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Student Activities
This week on campus:
Tuesday @ lunch in room 314: Any frosh who did not attend Stanley are invited to a lunch to meet other frosh and have fun!
Thursday @ lunch in room 314: Any student who transferred to Acalanes is invited to a lunch to meet other transfers and current 10th, 11th and 12th graders.
Friday @ lunch in room 314: ACA Buddies 1st event with our ESC students!
Friday @ 6pm: 1st tailgate of the year! USA theme!
Club Applications If your student wants to start a club this semester, they need to fill out this form (re-upped clubs from spring don't need to reapply)! It's a super easy process, but the form needs to be filled out by this THURSDAY, Aug 29. Students need to be sure to find club officers, a club advisor (teacher), and to create a constitution before filling out the club application. If they have any questions, they can email Miles Blackhart, ASB Vice-President.
ASB News
If you purchased an ASB sticker and it is not printed on your student’s ID, please have Studio One reprint their card when they return for picture make-up day on Oct 7.
If you did not purchase ASB, you can still do so on the webstore.
If you have purchased ASB and your student memorizes their ID number, they will use that when they go onto Go Fan to get athletic tickets and it will be free.
The Bookshelf Foundation club is launching a 2-week school supplies drive for children learning in Ukraine starting this week. The drive will last from Aug 19 to Sep 2. Students can bring new or gently used school supplies to the library meeting room. Notebooks, writing supplies, backpacks, water bottles, and more are all welcome! Any and all support means the world to children who are struggling to learn in the midst of war. Thank you!
Spiritwear
Did you order a class shirt on the webstore? We will be handing them out to students during lunch on Wednesday, Sep 4.
Did you order spiritwear through our online spiritwear vendor Gryco? It will arrive in mid Sep and you will receive an email with pick-up instructions.
Did you purchase ASB but have yet to receive your free blue shirt? Your student can come to room 314 to get it.
A few additional important dates:
Sep 15-21 Homecoming 2024 (HOCO Night Out tickets on sale starting this week via Go Fan!)
Apr 19: Junior & Senior Prom
My goal is that every student at Acalanes is connected to one activity outside of class. I am always happy to meet with students and/or parents about on campus programming and opportunities. If I can help, please don’t hesitate to reach out.Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
Katherine Walton, Activities Director -
College & Career
Career Quiz: Share this link with your students. It takes about 10 minutes to complete and provides insight into career opportunities.
Seniors: Please come by the College and Career Center during 6th, 7th, Academy, lunch and/or brunch to work on your common application and UC application. Tips and strategies provided during all sessions. MaiaLearning tutorials are also provided at each visit. Great tips here!
Sports Recruiting Presentation: Acalanes is hosting a presentation for families of student athletes. This will be held on Sept 9 at 7pm in the PAC. Students and parents of all grades and sports are welcome to attend. For more information, click here. -
Counseling
Counselor assignments are by student last name:
A-F Anne Schonauer
G-Ka Erika Vasquez
Ke-Re Marissa Meadows
Rh-Z Susan MartinNEW COUNSELOR ALPHA With the recent decision by the Board to cut counselor staffing at Acalanes, we have had to redistribute our students to accommodate this change. Ms. Schonauer, Ms. Meadows and Ms. Martin have taken on extra students, while Ms. Vasquez will have a reduced caseload. Ms. Vasquez is now working a split position between Acalanes and Miramonte. She will be on campus M/W/Th, and will be at Miramonte Tu/F. She is always available by email or phone M-F. If your student needs something urgently on a day she is not at Acalanes, they can always ask another counselor for help.
CLASS SCHEDULES Changes to schedules will end tomorrow, Monday, Aug 26, the 10th day of school. After this, classes can only be dropped. The deadline to drop a class is the end of the first quarter, Friday, Oct 11. After this date, any class dropped will receive an automatic F grade.
CLASS VISITS Counselors will be making grade level presentations to classes starting this week. We will visit senior and junior classes to distribute updated transcripts and to talk about college applications for seniors and things to think about for juniors. After Labor Day, we will be visiting sophomore and frosh classes.
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School Nurse
What’s new with COVID? Parents, we still want you to call the attendance office to report Covid, as we are still required to report cases. However, we are now considering Covid as any other respiratory illness: students and staff can come back if, for 24 hours, their symptoms are getting better overall and they have not had a fever (without taking fever-reducing medication). You can read these CDPH Guidelines: Considerations when a Child has Symptoms of Illness in Child Care or School.
Just a reminder to make sure your student has healthy food/snacks and water with them to nourish and fuel them during the school day.
You can access the medical forms page HERE or use the QR code below.
My office hours are:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and some* Thursdays
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 8am - 3:50pm
Wednesdays: 7:30am - 3:20pm
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
The Wellness Center is available for drop ins starting tomorrow, Monday Aug 26. This year, we will be located in the glass hallway next to the main office in room 8. The space is bigger which will allow us to accommodate more students looking for wellness services. Please encourage your students to drop by to check out the new space! Cheers to the best school year yet!
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LPIE
Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! Our Annual Giving Campaign is underway, and we hope every family will support our students, teachers, and schools by making a donation to LPIE. Many people ask why their donation is needed—watch this brief video to understand the funding challenges facing Lafayette public schools and how your contribution can make a difference. Every gift is appreciated and helps ensure that nearly 4,410 students in our six public schools receive the exceptional education we all want for our children. LPIE's suggested donation is $1,850 per student, but we are grateful for contributions at all levels. Please click here to donate and support our schools today!
Join us for LPIE’s first-ever Bowling Tournament—a night of strikes, spares, and serious fun! Grab a friend, rock your best bowling outfit, and bring your A-game to help us raise money for our schools! Tickets go on sale Monday, Aug 19 at 9am Click here to snag yours and let the good times roll!
Join us at one of our come-and-go mixers for families new to the Lafayette public schools on Tuesday, Aug 27.
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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 golf
Monday, Aug 26 v. Alameda HS and Northgate HS at Contra Costa CC at 3:30pm.
Wednesday, Aug 28 v. Northgate HS at Boundary Oak GC at 3:30pm.
Girls volleyball
Tuesday, Aug 27 at Archie Williams HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Friday, Aug 30 and Saturday, Aug 31 Varsity in High Sierra Invitational in Reno.
Girls water polo
Tuesday, Aug 27 host Piedmont HS. Varsity at 6:15pm and JV at 7:15pm.
Boys water polo
Wednesday, Aug 28 JV host Clayton Valley Charter HS at 6:30pm.
Friday, Aug 30 JV host Dougherty Valley HS at 4:3 pm.
Friday, Aug 30 and Saturday, Aug 31 Varsity host Labor Day Bash.
Football
Wednesday, Aug 28 Frosh at San Marin HS at 5pm.
Friday, Aug 30 host Lowell HS. JV at 4:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
You may view the full 2024-2025 Athletic Schedule by clicking HERE. -
General Administration Announcements
Acalanes Back to School Night (BTSN) is Thursday, August 29 from 5:15-8pm! Please plan to join at 5:15pm in the front quad for a Parent and Staff Reception hosted by the Acalanes Parents Club (APC). Principal Shawn will share some remarks around 5:30 and classroom visits start at 6pm.
This evening is for us, the parents/caregivers, to experience what our students experience each and every school day - you don’t want to miss it!
A full program, including details about classroom sessions will be available in the APC newsletter next weekend. -
APC in Action
Join us for the Dons Dialogue Friday, Aug 23 at 8:45am!
Acalanes Parents Club is pleased to invite you to our first Dons Dialogue of the 2024-2025 school year! Dons Dialogues are the best way to find out what’s going on at Acalanes!
These monthly forums provide parents with the opportunity to hear directly from Principal Eric Shawn and other AHS faculty regarding academics, student activities, department information, hot topics on campus, plus open Q&A. APC will provide coffee and treats. All parents/caregivers welcome. This month’s topics include:- Introduction of Admin Leadership
- Announcement of New Teachers/Staff
- Technology at Acalanes: Cell Phone Policy, BYOD, Canvas
- Challenge Success Results
- Athletic PE Requirements
- Student Activities Report
- Q&A with Principal Shawn
Thank you Dons Day Volunteers!
It was wonderful to see everyone at Dons Day this past Monday! We want to give a HUGE thank you to our amazing Dons Day Planning Team: Andrea Powers, Charlene Condy, Jen Dodge, and Daniele Upp for making it such an incredible day!! And THANK YOU to all the parents and students who volunteered that day! We could not have done it without all of you! Go Dons!!
Please Consider Volunteering!
If you are looking for fun, easy ways to support our Dons, APC has a wide variety of events throughout the calendar year. The snack shack during football games, community support at the Lafayette Food & Wine Fest and ResRun, passing out snacks during finals weeks, and new volunteer events geared for Dons Dads only are just a few APC volunteer opportunities. Please check out our full list and sign up today - and don’t forget to invite your friends to join you!
Stay Connected: Follow the Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram to keep up to date on what's happening at Acalanes and reminders for important dates. Please reach out to APC here with any questions. -
APC Membership & Fundraising
Acalanes Parents Club has committed nearly $220,000 to Acalanes this school year, which will provide vital services for our entire AHS community. As of today, we have yet to reach that goal and we need your help!
We are tremendously grateful for your support, which funds the following programs for all Acalanes students and staff:- College & Career Services
- Campus Enhancements
- Peer Tutoring
- Parent Education
- Staff & Teacher Development
- Communications
- Grant Programs
- Volunteer Opportunities
- And more . . .
If you haven’t had a chance to donate, please consider doing so here. Every dollar is beneficial and is greatly appreciated.
Every donor receives a new APC tote! You can pick up at Back to School Night.
Another important source of funds is making your donations go twice as far with Corporate Matching. Please check if your company has a matching program and, if so, contact corpmatch@acalanesparentsclub.com for further information.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! -
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
What is ACA You Ask?
Not only is “ACA” short for “Acalanes,” it is also the overarching, unifying theme that we at Acalanes High School represent on and off campus. Simply put, ACA (Acalanes Community Always) represents:- Connectivity between Acalanes students, teachers, staff members, alumni and the greater Lafayette community
- Spirit and unity
These are characteristics that we all share as part of the Acalanes family, both during our time at Acalanes, and beyond as alumni. Our ACA spirit is on display daily in and outside of the classroom, and within our athletics, performing arts, student government, clubs, and Acalanes support organizations. We look forward to supporting ongoing programming that continues to build school spirit and supports our community and each other!
ACA Student Discounts!
As part of your student’s ASB card purchase, your student can get discounts or freebies at some favorite local business, such as- Diablo Foods
- Johnny’s Donuts
- Local Kitchens
- Sideboard
- And more!
Your student just needs to show their ASB card at checkout. See the full list of discounts here! There is still time to purchase the ASB card in the Acalanes Webstore, this money drives student activities at Acalanes.
AHS Garden Update
The AHS garden is coming along! We met weekly over the summer to harvest tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers - all that we planted last spring. We continue to harvest during our weekly garden club meetings and will soon start to plan our winter garden.
Thank you to our Lafayette Community Garden partners Janet Thomas, Jeannie Hill, and Pam Winther who made a special trip to weed and tidy up the meditation garden so it would be ready when students returned. Also thank you to APC for weeding during their clean up day. It really does take a village!
We have our first work day of the school year on Sunday Aug 25 from 10am - 2pm. Please fill out this short form if you are able to make it!
We also are in need of cardboard prior to the workday (please remove labels and tape). It can be dropped off in the farm area (across from the autoshop classroom door) or in room 201. In addition, we desperately need good gardening shears and weeding tools. Donations can be dropped off in the attendance office with a note that they are for the garden.
Thanks for all of your support! If you have any questions, please reach out to LTewksbury@auhsdschools.org.
A Few Important Dates! -
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
Important Dates This Month:
Aug 25: First General DEIB Committee meeting
Aug 26: Women’s Equality Day
The Acalanes campus is one of inclusivity and a space where all are welcome. The DEIB committee and others are on a mission to have students feel welcome as we start the new school year. To do this we suggest you have your student say hello to three students they have never met before. How do you believe the students would feel meeting new peers? What sense of belonging would you feel if someone who has never spoken to you before welcomed you as you walked into work one morning? Talk to your students about this idea of them saying “hello” to three new people and share with us their experience with this idea. Or better yet, show your student by example and say “hello” to three new parents at your next Acalanes event. Share your experience with us on social media!
Women's Equality Day is celebrated in the United States on Aug 26 to commemorate the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution, which prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.
Our first meeting is coming up soon. If you would like to be a part of this group, please send us an email at diversityandinclusion@acalanesparentsclub.com.
And…Please check out the new AUHSD DEIB website for many great resources and events! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
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Student Activities
What an incredible week 1! We had a WELCOME HOME rally on Friday during academy followed by a frosh social in the evening. We are looking forward to a great year! A few announcements and reminders as we enter week 2:
Homecoming informational meetings will be held tomorrow, Monday, Aug 19 during lunch. These are a great chance for your student to learn more, get involved and experience an incredible tradition at Acalanes High School. Homecoming week runs from Sept 15-21.
Club Applications If your student wants to start a club this semester, they need to fill out this form (re-upped clubs from spring don't need to reapply)! It's a super easy process, but be sure to fill out the form by Aug 29. Make sure to find club officers, a club advisor (teacher), and to create a constitution before filling out the club application. For more information, make sure to come to the club info meeting on Aug 21 in room 314 at lunch. If you have any questions, email Miles Blackhart, ASB Vice-President.
ASB Stickers: Thank you to all who have purchased the ASB sticker via the webstore! There is still time to purchase and this money drives student activities at Acalanes. ASB costs $110 and the sticker gets printed on the ID Card. Perks include:- Free spirit shirt
- Discounts at local businesses
- Free admission to home athletic events
- Discounts to on campus dances (at least $25 savings for HOCO)
A few additional important dates:
Sep. 15-21 Homecoming 2024
Apr 19: Junior & Senior Prom
My goal is that every student at Acalanes is connected to one activity outside of class. I am always happy to meet with students and/or parents about on campus programming and opportunities. If I can help, please don’t hesitate to reach out.Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
Katherine Walton, Activities Director
Social Media
