Medical Documentation for Students
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.

Be COVID Proactive!
See update on my google site. Stay healthy by keeping this symptom checklist in mind. “Bubbles” and “Pods” – consider the “stealth health” of yours.

Dvora Citron, RN, MS
Acalanes School Nurse Google Site
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
IG:  acalanesschoolnurse

A physical education and athletics update was shared in detail at Friday’s Dons Dialogue. Please refer to the APC in Action section to access the replay. 

School Calendar Update
The District recently announced that February 12 and March 12, two dates previously noted as days off for students, are now regular instructional school days. Please update your family calendar and refer to the district website for further details.

ICYMI:
Here’s a copy of Principal Bell’s email to families on Friday, Jan 8. Topics include semester grades, in-person hybrid schedule group information, and details for this Friday’s Dons Dialogue event.

Tuesday, Jan 12 from 7-8:30pm – “A Healthy Approach to College Admissions”
Visit the Parent Ed section for details on next week’s event from Challenge Success. Hope to see you online. 

Friday, Jan 15 from 10-11:30am – Dons Dialogue with Principal Bell
Save the date and join us for the latest campus news. Watch your email next week for an event agenda and registration link.

Thanks for the Blue and White Light Donations!
Team ACA was thrilled that so many families donated extra blue & white lights for an upcoming campus project (more details to follow). Thank you for reaching out and setting out your lights for pick up or dropping them in the donation box outside the AHS front office. Drop-offs can continue until Friday, January 15.   

ACA Strong in 2021!
While students may not yet be back on campus, efforts are still actively underway to show our ACA Strong spirit in various ways. Be on the lookout for more information regarding how to get Acalanes students, families, alumni, and community members reengaged. Welcome back!

Questions, comments, or feedback, email aca@acalanesparentsclub.com.

Thank you for your attention. Please join us in this really good work, and look forward to special events celebrating Black History Month in February. 

Tuesday Jan 19 from 7-8:30 pm – Dr. Lori Watson’s Racial Equity Series
If you haven’t already, sign up here. The next session will cover “Biases, Beliefs and Consciousness”. Remaining dates for this series: 

• Tuesday, Feb 9 “Whiteness”
• Wednesday, March 3 “Children and Race”
• Thursday, May 6 “Disrupting Racism/Co-Conspiratorship”

Thursday Feb 4, 6:30-8 pm – District Book Club
Join us as we dive into the novel Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Watch this powerful reading of the book if you don’t have time to read.  Book copies are available at Orinda Books and sign up here for the next discussion. 

Tuesday Feb 23 – Speaker Event with Arshay Cooper
Sign ups coming soon for a very special speaker event with Arshay Cooper, the author of the powerful memoir “A Most Beautiful Thing”. The book can be purchased from Orinda Books and the film is available on Amazon Prime or on Xfinity. The Acalanes community will also have the opportunity to watch the film adaptation in an exclusive Acalanes screening event. More details to come soon! 

What reflects culture more than food does? Email us your recipes and ideas. We want to honor everyone’s culture and share with this group!  

To join us, or if you want more information or have questions, email us! Stay current by visiting our webpage, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

2021! In cohort tomorrow, students will see a quote that really resonated with me as I begin to plan and dream for 2nd semester. I wanted to share it with the parent community as well:

“Your school’s culture is the sum of its parts, yet one person, just one spark, one believer, armed with a relentless passion, can ignite a cultural revolution. Be that person. Be that spark. Be that believer.” -Dr. Phil Campbell

Let’s do this together ACA. Let’s stay in it together as a community. 

Senior Quotes/Activities
Please encourage your senior to fill out the Senior quotes and activities before January 29th. 

District-wide Student Equity Meeting
If your student would like to get involved in equity programming, please encourage them to attend a district-wide equity meeting on Friday, January 15 during Academy. 

Spirit wear
The webstore for Acalanes spiritwear will open again at the end of January. Thanks for your support.

2020-2021 Clubs
Club meetings continue. Check out our 45 clubs! If your student wants to start a club for spring semester, they can! Have them email me and we can get the club up and running.

If I can ever do anything to help you or your student, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director

We hope the new year brings you and those you love opportunities to flourish! Wellness is launching two programs featuring short term one-on-one counseling and designed to help students kick-start the new year. The first focuses on addiction and will help students learn strategies for gaining control over addictive behaviors of any type. A school-wide invitation to “Kick Your Addiction” went out via Canvas this week and we are currently scheduling students who have opted in. The second offering uses a coaching model to help interested students explore goals and interests. At a time of uncertainty when no one knows the future, it’s still important to dream and make plans. The “Prioritize You” offering also went out by Canvas. If either of these sound like they would benefit your student, please encourage them to think about it but know that student self-determination is essential for this to be effective.

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

For updates, tips and advice, follow Wellness on Social Media: Instagram @acalaneswellness

How to Order Transcripts
If you are applying for anything that requires a transcript, or simply want to have a copy, use this link for instructions.

How to Log On to Naviance
Investigate Naviance and all the tools this incredible service offers.

Seniors:
Please update your college application results in Naviance.

Soph/Junior Parents:
Wednesday, Jan 13 (rescheduled from Jan. 12) at 7pm – Naviance Workshop Meeting ID: 651-363-0875 password DONS2021 or LOG IN HERE.  

Juniors: College Planning Academy Sessions
Encourage your students to sign up and use Ms. Reicher’s Zoom link to attend. 

• Wednesday, Jan 13: Things to Do
• Wednesday, Jan 20: About Me/Personal Assessments
• Wednesday, Jan 27: Building Your List

Scholarships:

• Rossmoor Scholarship – $3000 award. Min. GPA 3.0 and max expected family contribution of $20k.
• Taco Bell Foundation – Students who are passionate changemakers.  Submission is a two min video on how they plan to use their passion to change the world. Juniors can apply too and defer funds! Due by Jan 20, 2021.
• Assistance League of Diablo Valley Scholarships – This philanthropic program of Assistance League Diablo Valley aids students with college expenses based upon their need, school/community activities, and grade point average. Applicants must be residents of Contra Costa County, California.
• AAUW Scholarship – $2000 awarded to a Senior woman who demonstrates a sustained commitment to community service as well as a grade point average of at least 3.0. Apply now!
• TZU Chi USA Scholars – $1500 awarded on the basis of financial need, academic achievement, and community involvement. Min GPA 3.0, Due 4/22.

One-on-One Appointments
Students can book an individual meeting with Ms. Reicher here. Please encourage your student to take advantage regardless of where they are in the process.

Helpful Links:

• Career Exploration
• Alternatives after High School
• Freshman College Planning
• Sophomore College Planning
• Junior College Planning
• Senior Checklist

Keep connected:

• CCC Website 
• Follow us on Instagram: @acalanesccc
• Facebook Page for Students – Have your senior or junior join the College and Career Student FB page 

Welcome Back!

Wendy Reicher, College and Career Advisor: wreicher@auhsdschools.org

End of First Semester Transcripts
Mid-year reports with first semester grades will be available the second week of January. The registrar and counselors will send mid-year reports next week. Students do not need to request another transcript if they have already ordered an initial transcript to be sent to the college.

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