-
Week of 1/13 Update
Tuesday, Jan 28 “How to Pay for College” Presentation from 6:30-7:30pm in the AHS Library All grade level parents welcome! Come hear Tim Lenahan, CPA, discuss affording college including 529 Plans, loans, grants and scholarships. Sign up here.
Job Opportunities
- Lifeguard Paid training/certification, starting pay @ $16/hr. 510-544-2154. www.ebparks.org
- Swim Instructor Sherman Swim School, starting pay @ $13/hr. Email: sherman243@comcast.net. www.shermanswim.com
Saturday, Jan 25 DVC Spring Welcome Day for Seniors Register here. Explore campus, meet instructors, attend workshops. Includes FREE lunch too!
Volunteer Opportunity: Exploring New Horizons, Camp Counselor Do you like nature and working with kids? Be a hero to local 5th graders! Applications open for soph/juniors. Dates are April 6-10 or April 13-17. See flyer for more details.
Scholarship Opportunity Scholarships are posted on the board in the CCC so stop by and check for new information. Students with a minimum of a 3.3 GPA and maximum EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) of $20,000 can apply for the Rossmoor Scholarship, a $3,000 award. Applications due by Feb 4. Info available on the Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation Home Page.
Seniors Please update Naviance as you continue to hear results from your college applications. Stop by the CCC to share your successes and add a marble to the jar for each accepted application. When you have committed to your school, you can also make a flag for our board!
Juniors Sign up for academy to learn how to research colleges and start personal assessments. You must attend one academy before setting up a 1:1 appointment. Please stop by the CCC with any questions.
Feel free to contact me with questions!
Wendy Reicher wreicher@auhsdschools.org
-
Seniors and Mid-year Transcripts
For all Common Application colleges, our Registrar, Ms. Finn, will automatically send mid-year transcripts by Friday, Jan 24. There is no need to request transcripts in Naviance or pay on the web store. For any non-Common Application schools that require a mid-year transcript, please notify Ms. Finn in the counseling office via email or in person. Thank you!
-
Course sign-ups for 2020-2021
We start talking about course sign-ups for next year very soon, with several events planned for students and parents:
- Thursday, Jan 16 Frosh/Soph Parent Night (see class sections above),
- Last two weeks of January Counselors will be in classrooms making presentations to students
- Thursday, Jan 30 AHS Course Preview & Open House for parents and students. See General Announcement section above.
- Early February Students will have a short individual appointment with their counselor to finalize course selections
-
Counseling
Diablo Valley College spring semester starts Jan 27. Interested high school students can register for classes starting Jan 14. Students need a concurrent enrollment form signed by their counselor before registering.
-
Stay tuned…
Stay tuned for more fantastic topics from the APC Speaker Series as we kick off the New Year. As always, if you have questions or suggestions on content you would like to see more of at Acalanes, please contact: Kelly Daggs, VP Community Partners
-
Co-Presidents’ Message
Welcome to the last week of the first semester! We know your kids have spent the past several days preparing for final exams and we want to thank our APC Finals Fuel team, Carey Starn and Nicole Carberry, along with lots of parent help, for providing healthy snacks for students throughout the week. Don’t forget to remind your students to take advantage of our Wellness Center and Peer Tutoring resources as needed.
We want to express our gratitude to our entire APC Board, sub-committees and Class Liaisons for all their dedication to the many Dons programs and events on campus this first semester. We wish everyone a restful holiday break and hope that you all enjoy the festivities and traditions of the season. A reminder that the first day of second semester is Tuesday, January 7.
Dawn Brightbill & Sarah Cusumano
-
Finals Week Schedule
Below is the final’s schedule for next week. Additionally, check out the Student Activities section to stay informed about all the valuable resources and thoughtful events available to students this week and next.
-
Peer Tutoring is available during Finals Week!
Monday: lunch, 7th Period and after school until 4pm.
Tuesday - Thursday: 12:30 - 2:30pm. -
Wellness Center
We’ve been having great conversations in wellness about stress-- the pros and cons; how to manage it; and what the physiology of stress is. Sometimes students are overwhelmed by their stress and other times, we see them keeping it in perspective and using it as a tool to propel them to the finish line. In the center, we’re really busy triaging stress in ways that parents can use at home. Letting students vent about their stress and unplug from it in healthy ways is key!
One of the concepts that has really resonated is “rest and digest” learning. Cramming for hours on end and pulling all-nighters don’t work-- they actually keep our nervous systems in fight-flight mode. Learning embeds when it rests so a good night’s sleep as well as appropriately-timed and managed breaks from studying will help the learning sink in. Wellness will be open for drop-ins before and in-between finals. We’ll provide friendly support, guided awareness of breath meditations, and stress-relieving activities. Use the parenting opportunity to be the cheerleader your student needs-- they got this!
-
Wellness Center
Beware of “anxiety avalanche”! With finals coming, many students are experiencing “catastrophic thinking.” When we’re overwhelmed with work, the worrying mind takes over and gets in the way of productivity, mood, and overall wellness. Recognize the spiral, and then intervene. Start by asking your kids if they can identify the root problem which is the source of the cascade. Maybe it’s a particular class, grade, or friend problem. Or maybe it’s a destructive self-judgment thought, like “I’m not good at school.” Once they name the root, you can encourage them to apply logic. Can they prove their thought is true? You can also encourage mindfulness practices-- switch from thinking mode to SENSING mode; recognize needs and resulting emotions; practice self-kindness. For more on catastrophic thinking, click here. Finally, and probably most importantly, know that top-reported student needs are space, understanding, and no additional pressure!
-
Transcript requests
The counseling office is closed during winter break and the Registrar is off-duty. If you need transcripts sent to colleges before Jan 1, please request them before winter break. Transcripts will not be updated with first semester grades until Jan 10.
-
PSAT Scores
For those who participated in the PSAT/NMSQT in October, online score access will begin being emailed by the College Board on Mon, Dec 9. Emails will be sent to the address students listed on the answer document on the day of the exam. Please see Mrs. Welling in the Counseling Office with questions or hwelling@auhsdschools.org after Dec 9.
Social Media
