Additional settings for Safari Browser.
Cornell Chronicle 12/12/25
 |
CORNELL CHRONICLE December 12, 2025 Cornell strives to support a safe and secure learning environment that treats all students with dignity, respect, and high expectations. |
| CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
| Dec 13 | PTA Winter Craft Fair, 10am-1pm, MPR |
| Dec 16 | Community Time, 8:30am |
| Dec 19 | Coffee with Cat, 8:30am |
| Dec 22-Jan 2 | No School - Winter Break |
| Jan 19 | No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| Jan 23 | Coffee with Cat, 8:30am |
| Jan 28 | 100th Day of School |
| Jan 28 | Community Time, 8:30am |
| Feb 4 | PTA Meeting, MPR, 6pm |
| Feb 8 | PTA Sunday in the Garden, 10am-12 |
| Feb 9-13 | Literati Book Fair, Cornell Library |
| Feb 16-20 | No School - Mid-Winter Break |
| PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING |
Dear Coyote Families,
We have a busy week ahead! There are so many ways to connect as a Coyote!
This evening is the AUSD 5th Grade Winter Concert at the OceanView MPR at 6pm. Tomorrow is our annual Winter Craft Fair at the Cornell MPR from 10am - 1pm. Tuesday morning, please join us for our December Community Time and in the afternoon is our next School Site Council meeting in Room 26 from 4 - 5:15. The December 16th Meeting Agenda is posted in the Main Office for your review. Lastly on Friday, 12/19, please join me for Coffee with Cat immediately after the 8:30am bell.
Ms. Shepard's 5th grade students at Muir Woods
At this time I want to recognize and thank you for your gift of time. We have had a number of upper grade field trips since the beginning of the year. Teachers spend a lot of their time coordinating and preparing the class for these learning experiences. Parents, thank you for planning ahead and submitting Volunteer II forms to be drivers and chaperones. Field trips offer students the opportunity to build their independence, learn from experts in the field, and strengthen their social bonds within the class. Moving into 2026, be on the lookout for field trips and volunteering opportunities in our child’s class.
In community,
Catherine Floresca
Principal
| CORNELL ANNOUNCEMENT |
Our food drive to provide food donations to the ACCFB is continuing through mid-January. We've already filled two of the three barrels! There is a large barrel in Cornell’s front hallway and two barrels by our Talbot Ave main entrance. If your family is interested in donating food, you can have your child bring any of the food items listed below to donate.
Please donate un-opened, non-perishable, UNEXPIRED food in original packaging (nutrition labels must be in English).
Here’s what our community loves: Ready to eat meals (easy open cans or pouches)
Chili, stews, ravioli, soups, mac and cheese etc.
Chicken, tuna, salmon, etc.
Snacks for Kids (healthy lunch snacks, bars, and fruit/veggie pouches)
Non-perishable fruit (cups, bowls, or cans)
Peanut butter
Cereal (boxes or single serve bowls)
Nutrition/protein bars
| CORNELL LIBRARY CORNER |
Weekly Library Spotlight
2026 Cornell Mock Caldecott Launch
We explored the parts of a picture book and evaluated illustrators’ artistry in our Caldecott launch this week. Kids enjoyed read-alouds of stunning Caldecott Medal winners: TK- Wolf in the Snow; Kinder- Kitten’s First Full Moon; 1st & 2nd- Hot Dog; 3rd- Finding Winnie; and 4th/5th- The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Next week we’ll develop vocabulary around illustration techniques and deepen understanding of the award criteria.
Library Open For Family Visits During Winter Craft Fair (Sat, 12/13, 10-1)
I will have the library open for families during the Winter Craft Fair. Please come stop by and enjoy the space. I can recommend books to you and your students and will have quiet activities available. I hope to see many of you there!
2025-26 Winter Reading Challenge
The Winter Break Reading Challenge is here to encourage kids to keep exploring great books. There are early and independent reader versions. Students must do 10 activities during the vacation and submit their completed entry form to Ms. Kate by Friday, 1/9. Prizes include a library celebration for the class with the best participation and small Squishmallows for 2 lucky raffle winners! Classroom teachers are sending copies home and printable versions are linked here. Hope you can have fun as a whole family with this one!
Ms. Kate, Cornell’s Teacher Librarian, is reachable anytime at kbowman@ausdk12.org to respond to any questions, needs, or requests.
| PTA NEWS |
The Winter Craft Fair will take place on Saturday, December 13th from 10 am - 1 pm in Cornell's Multipurpose Room. Students will make fun giftable crafts for friends, loved ones or to keep for themselves. Purchase affordably priced tickets the day of for crafts, pizza and snacks subsidized by the PTA (expected cost is $1 per snack, 5 craft tickets will be provided for free this year by the PTA). 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
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, Jan. 5th, and every first Monday of the month. Celebrate the first day back to school with some delicious food from Little Star! AEF funds grants for teachers. Thank you for supporting Little Star Pizza and Albany Education Foundation!
Final Hours Of AMS Auction
Support the Albany Middle School PTA and get some of your holiday shopping done by bidding in the 2025 Online AMS Spirit Auction, one of the biggest AMS PTA fundraisers of the year. The auction is live now until December 12, 10pm. The online catalog is filled with fun items such as tickets to Warriors and Cal games, tickets to performances at the SF Symphony and Cal Performances, restaurant offerings such as Eureka, Benchmark and Agrodolce, self-care treatments including dental, acupuncture, fitness workouts and climbing gyms, tickets to area favorites such as the SF Zoo, the Oakland Zoo and the USS Hornet, and so much more! Get your bid on today!
The Jewish Parent Engagement (JPE) committee warmly invites you to join us for our Hanukkah Celebration on Friday, December 12, 5:00–7:30pm in the AMS gymnasium. The evening will include a potluck, music, games, Shabbat and Hanukkah candle lighting, and plenty of opportunities to gather in joy. All are welcome.. please RSVP here.
First Ever AUSD Winter Wonderland Potluck!
Everyone is welcome to a community-wide celebration of winter holidays on Sunday, December 14, 4:30–6:30pm in Ocean View’s MPR. Ocean View’s PTA is working alongside all of AUSD's parent engagement groups to deliver a festive end-of-the-year celebration with activities for kids! Through this event we hope to highlight the diversity in our community and learn more about how various groups in our community celebrate holidays during winter break. Sign up for the potluck here!
Be A Writer Coach!
WriterCoach is recruiting parent volunteers for the Thursday and Friday I-Search coaching sessions January 15 through March 13, 2026. We are looking for new volunteers to join WriterCoach Connection to work with AMS 8th graders to provide support as they work on their I-Search, a major research project. The coaching time commitment is one two-hour block per week, either Thursday or Friday, during school hours, for eight weeks. (Some four-week-only options are available.) You indicate your availability, and we put you on a team that fits your schedule. Coaches meet sequentially one-on-one with three students at each session. WriterCoach Connection is a wonderful opportunity for “word people” to share their love of writing with students — you don’t need to be a teacher, writer, or editor to coach. You’ll be joining a group of experienced coaches and a site coordinator, who can all mentor you as you learn the ropes. Contact Jane at jane@writercoachconnection.org.| COMMUNITY |
| 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