Holiday Reflections, Film Screenings, & Honor Choirs 

Dear Albany Community, 
Winter break is here. High school students have taken their last final exams of the semester, and students will begin their break when the bells ring this afternoon. This week, students at Ocean View enjoyed a holiday sing-along featuring songs representing many of the holidays celebrated at this time of year from different cultural traditions. The fall semester has flown by, and as we close the first half of this school year and my first full year as Superintendent of Albany Unified School District, I have been reflecting on all that has happened since I joined the district in December 2024 through the lens that matters most: our students. 

Every decision, conversation, and priority this year has been guided by a simple question: What is best for our students and their learning, sense of belonging, safety, and long-term success? Spending time with students in classrooms, hallways, advisory groups, and listening sessions has been one of the most grounding parts of my role. Students have been clear about what they need: engaging and rigorous learning, caring and consistent adults, and schools where they feel known, included, and respected. This year has been a time of learning as I have listened to students, educators, and families share what helps students thrive and where we need to improve. That listening has shaped our priorities and continues to shape my leadership.

Guided by what I have heard and grounded in our values, mission, and vision, I have focused on strengthening the conditions that most directly affect students’ daily experiences. This included clarifying instructional expectations, investing in early literacy and strong Tier 1 instruction, protecting time for intervention and enrichment, and strengthening professional learning so educators are supported to meet the needs of all learners. As a district, we have also prioritized student belonging, wellness, and safety by strengthening guidance on behavior and discipline, expanding social-emotional learning expectations, filling critical student support positions, and advancing safety and facilities planning. 

I want to acknowledge that some changes this year have felt fast and that communication has not always been as clear or timely as it should have been. I hear that feedback, take it seriously, and am actively working to improve by clarifying the why behind decisions and strengthening our communication and feedback loops.

As we move into the second half of the school year after winter break, our focus will shift toward planning and budgeting for the 2026–2027 school year while continuing to support students and staff day-to-day. We will engage students, staff, families, and community partners in answering a shared question: what do we want a student who has graduated from Albany schools to know, be able to do, carry in their hearts, and be ready for in the world? The answers to this question will guide our priorities, investments, and decisions as we navigate future challenges together.

I am proud of the progress we have made so far, grateful for our community's partnership, and deeply committed to continued learning and improvement as we finish this school year strong and plan thoughtfully for the future of Albany Unified.

Film Screenings

We are looking forward to screening two important films after we return in January. The first, Counted Out, will be shown on January 14, see details below. It is a documentary about how our life experience today is underwritten by an invisible layer of math that few of us understand, or even notice. Our numeric literacy—whether we can speak the language of math—is a critical determinant of social and economic power. Through a mosaic of personal stories, expert interviews, and scenes of math transformation in action, Counted Out explores what is at risk in math education. 

We will also be screening Left Behind, on January 29, which tells the inspiring story of a group of determined moms who band together to found the first public school for students with dyslexia in New York City—the largest school district in the U.S. Dyslexia impacts one in five children worldwide. In a city the size of New York, around 200,000 children are left without the support they need to thrive. Kareem Weaver, who heads the Education Committee for the NAACP in Oakland, CA, and a key figure in the film, calls this the defining civil rights issue of our time. The film will be followed by an expert literacy Q&A panel. Tickets are free, but you must register here.

AUSD Students In Honor Choirs

The California Choral Directors Association has selected Albany students for the All State Honor Choir, the most prestigious state-wide choir for 6th–12th graders. The following students received this honor: Pepper Blythe, Nina Botwinick, Zoe Botwinick, Ella Boyd, Mia Boyd, Calvin Caro-Disterhoft, Aria Cowherd, Jude Crawford, Jasper Ervice, Yazmin Gonzalez, Kira Harper-Zahn, Carter Helmbrecht, John-Patrick Hilliard, Hazel Hosmer, Edie Leong, Anika Maderas, Mia Mickelson, Olivia Regni, Isha Tamang, Olivia Wang, & Finnegan Willits-Musell. Congratulations to also go to students who were selected for the California Music Educators Association Bay Section Honor Choir (7th–9th grades), the California Choral Directors Association (CCDA) Coastal Honor Choir (a regional honor choir for 9–12th graders), and the Western American Choral Directors Association (WACDA) Honor Choir (an honor choir for the Western USA for 4–12th graders).

SCHOOL RESUMES ON JANUARY 5, 2026. 

Happy Holidays to All!

Calendar Highlights: 

Please see messages from your school for complete information about events. 

• December 22–January 2: NO SCHOOL, December Holiday

• January 5, First Day of School, 2026

• January 14: Counted Out, 5:30–7:30pm, Ocean View Library.

• January 29: Left Behind, 5:30–7:30pm, Albany High School Little Theater. Register for free tickets here.

Sincerely, 

Sara Stone

Superintendent

Albany Unified School District

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