Mark your calendar for the AHS Senior Car Rally! Friday, May 20 at 5pm, Downtown Lafayette – Come one, come all! This community-wide celebration is a great way to cheer on Acalanes seniors and their families. Spectators will line Mt. Diablo Blvd. from Oakwood to the Lafayette Library. Groups (AHS teams, clubs, etc) can reserve an area on the route to watch the Car Rally together by emailing Car Rally Co-Chair Linda Choi. It’s a great night to stay and dine in Lafayette!
Volunteers needed for AHS Senior Car Rally! Join one of the best volunteering events of the year. Please consider signing up for a slot to help celebrate our graduates.
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
According to the National Coalition on Mental Health andAging, about 80% of older Americans are in good mental health. However, experts agree that social isolation among our older population can affect their physical health. For information on the topic including intervention, watch this video or find more information on their website.
You’ve heard of activist Cesar Chavez, but do you know about Filipino American hero Larry Itliong? It was actually Itliong who reached out to Chavez about creating a union joining Filipino and Mexican farmworkers, who would later go on strike and change California’s labor history forever.
Anxiety is treatable. This is the takeaway in the movie Angst, produced by IndieFlix and its non-profit arm the IndieFlix Foundation. “People see anxiety as a personal failing rather than a medical condition.” The film features gold medalist Michael Phelps who suffered from anxiety and depression as a young person. “I just didn’t like who I was,” he told a boy in the documentary.
Do you look forward to reading this section of the newsletter every week? Are you curious about people and cultures different from yours? Then help yourself and your students by volunteering to fill in one of our communications spots for next year. For more information, email us here or visit our Acalanes DEI website. Other committee positions are open too!
Parent Education
“Keep trying to catch your kid in the act of doing something right. Teens struggle with self-confidence. When they aren’t dumping on themselves, their peers may do it for them. Don’t add your voice to the chorus of negativity. Actively look for things your kids are doing right. Your praise shows you notice more than their faults.” – Annie Fox
In light of the tragedies that have occurred recently in our community, and in line with other recent Parent Education posts, we want to introduce a digital platform called BeMe for teens that can provide further coaching and crisis support both asynchronously and in real time. Tech is a large part of our teens’ reality, so this could be one app in their arsenal that could help them through tough times and provide education on self-care.
This Tuesday, May 17 at 6pm, AUHSD will lead an important parent webinar on Mental Health & Teens. Click here for the webinar link. Over the last two years in AUHSD, we have seen a rise in the number of students seeking support from our wellness centers. As students have returned to school, anxiety and stress are two factors on the rise. Wellness staff will discuss signs of stress and anxiety and how parents can recognize more serious problems. They will briefly present information on AUHSD’s wellness programs and services available for teens this summer. This webinar will be recorded and posted on the AUHSD website.
Finally, if your teen is struggling with academics or feeling down or frustrated about school, don’t forget to connect with our Counselors, our Nurse, and our Wellness Center. Connection and belonging are critical to a teen’s well-being, as well as ours, and will help us all feel more resilient.
College & Career
Seniors
- Senior Awards Wednesday, May 18
Juniors
- College Essay Workshops at Acalanes – Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 15 and Wednesday, June 22 in the am. Details to follow, but students will brainstorm and create outlines for their college essays.
- Additionally, the College Essay Guy offers insightful sessions on the college essay process. Students leave with tangible ideas and drafts too! Our school is registeredand courses are FREE! I highly recommend checking some of these out! They are a fun and simple way to start/finish essays.
- Community College Summer Classes Open. Enrollment for summer courses at California Community Colleges has begun. You can likely take them asynchronously at many schools. If you’d like to explore a subject you are passionate about, click here.
Sophomores/Freshmen
Counseling
Counselor assignments are by last name.
A-Dr Anne Schonauer
Du-Kr Christine Todd
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows
Roh-Z Susan Martin
Summer School Applications Available
If your student has D or F grades currently or from past semesters and they want to make them up, they can enroll in our SummerSchool program. F grades in required classes need to be made up, D grades can be made up to stay 4-year college-eligible. Please have your student see their counselor to sign up.
School Nurse
Is it too early to start supporting students for FINALS? Just a reminder that parents can help support their students by:
- Encouraging sufficient sleep. Help support your students prioritizing getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep per night.
- Optimal Nutrition. Provide an abundance and variety of “nutrient-dense” food choices, meals and snacks.
- Positive emotional connection. Build in regular (even if brief) opportunities to connect together as a family (without “checking in”/evaluating how school academics are going).
- Physical activity. Encourage healthy opportunities for physical activity and fresh air.
- Support them in having a dedicated study space that has minimal distractions and is decluttered.
COVID-19 Information:
- New Masking Mandate – As of Saturday, Mar 12, the state masking mandate has transitioned from “required” to “strongly recommended”. While masks will no longer be required, “masks remain one of the most effective and simplest safety mitigation layers to prevent transmission of COVID-19 infections” (CDPH). Masks will still be available to those who need or want one. Students who return after Day 5 of Covid infection must mask through Day 10.
- Remain alert to COVID symptoms, continue to report COVID+ cases to us (especially Attendance) and keep your students home when they are ill.
- COVID Isolation, Quarantines and Test Kits – The current guidelines for return to school after COVID illness require a negative COVID test (if returning before 10 days). Please see Principal Shawn’s COVID FAQ’s for more details. We continue to update policy based on the County Health Department guidance.
Please be in touch with me to discuss any medical, health, or wellness concerns.
Stay healthy and be well,
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
925-280-2970 x7128
Acalanes School Nurse Google Site
IG: acalanesschoolnurse
Wellness Center
Goodbye ACA community, I’m really going to miss you all. After 4 years at AUHSD, I will be taking a break from school and joining a group therapy practice where I can deepen my work with individual teens, adults, and families.
I want to pass along a successful problem-solving framework I’ve practiced as a therapist/ adult-peer interacting with teens for 8 hours/day and as a parent of a vivacious and opinionated 10 year old:
- Allow your kid to re-regulate and find their calm when they are experiencing intense emotions. The techniques are countless (e.g., private space, box-breathing, fidgeting, going outside, music, venting/talking, hugs) and each individual needs to find what works for them.
- Listen hard and acknowledge the truth in what your kid is saying. Even if you do not agree, there is always a kernel of truth in what they are saying. By identifying their truth, they will feel heard and will allow you to support them.
- Help connect your kid to a core strength that they identify with and use that to problem-solve. Each person has their own “thing” that they are proud of and motivates them. Accessing this spark serves as an inner compass that they will heed more than any advice we give them.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to develop a space at school where our kids can find community, self-advocate for their mental health, and just be the unique individuals they are. If you would like to keep in touch, you can reach me at: allen@eastbayanxiety.com
All the Best,
Allen Choi, MSW, PPS, JD
Wellness Coordinator
Performing Arts
Tuesday, May 17 at 7pm in PAC Acalanes Choral Concert 2022
Enjoy a night of beautiful music by various Acalanes Choral groups as they perform favorite songs from movie soundtracks. Led by Director Lauren Gibson. Free admission.
Friday, May 20 from 5:30 to 9:30pm Jazz Cafe 2022 in Stanley Middle School’s Multi-Use Room.
Always a popular community event, this year’s Jazz Cafe will feature talented Jazz Bands from Acalanes, Stanley Middle School, Campolindo and more. All will be coming together for an evening of music and to honor Mr. Bob Athayde after 35 years of inspirational service to the Lamorinda Community. Free admission. Additional information here.
Sports
This week’s can’t miss events:
Baseball
Tuesday, May 17 NCS first round playoff at 5pm.
Friday, May 20 NCS Quarterfinal at 5pm.
Softball
Tuesday, May 17 or Wednesday, May 18 NCS first round playoff at 5pm.
Friday, May 20 or Saturday, May 21 NCS Quarterfinal at 5pm.
Track & field
Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 NCS Meet of Champions at UC Berkeley Edwards Stadium.
Boys volleyball
Tuesday, May 17 CIF NorCal Quarterfinals at 6pm.
Thursday, May 19 CIF NorCal Semifinals at 6pm.
Thursday, May 21 CIF NorCal Championship at 6pm.
Boys tennis
Tuesday, May 17 CIF NorCal team playoffs.
Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 CIF NorCal Team Championships at Broadstone Racket Club in Folsom.
General Administration Announcements
A few housekeeping items for the end of the year:
Finals Schedule
There was an error in our Student Planner with the Finals Week Schedule. Please access the current Finals Schedule by clicking here.
Books
If your student has any books they are not currently using, please have them turn them in. They do not need to wait until the end of the year!
Devices
Acalanes will collect all school-owned chromebooks, chargers, and other devices. These electronics can be returned to the library anytime during the week before Finals (May 16-20).
Should your student(s) want to keep their device, etc. to study for finals, the last chance to drop these items off is during Finals week, from 12:30 – 1:30pm on the following days:
12th grade – Monday 5/23
11th grade – Tuesday 5/24
10th grade – Wednesday 5/25
9th grade – Thursday 5/26
On Friday 5/27, the library will be open all day (8:00am – 4:00pm) in case a student misses their assigned day for any reason.
