Professional Development, Respecting School Facilities, Celebración Latina! & Do You Qualify?

Dear Albany Community, 
Although students were not on campus today, our staff were deeply engaged in learning and collaboration. I am grateful to our educators for dedicating the day to strengthening their practice for the benefit of every student. They reflected on how we build strong connections with students and families, learned new skills to ensure school safety, and examined student data to guide instruction. Teachers also explored new strategies—such as restorative practices, wellness, literacy routines, and technology integration—that directly support classroom learning.

This collective work strengthens our ability to create inclusive, rigorous, and supportive learning environments where every student can thrive.

Respecting School Facilities

Our children spend much of their day at school—it’s almost a second home. We want them to feel a sense of pride toward their school facilities, in addition to a sense of belonging. TikTok and other social media platforms sometimes promote “challenges” that encourage vandalism or damage to school property. We are asking for your partnership in talking with your child about the importance of caring for our schools. Our shared goal is to keep every campus clean, safe, and well-maintained, ensuring they remain welcoming spaces for learning, friendship, and growth. By helping students understand the impact of their choices, we can work together to ensure our facilities stay places we can all be proud of.

Celebración Latina and Read-Alouds 

Celebración Latina will be Saturday, October 4, 11am–2pm at Albany Middle School. All are invited to come and celebrate! This year, Familias Latinas is asking students and their families to perform a dance, sing a song, play instruments, read a poem, or share facts about their cultural traditions or country of origin during the first hour of the Celebración. Now more than ever, it is important for our community to come together to represent our rich culture. Another way Latino/a/x/e community members can participate is to read a book to an elementary school class that highlights Latino/x culture or characters. Sign up here to read aloud to a class during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Do You Qualify?

California was the first state in the nation to make school breakfasts and lunches free for all students. This means that all students are treated equally when it comes to school meals, regardless of their family’s income. However, school funding still depends on approved EZ Meals applications, as do the federal food program reimbursements that fund our meals program. Filling out school forms isn’t fun. But I am asking you to please consider filling out just one more form. If you think there is a chance that your family might qualify, PLEASE fill out the simple, online EZ Meals Application. Also remember that you must fill out an application annually—if you qualified last year, it is time to renew. 

AUSD receives an additional $2,000 in school funding for each approved application that benefits all students at all schools. There are other benefits as well to qualifying families, such as access to the free Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) before- and after-school care, and AP and SAT test fee waivers. 

Calendar Highlights: 

Please see messages from your school for complete information about events. 

• September 23: Regular Board Meeting - CANCELLED due to Rosh Hashanah,  

• October 4: Celebración Latina, Albany Middle School Courtyard, 11am–2pm

• October 13: Indigenous Peoples’ Day, NO SCHOOL

• October 14: Regular Board Meeting

• October 28: Board Study Session: SPED and Budget

Important Links

• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

• MTSS for Educators and Students

• Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain

Sincerely, 

Sara Stone

Superintendent

Albany Unified School District

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