September is suicide awareness and prevention month. Although this is an extremely difficult topic to discuss with your student, it is also extremely necessary to do so. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34 and it can touch any community at any time. It is important to know the warning signs and what to do if you suspect that your child or someone else who you care about is suicidal. Here you can find resources specifically for parents looking to educate themselves on the statistics, warning signs and preventative measures surrounding teen suicide.
*If you or your student are ever experiencing a mental health crisis call 988 or 211 for crisis support resources. Or, text ‘HOPE’ to 20121.
Wellness Center
Legislative News
Register to Vote
Is your student 18 or about to turn 18? Now is the perfect time to register to vote and make sure their voices are heard! If your student is 16 or 17, they can pre-register today and be automatically ready to vote when they turn 18. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s their right! Let’s make sure this next generation is represented — click here to register or pre-register today!
Performing & Visual Arts
Concert Wear Donations Needed
Are you ready to make a difference in the lives of our talented Acalanes musicians? We’re seeking donations of gently-used concert attire to ensure that every student can look their best for upcoming performances.
Our current inventory of loaner attire is running low, so if you have any of the following items that your student has outgrown or no longer wears, please consider donating them to our Instrumental Music Concert Attire Closet (website):
- Black concert dress (from the past 4-5 years)
- Black tuxedos/suits
- Black jackets
- Black dress pants, black skirts (below knee)
- White, black, french blue button-down dress shirts
- White, black, french blue sleeved blouses
- Black ties (bow or regular)
- Black dress shoes
Your generosity helps to ensure that every musician has the opportunity to shine on stage! Please bring the clothes to the AHS music/band room. If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Christie or info@ahsperformingarts.org.
Acalanes Performing Arts Boosters Update
Thank you to the Acalanes community who cheered on the Acalanes Symphonic Orchestra on Labor Day at one of the last ever A’s games at the Oakland Coliseum. Next up, you can catch the fabulous Pep Band at the Friday, Sep 13 football game.
We hope you will attend other instrumental and choral concerts, plays and the Spring Musical! Please save the dates in the general performance calendar here and in the Instrumental Music calendar here. These are extracurriculars that are funded by community donations — if you didn’t get a chance to donate during registration, you still can here!
LPIE
26th Annual Lafayette Art and Wine Festival- join us on Saturday, Sep 21 from 10am-7pm and Sunday, Sep 22 from 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. Click HERE to sign and show your support for our schools!
LPIE’s 4th Annual Poker Tournament – Join the Fun and Support Our Schools!
Ante up for a night of excitement and community spirit! Our 4th Annual Poker Tournament is back – don’t miss your chance to play, win great prizes, and support our local schools all at once. Grab your seat at the table and let’s make this event a full house! 
Every Little Thing YOU Do Is Magic!
Enter for a chance to win two tickets to Billy Joel and Sting in Las Vegas. All gifts to LPIE by Sep 30 will be entered for a chance to win!
Sports
*The game schedule below reflects dates and times as of last Friday. Games may change for several reasons, including weather. If you have questions or comments, please contact Acalanes Sports Boosters.
This week’s can’t miss events:
Girls golf
Monday, Sep 9 v. Las Lomas HS and Miramonte HS at Contra Costa CC at 3:30pm.
Boys water polo
Tuesday, Sep 10 host Encinal HS. Varsity at 6pm and JV at 7pm.
Thursday, Sep 12 Varsity host Pinole Valley HS at 5pm.
Friday, Sep 13 host California HS. JV at 4pm and Varsity at 5pm.
Football
Thursday, Sep 12 Freshmen host California HS at 5pm.
Friday, Sep 13 Varsity host Galena HS, Reno at 7pm and JV host St. Ignatius HS at 4:30pm.
Girls volleyball
Saturday, Sep 14 host the Acalanes Invitational.
Girls water polo
Saturday, Sep 14 v. St. Ignatius HS at City College, San Francisco. Varsity at 11am and JV at 12pm.
Cross country
Saturday, Sep 14 Viking Opener Invitational at Spring Lake Regional Park, Santa Rosa.
You may view the full 2024-2025 Athletic Schedule by clicking HERE.
APC in Action
Peer Tutoring is Open!
We welcome Bill Powers as our new Co-Director, who joins Angela Ketcham, along with another outstanding Peer Tutoring staff!
Peer Tutoring aims to better the educational, social and emotional well-being of all Acalanes High School students and support them in developing the skills necessary to succeed in academics and life post high school.
We are open and ready to welcome students in Room 107. Students can drop in to receive help from junior and senior student tutors in any AHS academic subject, or just come in to do homework, read or study.
We are thankful to the Acalanes Parents Club for continuing to fully fund and support this program.
Hours of operation: Everyday @ lunch, Monday & Wednesday @ Academy, 7th period, and every day after school for 1 hour after the last school bell rings.
Stay Connected: Follow the Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram to keep up to date on what’s happening at Acalanes and reminders for important dates. Please reach out to APC here with any questions.
APC Membership & Fundraising
You can still donate to Acalanes Parents Club! Your donation goes directly to AHS and supports important programs that greatly benefit all Acalanes students and staff. These programs include:
- Peer Tutoring
- College & Career Services
- Campus Enhancements
- Parent Education
- Staff & Teacher Development
- Communications
- Grant Programs
- Volunteer Opportunities
- And more . . .
If you haven’t had a chance to donate, please consider doing so here. The suggested donation is $350, but any amount is welcome and greatly appreciated. 
Every donor receives a new APC tote! If you did not have a chance to get your tote at Dons Day or Back to School Night, please reach out to cdaughters@yahoo.com and we can make sure you get one.
Also, all APC members will receive a link to the online AHS student/family directory in the next few weeks.
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, please contact corpmatch@acalanesparentsclub.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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 20. There is also a virtual option around the paved trail of the reservoir from Oct 12-19.
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
Acalanes Adult Education provides comprehensive educational opportunities for adults aged eighteen and above. Situated at the Del Valle Education Center, adult learners have the privilege of enrolling in diverse courses, including Apple classes, Microsoft Excel, Creative Writing, English Language Learning (ESL), CPR Certification, Yoga, Money Management, History, Dreams and Nightmares, Estate Planning, Art, Crafting, Sewing, Fabric Collage, Crochet, World Languages (French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish) and many more. For further information, please visit auhsd.org/adulted. Additionally, you may access the Fall 2024 Course Catalog. To register online, visit https://tinyurl.com/
Thriving, Engaged and Well-Balanced Students
Creating a positive “school experience” for our students has been a top District priority for over a decade. One of the instruments we have used to measure our students’ experience is the Challenge Success-Stanford Survey of School Experiences. 83% of our students participated in the survey in April. The survey gathers student insights pertaining to academic engagement, support and belonging at school, homework load and habits, stress, sleep, academic integrity, extracurricular participation, and parent expectations. We have made some progress, but have much work to do to better support our students. This presentation includes district-wide data.
Dr. Denise Pope, founder of Challenge Success and an expert in student well-being, will visit our community on Wednesday, Sep 18 to share her insights and current research regarding supporting our students to thrive in our high-stakes and high-pressure culture. Increasing demands on students can lead to unhealthy stress, disengagement, or debilitating physical and mental health symptoms. Dr. Pope will address how to reduce academic stress and disengagement without sacrificing achievement and examine how to increase student resilience, creativity, competence and general well being. The presentation will be focused on supporting high school students and will include insights for navigating the pressures of college admissions.
The Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church will host the event from 6:30-8pm. Seats are limited and we expect high parent interest so please register and reserve your spot here. We hope to see you there!
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
Important September Dates:
- Sep 15 – Oct 15 National Hispanic Heritage Month
- Sep 19 Latinx Potluck (before the Campo/ACA volleyball game)
- Sep 27 National Native American Day
- Sep 30 Black Student Union (BSU) Summit
Our first DEIB Committee meeting last Monday was a chance to learn about each other and the needs of our school community. If you would like to get involved, learn more, or get signed up for our next meeting, please email us. There are ways to help both big and small, on campus or from the comfort of your own couch. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or Facebook.
