Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School will switch to distance learning for all students through next Tuesday, Oct. 26, out of an abundance of caution due to a high number of COVID-19 cases affecting the building.
Myers currently has 14 active positive COVID-19 cases and another 160 students and employees also in isolation or quarantine as contacts. Due to these elevated numbers, and after consulting with the Albany County Health Department and the City School District of Albany medical director, the district has made the decision for Myers to switch to distance learning to lessen the risk for further transmission.
Principal Rivers instructed students to bring their Chromebooks and chargers home Tuesday afternoon. Students should plan to log in to their Google Classroom each day while on distance learning and continue to follow their regular schedules.
If your child recently turned in a broken Chromebook and was awaiting replacement, or is a new entrant awaiting a Chromebook, please see Home School Coordinator Joe Burke at school Wednesday anytime from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. to pick up your child's device.
All teachers and students regularly use Google Classroom and students can access from home just as they would while in school. However, if your child needs support accessing Google Classroom, please have them sign in here.
COVID-19 testing clinic Friday
Myers will host a COVID-19 testing clinic for our school’s students this Friday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
You must pre-register for this testing clinic.
To register, create your student profiles at app.Clarifi-COVID-19.com. Please note that you can register multiple student profiles under each account.
The district is partnering with Quadrant Biosciences and SUNY Upstate Medical University to use a saliva pool test. This very simple and painless COVID-19 test involves a saliva swab that the student can easily self-administer, as shown in this short video.
Follow these links for more helpful videos:
• How to create a student profile in the web app
• What are the kids saying about the saliva test?
Once all samples have been collected at Myers on Friday, we will send them out to be analyzed. Results will be returned within 24-48 hours and will be available for you to view by logging back into your account at app.Clarifi-COVID-19.com.
This information will help us confirm our current plan to return to in-person instruction on Wednesday, Oct. 27, or determine if additional distance learning days may be needed next week as a continued precaution.
We apologize for any inconvenience these distance learning day may cause for your family. This is a necessary step in our efforts to ensure the health and safety of the entire school community during the pandemic, and we appreciate your cooperation as we continue to respond to the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.
If you have any questions, please contact school at (518) 475-6425.
COVID-19 vaccination clinic Oct. 27
The district also will partner with the Albany County Health Department to hold a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Myers on Wednesday, Oct. 27 from 5-7 p.m.
This clinic will offer the first, second, third (you must meet eligibility requirements) and booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
All eligible individuals age 12 and older may attend. Students age 12-15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian; students age 16-17 must bring a signed consent form from a parent or guardian.
You can visit the health department website for more information about this and other COVID-19 vaccination opportunities the county is hosting.
