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Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
ACA ALUMNI DATABASE - JOIN NOW!
It was great catching up with many Acalanes Alumni at the game on Friday!
Please click here to join the Acalanes Alumni Database to stay connected with our Acalanes Community and be in the know for any upcoming events. Please help spread the word with any friends, family and neighbor alumns.
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Parent Education
Acalanes High School and Acalanes Parents Club present: INTERNET SAFETY NIGHT
Tuesday, Oct 24 at 6:30pm
Acalanes Performing Arts Center
Event is free for all parents/guardians
GUN SAFETY- Video and Resources
Thank you to all who attended the Gun Safety Town Hall last week! If you were not able to be there, you can watch the full video here or check out the presentation slide deck.
For additional resources, visit AcalanesAnonymous Reporting System, 988lifeline.org (text and chat available 24 hours), contact the Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741 for Crisis Counselor), or the Acalanes Wellness Center (Call 211 or text HOPE to 20121; WellnessCenter Referral). -
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
October is LGBTQ History month, an annual, month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer history. The month, meant to highlight and celebrate the history and achievements of LGBTQ people, was founded in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a social studies teacher in Missouri who wanted to address the failure of textbooks to address LGBTQ issues. October was chosen because it built on existing traditions such as National Coming Out Day (Oct 11) and the anniversaries of the first two LGBTQ marches in Washington in 1979 and 1987. Each year, a growing number of educators find ways to bring LGBTQ history into their curricula, opening up a dialogue that will hopefully lead to a deeper exploration of LGBTQ themes throughout the school year. If you are interested in learning more, here are resources that you might find useful:
Please join us on Tuesday, Oct 17 for a presentation with Alberto Ledesma in the Acalanes library at 7pm*. All parents and students in the district are invited. Alberto Ledesma, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at UC Berkeley, will share his experience as an undocumented immigrant to “hyper documents” university professor, and more. Check out his book Diary of aReluctant Dreamer.
*Members of the DEI committee will be gathering prior to the presentation in the front quad at 6:40pm for a meet and greet. Please join us to connect and build a more robust parent community. Open to all parents and caregivers!
On Friday, Oct 23, there is also a Dia De Los Muertos Dance Concert at St. Mary’s College from 8-10pm presented by Baile Folklorico Guadalupano and SMC Dance Company. All are welcome! You can read more about it here.
If you would like to learn more about the DEIB committee please contact us. Our next meeting is Sunday, Nov 5. And please follow us! We post activities and opportunities happening around the Bay Area.
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Performing & Visual Arts
The DramaDons Present: Inherit the Wind
Two of the nation’s leading lawyers go head-to-head in the ultimate battle of wit, wisdom, and will in this powerful courtroom drama.
Inherit the Wind runs Oct 25, 26, 27, and 28 in the Acalanes Little Theater. All shows start at 7pm and doors open at 6:30pm.
For tickets and information visit ahsperformingarts.org. -
Student Activities
What a week! Homecoming 2023 is officially over and what an incredible week for our students and for our community. We donated thousands of cans to the Contra Costa Food Bank, we spent time with one another, we had fun, we made memories and we danced the night away on Saturday!
Homecoming would not be possible without YOU. Thank you for your donations, your time and your support. A special thank you to our 18 parent liaisons who gave so much of their time to support class officers and make the magic happen. Homecoming 2023 is one to remember!
This week, we have the incredible opportunity to host Dr. Alberto Ledesma, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at UC Berkeley. He will be with us on Tuesday at 7pm in the Acalanes library to share his story, his experience as an undocumented immigrant, and more about the book he authored, Diary of a Reluctant Dreamer. The event is open to our entire district so please plan to attend.
The Community Outreach and Improvement Program is hosting a drive for the Lamorinda branch of the American Association of University Women from October 16-27! Please donate your gently used sneakers to the bins outside the front office! The donations fund scholarships for women in our community!
Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
Katherine Walton, Activities Director -
College & Career
Seniors
- College Visits This Week in the CCC: Students MUST pick up a pass from the College & Career Center to attend.
- Monday: Purdue, Southeastern University, Whitman SCAD
- Tuesday: Princeton, Oberlin College, Wesleyan, Dominican Univ., Northwestern University
- Wednesday: Colgate, UCLA, Vassar
- Thursday: Arizona St., NYU
- Friday: IE University-Madrid, Marymount Manhattan
- California State OR UC Application Support: Remind your student to come to academy sessions in the CCC. 6th and 7th period is OPEN for seniors to DROP BY anytime! Morning time works too! No appointments needed.
- New FAFSA Changes and How They Impact Your Family: This is a very informative video on the new changes to FAFSA, which opens in December.
Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support.
Juniors- Clubs: Acalanes has over 70 clubs. Learn more here. It’s a great way for students to get involved!
- College Visits This Week in the CCC: Students MUST pick up a pass from the College & Career Center to attend.
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Counseling
Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em AnneSchonauer
En-Kr Erika Vasquez
Ku-Rog MarissaMeadows
Roh-Z SusanMartin
Quarter Grades: Quarter grades will be available in Aeries on Friday, Oct 20. Athletic eligibility for fall and winter sports will be renewed/determined with quarter grades.
Letters of Recommendation: Counselors are busy writing letters of recommendation for seniors applying by Nov 1. If your senior is still making adjustments to their college list, and they need a letter of rec, please have them come see us! -
School Nurse
Teens and Energy!?!
Which do your students like the best – Monster? Red Bull? Many others are also popular. You probably won’t be surprised that it’s not hard to find scientificevidence proving that these drinks are NOT HEALTHY for our teens to consume. What’s important to consider is WHY they are drinking them (what are they NOT getting?). When we see students drinking these during the school day, we can make some quick assumptions: they haven’t slept enough (length and quality) and/or they haven’t eaten breakfast (or anything). Translation: not only are these energy drinks actually dangerous, they’re being used as a replacement for something healthy that supports your student’s well-being. Please consider having a positive, non-judgmental and open-minded dialogue on how you can best support your student to cultivate and practice healthy habits that support optimal learning and performance. Need ideas and help? Let me know.
Browniesforbreakfast? Why not?Always Your School Nurse,
DvoraCitron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org, 925-280-2970 x7128,
IG: acalanesschoolnurse, SchoolNurseWebsite -
Wellness Center
In recent years you may have noticed a boom in the usage of the term “self-care.” It may seem as if this term is a new and trendy buzzword, but the benefits of self-care are endless when it comes to overcoming the challenges of everyday life. Self-care is an umbrella term for anything that an individual does to maintain their physical, emotional and spiritual health. It seems like a no brainer. It seems that taking care of yourself is pretty rudimentary and self-explanatory. Unfortunately, taking care of ourselves is extremely difficult when considering some of the challenges that we face on a day-to-day basis. Some barriers to self-care may include the mindlessness of daily routines in which we are driven by autopilot, yielding to others needs before our own, or even avoiding specific tasks that lead to the rationalization of why you just don’t have the time.
This week, I challenge you to consider the benefit of self-care not only for your personal wellbeing but for the wellbeing of your loved ones; specifically, your AHS student. Many of us have heard the phrase, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” If your physical, emotional and spiritual health are depleted, are you really showing up for your loved ones to the best of your ability? In addition to replenishing our cups, prioritizing self-care models effective health and wellness behaviors to your student. If your students can see that you are making it a point to take care of yourself, they are more likely to follow suit. Talk to your student about the importance of self-care and what that looks like for either of you. So, start that mindfulness practice, dance around the house to your favorite music, find what feels nourishing to your soul!
Kiara Thomas- Wellness Intake Specialist
Social Media
