DEI’s 2023-2024 planning is underway. Please share any thoughts or ideas you have with us here. This is a collaborative process and we encourage participation. We are also looking for parents to help out with events and communications next year. Specifically, we would like to find people interested in re-posting items to our social media, maintaining an announcements calendar, and supporting a few annual events. Not a lot of hours involved, but definitely rewarding work. If you are interested or have an out of the box idea on how you can be involved, please reach out.
APC Membership & Fundraising
Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy…
There’s no better way to honor a Don than with a customized 2023 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)
April is Autism Awareness Month honoring and recognizing our fellow community members on the autism spectrum. Have you heard people talk about neurodiversity? Harvard Health explains the origin of the term and application here.
DEI’s 2023-2024 planning is underway. Please share any thoughts or ideas you have with us here. This is a collaborative process; we encourage participation. It is important that a plethora of voices and ideas are heard. We are also looking for parents to help out with events and communications next year. We have several active members aging out or retiring. Specifically, we would like to find people interested in re-posting items to our social media, maintaining an announcements calendar, and supporting a few annual events. Not a lot of hours involved, but definitely rewarding work. If you are interested, please reachout.
APC Membership & Fundraising
Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy…
There’s no better way to honor a Don than with a customized 2023 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.
Parent Education
The Final AUHSD Wellness Parent Ed Event for this School Year is Tuesday
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office will present Keeping Your Child Safe on Social Media
When: Tuesday, Apr 18 from 6-7:30pm
Where: Zoom
RSVP: please register here if interested!
Please visit the AUHSD Parent Ed website for a full list of the Wellness Parent Ed events and valuable recordings from past events.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
A late shoutout to World Autism Awareness Day that took place on Apr 2! April is AutismAwareness Month honoring and recognizing our fellow community members on the autism spectrum, as well as their families.
Upcoming event recognizing Holocaust Remembrance Day: Life is Beautiful Film Screening with Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan
This event takes place on Wednesday, Apr 19 at 6:30pm at the Orinda Theater. The Assemblymember is issuing a special invite to our young people and our school’s community to this event in order to foster a conversation for Holocaust Remembrance. Prior to the screening, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan will be talking about the work that is being done in California to respond to antisemitism and hate, as well as her work as a member of the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education. For more information and to RSVP, please click here.
APC in Action
Volunteer Service Awards
All applications for the Acalanes and President’s Service Awards are due by Friday, Apr 14. Each service hour needs to be signed off by the volunteer service organization and all forms must be submitted with a volunteer service application by this Friday. This is a great opportunity to recognize our Acalanes students who give back. Visit the Volunteer ServiceAward page to learn more and find the forms.
Please email communityservice@acalanesparentsclub.com with any questions.
APC Spring Grants Have Been Awarded
Thank you to the parents, teachers and staff who submitted proposals for an APC Grant. APC Grants are funded through parent donations. We are pleased to announce four grants have been awarded this spring:
- Peer Tutoring will receive funds to incentivize students to attend a new seminar program. Topics covered will be such as Tips for Studying for a Math Test, The Benefits of Developing Relationships with your Teachers and Tips for Writing an English Essay.
- Campus Enhancement Committee will receive funds to replace top boards of the retaining wall adjacent to the Acalanes swimming pool. This will ensure a safe and improved experience for students and visiting families when they come for swim meets during the year and over the summer.
- The Student Diversity Board will receive funds to design and hang banners in order to show support for celebratory and diversity-related events.
- AHS Garden Space (in association with Science dept) will receive funds for restoration and spring planting in the AHS garden spaces, specifically for soil amendments, gopher baskets, and plants.
APC in Action
March Dons Dialogue – Listen to the Recording!
Do not miss the recording or slides from our most recent Dons Dialogue on Friday, Mar 24. This month we had a great discussion on the following topics;
- Grading best practices with Associate Superintendent John Walker
- Department Spotlights on Special Education and Social Science plus our Equity and Inclusion Teacher
- Bias Incidence Reporting with Associate Principal Powers
- All of the fun activities happening on campus from Leadership Student Tess Gundaker
The next Dons Dialogue will be Wednesday, Apr 19 at 6pm in the Acalanes Library.
SWELL CENTER is open at the Lafayette Library over spring break.
If your student is looking for a chance to connect with others at any point over spring break, check out the events at the Swell Center for spring break. Open to all 6-12th graders, Monday through Friday from 11am – 3pm.
Parent Ed
Fentanyl, Narcan & Other Important Drug Updates – DATE CHANGE
with Addiction Specialist Dr. Allyson Mayo, Medical Director of Comprehensive Wellness Dr. Rebecca Parish, and CHS Wellness Coordinator Jenna Wrobel
When: Wednesday, Mar 29 at 6:30pm
Where: Campolindo Library
Snowballs or Avalanches: Which ones are more dangerous?
The answer: Both can be!
“As parents and guardians, it’s important to watch for both avalanches and snowballs for ourselves as well in our teens’ lives, as certain times in their lives may be more risky. Transitions or significant life events/traumas are a known factor that plays into depression and increases suicide risk for children and teens.”
Please read an important message here from Dr. Yanni Rho, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. Included is what to watch for in our teens, tips for checking in with our teens and important resources to support teens and parents.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
Did you know the City Council of Lafayette proclaims March as DevelopmentalDisabilities Awareness Month? Click here to learn about artist Jamila Rahimi, who designed this year’s DDAM logo. #DDAM2023
March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility. This is a nice overview for school communities. If you would like to learn more about events happening in Lamorinda, please email us.
- An LES parent wrote this quick read on transgender allyship.
- Here is a know your rights guide for students and families.
As Women’s History Month draws to a close, below is our last feature:
Thank Her: Earlier this year we promoted an event featuring Judy Heumann. It was canceled and we later learned Ms. Heumann had passed away. Dubbed the “rolling warrior”, Heumann was a lifelong civil rights advocate for people with disabilities. Readhere about her life and the lasting impact of her work.
And some housekeeping: We are looking for a few parents to help out with committee work next year. Specifically, we would like to find people interested in re-posting items or announcements to our social media, maintaining a calendar and supporting a few annual events. Not a lot of hours involved but rewarding work. If you are interested, please reachout.
Stay in Touch: Click here to join the DEI mailing list or share feedback.
