• College & Career

    August 21, 2020

    Please have students check their AUHSD gmail accounts for communications from the CCC. Students can book an individual meeting with me here. I will host “Seniors only” academy on Wednesday and Friday for college applications workshops. I’ve also booked admissions rep visits for Juniors and Seniors on Mondays so make sure your student checks Naviance and signs up to attend via Zoom. 

    Tuesday, Aug 25 - 7pm
    Value-Priced College Night
    Back by popular demand! Join Tim Lenahan, “The College Finance Guy,” as he shares strategies on how to pay for college and find the best college for students at the lowest cost to the family. Interested Junior and Senior families, please use this Zoom link to attend. No advance registration is required. 

    Meeting ID: 869 9269 4783 
    Passcode: 161407 
    Phone number (669)900-9128 

    Tuesday, Sept 1 - 7-8pm
    Navigating the College Admissions & Testing Landscape
    Tried & True’s College Night presentation helps families learn how best to navigate standardized testing for the college admissions process. This informative hour covers topics including differences between the PSAT, SAT and ACT; how test scores are weighted in the admissions process; understanding the impact of Coronavirus on admissions and testing, and much more. Interested Freshmen, Sophomore and Junior families, register in advance and receive your login credentials here. 

    Freshman College Planning
    Sophomore College Planning
    Junior College Planning
    Senior Checklist

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

    Wendy Reicher

  • Counseling

    August 21, 2020
    Class Schedules Students cannot start a new class after Monday, Aug 24. Students may still drop a class (depending on credits and remaining schedule) until the end of the first quarter. Attention Seniors Counselors will start meeting with seniors individually in September to talk about post-high school planning. We are also working with Ms. Reicher, from our College and Career Center, on a presentation for seniors and their families about the college application process and how we can help you. Stay tuned for that in early September. Transcripts For seniors ordering transcripts to be sent to colleges for applications, we will start processing those around September 15. We are updating the school profile information. To request a transcript for college apps, 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.   Counselor Assignments by Student Last Names: We will be posting links to calendars soon. In the meantime, email is the best way to reach us. Counselor Assignments Student last names: A- Ed Anne Schonauer Ee-Kr  Christine Todd Ku-Ros  Marissa Meadows Rot-Z  Susan Martin 

  • School Nurse

    August 21, 2020

    August is Immunization Week!
    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).

    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

    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




     

  • Performing & Visual Arts

    August 21, 2020

    The APAB Board is seeking New Board Members If you have a passion for the arts, join us today! APAB has the following Board openings:
    • VP Choral (must have student in Choral to hold this role)
    • APAB Secretary
    • APAB Publicity Chair
    • APAB Parliamentarian
    Contact APAB President, Debra Bussey, if you’re interested in one of these positions or any other performing arts volunteer opportunities. Debra Bussey Acalanes Performing Arts

  • Legislative News

    August 21, 2020

    For reliable information on education legislation, school funding, and distance learning,  www.edsource.org is a great resource. If you have questions about the basic structure of school funding, www.ed100.org is also very useful.   

  • LPIE

    August 21, 2020
    LPIE at Work in school or at home, Lafayette Partners in Education dollars are at work!  Thanks to the annual donations from parents and the community, LPIE was able to provide a Chromebook for every Acalanes and Stanley student, and for any TK-5 student who needed one.  We hope all students (and parents) had a great first full week of school! Find out more at www.lpie.org. Laura-Kate Rurka & Jennifer Palmer Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

  • Sports

    August 21, 2020

    Athletic Clearances Use this down time to fill out athletic clearance paperwork for your student athlete. Forms can be found here. Fill them out with your pediatrician, then email Randy Takahashi for further instruction.  

  • Co-Presidents’ Weekly Message

    August 14, 2020
    Week one...Check!  Now that students have the first week under their belt and have had a chance to learn Canvas and get acquainted with their Virtual Academy Cohort teachers and peers, they are ready to move on to the next step of meeting the rest of their teachers and diving into classwork! Tomorrow, students will check in live with each teacher, then begin following the regular distance learning schedule on Tuesday (with the addition of a cohort meeting on Wednesday morning). The regular distance learning schedule can be found here. We had a great first Dons Dialogue last Friday with Principal Bell. As always, he gave our parents valuable information about distance learning, our Wellness Center, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts. He also answered several parent questions. If you didn’t get a chance to watch it live, click here for the recorded version. And mark your calendar for next month’s Dons Dialogue on September 18. This week, we have two great events for our parent community. APC’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee is hosting its first Forum on Race on Tuesday, August 18th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Please see their section below for more information.  On Thursday, August 20th the school is hosting the 2020-2021 Virtual Back to School Night. Watch your email for more information about that evening. We’re off to a great start and have lots to look forward to this week!  Acalanes Community Always, Kristen Labrosse & Angela Ketcham

  • APC in Action

    August 14, 2020
    Mark your calendar and join us for the following important events: Tuesday, Aug 18 at 6:30pm A Forum on Race Join our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team for a virtual discussion on Race. See details and registration information below.  ICYMI: Dons Dialogue Recording Click here to catch the recording of Friday’s Dons Dialogue with topics including Distance Learning, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Wellness. 

  • General Announcements

    August 14, 2020
    Acalanes Attendance Procedures All absences, including full school day, late zoom arrivals and early zoom departures need to be called in at 925-280-3973. Remember, it is the responsibility of parents to call the message recorder for each and every student absence including dental and medical appointments. All absences not cleared within 48-hours are turned into cuts. For your convenience, the AHS message recorder is available 24-hours a day. Please bookmark and refer to the AHS website for detailed instructions and additional information.  Textbook Return & Pickup At last count we have over 1000 unreturned textbooks and novels out from last year. Our fellow Dons need these books! Please find those materials and drop them anytime outside the AHS Library. For students missing textbooks for the current year, please visit campus this week, Tuesday through Friday from 2-4pm in the Library, to collect outstanding materials. Thursday, Aug 20 Virtual Back to School Night Watch your email this week for agenda details and instructions on how to participate. 

  • Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

    August 14, 2020

    It’s been great to see Acalanes Community Always spirit on display throughout the first week of school! Seniors woke up to decorated front doors on the first day of school thanks to class liaisons who made door decorating kits for senior families. If you haven’t seen the awesome video highlighting childhood photos of hundreds of seniors, it may help you get into the Back to School spirit. Next week, sophomores will experience ACA spirit thanks to their liaisons who have planned an awesome Sophomore Scavenger Hunt that will take them to local hot spots. Finally, be on the lookout for “ASB Spirit Card Welcome Here” blue decals at your favorite Lafayette businesses. Students with ASB cards will get discounts or free gifts when they show their cards. Want to join the fun? Email Dawn Brightbill & Sarah Cusumano at aca@acalanesparentslclub.com to get involved. 

  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

    August 14, 2020
    Tuesday, Aug 18 from 6:30-8:30pm Forum on Race We are proud to feature Dr. Lori Watson, a Racial Equity and Social Justice Consultant who is partnering with the Acalanes School District on these issues. We hope you’ll take part in this virtual discussion and learn about the vision, mission and goals of the DEI committee while participating in Q&A. Advance registration required. Tuesday, September 22 at 6:30pm 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. Stay tuned for registration and participation details. Check back with us again next week as we launch a 21-week challenge to engage each other on racial equity and bias with various podcasts, videos and articles. 

  • Sports

    August 14, 2020

    Acalanes Sports Camps The athletic department is conducting sports camps on campus as recently reported in Blueprint, Acalanes’ student newspaper. These camps are operating by state, county and district guidelines. Email Randy Takahashi for more information.

    Athletic Clearances Use this down time to fill out athletic clearance paperwork for your student athlete. Forms can be found here. Fill them out with your pediatrician, then email Randy Takahashi for further instruction.