Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy! There’s no better way to honor a Don than with a customized 2022 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 $250. Contact Legacy Brick Coordinator Leanne Zimmerman with any questions.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Madeleine Albright, who died on Wednesday, was the first woman to become US Secretary of State. She paved the way for the next two women to serve in that role, Condoleezza Rice, the first Black woman to serve, and Hillary Clinton. Albright’s family fled to the US as refugees in 1949 to escape the political strife in Europe from (then) Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic). “Becoming a U.S. citizen is the most important thing that ever happened to me,” she said at the U.N. Refugee Summit in 2016. She was described by her peers as a “trailblazer,” receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
And the Oscar goes to…Here’s a bit of trivia if you watched the 93rd Academy Awards. The very first Oscar to go to an African–American went to actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian Hattie McDaniel. She earned the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind in 1939.
Facts corner: The popularity of women’s soccer has grown exponentially since the U.S. won the first Women’s World Cup in 1991, but it wasn’t until 1996 that the U.S. women’s national soccer team was allowed to compete at the summer Olympics in Atlanta. That was the first year women’s soccer was introduced as an Olympic sport, bringing home a historic win against China for the team’s first gold medal while a record-breaking 76,000 fans watched.
Parent Education
Don’t be preoccupied with your child’s academic ability, but instead teach them to sit with those sitting alone. Teach them to be kind. Teach them to offer help. Teach them to be a friend to the lonely. Teach them to encourage others. Teach them to think about other people. Teach them to share. Teach them to look for the good. This is how they will change the world. #parentingteensandtweens
Hope you were able to join us for Alternatives to College and College Prep presented by Cindy Muchnick, MA!
If you want further guidance about screen time for your teens, here is an article from Common Sense Media that can help!
Finally, if your teen is struggling with academics or feeling down or frustrated about school, don’t forget to connect with our Counselors, our Nurse, and our WellnessCenter. Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts at parented@acalanesparentsclub.com.
APC Membership & Fundraising
Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy!
There’s no better way to honor a Don than with a customized 2022 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 $250. Contact Legacy Brick Coordinator Leanne Zimmerman with any questions.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Enjoy free movie streaming with your CCC library card! Open a free account on Kanopy and watch from your device. This month focuses on Women’s History of course, showcasing titles like Amazing Grace, a documentary about Aretha Franklin, and classic mystery drama Winter’sBone.
Facts corner: This month marks the Bread andPeace March of 1917, when Russian women took to the streets to protest WWI, food shortages, and czarist rule. Joined by some of their male counterparts, strikers quickly numbered in the hundreds of thousands, prompting the czar to step down less than a week later. Since 1975, the United Nations has celebrated March 8 as International Women’s Day.
According to the UN, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could be the largest humanitarian crisis since WWII. The unfolding story of the women and girls caught in the crisis is devastating, and it’s worth noting that like in most crises, women and girls are hit particularly hard.
Parent Education
It’s okay to let our kids see our humanness. In fact, I think it’s necessary. They should see what it looks like to mess up, apologize, and figure out how to make it right. None of us walk through this life perfectly, and the real lesson is showing our kids what to do next after the mistake. @casey.e.huff
Registration is now closed for Start Smart. Hope you were able to register!
Thursday, Mar 24 from 6:30 to 7:30pm in the Acalanes Library, Acalanes Parent Ed will host Cynthia Muchnick, M.A., author, speaker, educational consultant, and parent on Alternatives to College and College Prep. As a former Assistant Director of Admissions for the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago, she has extensive experience screening and reviewing thousands of college applications. Most recently, she has authored several books including The Parent Compass: Navigating your Teens Wellness and Academic Journey in Today’s Competitive World and countless articles including Alternatives to College: Exploring Other Routes.Cindy will be speaking in person and available to sign purchased books afterwards.
Finally, if your teen is struggling with academics or feeling down or frustrated about school, don’t forget to connect with our Counselors, our Nurse, and our WellnessCenter. Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts at parented@acalanesparentsclub.com.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Last week, Stanley Middle School shared with its community that racist speech was shouted by a group of approximately 10 to 12 students along the streets bordering the school. While painful to process, we need to use this moment to take pause and come together as a community in our commitment to being definitely and explicitly anti-racist in our actions. We need to support each other, stand up and be heard to ensure everyone should feel like they belong in our community, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, religion or ability.
Please join us in our work. Drop us an email and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @acalanesdei.
Parent Education
How to love a big kid – Smile when they walk into a room. Ask their opinion before giving yours. Tell them you believe they can overcome challenges. Apologize when you are wrong. Learn to communicate on their terms too, even if it’s SnapChat. Always keep their favorite snacks on hand. Take any hug you can get. You both need it.
#ParentingTeensandTweens
Wednesday, Mar 23 at 6:30 pm in the Miramonte High School Theater Miramonte Parent Ed will host Start Smart, an interactive safe driving class for teens. Attending students will receive a certificate from CHP (California Highway Patrol) to present to their insurance company. Details and registration here.
Thursday, Mar 24 from 6:30 to 7:30pm in the Acalanes Library, Acalanes Parent Ed will host Cynthia Muchnick, M.A., author, speaker, educational consultant, and parent on Alternatives to College and College Prep. As a former Assistant Director of Admissions for the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago, she has extensive experience screening and reviewing thousands of college applications. Most recently, she has authored several books including The Parent Compass: Navigating your Teens Wellness and Academic Journey in Today’s Competitive World and countless articles including Alternatives to College: Exploring Other Routes.Cindy will be speaking in person and available to sign purchased books afterwards.
Finally, if your teen is struggling with academics or feeling down or frustrated about school, don’t forget to connect with our Counselors, our Nurse, and our WellnessCenter. Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts at parented@acalanesparentsclub.com.
APC in Action
We continue to support our cafeteria staff every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during lunch. We have a small core of parent volunteers who have been “regulars” and we cannot thank them enough. Much gratitude goes to Jessica Langevin, Trisha Sanyal, David Melfi & Maria Nicolacakis for stepping up and helping out! We can always use more hands so sign up here if you can spare a lunchtime or two.
Deadline Extended! APC Spring Grant Applications will now be accepted through Friday, March 11. All ideas are welcome. We encourage AHS teachers, staff, students, and parents to submit a short grant application to support programming, materials or projects that enhance the educational experience for our school community. Click here for criteria and application. Completed proposals and questions can be submitted to CatherineHabas or delivered to the APC Box in the front office.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Let’s celebrate Women’s History Month!
How did Ketanji Brown Jackson get to be the firstBlack woman nominated to the Supreme Court? It all started in high school, where she honed her skills on the debate team. “That was an experience that I can say without hesitation was the one activity that best prepared me for future success in law and in life,” Judge Jackson said.
Professor, computer engineer, and Forbes 30 under 30 recipient Dina Ayman recently received a Presidential Award for her DEI work. “Your diverse background is your superpower,” Ayman tells her students, as she explains that companies promoting an inclusive culture are twice as likely to meet or exceed financial goals.
Facts corner: Architectural wonder Hatshepsut Temple was commissioned by the Egyptianqueen who ruled as king in the 15th century. One of Egypt’s first female pharaohs, she ruled for over two decades and has recently been rediscovered by archeologists, after her successor, King Thutmose III, tried to erase her legacy.
