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Acalanes Parents Club eNewsletter
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Calendar of Upcoming Events
January
8 - Friday Forum - 8:30am Faculty Dining Room
14 - Winter Dance Concert - 7:30pm PAC
19-22 - Finals
20 - 7am, 12noon, 4:30pm, 7pm AUHSD Budget Information Sessions at District Office
21 - 7am, 4:30pm AUHSD Budget Information Sessions at District Office
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Principal's Message
Dear Acalanes High School Community,
I hope that you have had a wonderful Winter Break, enjoyed your holidays with your family and friends and find yourself energized, relaxed and ready for the opportunities and challenges of the New Year.
Unfortunately the news from the state continue to be gloomy and as a result we will be facing many financial challenges in the next few months. I encourage you to continue visiting the district website to stay updated on the current budgetary news. In addition, district administration will be holding several public sessions to disseminate information and keep the community current on the financial state. Sessions will be held on the following dates:
- Wednesday, Jan. 20th - 7:00am, 12:00pm, 4:30pm, 7:00pm
- Thursday, Jan. 21st - 7:00am, 4:30 pm
All sessions will be held in the AUHSD Boardroom.
The first Friday Forum of the year will be held on Friday, Jan. 8th at 8:30am in the Faculty Dining Room. We will have presentations from the Math and Physical Education Departments as well as a current budget update. This is another great opportunity to obtain answers to any questions you may have with regards to the current budget state. We hope to see many of you there.
First Semester Final Exams are fast approaching and will be held from January 19th through January 22nd. Students will be on a minimum day schedule (8:00am start) and will take two finals on each day. I encourage you to check in with your student and assist them in organizing their studies and planning for the exams in order to better manage their study time and minimize stress.
Our winter sports are off to a great start. League games/matches are underway and our athletes are ready for this important part of their season. You may obtain all team records and schedules at the AHS Boosters website. We ask all of our fans to make an effort and promote good sportsmanship at the games. We want our athletic events to be a positive experience for all attendees and players. As a reminder, the following is NOT allowed as per DFAL rules:
- Obscenities or vulgarities
- Provoking gestures/signs
- Noisemakers, face paint or masks
- Abuse of officials
- Negative rooting against opponent
- Continuous standing at basketball games
I hope to see many of you attend our athletic events and support the AHS sports.
Thank you for reading and Happy New Year.
Aida Glimme
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| President's Message
Happy New Year. I hope that all of you had a happy and restful winter "intermission"; as was written on the marquis.
Our first Friday Forum of 2010 will be this Friday, Jan. 8th at 8:30am in the Faculty Dining Room. We will hear from the Math Department and Physical Education.
Many of you received the e-mail from Superintendent Stockton outlining the upcoming dates and times for the public information budget meetings. In case you missed it, here are the dates again:
- Wednesday, Jan. 20th - 7:00am, 12:00pm, 4:30pm, 7:00pm AND
- Thursday, Jan. 21st -7:00am, 4:30pm.
All meetings will be held in the AUHSD Boardroom. I would encourage you to attend at least one of these sessions. The budget process can be confusing and overwhelming to say the least. A resource I found to be very informative is www.edsource.org. Please also take the time to read the extremely informative articles submitted by our Leg Team Rep - Bonny Griebstein.
See you Friday!
Astrida Lalor
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| Legislative News
The Governor will release next year's state budget on January 8th, which will be critical information for our high school district in developing next year's budget. To date, AUHSD has already projected a $2.6 million deficit for 2010-2011, including reductions of 31 positions. Click here to read the Superintendent's Dec. Budget Report. For other updates including comparative funding of other high school districts, click here. You are encouraged to get informed and participate in any of the following ways ( please calendar these dates):
- Public Information Sessions regarding the status of our AUHSD budget and proposed reduction scenarios. This is our chance for input. The budget will have a big impact on our high school next year! Six Public Information Sessions, are scheduled at the AUHSD Boardroom (adjacent to Acalanes High School) - Wednesday, Jan. 20th, 7:00am, 12:00 noon, 4:30pm, 7:00pm, and Thursday, Jan. 21st, at 7:00am, and 4:30pm. Click here for more details.
- Thursday, Feb. 4th - A local Superintendents' Forum at 7pm in the small theater at Acalanes High School. AUHSD Supt. John Stockton and the Superintendents of the five partner districts will discuss the budget crisis and its affect on their Districts. Bring your questions.
- Wednesday, Feb. 17th - Advocacy Day - Bus trip to Sacramento. Join us on the bus to Sacramento. We will hear from and communicate with education experts and our legislators on school funding, education reform, and budget reform. Registration information will be available soon. This year's theme is "California Schools in Crisis: Advocating for Solutions." Click here for the flyer.
Regarding the upcoming Governor's Budget, according to the Sacramento Bee, "The governor is considering whether to seek a federal waiver to cut school funding below what stimulus guidelines allow, according to an education advocate familiar with his budget preparations. K-14 education makes up roughly 40 percent of the general fund budget. Such a move likely would touch off a fierce response from teachers' unions and other education groups, which contend that the governor can't cut schools any further."
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| Student Activities
Break's over! Time to buckle down and do some community service. Class officers have organized Community Service Field Trips to help students complete required community service shifts.
Sophomore parents, the community service trip date has been changed to Feb. 13th, from 1-4 at MedShare in San Leandro. If your kids need community service hours, please encourage them to sign up for this trip. If they are interested or are going, please tell them to contact Kate Avery or David Reiling at k8avery@yahoo.com or goalshark18@yahoo.com.
If your student needs any community service, they can come to room 314 to explore opportunities to fulfill their required hours of service. |
Art and Dance
Acalanes Freshman Creates Digital Flyer for Senator Carol Liu
congratulations to Marisa Hummel, a digital design student, who created a flyer to advertise a hearing on proposed cuts to rehabilitation for women. Click here to read the entire article. Winter Dance Concert
The Acalanes Winter Dance Concert is Thursday, Jan. 14th at 7:30pm in the Performing Arts Complex at Acalanes High School.
Join us for a fun evening filled with jazz, hip hop, tap, musical theater, salsa, and Irish dancing!
Hope to see you all there! |
Counseling Notes
Final Exams - The first semester final exams will be administered from Tuesday, Jan. 19th to Friday, Jan. 22nd. The shortened-day finals schedule follows a Monday holiday. Now is the time for students to begin preparing for these important two-hour exams! The key to successful performance on finals is planning ahead. Students need plenty of sleep, nutritious meals, and a study schedule that allows time to review for each class.
Report Cards - First semester report cards will be mailed home on Friday, Jan. 29th.
Transcripts - Most private colleges require transcripts at the end of the first semester. This is called the MID-YEAR SCHOOL REPORT. Seniors should order their transcripts on Naviance and bring in $3 per transcript to the counseling office. UC and CSU campuses DO NOT require mid-year reports or transcripts at this time.
2010-2011 Class Scheduling - Counselors will be going into classes at the beginning of second semester to discuss courses for next year. Firm decisions regarding course choices, will be made during February. Please be aware that your student will be bringing home information before the first week of February regarding courses for next year.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR SOPHOMORES
On the mornings of Feb. 2nd and 3rd we will be administering the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). Passing both the Language Arts and Math sections of the CAHSEE is a requirement for high school graduation.
ALL SOPHOMORES ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE THE CAHSEE THIS FEBRUARY. THE TEST WILL START AT THE BEGINNING OF FIRST PERIOD EACH DAY. THE TEST WILL START AT 8:00 ON TUESDAY AND AT 8:35 ON WEDNESDAY.
Students will take the test in the small gym and should report there on time each day of the test.
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College and Career Center
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, may be completed as early as January 1, 2010. To apply go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and follow their guidelines. Check each school's financial aid requirements for deadlines and additional forms, such as the Financial Aid Profile, that may be needed.
The District Financial Aid Night is Wednesday, Jan. 20th at the Las Lomas Theater at 7:00. The speaker, Stanford financial aid officer, Mary Morrison, will provide an overview on the FAFSA.
Register for SAT's online at www.collegeboard.com or for ACT at www.actstudent.org
Happy Holidays!
College and Career Advisor
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| Fundraising
Shop at over 1,000 of your favorite online merchants and earn up to 16% for Acalanes High School.
It's as easy as 1-2-3:
- Enroll with www.escrip.com
- Click on the Online Mall logo at www.escrip.com
- Shop at your favorite brand name stores and automatically donate to our school
While you are at the Online Mall, download "AutoEARN" to earn contributions every time you shop without having to visit the Online Mall first! So even if you forget or are in a hurry, Acalanes will still get the contribution.1-800-flowers, Adidas Shop, American Eagle Outfittlers, Apple Store, Barnes & Noble, BestBuy, Bloomingdales, Disney, eBay, eLuxury, Gap, Home Depot, Nordstrom, PetSmart, Radio Shack, Safeway, Tony and Toys R Us and So many more. Hungry after all that online shopping? Treat yourselves and kids to one of the many eScrip sponsored dining experiences. Check it out www.escrip.com |
Class of 2013
Welcome back freshmen parents! Here's a heads up for the month ahead...
- January 8th - Friday Forum with Aida Glimme followed by the parents Club meeting
- January 19th to 22nd - Finals (semester ending tests)- make sure your student is well rested and well fed!
- January 22nd - Encourage your freshman to celebrate the end of finals week, and support their class, by buying dinner at the Concession Stand for the basketball games. The freshman class benefits from the proceeds of this evening. For more details and a complete schedule of basketball and other sports go to http://www.acalanesboosters.com/whatsnew.htm. We will be recruiting parents to help run the Concession Stand that night.
Happy New Year!! _______________________________________________________________________________
Questions? Contact your Class of 2013 Liaisons: Kim Greer kvgreer@yahoo.comAmy Goodheart heart39@comcast.netBonnie Cornell bonnie_cornell@comcast.netPatty Gonser bpgonser@comcast.netLink to class of 2013... |
| Class of 2012
Happy 2010!! Welcome back. We hope this finds you rested and rejuvenated.
Basketball concessions - Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Feb. 16th vs Miramonte.
More details to come.....
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Questions? Contact your Class of 2012 Liaisons:
Dawn Lynn Lanier dllanier@comcast.net
Kim Figone kimfigone@ebsan.com
Meg McNiece mmcniece@gmail.com
Richard Whitmore richard.whitmore@gmail.com
Link to Class of 2012... |
Class of 2011
The Junior Class is hosting the concessions at the home basketball game on Friday, Jan 15th against Campolindo. We need donations and a few volunteers from 4:00-5:30 (JV game), 5:30 - 7:00 (Varsity game) and 7:00-8:00 (Frosh).
Donations:
- Skittles, M&Ms, Starbursts
- Case of chips
- Tub of red vines
- Case of buties
- Cases of water
- Case of Sprite
- Case of Coke
- Case of Diet Coke
- Cases of Gatorade
- $12 donations for burritos (checks payable to Class of 2011 - send to Meg Reid, 1015 Hampton Road, Lafayette, CA 94549)
Thanks! _________________________________________________________________________ Questions? Contact your Class of 2011 Liaisons:
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Class of 2010
Many of our seniors have not turned in their activities form. They are due this Thursday, Jan. 7th, and are needed for the senior portrait section of the yearbook which goes to our publishers soon.
Here's a recap of upcoming year book due dates:
- Jan. 7th - Activities form (pink sheet in Dons Days packet) due-info goes by senior portrait
- Feb. 4th - Senior quotes, occupations, and baby photos deadlines (yellow form in Dons Days packet)
- Feb. 4th - Parents' messages due (blue form in Dons Days packet)
If you cannot find the "Attention Seniors" Dons Days packet, we have extras in room 208.
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Questions? Contact your Class of 2010 Liaisons:
Rhonda Andronico at rhondaandronico@yahoo.com
Kim Fowler at torch40@aol.com
Al Maggio at albert.maggio@kp.org
Ellen Whittom at ewhittom@comcast.net
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| LASF
Help Our Schools While Having Fun
Over the next weeks and months, school budget news is likely to cause concern for all of us. How can you help? One way is to attend the LASF annual fundraising event, a Starry, Starry Night. There you can meet like-minded parents and community members and raise money to support our schools while having fun...participate in the silent and live auctions, enjoy fabulous foods prepared by Susan Foord Catering, buy a raffle ticket or two and register for sign up parties for both adults and kids.
Event proceeds go to secure existing district and LASF programs and services through the remainder of this school year and to minimize deficit spending. Our Starry, Starry Night is Saturday, Jan. 30th at the Veterans Memorial Building, from 6-9pm. Tickets are $75 per person. RSVP by mail or call the LASF office at 299-0644. See our website www.lasf.org for details or on-line ticket purchases.
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| Acalanes Sports
For most, the winter vacation was a great time to rest. For our winter athletes, it was time to ready themselves for the rigors of their DFAL seasons. The girls basketball team defeated Sonoma Valley HS 50-42 as a tune-up before Bully's Winter Classic in Reno where they claimed the tournament championship by defeating Churchill HS 57-38, Woodcreek HS 57-52, and Paradise HS in the championship game. They closed the vacation with a 46-41 victory over Sacred Heart Prep HS. The boys basketball team also had a good vacation defeating Kennedy HS of Richmond 70-46, dropping a close game to Hercules HS 46-43, then defeating Ygnacio Valley HS 66-48. They travelled to Piner HS for the Sonoma County Classic where they claimed 3rd place defeating Piner HS, losing to Analy HS in overtime, then defeating Cloverdale HS 61-56 in the consolation championship. The boys soccer team defeated Campolindo HS 1-0, and College Park HS 3-0 to raise their record to 8-1 and 2-1 in the DFAL. The girls soccer team fell to Campolindo HS.
Congratulations are in order for three of our fall athletes. Nick Hoversten was named Contra Costa Times Boys Water Polo Player of the year and Mike Kimble was named to the All-CC Times Boys Water Polo team. Bryan Moss was named to the 3rd team All-CC Times Football team.
This week the student-athletes return to class and to DFAL action. The basketball teams play Friday at Las Lomas HS, with JV boys at 4:00, varsity boys at 5:30, and varsity girls at 7:00. Wednesday, the boys soccer team hosts Alhambra HS and the girls go to Alhambra HS, and Friday, the girls host Miramonte HS and the boys go to Miramonte HS, with JV at 4:15 and varsity at 6:15 both nights. The wrestling team is at Miramonte HS Thursday at 6:00.
The spring season begins Monday, Feb. 8th. Complete your athletic clearance now. Go to www.logiforms.com/formdata/user_forms/18563_4921855/72765/, complete the entire online process, and submit the necessary forms to me. Students may submit the forms in room 207 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 7:30 to 7:50am, or Monday through Friday at Brunch and Lunch.
Save Saturday, May 15th for the Booster Bash. All are welcome. You do not need to be the parent of an Acalanes athlete to attend and participate. This year promises to be as much fun if not more than last year.
Randy Takahashi
Athletic Director |
From The School Nurse
Acalanes 2010 Blood Drive
Thursday, Feb. 25th
8:30am - 2:30pm
Small Gym
Parents are needed to help with Blood Drive. You can help in many ways:
- Help staff the event. please choose from the following shifts:
- 8:00am - 10:30am
- 10:15am - 12:45pm
- 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Provide breakfast items for the Donor Breakfast in the morning and/or healthy snacks/baked goods/beverages for the canteen during the Blood Drive.
Coordinate the Donor Breakfast
To sign up to DONATE BLOOD:
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Community Events
Sweet Thursday at the Lafayette Library
On Thursday, Jan. 28th at 7:30pm, The Friends of the Lafayette Library present Susan Wels, the author of the new biography of Amelia Earhart. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person to fly solo across the Pacific. But Amelia Earhart was also a photographer, poet, hospital worker, fashion designer, social worker, and student of chemistry, physics, and medicine-before she vanished over the Pacific Ocean in July 1937. Join us for this special event and enjoy coffee and dessert in the Community Hall of the New Lafayette Library and Learning Center. For more information, visit http://www.lafayettelib.com. |
| Parent Education
Are Cell Phones Safe? How Teens Can Avoid Risks!
FREE EVENT
Sunday, Jan. 17th
1:30 - 4:00 p.m.
San Francisco Library, Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin St. - near Civic Center BART
Access Code: teensBsafe (space limited)
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| Classified Ads
Tutors, college advisors, carpoolers, sellers and renters advertise with APC The classified page of the Acalanes Parents Club website is a great way to advertise not only for business but for personal use too. You can advertise to sell an item, rent a timeshare or cabin, look for carpools, kid sitters, pet sitters, etc. Please contact Lucie Paladino at luciepaladino@sbcglobal.net to place your ad. The cost is 50 cents per word per month and all proceeds go to the Acalanes High School Parents Club. Thank you for your support.
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Quick Links
email: ahspc@hotmail.com
web: http://www.acalanesparents.org
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