The following message is from Edmund J. O'Neal Middle School of Excellence Principal David Bernsley:
Dear Families:
Hello, and welcome to the start of a new – and very different – school year at Edmund J. O’Neal Middle School of Excellence. Our return to school will be unlike any we have experienced before due to the continued presence of, and precautions related to, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. However, all of our preparations have focused on health and safety as our top priority, as well as delivery of an academically rigorous educational program whether your students attend in-person or virtually via Google Classroom.
As I’m sure you know, the City School District has been devastated over the last two weeks with the news that the state will be withholding at least 20% of its school funding for districts statewide due to the economic impact of COVID-19. For our school district, that will mean a loss of $20 million or more from our budget for the 2020-21 school year. Due to the uncertainty caused by this massive loss in revenue, we are only able at this time to provide you with schedule information for the first two weeks of the school year. We will provide you with information about the rest of September as soon as it is available.
In spite of these difficult circumstances that COVID-19 has created, all of us at O’Neal are looking forward to welcoming all of our students and having a great year!
Here is the schedule for our middle school students, and parents and guardians, during the first two weeks of school.
All of these sessions will be on Google Meet – please watch our school’s Facebook page (@ONealCSDA), SNN and albanyschools.org/ONeal for the link to orientation. The sessions will be recorded and available for later viewing, as well.
All in for Albany
In this COVID-19 environment, a successful 2020-21 school year for all of our students will require that we are “All in for Albany!” and working together to succeed with the new guidelines and procedures necessary due to the pandemic. Please watch for additional updates and information. We are working hard to get that information to you as soon as possible under these trying circumstances.
I look forward to seeing your students very soon, and I welcome any questions or concerns you may have regarding the new school year. You may contact me at dbernsley@albany.k12.ny.us or (518) 475-6600.
