Weekly News & Announcements

APC Membership

Who is game for a friendly competition? See you at the finish line of the Lafayette Res Run for Education!
Will Acalanes finish the race with the most registrations among the high schools? Check out the chart at https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/Lafayette/LafayetteReservoirRun to see if Acalanes keeps the lead over Campolindo and Miramonte.
 
Sign up for the Lafayette Res Run for Education which will take place in-person on Sunday, October 24 starting at 8am with a virtual option, the Lafayette Reservoir Challenge, “running” through October 23, 2021. 10k goes around the Lafayette Reservoir, 5k and the 2 mile fun run/walk route is on Mt. Diablo Blvd. in downtown Lafayette. The Reservoir Challenge (virtual race) will NOT be available on Sunday, October 24 as the Reservoir will be closed for the 10K runners only. Help promote Lafayette’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, show your community spirit, and support YOUR school (Go Dons!) Register now at https://lafayettechamber.org/resrun.
 
In 2020, ResRun Reimagined (the fully virtual race) donated a record $32,185.17 to our local public schools. Learn more and register TODAY!
 
Kelly Daggs, VP Fundraising and Corporate Match

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

Thursday, Oct 21 at 7pm - ACA Pops Night in the PAC

This week’s ACA highlighted event is the Instrumental Music & Choral Pops Night!  ALL students and their families are invited and encouraged to attend this high energy, entertaining performance! It’s the first time band and choral students will be performing together. This fun event is a great way for students to show up to support their band & choral peers. A reception of yummy desserts will follow the performance. Free admittance for students and a $5 suggested donation for adults. Encourage your students to attend!

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Here are some opportunities for further inquiry on several topics:

• Before your child dons their favorite Halloween costume this year, ask them: are they using cultural appropriation? Watch how one teen feels about this practice: “My Culture is NOT a Costume”(Teen Vogue)
• Have you noticed the colorful new mural downtown by Uncle Yu’s? Learn more about this year’s theme here.  
• Philippine journalist Maria Ressa is only the 18th woman to win the Nobel Prize out of 109 given. The Nobel Foundation explains, “Part of it is that we go back in time to identify discoveries. We have to wait until they have been verified and validated before we can award the prize. There was an even larger bias against women then. There were far fewer women scientists if you go back 20 or 30 years.” In 2018, the committee said it would take steps to address the imbalance.
• At the intersection of Latine Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month, please enjoy this video of Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles!
• In 1969, a riot at the Stonewall Inn in New York city became a turning point in the fight for LGBTQ civil rights. The protest through the streets of New York City is memorialized as the annual Gay Pride parades that are now celebrated around the world.

Parent Education

“One of the most important things we adults can do for young children is to model the kind of person we would like them to be.” Carol B. Hillman

In case you missed it, here is a recording of Ron Lieber’s talk on how to talk to kids about money management, The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids who are Grounded, Generous, and Smart about Money.
 
Thursday, Oct 21 at 7pm - A free talk-hosted by Mountain View Los Altos Parent Education Speaker Series, featuring Dr. Michael Bradley: Yes, Your Teen is Crazy! Loving your Kid without Losing Your Mind via Zoom. Dr. Bradley is an award-winning author, who has counseled adolescents and their parents for over 30 years and currently has a private practice in suburban Philadelphia. As a recognized specialist in adolescent behavior and parenting, Dr. Bradley is in demand as a speaker and facilitator for mental health professionals, educators, and parenting groups. Registration link is here. 
 
Oct 5 through Dec 14 Bridging Differences, offered by the Greater Good Science Center with UC Berkeley is for those who may be interested in how to manage differences and improve relationships. Folks are allowed to audit the course for free. Registration link here.
 
Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts at parented@acalanesparentsclub.com.

Student Activities

Thursday, Oct 21 at 7pm Pops Concert
This week we have the Pops concert in the Performing Arts Center featuring Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and Choir. Don’t miss this Acalanes favorite!
 
Friday, Oct 22 at Lunch Environmental Wellness Carnival
Friday at lunch we have an environmental wellness carnival in the front quad. Students want to continue to educate students on the importance of sustainability, ways that they can get involved in the work and ways we can all be more responsible along with offering opportunities to decompress and learn more about our Wellness Center.
 
Monday Oct 25 through Friday Oct 29 Halloween Week
Stay tuned for the many plans for Halloween week. Should be spooky, scary & fun!
 
Homecoming Recap Videos
If you would like to watch Homecoming class skits or a HOCO recap video, check out the videos here. A big thank you to video production teacher Mr. Morford and students Jack Dunne, Cormac Maher, Yasmin Ward for filming & editing this year. Our hope is we can take the spirit, connection, and community, and continue to build in ways to create ACA Moments throughout the second quarter.
 
2021-2022 Clubs
We are just kicking off the 2nd semester and it is never too late to start attending club meetings. 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

It is extremely difficult to watch your children fail. Whether it be a test, college admission or mental health struggles, failure is a key component of life that teaches lessons and bolsters grit. Grit is a personality trait based in perseverance, passion and persistence for long term goals. Consider the value of your child developing grit for not only adolescent development but for their entire lifespan.

According to the work of psychologist Wendy Grolnick, parents who support their children’s autonomy by allowing them to try and fail, are setting themselves up to have engaged and independent adult children in the future. This is not to say that parents who rescue their children are bad parents, as it is human nature to want to see your loved ones succeed. Instead, this is a call to action in which parents should examine their perceived need to “fix” challenges their child may face.

So, how do you let your child fail?

• When you have the need to “fix” a particular situation, consider whether your involvement will hinder their long-term senses of autonomy and responsibility.
• Communicate the boundaries of what you will or will no longer be doing.
• Finally, celebrate when your child makes efforts to own their responsibilities and praise regardless of the results.

In the big picture, kids can do a lot more than we think they can. Failure is an invaluable tool that encourages long term growth.

Kiara Thomas, Wellness Intake Specialist

College & Career

SENIORS

• College Visits in the CCC (have your student come by for a pass before school)
  • Monday: Swarthmore, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Western Oregon, Drexel University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Portland State University
  • Tuesday: Pacific Northwest College of Art, Bryant University, Carnegie Mellon, Holy Names, Miami University
  • Wednesday: Southern Methodist University, University of Oklahoma, Whittier College, University of Richmond, Lewis & Clark
  • Thursday: Baylor University, George Washington University
  • Friday: St. Lawrence University, Marymount Manhattan, College of Charleston
• ACADEMY We will continue working on Cal State Applications, Common App, Coalition App, and UC apps this week!
• Virtual visits are upcoming. These are quite engaging!

JUNIORS

• Virtual College Visits Check out these interesting virtual visits- Midwest Colleges, November 2 - Art and Stem Fair

SOPHORMORES/FRESHMEN

• Volunteer and Work in the Community  Click here for some ideas to get youstarted. Here are the new forms for tracking your volunteer service hours for recognized awards.

RESOURCES

• CCC Website

Counseling

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

End of the First Quarter
Quarter grades were posted Friday, Oct 15 in Canvas and Aeries. Report cards were mailed home to families that are not observers in Canvas. Students that drop classes now will receive an F on their transcript. Sports eligibility was checked on Thursday/Friday of last week. Students need a 2.0 GPA and no more than 2 “F'' grades. Ineligible students were able to play over the weekend, but will not be able to play in any games after Oct 18.

Counselor Appointments
Counselors are checking in with all 9th graders during October. 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.

October is the Letter of Recommendation Writing Season!
Counselors are busy working on writing letters of recommendation for their students with ED/EA deadlines of Nov 1. If you are applying early to a school that needs a counselor letter, please see your counselor ASAP!

Ordering Official Transcripts for College Applications
Please go here for step by step instructions if you or your student needs to order transcripts to be sent to colleges. Official transcripts are sent electronically in most cases, so physical addresses are not necessary. 

School Nurse

• Need more masks? Many students are arriving at school without a mask. Please make sure to have a generous supply of clean masks at home for your students. Everyone wears a mask indoors (outdoors optional with social distancing) 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.

Quick Links

• AUHSD Safety Plan
• COVID-19 Vaccination Record Submission Form

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

Tuesday, Oct 19 from 4-9pm Join LPIE and Head to Canyon Club Brewery
Take it easy on Tuesday night! Head to Canyon Club Brewery, 1558 Canyon Road, Moraga, for food and drinks. Enjoy the patio and dine-in, or grab your food to go. Visit their website to learn all about Canyon Club Brewery or view menu options here.
 
Canyon Club owners Kevin and Stephanie Hamilton are parents of Lafayette students. They recognize the importance of local funding in our schools and have chosen to be LPIE Business Partners. We are extremely grateful for their support and hope you will in turn support their business by joining us on Tuesday (or any other day)! Hope to see you there!
 
Jennifer Palmer and Michele Colaco, Acalanes LPIE School Chairs
www.lpie.org, Follow us on Instagram

Performing Arts

POPS CONCERT
Acalanes Instrumental Music is excited to present the Pops Concert featuring the wonderful talents of Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and Choir. The concert is free of charge, however donations are encouraged.
 
DATE: Thursday, Oct 21
TIME: 7pm
Location: Acalanes HS Performing Arts Center (Face masks are required inside the PAC)
 
Please join Director Lauren Gibson and her talented students for a magical evening as they perform a variety of well-known pop music and movie theme songs! This concert will be dedicated to Ashley Dias, an alum of Acalanes and a former music student, who died in a tragic accident. 

ALMOST MAINE
Welcome to Almost, Maine, a place that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United States. It’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town, because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it almost doesn’t exist. One cold, clear, winter night, as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend—almost—in this delightful midwinter night’s dream.

Sports

This week’s can’t miss events:

Girls golf
Monday, Oct 18 DAL Championships at Diablo Creek GC at 9am.

Girls volleyball
Tuesday, Oct 19 host Campolindo HS. Freshmen at 4pm, JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Thursday, Oct 21 at Miramonte HS. Freshmen at 4pm, JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.

Girls tennis
Tuesday, Oct 19 v. Campolindo HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Thursday, Oct 21 v. Miramonte HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.

Girls water polo
Wednesday, Oct 20 host Campolindo HS. JV at 4pm and Varsity at 5pm.
Friday, Oct 22 and Saturday, Oct 23 NorCal Championships at Sacred Heart Prep HS.

Boys water polo
Wednesday, Oct 20 host Campolindo HS. Varsity at 6pm and JV at 7pm.
Saturday, Oct 23 host Redwood HS. Varsity at 3pm and JV at 4pm.

Cross country
Wednesday, Oct 20 DAL Center Meet at Newhall Park at 3:30pm.

Football
Friday, Oct 22 host Benicia HS. JV at 4:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Here are the Fall sports schedules (subject to change):

• Cross Country
• Football
• Girls Golf
• Girls Tennis
• Girls Volleyball
• Boys Water Polo
• Girls Water Polo