News & Announcements

Monday, Dec 14 from 7-8pm – Sophomore Student/Parent College Check-in
Join Acalanes College & Career Advisor Wendy Reicher for an informal check-in regarding college planning for sophomores. Learn about summer opportunities, Naviance overview, College & Career website resources, and more! RSVP to attend. 

For Juniors: Upcoming College Planning Academy Sessions
Students use Ms. Reicher’s Zoom link to attend. 

• Wednesday, Jan 13: Things to Do
• Wednesday, Jan 20: About Me/Personal Assessments
• Wednesday, Jan 27: Building Your List

AAUW Scholarship Application Opportunity
$2000 awarded to a Senior woman who demonstrates a sustained commitment to community service as well as a grade point average of at least 3.0. Apply now!

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

Senior Transcripts
Seniors who need official transcripts for college apps due Jan 1 should order them on the webstore before winter break. Documents will be sent electronically through Naviance whenever possible. Please contact Mrs. Finn with questions. Students can review unofficial transcripts in Aeries.

Friday, Dec 18 End of First Semester
Official transcripts will not be updated until after the winter break. Mid-year reports (transcripts) with first semester grades will be available the second week of January.

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

Staying Safe During The Holidays

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

Improve Mental Health- Cook meals together as a family!
It doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be as easy as arranging a fruit platter or putting a salad together.

This is a perfect opportunity with the upcoming holidays and our plans to STAY HOME. There are so many benefits – more to come!

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

Tuesday, Dec 15 at 7pm – 2020 Choral Music Virtual Winter Concert, “Together, from a Distance” 
This streamed concert will feature music from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras, as well as some solo acts. Look for the YouTube link on the Acalanes Performing Arts website on the day of the concert.

Thursday, Dec 17 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 on our website.

Tuesday, Dec 22 at 7 pm – DramaDons Holiday Special
Happy Holidays from the DramaDons! The DramaDons have a present for you! The premiere of our Holiday Special will include selections of work that the DramaDons have created over this past semester. Pieces include original puppet stories, dialect monologues, an 8-minute Zoom movie adaptation, and an original children’s theatre Zoom play. YouTube link to the Holiday Special will be available on the day of the performance on our website as well as on Instagram @ahs_dramadons.

The California Department of Public Health has postponed the issuance of its updated youth sports guidance. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) does not expect the CDPH will issue any guidance allowing for schools to return to full practice and competition until after January 1, 2021, at the earliest. All full practice and competition start dates are officially on hold until updated guidance is issued. Read the full press release here.

No Newsletter Next Week… See you on Sunday, Dec 6!

Dec 1 Giving Tuesday
Please consider showing your support to LPIE as they work hard toward making their 2020-2021 goal! Click here to make a donation.

Hybrid School Schedule
Acalanes School Board approved the second semester hybrid schedule last Wednesday. Click here to review the plan in preparation for the District parent forum on November 30. Parents are asked to commit to either the Hybrid or 100% Distance Learning model by December 2.

Give Thanks by Shopping Local
Help local Lafayette business owners during this challenging economic time by shopping local for the holidays! A bonus is that sales tax from your purchases will be funneled back into our local economy. Now is a great time to express gratitude with gifts purchased locally. Visit here for more ways to support Lafayette businesses.  

Get Your Spirit Card Here!

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

It’s official: the Holidays are here! Need a Christmas tree or wreath? Shop Honey Bear Trees across from Acalanes for your Christmas tree and holiday decor! Choose a Noble Fir, Grand Fir, Fraser Fir, or Douglas Fir. Phone orders and a drive-through or delivery option are available this year. Bring this flyer, and Honey Bear will donate 20% of your purchase price back to LPIE.

LPIE recognizes the sacrifices families are facing, and knows that the ask to donate is a big one. Therefore, we are excited to launch our Matching Gift Opportunity on December 1!  Thanks to the generosity of two anonymous families, there is a dollar-for-dollar $60,000 match for all donations made between December 1-31. 

Please join LPIE in helping us preserve an excellent education for our students, even during the most difficult times. Donate in any amount here. 

Laura–Kate Rurka & Jennifer Palmer
Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

www.lpie.org

Week FOURTEEN in the Challenge to Build Habits Supporting Racial Equity: 

November is Native American Heritage Month
As we give thanks for our many blessings this Thanksgiving, let’s remember to reflect on historic events from the vantage point of the Native population. We have added a number of different articles/videos covering various issues for you. Pick and choose, or watch them all over the next week! 

• Do American Indians Celebrate Thanksgiving?
• Learn why Native Americans observe a Day of Mourning on November 27.
• We further encourage you to watch this Teen Vogue video with Native American teenagers reflecting on what the Thanksgiving holiday means for them. 
• Six Native Americans were elected into Congress this month. Read more about them here. 
• Award-winning Oakland-born Native American author Tommy Orange on his book “There, There” about the Native American experience in a modern, urban setting. Enjoy this PBS Newshour interview with Tommy Orange: (6-minute YouTube video)
• Missing and Murdered:  America’s Forgotten Native American Girls – BBC’s The Documentary Podcast (28-minute listen)
• In honor of trans awareness week last week, we’d also like to share an article about educator and activist Kumu Hina, a Native Hawaiian transgender person. 

Nov 29 Ordering Deadline for Acalanes DEI Yard Signs
Available at shop.acalanes.com.

More information or questions?
Email us! Stay current and follow us on our webpage, Facebook and Instagram.

Nov 29 Deadline To Order Spirit Wear
There is just one more week to order spirit wear! We have added some new items to the webstore. This is a perfect opportunity for holiday gifts or winter gear. Items will be available for pick-up on December 17. 

Adopt-a-Family
Acalanes Community Outreach in partnership with Concord-based Families First, encourages you to participate in this year’s program. Sign up to adopt an individual, shop for them based on their wishlist items and then drop the wrapped presents off at Acalanes on December 11. This is an amazing opportunity for the Acalanes community and an exciting philanthropic partnership. Sign up here.

Mental Health Newsletter
Take a minute & read some narratives, reminders about gratitude & resources to support our mental health.

The week we return from break has multiple opportunities for students to engage. Here is an overview:

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2

• Lunch with Alumni Raea Gragg – Talk with her about her journey writing a graphic novel, producing a film, resiliency, identity and how to talk about hard things. Event not to miss!
• Frosh Finals Prep During Lunch – Encourage your frosh student to attend this finals prep dialogue with a teacher from each content area. Teachers will share wisdom about how to prep specifically for their class as we enter the end of Semester 1. 
• Women in Leadership #2 at 7pm – Hear from Contra Costa County Deputy Attorney Colleen Gleason

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3

• Lunchtime Roundtable – Dialogue with Colleen Gleason on consent and more.
• Class of 2023 Bonding at 5pm – Join us for Quiplash 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4

• Equity Council at Lunch
• Also at Lunch: Environmental dialogue

2020-2021 Clubs
Club meetings continue. Check out our 45 clubs!

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

Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director