In-person sessions for advanced music and career and technical education students at Albany High School have begun as part of the City School District of Albany’s second phase of reopening.
And in-person lessons start Nov. 12 for advanced high school art students.
The high school in-person lessons and lab work are extensions of the virtual coursework students have taken since the school year began.
Middle school band and orchestra lessons also are on the horizon.
Career and technical education (CTE)
Advanced in-person CTE classes in barbering, cosmetology and health sciences got underway on Oct. 22; automotive technology, construction, cosmetology, and culinary arts classes began Oct. 28.
Students in these classes have hands-on lab requirements they must meet to receive certification in their field by graduation.
In-person classes meet two or three times a week depending on the week and for two- to three-hour blocks. Class sizes are limited to allow for appropriate social distancing.
Like all in-person students and staff in the district, in-person CTE students must complete a daily health screening, have their temperature checked before they can go to class, wear face masks and stay six feet apart at all times.
Students will be required to clean their work space with sanitizing spray before they leave, and classrooms will be thoroughly cleaned each day by maintenance staff.
Music
All students in advanced music classes have the option to attend a teacher-scheduled lesson, whether in-person or virtual. In-person lessons for small groups of students began on Oct. 26, after teachers surveyed students about their interest and willingness to come to school for the lessons.
The lessons will generally last 45 minutes, be scheduled with a teacher and be held in the music wing.
Like all in-person students and staff in the district, in-person music students must complete a daily health screening and have their temperature checked before they can go to class.
Students who play most band instruments must stay 12 feet apart and wear their masks when they are not playing their instruments. (Percussionists must wear their masks at all times and stay at least 6 feet apart.)
Students who play string instruments must wear masks at all times and stay six feet apart. Any instruments that are shared (keyboards, for example), will be thoroughly cleaned between users.
Choral students must wear masks at all times and will stand or sit 12 feet apart.
The school district is purchasing bell covers, instrument masks and instrument bags to reduce the chance of infection spreading by air, as well as special masks for choral students.
By mid-November, small-group band, orchestra and chorus ensembles will begin to meet in-person.
Maintenance staff will thoroughly clean and sanitize practice areas each day, and sanitizing spray will be available in every room to use between lessons.
Art
Starting Nov. 12, most advanced-level art students will have an opportunity for “studio time” to access art rooms and teacher help on assignments, projects and their art portfolios.
Art teachers will work with students to schedule the sessions. They will meet individually and in small groups on an as-needed basis. Up to 15 students at a time will be allowed in an art room for studio time.
Like all in-person students and staff in the district, in-person art students must complete a daily health screening, have their temperature checked before they can go to class, wear face masks and stay six feet apart at all times.
Maintenance staff will thoroughly clean and sanitize studio space and art classrooms each day, and sanitizing spray will be available in every room.
Middle school
The district is planning for in-person and virtual lessons for middle school band and orchestra students. These lessons will be an option for students who took band or orchestra during the last school year and are currently enrolled in a general music class. The goal is for these lessons to begin during the second quarter. More details will follow as the plan develops.
