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
- January 7 CDC Risk Assessment for Schools in Albany County
- Instructional Plan for January 10 through 14, 2022
- Family Skate Cancelled
- Admissions Open House
- Parent Webinar
- Alumni/ae Speaker Series
- Registration for NYSSMA Piano is Open
- Gates House Annual Coat Drive to Benefit HATAS
- A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms
- ARTrageous
- Week at a Glance
- Looking Ahead
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Dear Friends,
For me, this has been the most challenging, frustrating, and humbling week of the pandemic.
The pre-surge guidance from all available governmental sources and public and school-specific health partners encouraged returning to in-person learning after the winter break and managing Omicron on a case-by-case basis. Our experiences up to now also suggested that this was the most appropriate path to take.
However, Omicron had other plans for us, and we quickly learned some valuable lessons that have caused us to adjust our response to the current reality of an unprecedented regional surge in infections.
Despite these challenges and adjustments, we end the week with no evidence of classroom spread, no reports of serious illness, and manageable case numbers in our lower school population. We also have a set of hard-won experiences and procedures that will inform our mitigation efforts going forward, including returning from our next scheduled break in March.
As always, I thank you for your patience and support as we navigate this next few weeks and beyond.
Sincerely,
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January 7 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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Instructional Plan for January 10 through 14, 2022
Learning from our experiences with the surge in the Omicron variant this week, we are adjusting our instructional plans for next week, as follows:
Middle and Upper School Divisions
- Due to staffing shortages and the continued high rate of positive cases in the divisions, middle school and upper school will be learning remotely next week. Middle school students were apprised of this today and directed to bring home their books and other materials.
- Beginning Tuesday, January 18, we will offer a hybrid learning program for upper and middle school divisions. Families can opt for either in-person learning or concurrent remote learning, with students committing to staying in their preferred learning mode for a week at a time. Next week, we will send a survey to let families choose one of these options.
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All students who opt for in-person learning must take a COVID screening test on Friday, January 14th. Testing can be done by coming to school to provide a sample or visiting a testing center, with results sent to the health office.
- All students who opt for in-person learning will also be required to complete weekly COVID screening testing at school.
Lower School
- Given the relatively low rate of positive cases in the lower school division, we will continue to offer in-person learning to those classes not affected by quarantines or staffing issues.
- Lower School teachers will develop daily and weekly schedules based on when critical lessons occur and make those lessons available to remote learners.
If you have questions regarding this plan, kindly contact Shelly Reid at reidm@albanyacademies.org, who will route it to the appropriate person for follow-up.
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Due to the rise in cases of Covid-19 in our community, the Family Skate sessions scheduled for January 8th and January 15th have been cancelled. |
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Admissions Open House
The Office of Admissions is getting ready for a busy January! We are hosting an Open House on Saturday, January 22nd at 1 p.m. and hope you will tell your friends and neighbors to check it out! The Open House is a great opportunity for prospective families to learn about our unique programs, meet our faculty, and hear from our students. Prospective families can register by visiting the Admissions Events page of our website (Register for an Admissions Event (albanyacademies.org). Please contact the Office of Admissions at Admissions@albanyacademies.org or by calling 519-429-2348 if you have any questions or would like to refer a family. The Office of Admissions also continues to give individual campus tours, host monthly Asked & Answered Information Sessions (Jan. 12 at 5 p.m.) and will be hosting regional information sessions.
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Parent Webinar
Please join us for an informational webinar on Thursday, January 27th at 6:00pm for Part II of our Parent Webinar Series where the Albany Academies' team of professionals will continue to discuss student wellness.
During this session, we will be reviewing the results of our student wellness surveys and you will have an opportunity to speak with the school's counseling team and our partner clinicians from HPA LiveWell. Part of our continued goal is to work collaboratively with parents, faculty, and staff to support overall student well-being and success.
The panel will also address any questions you may have about parenting through the pandemic and solicit your feedback for future webinar topics.
Date: January 27, 2022
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Zoom Webinar ID: 997 9499 7425
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Alumni/ae Speaker Series Set for January 14
Join us virtually on Friday, January 14 at 2:20 p.m. for another Alumni/ae Lecture Series! This time, we will hear from four impressive alumni and alumnae about their professional journeys in the legal field. This panel will feature: Andrew R. Safranko, Esq. '91 P'23, '26, Brittiny Belmonte Razzano, Esq. '04 P'34, and Matthew R. Smalls, Esq. '93 and will be moderated by E. Stewart Jones, Jr., Esq. '59, P'90, '93, '97, former Chair of the Board of Trustees and Member of the Board of Overseers.
Zoom Webinar ID: 929 3955 6436
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Registration for NYSSMA Piano is Open
Students who wish to participate in the NYSSMA Piano Festival may register from now until January 14, 2022. This year, the festival will be held at Schenectady County Community College. (This is a change from previous years.) The dates of the festival are March 11-12, 2022. The registration fees are $22 for Levels I-IV and $30 for Levels V-VI. Checks can be made payable to “The Albany Academies” and should be submitted to Mr. Matthew Streifert.
- Student Full Name
- Student Grade in School
- Level of Solo
- Title of Solo
- Required Movements
- Composer
- Arranger
- NYSSMA Manual Page Number: (Piano teachers should be able to provide this information)
- Date Preferred (Fri/Sat)
- Time Preferred (Morn/Aft/Eve)
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Gates House Annual Coat Drive to Benefit HATAS
During the two weeks prior to the holiday break, Gates House collected coats and other winter items from members of the Academy community to donate to the Homeless & Travelers Aid Society of Albany (HATAS). Mr. Russell, Upper School faculty head of Gates House, along with his two sons, Kolton '29 and Luke '32, delivered almost 300 much-needed items on Monday, December 21. An additional thank you goes out to Mrs. Lupone, Middle School faculty head of Gates House, and Mr. Bendon, Upper School Dean of Students, for their work with the collection and delivery.
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A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms |
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Students in AA and AAG 5th and 6th grade computer are doing CoderZ putting their drag-and-drop coding skills to use in a real-world simulation controlling a Hercules robot that is used at Amazon. |
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Tony L. '31 working on his Lego creation with movable parts for a competition in afterschool enrichment robotics program. |
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AAG Kindergarten students in Sra. de Rosier's class celebrated "Three King's Day" on January 6th by making crowns. On this "Twelfth Day of Christmas" children in many Spanish-speaking countries receive presents and celebrate with city parades and family feasts. |
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Be sure to Save the Date and support the arts by joining us virtually for ARTrageous on February 3. This event will showcase our students and faculty in the fine arts department and provide an opportunity to bid on some outstanding items. More information to come. |
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Monday, January 10
Day 5
3:30pm - 4:30pm Afterschool Winter Enrichment Programs
Tuesday, January 11
Day 6
7:25am AAG Middle School Faculty Meeting (Zoom)
2:00pm - 5:00pm Covid Vaccination Clinic (AA Health Office)
3:30pm - 4:30pm Afterschool Winter Enrichment Programs
3:45pm Lower School Faculty Meeting (Zoom)
Wednesday, January 12
Day 1
3:30pm - 4:30pm Afterschool Winter Enrichment Programs
3:40pm Academic Policies and Procedures Meeting (Zoom)
Thursday, January 13
Day 2
8:15am AA Lower School Chapel
3:05pm AAG Senior Speeches (Zoom)
3:30pm - 4:30pm Afterschool Winter Enrichment Programs
Friday, January 14
Day 3
2:20pm Alumni/ae Speaker Series
3:30pm Ski Club
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January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (School Closed)
January 19 Admissions Asked and Answered Event
January 20 Junior Class College Kickoff Night
January 22 Admissions Open House
January 27 CTL Parent Series Webinar
February 2 Admissions Asked and Answered Event
February 10 Sophomore Class College Kickoff Night
February 14 Professional Development Day (No Classes)
February 21 Presidents' Day (School Closed)
February 22 - 25 Admissions Visiting Week
February 23 Admissions Asked and Answered Event
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