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Wellness Center
We are providing real-time, online programming to support and connect students to Wellness Staff and peers but we need your help to get the word out. Students can access the Zoom programs by checking their School loop mail or news. We’re helping the students by creating space for them to process the experiences and emotions that come with this difficult transition. Our weekly programs will evolve to meet student needs and interests. They take place at noon each day as follows:
- Tuesday: Tea with Wellness
- Wednesday: Journaling through the Pandemic
- Thursday: Quarantine Cooking
- Friday: “Friday Focus” Mindfulness practices to manage stress
Parents can find important resources on Wellbeing and Mental Health here at the district website. You can continue to reach us during school hours at acalaneswellness@auhsdschools.org. (CS @5:30 4/10)
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Counseling
Summer School
Will be held at Acalanes this year and applications are available. Summer school is for students who need to repeat a required class because they have a D or F grade for the semester. Dates, times and more info is available here. Turn in application forms to your student’s counselor.We want to remind you of some valuable community resources:
Resource Reminder
For non-life threatening mental health support: Contra Costa Crisis Center: call 211 or text HOPE to 20121 available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for mental health needs. www.211cc.org can help you reach other community resources.In the event of a mental health emergency, please contact 911.
As a reminder, here are the counselor assignments and emails. Counselors prefer using the auhsdschools.org email but School Loop messages are also fine.
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College & Career
The CCC is alive and well, just remote!
Join me:
Fridays from 10:15-11am Zoom Academy “Things To Do for Juniors” Check school loop for invitation link.Facebook Page for Students
Have your senior or junior join the College and Career Student FB page to post where they are going to college and share information about the process with each other.Scholarships
This is a great time for seniors to look into scholarship options to support their college educations. Following are some to consider though there are hundreds to review online via a quick google search:- Matt Lynn Scholarship, email Ms. Reicher for details. Deadline April 10, 2020
- PB&J Scholarship Fund
- Wa Sung Community Service Club
Naviance Portal
Update Senior parents: now that many more decisions have come out, please ask your senior to update all college results on their Naviance Portal so that we can complete the senior survey and juniors can use the data in critical research.Student Meetings
I will be available via School Loop or email: Wendy Reicher to support all students. Seniors and Juniors: meet with me on the phone! To schedule appointments use this Calendly link. We can discuss application acceptances and rejections for seniors; for juniors, let’s talk about application prep questions, list development, use of Naviance and more.Internships
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan is seeking summer interns. Rising juniors and seniors submit a resume and cover letter to RebeccaBauer-Kahan@assembly.ca.gov with “Summer Internship Application” in the subject line of your email. -
Co-Presidents’ Message
What a month. What a week. What a day. We imagine that you are like us in processing the most recent news that distance learning could continue through the end of the school year. While it’s not a complete surprise given what’s happening in the world, it doesn’t make the impact of this possible reality any less jarring--for us as parents, and certainly for our students.
Our hearts especially go out to the Class of 2020 seniors and their families. There is no doubt they are feeling robbed that the spring quarter of their senior year may not play out as they had hoped and expected. We know that Katherine Walton, our amazing leadership teacher, along with help from senior class officers and parent class liaisons, are pulling together to explore creative ways to make sure senior traditions are kept intact one way or another but that doesn’t replace the loss and sadness many seniors may be feeling. We will communicate out to senior families as decisions are made regarding upcoming senior events.
While upcoming Acalanes and community events may not be the same as initially hoped and planned for, the Community Can’t Be Canceled campaign can be a silver lining during this unsettling time. The campaign, initially created by Acalanes leadership students to bring students together during Shelter in Place, has expanded beyond Acalanes to include the greater Lafayette community. The campaign is working to unite us all and use this time apart to come together. APC is excited to be part of this effort and will share ways in which AHS families can get involved.
The campaign kicks off some creative efforts this week with Lafayette to Go, a way for each class to support local Lafayette restaurants on a different night of the week. Later in the week, Let’s Paint This Town Blue! gives Dons a chance to show their spirit by decorating their homes, mailboxes & driveways. Finally, the Acalanes Athletics “Zoom Off” challenges Acalanes athletes across all sports to compete in a team spirit video competition. More details are provided below. Hopefully, there is something of interest to all students.
We hope your families remain safe and healthy.
Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano
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Wellness Center
Wellness will launch a virtual center this week with daily programming for students to connect with Wellness Staff and to engage in activities designed to help them navigate the pandemic from a strength-building perspective. Students will receive invitations to sign up for the programs via school loop. This week will be a soft-launch and the model will evolve as we learn more about students’ needs at this time. Please follow us on Instagram @acalaneswellness.
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Food Service – For All Students!
Two school sites in our District, Las Lomas High School and Campolindo High School, will be providing food to all community members Monday through Friday from 11am to 1pm. Meals can be picked up at the cafeteria windows.
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Acalanes Volunteer Service Awards Application Changes to Support Students
The goal of the program is to recognize students for their efforts in giving back. Qualification changes have been made to recognize students’ loss of opportunities to volunteer. Students who may have been short a few hours may now qualify. Changes:- Required hours have been reduced from 30 hours to 20 hours
- Application deadline has been extended to Friday, May 1
- Supervisor signatures: If you’re unable to get a supervisor’s signature, please make a notation in your application. If you choose to use the Helper Helper App for verification, contact Katherine Walton for password & assistance.
To apply, follow instructions on Application & Verification forms. Students can now email applications here by taking photos of their forms. The new process may be confusing, so email questions to APC program coordinators! For more info, view program overview, instructions & guidelines.
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Acalanes Performing Arts Booster Scholarship Available
The Acalanes Performing Arts Boosters are proud to announce its $1,000 scholarship available to a graduating senior who has demonstrated passion and commitment to the Performing Arts at AHS and who intends to pursue a major or minor college degree in the Performing Art. Applications are available now and must be submitted by May 1. The winner will be announced at Senior Award Night. Click here for the application.
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College & Career
The CCC is alive and well, remote!
Join me:
- Fridays from 10:15-11am Zoom Academy “Things To Do for Juniors” Check school loop for invitation link.
- Tuesday, March 31 from 7-7:30p Zoom Naviance Workshop for AHS Parents Check school loop for link.
Facebook Page for Students
Have your senior or junior join the College and Career Student FB page to post where they are going to college and share information about the process with each other.Scholarships
This is a great time for seniors to look into scholarship options to support their college educations. Following are some to consider though there are hundreds to review online via a quick google search.- Jewish Community Federation Scholarship Deadline: March 31, 2020
- CCAR (Contra Costa Association of Realtors) Deadline March 31, 2020
- Ivy & Pearls Deadline March 31, 2020
- Matt Lynn Scholarship, email Ms. Reicher for details. Deadline April 10, 2020
- PB&J Scholarship Fund
- Wa Sung Community Service Club
Naviance Portal Update
Senior parents: now that many more decisions have come out, please ask your senior to update all college results on their Naviance Portal so that we can complete the senior survey and juniors can use the data in critical research.Student Support
I will be available via School Loop or email: Wendy Reicher to support all students. Seniors and Juniors: meet with me on the phone! To schedule appointments use this Calendly link. We can discuss application acceptances and rejections for seniors; for juniors, let’s talk about application prep questions, list development, use of Naviance and more.Internships
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan is seeking summer interns. Rising juniors and seniors submit a resume and cover letter to RebeccaBauer-Kahan@assembly.ca.gov with “Summer Internship Application” in the subject line of your email.Buck Scholars
Buck Fellows Program for Sophomores, provides two years of mentorship for college, funding for enrichment, test prep and more. Deadline April 1, 2020. -
Co-Associate Principals’ Message
Wonderful Dons Community,
What a month this has been. We started March excited to plan the Spring and are ending it dealing with something none of us have ever experienced. We know how hard this has been for all of us, especially our students. If you have not already, please follow @ahs_dons on Instagram and our Blueprint Online to help stay connected. We are proud to see what our community is doing right now to take care of one another in these unprecedented times.
Please take the next week to take care of yourselves, we look forward to connecting after spring break.
Go Dons,
Andrea Powers and Mike Plant
#communitycantbecanceld #DonsShowUp #LoveLafayetteAlso, here’s Principal Bell and Associate Principals Andrea Powers and Mike Plant wishing all Dons students a safe and healthy spring break. Watch their message here.
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Food Service – For All Students!
Two school sites in our District, Las Lomas High School and Campolindo High School, will be providing food to all community members Monday through Friday from 11am to 1pm. Meals can be picked up at the cafeteria windows.
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School and District Updates
We continue to encourage you to check your emails and texts for important information from the school and district about the Coronavirus. You can also find information on the AHS Coronavirus Update & Postponed Events page as well as the AUHSD (District) home page.
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Wellness Center
The AUHSD Wellness Centers were designed to provide on-site, school-based mental health, social, and emotional student support. This unprecedented challenge requires a significant shift in how we support students in isolating times, and in turn, requires implementing new technologies, policies and practices, and training. We must do all of these things while still adhering to existing rules and regulations and creating programming that students actually want.
Over the past two weeks, we have been: communicating with students via Instagram (@acalaneswellness) to offer mindfulness-based stress management strategies; maintaining continuity-of-care with specific families and students who had been receiving existing Wellness support; and, of course, creating a longer-term, post-spring break Wellness plan with other AUHSD Wellness Centers.
On April 7th, we will launch a pilot “Virtual Wellness Center” including a resource hub, online support and skill-building groups, and virtual student check-in’s. While this is unchartered territory, we are using this as an opportunity to experiment with new ideas to support our students and community. We look forward to announcing more specifics after Spring Break!
Please stay safe and sane during the Pandemic Spring Break. If you need support, here is a link to key resources compiled by our district here (CS 3/27@1:38pm)
Social Media
