April 22 district updates

  • Posted April 22, 2020
TOAST teacher Kewsi Burgess

Kewsi Burgess

Perspectives in Online Learning

Wednesday's installment of Perspectives in Online Learning features a video from Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST sixth-grade teacher -- and Albany High School alum! -- Kewsi Burgess.

Perspectives in Online Learning is a forum we have created to allow teachers and students to share their experiences with virtual teaching and learning. We will highlight a new vignette or video each day while schools are closed due to COVID-19. 

We hope you enjoy hearing the perspectives of your colleagues and our students!

Magnet, prekindergarten lotteries Monday

A reminder that the rescheduled magnet and prekindergarten lotteries will be held together next Monday, April 27. Families whose students are selected for a spot in one of the schools or programs for the 2020-21 school year will receive a letter with more information, including information about how to register.

  • Magnet registration will be from May 4-15
  • Prekindergarten registration will be from May 11-22
    • The 3-year-old pre-K lottery is scheduled for June 3. Applications for that lottery will be available beginning May 4.

COVID-19 testing in Albany

Whitney Young Health Center at 920 Lark Drive is open each weekday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. for COVID-19 testing. Please note that all testing is by appointment only, after being screened for symptoms over the phone. To be screened, please call (518) 465-4771.  

Albany County also is offering COVID-19 testing in Albany by appointment at these locations for the rest of this week: 

  • Thursday, April 23 -- Bleecker Terrace Apartments, North Manning Boulevard, 9 a.m.-noon
  • Friday, April 24 -- Capital South Campus Center, 20 Warren St., noon-4 p.m.

The county will announce new days and times for these locations on a weekly basis. Please visit the county’s website for updates and more information. 

Resources for talking with children about COVID-19

The Pupil Personnel Services Department would like to share the following resources with helpful guidance on talking with children about COVID-19. 

You can find these and additional resources for supporting children, teen-agers and adults in the social-emotional resources section of our COVID-19 Information page. We also have additional information about support resources for staff in the reminders section of this document. 

Telehealth physicals for working papers

For students seeking working papers who have not had a physical exam within the past year, City School District of Albany Medical Director Dr. Laura Staff can provide a telehealth physical to assist students in obtaining the required Physical Fitness Certification. 

Parents and guardians should contact their child’s school counselor for assistance in arranging a date and time for a telehealth appointment with Dr. Staff. For more information about working papers, please visit our Pupil Personnel Services section. 

Office hours for secondary students

You may have noticed in our Google Classroom schedules for middle and high school students that each day includes office hours in specific subject areas. 

Office hours are a regular part of the schedule for college students. We built this concept into our online teaching and learning schedules at the secondary level to provide students with opportunities to ask questions and get extra help outside of the regular instructional periods in each subject.

Students can drop in on office hours during each regularly scheduled time slot simply by logging in to their Google Classroom in each specific subject. 

Meal program updates

The district has served more than 108,500 meals during the school closure and has expanded our meal delivery service again this week to allow us to serve even more families. 

As a reminder, we have seven school locations for our “grab and go” meal pickup service in addition to our 20 daily delivery routes. The 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

The district has distributed nearly 3,300 Chromebooks to students and families and is continuing efforts to meet the needs of families that are without computer access at home. We also are working to obtain and distribute hotspots to help the approximately 550 families we have identified with no Internet connection at home. Both of these processes will continue to be managed through the schools.

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.

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.

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.

Mental health hotline

Along with the impact the COVID-19 outbreak is having on physical health, we can't underestimate the impact this pandemic is having on mental health. 

More than 6,000 mental health professionals have volunteered their time to help with New York’s response to COVID-19. For free emotional support, consultation and referral to a provider, call 1-844-863-9314. 

Domestic violence resources

The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence has a message for victims during these challenging times: You are not alone.

Please call the New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline at 800-942-6906 for information on domestic violence resources in our community. You also can access these resources online.

Mindfulness resources

Whether you're looking for live guided meditations connecting you to others, a quick practice to help you find your ground or a free course on how to meditate, check out these free mindfulness resources to find calm and nourish resilience during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

The state also is partnering with Headspace to provide New Yorkers with free meditation and mindfulness resources. New Yorkers can access a collection of free guided meditations, along with at-home mindfulness exercises and additional resources to help address rising stress and anxiety. 

Calm.com also provides free melodies to invite peace comfort into the mind and heart.