Starting with the 2012-13 school year, the Bay Shore Athletic League will cease to exist.  Albany High will move to a new combined league called the Tri-County Athletic League.  The high schools in this new league include:  St. Mary’s, Richmond High, St. Joseph’s Notre Dame, Kennedy of Richmond, St. Patrick-St. Vincent’s, De Anza, John Swett, Hercules, Salesian, El Cerrito, and Pinole Valley.

To increase the competitive equity among the teams in the different sports, two divisions were created, the Rock and the Stone divisions (the names are derived from historical league names in this part of the Bay region). Divisions will be in effect for team sports that have 10 or more schools participating and for which teams qualify for NCS playoff berths.  The Rock division is for the schools that have the best demonstrated records over the past two years while the Stone division is for the schools that have not had very much success in a sport.  This arrangement benefits both the high level teams who can hone their skills against similarly skilled opponents while the less competitive teams have a better chance to enjoy success and not risk injury against faster, bigger, and stronger teams.

The winner of each division receives an automatic berth in the NCS playoffs while other schools may qualify for at-large berths.  To reduce the cost of transportation, boys and girls records for a particular sport were combined to determine which school was in each division. The divisions will be reevaluated every two years and realigned according to competitive equity criteria that will be developed over the next year.

For the next two years, Albany High’s divisional placement is as follows:

·         Rock division: Girls Volleyball; Baseball/Softball; Boy’s and Girl’s Soccer; Boy’s Golf.

·         Stone division: Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball; Football 

·         Non-divisional: The rest of the sports won’t be divided into divisions and the scheduling of matches will be coordinated by the coaches and Athletic Directors.  Those sports are Wrestling; Cross Country; Track; Swimming; Boy’s and Girl’s Tennis; Girl’s Golf. 

In addition to divisional competitions, coaches are free to schedule games against both the other division as well as schools from other leagues.

We are excited about our membership in the new league.  We fought long and hard for this alignment and feel that it is fair, equitable, and financially sound. Most importantly, our athletes will be able to compete at a level that is most appropriate for them.

If you have any questions, please email me at tbarone@ausdk12.org or Athletic Director Andrew Strawbridge at astrawbridge@ausdk12.org.

Go Cougars!!

Albany Unified School District Seal of Biliteracy

Approved by Consensus: Instructional Improvement Council November 14, 2011
Forwarded to Superintendent Marla Stephenson for approval and Board of Education consideration November 14, 2011

Summary

The Seal of Biliteracy is a program established by the State Legislature (AB 815). It honors students who have gained proficiency in at least two languages (including English) by the time they graduate from high school. The Instructional Improvement Council of Albany High School proposes that the Albany Unified School District should participate in this program.

Proposal for the Albany Unified School District

Upon graduation, the State Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded to students who have studied and attained proficiency in more than one language by the time they reach graduation. The Seal of Biliteracy will be affixed on the high school diploma and transcript of students receiving the award.

The School District will certify that recipients have attained a high level of proficiency by meeting all of the following criteria:

1. Completion of all English Language Arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or above in those classes
2. Passing the California Standards Test in English Language Arts at the proficient level or above
3. Proficiency in one or more languages other than English, demonstrated through one of the following methods:
1. Passing a foreign language Advanced Placement examination with a score of 3 or higher.
2. Successful completion of a four-year high school course of study in a foreign language, and attaining an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above in that course of study.
3. Passing the SAT II foreign language examination with a score of 600 or higher.

Do you wonder what kids are communicating to each other in the cryptic codes in text messages on their cell phones? Texting (or SMS —Short Message Service) offers a whole new language of acronyms and symbols allowing teens a kind of independent communication unavailable to any previous generation since the discovery of Morse code or shorthand or smoke signals. Most teens believe that “email is for old people,” and their main form of communication is via text message. Parents could use a little primer or glossary to which they can turn should they need to decode these contemporary hieroglyphics. There are many on line resources, some quite eye opening — (in fact, shocking and vulgar— a warning to the reader) in translating teen chatting/texting acronyms, and it remains parent’s responsibility to navigate this brave new world of teen texting. Texting has transformed the way we communicate and conduct business and teenagers are especially adept at this new media in the increasingly digital world.

It is common to see students walking through the halls, iPhone or Android in hand, thumbs working wildly. Adults can barely keep up with these “digital natives,” and we’d better figure it out fast because they are not waiting for us even if we are SITD (still in the dark). It is wise for parents to study up on the electronic ways of our youth and for the “digital immigrants” among us, we have the Internet.

We are living in one of those rare moments in time where the young have more knowledge around technology than adults and we depend on them for some very basic needs like no generation before us. For example, if you see your child’s cell phone or Facebook page saying: LMIRL (let’s meet in real life), it might be time to start asking some questions.

Cell phones are considered a life force, not only for teens who want to stay in constant contact with their friends, but also to families by allowing teens greater freedom and earlier independence than any generation of adolescents before. We can find many reasons to decry cell phones in school — breeding bad grammar, disrupting class, encouraging cheating, and generally distracting students and teachers — yet the possibilities are exciting in transforming education and we have seen the power of the cell phone in the amazing national results of the 2008 presidential election. We all remember the Obama campaign’s game-changing use of cell phones as an organizing and communications strategy when they used SMS-blasts on a regular basis, even announcing his Biden as his running mate through text message.

Some schools in Atlanta are allowing students to use their cell phones to text police with anonymous information and campus security concerns. This could be very useful if not life saving in certain circumstances, and we are researching the possibilities of anonymous communication as a means of maintaining a greater sense of security on and off campus. Cell phones were instrumental in bringing about Arab Spring where there is a grass roots democratic revolution underway throughout the Middle East; and we are witnessing history in the making with the Occupy protests in cities around the world, chronicled by citizen journalists using cell phones to communicate with photos and video through social media networks and mainstream media.

FWIW (For what it’s worth), teachers are quickly fed up with the omnipresence of cell phones—the distraction, disruption to lessons and intrusion into the learning environment. There is little tolerance for these irksome electronic devices and the consequences for using them during class time are severe and punishing for most teens and families (check your school policies for details). Students whose phones are confiscated by teachers quickly learn to keep their phones in pockets or backpacks; yet according to one recent study, it is parents who are texting kids during classes the majority of the time. Many teachers allow students to use cell phones cameras to copy notes and assignments off the board or record lectures and so it is not a one sided issue.

Texting can be controversial topic. Some believe it is delaying or “dumbing down” our youth; others believe it is promoting greater literacy and encouraging more, not less, writing practice and greater elegance with the written word. Either way, cell phones and the language of text messaging is here to stay so it would behoove us all to GWTP (get with the program). For more information about monitoring cell phone use, cyber-bullying and life in the on line world, come to the PTSA meeting Monday, 11/7, 7:00 PM, AHS Library.

References:

Cell Phones and the 2008 Vote: An Update. Pew Research Center Publications. [September 23, 2008] http://pewresearch.org/pubs/964/cell-phones-and-the-2008-vote-an-update

Is txt mightier than the word? [March 4, 2003] BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2814235.stm

Obama Election Ushering In First Internet Presidency, by Mitch Wagner Information Week. [November 5, 2008] http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212000815

Parents' Guide to Texting with Their Children: Abbreviations, Shorthand and Other Tips. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/287991/parents_guide_to_texting_with_their.html?cat=25

Should Schools Teach SMS Texting? by Andy Carvin. [October 16, 2008]
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2006/10/do_students_need_to_learn_text.html

Students allowed to text cops: Goal is to strengthen safety both in, out of school, by Alexis Stevens. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, [October 21, 2008]  http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/10/21/text_a_cop.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Teens, Cell Phones and Texting: Text Messaging Becomes Centerpiece Communication. [April 20, 2010] by Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist, Pew Internet & American Life Project http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1572/teens-cell-phones-text-messages

Teens ready to prove text-messaging skills can score SAT points, by Christina McCarroll [March 11, 2005]. http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0311/p01s02-ussc.html

Teen texting bring back languages from the edge of extinction, by Athima Chansancha [July 7, 2011]. http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/07/7034530-teens-texting-bring-back-languages-from-the-edge-of-extinction

Teen Texting Soars. Will Social Skills Suffer? by Jennifer Ludden [April 20, 2010].  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126117811

Text Messaging Abbreviations Part I: Guide to Understanding Online Chat Acronyms & Smiley Faces, by Vangie Beal. [02-26-2010, Last Updated: 08-22-2011] http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp

Text messaging is transforming education, TMC News [April 14, 2007] http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2007/04/14/2508874.htm

Top 50 Internet Acronyms Parents Need to Know. http://netlingo.com/top50teens.cfm Netlingo.net

Who's That Texting Your Kids in Class 66% of the Time? Parents, by Austin Carr [Wed Sep 8, 2010].
http://www.fastcompany.com/1687648/over-66-of-parents-text-their-kids-during-school-time?

 

 

Come with your questions to Monday's AHS PTSA Meeting to hear Assistant Principal Susan Charlip talk about the effects and prevention of cyber-bullying in the AHS community.

Cyber-bullying: an increasingly common phenomenon.

What is it? Essentially, it is the harassment of another person using technology, and can comprise behavior ranging from "teasing" to outright threats. 

It's an important topic--we hope to see you there!

Who: AHS PTSA with special guest, Susan Charlip
What: Meeting, including Parent Ed
Where: AHS Library
When: Monday, November 7, 7 p.m.
Why: Cyber-bullying is a growing and preventable phenomenon

According to the most recent California Healthy Kids Survey, there is a significant amount of underage drinking and illegal drug use among Albany High students. As a school, we offer a rich curriculum that promotes responsibility for and awareness of adolescent social behavior both in and out of school, and we immediately address any incidents involving drugs or alcohol use on campus; but we hear that there is excess partying among our students, especially on the weekends. 

We take very seriously any rumors that might have serious consequences for the students involved. For example, there is much talk about student partying in private homes. Informally, we hear of excessive drinking, smoking marijuana, sexual activity, and recreational drug use in private homes both on weekends and even at lunchtime during the school day (or entire school days where students cut classes together. 

While reports of off-campus weekend activities are anecdotal and outside the realm of school authority, the effects of drug and alcohol abuse are proven to affect student learning. Unless these incidents happen at school, we are limited in our ability to take action and provide consequences for this kind of behavior. We must work together as a community. 

Homeowners who host drinking parties with minors are held responsible under city and state laws as “social hosts,” and may face both civil liability and criminal charges. Even though these activities are allegedly happening on weekends, if local history has taught us anything, violent consequences from this kind of behavior can severely impact school life. We share some tragic collective history of social events in which Albany teens almost died from alcohol poisoning, and we are all aware of the fatal stabbing at an Albany student’s home during a drinking party in 2006. 

Across the state, cities and counties are passing ordinances to prevent under age drinking and the possible associated consequences. Unfortunately many of these laws emerged after horrifying auto accidents involving intoxicated underage drivers. Most teens and adults know that buying alcohol for students under age 21 is illegal, but it is also illegal to serve alcohol or allow older siblings to buy it for parties involving younger teens, even if inside one’s own home. Parents can be fined or subject to law suits: 

Summary of CA Law re: Providing Alcohol to Minors: Business & Professions Code Section 25658: 


So is your house the party house? It is imperative for parents to know the laws regarding social hosting and the potential consequences, risks and liability, not only to yourself and your family, but to all the kids of Albany. 

by Susan Charlip (Revised from March 2009)

Sources: 

Adults penalized for teen drinking; http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-01-04-teen-drinking_x.htm 

California Healthy Kids Survey: http://www.wested.org/cs/chks

El Cerrito, Albany students struggle with slaying of teen. February 14, 2006, By Simone Sebastian, Henry K. Lee, SF Chronicle http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-02-14/bay-area/17282264_1_high-schools-berkeley-police-students 

Highlight on Underage Drinking; http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov 

More cities cracking down on parents allowing teen boozing. by Ericka L. Ritchie and Lindsay Baguio, Orange County Register. Wednesday, May 14, 2008; http://www.ocregister.com/articles/alcohol-party-law-2043030-teens-mission# 

Social Host Liability (Mothers Against Drunk Driving); http://www.madd.org/laws/social-host-1.html 

Underage Drinking: Prohibitions Against Hosting Underage Drinking Parties; http://www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/prohibitions_against_hosting_underage_drinking_parties.html?tab=maps

Homecoming Week was a blast!  The spirit at Albany High was unlike anything I've seen in my entire career.  I've heard people say that Albany High doesn't have much school spirit but Homecoming Week should obliterate that myth.  The beauty and creativity of the decorations, the intensity and skill of the competitions, the volume of the cheering, and the laughing, joyful faces of all of the students reminded me that high school is not just about academics and preparing for the future.  It's very much about the "right now", the people you're with and the things you do.

One of the best parts of the week is that it was led and organized almost entirely by students.  The Leadership group (it's not even a class) created the environment in which the students could express themselves so wonderfully.  They followed the guidelines that had been jointly created with Administration, led the activities effectively, and were essential to the event's success.  A special shout-out is due to Vice-Principal Tami Benau who provided the major administrative support that helped the students accomplish so much.  Please thank her when you get the chance.

Thank you to all of the students and staff who participated in all of the festivities.  It's great to be a member of this community.

Welcome Albany High School students and families to the 2011-12 school year.  I was speaking to the incoming freshmen on Tuesday afternoon and described some of the key reasons why Albany High is such an excellent school and I want to share those thoughts with the rest of our community.

            First of all, one measure of a school’s excellence is its Academic Performance Index score and I’m pleased to say that in 2009-2010, we achieved the highest API in the school’s history and early indications are that we exceeded that record with the 2011 STAR tests.  Last year’s California Distinguished School Award was a feather in our cap after several years of very hard work aligning our curriculum and instructional strategies with our essential standards.  That work continues and we are excited about our goals for this year.  I’ll write more about that on another day.

            Getting back to my point, the two key factors in our success are the total commitment and dedication by our adults, including parents, teachers, and staff and the drive of our students to participate fully in their education and high school experience.  Our parents are so supportive of this school through their contributions, both monetary and physical, and the experiences they provide for their children.  The teachers work amazing hours and with great intelligence and creativity to find ways for students to grasp the material in their curriculum.  Our staff, including administration, counselors, secretaries, custodians, and instructional aides, are relentless in their efforts to provide a coherent instructional program, excellent facilities, and extensive supports for student achievement.  In addition, the district administration does a great job finding the resources that enable the school to achieve its goals.

            Our students are wonderful in their ability to take advantage of the diverse program and broad supports available to them.  They get their work done, they ask questions, they take risks, they participate in sports, music, drama, and clubs, and they quickly become very knowledgeable about what their paths are to future success in college and careers.  It’s a terrific group of kids and a delight to work with.

            All in all, Albany High School is a great place to go to school, to work, and to be a full participant in all that it has to offer.  I look forward to seeing everyone at the sports events, music concerts and plays.  Have a great year!

In a recent paper, Albany High School Principal Ted Barone outlines the rationale for the program and highlights some of its successes. While most of the current observations are qualitative in nature, this paper highlights some key data points as potential indicators of success, and justification for continuing research and support of the program. The entire paper can be read here.