Open House scheduled for September 21

The following is an important message from Principal Andrea Piper:

I am excited about the start of this new school year. Our students are acclimating to our beautiful new space and have been participating and engaging in learning opportunities to help them to prepare for the academic and social-emotional expectations of the 2022-2023 school year. 

There is no better way to learn about your scholar’s day than by experiencing it yourself!  We are happy to invite you to our North Albany Middle School Open House! The purpose of this event is to provide academic information, share expectations and introduce families to our faculty and staff. 

During our open house, parents/guardians will get to walk their scholar’s schedule and to learn about the important highlights for each class. Each presentation,or class period, will be ten minutes in length and allow for a passing time of two minutes. During the lunch period, we will provide light refreshments in the cafeteria.

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 21
Location: North Albany Middle School 
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m. 
 
The safety of our students, faculty and staff is a top priority here at North Albany Middle School, and throughout the district. Please take some time to review our building security and cell phone protocols.
 
Building Security Protocols

• Parents and guardians are allowed in the building by appointment only
• Between 2-3 p.m. each school day, students will not be dismissed unless it is an emergency. If your student must leave between this time, we encourage families to send a note in with their student (doctor appointment or other non-urgent appointment). We also encourage parents to schedule appointments outside of the school day, if possible,  as it impacts dismissal.
• If a student doesn’t feel well they need to visit the nurse’s office first in order to be dismissed early
• Parents must also call the main office to make them aware that the child is being dismissed and to whom the child is being dismissed to (mom, dad or legal guardian). Dismissal cannot be communicated between the parent and the child only.
• We will use our reception window to communicate with visitors as they come to the building. A staff member will direct you to the sign-out book when picking up a student before 2 p.m.
• Student IDs are required to enter the building and will be scanned

Cell Phone Protocol

• Students are required to leave all mobile devices in their lockers at arrival and they can be retrieved prior to dismissal. During the school day, students are not permitted to access their cell phones. If a student is using their cell phone, a school monitor will be called to collect the phone and the monitor will turn the device over to an administrator or home school coordinator. That staff member will then contact the parent/guardian to inform them of the infraction. After the first cell phone confiscation, the student will be allowed to retrieve it at the end of the school day. Subsequent infractions will require a parent/guardian to retrieve the device from the front office at your convenience. Persistent non-compliance will result in progressive disciplinary action.
• As a technology-forward school, it is a top priority to teach and promote appropriate digital citizenship and that includes limiting cell phone use to appropriate times. Our teachers and staff have overwhelmingly agreed that a consistent and school-wide expectation will help students stay more present and engaged in their learning. Our intent is to support our scholars in realizing their academic success, remove a major temptation and promote positive face-to-face social interactions and connections with peers and staff. A cell phone on a desk - even when switched to silent mode - is a distraction for everyone in the classroom, not just the student to whom it belongs. 
• If a student needs to contact a parent/guardian during the school day, teachers will issue a pass to the office where the student may use the office phone during their lunch periods. Of course, any emergency situation will be directly communicated from the school to our families. In addition, if a parent/guardian wishes to reach their student, or have a message relayed to the student during school hours, please feel free to call the main office at 518-475-6804.

 
Thank you for your partnership and collaboration as we strive to ensure a structured and nurturing learning environment for your scholar. We look forward to seeing  you next Wednesday evening!