Weekly News & Announcements

General Announcements

Canvas Support for Parents
The Acalanes School District is offering ways for parents to receive additional Canvas help and information:

• Tuesday, Sept 15 from 5-6pm “Canvas 101” Session for Parents
  Click this Zoom link to attend. 
• Canvas Support website to help with login, setup and other support items.

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

There was a lot of ACA spirit on campus this past week with the pick-up of yearbooks, class t-shirts and Acalanes flags. Students were greeted in the drive-by pick up line by leadership students and class liaisons smiling widely under their masks. Some fun music and floating bubbles helped to add life to campus for our students. The ACA team is eager to share campus clean-up details once there is a reduction in smoke. The goal is to get teams of students and parents socially-distanced in zones to help spruce up campus so it will be ready to shine when a hybrid schedule goes into effect. Finally, the plans for our AHS Alums are starting to take shape. Know any “famous” alums (or ones with a great redemption story) who would be willing to share it? Let Dawn Brightbill or Sarah Cusumano know at aca@acalanesparentsclub.com if any of these efforts fire up your ACA spirit! 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

21 Week Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
Thank you for joining us for week 4 as we build habits supporting racial equity. Each week, we will suggest one article or activity which will help you become more educated and thoughtful in this area. 

Week 4 of 21:  ‘On Witness and Respair: A Personal Tragedy Followed by Pandemic’ Vanity Fair article by acclaimed novelist Jesmyn Ward

Tuesday, Sept 22 from 7-8:30pm Teacher-moderated Book Club: How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
The book, a NYTimes Bestseller, brings a "groundbreaking" approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society -- and in ourselves. The book is available at Orinda Books, and a portion of each sale will be donated to the Center for Antiracism Research. Spread the word, bring a friend! It’s perfectly fine to join even if you have not had a chance to finish the book. Book club registration here. 

And for extra credit prior to book club, listen to Brene Brown talking with author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi about his book.

New Bias Incident Reporting Tool!
Please let your student/s know that Acalanes has developed a tool to assist students in reporting racism or bias incidents. Please note that anyone can report can be made anonymously. More about this tool here. 

Thursday, Oct 1 Evening Discussion with Dr. Lori Watson
Mark your calendars for a parent education Zoom with racial equity consultant Dr. Lori Watson. Details to follow.

Interested in joining our committee? Have questions? Email us.

From the Activities Director

September Student Equity Newsletter

Tomorrow, Sept 14 from 1-3pm Class Shirts, Spirit Wear and Yearbook Late Pickup
Stop by room 314 to pick up class shirts, spirit wear and yearbook if your student missed the pickup day last week.

Tuesday, Sept 15 at Lunch Staff Student Trivia
Encourage your student to attend and participate in the staff-student trivia at lunch on Thursday. Students compete alongside staff members in pop culture trivia. We have 20 staff members confirmed to play; this is a great way to connect with staff outside of class! Zoom link will be sent via Canvas. 

Monday, Sept 21 Virtual Club Day
Next Monday in Canvas, we will dedicate a module to the 45 clubs on the Acalanes campus. Each club created a video advertising more about their club mission and goals. On September 23, 24 and 25 all clubs will hold their first meeting of the year. Zoom links will be sent to students. For up to date information, check out the Acalanes club page. 

Subscribe to Blueprint
Make sure you are subscribed to Acalanes Blueprint online. Lots of great features already up! First issue is released tomorrow.

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

This week, the district team of intake specialists attended the California Wellness Together conference, which would have taken place in Anaheim but due to the current circumstances was moved online. It was incredible to see how a virtual event of this magnitude could still have moments of incredible inspiration. The keynote speakers and each of the break-out sessions emphasized the importance of adults as protective factors for the stress that children, and all of us, are facing today. 

If you don’t know the work of Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, you can watch her TED talk here on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and their effect on health. And you can act on her prescription the minute you finish watching. Finally, you can talk to your kids about how taking care of themselves can help them achieve the thing they need the most - to know that their lives have purpose and meaning. 

Make sure they also know that Wellness is here for them and we can help them connect and thrive, even though the current conditions aren’t the way we’d all like them to be.

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

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

College & Career

Check out the Fall CCC Newsletter for updates!

Senior Academy
Academy is available on Wednesdays and Fridays for all Seniors working on college applications. Students have been emailed the Zoom link. Please have students check their AUHSD gmail accounts for all communications from the CCC. Students can book an individual meeting with me here. 

Tuesday, Oct 6 at 7pm Class of 2022 Parent/Student Presentation
Lots of great college planning information. Hear from your Class Liaisons, as well as Wendy Reicher and Counselor Susan Martin. Watch for Zoom link!

ICYMI If you weren’t able to attend last week’s webinar on “Navigating the College Admissions & Testing Landscape”, watch the replay here.

Freshman College Planning
Sophomore College Planning
Junior College Planning
Senior Checklist

• CCC Website 
• Follow us on Instagram: @acalanesccc
• Facebook Page for Students Have your senior or junior join the College and Career Student FB page 

Always feel free to contact me with questions:  wreicher@auhsdschools.org

Wendy Reicher

Counseling

Progress Reports
Progress reports will be in Canvas next week. Please encourage your students to use Peer Tutoring and use Academy time to check in with a teacher or counselor. 

Attention Seniors
Counselors sent Seniors a link to sign up for an appointment. On Tuesday, September 8 at 7pm, Counselors and Ms. Reicher will discuss the college application process and resources.

Transcripts
For Seniors ordering transcripts for college applications, we will start processing those around September 15. We are updating the school profile information. To request a transcript, have your list of colleges updated on Naviance and pay the $5 fee for official transcripts on the webstore. Mrs. Finn, the registrar, will process requests. If you absolutely need an official transcript before then, contact Mrs. Finn. Students can review unofficial transcripts in Aeries.

CSF
California Scholarship Federation (CSF) is an honor society. The application period this semester will be Sept 15-30.  Check the webstore next week. All grades of “CR” last semester will count toward eligibility for the September application period.

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. 

Counselor Assignments Student last names:
A- Ed  Anne Schonauer
Ee-Kr  Christine Todd
Ku-Ros  Marissa Meadows
Rot-Z  Susan Martin

School Nurse

Staying Vigilant About Staying Healthy
Even before we get the opportunity to physically return to school, we need to make staying vigilant about staying healthy part of our normal routine. There are a few new video resources on my google site. 

School Immunization Requirements are still in place
Please check in with your local pediatrician’s office, Primary Care Provider, or our County Health Department (call 925-313-6767 for additional hours through September).

Flu Vaccine
Beginning in October, please have everyone in your family get a Flu vaccine. We all want to stay as healthy as possible, individually and collectively as a community.  Reduced illness from flu will also ease the burden of illness from Covid in our hospital facilities.

Medical Forms and Medications at School
Please turn in any relevant medical forms your student might need for the 2020-21 school year. Those forms should be dated no earlier than June 2020. You can access forms here.

Still on Quarantine! Transitioning Back to School Routine After Summer Break

I like to share parenting resources and I love the site: 6seconds on emotional intelligence.  Right now they are offering a free Kindle version of this book: Whole Hearted Parenting. 

Please get in touch with me with any questions, concerns, and/or requests. I look forward to being in touch and connected!

Dvora Citron, RN, MS
Acalanes School Nurse Google Site
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
IG:  acalanesschoolnurse

Legislative News

If you haven’t completed the Census, please do so today!  The deadline is September 30, 2020.  Only 67.9% of Californians have completed the Census to date. For EVERY person that goes uncounted in the census, California loses $20,000 over ten years for our local communities. It only takes a few minutes and is as easy as 1, 2 or 3:

1. Online at https://my2020census.gov
2. By phone: 1-844-330-2020 
3. By mail: complete the paper form that you received in the mail, and mail it back.

LPIE

Lafayette public schools are among the best in the state because of parents and community members like you. It’s clear our community prioritizes education and your continued support of Lafayette Partners In Education (LPIE TK-12) has helped set our schools apart. We know this school year will be unlike any other, and our schools depend on donations from families like yours to maintain the level of education we want to give our students. 

Our new thermometer is up in downtown Lafayette, so please donate today and help us reach our goal to benefit all our students! 

Laura-Kate Rurka & Jennifer Palmer
Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

www.lpie.org

APC in Action

Friday, Sept 18 from 10-11:30am Dons Dialogue with Principal Bell
Save the date! Join Principal Bell online for timely updates on the latest AHS topics. Stay tuned for an event agenda and registration details.

Great News! Peer Tutoring is Back
Peer Tutors are available NOW to help students across all academic subjects! To access a tutor, encourage your student to visit TeachMore, select "Peer Tutoring" and access the Zoom link for the desired time slot. Peer Tutoring looks forward to being a vital part of the remote learning experience. And remember, Peer Tutoring is free to all families thanks to the generosity of your APC parent donations. Below is the Peer Tutoring schedule:

• Mondays from 10:00am-4:00pm
• Tuesdays and Thursdays during 7th period (2:00-3:00pm) 
• Wednesdays and Fridays during Academy (9:00 -10:00am)
• Tuesdays through Fridays after school from 3:00-4:00pm

General Announcements

Canvas Tutorial & Q&A Support
Acalanes parents and guardians! Check out this helpful 7 minute tutorial video on Canvas, for both the desktop and the app. Tip of the week for Canvas: Manage your notifications! 

1. You can manage your notifications by going onto the desktop and logging in. 
2. Click on “account”
3. Click on “notifications” and then select your options by toggling between right away, daily, weekly summary, or not at all. 

Student Work Permits
Students need to complete the following steps if they will be employed during this school year. Parents, please keep this information handy as a reference.

• Download this California Work Permit.
• Students fill out and sign the student information section, then have parents and employers fill out and sign their sections.  
• Scan the work permit to both Mrs. Perlman and Mrs. Gullberg in the main office.
• Once we receive a student work permit application, we will process it and let students know when they can pick it up from the main office.  

Contact us with questions:

Mrs. Gullberg, tel. 925.280.3970 ext. 7126
Mrs. Perlman, tel. 925.280.3970 ext. 7125

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

21 Week Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
Thank you for joining us for Week 3 as we build habits supporting racial equity. Each week, we will suggest one article or activity which will help you become more educated and thoughtful in this area. 

Week 3 of 21:  Confronting ‘intergroup anxiety.’  Explore why we may get tongue tied and blunder when we encounter people from groups unfamiliar to us. (5 minute video) 

Tuesday, Sept 22 from 7-8:30pm Teacher-moderated Book Club: How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
The book, a NYTimes Bestseller, brings a "groundbreaking" approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society -- and in ourselves. Copies are available at Orinda Books, and a portion of each sale will be donated to the Center for Antiracism Research. Book club registration here. 

And for extra credit prior to book club….listen to Brene Brown talking with Dr. Kendi about the book. 

Thursday, Oct 1
Save the Date! Mark your calendars for a parent education Zoom with racial equity consultant Dr. Lori Watson. Details to follow.

New Bias Incident Reporting Tool
Please let your student/s know that Acalanes has developed a tool to assist students in reporting racism or bias incidents. A report can be made anonymously and can be accessed using a valid auhsdschools.org email address. More about this tool here. 

Interested in joining our committee? Have questions? Email us.