General Announcements

December APC Dons Dialogue
Thank you to all who attended our Dons Dialogue on Friday, Dec 20. This month’s topics included learning about elective courses for 2025-26 and highlighted some of the engineering and STEM electives offered at Acalanes.  If you were not able to attend, slides from the discussion are available here.
Thank you to our APC Hospitality Co-Chairs, Mia Heglie and Monica Stassi, for providing the welcoming coffee and treats! The next Dons Dialogue will be on Friday, Jan 17.  Click here for the full schedule of upcoming Dons Dialogues.
 
Thank You for Making Finals Fuel a Success!
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in Finals Fuel last month and made it a huge success!  Whether it was donating snacks, funds or volunteering your time to hand things out, we could not have done without all of you!  Thank you for putting smiles on a lot of students’ faces during finals week.  We also want to give a shout out to our amazing APC Co-Chairs Regan Scovic and Stephanie Asadorian for organizing and leading such a special Acalanes tradition!  Finals Fuel will be back in the spring!


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

Contact Regan Scovic and Stephanie Asadorian with any questions. Thank you in advance for your support!

Finals week is here! Tomorrow, Dec 16 is the regular class schedule and then the finals schedule begins on Tuesday, Dec 17 through Friday, Dec 20:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS:

• Teacher Office Hours: Tuesday, Dec 17 from 8:30-10:20am during 0 period final
• Peer Tutoring: Finals Week Hours
  • Monday, Dec 16, regular hours (academy, lunch, 7th period and 1 hour after final school bell)
  • Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (Dec 17-19) from 12:50-3pm

• Wellness Center: Finals Week Hours
  • Monday, Dec 16, regular hours (8am-4pm)
  • Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (Dec 17-19) from 8am-1pm

• Acalanes Library: Finals Week Hours
  • Monday, Dec 16, regular hours (7:30am-5pm)
  • Tuesday (Dec 17) and Thursday (Dec 19) from 7:30am-3pm

Wednesday (Dec 18) and Friday (Dec 20) from 7:30am-1pm

Check out our Finals Prep Webpage for more information and resources!

Finals Fuel –  We’re Almost There!
Thank you to all the families who have already contributed. We are close, but still need some more help to pull off this beloved Acalanes/APC tradition.

Help our students finish strong by providing snacks in between their finals. You can help refuel and recharge our Dons in several ways:

• Purchase snacks now 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 Wednesday, Dec 18 – Friday, Dec 20

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!

We have your students covered as they prepare to finish the semester strong! Please be sure to visit our APC website for even more information on all events planned to support our students through finals.
 
CANINE STRESS BUSTERS
Tuesday, Dec 10 during lunch in the front quad
Come hug it out with your favorite four-legged friends. Therapy dogs will be on campus to provide smiles and tail wags to help reduce stress and provide a general sense of connection to our students.
 
FROSH FINALS INFORMATIONAL MEETING
Tuesday, Dec 10 during lunch in the library
Come hear from teachers in English, math, world history, living earth and world language about best practices to prepare for finals. They will not only share information on finals but best ways to study as well. Finals goodie bags will be given to the first 200 frosh thanks to APC!
 
EXAM JAM
Wednesday, Dec 11 from 3-5pm in the library
Kick start your finals studying and preparation during Exam Jam. We will have teachers from each department, along with peer tutors, to support and answer questions. It is a great opportunity to finish up study guides, begin to study while enjoying delicious snacks and enjoy a quiet environment. Exam Jam is open to all students.
 
WELLNESS WINTER WORKSHOP
Wednesday, Dec 11 and Friday, Dec 13 during academy
Our Wellness in the Winter sessions are a space to gather together and practice coping skills to thrive during finals and a long break with family. Sign up for this academy.
 
And don’t forget to encourage your student to take advantage of these additional resources:

• Peer Tutoring during every academy, lunch, 7th period, and every day for 1 hour after the final school bell.
• The Wellness Center is open for students to drop in Monday through Friday from 8am – 4pm (with teacher approval during class hours).
• Acalanes library is open from 7:30am to 5pm daily.

Check out our Finals Prep Webpage for more information and resources!

STAFF APPRECIATION OPPORTUNITY!
Calling all bakers for one of our favorite Acalanes traditions! The APC Staff Appreciation Holiday Cookie Exchange is on Friday, Dec 13. 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 Wednesday, Dec 18 – Friday, Dec 20

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!

PEER TUTORING SEMINAR
Is your student nervous for finals? Please encourage them to attend Peer Tutoring’s seminar with our very own Mr. Stewart for some reassurance going into finals week. Mr. Stewart will provide some time-tested tips to reduce anxiety and strengthen your student’s agency to be better prepared. This will take place on Wednesday, Dec 11 during academy in room 107.

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

Important Attendance Reminder
If a student is leaving early during the day for any reason, it is their responsibility to pick up their “off campus pass” from the main office (after a parent has called). They can pick it up in the morning, during brunch/lunch or between periods. It must be picked up before they attend the class they are leaving early from.

STAFF APPRECIATION OPPORTUNITY!
Calling all bakers for one of our favorite Acalanes traditions! The APC Staff Appreciation Holiday Cookie Exchange is on Friday, Dec 13. 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 Wednesday, Dec 18 – Friday, Dec 20

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!

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

Staff Appreciation Grateful Lunch
Acalanes teachers and staff enjoyed a “Grateful Lunch” hosted by APC earlier this month! We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the families who contributed to the Staff Appreciation Fall Lunch and to our amazing Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs Dominique Mickelson and Stacey Hastings for organizing such an incredible meal for our staff!  We are so grateful for all of you and your help in making this lunch a success!

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

Peer Tutoring Seminar #2: The Importance of Self Talk, Wednesday, Nov 13
We do not hear any voice more than our own and how we “speak” to ourselves is so important – it can be friend or foe. Peer Tutoring is excited to welcome Don alum and current Mental Performance Coach/Assistant Boys Basketball Coach, Joey Hewitt, who will present information about the importance of self talk and techniques that will encourage more positive self talk. This session will take place during lunch on the 13th. Please encourage your student to attend and to share what they learn!
 
APC Fall Grants Have Been Awarded – Fall ‘24
Thank you to the teachers, students and staff who submitted proposals for an APC Fall Grant. APC Grants are funded through parents annual donations – so THANK YOU parents!  We are pleased to announce the following grants have been awarded so far this fall:

• The ACA garden will refresh their winter garden with fresh organic soil, winter vegetable seed starts and new gardening tools.
• A newly formed Culinary Passport Club will provide food tastings and cultural events where they offer sampling of cuisines they are focused on that month.
• The school nurse’s office will get 3 new beds. First time in over 20 years!
• The CTE department will receive materials to build 2 oversized Adirondack chairs that will be painted ACA blue and placed on campus. Will make for great photo ops!

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

APC Fall Grants Have Been Awarded  – Fall ‘24

Thank you to the teachers, students, and staff who submitted proposals for an APC Fall Grant. APC Grants are funded through parents annual donations – so THANK YOU parents!  We are pleased to announce the following grants have been awarded so far this fall: 

• The ACA Garden Club will refresh its winter garden with fresh organic soil, winter vegetable seed starts, and new gardening tools. 
• A newly formed Culinary Passport Club will provide food tastings and cultural events where they offer a sampling of cuisines they are focused on that month.
• The school nurse’s office will get 3 new nursing beds.  First time in over 20 years!
• The CTE department will receive materials to build 2 oversized Adirondack chairs that will be painted ACA blue and placed on campus.  Will make for great photo ops!

Parent Volunteer Opportunity at Lunch 

We are still looking for help to oversee the student lunch line in the cafeteria on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the school week. This is an easy and fun way to volunteer on campus and a great opportunity to help with a friend! Volunteer shifts are less than an hour and there are lots of dates to choose from. You can sign up here. Please check-in at the front office when you arrive for your volunteer shift. Thank you for your support!

Thank you to Naomi and Jenny for stepping up first to help!
Don Parents Show Up!
 
Student Volunteer Community Service Awards
The 2024-25 Student Volunteer Program has kicked off for the Acalanes and President’s Service Awards so please make sure your student is logging those hours!  It’s a great opportunity for students to give back AND be recognized for their service. You can read more about the awards here and email us at communityservice@acalanesparentsclub.com with any questions. 
 
Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Please reach out to APC here with any questions.