News & Announcements

This Week’s Hybrid School Schedule
Here is the school schedule this week.

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 to foodservices@auhsdschools.org.

Academy Reminder
Students participating in either the Hybrid In-Person Model or Fully Remote Model will both have access to Academy twice per week. Access the schedules here. And please help your students remember these tips:

• When students sign up to attend Academy with a specific teacher, please remind them to make sure their class year matches the slot offered. Many teachers teach several different grade levels and have earmarked certain Academy times for specific grades. 
• If possible, encourage your student to sign up for both of their weekly Academy sessions on Monday.

Reminder: Required Health Screening
All students and all school visitors are required to complete a COVID-19 screening every day that 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.

AUHSD COVID and Antibody Testing
Be sure to 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. 

Additional Resources

• Log in to Aeries PASS parent portal to confirm your student’s cohort; 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 Contra Costa County tier metrics here.

ICYMI: Tune in to a replay of Principal Bell’s Dons Dialogue from Friday, March 19. Topics included Hybrid return update, budget review (including a discussion about LPIE, our education foundation) and department updates from English, Social Studies and World Language.

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!

Today! Sunday, March 21 from 12-3pm Spring Campus Clean Up
Let’s reconnect, share school spirit, and spruce up our school! All are welcome – students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members. This is a great opportunity for friends, family members, clubs, and teams to work together in socially-distanced zones. Participation hours count towards the Acalanes Volunteer Service Award. Click here to sign up. Questions? Email here for more information.

Show ACA Spirit & Fly your Acalanes Flag!!
Now that some student are back on campus, it’s a great chance to show our ACA spirit. Hang your flag proudly to show you’re a Dons family.

• Don’t have a flag? Stop by Sideboard to pick one up and grab a coffee or meal while you’re there. Or, you can purchase one on the webstore. 

ACA Parent/Sibling Strong Shirt
This is a grey version of the student/staff ACA Strong shirt. You can purchase now via the Acalanes webstore for $10 and pick up from Acalanes after you receive your confirmation email.

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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Violence is on the rise against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Learn more below:

• Anti-racism groups and prominent Asian-American figures are renewing demands for urgent action against growing hate and violence. Forbes article.
• Stop AAPI Hate is a collaboration between the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State. This group recently published a report that tracked violence against the AAPI population. 65% of incidents are reported by women.
• 20 Ways to support Asian Communities.

We honor and celebrate women during International Women’s History Month, as we invite you to explore these resources: 

• U.K. women are taking to social media and Parliament halls to share experiences and demand that violence against women be taken more seriously. 
• More than 11.6 million firms are owned by women, which translates into 9 million jobs and $1.7 trillion in sales. Learn more about the Female Founder Collective.
• See this Resource list to support women in business.
• There are not very many Black Women in Venture Capital, but they do exist! Check out this list of Black Women in VC. 
• Read about top beauty brands run by BIPOC women. 

We also continue to celebrate “Developmental Disabilities Month.” Learn more here:

• Watch “From Independence to Inclusion” (26 min), a video about how society cares for Developmentally Disabled people.
• Dyslexia means difficulty to read, spell and write. But it can also translate to an excellent ability to “think outside the box,” both creatively and abstractly. Is dyslexia a super-power? 

Monday, March 22 at 1pm AUHSD Asian Student and Staff Gathering Wellness Coordinators from Acalanes and Miramonte will host a drop-in space for any Asian-identifying student or staff person. Zoom information available via Canvas.

Thursday, March 25 from 6-7:30pm AUHSD Book Club hosted by Las Lomas HS. The book selection is “Becoming” by Michelle Obama (adapted for young readers). RSVP here. Consider purchasing the book from Marcus Books.

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! 

Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy!
There’s no better way to honor a Don than with a customized 2021 Legacy Brick on our Dons Legacy Wall. Prominently displayed in the Main Quad, our Dons Legacy Wall provides families a lasting way to recognize their special student, teacher, coach, team, performance group, club, and more. Purchase your brick through the Acalanes Web Store for $200 until May 15; after that, price increases to $250. Questions? Contact Legacy Brick Coordinator Melissa Arends.

If you have any questions, please contact VP Fundraising Kelly Daggs.

It was such a great week to see students back on campus-thank you for all your support throughout the week!

April 25-30 – Homecoming Week 2021
Although it will look a little bit different, hallway decorating & class skits will be happening, along with a live stream rally. Skit practices will be virtual, so any student can opt in! All classes have advertised this on Canvas and on their social media. Encourage your student to participate! Let’s do the decades, Acalanes! 

Join the fun & buy an ACA Parent/Sibling Strong Shirt.
This is a grey version of the student/staff ACA Strong shirt.  You can purchase now via the Acalanes webstore for $10 and pick up from Acalanes after you receive your confirmation email. 

Wednesday, March 24 at lunch – Equity Curriculum Site Meeting
Is your student interested in hearing updates and engaging in dialogue about Social Science and English curriculum with an equity focus? Encourage them to attend this lunchtime roundtable. More information will be sent via Canvas.

Monday, 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.

Sunday, 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.

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 out Canvas to learn more.

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

Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director

f your student identifies as AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) please be sure they are aware of the Monday district-wide 1pm event “Student and Staff Community Gathering”. This drop-in space will be held by Wellness Coordinators Allen Cho of AHS and Andie Nishimi from Miramonte. Your student can find login information on Canvas or gmail. 

Wednesday, March 24 at 6pm – AUHSD Wellness Workshop “Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression – Affirming and Expansive Approaches” Presenters from the Rainbow Community Center include Kiku Johnson, Executive Director, and Laura Cartwright, Training and Curriculum Manager. Register here to attend the SOGIE seminar. 

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

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

Welcome Debbie Levy: A New Face in the College & Career Center!
I’m very excited to be the new AHS College & Career Center advisor. I join the Acalanes community with an extensive education background, including college counseling, teaching, test preparation, application and essay writing, and K-12 publishing sales. For most of my career, I’ve focused on helping students discover and pursue their passions as they navigate their high school path and beyond. Volunteering and working in the community is such an integral way for kids to feel connected and inspired. My goal is to continue to offer students a plethora of ideas to help them get involved. I work actively with the Acalanes counselors to support your students and look forward to meeting with the Juniors before school ends to ensure they understand how to use Naviance effectively. 

Please remind your seniors to join my Academy or Zoom sessions to discuss college and career decisions. Towards the end of the school year, I will be also reaching out to our Freshmen and Sophomores. I look forward to offering parent information events as well as working with you and your students throughout their high school journey.

Seniors

• DVC Applications – It’s time to apply to DVC or many of our state’s large network of other Community Colleges. The registration deadline for signing up for the best selection of courses is MAY 8. I can help students navigate the registration system if they join my Academy on Teachmore and/or they can join these very informative upcoming Webinars led by DVC staff and students on March 24 at 3:30pm or April 8 at 2:30pm.
• Admission Decisions – This is a busy time for admissions decisions to roll out. Remind your students to check ALL emails from schools to make sure they don’t miss anything. If you have any questions about an admission decision or financial aid reach out directly to the university. 

• Update Naviance with College Decisions – Congratulations to all seniors who have heard from schools already!!! These are such exciting times. It is very helpful for everyone to log into Naviance and update the decisions. 

• Scholarships – There are still scholarships available. Naviance has many listed under the colleges section. Some deadlines are quickly approaching. Some applications require essays, so students should plan ahead. Here are some links to other scholarship sites:
  • https://student.naviance.com/acalanes 
  • https://www.niche.com/colleges/scholarships/ 
  • https://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships
  • https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarship-directory/school-year/high-school-senior
  • https://scholarships360.org/scholarships/top-scholarships-for-high-school-seniors/ 

Virtual College Visits for Juniors & Seniors
It’s usually popular to visit colleges over spring break; however, as you might have guessed, most campuses are recommending virtual visits. Before you cringe at the thought of more video presentations, check out these humorous tips from Tufts University near Boston, Massachusetts. As a popcorn lover myself and no theaters available to munch my corn, I enjoyed the popcorn suggestion! Please stop by the College & Career Center to let me know what inspired you.  

Juniors

• SAT Testing Reminder – Although many schools are test-optional, there are 2 upcoming SAT dates for students who may have prepared for these exams already.  Locations are limited, but do check the College Board website to register for the May 8 or June 5 SAT administrations. Deadlines are soon.  
• “Junior Jump Start” College Visits for six small liberal arts colleges on April 6 at 5pm. This is an interesting opportunity to get to know Williams, Carleton, Amherst College, Swarthmore, Pomona College, and Bowdoin. Tell your friends! Click here for the sign up.

All Students
Please feel free to call me at 925-280-3975, or email me at dlevy@auhsdschools.org. I’m available for Academy visits for six students from 11:30am-noon Tuesday-Friday. You can also reach me for appointments on Mondays with your students by clicking here. I look forward to working with you! 

Resources:

• CCC Website 
• How to request a transcript
• College 101
• Internships and Volunteering Ideas
• Scholarships