The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers.
October 1, 2021
The Skim

  • Weekly Covid Screening Testing
  • COVID Diagnostic Testing Also Available
  • October 1 CDC Risk Assessment for Schools in Albany County
  • National Spanish Heritage Month
  • Positive Education Webinar
  • Admissions Event: Asked & Answered
  • A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms
  • Athletics
  • Week at a Glance
  • Looking Ahead
Dear Friends,

Happy October!

We are excited to be hosting a reunion of alumni and alumnae on campus, which is another sure sign of a slow return to normalcy. I love reunion because it gives me a chance to interact with former students and to see the impact that attending The Albany Academies has had on their lives.

There is something special about being with a group of people who knew each other during their formative years. As I watch the various classes come back together, I see the years fall away, and lifelong friendships pick up right where they left off.
The Class of 1970 gathering for their 50th reunion!
Reunion also reminds us that the friendships that your children are forming at school have the potential to last forever. These relationships are a rare gift and another reason that The Academies’ experience can be so powerful.

On a more contemporary note, it was great to see so many parents this week at the first AAPA meeting of the year. One of the topics discussed was the adjustment period that we are all going through as we return to our traditional structures and standards. I was happy to bring this feedback back to the rest of our senior leadership team. We will use it to appropriately support one another as we transition back to those things that have historically helped us thrive.

I want to end with the observation that our students are doing an excellent job meeting standards and navigating our structures, regardless of the disruptions of the last two years.

As always, they make us proud.

Have a lovely weekend!
Weekly COVID Screening Testing

Thanks to all who responded to Wednesday’s email about the availability of COVID testing by signing up with Quadrant Biosciences. If you haven’t been able to get to this yet, here’s a reprint:

  • We are making weekly COVID screening testing available to anyone who wants it. 
  • There is no cost for testing.
  • To do this, we are working with a new test vendor, Quadrant Biosciences, using their Clarifi COVID-19 test. 
  • This switch requires all potential users to create online profiles with Quadrant at https://app.clarifi-covid-19.com/
  • We are unable to provide testing to anyone who does not complete a profile.
  • With this in mind, we ask all families to create profiles at https://app.clarifi-covid-19.com/, even if you are opting out of weekly testing. 
  • Completing this profile allows us to quickly provide testing to the community if we ever have an urgent need to do so.
  • It will also allow your family to opt-in to weekly testing whenever you feel the need for it.
  • We will determine who wants to test every week through an opt-in survey that we will make available on Monday. This survey is a separate process from creating a profile with Quadrant.

Creating the Profile:

  • Creating the profile is relatively intuitive, and a short video about the Web app is available here: https://vimeo.com/589594968/fc88ef9892
  • One parent/guardian will need to register and complete the required fields to create a parent/guardian profile for minors. 
  • The same parent/guardian should click "add a profile" within the parent/guardian profile for each minor they are responsible for and/or for themselves if they are being tested.
  • Please be sure to click "The Albany Academies" when prompted to select an organization.
  • Note- The school appears under “T” in the drop-down menu
  • Individuals will not need to "Add a COVID-19 test" before testing. We will do this for each participant on the day of testing.
  • When creating your profile, have your insurance information handy, as they ask for this information. Screening tests are free. Quadrant will not bill or charge you directly but will bill the insurance company for any diagnostic testing.
  • We will send out details about testing logistics on Monday once profiles are created.
COVID Diagnostic Testing Also Available

  • Earlier today, The Albany County Department of Health confirmed that we could use the Clarifi test to provide diagnostic testing for symptomatic students registered at https://app.clarifi-covid-19.com/
  • Symptomatic students will have the option to voluntarily submit a sample for COVID testing to the health office, which we will send to Quadrant’s lab for diagnostic testing.
  • Parents and nurses would then access results within 24 to 48 hours via the Quadrant portal.
  • Given the current shortage of available testing in the region, this option should help speed up the return to school process for students with COVID-like symptoms.
  • Our nurses are putting together a protocol for this and will communicate the details early next week.
October 1 CDC Risk Assessment for Schools in Albany County
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.
National Spanish Heritage Month

Students in Señora Puente-Windle's Spanish classes have been researching facts about Spanish heritage. Here are some of the points they shared during the AAG Morning Meeting and AA Chapel:

  • Eight states in the U.S. have a population of 1 million or more Hispanic residents: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Texas."
  • "Hispanic" refers to a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or other Spanish / Hispanic / Latino culture or origin.
  • With 329 million native speakers, Spanish ranks as the world's number 2 language regarding how many people speak it as their first language.
  • A Hispanic family is a close-knit group and the most important social unit. Extended families are considered a part of the actual family unit.
  • Hispanic communities follow specific codes of conduct when socializing. For example, the men greet each other with a firm handshake, and the women greet each other with a hug and a peck on the cheeks.
  • Hispanics usually place great value on looks and appearance as a sense of honor, dignity, and pride. Therefore, formal attire is commonly worn by Hispanics to church, parties, social gatherings, and work.
  • Lunch is usually the main meal for Spanish speakers, sometimes followed by a siesta (a short nap taken in the early afternoon).
  • Preserving their language is of utmost importance to the Hispanics.
  • Sept 15 was chosen as the starting point for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month because it is the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16th and 18th.
  • The United States government first adopted the term "Hispanic" in the early 1970s. It has been used in the U.S. Census since 1980.
  • The projected Hispanic population of the United States on Jul 1, 2050, will be 132.8 million. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 30 % of the nation's population by that date.
  • There are 1.1 million Hispanic veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
Positive Education Webinar
October 5 at 10:45 A.M.

Dr. Marty Seligman, '60, will be on campus as a guest speaker for a positive education webinar.

Dr. Seligman is the Director of the Penn Positive Psychology Center and Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology in the Penn Department of Psychology. He is a leading authority in Positive Psychology, resilience, learned helplessness, depression, optimism, and pessimism. He is also a recognized authority on interventions that prevent depression and build strengths and well-being. He has written more than 350 scholarly publications and 30 books.

Parents are invited to join the webinar on October 5 at 10:45 a.m.
Please click here to join.
Asked and Answered

The Office of Admissions is excited to host Asked & Answered Information Sessions! These sessions are a great way for prospective families to learn about our school as they consider their options for the 2022-23 school year. Please tell your friends and neighbors about these sessions and encourage them to RSVP! The next Asked & Answered session will be on Wednesday, October 6th at 3 p.m. in the Trustees Room. Questions? Contact Shellie Carr at carrs@albanyacademies.org or 518-429-2348.
A Glimpse Into Our Classrooms
In recognition of Spanish Heritage Month, Señora de Rosier's 5th grade class researched individuals from Spanish-speaking countries who have contributed to the world in the form of sports, arts, science or literature. Some of the highlights included musical artists Shakira, Camila Cabello y Carlos Santana and soccer giants Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. 
Upper School Dance for Performance class has begun working on choreography for The Albany Academies Winter Wassail; focusing on precision and expression.
Students in Ms. DeGeorgia's Grade 8 Spanish class explored the history, meanings, and protocols of flags from various Spanish speaking countries. 
The 6th grade artists are in full swing! This week we are learning about positive and negative space and making drawings to prepare for a cardboard sculpture project starting next week. The students will use the color and composition from the final drawings to inspire a three-dimensional version.
Students in Preschool are working on number recognition through their apple themed unit this week!
AAG fourth graders are learning USA geography. 
The PreK boys have been working on friendship and their cooperative play skills. They have been working hard on getting to know one another, sharing, coming up with solutions to their problems during play, and working together. 
ECA Visual Art students were all in for their first art project. After reading I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by, Karen Beaumont, students painted their hand just like the little boy did in the book. They made a print of their hand on paper and the next time they came to class they created a cut out their hand, added fun facial features and created a background. The works of art will be added to a large mural that that ECA, Lower, and Middle school students are participating in. Stay tuned!! 
AAG Grade 5 English students taking advantage of some beautiful days outside to practice writing narrative stories.
Athletics
The AA varsity golf team won the Colonial Council Championship last Friday at Capital Hills Golf Course. Their team score of 312 was 21 strokes better than second place Ichabod Crane.  Four Academy golfers finished in the top ten earning them spot on the league All Star team. They are Ryan T. '22, James G. '23, Ben H. '22 and Spencer S. '22.  
The AA & AAG Varsity and JV Cross Country teams traveled to RI this past weekend to compete against some of the strongest teams in New England at the Ocean State Invitational. The girls were led by Erin B. '23 with a 4th place finish while the boys were led by Joseph S.'24 in 14th place.
AA Varsity Golf recently celebrated Seniors on Bobby Jones Day. Pictured are Chick L., Ben H., Ryan T., and Spencer S.
Week at a Glance
Monday, October 4
Day 3
Spirit Week - Dress Down Theme: Academies' Spirit Wear and School Colors
8:15am Boston University (Rep: Duffy Moran)
9:00am State University of New York at New Paltz (Rep: Joe Gordon)
9:30am Wake Forest University (Rep: Morgan Wehrkamp)
10:15am Marist College (Rep: Chris Doyle)
12:00pm AA Middle School Chapel
2:20pm Upper School Assembly

Tuesday, October 5
Day 4
Spirit Week - Wear Pink! For Breast Cancer Awareness Week
10:45am "Thriving" Webinar with guest speaker Dr. Martin Seligman '60
12:15pm Rochester Institute of Technology (Rep: Mark Emblidge)
12:45pm Case Western Reserve University (Rep: Matt Davison)
1:30pm University of New Hampshire-Main Campus (Rep: Nhien Quach)
1:45pm Northeastern University (Rep: Clair Pettit)

Wednesday, October 6
Day 5
Spirit Week - Shark Day! Dress like a shark (or your favorite animal)
8:15am AAG Lower School Assembly (Zoom)
12pm AAG Middle School Assembly
3:00pm Admissions Event - Asked & Answered (AA Trustees Room)

Thursday, October 7
Day 6
Spirit Week - Sports Day! - Wear you favorite team's jersey or apparel
8:15am AA Lower School Chapel (Zoom)
8:15am Brandeis University (Rep: Jing Zhang-Benavot)
10:00am Skidmore College (Rep: Gabrielle Vuillaume)

Friday, October 8
Bacon Bat & House Day
4:30pm AAG Varsity Soccer Game

Saturday, October 9
9am Flag Football Game (AAG Soccer Field)
10:00 AA Varsity Soccer Game
12:30pm Homecoming Cookout
2:00pm Caird Classic Football Game
7pm - 9pm Upper School Homecoming Dance
Looking Ahead
October 11 Indigenous Peoples Day/Columbus Day (School Closed)
October 12 School Pictures Make-up Day
October 13 PSATs
October 22 Fall Community Service Day
October 24 College Counseling Apps & Pizza
October 29 Lower School Halloween Celebration
November 2 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum
November 2 Parent/Student - Teacher Conferences (No Classes)
November 11 Veterans Day (School Closed)
November 12 Professional Development Day (No Classes)
November 5 - 6 Fall Production: Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
November 23 Thanksgiving Feast