Weekly News & Announcements

School Nurse

Medical Documentation for Students
We still need updated medical documentation for your student, especially if they will be participating in the Hybrid Model. Does your student need medication available at school? Does  your student have updated medical issues/health issues? Do they have a new immunization record? Parents, please make sure you turn in any pertinent medical forms for your students for this school year, especially if your students will be in the Hybrid Model. See this page on my website and let me know if you have any questions.

PTG (Posttraumatic Growth): Using Challenge To Cultivate Resilience
During this pandemic, we are ALL experiencing trauma, grief, and loss, individually and collectively, and that cannot and should not be minimized in any way. This, undoubtedly, is going to be the hardest holiday season that most of us have ever experienced. But I want to encourage everyone to look for opportunities for growth and resilience. We can set an intention to practice anchoring ourselves in core values that support health and wellness, including gratitude, self-care, and generosity (to name a few). Try visualizing those values as “eyeglasses” that you put on (ex: now I am putting on my gratitude glasses. What does my perspective look like from here?).

In anticipation of the opportunity to return to our school sites to some degree in January, I implore you and your families to be vigilant about staying healthy and taking whatever precautions you can to prevent the spread of Covid in your households and families, and in our community. Our school district is working hard to create a protocol to promote safety and health on our school sites and in our school community. We need to be cohesive partners in working together to promote health and safety in our community.  Thank you for your commitment!

Be Covid Proactive!
See update on my google site. Stay healthy by keeping this symptom checklist in mind.

Improve Mental Health
Cook meals together as a family! It doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be as easy as arranging a fruit platter or putting a salad together.

This is a perfect opportunity with the upcoming holidays and our plans to STAY HOME. There are so many benefits!

Happy Healthy Holidays to all!
Dvora Citron, RN, MS

Acalanes School Nurse Google Site
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
IG:  acalanesschoolnurse

Performing & Visual Arts

ICYMI: Performing Arts Events
Visit the Performing Arts website to replay end-of-year winter events from Choral Music, Instrumental Bands and the DramaDons. Enjoy the shows!

General Announcements

APC Newsletter Schedule
This is the last issue of the year. Our next edition will publish on Sunday, January 3, just before students head back to class. Happy New Year!

Acalanes Community Always (ACA)

Shop Local For Take-Out/Delivery Meals & Gifts During the Holidays
Help our awesome Lafayette business community and restaurant owners during this challenging economic time by shopping local and getting take-out/delivery from Lafayette restaurants! Many of these businesses regularly give back to our ACA community! A bonus is that sales tax from your purchases will be funneled back into our local economy. Visit here for more ways to support Lafayette businesses.  

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

LPIE

As this challenging calendar year comes to a close, LPIE expresses our sincere gratitude to the valued Business Partners who have partnered with LPIE to support our local public schools in 2020. When businesses invest in schools, they are making a commitment to better the community for everyone. You have been our champion. For this - LPIE thanks you!

Special thanks to: Erin & Darrick Martin Martin Homes, Compass - Cobain Orthodontics - Dana Green Team, Compass - Dudum Real Estate Group: Julie Del Santo & Tina Frechman - Douglah Designs/Luxe Home - fLO Content Marketing - Koopah & Koopah, DDS - Lafayette Chamber of Commerce - Law Office of Daniel Horowitz - Lewis Asset Management - Minuteman Press - Nicole Tamayo Homes, Compass - Diablo Foods - Brydon & Ives Team, Compass - Matthew C. Keyser, DDS - Sue Layng & Ann Ward, Village Associates Real Estate - Village Associates Real Estate.

Tell them LPIE sent you! Shop Honey Bear Trees across from Acalanes if you are in the market for a Christmas tree and holiday decor! Bring this flyer, and Honey Bear will donate 20% of your purchase price back to LPIE.

Thanks to the generosity of two anonymous families, there is a dollar-for-dollar $60,000 match for all donations made in December. LPIE recognizes the sacrifices families are facing, and knows that the ask to donate is a big one. Therefore, we hope this matching gift opportunity encourages you to support at the level that is meaningful to you. Participate here.

Laura-Kate Rurka & Jennifer Palmer
Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

www.lpie.org

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Week SIXTEEN in the Challenge to Build Habits Supporting Racial Equity
Lamorinda is once again reeling from the news of what appears to be a hate crime. On Monday, new Campolindo Associate Principal Vanessa Knight, who is African American, had her car tire slashed in the school parking lot while she worked on campus. Moraga police are investigating.

Ms. Knight spoke at the Moraga Town Council meeting last week after the incident. She recited an excerpt from a poem by Luís Valdez, which celebrates our collective human being:

IN LAK’ECH
Tú eres mi otro yo.
You are my other me.
Si te hago daño a ti,
If I do harm to you,
Me hago daño a mi mismo.
I do harm to myself.
Si te amo y respeto,
If I love and respect you,
Me amo y respeto yo.
I love and respect myself.

We ask you to take a moment of reflection and encourage you to decide what sort of positive anti-racist changes you can affect in all our lives.  

With a Perspective: Hanukkah is Here!
For many Jewish American families, Hanukkah has taken on the gift-giving phenomenon associated with Christmas. Jewish leaders have often expressed that the commercialization of Hanukkah is missing the relevance of the holiday. There is irony in the fact that Hanukkah teaches about the Jewish people standing up in the face of oppression and refusing to assimilate, yet recent traditions of gift-giving has assimilated the surrounding Christian culture into Jewish rituals. Of course no one denies the fun and excitement of gift-giving and receiving, and the power of celebrating light in the darkness! Read more of this perspective from an AHS parent.

Thursday, Feb 4 at 6:30pm District Book Club
Consider buying, gifting and reading “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates over winter break. This is the selection for the next district-wide book group discussion. Order your copy from Orinda Books. A brilliant and moving adaptation is available on HBO until Sunday Dec 27. Sign up to attend book club here! 

Email us your traditional holiday recipes so we can share with this group! 

More information or questions?
Email us! Stay current by visiting our webpage, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

Membership & Fundraising

Acalanes Flags
‘Tis the season for giving - and receiving - the perfect gift: Acalanes Flags! Flags are available in two sizes on the Acalanes webstore. Get yours today and share your school spirit. Go Dons!

If you have any questions, please contact VP Fundraising Kelly Daggs.