APC

The first APC Dons Dialogue Webinar was held this past Friday with almost 100 participants. Principal Bell shared some valuable information and the AHS admin team was on hand to answer questions live throughout the forum. If you were unable to attend, click here for a forum video. Feedback was tremendously positive and the next Dons Dialogue has been scheduled for Friday, May 8. More details to follow.

We have received parent inquiries regarding how to give back to members of our community who may be struggling as a result of Covid19. This week’s Community Can’t be Canceled Campaign focuses on how to do so with a few options below:

• AUHSD’s Food Bank Drive Acalanes will have donation bins to support the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties placed at the front of the Main Quad where urgently needed donations of canned and dry goods can be dropped off. Monetary donations can be made here.
• Lafayette Community Foundation’s (LCF) COVID-19 Community Matching Campaign LCF has joined the Community Can’t be Canceled effort with a commitment to increase grants to local nonprofits addressing immediate community needs. Now through April 30, LCF will match up to $25K. You can learn more and donate here.

Be sure to check out new and ongoing distance learning programming in the Wellness Center and College & Career Center below. There are numerous options for both students and parents to engage. This week’s highlight:

• Wendy’s C&CC Weekly Parent Check-In Informal forum with Acalanes College & Career Advisor Wendy Reicher will provide parents a chance to ask any questions via zoom meeting related to the college admissions process, volunteer and internship opportunities, Naviance training, summer program options and more.

We hope your families remain safe and healthy.
Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano

Last week seemed to be one full of many silver linings. Our Dons community showed up for one another time and time again, in many cases as part of the new Community Can’t Be Canceled campaign started by Acalanes Leadership and expanded between AHS, APC, the Lafayette Chamber and many other community support partners.

The most visible sign of Community Can’t Be Canceled (CCBC) has been the ongoing Let’s Paint This Town Blue effort which displays our unity and spirit. Campaign posters were hung all around town and neighborhood spirit was on display with countless creative home decorations. AHS families also participated in Lafayette To Go to support local restaurants. Feedback from the Lafayette Chamber was positive and restaurants were tremendously appreciative of the increase in orders. You can find lots of inspiring images @ahs_dons on Instagram. Our AHS and town spirit is such a refreshing reminder of how we continue to support one another despite being separated.

The Class of 2020 Seniors woke up Friday morning to Graduation congratulations lawn-signs that magically appeared overnight thanks to the efforts of senior class liaison Tori Heffelfinger, Co-Head Liaison Gayle Burleigh and a team of thirty volunteers. While seniors have yet to graduate, the decision was made to get the signs out early to let seniors know they will be celebrated throughout spring.

Please join us for this Friday’s APC Dons Dialogue from 10-11am. We are excited this event will move forward in a virtual format. Principal Bell will provide an update on Distance Learning and we’ll get an update from AHS Wellness and Leadership. The last part of the meeting will be set aside for Mr. Bell to answer parent questions. Please email us your questions in advance. An email blast will go out next week with call-in details.

Finally, a few highlights for this week:

• Acalanes Wellness Center is now connecting with students by providing real-time, online programming. Check out more info in the Wellness section.
• Give Back Students are needed NOW to help support AHS teachers and staff with Zoom Babysitting & a new Video Library. Students get volunteer service hours for their efforts. See more on the CCBC page.
• Peer Tutoring is up & running virtually! See details in Peer Tutoring page.
  
  We hope your families remain safe and healthy.
  
  Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano

What a month. What a week. What a day. We imagine that you are like us in processing the most recent news that distance learning could continue through the end of the school year. While it’s not a complete surprise given what’s happening in the world, it doesn’t make the impact of this possible reality any less jarring–for us as parents, and certainly for our students.

Our hearts especially go out to the Class of 2020 seniors and their families. There is no doubt they are feeling robbed that the spring quarter of their senior year may not play out as they had hoped and expected. We know that Katherine Walton, our amazing leadership teacher, along with help from senior class officers and parent class liaisons, are pulling together to explore creative ways to make sure senior traditions are kept intact one way or another but that doesn’t replace the loss and sadness many seniors may be feeling. We will communicate out to senior families as decisions are made regarding upcoming senior events.

While upcoming Acalanes and community events may not be the same as initially hoped and planned for, the Community Can’t Be Canceled campaign can be a silver lining during this unsettling time. The campaign, initially created by Acalanes leadership students to bring students together during Shelter in Place, has expanded beyond Acalanes to include the greater Lafayette community. The campaign is working to unite us all and use this time apart to come together. APC is excited to be part of this effort and will share ways in which AHS families can get involved.

The campaign kicks off some creative efforts this week with Lafayette to Go, a way for each class to support local Lafayette restaurants on a different night of the week. Later in the week, Let’s Paint This Town Blue! gives Dons a chance to show their spirit by decorating their homes, mailboxes & driveways. Finally, the Acalanes Athletics “Zoom Off” challenges Acalanes athletes across all sports to compete in a team spirit video competition. More details are provided below. Hopefully, there is something of interest to all students.

We hope your families remain safe and healthy.

Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano

Wonderful Dons Community,

What a month this has been. We started March excited to plan the Spring and are ending it dealing with something none of us have ever experienced. We know how hard this has been for all of us, especially our students. If you have not already, please follow @ahs_dons on Instagram and our Blueprint Online to help stay connected. We are proud to see what our community is doing right now to take care of one another in these unprecedented times.

Please take the next week to take care of yourselves, we look forward to connecting after spring break.

Go Dons,
Andrea Powers and Mike Plant
#communitycantbecanceld #DonsShowUp #LoveLafayette

Also, here’s Principal Bell and Associate Principals Andrea Powers and Mike Plant wishing all Dons students a safe and healthy spring break. Watch their message here.

First of all, we hope this email finds you all safe and healthy. While our content is limited, we believe communication continues to be one of the most important ways to connect to one another while Shelter in Place keeps students, teachers, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even family members physically apart. A special thank you to our APC Communications co-chairs Kristen Labrosse & Heidi Hambidge who along with editor Sarah Ortman who have worked to make the APC Newsletter such a valuable resource to our parent community now and throughout the school year. 

Earlier this year, APC paid for teen motivational speaker Mike Smith to host a student assembly for sophomores and juniors along with a working group of students across all grades. The positive feedback was tremendous. Leadership teacher Katherine Walton sent a recent email regarding Mike Smith’s current video Rooted in Love, a call to action for all of us, in this unprecedented time, to find ways to build community, take care of one another, and stay rooted in love. It’s a terrific 5-minute video to sit down and watch together as a family. 

Finally, in case you missed it, the district sent out an email regarding student wellness by sharing guidance regarding the value of keeping family schedules consistent and highlighting resources for students during this unsettling time. The Wellness Center section of the APC newsletter will continue to provide additional guidance so you may want to check it out each week.

Please reach out if you have any suggestions for content or other ideas for this newsletter at president@acalanesparentsclub.com. 

Sending our extended Dons family a large virtual hug!

Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano

Now more than ever we feel the need to communicate and stay connected with our Acalanes community as we all make major adjustments to our lives during this uncertain time.

AUHSD Superintendent Nickerson has emailed parents with updates regarding school closure and guidelines for social distancing. This information is critical as we all figure out how to best handle social interaction during school closures. We expect that the district and Principal Bell will have an update for parents and students early next week regarding how teachers have prepared for AHS Distance Learning.

The LPIE Power Party unfortunately has been cancelled but the LPIE Auction is still a go. We are hopeful that you’ll consider checking out the hundreds of auction items available for bidding. All donations will allow LPIE to continue to bring tremendous resources to Acalanes. Your students may want to consider using the upcoming downtime to enter Project LPIE’s 2020 student competition. There are seventeen categories in which students can compete, many of which are conducive to working at home. More details in the LPIE section below.

As parents, we are in this together and welcome your thoughts, resources and advice during this time. Please feel free to email us at president@acalanesparentsclub.com. We will continue to share the latest updates to help keep the AHS parent community informed as information becomes available over the next few weeks.

Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano