News & Announcements

• Weekly APC Newsletter
• Monthly forum (Dons Dialogue) with AHS Administration & Staff
• AHS family e-directory (access for our members coming soon!)
• Parent Speaker Series
• Comprehensive APC website & calendar
• Volunteer opportunities

• Ever thought about being a substitute teacher? Flexible schedule, great academic environment, and earning potential! If so, now’s your chance. Acalanes Union High School District is in need of substitute teachers for all four high schools.  Criteria and requirements have changed so if interested, please email or call (925) 280-3900 x6623 to inquire further. 
• The Acalanes Lunch Program still has a few volunteer slots left for September.  If you have an hour to spare on Monday, Wednesday or Friday please sign up here to help out our wonderful lunch staff. Contact Caroline Volk cvolk@auhsdschools.orgor Rebecca Ward rward@auhsdschools.org  if you have questions.
• If your student is vaccinated, you can submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination here. Vaccinated students are not subject to quarantine if they are asymptomatic and determined to be a close contact to a COVID-19 positive individual. If you do not have a Google account, which is required to submit the documents electronically, you may use your student’s school email address.

2021-22 Donations to APC  
We hope you see the value that Acalanes Parents Club brings to you as a parent. We are grateful for your donations this school year. If you haven’t had a chance to donate, you can do so here. And to make your donation go even further, don’t forget to check if your company has a corporate matching program by visiting Double The Donation. Thank you for being a part of the APC community! We couldn’t do it without you!
 
Kelly Daggs, VP Fundraising and Corporate Match

ACA IS BACK: Calling all Acalanes Alumni & Parents of Alums
One of the primary goals of ACA is to engage and better connect former students and their families to campus. An effort is underway to create an Acalanes Alumni Database that can be used to find ways to help former students remain active members of the ACA family after graduation. We invite all ages and classes of alumni to fill out the following Google form so you can be part of the lifelong ACA family. Click here to register.

Question: What do Scarlett Johansson, Albert Einstein, and Drake have in common?
Answer: They are all Jewish.
 
And if you are Jewish, Happy New Year! You might be celebrating Rosh Hashanah, “the beginning of the year,” celebrated this year on September 7-8. Jews customarily celebrate both nights of Rosh Hashanah with a big feast. Ashkenazi Jews (those originally from Germany, France, and Eastern Europe) might eat brisket, tzimmes (a traditional stew of sweet potatoes and dried fruit), and honey cake (click for a yummy recipe!) while Sephardic Jews (those originally from Spain, Portugal, North Africa, and the Middle East) might prepare dishes with pomegranate, date, string bean, beet, pumpkin, and leek, and for dessert, macaroons (made without coconut!).
 
Follow us on Instagram @acalanesdei!

A question that we often hear is “How much is too much time on a screen or device for our kids” – especially after a year of remote learning? To help address this, here is an articlefrom Greater Good Science Center, affiliated with UC Berkeley, that speaks about it in practical and collaborative terms.

Single parents and guardians, if you are looking for more support, feel free to check out this group from Jewish Family and Children’s Services. It’s open to all parents and guardians regardless of faith or cultural background with a minimal suggested donation.

Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts: parented@acalanesparentsclub.com

Thursday, Sept 9 at 7 pm Julie Lythcott-Haims Talk “Your Turn: How to be an Adult” LPIE and the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation welcome New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims, for a conversation about her new book. Registration is required and the event is free of charge.
 
Jennifer Palmer and Michele Colaco
Acalanes LPIE School Chairs
www.lpie.org
Follow us on Instagram

ID Cards
Students should have received their ASB card last week. If you purchased ASB, it will be indicated on your student’s ID card. If for some reason your student doesn’t see it, but you purchased ASB, or if your student didn’t receive their ID card, please have them go to the main attendance office.
 
2021-2022 Clubs
Our club registration has ended and we are excited for Friday’s club day! Clubs are one of the best ways for students to get involved in something they are interested in. Encourage your student to check out the clubs during academy on Friday. On Tuesday, students will be able to see all the club offerings via Canvas.
 
Wednesday, Sept 8 at lunch Class Shirt Pickup in the Quads
Thank you for your support of our classes!
 
Friday Events
We have a busy & super fun day of programming on Friday!

• 6:30am – Senior Sunrise & Panoramic Picture
• Academy – Club Day
• Lunch – Girls Water Polo play. Wear Blue!
• 6pm – Pre-game tailgate. Games, activities, face paint, poster making & more. Stop by before the home game.
• 7pm “Ride the Blue Wave” – Home Football game!

Homecoming 2021 is 21 days away!
Next week will be a preview of the entire week of programming. Get ready to play board games, Acalanes!
 
As always, I am here to support you and your student. If there is anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to reach out via e-mail.
 
Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director

The Wellness team is off to a running start with many kids taking advantage of what the Wellness Center has to offer. A majority of the students we serve are having difficulties coping with anxiety and stress. This could be triggered by many things, including the transition back into social situations post-COVID isolation, academic stressors, and perceived parent pressure to perform. Even though stress and anxiety are universal, the presentation of stress and anxiety are unique to the individual. Compassion is key when dealing with the anxieties of your students even though they may be difficult to understand.
 
September is National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. For every death by suicide there are over 25 attempts. We are partnering with student leadership the week of Sept 13-17 to plan lunchtime events that foster community amongst students. Every student should feel as though they matter because they do! Please check in with your kids to reinforce ideas about their value to you, their peers and the Acalanes community as a whole.
 
We would love to introduce you to a new member of the team! Marisa Travalini is one of the wellness interns that will be providing therapy to our students. She is working toward completing her Master’s of Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy concentration. During her time in undergrad, she volunteered at a Domestic Violence Crisis Center for women and children and learned the impact of mental health. On her days off, she spends time with her labradoodle going for walks and hikes in the area.

All Grades:
A key suggestion from the College Finance Guy, Tim Lenahan, was to click on the Financial Aid Calculator for every school your child may be interested in attending.  You can Google this for every college and plug in your details. Additionally, schools are required to list what average salaries are by major. Fill out the FAFSA on October 1 if your child is a senior.  This helps with merit and scholarship opportunities.
 
Seniors

• Wednesday, Sept 8 at 6:30pm Senior Parent Webinar – Mark your calendars! This will be a night to learn about college & career planning details. Here’s the webinar link.
• Virtual College Visits! – Check this out! The next BIG visit is September 12. Admissions representatives highly recommend attending these “visits.” Your students can learn about colleges and connect with the decision makers.
• College Visits in the CCC
  • Seniors!  All visits are held in the CCC. Tell your student to come by the CCC in the morning to pick up a pass. Sign up on Naviance or email dlevy@auhsdschools.org. 
    • Wednesday:  
      • US Air Force 10:15-11:15 Sign up on CCC Academy
    • Thursday:    
      • University of Oregon (virtual) 12pm-12:45pm
      • Elon University (virtual) 12:55pm
    • Friday:         
      • UC Santa Barbara (virtual) 11:25am- 12:10pm
      • University of Utah 1:35pm-2:20 pm
      • Providence College 2:20-3:00pm

Juniors

• Naviance Training – Your students will learn how to log onto Naviance and gain other college/career tips in classroom visits on September 7 and 8.
• Join a College Visit – Check out the VISITS above.

Sophomores/Freshmen

• Volunteer and Work in the Community –  Click here for some ideas to get you started. We will be visiting with all students this year to introduce them to Naviance and ways to expand their interests.

Resources:

• CCC Website