CORNELL CHRONICLE  February 27, 2026 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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Mar 2	Visit by guest author, Annie Barrows
Mar 5-13	Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences, 1:45pm dismissal for 1st-5th grades
Mar 14	Dress rehearsal for CGT, OV MPR
Mar 20	No school - Staff Development Day
Mar 28	Cornell's Got Talent Show, OV MPR

PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING

Dear Coyote Families,

We had a fabulous Community Time this past Thursday, celebrating Black History Month and Lunar New Year. Our student performers did an amazing job! 

Starting next Thursday, 3/5, we will follow Spring Conference schedule through Friday, March 13th. During this time, 1st - 5th graders will be dismissed at 1:45. There will be no change to the TK/K schedule during conference week. 

We are seeing a growing amount of toys on campus. Please remember to keep stuffies at home. If students need a fidget tool, teachers have a variety of fidgets to offer students. Watches that include games should be kept at home and may be confiscated when students are using them at school. When possible, please opt for digital or analog watches for students to tell time. 

Lastly, our March safety drill will focus on preparing students for a potential danger on campus - a lockdown drill. Over the next couple of weeks teachers will be talking to classes about what to expect. Your support of navigating this with your child is appreciated. Here are a couple of online resources for families regarding lockdown drills and how to talk about them with children: Tinybeans.com and  Child Mind Institute. Please reach out to the Main Office if you have any other questions. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

In community,
Catherine Floresca
Principal

CORNELL ANNOUNCEMENT

✨ Save the Date: PTA Parent Education Workshop — “When Can I Have a Phone?”

Join us for an engaging, in-person workshop with Reichi Lee, “Can I Have a Phone? When to Say Yes, When to Wait, and What to Consider.” This practical session will help families think through first phones and smartwatches with confidence — from understanding readiness and comparing device options to setting clear expectations and healthy boundaries around technology use. 

📅 Wednesday, March 11, 2026
 ⏰ 6:15 – 7:45 p.m.
 📍 Ocean View Elementary – Multipurpose Room
 🍕 Pizza provided

Hosted by the Cornell, Marin, and Ocean View Elementary PTAs.
More details and the RSVP link coming soon — stay tuned and save the date!

Sunday in the Garden

Wrap up your weekend with some playtime at Cornell!  Join us Sunday, March 1 from 10 to Noon in the school garden.  Come to enjoy a fun morning of playing in the garden and digging..  

Future Sundays in the Garden: Apr 19, May 3, May 31

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities! 

We are looking for parents to help volunteer with upcoming Fun Fitness Week (April 20-24) and Staff Appreciation Week (May 4-8)! If you have interest in helping out please email vp-volunteer-coordinator@cornellpta.org to get involved! 

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

Ramadan Iftar Potluck

The Southwest Asian and North African 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.

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!

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.

 

COMMUNITY

Albany 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. 

Second Week:

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.

Pioneer Soccer Classes

Pioneer Soccer’s spring season soccer classes will begin March 9 for ten Monday afternoon sessions. TK class will meet from 3:20–4pm (40 minutes), and 1st grade to 5th grade class will meet from 4–5:15 pm (75 minutes), both at the Ohlone Softball Field. Register or find out more by emailing Coach Peyman Zarrabi at peymanzarrabi@gmail.com or calling (510) 375-6646.

 

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  

[Friday, Feb 13 at 4:59 PM]
The date for Community Time has been corrected to February 25