General Announcements

STAFF APPRECIATION OPPORTUNITY!
Calling all bakers for one of our favorite Acalanes traditions! The APC Staff Appreciation Holiday Cookie Exchange is on Friday, Dec 8. Sign up here to contribute to this fun event for our staff!
 
Contact Stacey Hastings or Dominique Mickelson with any questions.

FINALS FUEL for EXAM WEEK – Get Involved
Finals are just around the corner…..and that means FINALS FUEL is back! During finals week, we provide snacks for the students during brunch period. You can help refuel and recharge our Dons in several ways:

• Purchase snacks prior to finals week and deliver to a residence near AHS
• Purchase snacks from our Amazon wish list and items will be sent directly to a residence for transport to AHS
• Donate money and we’ll shop for you: Venmo @Stephanie-Asadorian (any amount is welcome and appreciated)
• Volunteer to hand out snacks on campus Tuesday, Dec 19 – Friday, Dec 22

Please click on the SignUpGenius and/or Amazon Wish List to help.

Contact Regan Scovic and Stephanie Asadorian with any questions. Thank you in advance for your support!
 
DONS DIALOGUE – Listen to Recording!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our November Dons Dialogue on Friday, Nov 17. The discussion this month covered what’s happening on campus with our student leadership team, Finals Fuel and the support offered on campus for our students during exams, a Wellness Center overview, plus an update from our Blueprint advisor and the Design and Fabrication Lab teacher.
 
If you were not able to attend, you can view the slideshow or watch the video recording. Save the date for our next  Dons Dialogue on Friday, Jan 19 at 8:45am.

Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Please reach out to APC here with any questions.

Junior Parent Night is this week on Tuesday, Nov 14 from 6:30-7:30pm in the library. This is an opportunity for junior parents to hear from counselor Susan Martin and College and Career Center advisor, Debbie Levy on post-high school plans. 

NOVEMBER DONS DIALOGUE – Friday at 8:45am
We hope to see you for our November Dons Dialogue this Friday in the Collaboration Center.  Join us to learn more about whats happening on campus, hear about the Finals Prep resources available for all students, meet our Blueprint advisor, and get updates from our student leadership team. Coffee and treats will be served!

If you’ve missed the past events, please click here for slides and recordings. 

MEET & GREET for TRANSFER PARENTS/GUARDIANS
We would like to invite all transfer parents and caregivers for a casual Meet and Greet on Friday, Nov 18 immediately following our November Dons Dialogue. 

A handful of experienced Acalanes parents will be on hand to help answer your questions. This will be your opportunity to connect with other transfer families, get answers to questions and hopefully meet some new friends. So please plan to bring your questions and appetite for a little nibble and some coffee!

When:  Friday, Nov 18 after Dons Dialogue (DD starts at 8:45am)
Where:  Collaboration Center in the front quad (next to the Main Office)

We hope to see you there!

STAFF APPRECIATION OPPORTUNITY!
Calling all bakers for one of our favorite Acalanes traditions! The APC Staff Appreciation Holiday Cookie Exchange is on Friday, Dec 8. Sign up here to contribute to this fun event for our staff! Contact Stacey Hastings or Dominique Mickelson with any questions.

FINALS FUEL for EXAM WEEK
Finals are just around the corner…..and that means FINALS FUEL is back! During finals week, we provide snacks for the students during brunch period. You can help refuel and recharge our Dons in several ways:

• Purchase snacks prior to finals week and deliver to a residence near AHS
• Purchase snacks from our Amazon wish list and items will be sent directly to a residence for transport to AHS
• Donate money and we’ll shop for you: Venmo @Stephanie-Asadorian (any amount is welcome and appreciated)
• Volunteer to hand out snacks on campus Tuesday, Dec 19 – Friday, Dec 22

Please click on the SignUpGenius and/or Amazon Wish List to help. Contact Regan Scovicand Stephanie Asadorian with any questions. Thank you in advance for your support!
 

Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Please reach out to APC here with any questions.

Take note, there is NO SCHOOL on Friday, Nov 10 in honor of Veterans Day. As a result, Acalanes will follow a Friday “block schedule” on Monday, Nov 6.

APC GRANTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED – Fall 2023
Thank you to the parents, teachers, students and staff who submitted proposals for an APC Grant this fall. We had a large number of requests, representing many different interests! APC Grants are funded through parents annual donations – so THANK YOU parents! We are pleased to announce five grants have been awarded this fall:

• All aides supporting Special Education students will have access to Motorola portable radios to communicate with AHS administration and other staff to ensure the safety of their students.
• AHS Meditation Garden will receive funds for additional landscaping materials.
• The Learning Skills classroom will receive funds to build a graphic novel collection for students to use to foster a culture of reading.
• A Grant that supports Visual and Performing Arts was awarded to allow students to print and showcase the projects of VAPA.
• The Math, CompSci and VAPA departments will receive funds for poster frames and printing ink for students to make Public Service Announcements (PSA’s). about smartphone addiction and post them around campus.
• AHS campus beautification will continue with an “A” decal on the outside of the counseling office to match the front office.

STAFF APPRECIATION GRATEFUL LUNCH
Our Acalanes Teachers and Staff were treated to a “Grateful Lunch” hosted by APC! APC is grateful to all the families that contributed to our Fall Staff Appreciation Lunch and to our fabulous Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs, Stacey Hastings and Dominique Mickelson for organizing a great spread!

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Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Please reach out to APC here with any questions.

INSTRUCTIONAL AIDES NEEDED – Great Part-Time Job for Parents!
The district is currently seeking applicants for classroom Instructional Aides.  Instructional Aides need no previous training, just a willingness to learn new skills and help students succeed. It is the perfect job for a parent of school-aged children.  Applications should be submitted on Edjoin.com.

AHS GARDEN UPDATE
We have a garden club this year and have been meeting Monday’s at lunch. The club spends time harvesting and weeding (though we are not keeping up) and last week we saved seeds from our harvest and other vegetables that were brought in to use for our spring crops this year. Now that homecoming is over, we have our first work day to weed and pull out the old harvest plants. If you can join us anytime between 10am and 2pm Sunday, Nov 5 we could use your help!! 

We are grateful for the APC grant funding we received in the fall and spring last school year. We hope to secure an additional grant this year to help us replace all the gopher ridden raised beds in the farm and to get a grow stand so we can use our saved seeds for crop plants.  We also need to add gravel to the meditation garden and replace the plants that died over the summer due to an irrigation problem (that is now fixed). We’ve updated our wish list and appreciate any donations! It is linked here!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me:  LTewksbury@auhsdschools.org.

DONS DIALOGUE – Listen to the Recording!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our October Dons Dialogue on Friday, Oct 20. Principal Shawn led the discussion with an overview of Acalanes Academic Success sharing key metrics. Debbie Levy joined to discus the incredible resources available to our students from College and Career Services. We heard an overview of emergency preparedness plus Powers shared key takeaways from the Internet Safety program. And finally the program closed with Q&A. 

If you were not able to attend, you can view the slideshow or watch the video recording. Save the date for our November Dons Dialogue on Friday, Nov 17 at 8:45am.

Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Please reach out to APC here with any questions.

INSTRUCTIONAL AIDES NEEDED – Great Parent Job!
The district is currently seeking applicants for classroom Instructional Aides.  Instructional Aides need no previous training, just a willingness to learn new skills and help students succeed. It is the perfect job for a parent of school-aged children.  Applications should be submitted on Edjoin.com.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR KATHERINE WALTON!



Thank you to Katherine Walton and her Leadership students for organizing an incredible Homecoming week! Did you hear, all together we donated 6,200 cans to the Contra Costa Food Bank, wow!

Walton works hard all year long to build an enthusiastic and inclusive Acalanes community. Her passion, dedication and school spirit set the tone on campus. Acalanes is such a special place thanks to Katherine Walton!

DONS DIALOGUE  – FRIDAY AT 8:45AM
Please join us on Friday, Oct 20 at 8:45am in the Collaboration Center for our October Dons Dialogue. These monthly forums provide parents with the opportunity to hear directly from Principal Eric Shawn and other AHS faculty regarding academics, student activities, department information, hot topics on campus, plus open Q&A. APC will provide coffee and treats. All parents/caregivers welcome.
 
Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Please reach out to APC here with any questions.