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APC in Action
Parent VOLUNTEER Opportunities:
- Staff Appreciation Holiday Cookie Exchange. We need lots of volunteers to pull this off and give our Teachers & Staff a much-deserved treat. Please sign up here if you are able to bake and/or purchase holiday goodies.
- Finals Fuel. This is a wonderful way to get on campus and make a difference! Help our students finish strong by providing snacks in between their finals. Please sign up here if you are able to donate snacks and/or work a shift.
- Hot Lunch Help Monday through Friday 12:45-1:15 pm. Sign up here.
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LPIE
Giving Tuesday
November 30th is Giving Tuesday across the country. Here in Lafayette, a group of generous LPIE families will be matching all donations up to $150,000 from now until the end of 2021. Every dollar counts double, so now is the time to make a difference! Click here to join your friends and neighbors who have already donated. Thank you for continuing the legacy of giving in Lafayette to support our children’s education.
Time to Get Social
LPIE families are sponsoring three pay-to-play parties in the new year. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 3 at 9am. Check out our website for more information and a link to ticket sales.- Crab Feed: Saturday, February 5 at 5 pm - The LPIE Crab Feed is making a comeback! Join us in a covered, heated outdoor barn for live music, beer & wine, and all the crab you can eat.
- Family Fiesta: Friday, May 6 at 5:30 pm - Join us for a Family Fiesta Friday, May 6th! Hosted at the Wilson home, we'll serve up authentic Mexican food, margaritas and treats. Kids will be entertained with bouncy houses and activities.
- 90’s House Party - Yo! Yo! Yo!: Friday, May 13 at 6 pm - Don’t miss out on this totally 90’s throwback house party. We will have plenty of good street eats, drinks will be flowin’ and we will be playing all of your favorite 90’s jams on the turntables.
Jennifer Palmer and Michele Colaco, Acalanes LPIE School Chairs
www.lpie.org, Follow us on Instagram
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Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
Looking for a Way to Create a Holiday ACA Moment for a Family in Need?
The annual Acalanes Adopt-a-Family effort is underway to give a hand to those in need during the holiday season. Acalanes families can sign up to support another local family with holiday gift giving. Students can weigh in regarding what students their age may need, can help shop and wrap gifts. It’s easy to sign up:- Entire Family Sign up: Email Lily Hanzel with your preference of family size (small is1-2, medium at 3-4, and large is 5-6).
- Adopt a Single Person: Sign up to help one person.
Acalanes Adopt a Family is a terrific family activity to kick off the holiday season and create an ACA Moment!
Tomorrow, Nov 29 through Dec 10 Acalanes & Stanley Sock and Heavy Coat Drive
Another great way to give back is by supporting Acalanes Key Club & Leadership’s sock and heavy coat drive for a homeless encampment in Martinez. Donation bins will be at the AHS flagpole and in the attendance office in the morning and throughout the day. Thanks for your consideration of this meaningful community effort!
Jennifer Palmer and Michele Colaco, Acalanes LPIE School Chairs
www.lpie.org, Follow us on Instagram -
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Did you hear about the undefeated high school football team from Southern California? Not so unusual, except that the teamand coaches are all deaf. After a long string of losing seasons, the California School for the Deaf in Riverside went undefeated this season, and, for the first time in the school’s history, is vying for the division championship. Go Cubs!
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights begins at sundown tonight and is celebrated with eight days of nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. Interestingly, Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible but only in the books of Maccabees, making it less important than the major Jewish holy days like Passover, Yom Kippur, and Rosh Hashanah. This may come as a surprise to onlookers, who see the convenient amalgamation of “The Holidays,” allowing us to overlook the more significant religious observations. In fact the Jewish holy days of import fall throughout the school year bestowing a regular struggle on students who must choose between observing the holiday and being in school, attending sports, or other extracurricular events. -
Parent Education
Teens and Sleep, courtesy of our Campolindo Parent Ed Partners:
“Sleep isn’t a luxury. Memory and learning are thought to be consolidated during sleep, so it’s a requirement for adolescents and as vital to their health as the air they breathe and the food they eat. In fact, sleep helps teens eat better. It also allows them to manage stress.”
― Frances E. Jensen, MD, Author of The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults
“Sleep is vital for people of any age. For teens, though, profound mental, physical, social, and emotional development requires quality sleep.” According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, teenagers require 9-9.5 hours of sleep per night or maybe even more. In 2015, the Journal of Youth and Adolescence found that each hour of lost sleep is associated with a 38% increased risk of feeling sad or hopeless and a 58% increase in suicide attempts. Sleep deprivation causes some huge physiological effects when we don’t sleep enough: increased inflammation, immune system is compromised, cognition is decreased and mood is changed. Sleep actually allows the brain to be cleansed of toxins. Sleep allows for memories (ie new material learned in math class) to be stored. While you are sleeping, your pituitary gland releases growth hormone, which helps your body to healand grow.
Listen to this podcast on Sleep and The Teenage Brain here or watch one of this Ted Talkon the Teen Sleep epidemic or this Ted Talk by Valerie Crabtree on the importance of sleep.
Quick Tips for getting a better night sleep:- Stick to a regular sleep schedule
- Avoid electronics and digital screens for 1-2 hours prior to bedtime if possible or longer. Many experts recommend banning tech from the bedroom. Using tech at night not only cuts into teens’ sleep time, but it also exposes them to a type of light that suppresses the body’s production of sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, making it tougher to fall asleep.
- Avoid late afternoon or evening caffeine (Did you know that about 8 oz of chocolatecontains the same amount of caffeine as one cup of coffee?
- Exercise daily, but no less than four hours prior to bed if possible.
- Start each day in sunshine. Having breakfast outside or by a sunny window or going for a brisk walk or jog in the morning can help regulate the body’s biological clock.
- Maybe try a calming meditation or one of these podcasts to help fall asleep
Coming up: Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 4pm Challenge Success, a non-profit organization that focuses on the well-being of the student, will be hosting a Healthier Approach to College Admissions talk, helping parents to support their students’ well-being during the college admission process and beyond. Registration link is here with a recording sent afterwards for those who cannot attend the live event. Cost is $10.
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
Adopt a Family
Thank you to our incredible community for opting in to adopt 54 families this holiday season! We have a few individuals left on our Sign-Up Genius (you would adopt just 1 person, not an entire family). If you opted in, please shop & wrap your presents before December 10th. All gifts will be dropped off on the morning of Dec 10, and we will communicate details through e-mail. We are so grateful for our community’s support!
Sock & Heavy Coat Drive
Key Club & Leadership are running a sock and heavy coat (new or gently used) drive tomorrow through Dec 10 for a homeless encampment in Martinez. Donation bins will be at the flagpole in the morning and in the attendance office throughout the day. We are working in conjunction with the Stanley Leadership program to make this a community effort. Thank you in advance for your donations!
Acalanes Spirit Wear
If you ordered spiritwear, check your email! Pick-up will be Dec 9 in the afternoon and Dec 10 in the morning. We have a few more items available for purchase via the webstorel. Check them out!
This Week At a Glance:- Monday before school - Junior hot cocoa bonding
- Tuesday ALL DAY - Pizza My Heart fundraiser for the Class of 2025
- Wednesday Academy - Social media documentary and discussion in room 314
- Wednesday @ Lunch
- 9th/10th finals informational session covering Math, Science, and World Language in room 314
- Junior gingerbread cookie decorating
- Thursday @ Lunch - Finals informational session covering English and History in room 314
- Friday at Lunch - Junior Dreidel tournament and Friendly Faces activity
A Peek At The Week Ahead:
Winter week is next week with dress up days and winter-themed events!- Monday, Dec 6 - Pajama Day & movie showing in the big gym during lunch & Open Mic Night @ 6 PM at Sideboard.
- Tuesday, Dec 7 - Lumberjack Day & snowball stressbusters during lunch
- Wednesday, Dec 8 - Ugly Sweater Day, Holiday Educational Kahoot in 314 during lunch and Winter Around the World Potluck at 6 PM followed by the winter instrumental concert at 7 PM.
- Thursday, Dec 9 - Penguin Party
- Friday, Dec 10 - Frozen Friday! Hot cocoa in the quad before school, adopt-a-family wrapping party during academy, and snow globe making for Children’s Hospital in 314 during lunch.
Wednesday Dec 8 from 3:15-5:30pm in the Library ExamJam: All Students
Students can drop in to get questions answered by teachers on hand from each subject. Peer tutors will also be available for guidance. It is a great two hour block of time to jump into final exam preparation.
As always, I am here to support you and your students. If there is anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to reach out via e-mail.
Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director -
Wellness Center
In recent years you may have noticed a boom in the usage of the term “self care, the umbrella term for anything an individual does to maintain their physical, emotional and spiritual health.” It may seem as if this term is a new and trendy buzzword and that taking care of yourself is pretty rudimentary and self explanatory. Unfortunately, taking care of ourselves is extremely difficult when considering some of the challenges that we face on a day to day basis. Some barriers to self care may include:
- the mindlessness of daily routines in which we are driven by autopilot
- yielding to others needs before our own
- avoiding specific tasks that lead to the rationalization of why you just don’t have the time
Your student may be facing some of these barriers as well. This week, I challenge you to consider the benefit of self care not only for your personal wellbeing but for the wellbeing of your AHS student. “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” If your physical, emotional and spiritual health are depleted, are you really showing up for life to the best of your ability? By prioritizing effective health and wellness behaviors, your student will see that you are making it a point to take care of yourself and are more likely to follow suit. Talk to your student about self-care, start that mindfulness practice, dance around the house to your favorite music and find what feels nourishing to your soul.
Kiara Thomas, Wellness Intake Specialist -
College & Career
SENIORS
- Scholarship Opportunity: Check out this site for many scholarships!
- American Association of University Women (AAUW) offers three, $2,000 Scholarships to a graduating young woman from Acalanes, Campolindo and Miramonte who demonstrates a sustained commitment to community service as well as a grade point average of at least 3.0. If you know someone who meets these criteria, please share.
- Nov. 30 DVC will host a panel of course instructors and program coordinators will discuss their various fields. Attendees will learn about course offerings and career pathways. Featured areas include: Culinary Arts, Dental Hygiene, Industrial Design/Engineering, Pre-Apprenticeship and Music. Register here!
- Academy - We will continue working on Cal State Applications, Common App, Coalition App, and UC apps this week! Students can share essays on Google Docs with me too!
JUNIORS
- University of California TIPS! Check out this to learn the Comprehensive Review criteria for which the UC’s follow to evaluate students for admission.
- Nov. 30 DVC will host a panel of course instructors and program coordinators will discuss their various fields. Attendees will learn about course offerings and career pathways. Featured areas include: Culinary Arts, Dental Hygiene, Industrial Design/Engineering, Pre-Apprenticeship and Music. Register here!
SOPHOMORES/FRESHMEN
- Internship Opportunity! Recycle Smart is offering an internship program for student leaders striving for zero waste.
- 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
Tuesday, Dec 14 through Friday, Dec 17 Final Exams 2nd Quarter is going by fast! There are less than four weeks of school before finals week! Here is the finals week schedule:
Counselor Appointments Counselors are checking in with all 9th and 10th graders during November and December. We want to start getting to know them and help them as best we can! We are always seeing any student for drop-in appointments.
Progress Reports The third grading period of the semester ended on Friday, Nov 5. Grades were delayed due to technical issues, but updated grades can be viewed in Aeries and Canvas now. -
School Nurse
I know it’s November but I forgot to remind you about BREAST HEALTH in October! Check out the Daisy Wheel app to teach your daughters about SBE. I also have laminated paper Daisy Wheels in my office - come by to get one!
COVID VACCINE: I continue to encourage you to get your students and your families vaccinated. Please contact me for support if needed.
Proof of vaccination: Try this site: https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/
Got Masks? Many students are arriving at school without a mask. Please make sure to have a generous supply of clean masks in your car/your student’s car. ALSO in your student’s backpacks and lockers… Everyone wears a mask indoors (outdoors optional with social distancing) and all are encouraged to practice good hand hygiene.
Any student that has illness symptoms should stay home until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours. If your student has NOT been vaccinated for COVID-19 and/or has had a fever, please provide a negative COVID-19 test result before returning to school.
If there are any updates to your student’s vaccination record, please send me a copy. If your student is missing any required immunizations, they may not be able to be at school until those are complete. Please get in touch with me as soon as possible.
PLEASE EAT MORE PLANTS to keep your student and your family healthier and smarter. Try these yummy but healthy lemon oat pancakes with your family over Thanksgiving break!
Quick LinksPlease 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 -
APC in Action
Friday, Nov 19 8:45 to 10am Dons Dialogue with Principal Shawn
The meeting will take place both in the Collaboration Center and over Zoom. We will hear updates from Principal Shawn about happenings on campus, learn about Acalanes’ Finals Week and end of semester plans, welcome LPIE and AUHSD Superintendent Dr. John Nickerson as they speak about school budgets and funding, and receive our monthly report from Student Leadership!
Look for an email later this week with more details and a Zoom link.
Parent VOLUNTEER Opportunities:- Calling all Bakers! Friday, Dec 10 Staff Appreciation Cookie Exchange - The tradition is back and after 2 years we are excited to give our much deserving Staff a Holiday Cookie Exchange; we provide the treats for our staff to enjoy! Please sign up here if you are able to help out.
- Finals Fuel Monday Dec 6 through Friday, Dec 17 - Donate snacks, cash or volunteer to hand-out goodies to our students during Finals. Sign up here
- Hot Lunch Help - Monday through Friday 12:45-1:15 pm. Sign up here
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
November is National Native American HeritageMonth, and we continue to honor our Native American population. One of their many contributions to American society today is through food. Many popular dishes, like this delicious cornbread, have been adapted from traditional Native American recipes. Cornbread was a staple of the Native American diet for many years before Europeans arrived on the continent. Maize (corn), beans, and squash are often referred to as “The Three Sisters” as the Native Americans planted them to grow among each other, gaining strength from the other plants as they grew.
As we approach Thanksgiving, it might be interesting to think about the fact that the actual history of what happened in 1621 bears little resemblance to what most of us were taught in school, according to historians. There was likely no turkey served, for example, or feathered headdresses worn. And, initially, there was no effort by the Pilgrims to invite the Wampanoags to the feast they’d made possible. Read more in this article.
Tuesday, Nov 16 is “International Day for Tolerance” instituted by the United Nations.
Thursday, Nov 18 at 6pm - In support of Lamorinda Cities' “United Against Hate” Week, Nov 15 through 19, the Lafayette Community DEIB Committee invites everyone to participate in a guided conversation led by staff and students from the Acalanes Unified School District. Be part of the bridge building that connects our students and schools with our parents and neighbors in the community. Sign up here. -
Parent Education
Children don’t just need to be loved; they need to know that nothing they do will change the fact that they are loved.
Alfie Kohn
Lots of talks to have on your radar if you have the time, energy, and inclination (all online):
Monday, Nov. 15 at 7pm Navigating School District Services For Children with Special Needs - Talk Hosted by The Center for Children and Youth
Join this talk to learn about the Individual with Disabilities Education Act, 504 educational plans, and IEP’s(Individualized Education Program), and how the schools can support your child’s specific learning needs. Cost is $45.
Tuesday, Nov 16th at 7pm Colin Seale - The Question is the Answer: Practical Strategies to Unleash Critical Thinking At Home
MVLA Parent Speaker Series hosts Mr. Seale, an educator, attorney, and author of Thinking Like a Lawyer. He will share powerful, yet practical tools to equip parents to foster and engage critical thinking in their children. Registration link for this free event is here.
Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 4pm Challenge Success, a non-profit organization that focuses on the well-being of the student, will be hosting a Healthier Approach to College Admissions talk, helping parents to support their students’ well-being during the college admission process and beyond. Registration link is here with a recording sent afterwards for those who cannot attend the live event. Cost is $10.
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.
Social Media
