Happy Groundhog Day!
As we kick off another exciting week of learning, I want to wish you and your family a fantastic, productive week ahead! Thank you for your continued partnership and support.
Today is Feb. 2 - as we all know, the day a famous groundhog comes out of hibernation and out of its burrow to deliver a highly anticipated update on how long winter weather will last.
If the sun is out and the groundhog sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs back in, signaling six more weeks of winter. If it is cloudy and the groundhog doesn't see its shadow, it stays out, meaning spring will come early!
According to European folklore, German immigrants brought the tradition to Pennsylvania and used the native groundhog. Since 1886, Feb. 2 has been used because it falls halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
On Monday morning, the famous Punxsutawney Phil, who lives in Punxsutawney, Pa., predicted that there will be six more weeks of winter, so don't put away those hats and mittens just yet!
February is Black History Month, and we welcome this annual celebration of the achievements and legacy of Black Americans and recognize their significant contributions to U.S. history.
We remember Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Harvard historian, for his research and advocacy leading to the establishment of the first weekly recognition of the achievements of Black Americans in 1926. We also remember President Gerald Ford who, in 1976, officially declared Black History Month. Today, as we do throughout February and all year round, we honor the contributions of Black Americans across our history and society.
We were grateful last week to receive a wonderful contribution to our school community. Our partners at Albany Elks Lodge #49 donated $2,000 worth of Stewart’s egg and milk gift cards to support our food bank! We truly appreciate this incredible support for our students and families!
February is one of the shortest months of our school year, with only 15 days of instruction. I cannot stress enough that attendance significantly impacts student achievement. We are currently in the third marking period of school, with interim grades closing on Friday, Feb. 27. As a reminder, your child should bring a note and complete any missed work as a result of an absence from school.
This month's PTA meeting will take place on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in room 112. We also will have a virtual option for anyone not able to attend in-person; you can .
This week, we will hold our second round of ¶¶ÒõappÏÂÔØ/Teacher Conferences on Thursday from 3:30-6:30 p.m. and Friday from noon-3 p.m. There will be no school on Friday due to the afternoon conferences and professional development for our staff in the morning.
Similar to the first round of conferences in October, team teachers identified students who would benefit most from a parent-teacher meeting and contacted those parents and guardians to set up a meeting time. If you were not contacted and have concerns you would like to discuss with your child's team, please feel free to contact your child’s school counselor to set up a time.
Please remember, you may contact the Guidance Office throughout the school year should you feel the need for a meeting with your child’s teachers.
The City School District of Albany is conducting the annual Family and Community Partnership Survey. This survey is for our students, staff and families to get feedback and input on our work as a district for the purpose of informing improvement and growth. Your input once again is an important part of this work. , which takes approximately 10-15 minutes, at your earliest convenience.
Our Extended Day Program takes place on Mondays through Thursdays from 3-5:30 p.m. and includes a free snack and free door-to-door bus transportation home. Applications are available at the Attendance Desk at the main entrance and should be returned to the Main Office. Please contact Ms. Lewis at dlewis2@albany.k12.ny.us if you have any questions.
As a reminder, please be mindful of school bus safety signals and school-zone speed limits as both carry fines as much as $300 for stop-arm violations and $50 for speed-zone violations. Delaware Avenue in front of our school and Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology is one of the city's school speed zones.
As a final note, Hackett will hold fire drill emergency response procedures periodically throughout the school year. The safety of everyone in our school community is extremely important. Holding these practice drills, including lockdown drills, is crucial to our overall emergency planning. Before we practice a drill, we teach students, faculty and staff about the procedures to follow in an emergency.
Stay connected!
Check out our website and in addition to my weekly emails. You also can reach out to us at (518) 475-6475.
Now for our 'Don't Snooze and Lose News'
Besides the items listed above, please make a note of the following information:
- As a reminder to our eighth-grade families who were not able to attend Albany High School's Curriculum Night on Jan. 7, , which includes lots of great information about all of the opportunities available for students at the high school.
- Our next Friday Fun Day will take place Feb. 13 and the theme will be "Pajama Day." We will continue to celebrate each Friday Fun Day in a different way in order to boost school pride and add a little fun to our week. This is a great way to build healthy relationships and look forward to the weekend!
- Winter Recess will be Feb. 16-20, with classes resuming on Monday, Feb. 23.
- Our Second Quarter Honor Roll will take place Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 8:30 a.m. in the auditorium.
- Third-quarter interim grades close on Friday, Feb. 27.
- Our March PTA meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30 p.m. in room 112. We also will have a virtual option for anyone not able to attend in-person. You can .
Hackett Corner Quotes
"Lift every voice and sing." -- From the Black National Anthem, "Left Every Voice and Sing," a poem by James Weldon Johnson, principal of the Edwin M. Stanton School in Jacksonville, Fla.
- "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was first recited in 1900 as a poem by 500 schoolchildren in Jacksonville to honor Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
- Principal Johnson's brother, John Rosamond Johnson, later put the words to music.
- The song began as a symbol of Black struggle and hope, and the NAACP adopted it as the Black National Anthem in 1919. It was sung and performed frequently during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
"We must not choose harsh words that tear people down. We must choose kind words that lift people up." -- United States Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
- Justice Jackson is the first Black woman, and the sixth woman overall, to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
- She earned her undergraduate and legal degrees at Harvard University.
- Justice Jackson previously served as a federal public defender. She is the first member of the U.S. Supreme Court with public defender experience since Justice Thurgood Marshall retired in 1991.
Did you know?
- Madam C.J. Walker: After creating a line of haircare products for Black women, she became the first Black female self-made millionaire.
- Garrett Augustus Morgan Sr.: An American inventor, businessman and community leader, he invented the traffic signal in 1922 after witnessing a terrible accident. His stop-and-go traffic signal was patented in 1923, and he sold the rights to General Electric.
- Lewis Howard Latimer: An American inventor and patent draftsman, he received a patent in 1881 for the production of carbon filaments for light bulbs, making light bulbs last longer. While working for The Edison Electric Light Company in New York City, Latimer wrote the first book on electric lighting in 1890, "Incandescent Electric Lighting." He supervised the installation of public electric lights throughout New York, Philadelphia, Montreal and London.