Weekly News & Announcements

Counseling Update

Welcome back!   Counselors are excited to see students again!  Just to refresh your memory: Counselors are assigned by student last name, as follows:

• Last names A- E  Anne Schonauer aschonauer@auhsdschools.org   x7113
• Last names F - Lar Christine Todd   ctodd@auhsdschools.org   x 7114
• Last names Las- Roh  Marissa Meadows mmeadows@auhsdschools.org   x7145
• Last names Rog- Z Susan Martin smartin@auhsdschools.org   x 7139

Counselors will be visiting seniors in their government classes the week of September 9  to talk about post-high school planning and next steps on college apps.  We will be meeting with seniors individually throughout the month of September and early October.   Students who need a letter of recommendation or school report from their counselor should make sure to have an appointment at least a month in advance of the deadline.   

Football Concessions sign up!

Our class is responsible for helping with the games below so please consider signing up!

Sept 13 ALL money raised for these games will come back to our class! Sign up here.

Sept 27 HOMECOMING football games! Our class works this evening with other classes and as you can imagine, it is a busy, fun night! Please sign up here.

Oct 13 Campolindo game! Sign up here.

Wellness Center

Change can be difficult - even positive life transitions cause stress.  As the new Wellness Coordinator I am thankful I get to pursue my life mission helping kids overcome obstacles that may impede them from leading joyful lives. Along with this positive development, I have encountered stress. To counteract this, I acknowledge the transition and become intentional about finding peace: walking to get ice cream, zoning out to 90's R&B, and feeling the wind as I bike ride. Our students, too, are in a transition from enjoying more carefree summers to managing alarm clocks, class schedules, and homework while navigating complex social structures. These transitional stressors are added on top of existing concerns. Let's help our kids out during this difficult transitional period by encouraging them to incorporate some fun or relaxation in their lives. A few minutes of enjoyment and peace can go a long way toward recharging, being happy, and being better students.  

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator (ext. 7150)
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist (ext. 7136)

School Nurse

Teens need NINE hours of sleep each night.  Read this excellent resource from UCLA.

Parents, help your student protect their sleep schedule. Sit down with them and help them look at their daily schedule to make choices about their most important activities.

Try using this Daily Time Management Grid.

LPIE Writing Tutor at Acalanes

We are hiring tutors to provide written feedback on Social Studies and English essays and meet one-on-one with students during the school day. Tutors must be available Tuesday-Friday, 8am-3:05pm, September-May. Applicants should have a bachelor's degree in humanities, discipline, and preferably professional writing and/or teaching experience. Please email program coordinator Christina Engelbrecht at christina.engelbrecht@gmail.com. 

Lafayette Art & Wine Festival Help

Our class is responsible for helping with this year’s Art & Wine Festival and we will receive a portion of the money raised. We need some help at the ticket booths so please consider signing up here. 

College & Career

This year we are collaborating with Miramonte and Campolindo to share a community presentation on all things financial aid related.  Graciously hosted by Miramonte in their school library and led by Tim Lenahan, CPA and Certified College Counselor, this is a great evening to get a head start on all your college financial aid questions.  Join us on Tuesday, Sept 10 at 7pm.  Sign ups required:  Fall Financial Aid Night

Juniors: we need your help!

We NEED your help in the Snack Shack at our Home Football Game on Friday, August 23rd!  All proceeds from sales go directly to the Junior Class so let’s make it a success!  Please lend a little time by signing up for a shift here! 

Welcome back, Seniors!

Senior Year.  It is really here!!  We love seeing all of the creative car painting in the AHS lot and around town from our BBQ and car decorating event on the 11th!   

We will have a lot of activities this year so mark your calendars with these important Senior specific dates for the 1st Semester below (more details will come closer to each event).

Co-President’s Message

We hope you had an enjoyable summer and your students are excited for the new school year. We look forward to seeing returning families and meeting new ones on campus at Dons Day tomorrow from 7:30-11:30am. Acalanes Parents Club (APC) will  welcome all early risers with a hot cup of coffee and yummy Johnny’s donut holes. 

Dons Day provides a great opportunity for families to connect to all things Acalanes. Be sure to take the time to stop by individual class tables (e.g., Class of 2020, 2021, 2222 & 2023) staffed by parent class liaisons and class officers to gather important information about the upcoming school year.  

We hope you’ll join us for our monthly APC Dons Dialogues! These forums are one of the best ways to find out what's going on at Acalanes. Principal Bell leads the meetings and discusses hot topics and invites different department heads to share what's new. It's also a great way to meet other Dons parents. Our first APC Dons Dialogue will be held this Friday, August 16th, at 8:45am, in the new Acalanes Wellness Courtyard.  

Finally, THANK YOU to all the families who have already supported Acalanes Parents Club during online student registration! If you have yet to donate, we hope you will consider supporting APC at the $300 per student suggested amount or any other donation amount.  If you’d like to get involved at Acalanes, please reach out as we are always looking for engaged volunteers.

Go Dons!

New AUHSD Academic Calendar

See the full NEWLY ADOPTED AUHSD Academic Calendar here.

Attendance Refresher!

To report absences, late arrival or early dismissal, call the 24-hour Attendance Line in the morning: (925) 280-3973.  (Detailed instructions about what information is needed is on the outgoing message.)

Please keep in mind that handwritten notes are not accepted and all absences must be cleared by a parent or guardian within 48 hours.  Have a medical/dental appointment? These must be cleared with a stamped appointment note from the provider.