Monday Message
May 9, 2022
Parent Survey for MEA Annual Report to CDE
Congratulations to our outstanding teacher Ms. Rice, who MEA teachers have voted as Mt. Everest Academy's Teacher of the Year!
Ms. Rice teaches 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Math, Introduction to Coding, Introduction to Video, and ASB Student Government. Ms. Rice is a driving force behind all the wonderful student activities that happen here on campus.
Ms. Rice's participation and leadership help create a robust and inclusive school climate that builds on our culture of kindness. She's organized, friendly and builds relationships with students that encourage and bring out the best in her classes. Everyone loves working and spending time with her as she focuses on the positive and exceeds expectations in all elements of her job. She's much more than a teacher, she's a person who builds character, student agency and develops complex and layered relationships that lead to student success.
Ms. Rice goes above and beyond when it comes to supporting her students’ success, communicating with parents, and providing an enriching and uplifting learning environment. Her extra efforts around campus are essential to making our school great!
UPCOMING EVENTS
AP Testing
MEA Architecture for Kids
Thursday, May 12 & Thursday May 19 in the MakerSpace
Grades K-2: 12:30-1:15
Grades 3-5: 12:30-1:45
Thank you for all the student sign-ups - the workshops are now full.
This 2-day Architecture Workshop will be facilitated by Jennifer Swedell - Architect, Artist, and mom to 1st grader Gia Forzani.
There will be lunch supervision for elementary students that are already on campus. For other students, please drop them off at the front office and they will be escorted to and from the MakerSpace.
High School Prom
Date: Friday, May 13
Time: 6:00-10:00pm
Place: Mission Bay Yacht Club
Address: 1215 El Carmel Pl, SD 92109
Tickets: $50 from 5/9-5/12
TICKET SALES WILL CLOSE ON THURSDAY, MAY 12 AT MIDNIGHT
Tickets are now available in our online school store for the upcoming High School Prom. No tickets will be sold at the door, so please use the SchoolCash Online system to purchase using Visa/Visa Debit and Mastercard/Mastercard Debit. New users will need to register for an account.
Permission Forms are required for all dance attendees:
- For MEA students, fill out the permission form online when purchasing tickets.
- Each MEA student can bring one guest. For non-MEA guests, download this guest permission form. Fill it out and have it signed by the guest’s school administrator. Then bring the form to the dance and turn it in at the door.
Panda Express Fundraiser
Thursday, May 19 (10a-10pm)
5407 Balboa Ave Suite 460
858-779-9288
Please join us for a Fundraiser at Panda Express on Thursday, May 19th from 10am to 10pm. 20% of event sales will be donated to Mt. Everest Academy Foundation.
- Show this flyer at the restaurant
- Or order online with code 335330 (instructions)
Enjoy the fresh, flavorful combination of Chinese regional cuisine and technique with bold American tastes!!
Lunch concert with Mr. Johnson's students
Tuesday, May 24 / 12:00-12:30
Mr. Johnson’s students will perform a variety of songs for their fellow students. Come fill your belly with lunch and fill your soul with music!
End-of-Year Concert
Tuesday, May 31 / 5:30-6:30pm / MEA Auditorium
Mr. Johnson’s students will showcase some of the musical pieces they have learned this year. Everyone is invited to come enjoy the concert!
MEA Family Picnic
Friday, June 3 / 11:00-1:30
Mission Bay Crown Point Shores North
More details to follow
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Book Returns & Re-enrolling
In planning for the end of the school year, the following times have been scheduled by grade level for returning all MEA materials and re-enrolling for 2022-23. If you have students in various grades, please come during the designated time for the highest grade level and we will accommodate all of your students. Please mark your calendar!
Elementary
Tues, 5/24...11:30-12:30...Gr. 1 & 3
Wed, 5/25...11:30-12:30... Gr. K & 5
Thur, 5/26...11:30-12:30...Gr. 2 & 4
Secondary
Wed, 6/1...1:00-3:00...Gr. 6 & 7
Thur, 6/2...11:30-12:30...Gr. 8
Thur, 6/2...12:30-2:00...Seniors
Mon, 6/6...10:00-11:30...Gr. 9
Tues, 6/7...11:00-12:30...Gr. 10
Thur, 6/9...1:00-3:00...Gr. 11
For students that have district Chromebooks, returning them over the summer is optional. However students will be required to bring the Chromebooks in at book pickups in August to renew the checkout date for the new school year.
Not using library materials?
The more materials that are returned sooner, the better scheduled returns will go later.
SDUSD Student Board Member Openings
SDUSD high school students are invited to apply to serve a one-year term alongside the five Board Trustees for the 2022-23 school year by following the process outlined here and completing this Google Form.
The application due date for interested students is Wednesday, May 18, 2022. There will be two Student Board Member positions available for the 2022-23 school year.
For questions about serving in this capacity, please contact Stacey Seiders sseiders@sandi.net with any questions.
MEA First Lego League!
Coming Fall 2022
Ages 9-16
Here’s a preview of an exciting activity, MEA First Lego League, that will be happening here next school year. The theme for the 2022-2023 challenge was just released: First Energize!
Contact Kathleen at kmobarski@gmail.com with any questions or to volunteer to help.
This summer, think about what the MEA First Team can do to solve an energy problem in our community. Be ready to create, build, and have fun this fall!
MEA Parents: please fill out LCFF
Mt. Everest Academy needs parents to fill out a very short form, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The LCFF will ensure that we receive all the state funding we’re entitled to. This information is private and will not be used for any other purposes. It will not affect children receiving free meals.
The 2022-23 LCFF is available now to reduce the burden of collecting data during the busy time of school openings in the Fall. Explanation letter
- Access the LCFF Form in the PowerSchool Parent Portal
- The LCFF form is only available in the Parent Portal to parents, not students.
- Here is a job aid to assist in entering information
For more information about LCFF, please contact Maria Ramos (mramos3@sandi.net).
“Senior Shelf” Legacy Project
Dear Senior Class of 2022,
What is your favorite novel, play, or book of poetry? Why do you love it? Would you like to share this beloved book and your thoughts about it with the greater, and future, MEA community? Please consider donating a copy of your favorite book to our MEA library.
Your selection will be included on the "Senior Shelf" as a legacy project that you can visit when you return to visit your alma mater (which we hope you will do- a lot!). You will also be able to add a few personal comments on a bookplate that will be placed on the inside cover.
Guidelines: Please make sure the book's content is school-appropriate (high school and below). We will support anyone who needs help acquiring or purchasing the book. Funds are limited, so it would be first come, first serve. Please feel free to contact me by email, and include the title and author of the book (and particular edition, if that is important). It is also perfectly fine for you to donate a gently used, pre-read copy that you already own and are willing to share with your fellow MEA Wolves!
We would like your books to be brought in no later than Friday, May 27. Please send your thoughts via email to nmullen@sandi.net, and I will print them out and put them in your book selection. You can drop off any time before May 27th in the library, the main office (there will be a box labeled "Senior Shelf"), or room 1. Please put your name on the book somewhere so that we know it's from you.
Last year's Senior Shelf is on the bookcase near the reading carpet and comfy chairs by the window. Check it out for some inspiration, and to see what the Class of 2021 donated and said about their books.
Thank you for considering participating in this project. We at MEA all hope you will leave a little, "literal" piece of yourself in the small but mighty MEA Library!
Congratulations on reaching this amazing milestone- the end of high school!
Nancy Mullen
Senior Requirements Checklist
Upcoming graduation requirements:
- Friday, 4/29 - Complete MEA Senior Survey
- Thursday, 6/2 - Final schoolwork and work samples due. Textbooks returned. Acknowledge completion of all in Google Classroom.
Class schedule for 2022-2023
For your planning purposes, the class schedule for 2022-2023 is ready! We have done our best to consolidate 9-12th grade classes so that students enrolled in a standard grade level program have classes over 1-2 days as opposed to 3 days. Please check it out here. Please note, this schedule is subject to change until the first day of school, but we always try to limit changes once it has been published.
AmazonSmile
MEA Foundation is fully registered with AmazonSmile as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon.com will donate to MEA Foundation at no cost to you,
If you haven't already, log on to smile.amazon.com and designate Mount Everest Academy Foundation as your charity of choice.
- Don't forget to bookmark smile.amazon.com for all of your Amazon purchases.
- Amazon will donate 0.5% of all eligible purchases made via smile.amazon.com to the Foundation.
EXTRACURRICULARS
* * * Click box above for Elementary Extracurricular Schedule * * *
Daily Mindfulness & Meditation
Elementary Art
Music with Mr. Johnson
PALS
Chess for Elementary Students
Every Thursday / 12:00-12:45 / Parent Room
The focus of this group is on elementary students, but older students are also welcome. Mr. Martin and MEA student, Sebastian, will be leading these sessions. Here are a couple of free websites for learning chess: (Lichess.org and Chesskid.com). Practice, practice, practice!
Sign your elementary child in at the front office at 11:55 (unless they are in 2nd or 4th grade and already on campus). Students will be walked back to the front gate for parents to pick up at 12:45.
“C3” for grades K-5
Wednesday, May 25 / 12:30-1:30
Miss Shannon is offering the last Chicken Coop Cooperative (C3) of the school year on Wednesday, May 25 from 12:30 until 1:30:
This hour is designed for the K through 5 students to spend some time getting to know the chickens, and hanging out with other students. We will occasionally harvest greens growing from the gardens to offer them as well. We will be mindful of washing hands after interacting with the chickens: food for kids first (if eating on campus), then food for chickens.
Please sign in at the front office and the students can be sent directly to the chicken coop. Students will be walked back to the front office at 1:30.
PALS Tutoring
Wednesdays & Thursdays / 12:30-1:45 / Room 6
Trained tutors are ready to help you get your classwork done. All students grades K-12 who would like some extra help can come to room 6 every Wednesday and Thursday during 4th period (12:30-1:45pm). All grades are welcome, as we have tutors for all grade levels. PALS is a great way to build community and academic skills!
Parents, K-5 students attending PALS must arrive with a check-in form so tutors know what to work on with your child and you receive a report on how things went. (Extra forms will be available when you drop off in case you forget or can't print one at home.)
- K-5 students attending studygroup and PALS on the same day should be signed in when parents drop off at 9am. Parents must indicate if their student is staying for supervised lunch and PALS
- K-5 students attending ONLY PALS on any given day should be signed in outside the front office.
- 6-12 students can report directly to Room 6.
Music classes with Mr. Johnson
These classes are held every Tuesday. Please sign your child in at the front office and note which class(es) they will be attending.
- 8:05- 8:55 - Beginning Band
- 9:05- 9:55 - Choir
- 10:05- 10:55 - Advanced Band
- 11:05 - 11:55 - Music theory (for upper grades)
- 12:30- 1:20 - Advanced Strings (open to secondary)
- 1:35- 2:25 - Beginning Strings
* * * Click box above for Secondary Extracurricular Schedule * * *
Academic League • Ally Action • Anime • Chess • Coop Group • Daily Mindfulness & Meditation • Gaming • German • GSA • Literary Magazine • MathCounts • Mental Health • Music with Mr. Johnson • PALS • Rubik's Cube • Sherpa’s Jam Band • Spanish Conversation • Sports Club • Young Investors Club
"Heights"
After months of preparation and creative initiative, the MEA Literary Magazine has finally published its first issue of Heights!
Please log in to "Heights" with a sandi.net account, and then click on the “Issues” tab. Enjoy this thoughtful compilation of student work!
Around Campus
FASNACHT/FASCHING
The German classes made masks to celebrate a festival called Fasnacht or Fasching which usually takes place in early March in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages with noisy costumed parades, masked balls, satirical speeches, and much rambunctious revelry. There are various regional differences concerning the name, duration, and activities of the carnival.
Pictured below, parading at the Talent Show last week.
MEA GARDENS & CHICKENS
HELPFUL INFORMATION
Vaccines
Implementation of the student vaccine mandate will begin in August 2022 for the start of the 2022-2023 school year. The vaccine mandate will apply to students who are 16 or older by August 29, 2022, or for those enrolling after that date who are 16 or older on the date of enrollment. Younger students will be required to be vaccinated when full FDA approval is granted for their age group.
Vaccine Clinics within SDUSD are ongoing- with the focus on high schools at this time. Vaccine events hosted by our high schools are open to all. Here is a website with more SDUSD vaccine information.
School Spirit Store
Parents are now able to use SchoolCash Online to buy and pay for items using Visa/Visa Debit and Mastercard/Mastercard Debit. We are currently selling school spirit wear and other fundraising items like lanyards, water bottles and DVDs. Simply order online and then come pick up your purchase in the MEA front office.
Please create an account to access our online catalog.
Meet with School Counselor
For students and parents that would like to meet with Mr. Rubin, our school counselor, please sign up for an appointment.
community announcements
THE OFFERS CAMP'S SUMMER INTERNSHIP
The OFFERS (Opportunities for Future Engineers, Researchers, and Scientists) Camp's Summer Internship for High School Students
Flyer: https://bit.ly/OFFERSdetails
To apply: https://bit.ly/OFFERSintern
Chess Summer Camp 2022
June 20-24
Mt. Everest Academy
“Chess Minds in Motion”
MEA parent, Martin Nilsson, is offering this chess workshop. Mr. Nilsson is a USCF Life Master, USCF Professional Coach, and Swedish Cadet National Champion.
Link to Chess Summer Camp 2022 flyer.
SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass - Pronto Cards
SANDAG has teamed up with MTS, NCTD, and the County of San Diego to connect youth to school, jobs, entertainment, and more! Starting May 1, anyone 18-years-old and younger can ride transit for FREE in San Diego County through the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program. Youth can get unlimited rides on the bus, Trolley, COASTER, and SPRINTER through June 2023 with a Youth PRONTO account. https://youthopportunitypass.sandag.org/