Monday Message
2/6/1
Come to the Blue Ribbon Ceremony this Friday!
Learn more about the Blue Ribbon Ceremony: www.ignitewhatsright.com/
***** A LOT'S BEEN HAPPENING! *****
Tidepool Trip Pictures
Mrs. Becerra facilitated this trip to the Cabrillo tidepools for grades 3-6 to learn about the variety of life in the rocky intertidal zones. Many thanks to parent Dana Dirks for sharing her BEAUTIFUL pictures!
Field Day Pictures
Hooray for Field Day! Thank you to everyone-students, parents, ASB members and staff who came out to participate in our Field Day! What a fun time had by all! It was easy to look around on Friday afternoon and see kids having a great time running relays with Jackson and Christina, enjoying soccer with Eliot and Mr. Nielsen and playing parachute with Mary and Ms Flo. There were many more events and many more smiling faces and we are so glad to have come together as a community to share time and space. Everyone enjoyed a snack at the Health and Wellness center and received a prize at the end of the day for trying maybe a new sport or just having fun enjoying them all! Good times here at MEA!
Science Fair Pictures
A GIANT CONGRATULATIONS to all 53 students in grades 8-12 who entered projects this year for our public event Thursday, February 2, 2017 in the Auditorium. It was a very valuable experience for the students to interact with other students, parents, family members, teachers, and community members.
Projects were in 14 different categories this year:
Animal Behavior, Behavioral Science, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science,
Earth & Planetary Science, Engineering: Electrical, Engineering: Transportation,
Engineering: Materials, Environmental Science, Medicine and Health, Microbiology,
Physics & Astronomy, and Plant Science. The only two categories that were missing
this year are Mathematics, and Consumer Science/Product Testing (which is only
available for students in grades 7 and 8). Let’s be thinking about next year’s possibilities for interesting projects to explore.
28 Students qualified to participate in the application process to go the 63rd Annual Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair in Balboa Park March 14-19, 2017.
The deadline to apply is February 8 for 8th graders, and February 13 for students in grades 9-12. Please contact Mr. Negus (nnegus@cox.net), or Mrs. Pachon (rpachon@sandi.net), or Mr. Tran (htran@sandi.net) ASAP for details. It is a remarkably worthwhile learning experience for our students.
We are very grateful for the quality judging of the MEA student projects by the following people who helped us this year.
- Matt Thompson
- Ed Gerck
- Greg Zalyuzhny
- Jeff Truesdell
- Hilde van derBergh
- Aler Krishnan
- Tony Hanson
- Kelly Lange
- Paul Rodriguez
- Erica Eggleston
- Steve Eggleston
- Isaac Chizhik
We do hope more students take their Science Fair trifold boards and notebooks home.
They are temporarily stored in the Cafeteria kitchen countertop area.
Our sincere thank you.
Academic League: Mt. Everest vs. Mission Bay
Thanks to seniors Edward, Galileo, Isaac, Noorhan and Megan, sophomores Skylar and Stephanie, and 8th graders Aaron, Ben, Schuyler and Yusuf for their valiant efforts against Mission Bay High School Thursday night in our first Academic League match of the year. We lost the varsity match, but Mission Bay has always been a formidable opponent. The bright spot is that the 8th and 10th graders beat them soundly in the novice and junior varsity matches. The 8th graders are too young to be eligible for the victories to count, but just wait 'til next year, when they are 9th graders.
***** ANNOUNCEMENTS *****
Get Set for 7th!
Parents, it’s time for your preteens to Get Set for 7th! Preteens need proof of immunization against whooping cough (pertussis) in order to enter 7th grade. And they’ll need other vaccines to protect them against other serious diseases, including HPV, meningococcal and tetanus.
Preteen Vaccine Week (PVW) is a California observance to promote immunizations to protect preteens against very serious diseases like HPV (Human papillomavirus), meningitis, flu and pertussis (whooping cough). Preteen Vaccine Week memo
Elementary Students on Campus
To parents of elementary students,
Students in grades K-5 are supervised when they are in study groups and PALS. Any other time elementary students are on campus, they need to be supervised by a parent or family member. They should not be left on their own to go from one extracurricular activity to another. Please plan for your child's supervision, so they can enjoy all the wonderful activities and friendships that are available here on campus.
National Honor Society
Mt. Everest Academy has a distinguished National Honor Society chapter. Our students demonstrate community services and leadership that complements their stellar academic performance (must have a GPA of 3.75 or higher). If you are in grades 10, 11, or 12 and think that you may qualify to join our Mt. Everest chapter, visit Dr. Rodenberg's teacher page and download the application form. You may submit your completed application to her (in room 2) until the first "turn in Friday" of semester 2 (Friday, February 24).
Applications are reviewed by a confidential committee of five evaluators and those who are inducted will be announced in the "Monday Message" on March 6.
***** UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES *****
Parent PALS
Wednesday, February 8 / 10:00 / Cafeteria
Looking for ideas, support, motivation or connection? Join other MEA parents for a monthly meet and greet. The meeting will feature a speaker, group discussion, or parent panel and also allow time for socializing. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided. Feel free to bring a brunch dish to share and any curriculum or teaching tools you have found useful (optional). Babies and students are welcome; PALS and extracurricular options coincide with this meeting as well. Mark your calendar for upcoming meetings: February 8th, March 1st, and April 5th in the Cafeteria.
Family Fun Food Community Day at Jersey Mikes!
Thursday, February 9 / 9am-9pm / Jersey Mikes
Located at 5657 Balboa Ave.
Please come grab lunch or dinner at Jersey Mikes in the Balboa Mesa Shopping Center just minutes from MEA ! As with all fundraisers, some of your purchase cost will come back to MEA to support all the fun things we do here at school. Thank you for helping our community with your purchase! Just bring in the attached flyer or show it on your phone.
Docent presentation from the San Diego Opera
Thursday, February 9 / 12:00-1:00 / MEA Cafeteria
Ms. Janet Williams, a docent from the San Diego Opera, has offered to give us a free presentation on February 9 so that our students and parents can get a behind-the-scenes look at opera in general, as well as the Falstaff Opera, which we will be attending on February 16. More about the Falstaff Opera: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falstaff_(opera)
10 students wanted!
Ms. Williams is also seeking 10 Mt. Everest Academy students (6 boys + 4 girls) that are comfortable reading in public and doing a little act. Students, if you'd like to volunteer now, please send an email to Linda Ele at lele@sandi.net.
This promises to be a fun, interactive, and informational presentation!
“Spiritual Diversity in Education”
Thursday, February 9 / 12:00 - 3:00 / Room B-16
Ms. Deb Mech is facilitating Spiritual Diversity in Education which is open to all parents, students, staff, and community members. This workshop is a fully inclusive whole-child / holistic approach to tolerance and understanding and fully aligns with our mission of equity and integrated health and wellness. Light refreshments will be served.
To RSVP or for more information, please contact Ms. Mech at dmech@sandi.net.
Garden Time!
Thursday, February 9 / 12:15-1:45
Join us as we explore, eat, and tend! We'll start near the raised beds and finish in the orchard outside school fence. All ages welcome. K-3 encouraged to bring a parent. :-)
* Middle School & High School Dances *
Thursday, February 9
3:30-5:30pm Middle School: Free admission, $5 for Ice Cream Bar
6:30-9:30pm High School: $10 admission, free Ice Cream Bar with admission
Reminder!! This week! Come Join in on the Fun!!! Have a great time enjoying ice cream, music, and hanging out with friends! All students must bring this signed permission form.
The Blue Ribbon Ceremony
Friday, February 10 / 1:00-2:30 / MEA Auditorium
Mt. Everest Academy is honored to announce that Helice "Sparky" Bridges, TEDx Presenter, will be coming to speak at our school! Sparky is the creator of the world famous "Who I Am Makes A Difference" Blue Ribbon. This message has impacted over 40 million people worldwide. Her "Blue Ribbon Movie" was #1 on YouTube for 10 weeks in the nonprofit category. Click here to learn more about the Blue Ribbon Ceremony and make plans now to be here on Friday, February 10!Beach Cleanup with the MEA Environmental Club
Sunday, February 12 / 3:00 pm
The MEA Environmental Club will be having a beach cleanup this Sunday at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography beach. They will be meeting by the stairs at 3pm. Bring a trash bag, hat, and any other tools you have for trash pickups!
Vision Screenings
Tuesday, February 14 / 9:00-12:00 / Front Office
Wednesday, February 15 / 9:00-12:00 / Front Office
Nursing staff will conduct vision screening at Mt. Everest Academy during the times listed above. Students brand new to SDUSD and students in grades K, 2, 5 and 8 are the primary focus, but screening is available for all MEA students.
For Parents with Little-Little Ones
Wednesday, February 15 / 9:30 am / Cafeteria
Do you have babies or toddlers or preschoolers in your care while you teach your older students? Join a group of MEA parents in the same situation as you. Come share or learn strategies to keep the little ones busy while you teach your older children. Babies and students are welcome; PALS and extracurricular options coincide with this meeting as well.
Opera Field Trip
Thursday, February 16 / 5:00-9:30pm / Civic Theatre
MEA is offering a FREE opportunity for 40 of our students and 5 chaperones to attend an opera in downtown San Diego. Transportation will be by school bus and will be chaperoned by staff and parents. Appropriate “theatre” attire is recommended. Please sign up by filling out a fieldtrip form in the office. We are still in need of one parent chaperone, so if you are interested please email Principal Browne at cbrowne@sandi.net. Details are below.
What: The Opera “Falstaff” performed by SD Opera
Where: Civic Theatre downtown SD
When: February 16, 2017, 5:00-9:30 pm. (Transportation is by school bus. Students will meet at MEA at 5:00 and return to MEA at about 9:30)
Who: MEA students grades 5-12
Academic League Competition
Thursday, February 16 / 7:00 pm / MEA Auditorium
The MEA Academic League with Coach Jacobs will meet here at Mt. Everest this Thursday to compete with the Clairemont High School 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! Click for the competition schedule.
***** MAKERSPACE *****
Link to Makerspace calendar of activities.
From Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30-2:30, the Makerspace is open for students ready to tinker and create, unless an activity is listed as "participants only" (marked with an asterisk on the calendar). Questions? Contact supervisors: Nikki Bradford (nbradford@sandi.net) or Barb Mulvany (bmulvany@sandi.net)
Tools and More!
Wednesdays / 12:15-1:30 / Makerspace
The tools and more class started out with a great group of kids! Just a reminder, the class continues on this week-12:15 to 1:30 this Wednesday!
Come join Mr. Goldwater as he teaches about tools and introduces the internal combustion engine and how it works. Lubrication and moving parts will be examined. Disassembly of the engine will include learning the name and functions of each part. All of this will be taught in a five series class. You don’t want to miss it!
Come make a Valentine!
Please feel free to come into the Maker Space to make a Valentine! Such a fun day to acknowledge our appreciation for special friends or family members! The supplies are in the space, we’d love to see you and get creative!
Donations Requested
The Makerspace can use your donations!
Any arts and crafts materials would come in handy for making Valentine's Day cards!
Also, plastic caps (any size beverage bottle), toilet paper tubes, paper towel tubes, clean popsicle sticks, straws, working sewing machines, crochet or knitting needles, old iphones, hammers/screwdrivers/hand tools, or any other "making" materials are much appreciated in the Makerspace.
***** EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES *****
Faith Group now on Thursdays
Instead of meeting on Wednesdays, the MEA Faith Group will now meet on Thursdays. Same time (12-12:30) and same place (elementary grass area). Come for fun, fellowship, encouragement, and inspiration! This is a student led group for grades 6-12.
Model United Nations Club meetings on Wednesdays!
Wednesdays / 12:30-1:45 / Room 9
Hello, future delegates!
In 2017, you will be able to learn more about the Model United Nations and what you need to be a part of one, such as how to be a part of a committee as a delegate. We will enjoy fun activities and discussions, such as on game theory, effective speaking, and research on countries, at the Model UN Club at MEA!
For now, future meetings will be hosted on Wednesdays, starting on February 8, from 12:30 to 1:45.
This week, we will be discussing the rules and procedures needed to become a delegate, and preparing for the zombie apocalypse!
The Model UN Club is hosted in Room 9. Newcomers are always welcome at the Model UN Club!
See you there! Questions? Please contact meamunclub@gmail.com
***** COUNSELING CORNER *****
The Ronald Reagan Student Leadership Program
High school students: Here is an opportunity to participate in a week long leadership program that will develop your skills in leadership, decision making and community service. This experience will allow you to network with high school students from all over California and this prestigious experience will be a great addition to your college application. Go online at the link below to apply. See Mr. Zappala with any questions. Good luck.
To apply go to: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/education/student-leadership-program
9th grade families: Meet with Mr. Zappala
February 6-24
In February, Mr. Zappala is offering conference times to 9th grade students and parents that would like to discuss their 4-year plan. Appointment times are available from 8:00 am-3:00 pm, Feb. 6-16 and Feb. 21-24.
***** LIBRARY *****
February Contest
Our library is offering a prize to all students who write about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Tell us in 50 words or more why you chose that president and what, in your opinion, was his greatest contribution to our country and why. Your entry must be hand written and submitted to the library by 2:00, February 8th. All submissions will be published in a booklet that will be available for pick up in the library, and may be posted around the school. Here is a great place to begin your research
***** STUDENT SPOTLIGHT *****
As Mt. Everest Academy offers students the “flexibility to pursue your passion,” our school has many students that are doing just that! To share your child's special activities in the Monday Message, please send an email to Linda Ele at lele@sandi.net. Thank you!
Petunia R. in concert with the Middle School Honor Band
Petunia R. (grade 6) successfully passed the auditions for viola, flute, and piccolo for the 2017 SDUSD Middle School Honor Concert. She made the decision to play flute and piccolo for the Middle School Honor Band.
The Middle School Honor Concert will feature both the Middle School Honor Band and the Middle School Honor Orchestra.
Concert - Point Loma Nazerene University
Brown Chapel
Saturday, March 18, 7:00pm
Admission is free.
Everyone is welcome!
***** COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS *****
2017 Family Climate Action Summit
Tuesday, February 9 / 7:00-8:30pm / Kearny High School
Please join Kevin Beiser, Vice President of the San Diego Unified School Board, at this climate action summit.
- Celebrate environmental achievements
- Learn about current green clubs in schools
- Discuss SDUSD's Climate Action Plan
Creek to Bay Cleanup
Saturday, April 22
Save the date for our 15th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup! Join us on Earth Day 2017, Saturday, April 22nd, as we beautify over 100 sites in San Diego County! Last year, a record breaking 6,400 volunteers came out to our 110 sites and successfully removed 150,000 lbs. of litter. Instead of turning a blind eye to the abundance of litter found across San Diego County, our volunteers channeled their appreciation for San Diego’s environment into action to protect it. http://www.creektobay.org