General Administration Announcements

Acalanes Alumni Forum - Over the past several years, our school community has engaged in a discussion regarding our school’s history and our mascot, “The Don.” This topic is vital to our community and sparks strong feelings and diverse perspectives. The student body originally selected the Don Mascot in 1941, and it is within the ASB constitution, determined by our students, that the mascot is named. Our ASB leaders want to create a dialogue with our current student body and alumni to understand the differing perspectives. Our goal is to come to a common understanding of our values and what our mascot stands for to be inclusive of our Acalanes community.
 
On Tuesday, Apr 25, at 6:00 pm, the Acalanes High School administration and Associate Student Body officers would like to invite our alumni to join in an open Zoom forum to share perspectives, personal experiences, and memories of what it means to be a Don. 
 
Please click here to register.
 
We look forward to seeing you and hearing you share what it means to be a Don!

APC in Action

April Dons Dialogue - This Wednesday at 6pm!
Join us on Wednesday, Apr 19 for an evening Dons Dialogue in the Acalanes Library. 
This month’s topics include;

• Student activities update
• Mascot presentation with ASB Officers
• Department Chairs, Barth & Schottland, discuss ChatGPT
• End of year awards & celebrations update
• Q&A with Principal Shawn

Please grab a friend and join us!

APC Membership & Fundraising

Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy…
There’s no better way to honor a Don than with a customized 2023 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 $250. Contact Legacy Brick Coordinator Leanne Zimmerman with any questions.

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

Parent Education

The Final AUHSD Wellness Parent Ed Event for this School Year is Tuesday
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office will present Keeping Your Child Safe on Social Media
When: Tuesday, Apr 18 from 6-7:30pm
Where: Zoom
RSVP: please register here if interested!
Please visit the AUHSD Parent Ed website for a full list of the Wellness Parent Ed events and valuable recordings from past events.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

A late shoutout to World Autism Awareness Day that took place on Apr 2! April is AutismAwareness Month honoring and recognizing our fellow community members on the autism spectrum, as well as their families.
 
Upcoming event recognizing Holocaust Remembrance Day: Life is Beautiful Film Screening with Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan
This event takes place on Wednesday, Apr 19 at 6:30pm at the Orinda Theater. The Assemblymember is issuing a special invite to our young people and our school’s community to this event in order to foster a conversation for Holocaust Remembrance. Prior to the screening, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan will be talking about the work that is being done in California to respond to antisemitism and hate, as well as her work as a member of the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education. For more information and to RSVP, please click here.

Student Activities

On Wednesday Apr 19 during lunch in the library, there will be a Student Wellness Council discussing substance abuse and harm reduction. This is a very relevant topic in our community and we hope to see you there. Lunch will be provided!
 
The Diversity Board is hosting the annual Cultural Fair on Thursday, Apr 20 from 5-7pmin the big gym and all are invited! It is a great chance to celebrate various cultures and learn. Please consider stopping by!
 
The talent show is back this Thursday, Apr 20 at 7pm after a 4 year hiatus! This is a night NOT to be missed! It will take place in the PAC and will be hosted by seniors Jake Davis, Theo Stoll and Colin Norstad! Come watch your talented friends perform in this must see event!
 
Acalanes will host the Special Olympics this Friday, Apr 21. It is a wonderful event attended by schools throughout the county. Thank you to the 125 student volunteers for making the day happen at Acalanes!
 
Student survey feedback about the Don mascot & next steps: Students will be at the Dons Dialogue this week for an educational presentation on the history of Acalanes and our mascot, the Don. In addition, student leaders have gathered the survey data from students and put together a high level overview. Please take a look if you’re interested about how students feel about our current mascot.
 
Encourage your student to apply to be a new crew leader for the 2023-2024 school year. We are looking for 40-50 current sophomores and juniors to serve in this role, welcome the Class of 2027 and then work with them throughout their first year at Acalanes. You can find the application here and they are due on Wednesday, Apr 19.
 
Junior and Senior Prom Saturday, May 13 at SF City Hall! It is going to be a wonderful, fun evening with dinner, photos and various activities for students to enjoy. Tickets are on sale via the Acalanes webstore and prices are $95 for Acalanes juniors/seniors and $135 for outside guests or 9th or 10th graders. All students must turn in a filled out permissionform when getting a bus assignment. Bus assignments start Thursday, Apr 27. Questions? Email Katherine Walton.
 
Class Cup Kickball
Where? On the field during lunch!
When? Apr 24 - Apr 28
Who? All classes are welcome and encouraged to come!
Where do students sign up? Here
 
Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Leadership Teacher