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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
Upcoming Important Dates:
- Dec 10 Human Rights Day
- Dec 7-15 Hanukkah
- Dec 25 Christmas
- Dec 26- Jan 8 Kwanza
The month of December is a time set aside by many to celebrate a variety of traditions and enjoy time with family, friends and community. If you have some information you feel is important for the DEI committee to share about a celebration you partake in, please let us know.
Hanukkah (Chanukah) is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and is thus named because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple. More information can be found here.
Dec 10, 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on Dec 10 1948 and set out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world. You can read it and learn more about this special day here.
Contact the DEIB committee here. And follow us on Instagram and Facebook! -
Performing & Visual Arts
The Acalanes Choir will perform at the “It’s a Wonderful Life in Lafayette” event at the Park Plaza TODAY, Dec 3 at 5:55pm (the event is 4:30-6:30pm). Please come out to support and enjoy!
Winter Instrumental Concert 2023
Get in the holiday mood with Acalanes Band Director Edwin Cordoba as he directs his talented musicians in performing joyful and festive music!
Date/Time: Thursday, Dec 7 at 6:30pm
** Special music by Percussion Ensemble starts at 6:15pm in the PAC Lobby **
Location: AHS Performing Arts Center
Music Groups: Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra
Admission Price: Free ($5 donation suggested)
There is also a Winter Choral Concert on Dec 12 at 7pm, performing in the PAC. -
Student Activities
Class Fundraiser @ Minted
Looking to buy holiday cards or holiday gifts? Consider purchasing from Minted! You will receive 20% off and Acalanes classes of ‘24, ‘25, ‘26 and ‘27 will receive 15% back.
Use the code FUNDRAISE ACALANES
Adopt-a-Family
Our community is amazing - thank you for your support of adopt-a-family this holiday season! Together, we are supporting 70 families in our local community. If you opted in, please check your email for instructions on wrapping and delivery of gifts. All gifts need to be wrapped and dropped off no later than Friday, Dec 15.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to Laila Vivek at laila.vivek24@auhsdschools.org or Katherine Walton at kwalton@auhsdschools.org!
Coming up in the next few weeks:- Dec 4-8: Senior dodgeball at lunch
- Dec 7: Winter Instrumental Concert
- Dec 8 at lunch: Class of 2025 Holiday Lunch
- Dec 11-15: Winter Week dress-ups & fun
- Dec 12: Winter Choral Concert
- Dec 12/13: Frosh Connect covering final exam information
- Dec 13 at 3pm: Exam Cram (finals study session with teachers and peer tutors)
- Dec 14 at lunch: Frosh FINALS informational meeting in the library (NOT TO MISS)
SAVE THE DATE: Prom 2024 is Saturday, Apr 27 at the San Francisco Exploratorium
Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
Katherine Walton, Activities Director -
College & Career
Thank you to those who came out this past week to our Out of State College Fair!
We had over 200 families from around the district attend and 19 colleges present. It was a huge success, and we appreciate your participation and support!
Seniors- Hispanic Heritage Scholarship: The Youth Awards honor Latinx high school seniors who excel in the classroom and community.
- Chevron Corporation’s Black Employee Network (BEN), would like to cordially invite high school seniors to participate in our 2024 College Scholarship Program.
- Electrician Apprentice: Seniors interested in a 5 year paid apprenticeship? Application here.
- Community College Support: Send your student to discuss community college opportunities and majors.
- New FAFSA Changes and How They Impact Your Family: This is a very informative video on the new changes to FAFSA, which opened in December.
Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support.
Juniors
PSAT results: Looking to evaluate your PSAT score report? Schedule an appointment with Debbie Levy in the CCC or join a free webinar hosted by Revolution Prep.
Sophomores/Frosh- Send your student by to discuss volunteer opportunities! Check out this site for great ideas. -
School Nurse
As we move into the winter months and holiday season, consider what self-care activities you can model and include your students in. For holiday gifts, get creative and choose fun items that also support their health and wellness.
Be hostile to germs! Consistent healthy lifestyle habits help create an inhospitable environment in your body for germs to take hold in. Make sure to get good sleep, healthy exercise, and include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes in your diet.
Do your kids cook?
This week I gave a nutrition presentation in the Wellness Center during academy. I shared a really easy meal for students to make and encouraged them to include as many vegetables as they could: a jar of pasta sauce (add vegetables if desired), a package of pasta (choose whole grain or legume if willing), and add more vegetables, herbs and spices. Optional: add a can of cannellini beans and top with parmesan; or your protein of choice!
Eating (and making) a family meal is one of the best ways to support the health and wellness of your kids. Teaching your kids basic cooking skills/how to prepare a basic meal is one of the cornerstones of self-care. Give them some practice before they graduate!
See my website for more information.Always Your School Nurse,
DvoraCitron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org, 925-280-2970 x7128,
IG: acalanesschoolnurse, SchoolNurseWebsite -
Wellness Center
With finals 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 few 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 the same way 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 ti
me 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.
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Sports
This week’s can’t miss events:
Football
Friday, Dec 8 or Saturday, Dec 9 CIF Bowl Championship game.
Girls basketball
Tuesday, Dec 5 at Heritage HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Thursday, Dec 7, Friday, Dec 8, Saturday, Dec 9 James Logan JV Tournament.
Boys basketball
Thursday, Dec 7, Friday, Dec 8, Saturday, Dec 9 Varsity hosts Chris Huber Memorial Invitational.
Thursday, Dec 7, Friday, Dec 8, Saturday, Dec 9 JV in Hornet Tournament at Alameda HS.
Thursday, Dec 7, Friday, Dec 8, Saturday, Dec 9 Frosh in Ken Nelson Memorial Tournament at Campolindo HS.
Girls soccer
Wednesday, Dec 6 host Pittsburg HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Friday, Dec 8 host Oakland Tech HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Saturday, Dec 9 Frosh-Soph at Piedmont HS at 9am and host Campolindo HS at 2pm.
Boys soccer
Tuesday, Dec 5 Frosh at De La Salle HS 6:30pm.
Thursday, Dec 7 host Archie Williams HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Thursday, Dec 7 Frosh host San Ramon Valley HS at 4pm.
Saturday, Dec 9 host Pittsburg HS. Freshmen at 11am, JV at 1pm and Varsity at 3pm.
Wrestling
Saturday, Dec 9 Bay Area Invitational at Castro Valley HS, Foothill JV Tournament, Roger Briones Girls Invitational at San Leandro HS.
You may view the 2023-2024 Athletic Update by clicking HERE. -
General Administration Announcements
OUT OF STATE COLLEGE FAIR
Acalanes is hosting a district-wide Out-of-State College Fair on Wednesday, Nov 29 at 6:30pm for students and families to learn about scholarships opportunities and great college options. 17+ universities including Rutgers, Penn State, Oregon State University and others will be presenting.
Register here (to share info with the colleges) and sign up too (so Acalanes knows how many people to expect)!
For questions, please contact dlevy@auhsdschools.org. -
APC in Action
STAFF APPRECIATION OPPORTUNITY!
Calling all bakers for one of our favorite Acalanes traditions! The APC Staff Appreciation Holiday Cookie Exchange is on Friday, Dec 8. Sign up here to contribute to this fun event for our staff!
Contact Stacey Hastings or Dominique Mickelson with any questions.
FINALS FUEL for EXAM WEEK - Get Involved
Finals are just around the corner…..and that means FINALS FUEL is back! During finals week, we provide snacks for the students during brunch period. You can help refuel and recharge our Dons in several ways:- Purchase snacks prior to finals week and deliver to a residence near AHS
- Purchase snacks from our Amazon wish list and items will be sent directly to a residence for transport to AHS
- Donate money and we’ll shop for you: Venmo @Stephanie-Asadorian (any amount is welcome and appreciated)
- Volunteer to hand out snacks on campus Tuesday, Dec 19 - Friday, Dec 22
Please click on the SignUpGenius and/or Amazon Wish List to help.
Contact Regan Scovic and Stephanie Asadorian with any questions. Thank you in advance for your support!
DONS DIALOGUE - Listen to Recording!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our November Dons Dialogue on Friday, Nov 17. The discussion this month covered what’s happening on campus with our student leadership team, Finals Fuel and the support offered on campus for our students during exams, a Wellness Center overview, plus an update from our Blueprint advisor and the Design and Fabrication Lab teacher.
If you were not able to attend, you can view the slideshow or watch the video recording. Save the date for our next Dons Dialogue on Friday, Jan 19 at 8:45am.
Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Please reach out to APC here with any questions. -
APC Membership & Fundraising
Acalanes Legacy Wall
Starting to think about holiday gift ideas? Look no further than the Acalanes Legacy Wall! This wall is a memorial of bricks honoring the legacy of people who have made Acalanes the school it is today.
Why not celebrate your Acalanes student with an everlasting brick on the memorial wall? Or let your favorite teacher or administrator know how much you truly appreciate them with a brick in their honor.
There is no better way to show your love than the eternal gift of an Acalanes memorial brick!
For more information about the Acalanes Legacy Wall, please reach out to Leanne Zimmerman, leanne.zimm@gmail.com. -
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
AHS Garden Update
The garden club has outlined a path to get the farm up and running in the springtime. We want to replace the hardware cloth in the beds (to "gopher proof" them), build the beds up to 1.5 feet and then add good veggie soil. We also plan to start the spring crops from seed after winter break so both the beds and plants will be ready for spring planting. We have a few workdays planned and can really use some skilled people (with tools) in January when we will be adding to the current beds.
Here is our workday schedule, please join:- Sunday, Dec 3 10am - 2pm
- Sunday, Jan 21 10am - 2pm* - We need skilled people with tools on this datet!!
- Sunday, Feb 4 10am - 2pm
We are very appreciative of the support from APC and the community, especially members of the Lafayette Community garden. We also have a wish list and you can email us if you’d like to help/make a donation! Thanks for your support!
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
Upcoming Important Dates:
- Dec 3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- Dec 10 Human Rights Day
- Dec 7-15 Hanukkah
- Dec 25 Christmas
- Dec 26- Jan 8 Kwanza
We hope you had a wonderful week off that included time spent with family and friends. The DEI committee is grateful for our school that strives to include ALL in Acalanes Community Always. Our goal is to ensure that we are not excluding anyone, so if you feel we have forgotten something or someone, please reach out. We will looking for help in the coming months to celebrate our many cultures and holidays.
Parents, please remind your students that Marge Grow-Eppard, a Miwok/Me-Wuk Tribal Elder of California will be visiting Acalanes on Friday, Dec 1 to talk with students during academy.
The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed in 1992 by United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. Please click here to learn more. You can also learn about The Curb-Cut Effect and how teachers, parents and leaders can change how they approach projects that benefit all of us in this wonderful YouTube video.Contact the DEIB committee here. And follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
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Performing & Visual Arts
The Acalanes Choir will perform at the “It’s a Wonderful Life in Lafayette” at the Park Plaza on Sunday, Dec 3 at 5:55pm (event is 4:30-6:30pm). Please come out to support and enjoy!
There is also a Winter Instrumental Concert on Dec 7 at 6:30pm and a Winter Choral Concert on Dec 12 at 7pm. Both are in the PAC.
Social Media
