Weekly News & Announcements

Sports

Sports Season Begins! Monday, February 1 marked the beginning of the high school athletic season. Cross country, track and field, swimming and diving, boys tennis and boys and girls golf are beginning. It is an exciting time to see our student-athletes enjoying this opportunity. The projected start of baseball, softball and girls lacrosse is Monday, March 1.

The beginning of each sport may come quickly. Do not wait to complete your athletic clearance. Get it done now. You may access detailed instructions to complete the athletic clearance on Sportsnet here.

The sport camps will continue. The programs are set and may not add participants at this time. The next sport camp session will begin Monday, March 1. Football, boys and girls volleyball, boys lacrosse and wrestling are expected to conduct camps. You may contact the coach for more information here.

General Announcements

AHS Course Preview & Open House
As students begin to consider academic schedules for next year, there are several upcoming events to support our Dons:

• Week of Feb 1-5 during Academy: Course Preview Presentations Current Frosh, Sophomore and Junior students join AHS Counselors to learn more about classes available to each grade next fall. Zoom information is emailed directly to students. Encourage your Don to join in!
• Thursday, Feb 11 at 6pm Incoming Frosh Course Preview & Open House Webinar - Incoming 9th graders and their families and students new to Acalanes are invited to join Principal Bell for a live webinar outlining the course selection process and various ways for the family to get connected to the Acalanes Community. Register to attend this event here. 
• Thursday, Feb 11 at 6pm AHS Course Preview & Open House - AHS students and parents are welcome to tune in to a series of pre-recorded videos from AHS teachers on both elective and required courses. Visit the AHS website to view.

Valentine Grams
Support the class of 2024 with your purchase of a Valentine Gram! All Acalanes families can participate, whether or not you have a 9th grader! More details in the Class of 2024 section below. 

Reminder: Friday, Feb 12 Regular Instruction Day
Please remember that Friday, February 12 is now a regular instructional day, not a school holiday for students. Monday, February 15 remains a school holiday. Refer to the district calendar for details.

APC in Action

2020-21 Acalanes & President's Volunteer Service Awards Program
Spring is the time for students to submit their volunteer service applications and now is the time to start getting organized! Given the limited volunteer opportunities, we reduced the service hour minimum to 20 hours to help more students qualify for the Acalanes Award. The President's Volunteer Service award is a federal program and we cannot modify their minimum number of hours/program requirements. 

We encourage students to be creative with ideas that can turn into volunteer opportunities while following guidelines to keep yourself, families and neighbors safe.  Ideas to consider (verification of hours is still necessary):

• Grocery shopping or running errands for senior, disabled or at-risk neighbors
• Tutoring or Homework help (unpaid) for younger students in your neighborhood (non-family members)
• AHS Clubs focused on service such as Key Club, Children's Hospital, Equip for Equality, Environmental, Asian Student Union, SAGE, Protect Animals Worldwide

If you have a great idea about a way to be of service in your community and want to see if it qualifies under the AHS program, email us!  In the meantime, download the service award application forms here. Then submit completed, scanned applications between March 25 and April 10, 2021 to communityservice@acalanesparentsclub.com.

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

Every Thursday-Sunday between now and Feb 14 ACA STRONG Campus Light Display 5:30-9:00pm
The kick-off night that included Acalanes students DJing a local radio station while families drove through the campus light display was a huge hit! It’s not too late to check it out. Students, parents, siblings & community members are invited to drive through campus to enjoy the ACA STRONG light display and engage in some fun community spirit! 

When you come to campus, please consider bringing peanut butter and/or boxes of cereal to donate to the Monument Crisis Center. Donations can be placed in collection bins located by the flagpole.

February “We’ve Got Heart” Throughout Our Lafayette Community

• ACA STRONG Blue Heart Displays - Show your ACA Spirit by showing how much “heart” you have for Acalanes and our Lafayette community. Beginning tomorrow, chalk your driveway with a BIG BLUE heart, hang blue hearts in your windows & look out for blue hearts & ACA STRONG posters throughout Lafayette. Check out @ahs_dons on instagram to see pictures & to submit yours! 
  
  
• Local Gifts, Outdoor Dining & Take-Out in Lafayette - Local businesses and restaurants need our support more than ever! Restaurants are welcoming outside dining again and would appreciate patronage by Acalanes families in their outdoor seating areas or via take-out. Valentine’s Day is around the corner and local boutiques have some creative gift ideas. Check them out here. Let our local businesses know how much our ACA family supports them!

Questions, comments, or feedback, email aca@acalanesparentsclub.com.

LPIE

LPIE'S State of the Foundation: What's at Risk?
The 2020-21 school year looks completely different with most school traditions and experiences reimagined. It’s been hard on everyone and because of this, donations to LPIE are significantly down. 

So far, we’ve raised $2.5M towards our $4.3M goal.

Please take five minutes to hear six important points about the significance of LPIE funding and what's at risk next year. Click here.

Laura-Kate Rurka & Jennifer Palmer
Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

www.lpie.org

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in history. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. More here! 

• • Be sure to follow us on Instagram, where prominent Black Americans will be featured daily through Black History Month. Also follow Acalanes Diversity Board for student updates. 
  • See the full calendar of student events here. 

Thursday Feb 4 from 6:30-8pm - District Book Club Event
Dive into the novel “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Learn more and register here. Invite a friend! Event is open to all. 

Tuesday Feb 9, from 7-8:30pm - Racial Equity Series, Session 4
Join Dr. Lori Watson for a discussion on “Whiteness.” Zoom link will be sent out to all those registered prior to the meeting. 

Tuesday Feb 23 from 6:30-7:30pm - Private Virtual Speaker Event with Arshay Cooper, author of the novel “A Most Beautiful Thing” and co-star of the movie with the same name. Space is limited, so sign up here to ensure your spot! Purchase the book here, and watch the movie on Amazon Prime or Xfinity. The students will have access to a special film screening from Feb 19-21. 

We welcome you to join our committee.
Please email us if you have ideas or questions or you want more information! Stay current by visiting our webpage, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

From the Activities Director

Black History Month Kicks Off Tomorrow
There is a lot to celebrate, and a lot of dialogue in which to engage. We kick off Black History Month in cohort tomorrow and events continue throughout the month. Our challenge to the Acalanes community is to engage in at least one event. Check out the calendar of events here. Two community events to register for ahead of time:

• Wednesday, Feb 17 at 5pm Women in Leadership Series with Elizabeth Brown - Elizabeth Brown is a resident of Georgia and is a Director at the Housing Authority.  Prior to that, she was a Social Worker at The Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University in the Department of Psychiatry & Health Behavior. Link to register in advance.
• Tuesday, Feb 23 at 6:30pm Arshay Cooper Dialogue - Join us in conversation with author Arshay Cooper. The dialogue will be facilitated by an influential community member and 3 students: Ava Freeman, Franny Daughters, and Miles Burger. Arshay will share more about his life, trauma, police brutality, film career, experience as a rower, and more. The novel and film chronicles the first African American high school rowing team in this country (made up of young men, many of whom were in rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago, coming together to row in the same boat). Order your copy from Orinda Books and a percentage of the proceeds will go to a BSU selected charity. Please register in advance here. 

ACA STRONG Light Display
This school year has looked different and felt different AND YET we are here, together. We want each student & family to know that our community is strong and we stand together. Please join us as we display thousands of lights on our campus. We will “turn the lights on” at 5pm  on January 29, and every subsequent Thurs-Sun until Valentine’s Day. Drive through, admire the light display, and remember that we are ACA STRONG. It is an additional, fun way to connect to our campus and we encourage you to participate! 

ACA STRONG
We’ve got heart. Show your ACA Spirit by showing how much “heart” you have for Acalanes and our Lafayette community. Beginning tomorrow, chalk your driveway with a BIG BLUE heart, hang hearts in your windows and look out for blue hearts and ACA Strong posters throughout Lafayette. Check out @ahs_dons on Instagram to see pictures and submit yours!

Monday, February 1st at 5pm - Virtual Rally
Tune in to watch the first ever virtual rally with pre-recorded material and our rallies board live from the Frosh quad. It will be live streamed on the Acalanes YouTube page.

Jan 28-Feb 14 - Donate to Monument Crisis Center
During the ACA DAY drive-through, consider dropping off some of the most needed items for Monument Crisis Center - peanut butter & cereal. Donation boxes will remain at Acalanes through February 14th. 

Admin Tells All
At lunch on Thursday our administration will host a lunch dialogue to discuss any and all things with students. Does your student have questions about our return to hybrid, sports, course selection or something else? Encourage them to attend Admin Tells All!

Friday, Feb 5 During Academy COVID Cabaret Spring 2021 Musical Information Meeting
Is there a role in a show you’ve always wanted to play? Do you have a favorite Broadway song that you’ve always wanted to perform? Well we’re doing the Spring Musical a little differently this year due to the circumstances. Please join us for our first informational meeting in Academy on Friday, February 5th. While we are devastated we cannot perform together onstage, we are very excited about our upcoming Cabaret! You will have an opportunity to direct and star in your own 3-4 minute piece! Please join Gibson’s Academy link “Spring Musical” offering in TeachMore on Friday, February 5th for more information!

2020-2021 Clubs
Club meetings continue. Check out our 49 clubs! Clubs continue to be one of the best ways for students to connect. We will be pushing out more information on clubs at the end of the week. Please encourage your student to check canvas.

Student Government 2020-2021
We will begin the process of elected student government positions & committees within leadership next week. Look out for information sessions and application deadlines. Student government operates best when it has a variety of voices and experiences!

Save the Date! Wednesday, Feb 10 from 5:30-6:30pm Class of 2025 Drive Through Welcome
If you have or know of students coming to Acalanes next year, pass along this date! We want to welcome them to Acalanes with goodies, staff hellos, and a connection to campus!

If I can ever do anything to help you or your student, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director

Wellness Center

The following is a message from our Bring Change to Mind student leadership board:

“We are asking parents to help us spread the word about the BC2M club and a special opportunity. We will be co-hosting a district-wide meeting with all four BC2M clubs to have an open conversation about students' mental health. There will be various topics to choose from and a guest speaker. This district-wide meeting will be hosted on February 8th from 11-1 pm on zoom. To attend, students must RSVP: Bring Change 2 Mind District Summit (AUHSD) (google.com)

The deadline to RSVP is on Thursday, February 4th at 10 pm. This meeting is very important in sparking conversation amongst students and building a sense of community and understanding throughout the district. Invite a friend and help us spread the word on Instagram @bringchangetomindacalanes. 

We are especially interested in getting freshmen and sophomores who want to be involved in the effort to de-stigmatize mental illness! This is a great opportunity for them to connect with others, especially students in upper grades. Thank you!” 

Emily Ingram, Alara Rose, Kael Osborne, Anna Toldi, Zoë Weinstein, Rachel Zhang, and Taja Maycock. 

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

For updates, tips and advice, follow Wellness on Social Media: Instagram @acalaneswellness

College & Career

New! Feb 7 and Feb 9 at 7pm - Naviance Workshops for AHS families and students. Sign up here! Be sure to have your name displayed on your Zoom log in.

New! Job Opportunity - Local Food Group recently opened a kitchen in Lafayette and is looking for greeters/hosts. Tons of hours available! $14-$16/hr. Check job posting for application details.

New! All grade levels: Please take the time to fill out this questionnaire. Assist the CCC in developing new presentations.

Follow me on Instagram @acalanesccc and my new Facebook Page - community resources for our parents to get the most updated information on college related topics in the news.

Junior Families

• New! Feb 13 and Feb 17 Practice ACT and SAT Tests available for students - proctored under live test conditions; cost: $20ea. Sign up link.
• Parents: One-on-One Appointments - All juniors should book an individual meeting with Ms. Reicher here. Parents can absolutely join. Let’s make sure we are creating a solid timeline for post Acalanes planning. Day/Eve times available!
• No CC&C academy the week of Feb 1-7 as I’ll join our counselors in the course selection presentations to students.  Please encourage them to attend!

Sophomore Families: One-on-One Appointments
All sophomores and their families should book an individual meeting with Ms. Reicher here to discuss timelines, summer options and any college/career related planning.

Seniors: 

• NEW!  DVC enrollment presentation, please pre-register to attend here.
• Update college application results in Naviance.  
• Look for the required senior exit survey coming in March on Naviance.

Scholarships:

• Matt Lynn Scholarship - $1500-2000 awarded to college bound students intending to play varsity sports. Students check Naviance for application.
• Rossmoor Scholarship - $3000 award. Min. GPA 3.0 and max expected family contribution of $20k.
• Assistance League of Diablo Valley Scholarships - Philanthropic program aids students with college expenses based on need, school/community activities, and GPA. Applicants must be residents of Contra Costa County.
• AAUW Scholarship - $2000 awarded to a Senior woman who demonstrates a sustained commitment to community service as well as a grade point average of at least 3.0. Apply now!
• TZU Chi USA Scholars - $1500 awarded on the basis of financial need, academic achievement, and community involvement. Min GPA 3.0, Due 4/22.

Keep connected:

• CCC Website 
• Facebook Page for Students - Have your senior or junior join the College and Career Student FB page.

Thank you for all your support!
Wendy Reicher, College and Career Advisor: wreicher@auhsdschools.org

Counseling

Congratulations!
Counselors and all of Acalanes send congratulations to the students who were named National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists:  Kai Feinberg, Jamie Lattin, Morgan Mason, Isaiah Orlando, Madison Payne and Jackson Steele. These students were identified as National Merit Scholars based on their high scores on the PSAT and have submitted applications to continue to be considered for the Merit Scholarship competition. 

Course Selection
It’s that time of year again…as mentioned above, counselors will be hosting webinars during academy next week for current students to go over course selection. Students will need to make their selections online by Feb 19. Students should check Canvas and their school Gmail accounts for more information and instructions.

CSF Application Period Begins Feb 1
California Scholarship Federation’s spring application period begins on February 1. Current students in grades 10-12 should apply to this honor society. Students must apply every semester. Be on the lookout for an online application form and how to pay required dues on the webstore starting next week. 

Counselor Appointments
We love talking to our students! Email is the best way to reach us. Counselors have appointment slots for students and will email them a link for signing up. We are trying to reserve the limited slots outside of class time for students. Parents can schedule a time when students are in class. 

A- Ed  Anne Schonauer
Ee-Kr  Christine Todd
Ku-Ros  Marissa Meadows
Rot-Z  Susan Martin

Legislative News

Now that the Regional Stay-At-Home order has been lifted, there is hope that we will move into the red tier and then shift to a hybrid model for our schools. Governor Newsom’s efforts to encourage districts to reopen through incentives seem to be stalling, but some legislators who are critical of his plan think maybe there is room for compromise with Assembly Bill 10, which would mandate that schools reopen when they enter the red tier. With Gov. Newsom’s back-to-school plan all but doomed, what might it take to salvage it?  Either way, parents across the state are growing increasingly frustrated with the situation and some are advocating for change. Newly formed California-wide parent group turns up the pressure to reopen schools

School Nurse

• Current license: RN, LVN, EMT, or DDS, PharmD or MD. 
• Completed background check and TB Test (provided by Contra Costa County)
• Completed online mandatory trainings Covid-19 Vaccine Training (ca.gov)
• Ability to volunteer 24 hours a week from Sunday through Saturday. Hours vary depending on assignment.
• Candidates must be able to work at all Contra Costa sites and have reliable transportation. 
• If you can meet the minimum requirements, please complete the Volunteer Information Form and send to: COVID19Volunteers@cchealth.org.  

Performing & Visual Arts

Friday, Feb 5 During Academy COVID Cabaret Spring 2021 Musical Information Meeting
Is there a role in a show you’ve always wanted to play? Do you have a favorite Broadway song that you’ve always wanted to perform? Well we’re doing the Spring Musical a little differently this year due to the circumstances. Please join us for our first informational meeting during Academy on Friday, February 5. While we are devastated we cannot perform together onstage, we are very excited about our upcoming Cabaret! You will have an opportunity to direct and star in your own 3-4 minute piece! Please join Gibson’s Academy link “Spring Musical” offering in TeachMore on Friday, February 5th for more information!