It’s musical season again in the Alameda Unified School District, and we are excited to share the details of the two main high schools’ musical productions.

The Drama Department at Encinal Junior & Senior High School is performing “Shrek: The Musical” at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday this week. Tickets are available at the door or online at gofan.co/app/school/CA22911.

And yes, this is the same story that was featured in the 2001 blockbuster animated comedy: an ogre and his sidekick donkey go on a journey to rescue a princess. This story was originally written by beloved children’s author and illustrator William Steig, by the way.

This weekend will also mark the start of Alameda High School’s production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at the school’s Frederick Chacon Little Theater. This is the classic “Charlie Brown” story originally produced in 1967 and based on the characters in the Charles Schulz comic strip “Peanuts.”

Shows this week are are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Shows next week are at 7 p.m. April 2-4, and all tickets are available online at gofan.co/app/school/CA22847.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Alameda High School on receiving a Distinguished School designation from California’s Education Department. The Distinguished School program recognizes three categories of exceptional schools: those demonstrating exceptional student performance overall while also ensuring that historically underserved student groups are maintaining or increasing academic performance; those closing the achievement gap; and those located in rural areas or serving primarily low-income students. AHS was selected due to the narrowing of its achievement gap among various groups of students.

Finally, we’d like to commend the ASTI sophomores who presented workshops at the recent Teens Tackle Tobacco Conference held at UC Berkeley. The conference brought together middle and high school Tobacco Use Prevention Education programs from across the Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The sophomores, who are part of the school’s TUPE and pre-med clubs, led two sessions: “How Nicotine and Vaping Affect Athletic Performance” and “Hijacked Dopamine: Healthier Ways to Feel Good.”

Reach Susan Davis, the Alameda Unified School District’s senior manager for community affairs, at 510-337-7175 or SDavis@alamedaunified.org.