Nov 2010 PTSA Pony Express Newsletter

8/4/2019 Nov 2010 PTSA Pony Express Newsletter

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Please join us for our next

MEETING

Monday, Nov 15th 7 pmMonday, Nov 15th 7 pmMonday, Nov 15th 7 pmMonday, Nov 15th 7 pmIn the Library

Craig Collins

Principal

Cindy Ashley

Editor

Andrea Padian

President

By Craig Collins, [email protected]

A lot of questions come up this time ofyear about testing for college and testprep classes. To help alleviateany confusion and to answer questions

you, as parents, may have, here is abrief description of the options avail-able to your students. The PSAT is thePreliminary (or practice) SAT. Itmeasures critical reading, mathematicsand writing skills. The test takes 2

hours, and 10 minutes. The PSAT/NMSQT gives youfeedback on your academic skills to help you get ready forcollege. It is a great way to preview the SAT, as it is anabbreviated version of the SAT. The PSAT/NMSQT isalso the qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship Pro-gram. Typically our juniors and some honors level sopho-mores take this test offered once a year in October. The

score a student receives on the PSAT is predictor of theresults of the SAT. To estimate your student's score onthe SAT you simply add a zero to the end of the PSATscore. For example a score of 140 on the PSAT translatesto a 1400 on the SAT.

The official SAT measures developed reasoning skills im-portant to college success. There is a verbal section calledcritical reading which includes short reading pas-sages. The math section includes topics from third-yearcollege preparatory math. There is also a writing section

with multiple-choice questions and an essay. Each sectionis scored out of 800 for a possible 2400 total. You maytake the test multiple times for either the best test datetotal, or to super score (combining the best score fromeach section) which some college allow you to use. For ex-ample, if you get a 700 in math the first time you take the

test and a 600 the second time. And you get a 600 inreading the first time but a 700 the second time, someschools let you take the two 700 scores for a combined1400 score. Other colleges require you to take the totalscore for a single sitting so be sure to know the policy for

By Andrea Padian, PTSA President,[email protected]

Principals Message: PSAT, SAT, ACT & Test PreparationPrincipals Message: PSAT, SAT, ACT & Test PreparationPrincipals Message: PSAT, SAT, ACT & Test PreparationPrincipals Message: PSAT, SAT, ACT & Test Preparation

A Message from Andrea

Seems school has barely

started and already wereabout to get a week-long

Thanksgiving Break shortly followed by an-other two weeks off for Winter Recess! Wheredoes the time go? (Not that I dont enjoy a nice

break!)

When I decided to take this position, I wonderedwhat things a high school PTSA might do. Overand over, I kept hearing, It wont work here, orNot at Trabuco, were different. What doesthat mean? It seemed an unmet challenge. Do

we settle for the least we can do or do we

dream of something more? Do we moveforward with a can-do attitude or an atti-tude of no? Do we make goals or setlimitations? I know we care about ourkids all the kids, as well as our teachersand parents - were a community. So,

why would Trabuco be so different? Arewe so me driven that something likePTSA doesnt mean anything anymore ata school this size, in this location? Dont

we all want the best for our school, ourcommunity? What would prevent us

The Pony Express

Volume 1 Issue 3

Nov 2010

Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

27501 Mustang Run, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 www.thhsptsa.org

(949) 768-1934

Trabuco Hills High School PTSA

Saddleback Valley PTA Council 4th District PTA California State PTA National PTA

Inside this issue:

Restaurant Week 3

R Word, Grad Night,

College Fair

4,5

Mini-Grants, ASB News 6,7

Dennis Walsh, Absentee-

ism

8, 9

eScrip, Thank You 10,

11

Education Funding, PTSA

Senior Scholarships

12,

13

Calendar 14

(continued on pg. 3)

(continued next page)


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your school of choice before focusing on one section at atime. If you are a student that struggles in a particular

area, and your college allows it, taking multiple tests andcombining scores may help to get you to the college forwhich you are striving.

When trying to decide on prep classes, many students failto take simple, logical steps. First, if you have a good ideaof what colleges you want to attend, look at the profile forthe previous year's freshmen. This is usually posted on theschool's web page under Admissions. The profile will havean average or a minimum SAT score. Look at your pro-

jected SAT score and if it is higher than the score requiredfor the college you are looking at, you don't need a prepclass.

If you are just a few points from the score you need, or too

close for comfort, you can probably get by with just aweekend prep class. If you are a hundred points away, youmight benefit from a full class. Should you be more thantwo hundred points away from the target, you might needto reassess your college choices.

The SAT is a reasoning test and it does not measure con-tent that students have learned from their classes inschool. Instead, it measures the way you think throughproblems. Some colleges in California require at least twoSAT Subject tests. These are specific to the subject mat-ter. You should check with the colleges you are consider-ing and find out which tests they require and which teststhey will accept. If they give you a choice, make the obvi-

ous choice to take the tests in the areas in which you dobest.

The ACT is an achievement test. It tests specific knowl-edge that the student has acquired. The SAT and ACT usedto be very regional in terms of which schools would accept

which test. Now most schools will accept either. Again,check with your school of choice to be sure which teststhey will take and whether they have a preference. Thereis a practice ACT test and it is known as the PLAN. Unlikethe SAT practice classes, the best way to prepare for the

ACT is the students regular courses in school. Having awell-rounded experience in all subject areas will best pre-pare you for a high score on the ACT. Every student is dif-ferent and while they might struggle on the SAT, theycould excel on the ACT, so dont be afraid to try them both.

If your college of choice will accept either, send them theone on which you have done the best.

While stressful at times, the process of choosing collegesand getting ready for this next great step in your lives can

be very enjoyable. Keep perspective and understand thatthe college is making choices based on your test scores andnot on you as a person. Not being accepted to a particularcollege at this time is not the end of the world. You willlikely find another college that you like better or, you maysave yourself thousands of dollars by being a CommunityCollege transfer student. Regardless, stay positive andenjoy shopping for colleges, I guarantee you that there is aschool out there that wants you!

Principals MessagePrincipals MessagePrincipals MessagePrincipals Message (cont. from page 1)(cont. from page 1)(cont. from page 1)(cont. from page 1)

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Eat Out, Support the School!Eat Out, Support the School!Eat Out, Support the School!Eat Out, Support the School!By Karyn Bower, PTSA Secretary [email protected]

The PTSA has another win-win fundraiser. Simply by eat-ing out or picking up some take-out, you can raise moneyfor our school. Now, through June 2011, the PTSA will behosting Restaurant Week the first week of every month.Our next Restaurant Week will be December 6-10th somark your calendar!

If you plan to eat out the first week of the month, why not

consider dining at one of these fine restaurants? Visithttp://www.thhsptsa.org, click on the Restaurant Weeklink on the left. Scroll down to Attachments and print outthe restaurant flyer and present it when you order andearn 15% of your bill (pre-tax) back to the school.

Monday/Tuesday: Bravo Avo Mediterranean Grill,Foothill Ranch, In the Staples/CVS Shopping Center nextto Bank of the West.

Tuesday: Peppinos, Foothill Ranch in food court near

movie theatre.

Wednesday: Oggis Pizza, 23641 Via Linda, MV (offAlicia across from baseball fields) or Red Robin Gour-met Burgers, Foothill Ranch, near Walmart.

Thursday: Claim Jumper, Mission Viejo in HenrysShopping Center or Phillys Best, RSM in the Lowesshopping center.

Friday: Baja Fresh, RSM, next to Kohls, or Del Taco,Foothill Ranch (near Target).


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A Message from AndreaA Message from AndreaA Message from AndreaA Message from Andrea (cont. from page 1)(cont. from page 1)(cont. from page 1)(cont. from page 1)

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November 2010, Volume 1 Issue 3

from setting our goals high, dreaming large and achievinggreat things? I know many of the families at thisschool.some since elementary school, sports leagues or

churchwe all care.we all dream about our kids brightfutures.so I asked myself, Why not Trabuco?

Then, I started meeting the parents, teachers, administra-tors and students that make up this schooland I wasright why not Trabuco! This school is full of supportiveparents, offering big surprises, unexpected victories, andthe desire to try. Were just beginning, but were buildingmomentum. Were all on the same page, working together,moving forward and making a difference - one baby step ata time. We will not be discouraged!

At the two PTSA meetings weve had this year, parentshave shown up to help when Ive least expected it. In Oc-

tober, we were lamenting about the lack of funding neededto support a student program dealing with alcohol abusethat we wanted to present this year. (The first Red Ribbon

Week/Month assembly that would have been offered atour school in more than ten years and a very importantissue for our teens to address.) Suddenly a parent stoodup and asked what we needed so all students could see thisassembly. Then, without hesitation, he wrote a check for$1000 to match our available funds. He didnt have muchtime to attend meetings, but knew he wanted to supportthis program as a parent. He felt it was worth the invest-ment and because he was able to help, he feels betterknowing that one teen or young driver might think twiceabout getting into a car with a drunk driver, or drivingdrunk and being involved in an accident or worse. Ad-mittedly we cant all do that, but, what a gift!

Then, at our September meeting, we talked about auction-ing two paintings to raise funds, done by a well known art-ist during an ASB assembly at our school last year. ASB

was willing to give the PTSA half the proceeds from thisauction though the ASB director was disappointed wecouldnt keep the painting of Einstein at the school. It washuge with no real space to display it. So, fifty of us sat inthe library discussing this. I looked up and suddenly saw agreat spot right in front of us that would accommodatesuch a large canvas. A parent at the meeting stood up andsaid he would buy the painting for $500 and donate it

back to the school to be put on the wall. So again, out ofnowhere, a helping hand is extendedworking togetherfor common solutions. On top of that, the same parentdonated the first $100 towards our monthly restaurant

week account, that will help pay for soft supplies like paperthe teachers cant get anymore through the district, as wellas ideas to help us promote our Toyota Raffle ticket sales.

And then our student board membersso impressive!They understand the value of PTSA as they take on theseleadership roles and work togethertaking time from their

busy lives for a great causeeducation! Ive talked toteachers and staff that have nothing but praise for ourPTSA efforts and I feel their support and appreciationgrowing. Everyone from the principal, Craig Collins, toDebi Hope, our wonderful receptionist, to PTSA teachershave been there collaborating, helping.

I keep meeting more people - all with the same goal- tohelp our school and provide a top notch education for all.People stepping up to help however they can - be it theirmembership alone, helping on a committee, donating tohelp provide a program, a new idea, or participating in thefundraising programs we offer - like the Ralphs commu-nity contribution program that has no cost, but benefits

the PTSA greatly. Its been a very positive experience andI hope if you have not joined PTSA yet, you will soon. Weneed the whole community to be part of this effort to helpour school do more and advocate for more school fundingin Sacramento. Your voice will matter. Everyones talking.Not about limitations, but about potential especially if

we all work together, do what we are able to do, and helpwhen we can.

PTSA is about opportunity - the opportunity to make adifference. PTSA is about participation, because we willalways do more, accomplish more, when we work andstand together. Do what you can. Were not a club for aselect few were an organization of millions. And lastly,PTSA is a partnership. We are the Parent, Teacher, andStudent Association and we all care about education. Joinus.

I hope you enjoy this issue of thePony Express. The nextone will be out in February. Please dont miss our last as-sociation meeting this year to be held in the library at 7PM on November 15th. Well be discussing many issues,among them a college fair, our bylaws and well be electingour nominating committee for next years (2011-2012)

board. If you are interested in being considered for aboard position, please let us know so the nominating com-mittee will have your name. Additionally well have a spe-cial presentation by a mom from With Hope, a suicide pre-

vention group. Its a tough subject, but one I think every-one should learn more about. You can also join PTSA, buya raffle ticket or discount card, and of course meet otherparents, students and educators. See you there!

Have a wonderful holiday season and as always, Go Blue!


4/14

The R WordThe R WordThe R WordThe R Word

By Sandra McElwee, Special Education Chair, [email protected]

When you hear somebody refer to theF word, you immediately know the

word Im referring tobut do you knowthe R Word? Parents of children withintellectual disabilities know it, and

our children know it too. The word isretarded and its not a nice word. Itsfrequently used by both students,teachers, and parents to describestupid situations or behavior and evencall friends this heinous word.

So why is it so insulting to people withintellectual disabilities and their familymembers? Because it is never used asa complimentand WHAT WE CALLPEOPLE IS HOW WE TREAT THEM.

Last spring our school participated inthe Spread the Word to End the Wordcampaign with Special Olympics andBest Buddies. This awareness cam-paign educates that the word is hurtful,and prejudicial. Several hundred stu-dents signed the pledge posters thatread, I pledge and support the elimi-nation of the derogatory use of the R-

word from everyday speech and pro-mote the acceptance and inclusion of

people with intellectual disabilities.

But this has gone further than agrassroots effort to change the every-day perceptions and language. Itsnow a law! From now on, the phrase"mental retardation" will no longer

be a part of any federal rule or law,

whether it is related to education,health or labor. It will be replaced

with the phrase "intellectual disabili-ties" everywhere it currently appears.

This bill was originally introduced bySen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD).She named the bill "Rosa's Law" .There were several witnesses at thehearing, but the testimony that hadthe greatest impact was given by an11 year old boy, Rosas brother, Nick.What you call people is how youtreat them, Nick said. What you call


PTSA Mustang Marvels: Volunteer Spotlight!PTSA Mustang Marvels: Volunteer Spotlight!PTSA Mustang Marvels: Volunteer Spotlight!PTSA Mustang Marvels: Volunteer Spotlight!

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Id like to commend everyone thatserved on the new Mini-Grant com-

mittee who worked so hard to put to-gether an application and applicationprocess for a new program our PTSA

was able to implement this year. Theidea behind this program began last

year under the leadership of our pastPTSA President, Michelle Butterfield.

With extra funds raised during theprevious two years, the PTSA was ableto donate $13,500 towards Student/Teacher/Departmental needs in theform of Mini-Grants the District isunable to fund at this time under the

current budgetary conditions.The members of this committee de-signed the application and process to

be fair and reach the most studentspossible, and instructed teachers on

how to apply for a grant. Read moreabout the nuts and bolts of these Mini-Grants in thisPony Express issue, butthe bottom line here, in our MustangMarvel column, is that these peopledid an exceptional job and deserveeveryones thanks for a successful out-come to a new program.

It was important that this process takeplace as early in the year as possible sothe money would begin helping ourstudents and teachers as soon as pos-sible. Their schedules were tight, but

the job began over the summer, grantapplications went out in mid-September and most work was com-

pleted in mid-October. Please thankcommittee chair, Mike Padian and

committee members Helen Denton,Principal Craig Collins, Senior StudentPTSA Representative Maegan Bower,and teacher Kurt Walker for their timeand their support of the PTSA and itsmission to help all students and teach-ers at our school. What a great team ofdevoted, caring PTSA members!

This is only one of the reasons youshould support our PTSA. Become amember today, come to a meeting, letus hear your voice and get involved!

You could be a PTSA Mustang Marvel,

too! Go Blue!

my sister is how you will treat her. Ifyou believe shes retarded, it invitestaunting, stigma. It invites bullyingand it also invites the slammed doorsof being treated with respect and dig-

nity.I will never forget being told my new-

born baby would be mentally re-tarded. And I will never forget beingtold that I had to label him that wayin order for him to receive services toaid in his development and qualifyfor Special Education Services. TodayI celebrate that he never has to ownthat label ever again in order toqualify for services. I also celebratethat we can eliminate that word fromour vocabularies altogether.

I encourage you to be a great examplefor your children, your students and

your peers. Please eliminate the R-Word from your vocabulary, andplease treat everybody with respectand dignity, and promote the accep-tance and inclusion of students withintellectual disabilities.

What you call peopleis how you treat

them.


5/14

By Gayathri Sivadas, PTSA Parliamentarian

Grad Night 2011!!!Grad Night 2011!!!Grad Night 2011!!!Grad Night 2011!!!

By Lisa Bauer, Grad Night co-chair, [email protected]

Plans are underway for the 2011 Grad

Night Celebration. Our energetic andcreative Grad Night Committee is ex-ploring some wonderful and excitingpossibilities that would support thenumber one location choice that ourseniors voted for in the survey in Sep-tember. This committee will be meet-ing again in a couple of weeks to dis-cuss our findings to ensure we canmove ahead with this option. Weshould be making an announcementof the Grad Night location and festivi-ties in the next newsletter. In themeantime, if you havent registeredfor this special night, please do so it

will be one less thing for you to be

concerned with as you near your

graduation date. Download the regis-tration form from the PTSA website(http://www.thhsptsa.org), completeit with both student and parent signa-tures, and drop off with Debi Hope inthe front office at THHS. For yourconvenience, you can pay for the en-tire amount up front or pay inmonthly installments. And again, wecontinue to appreciate those of you

who respond to our requests for vol-unteers. There are many ways to doso either in committee work beforethe night of the event or to assist thatnight and as a chaperone. Thank youto those who have already contacted

me. For those who are interested,

please e-mail me [email protected]. Have a

wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

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Nominating Committee Members Needed!Nominating Committee Members Needed!Nominating Committee Members Needed!Nominating Committee Members Needed!

In our upcoming meeting on November 15th, we will be selecting five members and twoalternatives to serve on our nominating committee to elect officers for the 2011-2012school year. Only PTSA members may serve on this committee, and members must nothave been on the nominating committee last year. This committee is one of the mostimportant in the PTSA so dont hesitate to volunteer! We will meet once in early Januaryto select a slate of nominees to serve as elected officers for the next school year, 2011-2012. The slate will be announced at the February meeting and elections will take placeat the March meeting. The elected board will be announced in April. Please contact An-drea Padian ([email protected]) if you would like to serve on this important committee!

Bringing Back the College FairBringing Back the College FairBringing Back the College FairBringing Back the College Fair

By Chris Burns

Has the cost of UC schools prompted you to consider othercolleges for your son or daughter? Has he or she ex-pressed an interest to study in the mid-west or eastcoast? What are the advantages of a small school versus alarge university? Why a liberal arts versus business de-gree? Perhaps you are uncertain on where to begin your

college search?

In an effort to present more options to students and theirparents, the PTSA has started planning for a THHS collegefair in the fall of 2011. The fact is, the SVUSD hosted acollege fair some years ago, but due to the never ending

budget challenges facing California schools, the fair wasdiscontinued. Its time to get back to the future.

For those of you that have never attended a college fair,picture a gymnasium filled with over 100 college represen-tatives from across the nation, eager to speak with stu-dents and parents alike on the wonderful collegiate experi-ence their institutions have to offer. Representatives from

various branches of the armed services are also usually

present to answer questions. The event is typically held atnight, during the week, in the September-October time-frame. Its the best two hour investment of time you canmake to explore the many options available!

Our goal is to make the fair available to all SVUSD stu-dents. If you are interested in assisting with the planningand coordination, please contact Andrea Padian at

[email protected] for more information.

The Pony Express is

published one week

before each GeneralPTSA Meeting.

Look for our next is-

sue on January

31st!

Happy Holidays!Cindy Ashley

Newsletter Editor


6/14

The PTSA has awarded the first Mini-grants to teachers at

THHS for classroom equipment & supplies that were pre-viously supplied by the District. Due to budget cuts, theDistrict allocation of supplies has been severely reduced byat least 20% for each of the last three years (now half the

budget of 2007-2008). In recognition of this, the PTSAstepped in, solicited equipment needs from the teachers,evaluated the applications, and will be funding $9000

worth of critical teaching tools.

Most of the schools departments received funding, includ-ing English, Music, Modern Languages, Social Sciences,Math, Health, and Science. The types of equipment in-clude LCD projectors, calculators, Interwrite video tabletsystems, lab testing equipment and supplies, and CDs. All

recipients of the awards had to be PTSA members.

This is a one-time only program, but with adequate fund-

raising, the PTSA hopes to make this a special annual pro-

gram that provides a direct connection between parentsand the classroom needs for as many students as possible.There are several ways in which you can support thePTSAs efforts, including buying car raffle tickets and dis-count cards, and signing up for Ralphs and Escrip rewardprograms.

Another way you can directly support our classrooms is byparticipating in our Restaurant Week dining night fund-raisers. All proceeds from this program fund soft supplies,such as paper goods, with special discounts from our part-ner Office Max. Again, all recipients must be PTSA mem-

bers, and their requests will be reviewed individually anddispersed to the most critical needs as funds become avail-

able.

Membership Matters!Membership Matters!Membership Matters!Membership Matters!

By Vanessa Braaksma, VP of Membership, [email protected]

Hello Mustangs! The time has finally come - our studentwinners for the $50.00 Membership raffle are: Freshman- Eric Blogg, Sophomore - Destiny Anderson, Junior -Sarah Tagger, and Senior - Ashley Brewer. Each student

will receive $50.00 from the PTSA - congratulations! ThePTSA would like to thank all the students, teachers, staffand parents who have joined the PTSA so far. Your mem-

berships count in so many ways.

Already, with membership funds from this year, the PTSAis looking forward to having a very dynamic speaker, Ja-son Barber, do an assembly for all classes as part of ourRed Ribbon Week events, except not during Red Ribbon

Week. We hope to hold many more student programsthroughout the year with our membership and fund rais-ing efforts. This is what the PTSA is all about - making adifference for all the students at THHS - not just onegroup. Our membership raffle may be over with, but it isnever too late to join! If you would like to join, please visitour website, http://www.thhsptsa.org and click on

Membership. Download our membership form and haveyour student turn in the form with dues to Debi Hope, theschool receptionist.

Our Hills vs. Hills teacher/staff membership competitionis still under way but will end at the end of thismonth. Right now Laguna Hills and Trabuco Hills are tied

with 43% of our teachers and staff joining the PTSA. If wehave a greater percentage of staff joining our PTSA - WE

WIN - and the Laguna Hills' Principal, PTSA president(soon to be new SVUSD School Board Member) and Mem-

bership Chair will be serving ice cream sundaes to ourteachers and staff. If we lose however, we will be the onesserving ice cream sundaes over at Laguna Hills and forcedto wear BROWN. Encourage your teachers to join thePTSA today!

If you have any questions please contact me [email protected].

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By Mike Padian, Mini-Grant Chair

PTSA Awards $9,000 in Classroom MiniPTSA Awards $9,000 in Classroom MiniPTSA Awards $9,000 in Classroom MiniPTSA Awards $9,000 in Classroom Mini----GrantsGrantsGrantsGrants

Health Advocate Come up with healthy living pro-grams and write about health issues. This is a new positionand can be as much or as little as you like. We have someideas or you can implement your own.

Please contact Andrea Padian [email protected] if youwould like to learn more about this position.

Help Wanted: Health AdvocateHelp Wanted: Health AdvocateHelp Wanted: Health AdvocateHelp Wanted: Health AdvocateRecycle!Recycle!Recycle!Recycle!

Just a reminder that youcan drop off your used printer cartridges, laptops, digi-tal cameras and cell phones in the PTSA collection boxin the office behind Debi Hopes desk! Contact BrendaHanrath([email protected] )if you would like a

collection box for your business.


7/14

Our first full month has come to a

close. The students at Trabuco Hillshave been hard at work with beinginvolved in school activities! One

way ASB has kept the student bodyinformed is through our monthlySenate Meetings. One representativefrom every homeroom comes to theMPR to get details and informationabout upcoming events. Then thestudent representatives go back totheir homeroom classes and relaythe information back to their home-room classes! Recently we have dis-

cussed clubs. Clubs are really big oncampus this year! The German Clubis a good example of a popular cur-ricular club on campus. The Germanclub works to foster a sense of appre-ciation for the wonderful Germanculture. One of our non-curricularclubs is the Pink Ribbon Club. PinkRibbon Club members raise fundsfor the Pink Ribbon Foundation, andawareness for breast cancer and

walks for the cure. They even organ-ized the Pink Out game a few weeksago at which they had everyone

come dressed in pink to show sup-port for Breast cancer patients.

Tailgate

The atmosphere on Friday, October22nd, was astounding! The annualtailgate was held on this Friday be-fore one of Trabuco Hills home foot-

ball game. During this festivity, over15 clubs signed up to be part of this

wonderful event by selling foodssuch as ramen noodles, popcorn,churros and much more, collecting

money for their clubs. From begin-ning to end with the help of ASB, adancing phenomenon ensued; stu-dents who attended joined in, in theend a two-hour dancing party endedand everybody left for the gamepumped up! Overall, the tailgate wasa success for all clubs and was asplendid time.

Red Ribbon

Red was everywhere; from the treesentwined with red ribbon to thestaircase to places you would neversee red. Monday, October 25th wasthe start of Red Ribbon Week, in

which students took the pledge tostay drug free. Throughout this

week, PAL was in charge of wear RedDay, and with the help of ASB, stu-dents who wore red received GotSpirit Points toward their gradelevel; this competition got many stu-dents to wear red and there was a

great turnout! On Friday, October27th, PAL students distributed PapaJohns Pizza discount certificates tothose who wore their wristbands.PAL has done an awesome job andcontinues to work hard.

Freshman elections

Man was it a hectic week 10/11-10/13! We had our freshman elec-tions during that week and all day

we saw the following candidates:Jessica Purnell, Megan Mondt and

Natasha Behnam, scamperingaround campus trying to get theirfellow classmates to vote for them.Beautiful posters were plasteredthroughout the school and each ofthem gave a wonderful speech topersuade their friends to vote forthem! After a week of labor and hard

work the results were in, and ournew Freshman class president is.MEGAN MONDT! But thats not all;

we still had one more seat to fill inour loving family of ASB. So westarted to give interviews to find ournext Freshman Commissioner. Afterhours of delegating and arguingabout who should be our next Fresh-man Commissioner we finally de-cided upon. BEN FIELD! Con-gratulations Ben and Megan on youroutstanding achievement.

Homecoming

AAARRRGGGHHHHit was a pi-rates night for me! Our Homecom-

ing dance took place on Nov. 5th. Itwouldnt be Homecoming withoutour royal court. Introducing ourprinces: 1.Connor Robertson 2.BenMullen 3.Daniel Taghidiri 4.MarkHickey 5.Jansen Oshier. And a kingalways comes with princesses:1.Kaiulani Bush 2. Ashley Brewer3.Aaren Cadieux 4. Dani Franks5.Kayla Zuckerman. Before thedance we had tons of spirit days:Mon-Bling day, Tues-Beach day,

Wed- Stripes day, Thurs- Beards andBoots, Fri- Pirate day. [The Home-coming King and Queen were an-nounced after this article was writ-ten.]

Horsepower

When Trabuco Hills High schoolstudents are caught being responsi-

ble they are rewarded with a littlesomething called a Horsepowerticket. If a student is seen picking uptrash, helping another student,cleaning up after others, being re-

spectful, or something down thatroad, a teacher or staff member givesthem a coupon called a Horsepowerticket. The students rip off a part ofthe ticket that has their name on itand they put in the black box in thestudent store. Students keep theother half so they can remembertheir good deed. Then twice monthlyon the morning announcements,students who were picked randomlyget to play a game; plinko or spin the

wheel for fabulous prizes! Theseprices can consist of many gift cardsfor $20.00 iTunes, $15.00 Target,$15.00 at a variety of different res-taurants, Knotts Berry Farm tickets,a $35.00 entertainment book oreven $25.00 American Expresscards can be your reward! So show

your mighty mustang character andyou may be able to play Plinko!

Go Blue!

Page 7


ASB News: Weve Got Spirit!ASB News: Weve Got Spirit!ASB News: Weve Got Spirit!ASB News: Weve Got Spirit!By Aiko Mackus, Senior Class President, Monica Ukah, Junior Class President

Henry Yin, Sophomore President


8/14


Dennis Walsh isone of two newschool board mem-

bers who will besworn in at the De-cember SchoolBoard Meeting. Wethank him for tak-ing time out for usto get to know him

better. In our February issue, we willask the same questions of our secondnew school board member, Dolores

Winchell.

Tell us a little about yourself.....

I was born in New York, and came toCalifornia in 1974. I moved to Saddle-

back Valley in 1982, and have lived inLake Forest, Mission Viejo, and La-guna Hills. I currently live in LakeForest with my wife Julie. Our threechildren all attended schools inSVUSD. We have a daughter, twosons, and a grandson. I have a BS inBusiness Administration and Account-ing from CSULB, and an MBA fromUCI.

Why were you interested in runningfor this new school board position,especially under our current budgetcrisis?

I have been interested for a long time,but I felt that the current Board ofEducation members were doing agood job, especially considering thecircumstances the state has put us in.

With two incumbents deciding not torun for reelection, I thought now was

the time. As far as the current budgetcrisis is concerned, many people coulddo the job if there was plenty ofmoney. With all the budget cuts it is amuch more difficult job now. But thatis what makes it so special. I thinkeducation is extremely important, andI would like to use my education andexperience to continue the excellenteducation that SVUSD is providing toour community.

Page 8

Meet Dennis Walsh: New SVUSD Board MemberMeet Dennis Walsh: New SVUSD Board MemberMeet Dennis Walsh: New SVUSD Board MemberMeet Dennis Walsh: New SVUSD Board Member

By Andrea Padian,[email protected]

What new ideas/skills do you bring tothe table that you think will help ourschool board/community most?

I dont know that I necessarily havenew ideas. The current ideas we haveseem to be good. But because of thelack of local control, and the state con-trolling the purse strings, we are ex-tremely limited as to what we can do.

What would you like most to seechange, if you could change anythingin our district?

I would like to see the restoration ofthe programs we have had to cut overthe past few years. We continue toimprove our API scores, but there ismore to education then just testscores. I believe that in order to bestprepare our students, they need to be

well rounded. That means arts andmusic and sports and theater amongmany other things. Most of thechanges we need are not from withinthe district, but from the state andfederal governments.

What do you see as your biggest chal-lenge and how do you plan to face it?

I feel the biggest challenge is money,or lack of it. Since we have to workunder the assumption that we will not

be getting any increases in our budgetfor the near future, we need to makesure we make the best of what wehave. With declining enrollmentadded to the equation, that makes iteven harder. I believe we need to con-

tinue to look at our elementary schoolcapacity levels. It does not makesense to have 24 schools open undercapacity. Although no one likes toclose a school, we need to look at thatoption. We also need to continue toapply for grants, and seek donationsand build partnerships with busi-nesses in our district.

What is your philosophy about educa-tion in our public schools and its fu-ture in our state?

The purpose of government is to pro-vide for the general welfare of its citi-zens. If education and health are notthe two most important things, then Ido not know what are. School should

be incredibly expensive for govern-ment and should be absolutely free ofcharge for its citizens, just like na-tional defense. But we continue to cuteducation while spending billions on

wars we have started. Since 2001 wehave spent over a trillion dollars on

wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Justthink what we could have accom-plished if we had spent that money oneducation. The educational system inCalifornia was once considered the

best in the United States. That is nolonger true. If we do not make educa-tion in California a higher priority, I

believe we face a challenging future.We have to make our representativesin Sacramento and Washington backup their words with actions. They allsay education is their top priority, but

they do not back that up with the fi-nancial support we need. California isone of the few states that funds educa-tion at the state level. Our propertytaxes in Saddleback Valley are notenough to cover the cost of education,so the state provides most of ourmoney. Unfortunately that meansthat we spend less per student thatabout 40 other states spend. There isno good reason why the state of Cali-fornia, with all our resources, cantprovide for the needs of a world class

educational system.


9/14


Page 9

Support the PTSA and Wina Car!!!

For just $50, you can purchase a raffle ticket to wina 2010 Toyota Corolla LE 1838 from CapistranoToyota.

Only 600 tickets will be sold and every ticket pur-chaser will receive a coupon for 50% off an oilchange at Capistrano Toyota.

When will you ever have these kind of odds? Dontlet this chance slip away. For more details and

purchase information, visit thhsptsa.org.

(must be 18 to purchase a raffle ticket)

Absenteeism and Its Consequences: It Hurts More than you ThinkAbsenteeism and Its Consequences: It Hurts More than you ThinkAbsenteeism and Its Consequences: It Hurts More than you ThinkAbsenteeism and Its Consequences: It Hurts More than you Think

By Andrea Padian,[email protected]

Did you know that the day after Halloween our school hadone of the top absentee rates of the year? Why? Too muchcandy? Too much fun? Did you know when three furloughdays were added to our Thanksgiving break, it wasnt justto give the students a week off, but to help stop the prac-tice parents have made of turning 4 day weekends into 5 or9 day weekends? School began on a Monday this year be-cause so many students miss the first days of school whenschool starts midweek. Most of us have done it, but do youreally understand the cost of doing that kind of thing toour school and district?

For instance, did you know that schools dont get paid forstudents on days when they are absent? It doesnt matter

whether they are sick or taking a vacation day. We do notencourage you to send sick kids to school, but when theyare gone and they are not sick, the financial impact on ourschool can really add up and it hurts everyone especiallyour students. Payrolls still need to met, electric bills stillneed to be paid and life goes on. The school and districtstill has to spend the money, but they receive less from thestate.

School funding is based on something referred to as ADA(Average Daily Attendance). Our district and schools lose

well over a million dollars annually in funding due toabsentee rates $37/day/student - GONE. Last year,Trabuco Hills lost $772,520.00 alone in funding becauseof our absenteeism. Generally, 5%of our Trabuco stu-dents are absent each day at our school and more than 6%of our special ed students. We have almost 3300 students.Do the math. We simply cant afford these losses on top ofthe cuts we are already enduring. If you are taking a vaca-tion this year, make sure it falls within the official schoolholiday schedule or consider writing a check directly to theschool to cover the funds lost for the days your studentsare vacationing. The best answer to this problem is to stickto the school schedule. Please dont make your own spe-

cial non-school days. And, if your student needs to leaveschool, schedule their appointments for the end of the day.That way, their absence will not result in a loss of funds.

Enjoy the upcoming holidays, but remember to be back atschool on time ready to start again. Being in school mat-ters in many ways stay home if youre sick, but other-

wise, please be at school.


10/14

Sign up or renew your participation in Ralphs and Vons/Pavilions

Value Customer Community Support Programs

ITS EASY! ITS FREE! ITS POWERFUL!

www.ralphs.c

om

Org. Number

92164

Or

Name: Tra-

buco Hills

High School

PTSA

Register your grocery club card(s) and the rest is done by Ralphs and eScrip.

The instruction for how to sign up for these great fundraising opportuni-

ties are posted at http://www.ptsa.org. Click on Ralphs Club Card Instruc-

tions. The icon for each program on the above mentioned website will lead

you directly to a Sign-In screen for that particular program. Then just

follow the prompts and use the group/organization numbers from this ad.Even if you sign up for these fundraisers in the past, you HAVE to renew your

participation every year.

The Ralphs program runs from September 1 to August 31.

eScrip (Vons/Pavilions) program runs from August 1 to July 31.*

DONT WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW.

LET OUR SCHOOL EARN MONEY TOO.

www.eScrip.c

om

Group ID

10482514

Or

Group

Name:

Trabuco Hills

Ptsa

*Starting January 1, 2011, our school must earn a minimum of $100 annually (January 1 - December 31) to continue to receive

contributions through the Safeway eScrip program


Our friends at Office Max are working to get supplies for us at significant savings!We have a wonderful coupon to pass on to you on our website.

Get $10 off any $30 purchase through 11/24/10!

Visit http://www.thhsptsa.orgClick on Restaurant Week and scroll down to the yellow

to print the coupon.HEREHEREHEREHERE

Page 10


11/14

At the last October meeting, a PTSA bylaw committeewas formed to review and update the old bylaws.Changes were made and submitted last year so there

wont be any major changes to the bylaws this year.The committee will, however, meet and see whatneeds to be amended and propose these amendmentsat the November 15th meeting. After thirty days or atthe February association meeting, we will vote collec-tively to approve the changes in order to submit themto the state PTA parliamentarian for further approval.

Bylaw Review CommitteeBylaw Review CommitteeBylaw Review CommitteeBylaw Review Committee

By Gayathri Sivadas, PTSA Parliamentarian


Senior Scholarship Committee Forming NowSenior Scholarship Committee Forming NowSenior Scholarship Committee Forming NowSenior Scholarship Committee Forming Now


If you are a PTSA member and don't have a senior gradu-

ating this year, we'd like to encourage you to help on ourSenior PTSA Scholarship Committee. We will be formingthe committee this month and will begin looking at waysto publicize these scholarships, set up criteria and a dead-line for their submission, as well as a process/form forevaluating them to most fairly determine the recipi-ents. The committee will work with guidance staff duringthis process. While it seems early to get this started, withthe holidays ahead, January finals and all the things thatmake completing the application process difficult, the duedate for these applications will be upon us sooner than one

might think. We'd like as many seniors as possible to ap-

ply and will try to put out the requirements and instruc-tions for these scholarships before the new year so seniorsare able to give it the time they need to - perhaps duringthe holiday break. So, if you'd like to help on this commit-tee, we're looking for 5-6 people. Please email HeatherGennette at [email protected] or AndreaPadian at [email protected] if you are interested or haveany questions. Or, come to our November 15th PTSAmeeting at 7 PM in the school library and we'll talk to youthen. Thanks for helping!


The PTSA executive board wouldespecially like to thank the fol-lowing dads for their generousdonations to the PTSA.

First, James Paredo, who do-nated $500 to help keep a paint-

ing of Einstein at our school in lieu of auctioning it off foradditional funds. Upon the completion of the library/administration building modernization, it will be placed inthe library for all to enjoy. The Paredo family also kindlydonated $100 towards classroom supplies to help pur-chase items that teachers no longer can order from thedistrict due to budget cuts. James also purchased one ofour 2010 Toyota Corolla raffle tickets to auction off at theMission Viejo Red Ribbon Week Walk in October. Thank

you Paredo Family!

Additionally, we'd like to thankBoudewijn Hanrath forhis spontaneous donation of $1000 to help the PTSA fundtwo assemblies for allstudents instead of just one assem-

bly for two classes, seniors and juniors. The other alterna-tive was to use money from our Mini-Grant program tofund the two assemblies, but his kindness helped us keepthat money for further Mini-Grant requests. That assem-

bly will be presented in the near future and addresses theissue of Drunk Driving: Not an Accident, but a Choice. Welook forward to bringing an incredibly powerful speaker toTHHS.

With the help of our fellow PTSA parents, we are makingthings happen. Thank you so much!!

WowWowWowWowA Big Thank You From the PTSA!!!A Big Thank You From the PTSA!!!A Big Thank You From the PTSA!!!A Big Thank You From the PTSA!!!

Page 11


12/14

Page 12


By Mike Padian, Legislative Representative

Education Funding: The Current State Budget, How We Got Here and LawsuitsEducation Funding: The Current State Budget, How We Got Here and LawsuitsEducation Funding: The Current State Budget, How We Got Here and LawsuitsEducation Funding: The Current State Budget, How We Got Here and Lawsuits

Current State Budget

Gov. Schwarzenegger finally signed abudget on October 8, 100 days laterthan required and a new record fortardiness. With spending reductions,anticipated federal funds, some ac-counting smoke and mirrors gim-micks, and little in the way of newrevenues, the budget is supposedlybalanced. After $17 billion in cuts toeducation over the past few years,overall K-12 education funding willremain fairly constant from last yearsfunding level. Although this budget

provides an increase in funding of $1.7billion, or about $275 per pupil, overthe Governors May proposals, all ofthis money is deferred into the 2011-2012 school year.

But there were some education-related casualties: $256 million cutfrom child care, which will terminatechild care for about 56,000 children,starting November 1, 2010; $80 mil-lion cut from child welfare services,

which together with the loss of $56million in federal matching funds, will

continue to constrain services toabused and neglected children in thefoster care system; and $133 millioncut from county appropriations tofund mental health services for specialeducation students. The CaliforniaState PTA is especially angry about,and disappointed by, the Governors

veto of more than $1 billion from criti-cal programs for children and families after the Legislature had voted tolargely protect these programs.

How We Got Here

There are four important events thatchanged California school funding,leading to California being in the bot-tom 10 of the 50 states for per studentfunding. In the 1976 Serrano v. Priestcase, the California Supreme Courtdeclared the local property tax-basedsystem of school funding to be uncon-stitutional, violating the equal protec-tion clause. It required basic per stu-

dent funding of school districts

(within categories of districts) to beequal or within a small margin. Thiswas supposed to eliminate the dis-crepancy between affluent and lower-income districts.

Proposition 13 was approved by thevoters in 1978; it capped property taxrates and limited increases in assessed

value. It required a 2/3 vote for newlocal taxes. Suddenly, local propertytaxes were no longer the major sourceof school funding it shifted to statefunding. As a result, the governor and

the Legislature took over the alloca-tion of property taxes to schools, cit-ies, counties, and specials districts.

While it was a popular idea, and re-mains so today, no one anticipated allof the potential consequences.

Proposition 98 was a ConstitutionalAmendment that was passed by votersin 1988. It guarantees a minimumfunding level for K-14 public educa-tion, determined by a complex for-mula based on tax revenue. Originallyit was looked at as a minimum, but

now is considered to be more like aceiling or limit. With some more crea-tive accounting, the Governor andLegislature have been able to reducethese minimum funding levels.

Lastly, Californias school districtsreceive the majority of their fundingthrough a formula known as revenuelimits While it is commonly believedthat this funding is equitably distrib-uted across districts, this is not thecase. Revenue limit funding is basedon a complex series of formulas re-

flecting a long and convoluted history.A percentage of the property tax gen-erated by real property located withina district is assigned to the district;state aid makes up the difference be-tween a districts entitlement and itsproperty tax revenue. If a districtsproperty tax exceeds its entitlement, itgets to retain these excess taxes;about 10% of the States schools fall

into this category. The sum of the enti-

tlement and any excess taxes are adistricts revenue limit funds. Thereare numerous district classifications,including rural or urban, the numberof students, and unified or high schoolonly or elementary only. As a result ofall of these factors, districts such asSVUSD receive less overall fundingper student than Irvine Unified orNewport Mesa.

The Lawsuits

On May 2010, a historic lawsuit wasfiled against the State of Californiarequesting that the current educationfinance system be declared unconsti-tutional and that the State be requiredto establish a school finance systemthat provides all students an equalopportunity to meet the academicgoals set by the State. This lawsuit,Robles-Wong v. California, was

brought forth by a broad coalition ofstudents, parents, nine school districts(Santa Ana is one of the litigants,SVUSD is not), and educational or-ganizations, including the California

State PTA. The plaintiffs are not ask-ing the court to mandate a particularschool finance system, order specificallocation methods, or determine theamount of money that the Stateshould spend on K-12 public educa-tion. On Sept. 10, the American CivilLiberties Union filed suit against thestate, arguing that all students are en-titled to a free education , including all

books, materials, and extracurricularand sports related costs. In addition,

within the last month, Public Advo-cates and Californians for Justice fileda separate lawsuit that also challengesthe school finance system.

In conclusion, it is imperative that theschool funding system be revised.

And while there are many differentefforts to change the funding system,there are strong forces out there that

want to maintain the status quo.


13/14

Page 13


California State PTA Senior ScholarshipsCalifornia State PTA Senior ScholarshipsCalifornia State PTA Senior ScholarshipsCalifornia State PTA Senior Scholarships

Compiled by Heather Gennette from http://www.capta.org

Scholarships to further various kinds of higher educationare provided annually by the California State PTA. Schol-arships are for use during the fall semester/quarter follow-ing high school graduation. The California State PTA willoffer graduating high school seniors scholarships in theamount of $500 each to acknowledge the achievements ofhigh school seniors for volunteer service in the school andcommunity. The scholarship does not have a grade pointaverage restriction or requirement.

Scholarship funds are available to high school seniorsgraduating between January 1st and June 30th of the cur-rent academic year from high schools in California with a

PTA/PTSA Unit in good standing. Scholarships are to beused at an accredited college or university, communitycollege, or trade or technical school.

Application and Deadline

An application (including two reference forms) may beobtained from the California State PTA office or on the

website at http://www.capta.org . References are to becompleted by a community volunteer leader with whomthe student applicant has served and a member of the high

school faculty. Completed reference forms and lettersshould be returned to the applicant in a sealed envelope to

be included with the application packet. Reference formand letter must be written specifically for this scholarshipapplication. Copies of recommendation letters for collegeadmission are NOT accepted. Do not submit more thanthe requested two reference forms and letters. Referenceforms and letters in sealed envelopes, a legible copy of ap-plicants current PTA/PTSA membership card on an 8 x11 sheet of paper and completed application are to bemailed together in ONE envelope to the California StatePTA. Application envelope must be received in the Cali-fornia State PTA office by close of business February 1,2011. Applications will not be considered if received afterdeadline date or if any of the required materials are miss-ing. Application and reference forms with letters must bemailed; facsimiles will not be accepted.

Selection

Recipients are selected by representatives of the CaliforniaState PTA Scholarship & Grant Committee. All applicants

will be notified of their standing by letter in May. A checkfor the scholarship will be sent directly to the recipient.

Holiday PTSA Dinner CelebrationHoliday PTSA Dinner CelebrationHoliday PTSA Dinner CelebrationHoliday PTSA Dinner Celebration

Please join the Trabuco Hills High PTSA executive board members in December as they celebratethe holiday season and the start of a great new year for the PTSA. The date and location of thedinner has not been set yet, but look for more information on the PTSA website, http://

www.thhsptsa.org, in a couple weeks and in Debi Hope's daily announcements soon. Meet otherconcerned parents, support the PTSA and come ready to have an enjoyable evening. Everyone is

welcome; reservations will be required and dinners will be paid for in advance. Go Blue and GoPTSA!

Words to Ponder.

One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one

makes...and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.

Eleanor Roosevelt


14/14

Mark Your Calendar...

November 11No school (Veterans Day)

November 12No school (California Admission Day Observation)

November 15deadline for teachers, counselors & volunteers to apply for State PTA

scholarships (see http://www.capta.orgfor details)

November 15, 7pmPTSA General Meeting, MPR

November 22-26Thanksgiving Break, no school

December 3Day of the Special Educator

December 6-10Restaurant Week (see page 2 for details)

December 8Late Start

December 7Freshman Parent Night

December 8At Risk Freshman Night

December 11ACT (Saddleback College & Capistrano Valley High)

December 14, 6:15pmSVUSD Board of Education Meeting, SVUSD Boardroom

December 20-31Winter Break, no school

January 11, 6:15pmSVUSD Board of Education Meeting, SVUSD Boardroom

January 12PSAT Results

January 12Late Start

January 17Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, no school

January 22SAT and Subject Tests (register by December 23)

January 26-28Finals, Minimum Days

February 1Deadline for seniors to apply for CA State PTA scholarships (see arti-cle on page 13 for details)

February 7, 7pmPTSA General Meeting, Library, slate of officers for the 2011-2012

PTSA Board will be announced

February 12ACT (Saddleback College & Capistrano Valley High) March 12SAT (register by February 11)

February 8, 6:15pmSVUSD Board of Education Meeting, SVUSD Boardroom

February 17PTA Founders Day

February 18, 21February Recess, no school

March 12SAT (register by February 11)

The Pony Express

Documents

Nov 2010 PTSA Pony Express Newsletter