-
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:
-
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.
-
Sports
This week’s can’t miss events:
Girls volleyball
Tuesday, Sept 21 host Las Lomas HS. Freshmen at 4pm, JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Thursday, Sept 23 at Northgate HS. Freshmen at 4:00 pm, JV at 5:00 and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Girls tennis
Tuesday, Sept 21 v. Northgate HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Thursday, Sept 23 v. College Park HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Girls water polo
Wednesday, Sept 22 at Las Lomas HS. JV at 4pm and Varsity at 5pm.
Friday, Sept 24 and Saturday, Sept 25 in Amanda McDonald Invitational at Menlo School.
Boys water polo
Wednesday, Sept 22 at Las Lomas HS. Varsity at 6pm and JV at 7pm.
Girls golf
Wednesday, Sept 22 v. Campolindo HS at Moraga CC at 3:30pm.
Football
Thursday, Sept 23 Freshmen host Monte Vista HS at 5pm.
Here are the Fall sports schedules (subject to change): -
What APC does for our Staff
- Teacher Professional Development
- Staff Appreciation Events
- Grant Funding
- Discretionary Funding for all AHS Staff
-
Things to Know this Week
- 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.
- Lunchtime Volunteers Needed - Our AHS lunch staff needs our help to reduce long lunch lines. If you have an hour to spare on any Monday, Wednesday or Friday, grab a friend and sign up here to help pass out lunches. This is a unique opportunity to be on campus for a quick hour and see our students in action. Questions? Contact Caroline Volk cvolk@auhsdschools.org or Rebecca Ward rward@auhsdschools.org.
- 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.
-
APC Membership
2021-22 Donations to APC
We hope you see the value that Acalanes Parents Club brings to our community. 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 DoubleThe 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
Friday, Sept 17 from 8:45-10:00am 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, a share out of the Student Belonging Assessment Data, get a Homecoming update from our Student Activities Director Katherine Walton, receive our monthly report from Student Leadership and more! Look for an email later this week with details and a Zoom link.
The first part of the meeting will be our APC General Meeting to approve our budget.
Looking forward to seeing you there! -
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)
Happy Yom Kippur!
Save the Date! Tuesday, Oct 12 at 7:00pmAUHSD’s DEI Book Club will be hosted by Miramonte High School. More info coming soon.
In case you missed it, the unstoppable Canadian tennis player Leylah Fernandez has defeated another US Open champion this week! Read how the US Open champions diversity, inclusion, and respect as its irreplaceable cornerstones.
September is Hunger Action Month, so it seems fitting to look at food insecurity right here in Contra Costa County. It turns out a staggering 40% of our children cannot access enough food every day, in part caused by food deserts -- neighborhoods without enough access to fresh produce or other fresh, healthy foods. How did this happen? Read this blog on root causes to find out more.Facts Corner
- 2020 saw a 6% increase in reported hate crimes, defined as “crimes directed against individuals because of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, gender or gender identity.” Although this represents the highest total in twelve years, the Anti-Defamation League reports this statistic is likely low. Learn more here.
-
Parent Education
How do we as parents help our teens become more technology-literate especially since they have so much access to it? What are the risks for our teens while on social media? The Social Dilemma can help you learn more about the risks. It is available for free in a variety of languages on YouTube until the end of the month.
You are invited to join Miramonte's first parent education event of the year with JustineFonte, Monday, Sept 20 from 6:45-8:15pm via Zoom about the impact of the pornography industry on the sexual health of our students. The digital age brings a new level of complexity with regard to sexuality. How do we understand our bodies, behaviors, and beliefs about sex when they are heavily influenced by pornography and other explicit media content? Our youth are particularly vulnerable. How can we promote sex-positivity 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.
Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts: parented@acalanesparentsclub.com
Social Media
