Giffen Memorial Elementary School

Prekindergarten-Grade 6

274 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12202
(click here for directions)
Phone: (518) 475-6650
Fax: (518) 475-6652

Maxine Fantroy-Ford, Principal

E-mail: mfantroy-ford@albany.k12.ny.us

About Giffen  
Originally opened in 1960, Rev. John Giffen, M.D., Memorial Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through grade 6. Giffen underwent significant improvements that were finished in summer 2009, including a renovated computer lab, new phone connections, new air conditioning and new lighting in the gym, cafeteria and auditorium. Giffen is the 11^th school to be completed as part of the district’s sweeping plan to rebuild or renovate every elementary and middle school by September 2010.

We are proud to be able to provide a range of programs and services to take care of our children's academic needs as well as provide health and wellness services on-site. These services include mobile dental health services through our partnership with the St. Peter's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House, and school-based health services through our partnership with Whitney M. Young Jr., Health Services, in addition to mental health and other wellness services on premises.

School times

• Building opens: 8:30 a.m.

• Breakfast begins: 8:30 a.m.

• School day begins: 9:05 a.m.

• School day ends: 3:35 p.m.

• After-school child care ends: 5:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5 p.m. Friday

Points of distinction

• School is an integral part of the community

• Partnerships with numerous organizations and agencies.

• Ethnically diverse student body

Upcoming events

• Friday, Sept. 3 -- Back-to-School in Style Salon (and More!) -- registration required, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Monday, Sept. 6 -- Labor Day, no school

• Tuesday, Sept. 7-- First day of school

• Wednesday, Sept. 8 -- National Literacy Day

• Thursday, Sept. 9 -- Rosh Hashana, no school

• Thursday, Sept. 16 -- Building-Leadership Team meeting, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Friday, Sept. 17 -- Sneakers at Work Day

• Tuesday, Sept. 21 -- PTA meeting, 5 p.m.

• Tuesday, Sept. 21 -- Open House -- PreK-Grade 3, 6-7:30 p.m.

• Friday, Sept. 24 -- College Friday

• Saturday, Sept. 25 -- Back-to-School Celebration, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Wednesday, Oct. 6 -- Open House -- Grades 4-6, 6 p.m.

• Monday, Oct. 11 -- Columbus Day, no school

• Monday, Oct. 18 -- Random Acts of Kindness Day

• Tuesday, Oct. 19 -- PTA meeting, 5 p.m.

• Thursday, Oct. 21 -- Building-Leadership Team meeting, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Friday, Oct. 29 -- College Friday

• Friday, Oct. 29 -- Report card day, grades 1-6

News and information

• Click here to visit the City School District of Albany Photo Gallery.

• Giffen educator among area's best -- Giffen Memorial Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Thomas Faulkner has been named a “Top Teacher” in the Capital Region by WNYT/TV-13. Mr. Faulkner is one of 13 local educators chosen from those who were nominated during the Top Teacher contest last fall. Click here to see the WNYT story about Mr. Faulkner. (MORE)

• Renovated building opened with great fanfare -- The City School District of Albany and Giffen Memorial Elementary School celebrated the start of the new year with a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of the latest project in the district’s facilities plan. (Click here to see more photos of the day). Giffen is the 11^th building completed in the sweeping effort to renovate or rebuild every elementary and middle school. (MORE)

• New principal a familiar face at Giffen -- Maxine Fantroy-Ford has returned to Giffen Memorial Elementary School as the new principal for the 2009-10 school year, following three years in the same role at Albany High School. Mrs. Fantroy-Ford is excited for to be back at Giffen; it is her third stint as Giffen's principal. "I am thrilled to be able to once again take the knowledge and information that I have learned at another academic level and apply it to an elementary school," she said.

School times

• Breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m.

• The school day begins at 9:05 a.m.

• The school day ends at 3:35 p.m.

Absence from school
If your child is absent from school for any reason, call the school at 462-7176 during the morning and provide a written excuse when your child returns to school.