Mountlake Terrace High School Fall/2012 Volume 31 Number 1 HAWK21801 44th Avenue West, Mountlake TALK Terrace WA 98043 425-431-7776 Greg Schwab, Principal www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths The Fall PTSA Meetings 7 pm - Library October 22 November 26 Principal’s Corner Check the MTHS website for the schedule of 2013 Meetings Important Dates Welcome to the 2012-13 School Year Oct 17 PSAT Oct 17 Deferred Action Prep Mtg To our parents and school community, I want to say welcome to another school year. As I write this I am Oct 18 Jazz Night 1 amazed that we are already 6 weeks into the new year. Things have gotten off to a great start here and Oct 19 No School we are settling into the routine of the year. As usual there is much going on here at MTHS that I wanted to Oct 20 Jazz Symposium share with all of you. Oct 22 PTSA Meeting Academics- A couple of highlights that I wanted to share with everyone are the STEM Magnet School and Oct 26 Improv Night our enrollment. We opened the STEM Magnet School this fall with 55 9th graders and 30 10th graders. We Nov 2 End of 1st Quarter are very excited to have such a strong cohort of students enrolled in our STEM courses this year and we are Nov 3 PTSA Bazaar already planning for the 13-14 school year as we continue to expand our STEM offerings. Our enrollment Nov 6 Orchestra Concert has remained stable for the first time in the last 3 years. We are at 1240 students, exactly where we were projected to be when we made our staffing plans last spring. This is very important for us because it means Nov 7 Veteran’s Day Band Concert that we will not have to do any adjusting of classes to accommodate for lower than projected enrollment. Nov 11 Swing, Swing, Swing Dance Nov 12 1st Day of Winter Sports Staff Development- One of the questions we get asked constantly is what are teachers working on during Nov 14 Superintendent Parent Mtg the Fridays when students are not in school. This time is very valuable to us as we use it to spend time Nov 15 Drama: “Piece of My Heart” in professional development learning how to become more effective in the classroom. This year it is especially important to have this time as we are learning about the new teacher evaluation system that will Nov 18 Jam Session (Basketball) be implemented starting in 2013-14. There is much we have to learn and become familiar with and having Nov 21 No School large chunks of time to work together is really important for us. Nov 22 No School Nov 23 No School Athletics- As hard as it is to believe, we are a few weeks away from wrapping up the regular season for our Nov 26 PTSA Meeting fall sport programs. Several of our teams are in contention for post-season competition. I want to thank all of our student-athletes in fall sports for their work on the field or court and for representing our school in Nov 29 STEM Parent Info Night such a positive way. Your hard work and effort is definitely appreciated. Nov 30 Winter Activities Assembly Dec 6 Band Winter Concert Arts- In case you didn’t hear, our Pep Band had the amazing opportunity to play with the University of Dec 8 Santa Breakfast Oregon Marching Band at our football game against Everett HS a few weeks ago. All 245 members of Dec 11 MATCH (UW) Parent Mtg the U of O band joined our students in the stands and played our fight song as well as performing a great halftime show. It was a truly remarkable experience for our students and the community who attended Dec 12 Latino Parent Mtg the game. Our MTHS Drama Department is getting ready for their first show in November. “Pieces of My Dec 15 Band Concert Heart” is a play set during the Vietnam War and we are scheduling performances to coincide with Veterans’ Dec 18 Orchestra/Choir Concert Day. I would encourage you to come see our wonderful student actors as they perform this very moving Dec 21 Last Day before Wtr Break drama. Jan 5 Robotics Kick-off Parent Involvement- We are very fortunate to have a supportive and engaged parent community who all Jan 9 Financial Aid Night work to support our students and staff. PTSA, Music Boosters, Sports Boosters, the Gridiron Club. All of Jan 17 Terrace Idol 1 these groups work very hard to make sure that our students, staff, coaches and programs are taken care of. Jan 18 MLK Assembly We very much appreciate the time, effort, and dedication of the parents who are involved in these groups. Jan 19 Jazz Night 2 If you are interested in getting involved, please contact the school and we will direct you to the appropriate Jan 21 No School person for each group. Jan 22 Finals Jan 23 Finals Here’s to a great fall and upcoming holiday season. Please know that we are here to support your student Jan 24 Terrace Idol 2 and if there is anything you need, please contact us. Teachers, Counselors and Administrators are all here Jan 25 No School to make sure that your student is getting the best education possible so at any time, please get in touch with Jan 30 Terrace Idol 3 us if you need support or assistance. The Hawk Talk is published by Edmonds School District 15 20420 68th Ave. W. Lynnwood, WA 98036-7400 Counseling Center Connections COUNSELOR CONTACT INFORMATION HOMEWORK HELP: The Teen Services Coordinator for Sno-Isle, Dawn Rutherford, gave us some great brochures for Student Counselor Email Phone: Last (425) 431-xxxx their homework help services. She particularly hopes that we’ll Name promote their free one-on-one online tutoring service, “HelpNow A - E Colleen Egger [email protected] 5657 From Brainfuse” : The service has been expanded to include skills tutorials, writing F - K Tany a Benvenuti [email protected] 5665 critiques, practice tests, and foreign language help. Sno-Isle’s L - Re Julie Petterson [email protected] 5658 selection of databases is outstanding – all that’s needed for ac- Rf - Z Evan Hatch [email protected] 5659 cess is a current library card #. Counseling Office: (425) 431-7787 WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP MY STUDENT?? Weekly Office Hours: 7:00 am - 2:30 pm progress report forms (located on the counseling center counter) The Counseling Office is closed for lunch from 12:15 - 12:45 pm are one way to help a struggling student stay on track. Students can take these forms to teachers before or after school and BIG NEWS: This fall we are happy to have the teacher comment on their progress, or confirm that the welcome our new counselor Evan Hatch, correct homework assignment was written down. This is often a who is replacing the recently retired Pam good communication time with student and teacher, especially if Salvatore. While new to our school, Evan the student is getting off track. brings with him many years of experience in two other school districts. We also Senior Parents and Guardians have two counseling interns available to Please encourage your Senior to schedule a Senior Interview work with students: Andrew Ritsema, from with their counselor!!! Counselors recently visited all Senior Seattle Pacific University, and Rebecca Social Studies and Humanities 12 courses to give classroom Brennan, from City University. They are a presentations on important senior planning for graduation and welcome addition to our department and beyond. Individual Senior Interviews allow us to personalize a they have already provided lots of new Evan Hatch conversation about this year and help them with all the impor- energy and ideas! tant steps involved in reaching their goals after high school. We update the MTHS website regularly on scholarship, college, NEW! Counseling Department Drop-In Times: Counselors are financial aid and other important events/topics at MTHS. If your available to see students on a drop-in basis all of 4th period, senior is applying for college, we encourage him/her to start early which includes both lunches. The Counseling Office will be and adhere to important deadlines. closed from 12:15-12:45 for counseling staff lunches. Students may make appointments with their counselors outside of these Other timely information: hours. • Official transcripts cost $1.00 and are ordered through the IMPORTANT CAREER CENTER NEWS – Our School to Work counseling secretaries, Kim Runkel and Vicki Stewart, and Coordinator position is currently being hired and we hope to have require 24 hours’ notice. someone in place no later than November 1. Please contact the • Counselor recommendation letters require a 3 week’s notice. Counseling Office at 425-431-5663 or 5661 with questions. Counselors need enough lead time to give serious thought in writing their best recommendation letters. Students must HOW IS MY STUDENT DOING??? While academic success submit a senior resume and complete a Letter of Recommen- is the primary goal we share with parents, students are often dation Personal Data Form to their counselor as part of this less likely to share their academic progress with you as they get process. The information students provide us help us write older. This is normal behavior for adolescents as they begin the best possible letter of recommendation. striving for independence. However, parents and guardians still • Financial Aid Night will be Wednesday, January 9th at 7:00 need to monitor how their student is doing in school.