Contract for Excellence meeting Thursday

City School District of Albany families and community members will have the opportunity to comment on the district's 2018-19 Contract for Excellence plan in writing and at an upcoming meeting.

 

The meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13 at Edmund J. O'Neal Middle School of Excellence, 50 N. Lark St. (MORE)

 

Spa pampering available Saturday

Block out time next Saturday to give yourself or a loved one the gift of high-end holiday pampering at an affordable price.

 

The Cosmetology Department at Albany High School’s Abrookin Career and Technical Center will host a Winter Wonderland Spa Day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 15 at Abrookin, located at 99 Kent St. (two blocks north of Albany High School). (MORE)

 

Literacy training in January

Share your love of reading and become a literacy tutor in the City School District of Albany!

 

The district will offer free training for the Oasis Tutoring Program on Saturday, Jan. 26 from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Harriet Gibbons Student Services Center, 75 Watervliet Ave. (MORE)

 

Hackett chills with therapy dog

William S. Hackett Middle School choral students rehearsing Friday for their winter concert next week showed no signs of the jitters, thanks in part to the presence of one Stella Louise McWrinkleson.

 

Stella, a 2-year old bloodhound, is a certified therapy dog belonging to Hackett and music teacher Frances DelSignore. (MORE)

 

Fall scholar-athletes named

More than 100 members of Albany High School’s fall varsity athletic teams have earned scholar-athlete recognition from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. The student-athletes each maintained an academic average of 90 or higher during the first marking period this school year.

 

More than 55 percent of the City School District of Albany's fall athletes earned grade point averages above 90. The girls’ tennis team had the most players (77.8 percent) with grade point averages higher than 90 (MORE).

 

Catch a winter concert (or several!)

Get into the spirit of the season and hear some great music at winter concerts in the City School District of Albany.

 

The school concert season officially starts at 7 p.m. Monday, when New Scotland Elementary School will hold its holiday concert at William S. Hackett Middle School. (MORE)

 

Community + generosity = coats for kids

It's a good day when you get to pick out a new winter coat and a great day when your best friend can choose the same one.

 

That was the case on Nov. 26 at Schuyler Achievement Academy for third-graders Tionna Vaughan and Jaliah Haynes, who received winter finery thanks to the 2018 Cash for Coats drive.

 

The girls’ brand-new coats were among more than 600 donated to four City School District of Albany schools (along with over 3,000 hats, scarves and pairs of gloves). (MORE)

 

Winter weather reminders

With wintry weather in the forecast once again, the City School District of Albany offers a variety of ways for families to keep up to date on potential school delays or closings. Please visit our District News section for more information. 

 

Fall newsletter available now

The fall edition of the City School District of Albany's quarterly newsletter “Capital Education” is available online now.

 

Print copies also have been mailed to all city residents.

 

Board approves middle-school plan

The City School District of Albany Board of Education has approved converting North Albany Academy to a middle school that would open in 2023, paving the way for a May 2019 public referendum on a plan that would not raise school property taxes.

 

The board’s action followed a three-year planning process that included input from families, community members and district staff. The resulting project would be financed entirely with savings in the district’s Capital Reserve Fund and state building aid. (MORE)

 

State test scores continue to rise

The City School District of Albany made across-the-board gains in New York State tests that measure proficiency in English language arts and math.

 

The State Education Department’s report from the spring 2018 round of tests for students in grades 3-8 found that, overall, 23 percent were at or above grade level in English language arts (ELA) and 17 percent were at or above grade level in math.

 

That is an increase of 4 percentage points in ELA and 2 percentage points in math from last year. (MORE)

 

Building leadership capacity

In the City School District of Albany, building leadership capacity and increasing accountability is one of our primary goals to help all of our students succeed.

 

On Oct. 23, Delaware Community School Principal Kenneth Lein, Ed.D., presented at a national conference in Dallas on exactly how that has happened in his building. 

 

This video showcases Dr. Lein and members of Delaware’s behavior and building leadership teams discussing how their collective actions have created a positive shift in their school’s atmosphere, which directly supports increased student success.

 

Albany High musicians

chosen for local, state festivals

Bravo! Eight Albany High School virtuosos represented their school Nov. 17 at the Area All-State Music Festival of the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA).

 

And one was selected from among thousands across New York to participate in a statewide ensemble in December. (MORE)

 

District playgroup targets tiny learners

The youngest future Falcons in the City School District of Albany enrolled in their first-ever class Tuesday. It’s called “Play, Learn, Soar,” and it’s a brand new early education program offered to infants and children up to age 3 at Arbor Hill Elementary School.

 

“I want them to make friends and be comfortable with other people,” said Elaine Evans, who attended with her 8- and 19-month-olds. “Then they won’t be nervous when they start school.” (MORE)

 

FirstView bus-tracking app available

First Student Inc., the City School District of Albany’s transportation partner, has launched its bus-tracking communications app, FirstView, for the 2018-19 school year.

 

FirstView allows you use your smartphone or desktop to track the location and direction of your student’s bus, your student's stop schedule for the current day, and times for school arrivals and departures. You’ll know when the bus gets to school in the morning and leaves in the afternoon. Please visit our District News section to read more.

 

Our goals in our voices

To help highlight some of the primary areas of focus in our district priorities for this school year and beyond, we have produced a series of videos to start the school year. In addition to Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams, these videos also feature the voices of individuals ­– students, staff and community partners – speaking on the topics of school and community safety, student attendance, positive student engagement and the importance of community partnerships. (MORE)

 

High-school equivalency

test prep classes available

Spread the word: The City School District of Albany offers classes to help people aged 21 and over prepare for the New York State high-school equivalency exam.

 

Test prep classes are held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at Tony Clement Center for Education, 395 Elk St. (MORE) 

 

2018-19 Code of Conduct

The 2018-19 edition of the Student Code of Conduct is available here. The booklet also was mailed to all City School District of Albany families in August.

 

Please take some time to review the code with your children.

 

Feel free to contact the Office of Pupil Personnel Services with any questions at (518) 475-6130.