Weekly News & Announcements

LPIE

Sports

This week’s can’t miss events:

Girls Golf
Monday, Oct 2 Campolindo HS & Miramonte HS at Contra Costa CC at 3:30 pm.

Girls Volleyball
Tuesday, Oct 3 host Benicia HS.  Freshmen at 4:30 pm, JV at 5:30 pm and Varsity at 6:30 pm.
Thursday, Oct 5 at Northgate HS.  Freshmen at 4:30 pm, JV at 5:30 pm and Varsity at 6:30 pm.

Girls Tennis
Tuesday, Oct 3 College Park HS at 4:00 pm.  Varsity is away and jv is home.
Thursday, Oct 5 Campolindo HS at 4:00 pm.  Varsity is home and jv is away.

Boys Water Polo
Wednesday, Oct 4 at Campolindo HS.  Varsity at 6:00 pm and JV at 7:00 pm.
Friday, Oct 6 and Saturday, Oct 7 Jesuit Classic at American River College.

Girls Water Polo
Wednesday, Oct 4 at Campolindo HS.  JV at 4:00 pm and Varsity at 5:00 pm.

Flag Football
Wednesday, Oct 4 Berean Christian HS at 3:00 pm, Alhambra HS at 5:00 pm at Berean Christian HS.

Football
Thursday, Oct 5 Freshmen at Napa HS at 5:30 pm.
Friday, Oct 6 host Northgate HS.  JV at 4:30 pm and Varsity at 7:00 pm.

Cross Country
Saturday, Oct 7 Crystal Springs Invitational.

You may view the 2023-2024 Athletic Update by clicking HERE.

General Administration Announcements

Acalanes is hosting two important events on campus this week. Please see below for detailed information and RSVP links.

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FAIR 

Acalanes College and Career Services is hosting an International College Fair in the library on Thursday, Sep 27 from 6:30-8pm. 15+ universities will share information on applying to schools abroad. Please sign up here.

*Did you know that APC helps fund College and Career Services at Acalanes? Thanks to your generous support of the Acalanes Parents Club, we are able to support valuable College Counseling services and events like this.

PARENT ED: SONG FOR CHARLIE FENTANYL DISCUSSION

AHS Hosts A Community Parent Education Night THIS Thursday, Sep 28: What Everyone Needs to Know About the Drug Landscape Today in the Acalanes Performing Arts Center (PAC). This will be presented by Song For Charlie, local law enforcement agencies, and the Acalanes administration.

This is an opportunity for our parent community to come together to learn the facts about fentanyl and take empowered action to protect yourself and your loved ones. 

• 5:30-6:30pm: Community Programming with Wellness, Counselors, AHS Admin and Lafayette Community Responders
• 6:30-8pm: Fentanyl Presentation by Song for Charlie
• RSVP here

We will host a student presentation from this content for our juniors and seniors on Friday, Sep 29 during Academy.

APC in Action

PEER TUTORING: Off to a Great Start this year!
Our first seminar, Note-Taking 101, was at full capacity on Wednesday. The presentation, given by one of our highly organized and exceptional Peer Tutors, offered insights into the different methods of note-taking, how and why those methods work for different learning styles, and how to use those notes to study. Stay tuned for future great programming offered by Peer Tutoring!

With 25 talented tutors staffing shifts at lunch, Academy, 7th Period, and after school, academic help is always available to Acalanes students. Peer Tutoring is open on a drop-in basis and always completely free. Acalanes is uniquely able to offer Peer Tutoring at such a high level solely because of funding from the Acalanes Parents Club. Your donations to APC allow us to offer more programming and services to your students. Thank you!

Kristen Labrosse & Angela Ketcham, Co-Directors, AHS Peer Tutoring

 
APC FALL GRANT APPLICATION WINDOW IS NOW OPEN!
We invite all AHS teachers, staff, students, and parents to submit a grant application for programming, materials or projects that enhance the educational experience for our school community; all ideas are welcome. Click here for criteria and application.  The deadline is Friday, Oct 6! Completed proposals and questions can be submitted to Nicole Sanders or delivered to the APC Box in the front office.

Follow the Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram to keep up to date on what's happening at Acalanes and reminders for important dates.
 

SEPTEMBER DONS DIALOGUE - Listen to the Recording!
Thank you to all who attended our APC General Meeting and September  Dons Dialogue on Friday, Sep 22. If you were not able to attend, here are the recording or slides from the discussion.
This month's topics included;

• End of Grading Period Tips
• Peer Tutoring Update - A Growing Program
• Song for Charlie (Fentanyl education) Community Education Events
• Student Activities Report
• Open Q&A w/ APC Board

Thanks as always to Mia Heglie and Monica Stassi for providing the welcoming coffee and treats at every Dons Dialogue!

If you were not able to attend the APC General meeting and would like to view the APC budget, please email APC President, Kelly Daggs to request access.

Please reach out to APC here with any questions.

Parents Club Pro-Tip

GRADING WINDOWS AND REMINDERS
Parents/guardians should have received an email Friday morning from Parent Square with a Progress Report for your student(s). Note, the Progress Report shows just a snapshot of the grading status on Friday, Sep 15 and may already show something different in Canvas now.
1st Semester Grading Window:

• Q1 Progress Report: Sep 15
• Q1 Ends: Oct 13
• Q2 Progress Report: Nov 9
• Semester 1 Ends: Dec 22

The best way to support our students academically is not necessarily through these report cards but more so by being an "Observer" in Canvas and encouraging and assisting our students with self advocacy.
 
The Acalanes educational philosophy reinforces the learning over the points. When reviewing Canvas with your students please help your students keep this in mind.
 
For more detailed information on grading please refer to the Dons Dialogue slides or recording from Friday. Many parents found the discussion very helpful

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

LAFAYETTE RESERVOIR RUN: Sunday, Oct 22
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 22. There is also a virtual option around the paved trail of the reservoir from Oct 12-21.
Thank you for supporting our schools!

Go Dons!

Parent Education

Community Parent Education Night: What Everyone Needs to Know About the Drug Landscape Today
Presented by Song For Charlie, local law enforcement agencies, and the Acalanes administration

Thursday, Sep 28 • Acalanes Performing Arts Center (PAC)

• 5:30-6:30pm: Community Programming with Wellness, Counselors, AHS Admin and Lafayette Community Responders
• 6:30-8pm: Fentanyl Presentation by Song for Charlie
• RSVP here

See General Administration Announcements above for more details.

Campus and Gun Safety,

Tuesday, Oct 3 from 7-8pm, Acalanes Performing Arts Center (PAC)
Lafayette parents with students in grades K-12 can join us for a presentation and panel discussion on the important topic of campus and gun safety. Speakers include:

• City of Lafayette Mayor Carl Anduri
• Police Chief Ben Alldritt
• Lafayette School District Superintendent Dr. Brent Stephens
• Acalanes Unified High School District Superintendent Dr. John Nickerson
• Acalanes High School Principal Eric Shawn

We will hear about our city’s work to keep students and families safe from gun violence, and parents will learn how they can stay informed and do their part to keep our community safe.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

The BSU (Black Student Union) summit took place Monday, Sep 18 and was a success with guest speaker W. Kamau Bell, step dance instruction and drumming demonstrations. Students connected from all of the AUHSD high schools and middle schools from Lamorinda.
 
Campo DEIB Presents: “How to Navigate” Life Book Discussion
Saturday, Oct 11 at 7pm
Campolindo High School Performing Arts Center, 300 Moraga Road, Moraga, CA
Please join us for an evening of insightful education and conversation, intended for parents of high schoolers. Tim Klein will present the book he wrote with co-author, Belle Liang: "How to Navigate Life". In it, they help guide teens in achieving a greater sense of genuine purpose and discuss how families can support this. They address how this work can re-frame the definition of success, decrease stress and improve whole person development and sense of belonging. RSVP Now at Event Create.

Student Activities

Homecoming 2023 Oct 9-14: Acalanes celebrates music genres!
Check out the overview of Homecoming 2023 and encourage your student to get involved! It is one of the best weeks on campus and we want every student to feel a part of it. The week has multiple “entry” points so everyone can participate.
 
HOCO Night Out is on Saturday, Oct 14 from 7-10pm. It is a campus wide event (1100+ attended last year) and a night not to miss.The night features a game truck, laser tag, arcade games, caricaturist, henna, food for purchase, pool tables, ping pong, air hockey, dancing & more. Tickets are on sale via Go Fan and are:

• $25 with ASB
• $52 without ASB
• $75 for an outside guest

Students with ASB need to use their ID number as the promo code in order to get the correct ticket price. Outside guests need to fill out and return a guest contract by Tuesday, Oct 10 to the main office.
 
In order to make sure it is a safe event for all, we are in need of 30 parent chaperones. Please consider signing up!
 
The annual Acalanes Blood Drive is here! Anyone 16+ years old can donate (adults encouraged). It is on Tuesday, Sep 26 from 8am-3:35pm in the small gym at Acalanes. People can sign up to donate through the link or scan the QR codes in all senior and junior English classrooms. High schoolers should make sure to bring their signed permission forms to room 314 by tomorrow, Monday, Sep 25. Snacks will be provided! Contact Katherine Walton if you have any questions!
 
Clubs at Acalanes
This year we have 72 approved clubs at Acalanes and they are a great way to connect with a passion and get involved. Please encourage your student to attend meetings, reach out to the presidents and get involved! Check them out here!
 
Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

College & Career

Seniors

• College Visits This Week in the CCC: Students MUST pick up a pass from the College & Career Center to attend.
  • Monday: Tufts University, Landmark College, LSU, Wash Univ. St. Louis, Colorado State
  • Tuesday: UC Merced, Claremont McKenna
  • Wednesday: Harvey Mudd College, Davidson College
  • Thursday: Oregon State, Western Washington, Vanderbilt
  • Friday: Union College, University of Rochester
• College Application Academy Support: Remind your student to come to academy sessions in the CCC. 6th and 7th period is OPEN for seniors to DROP BY anytime! No appointments needed.
  • Wednesday, Sep 27 - Common App Supplemental Support in Academy!
• New FAFSA Changes and How They Impact Your Family: This is a very informative video on the new changes to FAFSA, which opens in December.

Juniors

• International University College Fair: Acalanes is hosting an International College Fair in the library on Thursday, Sep 27 from 6:30-8pm. 15+ universities will share information on applying to schools abroad. Please sign up here.

Sophomores/Frosh

• Check out the 2023 Bay Area Youth Climate Summit! Interested in Environmental Issues?

Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support. 

Counseling

Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em AnneSchonauer
En-Kr Erika Vasquez
Ku-Rog MarissaMeadows
Roh-Z SusanMartin

Progress Reports for the first grading period were available in Aeries as of Friday, Sep 22. The next grading period will be quarter grades the week of Oct 16.
 
Dropping Classes: Students may still drop a class until the end of the first quarter, Friday, Oct 13. If the class is in the middle of the day, a student may add a TA period. TA is the only class a student can still add to their schedule.   
 
Senior Appointments: Counselors are currently doing individual appointments with seniors. We will discuss the student’s plans for after high school. We will go through necessary steps to apply to college, arrange for relevant documents, and review deadlines. 
 
The CSF application period is open! CSF (California Scholarship Federation) is an honor society. Current 11th and 12th graders are encouraged to apply. A complete CSF application has 2 parts - an application form  and a payment on the webstore. Turn forms in to the Counseling Office. The deadline is Saturday, Sep 30 for both the form and the payment! Students who are members for at least 4 semesters, including during senior year, will get special stole to wear at graduation. Read the FAQ on the application form and contact Ms. Schonauer for any clarification.

School Nurse

Happy Fall!
It’s a great time to have you and your family get flu shots. If you have a college student, encourage them to go to the Student Health Center on campus to get their flu shot and see what resources are available.

Here’s a great Autumn recipe to try: RedLentil & PumpkinSoup

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

Wellness Center

Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) has developed a new online guide titled, “Substance Use, Mental Health, & Teens: A Guide for Parents & Other Caring Adults,” which focuses on information and resources to protect and care for teens facing substance use and mental health crises. Created by the agency’s Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program, in collaboration with community partners, the resource was inspired by CCCOE Education Champion April Rovero, Founder/Director of National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse (NCAPDA). The guide is intended to equip adults with the knowledge and resources they need to support young people in their lives to make pro-health decisions.

The Parent Guide is available to view and download in English and Spanish: www.cocoschools.org/ParentGuideSUMH