Weekly News & Announcements

School Nurse

WHAT ARE UPFs?
UPFs are ultra-processed foods, which are so readily available and consumed by most Americans. In guiding your family towards optimal health and well-being, consider what options you might have for substituting just one UPF you regularly consume with a healthier option.
 
How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat each day?
I ask this question to many of the students I meet with. Some of them barely have one of each per day. I ask them to consider where in their day they might be able to include an extra fruit and vegetable at each meal. Do you have fruits and vegetables readily available for your students? HERE is a great resource I found on seasonal produce that also has great educational information for each fruit and vegetable.

FUN FACT:  Did you know that broccoli has 3gm of protein per serving?
What is your favorite bean? Mine is GARBANZOS! Try putting out a platter of fresh vegetables with a bowl of hummus in the center and see what happens…

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 team will run a six-week mindfulness group during academy on Wednesdays starting Mar 13. We are partnering with Dr. Kristen Freeman (St. Mary's professor and parent of Acalanes students) in facilitating the group. The purpose of this group is twofold: first, to introduce mindfulness breathing techniques to help students improve anxiety and stress-related symptoms; and second, to explore the potential positive impact on students’ academic performance. These sessions will focus on developing coping strategies and tools to manage stress and anxiety in the school environment, ultimately aiming to enhance classroom performance and attention.
 
If you have any students that are interested, please email Patrick Turner (Wellness Coordinator). A pass will be sent to students to inform them and provide consent forms to complete and return.
 
If you have any questions or concerns and or want more information on what mindfulness is, feel free to reach out to Patrick Turner as well.

LPIE

LPIE ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN
We aim to honor and celebrate the generous donors who have contributed to the Annual Giving Campaign this year by including their names in an advertisement in the Lamorinda Weekly, as well as LPIE’s 2023-24 annual report. If you haven’t had a chance to contribute but wish to be included, there’s still time. By making a donation here before midnight on Sunday, Mar 17, your name will be included in both publications. Please help us reach our 90+% participation goal and join this incredible community of supporters by making a donation TODAY!
 
A giant THANK YOU to everyone who participated in this year’s Gala! Whether you bid in the online auction, purchased a raffle ticket, or attended the Gala, your participation in this event ultimately provides funding that enhances and enriches the education of every Lafayette student. If you missed out on the online auction or attending the Gala, it’s not too late to show your support!

Sports

This weeks can't miss events

Boys Tennis
Monday, Mar 11 Varsity hosts Lick-Wilmerding HS at 4:30pm.
Tuesday, Mar 12 College Park HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Thursday, Mar 14 Campolindo HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
 
Boys Golf
Monday, Mar 11 Wildcat Varsity Invitational at Meadow GC.
Wednesday, Mar 13 JV v. Las Lomas HS at Rossmoor GC at 3:30pm.
Friday, Mar 15 Varsity v. Athenian HS at Rossmoor GC at 3:30pm.
 
Swimming
Monday, Mar 11 host Miramonte HS at 4pm.
Friday, Mar 15 and Saturday, Mar 16 Mission Viejo Invitational.
 
Baseball
Tuesday, Mar 12 Las Lomas HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Wednesday, Mar 13 Frosh at Clayton Valley Charter HS at 4pm.
Saturday, Mar 16 Frosh host Alhambra HS doubleheader at 10am and 12pm.
 
Softball
Tuesday, Mar 12 Concord HS at 4:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Thursday, Mar 14 Northgate HS at 4:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Saturday, Mar 16 Encinal HS at 4:30pm. Varsity is away and JV is home.
 
Boys Volleyball
Tuesday, Mar 12 v. Alameda HS at Encinal HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Wednesday, Mar 13 host Monte Vista HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Thursday, Mar 14 at Las Lomas HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
 
Girls Lacrosse
Tuesday, Mar 12 host Monte Vista HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Friday, Mar 15 host Campolindo HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
 
Boys Lacrosse
Tuesday, Mar 12 at Berkeley HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Friday, Mar 15 at Campolindo HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
 
Track & field
Wednesday, Mar 13 at Las Lomas HS at 4pm.
Friday, Mar 15 and Saturday, Mar 16 Dublin Distance Fiesta.
 
Competitive Sport Cheer
Friday, Mar 15 Alhambra HS at 5:30pm and Clayton Valley Charter HS at 6:30pm at Alhambra HS.
 
Diving
Saturday, Mar 16 Las Positas Invitational.

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

General Administration Announcements

PARENTS, IT'S YOUR TIME TO JUMP IN!
Acalanes Parents/Guardians, here is where you can play an important part in the incredible opportunities happening at Acalanes!

1. Job Fair:  If your business hires high school students (or you know someone who does) please reach out to Katherine Walton at kwalton@auhsdschools.org to be part of the Job Fair on Wednesday, Mar 20. We can help you recruit some incredible employees!
2. Creative Arts and Design Career Academy: Parents, alumni, and community members are invited to talk with students about their career experiences/pathways in the creative arts and design fields. Please email Debbie Levy, dlevy@auhsdschools.org for more info about this event on Wednesday, Apr 10 at 10am.
3. Classroom Instructional Aides: The District is seeking applicants for classroom Instructional Aides. No previous training required, just a willingness to learn new skills and help students succeed. Applications should be submitted on Edjoin.com.
4. Trade Fair: The College & Career Center is hosting a Trade Fair for Roofing, Electrical, Plumbing, Linesman, Cosmetology, Automotive, and more during lunch on April 24th. We are looking for more organizations to be represented. Please email Debbie Levy, dlevy@auhsdschools.org with any suggestions.

STATE TESTING IS COMING!
CAASPP testing will begin on Monday, March 11, and all Juniors will take the Math, English, and Science tests over the three weeks prior to Springbreak.
 
To prepare and fire up our students, Principal Shawn is visiting all Junior classes to talk with them about the importance of this test. Our school has outstanding achievement, and these test scores are critical as a public measurement of our students' progress. Assessments are part of the state-mandated accountability system and are presented to the public via the California School Dashboard. When all students try their best on CAASPP, AUHSD schools will be able to present accurate academic performance data.  Students will also receive their score reports, which are included in their academic file.  CAASPP scores are also used at colleges for course placement.
 
We greatly appreciate our parents and community's encouragement of our students to do their absolute best, participate, and show up for our school in taking these tests seriously. Don't stress, but please do your best!

APC in Action

DON'T MISS THE COLOR RUN!
Acalanes High School is having its Annual Color Run on Sunday, Mar 24 at 9 am. This is a super fun 1 or 2-mile run around the Acalanes campus with stations of different colored powders scattered throughout the course.

This event is inspired by the traditions of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Color. Holi celebrates the arrival of spring and its beautiful harvests and colors with festivals involving colored powder.

The Color Run is a community wide event and we want to encourage you to run or walk! You can purchase your registration on Go Fan which includes a t-shirt, gift from Zoonie's and snacks at the end of the race. 

We encourage people of all ages to come run! Hope to see you there!

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

Upcoming Important Dates:

• Women’s History Month (March)
• Disability Awareness Month (March)
• Gender Equality Month (March)
• Mar 11 Ramadan Begins
• Mar 19 Nowruz - Persian New Year
• Feb 14 - Mar 28 Lent
• Mar 25 Holi Celebrated
• Mar 31 Easter and Trans Day of Visibility

Please join us as we celebrate the many religious holidays and festivals in our world this month. Along with that we will spotlight some amazing women and celebrate those with disabilities. If you have someone or something you would like to highlight please let us know here.
 
Do you use Facetime or Zoom? Thank prolific inventor Marian Croak, owner of 200+ U.S. patents. Croak was one of the first two Black women to be inducted to the Inventors Hall of Fame. She is best known for developing Voice Over Internet Protocols (VoIP), technology that converts your voice into a digital signal. Among her inventions is the text-to-donate function, which has helped to raise millions of dollars for disaster-relief efforts.

Upcoming Important Dates:

• Black History/Excellence Month (February)
• Women’s History Month (March)
• Disability Awareness Month (March)
• Gender Equality Month (March)

As we wrap up celebrating Black excellence this month, we ask each and every one of you to reflect on what makes this part of our culture so special. Black innovators have shaped our American culture in so many incredible ways, from the traffic signal to the Super Soaker, our refrigerated trucks to our long lasting light bulbs. And if it wasn’t for George Washington Carver, we might not have our good old PB and J or Reese's Peanut Butter cups.
 
As we look into the month of March, we hope to celebrate women for their history month, and those with disabilities for their awareness month. It is also Gender Equality Month. If you have a story to share or someone special to highlight, please let us know!

Please check out the new AUHSD DEIB website for many great resources and events! And follow us on Instagram and Facebook