Archived Posts

In March, we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. 

Monday, March 8 International Women’s Day
This year’s theme is “Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World.” The crisis has highlighted both the centrality of their contributions and the disproportionate burdens that women carry.

Wednesday, March 10 Harriet Tubman Day honors the life of the anti-slavery activist. Read more about Tubman’s work in the Underground Railroad. 

• Enjoy this selection of women artists chosen by OMCA (Oakland Museum of CA) 
• Ever curious which are the top ten countries for full equal rights for women? 
• Women enjoy a historic high representation in the US Congress. Learn more in this Rutgers report. 
• Learn about one young woman’s perspective being on the autism spectrum. 
• Chloé Zhao is the first Asian American woman to win a Golden Globe in the “Best Director, Motion Picture” category. 
• Ma Rainey was a queer Black woman who reinvented the blues in the 1910s and 1920s. 
• Enjoy this PBS video about trailblazing Yankton Dakota Sioux woman, Zitkála-Šá, who advocated for Native people. 

Thursday, March 25 from 6-7:30pm AUHSD Book Club
The last AUHSD Book Club Event of the year will be hosted by Las Lomas High School. The book selection is “Becoming” by Michelle Obama (adapted for young readers). RSVP here. Las Lomas is encouraging purchase from Marcus Books in Oakland to support a local black business.

Order your “Stand Together” DEI Lawn Sign by March 14 $14 on the webstore.

Volunteer opportunities for Acalanes DEI…Get Involved!
We are looking for new people to join our efforts and get in on the highly relevant work of DEI. Email us! Several subcommittees are looking for help, including the Communications team. If you are passionate about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and enjoy writing, are a social media wizard or a webmaster, come join us!

Fly your Acalanes flag on March 15th!
We are all beyond excited to see this day finally come!  Show your Acalanes spirit and fly your “A” flag on the first day of in-person school.  Don’t have a flag?  No problem!  Flags are still available on the webstore. Flags purchased before March 9 will be available for pick up in the front quad at Acalanes on Friday, March 12 from 4-5pm. Don’t miss out!

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

March Madness Activities – Return to Campus!

• Decorate your student’s home mailbox for the first day of Hybrid (decoration kits will be available during “Back to School” hybrid orientation)
• Get your students ready to wear ACA STRONG shirts on Hybrid Day 1, March 16 and March 17. Students who didn’t pick up an ACA Strong shirt at the last ACA Day can pick one up at Back to School Hybrid Orientation.
• Sunday, March 14 from 1-2:30pm Senior & Junior Car Painting – Meet us in the Acalanes parking lot. We will provide the paint!
• Join the fun & buy an ACA Parent/Sibling Strong Shirt. This is a grey version of the student/staff ACA Strong shirt.  You can purchase now via the Acalanes webstore for $10 and pick up from Acalanes after you receive your confirmation email. 

March is Women’s History Month!
Opt in to the various learning opportunities, dialogues & celebration.

• Beginning March 8, check out Canvas for the daily spotlight of excellent women. It will run through the end of the month.
• Thursday, March 18 at 7pm Women in Leadership Series with our associate superintendent Aida Glimme. Ms. Glimme has an incredible story to share and is an inspiring female leader in our community. Mark your calendar and look for the Zoom link next week!

Deadline Sunday, March 14 – Acalanes Spirit Wear
We have spirit wear available for the last time this school year! We added a couple new items including a tribute t-shirt to Mr. Huber with proceeds donated to the Parkinson’s Foundation in his name. Check out our spiritwear on the Acalanes webstore. Items can be either picked up at Acalanes or delivered to your home beginning April 6. 

April 5 – Acalanes Leadership Applications Available
Is your 8th grader interested in joining student government at Acalanes? Applications will be available electronically beginning April 5th. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to Katherine Walton.

April 18 – Deadline To Order Frosh Spirit Packs!
Know an 8th grader? Frosh spirit packs are a great promotion gift and kick off to a career at Acalanes! Each pack is $53 and features a hooded sweatshirt, car magnet & cinch backpack. Proceeds go to the Class of 2025. Order deadline is April 18 and packs will be delivered to your house beginning May 7. Order here.

Homecoming 2021 is happening at the end of April! Although it will look a bit different, we are excited to celebrate different decades with skits and hallway decorations; encourage your student to get involved. Skit information will go out through Canvas!

2020-2021 Clubs
Club meetings continue. Check out our 49 clubs! Clubs continue to be one of the best ways for students to connect. We will be pushing out more information about clubs at the end of the week. Please encourage your student to check out Canvas to learn more.

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

Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director

Tuesday, March 30 at 5:30pm Alcohol, Cannabis & Prescription Drug Expert Panel
This week, we are sharing an announcement from our partners at TUPE (Tobacco Use and Prevention Education at Contra Costa Office of Education). The fourth virtual TUPE parent/family engagement event, Alcohol, Cannabis & Prescription Drug Expert Panel, is scheduled for Tuesday, March 30 at 5:30 pm. This live webinar will focus on a panel of local adult and youth experts to discuss the impact of alcohol, cannabis, and prescription drugs on young people in our communities and share resources for youth and adults. Special guest speakers include April Rovero, Founder/Executive Director of National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse; Brian Gleason, Program Manager for Mothers Against Drunk Driving; Richard Ceballos, Project Co-Director of Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit and Cannabis Awareness & Prevention Toolkit, and CourAGE Youth Health Coalition members. 

You may register here. This will be simultaneously interpreted in Spanish. 

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

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

Seniors

• DVC Registration (for graduating students only) Enrollment presentations sign up
• This is a busy time for admissions decisions to roll out. Remember to check ALL emails from schools to make sure you don’t miss anything. If you have any questions about an admission decision or financial aid reach out directly to the university. 

• Congratulations to all seniors who have heard from schools already!!! These are such exciting times. It is very helpful for everyone to log into Naviance and update the decisions. 

• Sonoma State is still accepting applications if you are still interested in applying. 

• Scholarships – There are still scholarships available. Naviance has many listed under the colleges section. Some deadlines are quickly approaching. Some applications require essays, so students should plan ahead. Here are some links to other scholarship sites:
  • https://student.naviance.com/acalanes 
  • https://www.niche.com/colleges/scholarships/ 
  • https://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships
  • https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarship-directory/school-year/high-school-senior
  • https://scholarships360.org/scholarships/top-scholarships-for-high-school-seniors/ 

Juniors

• Sunday, March 14 Virtual College Fair – St. Mary’s usually hosts a huge fair with over 100 colleges; this year it is virtual. This is a great time to connect with schools you want to get more information about and a great way to connect with admissions reps. 

• • https://www.strivescan.com/wacac/

Resources:

• CCC Website 
• How to request a transcript
• College 101
• Internships and Volunteering Ideas
• Scholarships

Class of 2023 PE Credit Options
Current Sophomores can earn PE credits through both Athletic PE and Independent PE options as well as yoga and weight training classes during the 2021-2022 school year (their Junior year). Athletic PE is for students who participate in Acalanes sports, while Independent PE can include activities outside of school sports teams. Students will need to sign up at the beginning of a semester next school year and will need to provide weekly documentation of activity to earn credit. Please see your counselor for more detail. 

June 7 through July 15 AUHSD Summer School
Summer school is for students who need to repeat a required course after earning a D or F grade. Email your counselor for an application.   

Geometry for Advancement
The District is also planning to offer a summer geometry class for those who want to advance more quickly through the math curriculum. This course is only open to students who are currently enrolled in Algebra 1 in 9th grade and have strong performance in Algebra 1. Email your student’s counselor if interested. 

Counselor Appointments
We love talking to our students! Email is the best way to reach us. Counselors have appointment slots for students and will email them a link for signing up. We are trying to reserve the limited slots outside of class time for students. Parents can schedule a time when students are in class. 

A- Ed  Anne Schonauer
Ee-Kr  Christine Todd
Ku-Ros  Marissa Meadows
Rot-Z  Susan Martin

Our school district has an agreement in place to re-open, but other school districts, especially the largest ones in the state, have not been able to achieve this. Now Governor Newsom and state legislators have reached a deal which should accelerate the process by providing hefty incentives to reopen and removing some of the obstacles about which school districts had complained. Meanwhile, the federal government has confirmed that standardized testing must resume this year, meaning students still in remote learning in California would be asked to take standardized tests at home. The state is applying for a waiver to give California some flexibility on how and when the tests are administered within the 2020-2021 school year. 

Questions? Email our APC Legislative Representative.

Tuesday, March 30
TUPE FACE Webinar: Alcohol, Cannabis, & Prescription Drug Expert Panel See the Wellness section for additional details. 

Thursday, April 8 at 7 pm
Pandemic Parenting: Supporting Teen Mental Health
Join Families for Depression Awareness for this free webinar.

We need RAIN!
While we actually do need rain here in the Bay Area and California, R.A.I.N.  is also an acronym for a mindfulness practice that we all need. Take a look at the link and practice on your own and with your family. Let me know what you think!

Smile With Your Eyes!
I am resharing face mask resources: one from our District and one from the CDC. It’s really important that we’re all consistent for health and safety reasons, and to build a culture of trust. 

• Please note the types of masks that are NOT acceptable.
• Make sure to wear a CLEAN mask every day.
• Please wear your mask so that the top covers the bridge of your nose and the bottom goes under your chin. If you are constantly readjusting, it does not fit properly.

Parents!
Please report any COVID-related absences to the Attendance Recorder as soon as possible so I can do appropriate follow-up.

Updated Medical Documentation Needed for Students in Hybrid
We still need updated medical documentation for your student, especially if they will be participating in the Hybrid Model. Does your student need medication available at school? Does your student have updated medical issues/health issues? Do they have a new immunization record? Parents, please make sure you turn in any pertinent medical forms for your students for this school year, especially if your students will be in the Hybrid Model. See this page on my website and let me know if you have any questions.

COVID District Protocol
Available on AUHSD site and on my site.

Free Yoga Class
I want to share a wonderful resource with you that supports neuroregulation: Subtle® Yoga for Greater Nervous System Resilience and Brain Function Subtle Yoga is very accessible, and is beneficial for anyone and everyone. Enjoy!

Stay healthy and be well,

Dvora Citron, RN, MS
Acalanes School Nurse Google Site
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
IG:  acalanesschoolnurse

This week’s CAN’T MISS events:

Boys tennis

• Tuesday, March 9 at College Park HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
• Thursday, March 11 – Las Lomas HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is away and JV is home.

Girls golf

• Wednesday, March 10 – Campolindo HS at Rossmoor GC at 3:30pm.

Cross country

•  Thursday, March 11 at St. Patrick’s HS at 3:30pm.

Boys golf 

• Friday, March 12 – Campolindo HS at Rossmoor GC 3:30pm.

Football

• Saturday, March 13 host Monte Vista HS. Freshmen at 1:30pm, JV at 4pm and Varsity at 7pm.

Projected Calendar Changes
As AHS prepares to open for hybrid instruction, the following calendar changes are anticipated:

• Monday, March 8: Non-school day for students (tentative)
• Friday, March 12: Regular instruction day for students (confirmed)
• Monday, March 15: Non-school day for students (tentative)

Hybrid Instructional Model
For details regarding the return to hybrid instruction, please visit the district website here. This page includes student group/cohort schedules, FAQs, return to hybrid transition timelines, and more. If you have additional questions, please submit your questions to the district using this form. 

AHS Update Regarding SAT Administration
This has been a complicated year for SAT administrations. Due to Covid-related restrictions AHS has had to cancel a number of administration dates and limit capacity moving forward. We apologize for any frustration caused by this ever-changing landscape. Linked here is a message from our AHS testing coordinator about the upcoming March 13 administration.