Acalanes High School

Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and recognized as a distinguished school by the state of California, Acalanes High School has a long and decorated history of excellence. Today, the school serves primarily the suburban community of Lafayette, California. Of the approximately 1,350 students enrolled in Acalanes, the majority live in Lafayette, with the remainder mostly from the surrounding communities of Moraga, Orinida, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek. Most students come from highly educated families, are motivated to do well at school, and have parents and families who value and support education.

 

Acalanes High School offers a strong college-preparatory program supported by expansive elective and school-sponsored, co-curricular opportunities. Students can take from five to seven classes per year. The school day runs on a block program with Monday's anchor day, where students attend all of their classes in a forty-five-minute class with Tuesday-Friday serving the 90-minute block periods.

 

In 1938, local voters approved the construction of the Acalanes High School District. Built in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration, Acalanes was the first of four comprehensive secondary schools in the Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD). Heralded for its unique architectural design of its time, the Museum of Modern Art chose Acalanes as "an important early showcase of modern buildings in the United States" in 1945 for its "Built in the USA" exhibition.

 

ACALANES MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Acalanes High School is to develop responsible, productive, informed citizens who appreciate and respect their own and others' uniqueness and worth.

 

To help build 21st century skills, Acalanes High School teachers have incorporated technology into their daily routine. Whether to manage aspects of their class or engage and inspire students, technology has been embraced as an educational tool. Acalanes is a wireless campus offering staff and students instant access to the Internet throughout the campus. Acalanes students have access to a wide range of technologies, including PCs, Mac computers and iPads, as well as 1:1 chromebooks. Our campus offers classroom computer labs for students studying Digital Design, Photography, and Computer Programming. In addition, the Acalanes High School library offers the ability for students to use computers in a classroom-like setting, as well as 24/7 access to the library's online databases.

 

The Acalanes Wellness Center works in collaboration with the Counseling Department and the Health Office to expand existing student support services. They offer student-centered support and education through mental health advice, outreach and consultation to promote well-being and academic success. In addition, they partner with community-based organizations by bringing them to their campus to support the specific wellness needs of our students.

 

Acalanes High School is dedicated to providing students with a broad curriculum of visual and performing arts. Through the production, performance and examination of the arts, our VPA classes serve as a place where students can experiment with material and content using state-of-the-art facilities and where a large audience can take part in their shows and exhibitions.

 

Their staff strives to be at the forefront of developments in contemporary practice, and our programs are strongly committed to providing a purposeful link between students and their arts.