A LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear ACDS Alums,

You will remember marking the start of the holiday season with the Thanksgiving Feast. While we were all disappointed to miss the Feast this year, our PSA parent volunteers rallied with a number of online activities and service opportunities that families enjoyed, highlighted by an interactive pie-baking demo led by a couple of our middle school students. We continue to make the best of a challenging year, and keep the spirit of our school traditions alive and well (if temporarily dormant).

The Thanksgiving Feast and other all-school celebrations like the Flag Raising Ceremony and the Patriotic Assembly were established by Mrs. Nan Hunter in the very first years of the school's 39-year history, and now are among our longest-standing school traditions. All three of these ACDS staples revolve around the same core value that is a pillar of Nan's founding philosophy: gratitude.

The quality of being thankful, the readiness to show appreciation and to return kindness: our capacity for gratitude is never more essential than in trying times when we feel engulfed in stress, upset, and disappointment. Our resilience rests on finding the good no matter how difficult things can become. As such, gratitude is a powerful asset in the face of adversity, and a key ingredient in shaping ACDS graduates.

The ACDS staff embraces these beliefs. The extent to which we can all model gratitude for the children, especially now, in the midst of the pandemic, it is a transformational gift that will help them more readily confront the adversity life will inevitably continue to bring their way. I wonder if you can look back and recall any experiences you had at ACDS that helped shape your own sense of gratitude as an asset in your later life?

Last month Ms. Jillian Hanley, one of our middle school teachers, launched our first-ever Gratitude Newsletter written by and for the ACDS staff. Dozens of colleagues have contributed more than 150 entries in the four issues Ms. Hanley has published so far, anecdotes and poetry that reflect grace, humor, poise and courage during a very challenging time for those who serve in schools.

Here is a small sample of the ACDS staff's gratitude and resilience, in their own words:

"I'm just grateful to work at a school where administrators, colleagues, and families are so flexible and patient with one another under really challenging circumstances. I'm new here, so I don't know if it was like this in Before Times or if it's a newer development in the culture, but it certainly reveals a school that knows its priorities and that has nurtured a community that blossoms rather than buckles when under pressure."

"I am grateful to everyone who is doing more this year than ever before; and, is still willing to do more to help out a colleague or student. I have been on the receiving end of this several times already this year. Thank you!"

"I am grateful for the exuberance of the students in spite of everything going on. They can still see the blessing in the everyday. It helps keep me grounded in the present."

That last one pretty much sums it up — and probably reflects the same statements held by teachers and staff when you were a student here.

Wishing you all a joyful and safe holiday season ahead.

Dr. Olaf Jorgenson
Head of school

BACK TO CAMPUS

PLAY

After much preparation and planning, students were welcomed back to the ACDS campus in late September and early October. The video above shows some of the health protocols in practice during the school day.

Please read more about about how ACDS has approached Covid-19:

Our Covid-19 Response

Fall 2020 Reopening Statu s

THANKSGIVING FEAST

The Thanksgiving Feast took on a different look this year as we continued our quest to work together and serve those in need. Since cooking together and eating together on campus was not an option, a virtual Family Fun Night with a bake-a-long pumpkin pie demonstration filled in that gap. We've also adapted the charity component of the Thanksgiving Feast by supporting HomeFirst Serices of Santa Clara County with a donation of dental kits. HomeFirst Services addresses homelessness issues in Santa Clara County.

SUPPORT THE WINTER BOOK FAIR

The ACDS Winter Book Fair sponsored by Hicklebee's is happening this week and you can now participate online! There is a week filled with fun events, like a Cougar Paw Hunt on Thursday, December 10th or a Hidden Surprise on Friday, December 11th. We've set a goal to raise $5000, and you can help us get there by both supporting ACDS and one our favorite local businesses. Check out our webpage to watch Captain Cougar show us how we're doing!

Books are available for curbside pickup or take advantage of free shipping on purchases of books only of $25 or more. Online gift cards are also available.

Visit our Hicklebee's webpage for more information

HALLOWEEN

There were some magical changes to this year's Halloween festivities...

Costumes - All students we're allowed to wear costumes, both on-campus learners and Simulcast learners. One special thing about this year is that the students were allowed to wear their costumes all day long, since it would have been difficult to maintain physical distance when volunteers came to help students change after lunch. The traditional costume parade was canceled in favor of special events teachers planned in their classrooms that all students could enjoy.

Pumpkin Carving - Although there was no carving involved, this year definitely had lots of pumpkins. The PSA provided every child from ECE through 5th grade with a pumpkin bucket filled with Halloween goodies. On-campus learners were given their pumpkins while still in their costumes in true trick-or-treat fashion, and Simulcast learners had their pumpkins delivered to them in their cars. The only catch was that students had to arrive by 4:00pm or the ghosts and goblins making the deliveries would turn back into ACDS administrators.

Middle School Spooky Cinema Social - Each middle school grade selected a movie for a Netflix watch party. They were also provided with yummy snacks and treats to enjoy from the comfort of home. Movies chosen were:

6th - Babysitters Guide to Monster Hunting

7th - The Sleepover

8th - The Sleepover

Members of the Class of 2019 in 'Rapunzel'

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Hunter McKown attended ACDS from ECE to 7th grade, but left in 2017 to pursue high-level ice hockey. He has been selected to play on the US National Development Team, a two year program in the United States Hockey League. Hunter attends Colorado College and is currently involved in National Collegiate Hockey.

Read more about Hunter

THE CLASS OF 2000

As 2020 comes to a close, we wondered about the Class of 2000 graduates over these twenty years. They were a memorable millennium class; sharing good times together and experiencing sad losses of friends. Two of your classmates sent updates on their lives. We'd love to hear from more of you!

Kristin Freiberger McGee: middle row, 5th from the right: Kristin and her husband Michael had their second baby, Gabriella, in October. Gabriella's brother Bennett will be two in December. They live in San Rafael and Kristin is currently teaching special education at a public school in Marin County. She said, "We're loving life hiking and biking and enjoying nature with these two kiddos!"

Lisa Schwebke: front row, 6th from the left: Lisa said, "I can't believe that twenty years has come and gone! Lately, I've felt particularly nostalgic for the ACS days after finding a box of old camcorder tapes hidden away in a closet. I remember the Halloween parade and the hoedowns like they were yesterday. I studied musical theater at NYU and worked in film and television for years after (on the business side, not performing), including several years at Food Network here in NYC. I went back to study design at Parsons and now work as a freelance graphic designer." Lisa married David Kirshenbaum in 2015 and they live in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan with their dog, Oliver.

NEWS & NOTES

Sandra Rowe'96 and Brian Pilger, welcomed their second baby, Kayden John on September 2, 2020, weighing 8 pounds 7 ounces and measuring 20.25 inches long. Kayden's sister Kendall, now 3 and a half, is delighted with her baby brother. Sandra commented that parenting these two is "Flat out hard, but so rewarding. I become devoured daily with thoughts. Am I doing the best for them? Am I teaching them the skills needed to become outstanding human beings? Am I giving them a good enough foundation to help them excel at school?" But Sandra says she loves being a parent and it's OK when her needs or meals don't come first when she sees baby Kayden smiling and baby talking, and Kendall's creativity, showing a beautiful world of rainbows and unicorns, and saying, "It's fine!"

Jason Reel'99 and his wife Morgan, welcomed baby Willow Gwendolyn Reel into the world on September 2, 2020, in Minneapolis, MN. Jason, Amanda, Willow and their dog, Guthrie reside in St. Paul, Minnesota. Jason's mom, Mrs. Mona Reel Chaplin, says she is "smitten" and "over the moon" at being a 'Gamma' and looking forward to meeting Willow in person one day.

David Escay'03 married Alyssa Sacco on November 7, 2020, in Austin, Texas. Following his high school years at Bellarmine, David graduated from Fordham University, NY, with a BS in business, economics and marketing and works for LinkedIn. David and Alyssa reside and work in NYC. Alyssa grew up in New Braunfels, Texas and graduated from University of Texas at Austin.

Kevin Stenn'03 and his wife Alexis welcomed their baby boy, Oliver Francis Stenn, into the world on October 15, 2020. Oliver weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces and was 21 inches long. Kevin says, "Oliver took our breath away from his first and we are just in awe of him." Oliver's proud Nana, Mrs. Lori Stenn said she is "Proud, blessed and beyond excited to meet little Oliver!"

Becca Hatch'05 married Danny Montealegre on November 23, 2020. They first met while they were serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Diego, California in 2015. Four years later, in May 2019, Danny decided to message Becca on Instagram and they had their first date. They saw each other less than a week later to go on a hike, and then had many more dates to follow. Danny proposed to Becca on a bridge from one of their favorite trails. After a few months of planning a small wedding at a beautiful venue and making many changes and adjustments along the way to make it work during a pandemic, the couple had to scrap all plans of a full wedding ceremony, and instead were married in a beautiful field at the top of a mountain with their family and closest friends. At the start of the ceremony, it began to gently snow. It was magical, and it made that mountain a beautiful symbol of their new last name "Montealegre" which is translated to "happy mountain."

Jenna Davis'06 married Matthew Warnock on August 28, 2020, in the Santa Cruz Mountains at Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda. The wedding party included a number of ACDS alumni including her brother Sean Davis'08, as groomsman, and Alexa Hunter Lundgren'06, as Matron of Honor. Jenna and Alexa have been best friends since their elementary school days at ACDS! Jenna and Matt attended Valley Christian High School together but never knew each other. Reconnected by their fathers in 2019, they now joke that they have an "arranged marriage!" The couple honeymooned in Sedona, Arizona, and currently live in Morgan Hill, CA. Jenna works as a marriage and family therapist and Matt works as a dentist. They both serve as youth ministry leaders for Young Life.

Catie Robb'06 married Tim Weston on June 20, 2020 in her parents' backyard. Catie and Tim met in college at the University of Puget Sound. Catie's immediate family was present including her mom, Mrs. Cecilia Robb, Director of The Learning Center, and her brothers Jonathan'99 and Andrew'01. Andrew also officiated the wedding. Catie currently teaches middle school math at ACDS and is an 8th grade advocate. After graduating from the University of Puget Sound in 2014 with a major in psychology and minor in math, she completed her Master of Arts in teaching in 2016. Tim currently works in marketing for OARS, a whitewater rafting company.

Will Hayden'08 and his wife Amanda welcomed baby Mary Frances into the Hayden clan on November 8th weighing in at 8 pounds 6.5 ounces. The reality of fatherhood "slapped me in the face like a wet fish, but the first week was the hardest, and it's only getting better," said Will. He and his wife Amanda love their little girl and can't get enough of her funny noises and puffy cheeks! Amanda is the great-granddaughter of Mrs. Nan Hunter and her husband, Richard.

Erika Kawaguchi'10 was featured in the October online edition of The Oprah Magazine, 22 Easy DIY Witch Costumes That Are Simple But Not Basic. Erika designed the Halloween-inspired corset and hat, drafted the pattern, sewed and embellished it to wear at the San Jose 2019 Witchy Women charity luncheon. @Erikaalamode

Maxwell Love'19 used 3D modeling skills that he learned through an ACDS elective to develop a face mask extender to improve the effectiveness and comfort of masks, especially for younger people. Mr. Stevens, ACDS technology Coach and Innovation Specialist, plans on using the design in future classes.

View Alumni Photo Album

EVENT CENTER PROGRESS

Cougar pride!

KEEP IN TOUCH

Do you have news you'd like to share? Complete our Alumni Form and we'll include it in the next Alumni Newsletter.