• Parent Education

    March 6, 2022

    My teenager is in this “my family doesn’t love me” phase. To flip the script I’ve been hugging and kissing his head. Sulking? I hug and kiss him. Groan, glare, eye roll, I hug and kiss him. And every time, regardless of how irritated he is, he smiles. I think it’s working. - Clint Edwards
     
    Wednesday, Mar 23 at 6:30 pm in the Miramonte High School Theater Miramonte Parent Ed will host Start Smart, an interactive safe driving class for teens. Attending students will receive a certificate from CHP (California Highway Patrol) to present to their insurance company. Details and registration here.
     
    Thursday, Mar 24 from 6:30 to 7:30pm in the Acalanes Library, Acalanes Parent Ed will host CynthiaMuchnick, M.A., author, speaker, educational consultant, and parent on Alternatives to College and College Prep. As a former Assistant Director of Admissions for the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago, she has extensive experience screening and reviewing thousands of college applications. Most recently, she has authored several books including The Parent Compass: Navigating your Teens Wellness and Academic Journey in Today’s Competitive World and countless articles including Alternatives to College: Exploring Other Routes. Cindy will be speaking in person and available to sign purchased books afterwards.
     
    Finally, if your teen is struggling with academics or feeling down or frustrated about school, don’t forget to connect with our Counselors, our Nurse, and our Wellness Center. Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts at parented@acalanesparentsclub.com.

  • Student Activities

    March 6, 2022

    Sunday, Mar 27 at 9am is the 3rd annual Color Run Fundraiser to support 2023 and 2024 classes. 1.5 mile run through the Acalanes campus with white t-shirts to wear through five color stations where participants will emerge in a rainbow of colors by the end of the run. Open to ALL students in the community. Click here for tickets.Register today as there are limited spots available!
     
    Spirit Week - THIS WEEK! We are so excited about the week ahead complete with dress-up days & lunchtime programming.

    • Monday
      • Dress-up Rainbow Day, Environmental Kahoot in room 314 at Lunch
    • Tuesday
      • Dress-up with Flower Power (70’s wear), flowers for sale in the front quad at Lunch
    • Wednesday
      • Dress-up in Class Colors (Seniors wear black, Juniors wear gray, Sophomores wear blue and Freshmen wear white), Mock Rock (class lip sync battle), food & music on the field at Lunch
    • Thursday
      • Dress-up with Crazy Sunglasses, Otter pops in the back quad at Lunch
    • Friday
      • Dress-up in Jerseys and Acalanes Unified Basketball in the big gym at Lunch

    2021-2022 Clubs Anyone can still join a club and now is the perfect time to do so! Check out our 2021-2022 Clubs (clubs highlighted in green are new as of this semester).
     
    Acalanes Spiritwear Looking for Acalanes gear or a welcome gift for the Class of 2026? Two options:

    • We have created a spirit pack geared for the Class of 2026. which includes a hooded black sweatshirt, car magnet, cinch pack and flag to fly at your house for $68.00. Proceeds generated from the spirit packs will benefit the Class of 2026.
    • Spiritwear is available for purchase on the Acalanes webstore. You can purchase here and once purchased, you will receive an email with directions for pick-up.

    Saturday, Apr 30 Junior & Senior Prom at Lake Chalet in Oakland

    • Tuesday, Mar 1 Tickets are live on the webstore
    • Tuesday, Mar 15 and Wednesday, Mar 16 Juniors & Seniors receive invitations in English classes
    • Wednesday, Mar 30 at lunch Bus Assignments begin

    As we end the 3rd Quarter, we want to say thank you for your enthusiasm & support for student activities. Katherine Walton, the Student Activities Director, is headed out on maternity leave. For any student activity questions, please contact Kat Bautista.

  • College & Career

    March 6, 2022

    Seniors

    • DVC Virtual Enrollment Support Click here for help. This process takes some time. Start now!
    • Lafayette Water Polo Scholarship available for seniors. Due Thursday, Mar 31

    Juniors

    • Out-of-State College Fair on Campus Wednesday, March 23, 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Campolindo, outside in the quad. RACC (Regional Admission Counselors of CA) will be holding an Out-of-State College Fair. Any grade is welcome, especially Juniors. The event is free and you can sign up here. Partial list of colleges attending:  Baylor, Clarkson, DePaul, Drexel, Elon, Franklin Univ. Switzerland, High Point, Hult International Business School, Indiana Univ. Bloomington, Loyola Univ. New Orleans, Purdue, Salve Regina, TCU, Ohio State, Univ. of Arizona, Univ. of Iowa, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Univ. of Roehampton London, Univ. of Utah, Washington State.
    • Practice ACT and SAT exams Click here to register for online practice tests on April 23 and April 30
    • Revolution Prep We are coordinating with this company to offer free virtual practice tests for 6 AP subjects: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP US History, AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based. The practice AP tests are live online, proctored by professional tutors, and will be offered on upcoming Saturdays until April 9th. Students will receive a score report immediately following the practice exam, just like our other practice tests. Your students can register for one or more ofthe practice tests here.

    Sophomores/Freshmen

    • National Park Service Youth Corps Looking for leadership opportunities for your teen? This is a paid, full-time outdoor opportunity for 15-18 year old students. Deadline Friday, Apr 15
    • Girls interested in Firefighting Local firefighters are working to empower girls and generate interest in firefighting careers on March 26 & March 27. Sign up here.

    Resources:

  • Counseling

    March 6, 2022

    Counselor assignments are by last name.
    A-Dr Anne Schonauer  
    Du-Kr Christine Todd  
    Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows 
    Roh-Z Susan Martin
     
    Friday, Mar 11 Deadline to Drop Classes For Second Semester
    If your student is thinking about dropping a class, please have them see their counselor before this deadline. 
     
    Academic Eligibility for Spring Sports
    Students playing AHS sports in the spring session need a 2.0+ GPA to stay eligible to participate. The 3rd quarter grades will be used to determine eligibility and will be checked at the end of the week of March 14th.
     
    Summer School Applications Available
    If your student has D or F grades from past semesters and they want to make them up, they can enroll in our Summer Schoolprogram. F grades in required classes need to be made up, D grades can be made up to stay 4-year college eligible. Please have your student see their counselor to sign up.
     
    Geometry for Advancement - Summer School
    If your 9th grader is doing well in Algebra 1 and wants to advance in math, we offer a summer Geometry class that enables students to enroll at the Algebra 2 level in 10th grade. Please contact your counselor for more information.

  • School Nurse

    March 6, 2022

    Concussions  If there is any possibility that your student has had a head injury/concussion, please make sure that your student is evaluated as soon as possible by a physician experienced in evaluating and treating concussion. Typically, that is your student’s primary care doctor/pediatrician. At Kaiser, concussions are typically treated through the Minor Injury Clinic. Here is the concussion packet families need if their student has a concussion, and here are some very informative podcasts from CLF.

    Trauma-Informed? Agencies and organizations are becoming educated and trained about the concept of being Trauma-Informed. Here is a short article on cultivating Trauma-Informed Parenting. 

    COVID  Please remain alert to COVID symptoms, continue to report COVID+ cases to us (especially Attendance) and keep your students home when they are ill. Most students are now eligible to get Vaccine boosters - PLEASE DO!!!  Our community is working hard to stay healthy and the high vaccination rate and observance of health department guidelines helps keep students in school learning. If you haven’t yet, please submit your students’ COVID vaccine records. Our District and Administration will be updating us with MASKguidelines.

    COVID Isolation, Quarantines and Test Kits The current guidelines for return to school after COVID illness require a negative COVID test (if returning before 10 days).  If your student is testing in the School Nurse Office, please make sure they register with Primary Health. School sites do NOT have more test kits to distribute. Please see Principal Shawn’s COVID FAQ’s for more details. We continue to update policy based on the County Health Department guidance.

    Make sure you always have your proof of vaccination! Try this site- https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/ iPhone users- you can now put your vaccinationrecord in your Apple Health app (and Apple Wallet).

    Tuesday, Apr 12 from 7pm ET to 8:30pm ET Mindfulness and Media Webinar to learn the steps you can take to help teens navigate technology in a savvy and healthy way.

    ANXIETY is not always BAD:  Tune in for this talk on GOOD ANXIETY.

    Invest In Your Student’s Future! How do you support them in Eating 5 A Day (Fruits and Vegetables)? Hint: Apples, bananas and oranges are portable and easy to grab on the way to school. Bags of cut-up veggies can be prepared in advance too.

    Please be in touch with me to discuss any medical, health, or wellness concerns.

    Stay healthy and be well,
    Dvora Citron, RN, MS
    dcitron@auhsdschools.org
    925-280-2970 x7128
    Acalanes School Nurse Google Site
    IG:  acalanesschoolnurse

  • Sports

    March 6, 2022

    This week’s can’t miss events:

    Softball
    Monday, Mar 7 host St. Patrick’s HS at 3:45 pm.
    Wednesday, Mar 10 host Hercules HS at 4pm.
    Thursday, Mar 11 Encinal HS at 4pm. Varsity is away and JV is home.
     
    Boys golf
    Monday, Mar 7 College Park HS at Contra Costa CC at 3pm.
    Tuesday, Mar 8 Las Lomas HS at Boundary Oak CC at 3pm.
     
    Girls lacrosse
    Tuesday, Mar 8 host Amador Valley HS. JV at 5:30 pm and Varsity at 7pm.
    Thursday, Mar 10 at Las Lomas HS. JV at 5:30 pm and Varsity at 7pm.
    Friday, Mar 11 at Ygnacio Valley HS at 7pm.
     
    Boys lacrosse
    Tuesday, Mar 8 at Bishop O’Dowd HS. JV at 5:30 pm and Varsity at 7:00 pm.
    Thursday, Mar 10 host Las Lomas HS. JV at 5:00 pm and Varsity at 7:00 pm.
    Friday, Mar 11 host College Park HS. JV at 5:00 pm and Varsity at 7:00 pm.

    Boys volleyball
    Tuesday, Mar 8 at College Park HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6pm.
    Thursday, Mar 10 host Las Lomas HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6pm.
    Saturday, Mar 5 Alhambra Jamboree.
     
    Boys tennis
    Thursday, Mar 10 Northgate HS at 3:30 pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
     
    Baseball
    Wednesday, Mar 9 Liberty HS at 4pm. Varsity is away and JV is home.
    Friday, Mar 11 Varsity and JV at Foothill HS at 4pm.
     
    Competitive sport cheer
    Friday, Mar 11 Alhambra HS at 6:30 pm and College Park HS at 7:30 pm.
     
    Click here for the full Winter Sports Schedule (subject to change)

    Luck of the Dons 2022 Booster Bash!
    Saturday, Mar 19, 6pm
    Contra Costa Country Club (801 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill) 

    Ticket sales end March 8th!  Buy yours today!
    Online Silent Auction will open March 6th!
     
    Silent auction goes live tomorrow, March 7th. Don’t miss out on some amazing opportunities! Access the silent auction here.


    Seelenbacher Jewelers has generously donated a stunning 14K white gold diamond halo pendant (set with one brilliant cut diamond weighing .75 carats and surrounded by 14 round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of .32) on an 18” cable style neck chain. Valued at $5,200, only 100 raffle tickets will be sold for $100 each. Please click here to purchase a ticket. 

    What does Boosters fund? Visit the site to read about all of the ways that Boosters supports our Acalanes athletes. Join the Daily Sports Report email list, and follow us on Twitter @AcalanesBooster!

  • APC in Action

    February 27, 2022

    We continue to support our cafeteria staff every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during lunch. We have a small core of parent volunteers who have been “regulars” and we can not thank them enough. Much gratitude goes to Jessica Langevin, Trisha Sanyal, David Melfi & Maria Nicolacakis for stepping up and helping out!  We can always use more hands so sign up here if you can spare a lunchtime or two. 

    APC Spring Grant Applications due this Friday, Mar 4 - We invite all AHS teachers, staff, students, and parents to submit a grant application for programming, materials or projects that enhance the educational experience for our school community; all ideas are welcome. Click here for criteria and application. Completed proposals and questions can be submitted to Catherine Habas or delivered to the APC Box in the front office.

  • Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

    February 27, 2022

    AHS Performing Arts is excited to present the timeless classic, Beauty and the Beast this week! Performances nightly Wednesday, March 2 through Saturday, March 5 at 7pm in the PAC. Tickets for the musical usually sell out quickly, so reserve your tickets here. Encourage your students to support their peers in the arts!

  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

    February 27, 2022

    Tuesday, Mar 1 from 6 to 8pm at St. Mary’s College. It’s not too late to catch the Black MentalHealth Series. Dr. Lynna McPhatter-Harris, Director of Student DEI at Acalanes Union High School District, and Dr. Carnetta Porter, Staff Therapist at Saint Mary’s Counseling and Psychological Services talk about how Black lives matter at a predominantly white institution. Join in person or via Zoom, must pre-register at link above.

    As part of their More Than a Month celebration, San Francisco Public Library is hosting free film screenings and literary events from now through the month of March, including Black inventors and Silicon Valley’s Black innovators.

    Facts corner: Did you know there was a Black Film Archive? Created last year by Maya S. Cade, it’s a living register of Black films from 1915 to 1979 that has been called “the definitive history of Black cinema.” This month the site highlights films from the 1920s through the 1970s.

  • Parent Education

    February 27, 2022

    The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice- Peggy O’Mara
     
    Tomorrow, Monday, Feb 28 at 6:30pm in the Miramonte Library. Miramonte Parent Ed will be hosting a talk on Achievement Pressure: What is it doing to our Kids? Speaker is Bryan Clark, PsyD. Masks will be required.
     
    Wednesday, Mar 23 at 6:30 pm at the Miramonte Theater. Miramonte Parent Ed will also be hosting Start Smart, an interactive safe driving class for teens. Attending students will receive a certificate from CHP (California Highway Patrol) to present to their insurance company.
     
    Thursday, Mar 24 Acalanes Parent Ed will be hosting Cynthia Muchnick, M.A., author, speaker, and educational consultant on Alternatives to College and College Prep. Cindy will be speaking in person and available to sign purchased books afterwards. More details soon!
     
    Finally, if your teen is struggling with academics or feeling down or frustrated about school, don’t forget to connect with our Counselors, our Nurse, and our Wellness Center. Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts at parented@acalanesparentsclub.com.

  • Student Activities

    February 27, 2022

    Sunday, Mar 27 at 9am is the 3rd annual Color Run Fundraiser to support 2023 and 2024 classes. 1.5 mile run through the Acalanes campus with white t-shirts to wear through five color stations where participants will emerge in a rainbow of colors by the end of the run. Open to ALL students in the community. Click here for tickets. Register today as there are limited spots available!
     
    Two opportunities to opt in this week to celebrate & learn about Black Excellence:
    Tomorrow, Monday, Feb 28 at lunch in room 314 is Staff & Student Jeopardy and Wednesday, Mar 2 at lunch in room 209 Feminist Club & Black Student Union dialogue.
     
    Additional Resources AUHSD 2022 Resolution-Recognizing & Honoring BlackExcellence Month, Support Black Owned Businesses in the Bay Area and Learn aboutBlack Excellence.
     
    Spirit Week - Save The Date! Spirit week is coming March 7-11! Look for more details soon about this fun week!
     
    2021-2022 Clubs Anyone can still join a club and now is the perfect time to do so! Check out our 2021-2022 Clubs (clubs highlighted in green are new as of this semester).
     
    Acalanes Spiritwear Looking for Acalanes gear or a welcome gift for the Class of 2026? Two options:

    • We have created a spirit pack geared for the Class of 2026. which includes a hooded black sweatshirt, car magnet, cinch pack and flag to fly at your house for $68.00. Proceeds generated from the spirit packs will benefit the Class of 2026.
    • Spiritwear is available for purchase on the Acalanes webstore. You can purchase here and once purchased, you will receive an email with directions for pick-up.

    Saturday, Apr 30 Junior & Senior Prom at Lake Chalet in Oakland
    Tuesday, Mar 1 Tickets go live on the webstore
    Tuesday, Mar 15 and Wednesday, Mar 16 Juniors & Seniors receive invitations
     
    Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director

  • College & Career

    February 27, 2022

    Seniors

    • DVC Virtual Enrollment Support- Click here for help. This process takes some time. Start now!
    • Future Educator?- $250 District-wide scholarship available. Friday, Mar 4 deadline.
    • Lafayette Water Polo Scholarship available for seniors. Due Thursday, Mar 31

    Juniors

    • Jobs available- Work at the movies!  Summer sports’ jobs!
    • Leadership Program- Scholarships available for virtual leadership summer training with Hands On Bay Area.
    • Out of State College Fair- Wednesday, Mar 23 from 6:30-8:30pm outside at Campolindo with 20+ university admission officers. Mark your calendars!

    Sophomores/Freshmen

    • National Park Service Youth Corps- Looking for leadership opportunities for your teen? This is a paid, full-time outdoor opportunity for 15-18 year old students. Deadline Friday, Apr 15
    • Resume Development- Have your child reach out to work on creating a resume!
    • Teen Volunteer This is a fun site for teen volunteers only. Check out the new formsfor tracking volunteer service hours for recognized service awards.

    Resources:

     

  • Counseling

    February 27, 2022

    Counselor assignments are by last name.
    A-Dr Anne Schonauer  
    Du-Kr Christine Todd  
    Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows 
    Roh-Z Susan Martin
     
    Tomorrow Monday, Feb 28. California Scholarship Federation (CSF) CSF applications due! Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors should apply. CSF is an honors society that recognizes strong academic performance. Students who have been members for at least 4 semesters receive special recognition. Please see the application for full membership policies. Turn in forms to the counseling office and email Anne Schonauerwith any questions.
     
    Friday, Mar 11 Deadline to drop classes for second semester. If your student is thinking about dropping a class, please have them see their counselor before this deadline.