• Wellness Center

    September 11, 2020

    This week, the district team of intake specialists attended the California Wellness Together conference, which would have taken place in Anaheim but due to the current circumstances was moved online. It was incredible to see how a virtual event of this magnitude could still have moments of incredible inspiration. The keynote speakers and each of the break-out sessions emphasized the importance of adults as protective factors for the stress that children, and all of us, are facing today. 

    If you don’t know the work of Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, you can watch her TED talk here on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and their effect on health. And you can act on her prescription the minute you finish watching. Finally, you can talk to your kids about how taking care of themselves can help them achieve the thing they need the most - to know that their lives have purpose and meaning. 

    Make sure they also know that Wellness is here for them and we can help them connect and thrive, even though the current conditions aren’t the way we’d all like them to be.

    Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator
    Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist

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

  • College & Career

    September 11, 2020

    Check out the Fall CCC Newsletter for updates!

    Senior Academy
    Academy is available on Wednesdays and Fridays for all Seniors working on college applications. Students have been emailed the Zoom link. Please have students check their AUHSD gmail accounts for all communications from the CCC. Students can book an individual meeting with me here. 

    Tuesday, Oct 6 at 7pm Class of 2022 Parent/Student Presentation
    Lots of great college planning information. Hear from your Class Liaisons, as well as Wendy Reicher and Counselor Susan Martin. Watch for Zoom link!

    ICYMI If you weren’t able to attend last week’s webinar on “Navigating the College Admissions & Testing Landscape”, watch the replay here.

    Freshman College Planning
    Sophomore College Planning
    Junior College Planning
    Senior Checklist

    Always feel free to contact me with questions:  wreicher@auhsdschools.org

    Wendy Reicher

  • Counseling

    September 11, 2020

    Progress Reports
    Progress reports will be in Canvas next week. Please encourage your students to use Peer Tutoring and use Academy time to check in with a teacher or counselor. 

    Attention Seniors
    Counselors sent Seniors a link to sign up for an appointment. On Tuesday, September 8 at 7pm, Counselors and Ms. Reicher will discuss the college application process and resources.

    Transcripts
    For Seniors ordering transcripts for college applications, we will start processing those around September 15. We are updating the school profile information. To request a transcript, have your list of colleges updated on Naviance and pay the $5 fee for official transcripts on the webstore. Mrs. Finn, the registrar, will process requests. If you absolutely need an official transcript before then, contact Mrs. Finn. Students can review unofficial transcripts in Aeries.

    CSF
    California Scholarship Federation (CSF) is an honor society. The application period this semester will be Sept 15-30.  Check the webstore next week. All grades of “CR” last semester will count toward eligibility for the September application period.

    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. 

    Counselor Assignments Student last names:
    A- Ed  Anne Schonauer
    Ee-Kr  Christine Todd
    Ku-Ros  Marissa Meadows
    Rot-Z  Susan Martin

  • School Nurse

    September 11, 2020

    Staying Vigilant About Staying Healthy
    Even before we get the opportunity to physically return to school, we need to make staying vigilant about staying healthy part of our normal routine. There are a few new video resources on my google site. 

    School Immunization Requirements are still in place
    Please check in with your local pediatrician’s office, Primary Care Provider, or our     County Health Department (call 925-313-6767 for additional hours through September).

    Flu Vaccine
    Beginning in October, please have everyone in your family get a Flu vaccine. We all want to stay as healthy as possible, individually and collectively as a community.  Reduced illness from flu will also ease the burden of illness from Covid in our hospital facilities.

    Medical Forms and Medications at School
    Please turn in any relevant medical forms your student might need for the 2020-21 school year. Those forms should be dated no earlier than June 2020. You can access forms here.

    Still on Quarantine! Transitioning Back to School Routine After Summer Break

    I like to share parenting resources and I love the site: 6seconds on emotional intelligence.  Right now they are offering a free Kindle version of this book: Whole Hearted Parenting. 

    Please get in touch with me with any questions, concerns, and/or requests. I look forward to being in touch and connected!

    Dvora Citron, RN, MS
    Acalanes School Nurse Google Site
    dcitron@auhsdschools.org
    IG:  acalanesschoolnurse

  • Legislative News

    September 11, 2020

    If you haven’t completed the Census, please do so today!  The deadline is September 30, 2020.  Only 67.9% of Californians have completed the Census to date. For EVERY person that goes uncounted in the census, California loses $20,000 over ten years for our local communities. It only takes a few minutes and is as easy as 1, 2 or 3:

    1. Online at https://my2020census.gov
    2. By phone: 1-844-330-2020 
    3. By mail: complete the paper form that you received in the mail, and mail it back.

  • LPIE

    September 11, 2020

    Lafayette public schools are among the best in the state because of parents and community members like you. It’s clear our community prioritizes education and your continued support of Lafayette Partners In Education (LPIE TK-12) has helped set our schools apart. We know this school year will be unlike any other, and our schools depend on donations from families like yours to maintain the level of education we want to give our students. 

    Our new thermometer is up in downtown Lafayette, so please donate today and help us reach our goal to benefit all our students! 

    Laura-Kate Rurka & Jennifer Palmer
    Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

    www.lpie.org

  • APC in Action

    September 3, 2020

    Friday, Sept 18 from 10-11:30am Dons Dialogue with Principal Bell
    Save the date! Join Principal Bell online for timely updates on the latest AHS topics. Stay tuned for an event agenda and registration details.

    Great News! Peer Tutoring is Back
    Peer Tutors are available NOW to help students across all academic subjects! To access a tutor, encourage your student to visit TeachMore, select "Peer Tutoring" and access the Zoom link for the desired time slot. Peer Tutoring looks forward to being a vital part of the remote learning experience. And remember, Peer Tutoring is free to all families thanks to the generosity of your APC parent donations. Below is the Peer Tutoring schedule:

    • Mondays from 10:00am-4:00pm
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays during 7th period (2:00-3:00pm) 
    • Wednesdays and Fridays during Academy (9:00 -10:00am)
    • Tuesdays through Fridays after school from 3:00-4:00pm

  • General Announcements

    September 3, 2020

    Canvas Tutorial & Q&A Support
    Acalanes parents and guardians! Check out this helpful 7 minute tutorial video on Canvas, for both the desktop and the app. Tip of the week for Canvas: Manage your notifications! 

    1. You can manage your notifications by going onto the desktop and logging in. 
    2. Click on “account”
    3. Click on “notifications” and then select your options by toggling between right away, daily, weekly summary, or not at all. 

    Student Work Permits
    Students need to complete the following steps if they will be employed during this school year. Parents, please keep this information handy as a reference.

    • Download this California Work Permit.
    • Students fill out and sign the student information section, then have parents and employers fill out and sign their sections.  
    • Scan the work permit to both Mrs. Perlman and Mrs. Gullberg in the main office.
    • Once we receive a student work permit application, we will process it and let students know when they can pick it up from the main office.  

    Contact us with questions:

    Mrs. Gullberg, tel. 925.280.3970 ext. 7126
    Mrs. Perlman, tel. 925.280.3970 ext. 7125

  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

    September 3, 2020

    21 Week Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
    Thank you for joining us for Week 3 as we build habits supporting racial equity. Each week, we will suggest one article or activity which will help you become more educated and thoughtful in this area. 

    Week 3 of 21:  Confronting ‘intergroup anxiety.’  Explore why we may get tongue tied and blunder when we encounter people from groups unfamiliar to us. (5 minute video) 

    Tuesday, Sept 22 from 7-8:30pm Teacher-moderated Book Club: How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
    The book, a NYTimes Bestseller, brings a "groundbreaking" approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society -- and in ourselves. Copies are available at Orinda Books, and a portion of each sale will be donated to the Center for Antiracism Research. Book club registration here. 

    And for extra credit prior to book club….listen to Brene Brown talking with Dr. Kendi about the book. 

    Thursday, Oct 1
    Save the Date! Mark your calendars for a parent education Zoom with racial equity consultant Dr. Lori Watson. Details to follow.

    New Bias Incident Reporting Tool
    Please let your student/s know that Acalanes has developed a tool to assist students in reporting racism or bias incidents. A report can be made anonymously and can be accessed using a valid auhsdschools.org email address. More about this tool here. 

    Interested in joining our committee? Have questions? Email us.

  • From the Activities Director

    September 3, 2020

    Class Shirts and Yearbooks
    We are handing out class shirts and yearbooks this week to our Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. It is a drive by pick-up so please place your last name on a piece of paper and place it in your front dashboard. Here are the days and times:

    • Class of 2021: September 8 from 2-4pm (A-L is 2-3; M-Z is 3-4)
    • Class of 2022: September 9 from 3-5pm (A-L is 3-4; M-Z is 4-5)
    • Class of 2023: September 10 from 3-5pm (A-L is 3-4; M-Z is 4-5)
    • Alternate pick-up: September 11 from 8-9am 

    Thursday, Sept 10 at Lunch Staff Student Trivia
    Encourage your student to attend and participate in the staff-student trivia at lunch on Thursday. Students will compete alongside staff members in pop culture trivia. Zoom link will be sent via Canvas. 

    Monday, Sept 21 Virtual Club Day
    Club meetings will follow later that week. Stay tuned for more information on all of the clubs being offered this year. 

    Make sure you are subscribed to Acalanes Blueprint online. Lots of great online features already up!

    Monday, Sept 7 Last Chance To Order Spirit Wear
    If you missed ordering spirit wear earlier this year, the webstore is back open until tomorrow. Items ordered will be shipped to your home beginning the middle of September. 

    ASB Card Support
    Thank you to all who purchased ASB cards. The money directly funds student activities throughout the year AND gives your student discounts throughout the community. Look for stickers in business windows then show a student ID card to receive the discount. Thank you to those Lafayette businesses for supporting Acalanes!

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

    Katherine Walton, Student Activities Director