Encourage your student to show up and participate in all the fun planned for homecoming week. There are so many different ways to get involved and its a great opportunity to make new friends or spend time with old friends. Go Dons!
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
JUNE 2024 TRIP TO FRANCE & SWITZERLAND
Does your student love to travel? Acalanes staff is taking students on a trip to Europe this summer and students in any grade can attend. The only requirement is an interest in travel! This summer we are going to France and Switzerland. This trip has a little bit of everything — ancient/historical sites, relaxing beaches, awe-inspiring locations, amazing food, and a once-in-a-lifetime bonding experience with your Acalanes peers.
For anyone interested in going on the Europe trip this summer, please follow this link to preview the trip and to register.
Here is the link to the meeting video to learn more.
The deadline to sign up is Dec 1, so please do so as soon as you can if you’re interested.
Thank you,
Erin Barth and Tina Gullberg
Parent Education
SONG FOR CHARLIE – VIDEO
Last week Acalanes Administration hosted an impactful presentation with Song for Charlie (family-run nonprofit) and local First Responders on the topic of Fentanyl and “Fake Pills”. It was great to see so many parents and caregivers in attendance. This was not the old drug presentations we saw as kids. The information is new and important for all to see. We highly recommend parents sit down with their students to view the video!
Song for Charlie Website and Presentation
HOW TO NAVIGATE LIFE – EVENT REMINDER
Campo DEIB Presents: “How to Navigate Life” Book Discussion
Wednesday, Oct 11 at 7pm
Campolindo High School Performing Arts Center
RSVP Now at Event Create.
Acalanes High School and APC present
INTERNET SAFETY NIGHT
Tuesday, Oct 24 at 6:30pm
Acalanes Performing Arts Center
Event is free for all parents/guardian.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
There are several groups to recognize in the month of October. It is the second half of National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Arts and Humanities month, Filipino Heritage Month, LGBT History Month and National Disability Awareness Month. Indigenous People’s Day will be celebrated on Oct 9 and National Coming Out Day is Oct 11. We will have information on many of these topics in the coming newsletters, so keep an eye out!
Please join us on Tuesday, Oct 17 for a presentation with Alberto Ledesma in the Acalanes library at 7pm**. All parents and students in the district are invited. Alberto Ledesma, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at UC Berkeley, will share his experience as an undocumented immigrant to “hyper documents” university professor, and more. Check out his book Diary of a ReluctantDreamer.
**Members of the DEI committee will be gathering prior to the presentation in the front quad at 6:40pm for a meet and greet. Please join us to connect and build a more robust parent community. Open to all parents and caregivers!
On Friday, Oct 23, there is also a Dia De Los Muertos Dance Concert at St. Mary’s College from 8-10pm presented by Baile Folklorico Guadalupano and SMC Dance Company. All are welcome! You can read more about it here.
If you would like to learn more about the DEIB committee please contact us. Our next meeting is Sunday, Nov 5. And please follow us! We post activities and opportunities happening around the Bay Area.
Instagram and Facebook
Student Activities
HOMECOMING 2023 IS HERE!
Let’s celebrate together as a community! The fun begins tomorrow and we want to make sure you have all the information needed for your student to participate and have fun!
Tomorrow, Monday, Oct 9: Hallway Decorating from 10am-3pm
Encourage your student to come and support their class in transforming the halls. All students are welcome! Lunch will be served at 12:30pm.
We are also hosting a community walkthrough for families, our elementary schools, Stanley and the larger community from 5-6pm. Please stop by to see the magic!
Daily Schedule This Week
Tuesday:
- Dress Up: Country
- Lunch: Wild West Festival on the pumpkin patch
Wednesday:
- Dress Up: Jerseys
- Lunch: Relay race on the pool deck
- 5pm: FAB tailgate prior to our flag football senior night
- 7pm: Student dodgeball – a not to miss event! Students should bring their ID to play.
Thursday:
- Dress Up: Concert/band merch
- Lunch: Cakewalk
Friday:
- Dress Up: Class shirts or color (9: white 10: blue 11: grey 12: black)
- Academy: Homecoming rally with class skits
- Lunch: Staff vs. student dodgeball – students should bring their ID to play.
- 5:30pm: Tailgate prior to the football game (wear white)
- 7pm: Football game with halftime show including a powder toss (wear white)
HOCO Night Out: Saturday, Oct 14 from 7-10pm
This is a campus wide event (1100+ attended last year) and a night not to miss! Tickets are on sale via Go Fan and are $25 with ASB, $52 without ASB, $75 for an outside guest.
Outside guests need to fill out and return a guest contract by Tuesday, Oct 10 to the main office. Homecoming will feature a game truck, laser tag, arcade games, caricaturist, henna, casino games, food for purchase and dancing. There is something for everyone!
Attire: Students are welcome to wear what they are comfortable in. Most students wear slacks, a collared shirt, or a semi-formal dress. Dancing is outside on the cement so please plan footwear accordingly.
Homecoming Resources:
- Homecoming Overview Document
- Go Fan to purchase HOCO Night Out Ticket
- Google calendar with all the events
Canned Food Drive: Happening NOW through Friday, Oct 13
We will collect cans and money in the front quad in the morning and also have online donation links. The canned food drive is a part of class points for Homecoming. As a community, can we surpass the 40,000 can record set last year? Donation links:
LatinX/Hispanic Heritage Month began Sept 15 and runs until Oct 15. Students have planned various events and celebrations. One opportunity for our entire community is to attend the speaker event on Tuesday, Oct 17 at 7pm in our library. Dr. Alberto Ledesma, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at UC Berkeley will be with us to share his story, his experience as an undocumented immigrant, and more about the book he authored, Diary of a Reluctant Dreamer. Please save the date!
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: Students MUST pick up a pass from the College & Career Center to attend.
- Monday: William & Mary, Colby College
- Tuesday: Syracuse
- College Visits This Week in the CCC: Students MUST pick up a pass from the College & Career Center to attend.
- Tuesday: Lafayette College, Southern Methodist University (SMU)
- Wednesday: American University, Knox College, UCSB, University of Michigan, Kenyon College
- California State 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! 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.
Juniors- Volunteer Opportunity: The Northern California Family Center is looking for juniors who are interested in contributing to the community by supporting vulnerable populations of runaway and homeless youth. Contact here.
- College Visits This Week in the CCC: Students MUST pick up a pass from the College & Career Center to attend.
Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support.
Counseling
Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em AnneSchonauer
En-Kr Erika Vasquez
Ku-Rog MarissaMeadows
Roh-Z SusanMartin
Quarter Grades: The next grading period ends on Friday, Oct 13. 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.
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 still add to their schedule.
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
Happy Fall!
It’s a great time to have you and your family get flu shots. If you have a college student, encourage them to go to the Student Health Center on campus to get their flu shot and see what resources are available.
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 scientific evidence 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.
Brownies for breakfast? Why not?
Always Your School Nurse,
DvoraCitron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org, 925-280-2970 x7128,
IG: acalanesschoolnurse, SchoolNurseWebsite
Sports
This week’s can’t miss events:
Girls Golf
Monday, Oct 9 Northgate HS at Contra Costa CC at 3:30pm.
Girls Volleyball
Tuesday, Oct 10 host Las Lomas HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Thursday, Oct 12 at College Park HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Girls Tennis
Tuesday, Oct 10 Northgate HS at 4pm. Varsity is away and JV is home.
Thursday, Oct 12 Las Lomas HS at 4pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Boys Water Polo
Wednesday, Oct 11 at Las Lomas HS. JV at 4pm and Varsity at 5pm.
Thursday, Oct 12 host California HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6pm.
Friday, Oct 13 and Saturday, Oct 14 Crusader JV Tournament at Vintage HS.
Girls Water Polo
Wednesday, Oct 11 at Las Lomas HS. Varsity at 6pm and JV at 7pm.
Friday, Oct 13 and Saturday, Oct 14 NorCal JV Tournament at Soquel HS.
Flag Football
Wednesday, Oct 11 host Campolindo HS at 5pm, Northgate HS at 6pm.
Football
Thursday, Oct 12 Frosh host Rancho Cotate HS at 5pm.
Friday, Oct 13 host Benicia HS. JV at 4:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Cross Country
Saturday, Oct 14 Mariner Invitational at Hayward HS.
You may view the 2023-2024 Athletic Update by clicking HERE.
