Monday Message
10/21/19
MEA Foundation Meeting
Please join us for the 2nd MEA Foundation meeting.
When: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019
Where: MEA Room TBA
Time: 3:15 (During the middle school dance)
Hear about the Annual Giving Campaign! Join a Committee to assist with the Silent Auction, Jog-a-thon, or Farm Stand. Everyone is welcome!
Garden Work Party
Elementary Art
“THE RED PLAGUE”
Mr. Huy began the school year in his Chemistry class with an ice-breaker / lab-safety activity aptly named “The Red Plague.” This activity involved students swapping/mixing liquids from filled test tubes that they were randomly assigned. One of the test tubes contained a “contaminant” liquid that changed color with a chemical test they all got to use at the end of the activity. Through this process Mr. Huy's students learned a valuable lesson about lab safety and issues with contamination if they don’t wash their hands and tables closely; also, how fast things “contaminate” outside the lab room if they aren’t careful!
**** UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES ****
Make Up Picture Day
Tuesday, October 22 / 8:30-12:30 / Cafeteria
STUDENTS
It's important that all students have their picture taken!
The picture will be used for the student's school ID card and the school yearbook.
Portrait Package Orders
Families also have the option to purchase a picture package.
- BEFORE portraits are taken, families have the option to purchase a picture package online: Go to: mylifetouch.com. The Mt. Everest MAKE-UP picture day I.D. is CK139106Y1
- DAY OF picture taking, payment can be made with an order form. Forms are available in the front office and the Family Room. On Picture Day, bring the order form and payment with either a check made payable to “Lifetouch” or cash (EXACT CHANGE).
- AFTER portraits are taken, proofs will be delivered to MEA within a few weeks and a portrait package can be ordered online.
PARENTS
If you're planning to be on campus for more than student drop off and pick up, you must wear a Parent Educator ID card and lanyard, as per the Campus Code of Conduct policy.
Please note that Lifetouch will not be taking PARENT pictures on Make-Up Picture Day.
To get an ID card, please send an email to Linda Ele at lele@sandi.net with your:
- First name
- Last name
- Headshot
- Child's name and grade level
Linda will send you an email when your card is ready for pickup. Thank you for your participation in keeping our campus safe!
QUESTIONS?
Please email Linda Ele at lele@sandi.net
Fall Dances
Thursday, October 24 / Auditorium
ELEMENTARY DANCE: 1:30-2:30
For grades K-5. Admission is free, and there will be food for sale. No permission form is needed, as parents must attend the dance with their child.
MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE: 3:00-5:00
For grades 6-8. Free food!
This permission form is required for each middle school student to attend the dance. This form is also available in the front office. A completed form needs to be turned in to the office before tickets can be purchased.
Middle School Tickets:
- Through Friday, Oct 18: $3 for ASB members, $4 for everyone else
- After Friday, Oct. 18: $4 for ASB members, $5 for everyone else
- Buy your tickets in the front office, payable with a check made out to "Mt. Everest Academy" or with CASH (EXACT CHANGE).
Coffee with the Principal
Parents and community members are invited to join Principal Browne over a cup of coffee (or tea) to discuss school happenings. Coffee with the Principal is a time to hear about the instructional program, gain strategies to assist students at home, ask questions and/or share ideas that will positively impact students and our school community. It’s also a perfect time to meet other parents and share in celebrating our successes. All parents and community members are welcome!
Spirit Week
The ASB is sponsoring the Spirit Days listed below.
Express your creativity and show your school spirit!
- Mix-Match (or costume) Day - Tuesday, 10/29
- Meme (or costume) Day - Wednesday, 10/30
- Costume Day - Thursday, 10/31
Students are encouraged to wear their costumes any day of this week, especially if they aren't going to be on campus Oct. 31.
Classics 4 Kids: "Tubby the Tuba"
Friday, November 8 / 11:30 / Historic Balboa Theatre
Hello music and dance enthusiasts! We have an opportunity to attend a Classics 4 Kids concert in beautiful Balboa Park! We have 15 tickets to "Tubby the Tuba" on Friday November 8 at 11:30. Parents will be provided with a lesson plan before the show!
For questions please contact Ms. Nancy Mullen at nmullen@sandi.net
**** ANNOUNCEMENTS ****
Welcome, Miss Allie!
Please welcome Allison DiGioia (pronounced duh-Joy-ah) to the MEA Staff! Some of you may have met her recently at a garden work day. “Miss Allie” will be growing our garden science program working closely with our teachers and is very excited to be a part of Mt. Everest Academy! She grew up in Sacramento, CA and just moved to San Diego a year ago. She has a B.S. in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from the University of California, Davis. “I think the garden is such a special place. It shows us the importance of caring for our community and the earth and I believe we can learn a lot from being in the garden. I can’t wait to meet and get to know each and every individual of the school." Please give Miss Allie a very warm MEA welcome!
See's Candy / Desert Sun Coffee Fundraiser
Hello Everyone! This week we start our Fall Fundraiser featuring See’s Candy and Desert Sun Coffee! (Yeah!) Students will be given fundraising material during one of their classes this week. Other copies will be available in the main office and library! Please feel free to get right to it and help support all of our school activities and events by raising money! We are grateful for anything you can contribute as we work hard to create school community and spirit through fun and meaningful events.
Please turn in completed forms to Maria in the front office. All checks received must be made out to "Mt. Everest Academy."
If you have any questions at all, please contact me at Bfmulvany@gmail.com. I’d be happy to help in any way! Ms. Barb
Calling all K-5 Students
The P.A.L.S. Lab wants you!
We have a stellar group of trained tutors who are ready, willing, and able to tutor younger students from 8:30-10:30 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
IT'S A WIN-WIN
- Younger students get attention and help from older students
- Older students get the experience of working with younger students
So, elementary students, pack up your homework and bring it in to PALS (room 7)!
Attention elementary artists!
Mrs. Sink is participating in Artsonia, the world's largest collection of student art, published by teachers and students from around the world. Parents and family can view the art online, leave comments and order keepsakes featuring the artwork. When you order from Artsonia, they donate a portion to our elementary art program to purchase more supplies. If you are interested in participating, please email Mrs Sink, vsink@sandi.net. You will need to provide your child’s name, grade level, and your email address. Mrs Sink will then create an account for your child on Artsonia and upload artwork created during the Story and Craft Time as well as the Elementary Art classes. You can even upload work you child has done at home! You can then purchase items with your child’s artwork on them. Mrs Sink still has many coffee mugs, tshirts and magnets with her children’s elementary artwork on it. They are a family treasure!
MEA Alumnus offers to meet with highschoolers
Hello MEA,
My name is Matthew Lee, and I am a senior at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. I initially decided to go to the Academy because I was recruited to play on the tennis team, which has been an amazing experience because playing tennis is what I love to do. The reason why I decided to stay once I was there, however, was of far greater value. The Academy undoubtedly provides challenge and guarantees adversity to those who go through it, but these do not come without immense reward. I have created some of the strongest bonds in my life with my peers, been exposed to a number of prestigious internships, experienced life in the military and in college simultaneously, and achieved a personal growth that I truly believe I would not have achieved anywhere else. On top of this, upon graduation, I will receive not only a diploma but also a commission as an Ensign into the United States Navy, and will have the opportunity to serve my country.
The opportunities I have been exposed to seem limitless, and I owe a huge thanks to MEA for setting me up and providing me with the skills needed to not only get through, but also thrive at the Academy.
I will be back in San Diego for Thanksgiving break from November 22-December 1 and I would love to share more about my experiences and the application process if you are interested! If so, please reach out to either myself or Mr. Zappala and we will make it happen.
Love,
Matthew Lee
(858)-945-2720
Coin Fundraiser
From October 22 - November 22
Students, bring in your coins! From October 22nd - November 22nd the ASB will be holding a Coin Fundraiser to support our school. Students are encouraged to bring the coins in to their English class, and whichever grade collects the most coins will win a prize!
AP Exam registration and payment
New Collegeboard Procedures
Registration and payment due Nov. 1 for Spring Exams
Step 1: Activate Exam
Students log into their AP® Exam Class on the MyAP Site at https://myap.collegeboard.org to join the online AP® Exam group and activate the exam by clicking on “Register for the Exam”. Deadline to activate is NOVEMBER 1, 2019.
Step 2: Fee Submission
Go to https://aptsusa.com/mea/ and complete the online payment form to submit fees. All students registering for an exam must complete the online payment form, regardless of method of payment. Deadline is NOVEMBER 1, 2019.
MEA Foundation Logo Contest
Calling all artists and designers! The newly formed MEA Foundation whose purpose is to support teaching and learning at our awesome little school needs some branding! They have announced a logo contest with cash prizes!
- 1st place - $50
- 2nd place - $30
- 3rd place - $20
The logo can incorporate the current MEA school logo or be a whole new design. There are also free logo design creators online if you do not want to draw something freehand. For more info on designing a logo, check out this article. This contest is open to all students in grades K-12. Get creative! Designs are due by THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 and can be submitted to the front office or emailed to mteverest@sandi.net.
**** 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
To New Club Leaders...
When the meeting time and place of your activity is decided on, please email your info to Linda Ele at lele@sandi.net so that it can be included in the Extracurricular Activities schedule.
Coop Group
Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00am
Thursdays, 3:05-3:30pm
The coop group welcomes new members to be trained to help clean up after and care for the chickens!
You are encouraged to bring veggie scraps to the chickens during the coop group times!
GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance)
Tuesdays / 12:00-12:30 / Room 1
The first meeting is this Tuesday, October 22
Come check out the newly revived MEA GSA Club.
For grades 9-12. All welcome!
Intercultural Club
Wednesday, October 23 / 12:00-12:30 / Room 1
The Intercultural Club (not to be confused with the Interfaith Club) is open to all students in grades 6-12 who have an interest in learning about other cultures and sharing about their own cultures. Come to the first meeting this week on Wednesday at lunch in room 1. (In general we will meet monthly on the first Wednesday of each school month.) We will decide on our mission, determine the celebrations we want to hold, and delight in some delicious food!
Rubik's Cube Club
Starting Thursday, October 24 from 11:55 - 12:25
- Weekly meetings at the Cafeteria
- No experience necessary
- Plenty of speedcubes to borrow
- All ages welcome - simple to learn!
What will we do at the club?
- Learn how to solve a Rubik's Cube!
- Know how to solve already? Learn new tricks to increase your speed!
- Go beyond the 3x3 and expand into other twisty puzzles (2x2, 4x4, 5x5, pyraminx, etc.)
- Feel free to come and watch!
Get started by filling out this form to join the mailing list to receive important updates and more!
Rugby Club
Thursdays / 12:00-12:30 / Blacktop
11th grader, Colton S., is the coach for this club. Colton currently plays rugby with the UC High Honey Badgers (affiliated with the Aztecs Rugby Club), and the Kahu Rugby Club. He has traveled for competitions with these teams to New Zealand and Las Vegas. Next year he plans to compete in Ireland!
Colton is looking forward to teaching any student who would like to learn how to play rugby! Any questions? You can email him at toltecsink@gmail.com
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.
Library Challenge - October
This month's challenge is a Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt!
Find a call number and book, write the title & author, and repeat for 10 books! Turn your completed form into the library by Thursday, October 24, 12:30 pm to receive a prize!
**** COUNSELING CORNER ****
Senior appointments with Mr. Zappala
Seniors! It's important that you meet one-on-one with Mr. Zappala during the month of October.
See his available times and sign up here for your appointment.
College Fair 2019
Wednesday, October 23 / 6:00-8:00pm / Scottish Rite Center
Meet representatives from 100+ colleges, universities and non-profit organizations at this free event. No registration needed!
World Language Assessment Testing
Thursday, November 14 / 12:00-2:00 / Room 1
STUDENTS CAN DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY TO FULFILL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Dear parents of 7-12th graders,
The language acquisition office will be conducting world language assessments at MEA on November 14th at noon. These are the languages offered. Passing this assessment will grant students credit for 2 years of world language proficiency equal to the SDUSD world language graduation requirement. If you feel as though your student can pass this assessment, please e-mail Mr. Zappala at rzappala@sandi.net and he will arrange to have an exam ordered for your student. In determining your student’s eligibility, at a minimum, students should be able to read in the language tested.
**** STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ****
Petunia Rizo in San Diego Youth Symphony Showcase Concerto Competition Finals Concert
Petunia Rizo (MEA 9th grader) was one of seven San Diego Youth Symphony Showcase students who were selected from the Preliminary Competition to move on to compete in the Showcase Concerto Competition finals. The finals concert is free and open to the public. It'll take place on Friday, October 25th at 7pm at the University Christian Church in Hillcrest, 3900 Cleveland Ave, San Diego, CA 92103. Petunia will be playing the Rhapsody for Flute by Stephen Bulla. The winner of this competition will have the opportunity to perform their concerto with the full orchestra at an upcoming San Diego Youth Symphony Concert.
**** COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS ****
Draft EIR for 5525 Mt. Etna Drive
As some of you may know, there is a large development project in the works right near our school. Some parents have raised concerns about congestion, parking, and overall safety. The County is inviting public comment at this time on the Draft EIR and the MEA community is strongly encouraged to give input. If you have any questions, please email Principal Browne at cbrowne@sandi.net.
The County of San Diego invites the public and interested parties to review the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Community Plan Amendment (CPA) that would enable the development of affordable homes at 5255 Mt. Etna Drive. As lead agency, the County of San Diego released the Draft EIR on Wednesday, October 9, 2019, for a 45-day public comment period. The public comment period will be open through Monday, November 25, 2019.
Glasses Donations
Please donate your old eyeglasses, sunglasses, and children's glasses to help the Lion's Club cause! Each pair of glasses will be recycled for those in need around the world.
A 7th grader here at MEA is working with the Lions Club to promote this project here on campus. You can bring your glasses to the front office and put them in the orange bucket from October 10 through November 28, 2019.