Dual Language update (8/17)

Esta es la versión en inglés de esta actualización. También está disponible una versión en español.

Dear Families,

I am so excited to share some updates with you as we are excitedly preparing for the opening of our school! The Albany International Center/Dual Language at Edmund J. O'Neal School of Excellence staff has had a busy summer working to prepare our building and our programs for the start of the school year. We are so excited to welcome students to the new location as we begin the exciting expansion of our Dual Language program.

Please feel free to the Main Office with any questions at 518-475-6600. We also have Spanish-speaking staff in the office to assist those who may need to speak to someone in Spanish.

I hope you are all enjoying your final weeks of summer!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Stead
Principal

School Opening

This year, we will phase in our students with orientation on the following dates:

• Thursday, September 2 - Grades 1-2 only (no school for students in grades 3-5)
• Friday, September 3 - Grades 3-5 only (no school for students in grades 1-2)
• Wednesday, September 8 - First day of school for ALL students, grades PreK through 12.

PreK and Kindergarten Orientations will be scheduled in small groups of students on September 2 & 3; families should watch for a separate email with those times.

For additional important dates during the school year, please see the district calendar for families.

Classroom Teacher Assignments

Classroom teacher assignments will be sent to families during the week of August 23.

COVID Procedures and Protocols

Please see recent information from the district regarding Covid procedures and protocols. The safety of our students and staff continues to be our number one priority as we do the important work of educating your children. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions regarding these procedures.

School Hours and Wrap-around Care

School Hours

Our school hours can be found any time by visiting the "school info and times" section of our Dual Language home page.

Before/After Care

We have heard from many families throughout the summer who have been inquiring about Before Care and After Care, and we understand that being able to provide this service to families is an incredibly important part of our programming. We have been working with one of our community partners to be able to provide this on site, and are currently in the process of finalizing contracts with them as well as permissions from the NYS Office of Children and Family Services. Once all of these are in place - which we anticipate to be soon - we will send more information and registration forms out to families.

What's Happening in the Building

1: PreK Classroom: Ms. Banda-Wemple's PreK classroom is a vibrant place for learning!

2. First Floor Looking Toward 2nd Street: This bright hallway will feature sensory paths on the floor and colorful decals for our youngest learners, as the PreK, Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms are on this floor.

3. Mural in Front Lobby: Muralist Lexi Hannah of the Albany Art Barn is painting a wall in the front lobby. The mural features landscapes of many of the worldwide countries represented by our students and their families. Thank you to the Albany Fund for Education and our PTA who made this beautiful project possible.

Playgrounds

There are two installations of playground equipment being planned prior to the beginning of the school year; one is set to go into the courtyard space on 2nd Street and the other will be in an enclosed space on the 3rd Street side of the building. Additionally, the plan is to block off the street behind the school for recess time for our older elementary students during the school day.

Supply Lists

Supply lists for Dual Language students are available from the link on the Dual Language home page.

Transportation

Dual Language staff has reached out to every family this summer to find out about transportation needs and assist families with filling out the transportation application. You can also  access the online transportation application. As a reminder, per district policy, transportation is not available for pre-K students.

If you need assistance filling out the application, please contact Bilingual Family Engagement Coordinator Elizabeth Burciaga at (518) 779-8817.