All APC members should have received an email with a link to the Acalanes 2024-2025 Online Family Directory! If you donated to the APC and did not receive the email, please contact our Communications Team at vpcommunications@acalanesparentsclub.com.
It is not too late to donate here. With a donation of any amount, you will receive the directory, and you can also get an Acalanes tote bag. If you have any questions, or if you have donated and would like a tote bag, please contact Carrie Daughters.
APC Membership & Fundraising
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
SHOE DRIVE FOR WOMEN’S SCHOLARSHIPS
The Community Outreach and Improvement Program is hosting a shoe drive for the Lamorinda branch of the American Association of University Women from Monday, Sept 30 to Friday, Oct 11. Please donate your gently used sneakers to the bins outside the front office. The donations fund scholarships for women in our community! Please check out our website for more donation options and information about us: https://sites.google.com/view/coip-ahs/home!
LAFAYETTE RESERVOIR RUN: Sunday, Oct 20
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 20. There is also a virtual option around the paved trail of the reservoir from Oct 12-19.
Thank you for supporting our schools!
Parent Education
Song for Charlie – Educational Presentation about the Dangers of Fentanyl
This is a district wide Parent Education Night on fentanyl awareness. Join us on Oct 8 from 6:30-8pm at Los Lomas High School Theatre to view a documentary produced by the nonprofit organization Song for Charlie followed by a Q & A panel.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
Important Dates
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- Sep 15-Oct 15 National Hispanic Heritage Month
- LGBTQ History Month
- Filipino American History Month
- Oct 10 LatinX Heritage Month Speaker: Anthony Rodriguez Yao
- Oct 10 World Mental Health Day
- Oct 11-12 Yom Kippur
- Oct 14 Indigenous Peoples’ Day
- Oct 31 Diwali
Latinos Unidos has a few more fun activities for students for the remainder of Hispanic Heritage month. Please check out our IG and the Daily Don to find dates and times.
LatinX Heritage Month Speaker: Anthony Rodriguez Yao. On Oct 10 at 5:30pm in the library, we are excited to welcome Anthony Rodriguez Yao as our featured speaker for LatinX Heritage Month. Anthony is an immigration attorney who will share his story and shed light on his experiences. There will also be an opportunity for questions, so come prepared! We look forward to seeing you there!
Oct 10 is World Mental Health Day. The overall objective of this day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.The day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.
Oct 11 at sundown to Oct 12, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. It is traditional to fast for the day to reflect on the year and end the holiday with a break fast meal after sun down. Students may be in services all day, fasting and spending the holidays with family. Please extend them grace during these days.
If you would like to get involved please email us at diversityandinclusion@acalanesparentsclub.com. All are welcome.
Student Activities
Don’t miss the Homecoming recap video produced by Val Grossi and the tech team in leadership. It details out what an amazing week HOCO 2024 was!
The annual Acalanes Fall Blood Drive is Oct 30. You can make appointments through the Red Cross website (link to page). You must create an account and find the Acalanes Blood Drive on the Find a Drive page. Our goal is to have 46 donors. If you have any questions please reach out to Ms. Walton or marshall.stirling27@auhsdschools.org.
Breaking Down the Walls From Oct 22 – 24 all 10th and 11th grade students will participate in Breaking Down The Walls. The Breaking Down the Walls program is a unique opportunity for students and staff to connect, share their stories, and realize…
“It’s hard to hate someone whose story you know.”
Thanks to APC funding, this program creates a safe environment for students to build empathy and understanding through a “play, trust, learn” model. By first helping students laugh together, they start to trust one another and eventually want to learn from those outside their regular friend group. The assembly, training, and workshops leave everyone with the realization that we are truly BETTER TOGETHER!
Breaking Down the Walls strengthens social and emotional learning (SEL), specifically building social awareness and relationship skills vital to student growth and success.
- Meaningful connections and positive relationships
- Bring students together and provide dedicated time for them to connect and build relationships.
- Empathy and Understanding
- Allow students to share their stories, hear their peers’ stories, and learn they are better together.
- Thriving Campus Culture
- Create an inclusive culture where students say, “I belong here; I am safe here; I can learn and grow here.”
Here is a 4-minute video from the organization with testimonials from students. Students will be participating during one of the three days, assigned by last name. Look for more specific information next week.
October is PINK for breast cancer awareness! Get your Dons pink shirt to wear at the various Pink Out games including football on Oct 11 vs. Miramonte. Only a few left!
LatinX Heritage Month Speaker: Anthony Rodriguez Yao. On Oct 10, 2024, at 5:30pm in the library, we are excited to welcome Anthony Rodriguez Yao as our featured speaker for LatinX Heritage Month. Anthony is an immigration attorney who will share his story and shed light on his experiences. There will also be an opportunity for questions, so come prepared! We look forward to seeing you there!
Starting to think about holiday cards and gifts? Shop at Minted. Not only do you get 20% off, Acalanes gets 15% of all sales when you use the code FUNDRAISEACALANES.
The Community Outreach and Improvement Program is hosting a drive for the Lamorinda branch of the American Association of University Women from Sep 30 to Oct 11. Please donate your gently used sneakers to the bins outside the front office! The donations fund scholarships for women in our community! Please check out their website for more donation options and information.
If you ordered spiritwear from the Gryco webstore and haven’t picked it up, please email Katherine Walton and she can leave it in the attendance office for you.
2024-2025 Clubs
Looking to connect your student to a passion? Here are 77 unique clubs on campus, from Archery Club to the Red Cross Club.
Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
Katherine Walton, Activities Director
College & Career
Seniors: Please come by the College and Career Center during 6th, 7th, academy, lunch and/or brunch to work on your Cal State, Common, and UC applications. Tips and strategies provided during all sessions. MaiaLearning tutorials are also provided at each visit. Great tips here!
Speaker Series: Join this fall for a speaker series of respected college admissions leaders. Sign up here for the first talk on Oct 8.
Senior Scholarships: Digital Marketing Scholarship application due Dec 1 and Stand up to Distracted Driving Scholarship application due Nov 13.
Counseling
Counselor assignments are by student last name:
A-F Anne Schonauer
G-Ka Erika Vasquez
Ke-Re Marissa Meadows
Rh-Z Susan Martin
CLASS SCHEDULES Students can still drop a class this week! Students can drop a first or last class of the day for an Off Campus, or they can drop a class and add a TA that period until Friday, Oct 11. After this date, any class dropped will receive an automatic F grade.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Counselors are finishing up seeing seniors individually to discuss post high-school plans. October is the month we spend writing letters for Early Decision/Action deadlines – each counselor has over 40 letters to write during October! Please have your student see us right away if they need a letter of rec!
GRADES AND ELIGIBILITY The first quarter of the year ends on Friday! Continued athletic eligibility will be determined from these grades next week for all fall sports – students must have a 2.0 GPA and be passing five classes.
JUNIOR PARENT NIGHT Please come to the Library on Wednesday, Nov 13 from 6:30-7:30pm to hear from Debbie Levy, College and Career Center Advisor, and Susan Martin, Counselor, about all things juniors should be thinking about as they research and prepare to apply to college next fall!
School Nurse
Here I go talking about healthy food again…
There are two things I want to highlight:
- Let’s go over what I talked about last week: What is true about almost all the students that come into my office not feeling well is that they haven’t eaten breakfast. Most kids say they don’t have time and/or are not hungry in the morning. I always start out by asking them what they’d be WILLING to eat. Our students really need to start their day with “fuel in their tank” for optimal learning (and to feel well). How did your conversation go with your student about EATING BREAKFAST? What breakfast ideas did you come up with together?
- OK, stay with me here…Remember how I talked about the nutritional conference I recently attended? One of the greatest presentations was from an ophthalmologist speaking how important optimal nutrition is for visual health. How can you support optimal nutrition for your kids? To begin with, provide an abundance of green leafy vegetables, other vegetables and fruits at meals and for snacks. That’s a good starting point. A next step can be to have your student participate in choosing healthy foods for the household (take them with you to the supermarket, or better yet to a farmer’s market!). You can challenge them to pick out three different COLOR fruits and three different COLOR vegetables. This doctor also said evidence shows that kids who play outside for 2 hours a day have a lower incidence of vision issues. Makes sense but now here’s your reason!
Please, let me know if you have questions or need support.
AHS School Nurse Calendar
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
Join us on Tuesday, Oct 8 for a districtwide parent education event regarding the fentanyl crisis and its impact on teens. There will be a screening of a documentary from the nonprofit organization Song for Charlie followed by a question and answer panel. Panelists will include Outreach Coordinator from Song for Charlie Laura Didier, LLHS Principal Heather Thorner, LLHS Wellness Coordinator Amelia Whalen, and other community experts. The event will take place on from 6:30-8pm in the Las Lomas High School Theater. All parents within AUHSD and parents from partner districts are welcome to attend.
Please use this link if you are interested in attending. RSVP is not required but is helpful for our planning.
Legislative News
AUHSD Governing Board – Candidate Forum
Las Trampas Creek Council of PTA’s is co-sponsoring the candidate forum for the Acalanes Union High School Districts.
Thursday, Oct 17
6:30-9pm
Walnut Creek Library – Oak View room
