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Calendar of Upcoming Events
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January Dates:
14-17
Finals Week
18 School Holiday - Teacher Work Day
21 School Holiday - MLK Jr. Day
25 Dons Dialogue
February Dates:
7
Acalanes 2019-20 Course Preview & Open House
15-18
Presidents' Weekend
22
Dons Dialogue
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Good luck to all your students this week as they embark on final exams! Don't forget that we have incredible resources on campus to help your student finish strong this semester. Teachers will hold office hours during the 0-period final on Monday, January 14, from 8:00-10:00am. Additionally, Peer Tutoring will be open for last minute needs from 12:30-2:30pm and our Wellness Center is the perfect place to stop by in between exams to get some tips on how to stay stress-free this week. We encourage all parents and students to get lots of sleep this week and eat healthy! Here is the
Final Exam schedule
for your reference.
Enjoy the upcoming four day weekend - the perfect reward for all the hard work!
Dawn Brightbill & Sarah Cusumano
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Peer Tutoring
Acalanes' Peer Tutoring program is still open from 12:30-2:30pm during Finals Week! Please encourage your student to visit Peer Tutoring for any last minute help. The center is located in the enclosed hallway near the small theater.
Community Service Awards Information
Acalanes provides two opportunities to recognize students for their service to our community and others. For more information and applications for either the Acalanes Volunteer Service Award or the President's Volunteer Service Award, check out the Volunteer Service Award Information Sheet. Students need to fill out an Application and Verification Form for each service activity. The annual Service Award Ceremony will be held at the end of the school year. Please turn in completed forms to the Counseling Office the week of April 8-12, 2019.
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Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshman
Class Updates
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Senior-Junior-Sophomore-Freshman Class Updates
Just a Reminder: Dons Families can click on each
Class Heading
to link through to our Webpage to find lots of great information and useful contacts. Be sure to keep up to date as lots of fun things are on the horizon!
January 15 - 18
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Senior Portraits on Campus (read below)
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January 28
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Senior Breakfast, 7:30am (read below)
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April 11
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Senior Parent Meeting, 7pm PAC
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May 4
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Junior & Senior Prom, Academy of Sciences
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June 2
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Time of Reflection, 3pm Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church
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June 3 - 6
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Finals Week
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June 7
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Graduation Rehearsal, 9-11am Mandatory Attendance! (breakfast served)
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Graduation, 6pm
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Grad Night, 8pm busses leave for Umigo
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January 15 - 18
Senior Portraits
Studio One Photography
will be on campus from
January 15-18 to take Senior portraits.
Please call Studio One at 361-0430 if you are unsure of your student's on-campus appointment date and time. Studio One accepts checks, Visa, Mastercard and cash. Studio One also offers a no fee yearbook only option, please inquire with Studio One for details. For more information, please visit their website,
Studio One Photography
.
Monday, January 14 - Thursday, January 17
First Semester Finals
followed by a four-day weekend. Good luck Seniors!
Monday, January 28,
7:30am
Senior Breakfast in the Big Gym! This is a great tradition at Acalanes and a fun way to kick off the final semester. There is no fee to attend and all Seniors are welcome! We need your help to make the breakfast a success. Please click here
to sign up to prepare breakfast items, serve or clean up.
January 14 - 17
First Semester Final Exams
are Monday-Thursday this week. Find the full schedule
here
.
January 18 - 21
Four day weekend
for all students. Friday is a teacher work day and Monday we celebrate
MLK Holiday
.
January 18
Basketball Fundraiser
Come out and support Varsity girls basketball when they host Alhambra on Friday, January 18 at 7pm. All ticket sales will benefit the class of 2020.
SAT/ACT Registration
If you haven't already done so, you may want to think about registering for the SAT or ACT. Check out more information
here
.
Tori Heffelfinger
Kathy Hemmenway
Kat O'Donnell
Ellen Seiler
New Acalanes Dons Spirit Wear is on the Webstore!
The sophomore class has designed new Acalanes apparel and all sale proceeds go directly to the Class of 2021. It's probably time to refresh your sophomore's Dons swag right?!? We are extending sales to anyone in the community via the Acalanes
webstore
. The items make great gifts for grandparents, parents, students and Stanley graduates who will be incoming Dons!
Our three NEW items are the "Black Gildan Acalanes Cotton..." items and are pictured below: Short Sleeved Tees $15, Long Sleeved Tees $20 and Hoodies $40. And PLEASE feel free to forward this email to anyone you think may be interested! (If someone does not currently have an Acalanes Don and a webstore account, simply enter seven 9's in the Student Number box when prompted to complete a purchase.)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mary Caprio at
[email protected]
. Thank you for all of your support!
Quad City Dance
Every year, the four high schools in the Acalanes School District hold a Quad City Dance just for their sophomore students. This year's dance is scheduled for February (date TBD) and will serve as a fundraiser for the four participating schools' sophomore classes. Leadership will be selling $25 tickets on campus prior to the dance.
Questions?
Good luck with first semester finals!
As a reminder, each day begins at 8am and ends at 12:20pm this week and then students have a four day weekend.
February 5 - 11
Mark Your Calendars! The class will be selling
Valentine's Grams
to be delivered on Valentine's Day. More details will be coming soon, but all proceeds will come back to the class so encourage your students to purchase and/or help out!
Jen Fish
Kristin McPhail
Judy Sandberg
Candy Stryker
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We are gearing up for 2nd semester and there are lots of ways for students to get involved!
Calendar of Events
January Dates
23-25 Breaking Down the Walls (10th and 11th grade)
28
Senior Breakfast at 7:30am
February Dates:
6
Taco Bout it with Bell at lunch
8 Spring Club Day at lunch
19-22
Random Acts of Kindness Week
25-3/1 2nd semester spirit week: Bay Area Games
26 Spring Blood Drive
January 23-25
Acalanes is hosting a 3 day program called
Breaking Down the Walls
. We believe that "it's hard to hate someone whose story you know." This three-day intensive program gives all students, regardless of peer group, permission to talk to each other. It teaches students to understand they are not alone by bringing to light the notion that other students share the same concerns and questions they do. BDTW empowers students to safely and comfortably reach out and communicate with each other, and find support. All sophomores & juniors will attend an assembly on January 23 and select students will attend an all day workshop either on January 24 or January 25.
The Breaking Down the Walls Program is funded by APC dollars. Thank you for your continued support.
Monday, January 28
at 7:30am
Mark the calendar for
Senior Breakfast
. All seniors should plan to attend!
Is your student interested in starting a club but didn't do it first semester? They still can!
Club Applications will be available
January 22
and
due
January 31
. All information is on the
Club website
.
Questions?
Email
Katherine Walton, the leadership teacher, Room 314.
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College and Career Center
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Senior Information
Mid Year Reports
Some schools require a mid year report (a transcript showing first semester grades). Check the school's website or check on the Common App site for which schools require this. (I am happy to help students figure this out too). Order your $5 mid-year transcript,
via the
webstore
. In the comments section clearly write
MidYear Report
and type the names of the schools.
Scholarships
As students finish applications, they move on to looking for scholarships. I have a space in my room where these are posted. Send your student in to take a look.
All Grades
John Muir Volunteer Opportunity
John Muir has a student volunteer program and two Acalanes students are chosen each semester. The interest is great and the space is limited. I keep a running list for students interested. We send two juniors each semester, but I ask that students come each semester and add their name to the list or express their continued interest. We choose by lottery. Interested Freshmen and Sophomores should come get their name added to the list.
Juniors
who are on the list should come see me to make sure they are part of the drawing on
January 29
. Applications are due
February 5.
January 15,
6:30-8:30pm, Lafayette Library
Preparing Middle and High School Girls for an education/career in STEM fields.
Bunmi Esho, Executive Director of Techbridge Girls will speak. Admission is FREE.
Saturday, January 26,
8:30am to 3:30pm, Stanford University
Young Women's Leadership Summit (YWLS)
aims to introduce students to a variety of business disciplines, and during the day-long conference, attendees will listen to and learn from accomplished women leaders, gain hands-on experience through workshops, and interact with industry professionals, Stanford students, and motivated peers.
January 29
, Campolindo
Library
NCAA Information Night
If you have a student who may be playing a sport in college, this could be a helpful presentation.
February 4,
at lunch in the C&CC
BlueStamp Engineering Presentation
BlueStamp Engineering is a six-week, hands-on summer program where high school students build technology projects they're passionate about. Each student selects their own projects and completes the program with two projects (which they keep). In the past students have made omnidirectional robots, infinity mirror tables, 3D printed robotic hands, and much more! Students also develop their own personal online portfolio that details their journey with videos, technical descriptions of their work, milestones, and blog postings.This personal portfolio can then be shared with colleges and prospective employers.
February 7,
7:00pm, San Ramon Valley HS
February 24,
The Athenian School, Danville
Gap Year Fair
. Register
here
.
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January 15,
Diablo Valley College Spring Semester Starts
High school students wanting to take an elective at DVC while still in high school can register for classes. The schedule is
available here
. Students need to apply to DVC online first and then get a concurrent enrollment form signed by their counselor and register in person at the DVC admissions office. Check with your school counselor if you need more information.
January 31, 6:30-7:30pm, Acalanes PAC
Frosh & Soph Parent Night Counselors invite parents of freshman and sophomores to a presentation and short Q&A session. Counselors will be reviewing the course selection process as students prepare to choose courses for the following academic year and take the next steps to prepare for life after high school.
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Tuesday, January 15
7:30-9pm, Acalanes Collaboration Center (located
off the main quad between the Front Office and the College & Career Center):
Monthly District Parent Support Group
Acalanes and AUHSD District parents are welcome to attend this open, peer support group where parents gather to share common problems and experiences of parenting teens struggling with chronic stress, anxiety, depression and/or eating disorders. Our hope is to connect people with others coping with similar challenges to share empathy and understanding of what they're going through and to share firsthand experience insight. Contact
Holly Nolan
with questions.
Wednesday, January 30,
7-8:30pm, Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School
The Moraga iKind project is hosting a free screening of "The Mask You Live In." The movie "follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America's narrow definition of masculinity." For more information and to register, click
here
.
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From the Acalanes Wellness Center
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Finals week can be stressful for parents as well as students. With that in mind, we wanted to provide some tips on how you can best support your student's success.
- Model and emphasize a positive mindset by expressing confidence about your student's ability to finish strong. Remind them that they've been preparing for months, they're nearly at the finish line.
- Prioritize sleep as one of the greatest contributors to performance.
- Explain the benefits of stress: it creates focus, aids performance and enhances memory (what they're studying now is even more likely to be retained than before stress kicked in.) Point out that the feeling of stress is the feeling of being invested and caring!
- Emphasize nutrition - students can easily forget to eat and one of the first ways to neuroregulate is by making sure our bodies have fuel before test-taking.
- Encourage them to be hyper-vigilant about device usage. Suggest they use them only as short, timed rewards for study sessions.
Eryn Reeder, Wellness Coordinator (ext. 7150)
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist (ext. 7136)
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Happy 2019!
I'd like to hear from parents on what questions and feedback you have on health issues you are dealing with in your families Feedback can be positive or negative, and questions can be on any health (physical AND mental) topic.
You can fill out THIS FORM or email me at [email protected]
Best wishes,
Dvora Citron, R.N., M.S.
Acalanes School Nurse
Tuesdays & Wednedays 7:30-3:20, Fridays 7:30-11:30
925.280.3970 x7128
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Happy New Year from your LPIE Team!
Our annual fundraiser, Evening on the Green, is sold-out, but there are still ways you can support LPIE and support our children's education. Donate to our live or silent auction! We are busy collecting item both big and small. Own a business? Have a favorite store or service? Have a vacation home or contacts for a special experience? Most of our items come from parents like you. Please consider making an in-kind donation to help make our 2019 Power Party a success!
Plus, a huge thank you to our Giving Tuesday donors and to those in our community who donated in December to take advantage of our matching program!
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This week's can't miss events
Boys basketball
Friday, January 18 at College Park HS. Freshmen at 4:00pm, JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7:00pm.
Girls basketball
Friday, January 18 host Alhambra HS. JV at 5:30pm and Varsity at 7:00pm.
Boys soccer
Friday, January 18 at Ygnacio Valley HS. Freshmen at 3:30 pm, JV at 5:00pm and Varsity at 7:00pm.
Girls soccer
Friday, January 18 host Ygnacio Valley HS. JV at 5:00pm and Varsity at 7:00pm.
Wrestling
Wednesday, January 17
host Clayton Valley Charter HS and Northgate HS at 5:00pm.
Saturday, January 19 in Kermit Bankson Invitational at Albany HS.
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