Dear Albany Community,
We are turning the page in Albany, each of us full of hope and excitement for the new school year ahead. I will be visiting all schools next Tuesday, August 17 (the first day of classes), for my favorite sight—enthusiastic children returning to school! We understand that there are some medically fragile students who cannot join in-person, and we look forward to seeing them in our Independent Study Program. I am so grateful that we are in the position of fully opening our schools. However, keeping our classrooms open requires a team effort involving you, our staff, and our students.
Vaccinations Are Free and Available
The most important thing you can do to keep your family safe and classrooms open is for every eligible person to get a COVID-19 vaccination. Please take this simple, lifesaving step! Children 12 and over are eligible. The vaccine is free, you do not need to show identification, and you don’t need to have insurance. Locally, Safeway, Lucky, CVS, Walgreens, and Costco all offer the shot. See this webpage for more information and locations. AUSD will be hosting a pop-up clinic shortly after the vaccine is approved for younger children to help our community get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
The State of California announced this week that all educational staff are required to be vaccinated, or to take weekly COVID-19 tests. The deadline to comply with this initiative is October 15, but I am confident that Albany Unified will be in compliance perhaps a month earlier than that. The percentage of staff that are vaccinated will be public information. I also plan to keep you updated on the percentage of Albany youth, 12–18 years old, that have received the vaccine.
On-Campus Safety Protocols
The AUSD website has been updated with the latest COVID Safety Plan and a description of how cases will be handled, along with other useful information, such as local food resources and how every student is now eligible for free breakfasts and lunches. Attached to this email for your reference is an infographic showing the quarantine guidelines. Please remember to send your student to school with a mask, as masking will be required indoors and outdoors. Masks will also be available at school for students who have forgotten theirs. Please do not send your child to school if they are showing symptoms of illness.
Pooled COVID-19 Testing
As part of our multifaceted safety plan, free COVID-19 testing will be offered this year to all students at their school site, every other week. Your informed consent is required prior to testing. Look for an email from your school principal next week with more details and a link to the online consent form. I encourage you to take advantage of this program which will help us identify and manage cases and avoid outbreaks. Testing is not recommended for students who are fully vaccinated.
Come to Ocean View Grand Re-Opening
Last, but not least, I hope to see you at the Ocean View Grand Re-Opening Celebration tomorrow, August 14, from 2:00–4:00 pm. It’s not every day that we get the chance to celebrate the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art school!
Stay hopeful and encouraged,
Dr. Frank Wells
Superintendent of Schools
Albany Unified School District