The following message is from Tony Clement Center for Education Principal Chris Martel and Assistant Principal Teresa Adalian, and it contains important information about the start of the new school year. The message also was sent to families in letter form this week via U.S. mail.
Dear Families,
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the 2024-25 school year at Tony Clement Center for Education – TCCE for short. We look forward to a great school year! This letter provides a snapshot of the first days of school and what you and your student can expect.
Student schedules and SchoolTool
Student schedules and information will be available in SchoolTool, our student information system, starting Wednesday, Sept. 4. Your student can access their schedule here using their student ID number.
Parents and guardians also can log into the SchoolTool Parent Portal. There, you can regularly review student schedules, grades, attendance and other important information that helps you stay on top of student progress.
Student orientation days
To ensure a smooth transition back to school for all students, we have designated Friday, Sept. 6 and Monday, Sept. 9, as student orientation days. The goal of these two days is to welcome students back to school and provide them with information about school expectations, class locations, and arrival and dismissal procedures.
Orientation for students in grades 7-8 will be held Friday, Sept. 6 from 8:54 a.m.-3 p.m. There is no school for students in grades 9-11 that day.
Orientation for students in grades 9-11 will be held Monday, Sept. 9 from 8:54 a.m.-3 p.m. There is no school for students in grades 7-8 that day.
First full day of school
Tuesday, Sept. 10 will be the first full day of school for all students. Doors will open for breakfast at 8:45 a.m. The school day will begin at 8:54 a.m. The school day will conclude at 3 p.m.
No cell phones
In order to promote a safe and distraction-free learning environment, TCCE students may not possess ANY electronic devices during the school day, including cell phones, electronic watches, ear pods and tablets.
As a part of our security screening procedure at arrival, student devices will be collected, labeled and secured for the school day. If any student is found to be in possession of an electronic device (e.g., cell phone, smart watch, tablet) at any point in the school day after the “bagging and tagging” process, the item will be collected by a school staff member and a parent/guardian will be contacted.
If a student refuses to turn over their device to school security or administration, disciplinary action – including out-of-school suspension – may result.
Grading Policy Updates
For quarters 1-3 the lowest grade a student attending class can receive is 55%. In quarter 4, students will receive the actual grade earned, which can be lower than 55%.
School supplies
You can find a supply list online at albanyschools.org/clement.
We are on social media!
Follow our school on Facebook @TCCE.CSDA.
Mark your calendar
- Thursday, Oct. 3 – Rosh Hashana, no school (All)
- Monday, Oct. 14 – No school, Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day (All)
- Thursday, Oct. 10 – Open House, 5-7 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 25 – No school for students; parent-teacher conferences and professional development day
Communicating with you
We communicate with families mainly by email. If we have an email address for you in our records, we can keep you informed about events and activities at school (including emergency communications).
We can also send a text message to your cell phone BUT you will need to give permission. The easiest way to receive a text message is to simply type “Y” or “yes” to 67587 from a number that is on file in our student database.
Please let us know if your address, phone number or email has changed so that you can receive important information from us. You also can officially change your address online, by mail or in-person at our Central Registration office at 75 Watervliet Ave.
Communicating with students
This year we will use the Modern Campus Message (formerly Signal Vine) platform to communicate with students, if they are able to receive text messages. Participation is voluntary, and students can opt out at any time. However, we do encourage all students to take advantage of this opportunity to stay connected and get reminders about important events.
As it is a two-way system, students will have the ability to reach school personnel via text with questions as well. We will be requesting that our students provide their cell phone numbers during intake meetings or during the start of the school year to enroll. This platform is only available outside of school hours or in case of a student absence from school.
See you soon
We look forward to seeing you in September! If you have any questions in the meantime, please call (518) 475-6525 or email us at cmartel@albany.k12.ny.us or tadalian@albany.k12.ny.us if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Chris Martel, Principal, and Teresa Adalian, Assistant Principal
