Fall 2012 Volume XXVI, No. 2Published by Peterson Middle School PTSA • Santa Clara Unified Council • Sixth District •

California PTASusan E. Harris, Principal • Ruchita Shah, PTSA President • Margit Look Henry, Editor

http://pms-scusd-ca.schoolloop.com/everychild.onevoice.

Principal’s CornerDear Family and Friends of Peterson Middle School,

Here at Peterson, many people on our staff work to help individual students both inside and outside of the school day. One of our school wide goals as a staff focuses on BUILDING DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS with our students, our families, our community, and with each other. So far this year, we’ve had each grade level do something special: Our 6th Graders went to the Exploratorium, the 7th Graders studied Mythbusters at the Tech Museum, and the 8th Graders went to Wilcox High School during Homecoming Week. Each of these events build internal and external assets between our students, with our staff, and with our parent community because it requires us to think about our priorities: safety, education, team work, responsibility, accountability, purpose, motivation, and success. See Ms. Topliff’s section of the newsletter for more information about Developmental Assets! Right along with building developmental assets, we’ve noticed an increase in our extracurricular student participation with huge numbers of students showing up for many of our clubs (a 200% increase in attendance in our Science Club, Full Circle Farm Club, and our Japan Club!).

The students in our ASB / Leadership program have also provided community-building activities that invoke change and focus upon student success. This year’s Red Ribbon Week carried a strong message to our students and community; each day the Leadership students organized events around what life is like drug/alcohol-free! Thank you to the parent volunteers who came to Peterson on CAREER DAY to share their daily life and careers with students. We had a NASA space shuttle engineer, the Santa Clara Parks and Rec commissioner, the St. Francis athletic director, a KNBC producer, a customer service representative for Scholastic Books, a marketing manager, a Aixtronse senior sales manager, and even a TEACHER or two! Very interesting careers and the students' questions went very well! Kudos to our Leadership class!

Take Note:Second Semester Electives:

Our 7th and 8th grade students with semester long electives will be getting their schedules Tuesday morning, January 8th in the quad. Students that have year-long electives remain in their electives and will NOT get new schedules on January 8th. There will not be elective change request forms this year due to schedule constraints and class sizes.

PTSA General Assembly Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, January 10th, at 6:30pm in the library.

Mrs. Harris

This year’s Parent Workshops, “Digital Safety” and “Safe Routes to School” with Officer Lawrence, Alice Kawaguchi, and myself were a great success! Parents were presented with important information about digital safety, how to support technology in the home, and what to do if students are bullied or harassed with electronic devices. Parents were provided with various scenarios of how the misuse of technology can impact a child’s social and emotional wellbeing. This workshop followed the student assembly on digital safety. We also had a great presentation on how we can better promote more students walking and biking to school, and promoting student safety when coming to and leaving our campus. Parents had a great question and answer session, and agreed to provide support. There’s a lot to read and learn about our school in this edition of our newsletter! Have a wonderful holiday season, and as always feel free to contact me if you have any thoughts or concerns about our school. Yours truly,Mrs. Harris408-423-2801 Email sharris@scusd.netWebsite: http://peterson.ca.campusgrid.net/home

Furlough Days Change (after the recent election)

We will not be “furloughing” school on June 7th (or the last day of school). Everyone is to come to school on June 7th. Promotion activities will be discussed with our staff, our district, and our parent groups (PTSA) in the upcoming months. We are still tentatively planning on 8th Grade Promotion to take place on Thursday, June 6th at 11am. Stay tuned!

School Site Council Update––Approved SPSA!

Recently our School Site Council reviewed and approved Peterson’s 2012–2013 SPSA (Single Plan for Student Achievement). This 60-page document focuses upon seven school-wide goals for Peterson: English-Language Arts, Mathematics, History-Social Science, Science/Technology, English Language Learners, and Closing the Achievement Gap. For most of our goals, we use CST scores as a baseline, with the goal of improving our test scores between 3–5% each year. We also use CELDT (California English Lanugage Development Test) scores for students who speak English as a second language, benchmark assessments, PBAs in English and Science, as well as report cards to monitor our growth and progress. A

lot of our funding is targeted towards improving student achievement, including but not limited to the purchase of ALEKS licenses for our Math 7 students, new atlases for our Social Studies classes, provision of extra aide time, Homework Center support, Read 180 support, new technology, staff collaboration support, parent education and community involvement. Some of the newly worded goals in our SPSA highlighted Peterson’s efforts around building toward the Common Core Standards (to be implemented over the next couple of years as we migrate to the new content standards for California and other states that have adopted the Common Core Standards), Teen Read Week (coming in February), math training for our teachers with Texas Instruments and Stanford University, and the continued support for our Science teachers with the IMSS program. Go Pirates!

Measure J and Measure C Bond Construction Update

Construction is going quite steadily! The Multipurpose Wing is scheduled to finish in March 2013, with hopefully the new “canopy” construction beginning at the end of the quad and around the multipurpose building soon. The new kitchen facility will be state of the art, and the new stage area and Music Room will provide our students with ample opportunity to perform and shine like the stars! Pirates’ Cove is scheduled to be open soon, for students to walk across the new pathways while enjoying the new landscaping, trees, and plants. The solar panels in the south side of our campus are scheduled to begin generating solar energy in the next few weeks. With Peterson being one of the eight school sites to have solar panels, our district is looking at creating (and selling back generated energy to the city) a savings of $500,000 per year. We are also looking forward to the installation of surveillance cameras on our campus in the next couple of months. We had a delay with our cameras due to the wiring of our Nature Center and fence line, being able to hold the cameras and wire footage to our data servers. As simple as these things may seem, they require a lot of logistical planning and execution on everyone’s part. Strawn Construction and the Measure J/Measure C Bond personnel have all been working hard to accommodate Peterson students and staff.

Students of the Month

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Congratulations to the following students, from their teachers and Peterson Staff! Be sure to check out their pictures and student profiles on the display board outside the cafeteria!

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th GradePranav Tamhankar

McKenna Ma Yash Vanvari

Danny Nguyen

Allison Sanchez

Mario Gentle

Scott L’Heureux

Yvonne Lindley

Nick Gamber

Jesus Pioquinto

Dante Wagstaff

Open Enrollment Window

January 10th–February 6th

For those 8th Grade families who are interested in attending high school in SCUSD that is NOT their home school, you must apply online for Open Enrollment. For example, if you live in the Wilcox High School attendance area, but would rather attend Santa Clara High School, you need to apply online between January 10th and February 6th. Tours are available for you to check out both campuses:

Santa Clara High SchoolTours for parents of incoming 9th Graders and Open Enrollment applicants:

• December 7, 11: 10:00–11:30am• January 11, 22: 10:00–11:30am

Limited space is available. Please call Sylvia Iwanaga at 423-2634 to reserve a place on the tour. Wilcox High SchoolTours for parents of incoming 9th Graders & Open Enrollment applicants:

• January 8, 15, 22, 29: 10:15–11:15am in Principal’s Conference Room, PR18

Limited space is available. Please call Pam Pewitt at 423-2414 to reserve a place on the tour.

Check out the district website at http://www.santaclarausd.org/openenrollment.cfmParents are encouraged to complete the Open Enrollment Application for any grade online by clicking the "Open Enroll Now" link below beginning January 10th at 9am and concluding February 6th, at 4:30pm. The link to the application form will appear on the home page and will be active only during the Open Enrollment period. You may access the website from anywhere—home, a friend's computer, an internet café, the public library or at the district office. A computer is available for public use in our District Office Lobby for applying online.Parents requiring assistance in the application process can receive such here at Peterson or from the District Office Receptionist. Hard copy

applications are also available in our office. See Miss Cota for more information, or call 408-423-2806.

SCUSD Career and College Readiness 4 Year Planning Kicks Off for 2012-2013

“One third of the hours of your waking time is spent at work, why not find an occupation you enjoy.” From Take Hold of your Future, by Dr. JoAnn Harris-Bowlsbey

All students will eventually go to work, so helping students learn about their career interests and an industry field or two that would be a good fit for their future is an important part of the education process. Planning coursework in high school that prepares students for the post-secondary option that fits that career goal is a critical step. In 2011-2012, SCUSD implemented a revitalized, streamlined planning process based on a student’s post-high school goals. All 8th and 9th graders throughout SCUSD took online interest and skill assessments and then researched career areas highlighted by the assessment results as possible matches to consider. In 2012-2013, administrators, teachers and counselors continue to help students identify possible career options and the educational steps necessary to achieve them. Work will continue at the 8th and 9th grade level while adding 10th graders as well. On September 26th and 27th through the sponsorship of an EETT state grant, over seventy staff members from all eight secondary schools in SCUSD were able to gather and refocus their attention on this important topic. Bill Symonds, a Harvard professor and author of a national report “Pathways to Prosperity”, shared international and domestic economic and employment data related to the types of post-secondary education that is necessary for future jobs. Just over 30% of future jobs will necessitate a BA degree or higher while another 30% need technical training but not necessarily a BA and the remaining 30% or so need only a high school diploma. Considering this, the school groups consisting of counselors, administrators and teachers developed a plan to help further the 4 Year Planning process at their respective sites and to help more parents and fellow staff members become part of the team that shares this important information with students. One of the best technical training programs is an apprenticeship program. A speaker came to update the group on apprenticeship opportunities and requirements in California. The next day was spent at the Santa Clara County Office of Education Career Technical Education conference where folks heard from a variety of speakers and then attended workshops on a wide range of topics. Four year planning efforts are underway on all secondary sites, so please contact your site principal or counselor, if you want more information on this important topic. Information can also be found at www.santaclarausd.org under the parent tab. Tabitha Kappeler-HurleyPublic Information Officer and Director of Career Technical Education

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News from the Vice Principal

Asset of the Month (December): The Importance of Family Support

Family support refers to the ways that parents, siblings, and extended family show love, encouragement, and comfort to each other—families are the cornerstones of the social support system for youth. A 2011 survey of Santa Clara County youth reveals that while younger youth generally experience and are aware of family support, teenagers do so much less often: 88% of 4th–6th graders reported family support, while only 69% of middle- and high school students reported the asset. Because adolescents require greater autonomy and independence than younger children, effective family support for older youth takes a different form than in earlier years; however, their need for their families is still strong. Adults are challenged to find a balance between giving youth the support they need to navigate their adolescence and the independence they need to develop as individuals. In their book, Parenting Teens with Love and Logic, Foster Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay discuss the transition from parenting younger children—who typically require guidance and firm limits—to parenting adolescents, who benefit most from the freedom to make their own decisions within the boundaries of safe, reasonable limits. According to Cline and Fay, effective parenting in the teenage years requires clearly communicating expectations and consequences while allowing youth to make their own decisions and “own” the results…even if their choices are not the ones that we would have preferred.One of the most important things to realize about providing family support to older children is that they need the love and support every bit as much as younger children do, even if they claim that they don’t. Although it can be challenging to remain connected to preteens and teenagers, the benefits of doing so are immense.

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program. For more information, visit http://www.projectcornerstone.org.

Activity Suggestions:• Make family rules together, and agree on rewards for following the rules and consequences for breaking them. • Try to eat at least one meal together every day, and set aside at least one evening or weekend day for the family to spend together in a pastime that everyone enjoys or finds valuable. Make the effort to maintain these traditions and rituals even if your children complain about them when they’re older. • Be sure to recognize your children’s unique talents and encourage their interests, even when they don’t match yours. For example, if they’re interested in animation, check to see if there’s a convention or film festival in your region that you can attend together. • Look your children in the eyes when you talk to them, and give them all of your attention in conversation. • Be empathetic about their struggles and concerns—no matter how silly or trivial their problems seem to you, they are significant to your children. • Praise your children for doing a good job and point out when they’re being helpful. • At least once a day, try to express that you appreciate and care about your children. • Be affectionate, but respect their space; older children especially may be uncomfortable about displays of affection in front of non-family members.

Leadership

Hello Peterson Families,It is wonderful to write another article for the newsletter on Peterson’s behalf.These are some of the things Peterson’s Leadership Class have done:On November 16th, Peterson’s leadership class took a trip to Belmont Center for senior citizens across the street

from school during third period. Students made cards for the seniors about Thanksgiving to make them feel good. This activity builds community as we give the seniors at Belmont a nice hour to enjoy with us and for our leadership students to get to know a bit more about growing up. Leadership is planning to make at least two more trips to the Belmont Center over the school year. Belmont is one of the best community building trips we have all year, and it is an enjoyable experience for all of the leadership class.

Ms. Topliff

Joe Choe

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On November 19th, the leadership class and a few ASB representatives went on a trip to James Logan High School for the CASL (California Association for Student Leaders) Conference. There our students enjoyed motivational speeches by Phil Boyte. the creator of the Kiwanis and “Key” Club, and by Tyler Durman, a motivational speaker. Also, every student there got the opportunity to go to a workshop to learn about different ways of leading a group of people. All of our students thought that the experience was extremely valuable and helpful.On September 25th, we had our first dance of the year. The theme was “Masquerade Ball”. Our leadership class did a fantastic job and sold all-time record of 204 tickets! On a personal view, I had a lot of fun and Leadership did a fantastic job raising over $2,000 for our ASB funds.Leadership will continue to build community, friendships, and a student-friendly environment in Peterson.Thank you,Joe ChoeASB President

Aditya Sriram–Vice President Ms. McCole–Leadership TeacherStephanie Chee–Secretary Ms. Tito–ASB AdvisorShalin Shah–TreasurerTamara Pantic–Member-at-Large

Safe Routes to SchoolWalking and Cycling––Good for Parents Too!

Parents often understand that physical activity is critical to their children’s good health. But it’s good for you too. According to our national Physical Activity Guidelines, adults should get at least thirty minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, five days a week. Those thirty minutes can take place all at once or in short ten minutes sessions.

Counseling CornerCounselors met with all 8th graders to take the Kuder Navigator online career assessment and interest and skills survey. Students answered questions that narrowed down their interests in different career fields and resulted in five career strands to explore. This is the first step to building their online portfolio that will follow them to high school and allow them to build a foundation to a career and college path, adding any certificates, awards, letters of recommendation, and other accolades. We will be meeting again with students in January to go into more detail about their career strands–what they mean, how they affect the courses they might take in high school, and the choices they make along the way to their future. Ms. Moberg, Counseloramoberg@scusd.net408-423-2811

The SOAR Writing program has been a great success. Students are here early in the morning and are eager to start writing. Students have been working on analyzing memoirs and writing their own, dissecting expository articles, writing persuasive letters, and enjoying the time to write and work in groups. We also assist students if they are struggling in their current Language Arts classes. If your child would like to join, we meet Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 7:10am–7:55am.Ms. Tavernakis, Counselor 408-423-2803vtavernakis@scusd.net

You can:

• Take the stairs• Do jumping jacks• Walk the dog• Do sit-ups or push-ups• Dance• Park farther away in the parking lot• Toss a football or baseball• Walk around the field while your kids are

playing sports• Go for a short walk on your lunch break

AND REMEMBER, walking and bicycling with your student to school is an easy and convenient way to get your thirty minutes of physical activity. Let’s model healthy behaviors. Physical activity is important, but it’s also fun. Play. Be creative. Remember—active parents raise active kids!If you have questions or need more information, please contact Alice Kawaguchi, Health Education Specialist, with Traffic Safe Communities Network in the Santa Clara County Public Health Department at (408) 793-2733 or Alice.Kawaguchi@phd.sccgov.org

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PTSA President’s Message

Dear Peterson Parents,Thank you for becoming a member of PTSA and your continuing to support PTSA.. We have increased our membership this year by 1.5 times. Also, we extend many thanks to the families who have shown their support to PTSA programs and fundraising events so far. I hope to get the continued support moving forward. Our first quarter report shows positive growth towards our goal. We are growing strong as Peterson Parent Community and aiding Peterson in making this a better year for our students. Keep up the good work in staying involved with our kids and our school. Thanks to many parents involved in our success to date and to the whole PTSA group for working hard and making all the events so successful thus far. There are various ways by which you can stay in touch with what's happening at school:

Through the school's e-newsletter: http://pms-scusd-ca.schoolloop.com/

PTSA's JustBetweenFriends (JBF): www.justbetweenfriends.com

Announcements on the school website: http://pms-scusd-ca.schoolloop.com/

Peterson parent's yahoo group at Peterson_Parents@yahoogroups.com

News updates from the SCUSD Superintendent Dr. Bobbie Plough:http://www.santaclarausd.org/news.cfm

Be sure to visit the PTSA webpage on the school website:http://pms_scusd_ca.schoolloop.com/ptsa

Your child's agenda and most important of all – TALK TO YOUR KIDS!

Also watch for updates on PTSA activities. For additional information, please contact me or any PTSA board member and we will gladly provide you with any information. Our Holiday Luncheon is coming up on Thursday, December 20th, the PTSA will be hosting it annual Holiday Luncheon for our wonderful Peterson staff members. If you would like to help with set-up, clean-up, or just would like to drop off your favorite dish, please contact Kelly Discher at discher3@comcast.net.

 GO PIRATES!!!Happy Holidays!!Ruchita ShahPeterson PTSA President

Dining for Dollars

Mark you calendars for the 2nd Thursday of each month for our Dining Out with Peterson!

When: The 2nd Thursday of the month 4-9pmWhere: Pizza My Heart, Rubios, & PinkberryDine-in or Take-out: Pizza My Heart (408) 245-4100(110 E. El Camino, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 at the corner of El Camino and Sunnyvale Ave. nears Toys-R-Us)

Come join your Peterson community at our monthly Dining Out event! Eat dinner at either Pizza My Heart or Rubios; then stop at Pinkberry for dessert (all establishments will donate 20% to 30% of your purchases to Peterson). Rubios would appreciate it if you would bring the attached flyer, but it is not required–just tell any of the establishments you are with the Peterson fundraiser. You can also tell your friends and neighbors; they do not need to have children at Peterson to participate!Proceeds benefit PTSA who is raising money for technology at Peterson. Many classrooms do not have computers: our goal is to put a laptop in every classroom. Come join us and make these events a success!! Thank you!Teresa Law

PTSA Escrip

Give without hurting your wallet. Sign up for eScripat www.eScrip.com. Enter the Peterson Middle School group id: 6628503Register your grocery store card (like your Safeway card)Register other credit cards (like Visa, MasterCard, AMEX)and start using them.There are also very attractive offers using your cards at the eScrip online store. Go check it out.Thank you for continuing to use your Jamba Juice and/or Target Red Card.

Fundraising with Fresh & Easy

Fresh & Easy, a new grocery store, is opened on the corner of Tasman and Fair Oaks Ave in Sunnyvale. As part of their commitment to the community, they offer fundraising programs for local schools. Peterson Middle School has signed up to raise money for our school. There are two parts to their donation campaign. The first is between now and December 31st, for every $20 in Fresh & Easy receipts we collect, Peterson will receive a donation of $1. There is a box in the main office to collect your receipts. Have your student drop off any of your Fresh & Easy receipts in the PTA box or the Fresh & Easy box in the office between now and Dec. 31st.The second opportunity is on Thursday, January 19th, 4–8pm, the Fresh & Easy at 1328 Saratoga Ave will be hosting a Peterson Middle School Shopping Night with 5% of the total sales donated to our school during that time. Come out to the Saratoga Ave Fresh & Easy and support your school.

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Grade Level Teams

Sixth GradeOn September 30th the entire 6th grade went to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. This was a great day, when students got to do some hands-on activities and bond with their fellow students. Students worked with magnets, electricity, anti-gravity, visual perception, UV rays, sound, and lots of other great scientific concepts.A huge thanks to our parent volunteers––without you this trip would not have been possible. We so appreciate you giving us your time. Ms. Tito

Seventh Grade Have you ever wondered...Why does dropped toast always seem to land butter-side down?Do you get wetter if you walk or run through the rain?What if a plane tried taking off from a conveyor belt moving in the opposite direction?To explore these questions our entire 7th grade journeyed to San Jose’s Tech Museum on November 1st to see the fabulous Mythbusters: The Explosive Exhibit. Discovery Channel's Emmy®-nominated series

is there on display, uncovering truths behind popular myths by mixing scientific method with gleeful curiosity and old fashioned ingenuity. Our students experienced hands-on, interactive experiments designed to get their hearts and minds racing. We were able to watch live Mythbusting demonstrations, and explore authentic props and gadgets direct from the Mythbusters set. Revealing our inner-scientist was a treat for student and chaperone alike. In addition to the exhibit, we enjoyed an IMAX showing of Under the Sea. This wonderful film tied in nicely with the 7th grade science curriculum and was especially significant for the students who had been able to attend the Catalina trip to the Marine Institute in October. Unexpectedly that morning one of the buses we had reserved had a mechanical problem and never came, but we squeezed together on the remaining five buses so the rest of the trip came together without a hitch. And although the day was a little rainy, we didn’t let that dampen our spirits. Thank you to all of the chaperones and faculty that helped to make the trip possible. With over 330 students and adults attending, it was a great success. Ms.Martin

Core Subjects:

English

In 8th Grade: Mrs. Johnson and Ms. Kier have just started persuasive units in their classrooms. The focus is on business letters. Fun projects for some classes include the reading of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, followed by some close research of various

charities, and culminating in a business letter to Scrooge appealing to him for donations to these same charities. Other classes will work on a business project using persuasive strategies that would work in the real world.In 7th Grade: While Mrs. Curtin's classes are working on reading The Outsiders and finishing their fiction projects, Mrs. Heidig's and Ms. Kier's classes have begun their poetry units. For final assessments, Ms. Kier's classes will be creating poetry books with collections of their own works, while Mrs. Heidig's will be concentrating on using figurative language or specific formats to create their own poetry.

In 6th Grade: Some of the highlights from a few classes–Mrs. McCole's class is finishing up its work on Project Disaster, done in collaboration with Ms. Henderson in the science department. Students will be writing a magazine article. In Ms. Tito's class, students have begun an author study, researching the authors first and delving into autobiographies, then presenting

Department News

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their findings, and finally reading selections by their author.Most classes are also continuing work with Word Wise and/or WordMasters, expanding their vocabulary power! Look out for the first WordMaster challenge the first week of December!Ms. Patton Heidig

Math

As the semester comes to an end, there are several exciting things happening in the Math Department. The 7th and 8th grade teachers are continuing their professional development, focusing on TI Handheld computers. The “handhelds” are engaging for the students, and exposing them to different types of technology.

We are also holding our annual Tessellation contest. Everyone in the school is invited to participate, however the 7th and 8th grade classes are not requiring participation. The Tessellations are due on Monday, Dec. 17th and will be voted on, by the students, on Thursday, Dec. 20th. Lastly, the semester ends on December 21st, so Algebra and Geometry students will be taking the District Finals the week on December 17th. As we’ve learned this year, “mastery of math content” is essential for our students, as when it comes to

math placement next year, students will need to “earn” their elective. Good luck Pirates! Mr. Schomberg

Science

The Science department would like you to know that we are fortunate to have about eighty Chromebooks and two beautiful laptop carts for storing them. The carts are easily wheeled from classroom to classroom and as a result, our students get more

opportunities to do online research. Knowing that we have access to several class sets of Chromebooks whenever needed is wonderful. Now, we are hoping to acquire a printer(s) that can print from the cloud. If you have one that you would like to donate to the science department please let us know. The students will appreciate being able to print from their wireless

chromebooks. Contact Ms. Fohner for more information at nfohner@scusd.net.

Ms. Teng, 6th Grade Science teacher, and her students visited the Nature Center and focused on observing four different types of ecosystems. Students had a blast being outdoors and looking at different abiotic and biotic factors. Fellow 6th Grade Science teacher, Ms. Henderson is very proud of the work her students put into their Project Disaster assignment. Good job everybody! The science classes have been very busy with engaging lessons, lab activities, projects, visits to the nature area and the farm. We are lucky to be able to offer a wide variety of learning experiences here at Peterson.Mrs. Fohner

Special Education

Mr. Gish and Mrs. Gonzalez’s class participated in a collaborative Carnival at Buscher Middle School with the other Moderate/Severe classes. The students played games, ate food and enjoyed a dancing with their peers. It was a wonderful event.Other activities include community based outings such as grocery shopping, cooking in the classroom, and learning about outdoor plants and vegetables in the Full Circle Farm.Mrs. Gonzalez

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PE

Turkey Trot

On November 20th, Peterson's PE department held its first annual Turkey Trot to raise money for PE equipment and Hurricane Sandy relief. With one hour left of school, students and staff made their way down to the basketball courts to meet with friends, listen to music played by DJ Rich, and get warmed up for the 1.2 mile course that awaited them. All Pirates did a fantastic job to finish the course, but a few should be recognized for their efforts as the 3rd place finishers earned a "Get Out of Fitness Free" card for PE class; 2nd place won a delicious Pie from Marie Callenders, and 1st place won a turkey from Safeway!

The top three runners for all grades were:

6th Grade Girls1st: Claire Dong 2nd: Katherine Nguyen 3rd: Fran Harrison

6th Grade Boys 1st: Jayson Boyanich 2nd: Cedric Salvador 3rd: Ivan Orlovic

7th Grade Girls 1st: Seraiah Alexander 2nd: Hayley Yount 3rd: Sammie Discher

7th Grade Boys 1st: Meika Beaudain Rousseau 2nd: Rafael Tolosa 3rd: Jagos Jovanovic

8th Grade Girls 1st: Joy Dong 2nd: Vaheeshta Mehrshahi & Kat Hernandez (tie)

8th Grade Boys 1st: Aaron Vaz 2nd: Michael Chen 3rd: Kevin Downey

Peterson Staff1st: Mr. Varga 2nd: Principal Harris 3rd: Ms. Tito

The PE department felt the day was a success––Peterson students and staff did an outstanding job raising over $3,000 in donations! They exercised together, cheered each other on, ate bananas, and listened to music! Overall, it was such a positive day that we are looking forward to November 2013 for Peterson’s Second Annual Turkey Trot! The PE department would like to thank Safeway for donating turkeys, Fresh & Easy for donating gift certificates, Marie Callenders for pies, Sports Basement for bringing 1,000 bananas, the parent volunteers who took time out of their day to marshal the course and distribute 1,000 bananas, and to all students and staff for participating and doing such a great job getting donations! The Peterson community really came together for this special day and showed its true colors. Every Pirate should be proud to belong to such a great school! Gooooooo Pirates!!Mr. Gillmore

Electives

Art

Clay Arts: This semester has zoomed by so fast, and the Clay Art students of Mrs. Branches intermediate art class have created some beautiful work. Their first project was a natural scene tile, which focused on the hand-building technique of slab-building. Students expanded on the natural scene tile in their next project by creating a 3-D structure using slab-construction methods. These pieces showcase the incredible talent of Peterson students, and select pieces will be displayed in the main office.Students just finished constructing green ware bowls based on Mimbre art, using the coiling technique to construct them. Clay Art students crafted such lovely shaped bowls, and they’ll soon glaze symbolic motifs on the bowls. Both students and Mrs. Branch look forward to the results of their pieces. Our students have just started a final project for the semester which allows complete aesthetic choice in the construction and theme of the piece. Students have demonstrated such tremendous growth in the artistic

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process, that they’ll be able to take ownership of this final piece. It has been a privilege to teach this first Clay Arts class at Peterson. I look forward to the final projects of this semester’s students, but will miss my talented clay artists who’ve worked so hard to make this class a success.

Intro to Art: Students have been very busy this semester. They’ve learned to draw from observation and practice the elements of art in both 2-D and 3-D projects. We started the semester with many different drawing exercises that introduced students to the basic elements used to create works of art. From there students were required to illustrate common words with out-of-the- box ideas. This project is a great way to introduce students to visual thinking. Most recently, students have been working on Calacas to celebrate the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead. These are sculptures of loved ones enjoying their afterlife, and students based their Calaca on someone meaningful to them. This project is always a favorite among students because students paper mache wire armatures, then paint them, and eventually construct scenes for their Calaca. We will end the semester with a color unit, where students will create a painting, showcasing their knowledge, and the development of their craftsmanship skills. Art students have done very well this semester, and I look forward to seeing them again when they sign up for Clay Arts.

Art Happenings: This year Peterson art students participated in the School-Wide Health and Wellness Fair. Students learned how to create art that is beneficial to the planet by using materials we already have on hand and “up-cycling” them in new and creative ways. Students made flower arrangements from tissue paper and straws and created mini-poster visuals by melting crayon wax to create veggies, and spelling words from paper clips! Teachers, staff and fellow students were amazed at the ingenuity of some of art students. Ms. Breasher

Tech Literacy

During the 2nd Quarter students have been exploring Careers and learning how to use Excel to calculate data. An online program, Kuder Navigator, is used to create their 4-Year plan for high school, as well as, taking assessments to determine what careers match their interests and skills. Students learn about tasks associated with careers of interest to them, salary potential and future job outlook. To finish the quarter students are using Excel to determine how much Federal and State Income tax they will pay based on their annual gross salary. Lastly, they will create a spreadsheet that will outline how much they can afford to pay for a home based on their annual gross income. During this project they use Excel extensively to calculate down payment, loan amount, loan the origination fee, PMI, property tax and PITI. While they start out feeling overwhelmed by Excel, I witness daily light bulbs turning on as they learn a new concept.Ms. Chapman

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AVID

The class is looking to plan field trips to local colleges in the second half of the school year. In the past we've toured Santa Clara University and San Jose State; if you have a connection with a local 4-year college, please let us know! The more completely our students can envision what college is about, the better they can also envision themselves there.Also, this elective class would love to have guest speakers come to visit. Do you have a career you love? Did you overcome something difficult to get through high school or college? Have you done or experienced something that inspires you? Anyone with a story to share about career, college, or life, please contact us. The students are excited to have adults besides the ones they see every day come to tell them about what real life is like--especially beyond middle school.Ms. Twomey

Full Circle Farm

This year is unique for the middle school. If you imagine the stereotypical school garden, you may think of a few strawberry plants some weeds, a couple of brassicas that have long since flowered and a few dried flowers. This is not the case for the 6th graders though. They are farmers in training. Instead of each class adopting one bed the ten 6th grade classes have adopted all thirty-two beds. They have planted napa cabbage, kale, chard, beets, carrots, lettuces, radishes, kohlrabi, broccoli, and cauliflower. Our little greenhouse if full of small peas, budding onions and leeks and a few other spare plants just in case the squirrels get more than their share.Cindy, our garden educator, and I are so proud of seeing the results of diligent effort by the kids and teachers. We are excited about the healthy compost bins, full of biomass that is being carefully tended, the piles of weeds that bare bear witness to the work of many hands. Our young farmers are paid in tomatoes and the last of the few raspberries and of course our mighty thanks. Ultimately our goal for the year is to have kids sit down under the green dome of wisteria and have a journal filled with information about how they can create their own gardens. Mr. Mark Batchelor, Full Circle Farm

Student Report on Brain Function:

Sleep Deprivation

Do you get less that eight or nine hours of sleep? If you do, it can badly affect how you act, or do in school. Little sleep can lead to irritability, having a hard time focusing, and difficulty with memory. During sleep, your brain needs to “recharge.” Sleep is also needed to make memories permanent. Having a hard time sleeping may be due to stress. Tests have shown that our generation is the one with the most stressed out kids. Why? Because of school work, family, and peer pressure. If you put pressure on a classmate, it could be the reason that they aren’t sleeping! Lack of sleep can also lead to

slurred speech. Not sleeping has another amazingly negative effect: one night of not sleeping can impair you while driving as much as being legally drunk.Nathalie Paesler, 7th Grade

Wellness Fair

100 Calorie Snacks

For the Wellness Fair, 7th grade students came up with the following list of 100 Calorie snacks (some are more nutritious than others…) 14 almonds 2 small cans tuna unlimited diet Snapple 3 large pretzels 1 ¼ c. blueberries ½ c. fro yo 4 cups air popped popcorn chocolate covered banana 3 t. nutella 28 grapes 20 olives ½ cantaloup 1 oz licorice 100 pine nuts ½ taco 1/7 Double Double 1 ½ Hershey fun size 25 jelly beans 2 t. jelly 1 Nature Valley Bar ½ small bag taquis 16 oz. Gatorade 5 kisses 1 madeleine 2 oreos 1 oz. pasta 1 apple juice box 5 tsp. sugar 1 ½ cans vienna sausages

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Catalina Island Marine Biology Excursion

The trip to Catalina was fabulous this year—October is a beautiful time to be on Catalina Island. The weather was perfect—and the crossing was calm. Students saw the back of a blue whale as well as many dolphins on the way to Catalina. When we got to Catalina, we went snorkeling right away. The kelp forest was full of fish—garibaldis, rays, kelp bass, senorita fish, blacksmiths, giant sea hares, and leopard sharks! Fortunately the classes introduced the students to the smaller sharks because during the night snorkel (71 of the 74 students experienced the night snorkel) the bay was full of sharks—and the bacteria were bioluminescent around the swimmers’ bodies as they moved through the water. The evening astronomy program was excellent—we even saw stars! Although we used every bed available, students were comfortable and everyone was satisfied with the food. The only disappointing part was that Manfield, our popular bison, had died (up near the shrine—still very stinky). October was such a great time to be on the Island, that we have already scheduled the trip for next year for October 18th–21st. We will have an organizational meeting at the beginning of next school year. Mrs. Fohner, Science Teacher

Community Service Club

Peterson’s Community Service Club is awesome this year––we have the greatest group of generous students who come to our meetings every Thursday after school. Our service projects have varied greatly this year: we’ve cleaned up after our school-wide Health Fair, designed and started

building more wood paths for the Nature Center, prepared for the Star Gazing Night by helping with the luminaries, worked in the Nature Center moving rocks, stuffed envelopes for our English Learner program, cleaned teachers’ classrooms, and have an on-going project decorating bags (both paper and canvas) for the Second Harvest Food Bank to deliver to seniors filled with groceries (the bags will then be reused as shopping bags). We are currently organizing a field trip to RAFT (what is raft?), where our students will be assembling science kits.The group is lead by Sally Gonzales, James Jolliff, and Kathleen Twomey. If you have any questions, or want your son/daughter to join, please contact one of us through the Peterson Website.Ms. Twomey7th/8th Grade Math Teacher8th Grade AVID CoordinatorEL Facilitator

After School Clubs

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GAINS

GAINS at Peterson is in full swing. So many girls are participating that Ms. Lawlor has volunteered to help with the 6th grade girls. With Ms. Lawlor’s help, the girls do not have to miss class to attend GAINS meetings. So far Peterson has had two speakers: Cynthia McClain, a PhD. Candidate in Geology from

Stanford and Dina Coronado, Vice-President of Anacor, a pharmaceutical company. We are looking forward to our third pizza lunch and speaker (Community Service Office Holly Lawrence who just received a national award for her work on internet safety) on December 6th. In addition, a Start of the Year Kick Off Astronomy Night for all GAINS participants in the District was held at Peterson on November 1st. Wonderful speakers from NASA started off the evening, girls completed a survey and made a Star Finder, and the evening ended with a fabulous display of the Night Sky. Mr. Van Pernis was instrumental in organizing the event. Jupiter and the moon came up later in the evening and were definitely the “stars” of the event. The moons of Jupiter and the color patterns on Jupiter’s surface were amazing.Mrs. Fohner, Science Teacher

Japan Club

Japan Club is in full swing and club members have been busy learning many Japanese greetings and phrases, and writing our names in Japanese, in preparation for travel to Japan in April. Additionally, Aditi Pandy presented the story of Sadako Sasaki and

the 1000 cranes, and afterwards, club members learned how to make cranes, using the Japanese art of folding paper, called Origami. We will take the cranes to Nagasaki on our trip to Japan, as a symbol of peace. At our last meeting, club members got to try their hand at Japanese calligraphy, using traditional ink and brushes. It was a messy activity, but the results were fantastic!We are finalizing dates with Kamimura School in Japan and we will have an informational parentmeeting at 7:00 on December 13th in Room D-4, for parents of students interested in going to Japan or hosting Japanese students when they come here in March. We will give an overview of the exchange program, as well as answer questions you may have.If you have further questions, you may contact:Demetrius Asekomeh: dasekomeh@scusd.net , Lisa Johnson: ljohnson@scusd.net , or HiromiUshimaru: hushimaru@scusd.net

Nature Area Guides

The fabulous Nature Area Guides have just finished guiding for 15 field trips. Thank you Guides! These free trips are available to all elementary school in the District. The students present a standards-based field trip at each grade level. New guides have been

shadowing the experienced guides and are now ready to take on guiding on their own. Approximately 80 students meet out at the Nature Area every Wed. at lunch to learn to become guides. We are all very grateful to the 5th and 6th period teachers who have tolerated their absence from the classroom while the students are guiding for field trips. This winter we will be using our lunchtime meetings to start an online guide to the Nature Area.Mrs. Fohner, Science Teacher

Science Club

Wow, the Mousetrap Powered Car Competition is done!! Competition days were crazy before, but with about 80 kids in the Science Club, the craziness has hit new highs. We have been working hard on a mousetrap-powered car. We had three competitions: one for distance, one for speed, and one for

appearance.In the distance category, Team #1 sprang 8.4 meters for first place. Congratulations to Shashank, Shishir, Nikhil, Abhijt, Yash, and Praahvi. Team #18 scored 4.8 meters, which earned them second place. Good job Aditi, Shivangi, and Michelle. Following at 3.9 meters was Team #11. Yash, Mephis, and Ayden did very well.In the speed category, Team #18 zipped into first place with a speed of 1.178 meters per second. Aditi, Shivangi, and Michelle are the fastest around. Second place came quickly to Team #1 at 1.119 meters per second. Don't blink or you will miss Shashank, Shishir, Nikhil, Abhijt, Yash, and Praahvi. And 1.045 meters per second got Team #30 third place. Way to go, Julianna, Katherine, Venus, Sylvia, and Arundhutu!In the appearance category, Team #18 lead with the car that was really nice on the eyes. Thank you Aditi Anand, Shivangi Kar, and Michelle Mathew. Team #129 came is second with a really cool looking car. Zoom-zoom to Muhhammad. In third place was Team #99. Yippee for Claire, Ella, Tina, Jackie, and Rachel!If you were paying attention, Team #18 got second, first, and first place. Way to go Team #18! From November 30th to December 14th we will be playing with electromagnets. We will make our own, see how to make them better, and attempt to pick up loads with them.Mr. Asekomeh

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Swim Club

Instructional Swim Club Ends with a Positive Splash!The swim club concluded its last meeting on November 26th and 27th. We had a small but eager group of beginners and intermediate swimmers attending.The beginner group met on Mondays and showed a lot of desire to

improve. We were fortunate to also have former Peterson Pirate, Patricia Tran assisting me. The swimmers worked mainly on breathe control and freestyle stroke. They used kick boards to work on their flutter kick and also tennis balls to work on balance drills to get a feel for balance in the water. I’m pleased to say that the beginner group left with much-improved skills with amazing diligence to become better swimmers. We concluded the session with a fun dive ring recovery game to see how many dive rings swimmers could gather from the depths of the pool.The intermediate group met on Tuesdays and we concentrated on refining the freestyle stroke with various drills including catch up, fist and single arm pull. Kick board time was also essential to the warm up before moving onto the main set. For a change of pace, we also worked on the breaststroke and frog kick.In conclusion, not only did both groups improve on their strokes, they also gained much self-confidence and endurance. The beginners were struggling to get across the 25yd pool but in the end, they were able to swim it with much more ease.Thank you swimmers for coming out and showing such great perseverance! We had a fun time.Swimmingly,Ms. Yee, PE Teacher

World Affairs Challenge Club

By Pradyuth Thonse, Brandon Tran, Pridhvi Vegesna and Milan Shergill

The third year of WAC at Peterson, has made its mark as four teams have been formed with over thirty-five participants! We are happy to have expanded on so many fronts, not only

in terms of student participation, but as a club overall. With help from Wilcox advisors and multiple staff members, the students are ready to engage into the rigorous challenge awaiting them. Over the past few weeks, the teams have taken part in a multitude of conversations over global topics related to this year’s theme, sustainable communities as we prepare for the World Affairs Challenge taking place at SFSU in March. Coaches from Wilcox Past & Present World Affairs Teams, also Peterson Alumni and older siblings to current members, are Sukrti Thonse, Afreen Hassan, Christina Ngo, Sumaiya Elahi and Brian Tran. The club meetings are currently focused on learning about world matters

such as the United Nations and current conflicts. We are now better prepared for the soon to come World Affairs Challenge and would like to thank all the support that it has received from the members, staff, Wilcox advisors, and the school as a whole.Although it is too late to join one of the traveling teams, the club is open to new members who are interested in educating themselves and others about solving global and local issues. The World Affairs Club meets every Monday from 2:45pm to 3:30pm in the library. For more information please contact Ms. Piscionere (npiscionere@scusd.com) or Ms. McKenzie (amckenzie@scusd.net).

Yearbook Club

The Yearbook team has been having a great time documenting and making spreads of the different events that have been occurring this school year. Events include the Turkey Trot, the Wellness Fair and Student Service. The students have been working up enough courage to talk to other schoolmates in order

to interview them and take pictures of them. Not an easy feat! Students are looking forward to seeing the finished product at the end of the year. Hope you enjoy it.Ms. Teng, Science Teacher

Sports Corner

Forty-Nine Game Win Streak Over

Since the boys’ basketball season in 2010, Coach Narcisso’s 8th grade teams here at Peterson have won forty-nine straight games. That streak unfortunately ended as this year’s Girls Basketball team lost to Hoover in the championship. The girls ended their season with a record of 7–1 outscoring their opponents 324 to 168, with an average score per game of 41 to 21. Kayla Schermeister was the league’s leading scoring averaging eighteen

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points a game, and also set the school record by scoring thirty-two points in one game. Captain Genessa Banzon was the team’s point guard, led the league in assists, and averaged eight points a game. The other three starters were Rita Evans, Audrey Wolfe, and Brianna Sekhon. The rest of the team consisted of Prabhjot Gill, Aminah Kelly, Cesilia “ New Kid” Olivera, Yatziri Arias, Heysell Cruz, Xochitl Moncada, Ana Jeronimo, and Alex Tellez. Coach Narcisso wanted the kids to know he had blast coaching this group, and is extremely proud of them all. He is sad he will not get to see those great smiles at practice everyday, and he will miss all the laughs.

“Great players, and great teams are not great because of their skills nor their athletic talents, they are great because of their passion.” Coach Narcisso.

On October 4th, our 8th grade girls’ volleyball team ended their season in style. They finished the season undefeated winning all six matches. They dominated Buchser in the championship winning 2 games to 0, and the final game by a score of 25 to 9. Captain Audrey Wolfe was the league M.V.P. and our leader all season. Co-Captain Rita Evans, Genessa Banzon, Prabhjot Gill, Joy Dong, and Yatziri Arias rounded out the starting six. Everyone on the team played a huge roll. Other members of the championship team were Cesilia Olivera, Vaheeshta Mehrshahi, Alex Tellez, Amanda Belong, Xochitl Moncada, Aminah Kelly, Raven Smith, Jee Youn Moon, and Nikhita Chandrashekar. I am really proud of this group, and enjoyed seeing the kids so happy celebrating the championship after the game. That is why I love coaching. After twenty-five basketball championships, and countless volleyball titles, it never gets old.

We are currently going through boys’ basketball try-outs. Over the last six years, the 8th grade boys teams have a combined record of 51–3 with five championships. We have 100 kids trying out. Stay tuned for updates in the next newsletter! The first game is January 22nd.Coach Narcisso

In a rematch of last year's championship game, the 6/7th grade girl's basketball played a tough Hoover team in the semifinals of playoffs, losing 9-5. Our girls played so hard and battled the whole game. Hayley Yount led the Pirates in hustle, and scoring, with three points. Katherine Nguyen played well and scored two points. Adriana

Martinez had five blocked shots and Joyce Huang Ooi used her speed all over the floor. also I also want to recognize all the girls for their hard work and contributions for the season: Jordan Tachibana, Ashley Cole, Isabella Lai, Nicole Hamblin, Susie Gantulga, Rachel Ratnam, Anuvir Sekhon, Jessica Geiger, Seraiah Alexander, and Kim Mori. Although we didn't win, these last two months have been truly amazing! Spending all the time at practice, hanging out at school, going to the Santa Clara Broncos women's basketball game, and watching these girls go to battle in games has been such a great experience. I will cherish the memories and hopes you girls do too. Great season ladies! Goooooo Pirates!!!

This year's boys volleyball team are now BACK TO BACK CHAMPIONS!! The boys dominated Crittenden in the semifinal match, which led to a rematch against undefeated Don Callejon. The Pirates shocked the Cougars, winning 2 of 3 games for the championship match! Rafael Tolosa, Nick Tran, and Shalin Shah all had their serves working masterfully! Joe Gee emerged as the teams most powerful hitter, dropping bombs on the opposition! President Joe Choe held the team together with his solid play and unique motivational strategies. Jagos Jovanovic played great, and even saved the ball with his FOOT (!), as Matthew Tolosa was solid all around. Other members that contributed to this year's championship are: Aditya Sriram, Arpinderjeet Singh, Aditya Jangid, Nick Corridan, Noah Gallegos, Vivek Suthar, Michael Crouch, and Anish Donepudi. I am extremely proud of this team for learning how to be true champions. They played hard, motivated each other, stayed positive, and were always willing to learn. Congratulations on an outstanding season boys! Gooooo Pirates!!Coach Gillmore

Peterson Newsletter Graphics Team

Siddharth Patil: Yoga Club, Nature Area Guides ClubAaron Wang: Community Service Club, Science Club, Japan Club, Language Arts, Bicycling Maya Freeman: Gains, Swim Club, World Affairs Club, ScienceBeatrix Henry: Baby

With apologies for previous misattributions!

“Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is.” Vince Lombardi

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Meet Meiling Yee PE Teacher

Birth Month: JuneWhere you were born? San FranciscoHow many years have you worked at Peterson? FifteenWhat do you like best about Peterson? The staff and studentsFavorite Color: Blue

Favorite Book Genre: Non-fictionFavorite Subject in School: English, PEFavorite Food? SushiWho makes it best? Kioso restaurant in MauiWhere did you attend college? Foothill, Berkeley, San Jose State, Hayward StateYour favorite place and why: Maui––the people are wonderful, the ocean and food are fantastic. It’s a great place to relax!Your favorite middle school memory: My social studies teacher told me I was smart. Pets? I grew up with many but have none now. I love Pugs!Anything else to share? Live a balanced life is my motto!

Meet Liza Zassenhaus

Language Arts Teacher

Birth Month: MarchWhere you were born? Washington, D.C.How many years have you worked at Peterson? SixWhat do you like best about Peterson? The staff, the setting, the students and their familiesFavorite Color: Aqua

Favorite Subject in School: WritingFavorite Book Genre: MemoirsFavorite Food? JapaneseWho makes it best? Not my mom, that’s for sure!Where did you attend college? New York UniversityYour favorite place and why: I love Venice––it’s magical and beautiful. Its landscape is unlike any place in the world. Your favorite school memory: Participating in the school literature magazine––I discovered my love of poetry. Anything else to share? I love swimming and yoga. I have two children, Jonah and Sydney who are my greatest joy.

Meet Jennifer Chapman

Tech Literacy and PE Teacher

Birth Month: SeptemberWhere you were born? Merced, CAHow many years have you worked at Peterson? Four What do you like best about Peterson? I like the students,; they enjoy learning, are enthusiastic, fun to

teach and to get to know. Favorite Color: Orange and pinkFavorite Subject in School: Math and PEFavorite Book Genre: FictionFavorite Food? Sushi Who makes it best? Sushi O Sushi, Santa CruzWhere did you attend college? Fresno StateYour favorite place and why: I love Rio de Janiero; my sister and niece live there––fun people, lifestyle and great food! Your favorite school memory: Friday night dancesAnything else to share? I have lived in Morgan Hill since March and am committed to cycling and taking public transit to work every day I can (rain or shine).

Meet Alice Moberg

Guidance Counselor

Birth Month: FebruaryWhere you were born? StanfordHow many years have you worked at Peterson? SevenWhat do you like best about Peterson? I like the spirit, the support for our students, the parents and kids!Favorite Color: purple

Favorite Subject in School: ArtFavorite Book Genre: FictionFavorite Food? Italian Who makes it best? Mom! Where did you attend college? University of Arizona and Northern Arizona UniversityYour favorite place and why: Outside, either at the beach or wading in a creek.Your favorite school memory: A boy left a rose, a card, and a huge back of M&M’s in my locker for Valentine’s Day one yearPets? Franklin, my dog.

Teacher Profiles

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Calling all 8th Grade Parents:Show Us Those Cute Baby Faces!

In this year’s yearbook, we will be including our ever-popular “Baby Photo Section.” If your child would like to be included, please send in a baby picture by Friday, January 18th.

If you choose to send it by email, please send it to tteng@scusd.net. Please put “Baby Photo” with your child’s full name in the subject section. f you choose to send in the original photo, there will be a box at the office. If you would like the photo back, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope; otherwise the photo will not be returned. Please include your child's full name. Thank you,

Ms. Teng, The Yearbook Committee

Yearbook Order Form Please ask your student to turn in this form with payment (cash or check payable to Peterson Middle School) to the bookkeeper in the office. Questions? Contact Ms. Teng (tteng@scusd.net).

Name of student (Please Print): _______________________________________________________

Contact #: _________________________________________________________________________

6th Period Teacher: _________________________ Room Number: __________________________

Cost of Yearbook: $35.00 x Qty: ____________ = $________________________________________

ORDERS DUE MAY 17th

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Calendar Events

Dec. 13 Winter Concert (7–8:30pm)

Dec. 14 Concert Assembly

Dec. 21 End of 2nd Quarter

Dec. 24–Jan 4 Winter Break––No School

Jan. 7 Staff Development Day

Jan. 8 School Resumes

Jan 8 Boys’ Basketball Season Starts

Jan. 10 PTSA Meeting

Jan. 11 Report Cards Mailed Home

Jan. 15 Geo Bee

Jan. 16/17 Writing PBAs (Block Schedule)

Jan. 21 Martin L. King Day––No School

Leadership NewsKeep These Days Handy!

Friday Activities:

Don’t forget to come to our activity every other Friday in the Quad!

Winter Grams:

This winter we will be selling 300 Winter Grams, so buy them quick! Included are small penguins and candy and some bags will contain bags will contain a jingle bell necklace which leads to a special prize. They will be sold December 7–20th at lunch and delivered December 21st.

Jamba Juice:

Every Tuesday. All year long. $3 in the Quad.