Spring Alumni Newsletter - Charles Armstrong School

CASAA
Charles Armstrong School Alumni Association
Alumni
focus
4th Annual Wilbur Mattison Spring 2008 Golf Tournament Monday, May 19, 2008 Peninsula Golf & Country Club, San Mateo Get in the swing at the 4th Annual Wilbur Mattison Golf Tournament. Join us when we tee off at 12:30 p.m. Not a golfer? Join us for dinner at 6:00 p.m. Lamont & Tonelli from 107.7 The Bone will be there to emcee the evening’s events. If you would like to join us, please check out our website at: www.charlesarmstrongschool.org/golftournament.php. Contact Laura Birss [email protected] for more info. Registration deadline: April 30, 2008 Beauty and The Beast
The Musical
May 2, 3 & 4th ‐ Bayside Theatre for Performing Arts, San Mateo You’re invited to the CAS annual musical, Beauty and the Beast. Order your tickets now by emailing Lisa Vukasin at [email protected]. Some tickets will also be available at the door. Show times are 7pm Friday and Saturday, and 2pm on Sunday. See friends and Mr. D, who promises a great show! CASAA PIZZA PARTY 6PM PRIOR TO THE SATURDAY PERFORMANCE ON 5/3/08! RSVP to Jessica Burzo, [email protected], by April 28th. Please let us know if you do not eat meat. In The Works:
CASAA Legacy Through Leadership Program
We are currently working to create a program to connect CASAA members with past parents in the business world to foster an intern program. Let us know what you are studying in school and we can try to match you with a parent in that field. Parents, If you would like to volunteer to foster an intern, please email us your information and details of the intern positions available. Contact Debbie Vielbaum, Director of Advancement , [email protected]. Tech Files
AlphaSmart Dana The Dana is like a computer. They have buttons you can press and it takes you different places. On the left you can do numbers, in the middle is lower case, on the right is upper By: Grant Harvey case. I like the Dana because it has a touch screen and I can organize the files I have typed. Transitioned 2007 If you get tired of typing it has a touch screen pen that you can write with. When you write on the screen it comes out typed on the other side of the screen. h I use it in class and my teachers are okay with that. The teachers even tell me when I’ll need it in advance, like when we’re going to be doing a lot of writing, so I will be sure to charge it the night before at home. I just plug it into the computer at home and it charges. Q: Do any other kids in your class use one? A: Another girl in my class who is dyslexic has an Alpha Smart, but she’s getting the new Dana and her mom is all for it. She showed me how to use the Alpha Smart, how to sync it, and more. Now I can do whatever I want on it. Q: Is the Dana the best tool you have? A: For writing assignments, yes. Q: What tool is most helpful to you in transition? A: How to split words into different syllables, like the word “because” splits into “be” and “cause.” Teachers training, plus a technology tool like Dana is most helpful. The Dana also has a touch screen calculator. Q: Do you talk about your dyslexia? A: Friends ask about the Dana and then I tell them about my dyslexia. They try to understand what it is, but always think it’s about writing backwards. I try to get them to understand it’s more than that. That you can see words but can’t process them… or you can process them but you can’t get it out of your head quickly. Q: If you could tell fellow alumni one thing, what would it be? A: Just be yourself, don’t try to change your personality, keep it the same and eventually you’ll find a friend that likes you for what you are. Don’t be afraid of transitioning, you’ll always find someone who likes you. Reese Harvey is Grant’s paternal grandfather and is a famous mathematician. John Turner, a psychiatrist, is his maternal grandfather, and was in a book, “Growing Up is Not For Sissies.” His grandfather loved to lift weights. His maternal grandmother had dyslexia. Upcoming Events
Event Beauty & The Beast The Musical Date Time/Location
5/2, 5/3, 5/4 Friday/ Saturday 7:00pm, Sunday 2:00pm Bayside Performing Arts Center, San Mateo Alumni Pizza Party 5/3/08 6:00pm, prior to CAS Musical, RSVP Bayside Performing Arts Center, San Mateo 5/19/08 Peninsula Golf & Country Club, San Mateo 6/12/08 Notre Dame de Namur Theatre, Belmont 7/18/08 11:30 ‐ 2:00 / Charles Armstrong School Golf Tournament Commencement Ceremony Summer Alumni BBQ d
For more info please visit our website: www.charlesarmstrong.org. Contribute to Alumni Focus!
This is your newsletter! Send us an update or an idea for a story your would like in the CASAA Alumni Focus and you may see your story or idea in an upcoming issue! You can send photos, updates, and ideas to Jessica Burzo: [email protected]. Please no copyrighted material. 2005-2007
Alumni Updates
Camille Wong, Class of 1998 Being an Orange Tree in an Apple Orchard ; We used this analogy when our daughter, Camille, was transitioning from CAS into fifth grade at a parochial school in San Francisco. With the support of her teachers and administrators, Camille is working at grade level and has made lots of new friends but she still struggles every day with improving her reading and spelling. Being surrounded by fellow students who are academically but not intellectually superior is challenging and it requires a tremendous amount of self confidence and trust on Camille's behalf. Our daughter is fortunate; her winning personality makes it hard for other students to bully her but there are days when being different hurts. When she encounters a bad apple, we support her by listening actively, offering perspective and sharing our life experiences. Moral support and gentle reminders of how to advocate are like sunshine, something that is absolutely essential to any orange tree. ‐ February 2008 2000-2004
Kevin Vielbaum, Class of 2000 Last June I graduated from Serra High School in San Mateo with a 4.5 grade point average and a member of the National Honor Society. Over the summer I traveled through Shanghai with a friend who had lived there, I was happy to find they had a Starbucks! I am currently attending UC Santa Barbara and majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Business Economics. After I graduate I plan on attending law school and becoming and environmental attorney. I am still deciding between Stanford or Harvard ‐ March 2008 1995-1999
Jeffrey Ortiz, Class of 1998 I am one of the winners of the Utah State Poetry Contest! I'm very excited (and proud) and I thought I'd share the news with all of you. I graduate in less than 2 months (yikes) and I am applying at to the University of Utah (later I will hopefully transfer to the Santa Clara University to be closer to home), I'm planning to major in creative writing and minor in film. I love the new interface and flash intro (really spiffy!) your site has developed (it's come a long way since I left). ‐ May 2005 1990-1994
Miles Mulcare, Class of 1992 Last May (2004) I graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a bachelor of arts in Communication. Over the summer I worked for Nike Inc.'s Corporate Responsibility Department located at their headquarters in Beaverton just outside of Portland, Oregon. After completing my contract I returned to San Francisco and traveled throughout Cambodia, China, Vietnam, and Thailand. In December I accepted a Sales/
Marketing Officer position in the Institutional Services and Asset Management Department of Union Bank of California, N.A. ‐ May 2005 1989 - Under
Brendan Pierce, Class of 1988 I need to catch you up on what I have been doing since I left CAS; I attended CAS from 1986 to 1988 after transferring from the Portola Valley School system. I made real progress at CAS and reentered the PVS system in the sixth grade, where I stayed until 1991, when I graduated. I then attended Woodside High School, where I entered the Special Ed program administered by two wonderful women, Shirley Yoerg and Maureen Campbell. I spent four years at Woodside and graduated #10 in my class in 1995 and then went to the University of California at Berkeley. I loved my experience at Cal, where I pledged Beta Theta Pi and joined Skull and Key and Young at Cal. While also at Cal I was supported by the Special Ed folks and allowed extended time on my exams to compensate for my dyslexia and ADHD. Upon graduation in the class of 2000 with a degree in Psychology, I entered the work force for two years before returning to school at Mills College in the post‐graduation pre‐med program. Upon completing that program in 2004, I worked in the operating room of the Pacific Medical Center as the respiratory technician. While applying to medical school. Although I had resistance from the people who administer the Medical College Admissions Test, I convinced them to allow me extended time to compensate for my disability and took the MCAT in August 2005. I am currently one of the plaintiffs in the litigation supported by the Disability Rights Advocates of Alameda to ensure that other potential med students will be allowed their rights under the federal Americans with Disability Act guidelines and receive a chance to compete on a level playing field when applying to medical school. I am now completing my first year of medical school at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities where I have had great support and encouragement from the faculty and my fellow students. Although I have fallen in love with the St. Paul area, after I complete med school I hope to return to the Bay Area for my residency, which is still my favorite place on earth. I am continuing to stretch myself, something I learned to do at CAS, and I have not yet decided what type of medicine to practice, although I am very interested in internal pediatrics. ‐ May 2006 Rosalie’s Corner
As we mentioned in our last newsletter, September 2008 begins the 40th school year at CAS. Back in September of 1968, Charles Armstrong opened its doors because members of a community needed a different kind of education for their children. For the past 39 years, we have worked very hard, come a long way in developing a good learning model for our students, and have built a very unique community. This year, we’d like to strengthen our commitment to the CAS community. B RIDGE
THE G AP
The Alumni Directory
Seeing so many of you at the Exploratorium a few weeks ago was one of the highlights of my year. It made me realize how honored I am to have been a part of your education, and it renewed my true belief true belief in a statement I recently made that: g "The promise of success for all youngsters is limitless if we work together to help them overcome their challenges. The job is just too big to be accomplished alone, though. It requires strong relationships among like‐minded people—people who care deeply about children and who are willing to generate dialogue, ideas and actions that will make huge differences for kids. I believe this is possible." Do you want to reconnect with
old friends? Or receive special
Invitations to alumni or school
events?
Then click here to update the
Alumni Directory with your
current information.
As alumni, you are one of our most valuable resources toward accomplishing this goal. Your experiences, ideas, leadership, and suggestions are critical to the CAS community and our growth. I hope you will remember that even though you aren’t at CAS on a daily basis, you will always be a very important part of the CAS community and continue to share yourselves with us. Happy Spring! If you have any questions about
the alumni directory please
email Nicole Salacain:
[email protected]
Rosalie or call 650-592-7570 ext. 240
CASAA Members rocked out with Mr. D and Mr. Smith at the 2008 Community Fundraiser that was at the Exploratorium. CASAA Members also reconnected with friends and had a side‐splitting good time. CASAA
Charles Armstrong School Alumni Association MISSION The mission of the CAS Alumni Association is to build relationships between CAS and former student families in order to provide ongoing education and support for alumni families. You can also find others who
have updated their info on our
website under Alumni Directory.
Charles Armstrong School Donate Online! You can now donate online to CASAA and the Charles Armstrong School! Just go to www.charlesarmstrong.org click Alumni, then click Get Involved. 1405 Solana Drive Belmont, CA 94002 www.charlesarmstrong.org