General Administration Announcements

Unique Opportunity for Parents to Engage with Staff and Administration!
We need 15 parent volunteers to participate in a focus group with Acalanes Staff on Friday, Oct 21 from 7:30-8:30am. Acalanes High School is currently in the process of renewing our accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). As part of this important process, we are completing an extensive self-study of our school programs to identify strengths and areas for improvement. We are looking for 15 parents to join our 5 focus groups to provide feedback as we analyze the 5 WASC Criteria.
Please complete this survey if you'd like to participate on Oct 21.

Breaking Down the Walls is back!
This week, all 10th and 11th grade students will participate in Breaking Down the Walls (BDTW). The BDTW creates a safe environment for students to build empathy and understanding through a "play, trust, learn" model. By first helping students laugh together, they start to trust one another and eventually want to learn from those outside their regular friend group. The assembly, training, and workshops leave everyone with the realization we are truly BETTER TOGETHER!
 
Students will participate during one of the three days, assigned by the last name:

• Wednesday, Oct 12:  Last Names A-G
• Thursday, Oct 13:  Last Names H-Pa
• Friday, Oct 14:  Last Names Pe-Z

BDTW will begin at 8:30am in the Big Gym and run until the end of the school day. Lunch will be provided. All teachers know that our 10th and 11th grade students are participating in this vital school program and have modified their curriculum accordingly.
 
We are fortunate to bring this powerful programming to our students. Thank you, Acalanes Parents Club for your support in making this happen. Click here to read Principal Shawn’s10/3 email for more information.
 
AHS Garden Restoration Group
Acalanes staff, students, and community members have recently joined forces to clean up and revitalize the Acalanes gardens between the 400 and 500 wings. Plans include keeping the large garden space near the 503 area to grow food for students, staff, and the Food Bank. We have informally started calling this space “the farm.”

Click here to read more about the AHS Garden Restoration Group, their plans, and how you can help. Currently, they are in need of brown cardboard to act as weed suppression. If you have any, please bring them to room 201. There is also a Garden Wish List of items needed plus two clean up days already planned for November. All are welcome to join! Learn more here.

APC in Action

Friday, Oct 7 was a Snack Attack Day for the Acalanes Staff!

Thank you to our Staff Appreciation team, Jennifer McCarthy and Kendra Uffelman, for creating this yummy Snack Bar for all our Acalanes Staff. Your generous donations to APC allow us to make sure the staff know how much we appreciate all they do to support our students.

Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Contact APC here with any questions.

APC Membership & Fundraising

Support Acalanes by shopping Amazon! Did you know that Amazon Prime Early Access Sale is this week on Tuesday, Oct 11 & Wednesday, Oct 12?  You can support Acalanes every time you shop at Amazon! Simply click on this link to designate Acalanes Parents Club as your charity of choice! Then every time you shop at Smile.Amazon.com, you're supporting Acalanes!
 
Lafayette Res Run for Education – How Sweet!
Show your community spirit, and support Acalanes (Go Dons!) - sign up for the Lafayette Res Run for Education on Sunday, Oct 23. 15% of Acalanes designated registrations + donations go back to Acalanes Parents Club. Every registration counts! Be sure to select Acalanes when you register!
 
Need a sweet reason to register? The first 100 students from each school get a voucher for 1/4 lb of bulk candy from Zoonie's Candy Shop!
 
In 2021, the Lafayette Res Run for Education donated a record $42,568.75 to our local public schools. Learn more and register TODAY.

Parents Club Pro-Tip

ATTENDANCE Q&A - PART 2
What does my student do if they are marked absent by their teacher and it is an error?
Have the student come into the attendance office to get a teacher correction form.
 
Do I need to excuse my student if they already have an early dismissal for sports?
No. Early sports dismissals are included in the Daily Don (email and/or text) sent from the office each morning.
 
If my student returns with a medical/dental note, do I still need to call the attendance line?
Yes, the absence still needs to be verified by a parent. Please call the 24-hour attendance line at 925-280-3973.

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

Campus Clean Up - Saturday Nov 5, 11am-2pm
It’s time for our Fall Campus Clean Up! Earn service hours, connect with our Acalanes community, and share in Dons’ pride. Students, parents, teachers, and community welcome. Click here to sign up. Questions? Email denisecain4@icloud.com

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

Proud to welcome our Latine Heritage Month Speaker! Singer, record executive & advocate Doris Anahi Munoz will join us in conversation on Wednesday, Oct 12 at 6:30. She is a powerful voice, writing her own story and lifting young people on their own journeys. Disney will be releasing her documentary, Mija, soon.
 
According to the New York Times, a music career is a risky bet. Our guest speaker, Doris Anahi Munoz, didn’t let that intimidate her. Leveraging her experience at Sony Music and Columbia Records, at 23 years old Munoz started her own management company with the distinct purpose of creating opportunities for emerging Latinx indie artists. In her personal life, Munoz, a first-generation Angelina, felt the weight of securing a life for her own family in the US. In response, Munoz formed an advocacy group that amplifies the voice of immigrant communities through the power of music, solidarity and the arts. 
 
Join us for this special evening when Doris will tell us in her own words about the pressures of success, how she ended up pursuing her own singing career and why she stays committed to diversifying the music industry and offering arts mentorship for BIPOC youth.  Sign up here. Event open to students, parents, teachers, staff and wider Acalanes community.
 
Read more about Doris in Rolling Stone and listen to her music. Have something to contribute or a question? Contact us. Co-sponsored by Acalanes Student Government and Acalanes Parents Club.

Parent Education

Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD) Governing Board Candidate Forum
Wednesday, Oct 12, 7pm
Del Valle Education Center, Rm 401
Moderated by the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley
Click here for full flyer
 
The Emotionally Naked Truth About Youth Suicide
Speaker: Anne Moss Rogers
Tuesday, Oct 18, 6:30-8:30pm
 Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church (49 Knox Dr. Lafayette)
Hosted by LafSD, AHS, St. Perpetua, APC and DPEC
For more information and to register click here  

We are excited to Introduce the AUHSD monthly Wellness Parent Education Web Series
Counseling & Parent Education (COPE) Presents:
Recognizing Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Yourself and Your Child
Tuesday, Oct 18, 6-7 pm on Zoom
Register Here
Click here to view full series and Save the Date now for all of these important discussions.
All sessions will be recorded and shared on the District website.

Student Activities

An Acalanes Community Night with Doris Anahi Munoz
Wednesday, Oct 12 at 6:30pm via zoom
We invite parents, students, staff and our community to an interactive dialogue with Latina musician, record executive and activist, Doris Munoz. Doris is a musician and arts advocate from Los Angeles, California. She released her critically acclaimed debut EP “Aprendiendo por las Malas” during summer 2022, and is the subject of Mija, a Disney original documentary focused on Doris’ years as an artist manager supporting her family’s immigration journey. It is due to be released on the Disney+ platform soon. Please join us for this important conversation with Doris! Register here.
 
Breaking Down the Walls
This week, we are very excited to be hosting Breaking Down the Walls for our 10th and 11th graders.  The Breaking Down the Walls program is a unique opportunity for students and staff to connect, share their stories, and realize..."it's hard to hate someone whose story you know." This program creates a safe environment for students to build empathy and understanding through a "play, trust, learn" model. By first helping students laugh together, they start to trust one another and eventually want to learn from those outside their regular friend group. The assembly, training, and workshops leave everyone with the realization we are truly BETTER TOGETHER!
 
Students will be participating during one of the three days, assigned by last name:

 
The program will begin at 8:30 am in the Big Gym and run until the end of the school day. Lunch will be provided. If you have any questions, please contact your associate principal.
 
CARE Leaders-Applications now available
Acalanes is continuing our education around issues of equity. One of the ways we will do this is through CARE Week & CARE Workshops. They are all student led. We are looking for 50 leaders to lead a workshop during an academy period either on Wednesday, Nov 2 or Friday, November 4. We are looking for students who care about furthering equity education on campus and can be comfortable leading uncomfortable conversations.
Applications are now available and due no later than Friday, Oct 14. Opportunity is for current 11th and 12th graders.

Unified Soccer
Wednesday, Oct 12 @ lunch
Encourage your student to show up to the stadium & cheer on our essential skills students in their unified soccer match!
 
As always, if there is anything we can do for you or your student, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
 
Katherine Walton, Leadership Teacher

College & Career

SENIORS
California State Applications: Every day during the month of October and November, the CCC is open to help with the Cal State application. It takes less than 1 hour.

FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid opened Oct 1. The state is asking all seniors to fill out the FAFSA or to opt-out.

UC/Common App: Sign up for Levy academy sessions to get support.

College Visits This Week in the CCC Office: Sign up on the Naviance home page. Scroll to the bottom of the home page to see “What’s New” or email to register at least 24 hours in advance. Have your students speak with their teachers to get permission. Follow the CCC instagram @ahs_college_career for timing each week.

• Tuesday, Oct 11: Kenyon College, Stony Brook, UCSB,Univ. Of Colorado, Boulder, Southwestern, Penn State University
• Wednesday, Oct 12: Cal Lutheran Univ., NYU, University of Tampa, Babson College
• Thursday, Oct 13: Scripps College, Michigan State
• Friday, Oct 14: Reed College, Nova Southeastern, Louisiana State University, Lawrence University

UC/Common Application Support: Your student can click here to make an appointment to work on essays or get help with the entire process.

JUNIORS
Internship Opportunity: Junior Achievement is looking for future entrepreneurs for a year-long business program

College Visits: Please have your student join college visits if they are interested in learning more about universities. It’s a fun way to check out majors, clubs, and study abroad options.

Volunteer Opportunities: Encourage your child to check out these great places to give back!

SOPHOMORES/FROSH
Internship Opportunity: Junior Achievement is looking for future entrepreneurs for a year-long business program
 
Volunteer Opportunity: This is also a good site to search for teen volunteer work.
 
Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support.  

Counseling

Counselor assignments are by last name.
A-Em Anne Schonauer  
En-Kr Christine Todd  
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows 
Roh-Z Susan Martin

Individual Student Appointments
Now that the first grading period is over, counselors are trying to check in with students with multiple D’s and F’s. They are also finishing up with Seniors to discuss post-high school plans. Individual Frosh appointments will begin in November.
 
AP Exam Registration Opened Oct 1
Sign up for AP Exams until Sunday, Nov 6. Late registration options are available, but will incur a late registration fee. Please see here for more details.
 
Weekend SAT Exams Canceled
Acalanes has canceled all weekend SAT exams and will only be holding school day SAT exams. We will be hosting a Senior only school day SAT this month and a Junior only school day SAT in the Spring. Information regarding test dates and registration will go out in the Daily Don so please keep an eye out for it. The College Board should notify and refund any students signed up for weekend SAT exams that were originally scheduled at Acalanes. Thank you for your understanding in regard to this change.

School Nurse

One Shot In Each Arm!  Protect your student against illness and missing school (and protect your community as well)! Make their appointments to get both the flu shot and their next Covid booster (now giving new bivalent version effective against variants). Many pediatrician’s offices and most pharmacies have them available.
 
COVID Please call in your student’s absence to the Attendance Recorder and continue to follow the district’s Covid guidance. The school is not notifying teachers, so students should access Canvas as much as possible and stay in contact with their teachers to communicate their remote progress in their classes. Here is a California COVID-19 Isolation & Quarantine Calculator. And here is additional information about staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
 
One Pill Can Kill LA Times article
THIS is an excellent resource for prevention and early action.
 
Please see my website for more information on medications, health issues, forms, etc.
 
Weekly Nutrition Tips:  
Look for seasonal fall fruits and vegetables (pumpkin?) and start integrating them into your meals (muffins, stews, etc).  Use pomegranate seeds to flavor yogurt, cereal, salads.

Dvora Citron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
925-280-2970 x7128
IG:  acalanesschoolnurse

Wellness Center

With SATs and AP Tests right around the corner, it may be beneficial to discuss test anxiety with your student. Test anxiety is actually a form of performance anxiety which affects 25-40% of students. While it’s perfectly normal for a student to feel nervous before a test, test anxiety can be overwhelming for students and disrupt their concentration and ability. Here are a couple steps you can take to support your student in combating their test anxiety:

• Positive self-talk can go a long way in altering one’s perception of their ability. Encourage your student to talk to themselves about how they would talk to a friend or loved one experiencing the same anxiety. We are often our own worst critic and, in many instances, we talk to ourselves more negatively than we would ever talk to someone else.
• Acceptance of mistakes can also shift your student’s mindset around their ability. First, remind your student that trying their best is realistically the most they can do. Even when trying our absolute best, people still make mistakes. Second, model this behavior for your students. Are you shaming your student when their best effort isn’t “good enough” or beating yourself up when you make a mistake? Offer grace in the face of mistakes. We’re all human after all.
• Teach test taking basics to your student so they might feel more confident when the time comes to take a test. Believe it or not, study skills and test taking strategies are learned. Just because students have to take tests, doesn’t mean they are actually equipped to do so successfully.

Source: kidshealth.org
 
Kiara Thomas- Wellness Intake Specialist