"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou
Good evening,
I hope this email finds you and your family safe and well. This week marked the start of our second semester, and students who experienced schedule changes adjusted smoothly. Report cards for the 2nd Quarter/Fall Semester will be available on Aeries and mailed home early next week. Please take time to review your student’s academic progress; celebrate their successes and, where needed, make plans to support improvement. A significant part of student success comes from the partnership we share with you as parents and caregivers, and we thank you for that support.
Our monthly attendance rate continues to hover around 97% across all grade levels. Being present at school is a critical factor in students’ academic and social-emotional growth. Each morning, over 200 students participate in breakfast, and 500–600 students enjoy lunch in our cafeteria. Please remember that breakfast and lunch are free, while the blue lunch cart is not. Ensuring students are nourished and well rested remains essential. Students ages 11–14 should be getting approximately 9.5 hours of sleep per night, which is vital for growth, memory, mental health, and overall well-being.
Last week, we hosted our first all-grades dance, with 366 students attending, an exciting and successful event. We also enjoyed our Fall Drama Showcase, where students did a marvelous job. Boys Basketball and Girls Soccer are underway, with competitions already beginning. Go Cobras! Registration is now open for Girls Softball, Track & Field, Ultimate Frisbee, and Wrestling, with more information coming soon for Boys Volleyball and Baseball.
Our Science Olympiad team had an outstanding showing at a national competition in Miraloma, placing 7th overall against top teams from across the country. An incredible accomplishment! Finally, we held our annual Spelling Bee today after school. Congratulations to all participating students, and a special thank you to Ms. Perez for continuing this wonderful tradition at AMS.
We are fortunate to have such amazing students. Thank you to all the adults in the AMS community for your continued commitment to our kids.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mr. Mapes
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AMS School Calendar for 12/26 – 12/30
Monday, January 26 — School Ends at 3:30 pm
Tuesday, January 27 — School Ends at 3:30 pm
Wednesday, January 28 — School Ends at 2:20 pm
Thursday, January 29 — School Ends at 3:05 pm
Friday, January 30— School Ends at 2:20 pm
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Date(s) & Time(s) |
Events & Happenings |
January 27 |
AUSD School Board Meeting - Albany City Hall @ 6:00 pm |
January 28 |
Popcorn w/ the Principal - AMS Library @ 5:45 pm |
January 29 |
Doughnuts w/ the Principal - Location TBD @ 9:00 am |
January 29 |
“Left Behind” Film Screening and Panel Discussion - AHS Little Theater @ 5:30 pm |
January 30 |
AMS Jazz to CMEA Festival at El Cerrito HS - afternoon/evening |
February 10 |
AUSD School Board Meeting - Albany City Hall @ 6:00 pm |
February 12 |
AUSD Black History Month Celebration - AHS Little Theater @ 6:00 pm |
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AMS After School Homework & Math Support Program - ALL Students are Welcome to Attend! Students can come with friends, snacks are provided, and students do not have to stay for the full hour. We highly recommend this opportunity for our students, especially with the start of the Spring Semester.
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Mondays: 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Math Support - room 102
All Grades
Homework Support - Annex Computer Lab
All Grades
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Tuesdays: 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Homework Support - Annex Computer Lab & Room 101
All Grades
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Thursdays: 3:05 pm to 4:05 pm
Homework Support - room 216 6th grade only
Math Support - room 217
6th grade only
Math Support - room 102
Homework Support - Room 101
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Join us for a free screening of the award-winning documentary, "Left Behind," at the AHS Little Theatre on Thurs 1/29 at 5:30pm, followed by an expert Q&A panel. Kareem Weaver, co-founder and Executive Director of FULCRUM will be a panelist, among others!
Doors at 5pm, film starts at 5:30pm. Tickets are free, but you must register here.
The film 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 America.
Film runtime: 1 hour 14 min
A request for interpretation or disability-related modification or accommodation may be made by a person with a disability who requires modification or accommodation by contacting the North Region SELPA Director, at pvickroy@ausdk12.org or 510 525-9805
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Resolve to Join the PTA for the New Year! Make and achieve your first new year's resolution early by finally signing up to join the PTA. Joining takes just a few minutes, costs $37, and supports AMS. Members can vote on our budget & administrative decisions and get insider emails on our activities. JOIN NOW
Thank you! Our AMS PTA is incredibly grateful for everything YOU do in our community to support our kids and our school staff. Thanks for your volunteering, your donations, and your participation. You rock!
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Boys Basketball Game Schedule
1/27 LONGFELLOW |
6B 4pm. 6A 5pm |
1/27 @ Longfellow |
7A 4pm. 8A 5pm |
1/29 HEAD ROYCE |
7A 4pm 8A 5pm |
2/3 @ King |
3:30 7B 4:30 6B 5:30pm |
2/4 PIEDMONT |
7A 4pm 8A 5pm |
2/6 KING |
6A 4pm 7A 5pm 8A 6pm |
2/10 WILLARD |
6A 4pm 7A 5pm 8A 6pm |
2/11 @ Longfellow |
6B 3pm 6A 4pm |
2/12 LONGFELLOW |
7A 4pm 8A 5pm |
2/25 @ King |
7A 3:30 6A 4:30 8A 5:30 |
2/26 KING |
6B 4pm 8B 5pm 7B 6pm |
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Girls Soccer Game Schedule
Coming Soon
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AMS Girls Softball Information
AMS Girls & Boys Wrestling, Ultimate Frisbee and Track & Field Registration is NOW OPEN!
Registration for Ultimate Frisbee and Track & Field closes Friday March 6th at noon. -
Registration for Boys and Girls Wrestling closes on Friday, April 3rd at noon.
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5th Grade First Band Concert!
Albany Elementary Schools in collaboration with Albany Middle School & High School will host a concert in the Albany High School Gymnasium next Monday, January 26, 7–8pm. Our 5th grade band students have been working hard these past few months and are excited to showcase their progress. The AMS Jazz Band will also perform to close out the concert. We hope to see you then.
Science Olympiad Elementary Teams Forming Now!
Science Olympiad is a nationwide competition where students compete in STEM-related challenges across topics like earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Division A is the elementary division, where 3rd–6th graders can compete by constructing a vehicle made of pasta, decoding ciphers, identifying stars, and more. We recommend forming a team of 8 friends of a similar age group to ensure compatibility amongst the students. Find out more about SciOly Division A. Sign-up form is here. Questions? Contact us at scioly.div.a@gmail.com.
Dance Camp Is Back!
Albany Dance Company (ADC), Albany High’s dance group, will be once again hosting a one-day dance camp for students in grades K–8 on March 20, 8am–3:30pm, Albany Unified’s staff professional development day—a no-school day for students! We hope this event will help out AUSD families by providing a day of fun activities for their students while also introducing them to our dance program at Albany High. Cost is $45 per dancer, $50 after March 3. Register with the QR code above in the flyer or at http://bit.ly/ADCDanceCamp26.
RISE Climate Solutions Student Campaign
RISE is a four-month program running January through May 2026 for student teams to use free resources to identify local environmental issues and launch real-world solutions with support from Grades of Green expert staff. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/riseclimatesolutions. Register by January 31.
Robotics (S.T.A.R.)
Robotics Club for grades 4–6 is enrolling for the upcoming season. Students work with Lego Spike Prime to build STEM skills and prepare for the First Lego League (FLL) tournament. Meetings are held every Saturday from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, starting January 17. While the program fee is $150, scholarships are available upon request to ensure these opportunities remain accessible to underprivileged families. For more information visit sundroprobotics.org, email sundroprobotics@gmail.com, or call (510) 306-4594.
Albany Berkeley Soccer Club (ABSC) Spring Registration Is Open
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