-
Wellness Center
The Wellness team will run a six-week mindfulness group during academy on Wednesdays starting Mar 13. We are partnering with Dr. Kristen Freeman (St. Mary's professor and parent of Acalanes students) in facilitating the group. The purpose of this group is twofold: first, to introduce mindfulness breathing techniques to help students improve anxiety and stress-related symptoms; and second, to explore the potential positive impact on students’ academic performance. These sessions will focus on developing coping strategies and tools to manage stress and anxiety in the school environment, ultimately aiming to enhance classroom performance and attention.
If you have any students that are interested, please email Patrick Turner (Wellness Coordinator). A pass will be sent to students to inform them and provide consent forms to complete and return.
If you have any questions or concerns and or want more information on what mindfulness is, feel free to reach out to Patrick Turner as well. -
LPIE
LPIE ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN
We aim to honor and celebrate the generous donors who have contributed to the Annual Giving Campaign this year by including their names in an advertisement in the Lamorinda Weekly, as well as LPIE’s 2023-24 annual report. If you haven’t had a chance to contribute but wish to be included, there’s still time. By making a donation here before midnight on Sunday, Mar 17, your name will be included in both publications. Please help us reach our 90+% participation goal and join this incredible community of supporters by making a donation TODAY!
A giant THANK YOU to everyone who participated in this year’s Gala! Whether you bid in the online auction, purchased a raffle ticket, or attended the Gala, your participation in this event ultimately provides funding that enhances and enriches the education of every Lafayette student. If you missed out on the online auction or attending the Gala, it’s not too late to show your support! -
Sports
This weeks can't miss events
Boys Tennis
Monday, Mar 11 Varsity hosts Lick-Wilmerding HS at 4:30pm.
Tuesday, Mar 12 College Park HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Thursday, Mar 14 Campolindo HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Boys Golf
Monday, Mar 11 Wildcat Varsity Invitational at Meadow GC.
Wednesday, Mar 13 JV v. Las Lomas HS at Rossmoor GC at 3:30pm.
Friday, Mar 15 Varsity v. Athenian HS at Rossmoor GC at 3:30pm.
Swimming
Monday, Mar 11 host Miramonte HS at 4pm.
Friday, Mar 15 and Saturday, Mar 16 Mission Viejo Invitational.
Baseball
Tuesday, Mar 12 Las Lomas HS at 3:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Wednesday, Mar 13 Frosh at Clayton Valley Charter HS at 4pm.
Saturday, Mar 16 Frosh host Alhambra HS doubleheader at 10am and 12pm.
Softball
Tuesday, Mar 12 Concord HS at 4:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Thursday, Mar 14 Northgate HS at 4:30pm. Varsity is home and JV is away.
Saturday, Mar 16 Encinal HS at 4:30pm. Varsity is away and JV is home.
Boys Volleyball
Tuesday, Mar 12 v. Alameda HS at Encinal HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Wednesday, Mar 13 host Monte Vista HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Thursday, Mar 14 at Las Lomas HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 6:30pm.
Girls Lacrosse
Tuesday, Mar 12 host Monte Vista HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Friday, Mar 15 host Campolindo HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Boys Lacrosse
Tuesday, Mar 12 at Berkeley HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Friday, Mar 15 at Campolindo HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Track & field
Wednesday, Mar 13 at Las Lomas HS at 4pm.
Friday, Mar 15 and Saturday, Mar 16 Dublin Distance Fiesta.
Competitive Sport Cheer
Friday, Mar 15 Alhambra HS at 5:30pm and Clayton Valley Charter HS at 6:30pm at Alhambra HS.
Diving
Saturday, Mar 16 Las Positas Invitational.You may view the full 2023-2024 Athletic Schedule by clicking HERE.
-
General Administration Announcements
PARENTS, IT'S YOUR TIME TO JUMP IN!
Acalanes Parents/Guardians, here is where you can play an important part in the incredible opportunities happening at Acalanes!- Job Fair: If your business hires high school students (or you know someone who does) please reach out to Katherine Walton at kwalton@auhsdschools.org to be part of the Job Fair on Wednesday, Mar 20. We can help you recruit some incredible employees!
- Creative Arts and Design Career Academy: Parents, alumni, and community members are invited to talk with students about their career experiences/pathways in the creative arts and design fields. Please email Debbie Levy, dlevy@auhsdschools.org for more info about this event on Wednesday, Apr 10 at 10am.
- Classroom Instructional Aides: The District is seeking applicants for classroom Instructional Aides. No previous training required, just a willingness to learn new skills and help students succeed. Applications should be submitted on Edjoin.com.
- Trade Fair: The College & Career Center is hosting a Trade Fair for Roofing, Electrical, Plumbing, Linesman, Cosmetology, Automotive, and more during lunch on April 24th. We are looking for more organizations to be represented. Please email Debbie Levy, dlevy@auhsdschools.org with any suggestions.
STATE TESTING IS COMING!
CAASPP testing will begin on Monday, March 11, and all Juniors will take the Math, English, and Science tests over the three weeks prior to Springbreak.
To prepare and fire up our students, Principal Shawn is visiting all Junior classes to talk with them about the importance of this test. Our school has outstanding achievement, and these test scores are critical as a public measurement of our students' progress. Assessments are part of the state-mandated accountability system and are presented to the public via the California School Dashboard. When all students try their best on CAASPP, AUHSD schools will be able to present accurate academic performance data. Students will also receive their score reports, which are included in their academic file. CAASPP scores are also used at colleges for course placement.
We greatly appreciate our parents and community's encouragement of our students to do their absolute best, participate, and show up for our school in taking these tests seriously. Don't stress, but please do your best! -
APC in Action
DON'T MISS THE COLOR RUN!
Acalanes High School is having its Annual Color Run on Sunday, Mar 24 at 9 am. This is a super fun 1 or 2-mile run around the Acalanes campus with stations of different colored powders scattered throughout the course.
This event is inspired by the traditions of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Color. Holi celebrates the arrival of spring and its beautiful harvests and colors with festivals involving colored powder.
The Color Run is a community wide event and we want to encourage you to run or walk! You can purchase your registration on Go Fan which includes a t-shirt, gift from Zoonie's and snacks at the end of the race.
We encourage people of all ages to come run! Hope to see you there! -
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
BOOK DRIVE FOR THE LAFAYETTE LIBRARY
The Community Outreach and Improvement Program is hosting a drive for the Friends of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center from Mar 4-15!
Please donate gently used books, DVDs, puzzles, and games to the bins outside the Acalanes front office!
Donations help fund programs and other parts of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center! Please check out our website for more information and donation options. Thank you in advance! -
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
Upcoming Important Dates:
- Women’s History Month (March)
- Disability Awareness Month (March)
- Gender Equality Month (March)
- Mar 11 Ramadan Begins
- Mar 19 Nowruz - Persian New Year
- Feb 14 - Mar 28 Lent
- Mar 25 Holi Celebrated
- Mar 31 Easter and Trans Day of Visibility
Please join us as we celebrate the many religious holidays and festivals in our world this month. Along with that we will spotlight some amazing women and celebrate those with disabilities. If you have someone or something you would like to highlight please let us know here.
Do you use Facetime or Zoom? Thank prolific inventor Marian Croak, owner of 200+ U.S. patents. Croak was one of the first two Black women to be inducted to the Inventors Hall of Fame. She is best known for developing Voice Over Internet Protocols (VoIP), technology that converts your voice into a digital signal. Among her inventions is the text-to-donate function, which has helped to raise millions of dollars for disaster-relief efforts.Upcoming Important Dates:
- Black History/Excellence Month (February)
- Women’s History Month (March)
- Disability Awareness Month (March)
- Gender Equality Month (March)
As we wrap up celebrating Black excellence this month, we ask each and every one of you to reflect on what makes this part of our culture so special. Black innovators have shaped our American culture in so many incredible ways, from the traffic signal to the Super Soaker, our refrigerated trucks to our long lasting light bulbs. And if it wasn’t for George Washington Carver, we might not have our good old PB and J or Reese's Peanut Butter cups.
As we look into the month of March, we hope to celebrate women for their history month, and those with disabilities for their awareness month. It is also Gender Equality Month. If you have a story to share or someone special to highlight, please let us know!Please check out the new AUHSD DEIB website for many great resources and events! And follow us on Instagram and Facebook
-
Performing & Visual Arts
The Acalanes musical, The Wizard of Oz, is THIS WEEK and will run from Mar 6-9 at 7pm in the PAC. Purchase your tickets here and come watch our amazing students put on an amazing performance.
Come Opening Night, Wednesday, Mar 6! There is always a special buzz on opening night and we want the PAC filled to support our talented students. -
Student Activities
This week is ALL about our school musical! Don’t miss a chance to watch the incredible production from Mar 6-9.
On Sunday, Mar 10, 130 student players and 20 student coaches will play in the annual POWERpuff tournament beginning at 3pm in the Acalanes stadium. Come out and watch!
Join us on Tuesday, Mar 12 at 6:30pm in the library for our Feminism and Black Student Union collaboration speaker event! Listen to Regan Bradley-Brown talk about her experience and work as a Supervising Attorney at Children's East Bay Law Office since 2019.
Acalanes High School is having its annual Color Run on Sunday, Mar 24 at 9am. This is a super fun 1 or 2 mile walk or run around the Acalanes campus with stations of different colored powders scattered throughout the course. This event is inspired by the traditions of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Color. Holi celebrates the arrival of spring and its beautiful harvests and colors with festivals involving colored powder. The Color Run is a community wide event and we encourage you/your friends/family members to run or walk! You can register on Go Fan and payment includes a t-shirt, a gift from Zoonie's and snacks at the end of the race.Hope to see you there!
We still have 2028 frosh spirit packs available for purchase. Spirit packs feature a limited edition 2028 hoodie, string backpack and lanyard. The last day to order these is Thursday, Apr 18 and items will be available for pick-up beginning Wednesday, May 1. All proceeds benefit the class of 2028. -
College & Career
The Acalanes College and Career Center will host a Creative Arts and Design Career academy at 10am on Wednesday, Apr 10. One of our committed speakers is Joel Flory, the co-founder of VSCO. We would like to invite other interested parents, alumni, and community members to share their career experiences/pathways in graphic design, film/screenwriting, animation, sculpture, painting, fashion, photography, graphic design, etc. with our students. If you would like to be a presenter or know someone who would be a good fit, please email Debbie Levy, dlevy@auhsdschools.org and provide your name, industry, and phone number. We will follow up with all contacts.
In addition, we are hosting a Trade Fair during lunch on Wednesday, Apr 24 and we are looking for more organizations to be represented. Please email Debbie Levy, dlevy@auhsdschools.org with any suggestions for us and we will follow up.
SENIORS:
The Matt Lynn Memorial Scholarship is now available. It will be awarded to college-bound seniors from Acalanes who have participated in a high school varsity sport(s) and who intend to continue playing a varsity or club sport in college. Student athletes who expect to receive an athletic scholarship from a NCAA Division I school are not eligible for this award. The award will be $2500 - $3000.
The Bose Lamont Scholarship is available for $1500. To apply, your student needs a 3.0+ GPA and the essay question is “how have you been brave”? Email dlevy@auhsdschools.org for submission details.
JUNIORS, SOPHOMORES, FROSH:
SAT/ACT Free Practice Exams: Practice ACT and digital SAT exams are available with Revolution Prep. Click here to register. The ACT practice exam is on Saturday, Apr 20 from 9am - 1pm. The SAT practice exam is on Saturday, Apr 20 from 9am - 12pm.
Google Doodle Scholarship: This is a creative scholarship opportunity to create a google doodle and win $50k.
Camp Venture is a business leadership program sponsored by the Rotary Club and runs from June 19-23. You can email dlevy@auhsdschools.org for submission details.
Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support. -
Counseling
Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em Anne Schonauer
En-Kr Erika Vasquez
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows
Roh-Z Susan MartinCourse Selection for 2024-2025 School Year
Students may still request to change their course requests for next school year. Counselors are keeping a wish list of student requests and will fill these requests as we are able.
3rd Quarter Ends on Friday, Mar 15
Two more weeks until the end of the third quarter! This is the drop deadline as well - if students want to drop a class, they may do so until Mar 15. After that, any drop will be an automatic F on the transcript. This deadline is also the cut off for continued athletic eligibility for all spring sports. Students need a 2.0 average or higher to remain eligible for their sports. 3rd quarter grades will be used for this purpose. -
School Nurse
How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat each day?
I ask this question to many of the students I meet with. Some of them barely have one of each per day. I ask them to consider where in their day they might be able to include an extra fruit and vegetable at each meal. Do you have fruits and vegetables readily available for your students? HERE is a great resource I found on seasonal produce that also has great educational information for each fruit and vegetable.
FUN FACT: Did you know that broccoli has 3gm of protein per serving?
What is your favorite bean? Mine is GARBONZOS!
See my website for more information.Always Your School Nurse,
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org, 925-280-2970 x7128
IG: acalanesschoolnurse, School Nurse Website -
Wellness Center
With SAT’s right around the corner, it may be beneficial to discuss test anxiety with your AHS student. Test anxiety is actually a form of performance anxiety that affects 25-40% of students. While it’s perfectly normal for a student to feel nervous before a test, test anxiety can be overwhelming for students and disrupt their concentration and ability. Here are a couple steps you can take to support your student in combating their test anxiety:
- Positive Self Talk can go a long way in altering one’s perception of their ability. Encourage your student to talk to themselves about how they would talk to a friend or loved one experiencing the same anxiety. We are often our own worst critic and in many instances, we talk to ourselves more negatively than we would ever talk to someone else.
- Acceptance of mistakes can also shift your student’s mindset around their ability. First, remind your student that trying their best is realistically the most they can do. Even when trying our absolute best, people still make mistakes. Second, model this behavior for your students. Are you shaming your student when their best effort isn’t “good enough” or beating yourself up when you make a mistake? Offer grace in the face of mistakes. We’re all human after all.
-Teach test taking basics to your student so they might feel more confident
when the time comes to take a test. Believe it or not, study skills and test taking strategies are learned. Just because students have to take tests, doesn’t mean they are actually equipped to do so successfully.