General Administration Announcements

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Acalanes is very excited to host Special Olympics this Friday. There will be buses and many visitors coming to campus so we expect parking may be challenging. Please encourage your students to carpool on Friday!

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AP EXAM PROCTORS NEEDED - Great Volunteer Opportunity
Our AP Students need YOUR help! We are searching for parents to help with proctoring AP Exams the first two weeks of May 2024. Exam dates are May 6-10 and May 13-17.
 
Exams start everyday at either 8am or 12pm. Students know to show up 30 minutes prior to start time for check in. Proctors for morning exams would be needed starting at 7:15am and afternoon exams starting at 11:15am. Exams can range from 2-4 hours and we ask that you please plan to stay for the longest amount of time possible. 

Restrictions: Parents, you are NOT allowed to proctor an exam that your own child is taking.
 
If you are interested in learning more about proctoring AP exams, please contact the Acalanes Testing Coordinator, Nicole Singleterry at nsingleterry@auhsdschools.org

APC in Action

ACALANES SERVICE AWARD DEADLINE: This FRIDAY!
Students who volunteer at least 30 hours by Apr 19, will get an Acalanes Service Award so please encourage your students to get those hours entered as that deadline is this Friday!

To qualify, all hours must be entered online into the Helper Helper app AND validated by the student’s supervisor by Apr 19 so please encourage your students to get their hours entered now!! To learn more and/or join the Helper Helper app, check out the volunteer website.

2024-2025 ACALANES PARENTS CLUB BOARD SLATE
We are proud to announce our slate of nominees for the 2024-25 APC Board of Directors. A big thank you to this year’s Nominating Committee for their time and dedication in placing these amazing volunteers. The APC general membership will vote to approve the slate at the spring general meeting, immediately preceding Dons Dialogue on Friday morning, May 17. If you have any questions, please contact APC Parliamentarian, Veronique Kuhner.
 
2024-2025 Parents Club Board Nominees
Co-Presidents: Andrea Hilsabeck & Michele Colaco
VP Special Projects: Raina Foster
VP Communications: Kendra Uffelman
VP Community Partners: Nicole Long
VP Fundraising: Carrie Daughters
VP Services: Ali Krick
Co-Head Liaisons: Sarah Cusumano & Heidi Keely
Secretary: Kim Hamill
Treasurer: Lee Huskins
Assistant Treasurer: Jocelyn Birrell
Auditor: Sierra Culbertson
Past President/Parliamentarian: Sarah Cusumano

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

LIGHT THE NIGHT
The Acalanes Community Outreach and Improvement Program is hosting a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Light the Night) from Apr 8-26. Please donate, as any and every donation makes a difference (you can also check with your company to see if there might be a matching gift to potentially double your impact!).
 
The mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, as well as improve the quality of life of patients and their families. They also fund research to advance lifesaving treatments, provide patients, survivors, caregivers, families, and healthcare professionals with hope, guidance, education and support, and drive advocacy for policies that protect patient access to lifesaving treatment.
 
Feel free to check out our website for more information! And please plan to come to the Acalanes Talent Show on Apr 18 at 7pm - there will be a bake sale and proceeds will benefit Light the Night (bring cash)!

SEED HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE
Where our special needs high schoolers hang out with their typical peers
Upcoming regular meeting dates:

• Thursday, Apr 18: 5-6:30pm
• Thursday, May 16: 5-6:30pm

Volunteers and participants should RSVP here (volunteers get 2-hour community service validation per session).
To receive SEED High School updates, sign up to the High School newsletter here.

Parent Education

INSIDE THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
Parents (and students!) of all grade levels are welcome to join an evening with Dr. John Durante, an educator who has interviewed over 200 college admissions representatives for his acclaimed “The College Admissions Process Podcast”. This event will take place on Wednesday, Apr 17 at 6pm* in the Acalanes library.
(*arrive early as we plan to start at 6pm sharp, as Dr. Durante will be joining us from New York City)

This event will be moderated by Debbie Levy, Acalanes College & Career Counseling Advisor. The podcast and other resources are available at www.collegeadmissionstalk.com.
 

SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS AND ESTATE PLANNING FOR SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS
Please join us for a workshop presented by special needs planning attorney, Jonathan Thompson*, on estate planning for children with special needs.

Special needs planning is a specialized area of the law that focuses on protecting public benefits for people with special needs, while at the same time facilitating a higher quality of life. Jonathan Thompson will provide information on special needs plans that can provide a framework for proper  medical care and management of assets, as well as protect assets from creditors and predators. He will discuss the essential characteristics of special needs trusts, how they work and how to set one up.

To receive SEED High School updates, sign up for the high school newsletter here.
 * Jonathan is an attorney with the Thompson Law Offices in Walnut Creek.

APC Membership & Fundraising

 

Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy…
There’s no better way to honor a special Don than with a customized 2024 Legacy Brick on our Dons Legacy Wall! Prominently displayed in the main quad, our Dons Legacy Wall provides families a lasting way to recognize their special student, teacher, coach, team, performance group, club, and more.
Purchase your brick through the Acalanes web store for $300.
Questions?Contact Legacy Brick Coordinator, Leanne Zimmerman.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

Important Dates

• April - Autism Awareness month
• Apr 22 Passover begins

DEI’s ‘24/25 planning is underway. Please share any thoughts or ideas you have with us here. This is a collaborative process; we encourage participation. It is important that a plethora of voices and ideas are heard.

We are also looking for members of our community that would like to get more involved. Do you have a student member of an equity club on campus? Would you like to help them be more successful? Consider joining the APC DEIB committee, as we are actively trying to promote our student groups on campus.
 
Please check out the new AUHSD DEIB website for many great resources and events! And follow us on Instagram and Facebook.