Community Experts Needed for AHS Freshman Forum
Albany High freshmen have just started the Forum project, working to understand a policy problem and examining two possible solutions. Students will work in small groups to research the problem and solutions, and then present their findings to an audience of upperclassmen and teachers. This is a group project that will culminate in a series of formal presentations on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 31st and April 1st.
Students will be looking at one of six possible topics: gun control, opioid addiction, mass incarceration, wildfires, monarch butterfly extinction, and teen vaping. Do you or other community members have expertise in ways our country is trying to address these complex problems? We would appreciate any help you can provide to support our students! Please contact AHS Librarian, Mary Ann Scheuer (mscheuer@ausdk12.org), if you would like to be a community expert for a small group of students. You could either come speak with students or communicate by email. We would very much appreciate your help.
OV Welcome Letter from Albany High School
Dear Albany students, staff and families,
As we approach the mid-winter break, I am looking forward to welcoming the Oceanview 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students, Principal Georgeson, Assistant Principal Lau-Seim, their staff and the OV families to the Albany High School Addition and campus beginning February 22. I see this as an opportunity to interact effectively and work collaboratively as a learning community and to extend a helping hand when needed. Please see below for some core considerations as we move into this phase of collaboration.
The current plan is to have Oceanview and then Marin use the Addition, classroom M4 and the three new portables by the pool for the next 3-4 years. After that, Albany High School students and staff will move into the Addition which includes a new makerspace.
AHS students still have access to all routes on campus but are being asked to respect “Quiet Zones” near the courtyard, the Addition, M4 and the portables. It’s important to maintain those quiet spaces for OV students to learn and the staff to teach.
Separate restrooms for the elementary students are in the Addition. AHS students may not use those restrooms. OV and AHS will be sharing the Multipurpose room for lunch service at different times. There will be no overlap of lunch service in that facility and each school will be eating at separate times of the day.
Morning drop off times for OV are 8:30 and 9:30. Pick up times are 1:45 and 3:05. Anticipate an increase in traffic on Thousand Oaks, Key Route and Portland during those times.
Opportunities for AHS students to contribute positively to our OV neighbors include being a service student in one of the elementary classes as a teacher’s aide, paid lunch-time supervision positions, and creating a “Buddy Class” relationship with one of the grade levels.
It will be of the utmost importance for AHS students to present themselves as role models for the younger students, ages 8-10. For example, OV will be using Memorial Park for their recess and PE activities. Critical elements of behavior which will contribute positively to this expectation include using appropriate language when walking through that area, keeping the park clean, and helping to ensure an overall safe playing space for the approximately 300 elementary students who will rely on your responsible decision making.
Thank you for helping me inspire visions of future success with our Oceanview neighbors and for using the synergistic power of teamwork to make maximum contributions for all of our Albany students. If you have any further questions, concerns or suggestions, please email me at aritchie@ausdk12.org and check the AUSD website for updates on all facility news.
Sincerely,
Alexia Ritchie
Albany High School Principal
Grand Opening Celebration of the Albany High School Addition!
Date: Saturday, February 8
Time: 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Location: 603 Key Route Boulevard
Opening Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting at 1:30 pm
Open House between 2:00 - 3:30 pm (come and go at your convenience)
Self-Guided Tours begin at 2:00 pm
Come and see the eight modern classrooms and redesigned courtyard of the new Albany High School Addition! Step into the double-high Design & Build Workshop and adjacent Computer Lab and imagine Albany students 3D printing their own creations, or the redesigned courtyard between the three high school buildings and the adjacent Aquatic Center. Pick up a self-guided tour sheet to see how the Addition and three portable classrooms will be a vibrant temporary home for Ocean View students during the reconstruction of their school. The AHS Addition is Net Zero Energy Ready and was built to high standards of "green" school construction -- environmentally friendly paints, flooring, walls and ceiling finishes were used throughout to provide a healthy learning environment for students and staff.
Raise a non-alcoholic toast to cheer the opening of our building that provides new high-tech learning opportunities, healthy environments, and much-needed classrooms for Ocean View students during temporary housing. All ages are welcome!
The AHS Addition is the second of four projects funded by school bond Measures B and E, approved by Albany voters in June 2016.
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New Main Office Secretary
Congratulations to Vivian Balderas, our new Main Office Secretary. Vivian is already a familiar and welcome face on campus, as she was previously working in the Attendance Office. She comes to the job with over 12 years of administrative support experience and a love and affinity for Albany High School. Stop by and wish her well any time between 7:15a and 4p!
Albany Unified School District Opens $9.8M High School Addition with Eight Modern Classrooms, Including a Design+Build Workshop
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ALBANY, CA - The Albany Unified School District (AUSD) will celebrate the opening of the newly constructed Albany High School (AHS) Addition on February 8, 2020. This new 10,900 square foot, two-story classroom building adds eight large, modern classrooms to the school, including a double-high Design+Build Workshop. AHS Technology teacher Jeff Castle states, "I am excited that our new addition includes a 2,100 square foot Design+Build Workshop and adjacent computer lab. To me, the project ushers in a realistic and challenging vision of 21st Century Learning-one in which practical trade skills and core academics are not mutually exclusive. We have already created a University of California-approved course, Engineering & Design Principles, to take advantage of the new space. In just its second year, the pilot version of the class has twice as many sign-ups as it does room for enrollment. Indeed, the future looks bright for the dozens, if not hundreds, of Albany High Students who dream of-or perhaps don't know about-careers in engineering, architecture and advanced manufacturing."
The new facility effectively utilizes the last expansion space available at the high school site. Designed through a highly collaborative process involving school design and construction professionals, teachers, administrators, and community members, the adaptable modern building has a small footprint, yet meets multiple needs. The Alten Construction/LCA Architects team creatively adapted areas adjacent to the project site, transforming the campus center. The redesigned courtyard, a favorite gathering place for students, provides much-needed large and small group spaces for learning and social activities. Principal Alexia Ritchie notes, "We are very grateful for the support from our Albany community with this critical need for educational space for our students to learn, explore, and thrive."
AUSD is a leader in setting high environmental standards for school buildings. The District has committed to the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) standards, the first green building rating program for K-12 schools. The AHS Addition is Net-Zero Energy Ready, electrically powered, and fitted to receive a 81kW solar photovoltaic array. The new classrooms have abundant natural light and ventilation. Environmentally-friendly wall and ceiling finishes, paints, and flooring, were used throughout to provide a healthy learning environment for students and staff. Bioswale plantings will absorb rainwater and reduce run-off while providing biological and engineering learning opportunities. The project will be submitted for CHPS verification, receipt of which guarantees that all of the project's sustainability goals were met during the construction process.
Although the new addition is designed for permanent use as a high school facility, its first students will be much younger. The third, fourth, and fifth graders of Ocean View Elementary School (OVES) will use the AHS Addition as their temporary school while OVES is completely renovated and reconstructed. OVES will officially close on Feb. 14, 2020 and is scheduled to re-open as a flagship example of excellence in elementary school design in August 2021. The current school was built as a middle school in 1975, which has led to persistent challenges for teachers and students. OVES Principal Terryl Georgeson notes, "Our new building will be beautiful and exemplifies an ideal 21st century learning environment, with adjustable and changeable classroom features for all students to collaborate and work independently. Our new facility will make a difference for our kids, and we all are excited."
This move into the AHS Addition is the last step of Ocean View's temporary relocation plan. OVES kindergarteners were welcomed onto the campuses of Cornell and Marin Elementary Schools at the beginning of the 2019/20 school year. OVES first and second graders have been using a portion of the Albany Middle School Annex, which opened in June 2019, as their temporary school. Classes will begin at the AHS Addition on February 22, 2020 for OVES third, fourth, and fifth graders, immediately after the District's mid-winter break.
The AHS Addition is funded entirely from school bond Measures B and E, which were passed by Albany voters in June 2016. It is the second project to be completed in a slate of four major school construction projects. The first project, the Albany Middle School Annex, was finished on schedule and under budget in June 2019. The AHS Addition continues that record of success--it was completed in less than a year while maintaining a high standard of quality construction. The final project will be rebuilding Marin Elementary School, now in the final stages of the design process.
All are welcome to the Grand Opening of the new Albany High School Addition on February 8, 2020, 1:30 pm, 603 Key Route Boulevard, Albany, CA. Join community leaders, teachers, administrators, staff, LCA Architects, Alten Construction, Inc., and students from both Ocean View Elementary and Albany High School to celebrate the opening of this valuable new facility. Programs include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, open house, and self-guided tours.
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This press release is also published on the AUSD website: www.ausdk12.org
Help Needed: Challenge Day Volunteers
Would you like to make a positive impact on teenagers in our community in only one day? You can! Challenge Day is coming back to Albany High School next week and we need some adult volunteers on Tuesday, February 4th and Wednesday, February 5th. Challenge Day is an all-day interactive assembly designing to build empathy and community within the sophomore class. All sophomores will have the opportunity to participate in Challenge Day on February 3rd, 4th or 5th 2020. We need adult volunteers, who do not have a child in the 10th grade, to make this powerful experience happen.
Adult volunteers will need to arrive at 7:45 for a brief training. (Adult volunteers will be prompted and supported throughout the day's activities - you don't have to remember everything from the morning meeting!) Then students arrive and the program runs from 8:25 to 2:45. There is an adult meeting at the end of the day, but everything should be wrapped up by 3:15pm. A catered lunch and snacks will be provided for all. Challenge Day will be held at the Veteran's Memorial Building in Albany; it is adjacent to Albany High School's campus. Volunteers can sign up here: bit.ly/AHSchallenge2020
If you haven't heard about Challenge Day, it is a powerful, high energy program designed to unite the members of the school and to empower them to carry the themes of the program into their school community. This program is essential as part of our Social-Emotional Curriculum, promoting community, compassion and empathy. Last year’s sophomores report positive feedback feeling more connected and empathetic to their classmates.
Grand Opening Celebration of the Albany High School Addition!
Date: Saturday, February 8
Time: 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Location: 603 Key Route Boulevard
Opening Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting at 1:30 pm
Open House between 2:00 - 3:30 pm (come and go at your convenience)
Self-Guided Tours begin at 2:00 pm
Come and see the eight modern classrooms and redesigned courtyard of the new Albany High School Addition! Step into the double-high Design+Build Workshop, adjacent computer lab and the redesigned courtyard between the three high school buildings and the Aquatic Center. Pick up a self-guided tour sheet to see how the Addition and three portable classrooms will be a vibrant temporary home for Ocean View students during the reconstruction of their school. The AHS Addition is Net Zero Energy Ready and was built to high standards of "green" school construction -- environmentally friendly paints, flooring, walls and ceiling finishes were used throughout to provide a healthy learning environment for students and staff.
Raise a non-alcoholic toast to cheer the opening of our building that provides new high-tech learning opportunities, healthy environments, and much-needed classrooms for Ocean View students during temporary housing. All ages are welcome!
Volunteers needed at the AHS Library
Albany High students love using our library to study, use a computer, check out a book, or just chill. Students eat lunch in the library and are very respectful and responsible. They so value this opportunity and we want to support them. But we need help!
We need help in the library at lunchtime! Are you available on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays to volunteer in the library during AHS lunch hour (1-2 on Tues & Thurs, or 12-1 on Fri)? You’ll greet students and be a smiling face as they enter the library, visit with friends and do homework. Please email Ms. Scheuer if you can help out: mscheuer@ausdk12.org
We Challenge YOU to Make a Difference!
We are thrilled to announce the Challenge Day is returning to Albany High School! Challenge Day is a transformational day of fun, leadership and power that can change the way people view each other forever. All members of the Sophomore class will have the opportunity to participate in the Challenge Day program this year.
The goal of Challenge Day is to help stop the teasing, violence and alienation that are so deeply a part of the school experience for millions of young people every day. Through a variety of games, trust-building activities and presentations, students will be given a unique opportunity to see themselves and the people around them with a new set of eyes.
Since 1987, the nationwide Challenge Day programs have helped to transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of teenagers just like you. Challenge Day has not only received numerous awards, but has also been featured in the best-selling book, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul and the Emmy Award-winning documentary, Teen Files: Surviving High School. To learn more, please visit the Challenge Day website at https://www.challengeday.org/.
Challenge Day is a full day experience and will take place on Monday, February 3rd, Tuesday, February 4th, and Wednesday, February 5th. Approximately 100 students will participate each day. Students will receive more information and details and an opt-out permission slip in their English class on Monday, January 27th.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead