Early dismissal scheduled Tuesday due to

emergency management planning drill

Students in all City School District of Albany schools will be dismissed 15 minutes early Tuesday as part of an emergency management drill.

This state-mandated drill will take place at schools throughout the Capital Region and is part of the district’s Emergency Management Plan to be prepared for adverse conditions or building problems. As a result of the drill, all students will be dismissed 15 minutes earlier than their normal afternoon dismissal time. 

In addition, all district schools will be closed Wednesday in observance of Veterans Day.

District advises continued vigilance

as flu spreads in the Capital Region

The City School District of Albany is reminding families about practices to help reduce the spread of flu and steps to take to address flu-like symptoms in light of this week's reports of two H1N1-related deaths in the area.

"We are doing everything vigilantly to maintain an appropriate environment for our students, staff and school community in accordance with the guidance of the state and county health departments," said Jay A. Kravitz, M.D., the district's physician.

Visit our Health Services section for information about how to help reduce the spread of flu and information on strategies to follow at home.

City voters approve sale of building,

board members receive new four-year terms

Albany voters approved the sale of the former Adult Learning Center building in Tuesday's general election, allowing the City School District of Albany to proceed with the process.

The district is seeking to sell the building at 27 Western Ave. after relocating the ALC program to the former Philip Livingston Magnet Academy at the start of this school year. The proposal approved by voters allows the district to sell the property for a minimum of $400,000.

Also Tuesday, voters re-elected Board of Education President Barbara Gaffuri and Secretary Judy L. Doesshcate, J.D., to new four-year terms. Both ran unopposed and officially will begin their new terms in January.

Four Albany High School seniors recognized

in annual National Merit Scholarship program

Albany High School seniors Owen Daniels, Benjamin Miller, Lauren Schaefer and Matthew Wu have been recognized in the annual National Merit Scholarship program, ranking them among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students nationally.

The four students have been recognized as Commended Students for their high achievement on the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. They are among 34,000 students nationally to achieve that distinction.

"As demonstrated by their outstanding performance in our highly competitive program, the young men and women named Commended Students represent some of the most academically talented students in our country," the National Merit Scholarship Corp. said in making the announcement.

Important safety tips for families

to review with children

The safety of our students is a top priority in the City School District of Albany. In light of recent reported cases of attempted abductions of children in Capital Region communities, including Albany, the district is reminding families of important safety tips to review with the entire family.

These tips are intended to keep children safe while they are walking, biking or riding a bus to school in the morning and home again in the afternoon, as well as anytime they are out in the community without parental supervision. (MORE)

Leadership Profile Report to guide search

for the district's next superintendent

A master communicator able to interact easily and effectively with all members of the community. A good manager, with a high level of integrity and accountability. An educator with a passion for excellence and high standards.

Those qualities are at the top of the list as the City School District of Albany Board of Education launches its national search for the district's next superintendent.

The board received a Leadership Profile Report at its meeting Oct. 6, summarizing the feedback gathered over the past two months in a wide range of meetings with community groups and individuals in the district and throughout the city.

We invite you to visit our District News section to read more about the search process. You also can download the full Leadership Profile Report.

Celebrating the important role

of parents in student achievement

Parents are the most important partners any school can have.

They volunteer in class- rooms and at school events, as coaches and chaperones, as mentors and role models. They bake. They read. They listen. They are there in good times and bad.

The City School District of Albany is proud to recognize all of those parental role models who invest their time and talent to help students succeed.

We have highlighted examples from every school, both in the 2009-10 district calendar and on this site. We invite you to visit our Parent Champions section to read more about the ways these individuals choose to get involved in school, and why that extra effort is important to them.

It's just one small way of saying thanks to every parent, grandparent and guardian for their tireless commitment to our students, teachers and school community.