Weekly News & Announcements

College & Career

COLLEGE NIGHT FOR JUNIOR PARENTS: Junior Parents, we will host a college night just for you on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 6:30pm in the Acalanes Library. Come hear College and Career Advisor Debbie Levy and Counselor Susan Martin talk about all things college and what you can do to support your junior as they prepare and plan for this next important step in their lives!

Counseling

Counselor assignments are by student last name:
A-F               Anne Schonauer
G-Hul           Erika Vasquez on campus Tues/Fri
Hum-Pla       Marissa Meadows
Ple-Z            Susan Martin

End of First Quarter! The first quarter of the school year ended on October 9th. Quarter report cards should be sent out on Friday, Oct. 16. These grades are used to determine athletic eligibility for the remainder of the fall season and the beginning of the winter season. Students need at least a 2.0 GPA with no more than one F grade to be eligible for sports. 
 
Junior Parent Night - Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 6:30pm in the Library All junior parents are invited to spend an evening with College and Career Advisor Debbie Levy and Counselor Susan Martin as they discuss preparing the Class of 2028 for their college search. 
 
Letters of Recommendation - Counselors typically spend the month of October writing letters of recommendation for college applications for seniors. If your senior needs a Counselor Letter of Recommendation, please make sure to fill out the Student and Parent Surveys on Maia Learning, and send your student’s counselor a copy of their resume or brag sheet one month in advance of their first deadline.  Thank you!

Wellness Center

The Acalanes Wellness Center is open and ready to support students throughout the school year. We will also be continuing to do table activities during lunch.

Wellness will continue to present suicide awareness presenations during Academy, along with tabling events during lunch. These efforts are meant to increase awareness, encourage open conversation about mental health, and connect students with available resources. Our goal is to remind students that they don’t have to navigate difficult moments alone and that reaching out for support is an important step. We encourage students to visit the Wellness Center or connect with a trusted adult if they or someone they know may need additional support. We will also be introducing art therapy and coping skills. We will have painting tiles and  materials in the Wellness Center for student use.
 
What We Do
The Wellness Center aims to support the needs of all students. This includes those who may be feeling overwhelmed, lonely, anxious, stressed, sad, or confused, as well as anyone experiencing other challenging emotions. We offer both ongoing and drop-in counseling services, Wellness breaks, information about community resources, and opportunities to join clubs and student programs. We also host a variety of educational events during lunchtime and Academy throughout the school year.
 
Get Connected
If you have questions about Wellness, please email us at AHS Wellness coordinator .
To refer a student to Wellness, please use this form: AHSWellnessReferral
Please remember that all Wellness Center services are confidential and completely voluntary.
Follow us on Instagram @acalaneswellness  to find out more about what we're doing to support Acalanes students. There is also additional information about our program on the Acalanes High School website.

Performing & Visual Arts

Dons show up! The Acalanes Pep Band will be performing at our final home football game on Friday, Nov. 6. Go Dons!

Something wickedly entertaining this way comes! The Acalanes DramaDons are proud to present Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, on Oct. 21, 22, 23, and 24 in the Acalanes Little Theater.

All shows start at 7:00pm and doors open at 6:30pm.
Admission: General $15.00  Students/Seniors $7.00
Tickets and information are available at tickets.ahsparts.org

Save the Date! The Acalanes Jazz Concert is on Wednesday, November 18th in the PAC and will feature musicians from Acalanes, Campolindo High School and Stanley Middle School! This promises to be a stellar evening of jazz that will showcase the talented musicians in our community. Be there!

LPIE

 Saddle Up for the Holiday Hoedown Benefiting LPIE
Saturday, Nov. 7, 6:00-9:00pm | Balestrieri Family Farm
Dust off your boots and celebrate the season at a Holiday Hoedown! Join us for a festive night of line dancing and holiday cheer at the beautiful Balestrieri Family Farm. Gather your friends, meet some new ones, and enjoy a fun-filled evening while making a difference for our schools.
Get your tickets HERE. $100 per person gets you a night on the dance floor with a DJ and line dancing instructor, plus two drinks to toast the occasion. If you work up an appetite, dinner will be available for purchase.
Thanks to the generosity of parent sponsors, every dollar from ticket sales will go to LPIE to support our schools and students.

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:
Flag football
Monday, Oct. 19 at Mt. Diablo HS at 7:30pm.
Wednesday, Oct. 21 hosts Campolindo HS.  JV at 6:00pm and Varsity at 7:30pm.
 
Girls golf
Monday, Oct. 19 DAL Championship at Blue Rock Springs GC.
 
Girls water polo
Tuesday, Oct. 20 host Redwood HS.  Varsity at 4:15pm and JV at 5:15 pm.
Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24 Varsity NorCal Invitational at Sacred Heart Prep HS.
 
Boys water polo
Tuesday, Oct. 20 host College Park HS.  Varsity at 6:30 pm and JV at 7:30pm.
Wednesday, Oct. 21 at Monte Vista HS.  JV at 4:00pm and Varsity at 5:00pm.
Friday, Oct. 23 host Clayton Valley Charter HS.  Varsity at 4:00pm and JV at 5:00pm.
 
Girls volleyball
Tuesday, Oct. 20 at Campolindo HS.  Freshmen at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7:00 pm.
Thursday, Oct. 22 host Berean Christian HS.  JV at 4:30pm and Varsity at 7:00pm.
 
Girls tennis
Tuesday, Oct. 20 Miramonte HS at 4:00pm.  Varsity is away and JV is home.
Thursday, Oct. 22 Las Lomas HS at 4:00pm.  Varsity is home and JV is away.
 
Tackle football
Thursday, Oct. 22 Freshmen host Clayton Valley Charter HS at 5:00pm.
Friday, Oct. 23 at Clayton Valley Charter HS.  JV at 4:30pm and Varsity at 7:00pm.
 
Cross country
Saturday, Oct. 24 Haystack Tune-Up at Hayward HS.

APC in Action

An October Snack Attack for Our Wonderful Staff!
We are so grateful for our Acalanes staff, and last Friday our staff was treated to an assortment of fun snacks!  Thank you to our Staff Appreciation Co-Chair, Heddy Botic, for creating such an amazing and delicious snack bar for all our staff.  Your generous donations to APC allow us to show our staff just how much we appreciate their endless support of our students.

Parents Club Pro-Tip

Does your student love to travel? Are they interested in traveling with peers? Erin Field and Tina Gullberg take students in Lamorinda on international trips every summer. This year we are going to Italy, Austria, and the Czech Republic! I know that many of you travel frequently, but trips like this allow students to become more independent and make lasting memories with their friends.
Any student at Acalanes (or any of the other schools in our district) is invited to join us! They do not need to be in my class or have ever had Ms. Field as a teacher. All are welcome on this trip!
And here is the link to view the trip itinerary and cost:
https://acis.com/tripsite-trip-overview/?key=MjAyN3wxNjA1NA==
Sign ups are happening now, so if your student is interested, please register ASAP.
You can also check out our Instagram page to see past trips: @ACIS_Lafayette Travel Club
 **This is not a school-sponsored trip.

Summer Spanish Language Immersion Trip
This summer Spanish teachers from our district are again offering an incredible opportunity to travel abroad for a Spanish language immersion trip.  This has been such a fabulous experience for our students and they have built memories and lasting friendships, along with greatly improving their communicative skills in Spanish.  The link below has more information and you can contact the company ECI directly.  We will also hold an information session meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at 5:30pm in Room 408.  Hope to see you there. https://educulture.com/programs/southern-spain-group-immersion2027/ 

Community Service - Helper Helper
If students would like to set up a Helper Helper account to log their service hours, please email from their personal email account to communityservice@acalanesparentsclub.comand include their personal email, name, birthdate, and graduation year.

Volunteer Opportunities 
Recurring volunteer roles require the new District process for volunteer validation (e.g. driving for field trips, sporting events, etc).  Standalone volunteer opportunities (e.g. Football, Snack Shack) on campus do not require the new/latest rigorous training required by the district this year. 
Click HERE to access the AUHSD volunteer portal.
Click HERE to explore volunteer opportunities. 
 
Order School Photos - If you would like to order your student’s school photos, you can contact Studio1.  There is also a QR code on the back of your student’s school ID card to support ordering.