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What APC does on Campus
- AHS Specific Enhancements such as Campus Clean-Up events, spirit banners in the parking lot, and new tents for outdoor activities.
- Grant-Funded Projects to enrich the campus and enhance the student experience. Past examples have included water filtration systems, classroom supplies, and new furniture for common spaces.
- APC Volunteers who devote countless hours working on both big and small projects throughout the school year.
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Things to Know this Week
- URGENT NEED... More Lunchtime Volunteers Needed ASAP! Free Lunch, specifically, free pizza lunch, has caused chaos and crowding during lunch and our staff needs our help. We are now asking for four parent volunteers, five days a week, to help pass out lunches and provide crowd control so that our Administration can focus on other campus issues. Please sign up here if you are able to work from 12:30-1:30pm any day of the week. Questions? Contact Caroline Volk cvolk@auhsdschools.org or Rebecca Ward rward@auhsdschools.org.
- AND... CORRECTION Regarding Lunchtime Volunteers - Already signed up to volunteer during lunch? We had a technical issue with our SignUpGenius and unfortunately, all existing sign ups were lost. PLEASE sign back in here and add your name back in. Thank you, and we are so sorry for the inconvenience!
- Attendance Procedures - Please remember that students must sign in and out in the Attendance Office when coming/leaving campus or when late to school for any reason. For the complete list of procedures, please refer to this document.
- Substitute Teachers Needed - Ever thought about being a substitute teacher? Flexible schedule, great academic environment, and earning potential! If so, now’s your chance. Acalanes Union High School District is in need of substitute teachers for all four high schools. Criteria and requirements have changed so if interested, please call (925) 280-3900 x6623 to inquire further.
- Submit Your Student’s Vaccination Status - If your student is vaccinated, you can submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination here. Vaccinated students are not subject to quarantine if they are asymptomatic and determined to be a close contact to a COVID-19 positive individual. If you do not have a Google account, which is required to submit the documents electronically, you may use your student’s school email address.
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APC Membership
2021-22 Donations to APC
We hope you see the value that Acalanes Parents Club brings to our campus. We are grateful for your donations this school year. If you haven’t had a chance to donate, you can do so here. And to make your donation go even further, don’t forget to check if your company has a corporate matching program by visiting Double The Donation. Thank you for being a part of the APC community! We couldn’t do it without you!
Kelly Daggs, VP Fundraising and Corporate Match -
APC in Action
APC Fall Grants: Submissions are Open! Applications due Oct 8, 2021
All ideas are welcome. Acalanes Parents Club is pleased to 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. Click here for criteria and application. Completed proposals and questions can be submitted by emailing APC Grants Coordinator Catherine Habas. Proposals can also be delivered to the APC box in the front office.
ICYMI - September Dons Dialogue
Click here for the slides used in last Friday’s conversation, and mark your calendars for our next Dons Dialogue, on Friday, Oct 15 at 8:45am! -
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
ACA IS BACK: Calling all Acalanes Alumni & Parents of Alums
One of the primary goals of ACA is to engage and better connect former students and their families to campus. An effort is underway to create an Acalanes Alumni Database that can be used to find ways to help former students remain active members of the ACA family after graduation. We invite all ages and classes of alumni to fill out the following Google form so you can be part of the lifelong ACA family. Click here to register. -
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Thursday, Sept 30 at 5:30-7:30pm Second “Teen Voices in Conversation” Event at Lafayette Library Outdoor Amphitheatre
Our city’s youth will lead their fellow Lafayette residents in a community conversation on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. What are the challenges we face, what actions are underway, and what type of future shall we strive for? Moderated by Dr. McPhatter-Harris, Director of Student Support, Equity and Inclusion for AUHSD. The event will be wheelchair accessible and all are welcome! Questions? Contact Jennifer Wakeman at jwakeman@ci.lafayette.ca.us or at (925) 299-3213.
Tuesday, Oct 12 from 6:00-8:00pm AUHSD Quarterly Book Read in the Miramonte Library. Miramonte High School's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Parent Committee will be hosting the first AUHSD Quarterly Book Read led by teacher Steve Poling. The group will be discussing The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee. This event is open to all parents who have students in the district. Seating is limited and masks are required for attendance. Reserve your spot today!
The pandemic has amplified housing insecurity for many Californians. Women in particular are finding it difficult to pay rent due to increased financial strains. According to the Urban Institute, a poll by the real estate site Avail shows almost a third of tenants (and half of landlords) are unaware of rental assistance options. Visit California Housingfor information on rental assistance, eviction protection, and foreclosure assistance.
Come celebrate Latine Heritage Month events! See the Student Activities section for details!
Facts corner:
U.S. women dominated at the summer Olympics! “If U.S. women were their own country, they would have finished fourth in the Olympic medal count, ahead of Great Britain, Japan, Australia, Germany, and nearly 200 other countries, and behind only the entire U.S. team, China, and the Russian Olympic Committee. Of Team USA’s 113 medals at these Games, 66 were won by women and 41 were won by men.” -
Parent Education
In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we have collated some resources for you including a crisis text line, teen mentalhealth website for your and your teen, a video on how to talk to your teens about about suicide, and a comprehensive parent guide (and guide in Spanish) on teen depression. Depression is one of the major risk factors for suicide, so parents can use this resource to be more informed. Don’t forget to utilize the resources that exist at our school, such as the Wellness Center, Counselors, and our School Nurse.
Monday, Sept 20 from 6:45-8:15pm via Zoom Miramonte Parent Ed Event
Miramonte is hosting their first parent education event of the year with Justine Fonte. Justine will talk about the impact of the pornography industry on the sexual health of our students in this digital age. How can we promote sex-positivity, healthy body image and relationships when pornography is the default sex ed for many teens? This session will examine these questions, equip parents to talk with their teen(s), and offer time for Q&A. Please click the link to register.
Tuesday, Sept 28 at 7pm Ron Lieber Talk
For those with teens who have aspirations for college, there is a free online talk about paying for college by Ron Lieber, award-winning writer/editor of the New York Times’ “Your Money” column. He will also provide another free online talk on how to teach teens about money on Thursday, Sept 30th at 7pm.
Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts: parented@acalanesparentsclub.com -
Student Activities
Sept 15 through Oct 15 Latine Heritage Month
Why celebrate Latine Heritage Month at Acalanes? As a school, we are dedicated to making all of our students feel welcome, safe, and appreciated, for we are all unique individuals. Our purpose with this month is to educate students and celebrate the different cultures in Latin Heritage.
Calendar of Events
There are many events for both students and our community:- Tomorrow! Monday, Sept 20 at 6pm Movie Night in the Library Watch LatinosBeyond Reel. All are welcome!
- Wednesday, Sept 22 at Lunch Staff & Student Quiz Bowl in room 314
- Monday, Sept 27 through Friday, Oct 1 Latine Door Decorating
- Friday, Sept 24 Equity Council during Walton’s Academy in room 314
- Monday, Oct 4 through Friday, Oct 8 Latine Heritage Scavenger Hunt in all hallways
- Wednesday, Oct 6 from 5:30-7:30pm Latine Potluck in the front quad. All are welcome!
- Thursday, Oct 14 at Lunch Guest Speaker Alberto Ledesma in room 314 (will be over Zoom). All are welcome!
Homecoming 2021-Let the Games Begin Sept 26-Oct 2
Homecoming is such a special time at Acalanes. It is a week-long opportunity for classes to bond along with community wide events. Please encourage your student to opt in to one or more events!
A couple highlights below along with the entire calendar of events.- Monday, Sept 20 - Friday, Oct 1 Canned Food Drive (class competition) - Let’s support the Contra Costa Food Bank as a way to give back during Homecoming. Students can donate cans or money ($1= 3 cans) in the morning by the flagpole or at lunch. In 2019, we donated 22,000 cans to the Food Bank.
- Sunday, Sept 26 from 10am-3pm Hallway Decorating - Students can show up any time and help their class transform their hallway. It is a social opportunity and it is incredible to see what the students create!
- Wednesday, Sept 29 from 7:30-9pm Student Dodgeball - A student favorite- dodgeball! Classes will compete against one another to see who takes student dodgeball in 2021.Students can come to watch or play.
- Friday, Oct 1 during Academy Homecoming Rally on the football field. A community favorite! Students are working so hard on class skits and it is our first rally as an Acalanes community in two years. Super special!
- Saturday, Oct 2 from 7-10pm A Night Out: Homecoming Event -Encourage your student to join for an evening full of games, arcade games, a game truck, mini golf, silent disco, ferris wheel, DJ, food, tarot card reader, air brush tattoos & a ferris wheel! Tickets are on sale via gofan. $25 with ASB; $55 without ASB.
Homecoming Event Chaperones NEEDED Saturday, Oct 2 from 7-10pm
In order to keep the event safe and not have to limit capacity, we are in need of parent chaperones. If we can’t ensure enough of an adult presence, we will need to cap the event. Please consider chaperoning, we are looking for 12 more (thank you to the 18 who already signed up!) parent chaperones. Please view this sign up and consider signing up today! Thank you!
2021-2022 Clubs
Clubs are continuing to meet and it is one of the BEST ways for students to get connected at Acalanes. Club meeting times and contact information are in the spreadsheet.
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
September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. Over the past week, Leadership students have successfully facilitated events that encourage students to look out for one another as well as remind students that they are not alone when life gets tough. From sharing struggles and triumphs, to providing crisis support resources, to encouraging the making of friendship bracelets for a stranger, Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month has allowed students the opportunity to reach out to one another in an integral way. A major goal of the Wellness Center is to ensure that students know that they are supported not only by school staff, but by their peers as well.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34, more than AIDS, lung disease, birth defects, flu, and cancer combined. Suicide is not inevitable for anyone. By starting the conversation, offering support, and directing help to those who need it, we can prevent suicides and save lives. Learn the warning signs and risk factors HERE and if your student shows signs of suicidal thoughts or behaviors, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255). Sources: suicidepreventionlifeline.org; ndbh.com. -
College & Career
Seniors
- Wednesday, Sept 22 during Academy in Room 314 Kickoff Senior Workshop: Dealing With Post-High School Planning Stress - Encourage your Senior to attend this workshop, featuring Leadership, Allen Choi from the Wellness Center, and Debbie Levy from the College & Career Center. The focus is providing hands-on strategies, techniques, and peer support to overcome fears and anxieties related to college admissions, deadlines, and post-high school planning.
- College Visits in the CCC - No visits this week, but virtual visits are upcoming.
- ACADEMY - This is a great time to get application support. Have your child sign up for Levy’s Academy on Wednesday and Friday!
Juniors
- Sept 28 and Oct 3 Join a College Visit - Check out these interesting virtual visits. I recommend the LIVE sessions, so your students can engage and ask specific questions related to their interests. There are hundreds of colleges to choose from at these virtual fairs!
Sophomores/Freshmen
- Volunteer and Work in the Community - Click here for some ideas to get you started. We will be visiting with all students this year to introduce them to Naviance and ways to expand their interests.
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
Counselor Appointments
Counselors are still meeting with seniors to review graduation status and talk specifics about post-high school plans. Counselors are pulling students out of elective classes for a 15-20 minute meeting, and they are also offering 6th and 7th period meeting options either in person or via Google Meets. If students need to see their counselor for any reason, they can stop by anytime! If our door is open, come on in! If it’s closed, leave us a note or send us an email.
Tomorrow! Monday, Sept 20 Progress Reports available in Aeries
Students and parents can access their progress reports on Aeries starting Monday. Log into Aeries with student email and network ID, click on grades, click on grades again, and you will see letter grades and teacher comments if applicable. This is the first of four grade reporting windows this semester.
Thursday, Sept 30 CSF Applications Due
The CSF application period is now open! Juniors and seniors, especially, should apply. You can download a form here or pick up a blank one in the counseling office. Turn in completed forms to the counseling office and pay dues on the webstore by September 30. CSF is an honor society to recognize students with high academic achievement. Please read the application for more information.
Last Day to Drop a Class is Friday, Oct 8
Students can still drop classes from their schedule through the end of the first quarter with no penalty. Nothing will go on the transcript. After that deadline, students will receive an automatic F on the transcript for that class. If you or your student is considering dropping a class, please come see your counselor before October 8. -
School Nurse
Flu Vaccines are now available! Reminders- Everyone wears a mask indoors and is 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 a medical condition and/or needs medication available at school, please go to this link on my webpage to get the appropriate forms. All forms need to be filled out completely and signed by both the parents and the physician. Please bring any/all unexpired medication in its original bottle directly to me so that I can review the required medical documentation at that time.
- 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.
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