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Student Activities
As the year comes to an end, I just want to thank you for the generous support, time and energy that you provided to students. I am incredibly proud of the abundance of programming that happened on our campus and the leadership that was shown by students. A special thank you to the team of parent liaisons who have given hundreds of hours to support the Classes of 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026. To our “graduating” liaisons - Catherine Burns, Charlene Condy, Jen Dodge, Heidi Hambidge and Danielle Upp….there are no words that can capture my appreciation and gratitude for what you have done throughout the past four years for our students and families of the Class of 2023 - simply amazing!
A few important dates for next year:
Aug 14: Dons Day & new student orientation
Aug 15: 1st day of school
Oct 9-14: Homecoming 2023
Apr 27: Junior & Senior Prom
Have a great summer and see you Monday, Aug 14 for Dons Day and frosh orientation!
Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
Katherine Walton, Leadership Teacher -
College & Career
Final Transcripts: These requests were made when the Senior Exit Survey was completed by your student. If your student gets off a waitlist and/or has a change of plans, please contact Ms. Finn (efinn@auhsdschools.org) in the Counseling Office; she is in charge of sending these to the colleges.
JUNIORS/RISING SENIORS SUMMER IDEAS
Summer can be a great time to get started on your college application if you want to get a jump start (you can also get everything done once you return to school in August).- Log into Naviance
- Add to the “Colleges I’m Thinking About List”
- Research colleges
- Update your resume
- Go on college tours (virtual or in person)
- Begin brainstorming (or writing) for the UC (Personal Insight questions) or Common App essay (all prompts are easily found online)
- Register for a fall SAT or ACT (if taking)
- Spend some time doing test prep (if taking a test)
- Complete the Junior Survey
- Volunteer
- Get a job
- Have fun!!!
Free - College Essay Workshop Tuesday, May 23 and Thursday, May 25
Must register ASAP - be sure to select “register to all dates below” to register - the event is not full.
Looking for college resources over the summer? Please see links below.
College Essay Guy- Free College Essay Resources for Students-
Registration required for live summer courses
How to Write the College Application + Supplemental Essays Course
https://www.collegeessayguy.com/how-to-apply-for-college- How to Write a Personal Statement Online Course for Students
https://www.collegeessayguy.com/how-to-write-a-personal-statement
- Additional College Resources
https://www.collegeessayguy.com/college-application-hub
https://www.collegeessayguy.com/webinars-live-events
SOPHOMORES/FROSH
Volunteer Ideas: Check out this website for ideas too! It’s best to set a search filter for teens.
Please visit our College & Career Counseling website any time for additional information and support. - Log into Naviance
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Counseling
Counselor assignments are by last name:
A-Em Anne Schonauer
En-Kr Christina Castillo-Gallardo
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows
Roh-Z Susan Martin
Summer School Information: The summer school website is available for information about summer school offerings/dates. Please have your student see their counselor to sign up, get forms, and figure out which classes to take. Any D/F grade in a required course for graduation may be taken in summer school. -
School Nurse
Teens and Caffeine:
It’s pretty common to walk around school in the morning (and even later) and see kids drinking “energy” drinks. Despite the normalization of caffeine products, there is NO official recommendation for caffeine consumption in youth aged 12-18 (NO caffeine is recommended for children under 12). However, for teens that DO consume caffeine, the recommendation is to keep it under 100 mg. Consider having a discussion about caffeine consumption and the following questions:- How much caffeine is in your drink?
- What other ingredients are in it (sugar, creamer, etc.)?
- What other ways can you “get” energy? (Hint: sleep, healthy foods, exercise).
Alcohol:
Please take a look at this site. There is so much that is “normalized” about alcohol use, but I encourage you to send a strong message discouraging our underage students from using. Parents, please discuss with other parents how you can support creating opportunities for your kids to have fun without the dangers of alcohol use.
Have Tough Conversations with Your Kids
Graduation Gift Idea: First Aid Kit for College!
Celebrate Summer! A great recipe for entertaining: Summer Vegetable Ceviche
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
925-280-2970 x7128
IG: acalanesschoolnurse -
LPIE
Thank you, Principal Eric Shawn, Associate Principals Andrea Powers and Jeanne Johnson, and all our incredible teachers and staff at Acalanes High School for your leadership and dedication in educating our students.
Thank you, Michele Colaco and Andrea Hilsabeck, our Acalanes LPIE Co-Chairs for your work this year, particularly for the fantastic coordination of the 10th Annual Project LPIE.
And thank you to all the LPIE Donors who together raised $4.1 Million this year to support the programs that enrich the education of every student in the Lafayette public schools. If you would like more information about the programs LPIE funds at Acalanes and to donate or volunteer, please visit lpie.org.
Have a wonderful summer and Congratulations Acalanes Class of 2023!
www.lpie.org, Follow us on Instagram -
General Administration Announcements
Finals Schedule: May 23 - 26
Parents take note of the spring finals schedule. Monday, May 22 follows the regular schedule and the finals schedule begins on Tuesday, May 23. A great way to help support our students during finals is to help out with Finals Fuel (see below).
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APC in Action
AHS Service Awards and Presidential Service Awards Celebration
Congratulations to those students who have been awarded AHS and Presidential Service Awards! We thank your students for making a difference to those individuals and organizations in need in our community and we hope they’ll continue their community service in the future.
If your student received a service award, please remind them to come to the front quad at lunchtime on Wednesday, May 17 to pick up their certificate and enjoy a celebratory ice cream! Please note that all award recipients have been notified via email. If your student submitted an application and has not yet received any email in response, please have them email communityservice@acalanesparentsclub.com as soon as possible.
Finals Fuel is May 24-26!
Let’s re-fuel our students between final exams with healthy snacks! Thank you to everyone who has already donated or volunteered, but we are still in need of snacks, donations and volunteers for this much-loved event!
Click here for the Sign Up Genius, which includes more information on donating and volunteering.
May APC Dons Dialogue - Listen to the Recording!
Thank you to all who attended our final Dons Dialogue of the school year on Friday, May 12. If you were not able to attend, here are the recording or slides from the discussion. This month's topics included;- Student Leadership at AHS
- ACA Garden Renovation
- ACA Summer Plans
- Wellness Resources for Summer Break
- WASC Update
- Student activities update
Big shout out to Audra Fraioli and Kari Tremble for providing the welcoming coffee and treats at every Dons Dialogue!
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APC Membership & Fundraising
Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy…
There’s no better way to honor a Don than with a customized 2023 Legacy Brick on our Dons Legacy Wall! Prominently displayed in the Main Quad, our Dons Legacy Wall provides families a lasting way to recognize their special student, teacher, coach, team, performance group, club, and more. Purchase your brick through the Acalanes Web Store for $250. Contact Legacy Brick Coordinator Leanne Zimmerman with any questions. -
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
The Acalanes Class of 2023 Car Rally is here - this Friday, May 19 at 5pm! Come out for a spirited Dons send off for our annual, community-wide celebration to cheer on our Acalanes seniors and their families. Join spectators along Mt. Diablo Blvd (from Oakwood to McDonald’s and back) and bring your signs, noisemakers and blue pompoms! It’s also a great night to stay out and dine in Lafayette!
Volunteers are needed for the Senior Car Rally! Join one of the best volunteering events of the year. Please consider signing up for a slot to help celebrate our graduates.
Dons love Lafayette! There are so many ways to support downtown Lafayette businesses this spring and summer. Consider purchasing gifts and dining out at our local Lafayette favorites.
Mark your calendars for some fantastic upcoming Lafayette events:- Monday, May 15: Auditions begin for Lamorinda Idol
- Tuesday, May 16: Taste of Lafayette restaurant stroll
- Friday, May 19: Senior Car Rally - dine out afterwards at a Lafayette restaurant
- First four Fridays in June: Rock the Plaza - free concerts at the Lafayette Plaza
- Saturday, June 3: Lafayette Community Day - support local nonprofits
- Friday, June 30: Early bird registration for Lafayette Res Run (Oct 22)
- Sept 23 and 24: Mark your calendars now for the annual Lafayette Art Wine Festival
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
May is Jewish Heritage Month, along with AAPI and Mental Health Awareness Month (as we highlighted last week). The White House issued a proclamation that begins with, “This month, we celebrate the enduring heritage of Jewish Americans, whose values, culture, and contributions have shaped our character as a Nation. For generations, the story of the Jewish people — one of resilience, faith, and hope in the face of adversity, prejudice and persecution — has been woven into the fabric of our Nation’s story.” Read the entire Presidential proclamation here.
May is a great time to explore the Jewish experience. You might start with achievements and contributions, but as one reader suggested, it is critically important to also examine the more painful aspects of antisemitism faced by Jewish people throughout history. The Anti-Defamation League found that antisemitic incidents in the U.S. increased by more than 35% in 2022. Even more reason to attend the upcoming seminar on Standing Up to Hate Crimes. See details below.
Upcoming Community Event: Standing up to Hate Crimes, Thursday, May 18 4-5:30pm, online via Zoom
Hate crimes are exponentially increasing in California. How do we, as a community, support victims of hate crimes? The State of California Civil Rights Department has developed tools for victims to report hate crimes and receive support. Co-sponsored by the Contra Costa County Libraries. Click here for registration information.
Summer Program for Teens: QLIT at The Athenian School, June 20-30
The vision of this program is for Queer Leaders in Training (QLIT) (rising 9th, 10th, and 11th graders) to find their people, feel safe, proud and affirmed, and realize their power to make a difference in their community and beyond. And of course, have so much fun. The QLIT program will be free of charge or “pay-what-you-can.” Learn more about the camp here.
DEI’s 2023-2024 planning is underway. Please share any thoughts or ideas you have with us here. Out of the box thinking is welcome. This is a collaborative process and we encourage participation. Lots of ways to be involved without a huge time commitment. -
Student Activities
Our kickoff to summer spirit week is here! Please encourage your student to get involved!
Monday:- Dress-up: Monochrome Monday (e.g. all blue, all pink, all white)
- Lunch: Pool competition
Tuesday:
- Dress-up: Tank top Tuesday
- Lunch: Innertube water polo
Wednesday:
- Dress-up: USA day (red, white and blue)
- Lunch: Innertube water polo championship
Thursday:
- Dress-up: Twin day (match outfits with a friend)
Friday:
- Dress-up: Beach Day!! (floral prints, lei’s, sunglasses, hats etc.)
- End of year RALLY AT ACADEMY!!!
This week is all about seniors! See the senior section above for all the activities, deadlines and programming.
Hope to see our community SHOW UP for the Class of 2023 at our 4th annual downtown Lafayette car parade on Friday. See you at 5pm along Mt. Diablo Blvd!
Looking to stay informed? Follow us on Instagram for the latest on student activities and class happenings.
Katherine Walton, Leadership Teacher
Social Media
