Learning Reimagined

Dear Academy families,

It was not a big surprise today when Governor Lujan Grisham announced a two-week shelter in place order and closed non-essential businesses. We have all been watching the number of COVID-19 cases rise across the U.S., in New Mexico, in our city, and within our own school community.

As much as we have enjoyed bringing students together on campus in small, safe groups, this means we have decided to pause campus activities for the next seven school days through Thanksgiving break.

Many families in our community are welcoming home college students, and with the joy of seeing them again comes some risk. According to the most recent New Mexico quarantine order, individuals must quarantine for 14 days upon return from out-of-state travel or if they visit a person who is quarantining. If we are able to reopen campus for student activities after Thanksgiving, remember that students who have been with out-of-state visitors or siblings returning from college may not come to campus during their quarantine period.

Even with this campus closure, please remember that if you or someone in your household tests positive, it is important for you to notify School Nurse Shelby Parsons or your division head so we can evaluate the need to contact trace. If contact tracing is initiated, you would be notified if you are identified as a close contact of a COVID-positive case.

In this season of thanks, I would like to acknowledge the resilience I’ve witnessed throughout our community, adapting to new routines and facing difficult realities for so many months now, and thank our faculty for their dedication to our ultimate goal — the best possible education for Academy students. I am so grateful for the work they did this summer to prepare for the eventuality of extended online learning, and, with a trimester under their belts, they are improving on what had once been considered best practices.

Be safe, Chargers!

Julianne Puente
Head of School

Happy Fall! I am writing this note to let you know how we will handle new book and supplies pickup for next trimester for students in grades 8-12. While the bookstore will be open for regular hours each weekday, there will be some extended hours so your student will have many opportunities to gather everything they need for the first weeks of trimester 2.

Students in grades 6-7 have the books and supplies they need currently, and they will continue to pick up new supplies over the year in the same ways that they have done so thus far.

During the last full week of this trimester, all teachers in grades 8-12 will email the students in their second-trimester classes with a list of supplies/books they will need for the first weeks of the trimester. They will send that email to their students via My Backpack.

Then, students will have four full days to go to the bookstore and buy their supplies and, if they are taking a visual arts class or a science class, to drive to the parking areas adjacent to the science building (P6) or behind the visual arts building (P4) to pick up their science/art supplies. Science and visual arts teachers will send very detailed instructions to their students about where to go and how to find their class’s table or cabinet with the appropriate supplies. Some science materials will need to be returned or picked up at another time, due to concerns about refrigeration or storage. Supplies for all other classes will be available in the bookstore (including sheet music packets for performing arts courses). Students who have borrowed textbooks for trimester 1 will return them to the table labeled with their course; these tables will be located by the bookstore in the East Admin building.

The bookstore will have extended hours (7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.) on the four days we have designated for pickup: Monday, November 2; Tuesday, November 3; Monday, November 9; and Tuesday, November 10. With four days and extended hours there will be ample time for students to get what they need and avoid crowding. We ask, as always, that students and parents come in masks and maintain social distancing on campus.

In addition, as usual, students may sell back texts that have not been written in (English texts generally have too much annotation) and can receive up to 50% of the cost of the text. We will have buybacks after each trimester so a student in an AP class now can hold on to their texts until after the exam and then sell the texts back if the books remain in excellent condition.

So please have your child watch for emails from their second-trimester teachers, and then please come to campus to purchase their books and supplies at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Lipkowitz
Associate Head of School

Dear Academy families,

I’d like to thank the AAPA for asking me to speak at their fall meeting on Wednesday evening. One of the things I discussed with the families in attendance was the results of our recent parent survey. I want to thank you for taking the time to respond. You may review the raw data here or watch this video for my analysis and commentary.

I imagine most of you are aware that the governor recently announced a new public health order, which goes into effect today. The changes have little impact on our current programming — we will continue with online learning and select in-person extracurriculars that meet the terms of the current public health order.

When I met with Governor Lujan Grisham at our much-anticipated (by me, at least) meeting a few weeks ago, she asked why the Academy had not taken advantage of the ability to open at 25% capacity. I told her we did not feel it offered the most effective teaching or learning environment for our faculty or students. We had already greatly reduced class sizes and fundamentally changed our approach to school because we took the pandemic seriously. Moving to a 25% capacity on top of what we have already done would be more disruptive than helpful. Consistency and predictability of schedule are powerful stabilizers and serve as a foundation to effective teaching and deep learning outcomes.

Because there was no specific resolution to the meeting and the number of positive cases has increased dramatically since then, we have begun planning to start another trimester online. The week of October 26 we will send families in grades 8-12 details about returning textbooks and picking up new ones; students who need to return or pick up other equipment, such as microscopes or art supplies, will receive instructions from their teachers.

Even as the ever-changing situation of the pandemic continues to consume a significant amount of attention from the school leadership, please be assured that work regarding the future of the Academy is moving forward. Even though it may seem difficult to believe at times, we will arrive at the other side of this pandemic, and I fully expect the Academy to come out of it as a stronger, more resilient community, with teachers who have learned as much about providing instruction as our students have about their academic subjects.

Sincerely,

Julianne Puente
Head of School

Dear Academy parents,

In everything we do, Albuquerque Academy’s focus remains on quality education and the safety of our community. We recognize that you are eagerly awaiting updates on the ways in which we are working behind the scenes to resume on-campus learning in the safest manner possible. We share your belief that in-person learning is what is best for kids. Our plan to bring all students back on campus for their academic classes necessitates a change in the governor’s current public health order, which remains in effect through October 16. With the support of our legal counsel and administrators from the other local independent schools, I am working daily to make this happen.

As a reminder, in our reopening decisions we prioritized giving our students an exceptional academic experience. This means making every instructional minute count, maximizing student-teacher interactions, and minimizing unnecessary transitions, all of which would be diminished in a hybrid teaching model.

Back-to-Campus Initiatives

• We continue to retrofit campus with safety enhancements. We spent time evaluating every usable space to ensure every class could fit safely and have its own designated area. Because we have reduced class sizes so dramatically with the trimester schedule, we have been creative in repurposing some unexpected spaces into classrooms, so we are able to accommodate all 97 classes per block. We plan to use many of our largest spaces, such as the cafeterias and gyms, for other purposes, such as study halls.
• Our faculty members continue to hone their online teaching skills through Global Online Academy professional development offerings and internal collaboration. They are committed to providing the very best online learning experiences until they can teach in person again. I am so proud of how hard the teachers are working, how creative and collaborative they are in service of our students.
• School is far more than just academics. I was thrilled that last week we saw more than 400 different students on campus for practices, rehearsals, and club meetings, and the list of offerings is growing. Soon students will be able to join their friends for ceramics, yoga, engineering, and more.

Parent Survey Open Now

While I’ve had many individual conversations, it’s important to take the pulse of our entire community. Our last survey of students revealed that they are supported by their teachers and advisers and, in general, they are enjoying their classes and feeling like successful learners. Now we would like to hear from all of our parents about academics, advising, extracurriculars, and more. Please see your email for the link to the survey.

I appreciate your input and will share the survey results in one of my next communications.

Sincerely,
Julianne Puente
Head of School

Dear Albuquerque Academy community,

We are excited to be bringing students back to campus for advisory, limited athletics and extracurriculars, and other opportunities to connect with one another and our community. In accordance with our community expectations in the spirit of our commitment to learning reimagined, it is imperative that we all adhere to the social distancing and travel restrictions set forth by the state of New Mexico, in addition to the Academy’s sick student policy. All unscheduled absences must be reported the day of the absence in order to determine when it is safe for a student to return to campus.

Anyone traveling by airplane, public transportation, or private vehicle from or through high-risk states must self-quarantine for 14 days following their return to New Mexico. An updated list of high-risk states can be found here.

Self-quarantine is the voluntary separation of oneself or group of people from others in their place of residence or lodging. Self-quarantine is required for high-risk, out-of-state travel for a period of 14 days. There are exemptions for the quarantine for select adults performing essential jobs or functions, as well as if you meet specific COVID testing guidelines.

Following these procedures is critical to fostering campus wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we update them regularly to comply with the latest guidelines from NMDOH.

Thank you for your commitment to the safety of our community.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Lipkowitz
Associate Head of School

Shelby Parsons
School Nurse

Resources:

• New Mexico Department of Health Coronavirus Disease 2019 Updates
• NMDOH Social Distancing & Travel Restrictions
• Tips for Healthy & Safe Travel in New Mexico
• Albuquerque Academy Sick Student Policy

Dear students and families,

I am writing to update you on various communications I have had with the governor’s office over the past several weeks and provide you with a sense of how we intend to move forward in the next couple of weeks. Since submitting our plan for reopening in late June, we have followed up, both formally and informally, with various members of the governor’s staff in an attempt to have our return-to-campus plan reviewed and approved. While our plan is frequently lauded as creative, thoughtful, and exceeding the requirements set forth by the PED and DOH, we have been unable to secure approval to provide in-person instruction to our students. Our goal is to offer in-person instruction five days a week to all of our students, while adhering to 50% of fire code capacity. The present health order, which does not expire until October 2, allows for private schools to hold classes at 25% of fire code and/or gather outside in groups of 10 or fewer. The average Academy class size is 12 students (13 people including the teacher), so the current public health order restrictions are not conducive to good teaching and learning for Academy faculty and students, given our trimester, modified block schedule.

I am aware that some local independent schools are bringing in small groups of students for some hybrid in-person instruction on assigned days of the week, while requiring other students to remain home. Still other schools are placing some students in one classroom and another group of students elsewhere, and the teacher toggles between the two spaces. Such approaches might work for those schools, but they are not appropriate for the Academy. To greatly reduce the points of contact among people on campus and to make online learning effective, we fundamentally changed our approach to school. Because we are teaching a year of content in one trimester, every teaching minute counts, and our students need to be in class with their teachers 100% of the time. A two- or three-day, in-person, rotating model for a portion of any given class requires us to surrender precious instructional time. While it is tempting to deviate from our plan, we need to stay the course — if for no other reason than because it is working.

While we have not been given the opportunity to test our in-person model, the recent survey results from faculty and students reveal that our online teaching has been highly effective. We know this through direct observation and survey data. While this first survey focused on teaching, learning, and advising, our next survey will focus on social and emotional wellness. Here is an overview of the results gathered from recent surveys taken by our faculty and students. Students say they much prefer the current schedule and report that their classes are well organized, meaningful, and engaging. The overwhelming majority of students said they are confident in their learning and feel connected with their teachers. Faculty members echoed the students, saying they feel more confident and much better prepared than last spring. While this entire situation is far from ideal, it makes little sense to disrupt something that is going well until we are able to do something we know will be better. We will continue to strongly advocate with the governor that the Academy be allowed to open and that we be allowed to have our students with us for in-person instruction.

It was no surprise that our students report that they do not feel as connected with one another — they miss being on campus. We will address this issue by providing meaningful opportunities for students to return to campus to spend time with their peers and with us. Our advisory meetings went extremely well, and we are looking to replicate that kind of experience in a variety of ways. Specific information will come from the division heads, but our goal is to provide every student with at least two (and we hope more) opportunities per week to actively engage on campus in extracurricular activities. This is already happening with Ex Ed, some performing arts, cross country, and volleyball. This can happen similarly with DECA, Roots Music Club, and the DOT Garden, just to name a few activities. For example, since my advisees do not have class during B block, I am inviting them to campus for individual chats in the middle of the day next week. There are myriad opportunities for us to think creatively and then invite students to campus to engage with us. Chris Dineen, Christine Lenhart, and Martha Palmer will provide more information soon as we organize divisional offerings.

Although the coming months will be difficult, with hard choices to be made as certain priorities are inevitably elevated over others, we will continue to make our decisions, grounded in our clearly stated values, with thoughtful discussion, and ultimately with outcomes that consistently affirm our mission. I also fully understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions or approaches, but I want to be as transparent as possible and offer the rationale behind our thinking.

I am immensely honored to be part of the Academy community, and I am deeply grateful for the kind and supportive words I receive on a daily basis. I will write to you again on September 28 with any updates and an overview of what is happening on campus.

Sincerely,
Julianne Puente
Head of School

Dear students and families,

I am pleased to invite Academy students to campus in small, controlled groups for family and advisory meetings starting this Thursday. This will be an opportunity for students to socialize with classmates in their families/advisories, get to know their family head/adviser better, and practice some of the health and safety procedures that will be necessary when we can hold classes on campus. These meetings are voluntary; we understand some families prefer to limit unnecessary interactions and others may be unable to fit this into their schedules.

As much as we want to see you all together, it may be necessary for family/advisory groups to meet over the course of two days to keep the number of people involved to 10 or fewer. Students will receive exact details from their family heads/advisers about when and where to meet.

• Grades 6-9: September 10 or 11 at 4-5 p.m.
• Grades 10-12: September 14 or 15 at 5-6 p.m.

Important Details

• Students must wear masks and bring their IDs to be scanned.
• Students will be checked for fevers before joining their meetings.
• Meetings will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Alternate indoor spaces have also been assigned.
• If parents wish, they may stay on campus in their cars during the hour-long meetings.
• If students have traveled to a state on the 14-day quarantine list recently, they may not come to campus.
• We have lowered the campus alert status from amber to yellow.

Please know that the Academy continues to operate under our two guiding principles:

1. Supporting and protecting school community health and wellness
2. Fulfilling our mission as a school committed to educational excellence and a powerful sense of community

Our 50%-capacity, limited-contacts plan is the best way to achieve these goals in person, and we are working directly with the governor’s office to have it approved. Meanwhile, the administration is continuing to pursue opportunities for students to come to campus in small groups — for extracurriculars or practices — until the health order is relaxed.

I am looking forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,
Julianne Puente
Head of School

Dear students and parents,

Yesterday Governor Lujan Grisham renewed the public health order that will be in effect through September 18. Although not specifically addressed in her press conference, the order does include directives regarding independent schools.

“Private educational institutions serving children and young adults from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade… shall operate with a maximum capacity of 25% of any individual enclosed indoor space, such as any classroom….” You may view the entire order here. The section referring to private schools is on page 7, section 11. We have learned from the legal department in the governor’s office that no exceptions to the public health order will be granted.

Our on-campus plan is designed to accommodate 100% of our students at 50% capacity, so this is disappointing. I want to see students back on campus as much as anyone else. Because the public health order now allows people to gather outside in groups of 10, next week we will be exploring possible ways to have small groups of students come to campus in the afternoons for clubs, athletics, extra help and perhaps some advisory meetings.

Thank you for your continued support, and enjoy a well-deserved weekend.

Sincerely,
Julianne Puente
Head of School

Dear Charger families,

We are excited to start school and to welcome you back virtually and, we hope, on campus soon. I am writing now with instructions and information about how to pick up your student’s books and learning materials for your fall trimester classes. The pickup will take place on the evenings of August 10, 11, and 12. Please bring your student’s schedule to reference.

You may choose any of the three designated evenings, but you should arrive in your car according to your last name:

• 5-6 p.m. Last names: A-H
• 6-7 p.m. Last names: I-P
• 7-8 p.m. Last names Q-Z

Families may enter at any of our three gates and then proceed to the station(s) that pertain to your student’s first trimester schedule. You will drive up to the station, and an Academy community member will come to your window, ask for your student’s name or class, and then return with your bag of supplies or books. Please wear a mask when your car window is open. Our teams will also be wearing masks and will stay distanced from you. Please see the map below.

• 6-7 students will pick up their bags for their regular academic courses at the 6-7 circle near the west campus by parking lot #5. Please drive along the circle and follow the signs to the pickup station. If you have requested a laptop, it will be included with your supplies. Given the demand on technology, we will do our best to fulfill all requests, but if we have insufficient supply, they will be provided in the order that they were requested until we are able to order and distribute more.
• 8-9 students will pick up bags for English, history, language, and math courses by McKinnon in parking lot #1. Please follow the lane for carpool pickup/drop-off signs to the pickup station.
• 10-12 students will pick up bags for English, history, language, and math courses by Simms Center for the Performing Arts in parking lot #10. Please follow the signs to the pickup station.
• If your student is in grades 8-12 and is taking a science course this trimester, drive to the natatorium, parking lot #6, and follow the signs. There will be tables for chemistry, physics, biology, lab-based elective classes, and Earth systems for eighth graders. There is no pickup for History of the Universe.
• If your student is in grades 8-12 and is taking a visual arts course this trimester, drive to the parking lot behind the visual arts building, parking lot #4, and proceed (in your vehicle) to the specific table for your student’s course (ceramics, drawing and painting, and the like).
• If your student is taking music this trimester, grades 6-12, and will be borrowing an instrument or picking up a folder of sheet music, please drive to parking lot #10. In front of the music building, there will be someone who will bring your student’s instrument or materials to your car. Music teachers will be reaching out about instrument needs and music folders for each class.

The books and supplies in your student’s bags will be charged to their bookstore account. If, however, you arrive home, and there is an item in the bag that you do not want because, for example, you already own a copy of the book, you may return the item to the east campus bookstore, which has been relocated to Mr. Watson’s old office, Room A125, the first week of school from 3-5 p.m. Any item you return to the bookstore must be in pristine condition. If you return to campus, you will need to go through a fever check, wear a mask, and comply with all of our health and safety guidelines.

If you have any questions about the book pickup, please feel free to contact me or your student’s division head.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Lipkowitz
Associate Head of School

Happy summer to the classes of 2026 and 2027!

It’s monsoon season once again in Albuquerque! While we have finally been visited by some rain over the past two weeks, the real downpour has come in the form of news and updates related to the start of our school year. Our decision to begin classes online means that we will not immediately be together on campus, but there is still a lot to prepare for as August 13 approaches, and we definitely want you to be prepared!

For starters – and by tradition – you will be receiving a phone call from your Academy family head this week. Your family head is super excited to meet you and will be using this phone call as an opportunity to personally welcome you. Important back-to-school information will be discussed, and you will have a chance to ask lots of great questions. Family heads will be following up their phone calls by scheduling an Academy Family Zoom meeting on Tuesday, August 11, where you will have a chance to meet your Academy family virtually and see who you will be in class with this year. New students in both grades: Please know that you are very quickly going to start meeting many of the friends you will have for life – just ask any returning student!

We typically send out a school supply list in the summer, but we are creating supply bags instead for every student that will have items you need to jumpstart the year, and you will be receiving more information about this soon. In addition to supplies, we will also be loaning out Chromebooks to students while classes are online, and we ask that you fill out this request form if you intend to borrow a Chromebook for the start of school. Both the school supplies and the Chromebooks will be distributed August 10-12. Surging worldwide demand for technology and other school supplies means that we will need to be patient as we get our year launched, but flexibility is an Academy trait I know we will all get a chance to demonstrate this year!

Most of us came to realize this spring that online learning requires a different approach, and your teachers have spent a lot of time this summer preparing to create a rich online learning environment. We will be talking more about our expectations, our norms, and our goals for the year when we meet in families and in our classes. Our schedule is designed to be more intimate than ever, giving everyone a chance to be seen and heard, and that intimacy will continue when we eventually transition back to in-person classes, which will hopefully be very soon! While you will still be taking all of your classes this year, they will rotate in regular blocks so you can focus on fewer subjects at a time, and that will be true whether we are online or on campus. You can check out a sample of your online schedule here, and your teachers will go over this with you when they call this week.

One of our most cherished back-to-school traditions each year is the convocation ceremony that kicks off the first day of school. This year, because of COVID-19 regulations, we have decided to do a car parade with our sixth graders and the senior class on Saturday evening, August 15, at 7 p.m. Please save the date, because we are planning a great event, and more information will follow soon.

A lot will certainly be different for our community as the year starts, and our goal is to get back to campus quickly with you and our new head of school, Julianne Puente. But the essence of the Academy experience will remain the same, no matter the format: unparalleled opportunities for educational and personal growth in a wonderfully inclusive and supportive environment. We work best when we work together, and we will be working together this year in innovative ways that are designed to set you up for success. We are here for you and your families, and we want you to feel free to reach out whenever you have questions or concerns. You will soon have an enormous safety net made up of caring adults and wonderful friends, and this place will become your home.

The start of school is always a little hectic, so please focus your energy for the moment on enjoying the last few days of summer, catching up on good sleep, spending some time outdoors, and creating memories with family and friends. Check to see that you have completed your summer reading requirements, but be sure to get in that last Netflix binge as well! We are all super excited to get started next week, but I know there may be questions before then, so please don’t hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

I look forward to seeing you all very soon, and I wish you a wonderful end to the summer. Go Chargers!

Chris Dineen
6-7 Division Head

Dear 8-9 Chargers,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the new school year in the 8-9 division. While I wish we were starting the year on campus and that I could welcome you in person on the first day of school, I feel fortunate to serve as your division head this coming year. Even though it’s going to be a different kind of year, your teachers and I are excited to work with you and have been busily planning over the summer to make it an awesome year!

In order to get the year underway, class schedules will be available on August 4. When it’s available, your schedule can be found here. You will be required to log in to My Backpack and click on the Student Schedule folder to view your schedule. If you have problems logging in to My Backpack, please contact the My Backpack support line at 858-8877. Due to small class sizes and the trimester model, schedule changes will be very limited. However, if you need to request a change, please submit your request to me via email. Requests will be considered on August 5-7.

There will be one-on-one Zoom meetings with your fall trimester teachers on August 11 (B block/advisory) and 12 (A block). Between August 7-9, please look out for an email from your teachers about these meetings. Be sure to check your Academy email for the times when your teacher will call or Zoom with you to hold these meetings. (You can use these cool Academy campus photos for virtual Zoom backgrounds, if you’d like.) Your adviser each trimester will be your B block teacher, which means you will have a different adviser each trimester. During the school year, there will be an advisory period once a week during lunch, when your advisory group will meet to do activities, hold discussions, and have fun together. Your adviser will tell you more about this in your meeting.

All 8-9 students are required to have a laptop. The eighth- and ninth-grade teachers will use laptops in different ways and in different capacities in their classes. Be sure yours is charged and ready to go each day.

While we don’t publish an 8-9 school supply list, teachers will let you know what you’ll need for their classes on the first day of school. That said, all eighth- and ninth-grade students will use a TI-84 calculator in some capacity during the school year. We recommend the use of a Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus. Any of the TI-84 Plus versions are acceptable. Additionally, you will have an opportunity to pick up your books and materials on the evenings of August 10-12 between 5-8 p.m., depending on your last name. Exact details will be sent by email soon.

As you prepare for the school year (and throughout the year), please visit the 8-9 division page for more useful information. At the back-to-school page, you will find important details for making your first few days easier. Also, to view answers to many common questions, class schedules, and other important information about the 2020-21 school year, please visit the Learning Reimagined webpage.

There will be more information to come as we get closer to the day we can return to campus for in-person learning, which we hope will be soon.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about these details. We look forward to a great year ahead, despite these challenging times. We can’t thank you enough for your continued support.

GO CHARGERS!

Kind regards,

Martha Palmer
8-9 Division Head

Dear students and parents of the 10-12 division,

I hope that you had a relaxing summer and are excited to start the 2020-21 school year. As we approach a new academic year during this unprecedented time, I find myself increasingly grateful for the support and flexibility of our parents and students.

Please note the following:

• We will post class schedules on August 4. Please access them by logging into My Backpack.
• Please submit schedule change requests to me via email. We will consider requests August 5-7. Due to smaller class sizes and the trimester schedule, our ability to accommodate schedule change requests will be extremely limited.
• Teachers will email their students August 7-9 with details about student orientation. Students, please plan on speaking one-on-one online or over the phone on August 11-12 with your teachers. The objective of these meetings is to start building relationships with your teachers, and they are very excited to meet you!
• Plan to pick up books and other materials on August 10-12 between 5 and 8 p.m., depending on your last name. Exact details will be sent by email soon.
• We will invite our sixth graders, seniors, and their families to a convocation event on the evening of August 15. Since a gathering of this size continues to present social distancing concerns, convocation will take the form of a car parade.
• For the first trimester, the deadline for dropping and adding courses is August 25.
• I value parent communication and consider it vital to student success. In lieu of the Tea with Christine opportunities I would normally host, this year I invite you to join me for regular Zoom gatherings. The first one will be at 7:30 a.m. on September 1. Watch your email for the link.

This year, to reduce contact points, students’ B block teachers will serve as their advisers. This means student advisers will change each trimester. If a student does not have a B block class, we will assign them a faculty adviser.

We continue to consider the logistics of creating a safe school environment in the hopes of bringing students back to campus soon. This school year, in order to reduce density on campus, we will permit 10th- and 11th-grade students to go home during free blocks. If students choose this option, we require additional information from parents that we will collect through a survey to be sent after releasing student schedules. Please complete it promptly. Seniors will receive the same privileges as in past years. Due to social distancing guidelines, if 10-12 students stay on campus during free blocks, they will be required to attend a study hall.

To learn more about our program and access important information throughout the school year, please visit the 10-12 division webpage. Also, to view answers to many common questions, class schedules, and other important information about the 2020-21 school year, please visit the Learning Reimagined webpage.

If you have any additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at 828-3388 or lenhart@aa.edu. Again, thank you for your continued support during this challenging time. Let’s make this upcoming school year a great one!

Best regards,

Christine Lenhart
10-12 Division Head

Dear Chargers,

In light of the governor’s recent announcement about schools, orders regarding occupancy limits and group sizes, the rising cases in Bernalillo County, and the increase in cases among New Mexicans ages 10-19, Albuquerque Academy has made the decision to postpone the start of on-campus classes until at least after Labor Day. School will begin online on Thursday, August 13.

In addition to limiting contacts, our trimester plan was designed to make it easier for students to manage online learning, and this summer our faculty participated in professional development to improve their online teaching skills. We are confident in our ability to provide meaningful online learning as well as an environment that will protect our community as much as possible when conditions improve and we can return to campus; the plan we shared at the end of June and on the Academy website is what we will implement as soon as we are able.

In the meantime, here is a timeline of what can be expected in the coming days:

August 3
Welcome emails to students and families from division heads

August 4
Academic schedules sent to students in grades 8-12; please note that we will be able to accommodate only very limited schedule change requests

August 6
7 p.m. Q&A webinar for students/families in grades 6-12 with Academy administrators (registration link provided by email)

August 7-9
Faculty/advisers will call students and send invitations for online orientations

August 10-12
Students pick up books, IDs, and other materials from campus during designated time frames; details will follow

August 11-12
Online student orientations hosted by classroom teachers and advisors

August 13
First day of class following the regular online schedule

August 15
7 p.m. Convocation car parade for sixth-grade and senior students and families only; details will follow

The Academy board of trustees, administrators, division heads, and academic departments continue to work through many details. We will update you regularly by email and through the Learning Reimaged webpage where we have provided answers to many of the questions you have submitted online. Sample daily schedules for online and in-person learning for all grades are available here. Lunch fees will be refunded through Labor Day, and we will continue to provide refunds in blocks (rather than daily) as long as we are unable to offer in-person classes.

Many have voiced support of the decision to start online while others have expressed their disappointment. I think we can agree this is not a situation any of us wants. Please know that we want the same thing you do — the very best for our students.

Sincerely,

Julianne Puente
Head of School

Dear members of the Albuquerque Academy community,

All of us are disappointed by the continuing spread of the COVID-19 virus and the subsequent need to delay in-person education through at least Labor Day, as determined by the Albuquerque Academy administration and the board of trustees based on the governor’s recent announcement about schools, orders regarding occupancy limits and group sizes, the rising cases in Bernalillo County, and the increase in cases among New Mexicans ages 10-19. We want to get our students back on campus as soon as possible, but do so safely for our students, employees, families, and the larger community. We have made the decision to begin school online and hope to implement our in-person plan in September.

With the decision to begin school online, we now have certainty about what will happen on August 13, the first day of school. We will share more details in the coming days, including a message tomorrow with information about students’ schedules, orientations, and picking up classroom materials.

When we hired Julianne Puente as our head of school last year, this was certainly not the start to her tenure that any of us envisioned. This year was supposed to be her opportunity to get to know our culture and traditions. Nothing seems to be going as expected during this pandemic. All of our lives have changed dramatically since March 11 when the Academy closed its campus.

Ms. Puente has worked essentially without stop since arriving in Albuquerque in early June, well before her official start on July 1. She has worked with representatives from all parts of the school to develop a plan to reopen the campus safely and productively, which includes a schedule that will be conducive to having some portion of the school year online, anticipating that events could require us to close the campus again. She has continued to work tirelessly with her team to refine the plan as the situation has evolved, keeping the education of our students at the forefront and providing regular updates to me and the board about the thousands of moving parts that must be considered. She continues to brainstorm ways to bring students together safely on campus in small groups to share common interests.

Please be understanding and supportive as we navigate these very challenging times. We do not all agree on what should happen or how, but we ultimately have the shared goal of bringing our community together safely as soon as possible. If we can address the challenges together with civility and empathy, we will be a stronger school and community in the end. Furthermore, we can use this opportunity to set an example for our students as they learn “to serve country and community with wisdom, conviction, and compassion,” in accordance with our mission. In the meantime, please do what you can to slow the spread of the virus so we can get back on campus as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Tom Smidt
Chair, Board of Trustees

Although I haven’t yet officially taken over the reins as Albuquerque Academy’s head of school — my first official day is tomorrow — since I arrived in the U.S. in early June and even long before that, I’ve been working closely with Andy Watson and the Academy administration to ensure a smooth transition, which is especially critical in a time when schools must reimagine all of the things we’d once taken for granted. I’d like to thank Andy for the work he’s done in preparing me for this job and for this most unusual return to school in August.

Normally, a new head of school would spend their first year learning as much as their students before implementing any big changes, especially at a school as highly regarded as the Academy. But these are not normal times, and changes must be made now.

However, I’m not making these changes on my own. The plans for the 2020-21 school year have been shaped by the results of the student, parent, faculty, and staff surveys conducted in mid-June, which strongly indicated a desire to return to learning on campus, and with significant input from the administrators and teachers who know our school and our students best.

Every decision we are making is shaped by these two guiding principles:

1. Supporting and protecting school community health and wellness
2. Fulfilling our mission as a school committed to educational excellence and a powerful sense of community

We know that no plan to return to campus is without risk. All of us take risks every day, such as riding in a car, though for the most part, they are risks we’ve grown comfortable with and accept as a necessary. Like riding in a car, we’ll all need to follow the rules and take personal responsibility to protect ourselves, and one another, as much as possible from COVID-19. I’m counting on all of you to make this plan a success.

Despite our best efforts to protect our community while holding classes on campus, a breakout could occur at the Academy, or the situation in our city or state may warrant another campus closure. As explained in this video, this plan was designed to be adaptable so we could transition smoothly from in-person to online learning if necessary.

And all of the plans we’ve made so far — and will make in the coming weeks — and all of the messages and videos we send can be found here, at the Learning Reimagined landing page at aa.edu. Although we will continue to send updates directly to your inbox, this is your best resource for answers to your questions, as further details are determined.

Thank you for your cooperation and support as we reimagine teaching and learning together.

Sincerely,
Julianne Puente
Head of School

When I visited campus in late January, I imagined my move to the Academy as being exciting, challenging, and formidable. I guess looking back, I was right – I just did not realize how right! Once school finished in late May, I had planned to travel to Albuquerque, Spain to visit and explore my new hometown’s sister city, followed by a stop in NYC to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, eventually arriving in New Mexico in late June. Like everyone else, the pandemic turned my life upside down, and I found myself making calculations and compromises that had once seemed unimaginable. Teaching online, creating numerous virtual ceremonies, and living under strict martial law certainly required me to seek new ways to move forward, and even thrive, in this new reality. I seized the opportunity to catch a rescue flight out of Jordan on June 6, and I arrived in Albuquerque soon afterwards. I am currently quarantining in my apartment, eagerly awaiting the day I can drive to campus and see a bit of my new city.

Although I have been meeting quite regularly with many people from the Academy since October, we have spent the last weeks working in committees to explore ways we might be able to safely reopen the Academy for the 2020-21 school year. Our planning has been informed by the “three Cs” that we now need to be aware of ­– close contact, crowded areas, and closed spaces – all of which are inherently part of life at a school like Albuquerque Academy. In the age of COVID-19, our traditional classrooms, dining halls, arts and athletics programs, co-curricular activities, labs, and common areas all carry new risks. In order to find a safe path forward for our community, all of those risks need to be considered, and the life of our campus reimagined, in a way that preserves what is essential about the Academy.

This challenge is vast, complex, and unprecedented – and I can think of no community better equipped to tackle it than this one. In helping us create a comprehensive plan that best serves the entire community, I ask that you take a few minutes to complete this survey to share your thoughts, concerns, questions, and ideas about how we should reopen school. The survey will close Friday, June 12 at 23:00. We will use this information to inform and refine our thinking and approach, and we hope to share a reopening plan with you sometime in the next few weeks.

Although this was not the start that I had imagined, I am prepared for the challenge. Living in the Middle East for the last 11 years uniquely equipped me to embrace uncertainty and view challenges as opportunities. Starting in July, I look forward to meeting with you in person, on Zoom, or over the phone as I seek to learn as much as possible about this most wonderful school community.

Sincerely,

Julianne Puente
Incoming Head of School

We understand you have many questions about school right now, but we hope you don’t have doubts. Exactly how and when we return to campus remains to be seen, but we will again live our mission, sustain our dynamic community, and teach our students well.

Our obvious preference is to start school on August 20 together on campus, celebrating our return, welcoming new students, honoring the seniors, and greeting our new head of school, Julianne Puente. But we have to plan to be ready for anything. Our Reopening Committee, with subcommittees addressing academics, campus safety, staffing and hiring, and communication, is considering questions about how we can return to campus safely, with official guidance from the state and the CDC. We will also be informed by research and advice from other professional organizations, brainstorming with school heads from other top independent schools, and lessons learned from our Global Online Academy (GOA) sister schools in Asia and Europe. The committee is strengthened already by the involvement of Ms. Puente; she brings great experience to the table after considering the same issues we face, and more, at her boarding school in Jordan.

Our educators clearly know how to support students under normal teaching conditions, but after diving into online learning this spring and the surge of professional development that we are funding this summer, they will also be ready if there is the need to go back to online teaching in the future or if we must adopt a hybrid model at any point. I have to say, the efforts of our teachers have been simply incredible — they really kept our school strong. We are very fortunate to reap the benefits of being one of the 10 founding members of the Global Online Academy, as their professional development offerings in course design and online learning are the best and most sought after in the independent school world. More than 30 of our teachers will be joining their “boot camp + coaching” program this summer, while the rest of our teachers will be involved with summer professional development grants taught by some of our leading online practitioners. All of this work will strengthen teaching and broaden skills in all learning settings.

Tuition for the 2020-21 school year will not be reduced at this point. If there are net cost savings resulting from any extended alteration of our normal work next year, we will consider a refund, not unlike this spring’s dining hall refund. Such a determination would come after balancing these savings against extra costs (increases in professional development for teachers; cleaning, safety, and security expenses; and technological expenses and possible staffing or alteration of physical space to create social distancing on campus all come to mind). At the same time, we remain committed to supporting families who have lost income due to the pandemic this year and next, thanks to the generosity of our community members who have made gifts to the Academy Endurance Fund. Please email Financial Assistance Officer Emily Kienzle for tuition-assistance questions or Controller Sandy Timmons for payment-schedule questions. We will also continue the discounting that our endowment spending provides every Academy student, ever aware that we need to maintain the strength of our endowment for the years ahead.

As we adapt to current circumstances and plan for the future, there is good news about the strength of our school. As of today, our re-enrollment and enrollment numbers for next year are our strongest in a decade. This might seem amazing to some, but I’m not surprised. I see this as a vote of confidence for the work we’ve done this spring, trust that we have the wisdom and resources to excel in any scenario going forward, and a belief in the strength and stability of our school. It is also an understanding that a commitment to the Academy is a decision about being part of our community for far more than a single year. Finally, it is a signal that our families, some multigenerational Academy families and/or some who hope their next generation will join us someday, remain committed to our mission and to the idea that it is possible to create one of the nation’s top independent school communities here in Albuquerque.

So many people have supported the Academy, and me, during this time of change and challenge. We are very grateful. The fact that this spring of adaptation and planning comes as I prepare to retire from the Academy is immensely fulfilling, despite sadness around the world, as it feels like I am supporting our school and mission right up to the end. It has been joyful to share this work with Julianne Puente as she contends with equally, or more challenging, conditions finishing up her time at King’s Academy in Jordan.

I hope you and your family are all safe, and I hope this letter is helpful.

Thank you for everything, especially now, Chargers.

Andrew Watson
Head of School

Athletics guidelines at the Academy are determined by the New Mexico Activities Association in combination with our campus health status and general health recommendations by the state and national health and governmental organizations. Please click here for the most recent details about the 2020-21 athletic seasons.

Yes, we are planning to offer 6-7 sports. Coaches are still working out the details, but we expect seasons to align with the plans for high school sports. Click here for those details.

While the Academy may not be required to adhere to Public Education Department decisions, the state government does consider all of the data points that we do — and many more — in making its decisions and consults a variety of experts. The governor has said independent and parochial schools may open if they operate as a business at 25% capacity. However, students’ schedules have been designed to meet the 50% capacity school guideline. And with classes of 10 or 11 students plus a teacher, we are not within the limit for “mass gathering” restrictions of fewer than five people. We are limited by the number of teachers, primarily, but also by classroom spaces on campus, although we do intend to take advantage of outdoor locations and nontraditional indoor areas when we are able to return to on-campus classes.

Yes, 6-7 students may borrow laptops and wifi hotspots if needed. 6-7 Division Head Chris Dineen will provide more information in the email he sends to students and parents on August 3.

Unfortunately, testing is not possible, though not due to a lack of effort from the Academy. We explored several options in the hopes of taking this extra precaution for our community. Currently, asymptomatic testing is not being done due to a statewide shortage of tests.

Because independent study projects may span a semester or a full year, in the trimester schedule, they will be on a students’ schedules for a trimester or half of a trimester. Students conducting independent study projects will need to arrange regular meetings with their teachers.

We know that it will be essential for some families to carpool to and from school, particularly since students will not be able to stay on campus after school ends. We just ask that you follow the same health/safety precautions as you would in other daily situations. Because carpooling students may be in different grades, they do not need to be in the same classes.

There will not be any change to our grading system; students will get a midterm and final grade as well as expectation indicators as they normally would. Teachers, however, understand that online learning in a new trimester system is different from what students are used to, and they will work with students to help them to be successful. Students are encouraged to speak with their teachers if they are experiencing challenges with their academic work.

8-12 students will receive their full-year schedules on August 4. We will be able to accommodate very limited schedule change requests related to academic issues, for example, switching to a less-difficult course. A change in one student’s schedule would require the scheduler to change to another student’s schedule due to the small class sizes, a domino effect that cannot be managed.

Sixth and seventh graders will find out which village they are in from their family heads, and that information will dictate what their daily schedules look like.

Yes, we will refund lunch fees for as long as campus is closed to in-person classes.

Yes, there will be online orientation sessions for all students — new and returning. Students in grades 8-12 will have an opportunity to meet with their first-trimester teachers before school begins. Because students in grades 6-7 will have more teachers each day, they will have an orientation with their family heads only. Faculty will be in touch with students about further details. Before launching on-campus classes at a later date, there will be in-person student orientations.

The initial schedule of coming communications was outlined in the July 29 email from Head of School Julianne Puente, including a Q&A webinar for students and families on August 6. Please refer to that email for the registration link.

We understand that there are members of the Academy community who are at high risk and/or have high-risk family members in their households, and, with cases on the rise, some families may simply feel better about keeping their students home. Classrooms will be equipped with wide-angle cameras and wireless microphones so teachers can deliver content to students who do not attend in-person class. If this is an option you are interested in due to health concerns, please contact your division head.

Unfortunately, the traditional senior retreat must be cancelled. We are working on alternative events that will provide seniors similar opportunities for bonding as a class.

We will strive to offer the full educational program as long as it can be carried out safely. This includes making plans for science labs, dance and other performing arts classes, PE, Ex Ed, and community service. All will be conducted within social distancing guidelines, without sharing materials, and so on.

No. Because the curriculum is compressed into an 11-week trimester, we chose to provide more instruction time rather than dedicating days to final exams, reviews, and prep.

Certainly students will be able to meet with their teachers for help with assignments or to discuss other areas in which they need support. Such meetings may be held online or in person, since these student/teacher combinations are already a point of contact; many faculty offices will be equipped with plexiglass shields, and each person will wear a mask.

All students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors must wear some sort of PPE, either masks or shields. We are researching the best options to allow for optimal classroom communication, for physical activities like PE and dance classes, and for performance classes like choir. Classes like band will practice in large spaces with extra physical distancing.

No, lunches will be prepared by SAGE Dining and delivered to students. Although the menu will be more limited than when dining halls were open, students with allergies and other dietary needs will be accommodated.

Access to restrooms will be intensely managed to avoid crowding. The Academy has purchased two ionized aerosol sprayers that will be used to clean restrooms multiple times throughout the day, and restrooms will be deep cleaned each evening. We will also add a number of portable toilets, which will be cleaned the same way, to be spaced around buildings.

It is up to families to follow the protocol, guidelines, and recommendations set by government and health officials and remember that preserving the health of the school community depends on all of us. Please review the Commitment from Families section in the Return to Campus plan for more details.

Yes. Classes taken in the fall or winter trimester will meet for refreshers during free time in their schedules, likely through Zoom to prevent excessive student mixing. Although there is no firm data, anecdotal evidence from other schools using this trimester model suggests this plan will not hurt AP scores.

The AP exam registration deadline is November 13, 2020. Prices have increased by $1. There will be no fee for canceled exams as long as the exam is canceled by March 12 or indicated as unused by MyAP before the invoice is generated. These changes in policy indicate that exams are likely to be digital in 2021, but this has not been confirmed.

Because students will be kept to specific spaces on campus to reduce interactions, music practice rooms will not be available.

We are working with the language and math department chairs to provide regular refreshers to students for these disciplines to provide students with some optional independent work to practice their skills. Because science and computing classes also require quantitative reasoning, many students will do applied math work even in trimesters without a math course. More details will be provided later.

Yes, although these classes will require extra distancing since it will not always be possible or practical to wear PPE. We are also researching masks that are designed for singing and performing.

No. Accessing lockers would allow too much student mixing and not enough distancing. Instead, students will need to bring everything they need for school in their backpacks. With fewer academic classes in their daily schedules, students will not have to overload their backpacks.

No. Lunches will be brought to students at their designated eating locations.

Bookstores will not be open in their traditional form, but rather as a pickup location for orders placed in advance. The bookstores will sell basic supplies for class. They will not be able to visit or hang out at bookstores or buy snacks. Instead, healthy snacks will be made available from SAGE Dining.

A cohort is the group of students who will attend the same classes during a trimester. By putting students in small groups, we can limit the number of their on-campus contacts, which will help in contact tracing in the case of exposure. If a student group has to quarantine, they would move to online learning for 14 days.

It is very important that students stay home when they are sick or have been exposed to the virus. Students who must stay home will be able to join their classes online. If a student needs to work remotely, their teachers will work with them to ensure they stay on track.

Yes, and we will be extending senior privileges to any student in the 10-12 division who has a driver’s license and the use of a car. Students will be allowed to leave/return to campus during free periods to prevent excessive mixing with others and limit exposure, provided that they sign out properly each time they leave. Students who do not have an A block class are encouraged to arrive late, and those without a C block class are encouraged to leave early if they can drive or if family members can drive them. We are extending these privileges to all upper school students in order to reduce density on campus. All students must be present for all their required commitments, which includes classes, advisory, health, college knowledge, and the like.

No. Even when campus is open to students, it will not be available to others for walking on the open space trails or cross country course. Access to campus will be carefully monitored to prevent unnecessary access, decrease campus density, and limit exposure. Parents will be able to access campus for drop-off and pickups, but then they will need to leave.

It is best for your health and the health of the community to avoid unnecessary travel. The New Mexico Department of Health requires a 14-day quarantine following out-of-state travel by air and car. Any student who must quarantine per NMDOH guidelines will continue classes via distance learning. For the latest details about travel guidelines, including other family members who have traveled out of state, please click here.

While our intention is to conduct school on campus as much as possible this school year, it may become necessary to revert to online learning if required by health or government officials or due to Academy-specific health conditions. The goal of the school calendar and daily schedule is to provide a continuous learning structure that can be adapted as necessary.

The measures in this plan are designed to reduce the risk of exposure to and the spread of COVID-19 on the campus of Albuquerque Academy as guided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New Mexico Department of Health.

These measures include social distancing, the use of personal protective equipment, and reduced student mixing; class space and building enhancements such as HVAC improvements, air filtration systems, plexiglass barriers, and touchless water stations; and stepped-up cleaning, such as ionized aerosol disinfection and increased cleaning in high traffic areas.

More information is provided in the return to campus plan detailed on this page.

School staff will regularly check temperatures of students upon arrival. If your student presents with a temperature that is higher than 100.0 F, they will be sent home.

Our new daily schedule limits student interaction on campus, which will simplify contact tracing should a member of our community test positive for COVID-19. If a cohort has been exposed and must quarantine, the group will receive instruction via online learning.

If your student or someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, you must notify the school nurse as soon as possible.

If anyone in your household has been notified by the State Health Department that they were in contact with an individual infected with COVID-19, you are asked to notify the school nurse. You may be asked to keep your student home from school for 14 days. During this time, your student will be able to continue classes by distance learning.

We understand that there are situations when a member of the Academy community has a personal health situation that puts them at particular risk for COVID-19. We will do our best to accommodate the unique needs of individual students and employees. If your student is immunocompromised or you have particular concerns about their presence on our campus, we encourage you to notify the school nurse and contact your division head as soon as possible.

The structure of the new calendar and daily schedule achieves several things. Among their primary benefits:

• Five-days-a-week, full-day instruction, allowing parents to better manage their own work schedules
• A smoother transition to online learning if necessary because students will have fewer classes to manage
• Cohort scheduling and class sizes of 12 students or fewer reduce student mixing, simplifying contact tracing in case of exposure and likely preventing the need to close campus in case of exposure

Fall break, Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break, and the end of the school year are unchanged from the original calendar. We are not adding school days to the annual calendar by starting a week early early, but instead are adding breaks between trimesters. View the trimester calendar and breaks here.

To help parents who have students at other schools with their planning, fall break, winter break, and spring break align with APS breaks. The Academy will have class on two days that APS is off — November 3 (election day) and November 11 (Veterans’ Day). These two days fall just before and after the end of the first trimester, when the Academy will be on break from Wednesday, November 4 through Sunday, November 8.

Students in grades 8-12 will take two classes a day that meet for two hours each day for 55 days. During a student’s third period, 8-9 students will have PE, health, Experiential Education, advisory, study hall, or athletics; 10-12 students will have health class or College Knowledge seminars during their lunch period. Class times will be staggered to reduce congestion at drop-off and morning health screenings and to reduce crowding between blocks.

The 6-7 division schedule will be developmentally appropriate allowing students to attend up to four one-hour classes by cohort each trimester; over the course of the year, they will have the full 6-7 experience.

As usual, students will receive their schedules just prior to the start of school.

The full-day, five-day-a-week schedule allows us to reduce class sizes to 12 students or fewer and will allow parents to better manage their own work schedules.

We understand the importance of extracurricular activities in the lives of our students and value the experiences they can offer and bonds created through them. Plans for student groups and organizations are still being evaluated, but for now, most will have to be conducted remotely in order to minimize contact between students beyond their cohort.

We will reduce the number of visitors allowed on campus to keep our community safe. All visitors to campus (not including student drop-off and pickup) will be screened upon arrival. In an elevated health status, visitors may be required to make an appointment prior to a campus visit.

We will continue to flush out the details of this plan throughout the summer. Please check this page regularly for further information.

If you have a question not answered on this page, please use the form below to submit a question that will be answered online. For a question about your student or a class that requires a direct response, please email the appropriate faculty member or administrator.

• 6-7 Division Head Chris Dineen
• 8-9 Division Head Martha Palmer
• 10-12 Division Head Christine Lenhart

Our plans to reopen for the 2020-21 school year are guided by our strong collective desire to return to campus and informed by the Academy’s deepest educational values and our commitment to preserving the Albuquerque Academy experience. Every decision we are making is focused on these two guiding principles:

1. Supporting and protecting school community health and wellness
2. Fulfilling our mission as a school committed to educational excellence and a powerful sense of community

Decisions have also been guided by the results of surveys conducted in mid-June. More than 70% of parents responded to this survey, with nearly 75% supporting an earlier start to the school year. Both parent and student respondents indicated a strong preference for in-person classes, and parents, students, and faculty supported a trimester schedule.

Work continues, of course, on establishing protocols, determining logistics, and designing and scheduling the program.

A Message from the CGO, June 16, 2020

Here is your update for mid-June. Can you believe it’s already mid-June? First some news on testing registration. As always, we can’t ensure that these test dates will actually happen, but registration info is as follows:

The SAT: Registration opened on June 8 for SAT test dates during the 2020-21 school year. Those SAT dates in 2020 are August 29, September 26, October 3, November 7, and December 5. Those SAT dates in 2021 are March 13, May 8, and June 5.

The ACT: Registration will open in late July for ACT dates during the 2020-21 school year. Those ACT dates in 2020 are September 12, October 24, and December 12. Those ACT dates in 2021 are February 6, April 17, and June 12. Please note: The registration deadline for the July 18, 2020 ACT is June 26, 2020.

We have been busy planning our end-of-summer and fall programs. Whether we are online or in person, we will have a large array of programs and workshops to help you through the college application process. For those of you who still have not had your first meeting with your college adviser, please reach out to them via email. Appointments are available this summer on a case-by-case basis. We will take time off, but we all have available times this summer.

The College Guidance Office will officially reopen on August 1. We will host several optional workshops in early August, including a Common Application Workshop, a Scholarship/Financial Aid Workshop, and specific workshops for the Apply Texas Application and the ASU Application. Stay tuned for exact dates and times, as well as the format.

Right before school begins, we will again host our Application Boot Camp, which will consist of individual check-in meetings with your college adviser and a half-day workshop on Tuesday, August 18. Please save that date for either a morning or afternoon mandatory workshop.

Our official kickoff program for parents will be the Final Countdown for Senior Parents, which will take place on August 27. Other events for the fall include a Financial Aid Workshop for Parents, the Tri-School Symposium, and more. Again, details will be sent later.

The bottom line is that no matter what happens with the school year itself, we have your backs. We have a long list of programs, workshops, and strategies to help you manage your college application process. We will get you through this.

Let us know if you have any questions, and look out for another update in early July!

A Message from the CGO, June 1, 2020

Albuquerque Academy will serve as a test center on every date possible this summer and this fall as long as we can comply with the state public health orders regarding coronavirus to keep people safe on our campus. We will notify you and your parents as soon as changes occur that are specifically related to Albuquerque Academy as a test center.

The College Guidance Office recommends seniors register for either an ACT or an SAT (the upcoming test dates are ACT: July 18, September 12, October 24, and December 12; SAT: August 29, September 26, October 3, November 7, and December 5). Once you get a spot the testing agencies will view you as one of their customers and should serve you in a professional and timely way. For example, under the guidelines released late yesterday, if you were registered for a cancelled test or test center, you were ahead in line for re-registering.

That said, CGO counselors often do not receive the most up-to-date communiques from the testing agencies until after you do. Thus, we advise you to access the ACT or SAT agencies directly for things like test center changes, test date changes, test payment refunds, etc. Here are the customer service numbers/emails at the testing agencies.

For the SAT (College Board): (866) 756-7346
For the ACT: (319) 337-1270

We recognize that many may be worried about the loss of routine and opportunities for growth this summer. We may have homes filled with people, and some of us may be alone. We may be caring for aging parents, have recently lost our income, or have family members who are highly distressed navigating these challenges. In times of stress we need to consider how to take care of ourselves, stay active, and connect to our communities in more intentional and creative ways than at other times in our lives.

In these unprecedented times, your Albuquerque Academy counselors are here for you.

To help, we invite you to join a group on Facebook called QuaranTEEN Life – Summer of 2020. It’s a group designed to bring people together to share their ideas on how they are taking care of themselves and creating new summer plans. If you’d like to join, click this link: QuaranTEEN Life – Summer 2020.

We invite you to let us know if you need any extra support. Feel free to email the Counseling and Human Development Department, and we will be happy to share referral information for local therapists, if needed. Please download the app NM Connect, as it has a wealth of resources. For more immediate concerns, the New Mexico Crisis Line has call and text resources available 24/7.

Yes, the Academy has received, and decided to keep, a Paycheck Protection Program loan – or PPP loan – from the Small Business Administration through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. This is good news for the future of the Academy, its employees, and, most importantly, its students, although it might lead to questions from community members.

When PPP loans were announced, we felt the program would be a perfect fit to help the Academy deal with the financial losses we are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we applied, primarily to support our employees, now and in the future. On April 17, the Academy received a PPP loan of $3.2 million. Since receiving the loan, the SBA has continued to refine its guidelines, laying out plans for greater scrutiny, especially for loans of more than $2 million, and, as we all know, many recipients have been subjected to negative publicity – deserved or not. With this in mind, the SBA gave recipients until May 18 to return loans if they wish. At a board meeting on May 13, after reviewing additional updated guidance from the Treasury Department, issued just that morning, the Board of Trustees voted to keep the loan. We are confident that the documentation we provided in applying for the loan and the tracking mechanism developed by our CFO and controller will prove the validity of our receipt of this benefit.

What is a PPP loan and how will the Academy use it? The PPP is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. The Small Business Administration will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. As defined by the loan terms, the Academy will use the money for payroll. With 376 employees, including seasonal employees, their employment is important to their families, the school, and the Albuquerque economy. We feel that preserving jobs at the Academy is just as important as keeping anyone in the local economy working, and we avoided layoffs in the initial phase of the pandemic because we received the PPP loan. Keeping our employees on the payroll maintains our strength for the long haul, and it supports the greater community as their compensation makes its way into the local economy. In fact, anything that strengthens the Academy strengthens the local economy, as most all of our spending goes into the community, from the contractors working around campus to the pizzas we buy and then sell in our concession stands and beyond.

Will everyone agree that the Academy should have received a PPP loan? Perhaps not, especially if they are not informed about the school’s financial situation. The tumbling financial markets have had a significant impact on the Academy’s endowment, the fund that ensures the financial future of the school. And while our endowment has dropped, the debt we owe on our bonds and the spending we’ve undertaken, mostly in salary and benefits, to support this year’s operations have not. Neither has our commitment to our students or commitment to our mission.

Income from the Academy’s endowment is used to support a portion of the annual operating budget. In 2019-20, the endowment provided $4,434 of spending per student. Of particular note: We provided $4.7 million dollars in tuition assistance for 281 students. Like many other endowments, the dramatic drop in the stock market had a negative effect on the value of the Academy’s endowment. Additionally, the endowment is not a liquid asset; there are limitations because part of the endowment is held in a trust and some tied up in land. Our basic financial model is a common one across independent schools, and many other independent schools have been awarded PPP loans to help them get through this health and financial crisis. Like other independent schools, we anticipate negative impacts on enrollment, and therefore tuition revenue, immediately and long term. Other revenue streams have been significantly reduced due to the cancellation of our Think Summer program – a $1.5 million loss in revenue – and the inability to provide facilities rentals to local, mostly nonprofit, groups. The Academy also suspended traditional fundraising campaigns, including Chargers Giving Back Day, which we rely on for our operational budget.

Beyond supporting our employees through the PPP program, we launched the Academy Endurance Fund on April 9 in response to the financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary goals of this initiative are to care for our students and families and to keep our Charger community intact as we move through this time of financial setbacks and uncertainties. As of May 13, the fund had received 200+ gifts totaling more than $82,000; however, we already have identified the need to provide more than $125,000 in additional tuition assistance, and this number is sure to grow. We are deeply appreciative of the support for this fundraising effort, but we can’t expect the generosity of our community to make up all of the shortfall; the economic impact of the pandemic is widespread among our families. In seeking both a PPP loan and launching the Endurance Fund, we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the continuity of an Academy education for all of our currently enrolled students as well as the ability to provide for future generations of students.

Other heads of school whose schools have received PPP loans also believe strongly in their employees, their schools, and their families (both now and in the future), and they feel that it is just as important for educational small businesses to receive support as it is for all the other businesses taking part in the program. Shoring up schools and providing educational options are just as important immediately to our economy as saving small businesses and even more critical to the future of our communities. There is no such thing as too much support for education in New Mexico at the moment.

Sending intelligent, informed, caring, independent thinkers into the world, where they will keep this country moving forward in the next decades, is what we do. A big part of our mission is to make such opportunities possible for students from families who were not already economically advantaged. It would be painful, now or in the future, to either make wide layoffs among our employees or turn away deserving students needing tuition assistance because we did not take a PPP loan or ask for community support of the Endurance Fund.

Already, the academics subcommittee of the Reopening Committee has been identifying solutions for improving our online learning if it becomes necessary to continue with or return to that format. We have also been listening to your feedback, through conversations and surveys, to determine what changes to the schedule, the balance between synchronous and asynchronous student work, and lesson design can improve our students’ online experiences.

We are very fortunate to reap the benefits of being one of the 10 founding members of the Global Online Academy, as their professional development offerings in course design and online learning are the best and most sought after in the independent school world. More than 30 Academy teachers will join their four-week boot camp and coaching program this summer, while the rest of our teachers will be involved with summer professional development grants to improve their tech skills and online course design taught by some of our leading online teaching practitioners.

We understand that the events this spring have been both unpredictable and financially devastating for many in our community. Our tuition-assistance program is offering additional support to address short-term hardships by offering one-year, emergency grants. These grants are made possible, in part, through generous donations to the Academy Endurance Fund. Please feel free to email Financial Assistance Officer Emily Kienzle throughout the summer with any questions.

Click here for a list of Academy-related small businesses that can use your support right now.

To support local nonprofits that work closely with the Academy, see this letter from Director of Community and Global Citizenship Dara Johnson.

Here are some of the ways our community has been making a difference.

• SAGE Dining donated more than 1,400 pounds of fresh food — milk, eggs, yogurt, and produce — to Roadrunner Food Bank.
• The nurse’s office and science department donated 300 masks to UNMH.
• The science department donated 60 goggles to first responders and medical professionals through Goggles for Docs.
• The computing department has manufactured more than 100 mask strap adjusters for Presbyterian, UNMH, and a local nursing home, as well as facilities in New York City, Colorado, and Texas.
• The Desert Oasis Teacher Garden is donating its weekly harvests to Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico and partnering with some APS schools to provide curriculum along with lunch pickups.
• The ninth grade community service club is coordinating a letter-writing campaign in support of medical providers. Learn more here.
• Academy families may attend mask-making tutorials on Thursday afternoons.
• Melinda ’21 created the website ABQ Fight COVID-19 to coordinate efforts in the fight against the virus. Read more here. 
• Rosa ’21 has sewn more than 100 masks, donating to at-risk community members, the UNM Cancer Center, and the Farmington Regional Medical Center. She has also started making surgical caps. Visit her website, Random Masks of Kindness.

Grade 6
Grade 7
Grades 8-12

Grade 6
Grade 7
Grades 8-12

Grade 8
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12

Grade 8
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12

To fit all of the 6-7 classes into the schedule and maintain skills, 6-7 students will take all of their classes throughout the year, regardless of the trimester. Sixth-grade schedules are based on two 13-day cycles, and seventh-grade schedules are based on three nine-day cycles. Work will come to a logical conclusion before each cycle change. Students will not be tested on previous material at the start of a new cycle, and teachers will not assign work outside of their cycle.

In grade 6, students will have up to four classes a day, plus performing arts or study hall. In grade 7, students will have three classes a day, plus performing arts or study hall.

8-12 students will receive their full-year schedules on August 4. We will be able to accommodate very limited schedule change requests related to academic issues, for example, switching to a less-difficult course. A change in one student’s schedule would require the scheduler to change to another student’s schedule due to the small class sizes, a domino effect that cannot be managed.

Sixth and seventh graders will find out which village they are in from their family heads, and that information will dictate what their daily schedules look like.

6-7 students take a wider variety of required classes throughout the year. For example, sixth graders take 10 classes over the course of a year, while 10-12 students take five or six. This schedule allows for the full 6-7 experience while studying all subjects regularly.

Students will rotate through nearly all of their classes and eat lunch with the same 10-11 students in their village in grade 6 and 12-13 students in their village in grade 7. The exception is their performing arts class, during which they will mix with a different group of approximately 15 students. 6-7 schedules will not change at the trimester breaks; students will be in the same small groups throughout the year.

Despite the staggered starts to prevent crowding in the mornings and avoid mixing at class breaks, an individual 6-7 student will start their school day at the same time every morning.

Rather than receiving schedules like students in grades 8-12, 6-7 will find out what village they are in before school starts. At this time, they will be told what time they should arrive on campus each morning.

During breaks, students will have monitored opportunities to get outside and otherwise relax. Breaks are staggered to avoid mixing students.

GOA classes will count as one of the five or six academic classes a student may take. They will continue to meet on a semester schedule. This means that, for some portion of a trimester, a student may have three courses instead of two. Since GOA courses are asynchronous, students will have the flexibility to do their GOA work when it fits their schedules.

Because students will be kept to specific spaces on campus to reduce interactions, Simms Library will not open for unmanaged student visits. Students need to be picked up by 3:30 p.m.

Daily schedule start times vary by up to 20 minutes to avoid congestion each morning. Schedules will not be designed so siblings necessarily have the same start; however, families carpooling together may arrive at the same time and head directly to their first class.

We understand it will not be convenient for many students to leave campus when they have a free block. Instead, 10-12 students will attend study hall during a free block. All 8-9 students will have class during A and B blocks and another obligation during C block. 6-7 students also will not have significant breaks in the middle of their schedules. All students are expected to leave campus by 3:30 p.m.

Students may take five or six classes; they do not need to register for a sixth class.

Students in grades 10-12 may only take five or six classes during the year. 10-12 students registered for a seventh, non-academic course (such as PE) were contacted by the 10-12 division about their schedules. The class was removed unless opted to remove a different class instead.

Semester classes will meet for either the first half or the second half of a trimester for 27 days.

We understand that students are very interested in receiving their schedules for many reasons, like finding out who they will have classes with, who their advisers will be, and when summer reading assignments need to be completed. Students will receive their schedule for all three trimesters before school begins. Because breaks between trimesters are less than one week, students should complete their summer assignments before school begins in August so they only need to review their books later.

We will do our best to consider the workloads and intensity of courses when creating student schedules, but there will be limitations and there may be reasons for scheduling two classes together. For instance, it could be beneficial to take some advanced math and science courses during the same trimester. Additionally, some 10-12 students may have more than three AP courses, so it would not be possible to schedule only one per trimester.

With only two courses per day, students will have more room in their schedules to start homework earlier and pursue other activities outside of school that help them recharge.

The 10-day cycle will be used to schedule additional meetings: advisory meetings, health classes (grades 8 and 10), Ex Ed and diversity, equity, and inclusion classes (grade 9), physical education classes (grades 8 and 9), and college knowledge classes (grades 10 and 11).

Each trimester, a student’s B block teacher will be their adviser. In grades 10-12, any student who is not scheduled for a B block class will be assigned an adviser who is also not teaching that period. Because these advisory groups will not comprise the same students as one of the student’s two classes, these groups will be capped at a low number. Advisee groups will eat lunch together on days 1 and 6 of the cycle.

Eighth graders will take PE during the same trimester as their English class and with the same group of students. The PE class will meet four times per cycle (twice per week). Health class will take place during the same trimester as their history class and with the same group of students. Health classes will meet twice per cycle (once per week). Both PE and health will run from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Ninth graders will take PE during the same trimester as their English class and with the same group of students. The PE class will meet four times per cycle (twice per week). Ex Ed will take place during the same trimester as their history class and with the same group of students. Ex Ed classes will meet twice per cycle (once per week). Both PE and Ex Ed will run from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Tenth graders will take college knowledge class during the same trimester as their English class and with the same group of students. Tenth graders will take health class during the same trimester as their history class and with the same group of students. Both of these classes will meet twice per cycle (once per week) during lunch.

Eleventh graders will take college knowledge class during the same trimester as their English class and with the same group of students. Classes will meet twice per cycle (once per week) during lunch.