Dear Parents & Families,
Happy Friday to you all!
We hosted our annual Spelling Bee on Thursday, Dec. 16. All student participants did a fantastic job and made us very proud. The winners have been announced on our website. Our first place finalist will move on to compete in the Capital Region Spelling Bee at Proctors Theater in February!
Progress reports for grades 6-8 will be mailed home early next week. Report cards for grades K-5 will go home with students today. Please sign and return the envelopes before the upcoming Winter Break. If you do not receive these documents, please contact the main office.
As a reminder, next week is a short week in preparation for the Winter Break. There will be no school starting on Friday Dec. 24, with school starting back up again on Monday Jan. 3. We will be having Winter Theme Days next week, where students will dress up based on the day’s themes. The themes are as follows:
Monday: Let it Snow! Dress in white with your favorite snowflake or snowman-themed clothing
Tuesday: Grinch Day- Wear green
Wednesday: Ugly Sweater Day- Wear your favorite ugly sweater
Thursday: Pajama Party Day- Wear pajamas or comfy clothing
This week, we had two positive cases of COVID-19 in our school community, which resulted in a number of quarantines. Again, we ask for your continued diligence in adhering to practices that will mitigate the spread of the virus, including proper mask wearing and handwashing. As a reminder, please keep your child(ren) home if they are experiencing symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, which are listed on our website. Students, staff and visitors are required to properly wear a face covering or mask while in the building, regardless of vaccination status.
The COVID-19 transmission rate in Albany County continues to be high (red); all current safety protocols will remain in place. An effective way to reduce the transmission rate is to be vaccinated if you are eligible. Information on vaccination clinics in Albany County can be found here. For families that wish to vaccinate their children that were unable to attend our vaccine clinics on campus, Albany County will be hosting a pediatric vaccine clinic on Monday Dec. 20. Information on this clinic can be found here.
Based on the current COVID-19 status in our region, we have decided to defer the K-5 portion of the winter concert scheduled for Jan. 13, 2022. Instead, we will showcase their musical talents in an alternate format for families. An exciting and critical part of the middle school band and chorus curriculum is performing; therefore, we will be working closely with Mrs. Hayes to put on a modified concert on the scheduled date. Mrs. Hayes will be communicating directly with students and families with more information.
As we move toward the Winter season, inclement weather becomes more likely. In the event of a weather-related emergency, we will continue to utilize SchoolMessenger and the local media to notify of school closures and delays. If you are not receiving notifications from us via SchoolMessenger, please contact Liz Mentiply in the main office.
Your continued support is critical in keeping our school community safe. In an effort to keep our school community safe as the holiday season approaches, we encourage you to keep your children home if they are sick to prevent transmission and quarantining over the holidays.
Last but certainly not least, we would like to thank the Menands Police Department for their support and extra presence on campus today, in response to the nationwide social media threat. As always, we appreciate their partnership with the Menands School.
There will not be a Friday update next week due to the break. We wish you a safe, healthy and happy Winter Break and new year! See you in 2022!
Dr. Long & Mrs. Cannavo