Hello Students and Families:

We hope that the second semester is going well for you. It’s hard to believe that Mid-Winter Break is already here! This month we’d like to share several resources available to students and families to help support you. We also have some grade specific information to share with you.

Course selection for 2026-2027 School Year The course selection process for the 2026-27 school year will soon be underway.

• Thursday, February 26th, and Friday, February 27th will be Advisement Day in all classes. During Advisement Days, teachers in each subject share their department's course offerings with their classes. 

• The week of March 2nd, counselors will be presenting to 9th-11th grade students in social studies classes. After the presentations, a slideshow with elective offerings will be shared with all students. Students will be able to select their courses through their Aeries student portals from 3/2 until 3/13. 

• March 2nd-6th counselors will be available at Lunch and Advisory to answer course selection questions. 

• Check Parent Square in early March for details around course selection and specific programs and course requirements. 

AHS Leadership Are you interested in joining Leadership next year? Run for an elected position or apply for one of the many committee positions we have at AHS. There will be an informational meeting during advisory meeting on Wednesday, February 25th, in the Little Theater.  Just show up at the start of Advisory. Attendance will be taken during the meeting.

Reminder! Tips for a Successful Second Semester  Now that we are a month into the Spring semester,  we want to remind you of the support that AHS has to help you have a successful semester.

• Grades/Academic Support  If you have any questions about your grades or class assignments, we recommend that you reach out to your teachers directly. You can email your teachers from your AUSD Gmail account; their names should automatically pop up when you type in the last name of the teacher.  

• Students can also get help from their teachers during Advisory on Wednesdays and Fridays. Use Google Classroom or Canvas to find information about assignments and due dates. 

Subject Specific Support for Students

Math Hour Come get math support from math teachers and peers!

• Mondays, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Room A-313

• Tuesdays, 4:10-5:10 p.m., Room A-313

World Language Hours Come get extra help in your world language class from your teachers after school:

• French: Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Room A-210

• Mandarin: Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Room A-212

• Spanish: Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Room A-213

English Hour Listen to the Bulletin for information about the next English hour, an opportunity to get help from your English teachers after school.

Counseling Your counselor is a good resource for you to help connect you with academic and/or personal-social support. You may email your counselor to set up an appointment. Please remember that your counselor is based on your last name. Counselors’ current breakdown is listed at the bottom of the newsletter.

The Counseling Office is open for drop-ins during passing periods, at Break, Lunch and after school. For general questions, students are also welcome to drop in to Ask A Counselor every Wednesday and Friday during Advisory. At least one counselor will be on hand to help. Simply come directly to the Atrium at the beginning of Advisory and we will send students back to class with a pass.

For urgent situations, students may see Ms. Brice in the attendance office (with a pass). If you would like to set up an appointment with your counselor, please email your counselor (contact information below). 

AP Exams Students taking AP exams this year. Registrations continue until Friday March 6, 2026. 

There are two steps to complete: 1) pay the exam fee, and 2) enter your join code into your College Board AP account for the exam(s) you are taking. Both steps are required to order your exam. 

Refer to this AHS AP Exam Registration document for details and links.

Message from AHS Administration about Prom

Please be aware of the AHS Attendance Policy for attending prom this year. This information was sent out earlier this week from the AHS administration:

Here is a reminder of Albany's school policy regarding attending extra curricular activities:

Attending special school events is a privilege, not a right.  To attend Senior & Junior Prom in April, and to be a guest at other school dances, students need to be in good standing.  This also includes other events like field trips and athletic & visual/performing arts activities.  Here are following reasons that a student will not be able to attend school events:

1. Unserved Detentions - All detentions need to be served before purchasing a ticket to an event (if a detention is issued between the time a ticket was purchased and the day of the event, permission to attend can be denied).

2. Attendance & Truancy - Students may not be considered truant with unexcused absences. For the upcoming Prom, students may not have a total of 15 periods (or more) with codes Y or A (unexcused without explanation) during the Spring Semester. 

3. Disciplinary Action - Any student with recent disciplinary issues, like suspensions and/or referrals, may not qualify to attend.

Please note that there will NOT be Prom Appeal Applications this year.

Summer School Counselors will soon be contacting families whose students are being referred for AHS Summer School. More details about summer school will be shared soon.

AC Transit Pass Program Albany High School has been added to the Alameda County Transportation Commission's Student Transit Pass Program! The Student Transit Pass Program provides students with Free Youth Clipper Cards to eligible students. Use this link to apply.

Thank you for reading this important information!

Michelle Aselstine, A - Coo

maselstine@ausdk12.org 

Becca Burns, Cor - Kn 

bburns@ausdk12.org 

Tedra Grogans, Ko - P 

tgrogans@ausdk12.org 

M.E. Durell, Q - Z 

mdurell@ausdk12.org 

Diane Peterson, MacGregor & new 25-26 students

dpeterson@ausdk12.org 

Administration

Vivian Balderas, Main Office Secretary    510-558-2500

Mr. McNally AHS Principal/MacGregor Principal    dmcnally@ausdk12.or

Ms. Lau-Seim AHS Assistant Principal, Grades 9th/11th   mlau-seim@ausdk12.org