Ahoy, me Hearties! Hug yer lasseys and buccaneers! ! SYHS Parent 2 Parent Newsletter—February 2015 M e s s a g e f r o m P r i n c i p a l S wa n i t z Inside this issue: Principal Letter 1-2 Notes 3 Principal Coffee 4 PTSA Meeting 4 Winter Formal 5 Bandemonium 6 SAT Prep class 7 Music Dept 8 Car Show 9 Host Danish Stu- 10 Genius Bar 11 Sports 12-14 AP exams 15 Guidance Office 17 Grad Nite 18-20 Yearbook 22 Parent Tips 23-24 Dates/Calendar 25-26 Sport Schedules 27-30 Hotline Number 31 Academic Calen- 33-34 School Map 35 Stadium Chairs 36 Letterman Jackets 37 As you probably know, public education in much of the last two decades has been standards based. Individual states wrote and adopted their own content standards in the core disciplines and developed a litany of tests to assess student mastery of those standards. California’s content standards were adopted around 1997 and have been assessed by the California Standards Tests administered during the annual Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program each spring since about the early 2000s. The academic standards discretely detail what students should know and be able to do at each grade level or course taught in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social science. There can be no argument that individual state standards have served well to focus instruction on student achievement. Through the related tests developed to determine student proficiency in mastering state standards, California schools have gained valuable data to improve curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The standards have not, however, been a panacea for all that ails public education. Opponents have argued that the standards squelch creativity and force teachers to prepare students only to bubble in answers on criterion-referenced, multiple choice tests. While this is clearly an oversimplification, it cannot be understated that standardized tests do not assess much of what is important about an education. Multiple choice tests, by definition, force students to choose from a predetermined set of answers. They cannot accurately assess students’ ability to think creatively and problem-solve. With all of this in mind, beginning in the spring of 2009, Governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states (excluding Alaska and Texas), two territories, and the District of Columbia joined forces to develop a common core of state K-12 English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics standards. The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) was a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). These new standards were designed to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving and included the input of college and university professors and leaders of the business world. The completed standards have been adopted by forty-five states, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity. The California State Board of Education adopted the CCSS in August 2010 with the mandate that they be fully implemented beginning with the 2014-15 school year. This means that at Santa Ynez High School this year, the Common Core State Standards have officially replaced the California State Content Standards in English language arts and math. Similarly, new standards in science and social science are being developed and will be rolled out in future years. You can read more about the CCSSI and the development of the new standards here: http://www.corestandards.org. Last April, our juniors piloted a brand new computer-adaptive test called the Smarter Balanced Assessment as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) which has replaced STAR. This assessment uses 21st-century technology to test not just content knowledge but critical thinking and problem-solving 1 skills as well. Last year’s pilot tested the psychometrics of the exam and the technological infrastructure of schools to be able to administer it. No individual or schoolwide results were published. This spring, our current juniors will take the exam for the first time. Because the new standards and the new assessments are both more rigorous, results of this year’s testing cannot not be used for the purpose of comparison to previous years’ test results. Rather, the results of the Smarter Balanced Assessment this year will be used to set a new baseline for growth in future years. You can learn more about the Smarter Balanced assessment here: http://www.smarterbalanced.org. Due to all of these major shifts, the California Department of Education is working with the U.S. Secretary of Education to determine how California will report on the degree to which our students are making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), a key indicator in No Child Left Behind (NCLB). In the meantime, Tuesday and Wednesday, February 3 and 4 are important days in the academic lives of our 10th-graders. On those days, all sophomores will take the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) for the first time during the Sophomore Census administration of the exam. The CAHSEE tests skills essential for life after high school and helps teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators to identify students who need additional intervention and support to develop these skills. As described by California Department of Education, “The CAHSEE has two parts: English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The ELA part addresses state content standards through grade ten. In reading, this includes vocabulary, decoding, comprehension, and analysis of information and literary texts. In writing, this covers writing strategies, applications, and the conventions of English (e.g. grammar, spelling, and punctuation). The mathematics part of the CAHSEE addresses state standards in grades six and seven and [algebraic concepts typically taught in the grade eight]. The exam includes statistics, data analysis and probability, number sense, measurement and geometry, mathematical reasoning, and algebra. Students are also asked to demonstrate a strong foundation in computation and arithmetic, including working with decimals, fractions, and percents” (http:// www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/overview.asp). We will administer the English-language arts section of the exam on February 3, and students will be tested in mathematics on February 4. Please note that taking the CAHSEE on these dates is mandatory for all sophomores. Sophomores should plan to get a good night’s sleep the night before and eat a healthy breakfast the morning of these important tests. Remember that sophomores never need to re-take any part of the CAHSEE that they pass during this initial administration. For many of our sophomores, this means that February 3 and 4 are the only days they will have to sit for the exam. For those who fail to pass one or more sections, however, taking the test as sophomores gives us two full years to ensure that these students receive the necessary remediation to successfully pass in the future. Please help us to encourage students to demonstrate their proficiency in English and math by their performance on this exam. Good luck sophomores! Please remember that there will be no school on Friday, February 13 and Monday, February 16 in recognition of the Presidents’ holidays. Note also that Monday, February 9 is a FLEX Day; students will be dismissed at 12:40. Mark Swanitz Principal Class of 1985 2 FLEX DAY Mon, Feb 9 All students dismissed at 12:40pm NO SCHOOL Fri, Feb 13 Mon, Feb, 16 Parking Permit All students who want to park on campus must have a parking permit. If you don’t, please get this taken care of TODAY. See Mrs. Garcia in the student services office. Spring Vacation April 3—12 www.syvpirates.org Welcome to the boneyard, Matey….. Stay current on info: Please call for an appointment. * Daily Bulletin and Headlines View the P2P Newsletter I am happy to meet you or get something for you. We are Check the Guidance Department Section under our School now accepting credit cards via Look up Activities, Clubs and Athletics as cash or checks to SYHS Sign up for the Parent Portal to track grades & attendance. Look up Faculty pages and contact info “Square” for payment, as well PTSA. Any questions, please contact [email protected] 3 PTSA—Board FOR 2014-15 President: Anne Christensen Meetings will be held on a Friday at 8:30 a.m. in the high school’s board room. Parents are cordially invited to come have coffee with the Principal, hear his monthly report, and participate in a Q & A session. Next Meeting date: Fri, March 13 Vice President: Holly Perea Treasurer: Valerie Fuette Secretary: Leah Meyer Historian: Carlene Jones Membership: Jacque Wagstaffe The next meeting: Mon, Feb 9th, 6:00 PM, Boardroom, A teaser of the Vocal Ensemble will be performed. They will be performing at the “World Expo” in June!! OneDrive For SYVUHSD Students Santa Ynez High School students have access to OneDrive by Microsoft. Create reports and presentations with online applications you know and trust. Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Work with your classmates online and see each other's changes in real-time with OneDrive. No more e-mailing outdated versions back and forth. In addition, every student has an e-mail account within OneDrive. Click here for instructions. 4 Saturday, February 21st at the Buellton Marriott 7:30-11pm Theme: A Midwinter Night’s dream Ticket sales: Feb 3-5: $25 with gold card, $30 without Feb 10-12: $30/$35 Feb 17-19: $35/$40 All students must have a dance contract with all required signatures before they may purchase a ticket. (attached) Polaroid pictures and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase during the dance. Also, needed 10 chaperones! Interested volunteers should email Greg Wolf at [email protected] Www.syvpirates.org 5 The SYVUHS Music Boosters Presents Bandemonium Concert! FALSE PUPPET Plus, EchoSwitch, Sinister Hero, Cadillac Angels and Special Guests Saturday, Feb 7, 2015 7:00 PM, Doors Open at 6:30 PM Santa Ynez High School Little Theater Tickets: $20 in advance or $25 at the door Seating First Come Tickets available from SYHS Music students and Music Booster Parents. Paypal credit card option available. For Tickets: See Mr. Clarno in the Music Room or Email: Linda Houston: [email protected] or text Cell: (805) 708-1887 6 7 MUSIC DEPARTMENT Music Department Booster Meetings 1st Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm in the Music Room Wed, Feb 4—Parent/Student Meeting for Tour, Little Theater at 7pm Sat, Feb 7, Concert, Bandemonium, False Puppet, EchoSwitch, Sinister Hero, Cadillac Angels and Special Guests begins at 7pm, Doors open at 6:30pm, Little Theater, Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. First come seating For tickets: Email: Linda Houston: [email protected] or text Cell: (805) 708-1887 Mon, Feb 9—Vocal Ensemble at the PTSA meeting, 6pm Boardroom Sat, Feb 28— “For the Love of Music” Italian Dinner / Silent Auction / Dessert Auction at St Marks at 6pm $15 per person, (under 5 free) Tickets at the door Everyone is welcome! Contact Mr. Clarno – [email protected] Sherry Reyes, Booster Pres: [email protected] 8 2nd Annual Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Pirate Garage Car Show Saturday, March 21, 2015 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Santa Ynez High School Parking Lot at 2975 Hwy 246, Santa Ynez There will be a special category for SYHS Alumni entries ! For more information or to register a car or motorcycle, contact Mr. Rob Hill, Automotive Instructor, (805) 688-6487 x 3230 or email [email protected] 9 Would you like to host a Danish student for 4 months? The last group of Niels Brock students left on December 19, 2014. The students and their host families had a great time together! This was our 3rd group of Niels Brock students attending the Santa Ynez High School for a fall semester. This program gives our students an international atmosphere on campus and is a good fundraiser for our High School. The next group of 28 students arrives around August 22, 2015 and departs before Christmas 2015. Hosts need to provide a separate bedroom, meals, and help with transportation. Make them a part of your family! Hosts will be paid $ 600 per month per student. Students have their own laptops, a local phone, insurance, personal spending money. If you are interested in hosting please contact: Jutta Aichinger at 805-637-8956 or e-mail [email protected] Hosting a student is a great experience for your family and supports our High School! Anybody can participate! 10 Now Open! T h e P i ra t e G e n i u s B a r i s now open for staff and students. Geniuses will be a va i l a b l e Monday-Friday Before school (7:30AM8 : 0 0 A M ) B re a k ( 9 : 4 0 A M 10:00AM) Lunch (11:40AM-12:15PM) After School (2:00PM3:00PM) and by appointment. We w i l l b e p r o v i d i n g t h e f o l l o w i n g s e r v i c e s : Computer / Device Repair and Service User Training Technical Advice Please remember that the students offering these services, the Pirate Geniuses, are learning both computer repair and customer service. When bringing in your device for service, please remember to backup your data, and that you understand t h a t y o u a r e a s s u m i n g t h e r i s k o f a n y d a m a g e t h a t m ay h a p p e n w h i l e i t ' s u n d e r o u r c a r e . A l s o, p l e a s e b r i n g i n a n y p o w e r c h a r g e r s a n d h av e y o u r a d m i n i s t ra t o r p a s s word for your device. To c o n t a c t t h e P i ra t e G e n i u s B a r f o r a n a p p o i n t m e n t o r t ra i n i n g , p l e a s e e m a i l u s a t : p i ra t e g e n i u s b a r @ s y v u h s d . o r g 11 WINTER SPORTS Winter Athletics: Check the website for info. and schedules. Winter coaches can also be contacted. All athletes need a current physical and participation permit on file. Forms on : www.syvpirates.org / Athletics /Athletic Information Boys Basketball: Var: Rod Caughell, JV: David Ibsen, Fr/So: Dave Noonan Girls Basketball: Var: Mike Alexander, JV: Cam Ransome Boys Soccer: Var: Alex Uribe, JV: Hector Garcia Girls Soccer: Var: Rob Cantrell, JV Kristen Bazzell Girls Waterpolo: Var: Jenele Martin, JV: Cassie Cathcart Wrestling: Paolo Aglony Cheer: Erika Stewart Ken Fredrickson Athletic Director Santa Ynez HS 805-686-3566 [email protected] BOYS TENNIS First Match is Feb 25th. It’s going to be another great year!!!! VARSITY COACH POPKIN [email protected] JV COACH—STEVE GUNNING [email protected] SWIM TEAM Practices start on February 17th Any students interested in coming out to for the swim team please contact Coach Kalkowski for more information. No experience necessary and all levels of swimmers are encouraged to join this years team Jake Kalkowski [email protected] 12 CALLING ALL PIRATE BASEBALL ALUMNI!! 2015 SANTA YNEZ HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL ALUMNI BASEBALL GAME SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015 11:00 Game Starts PLEASE RSVP TO COACH WARREN DICKEY [email protected] Please tell all former SYHS Baseball Players! 13 FOOTBALL INFO Pirates P i r at eSports s S p oan r tds Clubs and Clubs Next booster meeting is Tue, Feb 27 at 6pm EP2 Weightlifting will be M-W-F @ 6:30am Music Department: Wed, Feb 4—Parent/Student Tour Meeting. Booster Meetings 1st Wednesday of each month at 7pm, Music Room Contact Mr. Clarno – [email protected] Check out our website for more information 7 on 7 and Lineman field work will be T-TH @ 6:40am PTSA Meeting Mon, Feb 9 at 6:00pm, in the Boardroom. Preview the Vocal Ensemble singing at the World Expo in June in Milan, Italy! Offseason workouts for football will begin in Feburary Football Dead Period for the Summer will Be July 13th-Aug 2 Josh McClurg [email protected] Head Varsity Football Coach Football Info: www.syvpirates.org /Activities & Clubs / Football Boosters Football Boosters: meetings on every Tuesday at 6:00pm, room EP-2, through out the season. Girls Soccer Boosters: They are selling Stadium Chairs . Chairs cost $58.00 standard and $63.00 wide. Questions contact Melody Hunt email: [email protected] or call cell 857-1103. Boys Soccer Boosters: anyone interested in purchasing a travel coffee mug, contact Julie Everett at [email protected] Football : Pirate Savings Cards still available. Expire at the end of July. Contact Kris Shean [email protected] Great Christmas Gift! Varsity Team Mom: Kelly O’Neill: [email protected] JV Team Mom: Jennifer Cabrera: [email protected] 14 AP EXAM REGISTRATION AP Exam Registration will begin January 5 with Ms. Schaefer in the Guidance Office. Students must bring their registration form and payment when they register (registration forms can be found online at www.syvpirates.org> Guidance Office > AP Information). The deadline to register is February 27; after that date there will be an additional late fee of $10 per exam. No registration forms will be accepted after March 6. All AP Exams are $100. Students who participate in the Free & Reduced lunch program are eligible for a fee reduction and will be charged $5 per exam. Please make checks payable to SYHS, with your student's name in the memo line (for siblings, please use separate checks). There is a $15 unused exam fee charged to students who register for a test and then GRAD NIGHT 2015 MEETING! Wednesday, February 18th at 6:00pm at SYVHS, room C2 Grad Night Meeting of the year will be on the 18th and we would love to have as many of you at the meeting as possible - ideally someone to represent each committee & give a status report if you have one. We have chairs for each committee!!! They all need helpers!! Please see where you and your friends can help. We look forward to seeing all of you on the 18th or email your info to the committee chair or the event chairs. Leslee & Susie 15 CALIFORNIA STATE PTA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Scholarships available for Graduating High School Seniors Applications due February 2 California State PTA offers Graduating High School Senior Scholarships ($750 each) to recognize volunteer service by high school seniors in a school and in a community. This scholarship program provides funds to register for courses at accredited colleges, universities, trade or technical schools. Application packets are due February 2 and must be received in the state PTA office by 5 p.m. Application Tips – Before submitting the application packet to California State PTA, check that it includes: Completed application form and packet Copy of PTA membership card Descriptive essay (maximum two pages) outlining: Career plans, goals, objective and any other information that would be valuable to the selection committee School service-related activities Volunteer service in the community Two (2) completed reference forms and letters, written specifically for this application First reference – Written by a community volunteer leader unrelated to you and with whom you volunteered. Second reference – Written by a member of the high school faculty. http://www.capta.org/ 16 News from Guidance Office Cash for College Night is February 5 from 5-8pm in the SYHS Library (bilingual presentation). Get information and help on the FAFSA, CAL Grants, CAL Soap, and more. "Local Scholarship Applications for SY seniors will become available February 17. Students will have one month to complete and mail in the applications. Further instructions and information will be included in the applications, and feel free to email Kendra Schaefer at [email protected] if you have any questions." "The deadline to register for AP Exams without a late fee is February 27. Registration forms will not be accepted after March 6. Email Kendra Schaefer at [email protected] if you have any questions." Students can find the free FAFSA application online at www.fafsa.ed.gov and can fill it out and bring it with them to the workshop. The Cal Grant GPA verification form is available at www.csac.ca.gov. For more information about the local workshops, call the Central Coast Cal-SOAP office at 922-6966 or toll free 1-866-DIAL AHC (342-5242), ext. 3710. For additional information on Cal Grants, log on to www.calgrants.org or call toll-free (888) CA-GRANT (224-7268). For more information on the Middle Class Scholarship program, visit: www.csac.ca.gov/mcs.asp Kendra Schaefer, Registrar Santa Ynez Valley Union High School [email protected] 805-688-6487 ext. 3208 17 Safe & Sober Grad Nite 2015 Update from co-chairs Leslee Boyd & Susie Jones: Planning is well underway for this year's Grad Nite event! We had our first meeting of the year in January to discuss our progress. Here is where we stand right now: We have a new logo and a refined theme for the event, which is a nautical-type theme with maps & explorer ship etc. with the catch phrase "Map your Future". Erika Vogt did an amazing job with the logo. We need someone to be in charge of plants/outdoor decorations for the graduation ceremony. Please ask around for someone who would be willing to find plants or flowers that could be lent for the ceremony. If we don't decorate (plants/flowers) there will not be any. Renee Smith, Fundraising Committee Chair has letters ready and available for you to send if you know anybody who may be willing to donate money or prizes for the event. Kelly O’Neill is co-chair for the Prizes/Donations Commitee which works in conjunction with the Fundraising Chair/Committee to help with the Prizes. Katie Callaghan is the new chair for the Volunteer/Security Committee Please direct any parents who want to volunteer the night of the event to Katie June Lotz is the new co-chair with Erika Vogt for the Decorations Committee 18 Entertainment Committee is busy working on activities and are specifically seeking entertainment/activity ideas for the time period of 24:30 am. If you have any ideas or referrals, please contact Melody Hunt. Please make sure you submit all donor names to Denise Gran so she can generate a master donor list as well as Thank You notes for them. Its very important we don't overlook any donors. Jutta Aichinger, Ticket Sales will (hopefully) begin in February. The sooner we begin taking in funds, the sooner we can begin paying for our event needs. Students who buy their Grad Nite tickets early will get more raffle tickets to use at the event. Committees should be getting together as soon as possible, so we can all get up & running. NEXT MEETING will be on Wednesday, February 18th at 6pm. Please send at least one representative from your committee to give an update and we can all keep connected. We are off to an awesome start - thanks so much to all of you!! 19 SENIOR SCOOP Check the Daily Bulletin & Guidance Office often for updated announcements and college and scholarship info: www.syvpirates.org Dates for Calendar Feb 1—Senior PDA’s (next price level) Feb 5—Cash for College, 5-8pm Library Feb 17—Local Scholarship Packets Avail Feb 18—Grad Nite Mtg, 6pm C2 Feb 27—Deadline to Regis for AP Exams ( without a late fee) March 2 —FAFSA Due Mar 18—Local Scholarship Applications Due Safe & Sober Grad Nite An All Night Party for all SYHS Seniors the night after commencement, Friday, May 29. Lots of entertainment, food, prizes etc - Held in the transformed Old Gym and surrounding areas. All arranged and decorated by the Senior Parents & their friends & family / Sponsored by PTSA Help of all kinds needed: various committees, donations and prizes, decorating, food, etc. It is a memorable evening for the graduates and peace of mind for the families & our community It is a huge undertaking, but, our kids are worth it! We need lots of help in all areas or it won’t happen! A little bit from everyone goes a long way! If you would like to learn more, get on the email list to stay informed or volunteer, You don’t have to be a senior parent to help! May 9—Jr/Sr Prom, Hotel Corque May—AP Exams May - Senior Showcase Sun, May 17 - Baccalaureate 3:00pm May —Powder Puff Football Event Co-Chairs: Susie Jones: [email protected] Leslee Boyd: [email protected] Wed May 20, Teacher/Staff Apprec Lunch COMMITTEES Wed, May 20—Senior Awards Construction - Kevin Smith Thu, May 21—Senior Car Decorating Decorating—Erika Vogt & June Lotz Shhh, it’s a SURPRISE!! 8am - 9:30am Food—Yvonne Lowe & Mary Beth Johnson Thu. May 21—Senior Night at Magic Mt— all night Donations—Renee Smith Fri May 22—Senior Breakfast in New Gym Ticket Sales Jutta Aichinger Tue –Thu May 26, 27 & 28 Final Exams Publicity/Graphics—Erika Vogt & Lisa Palmer Thu May 28 - Mandatory Graduation Practice at 2pm Entertainment Melody Hunt & Lisa Rosenberg Fri May 29 - Commencement 4:00pm Fri May 29 - Safe & Sober Grad Nite 9:30pm— 5:00am Prizes—Kelly O’Neill Event Volunteer Coordinator: Katy Callaghan Thank you Notes Denise Gran Clean up Teasha Blackman Sat, May 30—Grad Nite Clean Up 20 Mountain Bike /MTB PROGRAM Contact them for info ___________________________ High School Rec Club The Rec Club has been meeting every Friday at lunch in room L7 Mr. Baileys classroom. and has successfully had some fun surf and beach days after school on Fridays. ( Limited number of spots available.) Come by L1 at lunch to find out what is happening and get involved in some great recreational outings. Check online: buelltonrec.com or call 688-1086. Questions Contact Paul Smith: [email protected] 21 22 2 0 1 5 N e w Ye a r ’s R e s o l u t i o n : I w i l l s t a y mo r e c o n n e c t e d t o my children and to their school We l o v e t h e c l e a n s l a t e o f a b r a n d n e w y e a r. T h e h o l i d a ys a r e b e h i n d u s , t h e k i d s a r e b a c k i n s c h o o l - t h e N e w Ye a r b r i n g s a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o r e c o m m i t t o s t a yi n g m o r e c o n n e c t e d t o yo u r c h i l d r e n and to their school. We l l - i n f o r m e d , e n g a g e d p a r e n t s m a k e a v i t a l d i fference in helping students and schools succeed. W h e n f a m i l i e s , s c h o o l s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s wo r k a s partners, student achievement is boosted and children are better prepared to lead happy and productive lives. Here are a few tips for connecting families and schools: PA R E N T T I P S – H I G H S C H O O L S T U D E N T S With pre-teens and teens, staying connected with student learning remains critical. Yet, studies show that family engagement in school drops as students move from elementary to middle and high school. With this transition to higher grades, parents often face new challenges including figuring out ways to best support student success at home. Parent involvement at middle and high school takes many forms. Whether it's checking homework, talking more about college and career choices, attending Open House or volunteering for PTA and booster clubs, your engagement makes a difference. By keeping in the loop on what's happening in the classroom and on campus, you can help your student to focus on coursework and school activities to ensure college and career readiness. 23 Quick Tips – Supporting Student Success Go online regularly to check course outlines, class grades and assignments on t h e s c h o o l w e b s i t e t o m o n i t o r yo u r s t u d e n t ' s p r o g r e s s Encourage your teen to participate in college readiness forums and job fairs and to sign up for service learning opportunities to prepare them for life after high school Learn more about what's happening on campus, how school climate affects students and who your teenager is hanging out with Quick Tips – Partnering With Teachers Find out how the teachers and school communicate regularly with parents and sign up for email blasts, newsletters and text messages Know more about teachers' expectations for their courses and how school activities link to what students are doing in class through academic standards Talk to teachers about standardized testing and academic achievement to learn why, when and how tests are given and how the school uses test results to improve student outcomes Quick Tips – Staying Connected Attend school events such as Open House and parent-teacher conferences to know more about how to support student learning, development and growth both at home and at school Volunteer to help with PTA and school activities to share your skills and show that your family values education and supports the school Check the school website for school policies on attendance, discipline, dress code and conflict resolution and get information on how to handle concerns or problems at school Provide input on school policies, issues and decisions to ensure all students have access to school-sponsored programs, including academic and counseling services Family engagement in middle and high school is more important than ever in influencing student achievement and outcomes. As research shows, students do better in school when parents are actively involved regardless of their own education level, ethnicity or zip code. Encourage your student to apply to be a representative on the California State PTA Board of Managers www.capta.org 24 NO SCHOOL Feb 13 & 16 Apr 3-12 May 25 May 29 (Graduation) Save the Date SYHS SAT TEST DATES Jr/Sr PROM March 14 (Reasoning only) Finals: May 26 27 & 28 Tue: 1,3,7; Wed 2 & 4, Thu 5 & 6 Sat, May 9 Hotel Corque May 2 June 6 Register at www.collegeboard.org Teacher/Staff Appreciation Luncheon, Wed, May 20th in the New Gym Free SAT Test Prep! Visit this website for more info: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat More Info contact Guidance Dept Tutorial Services (Guidance Office Tab www.syvpirates.org www.syvpirates.org) Wednesday Evening, SYHS Library, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00p.m Daily: click here for times and locations SYHS Tutoring PARENT MEETINGS Mon, Feb 9 PTSA Meeting 6pm Private Tutoring: contact the SYHS Guidance Office. Private tutoring fees will be arranged on an individual basis with the tutor. Click here for a list of adult tutors with subject competency and contact information Wed, Feb 18, Grad Nite 6pm Wed, Feb 25, 8th Gr Parent Mtg, ENG 6pm Thu, Feb 26 8th Gr Parent Mtg, SPAN 6pm Wed, Apr 1, Open House Mon, Apr 20, PTSA meeting Wed, May 20, Senior Awards Grad Nite Meetings TBA FLEX DAYS All Students Dismissed at 12:40pm Mon, Feb 9 Mon, Mar 9 Mon, Apr 27 Mon, May 18 ACT TEST February 7 April 18 June 13 Register at www.actstudent.org Not administered at SYHS Attendance Phone Number: 688-6487 ext. 3238 Student Service Phone Number: 688-6487 ext. 3225 25 CALENDAR 2014-20145 SCHOOL YEAR MARCH 2015 FEBRUARY 2015 1 2-12 Yearbook Rate Increase 2nd Deadline for Senior PDA’s Yearbook price increases 1 Yearbook Business Ad’s due PE Fitness Testing 2 3 4 CAHSEE/Math Sophomores 7&8 7 False Puppet Concert, plus much more, Little Theater, 7pm 9 Flex Day, all students dismissed at 12:40 12 Hispanic Parent Mtg, 2015-16 Registration 13 Principal’s coffee, 8:30am Flex Day, all dismissed at 12:40p PTSA Mtg, 6pm Boardroom Last day to purchase Valentine’s Roses 16-20 13-16 Catalyst SAT Prep Workshop Music Pre-Tour Meeting 7pm Cash for College 10 FAFSA Deadline CAHSEE/ELA Sophomores 5 9 Senior PDA’s final price level Registration for classes next year No School 17 Swim Team Practice Starts 21 Winter Formal, Marriott , 7:30-11 25 8th Grade Parent Mtg, 6pm Eng 17 18 20-22 26 8th Grade Parent Mtg, 6pm Span 28 Music Dept Dinner Auction 6pm at St Marks 21 CAHSEE/ELA makeup Dress Rehearsal Music Dept Tour Preview Concert, 7pm Deadline to mail Local Scholarshp Music Dept Heritage Festival Pirate Car Show 26 27 28 29 30 CyberBully Hotline NEW NUMBER! In an effort to provide the safest possible environment for learning, SYVUHS has a CyberBully Hotline. Students and Parents can text or call this number: (805) 270-2942 To report information about bullying, harassment, intimidation, drug and alcohol use, or any other dangerous or illegal activity on campus through our completely anonymous third-party system Add this number to your students and your mobile device Please Note that the old CyberBully Hotline Number will continue to work only until mid-October. Please store the new number (indicated above) in your contact and being using it immediately 'Tis th' time o' year t' be good t' yer mateys, say ahoy, smile, give 'em half o' yer grub! 'n ne'er be mean t' other scallywags! Yer good Bucaneers! 31 Affordable Internet Services for Families Comcast is part of Connect2Compete, EveryoneOn’s flagship program providing affordable Internet and devices to students and families that qualify for the National School Lunch Program. You may be eligible to participate if your household has at least one child eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program, not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days, and does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment from within the past year. Link is on the www.syvpirates.org Headlines section Newsweek Ranks SYVUHS among Nation's Best Schools Each year, Newsweek Magazine "identifies top-performing schools based on a metric of student achievement and college preparedness data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics and from our survey of schools." In this year's "America's Top High Schools" rankings, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School climbed a whopping 305 spots on the list from 682 to 377. To illustrate the significance of such a high ranking, this means that SYVUHS is in the top 1.5% of the 24,544 public high schools in the United States with regard to preparing students for college and career. Congratulations to the students, faculty, and staff on this recognition of their hard work and dedication! Go Pirates! 32 33 34 35 36 37 Board of Education Bruce Porter, President (Term Expires November 30, 2016) Kyle Abello, Clerk (Term Expires November 30, 2018) Jan Clevenger (Term Expires November 30, 2018) Christine Burtness (Term Expires November 30, 2016) Jerry Swanitz (Term Expires November 30, 2018) Correspondence should be mailed to: Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District P.O Box 398, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 The board’s regularly scheduled meetings are usually on the third Tuesday of each month. regularly scheduled meetings begin at 3:00 p.m, (new time) Board Room, Administration Office, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, 2975 East Highway 246 Santa Ynez, CA 93460 Members of the public may request to place items of district concern on the Board agenda by contacting the Superintendent in writing at least 10 days prior to the next regular meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to submit comments in writing. 38