Weekly TLC Newsletter for the week of December 16th....

Charter Chatter

A weekly newsletter written to parents of the Tracy Learning Center

                 

                            Dec. 20, 2013                                                No.19

Virginia Stewart

As the end of the year draws to a close, I always become very reflective.  While this has been a good year for TLC, it has also been a challenging one.  The charters have to be renewed every five years by the sponsoring district.  Our charters are approved by Tracy Unified School District. 

The schools up for renewal this year are Primary and Millennium.  We have submitted the petition for renewal for Millennium.  There will be a public hearing at the TUSD Board Meeting on January 28.  We welcome your presence at that meeting.  It is important that the board knows we are very concerned and want our charters renewed.  While I believe the charters will be renewed, I know there are things about our schools that greatly concern the district.

We are seeking to relocate the high school to a separate site so that someday we can have a Falcon field and gym.  We will also be able to expand our high school to 800 students.  The district is concerned about this.  Growth on our part means decline on the district part.

We are also seeking to renovate the present site to make it modern and efficient as a K-8 site.  We desire to expand these grades as well.  We have over 1000 students on our wait lists.  This again is a concern to the district. 

There are other issues that have strained our relationship with the district over the years.  We desire a collaborative and friendly relationship with the district, but at this point that seems not to be the case.  I will keep you posted as we proceed to work through getting the charters renewed and our movement in obtaining a lease for the high school.

I believe an informed parent population is important because we need your support and visible presence at meetings as we move forward. 

In the meantime, I wish you a happy end to 2013 and a great and bright future for 2014.

Misc. Announcements

Next Parent Council Meeting

Thurs. Jan. 23, 2014 4:15 in P6

Annual Crab Feed

Crab Feed Tickets are on  Sale Now. Come join us for the 8th Annual Tracy Learning Center Crab Feed – Saturday, February 1, 2014. All you can eat crab, pasta, salad, and bread. Stay for the raffle, live auction and lots of dancing.

Tickets are $40.00 each or reserve a table for $320. Please see the enclosed order form for details.  There will be an opportunity again this year to advertise your business on a placemat that will be placed at each table setting.

Great exposure for your business. A business card size ad is $25.00. Larger ads are available, please contact Donna Baker for details.

If you would like to donate an item or volunteer for this awesome event please contact Donna Baker at (209) 832-1940 or donna@donnabaker.com.  

Thanks a bunch to all who make this event so incredible!!!!!!!! 

Holidays

Winter Break begins Monday Dec. 23, 2013 and all students return to school on Mon. Jan. 6, 2014

Spirit Store

Attention Falcon Fans, Millennium Athletics now has an online SPIRIT store!!  Check out what we have in stock:  FALCON FAN WEAR!!

(https://ssastores.com/store/millennium-high-school-athletics-tracy-ca/)

Check back monthly as we are working on getting designs created for each sport.  We invite TLC Students and Families to help customize the store:  If you have an original design representing MHS Athletics or a specific sport, that you'd like to submit for consideration, design resolution must be 300dpi or higher.

PCS/DCS Lunch Menu Week Jan. 6 – Jan. 10 Mon. –   Pizza Tues. –Chicken Patti Sandwich Wed  – Chicken Chowmein Thurs. – Beef or Bean Tostada Fri. – BBQ Rib Sandwich

Primary Charter

Primary PE:
The following students take pride in their health and have earned their Strong Paw Award for completing 15 (Yellow), 20 (Orange), and 30 (Green) perfect push-ups!!! Way to go tigers!!!!

PCS Sapphire

The Sapphire Team wishes everyone a Safe and Happy 2 weeks off.

We appreciate our wonderful students and the support that we get from all the

great families of the students.

Please have your child continue to read over this break.

P1 Christmas Concert!:

PSC Art

In Art this week, all of the classes finished up their current projects. Then we spent a few days learning how to draw Penguins, Snowmen, and the Grinch.  We ended the week playing a dice game called “Roll a Snowman”, where you gradually draw a snowman with each roll of the die.

PCS Gold

Golden Highlights:

We cannot believe that it is already winter break!! We hope that everyone has a safe and spectacular winter break! Winter break goes from December 23^rd to January 5^th.  We will see everyone back at school in the New Year! Our first day back is Monday, January 6^th!

Student leadership had a great idea to start Mix It Up Mondays where students will be encouraged to sit with someone that they don’t normally sit with at lunch. This will start after our break!

Reminders:

Winter Break will be December 23^rd - January 5^th school will start back up on Monday, January 6^th!

Jackets, lunchboxes, gloves, hats, scarves, etc. are pilling up in the lost and found. If your child lost something at school our lost and found is a great place to check. Lost and found is located in the hallway right next to the office.

DCS 5^th/6^th

    The return of sunshine this week melted the ice that started to form in the outdoor areas of campus. We hope the warmer weather carries into the holiday break so students feel inspired to spend time outdoors.

Pet Shelter Donations:

     Students collected many donations of food and pet care supplies for local animal shelters. These supplies will be delivered over the holiday break. Thank you for contributing to a successful drive.

SWO:

     Personal awareness scrapbook pages and essays were submitted for grading on Friday. It is pleasing to see many students writing scrapbook captions that are creative, interesting, and playful.  The third part of the SWO project will be explained when we return from holiday break.

Garnet:

     Students worked very hard on China projects and presentation boards this week. They practiced research skills, presentation skills, and time-management skills. Students came to school dressed very professionally for the occasion, a true demonstration of their pride and dedication.

Gold:  

    Thank you to the wonderful chaperones who made our fieldtrip to the Academy of Sciences possible. There were so many things to see and do at the museum. Students seemed most impressed by the animal exhibits and expressed a desire to return. We wish the fieldtrip could have been longer, but perhaps you will find time to visit as a family.

      *Science Camp forms and information went home with students on Wednesday, December 18th. Please complete the forms and return them to school no later than February 14. Any questions regarding Science Camp can be directed to Ms. Pelaez.

PHSA 7^th and 8^th

^{A big, huge thank you to our leadership students and all the teacher who help put on our most successful PHSA dance ever!  Extra thanks to Mr. Mitri for all his hard work.  “Club Tyga” was definitely the place to be!}

^{From everyone at PHSA, we wish all our parents and students a safe a joyful holiday.  We will see you all in 2013!}

MHS

 

The spring semester started this week and report cards were mailed out yesterday.  We encourage parents to continue to check Aeries on a regular basis to be a part of your student’s academic success.  Some other helpful actions that parents can take to help their student is ask to see agendas, double check for homework completion, be in communication with teachers, and set aside designated time for studying and homework.

New resolutions go hand in hand with the upcoming New Year.  For many, the spring semester can be a fresh start as well. 

There was a meeting this week with students who took the PSAT.  If your student took the PSAT exam this past October, please ask to see their results and their test booklet.  Students can receive helpful test taking tips fromwww.collegeboard.com

Last semester, Mrs. Stewart conducted a workshop for students, parents, and teachers on “How to Study”. It was a great and educational experience for all who attended.  We have decided to offer this workshop again, so please save the date:

Wednesday, January 15^th from 4pm – 5pm in Homework Support Room M14  

We encourage students and parents to attend who want to learn how to improve their grades and balance their time…studying the right way!

Community Service

1.       Polar Run and Dunk- Wednesday, January 1^st at Eagal Lakes from 7-1:30pm. They are in need of help with set up, registration, parking, and races and clean up. If you are interested please email Anne Langley at anne@eagallakes.com.

San Joaquin Delta College-Engineering

The Delta Engineering Department is pleased to invite students from your school to participate in the 27^th Annual Engineering & Technology Day at Delta College on Friday, January 24^th, 2014 from 8:30-4:00pm for 9-12 grade. The day’s activities will include Drafting Contests in the morning, Career Orientation Seminar in the afternoon, and an Awards Ceremony for closing. Please note the Deadline for receiving entries is 4pm, Wednesday, January 22^nd. If an entry is blank and the entry fee have not been received by the deadline date the student will not compete. IF you are interested please pick up applications/forms from the Science Department. For more questions please contact 209-954-5298 or 209-954-5285.

Other News

Discovery Charter School 5/6^th Grade Science Camp (Volunteers Needed!)

Student volunteers needed for 6^th Grade Science Camp! Discovery 6^th Grade students will be visiting the Santa Cruz Mountains for a week to explore outdoor education and science.  A total of 14 students will be selected to volunteer for this exciting weeklong opportunity.  Students can earn a total of 60 hours of community service for participating.    Upon reviewing applications, select students will be asked to participate in a short interview.  This is a wonderful opportunity to work with youth and earn community service.  The best part is that it’s free! Food and lodging expenses will be provided by The Tracy Learning Center.

To be eligible for this opportunity, please check the minimum requirements below:

·         Be 16 years or older

·         Have a current G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher (Please complete the grade check on the back side of this form)

·         Must be able to commit from Monday, March 31st – Friday, April 4th

·         Application and essay submitted by the deadline has been extended to Friday, January 7^th, 2014!   

·         *There will be a group interview January 9^th, which is the first week back from break.

TLC Weekly Newsletter for the Week of December 9th, 2013

Charter Chatter

A weekly newsletter written to parents of the Tracy Learning Center

                 

Dec. 13, 2013                                                                                                     No.18

Virginia Stewart

     For Millennium High School, this week brings the turning of a new leaf.  The semester has come to an end and everyone will be starting fresh when we return in 2014.  More than that, this closing of 2013 is a chance for all of us to reflect on our accomplishments and the friends, family, teachers and peers have helped us become a better person.  Throughout TLC I have enjoyed seeing growth and it makes me realize how important it is to surround yourself with great people.  We all benefit from being a team and  it is invigorating to see our students advance and mature.  I am excited to see the progression continue into the next year. I hope everyone takes a moment to look at where they were 4 months ago and see the growth you have made.

Misc. Announcements

Next Parent Council Meeting

Thurs. Jan. 23, 2014 4:15 in P6

Holidays

Winter Break begins Monday Dec. 23, 2013 and all students return to school on Mon. Jan. 6, 2014

Talent Show

Thank you again to all who auditioned for this years 3rd annual TLC's Got Talent Show. The results were passed back today in class. The decision was not an easy one, but with limited space available, we could only select a certain number of acts. 

Dress rehearsals will take place in room M1 on the following days at 4pm: (These dates are firm)

Wednesday, January 8^th – (Singers only)

Thursday, January 9^th – (Dancers/ Musical Instruments only)

We will practice the week of the event as well date is to be determined after first rehearsal days

***Important – If you are singing, please bring a copy of your lyrics with you. Also, we would like to see what you will be wearing to the actual talent show. We need to make sure outfits are appropriate. Don’t forget to practice on your own time, too! J ***

PCS IN THE NEWS – Helping Veterens (click)

PCS/DCS Lunch Menu Week Dec. 16 - Dec. 20 Mon. –   Pizza Tues. –Hard Shell Beef Taco Wed  – Beef Lasagna Thurs. – Chicken Nuggets Fri. – Chicken Corn Dog

Primary Charter

PCS Sapphire

The Sapphire Team had a great week!

The Sapphire’s student council secretary, Komal Khehra, has sent us information on   what happened this week:

 We hope your week was awesome!  During the week we worked on holiday cards.  The reason we did this is so they can be mailed out to the military men and women who are in the hospital injured or sick.  We are sure they will be happy about the cards because they can't spend Christmas with their families.  We hope they will like them and know we appreciate them very much. 

                                  Komal and the Sapphire Student Council

We are SO PROUD of our student council members and for all of our students who worked so hard trying to make the Holidays brighter for our military personnel.

Remember:  Winter break is December 23 – January 3.  Have a safe and restful time off!!

PSC Art

This week in Art, the K/1’s continued working on their Reindeers in a Window. The 2/3’s finished their Snowmen with watercolor resist snowflakes.  4^th graders began the dot painting portion of their Aboriginal Art and heard a story about Christmas in Australia.

PCS Gold

Golden Highlights:

           

Congratulations to P3 for getting the Golden Shoe Award for the month of November!

Thank you for coming out to Wacky Wallet Wednesday with The Cupcake Lady. It was a huge success. Our next Wacky Wallet Wednesday will be in February.

Lost and Found is piling up. Please claim your lost clothing items in the hallway. Any clothes that are left behind will be donated. .

Students are looking forward to Mix it Up Mondays after the break! Each Monday, starting in January, students will be encouraged to sit next someone new during lunch.

We are now collecting toys for Brighter Christmas. If you'd like to donate any toys or warm clothing items, there is a bin in the hallway. Anything you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Reminders:

            December 23-January 3- No School! Have a wonderful break!

.

DCS 5^th/6^th

The spirit of giving has been strong this week at DCS. Students started collecting donations for local animal shelters. We have received carriers, food, and other supplies to comfort and care for homeless pets. Additionally, we have started a successful coin drive to raise funds for DCS supplies. We are so grateful for the generosity of our students and their families.

SWO:

Personal awareness scrapbook pages and essays are due next Friday, December 20th. Submitting work early is strongly encouraged! We will discuss the third part of the SWO project when we return from holiday break.

Science Olympiad:

The bi-monthly Science Olympiad gathering will be held in D-5 next Wednesday, December 18th from 4:30-5:30.

Gold:

The fieldtrip to the Academy of Sciences is next Tuesday, December 17th. Students must arrive to school no later 7:30AM and go directly to their homeroom class. All students will be riding on buses with the chaperones and teachers. We cannot wait for students who arrive to school after 7:30 AM. Please pack a fully disposable sack lunch labeled with your child's name. Students should wear comfortable shoes and a shirt in gold or garnet color. We expect to be back before the end of the school day. Please e-mail Ms. Pelaez if you have any questions regarding the fieldtrip.

*Science Camp forms and information will be going home with students on Wednesday, December 18th. Please help your child keep track of these forms as we do not have many extra copies. Any questions regarding Science Camp can be directed to Ms. Pelaez.

PHSA 7^th and 8^th

Next week is our PHSA winter dance.  The dance will run from 1:45-3:45 in our gym.  Those not attending will be in the classroom.

This Week in PHSA…….

In Mr. Mitri's room, they're reading and writing poetry and learning
about different forms of figurative language.

This week in Mrs. Carr's Language Art's classes the students continued to read Lord of the Flies! They worked on their Character Tracing Sheets & prepared for their Unit Vocabulary Final which was given today! Everyone did a great job and we are all looking forward to receiving our test score results!!!!!

In reading comprehension, the students in Mrs. King's homeroom have been eagerly reading, To Kill A Mockingbird and are truly falling in love with the story! When they finish, they will watch the original movie to compare & contrast the similarities and differences!

Mr. Adams' Algebra classes are finishing up their polynomials unit next week. 

8th grade students have 3 articles due for their SWO evidence due on Wednesday the 18th.

Geometry is completing the unit on triangles and will take the high school geometry final next week.  Mrs. Carr's pre-algebra class did a fantastic job on their exponent assessment and is moving into expressions.  Pre-Algebra is solving equations involving fractions.  Watch out!

Congratulations to all if the concert bands in the TLC Music Department. Every ensemble had a fantastic performance. Great job band members on an amazing evening. Also, thank you all for attending the 1st ever Winter Concert hosted by the TLC Music Department on December 9th. We hope you enjoyed our concert as much as we enjoyed performing for you. We look forward to seeing you all at future performances.

The Art Elective class is well under way with the first project of this new trimester.  They are making an Abstract Wire and Nylon hose Sculpture. Each one has a unique shape and they are starting to look even more amazing as they are being painted by the students. We hope to have these finished by the winter break.

MHS

 Congratulations everyone for making it through finals week! I know a lot of stress and hard work went to studying and getting ready for your finals. Reports cards will be sent out next week before break!

MHS has been participating in Brighter Christmas this holiday season. Brighter Christmas is a non-profit organization that provides food and toys to Tracy residents in need during the Christmas holidays. Ninety seven percent of all money raised, and all donation received is disturbed to those in need in the Tracy community. Each year scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors which may be either recipients or volunteers of Brighter Christmas. The Brighter Christmas event ends on Tuesday, December 17th.

Throughout the year, MHS students work hard in the classroom as well as take pride in student activities. A big part of Millennium’s school culture is having Nest Points!!! Students earn nest points in the classroom as well as participating in school activities. This year, the nest with the most class and spirit points will be attending a free day of bowling! Bowling will take place on Friday, December 20^th at West Valley Bowl from 10am-3pm. Lunch will be provided. Students will be notified on Wednesday, December 18^th if they have won the bowling day. Permission slips will also be sent home the same day. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Kneiss at akneiss@tracylc.net or at (209) 831-5240.

Europe Fundraiser! The students who are attending Europe are hosting a fundraising event with The Cupcake Lady. The event will take place this Saturday, December 14th, from 12-3pm in the Walgreens/ Savemart Shopping Center (2910 S. Tracy Blvd.). Please come out and show your support!!

Community Service

1.       YMCA Youth Hoops Basketball- Saturday, December 14^th, the YMCA is in need of some help with Journalism. Basically, students will be writing about basketball games that go on at the YMCA. Game times vary from 7:30am to 4:30pm. If you are interested please contact Shawni Carpenter at (209)834-7274 or email at shawnitwin@comcast.net.

2.       Surtec Adopt a Family- Starting with Saturday, December 14^th, and every other Saturday of December Surtec is looking for helping with Christmas Events; such as gift wrapping, boxing and deliveries. If you are interested please contact Cheryl Sanders at 209-820-3700 ext. 214.

3. Corral Hollow Property Management- Saturday, December 14^th, they are looking for help with Activities/tasks that will include: set up, assisting with arts & crafts; handing out free grab bags; assisting with refreshments and clean up. They are looking for 2 student volunteers per time slot; 9am to 11am; 11am to 1pm and 1pm to 3pm. If you are interested please contact Nita Patel at 209 914 9014.

College Early Start

College Early start students should have already registered for their classes. If they have not done so they need to as soon as possible. If they did not get into the class they signed up for they need to fill out a class change form and turn it in to the counselors.  Students need to remember when they are registering for their classes they must pay their fee that day as well. For questions or concerns please contact the counselors at 209-627-8299.

San Joaquin Delta College-Engineering

The Delta Engineering Department is pleased to invite students from your school to participate in the 27^th Annual Engineering & Technology Day at Delta College on Friday, January 24^th, 2014 from 8:30-4:00pm for 9-12 grade. The day’s activities will include Drafting Contests in the morning, Career Orientation Seminar in the afternoon, and an Awards Ceremony for closing. Please note the Deadline for receiving entries is 4pm, Wednesday, January 22^nd. If an entry is blank and the entry fee have not been received by the deadline date the student will not compete. IF you are interested please pick up applications/forms from the Science Department. For more questions please contact 209-954-5298 or 209-954-5285.

Other News

Discovery Charter School 5/6^th Grade Science Camp (Volunteers Needed!)

Student volunteers needed for 6^th Grade Science Camp! Discovery 6^th Grade students will be visiting the  Santa Cruz Mountains for a week to explore outdoor education and science.  A total of 14 students will be selected to volunteer for this exciting weeklong opportunity.  Students can earn a total of 60 hours of community service for participating.    Upon reviewing applications, select students will be asked to participate in a short interview.  This is a wonderful opportunity to work with youth and earn community service.  The best part is that it’s free! Food and lodging expenses will be provided by The Tracy Learning Center.

To be eligible for this opportunity, please check the minimum requirements below:

·         Be 16 years or older

·         Have a current G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher (Please complete the grade check on the back side of this form)

·         Must be able to commit from Monday, March 31st – Friday, April 4th

·         Application and essay submitted by the deadline of Wednesday December 18th, 2013.         

·         *There will be a group interview January 9^th, which is the first week back from break.

TLC Newsletter for the week of December 2nd 2013

Charter Chatter

A weekly newsletter written to parents of the Tracy Learning Center

                 

Dec. 6, 2013                                                                                         Vol. 17 No.17

Virginia Stewart

Over the past several years, Tracy Learning Center has explored ways to make it possible to expand.  That is so much easier said than done.  Recently, we have worked with a consultant to study our facility needs and to help us develop a master plan for how to best expand. The master plan calls for looking for funds from the state charter schools facility grants to redevelop our current site as a K-8 school environment and to work towards developing a lease agreement with the Tracy Outlets for a portion of those buildings for our high school.  This would allow the high school to grow to 800 students and give us room to expand K-8 to allow some of the students on the waiting list a chance to be a part of our program.

We fully realize that making this plan possible requires adequate funding and grants as well as permission from the TUSD school district, as our sponsoring agency. All charter schools are approved and reviewed by school districts.  We are no exception.  Every five years, charters are up for renewal and must be re-approved by the district.  This year both Primary and Millennium are up for renewal.  We will be submitting the petition for renewal for the high school in December and for Primary in January.

As I write this, however, I know that expanding is expensive and growing has its challenges.  We will need parent support and involvement as we work towards these goals.  AND beyond that, it would be wonderful if someone would leave TLC a special holiday present.  What we need is about five acres of land to convert into a football field and track and to build a gymnasium so that the Falcons can have their own athletic complex.  So if you have any ideas…… don’t hesitate to let us know.

Misc. Announcements

Mr Hepner held up well in the charity jail for Tracy's Brighter Christmas.  In his one hour lockup he was able to raise over $600!  We are glad to have him back.

Next Parent Council Meeting

Thurs. Jan. 23, 2014 4:15 in P6

Holidays

Winter Break begins Monday Dec. 23, 2013 and all students return to school on Mon. Jan. 6, 2014

TLC Music Department 2nd Annual Winter Concert

The Tracy Learning Center Music Department is holding it's second annual Winter Concert on December 9, 2013.  The concert will be at the Grand Theater in downtown Tracy and starts at 7pm.  Tickets will be $5 for everyone. The bands from DCS, PHSA, and Millennium High School will all be performing.  Come out for a great night of music and support your friends and family in the TLC Music Department.

Fall Play

MHS is pleased to announce the opening of the Fall play, A Streetcar Named Desire.  This classic story is being presented in our drama room, M4, by our talented drama department on the following days: Friday, December 6th through Sunday December 8th.  ShowTime’s will be on the 6th and 7th at 7pm and the 7th and 8th at 2pm.  Tickets cost $5.00 for Students, Kids, and Seniors and $7.00 for General Admission. We look forward to seeing you at the show and supporting MHS Arts.

Wacky Wallet Wednesday

Please join us for our next WACKY WALLET WEDNESDAY with THE CUPCAKE LADY!!

When:  Wednesday, December 11th, 5-7 p.m.

Where:  Walgreen’s parking lot at 2810 S. Tracy Blvd. 

Look for the big pink truck with all the cupcakes!  No flier needed, TLC will receive a portion of all the evening's profits.  See you there!

Talent Show

Thank you again to all who auditioned for this years 3rd annual TLC's Got Talent Show. The results were passed back today in class. The decision was not an easy one, but with limited space available, we could only select a certain number of acts. 

Dress rehearsals will take place in room M1 on the following days at 4pm: (These dates are firm)

Wednesday, January 8^th – (Singers only)

Thursday, January 9^th – (Dancers/ Musical Instruments only)

We will practice the week of the event as well date is to be determined after first rehearsal days

***Important – If you are singing, please bring a copy of your lyrics with you. Also, we would like to see what you will be wearing to the actual talent show. We need to make sure outfits are appropriate. Don’t forget to practice on your own time, too! J ***

PCS/DCS Lunch Menu Week Dec. 9 - Dec. 13 Mon. –   Pizza Tues. –Chicken Taquitos Wed  – No Meat Spaghetti Thurs. – Chicken Chow Mein Fri. – Chicken Patti Sandwich

Primary Charter

PCS Sapphire

We hope everyone had a wonderful break! Sapphire students returned back from vacation ready to learn. We are very proud of our student council and Sapphire students for all of the hot chocolate and cookies that was donated. 27 big boxes were filled and sent overseas to servicemen and women to provide them with some holiday cheer!

Need a little sweet treat? Check out our fundraiser on Wednesday, December 11^th…with the Cupcake Lady! She will be selling her famous cupcakes in the Walgreen’s parking lot on Tracy Blvd. from 5 to 7pm. Hope to see you there!

PSC Art

This week, the K/1’s started making a Reindeer in the Window.  They learned how to use a hole punch and practiced their cutting and gluing skills.  The 2/3’s began making Snowmen with a snowflake color resist background.  The 4^th graders ‘traveled’ to Australia and are creating Aboriginal Art.

PCS Gold

DCS 5^th/6^th

5^th/6^th

DCS/PHSA Boys Basketball Try-Outs

Tryouts will be held from Tuesday, December 10th through Thursday December 12th. Make sure you turn in an application and sports' physical by December 6th.

It has been a very cold week. There was even a small patch of ice on the field Thursday! Kids eat lunch, have recess, and spend P.E. time outdoors. Dressing warmly helps keep kids healthy.

Grades:

Students will return to receiving grades in their agendas every other week starting next Wednesday. Thank you for checking them to help us keep students on the right track to success all year.

Donations:

We are still low on tissue boxes in the classroom. If you would like to help us replenish our stock please send donations to your child's homeroom teacher. Students appreciate using the soft tissues you supplied at the start of the school year. Thank you for your generosity!

Carline:

Some children are crossing the street in an unsafe manner to get to school in the mornings. We are concerned that a student will be hurt. Drivers should enter the school driveway and drop students on our sidewalk. Any students walking to school should be using the crosswalk to cross the street. Please help us keep kids safe!

Gold:

Science Camp forms and information will be going home with students on Wednesday, December 18th. Please help your child keep track of these forms as we do not have many extra copies. Any questions regarding Science Camp can be directed to Ms. Pelaez.

**GREAT JOB DCS/PHSA Spelling Bee Contestants!  You did an amazing job representing our school at the San Joaquin County Spelling Bee this week!**

PHSA 7^th and 8^th

DCS/PHSA Boys Basketball Try-Outs

Tryouts will be held from Tuesday, December 10th through Thursday December 12th. Make sure you turn in an application and sports' physical by December 6th.

In science, students started Unit 5. They will be learning about the Periodic Table of Elements.

In science enrichment, students are working on a lab to see which types of shoes provide the most traction.

Geometry is starting a unit on characteristics of triangles.  Who knew they had so much to offer.

Pre-Algebra is starting a unit on solving equations.  The kids seem to like this a lot more than expressions.  They naturally want to "solve" something.

Mrs. Carr's pre-algebra is reviewing all their exponents for a test on Friday.  They will start expressions next week.

Mr. Lasnier's social studies classes are working on their newspaper articles describing the lives of the mill girls of Lowell, Massachusetts. 

SWO Information:

Every benchmark date for this SWO will have the 8th graders going to Mr. Adams' class and the 7th graders going to Mrs. King's. This will allow for accurate checking of benchmarks and allow kids to ask questions of those in charge of the project.

There will be a second day each week that the students will separate into grade level groups to work on their SWO's.  That day will be announced when we introduce the SWO.

All the SWO paperwork will be available on the website if students or parents need additional copies.

MHS

 Throughout the year, there are certain times when it seems that there is an abundance of community service opportunities.  Now that we are in the midst of the holiday season, it is important to remember the true purpose of community service.  In the midst of a flurry of shopping, partying, and spending, it's easy to forget about the multitudes of people who are less fortunate.  Encourage your students to participate with non-profit organizations such as Brighter Christmas or help at a local senior center serving holiday dinners.  Recently, there were a couple of opportunities where students signed up to volunteer, but did not show up.             

Parents, please stress the importance of reliability and follow through when your students sign up to volunteer.  We pride ourselves in having reliable, hardworking, and dedicated students volunteering and hope to maintain strong relationships in the community while students learn the value of being a good citizen.

Community Service

1.       Eagal Lakes- Brighter Christmas Run- Saturday, December 7^th from 7-1pm at Eagal Lakes. Students will help with set up, registration, parking, 5k run/walk and clean up. If you are interested please show up ready to help out at 7am Saturday morning. Remember to dress warm!!!

2.       YMCA Youth Hoops Basketball- Saturday, December 7^th  the YMCA is in need of some help with Journalism. Basically, students will be writing about basketball games that go on at the YMCA. Game times vary from 7:30am to 4:30pm. If you are interested please contact Shawni Carpenter at (209)834-7274 or email at shawnitwin@comcast.net.

3.       Surtec Adopt a Family- Starting with Saturday, December 7^th and every other Saturday of December Surtec is looking for helping with Christmas Events; such as gift wrapping, boxing and deliveries. If you are interested please contact Cheryl Sanders at 209-820-3700 ext. 214.

Senior Info

Counselors are still taking individual appointments with students to assist in guiding them through the college application process. 

Save the Date for December 12^th at 6pm for MHS’ Financial Aid Information Night. Important topics will be covered such as the types of financial aid available for college and application deadlines will be discussed.

College Early Start

Today was the deadline for the CES form. Registration will be open to students Thursday, December 12^th at 3:45pm. For questions or concerns please contact the counselors at 209-627-8299.

Other News

Boys-to-Men Conference Presents “In it to Win it”

Winning strategies for the Game Life

This event will take place Saturday, December 7^th, is free of charge and lunch is provided. Registration begins at 9:30am and the conference goes from 10-3pm. There are fun interactive activities, workshops, presentations and special guest speakers. If interested fax registration at 209-740-4047 or register online at www.sowaseedCF.org.  For more information please contact Carolyn Blunt at 209-229-0916 or Rhodesia Ransom 209-229-4559 ext 501.

Students who took the PSAT test in October will be receiving their results in mid-December.  There will be a meeting with students on how to interpret their results and they will be bringing home their test booklet and printed results. Be on the lookout in December.

Discovery Charter School 5/6^th Grade Science Camp (Volunteers Needed!)

Student volunteers needed for 6^th Grade Science Camp! Discovery 6^th Grade students will be visiting the  Santa Cruz Mountains for a week to explore outdoor education and science.  A total of 14 students will be selected to volunteer for this exciting weeklong opportunity.  Students can earn a total of 60 hours of community service for participating.    Upon reviewing applications, select students will be asked to participate in a short interview.  This is a wonderful opportunity to work with youth and earn community service.  The best part is that it’s free! Food and lodging expenses will be provided by The Tracy Learning Center.

To be eligible for this opportunity, please check the minimum requirements below:

·         Be 16 years or older

·         Have a current G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher (Please complete the grade check on the back side of this form)

·         Must be able to commit from Monday, March 31st – Friday, April 4th

·         Application and essay submitted by the deadline of Wednesday December 18th, 2013.         

·         *There will be a group interview January 9^th, which is the first week back from break.