News & Announcements

With the end of the semester on the horizon, we want to share a treasure of a worksheet you can use in supporting your student with “decatastrophizing.” This is one of the many types of cognitive distortions adolescents can have that can create overwhelm and inertia. An example of this would be, “I’m so far behind, I’m going to fail all of my classes!” While understandable, this is not a supportive or motivating statement. This worksheet helps enlist logic, reasoning and perspective-taking so that students can move out of their emotional brain and into problem-solving mode. You can print this out, or better yet, incorporate it into a script that you use in navigating the conversation with your student. And remember that oftentimes, these types of, albeit irrational, thoughts sometimes need to be voiced. What’s not helpful is when we as parents meet these comments with our own negative emotions. We hope you find this helpful!

Don’t forget: Thursday, Nov 19 at 5:30p “Caring for Oneself & Others”
Brought to you by the Contra Costa Crisis Center, and CourAge Youth Health Coalition. Register here to attend online.

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

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

Monday, Nov 16 at 5:50p – US Air Force Info Night
Learn about scholarships, career and internship opportunities, admission requirements and the application process. Register here and check out this flyer for more details.

Tuesday, Nov 17 from 7-8pm – Junior Parent Naviance Workshop
Please log in to Wendy Reicher’s Zoom account using your student’s AUHSD Zoom account. Learn about the tools we use to guide your student through the college application process. CODE: 651 363 0875; Password: DONS2021.

One-on-one Appointments
Students can book an individual meeting with Ms. Reicher here. Please encourage your student to take advantage regardless of where they are in the process.

Helpful Links:

• Career Exploration
• Alternatives after High School
• Fall CCC Newsletter for updates!

Freshman College Planning
Sophomore College Planning
Junior College Planning
Senior Checklist

• CCC Website 
• Follow us on Instagram: @acalanesccc
• Facebook Page for Students Have your senior or junior join the College and Career Student FB page 

Keep up the good work! 
Wendy Reicher/College and Career Advisor: wreicher@auhsdschools.org

Seniors
Many seniors have still not ordered official transcripts for college apps or updated their Naviance accounts. Students pay the $5 fee for official transcripts on the webstore. Mrs. Finn, the registrar, will process requests. Documents will be sent electronically through Naviance whenever possible. Please contact Mrs. Finn with questions. Students can review unofficial transcripts in Aeries.

Counselor Appointments
We love talking to our students! Email is the best way to reach us. Counselors have appointment slots for students and will email them a link for signing up. We are trying to reserve the limited slots outside of class time for students. Parents can schedule a time when students are in class. 

A- Ed  Anne Schonauer
Ee-Kr  Christine Todd
Ku-Ros  Marissa Meadows
Rot-Z  Susan Martin

In case you missed it in the flood of election news, here are the latest results on the three propositions which had a connection to education issues: Live election results for Propositions 15, 16 and 18.

Is your student interested in a health science career? Tell them to come to the Acalanes Health & Medicine Student Club meeting next week at lunch on Tuesday, when they’ll hear from a Bay Area Doctor in Residency.

(Fore)HEADS-UP! Part of our “new normal” needs to be checking our temperature each morning, especially if you are leaving your house to be in any public/social environment. That means if you don’t already have a thermometer, this is a good time to get one!

Be Covid Proactive! See update on my google site. Stay healthy by keeping this symptom checklist in mind.

Here’s a great one-pager on SLEEP to remind you why it’s so good for us.

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

Tuesday, Dec 8 at 7pm – AHS Instrumental Virtual Winter Concert
Enjoy the amazing musical talents of the Acalanes Instrumental Bands. Instrumental Music Director Ms. Lauren Gibson will be showcasing performances by each ensemble (Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Orchestra) as well as chamber music. Best of all, you can hear all this beautiful music safely from the comfort of your home via Zoom video conference. Look for the Zoom link at http://acalanesinstrumentalmusic.com or http://ahsperformingarts.org.

Reminder: School Schedule Changes
Since Wednesday is a school holiday (Veteran’s Day), student schedules will shift accordingly:

• Monday: Wednesday block schedule starting with Academy at 9am, ending with 6th period at 1:30pm (with zero period at 2:55pm); no cohort on Monday.
• Tuesday: Regular Tuesday block schedule
• Wednesday (no school)
• Thursday/Friday: Regular Distance Learning schedule

Sound of Music On Campus
Hear from AHS alum and ABC Reporter Matt Boone as he covers a group of Acalanes Choir students returning to campus to make music together, safely and socially distanced. Enjoy!

Friday, Nov 20 from 10-11:30am Dons Dialogue with Principal Bell
Join Principal Bell online and find out what’s happening on campus. Hear from select speakers and get your questions answered. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for details! 

APC 2020-2021 Fall Grants
As a result of your generous donations this school year, the Acalanes Parents Club is pleased to fund the following grants, totaling $10,000:

• Air purifiers and filters to complement district’s upgrade of campus-wide HVAC; additional small purifiers to be used in more confined, high-use areas
• Outdoor game and social equipment to encourage on-campus student engagement during Fall 2020; long-term use opportunities by AHS Leadership
• Community-themed T-shirts for staff to welcome students back to campus, designed by Acalanes Diversity Board 
• Virtual screening of DEI themed documentary “A Most Beautiful Thing” and live conversation following the screening with lead documentary participant, Arshay Cooper 
• New nurse’s office equipment to safely secure medications and student files; replacement of cloth chairs

Tuesday, Nov 17 at 10am ACA Chat Live with Andrea Powers & Katherine Walton (& Coffee Social @ Sideboard)
The first interactive chat was a hit! Parents won’t want to miss the next one. There will be a socially distanced “coffee social” at Sideboard at 9am for any parents who would like to join prior to ACA Chat Live. More details to come.

ACA E-Thanks to Acalanes Teachers, Admin & Staff
There continues to be  heart-warming positive feedback from the emails and thank you notes sent already. The goal is for each AHS staff member to receive an email of thanks. It’s not too late to sign up here to express gratitude. These emails make a difference!

2nd Annual ACA Day has been postponed from November to December
The previously scheduled ACA Days (Nov 16-18) will now be held in December. 

AHS + Lafayette: Better Together
Check out the signs in the city marquees in front of Safeway and Lafayette Park Hotel. It’s a great reminder of the growing partnership between our Dons community, the City of Lafayette and the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. 

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

In case you missed it in the flood of election news, here are the latest results on the three propositions which had a connection to education issues: Live election results for Propositions 15, 16 and 18.

As always, Edsource.org remains a good source for education-related news. For a look at the issue of school reopenings around the state (including a map, in case you haven’t had enough of those!), see:

• Leading school superintendents ask Gov. Newsom to impose a ‘common standard’ for reopening schools in California 
• Students getting in-person instruction at accelerating pace in California