LancerLot
Robert McQueen High School – Washoe County School District
201 5 N e w s le t t e r
Vo lu m e 1, I s s u e 1
Pr in cipa l Su e D e n n in g
A Message from the Principal
Dear Lancer Families,
Welcome to the 2015-16 school year! After what certainly felt like an awfully short summer, we are
definitely back into the routine of the school year. In fact, the first quarter ends on October 9!
Contents
Principal’s Letter
1
Testing Information
2
SRO News
3
Attendance Office Reminders 4
Band Information
4
Misc. Information
5
Senior Class Notes
6
Junior Class Notes
7
Upcoming Events
7
Parents, I hope you will consider yourselves partners in the life of McQueen High School as we work
together to create a positive and successful learning experience for your children. There are many ways you can
be involved in your child’s education, including (but not limited to) checking your child’s grades and assignments
in Infinite Campus, contacting your child’s teachers and counselors if you have questions or need assistance;
attending school events such as athletic contests, concerts, plays, and other performances; attending awards
ceremonies; and attending the various fundraisers such as the AAAA Boosters’ annual Craft Faire, and
fundraisers for specific student groups. I hope you will strongly consider joining the AAAA Boosters and the
various other booster groups as a way to support our students. This year we will also have opportunities for
parents to participate in our AdvancEd Accreditation process, including completing surveys to provide feedback,
and helping with the accreditation visit and committee activities. Our parents and boosters help make the
difference between a “pretty good school” and a great school. There is a place for every parent, whether you
have a lot of time to give or a little time. We need you!
At McQueen we continually strive to improve our practices and get better at serving our students’
educational needs. As mentioned above, we are engaging in the AdvancEd Accreditation process this year. This
is an important opportunity for us to examine our instructional and institutional practices, various sorts of data that
shine a light on how well we are/are not doing and our mission and vision in an effort to continually improve. In
addition, we have a team of teachers and administrators piloting Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), which we
anticipate will become a part of the evaluation processes beginning in the 2016-17 school year. Every certified
staff member is serving on either an accreditation committee or the SLO Pilot Team. This year every certified
staff member is also part of a Collaborative Learning Team. These teams of 4-6 consist of staff members from
multiple departments, and each team has identified a specific goal and area of study that will lead to an increase
in student learning. If you ever wonder how we spend the time during Early Release Wednesdays, now you
know! Each Wednesday afternoon, certified staff members are either working on accreditation, their
Collaborative Learning Team goals, or are meeting by departments to develop ways to positively impact student
learning.
We want McQueen to be a positive and productive learning environment for every student. To that
end, we work hard on building a culture that is upbeat and energetic, and focused on learning and growth, both in
Global Studies
8 and out of the classroom. We have a great new Athletic Director, McQueen teacher Tobey Hilliard, who is
working hard to increase the level of support and enthusiasm for athletics at McQueen. Mr. Hilliard is “on fire”,
Debate Team
9 and we are already seeing noticeable improvements in student attendance at athletic contests! We are also
working with students to develop and reinforce a positive focus on ways they can contribute to the school through
Craft Faire
10 clubs, class activities, athletics, and a variety of extracurricular groups, rather than having a negative or selfserving focus that may result in inappropriate or destructive behaviors.
Back Cover
11
We have several things to celebrate already this school year:

McQueen maintained an 88% graduation rate as the Class of 2015 crossed the stage. (We
are shooting for 90% for the Class of 2016!)

We are proud to announce that McQueen has three National Merit Semifinalists this year:
Camille Carter, Michelle Je, and Stella Jung. National Merit Semifinalists are determined by
their scores on the PSAT taken in their junior year. Congratulations and good luck in the
next phase of the competition!
Upcoming

Social Studies teacher Anil Koshy was the recipient of the Excellence in Education Award for
Important Dates
the month of September, sponsored by Channel 4 News and United Federal Credit Union.
Congratulations Mr. Koshy!

Important Dates
See page 7
McQueen is an exceptional school, and we are fortunate to have exceptional students, staff, parents,
and programs! Thank you for sending us your amazing children and for supporting our school!

No School Dates
see back cover
Most sincerely,

Craft Faire
Oct. 16-18
Sue Denning, Principal
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2015 Newsletter
FALL TESTING NEWS – High School Proficiency Exam
This will be the last year that students take the High School Proficiency Exams (HSPE.) The HSPEs are sun setting this
year with the class of 2016. They have been replaced with a Career and College Readiness Test, which in Nevada is the
ACT, and with End of Course Exams in English and math. Expect more details in January as we get closer to those
exams.
The HSPE will be given to the 12 th graders who have not yet passed October 19-23. The schedule is as follows:
 MATH - Monday, October 19, 2015 7:45 AM
 READING – Tuesday, October 20, 2015 7:45AM
 WRITING – Wednesday, October 21, 2015 7:45AM
 SCIENCE – Thursday, October 22, 2015 7:45AM
Students will receive notification in the weeks prior to the HSPE as to exactly where and when they need to report for
testing. It is important to note that there is no make-up test for the writing exam, and make-ups for other exams are
limited to Friday, October 23 only. It is critical that students are present and on time for their scheduled day of testing.
Students need. to remember that cell phones and other electronic devices will be collected prior to the test and returned
upon completion. Students are not to have a cell phone or other electronic device on their person or in their belongings
during the exam. Violations of this requirements will result in cancellation of their scores.
If you have any questions, please contact Assistant Principal Kristi Amundson.
SAT TESTING
McQueen will be hosting the SAT test on Saturday, November 7 th, 2015.
The registration deadline is Friday October 9 th or Tuesday, October 27 th (for late
registration). Go to www.collegeboard.org for more information.
McQueen will also be hosting the SAT on Saturday, June 4 th, 2016.
CREDIT RECOVERY DURING WINTER BREAK
As you start to make plans for winter break, please be aware that McQueen will once again host a
week-long Intersession for credit recovery the last week of Winter Break, January 4-8, 2016.
Students who have fallen behind on credits can recoup those lost credits using A+, which is an
online learning system. Sessions are in the morning from 8am-12pm, and students must be able to
attend all 5 days of the Intersession. There is no charge, but space is limited and is on a firstcome, first-served basis, so sign up early to reserve a spot. Please talk to your student’s counselor
for more information.
LancerLot
2015 Newsletter
Hello, Lancer family,
Greetings from Mr. Hartzog who has now moved into the Student Relations Office! This year I will be coordinating our school’ s
discipline and attendance efforts. It is difficult to believe we are already approaching Fall Break. With that, I have seve ral important
announcements that you and your family will want to know regarding
SR Lancer life.
First, I am proud to announce we are in our second year of the “Lancer PRIDE Project.” If you are new to McQueen, this proje ct is
aimed at continually teaching our students about what it means to be a Lancer, and about our “PRIDE” values of Perseverance, Respect,
Integrity, Discipline and Excellence. You may have seen your student coming home with little blue tickets – these are called “Lancer tickets”
and are used by our staff as tokens of appreciation and thanks for representing PRIDE in our community. Your student can then use these
tickets to redeem for various incentives both in many of our classes as well as in our Lancer PRIDE Store, which is open in o ur theater foyer
every Friday. At the Lancer PRIDE Store, our students can purchase a variety of fun items to show our school’s appreciation for their efforts.
If you’d like to learn more about the Lancer PRIDE project, one of the easiest and best ways to do this is to follow our Twitter feed,
“@ourlancerpride,” or simply click on the link to our page directly at https://twitter.com/ourlancerpride. We look forward to seeing you in the
Twittersphere!
For AP students, our exam schedule for this year is below. Our bookkeeper has ordering forms available and you can pay these
fees as early as you like, either at her office or online (you can find a link to our “Webstore” on our school’s website at
www.washoeschools.net/mcqueen). If you are currently eligible and signed up for our Free and Reduced Lunch program, you may also b e
eligible for financial assistance with exam fees. You must be enrolled in the Free and Reduced Lunch program to qualify. Pl ease have your
student see me or our bookkeeper for details.
In other news, our school is in the midst of an “accreditation” year and we need your help! This means our staff will be wor king hard
to review our practices, policies, and in general the way we do things in service of our students. The end goal of this review process will be
to determine our next steps forward as we continue to improve our work as a school and professional community. This work wil l occupy the
better part of the year, and we’ll be asking for your participation in giving us feedback here very shortly. In the near future, expect to see a
link to a special survey we’ll ask you to take on both our website and via other media.
****All exams should be paid for by January 15, 2016****
Week 1
Monday,
May 2
MORNING – 8:00 AM
Chemistry
AFTERNOON – 12:00 PM
Psychology
Environmental Science
Tuesday,
May 3
Wednesday,
May 4
Computer Science A
Art History
Spanish Language & Culture
Physics I: Algebra-Based
English Literature & Composition
Japanese Language & Culture
Physics 2: Algebra-Based
Thursday,
May 5
Calculus AB
Chinese Language & Culture
Calculus BC
Friday,
May 6
Week 2
Monday,
May 9
German Language & Culture
European History
United States History
Studio Art (portfolios due)
MORNING – 8:00 AM
Biology
AFTERNOON – 12:00 PM
Physics C: Mechanics
Music Theory
Tuesday,
May 10
United States Government and Politics
French Language & Culture
Spanish Literature & Culture
Wednesday,
May 11
English Language & Composition
Italian Language & Culture
Macroeconomics
Thursday,
May 12
Comparative Gov’t. & Politics
Statistics
World History
Friday,
May 13
Human Geography
Microeconomics
Latin
AFTERNOON – 2:00 PM
Physics C: Electricity
& Magnetism
2015 Newsletter
LancerLot
Reminders from the Attendance Office
Below are a few reminders regarding the procedures for clearing student absences and arranging to release students early
from school. Please contact the McQueen Attendance Office at 746-5880, Option 1, if you have questions.
1. Student becomes ill during school day:
It is necessary for student safety that the student check-out through the Health Office. The Clinical Aide will make the
necessary calls to get parent/guardian permission to have parent or Emergency Contact pick up student or for the
student to be permitted to go home on their own.
2. Student needs an “Off Campus Pass” to leave for an appointment during the school day:
Send a note (student name, date and time leaving, reason for leaving, parent signature and contact number) with
student or send an email to [email protected] to get your student an Off Campus Pass. Once
student has the Off Campus Pass, student shows it to the teacher and student will be allowed to leave and may meet
parent/guardian outside.
3. Student Absence (Must be cleared within 3 days of returning to school):
When your student is absent, a parent/guardian may send a note, call 775.337.9898 (when leaving a message, please
spell your student’s name), or email [email protected] with name, date and reason (personal or
medical) for the absence.
We want to remind our students and parents that all absences
must be excused/verified within 3 days of your child’s return to school.
If we receive calls, notes, or e-mails verifying attendance after this 3-day window,
absences will unfortunately remain unexcused per district policy.
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2015 Newsletter
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!!!
The McQueen Craft Faire 2015 is in need of many volunteers to provide help in many different areas. The Craft Faire is
October 16-18, 2015. We love our volunteers and we appreciate any and all help. Won't you please consider even just a
couple of hours to help out at the best Craft Faire in the Reno/Sparks area?? We will be celebrating our 30th Anniversary
and it would be wonderful to show our school spirit by having many volunteers come out and help.
There are so many different areas in which you can show your school support. Won't you call or email me to sign up to
volunteer? Please call Debbie Mertins at (775) 233-1392 or email at [email protected].
Please call Debbie Mertins at (775) 233-1392 or email at [email protected].
Athletics
All students interested in Winter Sports need to get their athletic packets turned into the office by
November 4th. Winter Sports include boys and girls basketball, wrestling, ski team, rifle team, and
Cheer/Dance team. Late packets cannot be accepted. Athletes that participated in a fall sport will
need to fill out a Continuing Athletic packet and pay a training room fee of $10. All new athletes will
need to fill out the complete packet and pay $75.00 for all fees. If you are new to McQueen, please
see Ms. Wood in the front office as soon as possible. In order to try out for a sport all paperwork must
be turned in and all fees must be paid in full. If you have any questions, see Ms. Wood or Mr. Hilliard
in the front office.
Daily announcements
To help keep up to date on events and activities at McQueen, we have added the daily
announcements to the homepage of our school’s website (http://www.washoeschools.net/mcqueen).
You will now be able to access all the latest information that is announced to our students’ every day
on the web. Stay current with everything that is happening in Lancer country, by regularly visiting the
McQueen homepage and reading the daily announcements.
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
Mock Trial is starting up again. Last year, we had a civil case: Pierce Ivory v. Castle College and
Morgan Pettigrew. Ivory was charging Castle College with Breach of Contract and was charging
Pettigrew with Slander. Our two teams won regionals and went on to state last year. Each team has
three attorneys and three witnesses. We present both sides of the case: plaintiff (or prosecution) and
defense. This year, our case is a criminal case: The State of Nevada v. Quinn Penner. Quinn Penner
is on trial for the murder of a drug dealer, Orson Hayes. We are very excited for this new year! We
have returning members and many new members.
Mock Trial is a great opportunity for those pursuing a career in the legal field
as well those wanting acting experience!
LancerLot
2015 Newsletter
SENIOR NOTES
It is hard to believe we are over a month into your student’s final year of high school. Through our monthly senior e-newsletter,
you and your student should have already received the important tips and guidelines listed below. If you did not receive our
newsletter, please contact us using the contact information at the end of this article.

WACAC College Fair is Sunday, November 8th from 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. at UNR Joe Crowley Student Union. This
fair is for both parents AND their senior student. In addition to UNR and TMCC being represented, there will be over 70
colleges in attendance. There are important break -out sessions on Financial Aid, College 101, Essay Writing, etc. PRE
REGISTRATION IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Register at www.wacaccollegefair.com , print out your registration (which
will include a bar code) and bring to the College Fair.

The week of September 21st, we were in Government classrooms with important information for your students. Your
students received detailed information on their individual status towards graduation as well as post-McQueen options and
reminders for the remainder of the senior year. We provided information on how and where to look for scholarships (they
should be doing this right now!). During the months of September-December, our goal is to meet with our seniors to
provide more in depth information for their particular questions related to their post-secondary plans. Students and parents
should familiarize themselves with the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) which can be found online at
www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA can be submitted after January 1, 2016.

It is definitely time for your senior to be applying to colleges, universities and/or technical schools PLUS be looking sources
of financial aid. Even though many seniors really want to go to college out of state, applying to a safety school (which may
include UNR), is fast, easy, and starts students on the application process. Most colleges, including UNR, encourage
students to apply online (UNR and TMCC applications are now open). Once your student has completed and submitted
the online application, an official transcript needs to be sent. This can be done through (www.parchment.com).
Additionally, students need to make sure that their SAT and/or ACT scores have been sent directly from the testing
companies to the college admissions offices. If your student has not done so yet, additional score reports can be ordered
online through ACT (www.actstudent.org) and the College Board (sat.collegeboard.org). Many colleges, especially
private universities, use the Common Application as their application (www.commonapp.org). The Common Application
allows students to enter their information just once and it can be sent to multiple schools. The Common Application
process can be a little confusing because students initially have to electronically submit their application to the Common
Application site at which point we receive an email to submit the School Report to Common Application site. Please note
that we cannot submit our School Report until your student sends an official transcript from Parchment to Common
Application site. Keep in mind that many schools may also require a supplemental application in addition to the Common
Application- students need to double check on this!

TMCC is hosting a TMCC SENIOR NIGHT on Wednesday, October 14th from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. to provide invaluable
information on steps to apply financial aid/scholarships, campus tours, and an opportunity to meet professors and learn
about the various programs offered at TMCC. RSVP now at [email protected] or call 673-8236.

This time of year can be particularly stressful for many seniors as they are trying to complete multiple applications, meet
deadlines and stay on top of their academics. The use of a planner or calendar can be especially helpful in keeping track
of dates and deadlines. We encourage students to stay as organized as possible through this process and for the
remainder of the senior year. Try to set a goal to complete all college applications by a reasonable time frame (e.g. Winter
Break). Remember that the UC (University of California) and CSU (California State University) systems have an
application deadline of November 30 th! If you have any questions about specific entrance requirements for a college,
check their website or contact their admissions office.

Please keep an eye on your student for signs of senioritis! We want every single senior to graduate in June!! Please use
our Infinite Campus program to check your student’s grades and progress. Email your student’s teachers if you have
specific questions about issues/grades in their class. The semester ends on December 17 th and seniors cannot afford
to fail their classes. Identification and intervention to address any failing grades right now is critical. Let’s keep those
grades up and have a strong end to the first semester of the senior year!
Mrs. Lewis (A-K)
Mrs. Hutchinson (L-Z)
[email protected]
[email protected]
2015 Newsletter
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News from the Junior Class Counselor
PSAT is on October 14 th; this is not only a practice SAT exam but is also the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
for 11th grade students. If you’d like your son or daughter to participate in this important test, please register and pay
the fifteen dollar fee with the book-keeper by October 9 th.
The WCSD Counselors in collaboration with the Western Association of College Admission Counseling will hold our
annual College Fair on Sunday, November 8 th from 12pm-4pm at the Joe Crowley Student Union on UNR’s campus.
This event gives students and parents an opportunity to visit with college representatives and attend informational
seminars on topics such as financial aid, college essay writing, and the four year college planning process. Students
are encouraged to register for the event at www.wacaccollegefair.com and print out an admission ticket to expedite
entrance into the event. Also, please visit the Reno College Fair’s Facebook page: “Reno College Fair (official)” for
more information.
Another exciting component to the College Fair event is we will again be participating in “Lancers Go to College Week”.
This week is in conjunction with the Reno/Sparks Mayors proclaiming November 2 nd-6th Reno/Sparks Goes to College
Week. It is very exciting to receive the proclamations from the Mayors. The week will be celebrated by different “dress
up days” where students and staff can dress in college spirit gear and career attire. There will be college and career
facts on the announcements and a general career and college going awareness. Our hope is to continue to inspire
post-secondary goals and options in our Lancers and provide the information and resources for them to get there.
Junior Year is a critical planning year. It is really important that students and parents understand college entrance
requirements (for example: UNR’s 3.0 core GPA) and plan accordingly. Now is also the time to begin looking at the
financial aid and scholarship process.
In September, juniors receive a “Junior Roadmap” in US History classes, so review this outline with your son/daughter
as it includes a timeline of events and valuable resources.
-Ms. Kristy Smith: [email protected]
Upcoming Events
September 30: Fall Picture Make-up Day
September 30: Mr. McQ Contest - 6 PM – Theater
October 3: Band Extravaganza - 11 AM – Football Field
October 7: No Early Release (Due to Elementary School’s Conference Week)
October 8: Oktoberfest Lunch in the Courtyard
October 9: Homecoming Assembly and Football Game
October 10: Homecoming Dance - Reno Ballroom in downtown Reno - 7-11 PM
October 13: Job Readiness Presentation – Theater
October 14: PSAT Test – 3-hour delayed start for non-testers (No Early Release)
October 15: Great Nevada Shakeout -10:15 AM
October 16-18: McQueen Craft Faire
October 19 -23: HSPE Testing
October 20: Job Readiness Interviews - Small Gym (all sophmores)
October 24-November 1: Fall Break - No School
November 11: Veteran’s Day – No School
November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break – No School
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2015 Newsletter
2014 Newsletter
Global Studies – International Studies Program
Hello from the Global Studies – International Studies Program. For those of you who are new to McQueen, the Global
Studies Program is our Signature Program. Every high school in Washoe County has a Signature Program designed to
create new challenges for staff and students, to take learning to the next level and flex some of our educational
muscles. Our program is designed to prepare students for life in the twenty-first century. Students are immersed in
course work dealing with world politics/economics, ecological balance, global interaction/diplomacy and international
understanding.
We are very excited to say we are entering our fifth year, and things are looking great. We have 23 new freshmen
Global Studies – International Studies students entering the program. We had our first round of Brown Bag Luncheons
in September. Mr. Kaiser is working with the seniors. Mr. McMurray is working with the juniors. Mrs. Wakefield is
working with the sophomores. Mr. Scutt and Ms. Young are working with the freshmen. Thank you very much Global
Studies – International Studies advisors for all that you do for our students.
Earlier this year McQueen High School was visited by a group of teenage students from Iraq. The Iraqi students were
partnered up with Global Studies – International Studies and Fine Arts sophomores, and the partner groups spent the
day together; going to class, hanging out and eating a pizza lunch in Mrs. Wakefield’s room. It was a great experience
for everyone involved. The Iraqi chaperone shared with me later that it was one of the bigger highlights of their 2 ½
week visit in Reno. This opportunity came to us, like many do, from our wonderful friends at Northern Nevada
International Center. They help all of us understand what it means to be a citizen diplomat. Through these encounters
our understanding of the world expands, and we allow ourselves to see our similarities instead of our differences. See
photo below:
We have many other things going on, but that is it for now. Thank you for everything you do to support our Signature
Program. McQueen has amazing students, and we are honored to offer them this experience.
PLVS VLTRA
Chris Case – Global Studies - International Studies Director
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2015 Newsletter
McQueen Debate is back at it again!
This year, speech and debate at McQueen is making a comeback. With a class that is 30-strong, and a returning
national’s qualifier, every tournament will feature winners like the following (from the Damonte Ranch tournament on
9/18-9/19):
Novice Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking
Maddie Reese 1st
Mariah Moss 2nd
Kate Reese 5th
Varsity Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking
Lisa de Rafols 2nd
Johnathon Crines 5 th
Varsity Policy Debate
Kate & Madeline Reese 2 nd
Novice Policy Debate
Noah Christiansen and Davis Berry – 3rd
Daniel Sedano and Mitch Barham 2nd
Varsity Policy Speaker Points
Kate Reese – 8th
Madeline Reese - 1st
Novice Policy Speaker Points
Noah Christiansen – 4th
Davis Berry – 5th
Lancerlot
2015 Newsletter
Lancerlot
Robert McQueen
High School
6055 Lancer St
Reno, NV 89523
Phone:
775-746-5880
Fax:
775-746-6883
Email:
[email protected]
Robert McQueen High School
6055 Lancer Street
Reno, NV 89523
2015 Newsletter
No School Dates
October 24-November 1: Fall Break - No School
November 11: Veteran’s Day – No School
November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break – No School