April 10 district updates

  • Posted April 10, 2020
Pre-K students working on a project at TOAST

Elementary lottery, registration updates

The City School District of Albany has updated the timelines for elementary lottery and registration dates this spring due to the school closure. These updates affect the magnet and 4-year-old prekindergarten lottery and registration, kindergarten registration, and the 3-year-old prekindergarten lottery and registration.

Magnet and 4-year-old prekindergarten lottery updates

  • April 27 – Both lotteries will be conducted remotely
  • May 4-14 – Registration for magnet and 4-year-old pre-K seats

Kindergarten registration update

  • May 27-June 5 – Kindergarten registration 

3-year-old prekindergarten lottery update

  • May 4-22 – Lottery applications available
  • June 3 – Lottery
  • June 8 – Registration for 3-year-old pre-K seats 

We will have more information about the registration process for each of these areas. Please stay tuned for details. 

Tips for PBIS continuity at home

Our schools use Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to help emphasize desired behaviors each day at school. In our new online teaching and learning environment through Google Classroom, our teachers have started to use a virtual version of PBIS when working with students online. 

Our goal is to try and maintain consistency and a familiar structure while we work together through these uncertain times. 

Schools teach these expectations throughout the school year and provide positive feedback when they see these behaviors in action. You might consider making your own PBIS matrix for behaviors you want to encourage at home. You can download our PBIS Home Matrix to serve as a guide.

Night School online learning begins Monday

Starting on Monday, Albany High School Night School students will continue their studies using our Apex Online Learning Program. 

Each student will be assigned to a teacher to monitor their progress. Night School teachers will be available Monday-Thursday from 3-5 p.m., to assist students via Google Classroom and email. In addition, teaching assistants will be available for support from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. 
 
Night School coordinators: Monday-Thursday from 3-5 p.m.

Night School teachers: Monday-Thursday from 3-5 p.m.

Teaching assistants: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily

Digital resources on the website include the following: 

Each Night School student will receive a call Monday night from one of the coordinators to see if you have any questions. If you do not receive a call, please call Greg Baker after Monday night at (518) 475-6416 or email him or Lindsey Simmons to ensure we have your correct contact information. 

Spring Recess reminder

A reminder for students and families that each day next week (April 13-17) will be scheduled days of instruction in alignment with Governor Cuomo’s executive order closing all New York schools through April 29 due to COVID-19.
 
Students should plan to follow their regular Google Classroom schedule for instruction and academic support on each of those days.

Limited elementary academic resources still available

While we distributed the majority of our print elementary materials this, a limited supply will still be available next week at Schuyler Achievement Academy and Tony Clement Center for Education. 

The print resources include ELA and Math materials for K-5 students, Science materials for K-3 students and materials for prekindergarten students. 

We have been distributing these materials to support students and families who do not have computer access at home. They will be available at Clement and Schuyler next week from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., daily until all supplies have been distributed. 

Meal program update

The district served nearly 9,000 meals Friday (breakfast and lunch for both weekend days) and now has served approximately 65,000 total meals since the school closure began. We also are anticipating another expansion of our meal delivery service next week to allow us to serve even more families. 

Thank you to everyone who is making this outstanding level of service available to our families!

As a reminder, we have seven school locations for our “grab and go” meal pickup service in addition to our daily deliveries. These school sites are open each weekday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.:

  • Albany High School (Washington Avenue entrance), 700 Washington Ave.
  • Albany School of Humanities (ASH), 108 Whitehall Road
  • Arbor Hill Elementary School, 1 Arbor Drive
  • Giffen Memorial Elementary School, 274 South Pearl St.
  • Schuyler Achievement Academy, 676 Clinton Ave.
  • Tony Clement Center for Education, 395 Elk St.
  • William S. Hackett Middle School, 45 Delaware Ave.

Chromebook distribution

We are continuing the process of distributing Chromebooks to students and families through the schools. Each school has been provided with a list of its families that have requested a device and is reaching out directly to those families to schedule a time for pickup at school. 

Families can help us in this process in two ways. When you talk with your child’s teacher, please let them know that you have a need for computer access at home. Your teacher will help gather the necessary information. Families also can call their child’s school and leave a message with the following information:

  • Student name
  • Student grade
  • Student ID number (if available)

Following this process will help us meet the needs as efficiently as possible moving forward.

Technical support for students and families

The City School District of Albany’s Technology Help Desk is available to assist students and families with issues related to connecting a Chromebook to wireless access points, or with student login to the Chromebooks or the Clever suite of applications.

You can reach the Technology Help Desk from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each weekday at (518) 475-6195. 

Please note that the Help Desk cannot assist with matters related to use, content or activities within any of the district instructional applications or Google Classroom. Questions regarding the use of Google Classroom, instructional resources, learning tasks or expectations related to instructional content should be directed to each student’s teacher or principal. 

You also can find instructions and other helpful Google Classroom guidance in our online instruction section.

Free WiFi opportunities

We would like to provide these reminders about WiFi access for Albany families.

  • The City of Albany has partnered with FirstLight Fiber to offer Albany FreeNet, a free high-speed WiFi service. Any WiFi-enabled device – laptops, smart phones, PDAs, etc. – can connect to the network wirelessly wherever there is coverage. For more information, including a coverage map, you can visit http://albanyfreenet.net/.
  • WiFi at all Albany Public Library branches and two city parks (near Lincoln Park pool and Washington Park playhouse and skate park) remain turned on, so you can access them if you are in close proximity to those locations.
  • Spectrum is offering free Internet access to Capital Region households during the COVID-19 closure. The 60-day offer includes free WiFi access and is only available to households that aren't already Spectrum customers. Other restrictions may apply. Call 844-488-8395 to enroll. Installation fees are also being waived.
    • Spectrum also has an online map to help you find free WiFi locations nearest to you. 

Health insurance assistance

NY State of Health is committed to ensuring access to affordable, quality health insurance for all New Yorkers so they can get the care they need during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Many New Yorkers are likely to be eligible for health coverage with financial assistance through NY State of Health due to their loss of coverage and income. NY State of Health opened a Special Enrollment Period last month to provide a safety net for people who are uninsured in difficult times like this. 

You can apply for health insurance immediately through NY State of Health. If you lost employer coverage, you must apply within 60 days of losing that coverage. 

Because of a loss of income, New Yorkers may also be eligible for Medicaid, the Essential Plan, Child Health Plus or subsidized Qualified Health Plan coverage. 

Visit NY State of Health online for more information. You also can contact the Marketplace directly at (518) 486-9102 or NYSOH@health.ny.gov.

Be counted for Albany in the 2020 Census – from home!

This is an important reminder that in spite of the closures and significant precautions in place due to COVID-19, the 2020 U.S. Census is underway. The Census Bureau is carefully monitoring the situation and follows the guidance of federal, state and local health authorities.

The most important thing you can do is respond online, by phone, or by mail when you receive your invitation. Responding now will minimize the need for Census Bureau workers to be out in communities following up. Help your community – and help the Census Bureau adhere to social-distancing guidelines – by responding online to the 2020 Census. Do your part. Stay home. Get counted.

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.

YMCA childcare partnership

The district is partnering with the YMCA to offer childcare services for health and emergency-response personnel. The YMCA is administering and staffing the program, which operates from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily at the following six schools:

  • Arbor Hill Elementary School, 1 Arbor Drive
  • Eagle Point Elementary School, 1044 Western Ave.
  • Giffen Memorial Elementary School, 274 South Pearl St.
  • New Scotland Elementary School, 369 New Scotland Ave.
  • Schuyler Achievement Academy, 676 Clinton Ave.
  • Sheridan Preparatory Academy, 400 Sheridan Ave.

The program has a limited capacity, with a maximum of 30 children per school (three classrooms with 10 children). The YMCA is staffing each room with two employees.

Online registration is available. Health and emergency personnel needing childcare are also welcome to call the YMCA at (518) 869-3500.

Picking up medications at school

In the event of an emergency, parents and guardians who need to pick up medication that is currently stored at school can contact Health Services Coordinator Suzanne McCarthy to schedule a time to pick up the medication.

Parents and guardians can contact the health services coordinator at (518) 475-6730 or smccarthy@albany.k12.ny.us. They should be sure to include their child’s name and school, and the best phone number where they can be reached. The health services coordinator will contact them to make arrangements to pick up medications.

National Grid assistance

National Grid has put a number of practices in place to assist families and lessen financial hardships during the COVID-19 crisis. These practices will remain in place until at least the end of April. They include the suspension of collections-related activities and service disconnections, more flexible billing and payment options and crisis intervention support for customers in need. 

Visit National Grid’s COVID-19 Information section for more information and ongoing updates.