The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers.
April 2, 2021
The Skim

  • April 2 CDC COVID Transmission Risk Levels
  • Transportation Reminder
  • Voluntary Student COVID-Surveillance Testing, Week of April 4
  • High School Regional Art Show
  • Virtual Wax Museum
  • ESU Shakespeare Competition
  • Spring Gathering
  • Summer Camp Registration
  • Alumna in the News
Dear Friends,

I hope you are enjoying the long weekend. Happy Easter to those who celebrate it!

While short, it was a great week to be back at school. Highlights for me were more students on campus and parents returning to our fields to watch their children compete (albeit masked and in limited, socially-distanced numbers).

We also continued planning for the end of the school year, intending to return to in-person celebrations of student milestones, including graduation and moving-up ceremonies. These plans are informed by our school reopening frameworks for 2021-2022, which were drafted over the break. 

We will share these plans in the coming weeks. They assume a return to a less constrained operating mode that allows more of our attention and energy to be focused on our educational program while remaining vigilant about public health concerns. 

This assumption is based on very hopeful vaccination trends. Most notably, New York’s widening of eligibility in response to increased supply, new data on safety and effectiveness, particularly with adolescents (individuals 16 and older become vaccine eligible on April 6), and an increase in the weekly rate of vaccinations.

Earlier this week we also updated you on NY’s new travel advisory, which was officially posted yesterday, and sent a reminder about our temporary learning policy’s reinforcement on April 5th.

All of this is excellent news. 

Unfortunately, I feel the need to end with a reminder that the pandemic is not yet over. While I don’t have a sense of “impending doom,” I do remain uneasy about regional positivity rates, which have plateaued at a relatively high level and are beginning to inch upward. If they stay there, we are likely to keep experiencing sporadic infections and quarantining in our community for the rest of the school year.

This is within our control. I know we want to unmask and get closer to each other, but we need to resist the pull towards a sense of normalcy just a little bit longer, as the next few weeks will be a critical step towards actually getting there as quickly as possible.

Let’s work together to make it the last step.

Sincerely,
Transportation Reminder

The school districts listed below will not provide transportation to our students from Tuesday, April 6 through Friday, April 9 due to District Spring Break Schedule. 

 
Home Districts
Bethlehem Central School District
Chatham Central School District
Coxsackie-Athens Central School District
Duanesburg Central School District
East Greenbush Central School District
Guilderland Central School District
Hoosick Valley Central School District
Menands Union Free School District
Mohonasen Central School District
Niskayuna Central School District
North Colonie Central School District
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District
Rensselaer Central School District
Schenectady Central School District
Schodack Central School District
Shenendehowa Central School District
South Colonie Central School District
Troy Central School District
Voorheesville Central School District
Wynanstkill Union Free School District
 
This information was sent to families during the summer months from their home school district; however, The Albany Academies felt a reminder was a good idea. Students residing in these districts and rely on district transportation will need to find another form of transportation to and from school as their home districts will not be in operation.
Voluntary Student COVID-Surveillance Testing, Week of April 4

Voluntary Surveillance COVID testing will be offered for the next two weeks and then discontinued unless needed as an additional mitigation strategy.

Due to the relatively small number of participants, we are transitioning to the Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen test. This test requires sampling with a nasal swab administered by trained personnel. The test must be completed on-site.

  • Testing for girls will be on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, from noon - 4 p.m. in the AAG Nurses Office.
  • Testing for boys will be on Thursday, April 8, 2021, from noon- 4 p.m. in the AA Nurses Office.
  • If you would like to participate in you must sign up at:


  • The sign-up deadline is Monday, April 5, at 5 p.m. 
  • The cost is $15 per student.
  • A revised consent form will be emailed to those who sign up, which must be returned prior to testing.
  • Results will be available on the day of testing

Questions? Please contact Pam MacAffer at macafferp@albanyacadmies.org
High School Regional Art Show

This week Finn de Rosier and Megan Wilson won awards at the High School Regional Art Show at Albany Center Gallery. Finn's piece Sore won the Juror's Choice award, and Megan's piece A Man Exhibiting Such Behavior won the Equity Award. 
Virtual Wax Museum

Albany Academy for Girls 3rd grade class has been busy researching historical figures from the colonial days in America. On March 31 they became that historical figure in a mock wax museum presentation. It was amazing to watch each girl bring to life these brave and important people and the impact they left on American history. Each student was filmed, and a video presentation will be shared from the class very soon. Congratulations AAG Grade 3 on a job well done!
ESU Shakespeare Competition

Congratulation to Epiphany D. ‘22 who placed 2nd overall in the Regional competition of the ESU Shakespeare competition.

Her performance of her monologue and sonnet can be seen here: 
Don't Forget to Order Lunch!

In-person learners should order lunch ASAP using the FLIK Dining App. This will give Chef Derek and Chef Adam time to order the proper amount of food to prepare. Unfortunately, when student lunch orders are not placed on time, it can cause a shortage of food options and a delay in lunch service.

Orders should be placed by parents of students in Lower School and Middle School. Parents of Upper School students: please remind your child to place their order.
Tickets for the virtual Spring Gathering are on sale now! With every ticket purchased, you receive a special edition Spring Gathering 2021 t-shirt mailed right to your home (Thank you to Kaari Stannard P' 20, '23 for underwriting these shirts). An Invitation will be arriving in your mailbox this week, so please watch for it.

Spring Gathering directly benefits merit scholarships and financial aid at The Albany Academies, and we need your help to continue to support these crucial programs. To buy your tickets or join the Honorary Committee, please visit https://SG2021.givesmart.com. 
Summer Camp Registration

Summer Camp registration is now open! The Albany Academies offer several camps for children entering Pre-K through Grade Ten. Please see our website for more information about our highly popular LEAP Camp, Little Leap, Jr Leap, Classic Day Camp, Sports Camp, Theater Camp, Rocketry Camp, Science Academy, and Leadership & Life Skills Program. Join us for a week, a two-week session, or the whole summer! All camps include lunch and snacks.

If you have questions, please contact Karin Epstein, Director of Summer Programs, at 518-429-2332, epsteink@albanyacademies.org
Alumna in the News

Albany Academy for Girls alumna Missy Schwartz Chen ’89 was recently featured in a CBS This Morning story on The Nocturnists, a group of health care workers who have come together to share stories, experiences, and emotions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. As an ICU nurse in San Francisco, Missy was one of several people who shared their efforts to document the pandemic and why doing so is important. You can see the CBS clip here.