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APC Spring Grant Program Applications Now Open!
Acalanes is pleased to continue its Acalanes Parents Club (APC) Grant Program this semester with a focus on ideas that will enhance the educational and campus experience of AHS students in new and innovative ways. Teachers, students and parents are welcome to submit a grant proposal, utilizing the application form. Guidelines for grant submissions are also available. Email completed applications to Laura White or deliver to the APC box in the office. Grant applications are due by noon on Friday, Feb 21.
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Week of 1/27 Update
Tuesday, Jan 28 “How to Pay for College” Presentation from 6:30-7:30pm in the AHS Library
Come hear Tim Lenahan, CPA, discuss affording college including 529 Plans, loans, grants and scholarships. This event is currently FULL with a waitlist.
Thursday, Jan 30 Open House from 6-8pm in the College & Career Counseling Office
Please stop by to meet College and Career Advisor Wendy Reicher and see all of the great resources offered for students here at Acalanes.Beginning Tuesday, Feb 4 SAT Prep Course at Acalanes
Six week course beginning Feb 4 and continuing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-5p. A total of 24 hours of instruction for $699. Offered by Tried and True Tutoring with a portion donated to AHS. Sign up here no later than Wednesday Jan 29.Wednesday, Feb 5 at 8am, and Friday, Feb 7 at 8:30am: Parent Naviance Workshops for Juniors
Sign up today using the links below. There is a 20 person limit for each event.
Feb. 5 sign up (location: Collaboration Center)
Feb. 7 sign up (location: College and Career Counseling Office (CCC))Sunday, Feb 23 Gap Year Fair from 1-4p at Athenian High School
Register here.Thursday, Feb 27 Out of State College Fair at 6:30p, Miramonte HS
No sign up needed.Saturday, Feb 29 SAT Mock Exam at 9am in CCC Cost is $35.00.
Sign up here.Scholarship Opportunity
Scholarships are posted on the board in the CCC so stop by and check for new information. Students with a minimum of a 3.3 GPA and maximum EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) of $20,000 can apply for the Rossmoor Scholarship, a $3,000 award. Applications due by Feb 4. Info available on the Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation Home Page.Seniors
Please update Naviance as you continue to hear results from your college applications. Stop by the CCC to share your successes and add a marble to the jar for each accepted application. When you have committed to your school, you can also make a flag for our board!Juniors
Sign up for academy to learn how to research colleges and start personal assessments. You must attend one academy before setting up a 1:1 appointment. Please stop by the CCC with any questions. -
Co-Presidents’ Message
APC is kicking off the second semester with a number of exciting programs thanks to your donations and support. Some of the highlights APC is funding include:
Breaking Down the Walls will be on campus next week working with all sophomores and juniors to help students break down barriers between them to build stronger relationships with one another creating a more inclusive climate on campus. Refer to the Student Activities section to learn more.
APC Spring Grants are now open for students, teachers, and parents with a focus on ideas that will enhance the educational and campus experience of AHS students in new and innovative ways. Refer to grant guidelines here, and submit your creative solutions using the application form. Email completed applications to Laura White or deliver to the APC box in the office. Grant applications are due by noon on Friday, Feb 21.
Acalanes Testing Center (ATC), located in the Peer Tutoring Office, is a new program that strives to support students in need of making up tests from excused absences. Students may ask their teacher whether or not the ATC is an option for their testing since teachers must pre-approve utilization of the resource. The center provides a valuable alternative to using the Academy period for test taking.
We hope you have added the upcoming Course Preview & Open House to your calendar for Thursday, January 30th (see below). Students and parents of incoming 8th Grade, Freshman, Sophomore, and Juniors are encouraged to attend.
Dawn Brightbill and Sarah Cusumano
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Course Preview and Open House
Thursday, Jan 30, 2020-2021 Course Preview and Open House from 5:30-8pm for Students and Parents
The night is a valuable resource for current Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors who are mapping out their future courses, as well as an excellent way for incoming 9th grade students to experience all that Acalanes has to offer. It's also a great way to connect with fellow Acalanes parents. Mark your calendars to attend and stay tuned for an event schedule next week. -
Membership & Fundraising
Give a gift that will leave a forever legacy at AHS! Pay tribute to your upcoming graduate, past graduates, your favorite teacher, or anyone who has contributed to your time at Acalanes. You can even dedicate a brick to your AHS sports team, performance group or favorite club. Bricks make a wonderful graduation gift. Be creative, be unique and leave a lasting impression on AHS!
Inscriptions can be a maximum of three lines, with up to 17 characters per line. To order your brick before the May 1 deadline, make your $250 tax deductible donation to Acalanes Parents Club on the AHS Web Store.
Questions? please contact Melissa Arends.
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Breaking Down the Walls
As a campus, we are lucky to be bringing back Breaking Down the Walls for all 10th and 11th graders. It is a wonderful program funded by APC for students to build relationships with one another, break down barriers between them and truly start to understand each other. Feedback from last year was extremely positive. All 10th and 11th graders are participating and the alpha breakdown is as follows:
- Wednesday, Jan 22: Last Names A-Go
- Thursday, Jan 23: Last Names Gr-O
- Friday, Jan 24: Last Names P-Z
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Wellness Center
We’re so thrilled when students share stories with us that demonstrate their own resilience. Along with compassion, resilience is one of our favorite qualities and it’s our very favorite process. The simplest definition is the ability to bounce back from difficulty. A more encompassing definition is: “Resilience is the ability to stay with a sense of flexibility and harmony in the face of challenges and to recover when we leave that flow.” When conditions are hard or things go sideways, be sure to encourage your kids to practice acceptance of difficult outcomes at the same time they process learning--if any is offered (as we adults know, sometimes bad things just happen.) Kids who practice resilience and receive positive validation for doing so will cultivate an even greater capacity to rise to the many challenges that go along with being human.
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Week of 1/20 Update
Saturday, Jan 25 DVC Spring Welcome Day for Seniors
Register here. Explore campus, meet instructors, attend workshops. Includes FREE lunch too!Tuesday, Jan 28 “How to Pay for College” Presentation from 6:30-7:30pm in the AHS Library
All grade level parents welcome! Come hear Tim Lenahan, CPA, discuss affording college including 529 Plans, loans, grants and scholarships. Sign up here.Scholarship Opportunity
Scholarships are posted on the board in the CCC so stop by and check for new information. Students with a minimum of a 3.3 GPA and maximum EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) of $20,000 can apply for the Rossmoor Scholarship, a $3,000 award. Applications due by Feb 4. Info available on the Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation Home Page.Seniors
Please update Naviance as you continue to hear results from your college applications. Stop by the CCC to share your successes and add a marble to the jar for each accepted application. When you have committed to your school, you can also make a flag for our board!Juniors
Sign up for academy to learn how to research colleges and start personal assessments. You must attend one academy before setting up a 1:1 appointment. Please stop by the CCC with any questions. -
Parent Ed: Let’s Go to the Movies! An Oscar After-party
Tuesday, Feb 11 Let’s Go to the Movies! An Oscar After-party from 7-8:30pm in the Small Theatre As Audrey Hepburn once said, “Everything I learned, I learned from the movies.” Join us for an enthralling conversation with NYU professor Harry Chotiner as he takes us on a deep dive into 2019 films such as Irishman, Marriage Story, Little Women, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Parasite. Mr. Chotiner will also touch on how the Academy works, the winners and losers, diversity, movie theatre attendance in the U.S. and more! See you after the Oscars! The Small Theatre/Drama room is located on the Quad at Acalanes. Reserve your spot here.
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Parent Ed: Fostering Resilience in Complex Times
Thursday February 27 from 6:30-8pm in the Acalanes Library. Fostering Resilience in Complex Times with Dr. Dan Peters, Ph.D, Psychologist, Author and Executive Director of Summit Center, will share his wisdom at a presentation you don’t want to miss! The pressure to be successful, get good grades, be a good athlete and develop talents is growing for our children. With it comes the growing parenting pressure to raise children who can compete in the increasingly competitive world. Dr. Dan has devoted his career to the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and families in overcoming worry and fear, and learning differences. Reserve your spot here.
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School Nurse
Sleep: The Most Important Variable in Our Health
Periodically it’s important to remind families about the importance of sleep and what parents can do to help support healthy sleep for their children. Research is continually showing that sleep is the most important part of keepinging ourselves healthy on a daily basis and for long term health and wellness. Here are reminders for you to keep in mind:- Your student needs 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Your most important role as a parent is to HELP them with protecting those sleep hours in their daily schedule.*
- Keep technology out of the bedroom during sleep time. This is a really hard one that requires discipline and adjustment for many. But honestly, sleeping with technology is not going to result in restful, nourishing sleep.
*Even if you think that there is not enough time in the schedule for your student to get the sleep they need, take a hard look at how much they are doing and consider prioritizing their schedule, putting sleep at the top.
Adults may want to watch this TedEx talk Sleep Is Your Super Power by Matthew Walker.
Sick Students? Read this article to see the difference between a cold and the flu.
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Co-Associate Principals’ Message
Happy New Year and welcome back Dons!
We hope you had a wonderful and relaxing winter break with friends and families, especially with a true break from school this year. Reflecting on 1st semester successes and challenges has been a priority for us when we closed out the year. We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our students and staff, as well as the support we have received from our parent community. We will continue to support and show up for our Dons as we are back refreshed and ready to dive into second semester.
The Dons look forward to cheering on our winter sports, our upcoming Breaking Down the Walls program for Sophomores and Juniors, and finishing off the month with Open House. We wish you all the best in 2020 and look forward to a great semester.
Associate Principals,
Andrea Powers & Mike Plant -
APC in Action
Make sure your interested student marks their calendar to join College & Career Advisor Wendy Reicher and Leadership Teacher Katherine Walton for a lunch-time discussion about how students can get involved in their community. Students learn how to apply for the President’s and Acalanes Volunteer Service Awards in the spring. More information can be found here, or email community service. Open to all grades, students bring lunch.
At lunch in the College and Career Office
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