NO SCHOOL: Thanksgiving Recess
Third-quarter grading information
Many families have had questions about third-quarter grades. The City School District of Albany has instructed teachers to calculate third-quarter grades from all work submitted through March 13. This was the last day of regular instruction prior to the COVID-19 closing.
Teachers will notify students, parents and guardians of the missing assignments key to the third-quarter grade. Students with missing assignments due on or before March 13 that are key to the quarter’s grade (unit tests, benchmark assessments, final projects) will receive an “Incomplete” for the quarter. These students will have an opportunity to make up this missed work through May 14.
When the work is made up, the “Incomplete” will be changed to the final third-quarter grade.
We will provide information about the fourth-quarter marking period at a later date.
Chromebook distribution to students
The district is preparing to distribute nearly 1,600 Chromebooks to students this week to help families bridge the digital divide during the school closure due to COVID-19.
The district identified these households as a priority during phone calls to approximately 85% of our students last week. This week’s distribution will provide one Chromebook per household to be able to serve as many families as possible.
The district contacted families identified to receive a Chromebook via an automated phone call Tuesday with specific information about picking up their assigned Chromebook.
Once we have completed this week’s initial distribution, we will continue to try to serve the needs of those families who still do not have access to a computer at home. We will have more information about this process later this week or early next.
Non-public transportation deadline extended to April 15
The state has extended the deadline for Albany parents and guardians whose children will attend a non-public school in 2020-21 to submit a written request for transportation to the City School District of Albany until April 15 due to the school closures related to COVID-19.
The purpose of this deadline is to enable districts to budget funds and make necessary arrangements to provide reasonable and economical transportation. This applies to students who will attend private, parochial and charter schools.
Please note that eligible students attending middle school and high school are transported via CDTA buses.
For non-public school students who move into the city after the new April 15 deadline, parents and guardians must submit a written request for transportation within 30 days after establishing residency.
In order to qualify for transportation, students must meet the requirements under the district’s Transportation Policy. Visit our Transportation section for that policy.
Requests should be mailed to:
Inho Suh
Director of Transportation
City School District of Albany
75 Watervliet Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
For more information, contact the Transportation Department at (518) 475-6170.
OCFS childcare survey
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services is asking parents, guardians and caregivers who are in need of childcare to complete a Parent Need for Childcare survey.
Based on the information collected in this survey, OCFS may be able to help families find the childcare program to meet their needs. It may be a challenge to find childcare due to COVID-19-related closures. However, OCFS is trying its best to support families to find high-quality childcare programs.
The OCFS website also has several resources available.
