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 National PTA

Volume 1 Issue 2 October 2010

Craig Collins Principal

Cindy Ashley Editor

Andrea Padian President

A Message from Andrea

By Andrea Padian, PTSA President, Apadian@aol.com
I cant believe it is October. School starting so late this year has thrown me for a loop, like a three day weekend when you forget what day it isbut weve hit the ground running. Our first association meeting was great, as was the turnout. We discussed plans for the year and approved our budget. It was nice to see old and new faces in the crowd. At our October meeting, well discuss our typical PTSA business, but well also have a guest speaker to educate everyone about problems with prescription/over the counter drug abuse among our student population. It will be a meeting and presentation you wont want to miss; please join us. Im also proud to say our first student/parent opportunity to learn more about selecting and funding college was a success. The PTSA invited Get College Funding to provide a seminar and discuss just those issues. The turnout was great and the response to it was very positive. We hope to provide more college workshops as our student board members have said they want as much information about preparing for college as possible. Well also be hosting a Master Drive night, to help students and parents prepare for teen driving. Its a seminar parents wont want to miss. So were off to a good start on our goal to provide more programs for students and parents. On Friday, we collected Reflections entries. Bringing this program to our high school has been a dream of mine. I strongly believe that the arts in school are vital to the development of the whole brain and educational process, and this program gives students a chance to participate and receive recognition in the arts. In the past, Ive been involved with the Reflections program at the elementary school level so it will be fun to see what our high school students can do. Kids with real passion for the arts, who have progressed in their ability through the years should be incredible in high school. Im certain our students will be nothing but impressivemore about that next month. Our car raffle is underway. Please help us support our students with more programs by purchasing a ticket today or selling one to your neighbor or coworker. Only 600 tickets are available, so your chance to win is good but the bottom line is that youll really be helping the school and PTSA help ALL students at our school. You can find more information on our website. Tickets can be purchased at any school event or in the office. You an also help without

Inside this issue:

Master Drive, Recycling 2 3 4 7 8 9 11, 12

Please join us for our second MEETING of the 2010-2011 year! Monday, Oct 18th at 7 pm
In the Library Special Guest at 7:30pm: Michelle Mar Health Educator, Project PATH, Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse Prevention Workshop
(see flyer on page 10 for details)

ASB, Grad Night Best Buddies, State PTSA Scholarships College Search, Red Ribbon Week PTSA Legislative Rep Dr. Clint Harwick Volunteer Spotlight, Calendar

Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

A Message from Andrea (cont. from page 1)

spending a dime by signing up your Ralphs grocery club card with the PTSA. We get a percentage of every purchase you make and it doesnt lessen your personal Ralphs Club awards. Go to our website for more information on how to sign up your card. But, do it today or those potential contributions from Ralphs wont benefit anyone. Finally, Id like to encourage everyone to join our PTSA. Our voices and support mean a great deal to this school from our advocacy efforts, to teacher luncheons, scholarships, student leadership opportunities and programs. Were currently working to give our teachers mini-grants for items they need the district cannot provide, and were even trying to fund simple supplies like paper, that no longer have district funding. Were here for all students, including you and your student. Please be part of this effort. If you care about education and our teachers, students and school, you wont pretend it doesnt matter if you join PTSA. It does matter. We need you and believe it or not, you need us. Be part of something meaningful and important. Join PTSA today. Go to www.thhsptsa.org and download a PTSA membership form. Drop it off at the office or join at any PTSA association meeting. Until next time, Go Blue!

Master Drive Presentation

By Kim Dennis, Parent Education Coordinator, KimberlyDennis@ocfa.org
On Wednesday, November 3rd at 6:30 pm in the MPR, the PTSA will host an evening with Master Drive of Orange County. They will present an informative seminar on what parents and teens need to know about smart and safe driving. The presentation will inform parents and students on how to start the Drivers education process as well as the requirements and provisions of California Department of Motor vehicles. There is no charge and the PTSA welcomes all families to attend. For all in attendance, Master Drive will give certificate for a free classroom drivers education course. Master Drive is one of many drivers education programs in the area. While PTSA does not endorse any particular private company, we support informing parents of the many choices, safety needs and education of our children as they enter the new world of driving. Please look for updates on the PTSA website for this and other parent education programs throughout the year. If you have any questions on this program or any parent education needs, please contact me at the e-mail address above.

Recycling: Good for PTSA, Good for the Planet!

The PTSA is collecting the following items for our recycling fundraiser: ink cartridges toner cartridges cell phones laptops digital cameras

There is a collection box in the school office near Debi Hopes desk. If anyone would like a collection box for their business, please contact Brenda Hanrath at brendahanrath@cox.net. She will arrange for pickup as well.

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October 2010, Volume 1 Issue 2

ASB News: Weve Got Spirit!

By Aiko Mackus, Senior Class President Monica Ukah, Junior Class President Henry Yin, Sophomore President
Hello Mustang Families! ASB would like to take this opportunity to welcome all our new freshmen and their families. The 20102011 school year is already showing signs of promise! LINK CREW The Link Crew Freshman Orientation offered a great way for our new freshmen to get acquainted with their fellow classmates. Fun games, fun people, and a fun atmosphere made the morning a memorable event for all. As the freshmen moved from station to station, they had the opportunity to ask questions, find their classes, and interact with each other. SPIRIT DAYS Whos got spirit? TRABUCOS GOT SPIRIT! If you were on campus for our first Spirit Day, you would have noticed a giant wave of colors from yellow to red to green to blue. Each grade level has their own color Got Spirit shirt: yellow for freshmen, red for sophomores, green for juniors and blue for the seniors. The all out spirit was absolutely amazing! Some students took it a step further and dressing up! Please remember Mustangs: no paint is to be brought to school. HOMECOMING Yo-Ho, Yo- Ho, its a pirates life for me! The Homecoming theme this year is Pirates! Riley Logsdon and Joanna Chiang, Commissioners of Social Events, are in charge of planning this years Homecoming. Homecoming nomination ballots have been sent out to the entire school. Students vote for one senior boy and one senior girl to be nominated for court. Look forward to an awesome rally, exciting assembly, crazy cool half-time show and the extravagant Homecoming Dance which will take place in the Quad, on Saturday, November 6th. Prices and announcements about Homecoming will be announced during announcements so stay tuned.

dressed from head to toe in their color. There was a mini dance party in the quad with students dancing, jerking and just having fun. The next Got Spirit? Day is on October 21st so show your grade level pride by

Grad Night 2011!!!

By Lisa Bauer, Grad Night co-chair, lisakaybauer@yahoo.com
Our Grad Night Committee is growing, but we still need more members! Our next meeting will be held the third week of October (same week as the PTSA meeting, details to be provided). Please e-mail Lisa Bauer at lisakaybauer@yahoo.com with your name and contact information if you are interested in attending. We distributed the senior survey asking seniors their preferences on how they wish to spend their grad night and had a good response. Well be tallying the responses and discussing the findings at our next meeting. We are looking forward to creating a wonderful event based on student feedback and participation! The 2011 grads are encouraged to register early for this special evening in order to take advantage of the discounted rate of $140. Download the two forms from the PTSA website (http://www.thhsptsa.org) and click on Grad Night from the menu bar on the left, fill out with the required signatures. Make your check out to PTSA Grad Night. The registration form and check can be dropped off with Debi Hope, the receptionist.

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Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

Best Buddies: A Club for Everybody!

By Sandra McElwee, Special Education Co-Chair
The beginning of the school year comes with much excitement and anticipation for most students. The time to reconnect with friends and enjoy the social aspects of high school are where many teens blossom. But others may feel left out, alone and unwelcomeafraid of the huge campus at THHS and so many students. According to Richard Villa, a sense of belonging is required to be able to learn at all, much less excel. Last week during the Club Days, students signed up to belong to over 90 different curricular and non-curricular clubs ranging from the Med-Sci to the James Brown Hacky Sack Club! One curricular club provides the sense of belonging and sets up the foundation for learning for many of its members. Established in 1993, (the year many of our juniors were born) Best Buddies pairs students in Special Education with regular education students for one-to-one friendships . Today the club is available in over 900 high schools world-wide. Best Buddies was first established last year at THHS and facilitated friendships for 16 student pairs, crossing the invisible line that too often separates students with intellectual disabilities from those without. While the pairs of students met for lunch weekly, called each other on the phone and participated in a monthly club event, there were also 50 Associate Members who attended the weekly lunch meetings and the monthly outings. While the Buddy Pairs are critical, the associate members are key to the club's success and builds larger circles of friends for the students involved. Last week 180 students signed up for this year's Best Buddies Club! If you would like to be involved with Best Buddies just see Mrs. Johnson in room 513. Not only is Best Buddies a lot of fun, it is the connection with other students in the school that allows all members to be welcome, contributing participants in THHS campus life. Are you a Best Buddy?

State PTA Scholarships: Not Just for Students

By Andrea Padian, PTSA President
Did you know that if you are a PTSA member at our school, you may be eligible to apply for a California State PTA scholarship for continuing education? Scholarships are available not only for graduating high school seniors, but also for credentialed teachers and counselors, and PTA volunteers. Scholarships are available to graduating high school seniors to commend extensive volunteer service in the school and community. Scholarships are for use during the fall semester or quarter following high school graduation and applications must be received by February 1, 2011. Credentialed teachers and counselors can apply for scholarships for continuing education use, which can include summer school. The due date for these scholarships is November 15, 2010. PTA volunteers with at least three years of PTA service are also eligible to apply for scholarships to continue their education. Applications are due November 15, 2010. For more information and to download an application, go to the California State PTA website at http:// www.capta.org/sections/programs/scholarships .cfm. Scholarships are $500 each. Dont miss out on this opportunity for extra educational funding but you MUST be a PTA member to apply. To join, visit http:// www.thhsptsa.org and click on Membership on the left hand side.

Support the PTSA! Buy Italian Ice Fridays after school

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October 2010, Volume 1 Issue 2

Debunking the Lottery Myth

By Mike Padian, Advocacy and Legislative Representative
Myths usually start due to a lack of facts. Especially during this current economic downturn, many people dont understand how education can be hurting for funding because most believe that the California Lottery supplies a huge amount of funding for education. But the facts are surprising and sobering. The California Lottery is expected this year to generate $3.4 billion in revenues, 34% or $1.1 billion of which goes towards public education. Sounds like a lot of money, but California Lottery proceeds account for only 2% of the statewide and SVUSD education budget. This boils down to about $125 per student per year. This means that school districts, like Saddleback Valley, have to trust the State to return our tax dollars for 98% of its funds. When the state does not approve a budget on time (which they had not done as of Oct. 1 a new record), there are all kinds of ripple effects. School districts must plan their own budgets (due on time at the end of June) with guestimates of state funding. Then, as in past years, the district must take out loans, with unreimbursed interest, to cover their costs until Sacramento completes their fiduciary responsibilities. And then, just to make a difficult problem worse, if the anticipated funding isnt in the final budget, the district is forced to make mid-year cuts to education. California used to be consistently near the top, but is now 48th out of the 50 states in terms of expenditures per student. So now that you know, please spread the word so that your friends and neighbors have a better understanding of how little the Lottery provides, and why the PTA/PTSA fights so hard for your child.

Character Movie: The Jackie Robinson Story

The City of Mission Viejo would like to invite the public to enjoy The Jackie Robinson Story on October 17 at City Hall as part of the free movie series sponsored by the City's Community of Character Committee. The movie, which stars baseball legend Jackie Robinson playing himself in what has been described as a "neglected gem," starts at 2:00 p.m. The film highlights Octobers Character Quality of Respect. Brooklyn Dodger President Branch Rickey selected Robinson for his athletic ability and outstanding character to break the major league color barrier. Robinson's outstanding qualities led him to be selected the second most popular person in America in 1947 and he was on Time Magazines list of the 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century. Character educator Elaine Portnoy will lead a brief discussion following the film that takes place in theater-style seating, large screen and surround-sound in the Mission Viejo Council Chamber at 200 Civic Center. As one of the most gifted athletes of the last century, Robinson's story is inspirational and the film is especially recommended for youth of all ages participating in all types of sports programs. For more information about this free event, call 949-4703094.
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Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

Arts Advocacy
By Tish Witkin, Arts Advocate, tish92610@aim.com
On July 26, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a dents understand the importance of including the arts in resolution designating the second week of September as education. Art classes are offered in the junior high and "Arts in Education Week." This resolution, H.Con.Res. high school level, but the arts can also be brought into the 275, states: "Arts Education, comprising a rich regular classroom from K - 12 with creative array of disciplines including dance, music, activities that are tied to other subjects. We as ...teaching theatre, media arts, literature, design, and visparents, educators and students can advocate ual arts, is a core academic subject and an escreativity and for the inclusion of arts if we are aware of the sential element of a complete and balanced the arts contrib- variety of art resources available to us. The education for all students." It was supported following websites have a huge array of inforute to higher through studies that showed teaching creativity mation to help motivate us all to do our part test scores and the arts contribute to higher test scores and use that creative side of our brain...check across the board in every subject, making stuthem out and have fun! across the dents competitive in the global marketplace board in every and engaging children in learning, reducing subject truancy and lowering the drop out rate. Spreadhttp://www.sparkoc.com ing this message to the educational community http://www.ocartguide.com is what Arts Advocacy is all about. http://www.artsoc.org http://www.artsed411.org http://www.americansforthearts.org With the budget crisis in our state, it is more important than ever that teachers, parents, administrators and stu-

Support the PTSA and Win a Car!!!

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.

(must be 18 to purchase a raffle ticket)

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October 2010, Volume 1 Issue 2

The College Search

By Cindy Ashley, Newsletter Editor, cindy.ashley@cox.net
If going away to a four year college is your goal, then you may be overwhelmed with the number of choices. Your choice of major will begin to narrow your options. Not sure of what to study? Visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco) for information on the training and education needed, earnings, expected job prospects, job activities and working conditions for hundreds of different types of jobs. You can search for colleges by various criteria at http:// www.collegeboard.com. They also have a lot of helpful information including an action plan for each grade level. The Princeton Review offers a Best Fit College Search at: http:// www.princetonreview.com/collegesmajors.aspx. Their website has a wealth of information on majors, college rankings and best value colleges. Once youve identified a particular school that you are interested in, visit their website to see if they are going to have a representative visiting our area. Visit http:// www.trabucohills.org/?p=guidance to see colleges who will be visiting our school in the Career Center for a lunch time visit. COLLEGE WEEK LIVE CollegeWeekLive is a free, online event designed to connect prospective students with colleges and universities in a live, interactive environment. They have events with individual colleges along with large events with many colleges. November 3rd and 4th is their next large event and over 300 colleges will be participating. Visit http:// www.collegeweeklive.com for more information. LOCAL COLLEGE NIGHTS & FAIRS While our district no longer has college fairs, you are welcome to attend others in the area. Oct. 13 (Wed) 7-9pm, Newport Mesa USD, Orange County Fairgrounds, Building #12. Oct. 19 (Tues) 7-9pm, Mater Dei HS, Mereuelo Athletic Center, 1202 W. Edinger Ave, Santa Ana. Oct 27 (Wed) 7-9pm, Orange USD, El Modena HS, 3920 Spring St, Orange, CA. Nov. 8 (Mon) 7-9pm, Tustin USD, Foothill HS, Gym, 19251 Dodge Ave, Santa Ana. Mar. 24, 2011 (Thurs) 9am-12pm, 68:30pm, National Assn for College Admission Counseling, San Diego Convention Center, 111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego Apr 2, 2011 (Sat) 1:30-4:30, National Assn. for College Admissions, Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA. INDIVIDUAL COLLEGE NIGHTS Purdue University Oct 13 (Wed) 6:30-8:30 , Crowne Plaza Hotel, 17941 Von Karman, Irvine RSVP: http:// www.admissions.purdue.edu/ PreviewPurdue Tufts University Oct 13 (Wed) 7pm, Sage Hill School, Multimedia Lecture Hall, 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport, Newport Beach, CA. Point Loma Nazarene University Oct 14 (Tues) 7-9pm, Hilton Irvine (OC Airport). Georgetown University Oct 18 (Mon), Sage Hill (see above). Duke University Oct 25 (Mon), 7:30pm, Toger Woods Learning Center, One Tiger Woods Way, Anaheim, CA. To register, go to: http:// www.admissions.duke.edu

Red Ribbon Week

By Cindy Ashley, Newsletter Editor, cindy.ashley@cox.net
This year, Red Ribbon Week (RRW) is Oct 23rd-31st. RRW is a way for communities to take a stand against substance abuse. Here are a few events to commemorate this event: Game NightOct 13 (Wed) 6:30-8:30 in the Mission Hospital Pavilion Conference Room. Lots of food, games, prizes and fun! RSVP: mmar@cspinc.org. Visit http:// www.ptsa.org for a flyer. 22nd Annual Walk Against Drugs Oct 23rd (Sat)
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8am beginning with a rally at Mission Viejo High School Stadium. Rock N Road OC-Oct 23 (Sat) 2-8pm, The Block at Orange. An interactive rock music festival featuring local high school bands competing in Battle of the Bands, a variety of games, giveaways, informational booths and more.

Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

The Elections are Coming, the Elections are Coming!

By Mike Padian, Advocacy and Legislative Representative
Since major national, state and local elections are coming, this is a good time to review what the PTA stands for and what they do. The PTA is an advocacy charitable organization with the primary goal of supporting our kids education and welfare, as embodied by their motto every child, one voice. The PTAs advocacy guidelines are as follows: The PTA is non partisan and never endorses or opposes any candidate for public office. The PTA does take positions on issues that affect children and youth. A position adopted by the California PTA on a statewide measure is the official PTA position for all California state PTA units (individual schools) If the State PTA has taken a position on a ballot measure, all PTA units are strongly encouraged, but not required, to actively work for the PTA position. However, a PTA unit may not take action in opposition to the State PTA position. As a citizen, you have the right to your own individual opinion, but when you are representing the PTA, you must advocate the PTA position or say nothing at all. NATIONAL EFFORTS $1.75 of your PTA membership fee goes to the National PTA. On a national level, the PTA continues its lobbying efforts to increase parent involvement, to increase opportunity and equity for all children, and to champion better childhood health. Specifically, the PTA is supporting key elements of the following pieces of legislation working their ways through Congress: Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as the No Child Left Behind, reauthorization; the PTA is pushing to
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strengthen the parent involvement and engagement provisions. Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act reauthorization; the PTA is advocating for revisions that will protect youth from being jailed for truancy or exposed to the rigors of prison while awaiting trial. Child Nutrition and Women Infant Children Act reauthorization; the PTA supports this bills efforts to improve child health and wellness. In addition, the recently enacted Education Jobs program provides $1.2 billion to California to be used to save or create an estimated 16,000 K-12 jobs for the 2010-2011 school year. The funds are school site based (i.e., not for central administration), but, unfortunately, it is a one-time only program, and the funds are available only on a use it or lose it basis. The Saddleback Unified School District is expected to receive approximately $6.1 million of these funds, and will be used primarily for maintaining current staffing levels. STATE BALLOT MEASURES AND OFFICIALS $1.25 of your PTA membership fee goes to the California State PTA. In addition to its continued efforts to convince state officials to adopt a budget in a timely manner, to find better ways to protect and increase existing funding mechanisms, and to implement new sources of funding, the State PTA has formally adopted positions on the following ballot measures: NEUTRAL: Prop. 19, Legalize and Regulate Marijuana SUPPORT: ness Act Prop. 24, Tax Fair-

Budget There are also only two individuals running for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Please acquaint yourself with the candidates positions, and vote for the one that best represents what you want to see in the management of the statewide school systems. Expanded statements of the two Superintendent candidates, as well as special statements from the Democratic and Republican governor candidates, can be found in a Special Election Edition of the State PTA Newsletter under the Whats New section of the state PTA website at www.capta.org. LOCAL ELECTIONS $.60 of your membership fee goes to the local PTA 4th District, which covers all of Orange County, and a small section of Los Angeles County. The 4th District is the largest PTA group in the world, and we have a reputation of being an organization to be taken seriously. In addition to supporting the national and state PTA goals and lobbying efforts, the 4th District pushes hard to increase parent, teacher, and student involvement in the education system. $.65 of your membership fee goes to the Saddleback Valley PTA Council. You will not find any candidates for the SVUSD School Board on this years ballot. This is because only two people were running for the two open positions, so the two candidates automatically won! Fortunately, the two new Board Members, Dolores Winchell and Dennis Walsh, are very-respected, long-serving officers of the Saddleback District PTA, so we are well-represented! Bottom line, voting in open elections in the United States is a right and privilege that is not available to most of the people of the world. Make a difference, and be sure to vote on November 2, 2010!

SUPPORT: Support Prop. 25, Simple Majority Approval of State

October 2010, Volume 1 Issue 2

Dr. Clint Harwick, Our New Superintendent

By Andrea Padian, PTSA President, Apadian@aol.com
Dr. Clint Harwick was hired as the Superintendent of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District September 1, 2010. He served his last seven years as Superintendent at Charter Oak Unified School District and Rim of the World Unified School District. Prior to his service as Superintendent, he held several positions at Claremont Unified School District, including Director of Classified Personnel and Alternative Education, Principal, Assistant Principal, Dean of Students, Activities Director, and high school teacher. He is also an athlete and played for the Cubs. He comes from a family of educators and brags that he has always worked in education, from his first job in college as a custodian to his current position as Superintendent While at Charter Oaks, he had to cut 25% from their budget over three years, so he is not new to the budget problems we have had to deal with at SVUSD. He said these cuts were made working as a team and he is all about team work. When asked about the challenges our district faces, his response was simple, Is it a challenge or an opportunity? His philosophy is to regard challenges as opportunities for growth (OFG.) He believes that we have the time, space and talent to make great things happen and he isnt all about test scores. Speaking at a SVPTA Council Principal & Presidents breakfast, Dr. Harwich said, Its also about the time our teachers take to prepare for that first day of schoolIts about the 500,000 PTA volunteer hours put in by SVUSD parents and others last year, and its about kids learning a school fight song. Hes all about the whole picture. When doing research, he chose not to look at why kids fail he wasnt interested in that. He chose instead to look at why students succeed. And he discovered that the number one reason kids were successful was because there was an adult in their life that believed in them whether it was a parent, a principal, a custodian or an aunt. He believes we are all ambassadors to our schools. We can have an impact on our students educations and the way they feel about themselves. He believes supporting people in this process is very important and he never hesitates to say thank you. He is a believer that the best thing we can do is to connect with kids, whether they are on top, in the middle or at the bottom, and no matter what it takes, to let them know we love them anyway. As superintendent, adjunct professor and community volunteer, Dr. Harwick has listened to the voices of parents, community members and, most importantly, students, and he comes away with the belief that public education is an investment in the future. He focuses on modeling characteristics of trust and dedication while providing strategies in motivation, team-building, and problem-solving which empower others to help students improve instructionally, emotionally, and socially. After the Board of Education finished their initial interviews, they held an informal vote, before any discussions, to see if any person stood out. Dr. Harwicks name came up as the unanimous choice. The decision was then made to conclude the search. He was a clear winner, and as a PTSA in this district, we all look forward to meeting with him more. He doesnt forget a face, seems incredibly open and as they say, doesnt let grass grow under his feethes a doer. We hope to have him join us at a future PTSA meeting so stay tuned. Dr. Harwick earned his Bachelors degree from the University of Redlands, and his Masters and Doctorate from Azusa Pacific University. He and his wife, Lisa, have two sons.

Words to Ponder.
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. Winston Churchill

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Trabuco Hills High School PTSAPony Express

Trabuco Hills High School PTSA with Community Service Programs, Inc. Project PATH presents:

Prescription & Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse Prevention Workshop

When | Monday, October 18, 2010 Where |Library, Trabuco Hills High School Time |7:30pm 8:00pm (immediately following the PTSA meeting) Presenter | Michelle Mar, Health Educator with Project PATH Snacks and Refreshments will be provided
When taken responsibly, prescription (Rx) and over- the- counter (OTC) medicines provide millions with relief from a variety of ailments. However, over the past several years abuse of these types of medicine has increased at alarming rates. 1 in 5 teens abuse prescription drugs to get high while 1 in 10 teens abuse cough medicine to get high. Mission Viejo is no exception to this trend. Data from the California Healthy Kids Survey revealed that 10% of Saddleback Unified School District 9th graders and 15% of 11th graders participated in prescription pain killer abuse. Accessibility to Rx and OTC drugs is easier than one might think Come join us to learn about the prevalence of Rx/OTC drug abuse among teens, steps towards prevention, and what you can do to limit access and availability to these drugs.

If you are in need of assistance, please contact Michelle Mar at mmar@cspinc.org

Community Service Programs, Inc. | Project PATH | 714.441.0807 Funding provided by the County of Orange Health Care Agency Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Team (ADEPT)

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October 2010, Volume 1 Issue 2

Mustang Marvels: Volunteer Spotlight

By Andrea Padian, PTSA President, Apadian@aol.com
One of my goals as your new PTSA president is to communicate better with our school family and surrounding community. At a time when there seems to be so little good news in education, we are proud of the things PTSA does to support ALL our students, teachers, parents and school. When I thought about this idea, I knew I wanted to have an actual PTSA newsletter available online. I knew I wanted to have more information updated regularly on our PTSA website. And, I wanted to spread the word about our great PTSA through local publications, so the entire community could learn more about what we are doing. With that said, I have to commend three very special people that have been instrumental in our efforts to better communicate and therefore help me fulfill my goal. The moment I mentioned our website, Deb Johnson, who had been working on it already, jumped in with both feet, on fire, and started to redo the entire site. It is a great source of information and updated every week as needed. Please be sure to go there (http://www.thhsptsa.org ) and youll see what I mean. As a full-time working mom, I appreciate very much the long hours Deb has spent doing this for our school and PTSA. She has graciously agreed to help with this for an extended time and we are all in awe of her amazing talents and insights where websites are concerned. She hasnt quit working on this since last spring and I must thank her for all her hard work. When you have board members like Deb, you are on a winning team. Thank you Deb! Cindy Ashley, our newsletter editor, took the ball and ran with it, too. As soon as I mentioned a newsletter, she was on board and I can tell you from experience, putting a first issue together from scratch is not easy. She searched other school sites to compare and has put together a great newsletter. Again, this didnt happen over night. It took a lot planning, training, and research, and I think she has done a wonderful job for us. If you are reading this now, you can see how helpful a newsletter is in getting out lots of PTSA information and event reminders, as well as articles from our guidance counselors, principal, ASB and other school news. I cant thank her enough for taking on this job on top of her job as Volunteer Coordinator! Again, Cindy is another wonderful asset to our PTSA board and I hope you enjoy reading these issues of the Pony Express as much as I do. Thank you Cindy! And lastly, Id like to thank Karyn Bower who wears two hats as well and works full-time. She is our board secretary, but she has also helped tremendously in bringing our news to the community. She does all our publicity and has monthly stories in several publications such as the Canyon News, and Rancho Santa Margarita Newspapers. This is great, as it helps us promote our PTSA and provides more support and recognition for our school, teacher and student programs. As the PTSA motto goesevery child, one voice. We want everyone to care about our school and school community. With 3300 students, we have a lot to be proud of and want to make sure everyone is working towards the same things we are better educational opportunities for our students better citizens for our community. Thank you, Karyn. Everyone on our PTSA board is a star, but these three women have really worked hard during these first months to increase our communications and they have succeeded!

Supporting PTSA Has Never Been Easier!

1. Buy a raffle ticket! (see previous page) 2. Sell raffle tickets and earn 10% of ticket sales for your THHS group! 3. Register your Ralphs card. Visit http://www.thhsptsa.org and scroll down to Ralphs Club Card in the Latest News section. 4. Recycle your used printer cartridges and cell phones. Drop box located near Mrs. Hopes desk in the office. 5. Buy a Mustang Discount card for only $10 and get great discounts at 28 local businesses. To see the complete list, visit thhsptsa.org, click on Forms and scroll down to THHS PTSA Discount card flyer.

6. Visit http://escrip.com and earn money for the PTSA while you shop. Our Group ID is 10482514.
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The Pony Express

Mark Your Calendar...

October 14Back to School Night (Minimum Day) October 16PSAT October 17, 2pmMission Viejo free Movie of Character, The Jackie Robinson Story at City Hall. Call 470-3094 for more information. October 18, 7pmPTSA General Meeting, MPR, with special guest speaker, Michelle Mar presenting Prescription & Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse Prevention Workshop October 23rd-31st, Red Ribbon Week October 23, 2-8pmRock N Road Red Ribbon Week Celebration at the Block in Orange (See http://www.rocknroadoc.info for details) November 3, 6:30pmMaster Drive Teen Driving Seminar in the MPR (parents and teens welcome) November 6thHomecoming Dance November 11No school (Veterans Day) November 12No school (California Admission Day Observation) November 15deadline for seniors to apply for State PTA scholarships (see http://www.capta.org for details) November 15, 7pmPTSA General Meeting, MPR

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

14th OCT 14th6:30pm LOOK FOR THE PTSA BOOTH!!! WE WILL BE SELLING RAFFLE TICKETS, DISCOUNT CARDS, MEMBERSHIPS & HAVE FLYERS FOR RALPHS & MASTERDRIVE PRESENTATION!!!