The Pony Express

Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express 27501 Mustang Run, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 (949) 768-1934 Trabuco Hills High School PTSA Saddleback Valley PTA Council 4th District PTA www.thhsptsa.org California State PTA Cindy Ashley Editor National PTA Andrea Padian President

Volume 1 Issue 4 Feb 2011

Craig Collins Principal

Principals Message: Meet Me for Coffee

By Craig Collins, Craig.Collins@svusd.org
Coffee with the Principal I am pleased to announce that on Tuesday, February 8th, from 7:30am 9am, we will have Coffee with the Principal in the Conference Room in the 500 Building (facing the parking lot). I will be available to discuss anything that you might want to talk about and update you on what is happening on campus. Please drop by if you are interested, I would love to meet you! Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Last year it was Swine Flu, this year the contagious infection Pertussis is of concern. At the time I am writing this, we have had only a single case reported at Trabuco Hills High School. Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a bacterial infection that settles into the lungs. The infected student has been checked by a doctor and cleared to return to school. Under the direction of the county we have notified the families of the students that were in the infected students classes but as of this time, we have not had any other reports. While pertussis can be serious in infants

Please join us for our next MEETING Monday, Feb 7th 7 pm

In the Library
and people with a weekend immune system, it is not usually serious for teens. However, you should know to look for the symptoms such as a crowing sound or whoop when breathing in during a coughing spell. If you think your child may be infected, get them to the doctor and let them know that we have had a reported case at school. Attendance and Vacation$ As you may already know, when your student is absent we lose money. It doesnt matter if you are visiting colleges or at home ill. Trabuco Hills has a very good attendance average of over 95% everyday. However, just that 5% of absences costs us over $40,000 each month. That is money that could be going into the general fund and used to purchase equipment and supplies. (continued next page)

A Message from Andrea

By Andrea Padian, PTSA President, Apadian@aol.com
Happy New Year! Ten years ago it was a new century and now, it is a new decade. Where does the time go? Weve had a couple very busy months, and celebrating our teachers and staff was key. The PTSA celebrated Special Educators Day with a nice breakfast for our special Ed teachers, aides, students and best buddy participants. We also held our second annual Cookie Exchange for teachers and staff, again with parent donations. Both events were a wonderful way to end the year. As the New Year arrived, we held the first ever Superintendent Breakfast Reception with new SVUSD superintendent, Dr. Harwick, for our teachers and staff. It was successful beyond my dreams - tons of delicious food donated by families and a nice opportunity for the staff and Dr. Harwick to mingle. We salute all of the wonderful teachers and staff at THHS (continued on pg. 3)

Inside this issue:

Race to Nowhere Mustang Marvals, Grad Night Fundraising, ASB News Dolores Winchell, Financial Aid Superintendent Reception, Mini-Grants Advocacy, Staff PTSA Memberships Calendar 2 4,5 6,7 8, 9 10, 11 12, 13 14

Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

Principals Message (cont. from page 1)

Families can help by following some simple common sense suggestions. Number 1 is DO NOT send your child to school when they have a fever or there is a chance they could be contagious. One student out sick is obviously better than having them come to school and get all their friends sick as well. If you are planning college visits, contact the university in advance, many of them have weekend visit hours. If you must travel on a school day, have the students attend as many classes as possible before you leave. Whenever your child returns from an absence, please send a note and be sure to list the dates and reason for the absence. The Orange County Department of Education requires our attendance office to submit a report every month. We must require verification of doctors appointments from the doctors office. Any absence that is not cleared within three days is classified as truant. This can be very frustrating because we think of truancies as the student being absent when the parents didnt know. Thank you for doing what you can to help improve our attendance and helping your student by getting them to class as much as possible.

Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of Americas Achievement Culture

By Cindy Ashley & Kim Dennis, Parent Education Coordinator, e-911madre@att.net
The PTSA hosted the screening of the critically acclaimed, thought provoking education documentary "Race to Nowhere" on January 25th in the school theater. Over 200 parents, (including new SVUSD Board Member Dolores Winchell, see a profile of her on page 8) attended. The film, created by a concerned mother turned film maker, examines the high pressure culture invading our schools and the lives of our children. The Race to Nowhere exposes the silent epidemic in our schools: students have become disengaged, they suffer from stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, cheating has become commonplace and as if that werent enough, young people are arriving at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired. Underlying the constant striving to take more Honors and AP classes, excel in everything and participate in more extracurricular activities, is the misguided belief that acceptance into a good school is the ticket to a successful life. This was disputed by several authorities in the film. According to several college admissions officers in the film, many of our top students are graduating from high school without having had the time or opportunity to develop critical thinking skills or discover what their true passions are. Our principal Craig Collins facilitated a conversation following the movie as everyone discussed ways to address this problem. Mr. Collins will be available for further discussion at his first Coffee with the Principal on February 8th (as well as any other topic). For more information about the film and the grassroots movement it has started, and to find future local showings, you can visit the Race to Nowhere website http://www.RaceToNowhere.com.
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The Trabuco Hills PTSA was proud to bring this movie to our school. We hope to expand on opportunities to offer education and helpful resources to our THHS families. Please contact Kim Dennis, Parent Education coordinator, if you have ideas for future events at: e-911madre@att.net.

February 2011, Volume 1 Issue 4

A Message from Andrea (cont. from page 1)

and happily host such events to recognize their great efforts and talents. We also celebrated the holidays as a PTSA board, with a lively White Elephant gift exchange and dinner at Outback. Its always nice to have a simple, no-work evening with friends, all dedicated to helping every child at our school. Im so privileged to work with these people. Please be sure to read through the newsletter to see all of the easy ways you can support the PTSA: lots of restaurant nights, Ralphs, escrip, discount cards, recycling, etc. We have been able to provide min-grants to some very grateful teachers with our funds and purchase classroom supplies, like paper. Wed like to do this more, so please, please support our fundraisers, most of which require no extra money out of pocket. Its a win-win way to help with PTSA funding that helps all our kids. Id like to close with one heartfelt plea. If you havent joined our PTSA yet, please do. Were trying to do more and your support is crucial. Our numbers matter so much with advocacy efforts in Sacramento and they especially matter at our school. Its a new year and I present you with a new challenge - one more. Get one more membership a friend, a teacher, a grandparent, your parent, your studentwhomever. We were challenged to increase our membership by 5% this year and instead we are down in membership. We have 3300 students at our school and only 850 PTSA members. This is a team effort. We can do more for the school, the teachers, the students and even our families if we have your support. So please, write a check today for $15 to the THHS PTSA and become part of the solution.part of the team that believes the educational experience is important, that we can do more as individuals and as an organization to help our school. There is strength in numbers and we need you. It is not too late to join and support our PTSA. Go Mustangs!

PTSA Holiday Fun!!

Our White Elephant Gift Exchange!

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Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

THHS PTSA Suffers Chilling Defeat Against Rival!!!

By Vanessa Braaksma, VP of Membership
In the battle between our PTSA and the Laguna Hills High Schools PTSA to see which group could increase their staff membership by the greatest percentage, THHS suffered a narrow defeat. In keeping with our agreement, our principal, Craig Collins and other THHS PTSA members, cheerfully headed over into enemy territory wearing brown, and served ice cream sundaes to LHHS principal Sean Boulton and members of the LHHS PTSA.

THHS Principal Craig Collins (left) serving up the first sundae to LHHS Principal Sean Boulton. Lets see who serves who next year!

Vanessa Braaksma, our VP of Membership wearing brown (!!!) and serving up sundaes to Laguna Hills PTSA members with a smile.

Mustang Marvels
By Andrea Padian, PTSA President
Id like to take this opportunity to thank our board members, current and past, for their help with our PTSA hospitality work. Karen Gustafson, who stepped down in December, did a wonderful job organizing our Welcome Back Breakfast and Annual Cookie Exchange for Teachers and Staff. We very much appreciate her dedication and efforts. Id also like to thank Sandra McElwee, our Special Education Chair, for organizing a great Special Educators Breakfast. It was the first time wed even heard of this day but we HAD to celebrate. It makes sense, these teachers and aides are impressive and deserve recognition. Vanessa Braaksma, Mike Padian, Cindy Johnson, and Sandra McElwee were instrumental in making our Breakfast with Dr. Harwick a fun event for everyone, too. Again, it was nice to meet so many of our teachers and staff, (did you know how great our custodians are?) and we couldnt have done this without their help. Thank you so much. And thanks to all the parents that contributed food for all these events. Your support is essential. You are all truly Mustang Marvels!

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February 2011, Volume 1 Issue 4

Grad Night 2011!!!

By Lisa Bauer, Grad Night co-chair, lisakaybauer@yahoo.com
It is hard to believe that we have turned the corner on another year and graduation is fast approaching. Our Grad Night Committee has been hard at work to put together an evening that will be fun and memorable for our THHS Class of 2011. This year will be an outdoor private party, filled with a variety of activities that are sure to appeal. Best of all, it has been planned by the students for the students! You can download the forms (ticket form and permission slip both must be completed and signed in full) from the PTSA website at http:// www.thhsptsa.org/. Make sure to print both forms! Your checks should be made payable to THHS PTSA Grad Night. Please note the corrected dates on the form. Graduation and the party to follow is on Tuesday, June 21, 2011. Students will leave the campus directly following graduation and will return the following morning Dont wait until the last minute to pur(June 22, 2011). chase your ticket; there are substantial Thanks to those of you who have been savings by buying your ticket now: volunteering. We are building up a January 11 March 31, 2011: $160 bank of parent volunteers. Due to the nature and size of the event, we are April 1 May 31, 2011: $175 still seeking additional help. If you June 1st June 18, 2011: $190 are interested in chaperoning (this will be a night to remember!) or other volunteer activities such as the donation committee, contact Lisa Bauer at lisakaybauer@yahoo.com.

Second Annual PTSA Teacher and Staff Cookie Party

Teachers and staff enjoy an array of homemade cookies and treats supplied by THHS families. With hundreds of yummy delights, everyone was able to take home a variety of goodies to share with their families. Thank you to all who donated and thank you to Karyn Gustafson for organizing this event.

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Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

Eat Out, Support the School!

By Karyn Bower, PTSA Secretary kpbcsr@cox.net
The PTSA has another win-win fundraiser. Simply by eating out or picking up some take-out, you can raise money for our school. Now, through June 2011, the PTSA will be hosting Restaurant Week the first week of every month. Restaurant Week is happening right now thru February 7th and the next one will be March 1-7th so mark your calendar! If you plan to eat out the first week of the month, why not consider dining at one of these fine restaurants? Visit http://www.thhsptsa.org, click on the Restaurant Week link on the left. Scroll down to Attachments and print out the restaurant flyer and present it when you order and earn 15% of your bill (pre-tax) back to the school. Monday: Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse, 20782 Trabuco Oaks Rd, Trabuco Canyon. Tuesday: Peppinos, Foothill Ranch in food court near movie theatre. Pick Up Stix, RSM by Lowes and Mission Viejo (Trabuco and Alica near Mobil).

Wednesday: Oggis Pizza, 23641 Via Linda, MV (off Alicia across from baseball fields) or Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Foothill Ranch, near Walmart. Thursday: Claim Jumper, Mission Viejo in Henrys Shopping Center or Phillys Best, RSM in the Lowes shopping center. Friday: Baja Fresh, RSM, next to Kohls, or Del Taco, Foothill Ranch (near Target).

Recycling Competition!!
Drop off your used printer cartridges, laptops, digital cameras and cell phones in the first two weeks of February. The winning homeroom will be served hot, fresh breakfast burritos. Contact Brenda Hanrath at (949) 702-4247 or e-mail her at brendahanrath@cox.net if you have any questions.

Many Ways to Support Teachers and Students

By Brenda Hanrath, Ways and Means
CAR RAFFLE: We are still selling raffle tickets for the drawing of the a Toyota Corolla!!!! PURCHASE yours for $50.00. Only 600 will be sold! You will be supporting all students and staff at THHS!! Purchase at the school office from Debi Hope, or contact Brenda Hanrath at (949) 7024247 Or brendahanrath@cox.net DONATION BIN: We now have a donation bin in conjunction with Community of Change. Please donate your old clothing, towels, blankets, sheets, rags and shoes! All textiles will be accepted. PTSA will receive a percentage back for every 50 pounds of donations collected. The bin is located on the Santa Margarita Pkwy side of the school near the tennis courts, on the road that leads to the front of the school. You can just pull up to the bin and drop off your goods.
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SCREAMIN DAILY DEALS: Want to get a great deal on food, entertainment, massages, hair care and more?? Check out Screaming Daily Deals!! You will get about 3 daily deals per day from local businesses. Purchase your deal, print the coupon and enjoy the savings of up to 70%! Sign up on the PTSA website, or at screamindailydeals.com, and choose THHSPTSA as your school to support!! KEY TO SAFE DRIVING: Protect your teen from texting and talking on their cell phones while driving! It does allow your teen access to 911 and parents in case of an emergency. The device is $95.00 and can be purchased from the PTSA website. ITALIAN ICE: Sold every Friday from 2pm to 4pm in front of the school. Cost is $3.00 per cup and supports PTSA.

February 2011, Volume 1 Issue 4

ASB News: Weve Got Spirit (and Generousity)!

Canned Food Drive Our school proudly was able to collect and donate 14,500 cans of food for Saddleback Community Outreach during the week before Thanksgiving Break. At the beginning of the week we only had about 100 cans. The deadline was Friday and we needed a miracle! It was truly amazing to see a room go from almost empty to barely being able to see the floor in a few days. Thanks to all who donated canned food for our neighbors in need. Soles 4 Souls This year, our school collected gently used shoes for a program called Soles 4 Souls. They distribute shoes throughout the United States and the world to those in need. Our shoe drive was a huge success and in about a month, we collected 3010 pairs of shoes! Holiday Spirit Week The last week of school before Winter Break, ASB had a Holiday Spirit Week with dress-up days such as Santa Hat Day, Holiday Sweater Day, Snow Day and Holiday Colors Day. It was a colorful and spectacular week! It s a Pixar Perfect Winter Formal On Saturday, February 5th, 2011 the Winter Formal will take place at the beautiful location of Soka University from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Congratulations to our Winter Formal Court. The freshmen are made up of, Megan Mondt, Lindsay Logsdon, Amanda Mills, Kyle Freeman, Connor Lee, Jordan Levy. The sophomore court is Alyssa Ayres, Jamie Hay, Taylor Keating, John Land, Nathan Perry, and Henry Yin. The junior court is Ashley Brown, Montana Kleppe, Karli Thompson, Vince Ricco, Bryan Russo, and Mitch SiPage 7

By Aiko Mackus, Senior Class President, Monica Ukah, Junior Class President Henry Yin, Sophomore President
monsen. The senior court is led by Stephanie Keider, Riley Logsdon, Jessica Vuozzo, Joe Garland, Yoodoo Park and Connor Tyson. Hope for Change From December 6th to December 10th, the students of Trabuco Hills reached into their pockets and donated $13,442 for local needy families. The money was used to buy toys and games for children of the community, make food baskets for families, and buy gifts for some of the underprivileged in Orange Country. As an incentive to students, freshly baked cookies and Golden Spoon certificates were offered to homerooms that collected a certain amount of money each day. Even without these motivational incentives, the kindhearted Mustangs always come through. Got Spirit? The fourth Got Spirit Day was on December 3rd and the seniors are still in firstkept their lead. The seniors have 21,113 pts while the Juniors are a close second with 20,329 pts. The sophomores have 14,912 pts and the freshmen are in last place with 10,139 points. The next Got Spirit day is February 17th. Get ready, get pumped and get spirit!

Go Blue!

Our Mustangs collecting change for charity.

Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

Meet Dolores Winchell: New SVUSD Board Member

By Andrea Padian, Apadian@aol.com
Dolores Winchell is one of two new school board members sworn in at the December School Board Meeting. We thank her for taking time out for us to get to know her better. Tell us a little about yourself..... I moved to Orange County in 1976 and my husband, Scott and I bought our home in Lake Forest in 1992. Both of our kids attended Rancho Caada and Serrano Intermediate in Lake Forest. Our daughter attends Laguna Hills High School and she will graduate this June. Our son is in the 8th grade at Serrano and plans to attend El Toro next year. Ever since my daughter started kindergarten in 1998 I have been an active member of the PTA and a volunteer in the schools. I have served as PTA president three times, first at Rancho Canada, then at Council (district level) and most recently at Laguna Hills High School. My career background is in human resources. I earned a BS in Management from Pepperdine University. I worked as a full-time HR director for 15 years and switched to part-time HR consulting in order to provide fulltime care for our kids and volunteer in the schools. I am still actively working as a Human Resources Consultant. Why were you interested in running for this new school board position, especially under our current budget crisis? Running for a school board position was what I considered a call to duty. Having attended board meetings for more than ten years, I understand, appreciate and support public education. I have visited legislators locally and
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made at least seven trips to Sacramento to advocate for K-12 education. As a parent invested in the education of all children, I subscribe to the motto of them that can.should. Children are our future and as a society, we need to recognize that we have a duty and responsibility to educate them and provide them with every possible opportunity to become successful contributing members of society. What new ideas/skills do you bring to the table that you think will help our school board/community most? I bring 12.5 years of consistent parent and community involvement in our schools. Along with serving in many different PTA positions, I have volunteered in the schools and served on site council at all levels and also on numerous district-wide committees including the Facilities Advisory, Budget, Strategic Planning, etc. After working for the passage of Measure B, I was appointed to the Citizens Oversight committee and have served as the vice chairman since its inception six years ago. What would you like most to see change, if you could change anything in our district? I would like to see public education fully funded. I also believe that a reduction in class sizes would result in an improved learning environment for all students. In addition, all students would benefit from the restoration of programs at all levels including the arts, music, theatre, sports and occupational programs to name a few. I believe all students should have the opportunity to explore their strengths and natural abilities by being exposed to a curriculum that reaches beyond the four-year college tract student path. Academics are important, however we also need to recognize and provide occupational learning opportunities for students who have different talents and career interests as well

as co-curricular activities to provide for a well rounded education. I believe and fully support local control for SVUSD and all school districts. Running school districts from Sacramento with a one size fits all approach doesnt work. What do you see as your biggest challenge and how do you plan to face it? Our biggest challenge is getting public education fully funded and gaining local control. As a community we know best how dollars should be spent locally and the state should allow us to make those decisions. What is your philosophy about education in our public schools and its future in our state? I am passionate about public education and believe that parents, the community and elected representatives need to do everything possible to ensure that all children are provided with the opportunity to receive a wellrounded public education. In these times education is not a spectator sport. If we are going to make headway in how our state and nation approach and fund education, we must ALL become advocates. Federal and state mandates without full funding should be prohibited. How will we ever catch up if we are forced to spend funds we dont have? And far too many dollars come with strings attached as demonstrated in the funding tied up in categorical programs. Districts that are accomplishing educational goals and consistently showing increases in API should be rewarded with flexible spending. Every district and their respective community are different and local districts should be able to make local decisions with respect to the education of their students. Sacramento legislators cant possibly know what the needs are for over 1,000 school districts in the state. We need full funding and local control.

February 2011, Volume 1 Issue 4

Show Me the Money: Financial Aid for College

By Christa Schulz, Guidance Counselor, Christa.Schulz@svusd.org
It is that time of year for our seniors and their parents. Applications have been completed, letters of recommendation sent, and we are anxiously waiting to hear about admissions. Now is the time to be filling out the FAFSA and the CalGrant. These applications are due March 2nd. However, apply now as funds may be depleted. Please download these forms at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov and http://www.calgrant.org. There is a portion of the CalGrant that must be completed by our records clerk in guidance, Mrs. Fronke. These are not submitted automatically or electronically by Trabuco Hills High School, so please do print a hard copy and request a certificate of mailing (not registered mailing) from the post office. Students will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) within four weeks of applying. Students should check for accuracy, make corrections if necessary and return to the FAFSA processor. Additionally, some colleges or programs have unique forms. Contact the college financial aid department for addition forms and requirements. See page 39 and 40 of the High School Planning Guide for more information. This guide was given to seniors in November. However, if your student does not have the guide, it is available on the district website under the guidance department. And as always, continue to check both the district and Trabuco Hills High School websites for local scholarship opportunities. These applications will continue to come available through June. Happy hunting!

For just $50, you can purchase a raffle ticket to win a 2010 Toyota Corolla LE 1838 from Capistrano Toyota. Only 600 tickets will be sold and every ticket purchaser will receive a coupon for 50% off an oil change at Capistrano Toyota. When will you ever have these kind of odds? Dont let this chance slip away. For more details and purchase information, visit thhsptsa.org.

Support the PTSA and Win a Car!!!

(must be 18 to purchase a raffle ticket)

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Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

PTSA Breakfast Reception for Dr. Harwick, Superintendent

On January 12th, the PTSA hosted a Reception Breakfast with Dr. Harwick, our new SVUSD Superintendent, for the staff and teachers at THHS. The breakfast was supplied by the PTSA along with family donations that included everything from eggs to homemade muffins. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to mingle and meet Dr. Harwick. Starbucks kindly donated coffee for the event and over 150 people attended. Dr. Harwick introduced himself and talked about his philosophy to encourage working as a team - and of course encouraging all there to support and join our PTSA. A Q & A followed and the room was full of laughter and smiles. Dr. Harwick once played baseball for the Cubs and so one of the first questions asked was, "Why the Cubs?" He was warmly welcomed and everyone had a lot of fun. Thanks to Vanessa Braaksma, Sandra McElwee, Mike Padian, and Cindy Johnson for helping that morning and thanks to all the families that donated all the goodies everyone enjoyed.

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: Trabuco Hills High School PTSA

Registeryourgroceryclubcard(s)andtherestisdonebyRalphsandeScrip. Theinstructionforhowtosignupforthesegreatfundraisingopportuni tiesarepostedathttp://www.thhsptsa.org.ClickonRalphsClubCardIn www.eScrip.c structions.Theiconforeachprogramontheabovementionedwebsitewill om leadyoudirectlytoaSignInscreenforthatparticularprogram.Then justfollowthepromptsandusethegroup/organizationnumbersfromthis Group ID ad. Evenifyousignupforthesefundraisersinthepast,youHAVEtorenewyour participationeveryyear.
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. 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
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February 2011, Volume 1 Issue 4

PTSA Mini-Grants: Making a Difference in the Classroom

By Mike Padian, Mini-Grant Committee
By the time you read this, all the equipment and materials funded by the PTSA Mini-Grant program will be in the classrooms and getting full use by the students. To date, the PTSA has purchased over $11,000 in education-related supplies that otherwise would not have been available. As you can imagine, all the teachers have been extremely appreciative of the PTSA Mini-Grant program. With adequate fundraising and membership participation, this program can continue to be a direct means for members to have an immediate positive impact on the students classroom experience. Here are a few notes of appreciation:

My thanks to the PTSA for this grant! It [a high quality photo printer] will make a huge difference in how our work looks when we send it out to exhibitions. Lydia Neumann, Photography I want to thank you for your generous approval of my mini-grant from the PTSA. I realize it was a weird request, but I can assure you that the students who are using this furniture are truly enjoying it. They love going to the living room and getting comfortable during reading. Now that you have approved a bit more seating for them there, Im sure they will love it even more. There is nothing more gratifying to me than seeing my students actually enjoy reading a book. In addition I wanted to thank you for your donation of the bean bag chair. Thank you again!! I am so excited!!! Kate Petty, English I placed an order for the electrophoresis equipment today. Thank you so much for the grant. It will give my students a valuable experience that they never would have had if not for your organizations generosity. Matthew McDermit, Biology Thanks so much!! Its always exciting to get new music!! Pam Sonsini, Music The kids have been using them [the calculators] every day since [they came in]. Thank you again for the opportunity. Its great to be able to get things done so quickly and get the technology right into the hands of the kids. Jeanette Suarez, Math

Mr. Grzecka enjoying new supplies for his Science classes.

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Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

THHS PTSA Advocating for YOU in Sacramento!

By Mike Padian, Advocacy and Legislative Representative
This spring, your PTSA will be busy making sure the issues of the 4th School District (Orange County), SVUSD, and THHS are heard by our representatives. Kurt Walker, a THHS teacher, and I will be going on the Sacramento Safari in March when a contingent of ninety 4th District PTA representatives converge and talk to our legislators and state staff. We make more inroads and obtain more response as a result of these lobbying efforts than anything else, except maybe through the voting booth. Due to the state budget crisis, current school funding is at 2004-05 levels. More cuts are looming for colleges and universities this year. Currently, almost 20% of the states school districts are in peril of financial default and being taken over by the state, and the number is anticipated to increase dramatically. Saddleback has been on the verge of default for the past two years, but has been able to avoid it by enacting furlough days, and decreasing custodial and library services, sports and extracurricular activities, and supply budgets. Californias ranking among the states is embarrassing and the challenges daunting among the lowest spent per pupil, the least amount of staff per pupil, the highest teacher pay, the largest student population whose parents do not have high school diplomas, and the largest nonEnglish speaking student population. Since schools now make up 55% of the states general fund programs, its hard to find a way to bring the states finances into a better situation without impacting education. K-12 funding is proposed to remain the same this year, (again, at 2004-05 levels), but almost 25% of the funding is deferred, an accounting exercise to make the situation look better by stretching cash flow. Unfortunately, schools can not defer costs, so they have to obtain short-term financing, which has interest costs that are not reimbursed by the state. While painful and difficult, the solutions may require significant amputation and paradigm shifts, including major surgery on sacred items, like Prop 13. Hang on to your seats, its going to be a bumpy ride. (This is an excerpt from a longer article. To read the complete article, please visit our website: http:// www.thhsptsa.org and click on Advocacy.)

Special Education Report

By Sandra McElwee, Special Education Advocate
March 3rd is national Spread the Word to End the Word Day. The word we are referring to is retarded. The word "retarded" hurts millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends. The campaign encourages everyone to take the following pledge to help promote a new R-word, Respect: I support the elimination of the derogatory use of the Rword from everyday speech and to promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. We invite everyone to go to www.r-word.org and take the pledge! Special Educators Day was December 2nd and the PTSA provided the Special Education teachers and aides at THHS with a nice breakfast to honor their efforts and commitment to our students. Thank you all.

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February 2011, Volume 1 Issue 4

The PTSA Would Like to Thank the Following Teachers for Joining:
Tony Teri Elizabeth Pam Paul Stephanie Susan Chris Jonathan Michael Mario"Jay" Ted Linda Ann Shauna Craig Jeff Diane Christine Candie Kimberly Tracy Kathie Katie Mike Vicki Andrea Kelli Susana Barbara Thomas Susan Sita Garrett Stacey Sandra Dorian Debi Jenelle
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Ammirato Ansevin Armstrong Barnett Beidler Bell Berner Brayler Bromblerg Burns Camiling Campos Chappell CharlesAlerini Coghill Collins Dekofsky Douglass Egge Elson Erskine Fanelli Farley Fliegler Folmar Fronke Gaggiano Gaines Garcia Gard Gizzecka Gordon Gorski Gray Hamamura Hanneman Hinesly Hope Huffman

Valerie Viji Madeline Lynn Anne Daveen Dominique Dennis Fred Linda Christa Lisa Scott Georgeann Tom Matthew Gladys Kurt Bridget Ron Lydia Lindy Scott Candy Dan Kate Gwen Thomas Todd Tia Christine Pam John Patty Antonette Jon Jeanette Gregg Ana

Hutchens Janardan Jarock Kagel Kahle Kaplan Keith Kelly Kendell Kimble LeebPeters LotitoByers Mann Marietta McCluskey McDermit Miller Mitthuf Mondt Mooshagian Neuman Noroozi Orloff Parr Peters Petty Reagan Rico Sautner Shields Smedberg Sonsini Spangler Stewart Stone Stordahl Suarez Swenson Tapia

Mary Christy Jon Kurt Sharon David Jay

Terry Thompson VanTassel Walker Webber Williams Wozniak

The Pony Express

Mark Your Calendar...

February 1Deadline for seniors to apply for CA State PTA scholarships February 7, 7pmPTSA General Meeting, Library, slate of officers for the 2011-2012 PTSA Board will be announced February 8, 7:30am-9am Coffee with Principal Collins, 500 Building Conference Room (next to MPR, facing the parking lot) BYOC (Bring Your Own Coffee!) February 8, 6:15pmSVUSD Board of Education Meeting, SVUSD Boardroom February 11Jason Barber assemblies for students on drunk driving, sponsored by the PTSA February 12ACT (Saddleback College & Capistrano Valley High) February 17PTA Founders Day February 18, 21February Recess, no school March 8, 6:15pmSVUSD Board of Education Meeting, SVUSD Boardroom March 12SAT (register by February 11) March 21PTSA General Meeting, Library

Words to Ponder.
The way you see people is the way you treat them and the way you treat them is what they become.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe