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Albany Middle School

Everybody Teaches, Everybody Learns

AMS Weekly Bulletin for March 2 - 6

Posted Date: 02/27/26 (04:48 PM)
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March is Women's History Month  
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." — Eleanor Roosevelt
"I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all." — Simone Biles

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Good Evening AMS,

We had a good first week back! I hope everyone has a nice weekend. 

Go Cobras!

Mr. Mapes



AMS School Calendar for 03/02 – 03/06

Release Times this Week
Monday, March 2 — School Ends at 3:30 pm
Tuesday, March 3 — School Ends at 3:30 pm
Wednesday, March 4 —School Ends at 2:20 pm
Thursday, March 5 — School Ends at 3:05 pm
Friday, March 6 —School Ends at 2:20pm


 

Date(s) 

Events & Happenings

March 2 - 6

AMS Unity Week

Thursday, March 5 

PTA Association & Parent Ed Night @ 7 pm in the AMS Library

Sunday, March 8 

Daylight Savings Begins - 

roll clocks forward one hour

Monday, March 9

AHS 9th Grade Elective Course Selection Presentations in Core Classes

Tuesday, March 10

8th Grade Panoramic Picture Day 

AUSD School Board Meeting @ 6 pm at Albany City Hall

Wednesday, March 11 

AHS Incoming 9th Grade Parent Night  VIA ZOOM

HKIT Architects Community Night @ 7 pm in the AMS Library

Thursday, March 12 

AMS School Site Council Meeting @ 3:45 pm in room 113

March 2 - 13

AMS ASB Canned Food Drive

Friday, March 13

Night of Magic: 5pm to 7pm

Tuesday, March 17

St. Patrick’s Day

AMS Cobra Bands Spring Concert @ 7 pm in the AHS Little Theater

Thursday, March 19

Doughnuts w/ the Principal @ 9 am in room 100 

Popcorn w/ the Principal @ 6 pm in the AMS Library

AMS 7th/8th Grade Bands Spring Concert @ 7 pm in the AHS Little Theater

Friday, March 20 

NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS 

Professional Development Day for all AUSD staff at ALL school sites
 


UNITY WEEK 2026 Events at AMS

  • Monday

    • Spirit Day: Everyone Counts! Wear numbers

    • Music at lunch, Courtyard

  • Tuesday

    • Spirit Day: We’re All Tied Together! Wear ties.

    • Cooperative Games at lunch, Cougar Field

  • Wednesday

    • Spirit Day: Rainbow Challenge! Wear rainbows and colors

    • Compliment Battles at lunch, Gym

  • Thursday

    • Spirit Day: Put a Lid on Bullying! Wear a hat.

    • Creative Chalk Art at lunch, Courtyard

  • Friday

    • Spirit Day: Cobra Unity! Wear Cobra gear.

    • Collaborative Dance and Raffle  at Lunch, Courtyard

Get involved in Albany USD's Facilities Master Plan


With the help of HKIT Architects, Albany USD is in the process of developing a facilities master plan that will:

  • create a long-term vision for facilities upgrades throughout the District 

  • identify priorities for immediate projects using Measure L bond funds

We want to hear from you!

There are a number of ways to participate right now. Go to https://ausd.mysocialpinpoint.com/ to:

  1. Learn about the current conditions on each campus and add your knowledge.

  2. Help identify the most important guiding principles for prioritizing projects.

  3. Ask questions: what do you want to know about the facilities master plan?

AMS Parent/Caregiver/Community Meeting is on Wednesday, March 11 @ 7:00 pm in the AMS Library

As the Director of Presidio Dance Theatre, I am writing to personally invite the students of the Albany Unified School District to join us for our annual Children’s Day at the SF War Memorial Opera House on May 4th, 9:30am and 11:00am. We would greatly appreciate it if you could forward this information to all the schools in your district.

Presidio Dance Theatre is pleased to present two free, 45-minute performances of our annual Children’s Day at the SF War Memorial Opera House, featuring a special Cinco De Mayo celebration. The performance is a fast-paced mosaic of multicultural dance and is an excellent way to engage students with arts and culture while giving them the opportunity to see their peers performing on a world-class stage.

Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and seats fill quickly—so we encourage you to reserve early.

To make a reservation for the 9:30am or 11:00am show, please email:

  • Total number in your group

  • Contact name

  • Email address

  • Telephone number

to Katie Baik at presidiodance@gmail.com. For questions, you may also call our office at 415-561-3958.

8th Grade Updates - End of Year Activities

  1. 8th Grade Promotion Dance - Friday, May 29th from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm in the AMS Gym - Free Event for 8th grade students only

  2. 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony - Thursday, June 4th @ 5:00 pm on Cougar Field - each family will receive 4 tickets and will be able to request more tickets in mid-May

  3. 8th Grade Field Trip to Six Flags - Friday, June 5th - ALL Day 

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. 

  

Mondays: 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm


Math Support - room 102 

All Grades

Homework Support - Annex Computer Lab 

All Grades

Tuesdays: 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm


Homework Support - Annex Computer Lab & Room 101

All Grades 

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


PTA CORNER


Thursday, March 5, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm, in person in the AMS Library: PTA Meeting and Parent Education Session!

* Join us on Thursday, March 5 from 6:30-7:00 for our PTA Association Meeting in person in the AMS Library! Topics will include volunteer opportunities at the Spring Soiree, openings on next year's PTA board, and Principal Mapes discussing the AMS budget for next school year and opportunities for input on Albany USD facilities planning. We'll see you there!

* Then, stay on after the meeting from 7-8 pm for our free Parent Education session, also in person in the AMS Library! Our Parent Ed topic this month is "preparing your child for the transition to high school." We'll be joined by Becca Burns, a counselor at Albany High, and Sara Hinkley, AHS parent & PTA President, to talk about their experiences and their advice for middle school families and students. Bring your questions and concerns! Families with students in all AMS grades, 6th, 7th, and 8th, are welcome.


Volunteer for Night of Magic on Friday, March 13, 5-7 pm, at AMS!

A Night of Magic (formerly known as Harry Potter Night) is a fun annual event at AMS; students love it and we raise money for some fantastic organizations. Our fabulous librarian Linda Perez and the students in Dumbledore's Army put a lot of work into A Night of Magic; they need some adult help to make sure it goes off without a hitch. Please review the available slots and click to sign up. Thank you in advance for helping with this AMS tradition.



AMS ATHLETICS

 
 

Boys Basketball Game Schedule

 
Boys Basketball Tournaments begin next week! Good luck Cobras! 

                                                                                                                                           

Girls Soccer Game Schedule


Friday,  Mar 6           Longfellow      JV HOME     4:00 pm
   

Boys volleyball at AMS will consist of one 8th grade team and one 7th grade team. 

Tryouts Update
2/27:  7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
3/2:  7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
3/3:  7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

2026 AMS Baseball Club is getting underway!

2026 marks the fourth season of the Albany Middle School Baseball Club, and our exciting season is just about to get underway! The AMS Baseball Club will play competitive games with other skilled middle school teams in the East Bay, including public and private schools in El Cerrito, Berkeley and Oakland, with 10-12 regular season games, followed by playoffs, being played from March to May. 

Players interested in representing AMS as members of the AMS Baseball Club should 

  1. Register their interest in participating using this Registration Form by 11:59 PM on March 2, 2026. 

  2. Tryouts on Friday, March 6 - NEW TIME: 2:30-4 PM & NEW LOCATION: West Softball Field behind Cougar Field

Because the health and safety of players is paramount in middle school baseball (due to the level of play) all players will be expected to be experienced playing baseball at a competitive level. Interested players should also be receiving skills training, safety instruction, and arm health conditioning via regular practices with other baseball programs, such as Little League or travel baseball. Due to coaching and field availability constraints, the AMS Baseball Club is not able to offer skills and safety training via regular practices to players in the 2026 season. Therefore, Club participation will consist primarily of representing AMS during competitive baseball game play. 

Players should come to tryouts with their baseball glove, cleats, bat, and baseball helmet. Catchers should also bring their catchers gear. Tryouts will consist of skills evaluations for catching, throwing/pitching, hitting, and situational baseball awareness. Coaches will determine and announce player eligibility for the Club via email in the week following the skills evaluation, and in advance of our first game 3/13. Performance in skills evaluation, safety considerations, and Club roster size will all be taken into account in determining player eligibility. For these reasons, it is anticipated that not all players who register and attend tryouts will make the team. 

AMS Girls & Boys Wrestling, Ultimate Frisbee and Track & Field Registration is NOW OPEN!


AUSD NEWS

Superintendent’s Community Update

Game Night!

Looking for some good old family fun this weekend? Join Familias Latinas at their annual Game Night this Sunday, March 1, 12:30–3pm at the Albany High School MPR. We will have card games, board games, and video games to play. We also have loteria rounds (similar to bingo) where you pay to play and have a chance of winning a gift card or prize. Lastly, we will have food (e.g., tamales, pizza, snacks) and drinks for purchase to support our scholarship fund. We hope to see you there!

AEF First Mondays at Little Star Pizza

Little Star Pizza will donate 10% of all sales—take-out and dine-in—to Albany Education Foundation on Monday, March 2, and every first Monday of the month. AEF funds grants for teachers. Thank you for supporting Little Star Pizza and Albany Education Foundation!

Albany High School's Theatre Ensemble Spring Musical Chicago: Teen Edition

Chicago: Teen Edition is a vibrant, jazz-infused musical set in the Roaring Twenties. This specially adapted version of the Broadway classic features hits like “All That Jazz” and “Cell Block Tango,” offering all the style, satire, and spectacle of the original production. With bold choreography, sharp wit, and timeless themes of ambition, celebrity, and media sensationalism, Chicago: Teen Edition promises great entertainment. March 4–7, AHS Little Theater, 7pm nightly, and 2pm matinee on 3/7. Get tickets here.  


Albany’s Kids & Family Expo

Explore local programs and family services, enjoy tasty snacks and kids' activities, score special discounts on camps, and enter a free raffle for great prizes. Fun for kids and parents alike! Find out more.  Saturday, February 28, 1–4pm, at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Avenue.

Register For the Berkeley Mini Math Tournament

The Berkeley Mini Math Tournament 2026 is for students in grade 8 and below, including advanced elementary school students and middle school students. It will be held on Sunday, April 12 in person at UC Berkeley campus. Students are encouraged to register as a team of 3–5 students. Tests from past years are posted on our website. We are an all-volunteer, UC Berkeley student-led nonprofit running math tournaments for middle schoolers and high schoolers since 2012. 

Spring Cricket Camp

Cricket’s in Albany at Ocean View Sports Field! Ten weeks beginning March 10. Boys and girls ages 6–13. Register at calcricket.org or use the QR on the flyer above. 

API-PEG Parent Education Speaker Series

 Join our workshop Resilience in the Sandbox: Preparing Our Children for What Comes Next, March 18, 7pm. Speaker Yahya Radman is a leadership educator and former collegiate coach. He partners with families to build resilience and discipline in youth. In this session, he will offer practical strategies for parents raising confident, self-reliant children in today’s demanding world. This presentation is geared to parents with students in all grades. You may join API-PEG Google Group here. Join API-PEG Group here. Find us on Facebook and Instagram.  If you have any questions, please email AlbanyAPIparents@gmail.com.


Ramadan Iftar Potluck

Ramadan is a holy month and sacred time of fasting, prayer, and community for Muslims. To support building community during this time, Iftars will be hosted throughout Ramadan where individuals are invited to join in prayer, if they would like, and then to break their fast. The Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) Parent Engagement Group is hosting a Ramadan Iftar potluck on Friday, February 27, 6–8pm in the Ocean View Multipurpose Room. Come and learn about this special month through games, crafts, and conversation. Everyone is welcome! If you are able to bring a dish, please sign up using the QR code in the flyer above or at this link. 

Lunar New Year Celebration 

Join us for the Lunar New Year Celebration hosted by AUSD Asian Pacific Islander Parent Engagement Group (API-PEG). February 28, 4–6pm, Ocean View Elementary MPR. Food and volunteer sign up https://forms.gle/mGkDymidKpbZ4tk58 Join API-PEG Group email by filling out this form. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you have any questions, please email AlbanyAPIparents@gmail.com.

Path To Belonging Exhibition

The lobby of the Albany Library/Community Center is currently displaying "Journeys to Albany--Paths to Belonging". It's a city-sponsored project that features the migration stories of seven Albany families. Their stories touch on the first African-American military aviators, The Great Migration, the Vietnam War and refugee resettlement, Japanese-American incarceration during WWII, Ottoman Empire dissolution and Greek diaspora, the story of an immigrant Nigerian & African American family, and others.