October Counseling Newsletter

Posted Date: 10/15/26 (01:53 PM)

October 2026

Hello Students and Families:

We are now 25% through the school year! Check out this newsletter to learn more about what’s going on at AHS!

General Information

First Quarter Grades The first quarter ends this Friday, October 16th. Next week, First Quarter grades will be available to view in Aeries. To view grades, login to the Aeries Parent portal. Once in the portal, select Grades from the menu on the left side of the screen, and then Grades from the options available. Please note the quarter grades may be different from the gradebook grades that show on the dashboard when you access the portal.

If you have questions about your student’s grades or how quarter grades factor into your student’s overall semester grade, please contact your child’s teacher. Students can email their teachers from their AUSD Gmail account; the teacher’s name should automatically pop up when they type in the last name of the teacher. Parents and caregivers can find teachers’ email addresses by logging into their Aeries account and going to the ‘Classes’ tab.

Students can also get help from their teachers during Advisory on Wednesdays and Fridays. Use Google Classroom to find information about assignments and due dates. Remember that quarter grades are not listed on transcripts. Also, please note that after the quarter, gradebooks don’t reset. Quarter 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 (December 18th).

Academic Support Available

Please remember that Albany High School offers the following after school tutoring in the following academic areas:

Math Hour: Mondays, 4:00-5:00 and Tuesdays, 4:10-5:10, Room A-313
Science Hour: Mondays, after school, Room A-303
French Language Hour: Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30, Room A-210
Mandarin Language Hour: Thursdays 4:00-5:00, Room A-212
Spanish Language hour: Thursdays, 4:00-5:00, Room A-213
Physics Hour: Thursdays, after school, Room A-301
English Hour: Listen to the bulletin for days/times

No sign up necessary, just show up to whichever session meets your needs!

Homecoming! HOCO has started and goes until October 24th. The HOCO dance will be next Saturday, October 24th in the AHS gym. Check Parent Square, listen to bulletin announcements and read your class presidents’ emails for more information about all the activities going on during Homecoming!

Social Emotional

Understanding Connection Across Teens’ Lives The Child Mind Institute recently released data from a study titled, Building Bridges: Teen Loneliness and Connection, that surveyed 1,000 U.S. teens ages 14–17. Teens were asked questions about connection across 5 areas - family, peers, school, self, and digital environments. The results showed that teens may be feeling less connected despite advances in technology designed to promote more connection. The article includes recommendations for how parents/guardians can help students create more meaningful connections as well as recommendations for strengthening teen well-being.

AP Exams

Registration for AP Exams opened on Thursday Oct 8, 2026

Please work with your parent/guardian to complete the registration.

Before you register for exams, please make sure that you have joined each of your AP Classroom courses using the join codes provided by your AP teacher.

A few details about registration and fees:

Registration and payment is through My School Bucks.
Early deadline to register and pay is October 30, 2026.
Testing fee is $130/exam. Each exam registration needs to be added separately, but can be paid all together from the same cart.
A $40/exam late fee will be charged after Oct 30, 2026.
Registration closes on March 5, 2027
Refunds are given for canceled exams, minus a $40/exam cancellation fee.
If you qualify for free and reduced lunch, you may be eligible for a fee reduction. Please email ahs-testcoordinator@ausdk12.org for registration and payment instructions.
If you are eligible for testing accommodations at school, please make sure you also have College Board approval for accommodations. The process of getting accommodations for College Board exams can take up to two months. (If you're not sure, ask your counselor or ahs-testcoordinator@ausdk12.org)

Remember, to avoid late fees, complete your payment and registration by Oct 30. If you miss this deadline or decide to take an AP exam later, you can still register, but it will be more expensive.

Please direct all questions regarding AP Exams to your AP course teacher or to Ms.Cajina at ahs-testcoordinator@ausdk12.org

My School Bucks Login Page

AHS AP Exam Registration 2026-27 for students

Grade-specific Information

9th Grade

Ask a Counselor! Do you have questions? We have answers! We want students and families to be aware that counselors are available on a drop in basis for all students during Advisory on Wednesdays and Fridays. Simply come directly to our table in the Atrium and we will send you back to your Advisory with a pass. See you soon!

10th Grade

PSAT For students who take the PSAT this weekend, scores should be posted in mid-late November. Check your College Board app or log in to your account.

11th Grade

PSAT For students who take the PSAT this weekend, scores should be posted in mid-late November. Check your College Board app or log in to your account.

12th Grade

Senior Portraits Information regarding Senior Portraits was sent out via ParentSquare.

12th Grade Financial Aid Night Wednesday, Oct. 21 @ 7:00pm. Learn how federal aid, grants, scholarships, and loans can help pay for college with Samantha Smith of The College Place. Click here to register and receive the Zoom link!

College Application Information Night was held on Wednesday, September 2nd. In case you missed it, the slides from the presentation are posted on the AHS Website. Please review the slides prior to asking counselors questions about the college admissions process.

Letters of Recommendation The deadline for requesting a Letter of Recommendation from your counselor has passed. Please contact your counselor ASAP if you have not yet been in contact about writing you a letter of recommendation. At this point in the process we cannot guarantee that letters will be written by your college’s deadline.

Character Evaluation Please be aware that any referral for Academic Dishonesty will be disclosed to students’ colleges & universities if counselors are asked to evaluate a student’s character.

Counselor College Application help! We encourage all seniors to drop in with college application questions and review applications with your counselor before submitting them. Counselors are available at break and lunch in the Counseling Office and during Advisory in the atrium. Please bring your chromebook/computer!

We often receive information about opportunities for free college application support throughout the season. Stop by the counseling office to see current information!

College Application FAQs

Still Have Questions? Check out our College Application FAQs.

College Visit Info College representatives will be visiting campus soon! Come learn more about their schools, programs, admissions, and campus life- and get your questions answered directly.

Whether you already have a college in mind or are just exploring your options, this is a great opportunity to learn more!

Sign up here to receive an advisory pass or lunch time reminder the day of the college visit: student sign up: college rep visit

College Search Attending college tours is a great way to learn about a college you may be interested in. Many CSU campuses are offering virtual campus tours. To find out more see this LINK.

To learn about UC admissions and the different UC campuses, check out their WEBSITE which is full of information about the admissions process as well as each individual campus.

Many private schools are hosting virtual tour events too, so be sure to check those out by going to individual school’s websites or attending a virtual event HERE. You can also find more information about private schools HERE. Don’t forget to log in to Xello to find even more information about private colleges!

Considering community college? Contra Costa College will be visiting AHS in November to help you apply, enroll in college classes, and explore dual enrollment opportunities. Stop by the Library during Lunch, November 10th and 17th, to get support with the enrollment process!

FAFSA application is open! Be aware that the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens on October 1st. We recommend that every senior complete the FAFSA, even if you believe you are not eligible for aid. The FAFSA is the largest source of college financial aid, including federal grants (like Pell Grants), work-study, and federal loans. Many states and colleges also use FAFSA information to determine their own financial aid packages and merit scholarships.

FAFSA Help Coming to AHS in January! Cash 4 College financial aid experts will be in the AHS Library to provide 1:1 support with completing the FAFSA. Click here for details.

Cal Grant GPA Verification forms were submitted on September 8th. Counselors automatically submitted your CAL GRANT GPA Verification Form. If your name or address is Aeries does not match the information submitted to FAFSA please contact Mrs. Grogans with the correct information. To review this information you may go to Calgrant.org.

Upcoming Dates/Events

End of First Quarter October 16, 2026

Homecoming October 13-23, 2026

Homecoming Dance October 24, 2026

Veteran’s Day NO SCHOOL November 11, 2026

Thanksgiving Break NO SCHOOL November 23-27, 2026

Finals Week December 14-18, 2026

Winter Break, NO SCHOOL December 23, 2026 - January 1, 2027 (school resumes January 4, 2027)

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read through this important information. We look forward to working with you this year.

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 students

dpeterson@ausdk12.org

Please know that counselors do their best to respond to emails within 48 hours. However, we do not respond to emails in the evenings or on the weekends. Sending multiple emails does not decrease response time. Thank you for your understanding.

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

Mr. Pierce, AHS Assistant Principal, Grades 10th/12th/MacGregor jpierceii@ausdk12.org