From the Activities Director

Thank you to APC for funding Breaking Down the Walls this past week. Our community is better as a result and the opportunity to spend time together, get to know one another and know that we are not alone is powerful. As one student said,
 
“I learned that our community has many stories and we have all been through things despite the stereotypes that we may have about one another. BDTW was about acceptance and courage, stepping outside our comfort zone and building a better sense of community.”
 
Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Our winter webstore is open for just a short period of time – get your Acalanes gear now! Orders due by Nov 7 and will be available in December.
 
HALLO-WEEK
Encourage your student to kick off Halloweek by coming to Trunk or Treat on Monday, Oct 28 at lunch on the blacktop! “Trick-or-Treat” for candy and other treats at decorated cars, enter a raffle for a Halloween gift basket, and play tons of fun games!
 
On Wednesday, Oct 30 during academy, students are invited to room 314 for a fun and educational pumpkin carving activity. Students will carve pumpkins that you can put on your porch as a festive decoration. The purpose of the event is to teach students about reducing waste by using all parts of the pumpkin while also bringing the community together. Encourage your student to join the event to make a jack-o-lantern and enjoy some roasted pumpkin seeds! They can RSVP here to participate.
 
Chillin’ with Charlie is coming up on Friday, Nov 1 and will be filled with fun and lots of food. We will be watching Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with popcorn, candy, pizza and drinks. It will be in room 314 during lunch and we hope to see your student there!!
 
Students can also celebrate Halloween by coming to Staff Student Trivia on Friday Nov 1 at lunch in the big gym! Students can compete with another student and a teacher! If they aren’t playing, they can show up and watch their favorite teachers compete against each other in Halloween themed trivia!
 
Open Mic Night at Sideboard
Open mic night is back!! Students can showcase their talent and sign up via the link in the Daily Don. Mark your calendar to enjoy a meal out and student talent – Nov 6 from 5-7pm.
 
The annual Acalanes Fall Blood Drive is in two days (Oct 30) and we still need 3 more sign-ups to reach our goal. Anyone who donates blood will receive a $10 gift card. You can make appointments through the Red Cross website (link to page). You must create an account and find the Acalanes Blood Drive on the Find a Drive page. If you have any questions please reach out to Ms. Walton (kwalton@auhsdschools.org).
 
Starting to think about holiday cards and gifts? Shop at Minted and not only do YOU get 20% off, Acalanes gets 15% of all sales. Use the code FUNDRAISEACALANES. 

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

The annual Acalanes Fall Blood Drive is Oct 30. You can make appointments through the Red Cross website (link to page). You must create an account and find the Acalanes Blood Drive on the Find a Drive page. Our goal is to have 46 donors. If you have any questions please reach out to Ms. Walton or marshall.stirling27@auhsdschools.org.
 
Breaking Down the Walls From Oct 22 – 24, all 10th and 11th grade students will participate in Breaking Down The Walls. The Breaking Down the Walls program is a unique opportunity for students and staff to connect, share their stories, and realize…“It’s hard to hate someone whose story you know.”

Thanks to APC funding, this program creates a safe environment for students to build empathy and understanding through a “play, trust, learn” model. By first helping students laugh together, they start to trust one another and eventually want to learn from those outside their regular friend group. The assembly, training, and workshops leave everyone with the realization that we are truly BETTER TOGETHER! 

Breaking Down the Walls strengthens social and emotional learning (SEL), specifically building social awareness and relationship skills vital to student growth and success. 

• Meaningful connections and positive relationships
  • Bring students together and provide dedicated time for them to connect and build relationships. 
• Empathy and Understanding
  • Allow students to share their stories, hear their peers’ stories, and learn they are better together. 
• Thriving Campus Culture
  • Create an inclusive culture where students say, “I belong here; I am safe here; I can learn and grow here.” 

Here is a 4-minute video from the organization with testimonials from students. Students will be participating during one of the three days, assigned by last name. Look for more specific information next week. 

Starting to think about holiday cards and gifts? Shop at Minted. Not only do you get 20% off, Acalanes gets 15% of all sales when you use the code FUNDRAISEACALANES.

Don’t miss the Fall Play this week. It runs from Wednesday-Saturday and is a not to miss show! 

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

The annual Acalanes Fall Blood Drive is Oct 30. You can make appointments through the Red Cross website (link to page). You must create an account and find the Acalanes Blood Drive on the Find a Drive page. Our goal is to have 46 donors. If you have any questions please reach out to Ms. Walton or marshall.stirling27@auhsdschools.org.
 
Breaking Down the Walls From Oct 22 – 24, all 10th and 11th grade students will participate in Breaking Down The Walls. The Breaking Down the Walls program is a unique opportunity for students and staff to connect, share their stories, and realize…

“It’s hard to hate someone whose story you know.”
Thanks to APC funding, this program creates a safe environment for students to build empathy and understanding through a “play, trust, learn” model. By first helping students laugh together, they start to trust one another and eventually want to learn from those outside their regular friend group. The assembly, training, and workshops leave everyone with the realization that we are truly BETTER TOGETHER! 

Breaking Down the Walls strengthens social and emotional learning (SEL), specifically building social awareness and relationship skills vital to student growth and success. 

• Meaningful connections and positive relationships
  • Bring students together and provide dedicated time for them to connect and build relationships. 
• Empathy and Understanding
  • Allow students to share their stories, hear their peers’ stories, and learn they are better together. 
• Thriving Campus Culture
  • Create an inclusive culture where students say, “I belong here; I am safe here; I can learn and grow here.” 

Here is a 4-minute video from the organization with testimonials from students. Students will be participating during one of the three days, assigned by last name. Look for more specific information next week. 

Starting to think about holiday cards and gifts? Shop at Minted. Not only do you get 20% off, Acalanes gets 15% of all sales when you use the code FUNDRAISEACALANES.

If you ordered spiritwear from the Gryco webstore and haven’t picked it up, please email Katherine Walton and she can leave it in the attendance office for you. 

2024-2025 Clubs
Looking to connect your student to a passion? Here are 77 unique clubs on campus, from Archery Club to the Red Cross Club. 
 

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

Don’t miss the Homecoming recap video produced by Val Grossi and the tech team in leadership. It details out what an amazing week HOCO 2024 was!
 
The annual Acalanes Fall Blood Drive is Oct 30. You can make appointments through the Red Cross website (link to page). You must create an account and find the Acalanes Blood Drive on the Find a Drive page. Our goal is to have 46 donors. If you have any questions please reach out to Ms. Walton or marshall.stirling27@auhsdschools.org.
 
Breaking Down the Walls From Oct 22 – 24 all 10th and 11th grade students will participate in Breaking Down The Walls. The Breaking Down the Walls program is a unique opportunity for students and staff to connect, share their stories, and realize…

“It’s hard to hate someone whose story you know.”
Thanks to APC funding, this program creates a safe environment for students to build empathy and understanding through a “play, trust, learn” model. By first helping students laugh together, they start to trust one another and eventually want to learn from those outside their regular friend group. The assembly, training, and workshops leave everyone with the realization that we are truly BETTER TOGETHER! 

Breaking Down the Walls strengthens social and emotional learning (SEL), specifically building social awareness and relationship skills vital to student growth and success. 

• Meaningful connections and positive relationships
  • Bring students together and provide dedicated time for them to connect and build relationships. 
• Empathy and Understanding
  • Allow students to share their stories, hear their peers’ stories, and learn they are better together. 
• Thriving Campus Culture
  • Create an inclusive culture where students say, “I belong here; I am safe here; I can learn and grow here.” 

Here is a 4-minute video from the organization with testimonials from students. Students will be participating during one of the three days, assigned by last name. Look for more specific information next week. 

October is PINK for breast cancer awareness! Get your Dons pink shirt to wear at the various Pink Out games including football on Oct 11 vs. Miramonte. Only a few left! 

LatinX Heritage Month Speaker: Anthony Rodriguez Yao. On Oct 10, 2024, at 5:30pm in the library, we are excited to welcome Anthony Rodriguez Yao as our featured speaker for LatinX Heritage Month. Anthony is an immigration attorney who will share his story and shed light on his experiences. There will also be an opportunity for questions, so come prepared! We look forward to seeing you there! 

Starting to think about holiday cards and gifts? Shop at Minted. Not only do you get 20% off, Acalanes gets 15% of all sales when you use the code FUNDRAISEACALANES.

The Community Outreach and Improvement Program is hosting a drive for the Lamorinda branch of the American Association of University Women from Sep 30 to Oct 11. Please donate your gently used sneakers to the bins outside the front office! The donations fund scholarships for women in our community! Please check out their website for more donation options and information. 

If you ordered spiritwear from the Gryco webstore and haven’t picked it up, please email Katherine Walton and she can leave it in the attendance office for you. 

2024-2025 Clubs
Looking to connect your student to a passion? Here are 77 unique clubs on campus, from Archery Club to the Red Cross Club. 
 

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

If you ordered spiritwear from the Gryco webstore and haven’t picked it up, please email Katherine Walton and she can leave it in the attendance office for you.
 
2024-2025 Clubs
Looking to connect your student to a passion? Here are our 77 unique clubs on campus, from Archery Club to the Red Cross Club.
 

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

What an INCREDIBLE homecoming week! From hallway decorating to student dodgeball to lunchtime activities and dress-ups to Friday’s HOCO rally and game to the Saturday night out, students showed up and celebrated together. We couldn’t be more proud of the community and Acalanes spirit we have here – it is truly something special!
 
As a community, we brought in more than 40,000 cans (a new record!) for the Contra Costa Food Bank. Look for the final total in the Daily Don this week! They are IMMENSELY grateful for our donations and our yearly partnership. Well done Acalanes!
 
A special thank you to all of the class officers, ASB officers, parent liaisons and the leadership program for working tirelessly to plan the week and execute it. It will be a homecoming to remember!
 
Class skits were filmed & the video will be out soon. See full recaps of the week on @ahs_dons on Instagram.
 
September is Suicide Prevention Month – a time to raise awareness.

• Pot painting at lunch in room 314 on Monday.
• Gratitude Grams are in the frosh and sophomore quad on Sep 25 during lunch!
• Sep 26 at 6:30pm is Serving Support: Volleyball for Suicide Prevention at the varsity volleyball game. Come watch volleyball and receive information about suicide prevention awareness.

If you ordered spiritwear from the Gryco webstore, you can pick it up on Wednesday from 3-4pm in room 314 or send your student to 314 on Thursday during lunch.
 
Glide Memorial: We are doing a service trip to Glide Memorial on Sunday, Sep 29 from 10am – 2pm. Students can sign up via Helper Helper. We are looking for 10 more students to join us!
 
2024-2025 Clubs
Club meetings have begun! Here are our 77 unique clubs on campus, from Archery Club to the Red Cross Club.

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

Homecoming 2024 begins today!!! There are multiple ways for students to get involved! This homecoming overview document has all the information on the week including dress-ups and lunchtime activities – see below for evening opportunities! Let’s make it a great week for our campus community!
 
Our annual canned food drive is in full swing and our goal is 40,000 cans to the Contra Costa Food Bank. Students can donate cans or money in person before school or via online links:
Class of 2028
Class of 2027
Class of 2026
Class of 2025
 
Here a few highlights to make sure are in the calendar:
 
Hallway decorating TODAY from 10am – 3pm: Students decorate with their grade and transform our halls. We have a HOCO Showcase for the community from 5-6pm so plan to stop by and see the magic!
 
Wednesday: Student dodgeball at 7:30pm: A beloved student tradition and a very fun night. Make sure your student has their ID card. They can play or watch!
 
Thursday at 5pm: Joint Latinx potluck with Campo & Acalanes before the girls volleyball game. Make a dish or just come and join! Stick around and cheer on our girls volleyball game as they take on Campo.
 
Friday at 5:30pm: Pre-game tailgate prior to the Acalanes-College Park football game, along with a halftime show and powder toss. Please encourage your student to wear white along with clothing they don’t mind getting powder on.
 
Saturday is our HOCO Night Out from 7-9:30pm: It is a campus wide event (1,100+ attended last year) and is a beloved night not to miss. Tickets are on sale via GoFan and are:
$30 with ASB                   
$55 without ASB               
$75 for an outside guest
Outside guests need to fill out and return a guest contract by WEDNESDAY to the main office. The night features arcade games, game truck, casino, food trucks, photo booths, caricaturist, magician, henna, tarot card reader & DJ plus dance floor. There is something for everyone!
 
In order to ensure that HOCO Night Out is safe for all, we need parent chaperones. Please consider volunteering as we expect over 1100 students that evening. We are in need of 5 more adults.
 
2024-2025 Clubs
Club meetings will begin this week after an awesome club day last week!  Here are our 77 unique clubs on campus, from Archery Club to the Red Cross Club.

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

Local Kitchens is donating 5% of ALL sales this week back to Acalanes! Enjoy a lunch or night out & support Acalanes student activities.
 
Homecoming 2024: Musicals Sep 15-21
Hallway decorating is in 1 week (Sep 15) and we can feel the excitement on campus!
Check out this homecoming overview document for everything you need to know about the week – it is shaping up to be a great one!
 
Our annual canned food drive begins tomorrow – over the last two years, our community has come together in HUGE ways for the Contra Costa Food Bank. Students can donate cans or money in person before school or via online links:
Class of 2028
Class of 2027
Class of 2026
Class of 2025
 
Here a few highlights to make sure are in the calendar:

• Sep 15: Hallway decorating from 10am – 3pm. Students decorate with their grade and transform our halls. We have a HOCO Showcase for the community from 5-6pm so plan to stop by and see the magic!
• Sep 18: Student dodgeball at 7:30pm. A beloved student tradition and a very fun night. Make sure your student has their ID card. They can play or watch!
• Sep 19 at 5pm. Joint Latinx potluck with Campo & Acalanes before the girls volleyball game. Make a dish or just come and join!
• Sep 20 at 5:30pm. Pre-game tailgate prior to the Acalanes-College Park football game, along with a halftime show and powder toss.

Sep 21 is our HOCO Night Out from 7-9:30pm. It is a campus wide event (1,100+ attended last year) and is a beloved night not to miss. Tickets are on sale via GoFan and are:
$30 with ASB                   
$55 without ASB               
$75 for an outside guest
Outside guests need to fill out and return a guest contract by Sep 18 to the main office. Stay tuned for confirmed vendors, food, games, activities, and entertainment.
 
In order to ensure that HOCO Night Out is safe for all, we need parent chaperones. Please consider volunteering as we expect over 1100 students that evening. We are in need of 17 more adults.
 
2024-2025 Clubs
Club meetings will begin this week after an awesome club day last week!  Here are our 77 unique clubs on campus, from Archery Club to the Red Cross Club.
 
 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

Spiritwear
Did you order a class shirt? We will be handing them out to students during lunch on Wednesday, Sep 4. Did you order spiritwear through our online spiritwear vendor Gryco? It will arrive in mid Sep and you will receive an email with pick-up instructions.
 
Homecoming 2024- Musicals Sep 15-21
The countdown is on and preparation is underway. Check out this homecoming overview document for everything you need to know about the week!
 
Sep 21 is our HOCO Night Out from 7-9:30pm. It is a campus wide event (1,100+ attended last year) and is a beloved night not to miss. Tickets are on sale via GoFan and are:
$30 with ASB                   
$55 without ASB               
$75 for an outside guest
Outside guests need to fill out and return a guest contract by Sep 18 to the main office. Stay tuned for confirmed vendors, food, games, activities, and entertainment.
 
In order to ensure that HOCO Night Out is safe for all, we need parent chaperones. Please consider volunteering as we expect over 1100 students that evening.
 
2024-2025 Clubs
Our fall club day is Friday, Sep 6 during academy. The full list of clubs will be posted in the bulletin this week for students to check out ahead of time.
 
 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

This week on campus:
Tuesday @ lunch in room 314: Any frosh who did not attend Stanley are invited to a lunch to meet other frosh and have fun!
Thursday @ lunch in room 314: Any student who transferred to Acalanes is invited to a lunch to meet other transfers and current 10th, 11th and 12th graders.
Friday @ lunch in room 314: ACA Buddies 1st event with our ESC students!
Friday @ 6pm: 1st tailgate of the year! USA theme!
 
Club Applications If your student wants to start a club this semester, they need to fill out this form (re-upped clubs from spring don’t need to reapply)! It’s a super easy process, but the form needs to be filled out by this THURSDAY, Aug 29. Students need to be sure to find club officers, a club advisor (teacher), and to create a constitution before filling out the club application. If they have any questions, they can email Miles Blackhart, ASB Vice–President.
 
ASB News
If you purchased an ASB sticker and it is not printed on your student’s ID, please have Studio One reprint their card when they return for picture make-up day on Oct 7.
 
If you did not purchase ASB, you can still do so on the webstore.
 
If you have purchased ASB and your student memorizes their ID number, they will use that when they go onto Go Fan to get athletic tickets and it will be free.
 
The Bookshelf Foundation club is launching a 2-week school supplies drive for children learning in Ukraine starting this week. The drive will last from Aug 19 to Sep 2. Students can bring new or gently used school supplies to the library meeting room. Notebooks, writing supplies, backpacks, water bottles, and more are all welcome! Any and all support means the world to children who are struggling to learn in the midst of war. Thank you!
 
Spiritwear
Did you order a class shirt on the webstore? We will be handing them out to students during lunch on Wednesday, Sep 4.
 
Did you order spiritwear through our online spiritwear vendor Gryco? It will arrive in mid Sep and you will receive an email with pick-up instructions.
 
Did you purchase ASB but have yet to receive your free blue shirt? Your student can come to room 314 to get it.
 
A few additional important dates:
Sep 15-21 Homecoming 2024 (HOCO Night Out tickets on sale starting this week via Go Fan!)
Apr 19: Junior & Senior Prom
 
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