[Ma-pta-enotes] eNotes for Monday, October 23

[ma-pta-enotes at listserv.seq.org]

For general information about M-A, including up-to-date news about school events and the calendar, visit our website: www.mabears.org 

HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT’S HAPPENING (READ eNotes FOR MORE INFO)

October 24 at 7-8:30 pm, M-A library: a dynamic, FREE, PTA Parent Education presentation and discussion on Sleep Challenges of the Teenage Years

November 7: FACTS forum in library at 7 p.m.

November 8: Eighth grade info night starting at 6 p.m.

November 15: Sign up for College Entrance Exam Prep course (juniors only)

FASHION SHOW CONGRATS

To the crew and cast of hundreds who contributed to the phenomenal success of this year’s show.   A great experience and an outstanding fundraiser.   Thank you all!   

If you would like a copy of the show DVD, email John Bowley at johnbowley at comcast.net. There are also order forms available in the M-A office and a very festive box where the order form and check may be deposited.  Cost is $25 per DVD


IS YOUR TEEN RUNNING UP A DEBT?

We all need a certain amount of sleep, and when we get less sleep than required, we accumulate a sleep debt.  If your teens are only getting seven hours of sleep on school nights, but should be getting nine hours, they can build up a debt of 10 hours in just one week.  Sleep debt doesn’t go away; it has to be repaid, just like financial debt. 

To learn more about the signs and symptoms of sleep debt and tips for dealing with it, come to hear Dr. Mark Rosekind speak about adolescent sleep challenges on Tuesday, October 24 at 7 p.m. in the M-A library.  Interested teens are welcome to attend.

Questions? Contact Pam Stoner (pastoner at yahoo.com) or Julie Brody (julie at brodyfamily.net) 

SENIOR PARENTS: GIVE YOUR STUDENTS A REASON TO SMILE

The class panorama photo will be taken on the football field during lunch on Wednesday, October 25.   Your seniors can obtain order forms in their classes or in B-21.

FRESHMAN CHALLENGE

Sign up to help with M-A’s incredible annual freshmen challenge.  If you can lead a small group or help with event logistics, please sign up to work on campus on Monday, October 30 and/or Tuesday, October 31 between 7:15 am and 3 p.m.

A training session for small group leaders is scheduled for Saturday, October 28 from 9-10 a.m. at M-A.

For more info or to sign up, email coordinators Margie Lawrence at mlawrence at mppc.org or Betsy Bowersox at Betbowe at earthlink.net

QUIZ KIDS QUASH OPPOSITION

Congratulations to the Quiz Bowl club who clobbered Half Moon Bay last Saturday, 340-160, to advance to the second round of Quiz Kids.  Relive the highlights by watching the match on television: Saturday November 4 at 2 p.m. on KRON channel 4. 

FACTS FORUM 

New to M-A?  Unfamiliar with FACTS?  Join us at the FACTS Forum scheduled for November 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the library. This is a great opportunity to hear about new research and to share thoughts and concerns with other parents. 

Save the date: Ralph Castro, Alcohol and Drug Educator at Vaden Student Health Center at Stanford University, will be our guest at the December 5 FACTS Forum at 7:30 p.m. in the library.  As many parents of college students know, college freshmen must complete an on-line alcohol awareness test as a condition of admission. Ralph Castro will discuss what Stanford University is seeing in terms of alcohol use on campus and answer questions about addressing these issues with our M-A students.

If you have any questions, please contact FACTS co-chairs, Lisa Bohannon, lfredbohan at aol.com, and Lily Hurlimann, Lhurl at aol.com.

IS THERE AN EIGHTH GRADER IN YOUR HOUSE?

Eighth grade information night for the M-A class of 2111 is Wednesday, November 8, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:40 p.m. in the J building. All eighth grade students and their parents are invited to meet Denise Plante, school administrators, counselors, teachers, coaches, and students.   For more information: http://www.mabears.org//content/view/138/30/

The Saturday prior to information night, November 4, we invite eighth grade families to tour the campus between 1 and 3 pm.  Tours, led by leadership students, will leave from the flagpoles at the front of the campus.  Questions?  Please contact Leslie Mayerson at lwmayerson at yahoo.com

PROJECT BACKPACK

Help clothe the chilly: bring your travel-sized toiletries and other essentials (toothbrush, toothpaste), jackets, warm clothes, and especially backpacks to A-4 in the office.  Outreach will give all items will be given to the poor and homeless in San Francisco.

LUNCH MADE EASY

You can prepay for your students’ school lunches simply by writing a check for the amount you wish to prepay and sending it with your student to give to any food kiosk attendant or mailing it to SUHSD Food Services 480 James Avenue Redwood City, CA  94062.   

Be sure to include your student's ID number on the check.  If the check is for more than one student, each ID needs to be listed with the amount for each.  Checks should be payable to SUHSD Food Services.

After receiving the check, Food Services will mail a PIN to your home address.  The student simply enters the PIN at any food kiosk to access the money in the account. Questions? Call 369-1411 extension 2590.

OUR LIBRARY NEEDS YOUR BOOKS

If you have extra copies of the following books, the M-A library would be glad to take them off your hands so that students can use them for extra credit assignments.  Please drop the books off at the library.

Crane: Red Badge of Courage
Hillerman: A Thief of Time
Hosseini: Kite Runner
Hunt: Across Five Aprils
Kolbert: Field Notes from a Catastrophe
Mathabane: Kafir Boy
McCullough: 1776
Preston: Hot Zone
Shaara: Gods and Generals
Shaara: Killer Angels
Silverstein: Radioactive Boy Scout

NO NEED FOR CONFLICT

Conflict Resolution is now available to all members of the Menlo-Atherton community. Remember problems are just solutions in work clothes. If you or a friend has a dispute, please come to A-4.

THE EASY WAY TO GIVE TO M-A

eScrip is an easy and wonderful way to donate to our schools at no extra cost to you.  But it’s a good idea to log into your account at www.escrip.com to make sure your credit cards are up-to-date (eScrip won’t tell you when they expire but will stop contributing to M-A) and that M-A is on the list of recipients for your account.  

If you see M-A listed under your name on eScrip, terrific.  Otherwise, please click on "my escrip" to log in and add M-A (our group ID is 136550465).  While you're there, check to see that your credit cards are up to date (you may need to update expiration dates) and add your Safeway or Macy's card.  Any questions, please call Emily Liggett at 322-5533 (or emligget at pacbell.net) Thank you for your support of M-A!

HOMEWORK FRUSTRATIONS

Does your student need help with homework?  Help is available after 7th period in the library Monday through Thursday.

AND FOR SPECIFIC HELP WITH ALGEBRA…

Your student should stop by room C-4 during 7th period and after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.  Get the full 4-1-1 from your student’s algebra teacher.

FOR JUNIORS ONLY

Enrollment for the College Entrance Exam Preparation (CEEP) a spring semester course offered only during period 0 (7 a.m every morning) to help juniors improve their SAT math, critical reading, and writing scores, will take place on Wednesday morning, November 15, at 6:30 a.m. in Room D20.  The course is taught by veteran teachers Gregg Whitnah and Liane Strub, and is limited to 70 juniors. If more than 70 register, a lottery will be held, with results posted outside room D20 by 1:40 p.m. that day. The November 15 meeting will include a 45-minute orientation to CEEP.

For more information on the course, see the October Trivocis or email gwhitnah at pacbell.net

WANTED: OLD COMPUTERS…

Working or not, for deserving M-A students.  If your family or your business has computers to donate, please contact Sue Kayton kayton at alum.mit.edu, 650-853-1711

MIDDLE SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

Do you have an upcoming event that you would like publicized to our Partner Schools in October? If you or your organization, club or committee has up upcoming M-A event that may be of interest to partner school families (music/art/dance performance, parent education, etc.), please send you submission to Charlene Margot, PTA Partner School Liaison, charlenemargot at yahoo.com. Space is limited, so keep your message short (event description, date, time, location, ticket price).

2007 YEARBOOKS

Yearbook order forms are now available on line at the M-A website. You can either download an order form or pay with a credit card on line!  You can also go directly to Jostens at http://shop.jostens.com/customer.asp?CID=130520&mscssid=FWVFBWF2SGP99GVL477PHM5RULSUAMH1 (be careful if you copy/paste the foregoing into your browser—some of the letters may drop off the end and will have to be manually appended).  Price for the yearbook is $65 until January 19.  If you have questions or would like to buy a personal dedication page for your senior, please email the staff at MA_yearbook at yahoo.com

***SPORTS***

FALL SPORTS AWARDS

November will be here soon, so make sure you have this event on your calendar: Thursday, November 16 at 7 p.m. in the J building.  All coaches, parents, and athletes are invited. 

WATER POLO 
You can't miss this Wednesday's AWAY game over at Menlo as our four water polo teams take on the Knights at 2 and 3 pm for varsity and JV girls respectively, followed by 4 and 5 p.m. for the boys’ varsity and JV teams. Come show your support for our water warriors!

FOOTBALL
Bear cheers to our varsity football team who downed Half Moon Bay 20-6 last Friday.  The Bears continue their perfect season with a 7-0, 4-0 league record.  Leading the effort were Pep Hanks, Saia Haatoa, Troy McCabe, Jamal Wilkens, Sam Knapp, and Allen O’Neal.  

The varsity takes on Terra Nova this Friday, October 27, at Sequoia High School at 7 p.m.

Congratulation also to the frosh-soph team who beat Burlingame 33-6 two weeks ago, allowing their first touchdown of the season  The frosh-soph stayed on a roll, triumphing over Half Moon Bay 30 to 0 last Thursday giving them a 7-0, 4-0 league record. Touchdowns were scored by Viliami Talakai, Mike Newsome, Rod Nash, and Vaughn Smith.   They will be playing the Terra Nova Tigers at Sequoia at 4 p.m. this Friday, October 27.

CONDITIONING FOR ALL

Head Track & Field Coach Vic will be running strength and conditioning course four days a week for all student athletes that want to get stronger, faster, and better conditioned no matter what sports they play. 
 
Meet at the track on Mondays and Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m. and/or Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:15-4:30 p.m. to participate.  Students will also be using the weight room.  Cost: lots of hard work, lots of fun, and an occasional plate of cookies, brownies, turkey sandwich, or other treat for the coach.  Contact Coach Vic with any questions at 650-218-5209

WINTER SPORTS

If your students are interested in basketball, soccer, or wrestling, make sure they stop by the vice-principal’s office to pick up a sports packet.  The packets must be complete and returned to the office by November 10.  

GO BEARS! 

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