May Counseling Newsletter

Posted Date: 05/14/26 (02:33 PM)

May 2026

Hello Students and Families:

We are in the final few weeks of the school year! The Counseling Department would like to share some upcoming important dates and grade-specific information.

General Information

Wellness Week At the end of each semester, the week before finals, classes are winding down and stepping away from new content. We want students to focus on holistic wellness in preparation for final exams. During this week, teachers will not introduce new material and will not be giving exams (with the exception of oral exams in world language courses that also have a written final).

Finals: Please note the spring finals schedule below. The last day of school is a Minimum Day.

Final Schedule	Tuesday, June 2	Wednesday, June 3	Thursday, June 4	Friday, June 5
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.	Period 1	Period 2	Period 3	Minimum Day (12:40 dismissal)
10:50 - 12:50 p.m.	Period 5	Period 4	Period 6
1:40 - 3:40 p.m.	Period 7

Finals Prep Tips

Write your test dates on your calendar/phone, decide what, when & how you will study each day, and add that to your calendar/phone, too.
Take advantage of teacher availability for extra help (Advisory, Math/Spanish hour, etc).
Take frequent breaks while studying; make sure to get up and move around!
More sleep = better grades. During finals week, make sure you are getting to bed early and limiting your screen exposure before bed!
Reach out to family, friends or your counselor if you find yourself getting stressed and need support!

Reminder of Academic Support Available to All Students

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. Progress Report grades are a good indicator of how you are progressing in your classes. There is still time to raise your grade before the end of the semester (June 5th).

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.

Ask A Counselor! A reminder that there is a counselor available every advisory period for general questions. Come to the main atrium and you will be sent back with a pass once your question is answered.

Course selection for 2026-27 School Year The course selection process for the 2026-27 school year has ended. Some courses will not be offered next year due to low enrollment. Other courses may overenrolled. In these cases, you will be placed in your alternative course. Schedules will not be finalized until Opening Day in August.

UC Davis Women in Business's Spring '26 High School Outreach Program. Join the Davis Women in Business virtual High School Outreach Program! Learn about applying to college and writing a great college essay. This program is open to any high school student who is interested, and this is a completely free opportunity!

Workshop Date:

Wednesday, May 20th, 7:00-7:30pm PST: DWIB Q&A Panel (on Zoom)

Civic and Activism Remote Internship This internship brings students together (remotely) from hundreds of high schools and colleges, we are excited to bring this invitation to students at Albany High School. The program is fully remote, offers start dates at the beginning of each month, and has a flexible time frame and schedule. All students have access to grow into more capable and responsible citizens and to develop their professional skills for a successful future.

Students join remote teams that are energized by diverse students from around the country who work on amplifying youth civic engagement.

The program is free and students can count their participation for community service hours. Interns who complete the program receive certificates and TurnUp is authorized to give awards, including The President’s Volunteer Service Award. Here is the application link.

Summer School AHS Summer School will run from June 15, 2026 to July 15, 2026 (no classes on 6/19 & 7/3) at Marin Elementary School.. Students who have earned a D or F in a Math, English, or Social Studies course can apply. Students who have received D's in a Math, English or Social Studies course may repeat the course in Summer School and the grade can be replaced for college eligibility. Counselors have started notifying families whose students are being referred for summer school. You may pick up a Summer School Application in the Counseling Office.

Space for Summer School will be limited. Priority will be given in this order: 12th graders, 11th graders, 10th graders, then 9th graders based on class status during Spring 2026. Students who have failed a class have priority over all other students.

Grade-specific Information

9th Grade

Congratulations on being almost one quarter of the way through high school! Great work!

10th Grade

You're halfway through high school! Now is a good time to reflect on your academic, social, and extracurricular experiences this year. What’s been good? What would you change? This is a great time to set intentions for next year!

11th Grade

11th Grade Information Nights In case you missed our three 11th Grade Information Nights in April and May, here is the information that was shared.

Post Secondary Options

Financial Aid Night

What You Need to Know About College Essay Writing

Standardized Tests For students interested in taking standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, now is the time to start thinking about registering for an exam. Not sure which test to take? Look here for a comparison of the two tests. Please note that UCs and CSU do not accept any SAT or ACT test scores.

12th Grade

Block Party We’re excited to host our very first Cougar Block Party! Our Leadership students are teaming up with PTSA and our Yearbook class to create a fun, community-filled afternoon for everyone. Seniors will be released early, at 2:00pm, for yearbook signing, food, music and games. Please note that the street in front of the school will be closed starting at 11:00 AM, so there will be no street parking or pick-up in that area.

Cap & Gown Orders There’s still time to order your cap & gown! Use this QR code to purchase!

Senior Exit Survey Seniors, we want to know what your plans are for next year! Our annual Senior Exit Survey helps your counselors understand post-graduation trends so we can tailor our guidance. We will always keep your information confidential. For students who will be attending 2-year or 4-year colleges in the fall, you must fill out this survey so that the Counseling Office knows where to send your FINAL TRANSCRIPT in June. Counselors visit Government classes this week to assist students in completing the survey in their Xello accounts. If you did not take the survey in class, please follow these instructions to take the survey now. Please note that only students may complete the survey.

The College Place Workshop The Transition to College: Waitlisted, Admission & Appeals Workshop, originally scheduled for Thursday, May 13 has been rescheduled to Monday, May 18 at 6:00 PM. Register HERE.

Check email/portals Students who have applied to 4 year institutions should check their personal email and admissions portals frequently for any requests or updates from the colleges. Requests (for documents, housing applications, financial aid details, etc.) are often time sensitive and/or required, so don’t miss out!

Some CSUs are still accepting applications For students interested in applying to a California State University, applications are still being accepted at several campuses.

Considering community college? Community college enrollment and registration is happening now! Below is registration information for some of our local community colleges:

Berkeley City College: Learn more about enrollment here.

Laney College Learn more about enrollment here.

Contra Costa College: The CCC website also has all the information you need about enrolling including both in person and virtual assistance.

College of Marin: Check out the COM website for information about enrolling and registering for classes. Student Ambassadors are available to answer questions about the college.

For seniors who would like to enroll in a community college class this summer, DO NOT complete a concurrent enrollment form. Instead email your counselor to request a letter indicating that you will be graduating in June. Take this letter and an unofficial transcript (available to you in Aeries) to the community college admissions office when you are ready to enroll.

Please be advised that taking classes at community college before beginning a 4-year university program as a first-time freshman may impact your enrollment status. Check with the college admissions office at the 4 year university you plan on attending before enrolling.

AUSD Email Account & Google Drive

All AUSD email accounts will NOT be accessible to seniors after graduation. Download any student work and/or files from Google Drive that you would like to keep. Emails will also not be available, please print or .pdf any information you would like to save.

Textbooks & Library Books, Chromebook + Charger, Team Uniforms, and School Equipment

In addition to passing the courses you need to graduate, you must return all materials and textbooks to the bookroom and/or library in order to get your diploma. This helps maintain our inventory for the next school year. Please return by Wednesday, May 27th, all textbooks, class novels, library books, chromebooks, chargers, calculators and other materials to the bookroom or science classroom unless your teacher has directed you to keep anything for finals or classwork. Replacement fee for chargers is $50. Return team uniforms to the Main Office with your name. Emails from the book room and library will go out to Seniors next week on what materials they are expected to return. To receive your diploma at the commencement ceremony, turn in all materials or pay your fines in the book room by 12 noon on Friday, June 5th. After June 5th, diplomas can be picked up at the Main Office after clearing all fines (if any).

Lockers

Seniors should start cleaning out their lockers. Leave the locker door closed with the combination padlock in the locked position. Anything left in lockers after June 5th will be disposed of.