CORNELL CHRONICLE November 7, 2025 Cornell strives to support a safe and secure learning environment that treats all students with dignity, respect, and high expectations.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Nov 7-21	Fall Conferences, (early dismissal every day)
Nov 10-11	Veterans Day - No School (two days)
Nov 13-15	This Murder Was Staged, Albany High School's Theatre Ensemble, AHS Little Theater. Tickets here.
Nov 14	PTA Ruby Bridges Walk To School Day
Nov 18	PTA Executive Board Meeting and Board Meeting
Nov 24-28	Thanksgiving Break - No School
Dec 13	PTA Winter Craft Fair, 10am-2pm, MPR
Dec 22-Jan 2	Winter Break - No School

PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING

Dear Coyote Families,

Please enjoy this four day weekend! Thank you to those in our community who have served our country in the military. Happy Veterans Day to you!

Today kicks off  Fall Conferences. Please make sure that you have signed up for a time slot with your child’s teacher. During this time, we will follow a Wednesday schedule, dismissal at 1:45pm,  for 1st-5th grades for the next two weeks. There is no change to the TK/K schedule. Conferences are opportunities for parents to connect with teachers. If students are present during their conference time, they can be close by the classroom or in the office. Students should not be unsupervised on the playground during conferences, as we have after school programming until 6pm. 

This past week we had our November Community Time. Thank you PTA for sponsoring the Balinese Dance Group, Gamelan Sekar Jaya to perform at Community Time! We enjoyed learning about the different Balinese dance styles and singing along!  We did have to pivot to an indoor Community Time due to the rain.

Two options for next year’s 2026–27 Academic Calendar are being considered. Please take this brief survey to vote on which version is best for your family. 

Please also take a few minutes to share your honest impressions on our progress toward the three District goals: providing equitable and rigorous instruction for every student, fostering belonging and wellness across our schools, and building collaborative and transparent systems that strengthen trust and shared leadership. Click here to take the survey. 

We look forward to seeing you over the next couple of weeks at conferences!

Have a wonderful long weekend!

In community,
Catherine Floresca
Principal

CORNELL ANNOUNCEMENT

FALL CONFERENCES, 11/7 to 11/21

1:45pm dismissal for 1st - 5th grades

Early dismissal (Wednesday schedule) started today and will continue until Friday, November 21 because of the Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences. Please adjust your schedules accordingly and set your alarms for early pick up each day!

1st - 5th grades: 8:30am - 1:45pm  
TK/Kindergarten: 8:30am - 1:30pm

CORNELL LIBRARY CORNER

Weekly Library Spotlight

We jumped right into Native American Heritage Month this week with multiliteracy lessons and a new collection on display. 

• TK-1st read Fry Bread and made connections to their own lives by creating art that shows how their families connect through food that is special to them.

• 2nd & 3rd read First Laugh Welcome Baby and learned about the Diné (Navajo) traditional celebration of a baby’s first laugh. We paired the story with a news article about the history of this celebration and how people  continue it today.

• 4th and 5th learned about the talent and expertise of indigenous “skywalkers” who are key to creating architectural wonders. We paired a read aloud of the new book, To Walk the Sky and an interview with Peter Jacobs, a fourth-generation Haudenosaunee Mohawk ironworker who helped construct World Trade Center Tower 1.

Reading Challenge:  Big Jim Believes raffle

Exciting news! The newest Dog Man book arrives this Tuesday, and we’ve preordered two copies! Encourage your reader to join our Reading Challenge—try something new (a different series, genre, author, or format) and fill out a quick entry form to participate. I’ll randomly choose who gets the first chance to borrow and hold the new Dog Man! Entries are due Wednesday, 11/12. It’s a fun long-weekend activity for all ages!

Berkeley Public Library Comic Con THIS SATURDAY 11/8, 10:30-4:30!

If you are looking for a great, free family event check out BPL’s 3rd annual Comic Con! They will have kid-friendly workshops, opportunities to meet 30+ creators and vendors including Thien Pham (Family Style), Wahab Algarmi (Almost Sunset), Mychael Threets (new Reading Rainbow host), & Booki Vivat (Frazzled). 

Ms. Kate, Cornell’s Teacher Librarian, is reachable anytime at kbowman@ausdk12.org to respond to any questions, needs, or requests.

PTA NEWS

Take a few moments to check out our latest Cornell Wear designs on display in the school office. Here's the link to order from the eStore.

❄️Winter Craft Fair -  Saturday, December 13!❄️

The Winter Craft Fair will take place on Saturday, December 13th from 10 am - 2 pm in Cornell's Multipurpose Room. 

We need LOTS of hands to make this event a wondrous success. No crafting experience is necessary. Bring your generous spirit by helping kids whip up giftable, cool crafts. Can't make it on December 13th? No problem - sign up to bring a dozen winter-inspired baked goods or help set up the day before the event.

Sign up here to lend a hand: The Winter Craft Fair & Bake Sale Volunteer Sign Up 2025
We can't do this event without you!

PTA website

Cornell PTA Instagram @cornellpta

Cornell Wear eStore is always here with t-shirts, hoodies and more for the whole family!

FROM AUSD

Link to the Superintendent's Community Update

TK & K Parent Information Night

Do you have friends or neighbors with young children? Please help us spread the word about the Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Parent Information Night on Wednesday, November 12, 6:30–7:30pm. This online webinar answers questions parents and guardians have as they prepare to enroll their children. Join https://ausdk12-org.zoom.us/j/83477367162. Webinar ID: 834 7736 7162

International numbers available: https://ausdk12-org.zoom.us/u/kbTe1hUrQw. 

Free Weather Station Science Event

The Science Olympiad Team is running another great science event: Weather Stations! SciOly will have Interactive lab stations on clouds, rain, useful tools for measuring weather, and more! If your child is interested in attending the event, sign up here. If you are interested in volunteering to bring snacks or drinks for the kids, sign up here (no allergens, please!) Sunday, November 23, 10am–1pm at Albany Middle School. Please arrive at 10am, and stay as long as you like! If anything changes, we will contact registrants via email. Questions? Email the SciOly Div A Leadership Team at scioly.div.a@gmail.com.

COMMUNITY

Dance Classes At Luna

Luna's Studio Lab program was developed as an alternative after-school program with the explicit goal of providing young dancers, ages 3 through 17, with a course of study to develop as choreographers—dancemakers with a keen sense of their bodies moving in space. As children progress, they receive a complete dance education.

Friends Of The Albany Library Book Sale

Stock up on books before the holidays! There will be lots of children’s books for 50 cents each. For adults, 50-cent items of all sorts. November 8 (9am–5pm) and November 9 (10am–4pm), Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 

NOTES FROM THE OFFICE

Please visit the Cornell website for general information. 

OFFICE HOURS 

Office Hours: 8:15am – 3:30pm

Office Phone: (510) 558-3700

Email: Sui-Ling (sangelidis@ausdk12.org), or Margaret (mglendening@ausdk12.org)

LINK TO 2025-26 AUSD SCHOOL CALENDAR

LINK TO BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS