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  • Superintendent's Community Update, June 2, 2023

    Swim Lessons, Be Ready for Data Confirmation, and Get Comfortable with Aeries Dear Albany Community, What a fun week! I have attended many promotion and graduation ceremonies around the District, and will proudly be a part of the high school commencement ceremony tonight. Congratulations to all who were promoted to a new school this week! Our newest graduates have my best wishes for a happy, successful future. You are well prepared. I hope that all of us will have a relaxing and rejuvenating summer break, and look forward to renewing these weekly updates in August before our return to school on August 14, 2023.  Swim Lessons At the Albany Pool! The Albany Aquatic Center provides great swim lessons right here in Albany! Swim lessons are fun, essential for water safety, and are a great summer activity.  Find out more at   AAC Swim Lessons .  Have your kids learn to swim this summer! Be Ready To Confirm Your Information Each year, all parents/guardians are required to log in to AERIES, our student information system, to re-confirm their contact information, receive notifications, complete forms, and make important choices for their child(ren). In order to receive school communications, regular and emergency messages from the District, AUSD must have your correct phone number, email address, and street address. Because we are all so used to seeing our contact information, it is easy to miss typos, but small errors can create big problems later when you aren’t getting the information you need. Please CAREFULLY check all entries in AERIES during your data confirmation. You will receive an invitation later this summer to perform this simple, but essential task. Students will  not  receive their teacher assignment or their schedule (AMS/AHS/MacGregor) unless data confirmation has been completed.  Getting Comfortable With Aeries The Aeries  student information system, which includes ParentSquare for communications, is always available to you. Log in at the Aeries Parent Portal , and bookmark it for the future. Parents of students in grade 6 and higher can choose to get a weekly update on how your student is progressing and their assignments. If you need assistance, start with the  Aeries Portal Help  page.  Important Dates June 12:  Summer school begins June 19:  Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Summer Program begins June 26 (tentative): Data confirmation opens.  Update and confirm your family’s data in the District’s information system. July 12:  Summer school ends July 28:  ELO Summer Program ends August 14: First Day of School   Upcoming Board and District Committee Meetings All  Board of Education meetings  and  District committee meetings  are open to the public. Find agendas on the links above, or through the  AUSD Events Calendar .  June 13:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm June 27:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm Have a great summer, Dr. Frank Wells  Superintendent of Schools Albany Unified School District ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Friday, Jun 02 2023

  • Superintendent's Community Update, May 26, 2023

    Scholarships & Awards, Employee Appreciation Week, June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, A+ Math, and Memorial Day Is A Holiday Dear Albany Community, We gathered in the AHS gym on Wednesday to honor scholarship recipients and announce the senior athletic awards. It is marvelous to see our accomplished almost-graduates and how successfully they are launching themselves in the world. This is the time for recognitions and thanks to all who have helped our students achieve their best this year. Classified Employees Appreciation Week It’s Appreciation Week for AUSD instructional support staff, custodial and maintenance staff, child nutrition staff, clerical staff, computer support staff,  occupational therapists, behavior analysts, and other classified staff who serve our students! See the  Resolution  passed by the Board of Education on Tuesday to honor all the staff who are not certificated teachers and who work with and for our students. Say thank you or send a card (or a drawing) to these great people! June Is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month The Board also passed a  Resolution  in support of  LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. This  supporting document  provides background for the Resolution. You may want to j oin  Albany's Pride , AUSD's LGBTQIA+ advocacy group, to celebrate the rainbow crosswalks that the City of Albany installed on Cornell Ave and Stannage Ave, to and from Cornell Elementary.  Meet in the  Cornell playground  on  Memorial Day, Monday, May 29 from 11:00 am to noon , in an early celebration of Pride Month! Feel free to bring a bike or scooter.   A+ Math—It’s Been Wonderful! I want to acknowledge AMS teacher  Richard Lew ,  who has provided our entire district with fun math games, puzzles, and activities this year through biweekly issues of   A+ Math . Mr. Lew is a passionate advocate of math education, and a trainer of mathematicians and math teachers. He was an AMS student from 1985 to 1988, and has been teaching math at AMS since 2003. To access all issues of  A+ Math ,  click here.  Use the link above to send any comments or appreciations to Mr. Lew for this great contribution to our community.  All Schools and Offices will be closed on Monday, May 29, in observance of Memorial Day. Events May 29 : Memorial Day Holiday, all schools and offices closed  May 29 : Rainbow Crosswalks Celebration, 11am-12pm, Cornell Playground May 30:  Albany Middle School Black/LatinX Promotion Ceremony, 4:00–5:00pm, AMS Courtyard May 31 : Ocean View 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 1–2pm May 31 : Albany/MacGregor High Schools Black Student Graduation, 5–7pm, AHS Little Theater June 1 : Albany Middle School 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 5–6:30pm, Cougar Field June 2 : Marin 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 9–10am June 2:  Cornell 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 12:30pm June 2:  Albany High School Class of 2023 Commencement Ceremony, 5–7pm, Cougar Field Upcoming Board and District Committee Meetings All  Board of Education meetings  and  District committee meetings  are open to the public. Find agendas on the links above, or through the  AUSD Events Calendar .  June 13:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm June 27:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm Learning, growing, and serving together, Dr. Frank Wells  Superintendent of Schools Albany Unified School District ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Friday, May 26 2023

  • AUSD Board of Education Regular Meeting, Tuesday, Ma...

    Dear AUSD Community,   The Board of Education will hold a Regular Meeting on  Tuesday, May 23,  2023 from 7:00 – 10:00 pm   at  Albany City Hall  (10 00 San Pablo Avenue, Albany).  For complete details, please see the  May 23, 2023 Agenda and Agenda Packet . *      *To view Agendas, Agenda Packets, Minutes, and Videos: School Board meeting information can be found on the   AUSD School Board website . Scroll down to  "Current and Upcoming Meetings"  for the most recent meeting information. Select the  HTML Agenda Packet  to open this in any browser window. Agendas, Packets, and Minutes are also available to download as PDFs. Previous meetings can be found under the  "Archived Meetings"  section by year. To join or listen to the Open Session virtually:   Join the Zoom Webinar by video:  https://ausdk12-org.zoom.us/j/92912804708    (Webinar ID: 92912804708)  Join Zoom Webinar by phone: Call 1-669-444-9171 or 1-669-900-6833, then enter Webinar ID 92912804708# Regular meetings held at City Hall are streamed live and recorded on the City of Albany's YouTube page: at  https://www.youtube.com/AlbanyKALB . Recordings of these meetings are also available on the AUSD  School Board website   within 5 business days after the meeting.

    Friday, May 19 2023

  • Superintendent's Community Update, May 19, 2023

    State Champion Swimmer, More Accomplished Students, and Marin Avenue Closure Dear Albany Community, Last Friday I was pleased to speak at the Latinx Graduation Ceremony hosted by the student group, Connexion Latina. See the proud graduates participating in that ceremony above. After we come back from the Memorial Day holiday, which is Monday, May 29, promotion and graduation ceremonies will be happening all over the District. Please check information provided by your school and the list below to get the details on these events.  State Champion Swimmer Sophomore AHS swimmer Sean Vorhis won the California Interscholastic Federation Para-Athlete Division state championship in the 100 meter freestyle race. This is a remarkable achievement, especially for a sophomore, who has two more years to compete! In addition to winning the 100, Sean also finished second in the state in the 50 meter freestyle. I am impressed by this amazing accomplishment by a young student-athlete, and offer congratulations both to Sean and Coach Salcedo! More Accomplished Students Kudos to Albany High's 2023 National Spanish Exam winners! Alfred Wu and Xavier Nguyen won gold medals and Samantha Chik, Leela Henlser, and Jessica Jung won silver medals for their terrific work. ¡Felicidades a todos! Pia Ferus-Comelo won First Prize of $550 in the California Teachers Association César Chávez and Dolores Huerta Essay Contest. Crystal Sherpa won the first prize in the El Cerrito Trail Trekkers haiku contest while Pia won the third prize. Congratulations to these writers! Hurrah to Sunny and Annie Eom, who were awarded the title of "Ambassador" in the 6th Annual National Community Service Awards. They are inspirations for other students to get involved in service activities and further the Global Goals of the United Nations. Marin Avenue Closure The City of Albany will close Marin Avenue for repaving May 20–21. See details on  this notice . Marin Avenue from Cornell Avenue to Key Route Boulevard will be fully closed for street paving, including the Ohlone Greenway crosswalk at Marin Avenue, for all pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles for the duration of the weekend. Events May 29 : Memorial Day Holiday, all schools and offices closed  May 30:  Albany Middle School Black/LatinX Promotion Ceremony, 3:45–4:45pm, AMS Courtyard May 31 : Ocean View 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 1–2pm May 31 : Albany/MacGregor High Schools Black Student Graduation, 5–7pm, AHS Little Theater June 1 : Albany Middle School 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 5–6:30pm, Cougar Field June 2 : Marin 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 9–10am June 2:  Cornell 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 12:30pm June 2:  Albany High School Class of 2023 Commencement Ceremony, 5–7pm, Cougar Field Upcoming Board and District Committee Meetings All  Board of Education meetings  and  District committee meetings  are open to the public. Find agendas on the links above, or through the  AUSD Events Calendar .  May 23:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm May 24 : Board Policy Committee Meeting, 4:15–5:15pm May 25 : Student Achievement Committee Meeting, 5:30–7:30pm Learning, growing, and serving together, Dr. Frank Wells  Superintendent of Schools Albany Unified School District ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Friday, May 19 2023

  • Superintendent's Community Update, May 12, 2023

    Boys Volleyball / AHS Art Show / Marin Avenue Closure / Graduations and Promotions /  Dear Albany Community, Our AHS boys volleyball team, in their very first season, brought home the TCAL volleyball championship with an eye-popping 17-0 record, sweeping both the regular season and playoff titles. They progressed all the way to the North Coast Sectionals quarter finals. Congratulations to Coach Dave Beza and his team for assembling a juggernaut in their maiden season!! Art Show On Thursday, all visual arts classes at AHS, including introductory and advanced photography, graphic design, and introductory and advanced art classes put on an incredible show. Student art from grades 9–12 was on display. The creativity and artistry of these pieces was astounding. It has been said that art is a window into the soul. I hope that many of you were able to attend the show, because seeing and studying these works gave me new insight into what our young people value, and how they see their world.  Click here  to see a photo sampling of their work.  Marin Avenue Closure The City of Albany will close Marin Avenue for repaving May 20–21. See details on  this notice . Marin Avenue from Cornell Avenue to Key Route Boulevard will be fully closed for street paving, including the Ohlone Greenway crosswalk at Marin Avenue, for all pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles for the duration of the weekend. It's your lucky day!     Issue #13 of A+ Math   is here!  To access past issues of A+ Math,  click here. Events May 12 : Albany High School LatinX Graduation, 6pm, AHS Little Theater May 15 : Jazz End of Year Concert, 8pm, Yoshi’s Jack London Square, SOLD OUT May 17 : Bands and Orchestra End of Year Concert, 7pm, AHS Little Theater May 29 : Memorial Day Holiday, all schools and offices closed  May 30:  Albany Middle School Black/LatinX Promotion Ceremony, 3:45–4:45pm, AMS Courtyard May 31 : Ocean View 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 1–2pm May 31 : Albany/MacGregor High Schools Black Student Graduation, 5–7pm, AHS Little Theater June 1 : Albany Middle School 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 5–6:30pm, Cougar Field June 2 : Marin 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 9–10am June 2:  Cornell 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 12:30pm June 2:  Albany High School Class of 2023 Commencement Ceremony, 5–7pm, Cougar Field Upcoming Board and District Committee Meetings All  Board of Education meetings  and  District committee meetings  are open to the public. Find agendas on the links above, or through the  AUSD Events Calendar .  May 15 : Environmental Action Plan Committee Meeting, 4–5:30pm May 23:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm May 24 : Board Policy Committee Meeting, 4:15–5:15pm May 25 : Student Achievement Committee Meeting, 5:30–7:30pm Learning, growing, and serving together, Dr. Frank Wells  Superintendent of Schools Albany Unified School District ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Friday, May 12 2023

  • Superintendent's Community Update, May 5, 2023

    Certificated Employee Appreciation, Business Class Presentations, and Graduation & Promotion Ceremonies  Dear Albany Community, As we approach the end of the school year, events crowd the calendar. I hope you are able to go to some of these, as they display the culmination of our students’ hard work and provide a window into their school days. Open Houses at Cornell, Marin, and Ocean View are happening next Thursday evening, May 11. This is your opportunity to visit your child’s classroom and see their work. It is a special experience to share with your child their school and classroom.  Certificated Employee Appreciation Week May 8–12 is Certificated Employee Appreciation Week, which includes all AUSD teachers, counselors, psychologists, speech language therapists, school nurse, school social worker, program specialists and all certificated educational specialists. These highly trained professionals provide a network of teaching and support for all students. I want to thank all of our certificated employees for choosing Albany Unified and doing their utmost for our students. Next week is a great time to thank them yourself! Business Class Presentations I attended a remarkable event this week at Albany High, along with parents, Albany City Council members, and Board of Education trustees. The Business Management class, which focuses on entrepreneurship, presented summaries of their enterprises. These students have learned business accounting, how to design and implement effective marketing campaigns, writing a business plan, and even how to file taxes. They displayed incredible business acumen, which will give those that decide to take a job right out of high school a real advantage. For those students who decide to pursue post-secondary education, this course provides superb grounding in the realities of business.  But that wasn’t all… Culinary students catered the event with an eye-popping buffet that exceeded what many professional caterers are able to offer. Students in the AHS Special Day Class provided coffee drinks for attendees, to demonstrate the small business of coffee/tea delivery to teachers that they have managed all year. A huge shout-out to teacher Miriam Walden, who developed the Business Management class and organized this wonderful event, and to Culinary Arts teacher Laura Heden and Special Day Class teacher Ben Richeda. This experience demonstrated to me that Albany High provides a depth and breadth of remarkable classes for students with a wide range of after-graduation plans.  Graduation and Promotion Ceremonies The Events list below includes ceremonies at all Albany schools. Many different groups put on their own special events, and some details may not have been determined yet. Please check upcoming Updates or your school newsletters for more details. Also, note that the AHS LatinX graduation ceremony will be the earliest graduation ceremony this year—it is next Friday! Events May 11: Elementary Open Houses Cornell : 6:30–7:30pm Marin San Gabriel : (1st–2nd grades) 6:30–7:30pm Marin Portland : (3rd–5th grades) 7–8pm Ocean View : 6–7pm May 12 : Albany High School LatinX Graduation, 6pm, AHS Little Theater May 15 : Jazz End of Year Concert, 8pm, Yoshi’s Jack London Square,  tickets available here . May 17 : Bands and Orchestra End of Year Concert, 7pm, AHS Little Theater May 29 : Memorial Day Holiday, all schools and offices closed  May 30:  Albany Middle School Black/LatinX Promotion Ceremony, 3:40–4:30pm, Cougar Field May 31 : Ocean View 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 1–2pm May 31 : Albany/MacGregor High Schools Black Student Graduation, 5–7pm, AHS Little Theater June 1 : Albany Middle School 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 5–6:30pm,  Cougar Field June 2 : Marin 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 9–10am June 2:  Cornell 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 12:30pm June 2:  Albany High School Class of 2023 Commencement Ceremony, 5–7pm, Cougar Field Upcoming Board and District Committee Meetings All  Board of Education meetings  and  District committee meetings  are open to the public. Find agendas on the links above, or through the  AUSD Events Calendar .  May 9:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm May 15 : Environmental Action Plan Committee Meeting, 4–5:30pm May 16 : Board of Education Special Meeting—Work-Study Session on Elementary & Secondary School SPSAs, 6–8pm at Ocean View Elementary  May 18 : Student Achievement Committee Meeting, 5:30–7:30pm May 23:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm May 24 : Board Policy Committee Meeting, 4:15–5:15pm Learning, growing, and serving together, Dr. Frank Wells  Superintendent of Schools Albany Unified School District ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Friday, May 05 2023

  • Superintendent's Community Update, April 28, 2023

    Board Meeting Updates, Extraordinary Student Achievements, and Albany Community Expo Dear Albany Community, Monday is May 1, and the start of the last five weeks of school. Take a moment to think about how this year has brought growth, maturity, and the excitement of learning to our students. I can see quite a difference! Board Meeting Updates At the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Trustees approved a contract with the YMCA of the East Bay to provide Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) summer and school year programming. These programs are targeted by the State for socioeconomically disadvantaged students, English language learners, foster and homeless youth. I am tremendously excited to have our District take this action to uplift these students. A successful  ELO program  will strengthen all of our elementary and middle schools. As a reminder, next fall each elementary school and AMS will have both an  ELO a nd our traditional before- and after-school care programs, and this expansion means there will be an increased number of students served.  The Board also passed resolutions declaring May  Mental Health Awareness Month  and  Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month . There was also a discussion about moving the District Office back to Albany, after five years occupying rental space in Berkeley. This move will provide better service to the Albany Unified community, save money that can be redirected to benefit students more directly, and create many workplace efficiencies.  Extraordinary Student Achievements The  AMS Science Olympiad Team  competed this past weekend at the Northern California State Science Olympiad Competition and finished 9th out of 30 teams! We are Cobra Proud!  Albany High School student  Elaine Zhang  was recently awarded a Gold Medal in the Scholastic Art Competition (placing her in the top 1% of more than 300,000 applicants). Her gouache-on-paper painting is shown above. Congratulations Elaine!  After months of hard work, the  Albany High Ultimate Frisbee Team  is now ranked as the 20th-best high school team in the nation, as well as the top California team. Congrats and best of luck for their finals this Saturday at El Cerrito High School (11:00 and 1:00pm).  AHS junior  Lucas Cohen  won the 1600-meter race at the prestigious Sacramento Meet of Champions. Lucas took down the high-level field with an incredible time of 4 minutes and 9 seconds, an AHS all-time record. Great Job Lucas! The  AHS Swim Team  excelled at the Tri-County Athletic League (TCAL) championship! The Boys Varsity won their division, and numerous all-time school records were broken by swimmers  Tenzin Jungney, Aasish Dangol, Ryan Hong, Peter Gladkevitch , and  Ashley Dangol  (who also set a new TCAL meet and pool record!) Junior  Jadin Brown  threw down an incredible performance in Diving. Albany Community Expo The  Community Expo  is a fun, family-friendly way to learn about community based-organizations in Albany as well as City services. This event provides helpful informational resources, and features live entertainment, great food, a free raffle, a kids zone and face painting. Check out  this video  from last year’s Expo to see the fun. Walking or biking to the Community Center is encouraged!  Events Issue #12 of A+ Math  is ready for your family to enjoy! April 29:  Albany Community Expo, 10:00am–2pm, Albany Community Center May 15 : Jazz End of Year Concert, 8pm, Yoshi’s Jack London Square,  tickets available here . May 17 : Bands and Orchestra End of Year Concert, 7pm, AHS Little Theater May 29 : Memorial Day Holiday, all schools and offices closed  Upcoming Board and District Committee Meetings All  Board of Education meetings  and  District committee meetings  are open to the public. Find agendas on the links above, or through the  AUSD Events Calendar .  May 4:   Board of Education Special Meeting—Budget Workshop, 6–9pm at Ocean View Elementary  May 9:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm May 15 : Environmental Action Plan Committee, 4–5:30pm May 16 : Board of Education Special Meeting—Work-Study Session on Elementary & Secondary School SPSA’s, 6–8pm at Ocean View Elementary  May 18 : Student Achievement Committee, 5:30–7:30pm May 23:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm May 24 : Board Policy Committee, 4:15–5:15pm Learning, growing, and serving together, Dr. Frank Wells  Superintendent of Schools Albany Unified School District

    Friday, Apr 28 2023

  • Correction: AUSD Board of Education Regular Meeting,...

    Dear AUSD Community,   The Board of Education will hold a Regular Meeting on  Tuesday, April 25, 2023  at   Albany City Hal l (1000 San Pablo Avenue, Albany). Seating is limited, and masking is recommended. As a courtesy, and technology permitting, members of the public may continue to participate virtually via Zoom Webinar in the Open Session. See below for information on how to join or listen virtually.  Closed Session: 6:15 PM Open Session: 7:00 PM Please see the  April 18, 2023 Agenda Packet * f or details.      *To view Agendas, Agenda Packets, Minutes, and Videos: Agendas, agenda packets, minutes and videos can be found on the   AUSD School Board website . Scroll down to  "Current and Upcoming Meetings"  for most recent meeting information. Select the HTML Agenda Packet  to open this in any browser window.  Agendas, Packets, and Minutes are also available to download as PDFs. Previous meetings can be found under the  "Archived Meetings"  section by year. To join or listen to the meeting virtually:   Join the Zoom Webinar by video:  https://ausdk12-org.zoom.us/j/92912804708    (Webinar ID: 92912804708)  Join by telephone: Call 1-669-444-9171 or 1-669-900-6833, enter Webinar ID 92912804708# Regular meetings held at City Hall are streamed live on the City of Albany's YouTube page: at  https://www.youtube.com/AlbanyKALB The recorded video will also be available on the AUSD  School Board website   within 5 business days after the meeting.

    Saturday, Apr 22 2023

  • Superintendent's Community Update, April 21, 2023

    After-School Care, Board Updates, Move’n’Groove, and Albany Expo Dear Albany Community, Last Saturday I enjoyed the AUSD Choir Festival as one of the large crowd gathered on the entry plaza of Albany High School. The singers were magnificent! People relaxed and even set up lawn chairs as northbound Key Route was closed to traffic. Special events are happening all over the District. The photo above is from Mr. Mann’s third grade class trip to the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Those Ocean View students aren’t just observing, they are putting together a project on the spot.  Before- and After-School Care   Next year, before- and after-school care will be available at all elementary schools. In fact, we hope to have a new Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) for qualified students that will provide enhanced before- and after-school care, in addition to our traditional program. The State has set the priorities for ELOP enrollment to be socioeconomically disadvantaged students, English language learners, foster and homeless youth. Having an ELOP program will not only help AUSD (and all districts across the state) address achievement disparities, but it will also mean an increase in the overall number of students served in before- and after-school programs, if the plan is approved by the Board of Education next Tuesday, April 25, 2023.  Board of Education Updates At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Education passed a Resolution proclaiming May as  Jewish American Heritage Month . They also voted to adopt an  Environmental Action Plan  that will help the District organize and prioritize our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.  City of Albany’s Move N’ Groove Move and groove at Memorial Park this Sunday! The second annual Albany  Move’n’Groove  combines live music, fitness, and community spirit. Walk, run, roller skate, wheelchair, or push a stroller in the 5K race or just hang out and enjoy the multiple live bands stationed around Albany High School and Memorial Park. Everyone is welcome! This year there will be food trucks (cappuccinos and waffles, birria tacos, and soft serve ice cream), a kids-only race on a 0.5 mile short course, a post-race DJ, and a team costume contest with cash prizes. Registration is required for racers and is happening at Road Runner Sports, 1326 Tenth Street, from 12–3pm this Saturday. See the  Move’n’Groove  website for more details. The live music festival is free and open to everyone. Albany Community Expo The  Community Expo  is a fun, family-friendly way to learn about community based-organizations in Albany as well as City services. This event provides helpful informational resources, and features live entertainment, great food, a free raffle, a kids zone and face painting. Check out  this video  from last year’s Expo to see the fun. Walking or biking to the Community Center is encouraged!  Events April 23:  Move’n’Groove, 10:00am–2:30pm, Memorial Park and block surrounding Albany High School and Memorial Park April 27 & 28:  AHS Spring Dance Show, 7–10pm, AHS Little Theater April 29:  Albany Community Expo, 10:00am–2pm, Albany Community Center Upcoming Board and District Committee Meetings All  Board of Education meetings  and  District committee meetings  are open to the public. Find agendas on the links above, or through the  AUSD Events Calendar .  April 25:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm Learning, growing, and serving together, Dr. Frank Wells  Superintendent of Schools Albany Unified School District ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Friday, Apr 21 2023

  • Superintendent's Community Update, April 14, 2023

    Dear Albany Community, In all of the daily rush of getting children to school and adults to their jobs, it can be easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal of our school district. School is not just somewhere to be every day, it is much, much more important. Our goal is to empower all students to achieve their fullest potential as productive citizens, as stated in  our mission . Launching your student into their best life is our goal. AHS Counseling Department Shapes Lives For many students, but not all, leaving Albany Unified means that they will continue their education elsewhere. How do our students get information about colleges, trade schools, job opportunities, and universities that would be a good fit for them? I want to give a huge shout-out to the Albany High School (AHS) Counseling Department for their excellent work. Earlier this week, the AHS counselors hosted a Junior Financial Aid Night to start families on the right path to find resources for post-secondary education. They also hosted a Community College Fair during lunch on Wednesday to allow students to ask questions face-to-face with representatives from local colleges. At the beginning of each school year, they host College Application Night, visit every senior classroom, and give a pep talk to every freshman classroom. October and November are packed with helping students with the applications. All of this (which is not nearly all of the events they host ),  is in addition to their daily work of helping students find their career path and the classes they should take to open the right doors. The AHS Counseling Department is an incredible resource, please take advantage of their events, visit their  website , and read their  newsletters .  AHS Freshman Wins STEM Essay Contest AHS freshman Judah Spiegel is one of ten national winners of the New York Times STEM Writing Contest, with his remarkable essay,  Can A.I. Produce Art?  I congratulate this talented young man for his well-researched and impressively written essay.  Your Voice Matters The process through which schools are funded in California actually  requires  that districts reach out to the community they serve annually and ask for input.  There are dollars allocated in our funding to devote to the needs community members identify as their priorities . Please “flex your muscle” as a valued member of our school community by taking part in  this year’s survey . Your response will be anonymous, but you will be asked a few questions to document the spectrum of respondents. There is a translation option on the opening page. This is a ThoughtExchange survey, which means that the second part is a forum where you can anonymously enter your own thoughts (optional) and rate the thoughts of others. This process helps us determine themes among the voices and uncovers common opinions. Please take  the survey  now! Events Grab your family and friends!   Issue #11 of A+ Math  is here for all to enjoy! April 15:  AUSD Choir Festival, 10am–12pm, AHS Entry Plaza April 27 & 28:  AHS Spring Dance Show, 7–10pm, AHS Little Theater Upcoming Board and District Committee Meetings All  Board of Education meetings  and  District committee meetings  are open to the public. Find agendas on the links above, or through the  AUSD Events Calendar .  April 18:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm at Cornell MPR April 20:  Student Achievement Committee Meeting, 5:30–7:30pm April 25:   Board of Education Regular Meeting, 7–10pm Learning, growing, and serving together, Dr. Frank Wells  Superintendent of Schools Albany Unified School District ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Friday, Apr 14 2023