Weekly News & Announcements

Make Vaping History: Students and Parents Learn About Risks of Vaping and Tobacco Use

APC Parent Education Speaker Series event presents along with AUHSD:

Make Vaping History: Students and Parents Learn About Risks of Vaping and Tobacco Use
Tuesday, October 29 from 7:00 to 8:30pm
Acalanes High School Performing Arts Center
Learn up-to-date information on e-cigarette/vape pen products, adolescent use rates, impact on young people, prevention strategies, how to support current users, and more.  Stay tuned for registration info.

AUHSD Sponsored Events

Acalanes Unified High School District (AUHSD) is sponsoring the following events for parents. Sign up below and mark your calendar to attend.

Support Your Teen’s Mental Health: A Night with the Experts
Tomorrow!  Monday, October 7 from 7:00 to 8:30pm
Miramonte High School Performing Arts Center
Learn more and register to attend here.

Healthy Tech for Teens, Managing Social Media 
Wednesday, October 23 from 7:00 – 8:30pm
Campolindo High School
Learn more and register to attend here.

School Nurse

 Why you should get your FLU SHOT now!

LPIE Business Partner Reception

If you own or work at a local business and would like to learn more about LPIE, we are proud to host the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce Mixer and LPIE Business Partner reception on Wednesday, October 23, from 5:30-7pm at the LPIE office parking lot (3450-A Golden Gate Way, Lafayette).  Please contact us at office@lpie.org or 925-299-1644 if you would like to know more about our LPIE Business Program for parents and local businesses.

With gratitude,

Laura-Kate Rurka & Rachel Berkowitz
Acalanes LPIE School Chairs

School Nurse

Most of us have either friends or relatives that have had a diagnosis of breast cancer, or even have had our own personal experience with this.  Screening is crucial to early diagnosis and effective treatment. This is a good time to remind most moms to calendar their mammogram. But what about our students? For many different reasons, it is less common for teenage girls to be learning and practicing BSE (Breast Self Exam).  BSE is an essential skill young women need to learn and integrate into their regular self-care routine. Daisy Wheel is an app that’s easy to use and very instructive on how to regularly perform this important self-care function.  I encourage you to use this tool or others you may find useful to review this important self-screening with your daughters.  For more information about Breast Cancer Awareness Month, go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s website.  Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback.

Apps For Your Health!

UCLA Center for Mindful Awareness has a new version of their app, now called UCLA Mindful. It’s basic, very accessible, and FREE.

Co-Presidents’ Message

We hope your students enjoyed the past week full of Homecoming activities that led up to the Homecoming Football game & tailgate on Friday night followed by Saturday night’s Homecoming Dance. We can’t thank our APC Class Liaison Team enough for all they did to help support the class officers in making it a special week. The class liaisons, led by Co-Head Liaisons Gayle Burleigh and Traci Reilly, are some of the hardest working volunteers on campus. They work behind the scenes throughout the school year serving as liaisons between the class officers and our parent community. 

APC helps to manage the AHS Volunteer Service Awards program. Now is a great time to encourage you student to help out in the community and be recognized for their efforts at the end of the school year. You can find more information in the APC in Action section of the newsletter. 

Be sure to mark you calendars for upcoming Vaping Education Night as part of the APC Parent Education Speakers Series to be held on Tuesday, October 29, in the PAC. Parents and students are invited to attend. More detail in the Parent Education section. We hope to see you there!

2019-20 Acalanes and President’s Volunteer Service Awards

Acalanes sponsors two Volunteer Service awards programs to provide students with the opportunity to be recognized for their strong commitment to volunteerism. There are two levels of awards, the nationally recognized President’s Volunteer Service Award and the Acalanes Volunteer Service Award. Students may apply for one or the other depending on the total number of verified service hours during a 12-month period. Applications are due in early April 2020. For more details on the program requirements and application, click here. Forms can also be found in the Counseling Office.

Homecoming 2019: one for the memory books!

From the halls to the dress up days to dodgeball, skits, the game & the dance, it was a really fun week. So many students participated! A huge thank you to parent liaisons for all their support & all the parents who chaperoned at the dance. Collectively, the Acalanes community donated over 10,000 cans to the Contra Costa Food Bank! That is truly incredible.  

Results of Canned Food Drive 

Acalanes! You are so generous. Together, we donated over 23,000 cans to the Contra Costa Food Bank and are providing food to those in our community who need it. Thank you! We are so appreciative and grateful and really proud to be a Don. #donsshowup 

Equity Council

Acalanes is hosting its first student equity council on Friday, October 4th during academy. All equity-minded clubs will be represented, and we want to invite any students to opt in. We will discuss issues of equity and ways that we can support one another on campus. 

Wellness Center

I am thrilled to be working with the Acalanes Unified High School District (AUHSD) this year!

I am currently attending St. Mary’s College where I have successfully obtained my School Counseling credential, and am now finishing the Marriage, Family Therapy portion of my Masters in Counseling. I have been in the education field for about 10 years, beginning as a teacher and now moving into a more therapeutic space with students. When I’m not at work, I’m spending time with my family and friends, traveling around the world, or relaxing with a great book or movie.

I believe we all have a story to tell, that our experiences and relationships impact who we are, and that sometimes we fall off our paths and need support to see the way. I look forward to giving my all and working with the AUHSD community this year!