This week’s can’t miss events:
Boys Tennis
Boys & Girls Golf
Please remember, the beginning of each sport may come quickly. Do not wait to complete your athletic clearance. Get it done now. You may access detailed instructions to complete the athletic clearance on Sportsnet here.
ICYMI: Here’s a replay of Friday’s Dons Dialogue with Principal Bell
Topics included a PE update, Hybrid Instructional update, department news from Performing Arts and Career Tech, and news on student activities (approx 90 min).
APC Spring 2021 Grants Proposals Are Open!
Acalanes Parents Club is excited to announce its spring grant program is now accepting proposals to enhance the educational experience of AHS students during the current distance learning model and the anticipated return to in-person hybrid model. Teachers, students, staff and parents are welcome to submit a grant proposal. Contact APC Grants Coordinator Catherine Habas to receive the application submission guidelines or click here. Email completed applications to Catherine Habas at or drop in the APC box in the office. Grant applications are due by noon on Friday, March 12, 2021.
ACA Strong Shirts
Missed buying a grey ACA Strong shirt at our drive through? You can purchase now via the Acalanes webstore for $10 and pick up from Acalanes after you receive your confirmation email.
ACA STRONG Blue Heart Displays of Spirit
Show your ACA Spirit by showing how much “heart” you have for Acalanes and our Lafayette community. Chalk your driveway with a BIG BLUE heart, hang blue hearts in your windows & look out for ACA STRONG posters throughout Lafayette. Check out @ahs_dons on instagram to see pictures & to submit yours!
Buy and Eat Local: Support Lafayette Businesses & Restaurants!
Local businesses and restaurants need our support more than ever! Restaurants are welcoming outside dining again and would appreciate patronage by Acalanes families in their outdoor seating areas or via take-out. Two local businesses have agreed to help our classes with dine out fundraising. Mark your calendar to support these businesses AND our Dons!
Questions, comments, or feedback, email aca@acalanesparentsclub.com.
Rising Assault Within AAPI Communities
Our hearts are with families who have lost loved ones and continue to live with the trauma of rising anti-AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) sentiment this past year with the start of COVID. Explore this topic further in this article. Many AAPI organizations have organized a community foot patrol to escort the elderly in Oakland Chinatown. If you would like to know ways to help support the AAPI communities, and for other resources please use this list.
Black History Month
Tuesday Feb 23 from 6:30-7:30pm Private Virtual Speaker Event with Arshay Cooper, author of the novel “A Most Beautiful Thing” and co-star of the movie with the same name. This event is almost sold-out, so don’t wait to sign up! Purchase the book here, and watch the movie on Amazon Prime or Xfinity.
Thursday Feb 25 at 6pm Student Poetry Night
Encourage your student to register their entry for the ACA BHM Poetry night here. Join via Zoom – all are welcome!
Wednesday March 3, from 7-8:30pm Racial Equity Series, Session 5
Join Dr. Lori Watson for a discussion on “Children and Race.” Zoom link will be sent out to all those registered prior to the meeting.
Order by March 14! “Stand Together” DEI Lawn Sign
$14 on the webstore.
Lastly, we invite you to join our committee!
If you have ideas or questions, or you want more information, email us! Stay current by visiting our webpage, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Applications Due Friday, Feb 26 for Student Government 2020-2021
If your student is interested or might be interested in joining student government next year, applications will be available beginning Wednesday. All the information including the link will be sent out via Canvas. We know that student government operates best when it has a variety of voices and experiences! Opt in! There are various entry points. Check out an overview of the various committees.
April 5 Acalanes Leadership Applications Available
Is your 8th grader interested in joining student government at Acalanes? Applications will be available electronically beginning April 5th. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to Katherine Walton.
ACA Strong Shirts
Missed buying a grey ACA Strong shirt at our drive through? You can purchase now via the Acalanes webstore for $10 and pick up from Acalanes after you receive your confirmation email.
Deadline Sunday, March 14 Acalanes Spirit Wear
We have spirit wear available for the last time this school year! We added a couple new items including a tribute t-shirt to Mr. Huber & proceeds donated to the Parkinson’s Foundation in his name. Check out our spiritwear on the Acalanes webstore. Items can be either picked up at Acalanes or delivered beginning April 6.
April 18 Deadline To Order Frosh Spirit Packs!
Know an 8th grader? Frosh spirit packs are a great promotion gift and kick off to a career at Acalanes! Each pack is $53 and features a hooded sweatshirt, car magnet & cinch backpack. Proceeds go to the Class of 2025. Order deadline is April 18 and packs will be delivered to your house beginning May 7. Order here.
Adopt-a-Senior! Community Opt-In!
We want to celebrate our Senior students and show them just how much they are loved. One way is through the Adopt-a-Senior program. We have 120 Seniors who are participating. Community members can opt-in to “adopt” a Senior. You can help our Seniors feel appreciated in such trying times through special acts, or even give gifts to show that they are loved. The program will run until the start of spring break. If you opt in, we are asking that you give your Senior one item a week and we will provide you with some ideas. We have designed the program so very little money is spent and instead it is focused on love, support & guidance! Interested? Fill out this google form to join the fun.
Black History Month Culminates This Week!
There is a lot to celebrate, and a lot of dialogue in which to engage. Our challenge to the Acalanes community is to engage in at least one event and we encouraged students to do this in last week’s cohort. Check out the calendar of events here. Two community events this week-opt in:
Share your kindness story to promote positivity and a community of kindness! We will be compiling them all together in the end to create our own book of kindness!
2020-2021 Clubs
Club meetings continue. Check out our 49 clubs! Clubs continue to be one of the best ways for students to connect. We will be pushing out more information about clubs at the end of the week. Please encourage your student to check Canvas to learn more.
Feb 23-25 Frosh Study Groups
In an effort to support ninth graders, we will be hosting study sessions the last week of every month. These are general study sessions and will have upperclassmen present along with the teacher to support you. You do not need to have the teacher to sign up for that session. You are signing up for the subject matter. Sign-up here. BRING CHROMEBOOKS AND READING/CLASS MATERIALS. All study groups will follow safety protocols including a COVID screening (completed through phone), physically distanced desks, mask wearing, and cleaning protocols.
If I can ever do anything to help you or your student, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director
We’ll continue to talk about anxiety management over the coming weeks in the interest of encouraging preparation for return to school. Remember that anxiety is sometimes a good thing– especially as it pertains to telling us to be safe! As students return to a truly social environment, students will have to re-socialize because they have largely been isolated. Instead of more intimate interactions enjoyed in the family setting, they will be negotiating bigger spaces with more people. Some social norms will have to be relearned and others will have to be developed. This includes following new rules and sometimes making sure friends are as well, communicating in masks (hearing and being heard!), and limiting physical contact in spite of our very human desire to be close to each other. Understanding and anticipating these changes will help. If your student hasn’t already done so, encourage them to come on campus to see the arrows that direct foot traffic and to get familiar with the signage that communicates expectations. That way, they’ll feel like they’ve done some preparation. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing not only tips but also the specifics on the types of support we’ll be providing.
Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist
For updates, tips and advice, follow Wellness on Social Media: Instagram @acalaneswellness
Junior Families
Sophomore Families
Seniors
Scholarships: Use this link to explore options.
Job Opportunity
Local Food Group recently opened a kitchen in Lafayette and is looking for greeters/hosts. Tons of hours available! $14-$16/hr. Check job posting for application details.
Facebook Page community resources for our parents to get the most updated information on college related topics in the news.
Keep connected:
Thank you for all your support!
Wendy Reicher, College and Career Advisor: wreicher@auhsdschools.org
Class of 2023 PE Credit Options
Class of 2023 students (current Sophomores) can earn PE credits through both Athletic PE and Independent PE options as well as yoga and weight training classes during the 2021-2022 school year (their junior year). Athletic PE is for students in Acalanes sport and Independent PE can include activities outside of school sports teams. Students will need to sign up at the beginning of a semester next school year and will need to provide weekly documentation of activity to earn credit. Please see your counselor for more detail.
June 7 through July 15 AUHSD Summer School
Summer school is for students who need to repeat a required course after earning a D or F grade. Email your counselor for an application.
Geometry for Advancement
The District is also planning to offer a summer geometry class for those who want to advance more quickly through the math curriculum. This course is only open to students who are currently enrolled in Algebra 1 in 9th grade and have strong performance in Algebra 1. Email your student’s counselor if interested.
CSF Application Period Underway
California Scholarship Federation’s spring application period began on February 1. Current students in grades 10-12 should apply to this honor society. Students need to complete an application and pay $7 dues on the webstore. This semester, the application is a Google form. Students need to use their school email to complete the form.
Counselor Appointments
We love talking to our students! Email is the best way to reach us. Counselors have appointment slots for students and will email them a link for signing up. We are trying to reserve the limited slots outside of class time for students. Parents can schedule a time when students are in class.
A- Ed Anne Schonauer
Ee-Kr Christine Todd
Ku-Ros Marissa Meadows
Rot-Z Susan Martin
Wednesday, March 10 at 7pm – Dr. Michael Rich, “The Mediatrician”
Join us online for an informative talk with Dr. Michael Rich, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Center of Media and Child Health. He will focus on understanding and responding to the ways in which teens and families are affected by the interactive media we use and how we use them. Rich will also reframe the issue of screen use in adolescents from the values-based “right vs wrong” debate that has prevailed since the earliest days of television to an evidence-based public health issue – how we are changed by our media use, in positive and negative ways, so that parents, teachers, clinicians and society at large can make critical decisions in raising the next generations to be healthy, happy and kind.
Smile With Your Eyes!
I am resharing face mask resources: one from our District and one from the CDC. It’s really important that we’re all consistent for health and safety reasons, and to build a culture of trust.
Parents!
Please report any COVID-related absences to the Attendance Recorder as soon as possible so I can do appropriate follow-up.
Updated Medical Documentation Needed for Students in Hybrid
We still need updated medical documentation for your student, especially if they will be participating in the Hybrid Model. Does your student need medication available at school? Does your student have updated medical issues/health issues? Do they have a new immunization record? Parents, please make sure you turn in any pertinent medical forms for your students for this school year, especially if your students will be in the Hybrid Model. See this page on my website and let me know if you have any questions.
COVID District Protocol
Available on AUHSD site and on my site.
February is Heart Health Month
We think a lot about what we can do as adults to promote heart health, and I want to put in a BIG PLUG for Lifestyle Medicine. These same strategies are important to promote good health in our kids/students and hopefully prevent/reduce in their development of cardiovascular disease (it doesn’t just appear in adulthood – it takes years to develop).
Free Yoga Class I want to share a wonderful resource with you that supports neuroregulation: Subtle® Yoga for Greater Nervous System Resilience and Brain Function Subtle Yoga is very accessible, and is beneficial for anyone and everyone. Enjoy!
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
Acalanes School Nurse Google Site
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
IG: acalanesschoolnurse
