Last week Governor Newsom released the proposed state budget for next year. The budget, which is typically revised and presented again in May, increases total funding for K-12 and community colleges to $89.2 billion. Gov. Newsom proposes $4.6 billion for summer school, more learning time in 2021-22 budget. It also includes a reduction of 2 percentage points in the districts’ share of pension payments, provides a cost-of-living adjustment, and pays off two-thirds of the deferrals (money owed by the state to the districts) which were used to balance last year’s budget.
Parent Education
Replay: Challenge Success presents “A Healthy Approach to College Admissions”
Did you miss the chance to join this informative and engaging session? Watch the replay here. Additionally, here are several follow-up resources suggested by Challenge Success:
- Essential criteria ranking document
- Challenge Success website, College Information Resources
- Book recommendations
Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be by Frank Bruni
What Matters the Most by Paul Tough
The Truth About College Admissions by Brennan Bernard
Who Gets In and Why by Jeff Selingo
School Nurse
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
General Announcements
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.
APC in Action
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.
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
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.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
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.
From the Activities Director
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
Wellness Center
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
