Weekly News & Announcements

Performing & Visual Arts

The Acalanes Choir will be performing at the Lafayette Schools Concert with all of the elementary schools and Stanley on Thursday, Jan 25 at Stanley Middle School at 7pm. We're really looking forward to singing with all of the kids. It's always a very special and sweet performance. We hope to see you there!

Student Activities

We are back! A few invitations and reminders as we cruise into week 2 of 2nd semester!
 
Club Applications
Did your student want to start a club in the fall but didn’t get the chance? Now is the opportunity! Applications are available and due on Monday, Jan 16. A google form application is in the daily bulletin and on canvas. This Friday, Jan 19, during lunch is our Spring Club Day. Please encourage your student to stop by, check out our clubs and get involved.
 
Get ready for semester 2 and organize your school supplies!
Join us on Thursday, Jan 18 in the library at lunch! We will have snacks and school supplies to organize your backpack. This is a chance to get organized coming back from break. Encourage your student to sign up so we know who to expect!
 
Is your student looking for a BLUE CREW shirt and didn’t get one? Have them stop by room 314 with $2 to get their shirt!
 
SAVE THE DATE: Lunchtime Rally on Friday, Jan 26 in the Chris Huber Gym!
YOU (our community!) are invited to attend a lunchtime rally celebrating our very successful fall sports teams who went into playoffs and won (flag football, cross country, football) and to also welcome our winter sports athletes. The rally will feature sideline cheer, along with our jazz band. Want to feel the positive energy of Acalanes High School? See you at the lunchtime rally!
 
Future events:

• Jan 22: Leadership applications available for 2024-2025 school year
• Jan 22 & 24: Class Cup Trivia at lunch
• Jan 26: Senior Breakfast (7:30am), Senior Speaker Series (academy) and a lunchtime rally for students and community (lunch). All are invited to attend the lunchtime rally to recognize our fall sports and highlight our winter athletes!
• Jan 31: Staff/Student Trivia

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

Counseling

Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em Anne Schonauer  
En-Kr Erika Vasquez
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows 
Roh-Z Susan Martin
 
Course selection for 2024-2025 school year is coming! Counselors will be visiting 9th, 10th and 11th grade classrooms next week to discuss the course selection process with students and hand out forms.

Frosh/Soph Parent Night All 9th and 10th grade parents are invited to an evening with Erika Vasquez and Marissa Meadows, two of our AHS Counselors, who will present information about the course selection process that parents should know. Please come to the library on Thursday, Jan 18 at 6:30pm for this informative event! 

School Nurse

Switch it up with your kids and consider asking them “What did you fail at today? And what did you learn from that?” Help support their ability to see “failure” as a growth experience.
 
Here is a great resource on Character Strengths from the VIA Institute. I hope you find this a resource that inspires positive conversation and connection in your family.
 
A Twist on Tuna Salad: This “No-Tuna” Salad is one of  my favorite recipes. I’ve been making it weekly these days. It’s a great way to incorporate legumes into your eating, and besides using it for sandwiches, you can spread it on crackers or cucumber slices for a snack or appetizer.
 
“It’s never too late–or too early–to start living healthier lives.”
Michael Greger, MD, FACLM  Founder, NutritionFacts.org
 
Happy 2024!
 
Always Your School Nurse,
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org, 925-280-2970 x7128,
IG: acalanesschoolnurse, ​School Nurse Website

Wellness Center

We are so excited to have students back to start the new year! It’s very common for people to use this time to set new goals for the upcoming year. Goal setting is a great way to set up yourself, and your student, for success. Discuss setting SMART goals with your student:

• Specific- narrow goals are more efficient for planning and execution.
• Measurable- how will you know that you are making progress toward reaching your goal?
• Attainable- it’s important that goals are realistic and can actually be achieved.
• Relevant- be sure that your goals align with what you find important in the short and long-term.
• Time based- when setting an end date to assess whether you have met your goal, the date should be both motivating and achievable.

Setting, working toward, and achieving SMART goals is extremely beneficial to mental health. Everyone likes to feel capable and accomplished. This can help improve self esteem, as well as fostering an internal locus of control. 

LPIE

TOM MULVANEY LEGACY AWARD
LPIE is proud to announce a call for nominations for the Tom Mulvaney Legacy Award! Please click here to submit a nomination. Nominations are due by Thursday, Jan 25 at midnight. The winner will be announced Saturday, Mar 9 at LPIE's 6th Annual Gala.

LPIE GALA RAFFLE TICKETS
It’s not too late to win a trip to Cabo, Las Vegas, or Tuscany, but there are less than ten tickets left! Click here to request a ticket. The winner will be announced at the 6th Annual LPIE Gala on Mar 9. (You do NOT need to be present to win!)
 
PROJECT LPIE
Don’t miss your chance to participate in Project LPIE! Open to all Acalanes High School students, this competition is an annual event that showcases students' project-based learning. With 15 categories in a variety of disciplines, the contest is open to any AHS student. Awards will be given in every category and announced at our in-person awards ceremony in February. Click here to register today!  

Jocelyn Werner and Jaime Roder, Acalanes LPIE School Chairs
www.lpie.org, Follow us on Instagram

Sports

This week’s can’t miss events:
Boys soccer
Tuesday, Jan 16 host College Park HS. Frosh at 4pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7:15pm.
Thursday, Jan 18 Frosh host Berkeley HS at 5pm.
Saturday, Jan 20 host Alameda HS. JV at 11am and Varsity at 1pm.
 
Girls soccer
Tuesday, Jan 16 at College Park HS. JV at 5pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Saturday, Jan 20 Frosh-Soph host Las Lomas HS at 9am and play at Campolindo HS at 2pm.
 
Girls basketball
Wednesday, Jan 17 host Alhambra HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
Friday, Jan 19 host Campolindo HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7pm.
 
Boys basketball
Monday, Jan 15 at Bishop O’Dowd HS. Frosh at 4pm and JV at 5:30pm.
Wednesday, Jan 17 at Alhambra HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 6pm and Varsity at 7:30pm.
Friday, Jan 19 at Campolindo HS. Frosh at 4:30pm, JV at 6pm and Varsity at 7:30pm.
 
Wrestling
Tuesday, Jan 16 at Mt. Diablo HS at 5pm.
Saturday, Jan 20 San Ramon Valley Invitational and Livermore JV Barn Burner.
 
You may view the 2023-2024 Athletic Update by clicking HERE.

APC in Action

JANUARY DONS DIALOGUE - SAVE THE DATE
Please join us for the first Dons Dialogue of 2024. Friday, Jan 19 at 8:45am in the Collaboration Center. We will hear from Principal Shawn and other Acalanes Staff members plus time for open Q&A. The detailed agenda will be released in the APC Newsletter next week.
Coffee and teats will be served!

FINALS FUEL IN ACTION!
Thank you to all the families that contributed snacks, funds or time to hand out fun snacks and encouraging words to all our students between exams. This is a special Acalanes tradition and one of the best volunteer roles on campus. If you missed your opportunity to help this winter, don’t worry Finals Fuel will be back in the spring.
Special thanks to our APC Co-Chairs Stephanie Asadorian and Regan Scovic!

Follow Acalanes Parents Club on Instagram. Please reach out to APC here with any questions.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

Upcoming Important Dates:

• Jan 13: Korean American Day
• Jan 15: Martin Luther King Jr Day
• Jan 16: National Day of Racial Healing
• Jan 25: Mahayana New Year
• Jan 27: International Holocaust Remembrance Day

The DEI committee hopes everyone had a wonderful break and is excited to learn more about one another in the new year! Please reach out if you have any suggestions for upcoming newsletter updates.
 
Korean American Day is on Jan 13 and commemorates the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the United States in 1903. The day also honors the Korean American's immense contributions to every aspect of society.
 
Some exciting news for the upcoming school year…the AUHSD school board unanimously approved AP African American Studies as a course offering for 10th-12th graders starting in the 2024-2025 school year. The course is an accessible AP course, providing students with an in-depth look into African American history and culture. The course was piloted at schools across the US for two years and is now available to all interested schools. AHS teachers Bruno Moreland, James Munoz and Joe Schottland originally proposed the course, which was approved by all sites. For in depth information on the course and its framework, parents can view the 2024-2025 course at AP Central.AUHSD teachers who teach the course will be provided training from the College Board, which typically happens in the spring and summer. We are very excited about this new addition to our AUHSD course catalog!
 
If you’d like to be a part of the upcoming 2024 celebrations, such as Black Excellence Month and Lunar New Year, please contact the DEIB committee here. And follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Student Activities

Welcome back to 2nd semester and 2024! Students have some fun things planned for the month of January!
 
Club Applications
Did your student want to start a club in the fall but didn’t get the chance? Now is the opportunity! Applications are available Jan 9 and due Jan 16. A google form application is in the daily bulletin and on canvas.
 
Tuesday Night Basketball: Wear Blue!
First day of school and we plan to show out to boys basketball in our BLUE CREW shirts to cheer them on as they take on Clayton Valley. Need a blue crew shirt? They will be available to purchase out front for $2. See you in the Chris Huber gym!
 
Preview of upcoming events:

• Jan 19: Spring Club Day at lunch
• Jan 22: Leadership applications available for 2024-2025 school year
• Jan 22 & 24: Class Cup Trivia at lunch
• Jan 26: Senior Breakfast (7:30am), Senior Speaker Series (academy) and a lunchtime rally for students and community (lunch). All are invited to attend the lunchtime rally to recognize our fall sports and highlight our winter athletes!
• Jan 31: Staff/Student Trivia
• A whole lot more!

Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
 
Katherine Walton, Activities Director

College & Career

Seniors

• FAFSA webinar: This Thursday, Jan 11 at 6:30pm PT, CAP will host a FAFSA presentation. Click here to register. During the webinar, financial aid experts will discuss:
  • 2024 FAFSA changes and how they'll impact your family
  • How (and who!) to login/access the FAFSA
  • How to complete and submit the FAFSA
  • Who requires the FAFSA and when they are due
  • How the FAFSA changes impact your application process
  • Why everyone should complete the FAFSA
  • What business owners & split household families need to know
• Community College Support: Send your student to discuss community college opportunities and majors. Mark your calendars: DVC will be visiting on Wednesday, Feb 7 for an admissions presentation during academy in the library.
• Assistance League of Diablo Valley Scholarships: If your family has financial limitations, there are several local scholarships available. Apply here by Wednesday, Mar 24.

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 Martin
 
Course selection for 2024-2025 school year is coming! Counselors will be visiting 9th, 10th and 11th grade classrooms later this month to discuss the course selection process with students and hand out forms.

Frosh/Soph Parent Night All 9th and 10th grade parents are invited to an evening with Erika Vasquez and Marissa Meadows, two of our AHS Counselors, who will present information about the course selection process that parents should know. Please come to the library on Jan 18 at 6:30pm for this informative event!