APC

The month of January was a busy one at the home of the Dons with the second semester kicking off with a flurry of activity. One of the highlights was our annual Open House Course Preview night last week. The Dons community showed up in droves for an excellent event with a kick off address by Principal Bell and followed by three breakout sessions, where students and parents could self-select into offerings of individual interest. Teachers and staff organized and facilitated sessions about course pathways, class curriculum overviews and expectations, and assorted other informational offerings.

Continuing the class selection theme, counselors have spent this week, and will continue next, meeting with all 9th, 10th and 11th graders for individual sessions based around students selecting their classes for next year. With graduation requirements, a huge array of exciting electives and an intriguing peppering of new classes, there are choices aplenty at every level. Our counselors’ expertise, and recommendations from current teachers, is of great value and these individual 5-10 minute meetings have been a great way to clarify those challenging decisions.

Our final mention for this month is to reference the current #QuitLying campaign, orchestrated by our Leadership class in partnership with a nation-wide campaign. The purpose of this initiative is to spark curiosity amongst our youngsters to unearth some of the unethical and morally corrupt lies that big vape and tobacco companies are using to market vaping as a low-risk endeavor. Placards around campus exposing some of the myths, misconceptions and falsehoods, along with a slogan-adorned T-shirt and factual videos distributed by Ms Walton and the Leadership class are all parts of the campaign. This educational, factual approach, along with recent campus-wide policy changes designed to limit opportunities for our students to make bad choices, is all part of our school community;s response to combat the plague of vaping that is an issue on high-school campuses nation-wide.

As always, we want to state what a pleasure it is to work at Acalanes on a daily basis. Our exceptional staff and faculty, our engaging and kind students and our wonderful, supportive community all serve to make us proud and happy Dons.

All the best,
Andrea Powers and Mike Plant

 It was wonderful to see so many students and parents at the 2020-21 Course Preview & Open House last week. Special thanks to our APC Hospitality Team led by Marlene Peacock and Kim Siegal for their creative “Love Lafayette” themed reception and our APC board members who were on hand to welcome incoming freshman families. 

All freshmen, sophomores and juniors will have a brief meeting with the counselors this week to confirm their fall schedules. It’s a great chance for your student ask any final questions they may have about which classes to take before finalizing their schedule. 

Finally, we’d like to call your attention to the Wellness section of the website. If you haven’t yet stumbled upon it, the Wellness staff shares insightful information each week regarding how to support your student as they deal with the pressures of high school. This week, they highlight the value of sleep. While we all know how important sleep is for our kids, the message is a good reminder of how much they actually need to succeed.

Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano

If you have a Sophomore or Junior, we hope that they came home and told you all about the exciting Breaking Down the Walls Program they participated in last week. It is consistently one of the most talked about programs on campus by students, teachers, counselors and AHS administrators. Here’s just one takeaway from a student:

“Breaking Down the Walls makes our school more of a community and I was able to connect with people I normally couldn’t of otherwise and today, I realized that I am never alone.”

Ask your sophomore or junior for input if they have yet to share their thoughts about the day. Thanks to your contributions, APC funds this valuable program.

We look forward to seeing lots of students and parents at the Acalanes Course Preview & Open House this Thursday! This is a worthwhile event for any current 8th graders, freshmen, sophomores and juniors to help guide students with their 2020-21 course selections. You can find more information in our General Announcements below. If you’re able to make it, please stop by the APC Reception in front of the Main Gym starting at 5:30 to grab a hot cocoa on your way to learn more about the various course pathways and course offerings. We hope to see you on Thursday evening!

Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano

APC is kicking off the second semester with a number of exciting programs thanks to your donations and support. Some of the highlights APC is funding include:

Breaking Down the Walls will be on campus next week working with all sophomores and juniors to help students break down barriers between them to build stronger relationships with one another creating a more inclusive climate on campus. Refer to the Student Activities section to learn more. 

APC Spring Grants are now open for students, teachers, and parents with a focus on ideas that will enhance the educational and campus experience of AHS students in new and innovative ways. Refer to grant guidelines here, and submit your creative solutions using the application form. Email completed applications to Laura White or deliver to the APC box in the office. Grant applications are due by noon on Friday, Feb 21. 

Acalanes Testing Center (ATC), located in the Peer Tutoring Office, is a new program that strives to support students in need of making up tests from excused absences. Students may ask their teacher whether or not the ATC is an option for their testing since teachers must pre-approve utilization of the resource. The center provides a valuable alternative to using the Academy period for test taking.

We hope you have added the upcoming Course Preview & Open House to your calendar for Thursday, January 30th (see below). Students and parents of incoming 8th Grade, Freshman, Sophomore, and Juniors are encouraged to attend.

Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano