News & Announcements

Acalanes Sports Camps
Click on this link to learn more about these camps and how your student can participate. Participating sports (subject to change) include: football, girls and boys volleyball, girls and boys basketball, girls and boys lacrosse, softball, cheerleading, and tennis (provided through an outside organization).

acalanesboosters.com

Save the Date! Friday, Oct 16 from 10-11:30am – Dons Dialogue with Principal Bell
Join Principal Bell online for updates on the latest AHS topics. Friday’s Dons Dialogue will include information on: 

• California Healthy Kids Survey results
• Distance Learning Updates
• Student Leadership News

Watch your email this week for a link to register.

ACA 101 How To Stay Connected During Distance Learning
Hopefully you picked up this flyer at Thursday’s Campus Drive-by. This handy guide provides a wealth of resources for students and their families, especially during distance learning. 

2020-21 Acalanes & President’s Volunteer Service Awards Program
The 2020-21 program year continues to be challenging for identifying volunteer opportunities. It is very important that students looking for opportunities to volunteer in our local community follow safety guidelines in order to keep yourself, families and neighbors safe. This year we are reducing the volunteer service hour minimum to 20 hours and adding in flexibility to volunteer requirements. This reduction applies only to the Acalanes Volunteer Service Award. The President’s Volunteer Service award is a federal program and we cannot modify their program requirements. We encourage students to be creative with ideas that can turn into volunteer opportunities. Ideas to consider (verification of hours is still necessary):

• Grocery shopping or running errands for senior, disabled or at-risk neighbors
• AHS Stege Elementary pen-pal program
• AHS Clubs focused on service such as Key Club, Children’s Hospital, Equip for Equality, Environmental, Asian Student Union, SAGE, Protect Animals Worldwide

If you have a great idea about a way to be of service in your community and want to see if it qualifies under the AHS program, email us!

It’s already been an exciting month for all things ACA. Our first ever ACA Day was a tremendous success with so much Dons Spirit on campus, ACA Chat Live had its debut hosted by Andrea Powers and Katherine Walton (click here for follow-up info highlighted in the forum) and the ACA Campus Clean-Up made such a big difference to the front of the school (thanks to the over 50 students who helped out)! 

The ASB Spirit Card Just Got Even Better. Four more local businesses have joined the program! ASB Spirit Card Holders can receive a special discount at 360 Burrito, Pancoast Pizza, R&R Barber Salon and Zoonies. Here’s the link to participating businesses.

Finally, a special shout out to Team ACA’s Sarah Cusumano who was awarded the AUHSD’s Su Stauffer Friend of Education Award at last week’s board meeting! Congratulations, Sarah! 

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

We had our first week with Keith and it was powerful. We encourage you to watch his video message to students and continue the dialogue with your student. We don’t have a Cohort session this week but will continue with Keith on October 19th looking at mental health & Temporary vs. Permanent.

Week EIGHT in the Challenge to Build Habits Supporting Racial Equity
Let’s continue celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month! Do you know the difference between the terms Latino, Chicano, Hispanic and LATINX? Read this article to explore more about the history and development of the different terms. 

Tuesday, Nov 10 from 7-8:30pm – AUHSD DEI Book Club
The book selection is “Across that Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change” by late Congressman John Lewis. Sign up here. 

Thank you for joining us for the first session in our Parent Racial Equity Seminar Series. If you missed it, spots are still available! For details, program dates, and registration click here. Our next session is November 16 and we hope you’ll join us.

We are social! Follow us @acalanesdei on Instagram! 

Our ballots are here! The presidential race is on our minds but there are lots of other important items on the ballot as well. Several state propositions and local elections will directly affect our schools and students, so be sure to fill out your entire ballot!  

Tuesday, Oct 13 at 7 pm – AUHSD Board of Education Candidate Forum
Not sure which of the four candidates for the AUHSD school board should get your vote? Only two positions are open. Tune in to a livestream candidate forum (no pre-registration required) and hear from candidates Michael Bonino, Christopher Grove, Kristin Braun Connelly, and Rupy Ahluwalia Krishnan directly.  

Prop 15: California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act
This initiative would require commercial and industrial real estate property worth $3 million or more be taxed on current market value. This money would be allocated to schools (40%) and other local governments (60%). It is estimated to result in $11.5 billion in additional funding statewide, and between $1.9 million and $3.4 million for AUHSD. How Prop. 15 would increase K-12 districts’ funding. For an even-handed discussion of the pros and cons, see here: Quick Guide: Proposition 15, the proposed ’split-roll’ tax on commercial property. 

Prop 16: Repeal Proposition 209 – Restore Affirmative Action
This constitutional amendment would permit the use of race, gender, and ethnic diversity as factors (but not decisive factors) in education including college admissions, government hiring, and government contracting. CSU Trustees endorse repeal of affirmative action ban  For more information, see: Proposition 16 — Allow Public Agencies to Consider Diversity.  

Note: The California PTA supports both Prop 15 and Prop 16: State Ballot Measures. 

October 16-31 – Virtual Lafayette Res Run For Education
There’s still time to register. Encourage a friend to join you for this race, get some exercise and earn money for your school! Support Acalanes and sign up now. Go Dons!

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

New Spirit Wear With A Purpose!
Acalanes! Check out the new spirit wear available and order by TOMORROW! There are a few cancer awareness items, an Acalanes bucket hat (highly requested by students) and our Acalanes anti-racist shirt. Orders will be available for pick-up October 29. 

Looking for CARE Leaders
Acalanes is continuing our education around issues of equity. One of the ways we will do this is through CARE Week & CARE Workshops, which are student-led.  We are looking for 55 students to lead a workshop in Monday cohort about on campus discrimination, bias and lived student experience at Acalanes and in our community. We are looking for students who are versed in the protocol (compass and agreements) as well as students who can be comfortable leading uncomfortable conversations. Apply here.

2020-2021 Clubs
Club meetings continue this week. Encourage your student to attend even if they missed the first meeting last week. Check out our 44 clubs!

Tuesday, Oct 13 – Staff Tell All-Lunch with Admin
Encourage your student to attend Tuesday’s lunch dialogue with admin. Ask them questions about the return to campus, asynchronous Mondays, homework load and more. Zoom link sent via canvas. 

Wednesday, Oct 14 at 6:30pm – Screening & Dialogue of The Social Dilemma
Tune in and watch the Netflix movie The Social Dilemma. We will watch the film and then use break-out rooms to dialogue further. Zoom link will be sent to students via Canvas.

Save the Date: Wednesday, Oct 21 at 7pm – Women in Leadership with Kelly Galuska
Kelly is a writer and executive producer on Netflix. She has worked on the shows BoJack Horseman, Big Mouth, and is currently producing Human Resources with Nick Kroll. Come hear about her story, her experience as a female in Hollywood and engage in dialogue. 

Acalanes Community Always Fire Relief Fund
Fires continue to plague our state and our local community. Together, as an Acalanes community, we wanted to support our first responders and those who have been affected. Consider contributing to the Acalanes Fire Relief Fund. If everyone at Acalanes donates $1, we would be at $1,400 total. Let’s do this Dons – we are at $1060 so far. Donate here.

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

Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director

We’re big fans of, to borrow a phrase from Dr. Dan Siegel, the belief that when it comes to emotions, you have to “name it to tame it”. Even when our emotions aren’t new and even when they are part of our daily experience. The pandemic is hard, online learning is hard, and doing those two things while being an adolescent is really hard! We want to share an article sent to us by one of the many amazing teachers at Acalanes, Erin Barth who teaches English and is a TOSA (teacher on special assignment). She cares deeply about kids and about how online teaching can be improved with Social Emotional Learning (SEL). THIS ARTICLE from UC Davis’s health psychologist speaks to the notion of getting real about Covid fatigue (the stage we’re in collectively) and outlines some essentials for dealing with it. We hope you find as much wisdom in it as we did.  

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

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