Monday Message
4/1/19
MEA Awards from the San Diego Science Fair
Over 930 students from San Diego and Imperial Counties participated in the Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair that concluded Sunday, March 17, 2019.
These MEA students were awarded places and Professional Recognition for their quality work. Congratulations to all of them!
1ST PLACE
- Malvyn L. (8th grade, teacher Mr. Tran)
"Catalyst Efficiency for Producing Energy Fuels by Water Splitting" - Petunia Rizo (8th grade, teacher Mr. Negus)
"Brainwave Differences Based on Soundscapes of Nature and Urban Areas" -
Ziyad Soliman (9th grade, teachers Mr. Naserelddin / Mrs. Apazidis)
"Pass Your Bill: Understanding Legislation Using Machine Learning"
2ND PLACE
- Yusuf Amanullah (10th grade, teacher Mr. Negus)
"An Advanced Bicycle Safety System to Prevent Rider Injuries" - Georgia Rainey (9th grade, teacher Mrs. Apazidis)
"The Effect of Different Colored Lights on Dinoflagellate Luminescence" - Ria Rizo (7th grade, teacher Mr. Tran)
"How Specific Wing and Tail Shape Combinations Affect Flight" - Benjamin Shimabukuro (10th grade, teacher Mr. Tran)
"Coin Flip Fairness"
4TH PLACE
- Hasan Abdurrahman (9th grade, teacher Mrs. Apazidis)
"Viability of Smartphone Hearing Test Applications for Early Hearing Loss Detection" - Hsiang-Kuang Zhuang (9th grade, teacher Mrs. Apazidis)
"The Most Effective Characteristics of a Secure Password"
OTHER HONORS:
Malvyn L.
- Invitation to the 2019 California State Science Fair in Los Angeles April 29-30
- Invitation to the Broadcom Masters Competition for Middle School Students with Cash Awards
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY AWARDS:
Malvyn L.
- American Chemical Society, San Diego Section
- ISEF Affiliate: Office of Naval Research
Petunia Rizo
- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR)
Ziyad Soliman
- The Scripps Institute of Oceanography
BIG THANKS go out to the MEA English Department this year for the valued help giving advice to the student’s regarding their project write-ups.
Fun with Leprechauns
The 2nd graders put a lot of creative engineering ideas into their Leprechaun Traps! But, alas, they were unable to catch one. Instead, the leprechauns held a soccer tournament in a leprechaun-made park in Mrs. Finnney's classroom and left quite a mess!
**** UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES ****
Dr. Seuss Month
April 1-5: Pajama Week!
Dr. Seuss has written and illustrated many children's books that we all have enjoyed.
In April we are going to read some of his fun books and discuss the characters and the themes. We will complete our author study on April 19th with a Dr. Seuss Carnival.
Students will be able to fill a passport with stickers as they read and attend Library time and as they participate in the Carnival activities and stations.
Speaker Holly Hidinger, "Sansei"
Tuesday, April 2 / 10:00-11:30 / MEA Auditorium
Plan to be in your seat by 9:55 so we can begin on time.
Come join us in welcoming Holly Hidinger, a third generation Japanese American "Sansei". She will be speaking about World War II and the experiences and injustices suffered by many Japanese Americans, including her parents, grandparents, and friends during that war.
Holly's father, Hideo Ochi, was the oldest of three brothers. He enlisted in the US Army in July, 1941, six months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Although he started his military training with a regular Army unit, after December 7, 1941 the Army wasn’t quite sure what to do with him. Eventually he worked in Army training sessions, showing what a Japanese soldier would look and sound like. Hideo was taught how to use captured Japanese weapons. He even had roles in Army training films, and was making a film in Hollywood when the war ended.
Pop-Up Art Show
Wednesday, April 3 / 12:00-1:00 / Room 17-A
An Art Show is popping up at MEA for 60 very special minutes on April 3! The theme of the show is "Serendipity." Mrs. Flo's students have been working hard on their projects and everyone is invited to come see the finished results. The artists will also be in attendance to talk to viewers about their creation process and what inspired them.
Featured artists:
- Aurora B.
- Renee D
- Risa S.
- Mikaela S.
Parent Group Meeting
Wednesday, April 3 / 2:00 / Room 11
All parents welcome.
Agenda to include PE Co-op and more! We hope you come and chat about happenings at our school!
California Scholarship Federation Eligibility Meeting
Thursday, April 4 / 11:55-12:30 / Cafeteria
TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
If you're interested in becoming a member of the California Scholarship Federation, please see Mr. Zappala between now and April 3 for a copy of your transcript and CSF application. If you attended last year's meeting and qualified for membership, Mr. Zappala has your application. You will still need to complete another application to qualify for membership this year.
Talent Show & Silent Auction
Thursday, April 11 / MEA Auditorium
Calling all students, parents, staff, families, and friends to come enjoy an evening of fun and entertainment at Mt. Everest Academy’s annual Talent Show & Silent Auction! Students from grades K-12 will showcase their talents, there will be free pizza, light refreshments and drinks, and the Silent Auction will have exciting gift baskets and gift certificates to bid on. This is Mt. Everest’s biggest fundraiser event of the year, and one hundred percent of all funds raised will directly benefit student learning and school activities.
5:00: Silent Auction bidding and free refreshments
6:00: Show starts
Tickets: $5
Tickets may be purchased ahead of time in the office (by check or cash-exact change please)
Performers and stagehands get in free.
Silent Auction
Silent Auction items may be purchased with CASH or CHECK (no credit cards)
Holocaust Survivor, Fanny Krasner Lebovits
Tuesday, April 16 / 10:30-11:30ish / Auditorium
Please join us in welcoming Holocaust Survivor, Fanny Krasner Lebovits, to Mt. Everest Academy. Appropriate for grades 5 and up. Please come early to get a seat.
Growing up in a loving family in Liepāja (Libau), Latvia, Fanny Krasner Lebovits was thrust into the trauma of a Jewish ghetto and five Nazi concentration camps. Fanny was 19 years old when the Nazis invaded Liepāja. The Nazis quickly killed her father, along with most of the town's Jewish men. The family was eventually sent to Kaiserwald concentration camp, where she and her teenaged sister were separated from their mother and 8-year-old sister. Lebovits never saw either of them again.
Lebovits and her sister were transferred to several other concentration camps before they were put on a German military barge bound for the Swedish island of Gotland. Upon liberation, Fanny weighed only fifty-nine pounds, was desperately ill with typhus, and had not a single worldly possession.
But, Fanny managed to survive and thrive. Her faith, courage, and resilience led to a full, productive, and happy life on three continents. As Fanny often says, “hate is never good and love is never bad.” In these turbulent times, this message has never been more relevant.
In her remarkable memoir Memories, Miracles & Meaning written one year ago, at age ninety-five, Fanny recounts her inspirational and emotional story of survival during the Holocaust. She recalls her heartbreaking and triumphant memories, her belief in miracles, and outlines the insights and meaning she has drawn from those experiences. She will be glad to sign any copy of her book you may have at the end of her talk. You can order her book on Amazon.
High School Prom
Friday, May 10 / 6:00-10:00pm / Mission Bay Yacht Club
All high school students are invited and encouraged to attend...no prom date needed! Make your reservations now for a discounted price! More prom info here.
Ticket prices
- $30 (until 3/22) / $35 (until 5/3) / $40 (until 5/9)
No tickets sold at the door.
**** ANNOUNCEMENTS ****
Sabrina Lee: one of the 100 High School Students America Needs to Know About
Workforce Career Readiness™ has selected Sabrina Lee, MEA senior, as one of the Class of 2019 100 High School Students America Needs to Know About. She was chosen out of thousands of students.
Sabrina was a founding member of the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Student Equity Ambassadors and now in her senior year at MEA, is leading the group. Student Equity Ambassadors, through a process of humble inquiry, seek to understand what strengthens all students’ connection to school and community. Their voice has been critical in starting district and community conversations about defining success, identifying obstacles, and developing solutions that will benefit all SDUSD students.
It is the mission of the Student Equity Ambassadors to provide a voice for the students in her school district and Sabrina works diligently to ensure this happens. With the program in its third year, all responsibility has been turned over to the students and under Sabrina's leadership and guidance; the program is the strongest it has ever been. Sabrina has created something that students want to be a part of and other school districts hope to model.
Yearbook
The 2019 Mt. Everest yearbook is on sale now! Please purchase your copy here for $30. The deadline to buy is May 1, so don’t delay!
The yearbook is still missing some smiling MEA faces. If you missed fall picture day or joined the Mt. Everest family after picture day had passed, we need your photo! If you have a digital copy of a photo that we can include in the yearbook, please email it to Laurel Rice at lrice@sandi.net as soon as possible. If you do not have a digital photo, please bring in a photo that we can scan. It does not have to be an official portrait, but it should be a head and shoulders shot, if possible. Seniors who wish to use a photo other than the ones taken by Lifetouch should submit those, as well. Please submit your photos by April 16th.
It’s also time to vote for High School Student Standouts. All MEA students can vote for the standouts in each grade level (9-12), but you can only vote one time. All votes must be in by Wednesday, April 10.
Finally, if you’re a senior and would like to contribute a short senior quote for the yearbook, please complete this form by April 12.
Summary:
Vote for the High School Student Standouts - DEADLINE April 10, 2019
Submit a senior quote - DEADLINE April 12, 2019
Missing portraits, email to lrice@sandi.net - DEADLINE April 16, 2019
Purchase a yearbook - DEADLINE May 1, 2019
ASB Officer Positions 2019-20
Applications due Thursday, April 4
The election process is now open for the 2019-20 ASB officer positions: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Being a leader of the school leadership organization is an important job that requires much time, effort, dedication and responsibility. It is also rewarding, provides great memories and opportunities to have fun, and gives you direct involvement in the school community. ASB is responsible for most school activities on campus. If you are elected to become an ASB officer, you will need to represent the school in a positive way.
Graduation Checklist: Community Service Form
SENIORS!
Reminder: the next item on your senior graduation checklist is to turn in your Community Service Form to your supervising teacher by April 19.
SDUSD Program Environmental Impact Report
The San Diego Unified School District will be preparing a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Capital Improvement Program. The District is soliciting public and agency input on the scope and content of the environmental analysis to be contained in the PEIR and will be hosting a total of five community meetings, one meeting per board district in April 2019.
Not returning to MEA next year?
Students planning to attend another school next year should please let their supervising teachers know.
"Grab-N-Go" Lunches
Mt. Everest Academy has lunches available in the office three days a week, Tuesday through Thursday. Lunches cost $2.75 or are free to students who qualify on the free/reduced lunch application. Apply online for free/reduced lunches.
**** THE COOP SCOOP ****
(A Few) Fresh Eggs Available
Our MEA chickens have settled into their new home here on campus, and we're proud to announce that they have been laying eggs! With our small flock, they are producing around 20 eggs a week, and these are ready to be shared with MEA families. On the counter in the office there's a sign to let everyone know if freshly laid eggs are available at any given time. If eggs are "in stock," come into the office and take home a few of these special eggs! (Although the eggs are free we suggest leaving a donation to support the feeding and other supplies needed for our chicks.)
**** EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ****
Please find the most up-to-date schedule on our website, This schedule is a work in-progress; we will continue to add to and fine-tune the schedule as needed.
If you are interested in offering an extracurricular class or workshop, please contact Principal Browne at cbrowne@sandi.net. We are looking for folks wanting to share talents in science, technology, robotics, and the arts! All required district volunteer paperwork must be submitted in order to lead a class.
**** COUNSELING CORNER ****
ACSA Scholarship
In an effort to encourage outstanding future education leadership, the Region 18 Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and San Diego County School Boards Association will provide five $1,000 college/university scholarships for high school seniors who meet the following criteria:
- show proven academic success with at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average;
- are involved in community service;
- who may not necessarily qualify for other financial aid, and
- are pursuing a career in education as a teacher or other certificated employee.
Download application here. Due date: April 15
California Scholarship Federation Eligibility Meeting
Thursday, April 4 / 11:55-12:30 / Cafeteria
TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
If you're interested in becoming a member of the California Scholarship Federation, please see Mr. Zappala between now and April 3 for a copy of your transcript and CSF application. If you attended last year's meeting and qualified for membership, Mr. Zappala has your application. You will still need to complete another application to qualify for membership this year.
Community College Informational Meeting
Friday, April 12 / 12:00 noon / Room 6
Juniors and Seniors: If you are planning on attending Mesa or another San Diego community college after high school, please come to the meeting on April 12th at noon in room 6. A Mesa admissions representative will be here to talk about enrollment, the benefits that the community college option has to offer, the transfer process, financial aid and answer any questions you have.
Choosing Classes for 2019-20
If you (or your student) are currently in grades 8-11 you should have already had an appointment with Mr. Zappala where you discussed courses for next year and graduation and college entrance requirements. If you have not done that, please email him at rzappala@sandi.net to set up a time to meet. If you do not meet with Mr. Zappala your schedule for next year will be created for you without your input based on graduation requirements.
**** LIBRARY ****
April Library Challenge
Draw an Instagram type page for your favorite book character! Turn in to the library by 12:30 on April 25 to receive a prize.
End of BOOKIT!
March is the last official month for BookIt!
Students will have until Friday, April 5 to bring their March reading logs to the library for a free pizza certificate.
**** COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS ****
Free athletic physical exams
Saturday, June 1 / 8:00-12:00 / SD High School
Is your 8-11th grade student planning to play a sport at their neighborhood school next year? If yes, they will need an athletic physical. UCSD has partnered with SDUSD to provide physicals free of charge. Please see this flyer for more info.
Hands-On STEAM Summer Camp
In collaboration with Treobytes, Mesa College will be hosting StartUP at Mesa College, a 4-week summer camp centered around STEAM for 3rd-10th graders where campers will spend their day learning 21st century technical skills in a project based environment. All activities are supported by Common Core State Standards for Math and Literacy, as well as expanding on Next Generation State Standards regardless of grade level.
Splash Event at UCSD
Saturday, April 20 / UCSD
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
During the day, a variety of classes and workshops designed for high school students are taught by UC San Diego faculty, graduate students, and undergrads. There are dozens of different course offerings, spanning engineering (e.g., nanoengineering, materials science, robot localization and many others), math and computer science (e.g., game theory, data analysis, etc.), biology and medicine (e.g., ant navigation, global health, appendicitis) and arts and humanities and social sciences (e.g., Greek philosophy, modular origami, contemporary dance, etc.) along with some practical classes particularly relevant to high school students (time management, surviving freshman year).
Student registration and general information can be found on the Splash website:
https://ucsd.learningu.org/learn/index.html
Registration closes April 16th. Classes fill on a first-come-first-served basis, so we suggest you register as soon as possible. Additionally, since we have to order shirts in advance, we can not guarantee you a shirt if you register after Wednesday April 3rd.
Speech Competition at the SD County Fair
Students can win cash awards and ribbons for their public speaking skills in the Speech Contest at the San Diego County Fair. The theme is "San Diego County Fair, Oz-some!"
Open to elementary, middle/junior high and high school students. Participants must register online in advance. The competition can accommodate a maximum of 25 entries per class, processed on a first-received, first-accepted basis, so enter early.
Summer Internship at Birch Aquarium
Birch Aquarium offers a 9-week summer internship, InterpreTEENS, for teens who are 16 and above. They are seeking enthusiastic teens who are interested in science, have excellent communication skills and who are reliable, flexible and eager to learn. Birch Aquarium is committed to exposing the next generation of ocean conservationists to diverse careers within the field of marine science. The deadline to apply is April 7.