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APC Calendar
October
14          No School - Staff Development Day
18          Dons Dialogue
29           Parent Education: Risks of Vaping and Tobacco Use

November
11           No School - Veterans Day
15          Dons Dialogue
25-29      No School - Thanksgiving Break

Co-Associate Principals' Message
Hello Dons Families,
 
Welcome to October! We have enjoyed the first few months of school with your students.  September was busy with our Club Fair, blood drive, motivational speaker Mike Smith, athletic events, and Homecoming.  
 
Our Homecoming Week, "Battle of the Bands", was packed with spirited events including Unified Soccer, hallway decorations, student dodgeball, lunchtime activities, a rally, tailgate, and Friday night football.  The Homecoming community service activity this year was to collect cans and food donations for the Contra Costa Food Bank. We are blown away with the outpouring of support with a donation of over 23,000 items this year!  Thank you to our Leadership class, Mrs. Walton, our parent liaisons, and volunteers for your encouragement and involvement in making this a memorable Homecoming for all Dons. Dons show up!
 
Be sure to check out our Acalanes website for our calendar of upcoming events and important dates.  Good luck to all of you on 2nd quarter.
 
Your Associate Principals,
Andrea Powers and Mike Plant
Dons Show Up
We have two amazing Performing Arts Events this week!  Tomorrow, October 7 is the Fall Choral Classic at Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church and this Thursday, October 10 (in the Acalanes PAC) is our award winning Instrumental Music Department's Acalanes Fall Pops Concert - The Dons go to the Movies!  Be sure to come out and support these amazing Dons performers! More information in the Performing Arts Section below.
Talk about a week of our Dons Showing Up for each other!  Homecoming hallway decorating, skits, games and activities all take a ton of work. Our Dons could not have done it without their classmates. Check out Blueprint's amazing video re-cap of last week's homecoming festivities. Thanks to student Oliver Lane for capturing the excitement across campus.
Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshman 
Class Updates
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!


Senior Yearbook Ads.  A favorite yearbook tradition is the submission of baby ads for senior students. You can submit them right to the publisher here (AHS code is 7610).  The deadline is November 15 so don't miss out! 

Follow your class on social media: Instagram : @acalanes_2020

Class of 2020 Liaisons:
Tori Heffelfinger
Kathy Hemmenway
Kat O'Donnell
Ellen Seiler

Questions? Email us: class2020@acalanesparentsclub.com

Snack Shack Volunteers Needed - October 18 against Campolindo!
Please check your calendars AGAIN and if you are free, PLEASE consider working in the Snack Shack on Oct 18 for our home football game against Campolindo!  We could use volunteers for the shifts between 3:15 and 6:15pm especially.  Sign up here .
Follow your class on social media: Instagram : @acalanes_2021
Class of 2021 Liaisons:
     Mary Caprio
     Sierra Higgins
     Darci Olson
     Millie Tooker
Questions?

Snack Shack volunteers are still needed for the Campolindo game on October 18 . Please sign up here if you're available. Our class will receive part of the proceeds so we'd love more help from the Sophomore parents!
Thanks for your support!
Follow your class on social media: Instagram : @acalanes_2022
 
Class of 2022 Liaisons:
Jen Fish
Kristin McPhail
Judy Sandberg
Candy Stryker
Questions? Email us: class2022@acalanesparentsclub.com

Freshman parents, we need you! 

We have two games left to fill for Football Concessions. Shifts are short and easy!  Click on the date to sign up:
Oct 18        Campolindo       
Nov 1         Alhambra


Follow your class on social media:  Instagram : @acalanes_2023
Looking forward to a great year!

Class of 2023 Liaisons:
Catherine Burns
Charlene Condy
Jen Dodge
Daniele Upp
Questions?  Email us:  class2023@acalanesparentsclub.com
Student Activities
The best way for your student to stay up to date on all student activities including club meetings, sporting events, on campus happenings & information is to follow @ahs_dons on Instagram .
The 1st quarter is coming to an end this week! To support students, encourage them to attend "stressbusters" at lunch on Friday, October 11 in the front quad. 
6th Man Jersey. Two more days to order! Order a personalized 6th Man jersey by Tuesday, October 8  to wear to any athletic event including basketball! Jerseys can be customized with last name and graduation year on the back. Check them out - they are awesome!

From the Wellness Center
We've been doing a little "listening campaign" in wellness to understand what adolescents most need from parents and the other adults in their lives. We didn't expect the answers to be so similar and resounding. In a word, they want the thing we all want, active listening. 
 
The features of active listening include: open curiosity; non-judgment; feedback to reflect understanding; questioning whether the speaker would like advice. We all know how it feels when the person we're speaking with is waiting their turn to speak instead of really listening. We're a bit less aware when we're the ones listening without curiosity and when we're directing the conversation toward our own agenda. Try a little exercise with a friend of family member where you each take two minutes to answer a prompt (try "what's in your heart?" or "what's really been on your mind lately?"). No interruptions, no feedback. See how it feels and you'll have a great sense for how you can immediately improve how you're supporting your teen.

Allen Choi, Wellness Coordinator (ext. 7150)
Casey Sasner, Intake Specialist (ext. 7136)
Follow us on Instagram (acalaneswellness) and Twitter (@acalaneswellness)
College and Career Center

Oct 9
Academy - Essay Workshop
Oct 11
Academy - Essay Workshop
Oct 12 Mock ACT 9am-12pm ($30 fundraiser for AAUW) Sign Up Here
Oct 15 AUHSD Military Career Night @AHS Gym 6:30pm-8pm
Oct 19
PSAT (registration is now closed)
Oct 23 SAT/ACT Info Night @AHS 6:30pm-7:30pm
Oct 28 SFSU Tour
SFSU Campus Tour for Seniors The College & Career Center (CCC) is offering a tour of SFSU for Seniors on Monday, October 28 , 7:30am - 2:00pm. To register, print out a permission slip from the website and return it by Friday, October 21 along with a check (to pay for bus) for $10 made payable to "Acalanes High School".  We are partnering with Campolindo High School so space is limited.  

College Rep Visits Coming This Week:

Mon    Stonybrook, Arizona State
Tues   Brown, Dartmouth, Tulane, SMU, Northern Arizona, Purdue
Wed    UDenver, UFlorida, Columbia College (Chicago), Notre Dame de Namur
Thurs  Depauw, UKansas, Boston College
Fri       Western Oregon

For times and sign up visit Naviance.  These visits are for junior and senior students.  Please pick up passes before school, during brunch or lunch.

As always, email me with any questions!
Wendy Reicher
Counseling
Seniors : A reminder to pay for official transcripts for your college apps on the Web Store .  Registrar Mrs. Finn will make sure they get sent right away or let your counselor know that transcripts are ready to send along with other documents.  
1st Quarter Ends this Friday, October 11.  Students can still drop a class (depending on requirements and credit status) until the end of the quarter.  Quarter grades will be updated on School Loop by October 16.   Quarter grades are not on transcripts, but serve as a progress report at the half-way point in the semester.
Parent Education
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.
 
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 - 8:30 pm
Campolindo High School
Learn more and register to attend here .
 
Contact: Kelly Daggs, VP Community Partners
Mary Kuhn, Parent Education Chair  
From Your School Nurse
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.
 
October is Breast Health Week   
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.
 
Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Last week I attended an excellent nutrition conference for healthcare providers on plant-based nutrition. Many times throughout the conferences they highlighted the documentary The Game Changers .  It's available on iTunes beginning October 1 , 2019.
 
Make October FLU SHOT month! Why you should get your FLU SHOT now!
 
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 7:30am - 3:20pm, Friday 7:30 -11:30am
Performing and Visual Arts
Tomorrow!   Fall Choral Classic  Please join Chamber Singers and choirs from Campolindo and Miramonte at the 17th annual Richard C. Hansen Fall Choral Classic on October 7 at Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church at 7:30pm. We are excited to have Dr. Jeffrey Benson, director of  choral activities at SJSU, as our guest conductor/clinician. Reserve tickets here .
 
This Thursday!  Acalanes Fall Pops Concert - The Dons go to the Movies! Acalanes High School's award winning Instrumental Music Department is excited to present its first concert at the Acalanes PAC on October 10 at 7pm .   Come listen to the Symphonic Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Orchestra perform favorite soundtracks and classic music from popular movies!
 
Calling All Dons! Beginning this year, all students are welcome to participate in the school musical! There will be an informational meeting in the Drama Room during Academy on October 18. Information about audition sign ups as well as rehearsal information will be communicated at this meeting.
LPIE
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
Dons Sports
This week's can't miss events

Unified soccer
Monday, October 7 host Miramonte HS at 1:00 pm.
 
Girls volleyball
Tuesday, October 8 host Northgate HS.  Freshmen at 4:00 pm, JV at 5:00 pm and Varsity at 6:30 pm.
Wednesday, October 9 Varsity at Campolindo HS at 5:00 pm.
 
Girls tennis
Tuesday, October 8 Northgate HS at 3:30 pm.  Varsity is away and JV is home.
Thursday, October 10 Varsity hosts College Park HS at 3:30 pm.
 
Girls water polo
Tuesday, October 8 at Las Lomas HS.  Varsity at 6:00 pm and JV at 7:00 pm.
 
Boys water polo
Tuesday, October 8 at Las Lomas HS.  Varsity at 4:00 pm and JV at 5:00 pm. 
 
Football
Friday, October 11 at Las Lomas HS.  JV at 4:30 pm and Varsity at 7:00 pm.

  Quick Links
email: editor@acalanesparentsclub.com