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2025–26 Back to School Information

August 3, 2025

                  

Dear Archie Williams Falcon Families,

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year! We are excited to welcome students back on Wednesday, August 20th. Our staff is busy preparing for the start of school, and we are all looking forward to reconnecting with returning students and welcoming our new students and parents.

Our theme for Day One (the first day of school) is “FLOCK.” This stands for Fostering Leadership, Opportunity, Community, and Knowledge. On this day and throughout the year, we will continue our focus on relationships and providing a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for our students. We are fortunate to have the support and involvement of our parent community to help us with this event and others throughout the year. A special thanks to the Falcon Foundation for their contributions and continued support of our school community. As principal, it is a privilege to partner with the Foundation, which raises the funds needed to enhance the experience for all of our students. You can find out more information about the Foundation here.

Please read and review all of the contents of this letter carefully, all of which is important information to ensure a smooth start to the school year. Please refer to our school website throughout the year for updates and other important information.

Principal Introduction Letter

Hello Archie Williams Community, 

 My name is Jacob Gran, and I’m the Principal of Archie Williams High School. I’d like to welcome all of our incoming families and students . We’re excited for you to start your high school journey here at AWHS. To all of our returning families and students, I can’t wait to reconnect and see you back on campus. 

 As we head into the 2025-2026 school year, I’m eager to build on the successes of the previous school year. Last school year, AWHS saw significant progress in reducing chronic absenteeism, improvements in academic performance, and engagement around aligning our curriculum and expectations within courses. This year, we are prioritizing the development of students’ collaborative skills by embedding targeted academic language instruction into classroom practices. Additionally, our school district and school site will continue to engage in work that pushes our alignment of learning outcomes and assessment within courses. 

 As an educational leader, I’m excited and curious about what the future holds for our educational spaces. Our students have access to technology, such as AI Language Learning Models, that challenge our traditional expectations. Yet, what we know is that technology cannot teach critical thinking, interpersonal communication, or the ability to creatively question how students want to shape the world they will one day be responsible for leading. My vision is for our classrooms to be engaging and interactive experiences that challenge and support students in working with diverse people and ideas. 

 To achieve this, we need to create educational spaces where students feel confident to share their ideas and perspectives. This requires a foundational understanding that all of our students belong and that their voices matter. As the principal for the past 12 months, I’ve seen the efforts of our student body to build inclusive environments and practices where all students feel welcome to participate. There are always ways in which we can be more inclusive, but that only happens when we intentionally take a moment to get to know the students and families in our classrooms and neighborhoods. I’ve consistently said that our community is one of the greatest strengths, and I hope to build on this so that we can tell all of our students that they belong regardless of their background or past experiences. 

 Our staff is keenly aware that the tragic accident in April is still impacting many students and families. Our school will continue to be a pillar of support as our community continues to heal from the grief. As the principal and former special education teacher, I’m guided by my core values of collaboration, purpose, and vision. We’re going to continue to meet each student and family where they are to get the necessary support to ensure they have a high-quality education that prepares them for the world after high school.

I look forward to continuing to partner with the community as we embark on another school year at Archie Williams High School. 

Best,

Gran
Principal, Archie Williams High School

 

 First Week of School Schedule (8/20-8/22)

MONDAY, 8/18 - Archie 101 Presentation - 6-8pm - Main Gym

  • This presentation is for all new parents/caregivers of students attending Archie.  Come get an overview about all things Archie Williams High School! 

TUESDAY, 8/19* School Photos and New Student Orientation

  • *Before School Begins - School Photos for all 9th-11th graders - Small Gym

 

9th Grade

10th Grade

11th Grade

All incoming 9th graders will take photos from 12:00-1:15 followed by Orientation.

Last Names

Times

Last Names

Times

A - G

9:00AM - 9:30AM

A - G

10:30AM - 11:00AM

H - O

9:30AM - 10:00AM

H - O

11:00AM - 11:30AM

P - Z

10:00AM - 10:30AM

P - Z

11:30AM - 12:00PM

 

  • Additional picture day information is available HERE.  

  • Please consider helping to check in our students to be photographed. 

  • Sign up HERE if you are interested in volunteering. 

 

  • Any Senior that has not taken their Senior Portrait, please Schedule a time to be photographed on Tuesday August 12th HERE.  
     

  • New Student Orientation - Tuesday, August 19 - 1:30 - 3:00pm - Student Center

    • All new students to Archie Williams High School are invited to our orientation, during which you’ll meet leadership students who will guide you through your first day at AWHS. On this day new students will also take their school photo, receive a school tour, and learn some tips for high school.  Please make sure to RSVP here. 

WEDNESDAY, 8/20: DAY ONE (1st Day of School!)

“Day One” has been an ongoing tradition at Archie Williams High School and we are excited to be offering various activities, events and learning for all students on this day. There will be community building activities, an all-school on-campus free lunch/bbq with live music, games, booths, arts and crafts,etc. and a school rally at the end of the day. Please note the schedule below. 

 

  • Wednesday, August 20 (Day One) will include community building activities within each period, a long lunch with activities, music and free food and a rally at the end of the day. Students are expected to stay on campus for lunch this day.

  • Thursday/Friday is a normal Th/F schedule

 

AWHS 25-26 Bell Schedule - Here Please note that the times have stayed the same but the order of class periods has shifted.
 

AWHS 25-26 Calendars - Here

 

Day One - Welcome Lunch   

Our amazing AWHS FALCON FOUNDATION will be providing lunch for all students and staff on DAY ONE. We need your help in setting up, serving and cleaning up for this fun activity!  Please use Sign up genius to choose a time-slot and be a part of the excitement of DAY ONE! If you would like to contribute to Falcon Foundation to financially support Day 1 efforts, you can contribute here. 

* Due to Day One festivities there will be limited parking in the parking lot, students and visitors are encouraged to use other modes of transportation on this day.

 

Falcon Spirit Packs

To kick off the new school year, our Archie Williams Student Leadership Team is selling Falcon Flight Packs! The packs this year will include a 2025/26 Yearbook at a highly discounted price, an AW Bumper Sticker, custom made String Backpack, a newly designed AW Nalgene Water Bottle, Falcon lanyard and a student ID card holder for your cell phone…all for $125.  Spirit packs may be purchased on our web store or in person at the Budget Office with cash or check. Don’t forget to log in as a student on the online store. New students attending Orientation may also purchase and pick up their packs that day and all other students may pick their packs up on Day One in the office. Purchases made after the start of school will be picked up at the time of purchase. Go Falcons!

Student Schedules 

Students can view their schedules in Synergy, Monday, August 18th after 5pm. 9th graders and transfer students should have received a welcome letter from the District Office detailing the steps needed to take to log into this platform in order to view their schedules. Paper copies of 9th graders and transfer student schedules may also be available for pick up on Tuesday, August 19th  9:30-11:30 in the Main Office and will also be provided to all new students during Orientation. 

Schedule Changes 

Counselors are working hard to finalize student schedules to ensure that they are correct and ready for access on August 18th. All students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 classes and the only free periods allowed are during first, fourth or fifth periods. 

Schedule changes will ONLY be allowed in the following situations:

  • You are enrolled in less than 6 classes (6 classes are required by Board Policy).

  • You are missing a graduation requirement.

  • A course that you completed over the summer requires a schedule change.

  • You have been misplaced in a class according to prerequisites or teacher recommendation.

Schedule Change with Counselors:  Please see your counselor in person on Tuesday, August 19th per the following schedule if you have one of the above issues (students only):

  • 10th grade: 9:00 - 10:00 am

  • 11th grade:   10:15 - 11:15 am

  • 9th grade:    12:30 -1:30 pm

  • 12th grade:   1:45 - 2:45 pm

  • Priority will be given to in-person students. Emails will be answered as time permits.

 

ATTENDANCE TOP 10 LIST

  1. Please report all full or partial day absences to the attendance office at awhsattendance@tamdistrict.org (recommended), 415-458-3418, or via Parent Square . 
  2. Please specify if your student is missing school for an injury/illness or what TYPE of appointment.
  3. Students DO NOT need a pass to enter campus late, parents should email attendance with arrival time, and students should go directly to class.
  4. California Ed Code does not allow us to mark students excused without a specific APPROVED reason (injury/illness, medical/dental appts).  
  5. If you need to pick up your student during the school day, please email the attendance office as early in the day as possible.  We will deliver a pass to your student in class so they can meet you for pick up .
  6. Please call/leave voicemail OR email, no need for both.  Voicemails are delivered to the same awhsattendance@tamdistrict.org email inbox. 
  7. Please be sure to include your students' FIRST and LAST NAME in any communication. 
  8. College visits need to be approved using a Warranted Absence form available in the main office .
  9. If a teacher incorrectly marks your students' attendance, please ask your student to speak to their teacher the next day, or ASAP.
  10. Any attendance questions... send them to mmachado@tamdistrict.org 

 

E-Bike registration and use on campus

All students are required to have an e-Bike Permit ID Tag if they ride an e-bike between home and school. There is no cost for the e-bike Permit ID Tag. 

The safety of our students remains a top priority, and this e-bike permit application process helps to ensure all students are equipped to ride safely.  Students will not be allowed to park and lock an e-bike on the school's campus without a school-issued e-Bike Permit ID Tag. The permits are only valid for the school year during which they are issued, meaning a permit application must be resubmitted the following school year if the student plans to continue riding an e-bike to and from school, or to and from a school sponsored event. Under no circumstances are Class 3 ebikes allowed on campus for student’s under 16. 

This Bicycle Permit Application process (following the instructions below) must be completed by students in partnership with their parent or legal guardian.

Complete the requirements listed below to receive your Bicycle Permit ID Tag. The Permit Tag will be issued by the school and must be secured to the student's e-bike in the designated place in order to park on campus.

If your student is seeking to ride an E-Bike to school, they will need to follow the registration process. This is required for every student riding an E-Bike. There is no cost for the e-bike Permit ID Tag.

Student’s Personal Devices

Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, network access on district WiFi will no longer be provided for students' personal devices, such as student-owned laptops, tablets, phones, etc.. Exceptions will be made for the devices of individual students that have pre-arranged accommodations, due to an IEP or 504, or to a health-monitoring reason; a new sign-up system for those particular students is being developed now, and will be available before the start of the new school year.

School resources will still be available to students from their personal devices when they are away from campus, providing them with seamless access to their school data and assignments via Canvas, StudentVUE, and other platforms. Meanwhile, during this summer break, the district’s wireless network is being modernized to provide better performance, and the in-classroom devices (such as Chromebook carts and computer labs) are being upgraded. Our goal is to provide students with improved access to learning resources while on campus, while also protecting the integrity of their data, such as assignments, grades, transcripts, and other personal information.

For students who are in need a Chromebook for home, please email help@tamdistrict.org 

Hate Motivated Behavior

Parental Annual Notice 25/26 

Hate-motivated behavior is defined as any act or attempted act to cause physical injury, emotional suffering, or property damage through intimidation, harassment, bigoted slurs or epithets, vandalism, force, or threat of force motivated in part or in whole by hostility toward the victim's real or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.

Acts of hate-motivated behavior include, but are not limited to, criminal acts that are statutory violations and posting or circulating demeaning jokes, leaflets, or caricatures; defacing, removing, or destroying posted materials, announcements, or memorials, and the like; distributing or posting hate-group literature and/or posters; using bigoted insults, taunts, or slurs; and possession of hate-group literature, caricatures, and the like.

How to Report Hate-Motivated Behavior