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February 29, 2008
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Upcoming Events 2-29-2008
ALL SCHOOL EVENTS:
• February 29–PHS "Snow Day" Celebration
• March 6–7–No LS Classes, LS Parent/Teacher Conferences
• March 13–Parents Association Meeting 8:00-9:00 AM
Click here for a downloadable calendar of events for February 2008
Click here for a downloadable calendar of events for March 2008
Click here for a downloadable 2007-2008 School Year Calendar
Please click below for a copy of the DRAFT 2008-2009 School Year Calendar. Please note, the later start date is due to construction on the second floor (installing new flooring) which predicates a three-day later start to the school year.
Click here for a downloadable DRAFT 2008-2009 School Year Calendar
Announcements 2-29-2008
Parents Association Meeting!
Please come to the next Parents Association meeting to learn more about this group, find out what's going on, and just enjoy some PHS camraderie! Our next meeting is on Thursday, March 13, from 8 - 9 a.m. in the Library. Hope to see you then!
Check out the Middle School Sports Page
You'll find it in the Community Section of the website or by clicking the website below.
http://www.presidiohill.org/classroom/sports/
Check out the page for information on upcoming Futsal games. Come out and support PHS teams!
CHILDCARE IS AVAILABLE ON MARCH 6 & 7
LOWER SCHOOL PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
*CHILDCARE is AVAILABLE by RESERVATION ONLY on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7 from 8-3pm for a fee of $55 when reserved by Tuesday, March 4 and $75 for late reservations. Regular ASR rates will apply from 3-6pm.
*During Conferences Only: Reservations will also be accepted and are required if childcare is needed only during conference times at no charge.
RSVP by TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2008
Please contact Raymi at raymi_orozco@presidiohill.org or at 751-9318 x.130 to make a reservation and for more information.
Follies DVDs are here!
"The Secret of Sparkly Shine" is now available on DVD!Much thanks to David Donnefield and crew, who shot and edited the video.Each DVD is $9.; You can pick up your Follies 2007 DVD from Martin at the front desk. (There are plenty to go around).In case you did not get a copy of the 2006 Follies show (Follywood), we also have some available for $6.
High School Placement 2-29-2008
Ann Meissner Jennifer Franklin (Seventh Grade Humanities Teacher)
Catholic high school admissions decisions will be mailed to families on Thursday, March 6, while independent schools will mail their decisions out on the 10th of March. Ann will be meeting with eighth graders on Wednesday March 12 to begin compiling information about acceptances. Please remember, the dates by which schools need to receive a family's deposit are firm, and so it is important that they don't miss those dates.
Before opening any envelopes, please keep in mind the following:
1. While it may sound simple, you are all wonderful people, regardless of the outcome of this process.
2. Did I mention you are wonderful people?
3. You will have a great high school experience, so keep things in perspective. In a few months, you’ll be so nervous about walking into the wrong science class on the first day of school that the decision week will be shoved into the back of your mind.
4. Don’t expect the impossible; there will be some disappointments in that mailbox. There will also be opportunities for the next four years. Focus your energy and emotions on the positives, not on what you wished would have happened.
5. Unanticipated outcomes can be good ones. Some things are just meant to be.
6. Think before you act. Don’t pick up the phone impulsively or march into an admissions office the day after you receive your letters.
7. Admission is competitive enough these days that the following really is true: To be waitlisted or denied admission to a high school does not mean that you are unworthy of going there. It simply means there are better places out there for you.
8. If you really want to go somewhere that put you on a waitlist, tell them! When you return your postcard asking to stay on the waitlist, add a nice note directly to the card, or, if you really need to say more, attach a letter. Speak from your heart! Schools will not know if they can accept students off the wait list until after the enrollment deadline. Be respectful of their time and this reality; it is a myth that simply making yourself known will help you get what you want. If you call the admissions director every day, this is overkill! Stick with one genuine letter (faxing it is fine) and maybe a phone message. And be sure to communicate to Ann what is happening as well so that we can advocate for your family when appropriate. Let us know if you have further questions about this part of the process.
9. Be kind and sensitive to others. The only admission decision you should be concerned about is your own. Please avoid the inconsiderate habit of burning up the phone lines all week. Give yourself and your friends space.
10. If you have choices to make, parents and students should listen carefully to each other. Parents, the goal is to enroll in the school that will best suit your child’s growth. It is tempting to steer your child toward the school that you would choose for yourself. Avoid this pitfall!
11. Once you have made a decision, please let any other schools know that you will not be accepting a space so that they may move on to their wait pool.
This list is not exhaustive, so please call us and ask if you need help, or someone to listen to you. When you are ready, please email or call Ann regarding your decisions so that we have an accurate understanding of who is going where in the fall, or who is waitlisted and needs support. We have enjoyed working with each family through this process, and look forward to sharing your joys in the coming weeks.
Ann and Jennifer
P.S. Thank you to Karen Amaker, former middle school dean, for the content of this letter!
Auction item previews, 2-29-2008
More Auction previews. Take a look at all these exciting auction items that await your bid on Auction Night!
Escape for 7 wonder-filled days at a Riverfront Tahoe home built to ease and erase all the worries and cares of urban life. Come on Tahoe is calling!
Audrey Yee and Mike Steiner have graciously opened up their vacation home located on River Road (highway 89) between Truckee and Tahoe City to one lucky bidder. Enjoy this home’s beautiful open design for living View image, dining View image and kitchen area, which overlooks an expansive deck, featuring the rollicking Truckee River. It has an elegantly appointed master bedroom with en suite, as well as a second bedroom with its own full bath. Bring the whole family along and enjoy the bunk beds and sofa bed in the family room. The kids might go for the loft bedroom with its own bathroom. With 2 fireplaces View image, hot tub, and well-equipped kitchen, you may not want to venture out.
But if you get cabin fever, Tahoe is an all season destination. With wonderful hiking and biking trails nearby like Marti’s Valley, Sugar bowl, And Squaw Valley. Just minutes away from Truckee and Tahoe City with great shops and restaurants.
Just around the river bend- your Riverfront vacation getaway awaits you and your family. Stay six nights- seven days between May 1, 2008 thru October 31, 2008.
Starting Bid $1000.00
PHS Spirit
PHS Puppet Palooza!
Join Lisa J. in the Library for an afternoon of yummy snacks and exciting stories with creative puppet making and top it off with a puppet show! The puppet palooza participants will meet at the library from 3:30-6:00pm. Students will have a variety of materials to explore, and each student will make one or more puppets. They will also enjoy a yummy healthy snack and improvise with their creations and if time allows put together a quick puppet show! Students will be able to take their original creations home at the end of the workshop. Puppeteers will meet on Wednesday April 22nd, from 3:30-6:00pm at PHS Library. Only 8 students with each bid for 1 child at any grade level
Tania’s on Ice!
Come join Tanya and Tania on the ice of Yerba Buena Ice Skating Rink! We’ll twirl and tiptoe on the ice. Some skating experience preferred but you don’t have to be Michele Kwan to join in. Hot Cocoa and Ice – It would be so nice! Join the Tanias on Saturday May 3rd at Yerba Buena Ice Skating Rink. Top 6 bidders get to do figure 8’s with the Tania’s!
Trampoline Dodge Ball with Trevor!
Game on!
Oh, that’s right...imagine, a huge room where the floor and walls are made up of multiple trampolines. Now imagine dodge ball, or foam or other games. Now imagine Trevor bouncing there, just begging to be hit with a dodge ball. Sky High Sports in Santa Clara is our destination. . We’ll get some pizza too. They require a waiver and all three courts (main, dodge ball and foam) are supervised. Middle School kids only unless a parent is with a 4th or 5th grader. Weekday night to be arranged. Remember to bring your game! Top 6 bidders get the ball going!
Where the Rivers run Wild!
Join our Director Brian Thomas and Jaime Thomas for a wild river rafting trip on the American River. The adventure starts on Friday June 20th, we’ll drive up and enjoy dinner. Then spend the night under the stars on the campgrounds! Saturday morning –the wild ride begins! Be prepared for a rip-roaring ride – Get your paddles in the water! Each bid is for 1 family (maximum of 4 people)
Viva La France! French Fete for the Gourmands at heart!
Take your seat at a lavishly laid table for a 3-course gourmet fete meticously paired with a symphony of French wines to compliment and accent each course. Join Julie and Sebastian Lepinard in their San Francisco pied a terre.
Tickle your taste buds with an amuse bouche of “pruneaux with bacon” with “ jambon de Parme” with basil en fromage de chevre. Dive into a delicious bowl of Cold spicy Mango soup. And for your main entrée- Crevettes au Pastis. Leave some room for a traditional “plateau de fromage” with gourmet cheese from different regions of France. And cap the evening off with a devilish dessert of “Soupe De Fraises” with Macaroons. Let the music of Edith Piaf, Johnny Hallyday and Carla Bruni serenade you as you settle in for an evening of gourmet delights served with Savoire Faire! Bon Appetit! Each bid for 1 couple (2 people) 5 lucky couples get to sashay to the table! Dinner to be scheduled before June 12th.
From the Lower School Dean and Librarian 2-29-2008
The library blog has been updated!
Click here to check out the updated blog with pictures and an article about the Kindergarten class and their adventures in alphabet books!
Check back often (you can click on the library tab on any screen or go to http://www.presidiohill.org/books/) to find updates on what is going on in the library as well as to access wonderful research tools and other great links.
Thanks,
Lisa Jeli
Lower School Dean and Librarian
Curriculum Spotlight: Middle School Math 2-29-2008
Hardcore Mathletics
by Dennis Kim
Today I asked my eighth grade students to brainstorm characteristics of a Hardcore Mathlete (HM). Here is some of what they came up with in no particular order:
• Able to look deeper into the problem, beyond the surface
• Tries their best to understand the concepts
• Not afraid to ask questions
• Thinks outside the box
• Analyzes the problem and makes educated guesses
• Always does their HW, or does it a lot
• Can teach themselves
• Can learn from their mistakes
• Uses correct vocabulary/terminology
• Looks for ways to improve the subject material
• Helps others
• Goes beyond what is asked
• Endeavors to do well in math even if they don’t like it
• Shares what they know
• Not afraid to disagree with peers and teachers
• Find creative ways to solve problems
• Takes a hot “math” nightly
For the most part, their list overlaps with my own. I like that theirs is a mixture of behaviors and attitudes, and of individual and collaborative qualities. Clearly, traits such as a strong memory, fast processing speed, and dedication to the subject material all support a student’s mathleticism. But strength and speed in and of themselves do not make a HM. I reflected on previous students and teachers whom I consider to be HMs and describe what I believe to be five essential qualities of a HM below.
A hardcore mathlete…
1. Embraces complexity. It’s easy to solve a problem when you can see the finish line from the start. HM’s are comfortable (some are even excited at the prospect of) stepping into the murky waters of confusion where they brainstorm, test ideas, and slowly make sense of the problem.
2. Values the process and the solution. I often assign odd numbered problems to my algebra students because these answers are written in the back of the book. I want them to check their work and get feedback on their efforts. If their answer is correct, then it is likely that their process was correct as well. The take home message here is that they are learning a process and often the process is the solution.
3. Takes time to tinker. The HM gives meaning to the saying, “Learn it forwards and backwards.” Once they solve a problem correctly, they consider alternate possibilities, related problems, and potential pitfalls. Arriving at the correct answer is not the end, but the first step towards mastery of the topic at hand.
4. Is self-aware. I often hear HMs say things such as, “I always mess that up.” or “Whoops, I did that last time too.” Nobody is perfect, but a HM’s keen awareness of their tendencies helps them identify mistakes and break unwanted habits.
5. Seeks feedback, not praise. HM’s use their peers and teachers as sounding boards for their ideas. They’ll ask, “What do you think of this?” or “Where did I go wrong?” Their primary motivation is curiosity, not to get a pat on the back or to earn an “A”.
