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Parent Education
Students get diplomas when they graduate from high school, but I think they should also get diplomas for simply surviving the teen years.
Melanie Willard
We hope you were able to join us for The Well-Balanced Student Presentation with Laura Easley and Douglas Tsoi from Challenge Success, hosted by the APC Parent Education committee. It was a great event, and we hope to obtain a recording of the talk for those who might have missed. And many thanks to Allen Choi and Andie Nishimi for being panelists to help support our parents/guardians/teens further.
If you’d like more reading, here are the Best Greater Good Articles chosen by Greater Good editors from 2021. It has a wide range of topics so there should be something for all!
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
An Aca Leader is a role model that shows leadership and plays a big role throughout our school community. Each week, one student who stands out is chosen to be our week's Aca Leader. This week we are proud to have chosen 2 Aca Leaders, Taylor Mikalis, a frosh student on the Varsity Girls Soccer team and junior, Nikki McCarthy, on the Varsity Girls Basketball team! Our lady dons have both made such an impact on their teams and represent what an Aca Leader is! Congratulations!
Student Government applications for the 2022-2023 school year are available beginning tomorrow. All are welcome and encouraged to apply; applications can be found on canvas or the Acalanes leadership website and are due February 7th! Info meeting at lunch on February 1st in room 314. Students can opt in to run to be a class officer and represent their class or join one of 16 committees. Student Government/Leadership is a wonderful opportunity to serve campus & community while building “soft skills” that will be used in the future.
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? Look no further! 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.
Peek at the Week- Mon-Wed Frosh quad clean-up competition. Encourage your frosh student to pick up any and all trash in the quad at the end of lunch! We are tracking student participation for prizes.
- Wed @ lunch 2022 Vision Board Making in room 314
Save the Date:
February is Black History Month and
Saturday, Apr 30 Junior & Senior Prom at Lake Chalet in Oakland
Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director -
Wellness Center
With COVID cases back on the rise, there is no better time to quit a smoking or vaping habit than today. The lungs are at the forefront of your immune system. Inhaling irritants such as smoke and vapor can cause an even stronger immune response if exposed to COVID. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that not only are people that smoke and vape five to seven times more likely to test positive for COVID, but they are also more likely to develop serious complications if infected. Secondhand smoke from cigarettes and, even more so, from vaping poses an increased risk for anyone that may inhale infected droplets in the air. If you or your student has a smoking or vaping habit, check with your healthcare professional to discuss cessation options. Quitting smoking is not only beneficial to wellbeing during the Coronavirus pandemic but to long term health as well. (source: Coronavirus: Smoking, Vaping, Wildfire Smoke and Air Pollution | Johns HopkinsMedicine)
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College & Career
Seniors
- DVC Registration: Please have your senior sign up for Levy Academy on Wed. Feb 9 in the library. DVC admissions officers will be walking students through the registration process.
- Scholarship Tips
Juniors
- Tuesday, Feb 1 from 6 to 7pm Acalanes Bookclub Meeting will be on Zoom.Join other Junior parents to discuss Who Gets in and Why by Jeffrey Selingo.
- College Timeline- Check out these informative tips!
- Jobs available If your student is interested in work opportunities, there are loads of jobs available. Encourage your student to come by the CCC.
Sophomores/Freshmen
- College Timeline- There is plenty of time to enjoy high school exploration! Here are fun ideas and a timeline by one of my favorite resources- The College Essay Guy.
- Resume Development- Have your child reach out to work on creating a resume!
- Volunteer Here are some volunteer options to get you started. Check out the newforms for tracking volunteer service hours for recognized service awards.
Resources:
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Counseling
Counselor assignments are by last name.
A-Dr Anne Schonauer
Du-Kr Christine Todd
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows
Roh-Z Susan Martin
Course Selection for the 2022-2023 School Year Counselors visited 9th,10th, and 11th grade classrooms from Thursday, Jan 13 through Friday, Jan 21 to talk about the course selection process for next school year. Please have your student see their counselor asap if they missed this presentation and did not receive their course selection form! Please visit the Counseling website for videos and resources for choosing classes.
AHS Open House is Virtual this year! Open House will be on Thursday, January 27th. Please look for announcements with links to videos describing all of our classes. This is another great resource for helping your student choose classes for next year.
Counselors will collect Course Requests 1/31-2/3 Your student has an appointment scheduled with their counselor to turn in the course selection form and review classes in Aeries. This appointment is on the white label on their course selection sheet. This is a five minute appointment. Please make sure your student remembers this appointment. -
School Nurse
Thank you to Acalanes families for reporting COVID+ cases to us (especially Attendance), keeping your students home when they are ill, and making sure they have well-fitting masks that they wear correctly.
COVID Vaccine Most students are now eligible to get boosters - PLEASE DO!!! Despite the burden of COVID virus, our community is working hard to stay healthy and the high vaccination rate and observance of health department guidelines makes a significant difference and helps keep students in school learning. If you haven’t yet, please submit your students’ COVID vaccine records.
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). School sites do NOT have more test kits to distribute. Please see Principal Shawn’s COVID FAQ’sfor more details.
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).
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 -
LPIE
SNOW FUN IN TAHOE SWEEPSTAKES! Enjoy a Winter Wonderland Weekend in Lake Tahoe! A generous community member is giving away a home in Northstar for the weekend of February 18 through February 21, 2022.
We are halfway through the school year and there is still time to donate to help support YOUR child's education and help YOUR CLASS be the first to hit 100% participation! ClickHere to make your pledge or gift today and be entered into our "Snow Fun in Tahoe" sweepstakes. Your contribution to the LPIE Annual Giving Campaign made between January 11 through February 1 (by 3pm) will enter you for a chance to win. A sincere thank you to the more than 54% of families who have generously contributed to the Annual Giving Campaign to date! Stay safe and healthy in the new year!
Coming Soon: Project LPIE 2022 This week we are launching our annual Project LPIE competition. With 13 categories in a variety of disciplines, the contest is open to any AHS student and is a great opportunity for students to showcase their talents and potentially earn an award.
Jennifer Palmer and Michele Colaco, Acalanes LPIE School Chairs
www.lpie.org, Follow us on Instagram -
Sports
Luck of the Dons 2022 Booster Bash!
Saturday, Mar 19 at 6pm
Contra Costa Country Club (810 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill) -- $100 per person includes dinner, dancing, and one drink ticket
- Attire: Country Club Attire–wear Dons Blue or something that makes you feel lucky!
- PLEASE NOTE: Attendees will be required to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result within 72 hours of the event. Proof of vaccination can be submitted in advance of the party here.
The Booster Bash is back! This year’s Bash will feature silent and live auctions, fun contests, and most importantly, the opportunity to celebrate in person with the Acalanes Dons community. Proceeds from the event will go to support all 27 Acalanes sports and hundreds of Dons athletes. Buy your tickets today!
The Acalanes Boosters Club is a non-profit, fundraising organization composed of Acalanes High School parents and school administrators who work closely with the school’s coaches to ensure the safety and well-being of Acalanes student athletes by providing significant, supplemental funding to all twenty-seven sports programs.
Have a fantastic item to donate for the auction? We are still looking for vacation homes, sporting event tickets, and sign-up parties (or any other item or experience that you want to contribute). Please contact your team’s Booster Representative or email bash@acalanesboosters.org. Proceeds for items that are donated on behalf of your student’s team(s) are split 50/50: the team(s) receive 50% of the proceeds and the Boosters general fund (allocated to all sports) receives 50%.
What does Boosters fund? Visit the site to read about all of the ways that Boosters supports the Acalanes athletes. Join the Daily Sports Report email list, and follow us on Twitter @AcalanesBooster!
Click here for the full Winter Sports Schedule (subject to change) -
APC in Action
Friday, January 21 at 8:45 to 10am Dons Dialogue with Principal Shawn via Zoom.
The meeting will discuss the course selection process and timeline and feature staff from Visual and Performing Arts, Career Technical Education and STEM classes to discuss options for students as well as give a sneak peak of Open House and Course Preview night. As always we will have leadership give an update on all of the fun things planned next month for students! Register here for Dons Dialogue Zoom.
Hot Lunch Help
We continue to support our Cafe Staff this semester on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. We need 4 parents from 12:45 to 1:15 pm to help serve lunch and provide line management so that our staff & administration can focus where needed. Please sign up here if you are able to lend a hand.
Nominating Committee Volunteers NEEDED!
APC Nominating Committee needs your help! We are looking for volunteers to join the 2022 Nominating Committee to help fill our 2022-2023 APC Board. This role has small time commitment with large importance. The committee will begin this month. To volunteer, please contact Angela Ketcham, APC Parliamentarian at email or 925-286-9907. We look forward to working with you! We can’t do it without you!
AHS Volunteer Service Awards Reminder: Encourage your student to participate!
It’s not too late for students to give back to their community now and be recognized for their efforts by applying for the AHS Volunteer Service Award this spring. Details regarding the program and related forms can be accessed here. Students should log their hours on the application forms as they volunteer. To learn more about the program or where they can volunteer, students can drop by the College & Career Center or contact APC program liaison Amy Norstad with questions or for more information. -
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
A Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and activist known for his leadership in the 1960’s civil rights movement. He was inspired by his Christian beliefs and by Gandhi to combat racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. Join other families around the Bay to celebrate his important contributions on Monday at one of the 7 Bay Area Celebrations for MLK Jr. Day!
Facts Corner:
Your student might notice something different when they check the change in their pocket in the next few weeks! Writer, poet, and speaker Maya Angelou is the first Black woman to appear on a quarter. Her likeness on the coin is the first of a series honoring prominent women and their contributions to American history. -
Parent Education
The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence- Denis Waitley
This week! Thursday, Jan 20 at 6:30-8:00 pm via Zoom, The Well-Balanced Student Presentation with Laura Easley and Douglas Tsoi (Challenge Success) hosted by Acalanes Parent Ed. When we are too focused on grades and performance, we deny our children the time and energy they need to tackle the demanding work of growing up. Learn how you can establish a healthier home environment for your school-aged child, reduce their academic stress and increase resilience, creativity, and well-being. This talk is especially timely given all of the challenges our teens have had to face. Some AUHSD staff will also be present for questions at the end. Register here.
CANCELED Monday, Jan 24 at 6:30 pm Safe Driving Awareness Class in the Miramonte High School Theater. This has been canceled until further notice.
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
We had a great club day this past Friday & clubs are underway for 2nd semester. 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!)
Wednesday, Jan 19 at lunch in between the gyms - The environmental board is hosting tote bag making to promote sustainability and the elimination of plastic bags.
Spiritwear is still available on the Acalanes webstore and available for purchase. You can purchase here and once purchased, you will receive an email with directions for pick-up.
Student Government applications for the 2022-2023 school year will be available Monday, January 24 for all students including incoming 9th graders. Student Government/Leadership is a wonderful opportunity to serve campus & community while building “soft skills” that will be used in the future. Stay tuned for all the information!
Save the Date:
February is Black History Month and
Saturday, Apr 30 Junior & Senior Prom at Lake Chalet in Oakland
Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director
Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director -
College & Career
Seniors- Contra Costa County Historical Society Scholarship This essayscholarship may intrigue your student.
- Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation- If your family has financial need and your child has been actively involved in community service, please check out this generous $2,500 scholarship!
- American Association of University Women- (AAUW) $2,000 Scholarships. Tell senior women!
Juniors
- Tuesday, Feb 1 from 6 to 7pm Acalanes Bookclub Meeting will be on Zoom.Join other Junior parents to discuss Who Gets in and Why by Jeffrey Selingo.
- College Timeline- Check out these informative tips!
- New Job Posting- Vepublic in Walnut Creek is hiring fashion lovers! Commissions and bonuses available too.
Sophomores/Freshmen
- College Timeline- There is plenty of time to enjoy high school exploration! Here are fun ideas and a timeline by one of my favorite resources- The College Essay Guy.
- Resume Development- Have your child reach out to work on creating a resume!
- Volunteer Here are some volunteer options to get you started. Check out the newforms for tracking volunteer service hours for recognized service awards.
Resources:
Social Media
