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From the Activities Director
ASB Cards
Thank you to the 830+ families who have already purchased an ASB card! If you have yet to purchase a card, there is still time! We are asking that families purchase by tonight as we are going to print ID cards tomorrow, and the ASB sticker gets printed on the ASB card. ASB cards fund all student activities at Acalanes. Money collected from ASB card sales directly funds student body programs, including new student orientation, spirit events, home athletic games, talent show, rallies, equity programming including speakers, student social and emotional health programming, tailgates, support for athletic senior nights, clubs and social media presence including necessary technology, and more. By purchasing an ASB card, students receive: a spirit shirt at Dons Day, free or discounted tickets to on campus dances, entrance to home athletic games (non-playoff) and gifts with purchase and/or discounts to local Lafayette restaurants and businesses. See the discounts here (more are added every day!)
ID Card Photos
Most of our students took their photos last week and will receive an ID card this Thursday or Friday. If your student missed their photo day, there will be a make-up day in October.
Due Aug 31 Club Applications
Club Applications are now available. Students received the application in their Canvas inbox and can stop by room 314 anytime with questions. We will host a club Day on Sept 10 during academy for students to get more information and join our 2021-2022 clubs!
Friday, Aug 27 from 7:30-9:30pm Welcome Back Dance
We will hold a welcome back dance this Friday in between the gyms. It is free for any student with ASB and $10 without ASB. All are welcome to attend! I am in need of parent chaperones in order to be able to host the outdoor dance. If you are willing, please email Katherine Walton.
Events this week:
We have a busy week of programming. See below for the calendar:- Monday - Water Conservation Jeopardy in room 314 @ lunch
- Wednesday @ lunch
- 9th grade: Non-Stanley Lunch in room 314
- 10th grade: Jeopardy in room 314
- 11th grade: HOCO info meeting by snack shack
- 12th grade: HOCO info meeting in room 412
- Thursday @ lunch - Worlds Water Crisis Documentary in room 314 & Wellness Carnival in frosh quad
- Friday @ lunch - Shawn Tells All-lunch with our admin team in room 314. All students are invited to attend!
Homecoming 2021 Theme is… Board Games!
Homecoming will run Sept 26-Oct 2. Mark your calendars!
Staying in Touch
I know it can be hard to find information about the happenings at Acalanes. We will use Canvas email, the daily bulletin, and social media to communicate events, opportunities and more. Our social media is @ahs_dons. Please follow us!
As always, I am here to support you and your student. If there is anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to reach out via e-mail.
Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director -
Wellness
Please welcome Kiara Thomas, our new Wellness Intake Specialist! Kiara, already affectionately called “Kiki” by our students, brings to Acalanes 10 years of experience in youth development with kids in a variety of ages. Her passion and hope is to support young people in being the best version of themselves. In the next 2 weeks, Kiki will be joined by three graduate school level Wellness Interns (Elana Maslow, Amy Pernick, and Marisa Travalini) from local Marriage & Therapy and Social Work programs.
We have already hit the ground running in the first week and a half with approximately 140 student visits to the Wellness Center (not including larger outreach events). Students are showing up for a variety of reasons including: feeling overwhelmed and social anxiety from transitioning to in-person classes at a full school campus; conflicts with friends and social circles; stress about academics and college; and simply needing a welcoming and comforting place on campus. In the next 2 weeks, we are hosting lunchtime mixers and a Wellness Carnival to help students get to know us and each other and increase their sense of belonging at school.
With all of this in mind, please take the time to check in with your kids and help them unwind from the stressors of school when they are at home. This could mean providing them their favorite snacks, encouraging them to engage in relaxing activities, or simply leaving them alone. It’s only Week 2 of the school year and we need them to have the stamina to make it to Week 43.
For updates, tips, and advice, follow Wellness on Social Media: Instagram @acalaneswellness
Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator -
College & Career
All Grades: Wednesday, Sept 1 at 7pm Financial Aid Night with Tim Lenahan, the College Finance Guy
Mark your calendars for an informative evening. The cost of college is the 2nd largest purchase a family makes. Learn options available to make good financial decisions with regard to college choices. Here’s the Zoom link.
Seniors- Senior Parent Webinar - Mark your calendars! September 8 at 6:30pm will be a night to learn about college & career planning details. Here’s the webinar link.
- 8 dates to join Virtual College Visits! Check this out! There are hundreds of colleges to explore. In “live” sessions, your student can ask questions! This is a great way to look at MANY schools and narrow down lists.
- More Virtual Visits: Notre Dame, Washington University at St.Louis, Emory, and Johns Hopkins have joined together to have sessions on Aug.29.
- College Visits Upcoming! Here’s the schedule for this week. Sign up on Naviance or email dlevy@auhsdshools.org
- University of British Columbia Aug. 21, Aug. 25
- Univ. of Alabama, Aug 26
- Washington State and Purdue, Aug 27
- Grinnell College (Links to follow),
- Montana State September 10 and October 22 Click here for registering!
Juniors
- Naviance Training- Your students will learn how to log onto Naviance and gain other college/career tips in classroom visits on September 7 and 8.
- Join a College Visit- If you see a school that looks interesting to your student, please let them know to come to the CCC to meet the representative.
Sophomores/Freshmen
- Volunteer and Work in the Community Click here for some ideas to get youstarted. We will be visiting with all students this year to introduce them to Naviance and ways to expand their interests.
Resources:
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Counseling
Counselors have new letters! Counselor assignments are by last name.
A - Dr Anne Schonauer
Du-Kr Christine Todd
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows
Roh-Z Susan Martin
Counselor Appointments We love talking to our students and we are so excited to be able to see students in person again! Please stop by the Counseling office to see if we are available, leave a note if we aren’t, or send us an email! We will start individual appointments with seniors in September.
Deadline TOMORROW Monday, Aug 23 - Submit Schedule Change Request The link to request a schedule change is posted on the main page and the Counseling Page of the AHS website. Counselors will accept change requests through Monday, August 23. We will prioritize errors first, then we will look at requests in order received. No guarantees can be made with changes, but we will try to accommodate everyone. Classes can be added as late as Monday, August 23, and dropped as late as October 8.
Class Visits We can’t wait to meet/reconnect with our students! We will be visiting classrooms in late August/early September to present grade-specific information about academic planning, ways to get involved, and post-high school planning. -
School Nurse
COVID VACCINATION RECORDS If your student has had COVID vaccinations, please submit this information. GOT MEDS??? Inhalers? Epipens? Health Conditions and Medications If your student has a medical condition and/or needs medication available at school, please go to this link on my webpage to get the appropriate forms. All forms need to be filled out completely AND signed by BOTH parent and physician. You can email me the completed forms, or you can bring them to me at school. Please bring any/all (unexpired) medication in its original bottle directly to me so that I can review the required medical documentation at that time . GOT SHOTS??? Immunizations If there are any updates to your student’s vaccination record, please send me a copy so I can update. If your student is missing any requiredimmunizations, they may not be able to be at school until those are complete. Please get in touch with me as soon as possible. GOT ILLNESS??? STAY HOME!!! Any student that has illness symptoms should stay home until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours and also get a negative Covid test result. COVID Protocols (DON’T Get It!) Everyone wears a mask indoors. Keep staying healthy and practice hand hygiene. AUHSD Safety Plan: SEE PAGES 8-9 K-12 Student Close Contact Follow-Up Chart Submit your student's Covid-19 Vaccine Record HERE Want the COVID vaccine? For every FIVE people that want to get the COVID vaccines, CCCH Mobile Vaccination Team will come here on site to administer. Please get in touch with me to let me know. Stay healthy and be well, Dvora Citron, RN, MS dcitron@auhsdschools.org 925-280-2970 x7128 Acalanes School Nurse Google Site IG: acalanesschoolnurse -
Sports
The AHS athletic department is hiring students to work at events. Positions include sound crew technician, scorekeeping, and announcing. No experience is necessary, and the positions pay minimum wage.
If you are interested, or if you have any questions, contact AHS Athletic Director Randy Takahashi at rtakahashi@auhsdschools.org or visit him in Room 207.
Here are the Fall sports schedules (subject to change): -
Things to Know this Week
- Masks are mandatory indoors on campus - thanks for keeping our community safe!
- If your student is vaccinated, you can submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination here. Vaccinated students are not subject to quarantine if they are asymptomatic and determined to be a close contact to a COVID-19 positive individual. If you do not have a Google account, which is required to submit the documents electronically, you may use your student’s school email address.
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Membership & Fundraising
2021-22 Donations to APC Acalanes Parents Club is grateful for your donations this school year. Your contributions directly impact this year’s funding for the following programs integral to your student’s experience and success at Acalanes:
- Peer Tutoring Program (100% funded by APC) providing all students academic support in almost every subject offered at Acalanes
- Grant Programs provide $20K annually to support teacher and student innovation on campus
- Parent Speaker Series delivers a range of engaging speakers (See Parent Ed section for our first event happening this week!)
- Campus Enhancements ranging from tents for outdoor classrooms to paint to furniture, enabling our campus to meet its immediate, critical needs
- College and Career Center helps prepare students for their post- Acalanes lives
- Student Culture and Climate promotes a safe, diverse, and inclusive culture at Acalanes
- Staff and Teacher Development for advancing curriculum.
If you haven’t had a chance to donate, you can do so here. We are grateful for any amount that is meaningful to your family. And to make your donation go even further, don’t forget to check if your company has a corporate matching program by visiting Double The Donation.
Thank you for being a part of the APC community! We couldn’t do it without you!
Kelly Daggs, VP Fundraising and Corporate Match -
APC in Action
Friday, Aug 20 at 8:45am APC Dons Dialogue with Principal Shawn. Join Principal Shawn to find out what’s happening on campus. Hear from select speakers and get your questions answered. Mark your calendar and stay tuned in the next few days for details!
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Wednesday, Aug 18 at 7pm First DEI Committee Meeting of 2021-2022
It was lovely to see so many happy faces at Dons Day! Thank you to everyone who signed up to be more involved in Acalanes DEI work going forward. Our first committee meeting will be this Wednesday evening, and everyone is welcome to attend! If you signed up at Dons Day we will be in touch… otherwise email us for details.
What do the words Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion actually mean?
What do they mean to you? “If we aren’t clear on the words and ideas, how will we be clear on the solutions?” asks Meg Bolger in this informative article (from a tech industry perspective but useful to us all). We’d be thrilled if you’d all read it so we can start the year off with a clear understanding of the work to be done!
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @acalanesdei!
Social Media
