Weekly News & Announcements

From the Activities Director

Applications Due Friday, Feb 26 for Student Government 2020-2021
If your student is interested or might be interested in joining student government next year, applications will be available beginning Wednesday. All the information including the link will be sent out via Canvas. We know that student government operates best when it has a variety of voices and experiences! Opt in! There are various entry points. Check out an overview of the various committees. 

April 5 Acalanes Leadership Applications Available
Is your 8th grader interested in joining student government at Acalanes? Applications will be available electronically beginning April 5th. If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to Katherine Walton.

ACA Strong Shirts
Missed buying a grey ACA Strong shirt at our drive through? You can purchase now via the Acalanes webstore for $10 and pick up from Acalanes after you receive your confirmation email. 

Deadline Sunday, March 14 Acalanes Spirit Wear
We have spirit wear available for the last time this school year! We added a couple new items including a tribute t-shirt to Mr. Huber & proceeds donated to the Parkinson’s Foundation in his name. Check out our spiritwear on the Acalanes webstore. Items can be either picked up at Acalanes or delivered beginning April 6. 

April 18 Deadline To Order Frosh Spirit Packs!
Know an 8th grader? Frosh spirit packs are a great promotion gift and kick off to a career at Acalanes! Each pack is $53 and features a hooded sweatshirt, car magnet & cinch backpack. Proceeds go to the Class of 2025. Order deadline is April 18 and packs will be delivered to your house beginning May 7. Order here.

Adopt-a-Senior! Community Opt-In!
We want to celebrate our Senior students and show them just how much they are loved. One way is through the Adopt-a-Senior program. We have 120 Seniors who are participating. Community members can opt-in to "adopt" a Senior. You can help our Seniors feel appreciated in such trying times through special acts, or even give gifts to show that they are loved. The program will run until the start of spring break. If you opt in, we are asking that you give your Senior one item a week and we will provide you with some ideas. We have designed the program so very little money is spent and instead it is focused on love, support & guidance! Interested? Fill out this google form to join the fun. 

Black History Month Culminates This Week!
There is a lot to celebrate, and a lot of dialogue in which to engage. Our challenge to the Acalanes community is to engage in at least one event and we encouraged students to do this in last week’s cohort. Check out the calendar of events here. Two community events this week-opt in:

• Tuesday, Feb 23 at 6:30pm Arshay Cooper Dialogue - Join us in conversation with author Arshay Cooper. The dialogue will be facilitated by AHS parent Dan Meade, along with three AHS student panelists: Ava Freeman, Franny Daughters, and Miles Burger. Arshay will share more about his life, trauma, police brutality, film career, experience as a rower, and more. The novel and film chronicles the first African American high school rowing team in this country (made up of young men, many of whom were in rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago, coming together to row in the same boat). Please register in advance here. 

• Thursday, Feb 25 at 6pm Student Poetry Night - Join us for a Zoom night of poetry and spoken word in celebration of Black History, Black heritage and Black excellence! Listen or virtually perform for your Lamorinda community. Recited works can be original or written by your favorite Black author. This event is free and inclusive for everyone. Zoom link
• Friday, Feb 26 During Academy Acalanes Equity Council -Encourage your student to join the dialogue about equity at Acalanes. Staff, administration & students will dialogue about Women’s History Month, equity classes, curriculum and more. Zoom link will be sent via canvas.

Share your kindness story to promote positivity and a community of kindness! We will be compiling them all together in the end to create our own book of kindness! 

2020-2021 Clubs
Club meetings continue. Check out our 49 clubs! Clubs continue to be one of the best ways for students to connect. We will be pushing out more information about clubs at the end of the week. Please encourage your student to check Canvas to learn more.

Feb 23-25 Frosh Study Groups
In an effort to support ninth graders, we will be hosting study sessions the last week of every month. These are general study sessions and will have upperclassmen present along with the teacher to support you. You do not need to have the teacher to sign up for that session. You are signing up for the subject matter. Sign-up here. BRING CHROMEBOOKS AND READING/CLASS MATERIALS. All study groups will follow safety protocols including a COVID screening (completed through phone), physically distanced desks, mask wearing, and cleaning protocols. 

If I can ever do anything to help you or your student, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director

Wellness Center

We’ll continue to talk about anxiety management over the coming weeks in the interest of encouraging preparation for return to school. Remember that anxiety is sometimes a good thing-- especially as it pertains to telling us to be safe! As students return to a truly social environment, students will have to re-socialize because they have largely been isolated. Instead of more intimate interactions enjoyed in the family setting, they will be negotiating bigger spaces with more people. Some social norms will have to be relearned and others will have to be developed. This includes following new rules and sometimes making sure friends are as well, communicating in masks (hearing and being heard!), and limiting physical contact in spite of our very human desire to be close to each other. Understanding and anticipating these changes will help. If your student hasn’t already done so, encourage them to come on campus to see the arrows that direct foot traffic and to get familiar with the signage that communicates expectations. That way, they’ll feel like they’ve done some preparation. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing not only tips but also the specifics on the types of support we’ll be providing.

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

For updates, tips and advice, follow Wellness on Social Media: Instagram @acalaneswellness

College & Career

Junior Families 

• Parents: One-on-One Appointments - All Juniors should book an individual meeting with Ms. Reicher here.  Parents can absolutely join. Let’s make sure we are creating a solid timeline for post Acalanes planning. Day/eve times available!
• Academy for Juniors this Wednesday and Friday: College 101 Q&A.

Sophomore Families

• Save the Date! Monday, March 1 from 7-8pm Sophomore College Planning - Join Wendy Reicher for a discussion addressing commonly asked questions from sophomore families including standardized testing, summer programs, volunteering, and more. Click here to register. 
• One-on-One Appointments - All Sophomores and their families should book an individual meeting with Ms. Reicher here to discuss timelines, summer options and any college/career related planning.

Seniors 

• DVC enrollment presentation Tuesday, Feb 23.  Register to attend here.
• Update college application results in Naviance.  
• Look for the required Senior exit survey coming in March on Naviance.

Scholarships: Use this link to explore options.

Job Opportunity
Local Food Group recently opened a kitchen in Lafayette and is looking for greeters/hosts. Tons of hours available! $14-$16/hr. Check job posting for application details.

Facebook Page community resources for our parents to get the most updated information on college related topics in the news.

Keep connected:

• CCC Website 
• Facebook Page for Students - Have your senior or junior join the College and Career Student FB page.

Thank you for all your support!

Wendy Reicher, College and Career Advisor: wreicher@auhsdschools.org

Counseling

Class of 2023 PE Credit Options
Class of 2023 students (current Sophomores) can earn PE credits through both Athletic PE and Independent PE options as well as yoga and weight training classes during the 2021-2022 school year (their junior year).  Athletic PE is for students in Acalanes sport and Independent PE can include activities outside of school sports teams. Students will need to sign up at the beginning of a semester next school year and will need to provide weekly documentation of activity to earn credit. Please see your counselor for more detail. 

June 7 through July 15 AUHSD Summer School
Summer school is for students who need to repeat a required course after earning a D or F grade. Email your counselor for an application.   

Geometry for Advancement
The District is also planning to offer a summer geometry class for those who want to advance more quickly through the math curriculum. This course is only open to students who are currently enrolled in Algebra 1 in 9th grade and have strong performance in Algebra 1. Email your student’s counselor if interested. 

CSF Application Period Underway
California Scholarship Federation’s spring application period began on February 1. Current students in grades 10-12 should apply to this honor society. Students need to complete an application and pay $7 dues on the webstore. This semester, the application is a Google form. Students need to use their school email to complete the form. 

Counselor Appointments
We love talking to our students! Email is the best way to reach us. Counselors have appointment slots for students and will email them a link for signing up. We are trying to reserve the limited slots outside of class time for students. Parents can schedule a time when students are in class. 

A- Ed  Anne Schonauer
Ee-Kr  Christine Todd
Ku-Ros  Marissa Meadows
Rot-Z  Susan Martin

Parent Ed

Wednesday, March 10 at 7pm - Dr. Michael Rich, "The Mediatrician"
Join us online for an informative talk with Dr. Michael Rich, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Center of Media and Child Health. He will focus on understanding and responding to the ways in which teens and families are affected by the interactive media we use and how we use them. Rich will also reframe the issue of screen use in adolescents from the values-based “right vs wrong” debate that has prevailed since the earliest days of television to an evidence-based public health issue - how we are changed by our media use, in positive and negative ways, so that parents, teachers, clinicians and society at large can make critical decisions in raising the next generations to be healthy, happy and kind.

• No advanced registration is required. Click here to join the event! 

School Nurse

• Please note the types of masks that are NOT acceptable.
• Make sure to wear a CLEAN mask every day.
• Please wear your mask so that the top covers the bridge of your nose and the bottom goes under your chin. If you are constantly readjusting, it does not fit properly.

• Anyone can learn Hands-Only CPR
• Another site I really like is from AHA: GO RED

Sports

Sports Season Begins!
Cross country, track and field, swimming and diving, boys tennis and boys and girls golf are underway with excitement and energy. The approach and approval process for other sports is changing rapidly; please watch your email for the latest updates. 

Please remember, the beginning of each sport may come quickly. Do not wait to complete your athletic clearance. Get it done now. You may access detailed instructions to complete the athletic clearance on Sportsnet here.

General Announcements

Course Preview & Open House Replay for Incoming 9th Graders
In case you missed Principal Bell’s presentations last week, visit these links:

• Course Preview & Open House Webinar for Incoming Parents
• Webinar for Incoming 9th Grade Students at Stanley

For additional information regarding AHS Course Preview for the 2021-2022 school year, click here. 

APC in Action

Friday, Feb 19 from 10-11:30a - Dons Dialogue with Principal Bell
Mark your calendar for an update on return to school plans, with a detailed review of the Hybrid Instructional Model. Stay tuned for more details and information on how to register.

APC Spring 2021 Grants Proposals Are Open!
Acalanes Parents Club is excited to announce its spring grant program is now accepting proposals to enhance the educational experience of AHS students during the current distance learning model and the anticipated return to in-person hybrid model. Teachers, students, staff and parents are welcome to submit a grant proposal. Contact APC Grants Coordinator Catherine Habas to receive the application submission guidelines or click here. Email completed applications to Catherine Habas at grants@acalanesparentsclub.com or drop in the APC box in the office. Grant applications are due by noon on Friday, March 12, 2021.  

Peer Tutoring
Encourage your student to take advantage of remote Peer Tutoring. Thanks to APC donations, this service is free for all students on every academic subject. Here’s how and when students can participate (this information is also posted for students in TeachMore):

• Mondays - 10a-4p: Monday Peer Tutoring link.
• Tuesdays and Thursdays - 7th period from 2-3p: 7th period link.
• Wednesdays and Fridays - Academy period from 9-10a: Academy link.
• Tuesdays through Fridays - After school from 3-4p: After school link

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

TONIGHT IS THE LAST NIGHT TO SEE IT! ACA STRONG Campus Light Display, 5:30-9:00pm
It’s not too late to check it out!! Students, parents, siblings and community members are invited to drive through campus to enjoy the ACA STRONG light display and engage in some fun community spirit! 

• When you come to campus, please consider bringing peanut butter and/or boxes of cereal to donate to the Monument Crisis Center. Donations can be placed in collection bins located by the flagpole.

Acalanes Class of 2025 Drive Through: Huge Success!
Last Wednesday, Acalanes sponsored an ACA Drive Through for incoming 9th graders that showed off the heart of Acalanes - its spirit and sense of community. These kinds of events make us all proud to be a Don!

February ACA STRONG Blue Heart Displays of Spirit
Show your ACA Spirit by showing how much “heart” you have for Acalanes and our Lafayette community. Chalk your driveway with a BIG BLUE heart, hang blue hearts in your windows & look out for ACA STRONG posters throughout Lafayette. Check out @ahs_dons on instagram to see pictures & to submit yours! 

• Pick Up Blue Chalk and Treats at Sideboard Lafayette - Stop by for a treat and ask for a stick of complimentary blue chalk (through Friday, February 18). They have creative gifts too!

Buy and Eat Local: Support Lafayette Businesses & Restaurants!
Local businesses and restaurants need our support more than ever! Restaurants are welcoming outside dining again and would appreciate patronage by Acalanes families in their outdoor seating areas or via take-out. Valentine’s Day is around the corner and local boutiques have some creative gift ideas. Check them out here. Let our local businesses know how much our ACA family supports them!

Questions, comments, or feedback, email aca@acalanesparentsclub.com.

LPIE

Thank you to our local businesses for investing in LPIE's mission to support and enrich the education of every child in the Lafayette public schools!
Their commitment to our students and community is extraordinary.  Please be sure to say "thank you" when you see any of these business owners! 

Step inside the halls of Acalanes High School during Adam’s conversation with 2020 AHS graduate Maddie Wilson.
Learn how Acalanes has helped Maddie become a confident woman who is striving towards her full potential, and also who recognizes and appreciates the value of individuals from all walks of life. LPIE’s commitment to Acalanes ensures programs, electives and support is funded and available to every student, which is why it remains an incredible institution and truly a place for everyone! Click here to listen and learn more.

Laura-Kate Rurka & Jennifer Palmer
Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

www.lpie.org