The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers.
August 20, 2021
The Skim

  • August 20 CDC Risk Assessment for Schools in Albany County
  • What is Head Lines?
  • Save the Date: Student Sample Collection for Mandatory COVID Screening Testing on August 31
  • 2021 Reopening Plan
  • Summary of 2021-2022 Reopening Plan
  • Transportation Survey for Saratoga County and Cobleskill Students
  • Extended Day Registration
  • Student Supply Lists
  • New Parent Gathering
  • New Professional Community Members
  • Host Families for Hockey Players Needed
  • Admissions Asked & Answered Session
  • Legacy of Dreams
Dear Friends,

Welcome back to Head Lines for the Academic Year 2021-2022!

I have to admit that when we closed the school in June, I hoped I was done sending out information about COVID mitigation and that we would be returning to a more typical year. But, unfortunately, the virus’s Delta variant has brought a resurgence of COVID infections and upended this expectation.

As we have for the last two years, we have readjusted to this unwanted development and are refining our reopening plan to meet this new challenge. I have included a summary of this plan below and provided a link to a working draft that will allow you to review and comment on it. 

When redrafting our plan, we continuously returned to two guiding principles:

1) What is in the best interest of our community, starting with our students? “Doing the right thing” while delivering our mission at the highest possible level is always one of our primary goals. Specific to COVID, as we enter our third year of managing it, we are determined to live with it as safely as possible while reclaiming as much of the meaning and joy of the Albany Academies’ experience as possible.

2) What does the data suggest? As educators charged with running a learning organization, we are trained to seek empirical truth. We will use this mindset to constantly adjust our COVID policies and procedures to the best available information.

To this last point, we have decided to do a COVID screening test for all community members before school starts, based on the current transmission risk level and the relatively new development that vaccinated individuals can carry and transmit the Delta variant. More information is below, and we will send additional details next week.

In closing, please know that we are excited to get going again! Despite any challenges we may face, we are determined to make 2021-2022 an incredible year of growth and learning for our students.

Until then, I hope you continue to enjoy the last bits of summer.

Warmly,
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.
What is Head Lines?

Head Lines is published every Friday during the school year and sent to the email addresses in Blackbaud, the school’s information system. If necessary, please be sure to adjust the settings on your email client to ensure that it winds up in your inbox.

The purpose of Head Lines is to provide a single, curated source of information about what is happening at The Albany Academies. As it is developed in my office, it tends to provide a high-level overview of our policies, practices, and philosophy across both campuses and all divisions. It also features upcoming events and opportunities and celebrates the accomplishments of our students and professional community. 

Head Lines is complemented by a Weekly Update email sent from Dr. Milliken, our Chief Academic Officer. Weekly Update tends to be more tactical and includes a calendar of events and any immediate and crucial information needed for the week ahead. It is sent on Wednesdays until school begins and then switches to a Sunday publication.

The Albany Academies are a dynamic place, and our goal is to give you the information you need to get the most out of it without overloading you. With this in mind, both emails are written so that you can review them quickly and focus on the information that may be important to you.
Save the Date: Student Sample Collection for Mandatory COVID Screening Testing on August 31

We will be COVID screening all students and employees regardless of vaccination status before we start school. This decision was based on the current transmission risk level, and the relatively new development that vaccinated individuals can still carry and transmit the Delta variant. 

As you probably see in the news, many schools in other regions of the country are starting up and then promptly having to quarantine large numbers of their students and staff. We would like to try to avoid this by screening for any infected individuals before we reopen. 

Screening is free of charge. However, to be effective, we require all members of the community to participate. 

As we did last year, we are using a vendor to conduct pooled PCR testing on self-collected nasal samples. More detailed information will be forthcoming, but for now, please note that we are running a sample collection day on August 31, 2021. This will involve coming to school to drop off a self-collected sample on that day. Kindly let us know of any logistical concerns that you may have by sending an email to reidm@albanyacademies.org
2021-2022 Reopening Plan

As we did last year, we are sharing a working draft of our 2021-2022 Reopening Plan on Google Docs. For ease of review, I have also pasted the summary of the plan below.


I encourage you to read this draft and offer any feedback by using 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 refine the plan.
Summary of the 2021-2022 Reopening Plan

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

Cohorts. 

  • Students in the Lower School will remain in the same cohort configurations that were developed last year.
  • Students in Middle School and Upper School will return to groupings driven by academic scheduling.
  • In the case of substantial or high transmission risk, the school may further limit the number of students, teachers, and staff who come in contact with one another.
  • Divisions (lower, middle, and upper schools) will continue to be kept separate when practicable.

Cleaning and Sanitizing. 

  • Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cleaning once a day is sufficient to remove potential viruses on surfaces.
  • Our professional cleaning vendor follows all CDC protocols for the daily cleaning of our buildings.
  • The vendor and our maintenance staff have also been trained on how to clean and disinfect spaces that have been occupied by individuals who tested positive for COVID-19.

Daily Symptom Monitoring.

  • Each morning, families should check their students for symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19.
  • If students are symptomatic, they should not come to school.
  • Families should contact their healthcare provider to discuss the symptoms and determine a diagnosis for them.
  • If a student develops symptoms during the day, they should consult with the school nurse. 
  • All individuals with symptoms indicative of the COVID-19 virus will be excluded from school and required to show proof of a negative molecular test (PCR or other NAAT test) for the virus before returning.

Face Coverings. 
 
  • All individuals over the age of two on The Albany Academies campus must wear a mask indoors in public or shared spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Masks may be removed briefly for consuming food or beverages as long as individuals follow social distancing guidelines.
  • Individuals are not required to wear masks outdoors but may continue to do so if they wish.

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.

Physical Distancing.
 
  • Classroom spaces will be configured to maintain three (3) feet between students during normal activities.
  • Six feet is required between adults (teachers, staff, visitors) and between students and adults. 
  • Six feet and/or barriers will be required when eating meals or snacks or drinking, or other times masks must be removed.
  • Individuals participating in activities requiring projecting the voice (e.g., singing) or playing a wind instrument must be six feet apart. In addition, there must be six feet of distance between the performers and the audience during performances and concerts.
  • Where possible, six feet will be maintained in common areas and outside of classrooms (e.g. lobbies, auditoriums, gymnasiums, cafeterias, and hallways). 

Remote Learning Options.

  • In keeping with our primary goal of returning to in-person learning, remote options will be minimal this year. 
  • The school will develop individualized learning support plans only for students with physician-verified medical vulnerabilities that put them at higher risk for bad outcomes to COVID exposure AND are not eligible for or cannot medically tolerate COVID-19 vaccination. 
  • A temporary remote learning option will be available in the event of school closure due to COVID concerns. 
  • Temporary remote learning will remain available to support students who might be ordered to quarantine until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approves the use of COVID vaccinations. Once this occurs, the school will return to its pre-COVID medical leave policy and support students absent because of COVID either asynchronously or upon returning to school.

Screening Testing.

Screening testing helps determine the prevalence of COVID within a community and identify asymptomatic individuals who might otherwise be transmitting the virus.

  • When the risk of transmission is moderate or above based on CDC benchmarks, the school may choose to conduct periodic screening testing of our on-campus population.
  • The School may also elect to test the entire campus population before restarting school after vacation breaks.
  • The school may also conduct regular surveillance testing of individuals engaged in activities with elevated risk for transmission, such as sports.

Vaccinations.

The school strongly recommends that all eligible individuals receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Per the current CDC guidelines, fully vaccinated individuals:

  • Do not need to be restricted from work or school following exposure as long as they are asymptomatic.
  • Do not need to quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic.
  • May resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel.
  • May refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel. (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States.
  • Do not need to participate in routine screening testing if asymptomatic.

The school also strongly recommends that students verify their vaccination status by updating their records with the Health Office, and employees record their status in the Paycom HR system. Any individual, student or employee, with a confirmed COVID-19 vaccination on file, will not be subject to quarantine if they are asymptomatic. Otherwise, their name is submitted to ACDOH if they have been considered close contact with an infected individual. They will need to quarantine until vaccination status can be confirmed. We also use aggregated data, such as the community’s vaccination rate, to assess potential risks and inform our decisions regarding subsequent mitigation efforts.

Ventilation.

MERV filters have been fitted to the school’s existing HVAC systems. In addition, air exchange fans and air purifiers have been deployed in classrooms and dining areas. A C02 study was conducted in 2021 that indicates sufficient ventilation in each of the school’s classrooms to mitigate the potential spread of airborne COVID-19 particulates.
Transportation Survey for Saratoga County and Cobleskill Students

As we approach the beginning of the new school year, we are trying to gauge the need for private busing. A survey was previously sent to families in Saratoga and Cobleskill. If you live in Saratoga or Cobleskill and haven't yet completed the survey please click here and take a few minutes to complete it. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Conroy at (518) 429-2300 or conroyk@albanyacademies.org.
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.
Student Supply Lists

Upper School

Supply lists for Upper School courses will be posted on individual teacher Blackbaud pages by September 10. If you have specific questions about supplies, please contact Hilary King at kingh@albanyacademies.org

Middle School

Please click on your child's grade level below to view the supply list. Parents are responsible for purchasing supplies. If you have any questions regarding Middle School supplies, please contact Andrea Faragon.


Lower School

Supplies for each student were purchased and will be delivered directly to the classroom. Student accounts are charged for the supplies. No additional supplies are needed. Lower School parents were previously notified about supplies in a letter from Andrea Faragon. If you did not receive the letter, please contact Andrea Faragon.
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.
New Professional Community Members

This week we are welcoming and highlighting four new members of our professional community. Angela Marathakis '99, Jessica Chen P'32 & '33, and Meghan Holdsworth will be joining as members of the Academic Leadership Team. Amy McClain will be joining the Health Office as the AA School Nurse. Next week we will be including a more comprehensive list of all new professional community members.
Angela Marathakis '99, Athletic Director, Albany Academy for Girls. After graduating from Albany Academy for Girls, Angela went on to earn a BS degree in Health Science and Human Performance from Ithaca College, while competing in lacrosse. She then earned a MS in Exercise Science/Kinesiology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Professionally, Angela has held progressively responsible positions in college athletics administration at Austin Peay State University, Providence College, United States Military Academy - West Point, and most recently was Assistant Athletics Director at Colgate University.
Dr. Jessica Chen, International Student Coordinator. Jessica comes to us from the Leland and Gray Union School in Vermont, where she worked for 17 years coordinating the international enrollment program, designing curriculum, coordinating the art and language exchange program and teaching Chinese language. She received her BA in linguistics at the Anglo-Chinese College, a Masters in Elementary Education from the College of St. Joseph, and a Doctor of Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.
Meghan Holdsworth, Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning. In this new position, Meghan will lead our mental health and learning professionals to ensure every student receives the support needed to succeed. Meghan has 10 years of progressive mental health experience in schools, the past 6 years as a lead counselor in Troy. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in English and Education, and a Master's Degree in Counseling, both from Fairfield University. She also holds a Certificate in Advanced Studies in School Counseling from The Sage Colleges.
Amy McClain, RN, AA School Nurse. In addition to being a Registered Nurse, Amy has a certification in Pediatric Advanced Life Saving. For the past eight years, Amy has served as a nurse in the Surgical and Emergency units at St. Peters Health Partners. She earned her Associate's Degree in Nursing from Memorial Hospital School of Nursing and her Bachelor's Degree in Athletic Training from the University of Southern Maine.
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.
Admissions Asked & Answered Session

If you know of a family considering The Albany Academies, please encourage them to attend the next Asked & Answered session on August 25. Families are welcome to contact Director of Admissions Nicholas Forcier at forciern@albanyacademies.org for more information.
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.