Mamma Mia! – Here We Go Again!
The PTSA is glad to support Encinal’s Arts and Drama program by sponsoring essential AV equipment, which helped this year’s spring production of Mamma Mia! draw the largest audience in the history of the drama program – over 1,500 audience members across five shows, and over 500 at closing night alone!
Last year, the PTSA sponsored the spring production of Mean Girls, which was just as unforgettable. Many of the Drama Club officers, who graduated in 2025, were glad to see the program’s recent success in the past few years, but as they were the graduating class, they shared a bittersweet moment at their final closing night. “There were definitely some tears shed on closing night,” said club co-president Samantha Cleminshaw. “It’s really just beautiful to know that we’re leaving a thriving program.”
Encinal’s drama program has drawn in over 100 members in recent years, creating a huge, dedicated community that will undoubtedly bring the program further success in the productions to come.
You can read more about Encinal’s Mamma Mia! production on the Alameda Post.
PTSA Sponsors IslandHacks 2024
IslandHacks, an Alameda nonprofit organization, held their yearly self-titled educational competition (known as a “hackathon”) on September 7, 2024. Open to all current high schoolers in Alameda, the IslandHacks competition is described as a “social coding event,” where students learn to code and collaborate to create a project that contributes to an annual theme. The program is free to all eligible participants and offers a space for young, aspiring coders to learn and share with one another to refine their skills or win a prize.
The first hackathon was hosted at Encinal in 2023, but thanks to the generosity of Exelixis, a Bay Area biotech company, the 2024 event was held at a spacious laboratory with food and drinks catered right from their cafeteria. Encinal’s PTSA was able to sponsor additional snacks, drinks, decorations, and prizes for the hackathon. “It was honestly much better because we had a lot more funding, and we had better venues, so we were able to support more people. And since we had more funding, our food was better, our prizes were better,” said Senior Gigie Le, one of the event’s student organizers.
In total, about 100 AUSD students participated in the 12-hour hackathon.