in Google Docs. If you are not familiar with this feature, this one-minute tutorial may be helpful. Using the comment feature will allow us to understand the specific sections of the plan that you might have questions about and help us keep track of family feedback efficiently. We will review and consider all feedback as we further refine the plan.
COVID mitigations we are NOT doing this year
Based on a review of their efficacy, we will not be continuing the following COVID mitigation practices in 2021-2022:
- Requiring the submission of a daily symptom survey
- Temperature checks at building entrances
- Separate entrances for each division
- Continuous classroom disinfection during the school day
What Do I Do if My Child is Sick?
While we are discontinuing the required submission of a daily symptom survey, this year it is particularly important that you keep your child home if they have the following symptoms:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
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Extended Day Registration
Extended Day will be available for students in ECA, Lower School, and Middle School daily 3:30pm - 5:30pm. If you plan to send your student to Extended Day at any point this year, please click here to register for the program. In order to assist us with planning for proper staffing, please register by Friday, September 3. If you have any questions please contact Karin Epstein at (518) 429-2332 or epsteink@albanyacademies.org.
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AAPA to Host Two Upcoming Parent Gatherings
The Albany Academies Parents Association (AAPA) will be hosting two informal gatherings at the Leonard House, 91 Academy Road (home of Head of School Chris Lauricella and his family).
The first event is on Tuesday, August 31 at 5:00 p.m. for members of the Diverse AAPA Affinity Group (the Alumni and Alumnae of Color Affinity Groups will also be joining us).This will be an opportunity for the three groups to meet each other and discuss initiatives for the new school year.
The second gathering will be held on Monday, September 13 at 5:00 p.m. for all new families joining our school this upcoming year. This is an opportunity to welcome you into our community, briefly talk about how to get involved in the AAPA, and address any questions you may have.
If you would like to attend either or both of these events, please RSVP to Special Events Coordinator Sarah Adamowski at adamowskis@albanyacademies.org.
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New Professional Community Members
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Matt Alvey, AA Prep Hockey Coach. Matt began his coaching career at HVCC, where his team competed in 6 NJCAA National Tournaments over 14 seasons. His accomplishments resulted in election into the NJCAA Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame. He went on to become an Assistant Coach at Union College, for three seasons. Matt's playing career included NCAA Division 1 Championship at Lake Superior State University, where he was later inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. He went on the play professionally for 4 seasons, before moving behind the bench. Matt received his BS in Physical Education from Sage College and an M.Ed. in Physical Education, Health Coaching from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
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Adam Bendon, Albany Academy Dean. For the past 6 years, Adam was Assistant Dean at Forman School, a grade 9 - 12 boarding school. In that role, he was responsible for student attendance and discipline, and was a liaison for parents, students, faculty, and administration. He also served as the Administrator on Duty and coached several sports. Adam received a BA in Performance & Communication Arts from St. Lawrence University.
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Sarah Bowen, Lower School Librarian, AAG. Sarah is widely known in the school from serving as a long-term substitute in the Fine Arts Department in 2020-2021. She received a BA in Fine Arts from Gordon College.
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Daniela Caschera, Preschool Teacher. Daniela will be the classroom leader as we re-start our Preschool program. She comes to us from Early Learning Center Head Start in Schenectady, where she taught for the past 3 years. Her prior teaching experience includes Grades 3 through 5 in Rome, Italy and early childhood classrooms in Nicosia, Cyprus. Daniela received a BA in Psychology from the University at Albany and an MS in Early Childhood Education from The College of Saint Rose.
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Kendra Cunningham, Mental Health Counselor. Kendra has worked with young people at Living Resources Corporation, most recently as a Community Integration Counselor, supporting individuals with brain injuries. She previously worked at Catholic Charities where she supported the social and emotional development of teenagers. Kendra is a Certified Mental Health Counselor. She has a BS in Psychology from SUNY Oswego and a MS in Mental Health Counseling from SUNY Albany.
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Dr. Christa Deno, Math Faculty. Christa has taught math at the college level for more than 20 years, most recently at The College of St. Rose. She has a BA in Mathematics from SUNY Geneseo, an MA in Mathematics, and PhD in Mathematics both from SUNY Albany. She served on several College of St. Rose committees including Security, Athletics, Integrity, and was the Chair of the Faculty Representative Committee.
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Lisa Foster, Science Faculty. Lisa has been teaching science for more than 20 years, primarily to students in grades 5-8. Most recently, she taught middle school students at the Peck School in Morristown, NJ. She has a BA in Education from LaGrange College.
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Ken Lancto, Physical Education Teacher. Ken earned his BS in Physical Education and MS in School Health Education, both from The Sage Colleges. He has experience in the Niskayuna Middle School and the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES. Ken also led the Niskayuna-Schenectady-Albany-Amsterdam Mohawks Varsity Hockey team for 4 seasons. He was previously the Head Hockey Coach at HVCC, where he was named NJCAA Region 3 Co-Coach of the Year.
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Virginia LuPone P'27, Middle School English Faculty. Virginia has nine years of teaching experience, the last two at St. Thomas Apostle School teaching English to middle school students. She received a BA in English Literature from William Patterson University and an MS in Adolescence Education from The College of St. Rose.
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Brenda Maloney, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher. Brenda has been a pre-school special education teacher at the Unity House for more than 20 years. She provided classroom and home-based instruction to children across the Albany region. She also collaborated with faculty members to adapt their curriculum in a way that maximized individual student learning. Brenda received her BS and MA in Special Education from The College of St. Rose.
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Judi Morrissey, Daily Substitute Teacher. Judi has been with The Albany Academies for 10 years, as a leader in the Extended Day program, and will continue in that role. During that time, she also was a Special Education Teacher at St. Catherine's school, with a focus on Grades 4-6. Judy received a BS in Elementary Education from Russell Sage College and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instructional Technology from Grand Canyon University.
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Rob O'Neil, Fine Arts Faculty. Rob joins our Fine Arts Department after 20 years at The College of Saint Rose, where he was a tenured professor. He taught courses in black & white and color photography, Photoshop, and gallery management to undergraduate and graduate students. He also served as a student academic advisor and on several College of St. Rose committees. He continues to display his own work in the Capitol Region. Rob has a BA from The University of Akron, and a MA in Cinema & Photography from Southern Illinois University.
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Host Families for Hockey Players Needed
As we approach the new academic year, we are seeking host families for our hockey players in the prep league. A host family provides a safe, caring, and friendly home atmosphere and serves as a role model and extended family to the players. If you are interested in learning more about how to participate, please contact Director of Admissions Nicholas Forcier at forciern@albanyacademies.org.
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Mark Your Calendar for Legacy of Dreams
Please plan to join us on September 17 at 7:00 p.m. on the outdoor patio of Frog Alley for Legacy of Dreams, our annual fundraising event to benefit athletic programs and the more than 50 athletic teams at the Academies. There are many ways to participate including: joining the honorary committee, becoming a sponsor, assisting with a team basket, or simply attending the event.
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The Ahmad Praileau ‘20 Memorial Fund
The Albany Academy Director of College Counseling Jak Bestle said it best, “Ahmad was a Renaissance Man, a can’t-miss kid, a ‘Mister Academy.’ In a nutshell, Ahmad was the complete package - scholar, athlete, artist, and leader.”
Ahmad was accomplished beyond his years, with talents in the arts, athletics, and academics. He was a prefect for his house, a member of the Chinese Honor Society, president of the Art Club, and a co-caption of the track team. When he graduated in 2020, he held several school records in track and field and received many awards for artistic, academic, and community excellence. During his time at Williams College, Ahmad won all-NESCAC honors in the long jump and academic honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Ahmad passed away on August 3 and is survived by his mother, Michele; his father, Yasin Sr.; and his siblings, Aminah ‘17, Yasin, and Bashir ‘23.
The purpose of the fund will be determined with the Praileau family's input at a later date.
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