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Week of 12/9 Update
College 101
A reminder that many topics related to college planning are covered on the AHS website. Check out this link!Scholarship Opportunity
<Scholarships will be posted on the board in the CCC so please stop by and check for new information. Students with a minimum of a 3.3 GPA and maximum EFC of $20,000 can apply for the Rossmore Scholarship, a $3000 award. Applications due by Feb 4. Info available on the Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation Home Page.Seniors
Please update Naviance as you begin to hear results from your college applications. This data is crucial for an accurate scattergram. Stop by the CCC to share your successes and add a marble to the jar for each accepted application.Wed, Dec 11 College Application Party during Academy
Come celebrate the completion of application season. All seniors welcome! Parents, we appreciate your help donating food and supplies. Sign Up HereJuniors
Sign up for academy after winter break to learn how to research colleges and start personal assessments. You must attend one academy before setting up a 1:1 appointment.Naviance Parent Workshops
Early morning and evening sessions available starting in January. Dates announced soon. Stay tuned!Job Opportunity
Attention animal lovers! Part-time kennel technician Mon and Fri from 4p-6p at Mt. Diablo Veterinary. $12/hr, duties include mopping floors, cleaning countertops, cleaning cages, restocking supplies and walking patients. Must be 16+ years old. Contact Marilyn @ mtdiablo@nva.com or 925.284.1350. -
Co-Associate Principals’ Message
It’s hard to believe we started school on August 13th and the Fall Semester is now coming to a close. As you know, finals are around the corner and then our students are off for what we hope is an enjoyable and relaxing Winter Break. We hope you’ll encourage your students to take advantage of all the finals resources at Acalanes including the upcoming Exam Jam on Wednesday, December 11, from 3-5pm, in the Cafeteria. It provides a terrific way for students to get extra academic support in preparation for finals. We will have teacher representation from each of our departments.
We would like to extend a special thanks to APC’s Teacher Appreciation Chair Emma Bishopp and her team who once again went above and beyond to provide a delicious staff lunch last week. Our teachers and staff feel well taken care of by our wonderful Dons parent community and we look forward to the APC Cookie Exchange next week.
We are proud of all our fall sports teams. Check out an overview of their collective success in the Sports section below. We wish all our students good luck in closing out the semester and look forward to connecting with all of you after break in 2020!
Andrea Powers and Mike Plant
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Gift of Presence: Managing Finals and Holiday Stress
Wednesday, Dec 11 from 7:00-8:00pm in the Acalanes Library
Join us for a real gift and hear from Allen Choi of Acalanes Wellness and Dr. Brittany Friedrich of Las Lomas Wellness. Learn what they hear from students about what stress they have, and how parents can effectively help them. Join us for this workshop in the Acalanes Library. Parents and students welcome.
Contacts:
Kelly Daggs, VP Community Partners
Mary Kuhn, Parent Education Chair -
Finals Fuel
Calling all parents! During the breaks between exams, volunteers are on campus during finals week handing out encouragement and healthy snacks, and we need your help to make it happen! Please use this Amazon link to donate pre-selected items. No need to drop anything at school. You buy, we deliver. Let’s work together and make finals week a little brighter for our hard working students!
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Co-Presidents’ Message
Acalanes fall sports teams have been dominating this season. Be sure to check out the schedule for upcoming games for Girls and Boys Water Polo, Girls Tennis and Varsity Football. A special shout out to Girls Water Polo with a current 50-0 record. Let’s go Dons!
Thanks to all the parents who showed up to help out in the AHS Football game concessions last Friday. Football concession profits are divided throughout the season among the various classes so your support by volunteering or buying food is greatly appreciated!
The Make Vaping History Parent Education Event has been rescheduled for Wednesday, December 4, at 7pm, in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). This informative evening is put on by Acalanes Parents Club, Acalanes Union High School District and the Contra Costa Office of Education. Students and parents are invited. Learn up-to-date information on e-cigarette/vape pen products, adolescent use rates, impact on young people, prevention strategies, and how to support current users and more. You may want to also check out the APC Parent Ed Workshop with Matt Crevin on November 18 from 7-8:30pm in the Library. Learn how to help your kids with the invaluable skill of face-to-face communication. Refer to the Parent Ed section below to learn more and to sign up for these events.
Dawn Brightbill & Sarah Cusumano -
Sports
Support for one another on campus! Please check out the Dons Show Up calendar (on the homepage of the Acalanes website). Thank you for showing up!
This week’s highlights:
- Wednesday Open Mic Night at Sideboard at 6 pm
- All Week Exciting NCS and CIF playoff action in girls tennis, boys and girls water polo and football all week long! Check the sports section below for details.
It’s a great week to be a Don!
Don’t miss November’s communications video! It debuted last Wednesday and is full of announcements about student activities.
Peek at the week (all activities during lunch)
- Monday: Junior bonding in between the gyms
- Tuesday: Sophomore bonding in the front quad
- Monday through Wednesday: Senior dodgeball in the big gym
- Thursday: Frosh Fall Festival in frosh quad
- ALL Week: Students can write grateful leaves for fellow students and staff and hang them on the grateful tree in the front quad.
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Open Mic Night Nov 20
Join us at Sideboard in Lafayette at 6pm for our biannual Open Mic Night. Come out, eat dinner, and enjoy student talent (we have over 15 performers scheduled). This is one of our favorite nights of the year!
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Wellness Center
Whether it’s about academics, relationships, sports or extracurricular activities, even the most routine student conversations reveal the power and influence of the adolescent inner-critic. The voice that tells us we’re not good enough is destructive and inhibitory but it is possible to change its tone. Practicing self-compassion has so many evidence-based benefits from increasing your compassion for others and enhancing motivation, to reducing your output of the stress hormone, cortisol. How to practice self-compassion isn’t complicated: treat yourself the way you would treat a cherished friend. How self-compassionate are you? Remember that kids model themselves after us. This link to a self-compassion test from Dr. Kristin Neff will show you how you’re doing at being self-compassionate. You’ll find lots of resources on her site for learning more and beginning your practice.
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Week of 11/17 Update
College 101
A reminder that many topics related to college planning are covered on the AHS website. Check out this link!Scholarship
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances gender equality for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. Application available online now: AAUW ScholarshipAcademy Period Opportunities (20 student limit)
Nov 20 all application help
Nov 22 all application help
Dec 4 Junior Check In
Dec 6 Junior Check InIn addition, any Senior is encouraged to schedule an appointment with Wendy Reicher if you need more help. Email Ms. Reicher, with subject line “make an appointment with you.” Make sure your college list has been reviewed by Ms. Reicher because we are in tune with the admissions landscape and want to set you up for success!
Juniors
Thank you for joining us last week at College Planning night. A copy of the presentation can be found here, and has been sent via school loop to students and families. After the Thanksgiving break, academy periods for juniors will be available to learn how to research colleges and start personal assessments. -
Progress Reports
Progress reports Teachers updated grades earlier this week. Report cards have been mailed if a parent is not registered on School Loop. This is the last progress report before the end of the semester.
Counseling resource of the week: The Healthy Mind Platter from Dr. Dan Siegel. It’s like the nutrition pyramid, but for mental health.
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Parent Ed Workshop
Master the Message: The Art of Face to Face Communication with Matt Crevin
November 18 from 7-8:30pm in the Acalanes Library
Lamorinda native and 49ers Football Press Box Announcer Matt Crevin will join APC to discuss the essential life skill of face-to-face conversations. While teens excel in connecting with numerous social media platforms, many lack the ability to sustain confident, clear and coherent face-to-face conversations. As a former talk show host, youth coach, sports announcer and parent, Crevins will guide parents in learning how to help your teen add effective face-to-face communications to their growing repertoire of skills. This workshop is similar to those he gives through his company Talk Shop. You can find more details via Talk Shop’s video link. We hope to see you on the 18th. Please register here for this free event.
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