News – Acalanes Parents Club

APC in Action

May 11, 2026

Acalanes teachers and staff enjoyed a fabulous lunch hosted by APC last week!

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the families who contributed salads, desserts, and beverages, and to our amazing Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs, Dominique Mickelson and Stacey Hastings, for organizing such an incredible meal for our teachers and staff. We are so grateful for all of you and your help in making the lunch a success!

Finals Fuel – Volunteers & Snacks
Finals are just around the corner…..and that means FINALS FUEL is back! During finals week, the APC provides snacks for the students during brunch period. We need your help to refuel and recharge our Dons. Here are three ways to help:

Purchase snacks from the Amazon Wish list found here. Items will be sent from Amazon directly to a residence for transport to AHS, no need to deliver anything.
Don’t want to purchase via Amazon? No problem! Sign up to purchase snacks yourself from the SignUpGenius here, and you deliver to a private residence in Lafayette.
Volunteer to hand out snacks on campus (Wednesday-Friday). Sign up for shifts here.

Still not sure what to do? Reach out to Regan with any questions: reganscovic@gmail.com.
Thank you in advance for your help!

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS
Congratulations to all of the 233 students who completed 30+ hours of community service over the past year. Please see the attached list of all of our amazing community service students. Each student can print their digital award for their own keeping if they choose.

We have 12 seniors that will be earning the Excellence in Community Service Award this year. These students have completed over 300 hours of community service during their 4 years at Acalanes. Please join us in congratulating:
Lauren Anderson
Alvera Bamorya
Jackson Crinnion
Liam Crinnion
Lauren Foster
Darren Ho
Miela Hsu
Addison Mandell
Donovan McGrath
Audrey Parkin
Addyson Stevens
Samantha Swift

These students may pick up a certificate and a special cord to wear at graduation on Wednesday, May 13th at lunch.

Campus Culture Committee

May 11, 2026

💙 Acalanes Parent Club – Campus Culture Committee (CCC) Update
May 2026

🌟 Campus Culture Committee Highlights
The Campus Culture Committee is wrapping up a meaningful and impactful 2025–2026 school year. While there are no additional meetings scheduled for the remainder of the year, we are proud to reflect on the connection, care, and community that have defined our work together.
At our final meeting of the 2025–2026 school year, we also began planning for the year ahead. Highlights for 2026–2027 include:

Quarterly Meetings (August, November, February, May)
- Department updates
- Board reports
- Volunteer sign-ups
May Meeting: Special team-building activity
Monthly Engagement Opportunities Between Meetings:
- Volunteering at school events such as Back-to-School Night
- Hosting lunches for student clubs

Donating supplies for events like Homecoming

🌟 May Days of Recognition & Celebration

May is Asian/Pacific Heritage month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Jewish American Heritage Month
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo

May offers meaningful opportunities to honor culture, identity, and well-being:

Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month
A time to reflect on and celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across fields such as science, arts, business, and government.
Jewish Heritage Month
Celebrates the achievements and cultural contributions of Jewish Americans in areas including law, medicine, politics, philanthropy, and the arts.

Mental Health Awareness Month
Observed since 1949, this month focuses on reducing stigma, increasing awareness, and promoting support for mental health. The 2026 theme centers on community and well-being. Look out for Wellness Center events designed to support students during AP testing and finals. You can also participate by wearing green, sharing stories, and accessing resources from NAMI or SAMHSA.

📅 Join Us Monthly! (In-Person & Virtual Meetings)
Meeting Schedule | 6:00–7:30pm

May – No Meeting

💚 Wellness Center Reminder
If you are ever concerned about your student or one of their peers, please submit a Wellness Referral.

Our team follows up within one week
All services are confidential and voluntary

🚫 Acalanes is a No Hate Zone
If your student experiences or witnesses bias or hate, please encourage them to report it using the Bias Incident Reporting Tool (BIRT) available on the AHS website.
Submit a BIRT Report Here »

🤝 Stay Connected
We welcome all families to get involved!
📧 diversityandinclusion@acalanesparentsclub.com
We look forward to continuing this important work together in the 2026–2027 school year!

Performing & Visual Arts

May 11, 2026

Choir Spring Concert
Please join us on Friday, May 15 at 7:00pm in the Acalanes PAC for the final choir concert of the year. Come celebrate our Acalanes singing seniors and enjoy an evening of choral music by our Acalanes Choir, Harmonix, Octet and more.

Acalanes Musicians perform at Jazz Cafe!
Please join us on Friday, May 15 for an evening of fantastic jazz performances at the Jazz Cafe at Stanley Middle School. Our instrumental Dons from the Acalanes Jazz Ensemble and Acalanes Jazz Combo are role models for the Stanley jazz bands who will also perform. Bring the entire family and settle in for a fabulous evening that will feature an array of performances from multiple bands and age ranges. This is a wonderful event for our community that is not to be missed!

When: Friday, May 15 at 5:30pm (Correction from last week: start time is 5:30pm, not 6:00pm)
Where: Multi-Use Room, Stanley Middle School
Admission Price: Free

Collage Concert on Thursday, May 21 in the PAC
Please save the date for our final performance of the year. On Thursday May 21 at 6:30pm in the Performing Arts Center, students will perform a beautiful collage of pieces, some showcasing specific ensembles. We invite you to this special evening as we cap off a fantastic year of music from our exceptional students at Acalanes.

Counseling

May 11, 2026

Counselor assignments are by student last name:
A-F Anne Schonauer
G-Ka Erika Vasquez on campus MWTh
Ke-Re Marissa Meadows
Rh-Z Susan Martin

Only Two Weeks Left Before Finals Turn in missing assignments and make up missing tests! Talk to your teachers about missing work and deadlines to submit!

Summer School is Available Students with D/F grades in classes required for graduation may sign up to repeat these classes in summer school— held at Las Lomas High School this year. Please fill out this application and submit it to your student’s counselor.

Junior Meetings Counselors are calling in 11th graders to discuss summer plans, and college application preparations. Juniors are also encouraged to meet with Debbie Levy, the College and Career Advisor before the end of the year as well.

Student Activities

May 11, 2026

We have arrived at the last month of the year! Wishing students good luck on AP exams followed by a very fun end of year spirit week/senior celebration!

Encourage your student to play innertube waterpolo!
Class Cup is going out with a bang with Inner Tube Water Polo on May 18 and 19. Teams are 6 players and 1 goalie—so be sure to sign up before spots fill! Signup HERE

Summer Spiritwear webstore is LIVE!
Check it out now! All student designed and all proceeds benefit the classes! Webstore will stay live through summer.

2026-2027 Club Re-up
Is your student a leader of a club that will exist next year? Tomorrow is the last day to re-up clubs (if they miss the deadline, they can do it in late August). It is only for existing clubs. Complete the form NOW– due May 11.

May 18-22: Last Spirit Week of the year!

SAVE THE DATE:
Dons Day + Frosh Orientation: Monday, Aug 10
1st day of school: Tuesday, Aug 11
WB Rally + Frosh Social: Friday, Aug 14
Homecoming 2026: Sept 20-26
Junior/Senior Prom: May 15, 2027

If you ever have any questions or are looking for ways for your student to get involved, please reach out !

Legislative News

May 11, 2026

Measure H for LAFSD
Measure H is on the June 2026 ballot. This local parcel tax would replace Measure L (expiring in 2027) and help close funding gaps caused by California’s school funding formula, which ranks Lafayette among the lowest-funded districts in the state.

Funds from Measure H would stay local and support maintaining small class sizes, attracting and retaining excellent teachers, and preserving core academic programs like math, science, reading, and the arts. The measure also includes independent oversight, annual audits, and a senior exemption.

Confirm you are registered to Vote here

Wellness Center

May 11, 2026

With AP exams starting next week, now is a great time to discuss test anxiety with your AHS student. Test anxiety is actually a form of performance anxiety which affects 25-40% of students. While it’s perfectly normal for a student to feel nervous before a test, test anxiety can be overwhelming and disrupt concentration and ability. Here are a couple steps you can take to support your student in combating their test anxiety:

Positive Self Talk can go a long way in altering one’s perception of their ability. Encourage your student to talk to themselves how they would talk to a friend or loved one experiencing the same anxiety. We are often our own worst critic and in many instances, we talk to ourselves more negatively than we would ever talk to someone else.

Acceptance of mistakes can also shift your student’s mindset around their ability. First, remind your student that trying their best is realistically the most they can do. Even when trying our absolute best, people still make mistakes. Second, model this behavior for your students. Are you shaming your student when their best effort isn’t “good enough” or beating yourself up when you make a mistake? Offer grace in the face of mistakes. We’re all human after all.

Teach test taking basics to your student so they might feel more confident when the time comes to take a test. Believe it or not, study skills and test taking strategies are learned. Just because students have experience taking tests, doesn’t mean they are equipped to do so successfully.

Sports

May 11, 2026

*The game schedule below reflects dates and times as of last Fri/day. Games may change for several reasons, including weather. If you have questions or comments, please contact Acalanes Sports B

This week’s can’t miss events:
Boys golf
Monday, May 11 NCS Championship at Baywood CC, Arcata.

Girls lacrosse
Tuesday, May 12 NCS Semifinal.
Thursday, May 14 NCS Championship.

Boys lacrosse
Tuesday, May 12 NCS Semifinal.
Thursday, May 14 NCS Championship.

Boys volleyball
Tuesday, May 12 NCS Semifinal.
Thursday, May 14 NCS Championship.

Boys tennis
Tuesday, May 12 NCS Team Playoff First Round.
Thursday, May 14 NCS Quarterfinal.
Saturday, May 16 NCS Semifinal & Championship.

Softball
Tuesday, May 12 hosts Alhambra HS 4:30pm.
Thursday, May 14 at Clayton Valley Charter HS 4:30pm.

Baseball
Tuesday, May 12 Clayton Valley Charter HS 4:30pm. Varsity is away, JV is home.
Thursday, May 14 Clayton Valley Charter HS 4:30pm. Varsity is home, JV is away.

Swimming
Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 CIF Championship at Clovis West HS.

Track & field
Saturday, May 16 NCS Tri-Valley Championship at Foothill HS.

APC in Action

May 4, 2026

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS
Congratulations to all of the 233 students who completed 30+ hours of community service over the past year. Please see the attached list of all of our amazing community service students. Each student can print their digital award for their own keeping if they choose.

We have 12 seniors that will be earning the Excellence in Community Service Award this year. These students have completed over 300 hours of community service during their 4 years at Acalanes. Please join us in congratulating:
Lauren Anderson
Alvera Bamorya
Jackson Crinnion
Liam Crinnion
Lauren Foster
Darren Ho
Miela Hsu
Addison Mandell
Donovan McGrath
Audrey Parkin
Addyson Stevens
Samantha Swift

These students may pick up a certificate and a special cord to wear at graduation on Wednesday, May 13th at lunch.

TEACHER APPRECIATION OPPORTUNITY!
Teacher Appreciation Week is next week! We’re excited to celebrate our amazing teachers and staff all week long, and we’ll be wrapping it up with a special lunch for everyone. Please consider signing up HERE to help make this lunch extra special—we couldn’t do it without your support! Thank you so much for helping us show our appreciation!

INTERESTED IN GETTING MORE INVOLVED?
We are looking for parents/guardians to join our Acalanes Parents Club team for the 2026-27 school year.

We have openings for the following roles.
Senior Rally: typically junior parents, help coordinate the Senior Rally in the park
Student Community Service Coordinator: organize community service program for students, including Helper Helper app

If you are interested in learning more about any role, please reach out to APC Parliamentarians, Andrea Hilsabeck or Michele Colaco.

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

May 4, 2026

Welcome Class of 2030
Acalanes Athletics & Activities Night
May 6, 2025 | Acalanes Main Gym | 5-6pm

It’s time for incoming Acalanes freshmen & families to connect! Students/families can check out the following during this evening on May 6:

Student Clubs: Acalanes has over 90 student clubs. Club leaders will be at tables and happy to share information. Some of the clubs present will be ACA Buddies, Children’s Hospital, Feminist Club, Finance Club, Jewish Student Union, Black Student Union, Queer Straight Alliance, Latinos Unidos, Asian American Student Union, SAGE Club and many more!
Athletics: Acalanes is home to twenty-five competitive sports teams. Tables will be set up in the gym alphabetically.
Athletic Director and Clearance Information: Athletic Directors Randy Takahashi will be available to meet and share more about mandatory athletic clearance for next year.
Parent Volunteer Opportunities: Acalanes parents play a vital role in supporting and enriching our school activities and events! Thank you in advance for donating your time. More information can be found at our partner tables and Acalanes support organizations at the entrance:
- Acalanes Athletic Boosters
- Acalanes Parents Club
- Acalanes Performing Arts Boosters
- Lafayette Partners in Education
Acalanes SWAG: Pick up your pre-ordered Acalanes frosh spirit pack and/or purchase some new Acalanes gear!

News & Announcements

APC in Action

Campus Culture Committee

Performing & Visual Arts

Counseling

Student Activities

Legislative News

Wellness Center

Sports

APC in Action

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

Acalanes Parents Club

About Us

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Acalanes Community Always (ACA)