Giffen Memorial Elementary School

Giffen Families- Today was a remarkable trip around the world at our Multicultural Day celebration! Saturday we hope you'll join us as we march down Morton Ave to Giffen in the African Heritage Parade. Students who are not already performing with the Gatorettes will receive a Giffen T-shirt to wear in the parade!

Giffen will also have a table at the Juneteenth Celebration! We will have our Community School Family Wellness and Enrichment partner Skin Deep Naturals by Octavia Maxwell joining us as we make body scrubs (while supplies last)!

We will have freeze pops for those who stop over and say "Hello" at our Giffen table.

Special thanks to the Albany Fund For Education for their support of this week's multicultural events!

Our building was buzzing with excitement for Author Day!

Pre-K through second grade met author Raven Daley! They read her book, learned about her writing journey, asked great questions, and even got a copy to take home.

third through fifth grades welcomed Albany native Tyrell Hughes, author of Just a Kid from Arbor Hill. He inspired our older students with an interactive session focused on literacy, motivation, perseverance, and self-confidence!

Let’s dance! Our K-5 students with perfect or outstanding attendance in the third trimester celebrated in style at our special attenDANCE party! They soaked up the great weather, danced to awesome music, and enjoyed some tasty snacks. Regular attendance is so important, and we are incredibly proud of our students' commitment. Keep up the amazing work! 🌟

Earlier this month, Giffen was invited to Wizards Wardrobe's End-of-the-Year ceremony to join in the celebration with many of our students.

We are so proud of all of our Giffen students who read their written works, which were published in a book by the wonderful staff and volunteers at Wizards.

Wizards Wardrobe provides literacy, tutoring and mentorship after school in the South End. With over 60 volunteer tutors, students throughout the city of Albany have access to opportunities to grow their love of reading and connect with trusted adults.

Here at Giffen, we are honored to have the privilege to partner with such an amazing organization.

At our final Saturday Morning Family Wellness Program, with our friend Carry Love, a couple of 2nd grade students recognized Peace Heroes in their school and shared their experiences making friends this school year with their families.

The children made gifts to give to their friends and Ms. Moore also received a very heartfelt card thanking her for uplifting this opportunity to connect on Saturdays with friends and family.

Giffen is extremely thankful to Ms Carry Love for sharing all of her love and passion with Giffen over the past few months. She has a magnetic personality and we look forward to having her join us again next year, thanks to our Albany County Legislators' Anti-bullying Grant.

Peaceis Possible !

Our Just Run Club loved having Ms. Lulu from Luseedlus Lu visit us. Students got hands-on by planting their own seedlings and decorating an arrowhead plant to take home. Plus, they learned some awesome tips on proper plant care! 🪴✨

Congratulations to our Giffen retirees!

Elementary School Students will now receiving bussing if they live a mile or more away from school. Complete the Transportation Forms
Monday, Aug. 3 is the deadline for families to submit an application to guarantee bus service for the first day of school Sept. 4.

Important K-5 transportation updates for 2026-27 As we prepare for the 2026-27 school year, we would like to share a few important transportation changes for elementary families who will have children in kindergarten through grade 5 beginning in September. We are thrilled to be expanding our K-5 transportation service thanks to our community’s o...

Giffen Author Day! June 17th, 2026

We are excited to welcome Tyrell Hughes as this year's 3rd-5th grade author presenter!

During the presentation Mr. Hughes will incorporate storytelling, motivation, student interaction, and discussions around perseverance, literacy, overcoming obstacles, and self-confidence.

Every student will receive a copy of the book to take home!
Throughout the day, students will rotate to other literacy centers!

Students will make a banner to take home, learn more about digital literacy, and learn more about summer opportunities for the local library.

The Big Chop: A Discussion With Author Tyrell Hughes Regarding His Latest Book - YouTube