Archived Posts

Class Shirts and Yearbooks
During the first and second week of September, we will be passing out class shirts and yearbooks to those who ordered them. Stay tuned for exact dates and times!

Spirit Wear
If you missed ordering spirit wear, the webstore is back open until September 7th! Any items purchased will be shipped to your house. 

Clubs
Although we are beginning the year on distance learning, we want to get our clubs up and running! Any student can start a club and the process will be digital this year. Club Applications are available here, due by September 3rd. Within the registration form are all the guidelines and FAQ about clubs. We have a lunch meeting this Wednesday to go over the registration process for clubs, things to expect with virtual clubs and more. Please encourage your student to attend if they are interested in starting a club. Students will receive the Zoom link via Canvas on Monday.

Tuesday, Aug 25 at Lunch Meet n Greet with Admin
Join us for a Meet n Greet and Q & A with our Admin team. It will be held over Zoom where students will get to know our three administrators and ask any questions about the year or problem solve. Zoom link will be sent out via Canvas on Monday. 

Missed the virtual rally on Friday?
Watch it now!

Getting Connected
We will advertise any and all student activities and opportunities via the Acalanes home page, through Canvas and through social media. If you or your student are on social media, I would encourage you to follow @ahs_dons on Instagram! In addition, each class runs their own instagram account (see class updates above). 

New Student Support
We are committed to supporting our new students and welcoming them into our Acalanes family. Please see the Freshmen class update above for social opportunities throughout the next few weeks. In addition, we will be hosting opt-in workshops during “lunch” throughout the first month of school. We will go over time management, how to get involved, best strategies for distance learning, Canvas Q&A, and more. Schedule will be in this APC newsletter and on our home page. 

ASB Card Support
Thank you to all who purchased ASB cards. The money directly funds student activities throughout the year AND gives your student discounts throughout the community. Look for stickers in business windows then show a student ID card to receive the discount. Thank you to the Lafayette businesses for supporting Acalanes!

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

Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director

Try It On With Wellness
At the most recent Dons Dialogue, we announced our theme for the first quarter– “Try It On with Wellness.” Trying on new ways of thinking, living, and doing is key to thriving in an environment where there are so many uncertainties. Adapting, evaluating, and adjusting are necessary not only to success but to wellbeing.

We also talked about the five core competencies of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). The first competency is self-awareness, the skill of listening to ourselves. When we are truly self-aware, we recognize our emotions, our assets and deficits, and rights and responsibilities, and respond to that information.

As students get up to speed on Canvas, Zoom learning, and all their course work, they will have to “try on” so many new things! Our tip for this week is to share with your student how YOU adapt, evaluate and adjust to meet the challenges you’re facing.

Wednesday, Aug 26 from 6-8 pm Parenting Teenagers During Covid
Register here for this presentation sponsored by Wellness and the district. This is one in a series of parent/guardian education events, so keep an eye out for future conversations! 

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

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

Please have students check their AUHSD gmail accounts for communications from the CCC. Students can book an individual meeting with me here. I will host “Seniors only” academy on Wednesday and Friday for college applications workshops. I’ve also booked admissions rep visits for Juniors and Seniors on Mondays so make sure your student checks Naviance and signs up to attend via Zoom. 

Tuesday, Aug 25 – 7pm
Value-Priced College Night
Back by popular demand! Join Tim Lenahan, “The College Finance Guy,” as he shares strategies on how to pay for college and find the best college for students at the lowest cost to the family. Interested Junior and Senior families, please use this Zoom link to attend. No advance registration is required. 

Meeting ID: 869 9269 4783 
Passcode: 161407 
Phone number (669)900-9128 

Tuesday, Sept 1 – 7-8pm
Navigating the College Admissions & Testing Landscape
Tried & True’s College Night presentation helps families learn how best to navigate standardized testing for the college admissions process. This informative hour covers topics including differences between the PSAT, SAT and ACT; how test scores are weighted in the admissions process; understanding the impact of Coronavirus on admissions and testing, and much more. Interested Freshmen, Sophomore and Junior families, register in advance and receive your login credentials here. 

Freshman College Planning
Sophomore College Planning
Junior College Planning
Senior Checklist

• CCC Website 
• Follow us on Instagram: @acalanesccc
• Facebook Page for Students Have your senior or junior join the College and Career Student FB page 

Always feel free to contact me with questions:  wreicher@auhsdschools.org

Wendy Reicher

August is Immunization Week!
School Immunization Requirements are still in place. Please check in with your local pediatrician’s office, Primary Care Provider, or our County Health Department (call 925-313-6767 for additional hours through September).

Beginning in October, please have everyone in your family get a Flu vaccine. We all want to stay as healthy as possible, individually and collectively as a community. Reduced illness from flu will also ease the burden of illness from Covid in our hospital facilities.

Medical Forms and Medications at School
Please turn in any relevant medical forms your student might need for the 2020-21 school year. Those forms should be dated no earlier than June 2020. You can access forms here.

Still on Quarantine! Transitioning Back to School Routine After Summer Break

Please get in touch with me with any questions, concerns, and/or requests. I look forward to being in touch and connected!

Dvora Citron, RN, MS
Acalanes School Nurse Google Site

The APAB Board is seeking New Board Members
If you have a passion for the arts, join us today! APAB has the following Board openings:

• VP Choral (must have student in Choral to hold this role)
• APAB Secretary
• APAB Publicity Chair
• APAB Parliamentarian

Contact APAB President, Debra Bussey, if you’re interested in one of these positions or any other performing arts volunteer opportunities.

Debra Bussey

Acalanes Performing Arts

For reliable information on education legislation, school funding, and distance learning,  www.edsource.org is a great resource. If you have questions about the basic structure of school funding, www.ed100.org is also very useful.   

• Gov. Newsom signs bill making ethnic studies course a requirement at California State University
• Why special education funding will be more equitable under new state law
• 8.3 Who Pays: Where California’s Public School Funds Come From
• Guide to California’s education budget deferrals: pros, cons and costs of delayed payments

LPIE at Work in school or at home, Lafayette Partners in Education dollars are at work! 

Thanks to the annual donations from parents and the community, LPIE was able to provide a Chromebook for every Acalanes and Stanley student, and for any TK-5 student who needed one. 

We hope all students (and parents) had a great first full week of school! Find out more at www.lpie.org.

Laura-Kate Rurka & Jennifer Palmer
Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

Athletic Clearances
Use this down time to fill out athletic clearance paperwork for your student athlete. Forms can be found here. Fill them out with your pediatrician, then email Randy Takahashi for further instruction.  

Week one…Check!  Now that students have the first week under their belt and have had a chance to learn Canvas and get acquainted with their Virtual Academy Cohort teachers and peers, they are ready to move on to the next step of meeting the rest of their teachers and diving into classwork! Tomorrow, students will check in live with each teacher, then begin following the regular distance learning schedule on Tuesday (with the addition of a cohort meeting on Wednesday morning). The regular distance learning schedule can be found here.

We had a great first Dons Dialogue last Friday with Principal Bell. As always, he gave our parents valuable information about distance learning, our Wellness Center, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts. He also answered several parent questions. If you didn’t get a chance to watch it live, click here for the recorded version. And mark your calendar for next month’s Dons Dialogue on September 18.

This week, we have two great events for our parent community. APC’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee is hosting its first Forum on Race on Tuesday, August 18th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Please see their section below for more information.  On Thursday, August 20th the school is hosting the 2020-2021 Virtual Back to School Night. Watch your email for more information about that evening.

We’re off to a great start and have lots to look forward to this week! 

Acalanes Community Always,
Kristen Labrosse & Angela Ketcham