Weekly News & Announcements

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

Important October Dates

• LGBTQ History Month
• Filipino American History Month
• Oct 14 Indigenous Peoples’ Day
• Oct 31 Diwali

LGBT History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community.

Filipino American History Month (FAHM) is celebrated in the United States during the month of October. In 1991, October was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos who landed in what is now Morro Bay, California on Oct 18, 1587. It is also the birth month of Filipino American labor leader Larry Itliong.

Indigenous Peoples' Day is a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October and is an official city and state holiday in various localities. “We acknowledge that Lafayette is part of the unceded, ancestral homeland of the Bay Miwok people. The Bay Miwok and neighboring Ohlone people have lived in and moved through this place for thousands of years.” City of Lafayette

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date with what the students are doing to celebrate all of these wonderful cultures and special dates.

Student Activities

The annual Acalanes Fall Blood Drive is Oct 30. You can make appointments through the Red Cross website (link to page). You must create an account and find the Acalanes Blood Drive on the Find a Drive page. Our goal is to have 46 donors. If you have any questions please reach out to Ms. Walton or marshall.stirling27@auhsdschools.org.
 
Breaking Down the Walls From Oct 22 - 24, all 10th and 11th grade students will participate in Breaking Down The Walls. The Breaking Down the Walls program is a unique opportunity for students and staff to connect, share their stories, and realize…

"It's hard to hate someone whose story you know."
Thanks to APC funding, this program creates a safe environment for students to build empathy and understanding through a "play, trust, learn" model. By first helping students laugh together, they start to trust one another and eventually want to learn from those outside their regular friend group. The assembly, training, and workshops leave everyone with the realization that we are truly BETTER TOGETHER! 

Breaking Down the Walls strengthens social and emotional learning (SEL), specifically building social awareness and relationship skills vital to student growth and success. 

• Meaningful connections and positive relationships
  • Bring students together and provide dedicated time for them to connect and build relationships. 
• Empathy and Understanding
  • Allow students to share their stories, hear their peers' stories, and learn they are better together. 
• Thriving Campus Culture
  • Create an inclusive culture where students say, "I belong here; I am safe here; I can learn and grow here." 

Here is a 4-minute video from the organization with testimonials from students. Students will be participating during one of the three days, assigned by last name. Look for more specific information next week. 

Starting to think about holiday cards and gifts? Shop at Minted. Not only do you get 20% off, Acalanes gets 15% of all sales when you use the code FUNDRAISEACALANES.

If you ordered spiritwear from the Gryco webstore and haven't picked it up, please email Katherine Walton and she can leave it in the attendance office for you. 

2024-2025 Clubs
Looking to connect your student to a passion? Here are 77 unique clubs on campus, from Archery Club to the Red Cross Club. 
 

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

Counseling

Counselor assignments are by student last name:
A-F Anne Schonauer  
G-Ka Erika Vasquez
Ke-Re Marissa Meadows 
Rh-Z Susan Martin

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Counselors are finishing up seeing seniors individually to discuss post high-school plans. October is the month we spend writing letters for Early Decision/Action deadlines - each counselor has over 40 letters to write during October! Please have your student see us right away if they need a letter of rec!
 
GRADES AND ELIGIBILITY The first quarter of the year ended last Friday! Continued athletic eligibility will be determined from these grades this week for all fall sports - students must have a 2.0 GPA and be passing five classes. Quarter grades should be available in Aeries on Friday, Oct 18 or Monday, Oct 21.
 
JUNIOR PARENT NIGHT Please come to the Library on Wednesday, Nov 13 from 6:30-7:30pm to hear from Debbie Levy, College and Career Center Advisor, and Susan Martin, Counselor, about all things juniors should be thinking about as they research and prepare to apply to college next fall! 

School Nurse

Happy October!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Month.  We know a lot more about this area than we used to, so there is a lot we can do to help increase awareness and hopefully reduce our risk of breast cancer. One of the most basic strategies is to teach young women to perform BSE (breast self exam) and encourage them to perform this life-saving technique monthly throughout most of their lives. I am sharing an excellent resource from The Get In Touch Foundation. The Daisy Wheel is an interactive, safe, and easy-to-use tool outlining the eight steps necessary to do breast self-examination. This tool is accessible as a downloadable app and also available as a hard-copy paper tool. I have several of the paper tools in my office and am happy to share with anyone who is interested.

I want to encourage all families to access these tools and share them with your daughters. I encourage you to view this instructional video with your daughter(s) and consider physically practicing this together. Your discussion should include incorporating this practice into a regular health hygiene routine. 

So take action and make a commitment to: 1. Review this information and materials with your daughter(s), or even just yourself; 2. Download the app or/and get the paper tool from me; 3. Schedule this practice on your calendar to perform monthly with a reminder.  Make this a habit that will become a regular practice. The more we perform these preventative health measures, the more it motivates and inspires us to increase our healthy habits in other areas.  I want to hear from you about this – please “get in touch.”

Let me know if you have questions or need support.

​AHS School Nurse Calendar
See my website for more information.

Always Your School Nurse,
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org, 925-280-2970 x7128
IG: acalanesschoolnurse, ​School Nurse Website

Wellness Center

With SATs and PSATs right around the corner, it may be beneficial to discuss test anxiety with your AHS student. Test anxiety is actually a form of performance anxiety which affects 25-40% of students. While it’s perfectly normal for a student to feel nervous before a test, test anxiety can be overwhelming for students and disrupt their concentration and ability. Here are a couple steps you can take to support your student in combating their test anxiety:

• Positive Self Talk can go a long way in altering one’s perception of their ability. Encourage your student to talk to themselves how they would talk to a friend or loved one experiencing the same anxiety. We are often our own worst critic and in many instances, we talk to ourselves more negatively than we would ever talk to someone else.
• Acceptance of mistakes can also shift your student’s mindset around their ability. First, remind your student that trying their best is realistically the most they can do. Even when trying our absolute best, people still make mistakes. Second, model this behavior for your students. Are you shaming your student when their best effort isn’t “good enough” or beating yourself up when you make a mistake? Offer grace in the face of mistakes. We’re all human after all.
• Teach test taking basics to your student so they might feel more confident when the time comes to take a test. Believe it or not, study skills and test taking strategies are learned. Just because students have to take tests, doesn’t mean they are actually equipped to do so successfully.

Performing & Visual Arts

LPIE

Did you know that LPIE is made up of over 50 dedicated volunteer board and committee members?
We’re excited to spend the next two weeks highlighting these incredible individuals who give their time and talents to support our schools and students. Stay tuned as we shine a spotlight on the amazing people who make LPIE’s work possible!

Lori MacLeod
My name is Lori MacLeod, and I have four children who have gone through the Lafayette public schools. With my oldest now in college, two sons at Acalanes, and my youngest at Stanley, I can confidently say I’ve seen firsthand how LPIE has profoundly impacted each of their educations.

As the lowest-funded high school district in the state of California, LPIE’s support is crucial for maintaining the quality of education at Acalanes, ensuring our students are set up for successful futures. First and foremost, LPIE funds teachers and educators in positions that the state of California does not cover including 17 class sections at Acalanes. Beyond that, LPIE provides funding for essential supplies across a wide range of departments at Acalanes—from science to PE, photography to auto shop.

And it doesn’t stop there. LPIE is the reason Acalanes students have access to full-time counselors, field trips, and laptops. There’s virtually no area at Acalanes that LPIE hasn’t touched.

I am forever grateful for the foresight of this community’s leaders over four decades ago, ensuring that my children would receive an excellent public school education. I’m honored to continue being part of this process for future students as one of the Acalanes co-chairs.

Sports

*The game schedule below reflects dates and times as of last Friday. Games may change for several reasons, including weather. If you have questions or comments, please contact Acalanes Sports Boosters.

This week’s can’t miss events:

Girls volleyball
Tuesday, Oct 15 at Campolindo HS.  Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm, Varsity at 6:30pm.
Thursday, Oct 17 host Las Lomas HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm, Varsity at 6:30pm.
 
Girls tennis
Tuesday, Oct 15 Las Lomas HS at 4pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Thursday, Oct 17 Northgate HS at 4pm. Varsity is away and JV is home.
 
Girls golf
Tuesday, Oct 15 Varsity v. Las Lomas HS at Boundary Oak GC 3:30pm.
Thursday, Oct 17 JV v. Campolindo HS at Moraga CC 3:30pm.
 
Boys water polo
Wednesday, Oct 16 at Northgate HS. JV at 4pm and Varsity at 5pm.
Thursday, Oct 17 host Castro Valley HS. JV at 6pm and Varsity at 7pm.
 
Girls water polo
Wednesday, Oct 16 at Northgate HS. Varsity at 6pm and JV at 7pm.
Friday, Oct 18 and Saturday Oct 19 NorCal JV Tournament at Soquel HS.
 
Flag football
Wednesday, Oct 16 Northgate HS at 6:45pm, College Park HS at 8pm at Northgate HS.
 
Football
Thursday, Oct 17 Frosh host Clayton Valley Charter HS at 5pm.
Friday, Oct 18 at Clayton Valley Charter HS. JV at 4:30pm, Varsity at 7pm.
 
Cross country
Saturday, Oct 19 Mariner Invitational at Redwood HS.

You may view the full 2024-2025 Athletic Schedule by clicking HERE.

General Administration Announcements

MAKE-UP SCHOOL PHOTOS: Tomorrow, Monday, Oct 7
Did your student miss school photos at the beginning of the year? If so, your student will receive a pass tomorrow morning to come to the PAC lobby at a designated time to get a school photo taken and pick up a student ID card. If your student needs to have a photo retaken, they can come to the PAC lobby during brunch to have a new photo taken and ID card printed. 

APC in Action

PEER TUTORING PRESENTS NOTE TAKING 101!
If your child is struggling with note taking, or just looking for new/different strategies, this will be a helpful seminar. Pizza lunch provided for the first 40 students.
Wednesday, October 9, Lunch in Room 107

APC Membership & Fundraising

All APC members should have received an email with a link to the Acalanes 2024-2025 Online Family Directory! If you donated to the APC and did not receive the email, please contact our Communications Team at vpcommunications@acalanesparentsclub.com.
 
It is not too late to donate here. With a donation of any amount, you will receive the directory, and you can also get an Acalanes tote bag. If you have any questions, or if you have donated and would like a tote bag, please contact Carrie Daughters.

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

SHOE DRIVE FOR WOMEN’S SCHOLARSHIPSThe Community Outreach and Improvement Program is hosting a shoe drive for the Lamorinda branch of the American Association of University Women from Monday, Sept 30 to Friday, Oct 11. Please donate your gently used sneakers to the bins outside the front office. The donations fund scholarships for women in our community! Please check out our website for more donation options and information about us: https://sites.google.com/view/coip-ahs/home!

LAFAYETTE RESERVOIR RUN: Sunday, Oct 20
The Race Before the Race Continues - Register NOW
Lafayette's public schools are beneficiaries of this event, with 15% percent of each registration going back to Acalanes - so be sure to choose Acalanes during the registration process! The school who most increases their number of runners compared to last year will receive an additional $500 beneficiary check! (We’ve got this Dons!)
 
Run/walk downtown Lafayette in the 2-mile fun run/walk or 5k, or strive for your best 10k time, which includes going around the Lafayette Reservoir on race day, Sunday, Oct 20. There is also a virtual option around the paved trail of the reservoir from Oct 12-19.
Thank you for supporting our schools!
 

Parent Education

Song for Charlie - Educational Presentation about the Dangers of Fentanyl
This is a district wide Parent Education Night on fentanyl awareness. Join us on Oct 8 from 6:30-8pm at Los Lomas High School Theatre to view a documentary produced by the nonprofit organization Song for Charlie followed by a Q & A panel.