News & Announcements

Save the date for Advocacy Day!  This annual event is taking place online this year, so it’s easy to attend. (It’s also free.) 

Advocacy Day for Education 2021: Moving Forward with Resiliency
The first Advocacy Day took place in 1980, prompted by the passage of Proposition 13 and its anticipated negative impact on education. Today, Advocacy Day serves as a vehicle to both influence our legislators and inform our volunteers and community members. Four decades of advocacy have focused on issues of finance, education reform, class size, standardized testing, special needs and children’s health issues. This year is different.

Undeniably, the pandemic has greatly impacted the schools and the health of our families and communities. For exactly one year we have faced uncertainty on a daily basis and the challenge of not knowing what the future holds for our students and schools. This year Advocacy Day will focus on “Moving Forward with Resiliency.” We will have the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of our school superintendents and state legislators. A panel of highly respected frontline medical and mental health experts will share the most current information and recommendations. The equity issues at play will be addressed by both educators and corporate professionals.

Together we will advocate directly to our legislators for the education of all our children.

Save the Date for one or all of our three sessions:

• Session One: Thursday, April 29 9:00-11:30am
• Session Two: Thursday, April 29 6:00-8:00pm
• Session Three: Friday, April 30 9:00-11:00am

Register here. 

Questions? Email our APC Legislative Representative.

QUARANTINE-What does it mean?

Quarantine means you need to stay home for 10 days because of two possible reasons:

1.  Your student is exhibiting symptoms that fall within possible signs and symptoms of Covid (which is almost everything!).  
   1. Without Covid testing, your student can return to school after 10 days AND after the symptoms have been resolved for at least 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication).
   2. With a NEGATIVE Covid test result,  your student can return to school after the symptoms have been resolved for at least 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication). See page 1

1. Your student has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for Covid.  Your student stays home for 10 days, even if without symptoms or negative test results. See page 2

Please see AUHSD Covid Decision Tree for more details*.

*information will soon be updated for students who have been fully immunized.

Positive for Covid?
Please contact me as soon as possible.

COVID Resources and Protocols
Available on the District website and on my site.
Stay healthy and be well,

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

Acalanes Performing Arts Booster Scholarship
APAB will award one $1,000 scholarship to a Senior in the Acalanes Class of 2021 who participates in either Choral Music, Drama or Instrumental Music with an intent to major or minor in a performing art at a two or four-year college, university, or performing arts school. Applications are available now and must be submitted by May 1. Click here for the application.

This week’s can’t miss events!

Softball

• Tuesday, April 13 Varsity at Las Lomas HS at 4:30pm.
• Thursday, April 15 Varsity at Mt. Diablo HS at 4:30pm.
• Friday, April 16 Varsity and JV at Dougherty Valley HS at 4pm.

Girls lacrosse

• Tuesday, April 13 at College Park HS. JV at 5:30pm, Varsity at 7:30pm.
• Thursday, April 15 Varsity at Alhambra HS at 7:30pm.

Boys soccer

• Tuesday, April 13 host Northgate HS. JV at 5:30pm, Varsity at 7:30pm.
• Thursday, April 15 host Ygnacio Valley HS. JV at 5:30pm, Varsity at 7:30pm.

Football

• Saturday, April 17 host California HS. Freshman at 1pm, JV at 4pm and Varsity at 7pm.

Track & field

• Saturday, April 17 at Miramonte HS at 8am.

Click this link to see a list of current sports and their full schedules.

This Week’s Hybrid School Schedule
Welcome back! Students return to the now-familiar Hybrid School Schedule.

Free Breakfast and Lunch Cafe Meals
Free breakfast and lunch meals are available during school days to all AUHSD students. These meals are “grab and go” in order to minimize lines. Meals include an entree, fruit, and milk. To ensure accurate meal counts, student IDs are scanned at meal pick-up. These free meals are courtesy of a USDA waiver. No a la carte food items will be offered at this time. Please direct any questions about this program here.

AUHSD COVID and Antibody Testing
Take advantage of AUHSD weekly testing services scheduled each Monday at one of the district’s high school campuses. Watch your email for weekly reminders and a link to make your appointment. 

Reminder: Required Health Screening
All students and all school visitors are required to complete a COVID-19 screening every day they come to school. Health screenings should be completed in the morning prior to arriving on campus. AHS recommends that students use the cell/mobile set up as it allows for a daily text reminder. Email registration is also available. 

• Pro tip: Students should screen shot their “all clear” page and use it as their home screen. This “all clear” page is required to enter campus, but the page disappears from the website after logging off.

Additional Resources

• Refer to the District website for your student’s specific schedule as determined by their Cohort.
• Visit this District webpage for the latest details regarding hybrid instruction including student schedules, FAQs, and more. 
• View the AUHSD COVID-19 Dashboard for data regarding positive cases and exposure.
• View Contra Costa County tier metrics here.

APC Grants Awarded!
We are pleased to announce that five 2021 APC Spring Grants have been awarded – these projects encourage self-regulation and wellness, celebrate school community spirit, improve our campus experience, and drive thoughtful conversations around diversity and equity. Specifically, the grants were awarded in these areas: 

• A guest speaker for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May 
• Wellness tools for each classroom to promote self regulation concerning anxiety and stress
• Signage to celebrate ACA and return to campus for in-person 
• User-friendly bulletin boards across campus to encourage easier communication from clubs, class events, and school-wide happenings 
• Refresh of our Senior Deck (a special spot on campus to celebrate all graduating seniors) to accompany the beautiful new mural that was a gift from the graduating class of 2020

Peer Tutoring: In Person and Remote
AHS Peer Tutors are ready to help their classmates in all academic subjects! The schedule for this free service is as follows:

• Mondays: all remote anytime from 10am to 3:35pm
• Tuesdays through Fridays: from 11:30am to 12:35pm and 2:05-3:20pm
  • These sessions have tutors in-person in the Peer Tutoring Room (6), as well as remote tutors. Students can stop by during the times listed below, or sign onto Zoom via the links sent on Mondays, or posted on TeachMore.

Our tutors are excited to “see” you again!

Thank you ACA Spring Campus Volunteers!
Over 60 students, parents, and community members showed up to clean up campus prior to spring break. A special thank you to event coordinator Denise Cain for ALL her work in making it such a successful event. The painting, weeding, trash pick-up, and more made a HUGE difference on campus. THANKS AGAIN!

Thursday, April 22, 3:30-5pm “Dog Days are Over” – Celebrate the last 25 Days of ACA
Our last ACA Day drive-through will be all about our ACA dogs! Get your students ready to dress up your family dog in their best Don’s blue. There will be a series of awards and treats given out to dogs who join the drive-through and we’ll be posting pictures on our social channels. Start thinking of costumes for your pooch. More details to come regarding the 25 Days of ACA celebrating each day until the end of the school year. Let’s finish the year ACA Strong! 

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

Attendance Procedures for All Students
Here’s a refresher about attendance processes for students and parents:

• Students attending in person:
  • If your student is arriving late to campus or leaving early, they MUST come to the Attendance Office to sign in and/or sign out.  
  • Parents/guardians need to call the 24-hour attendance line at 925-280-3973 regarding any student absence, including all day absences, late arrivals or early departures.

• Students attending remotely:
  • Parents/guardians need to call the 24-hour attendance line at 925-280-3973 regarding any student absence, including all day absences, late arrivals or early departures.

A copy of AHS Attendance Procedures can be found online here.

In its fourth week of LPIE’s “It’s Up to All of Us” video series, parents Yukie Fujimoto and Peter Marchetti share why they value the depth and breadth of classes available to our children. LPIE funds 15 electives at Acalanes that provide expanded learning opportunities so that your student can discover and explore different interests. 

49% of Acalanes parents have donated this year. Every gift is matched dollar-for-dollar in March. Will you take advantage of the matching gift and donate today? It’s up to all of us. 

Laura-Kate Rurka & Jennifer Palmer
Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

www.lpie.org

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The DEI committee invites you to Celebrate Diversity throughout the month of April! Our country and our world is filled with a rainbow of races, religions, and stories…some of which we understand and some we don’t. This month alone we celebrate our Arab-American history, Scottish-American history, Jews celebrate Passover this week (do you know what a seder is?), Christians celebrate Easter next (do you know where the word Easter comes from?), Muslims celebrate Ramadan (do you know what Eid al-Fitr is?), we recognize Autism Awareness month, and we focus on National Child Abuse Prevention month. 

Try to take the time to involve yourself in culture, religion, and language that you don’t usually hear about in your daily life. Get creative with food, watch a documentary or movie that you might know nothing about, listen to music you haven’t heard, hug your children and help them learn to not judge “otherness.” This is our work as people of this Earth. Did we mention that it’s Earth Month too?!

Volunteer opportunities for Acalanes DEI – get involved!
We are looking for new people to join our efforts and get in on the highly relevant work of DEI. Email us! If you believe in the need for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and enjoy writing, are a social media wizard or interested in web content creation, come join us!