This year's Haunted Homecoming Week was full of Eagle spirit. The festivities kicked off with the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, October 24, which almost 1000 students attended. With amazing music, games, food, and candy, it was an evening of fun for all. 

Students and staff then embraced the theme all week long with daily spirit dress up days, and the Homecoming Rallies on Monday, October 26 were full of excitement. The rallies also each featured a staff versus Homecoming Court game that had the crowd cheering, and the staff came out on top both times.

The celebration continues today, Friday, October 30, with the Homecoming Parade this afternoon and the Homecoming Football Game tonight, which is also Senior Night. Senior Night festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., and the game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. Come out to cheer on the Eagles and honor our seniors, and stay through halftime, when we will announce the Homecoming Court Royals. 

Thank you to our ASB and class council students for the countless hours they put into planning, decorating, and setting up, and to the staff, families, and community members who joined in the fun.

Please join us for the Performing Arts Department's Fall Festival on Saturday, October 31st from 12:30-4:00pm in the quad. Featuring performances by orchestra, choir, band, dance, theater, and ending with the marching band field show, attending this event is a fun, family-friendly way to support the Performing Arts and get into the Halloween spirit. There are no tickets, but bring cash for the Bake Sale and wear your best (school-appropriate) Halloween costume. We hope to see you there! 

Students will be completing the annual Healthy Kids Survey on Wednesday, November 4th during ACT.  Students will stay in their 2nd period classes during ACT to complete the survey. If students do not have a 2nd period class they will need to report to the theatre to complete the Survey.  Families will also be able to complete a Parent Survey.

Mr. Morales sent out an email to families via Parent Square on Wednesday, October 28th with details 

about the Survey. Families may choose to have their student not complete the survey, but must complete an Opt-out form. If you have any questions please reach out to Mr. Morales (fabian.moralesmedina@mvla.net).

Our team has been busy supporting students applying to college by the Nov. 1 deadline. School Counselors are writing letters of recommendation, submitting the school profile, initial high school transcript and secondary school report (SSR) for students who need these documents. Did you know that counselors will write for any student who requests a letter by the posted deadline? We will share numbers in the next newsletter!

We are also working on building out our new College & Career platform, MaiaLearning. The 9th graders accessed this tool on Oct. 7th when they completed the Career Interest Inventory and learned how to add extracurricular activities. We are excited to roll this out with other grade levels this school year. 

You are invited: University of California will be hosting a Virtual UC Night for students & families. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the University of California (UC) system, gain a better understanding of the UC application process, and hear from representatives at participating UC campuses. This is a FREE event.

This month, Los Altos High School is hosting its annual food drive in partnership with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. All monetary donations go directly to Second Harvest, which supplies food for families across our community. Just $1 provides two nutritious meals for someone in need.

Families can give to the school in general or to a specific second period class team, so you can support your student's class directly. Our community was incredible last year and raised almost $30,000. This year, our goal is $20,000, and we would love to match last year's success. Every gift, large or small, makes a real difference for our neighbors.

DONATE TODAY:; https://impact.shfb.org/LAHS25

Congratulations to Coach Steve Apfelberg named CCS Honor Coach for Girls Tennis. Well deserved recognition for exceptional work supporting our student athletes. 

Congratulations to the Los Altos High School Athletic Department! NIAAA (National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association has recognized LAHS as an Exemplary Athletic Program (see picture of banner above). 

Winter tryout schedules are available HERE.

Please note: As we are still in the Fall sports season, tryout schedules are subject to change based on Fall playoff schedules. Please check the linked information regularly for updates. Athletes MUST finish their FALL sport before trying out for a Winter Sport. 

A physical exam is required for participation in athletics. If your student has had a physical within the last 12 months, upload the completed form during registration.

Coaching positions available:

Please apply on EdJoin if you are interested!

A huge thank you to Cynthia Wang for coming to Los Altos High School and presenting on the topic of digital exploitation and online safety! Cynthia is the founder of The Safe Link and you can visit her website if you are interested in more information. 

With November right around the corner, we will be hosting some fall themed crafts and other mindful activities in the wellness center. On Friday, November 6th during ACT, we are collaborating with allcove Palo Alto to host rock painting. Your student will have the opportunity to decorate rocks with colorful designs, patterns, or positive messages. Rock painting encourages creativity, self-expression, and mindfulness. This hands-on activity can also help reduce stress. Please encourage your students to reserve their spot in advance on Minga under Juan Arreola.

Interested in what else we have planned in November? Check out our November bulletin board for more upcoming events!

Having a space to stay on campus after school shows students that we care about them and their studies. Help us fund Extended Library Hours and other important programs. MVLAfoundation.org