Monday Message
2/10/20
* * * *
Winter Formal
Many thanks to the following people for making it such a successful event:
- The MEA ASB - for planning, decorating, serving refreshments, and DJ'ing the music
- Dance chaperones - Ms. Rice, Mr. Nielsen, Mr. Spiegelberg, and Principal Browne
- All the attendees - for showing up and joining in the festivities!
Students had a blast and raised enough money to pay for the DJ at their prom!
Lunch Concert
Pianist Aaron Chizhik, 11th grader, treated the MEA community to beautiful and dramatic renditions of the following pieces:
- (J.S. Bach) Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903
- (F. Chopin) Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
- (S. Prokofiev) 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op.75 - Juliet as a Young Girl
- (S. Prokofiev) 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op.75 - Mercutio
Name that plant
Below are some of the plants growing in our garden. Some of them started here from seed and others from seedling. They were planted by the MEA community with the help of Miss Allie and Good Neighbor Gardens. Can you name each plant?
Scroll down to the bottom for answers.
"Stargirl" Meditation
Sixth grade students are reading "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli. The character, Stargirl, likes to go out into the desert and meditate, so our students practiced mindfulness and meditation led by Ms. Deb Mech and Mr. Richard in our Maker Space.
"Just sitting here, our bodies are churning, our minds are chattering. There's a whole commotion going on inside us.... Sometimes they just get in the way. The earth is speaking to us, but we can't hear it because of all the racket our senses are making. Sometimes we need to erase them, erase our senses. Then- maybe- the earth will touch us. The universe will speak. The stars will whisper." ~ Stargirl
**** UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES ****
Spirit Week
The ASB is sponsoring the Spirit Days listed below. Express your creativity and show your school spirit!
CAREER DAY - Tuesday, 2/11
Dress up like your dream job!
CHOCOLATE DAY - Wednesday, 2/12
Wear pink, white, or red and earn a piece of chocolate from ASB for each color you're wearing!
SAFARI DAY - Thursday, 2/13
Join us on a wild adventure and dress up like you're going on safari!
Field Day
Wednesday, February 12 / 12:30-2:30 / MEA Blacktop
Come join in our FREE fun community event! All MEA students and families are welcome! ASB will be hosting Field Day with lots of games that students can play like hula-hoop and jump rope as well as some organized team matches of field hockey, soccer, and flag football, and many more activities!
ASB will provide oranges, goldfish, water, and lemonade for free and will be selling ice cream and popsicles for $1.
Academic League at MEA
Thursday, February 13 / 7:00 pm / MEA Auditorium
The MEA Academic League with Coach Cate will compete here at Mt. Everest Academy with the Serra High Academic League. Answering a series of questions for all core subjects, the contestants try to outwit and out-maneuver their opponents in a set of matches to reach the finals. Come out and support our team!
President Holidays
On Monday, February 17 school will be closed in observance of Washington Day. Learn more about George Washington.
Secondary Awards Ceremony
Wednesday, February 19 / 3:15 pm / Auditorium
All Mt. Everest Academy families are invited to attend the 2nd Semester Awards Ceremony and take part in honoring students in grades 6-12 who have demonstrated excellence in either academics or citizenship. Parents of students receiving an award will be notified individually. Come celebrate this occasion! Light refreshments will be served.
Lunch Concert
Thursday, February 20 / 12:00 / Auditorium
Dylan R. 11th grader, is the featured musician at this Lunch Concert, and he will be PLAYING POP/ROCK ON HIS CELLO! Everyone is invited to this event; you can eat your lunch or just relax while listening to live music.
Any students who would like to perform in a future Lunch Concert, please contact Mr. Nielsen: enielsen@sandi.net / 858-627-7382 / room 6.
Yogurtland Fundraiser
Thursday, February 20 / 12:00-4:00pm
Yogurtland / 5650 Balboa Ave. #104
Celebrate turn-in Thursday with a frozen treat at Yogurtland on February 20 from 12:00-4:00pm! And support our school foundation at the same time. Customize your dessert with frozen yogurt, ice cream, non-dairy sorbet, or your very own combo as your base, and add toppings of your choice at Yogurtland.
To participate, either bring this flyer or just mention our MEA Foundation fundraiser, and 20% of your purchase will be donated to the Mount Everest Academy Foundation.
Thank you for supporting our wonderful school!
Fitnessgram Testing for grades 5, 7, 9
Fitnessgram testing is scheduled for the following grades and times. 9th graders can choose either Monday or Tuesday.
- GRADE 9: Monday, Feb. 24 / 9:30-10:30 / Auditorium
- GRADES 7 & 9: Tuesday, Feb. 25 / 10:10-11:10 / Auditorium
- GRADE 5: Wednesday, Feb. 26 / 9:20-10:20 / Auditorium
The Fitnessgram is a state mandated exam, which public school students in grades five, seven, and nine are required to take. There are six parts to the exam, and students must pass five of the six parts to pass the overall fitness test. Students are encouraged to practice these exercises ahead of time.
For 9th graders, passing the Fitnessgram cannot be stressed enough. Students are required to take 2 years of PE to graduate high school. However, if you do not pass the Fitnessgram test, you are REQUIRED to take PE additional years.
Please remember to wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes!
Kahoot! Games
Thursday, February 27 / 12:00-12:30 / Auditorium
Yearenders are putting on this school-wide Kahoot! game.
Entry to the game is free and Yearenders will be selling popcorn and candy. The winner will receive a prize!
Classics 4 Kids: "Ferdinand the Bull" Meet-Up
Friday, March 6 / 11:30 / Historic Balboa Theatre
Celebrate the literary classic “Ferdinand the Bull” in this musical adaptation of Munro Leaf’s iconic tale and Spanish music.
Tickets are $7; payment is due to the front office by FRIDAY, FEB. 21.
For questions please contact Ms. Nancy Mullen at nmullen@sandi.net
"Matilda the Musical" Meet-Up
Friday, March 13 / 11:30 / JCC
"Matilda the Musical" is inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl. This Tony Award-winning musical revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. This school performance is presented by the JCompany Youth Theatre.
Tickets are $8 per person; payment is due to the front office by FRIDAY, FEB. 28
For questions please contact Ms. Nancy Mullen at nmullen@sandi.net
Save the Date!
MEA 2020 Silent Auction and Talent Show: Friday, April 24, 2020.
**** ANNOUNCEMENTS ****
Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences
Week of February 24
Study groups for grades K-4 will be cancelled the week of February 24, as elementary teachers will be meeting one-on-one with parents during that time.
Extracurricular activities will continue as usual during the conference week, unless you hear otherwise from the instructor.
Hear ye! Hear ye!
MEA Students in grades 6-12 are invited to perform a short act in the San Diego Student Shakespeare Festival that will be held in Balboa Park on Saturday, April 18. Students in San Diego County can participate. MEA students will need their own transportation on the day of the Festival.
Performance categories to choose from:
- Monologue or sonnet (2-3 minutes)
- Duo or trio scene (3-5 minutes)
- Ensemble scene (6-8 minutes)
- Music or dance inspired by Shakespeare (2-5 minutes)
- Collage (performance piece unified by a theme- 6-8 minutes)
- Bilingual performance of any of the above
Mrs. Ruth (MEA parent) has been involved with the Student Shakespeare Festival for many years. She is our coordinator and will offer a few workshops here to help MEA students prepare their acts. For questions or to sign up, please contact Mrs. Ruth by Friday, 2/21 - you can either fill out this interest survey or send her an email at mgoldruth@yahoo.com.
Below are a few lines from the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" that was performed here by the MEA Theatre Co. during the Spring 2018 semester.
Display your art
Calling all elementary artists! If you have a piece of artwork you created at MEA that you would like to put on display in one of our glass fronted display cases, please bring it to Mrs. Sink in room 1 or during one of her classes.
Silent Auction
MEA Foundation is looking for donations for the Silent Auction!
- Do you have a business you frequent?
- Does your student take lessons?
Please ask these businesses if they would donate to the MEA Silent Auction. Donation letters and forms are available from MEA Office if requested. Your assistance is appreciated!
National Honor Society
Students who are in grades 10-12 are welcome to apply for the Mt. Everest Academy National Honor Society Chapter.
Applicants must:
- be in grades 10+
- have been enrolled at MEA for a full semester
- have a GPA of 3.5 or higher
- have 30+ hours of documented volunteer hours, and leadership experience (either on campus or in the community).
There is no cost to apply, but students who are inducted may gain access to scholarship opportunities through the NHS.
Applications are on Dr. Rodenberg's website and are due to her by Friday, February 21, 3:00pm.
Subscribe to the Harvest
Subscribe to a bi-weekly share of the Good Neighbor Garden & MEA harvest, and GNG will donate 10% of the proceeds every month to the Mount Everest Academy Foundation to benefit our garden. Subscribe to support
**** yearbook ****
Yearbook Cover Contest
All students are invited to enter their art in our yearbook cover contest! The winner will receive a yearbook and their artwork will be displayed on the front cover! Even if your entry is not used on the cover, it may still be used in other places throughout the book.
**** Extracurricular activities ****
Please find the most up-to-date extracurricular activities schedule on our website. This is a work in progress; we will continue to add to and fine-tune the schedule as needed.
If you have a talent to share and are interested in leading an extracurricular class or workshop series, please contact Principal Browne at cbrowne@sandi.net
No Story & Craft Time this week
Due to the Field Day event happening at the same time, Story & Craft Time will be cancelled this Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Beginning Guitar
Students learn the basics of strumming and chords with Mr. Richard.
Library Challenge - February
Click for February library challenge
This month's challenge has 2 word puzzles that are related to Black History Month: a word scramble and a word search. Please turn in your challenge to the Library by Wednesday, 2/26 to win a reward!
BOOKIT!
Grades K-6: Sign up for BookIt! in the library.
Read books and earn FREE PIZZA!
All students need to do is come in to the library, sign up and receive a reading log. At the end of each month, turn in the completed reading log. You will then receive a coupon for a FREE personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut! Pick up your new reading log and begin again for the next month.
**** COUNSELING CORNER ****
Mesa College Pre-Enrollment Workshop
Monday, March 16 / 12:00 / Room 6
Mesa College is coming here to hold a Pre-Enrollment workshop for seniors that plan to attend there in the Fall. Prospective Mesa students must participate in this workshop if they want to also participate in the Pre-Registration workshop where they are automatically signed up to meet with a Mesa counselor to map out their academic plan for the Fall of 2020.
Jumpstart Your Success
Saturday, March 21 / 8:30-12:30 / Mesa College
Mesa College's annual “Jumpstart Your Success: Cash In On Community College” event, is a FREE event for prospective students, their families, and their friends. This will be an opportunity for students to learn about Mesa programs and services as well as get information on Financial Aid options and FAFSA completion assistance. The campus will be open and they will be hosting a variety of workshops and presentations, a comprehensive resource fair, and lunch while supplies last! They will also be doing opportunity drawings!
**** STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ****
As Mt. Everest Academy offers students the “flexibility to pursue your passion,” our school has a wealth of students that are pursuing their passions while meeting their educational goals. The "Student Spotlight" is a way to share some of the exciting endeavors our students are involved in with the rest of our school, and a way for students to learn about other students with similar interests.
If you've got a student accomplishment or special activity that can be included in a Monday Message, please email it to Linda Ele, lele@sandi.net.
MEA Students in SDUSD Middle School Honor Concert
Four MEA students represented our school in the SDUSD Middle School Honor Concert on February 1, 2020 at Point Loma Nazarene University:
- Ian N. (6th grade, flute)
- Yosif Shaheen (6th grade, violin)
- Jody R. (7th grade, flute)
- Ria Rizo (8th grade, principal clarinet)
Another MEA student, Petunia Rizo (grade 9) was also recognized at the concert for making an arrangement for the wind and percussion section of one of the full orchestra pieces.
**** COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS ****
Interfaith Mandalas and Music at the North Clairemont Library
Thursday, February 20 / 10:00-11:30am
North Clairemont Library - 4616 Clairemont Dr.
The MEA Interfaith Group, headed up by Ms. Deb Mech, is sharing information about this interfaith community event. There will be music and a simple mandala art project (materials will be provided). They will share quotes and prayers about LOVE from many spiritual traditions. The intention is to create a space where people from all faith backgrounds can come together to understand and support each other. Free and open to the public! Link to Golden Rule flyer
For questions please contact Ms. Deb Mech at dmech@sandi.net.