Hello!
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and had time to get some rest.
January is passing very quickly, and I anticipate the remainder of the school year will as well! As we have entered the final week of the second marking period, please confirm with your children that all assignments, including any missed work during absences, have been handed in. Grades for the second quarter officially will close this Friday.
The Winter NWEA Math assessment period will continue through this week and is expected to conclude Friday.
The musical and comedic talents of music teachers from across the City School District of Albany were on full display during last week's Music Teacher Concert, which helped raise money to benefit Albany Friends of Music, a nonprofit group of parents, teachers and music lovers who support music programs and initiatives in our schools. This year’s concert also was dedicated to the memory of longtime district music teacher Minitria Slade, who passed away last month, and the show opened with two heartfelt performances honoring her life. If you missed the performance, please visit our Facebook page to see photos, and check out the full show on our district Facebook page or YouTube channel!
Please note, there will be no school this Wednesday, Jan. 29, due to the Lunar New Year observance, which is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, South Korea and Vietnam, as well as countries with a large Chinese population.
This week's Friday Fun Day theme will be "College Day." We will represent our favorite college or college team by wearing our favorite sweatshirt or tshirt! We look forward to celebrating each Friday in a different way in order to add a little fun to our day and show our school spirit. This is a great way to build healthy relationships and look forward to the weekend.
There are less than three months remaining until we begin a heavy dose of testing, including the 2025 New York State Assessments, Regents and Spring NWEA. All state assessments (ELA, Math and Reading) will be taken via the computer. A key component of Computer Based Testing (CBT) is to implement a simulation (practice) assessment in order to ensure that each school can meet the technical requirements, as well as to allow all teachers time to review with their students the online tools afforded to all students at the time of testing. The practice for Hackett will be held this Thursday during first period.
As a final note, Hackett continues its Fire Drill Emergency Response Procedures. Holding practice fire drills as well as lockdown drills is crucial to our overall emergency planning. We will continue to conduct planned drills throughout the school year.
... and that was the week that was!
Now for our 'Don't Snooze and Lose News'
-
Our next PTA meeting will be held Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in Room 112. For those employees, parents and guardians who are unable to attend the meeting in-person, you may join virtually by using this Google meet link.
-
Our second round of Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place Thursday, Feb. 6 from 4-7 p.m., and Friday, Feb. 7 from noon-3 p.m..
-
Winter Recess will take place from Monday, Feb. 17 (Presidents Day) through Friday, Feb. 21, with classes resuming on Monday, Feb. 24.
- 2025 New York State Assessments are scheduled as follows:
- ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS -- April 8-11
- NYSESLAT Speaking Test -- April 21-25
- MATHEMATICS -- April 29-May 2
- NYSESLAT Listening, Reading, Writing -- May 12-22
- SCIENCE Written Test -- May 13
- SCIENCE Written Test Make-ups -- May 14-16
Important reminders
- Extended Day Program applications are available at the attendance desk in the main foyer. Programs include swimming, cooking, judo, cosmetology, dance, arts and crafts, yearbook and more! The after-school program takes place Monday through Thursday from 3-5:15 p.m. and includes a free snack and free door-to-door transportation home. Completed forms should be returned to the guidance office, and any specific questions should be directed to Ms. Lewis at dlewis2@albany.k12.ny.us. The program will run through June 13,
- Speed cameras are up and running, and $50 fines are being imposed on drivers exceeding the 20-mph school zone speed limit on Delaware Avenue and in several other school zones throughout the city. Please drive safely and avoid these fines by being mindful of the school zone on your daily route. You can visit our website to read more from earlier this school when the city launched the school speed zone safety program.
Hackett corner quotes
"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." – Confucius
