Navigating Teen Behaviors
Hosted by SEED High School
Monday, Sep 11 at 7pm
Acalanes Library
This workshop is designed for parents of teens with learning differences and/or disabilities, from your ADHD teen to your ASD teen and everything in between.
If you’d like to receive SEED High School invites, sign up at seedlagayette.org and select High School.
What a great week we had last week with our welcome back rally and dance, along with the start to fall sports, acapella auditions and a welcome back carnival.
New and Returning Club Applications: Anyone can start a club at Acalanes and we encourage students to do so. Club applications are due this Thursday, Aug 31. Our Fall Club Day is Friday Sept 8 during academy and is a great chance to check out all of the clubs and join one or two.
The Acalanes Community Outreach Board is hosting a fundraiser tomorrow, Aug 28-Sep 8 to support citizens of Maui in wake of the recent fires that occurred. Cash can be donated in the morning by the flagpole and in jars in classes; those donations will go towards supplies for first responders and displaced families through the Maui Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation. You can also donate online to the Maui Food Bank using this link.
Homecoming 2023: Acalanes celebrates music genres!
Homecoming week is Oct 9-14 and is one of the best weeks on campus with so many different ways for students to get involved. Please encourage your student to opt in! Class informational meetings will begin the week of Sep 4 so look out for specific information in the daily bulletin.
ASB Stickers: Thank you to all who have purchased the ASB Sticker via the webstore! There is still time to purchase and this money drives student activities at Acalanes. ASB costs $100 and the sticker gets printed on the ID Card. Students will receive their ID cards this week. Perks include:
Spirit Wear/Class Shirt Update:
If you ordered spiritwear via the Gryco webstore, it will be here mid September and you will receive an email from me with pick-up information.
If you ordered a class shirt, we will hand them out on Wednesday, Sep 13 at lunch.
If you purchased ASB and didn’t receive your white spirit shirt, please send your student to room 314.
My goal is that every student at Acalanes is connected to one activity outside of class. I am always happy to meet with students and/or parents about on campus programming and opportunities. If I can help, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
Katherine Walton, Activities Director
Seniors
Juniors
Sophomores/Frosh
Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support.
Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em Anne Schonauer
En-Kr Erika Vasquez
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows
Roh-Z Susan Martin
Schedule Changes: Schedule changes will end tomorrow, Monday, Aug 28. We have made hundreds of changes, but unfortunately could not accommodate all requests. Please have your student see their counselor if they are still wanting a schedule change.
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 add after Monday, Aug 28.
Class Visits: Counselors will be visiting senior and junior English classes next week. We will give students an updated transcript, review post high school options with seniors and introduce post high school planning to juniors. The week after Labor Day, counselors will visit frosh and sophomore classes to talk about 4-year planning, credits, how to get involved, and other things they should be thinking about.
Senior Appointments: Counselors will begin individual appointments with seniors beginning the second week of September, during which we will discuss the student’s plan for after high school. We will go through necessary steps to apply to college, arrange for relevant documents, and review deadlines.
The Wellness team would like to welcome everyone to the 23-24 school year! We are so happy to be back serving Acalanes students and we couldn’t do it without the generosity of our amazing community of parents and families. If you think that your student might benefit from mental health support this school year, please fill out a Wellness referral which can be found in the Wellness Center section of the Acalanes High School website.
Our normal drop–in hours start tomorrow, Monday, Aug 28 however we are always available to support students in crisis.
We look forward to another successful year of supporting student mental health right here on the Acalanes High School campus.
Instrumental Music: Hello music and baseball fans! What better way to combine two fun activities than to support our Acalanes Instrumental Music students, led by our new Band Director Edwin Cordoba, as they play the national anthem at the A’s Game on Sept 3rd! Come cheer both our talented students during their performance as well as the Oakland A’s as they play against the Los Angeles Angels.
Event: Acalanes Instrumental Music plays the National Anthem 
Date: Sunday, Sept 3rd
Time: 1:00 pm
Location: RingCentral Coliseum, Oakland CA
Ticket prices: $25 (discounted)
Details on how to purchase and pick up discount tickets are on the instrumental music website
The DramaDon’s are excited to announce auditions for Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee! Here’s the details:
Please encourage your students to stop by the Drama Room (right across the front quad from the cafeteria) to pick up an audition packet and sign up for a 4-minute audition time.
Lafayette Partners in Education is hosting an intimate acoustic concert featuring Alanis Morissette in a private garden setting on Friday, Sep 15. In addition to the performance, we are working to raise $200,000 to support visual and performing arts education in Lafayette Public Schools.
More information about the event can be found here and although it’s sold out, you still have a chance to attend this incredible evening through our RAFFLE! Each ticket is $25 or you can purchase 5 for $100. All sales support LPIE! Click here to submit your name and phone number to be contacted for raffle ticket purchase. Raffle to be drawn on Friday, Sept 1 at 9am.
www.lpie.org, Follow us on Instagram
This week’s can’t miss events:
Girls Golf
The Acalanes girls golf team has teamed up with Sideboard for a fundraising event on Wednesday, Aug 30. Sideboard will give 20% back to girls golf for every purchase by the Acalanes community that day. Every dollar counts! You can dine in, order to go, and/or buy gift cards! Don’t forget to say you are with Acalanes Girls Golf!
Girls volleyball
Tuesday, Aug 29 host Rancho Cotate HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Friday, Sep 1 and Saturday, Sep 2 in the Reno Invitational.
Girls tennis
Tuesday, Aug 29 host Alhambra HS at 4pm.
Boys water polo
Tuesday, Aug 29 host Pinole Valley HS scrimmage. Varsity at 6pm and JV at 7pm.
Wednesday, Aug 30 host Pittsburg HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6pm.
Girls water polo
Tuesday, Aug 29 at Redwood HS. Varsity at 4pm and JV at 5pm.
Wednesday, Aug 30 at Archie Williams HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6pm.
Football
Wednesday, Aug 30 Frosh host Monte Vista HS at 5pm.
Friday, Sep 1 host San Ramon Valley HS. JV at 4:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
You may view the 2023-2024 Athletic Update by clicking HERE
Join us for the Dons Dialogue Friday, Aug 25 at 8:45am: Acalanes Parents Club is pleased to invite you to our first Dons Dialogue of the 2023-2024 school year! Dons Dialogues are the best way to find out what’s going on at Acalanes!
These monthly forums provide parents with the opportunity to hear directly from Principal Eric Shawn and other AHS faculty regarding academics, student activities, department information, hot topics on campus, plus open Q&A. APC will provide coffee and treats. All parents/caregivers welcome.
Peer Tutoring is Now Open! 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.
The program opens tomorrow (Monday, Aug 21) in Room 107 under the supervision of Co-Directors, Kristen Labrosse and Angela Ketcham. Students are welcome to drop-in to receive help from junior and senior student tutors in almost any AHS academic subject, or just come in to do homework, read or study.
Hours week of Aug 21: Lunch, 7th period, and every day 1 hour after the last school bell rings. Academy sessions start September 1!
Thank you, Acalanes Parents Club! Peer Tutoring is 100% funded by APC. We could not operate without your donations to this valuable organization.
Volunteer Opportunities: In case you missed it in the registration process, please complete this volunteer form so we know what you’re interested in helping with this year. There are plenty of parent volunteer opportunities, starting with Homecoming this fall!
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.
