ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Transcription

ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 2015
ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL PTSA
Brent Forsee, Principal
Principal’s Message
September has been a hot month
on the thermometer and at Arcadia
High School. Our annual All
School Assembly was held on
September 11th in Salter Stadium,
as an acknowledgment of the
weight this date carries nationally,
and the opportunity to show our
school spirit and pride. This event
was punctuated by the debut of our
brand new video scoreboard.
Inside this issue:
As we move into the fall, we are excited for our professional development day coming up on October
9th (Student Free Day) featuring nationally renowned teacher Paul Anderson. Mr. Anderson has
been the runner up for the National Teacher of the
Year award and is known for his use of technology
as an instructional tool. There will be a community
night with Mr. Anderson on October 8th. Check the
AUSD website for more details on this event.
Students have been working very hard this first
month of school. Many teachers spent the first few
days of class conducting teamwork/collaborative
exercises with their classes. This promotes the opportunity for kids to get to know their classmates
better while honing their problem solving skills. Our
goal is to create collaborative environments for students to share knowledge openly with each other so
every child may find success.
Go Apaches!
Brent Forsee,
AHS Principal
PTSA President’s Message
2
Staff of the Month—September
3
WASC Parent Volunteer Info
3
The Counselors’ Corner
4
Disaster Preparedness
5
ASB Activities and Pictures
5
Red Ribbon Week
6
Reflections
7
Grad Night 2016
7
Chinese Parents Booster Club
AVID
8
9
Scrip Information
AEF Meeting Schedule
10
10
All School Assembly Photos
11
Arcadia Stage Events
12
Pep Squad Haunted House Info
13
Scrip Order Form
14
Arcadia Advanced Drama News
15
AVID Pictures
16
Arcadia Public Library - SAT Changes
Performing Arts Foundation Events
17
18
Visit the AUSD Website and AHS Website
PTSA NEWSLETTER 2015-16, ISSUE III
November Newsletter Deadline: October 19, 2015
Email articles, flyers, pictures to [email protected]
Dr. Brent Forsee, Principal
Vicky Stiles, PTSA President
Lori Kodama, Editor
Page 2
OCTOBER 2015
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Vicky Stiles, PTSA President
The first month of school has already passed by, it was such a blur! Back to School Night, counseling presentations, home football games and other sports events, collaboration day, and all sorts
of meetings. It's hard to keep up with all of the activities that are going on around Arcadia High
School. But thanks to parent volunteer extraordinaire, Kathy Yamane, our wonderful biweekly
listserv "What's happening at AHS?" does a great job of giving you the information you need to
figure out how you can be involved in your student's high school career.
Contrary to popular belief, high school is not the time to back away from participating in your
child's life. Yes, they need to learn to become independent but they still need your support. I have
had several parents tell me that their children don't want them around school activities. They don't
want them to volunteer. And I always say to those parents, “Don't listen to your kids, why should
you be deprived of the opportunity to participate in the last few years of your children's lives while
they're still living at home?” All too quickly graduation comes and suddenly those children are
adults. Whether or not your child goes away to college, they'll never be in high school again.
Just last year I had a parent tell me that she had stayed away from volunteering at the high school
for the first three years of her son's career. She decided to go ahead and volunteer during his senior year as she realized that they would not be able to spend much time together once he graduated. And she became the biggest advocate encouraging other parents to volunteer as much as
they could because she realized what she missed during the first three years.
So I encourage you to become involved in whatever your child shows
interested in, whether it be performing arts, sports, academic teams,
yearbook, Apache News, Pow Wow, Pep Squad, ASB, the list goes on
and on, I am sure that there are opportunities for you to support not just
your child but the other students in those programs as well. There is no
doubt that Arcadia Unified School District is an outstanding school district but honestly, the teachers and the staff cannot take all the credit.
Many of the programs, clubs, and teams would not be as successful as
they are without parent volunteers.
If you don't know where to start, a good place, maybe the best place to
get information, is at our monthly PTSA meeting on the first Thursday at
7 PM. We have school administrators, counselors, teachers, ASB students, as well as representatives from all the parent booster groups. I
hope to see you on Thursday, October 1st in the MPR!
Vicky Stiles
Follow Vicky on Twitter and find out the latest
AHS and PTSA news @PTSA_AHS
Click here to return to Table of Contents
AHS PTSA Website
Page 3
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FABULOUS
STAFF OF THE MONTH—SEPTEMBER 2015
Peter Vo
Mike Pasqua
(Pictured second from left)
“Mike Pasqua is a veteran social
science teacher who was selected
by his colleagues for his willingness
to chair our school WASC process.”
Dr. Brent Forsee
“Peter Vo is one of our newer science
teachers who accepted the challenge and
added responsibility of being our head
freshman football coach. They are currently
3-0 which makes a happy coach Vo.”
Dr. Brent Forsee
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
WASC is a tremendous opportunity for 9th-11th grade parents to help AHS reflect on where we have
been and chart a course for the next few years. Volunteering to serve on a WASC focus group
means you will work collaboratively with school staff and students through the process of our WASC
self-study report. Thank you to those parents who have already signed up.
Please signup using this google doc. http://goo.gl/forms/tcLHvRckVy
Meetings will take place on the 1st and 3rd Mondays @ 3 p.m.
Dates:
October 5 and 19
January 4
April 18
November 2 and 16
February 1
May 2 and 16
December 7
March 7 and 21
June 6
Dr. Forsee and Mr. Pasqua thank you
Page 4
THE COUNSELOR’S CORNER
Resources for Academic Success
If your child is struggling in a particular class, we encourage you and your child to take advantage of
one or more of these opportunities for success:
The following services are available at AHS:
 Teacher Conferences – students are strongly encouraged to work with their teachers to improve
their grades. Formal student/parent conferences can be scheduled by calling 626-821-1754.
 AUSD Parent/Student Portal – access to student assignments, grades and attendance. Log on to
Arcadia High School website powerschool.ausd.net/public/
 Friday Cards – a weekly Friday Progress Report available online at the Counselor of the Day Desk
or at the Attendance Office counter.
 School Study Hall (“The Zone”) – Arcadia Youth Master Plan provides a study hall to help students
Monday-Thursday in the AHS Library from 3:00-5:00 pm.
 Free Peer Tutoring – available every Monday-Thursday in the AHS Library from 3:00-4:00 pm. Supervised by AHS staff.
 Brainfuse – live academic assistance, daily 2-11 pm, brought to students free by Arcadia Library
Foundation, Berger foundation and the Arcadia Unified School District. (Students need an Arcadia
Public Library Card). Click here to be directed to webpage
 Private Student Tutoring (fee) – students and parents can check at the Career Center for a list of student tutors (not all subjects available).
 Email – teachers can be reached via email at ahs.ausd.net.
 Rancho High School – Students may complete their high school diploma by transferring to Rancho
High School. Contact your child’s counselor for more information.
The AHS Student Support Personnel Team encourages parents and students to take advantage of
these services available to help make the high school experience a successful one.
Free Peer Tutoring Program
In a continued effort to meet the academic needs of our students, we are pleased to announce that the
school-wide Free Peer Tutoring Program will begin October 5th. This service is available every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:00-4:00 p.m. in the AHS Library. Student tutors are
trained and most have several years of volunteer experience.
If your child needs tutoring, please encourage him/her to take advantage of this free program. Students
who would like to access these services need to arrive to the Library before 3:00 p.m. There is no sign-up
or registration necessary.
We hope this tutoring program will assist in your child’s academic development and success. We are
encouraging all students who need help with their studies to attend. Tutoring is not available on minimum days and will conclude at the end of May for the 2015-2016 school year.
For more information, please visit: www.students.ausd.net/ahstutors/
Check out the new AHS Counseling Website
Page 5
Disaster Preparedness Donation & Participation
Hello Families,
Thank you for your contributions so far! We are still in need of
more 1 gallon drinking water jugs and “D” batteries for over
3,000 students. Throughout the year we will ask for donations
to supplement our disaster packs but right now the PUSH is for
water. Please bring them to the front desk of AHS. We also
need help to prepare these packs on 10/01 in the MPR, starting
7:30 am until it is done. Hopefully we may not need these
packs but if we do, this is the bare minimum!
Thank for your support,
PTSA Disaster Preparedness Committee
ASB Activities
Elections for ASB Freshman Class Council began on September 7, and preliminary and final elections took place on
September 10 and September 16, respectively. Candidates for Class Council had to submit petitions with 150
signatures, signaling that their classmates believe they are
qualified for their positions on ASB, prior to the beginning
of elections.
While the candidates enthusiastically campaigned
at AHS with hand-held posters and backpack
tags, Homecoming Royalty nominations were
happening at the same time. Nominations for
Homecoming Royalty were entered through an
online form, and final voting took place in the
same election as the final election for ASB. The
results for the winning candidates for office were
announced last Friday, September 18 during a
lunch ceremony along with the Homecoming
Prince and Princesses of each grade level.
STAY CONNECTED….
AUSD has gone social!
Facebook
Follow along on:
Twitter
Instagram
News items and info about all the school and our great programs are being posted on these
sites for the convenience of the Arcadia community.
Page 6
Red Ribbon Week
“A Healthy Me is Drug Free”
October 26 to October 30, 2015
The information below is being shared with AHS students about this important week.
“A Healthy Me is Drug Free”. This is the slogan for this year’s Red Ribbon
Week. Please seriously think about this slogan and what it means to you. Do
you or any of your friends use alcohol or drugs? How will this abuse impact
your friend’s or your ability to succeed in life? You can make a difference in
your life and your friend's life this week, by seeking help if you need it.
Red Ribbon Week exists because of the murder of a dedicated Drug and Alcohol Enforcement (DEA) agent – Enrique “KiKi” Camarena. He was trying to
stop the spread of illegal drugs into the US because he knew the devastation
drugs cause in young people's lives. When the Mexican Drug Cartel tortured
and murdered Agent Enrique Camarena, red ribbons were donned in his honor. The red ribbon became
the national symbol and reminder of how we all need to work together to reduce the demand for illegal
drugs. Today, the Red Ribbon Celebration brings millions of people together to raise awareness regarding the need for alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention, early intervention and
treatment services. It is the largest, most visible prevention awareness campaign observed annually in
the United States.
Most of us have already made a commitment to lead a drug free life, but we might still have a few
friends who don't make wise choices about alcohol and drug use. Every time we encourage those
friends to get help, we are encouraging the stop of another drug purchase and we save lives!
With help of parent volunteers and the Senior Men and Women, the Campus will be decorated with red
ribbons. Posters and banners will be displayed around the campus to celebrate the Red Ribbon Week
and to raise the awareness of living a drug free live. AHS students are asked to wear something red to
school on Tuesday October 26, 2015 to honor DEA agent “KiKi” Camarena who lost his life fighting in
support of our nation’s struggle against drug trafficking and abuse.
Why Do Adolescents Use Drugs?
There are many reasons why young people try drugs, from boredom to an older sibling offering it to
them. One reason they continue to use drugs is to self medicate emotional pain, such as:
October 26-30,
2015
The loss of a parent through divorce or abandonment
Embarrassment and shame from a learning disability
Fear of loss (a parent very ill)
Fear of non acceptance by peers
Loss of a relationship (girlfriend/boyfriend)
Clinical depression
Parents' drug/alcohol addiction
Victim of sexual abuse or rape
Death of a family member or friend
- AHS PTSA Red Ribbon Week Committee
Page 7
AHS Reflections
The Reflections Program has begun!
The National PTA Reflections program is PTA’s cornerstone arts program. It
was developed in 1969 by Colorado’s PTA President Mary Lou Anderson to
encourage students to explore their talents and express themselves. Each
year, students in Pre-K through grade 12 are recognized for bringing the
theme to life through dance choreography, film production, literature, music
composition, photography and visual arts.
The theme for 2015-2016: “Let Your Imagination Fly”.
Information and Student Entry Forms can be at the Front Desk
OR
http://capta.org/resource/participant-forms/
Rules and Guidelines for the various Categories are found at:
 Special Artist Division (En Espanol)
 Dance Choreography (En Espanol)
 Film Production (En Espanol)
 Literature (En Espanol)
 Music Composition (En Espanol)
 Photography (En Espanol)
 Visual Art (En Espanol)
PLEASE NOTE ALSO: If your students are participating in Dance, Film or Photo, they need to fill out
this form for any person’s image or voice used in their artwork.
Deadline for Entries: October 30, 2015 3:00 pm @ the AHS Front Desk
Questions: Judy Lee [email protected]
AHS Grad Night 2016
$125
$135
$145
Cost
Apache Days to September 30th
October 1st to April 30th
May 1st to Grad Night
Grad Night will be held on June 15-16, 2016 at Santa Anita Park. There will be plenty of
food, games, music, dancing, prizes, and fun activities! It will be a great time to see your
senior friends and celebrate the end of the school year. As of October 1, tickets are now
$135 at the ASB office. Purchase your tickets soon!
Parents, in order to make this night a special and memorable one for our seniors, we will
need many volunteers. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in
helping on a committee. Parent information meetings will be held beginning in January.
Thank you,
May Eng & Deborah Howard
Grad Night Co-Chairpersons
Page
8
ARCADIA
HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Page 8
“Heat” with Tons of Passion!
AHS Chinese Parents Boosters Club
September was a warm, humid, and sweating month. Heat waves swept over the community one
by one. However, the heat waves did not stop the volunteers of AHS Chinese Parents Booster Club
(CPBC) from helping out in school activities.
From August 31 to September 4, in addition to assigning hats and looking for the right gloves,
CPBC volunteers tirelessly bent down and up, measuring hundreds of band members, and searching for
the best-fitting uniform for every band member.
AHS had a few of the hottest days of the year in September when it had the football games. During those days, CPBC helpers volunteered at the Snack Shack, in 100 °F working environments, performing different kinds of tasks such as cutting tomatoes and onions, pouring nacho cheese over chips,
and wrapping hot dogs for hungry football fans and students alike.
CPBC volunteers helped out with the PSAT sales, one of the AHS Music Club’s fundraising
events, from September 8 to September 14, to allow freshmen and juniors to participate in a PSAT test
on October14. They had to endure the heat as the sales took place at outside tables in the PAC courtyard during lunch. Later Orchestra Director Mr. Forbes moved the Volunteers’ PSAT Sales station to the
Orchestra Room for a “cool” break.
The much-anticipated first monthly meeting of CPBC rolled open its curtains on Friday, September 11 at the Lecture Hall. The honorary speakers of the night were John Tung, the Assistant Principal,
and the Student Representative to Board of Education, Travis Chen. Mr. Tung shared some statistics of
the 2015 graduates and gave insightful comparisons with the ones from previous years. Meanwhile,
Travis answered multiple questions from the parents such as where to find volunteering opportunities.
The activities’ snapshots are as follows:
Volunteers at the Band Uniform Fitting
Volunteers at Snack Shack in 100° F heat
Volunteers at Music Club PSAT Sales
CPBC’s September Monthly Meeting
AHS Chinese parents have closely bonded through various kinds of school volunteering activities.
The AHSCPBC has become a BIG family for Chinese parents! If you are interested in volunteering, or
have questions about CPBC, please contact Enid or Tao of AHSCPBC at [email protected].
Chinese Parents Booster Club Website
Page 9
OCTOBER 2015
PARENTS BOOSTERS MEETING
Thank you to the many engaged parents that attended our first AVID Boosters meeting of the year. We
are thrilled with your participation! Mrs. Franz and Ms. Polidano, our fearless AVID Counselors, provided
insight into the AVID activities our students can expect this academic year. Our special guest, Mr. Ed
Ceja, Director at Princeton Review, presented the latest data on preparing for the SAT and ACT tests. If
you missed any of his valuable presentation, you can find it at the bottom of our Boosters website: Link.
Please mark your calendar for our next meeting on:
Nov. 12 at 7 PM in the Multi Purpose Room.
AVID STUDENT CLUB - LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
To help your students connect further with AHS and AVID, we encourage them to join the AVID student
club. Through the club your child will have the opportunity to formulate, plan and execute a variety of different AVID and campus activities. It’s a terrific vehicle for your child to develop leadership skills, represent AVID throughout the community, build stronger bonds and have fun with fellow AVID members.
Everyone is welcome. AVID counselors will provide further information on upcoming meetings.
HELP AVID
Please help us to fund the growing AVID programs and activities such as: college tours, scholarships,
test preparations and enhanced curriculum, to name a few events. If you have not participated in our donation campaign, we urge you to help the AVID program through a donation to support the continued
growth and development of AVID at AHS.
Please complete the AVID Boosters Form (Link) and mail it in along with your contribution. Thank you
for valuable and generous contribution!
AVID TEACHERS’ PRESENTATIONS
During the Back to School Night, each of our specially trained AVID teachers shared an overview of their
class’ goals and plans for the academic year ahead. Thank you elective teachers for enlightening us on
Cornell notes, GSGs, binder & agenda checks, WICORT, purpose, metacognitive skills, etc. It’s going to
be a fantastic year for our students!
SAT TEST PREPARATIONS
Senior and Junior AVID students are diligently focused on their studies to prepare for the upcoming SAT
test. These dedicated students are rising bright and early on their own time, to put in extra hours of
preparation and test practice. Preparing for the collegiate admissions process is an important strategy
offered by AVID.
Website:
http://avid-booster-club.ahs.ausd.net
Email:
Twitter:
[email protected]
@AHSAVIDBoosters
Continued on Page 16
Page 10
Buy Scrip and Support AHS!
We have recently purchased with our SCRIP
monies a laminator to replace the old one that the
school had, as well as the new benches which will
be outside the CTE building for our students. As
we all do our best to support our students and
teachers at Arcadia High School, one of the easiest
ways to do so is through the SCRIP program. All
you need to do is purchase gift cards through
SCRIP to stores that you already shop at, and the
vendors give us a percentage of each sale. It’s that
simple! The gift cards can be used at any store
location, not just in Arcadia. Use the gift cards to
pay for your own purchases, or give them away as
gifts. They are treated like regular gift cards and
do not expire.
Do you shop at Pavilions/Vons? Do you have a
Club Card that is linked to Arcadia High School?
Did you know that in order for your purchase to
count towards the high school’s donation, you
need to pay with cash, check or gift card? Credit
card purchases are not calculated into the amount
that the school receives. But you can purchase
SCRIP gift cards to Pavilions/Vons, and use that
pay for your groceries. Our school benefits through
the SCRIP purchase, and when you scan your Club
Card, the school benefits again!
Remember that Ralphs also has a special program that benefits Arcadia High School. Although
we do not carry gift cards to Ralphs, you can register your Ralphs Rewards Card online at
www.ralphs.com. The program runs from September 1-August 31, and you would need to renew it
every year after September 1. Once you have created an account with them online, click on Community, then on Contributions. Select Arcadia
High School, and a percentage of each purchase
you make throughout the year will benefit our
school. If you do not want to register your card
online, you can have them scan the barcode to link
your Rewards Card to the high school. The barcode can be found in your Apache Day registration
packet, or pick up a sheet at the front desk in the
Student Services building.
We have so many SCRIP cards to choose from.
There are cards for gas and groceries, movies and
entertainment, restaurants and many more. SCRIP
is available for direct sales on Thursdays at the
front desk in the Student Services building from
12:00-12:45 during the school year (11:30-12:00
on minimum days).
You can park on Campus Drive on Thursdays
and enter through the glass doors.
OR
You can send your student to pick up the SCRIP
for you (signature required on the form).
OR
You can make arrangements for another date/
time for pick up or delivery. Feel free to contact
us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Scrip Order Form on Page 14
Join AEF in their mission to enhance Arcadia schools
AEF's purpose is to raise funds for the AUSD. The Foundation is populated by parent and community
member trustees who represent the interests of each of Arcadia’s 10 public schools. AEF has helped to
ensure, through its fundraising efforts, that AUSD is among the finest in the state of California. AEF is
currently seeking to enlist new trustees, school site liaisons, and volunteers from the Arcadia community.
Guests are encouraged to attend AEF meetings as they are open to the public. For more information on
the Foundation and ways you can become involved in AEF, contact us at [email protected]
or (626) 447-2165.
2015-2016 AEF Meeting Schedule:
AEF meetings are held at the Arcadia Education Center, AUSD's district office, located at 150 S. Third
Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006.
Meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. and visitors are always encouraged.
For more information visit: www.ArcadiaEdFoundation.org
~ October 14
~ November 18
~December 9
~ January 13
~ February 17
~ March 9
~ April 13
~ May 11
~ June 8
Page 11
AHS All School Assembly 2015
Photos Courtesy of Lloyd Fujiwara and drone technology
Page 12
The Secret is out...Arcadia Stage’s Season Pass—$50 SALE!
Become a Season Pass Holder
Become a season pass holder for only $50 and enjoy the perks of receiving VIP status to three
out of the four Arcadia Stage productions. For more information, or to purchase tickets, click on
the link below.
Don't miss out - Offer ends November 9th.
Purchase a Season Pass
The Secret in the Wings
by Mary Zimmerman
November 19-21, 2015 - 7 pm
Arcadia Performing Arts Center
Director: Whitney LaBarge
This magical production adapts a handful of lesser-known fairy tales and tackles the theme of inner beauty while still keeping the aura of a fairytale!
www.arcadiastage.com
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Music by Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics by Dick Scanian
March 17-18, 2016 at 7 pm,
March 19 (Sat) at 4 pm
Director: Steven Volpe
The winner of six TONY Awards including Best Musical. Thoroughly Modern Millie takes you back to the height of the Jazz Age in New York City. This highspirited musical romp is a delightful valentine to the long-standing spirit of New
York City and the people who seek to discover themselves there.
The Complete Works of W.S. Abridged
By Adam Long, David Singer, and Jess Winfield
Intermediate Theatre
May 25-26, 2016 at 7 pm - Black Box Theatre
Director: Mark Peterson
This popular show features the plays of William Shakespeare performed in
comically shortened form. Expect improvisation and maybe even some audience participation!
Continued on Page 15
Page 13
PEP’S SQUAD HAUNTED HOUSE
Get ready… FOR A NIGHT OF
FRIGHT
Join Pep Squad for the
annual Haunted House!
Friday and Saturday,
October 9 & 10, 2015
from 8pm-11pm
Weave your way through rooms filled with your darkest fears-and challenge
friends and family to come along!
Head over to the Carnival to play games and win prizes!
Buy tickets from ANY member of Pep Squad, or online at
www.seatyourself.biz/arcadia
Presale: $8 per Mortal, $10 for VIP
Scrip News on
Page 10
ARCADIA
Click here to return to Table
of Contents
Page
14
HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Arcadia Educational Foundation Website
Page 15
Arcadia Stage News
Continued from Page 12
One Act Festival
Beginning Theatre
May 19, 2016 at 7 pm
Director: Steven Volpe
The beginning cast members will perform in a series of one act plays that
showcase their artistic skills while taking you on an emotional journey.
STAY CONNECTED
Advanced Drama Officers 2015-2016
Anabella Sanford, Meghan Pender, Bailey Mcafee, Annika Lile, Emily Colton, Geneva Wilhelm
Secretary
Vice President Historian
President Treasurer
Publicist
The Advanced Drama students learn all aspects of theatre including acting, singing, and dancing. New
to the curriculum this year is tap dancing! Every Wednesday during class, they learn tap from Broadway choreographer, Jean Michelle Sayeg. They are so excited to show you what they’ve learned,
they’re practically tapping their way to all their classes!
Photo Courtesy: Geneva Wilhelm
Page 16
AVID
Continued from Page 9
Arcadia Public Library Website
Page 17
Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation Website
Page 18

ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Transcription

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