The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers.
July 31, 2020
Dear Friends,

Forgive me if these messages feel redundant, but I am choosing to over-communicate about our reopening planning as it is so important to all of us.

Thank you to all those who reviewed the working draft of the school reopening plan this week. This process yielded 81 comments from parents and 155 from the professional community. These were a mix of questions, suggestions, and opinions.

While you explored many aspects of the plan in your feedback, these were the four most frequent themes:

1) Clarification of Face Covering Expectations. The NYSDOH requirements and some poorly constructed language on my part lead to confusion over the school’s requirement for face coverings. Here is the adjusted language/clarification in the current version of the plan:

  • Face Coverings. All individuals on our campus over the age of two will be required to wear a face covering at all times, with the exception of eating and scheduled face-covering breaks.

2) Remote Learning. Families asked that the remote learning option described in the plan be opened to all families who might wish to access it. We will do this and are currently working through the logistics involved. To manage expectations, this program will be as good as we can make it within all of the constraints that we face. Here is the adjusted language/clarification regarding this in the current version of the plan:

Remote Learning Option

  • Families can access a remote learning option that allows students to join in-person classes through the Zoom video platform.
  • This option is available to any family that would like to access it, including individuals who are medically vulnerable or those who are not yet comfortable returning to in-person instruction.

3) Symptom Monitoring. There was a robust exploration of the efficacy of having parents conduct daily symptom monitoring at home, with a worry that some families won’t faithfully comply with this requirement. We will begin to tackle this concern with ongoing education regarding why at-home symptom monitoring is such a vital part of keeping your family healthy. We will also continue to explore site-based “back-up” strategies for symptom monitoring. 

4) A Broad Symptom List & Strict “Stay-Home” Criteria. A significant number of you pointed out that the list of COVID symptoms overlaps with many common illnesses, and that the NYSDOH criteria have children who manifest these symptoms staying home until they are cleared to return to school by their pediatrician. These NYSDOH requirements will cause a good number of school exclusions and inconvenience for (hopefully) minor ailments. Still, in the grand scheme of things, such a conservative approach is designed to help us manage our collective risk.

I know that this is a lot of information and that there is even more in the plan. (I’ve included a summary below if you haven’t been able to review the full plan online.)

I also know that returning to school, in whatever form this may take for your family, is a crucial decision.

Given this, we are committed to partnering with you, being as transparent as possible about our planning efforts, and providing you as much information as we can to help you make an informed decision about the fall.

Best wishes for the weekend.

Sincerely,
Reopening Plan Summary

PLAN SUMMARY

This plan features the following guidelines and layered practices designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission within our community.

  • Cohorts. We are scheduling students into cohorts that will fit within our existing physical footprint, are independent of one another, and can remain as static as possible. 

  • Continuous Cleaning and Sanitizing:

  • Our professional cleaning vendor is following all NYSDOH and CDC protocols for cleaning and disinfecting. 
  • Our maintenance staff has been provided electrostatic cleaners and trained to disinfect common spaces during the day continuously. 
  • Teachers will be disinfecting shared spaces within their classrooms. 
  • High touch surfaces, such as door handles, have been treated with nanotech sleeves that kill viruses on contact.

  • Daily Symptom Monitoring:

  • We will be proactively monitoring the health of our student body and professional community through an app-based daily symptom survey.
  • Families and employees will be required to complete the symptom monitoring survey each morning prior to sending their child to school. 
  • On-site health observations will also be incorporated in monitoring the health of our community.

  • Face Coverings. All individuals on our campus over the age of two will be required to wear a face covering at all times with the exception of eating and scheduled face-covering breaks.

  • Health and Hygiene Education. We will continuously educate our community regarding best practices in personal hygiene behaviors such as frequent hand washing and sanitizing, physical distancing, face covering, and respiratory etiquette.

  • Pedestrian Traffic. Pedestrian traffic on campus and in buildings is being rescheduled and re-routed to minimize density and keep student cohorts from interacting with one another. 

  • Personal Responsibility: 

  • We have developed both an honor code to create the expectation that each member of our community is personally responsible for following the elements of this plan and consequences should these elements not be followed.
  • We do this with the rationale that if we are not collectively diligent, we risk infecting ourselves, our friends, our families, and our community. 

  • Physical Distancing. Classrooms, hallways, and other spaces are being reconfigured to maintain six (6) feet of distance between individuals during normal activities and twelve (12) feet of distance between individuals during potential “aerosolizing activities” such as music classes and physical education. 

  • Remote Learning Option:

  • Families can access a remote learning option that allows students to join in-person classes through the Zoom video platform.
  • This option is available to any family that would like to access it, including individuals who are medically vulnerable or those who are not yet comfortable returning to in-person instruction.

  • Ventilation. MERV filters have been fitted to existing HVAC systems. Air exchange fans and air purifiers are being deployed in classrooms. 

  • Zones. Campus spaces are being divided into designated zones for specific cohorts. 
For more information please visit our Reopening Plan page of our website: https://www.albanyacademies.org/reopening-plan
Next Update: August 7, 2020