[Ma-pta-enotes] 2nd eNotes 4-28-08

[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.
Sunday, May 4, Big Bear Run
Wednesday, May 14, PARENT EDUCATION SERIES, HOW STRESS AFFECTS TEENS,
7PM, M-A Library

*Announcements*

JOIN IN THE FUN!  3rd ANNUAL BIG BEAR RUN ON SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2008
If you haven'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 '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-A'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-A'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.     Register now so you'll be ready to run on
Sunday the 4th.  Questions:  please contact Beth Harris at
elizabethharris60 at comcast.net.

BIG BEAR RUN SHIRTS ARE HERE
If you have registered for the Big Bear Run, or still want to, stop by
to pick up your t-shirt and race bib and avoid the race day registration
rush.  We will be at the M-A T-lot on Ringwood Avenue on Thursday, May
1st, 1:30 to 5:30PM and Friday, May 2, from 2:30 to 3:30PM.  To
register, bring your checkbook.  Entry fees are $20 for adults and $10
for students 18 or younger.   The price increases $5 after April 28. You
may also register the morning of race day.  Be ready to run (or walk) at
9AM sharp on Sunday, May 4th.

SAVE THE DATE: BONUS! FINAL PARENT EDUCATION SERIES EVENT
BONUS PARENT ED SERIES EVENT! HOW STRESS AFFECTS TEENS
Wednesday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m., M-A Library. Adolescents Responding to
Stress: Street Drugs and Other Brain Abuses vs. Mindfulness Centered
Healing. The final speaker in our PTA Parent Education Series is Peter
E. Newsom, M.D., a neuropsychiatrist who specializes in child and
adolescent psychiatry. As an M-A parent himself, Dr. Newsom is well
aware of how stress affects teens, both as a dad and as a practicing
psychiatrist. Dr. Newsom will expand on our understanding of the effects
of stress on adolescents, begun with Stanford's Denise Pope and the
Stressed-Out Students project. Dr. Newsom will introduce evidence that
mindfulness-centered approaches are a way to reduce stress in teens, as
well as in parents and the family. He will discuss how lowering teen
stress helps prevent some of the more severe disorders seen in clinical
psychiatry.  Using slides from NIDA (National Institute of Drug Abuse),
Dr. Newsom will show in simple terms what happens to the brain when
teens self-medicate with street drugs or prescription medications found
at home. He will also demonstrate how meditation and mindfulness
practices can have a positive and lasting effect on the brain. Slides
and presentation to be followed by Q & A. To RSVP for this FREE event,
please contact Charlene Margot, Chair of the PTA Parent Education
Series, cmargot at csmconsulting.net.

DOES YOUR CHILD NEED A SUMMER JOB? HAVE THEM READ THIS
Looking for a little extra cash?  Need the perfect summer job? The "Jobs
for Youth" jobs specialist will be in the community resource center this
week, Tuesday, April 29 during lunch, to help you with all your job
search needs!  Come see Bedilia Ramirez or Miki Cristerna in B-20
Tuesday at lunch!

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
What a fantastic bunch of teachers we have here at M-A, don't you
think?! There's less than 6 more weeks of school 'til summer's here.
That means it's almost time for us to leave our teachers! It's YOUR TIME
to let them know how cool they are. Next week is TEACHER APPRECIATION
WEEK. Everyday next week we're offering 'apple-grams' for students to
sign and show how much you love your teachers! Just a heads up for next
week. LET'S SHOW OUR TEACHERS SOME LOVE!

*Athletics*
FOOTBALL MEETING
Is your M-A student interested in playing football next season?  Parents
are invited to a meeting today, Monday, April 28 at 7PM in the M-A
Library with Head Coach Bob Sykes to review the spring/summer and fall
football schedule and learn more about the upcoming season.  Please
contact Coach Sykes at coachrsykes at yahoo.com with any questions.  

SAVE THE DATE, ATHLETICS IN COLLEGE, PRESENTED BY M-A ATHLETIC BOOSTERS 

M-A parents and athletes are invited to an evening lecture by Jack Bowen
on Monday, May 19 from 7:30-8:30PM in the M-A Library.  Mr. Bowen's talk
is titled "Athletics in College:  The "What" and "How" of the
Sports-in-College Decision."  He will explore what it means to be a
college athlete at all levels and making the decision to pursue that,
including:  A discussion of the various options open to athletes in
college: club sports, intramural teams, community college, Division I,
II, III, "red shirt," walk-on; How to use athletics to your advantage 
--  Mr. Bowen will provide sample athletic resumes and cover letters
along with a suggested timeline for the process; What to do--and not to
do--when pursuing acceptance to a college or university as an athlete 
--  He will reference specific Case Studies in order to highlight the
intricacies of the process and the unique timing involved for athletes
of all sports and experience levels.  Mr. Bowen graduated from Stanford
with Honors in Human Biology.  A two-time All-American water polo player
at Stanford and an alternate for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Water Polo Team,
he received a Masters in philosophy from Cal State Long Beach, Summa Cum
Laude and taught philosophy at DeAnza College for 8 years and at Menlo
School.  He currently serves as Menlo School's Athletic Chair of College
Counseling, Menlo's water polo coach, and has worked as a private
athletic college counselor for 5 years.  If you'd like to attend, please
RSVP to maboosters at gmail.com.  Include your family name and the number
attending.  You can also sign up at the desk in M-A's front office. 
Your RSVP allows us to have a set of hand-outs for you on the night of
the lecture.  

LACROSSE
Varsity Girls.  With no substitutes available in their game against
Castilleja, the M-A Varsity girls lacrosse team stepped up to
demonstrate true team effort. With both defense and offense playing
strong, M-A was able to keep the ball within scoring range for most of
the game. Alex Fanelli led the team with 7 goals, followed by Casey
Burnett with 4, Adrian Holland 2, and both Shelly Camarillo and Allie
Foraker with one apiece.  Final Score: M-A 15, Castilleja  7.

BASEBALL
Varsity.  The varsity baseball team had a tough week this last week,
losing two league games.  M-A lost to Menlo 4-0 on Wednesday and lost to
Mills 1-0 on Friday.

TENNIS
BEARS SWEEP PAL DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
For the first time since the 1980s, the M-A Bears Tennis Team took both
the Varsity and Frosh/Soph doubles titles in the PAL Individual
Championships!  Junior George Horowitz and Sophomore Alec Haley, PAL
finalists last year, teamed up again this year and after upsetting the
No. 2 seeded Menlo team, took the title by defeating Burlingame No. 2
and No. 3 players in straight sets for the title and an automatic entry
into the CCS Individual Tournament, where they will likely be a seeded
team.  This was the first PAL doubles title for M-A in over 20 years. 
Sophomores Avi Shah and Danny Hartman in a dominating performance, took
the Frosh Soph PAL Title, losing only 4 games in the final. Freshman
Jonathon Friedman took 3rd place in the Frosh Soph singles tournament. 
The future looks rosy for the Bears young squad!

Go Bears.   Grrrr.