[Ma-pta-enotes] eNotes 4-24-08

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

*Upcoming Events*
Monday April 14 - Tuesday April 29 - STAR testing; avoid making any medical or other appointments during school hours.

*Announcements*

GO TIE DYE, REMIND YOUR STUDENTS TO BRING A WHITE SHIRT AND $2
Are you bears ready to go tie dye!? This Friday during lunch, there will be a tie dye station on the green.  Feel free to bring your own white shirts, clean and ready to tie dye for only $2. If not, shirts will be sold for $5.  So come on down to the green at lunch this Friday to support the Bears!

PROM TICKET REMINDER:  This Friday, April 25 will be the FINAL DAY that we will be accepting checks to purchase Prom tickets.  Only cash will be accepted after this day.  Also, tickets will NOT for sale the day of Prom.  The final day to purchase tickets will be Thursday, May 7!

JOIN IN THE FUN!  3rd ANNUAL BIG BEAR RUN ON SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2008
If you havenâ  t been to the Big Bear Run before, you have been missing out on a great M-A community event!  The Big Bear Run is a chance to run a professionally timed 5K course or walk with friends and family through the beautiful neighborhoods around M-A. In addition to current M-A students and families, the race draws alumni who graduated from M-A in the 1970s and â  80s and lots of kids and families from Hillview, Oak Knoll and M-A's feeder schools. Last year participants ranged in age from babies in strollers to runners over sixty.  Awards are given for all age groups.  Come enjoy music, refreshments and entertainment from both M-Aâ  s award winning Jazz Band and our awesome Dance Team.  The proceeds from the event support the M-A Athletic Boosters, a parent-led organization that helps to pay for uniforms, equipment and facility upgrades for M-Aâ  s 52 girls and boys sports teams.   You can  register online at www.active.com or download a registration form at www.m-aboosters.org.  Entry fees are $20 for adults and $10 for students 18 or younger.   The price increases $5 after April 28.   Avoid the rush on race day by visiting us at one of our pre-race day registration events to pick up your t-shirt and bib:  Thursday, May 1st, 1:30 â   3:00 pm and Friday, May 2nd, 2:30 â   3:30 pm at M-Aâ  s T-lot on Ringwood Avenue.  Register now so youâ  ll be ready to run on Sunday the 4th.  Questions:  please contact Beth Harris at elizabethharris60 at comcast.net.

SAVE THE DATE: BONUS! FINAL PARENT EDUCATION SERIES EVENT
Wednesday, May 14 at 7:00PM, M-A Library. â  Adolescents Responding to Stress: Street Drugs and Other Brain Abuses vs. Mindfulness Centered Healing.â   Dr. Peter Newsom, M-A parent and practicing neuropsychiatrist, will introduce parents and students to the neurological and psychological basis of stress and how the need to relieve stress can sometimes lead to self-medication with street-drugs or prescription drugs found at home.  Through the use of colorful slides from NIDA (National Institute of Drug Abuse), Dr. Newsom will show how the brain processes drugs, how the brain becomes damaged, and how addictions can occur. He will demonstrate ways to relieve stress through the historical concept of mindfulness and conduct a brief mindfulness exercise with the audience. Following the exercise, there will be a Q & A session. Donâ  t miss out on this outstanding pro bono presentation! For more information, contact PTA Parent Education Series Chair Charlene Margot, cmargot at csmconsulting.net. 

*Clubs*
GOT SPARE SHOES?
Please donate any old, used, or unwanted athletic shoes for kids in Tanzania whom walk or run up to 6 miles to school, barefoot. Contribute your shoes to support the Tanzanian and Kenyan Olympic teams while they train, running the Mount Kilimanjaro Marathon on June 22. Collection boxes are in Ms. Broussard's room, D5 as well as in the Leadership room. If you have any questions, contact Kat Fore. Thanks!

OUTREACH
Attention Bears! Outreach will be selling Jamba Juice this FRIDAY after school by the girls' soccer field. They will be $5 each, and profits will go toward KIVA, an organization that makes small loans to people who can't afford to start a business. Don't miss out!

*Athletics*
SWIMMING
At their last home meet, the Swim Bears scored quadruple victories for their teams. Girls Varsity free-ly won in the 200 Free (Morgan Leech 2:06.29), 50 Free (Sarah Winters 27.01), 100 Free (Becca Dorst 57.76) and 200 Free Relay (Morgan Leech, Holly Chen, Catherine Higgitt, Ryanne Haught 1:48.84). Boys Varsity floated over Mills with all three relays and individual wins by Richard Hong (200 Free 1:52.49, 100 Free 53.34), Chris Kelvie (50 Free 22.96, 500 Free 5:11.14), and Kai Masuda (100 Fly 55.39). Congratulations to all swimmers, and especially to our fabulous seniors: Elaina, Matt, Alex, Jason, and Alp! Next meet is May 1st at San Mateo at 3pm.

LACROSSE
The girls varsity lacrosse team beat Sacred Heart on Tuesday, 11 to 9.  Scoring goals were Casey Burnett â   4, Alex Fanelli â   3, Adrian Holland - 2, Allie Foraker - 1, and Margho Dunnahoo-Kirsch â   1.

Boys JV Lacrosse beat Woodside on Monday.  The JV boys beat woodside 6-1. Adam Skarin scored 3 goals, Dan Mohr 2 and Tommy Cummings had 1.

Girls JV Lacrosse: M-A 12, Sacred Heart 6. Chloe Peters had an incredible game. She not only managed 10 goals but was important on the defense also. The defense had a great day lead by Megan Lazar as goalie with assistance by Monika Decker, Ameena El Bibany, and Ashley Starr. Other goals were scored by Tiffany Kung and Caroline Edwards.

Varsity Lacrosse results.  Bellarmine, a varsity lacrosse team that is undefeated in the PAL, found good competition against Menlo-Atherton.  In the 3rd quarter, the game was tied up at 6 â   6. But Bellarmine scored two more times to win 8 â   6.  Scoring for the Bears were: David McLaughlin (2 goals), Kevin Flaherty, Charlie Fitz, Matt Boyle and Jeff Sklarin.  Donâ  t miss the M-A vs Menlo game at Menlo on Wednesday, April 30th.

BASEBALL
The frosh/soph baseball team beat cross town rivals Menlo 6-2 behind a dominating pitching performance by Patrick Moriarty. Leading the attack at the plate were Wallbanger Hansen, Chase Warren and Chris Gow. The Bears defense made several "web gems" (outstanding defensive plays for those unfamiliar with ESPN.) Way to go, Bears!!! 

GOLF
Congratulations to the M-A Boys Golf Team, our 2008 PAL League champions, who going into their match on Tuesday, 4/22 with Burlingame, were in a very tight race with Carlmont for first place and the league title.  Determined to defend their 2007 title, the Bears defeated Burlingame 201 to 220 at Sharon Heights Golf Club.  They not only are league champs, but have earned an automatic berth at CCS.  Leading the pack at the Burlingame match was senior Nick Chladek, shooting a 37 and earning co-medalist honors, and senior Will Bauer with 39.  Our golfers head to the PAL Individual Championship round at Shoreline and Crystal Springs next week and we wish all of them luck!  YEAH BEARS!
 
TENNIS
BEARS EDGED BY BURLINGAME IN PAL FINALS 4-3
 In their finest performance of the season, the Bear Netters gave top seeded Burlingame all they could handle as the bid for an automatic bid to CCS came down to the last set of the last match of the day.  The Bear doubles teams continued their fine play, sweeping their matches, leaving the deciding match at No. 3 singles with senior Carson Weiss needing only two games to clinch the match for M-A.  To his credit, the savvy Burlingame player picked his game up and took the 2nd set, leaving the 3rd and final set to decide the outcome.  Weiss, suffering from cramps fought valiantly, but couldn't overcome his lack of mobility, as Burlingame took the match and the title.  The Bears will seek an at large berth in CCS, making it the 3rd
consecutive year they've gone to the Big Show.
 
Go Bears.   Grrrr.