COURSE SCHEDULING INFORMATION

• Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 6-7pm -- Our AVHS counselors hosted a virtual Q&A session for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students (students who will be in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade in the 2026-2027 school year). Here is the presentation with the frequently asked questions and our responses. The recording of is is linked here. The passcode is: K%B9qgmR 

• Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 6-7pm -- Our AVHS counselors hosted a virtual Q&A session for incoming 9th graders (current 8th graders). Here is the presentation with the frequently asked questions we received and our responses. The recording is linked here. The passcode is: $0wEYSF2

• AVHS Counselors will also be providing course selection support for students by hosting Q and A sessions during Access on Jan. 21, Jan 22, Jan. 28, Jan. 29, Feb. 4, and Feb 5 in the MP. Students can sign up for the counseling Q and A sessions by selecting Amador Counseling in Flexisched. AVHS counselors will be available to answer students' course selection questions during lunchtime on the Quad from February 1-February 10.

• If you have questions about outside courses, please attend the PUSD Out-of-District Course Night on Monday, Feb. 2 at Pleasanton Middle School from 6-7:30 p.m.

• Course Selection Window is now open!

  • From February 1st through February 10th (until midnight), students & families will be able to enter &/or edit course selections in StudentVUE. 

  • Here are instructions on how to select course requests on StudentVue

• Here is the link to the dates for AP and Elective Information Meetings for students, hosted by teachers.

• Look here for the different presentations for the Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th course selection presentations 

SEVEN PERIOD DAY REQUEST FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR 26-27 

• Students will sign up for 6 classes and 2 alternate classes via StudentVue from Sunday, February 1, 2026, at midnight through Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Students enrolled in the following programs are eligible to apply for a 7-period day: Leadership, EL, Music (Band, Orchestra, Choir), Study Skills (IEP), Journalism, or Yearbook (Publishing). If your student is enrolled in one of those programs and would like to take 7 periods, they will need to 1) Select 6 courses in StudentVue (7 for 9th and 12th graders because of semester courses, Ethnic Studies/Health in 9th grade, and Civics/Economics in 12th grade). 2) Complete the 7 Period Day Interest Form between Sunday, February 1, 2026, at midnight, and Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

OUTSIDE COURSES

• Students planning on taking a core (English, math, social studies, science) course outside of school should sign up for the graduation requirement (i.e. US History) or next level course (i.e. geometry) in Synergy StudentVue and then complete the AVHS Recording Outside Enrollment for 2026-27 School Year form between Sunday, February 1, 2026, midnight through Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Math courses or world language courses completed the summer of 8th grade (before 9th grade) is noted on transcript (but does not count toward graduation credits and not included in the GPA). Courses in subjects other than world language and math, taken prior to the first day of 9th day do not count toward college admissions and are not added to the PUSD transcript. Outside courses must be completed before the first day of school. Once you complete the outside core course, please provide your counselor with an official transcript and request a schedule change.  Schedule changes will be made on a space-available basis. 

LOCAL SCHOLARHIPS

Seniors, check out these local scholarships available to you! Local scholarships are great opportunities to earn scholarship money for college and/or trade school. SAVE THE DATE for the Scholarship Application Workshop on Wednesday, March 11 during ACCESS period. You'll sign up under "Amador Counseling" on Flexisched. Come get help from counselors to complete your scholarship applications. 

PVA INFORMATION

Applications to request enrollment with the Pleasanton Virtual Academy for the 26-27 school year are live on the PVA website now. 

• PVA Applications are due by 1/30/2025 at 5:00 pm. 

• Applications will be reviewed and approvals or denials will be sent to students by February 5th. 

• If approved, students will need to request courses by following the instructions they will receive via email upon approval. 

• Click here for a flier with more information and link for Zoom information sessions. 

MIDDLE COLLEGE INFORMATION

The Middle College High School program at Las Positas College is a dual-enrollment program that enables high school students to complete their last two years of high school education at Las Positas College while earning both high school and college credits. Middle College will accept applications for students in the Classes of 2027 and 2028 for the 2026-2027 school year. To learn more, attend an information night on Tuesday, January 13, or Wednesday, January 21, at 6 PM at Las Positas College. We are hosting a night in Spanish on Tuesday, January 27th. More information is available in the counseling office or on the tvrop.org website. Here is a quick video for you to check out. 

January Information Nights

Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 6:00 – 7:30 PM 

Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

Location : Las Positas College, Mertes Center for the Arts, Building 4000

3000 Campus Hill Drive, Livermore

Parking lots A & B are the closest access. 

Information Night in Spanish: Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 6:00 - 7:30 PM Building 400

Las Positas College, Middle College Hub, Building 400

3000 Campus Hill Drive, Livermore

Parking lots A & B are the closest access. 

Q&A Application Support on Zoom: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 6:00 - 7:30 PM  Link available at bit.ly/MCzoomlink 

Las Positas College, Middle College Hub, Building 400

3000 Campus Hill Drive, Livermore

Parking Lot B is the closest access. 

FAFSA, CADAA and CAL GRANT

The FAFSA (Federal Assistance for Student Aid) form opened a week early and is now available for seniors to complete. Here is the link Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application.

ALL SENIORS MUST EITHER FILE THE FAFSA OR DREAM ACT APPLICATION BY 3/2/26 OR SUBMIT THE OPT-OUT FORM BY 4/17/26 TO THEIR HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELING OFFICE.

California’s priority deadline for the FAFSA is March 2nd. 

The CADAA (California Dream Act Application) will open on October 1. Here is the link to the  California Dream Act Application (CADAA) application

Cal Grant GPAs have been submitted from Amador. FAFSA or CADAA will need to be submitted by the  student.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Review the following document to Request a Teacher Letter of Recommendation

For Counselor Letters of Recommendation on Common App, complete the FERPA form and invite your counselor as a recommender by including their email address in the recommender section. Complete the  2025-26 Counselor Evaluation Questions Form. 

October 1 is the last day to request a letter of recommendation from your counselor and/or teacher for a November 1 college application deadline.

Academic Advising
Learn more about high school courses, discuss concerns in current classes (individual four year planning is not available, but workshops are available during ACCESS in January and February)

Academic Support

Tips for organization, preparing for exams, how to deal with test anxiety, goal setting, etc.

College & Career Planning

Help finding your interest areas, explore possible careers, and future education paths (college advising meetings are contingent on attending prior workshops first)

Social/Emotional Support
A safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space to discuss personal issues related to family, friends, relationships, etc.

Commitment to Equity in Education
The Amador Valley Counseling team embraces equity, inclusion, and social justice as pillars of excellence that are critical to personal development, community well-being, and organizational growth during high school. Each counselor strives to cultivate a culture of authenticity and actively build a community that is comprised of members that bring diversity in their background, culture, and life experiences. We nurture "telling our truths" about the impact of bias, marginalization, and discrimination, and of listening to and accepting this feedback as resource for growth, at the individual and institutional level. This work is urgent, our efforts will be continuous, and we will always be learning. We know and accept that we will make mistakes and we will own our responsibility for restorative action. We hold ourselves and one another accountable to the commitments and expectations in this statement. 

Please donate to our Counseling Office Future Fund here. It helps support our counseling department with wellness efforts.

Please donate to our Wellness Center Future Fund here. It funds our wellness programs and wellness week events. 

WANT TO HELP A STUDENT IN NEED?

AVHS counseling is accepting donations from the AVHS community to help support students whose families don't have the means to purchase a yearbook (Senior students only) or pay for a dance ticket for their child. We don't want students missing out on these special memories because of a financial need. Donate here.