What a week! Homecoming 2023 is officially over and what an incredible week for our students and for our community. We donated thousands of cans to the Contra Costa Food Bank, we spent time with one another, we had fun, we made memories and we danced the night away on Saturday!
Homecoming would not be possible without YOU. Thank you for your donations, your time and your support. A special thank you to our 18 parent liaisons who gave so much of their time to support class officers and make the magic happen. Homecoming 2023 is one to remember!
This week, we have the incredible opportunity to host Dr. Alberto Ledesma, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at UC Berkeley. He will be with us on Tuesday at 7pm in the Acalanes library to share his story, his experience as an undocumented immigrant, and more about the book he authored, Diary of a Reluctant Dreamer. The event is open to our entire district so please plan to attend.
The Community Outreach and Improvement Program is hosting a drive for the Lamorinda branch of the American Association of University Women from October 16-27! Please donate your gently used sneakers to the bins outside the front office! The donations fund scholarships for women in our community!
Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
Katherine Walton, Activities Director
Student Activities
College & Career
Seniors
- College Visits This Week in the CCC: Students MUST pick up a pass from the College & Career Center to attend.
- Monday: Purdue, Southeastern University, Whitman SCAD
- Tuesday: Princeton, Oberlin College, Wesleyan, Dominican Univ., Northwestern University
- Wednesday: Colgate, UCLA, Vassar
- Thursday: Arizona St., NYU
- Friday: IE University-Madrid, Marymount Manhattan
- California State OR UC Application Support: Remind your student to come to academy sessions in the CCC. 6th and 7th period is OPEN for seniors to DROP BY anytime! Morning time works too! No appointments needed.
- 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.
Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support.
Juniors
- Clubs: Acalanes has over 70 clubs. Learn more here. It’s a great way for students to get involved!
Counseling
Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em AnneSchonauer
En-Kr Erika Vasquez
Ku-Rog MarissaMeadows
Roh-Z SusanMartin
Quarter Grades: Quarter grades will be available in Aeries on Friday, Oct 20. Athletic eligibility for fall and winter sports will be renewed/determined with quarter grades.
Letters of Recommendation: Counselors are busy writing letters of recommendation for seniors applying by Nov 1. If your senior is still making adjustments to their college list, and they need a letter of rec, please have them come see us!
School Nurse
Teens and Energy!?!
Which do your students like the best – Monster? Red Bull? Many others are also popular. You probably won’t be surprised that it’s not hard to find scientificevidence proving that these drinks are NOT HEALTHY for our teens to consume. What’s important to consider is WHY they are drinking them (what are they NOT getting?). When we see students drinking these during the school day, we can make some quick assumptions: they haven’t slept enough (length and quality) and/or they haven’t eaten breakfast (or anything). Translation: not only are these energy drinks actually dangerous, they’re being used as a replacement for something healthy that supports your student’s well-being. Please consider having a positive, non-judgmental and open-minded dialogue on how you can best support your student to cultivate and practice healthy habits that support optimal learning and performance. Need ideas and help? Let me know.
Browniesforbreakfast? Why not?
Always Your School Nurse,
DvoraCitron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org, 925-280-2970 x7128,
IG: acalanesschoolnurse, SchoolNurseWebsite
Wellness Center
In recent years you may have noticed a boom in the usage of the term “self-care.” It may seem as if this term is a new and trendy buzzword, but the benefits of self-care are endless when it comes to overcoming the challenges of everyday life. Self-care is an umbrella term for anything that an individual does to maintain their physical, emotional and spiritual health. It seems like a no brainer. It seems that taking care of yourself is pretty rudimentary and self-explanatory. Unfortunately, taking care of ourselves is extremely difficult when considering some of the challenges that we face on a day-to-day basis. Some barriers to self-care may include the mindlessness of daily routines in which we are driven by autopilot, yielding to others needs before our own, or even avoiding specific tasks that lead to the rationalization of why you just don’t have the time.
This week, I challenge you to consider the benefit of self-care not only for your personal wellbeing but for the wellbeing of your loved ones; specifically, your AHS student. Many of us have heard the phrase, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” If your physical, emotional and spiritual health are depleted, are you really showing up for your loved ones to the best of your ability? In addition to replenishing our cups, prioritizing self-care models effective health and wellness behaviors to your student. If your students can see that you are making it a point to take care of yourself, they are more likely to follow suit. Talk to your student about the importance of self-care and what that looks like for either of you. So, start that mindfulness practice, dance around the house to your favorite music, find what feels nourishing to your soul!
Kiara Thomas- Wellness Intake Specialist
Sports
This week’s can’t miss events:
Girls golf
Monday, Oct 16 DAL Championship at Blue Rock East GC at 9am.
Girls volleyball
Tuesday, Oct 17 at Campolindo HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Thursday, Oct 19 host Miramonte HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Girls tennis
Tuesday, Oct 17 Miramonte HS at 4pm. Varsity is away and JF is home.
Unified soccer
Tuesday, Oct 17 at Ygnacio Valley HS at 1pm.
Boys water polo
Wednesday, Oct 18 host Miramonte HS. JV at 4pm and Varsity at 5pm.
Friday, Oct 20 host College Park HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6pm.
Girls water polo
Wednesday, Oct 18 host Miramonte HS. Varsity at 6pm and JV at 7pm.
Friday, Oct 20 and Saturday, Oct 21 NorCal Varsity Invitational at Sacred Heart HS.
Cross country
Wednesday, Oct 18 DAL Center Meet at Newhall Park at 3:30pm.
Football
Thursday, Oct 19 Frosh host Menlo School at 5pm.
Friday, Oct 20 at Miramonte HS. JV at 4:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
You may view the 2023-2024 Athletic Update by clicking HERE.
General Administration Announcements
HOMECOMING WEEK IS HERE!
For more details on how your student can join the activities listed above, see Student Activities section below. Let’s Go Dons!!
APC in Action
THANK YOUR APC CLASS LIAISONS!
Do you know your Class Liaisons? If not, get to know this dedicated team of parent volunteers.
The Liaisons serve as the primary link between parents, the Associated Student Body (ASB) Class Officers and the AHS Leadership class. They work closely with the elected class officers to raise money and plan events from Freshman through Senior years. These hard working teams can be seen staffing the snack shack, planning the parent parties, and assisting with HOCO, Prom, Grad Night and so much more. They share weekly class updates in our APC newsletter (see APC Class Updates below). Please read their sections carefully and sign up help!
Next time you see your Class Liaison, please thank them for all they do for our students and the Acalanes community.
Co-Head Liaisons: Sarah Cusumano and Heidi Keely
Class of 2024: Claire Gallacher, Beth Goldberg, Becki Hanson, Joy Martin, Amy Parlett
Class of 2025: Alison Cocotis, Samantha Duff, Jen Fish, Holly McShane, Sherry Quinn
Class of 2026: Andrea Hilsabeck, Stefania Kaplanes, Heidi Keely, Gretchen La Rotonda
Class of 2027: Hazel Blackhart, Stephanie Hamilton, Erica Mason, Jeannine Palmer
APC FALL GRANT APPLICATIONS – Deadline Extended till Friday, Oct 13!
There is still time to submit an APC grant request, as the deadline has been extended until Friday, Oct 13. If you have an activity or project idea, we want to know more! The application is open to any AHS student, staff, teacher or parent. Any grant requests for programming, materials or projects that enhance the educational experience for our school community are welcome.
Click here for criteria and application. Completed applications and questions can be submitted to Nicole Sanders or delivered to the APC Box in the front office.
Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Please reach out to APC here with any questions.
