Weekly News & Announcements

LPIE

Join us at the 26th Annual Lafayette Art & Wine Festival!
Sep 23, 10am-7pm & Sep 24, 10am-6pm
Did you know that the Art & Wine Festival is a fundraiser for the City of Lafayette and that LPIE is the largest beneficiary? Did you know that the people who work the ticket booth are volunteers? Come have some fun and help LPIE at the same time by staffing the Festival Ticket Booth and/or the LPIE Booth at this year's festival! Children 12 and up are welcome to volunteer at the LPIE Booth, adults only for the ticket booth. Click HERE to show your support for our schools!
 

New Families Mixers
Calling all new families! If you are new to one of our Lafayette public schools this year, or joined during the pandemic, please join us for coffee or a cocktail on Thursday, Sep 7. Please RSVP here by Tuesday, Sep 5. We can’t wait to meet you!

www.lpie.org, Follow us on Instagram 

Sports

This week’s can’t miss events:

Girls golf
Tuesday, Sep 5 Miramonte HS at Orinda CC at 3:30pm.
Thursday, Sep 7 Las Lomas HS at Boundary Oak GC at 3:30pm.

Boys water polo
Wednesday, Sep 6 at Foothill HS. Varsity at 6pm and JV at 7pm.
Friday, Sep 8 host El Cerrito HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6pm.

Girls water polo
Friday, Sep 8 and Saturday, Sep 9 host the Acalanes Invitational.

Girls volleyball
Thursday, Sep 7 at Benicia HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Saturday, Sep 9 Sonoma Valley JV Tournament.

Girls tennis
Friday, Sep 8 and Saturday, Sep 9 James Logan Invitational.

Football
Thursday, Sep 7 at Amador Valley HS at 5:50pm.
Friday, Sep 8 host Amador Valley HS. JV at 4:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.

Cross country
Saturday, Sep 9 Ed Sias Invitational at Hidden Valley Park.

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

General Administration Announcements

Acalanes Back to School Night (BTSN) is this Thursday, Aug 31 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.

As mentioned above, 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!

Important Reminder: be sure to print the BTSN Program here and write down your student’s schedule and room numbers so you know where to go!

APC in Action

August APC Dons Dialogue - View the Slides!
Thank you to all who attended our first Dons Dialogue of the school year on Friday, Aug 25. We had a packed room. This month's topics included attendance reminders, academy review, counseling and wellness updates, athletic PE and a student activities report. If you were not able to attend, here are the slides from the discussion. 

Thank you to our APC Hospitality Co-Chairs, Mia Heglie and Monica Stassi, for providing the welcoming coffee and treats!

Peer Tutoring is Now Open!

 
The program is located in Room 107 under the supervision of Co-Directors, Kristen Labrosse and Angela Ketcham. Students are welcome to drop-in to receive help from junior and senior student tutors in almost any AHS academic subject, or just come in to do homework, read or study.
 
Hours this week: Lunch, 7th period, and every day 1 hour after the last school bell rings.
Academy sessions start this Friday, Sep 1. For Academy only, students need to sign-up in advance using TeachMore. Space is limited.
 

APC Membership & Fundraising

Do you want Directory access? If you’ve already made a donation to APC, stay tuned for information on how to access our online AHS Student/Family Directory - coming soon!
 
Please consider donating! APC has promised nearly $185,000 to Acalanes this school year. As of today, we have yet to reach that goal. We need your help and appreciate any and all donations! Click here to donate or bring a check made out to Acalanes Parents Club this Thursday at Back to School Night.
 
APC supports programming for all Acalanes students and staff, including:

• College & Career Services
• Campus enhancements
• Peer Tutoring
• Parent Ed
• Staff & Teacher development
• Grants Program         
• Communications
• Volunteer opportunities and more…

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.

Parents Club Pro-Tip

If you are dropping off your student in the morning, save yourself the hassle and avoid pulling into the parking lot. There are multiple areas around Acalanes where you can safely drop your student and they can walk on to campus. You will not only provide relief to the parking lot traffic but to yourself and your student!
 
Check back next week for Attendance Reporting tips.
Please reach out to APC here with any questions.

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

Registration is NOW OPEN for the Lafayette Res Run for Education!
 
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. 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 first 100 students to register from each school will receive a voucher at packet pickup for 1/4 lb of bulk candy from Zoonie’s Candy Shop! Yes, even high school students!
• The school who increases their number of runners most compared to last year will receive an additional $500 beneficiary check! 

Let’s go Dons!

Parent Education

Navigating Teen Behaviors
Hosted by SEED High School
Monday, Sep 11 at 7pm
Acalanes Library

This workshop is designed for parents of teens with learning differences and/or disabilities, from your ADHD teen to your ASD teen and everything in between.

If you’d like to receive SEED High School invites, sign up at seedlagayette.org and select High School.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

If you are interested in joining the DEI committee, or just learning about what we do in our school and the district, please email us to be added to our mailing list. There are many ways to get involved!

Student Activities

What a great week we had last week with our welcome back rally and dance, along with the start to fall sports, acapella auditions and a welcome back carnival.
 
New and Returning Club Applications: Anyone can start a club at Acalanes and we encourage students to do so. Club applications are due this Thursday, Aug 31. Our Fall Club Day is Friday Sept 8 during academy and is a great chance to check out all of the clubs and join one or two.
 
The Acalanes Community Outreach Board is hosting a fundraiser tomorrow, Aug 28-Sep 8 to support citizens of Maui in wake of the recent fires that occurred. Cash can be donated in the morning by the flagpole and in jars in classes; those donations will go towards supplies for first responders and displaced families through the Maui Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation. You can also donate online to the Maui Food Bank using this link.
 
Homecoming 2023: Acalanes celebrates music genres!
Homecoming week is Oct 9-14 and is one of the best weeks on campus with so many different ways for students to get involved. Please encourage your student to opt in! Class informational meetings will begin the week of Sep 4 so look out for specific information in the daily bulletin.
 
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 $100 and the sticker gets printed on the ID Card. Students will receive their ID cards this week. Perks include:

• Free spirit shirt
• Discounts at local businesses
• Free admission to home athletic events
• Discounts to on campus dances

Spirit Wear/Class Shirt Update:
If you ordered spiritwear via the Gryco webstore, it will be here mid September and you will receive an email from me with pick-up information.
 
If you ordered a class shirt, we will hand them out on Wednesday, Sep 13 at lunch.
 
If you purchased ASB and didn’t receive your white spirit shirt, please send your student to room 314.
 
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

Seniors

• College Visits This Week in the CCC: Please encourage your senior or junior to sign up on Naviance if they are interested in learning more about these colleges. Often, the decision maker is the one doing the presentation. Students need to ask teachers for permission and must come to get a pass from Debbie Levy in the CCC:
  • University of Arizona - Aug 28 at 11:15am
  • Seton Hall - Aug 30 at 1:35pm
  • Davidson College - Aug 31 at 8:45am
• Senior Parent Night: Thursday, Sep 7 in the Library from 6-7pm. Learn about the upcoming year and college & career planning.
• College Application Academy Support: Remind your student to come to academy sessions in the CCC. You can also schedule an appointment here.
  • Friday, Sep 1: Common App - Everything you need to know!
  • Wednesday, Sep 6: Common App - Everything you need to know!
  • Wednesday, Sep 13 & Friday, Sep 15: Essay Workshops
  • Wednesday, Sep 20 - UC App 101
• 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

• Digital Practice for PSAT and ACT Exams: Click here to register your student for free online practice tests on Saturday, Sep 9, Sep 16, and Sep 23 from 9am-1pm with Revolution Prep.

Sophomores/Frosh

• Have your student explore their personality traits with this free assessment.

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

Counseling

Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em Anne Schonauer  
En-Kr Erika Vasquez
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows 
Roh-Z Susan Martin
 
Schedule Changes: Schedule changes will end tomorrow, Monday, Aug 28. We have made hundreds of changes, but unfortunately could not accommodate all requests. Please have your student see their counselor if they are still wanting a schedule change.
 
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 add after Monday, Aug 28.  
 
Class Visits: Counselors will be visiting senior and junior English classes next week.  We will give students an updated transcript, review post high school options with seniors and introduce post high school planning to juniors. The week after Labor Day, counselors will visit frosh and sophomore classes to talk about 4-year planning, credits, how to get involved, and other things they should be thinking about. 
 
Senior Appointments: Counselors will begin individual appointments with seniors beginning the second week of September, during which we will discuss the student’s plan for after high school. We will go through necessary steps to apply to college, arrange for relevant documents, and review deadlines. 

Wellness Center

The Wellness team would like to welcome everyone to the 23-24 school year! We are so happy to be back serving Acalanes students and we couldn’t do it without the generosity of our amazing community of parents and families. If you think that your student might benefit from mental health support this school year, please fill out a Wellness referral which can be found in the Wellness Center section of the Acalanes High School website.
 
Our normal drop-in hours start tomorrow, Monday, Aug 28 however we are always available to support students in crisis.
 
We look forward to another successful year of supporting student mental health right here on the Acalanes High School campus.