April 2011 PTSA Pony Express Newsletter

8/4/2019 April 2011 PTSA Pony Express Newsletter

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Craig CollinsPrincipal

Andrea PadianEditor (Position Open)

Andrea PadianPresident

Principals MessagePrincipals MessagePrincipals MessagePrincipals MessageBy Craig CollinsTHHS Principal

[email protected]

GraduationAlthough it sounds like its a long ways off,graduation plans are in full swing. To make yourGraduation Ceremony experience a positive andmemorable one, I am passing on a few tips andreminders.

Graduation will be on June 21st this year. If you havebeen to graduation at THHS in the past, we have madea few changes that you should be aware of. The first is

the time. To avoid the potential for extremely hotconditions, we have moved the start of the ceremonyto 7:00 PM. While this may make for a rushedevening, it really helps at that time of year when thetemperatures can get into the 100s. This is veryhelpful for the grandmas and grandpas that attend aswell as the graduates sitting in the sun in thosepolyester robes.

Each student will be given six tickets for the event.

You may request up to six additional tickets bysending the request to Ms. Hope at [email protected] will fill those requests through a lottery so theyare not guaranteed, but based on past years, we havebeen able to meet all the requests. If you needconfirmation on your tickets sooner, the best way is to

have your graduate ask around. Many graduates willnot need all of their tickets and will be happy to share.The gates will open for seating at 5:30 PM. Any savedseats will be cleared out before the gates open soplease dont waste your time trying to get into thestadium earlier or reserving seats. We will start theline at 5:00 PM, but again, based on past years youshould not need to arrive until 6:00 PM.

Please do not bring shade structures or pop ups intothe stadium, they are not allowed. You can bring

umbrellas for the sun if you like, but you will be askedto take them down at the start of the ceremony. Noartificial noise makers or air horns are allowed in thestadium. We want to have a distinguished ceremonyand the use of noise makers prevents the families ofthe next graduate from hearing their childs nameannounced.

The ceremony begins with the Procession ofGraduates. Each graduating senior will have their

Volume 1 Issue 6April 2011

Inside this IssueInside this IssueInside this IssueInside this Issue Master Drive Program.............. pg 10Principals Message continued ..... pg 2 2011-12 PTSA Board Elect ..... pg 10Message from Andrea ...... pg 3 Spread the Word Campaign ....pg 11Mustang Marvels .... pg 3 Membership Matters.....pg 11ASB Report ......... pg 4-5 PTSA Volunteer Activities ..... pg 12THHS Teacher of the Year .... pg 5 MV Leadership Opportunities .... pg 12Advocacy Action .......... . pg 6 MV Arts Alive Festival.. pg 12Historian Report ..... pg 7 2011 Grad Night. . pg 13Arts Advocacy ... pg 7 2011 THHS College Fair . ...pg 13THHS Reflections Winners .... pg 8 Coffee with the Principal .pg 14Ways to Help Our School ... pg 9 THHS / PTSA Calendar ..... pg 15

continued on page 2

What lies behind us

and what lies before us

are tiny matters

compared to what lies

within us.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Trabuco Hills High School PTSA Pony Express27501 Mustang Run, Mission Viejo, CA. 92691(949)768-1934

www.thhsptsa.org

Trabuco Hills High PTSASaddleback Valley Council PTAFourth District PTACalifornia State PTA

National PTA

The Pony ExpressThe Pony ExpressThe Pony ExpressThe Pony Express


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Trabuco Hills High 2010 11PTSA Board members

Andrea Padian

President

Craig Collins

Trabuco Hills High Principal

Vanessa Braaksma

Executive Vice President & VP of Membership

Brenda Hanrath, & Isha Parol *

Vice President Ways & Means

Cindy Johnson

Treasurer

Stephanie Torres

Auditor

Karyn Bower

Secretary & Communications/ Publicity

Madeline Littman

Historian

Gayathri Sivadas*

Parliamentarian

Helen Denton

Corresponding Secretary

Mike Padian, Joan Rosenberg, & Shelly Becerra*

Legislative/Advocacy Rep

Cindy Ashley

Volunteer Development

Lisa Bauer & Tim Littman

Grad Night Co-Chairs

Deb Johnson

Webmaster

Karrie Coon & Nicholas Tasato *

Reflections

Kimberly Dennis

Parent Education Chair

Tish Witkin

Arts Advocacy Chair

Heather Gennettee

Student Programs

Maegan Bower, Lexi Witkins, Blake Hanrath

Student Class Representatives

Mike Padian & Helen Denton

Mini-grant Co-Chairs

Sandra McElwee & Sean McElwee *

Special Education Chair

Kim Waters

Grant Writer

Sue Burns

Welcome Committee Chair

Kristen Smith

Outreach

Grazyna Buchowiecki

Ralphs & E-Script Chair

* Indicates this is a student board member

Principals Message (continued from page one)

name read and will receive theirdiploma at this time. Since this is atthe start of the ceremony, you willnot want to be late. The gates to thestadium are closed as the seniorsenter to prevent disruption, so youwill need to be in your seat by7:00 PM.

Parking is always at a premium at graduations. The THHS En-dowment will again be selling reserved parking in the lower levelof the parking structure. This offers those of you that cannot getaway from work early, or families with elderly, a place to park inthe shade. Our handicap parking will be available as always, so ifyou have that need, please be sure to have your placard properly

displayed as the Sheriffs will be ticketing. Additional parkingwill be available on the upper fields. To aide in the traffic afterthe ceremony, we ask that as many of you carpool as possible. Asalways, we ask that you be respectful of our neighbors and do notblock their driveways and drive carefully through the neighbor-hoods. If you do park on the streets, please be sure to pick up anytrash that you bring.

At the close of ceremony you are welcome to come onto the fieldand take pictures with your family. We are in the process ofchecking to see if a photographer will stay after the ceremony totake family or graduate portraits. Additionally, we will have aphotographer on the field, and you will be able to purchase aphoto of your graduate as they receive their diploma.

I hope these tips will help you to have a memorable experience onJune 21st and that we can all work together to make this a memoryof a lifetime. Any new or additional information, including infor-mation dealing specifically with the graduates, will be on theschool website at www.trabucohills.orgby April 6th.

Congratulations on this milestone accomplishment and as always,GO BLUE!!!

April, 2011, Volume 1, Issue 6 page 2

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed in

the things that you didnt do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe

harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.

Dream. Discover. Mark Twain

Where ever you go, go with all your heart. Confucius


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A Message from AndreaTrabuco Hills High PTSA [email protected]

Mustang MarvelsMustang MarvelsMustang MarvelsMustang MarvelsI want to thank all the students that workedso hard on our PTSA board this year;Gayathri Sivadas, Maegan Bower, TimLittman, Lexi Witkin, Shelly Becerra,

Nicholas Tasato, Blake Hanrath, Sean McElwee and IshaParol. Gayathri, an aspiring lawyer, has been and willcontinue to be a wonderful parliamentarian to our group.Maegan, Lexi and Blake led as student representatives.Tim, was our Grad Night Committee Co-chair and manyof the senior board members also served on the GradNight Committee. Our students have co-chaired or servedin mirror roles in many areas, Fundraising, Special Ed,Membership, Reflections and Advocacy. While at theCalifornia State PTA Convention last year, I took classeson student involvement in high schools, classes lead by

students serving on the State PTA Board of Managers,and I started thinking about student board members at ourschool, too. Why not? Were a PTSA (S being for stu-dents) -not just a PTA. I witnessed first hand what a dif-ferent dynamic students can bring to a PTSA organiza-tion. And, now Im so proud of the students that partici-

pated in leading our organization this year. They havebeen there to help in many ways and are very appreci-ated. As we continue this idea of student leadership, Ihope that your student will consider such a position aswell. We are just starting to build on this idea, so wehave room to grow, but having the very kids we are try-ing to help and support aid us with their help, ideas andopinions has been a real treat for me. Thank you all!You have made my first year as PTSA president atTHHS very special. I hope to see many of you againnext year! And to our senior representativesthe best ofluck in your future endeavors. I KNOW your futures are

PTSA elections were held last month and Im veryimpressed with our new board-elect. I look forward toworking with all OF them soon. The 2011-2012PTSA officers are listed in a photograph on page 10.

In addition to those positions, we have several ap-pointed chair position and I hope to hear from those ofyou interested in working with us next year. This yearweve made great strides moving forward and I hope

to do the same next year.Last year, considering we are a PTSA and our studentsare no longer kidswe have added student positionsas class representatives and in other board positions asco-chairs. These are great opportunities for studentsto fill leadership roles. Some of the student positionsavailable on next years board that I hope your studentwill consider are. Student Reps for Freshman, Sophomore, Junior &

Senior Classes (student positions only) Student Co-chair positions in Advocacy, Grad

Night, Membership, Ways & Means, Special Ed,Mini-grant Committee, Student Programs and Re-flections (Art program).

We are looking for adults to fill the following posi-

tions as well: Corresponding Secretary Special Education Chair Grad Night Co-Chair Hospitality Chair Teacher Appreciation

Chair Volunteer Coordinator Volunteer Development Legislative Reps/Advocacy Newsletter Editor/Layout Parent Education Student Programs Scholarships Mini-Grants Communications/News Releases Escript/Ralphs Program Recruiter Drug and Alcohol Programs/Red Ribbon Week Reflection Chair and co-chairs for Visual Arts,

Photography, Literature, Dance Choreography,Music and Video/Film Production

Discount Card Program Welcome Committee Round UP College Fair Health Advocate Outreach & Grant Writers

Please contact me if you are inter-ested in any of these positions.

Andrea Padian

Trabuco Hills High PTSA Pony Express page 3

Trabuco Hills High

The strength of

a team is each

individual

member...thestrength of each

member is the

team.

Phil Jackson


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March, 2011, Volume 1, Issue 5 page 4


ASB In Action!ASB In Action!ASB In Action!ASB In Action!By Aiko Mackus, Senior Class PresidentMonica Ukah, Junior Class President

Henry Yin, Sophomore Class PresidentMegan Mondt, Freshman Class President

Bills to RebuildBills to RebuildBills to RebuildBills to RebuildAfter hearing the devastating news about Japan, weknew Trabuco needed to help out. So ASB came upwith the idea: Bills to Rebuild. This was a homeroomcompetition to collect dollar bills and we even col-lected twenty-dollar bills from great homerooms.Amazingly, in a matter of three days, Trabuco HillsHigh School collected $2,255! What an accomplish-ment! Of course, we had many homerooms contribut-

ing to our fundraising for Japan. Dr. Mooneys home-room came in first with $231, Mrs. Gordons home-room with $216 and Mr. Kendells homeroom with$138! We couldnt have done it without them. Also,an honorable mention to Mr. Ammirato. Thank you toall that donated to help rebuild Japan!

Mr. MustangMr. MustangMr. MustangMr. MustangStudents, familiesand friends crowdedinto the Little Thea-

tre at Trabuco HillsHigh School onMarch 25th at 7 p.m.With a fun openingdance, the audiencewas introduced tothe twelve seniormales who werefighting for thecrown of theKing ofthe Jungle of Tra-buco. The male pag-eant was split intothree areas: Swim Wear, Formal Wear and Talent.

For the next hour and a half, the judges judged the con-testants on their areas of expertise. The winner of Mr.Mustang 2011, who also received $100 and a free FriarTux rental was. LANDON GOLD! Runner up wasBrandon Cunnane, who was given $75, and third placewinner, Alex Cederholm, who received a prize of $50.Congratulations to all that competed for a wonderful,fun- filled show.

Election WeekElection WeekElection WeekElection WeekA hectic week is soon to begin. Election week will beheld on April 6th to the April 13th! There are 23 stu-dents running for nine different positions. The candi-dates will be posting up posters, handing out flyers andcampaigning throughout the week! Campaigning willbegin on April 6th through 13th and voting will only begin during April 11th to 13th. Students will be choosingtheir next year ASB members. Voting tables will benear the theater and you must bring your school I.D tovote! So dont forget: Voting week starts April 6th andwill end April 13th! GO Elections!!

International WeekInternational WeekInternational WeekInternational WeekInternational week was a great way for the students ofTrabuco Hills to get exposure to the world. Culture,food, international styles, all came together in a mas-

sive week filled with global awareness and fun. Monday- Japanese Drummers visited from UC

Their fierce routine roused the crowd gatheredaround the rally stage to a level of frantic enthusiasm.

Tuesday- The International Flag Parade allowestudents to parade their national flags across thcampus. Drumline provided musical accompa-niment as the volunteers displayed their na-tional colors through the quad.

Wednesday- The Food Faire allowed the stu-

dents to sample the tasty cuisines of the world.Delicious dishes from Hungary, India, Spain,and Japan were popular with the crowd. ASBsold good old American apple pie and icecream, too!

Thursday- Irish Dancers brightened up the rallystage with their elaborate costumes and highstepping dance moves. Also, international for-eign exchange students gave presentations dur-ing third period in the library about their homelands. continued pag

5

Mr. Mustang takes the prize!


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Friday- Indian Dancers and the International Fashion Show ended the week with a bang. The IndianDancers showed off their grace and beauty with their Bollywood style moves. The students practiced

for weeks before the event to make sure they were stage ready. The International Fashion Show let stu-dents model ethnic clothes from their backgrounds. Bright African prints and flowing Indian saris werein abundance.

As Friday drew to a close, the spirit of international unity that was fostered throughout the week continued.This years International Week was a success!

ASB Report continued from page 4

Teacher of the Year: Mr. HamiltonTeacher of the Year: Mr. HamiltonTeacher of the Year: Mr. HamiltonTeacher of the Year: Mr. HamiltonBy Tim Littman, Student

Every year, a teacher is chosen from each of our SVUSD schools(by their peers) to be the Teacher of the Year. This year, Mr. TomHamilton was given the prestigious honor ofTeacher of the YearatTrabuco Hills. Being with Trabuco Hills for many years, he ismuch deserved for this honor. In all of his years of teaching, he hasalways taught Physics, for it has always been his favorite subject.Mr. Hamilton is well known as a favorite teacher to many of thestudents at Trabuco because he is a very good teacher and he has agreat sense of humor. He is always willing to help his students andmany of his students dub his room as a hang out spot duringsnack and lunch time.

Tim: What got you into teaching?

Mr. Hamilton: Teaching was not my first choice in choosing a job. I worked for NASA for a few yearswhich I did not like. After that, I felt the only other job for a person who loves Physics as much as I do,was to become a teacher.

Tim: What subjects do you teach and why do you like them?

Mr. Hamilton: I teach AP physics and honors physics. I like teaching physics because Physics isFUN! I also like teaching physics because I majored in physics in college and had always wanted to bea mad scientist.

Tim: Is there anything you would like to accomplish before the school year is over?

Mr. Hamilton: I would like to get my AP students through their exams which are coming up in May.Tim: Why do you like teaching at Trabuco Hills High School?

Mr. Hamilton: One of my favorite parts of teaching is watching my students do well in High School andto get into good colleges. It is also one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever done. I also really enjoyworking with kids.

*The Trabuco Hills PTSA honors ourTeacher of the Yearby purchasing a table for them at the SVUSDTeacher of the Year Recognition Dinner so they can invite their family, friends, and/or co-workers tocelebrate with them as they receive their award. This year the Teacher of the Year Dinner will be held onMay 6th at the Dana Point Marriott. Thanks to all our PTSA members for supporting our great teachers.


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April, 2011, Volume 1, Issue 6 page

Advocacy ActionsAdvocacy ActionsAdvocacy ActionsAdvocacy ActionsSacramento Safari

By Mike PadianTHHS PTSA Advocacy/

Legislative/Advocacy [email protected]

Kurt Walker, a THHS math teacher, and I joined tenother PTA advocates from SVUSD, along with sixty ad-ditional representatives from the Orange County FourthDistrict PTA, and descended upon the Sacramento junglein March. Every year the Fourth District PTA organizesa safari of supporters that go to the states capital to meetwith our elected officials and state agencies to lobby forour schools. The Fourth District is the largest, most ac-tive PTA group in the world, so we are well respected bythe elected officials who recognize we are one of the fewgrass-roots, non-partisan, volunteer group of lobbyistswho directly represent a large constituency of voters.This Safari was a 36-hour whirlwind of non-stop speak-ers and meetings, during which we were bombarded andoverwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the problems andcomplexities of the states educational systems.

On the first day, we heard from at least ten speakers, in-cluding State PTA leaders, officials from the State Boardof Education and Department of Education, as well as

other analysts and fellow advocates. The surprise high-light was Board of Education member, Patricia AnnRucker, who was very personable, straightforward, andtold it like it is- a welcome relief from the usual politi-cal grandstanding.

We also heard a lot about the updated common core stan-dards, which will place additional emphasis on math andlanguage arts. These new core goals are in response tothe federal governments requirement for better collegeand work success and to better compete internationally.Of course, trying to fund better programs in a shrinkingbudget is impossible. We also listened to in depth presen-tations on demographics, statistics, and trends in stateand national education, and what that means as we striveto define our kids educational needs and the best sys-tems to meet those goals.

On day two we were at the capital where we met withRichard Simpson, Deputy Chief of Staff for Speaker ofthe Assembly, John Perez, as well as a member of theGovernors staff. Richard has an extensive backgroundin the states education systems and a seemingly endless

wealth of insight on how things got to be the way theyare and what can be done. We then broke into teams,while we ate a quick lunch, to strategize our approacheand messages for our afternoon meetings with our elecrepresentatives.

It was an exciting time to be in Sacramento, as wepushed our primary message - that the states schools aextremely important, as well as our secondary messagthat the PTA supports a balanced approach to fundingeducation with program cuts and taxes, along with a spcial election where voters can decide. Our visit could nhave been timelier, as the states budget crisis was thetop item of discussion in every meeting and conversatiThe main topic was whether the Republican side wouljoin the Democrats and support the Governors call forspecial election. It appears that wont happen now.

As you have read and heard before, the states budgetacrisis is extremely sobering, and there are no easy solutions to counter the effects of the economic challengesIn particular, education has already taken $18 billion icuts over the last three years. If the revenue extensionsdo not make it to a special election and pass, educationcould be looking at an additional $14 billion in cuts.This would be devastating. So, all the delegates madeclear to our legislators of our desire to Let the PeopleDecide in a special election.

Kurt and I were part of a small delegation that visitedRepresentative Jose Solorio, a staunch supporter of thePTA. We had a good conversation about the importanof education, the chances for a special election, and PB options in case the special election failed to be ap-proved. Kurt and I then joined a larger group to meetwith Senator Mimi Walters. Unfortunately, we only habrief conversation with a staff member in the hallway,the discussion was not as direct and intimate as our meing with Rep. Solorio. Despite the setting, we still delered our personal messages of how the budget crisis w

impacting our schools. Other delegations met withelected officials from our area, including RepresentativWagner and Harkey.

Alas, Governor Brown was too busy to meet with us;however, I did get to meet Sutter, the Governors Corgas he was coming back into the Governors office aftean afternoon walk. All in all, it was a very worthwhiletrip for Kurt and I. It helped us understand the educa-tional funding process and allowed us the opportunity speak directly with our Sacramento legislators.


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2011201120112011----2012 THHS PTSA Historian Hours2012 THHS PTSA Historian Hours2012 THHS PTSA Historian Hours2012 THHS PTSA Historian HoursBy Madeline Littman, PTSA [email protected]

This year, Trabuco Hills High School PTSA members, parents and studentshave volunteered 24,850.5 hours of their free time to help at our school. Ifthese volunteers were paid just the minimum wage, it would amount to$198,804.00. The impressive number of hours volunteered has been for-warded to the State PTA in Sacramento to show the strength of our parent,teacher, student and community support. The collection of hours is important for many reasons such asmaintaining federal tax exempt status and as a valuable marketing tool to raise awareness of the PTA andall it does. It is also frequently used to request money from foundations. Thank you to all the volunteers!!Like Gandhi said Be the change you wish to see in the World.

Arts AdvocacyArts AdvocacyArts AdvocacyArts AdvocacyTish [email protected]

Arts Advocacy continues to promote the arts. OnMarch 8th, the Saddleback Valley Unified School Dis-trict adopted a resolution proclaiming March 2011 asArts Education Month. SVPTA Council Arts Advo-cate, Julie Schwarz, and Assistant Superintendent,Kathy Dick, spoke to the board about the progress be-ing made in the area of the arts in our district.

To further the arts, the Fourth District PTA sponsoreda lecture with the very entertaining and renownedspeaker, Sir Ken Robinson at Segerstrom Concert Hallon Wednesday, March 30th. The event had a fullhouse including many of the SVUSD board members,teachers and Superintendent Clint Harwick. Robinsonspoke on how communities and businesses can jump

start innovation by unlocking the creative energy of

people and organizations. He focused on vital issuesinvolving why its imperative in todays competitiveglobal community to be able to be creative. Studiesshowed that when top Fortune 100 CEOs were inter-viewed, their biggest concern in todays incomingwork force was their inability to be innovative. Robin-son also pointed out there are numerous studies prov-ing a strong link between science, creativity, criticalthinking and problem solving.

Therefore, a well-rounded education that includes thearts is of high importance in an ever-changing world.Just teaching basic skills is not enough. STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activi-ties need to include the Arts turning STEM toSTEAM! Creativity is the element that makes eachchild stand out as they pursue careers and college.Even in this tough economic time, we cannot afford todismantle programs that are so valuable to our chil-drens education. The time for Arts is now! For moreinformation on how you can support arts advocacy inour school and community go to: www.capta.org/sections/programs-smarts or contact me at the emailaddress listed above.

I think the arts are perhaps singularly the most neglected part of our educational structure today. Andthere are some of us who really do believe that an education in the arts is not expendable. It is not

extraneous. Its not extracurricular. It is essential. And, without it, a student is not getting a full, completeand total education. Governor Mike Huckabee

My husband and I believe strongly that arts education is essential for building innovative thinkers who willbe our nations leaders for tomorrow. Its our hope that we can work together to expose, enrich, and

empower Americans of all ages through the arts. Michelle Obama


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Reflections 2011Reflections 2011Reflections 2011Reflections 2011----2012201220122012DIVERSITY ISDIVERSITY ISDIVERSITY ISDIVERSITY ISBy Karrie Coon,

Reflections [email protected]

Last years Reflections theme was Together We Can. Our nine top Trabuco Hills Reflections winners movedon to the SVPTA Council for the next level of judging and three of those students won additional awards in thesenior age category covering arts entries submitted from our entire school district. We are pleased to say thatIsha Parol, took first place, or Award of Excellence, for her photography entry. Katie Gregory won an Honor-able Mention Award , along with Shannon Richards, who won an Award of Merit, for their entries in VisualArts. A Reflections Award Ceremony was held on February 28th at the SVUSD School District, where Super-intendent Clint Harwick presented all student winners throughout our school district with their awards and allwinning entries were displayed. One school district student, though only in elementary school, won first place

for her Dance Choreography entry, which went on to win at the Fourth District PTA and eventually took firstplace at the State level. Her entry is being forwarded to the National PTA and we hope she will take first placethere as well. Using your creativity could land you up in her place as well. If you dont try, youll never knowhow far your entry could go. Next years Reflection theme will be Diversity Is Your entry could be inany of the following areas: Visual Arts, Music, Literature, Photography, Video/Film Production and DanceChoreography. Go to www.capta.org/sections/programs/reflections.cfm for more information, rules and pastwinning entries.


Isha Parol, Award of Excellence

Together We Light Up the World

Katie Gregory accepts her award and certificate from

Dr. Harwich, SVUSD Superintendent.

Shannon Richards was unable to attend

the Award Ceremony, but this is herwinning entry.

Every child is an artist. The problem is

how to remain an artist once he grows up.

Pablo Picasso

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose

ourselves at the same time.

Thomas Merton

Imagination is the true magic carpet.

Norman Vincent Peale


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CAR RAFFLE: We are still selling raffle tickets forthe drawing of the a Toyota Corolla!!! PURCHASE

yours for $50.00. Only 600 will be sold! You will besupporting all students and staff at THHS!! Purchaseat the school office from Debi Hope, or contactBrenda Hanrath at (949) 702-4247 Orbrendahan-

[email protected]

DONATION BIN: NEW!!! We now have a dona-tion bin in conjunction with Community ofChange. Please donate your old clothing, towels,blankets, sheets, rags, purses and shoes! All textileswill be accepted. PTSA will receive a percentageback for every 50 pounds of donations collected. Thebin is located on the Santa Margarita Pkwy side ofthe school near the tennis courts, on the road thatleads to the front of the school. You can just pull up

to the bin and drop off your goods.

SCREAMIN DAILY DEALS: NEW!!! Want to geta great deal on food, entertainment, massages, haircare and more?? Check out Screaming DailyDeals!! You will get about 3 daily deals per day fromlocal businesses. Purchase your deal, print the cou-pon and enjoy savings up to 70%! Sign up on the

PTSA website, or www.screamindailydeals.com, and

choose THHSPTSA as your school to support!!

KEY TO SAFE DRIVING: NEW!!! Protect yourteen from texting & talking on their cell phones whiledriving! It does allow your teen access to 911 andparents in case of an emergency. The device is $95.00

and can be purchased from the PTSA website.

ITALIAN ICE: Sold every Friday from 2pm to 4pmin front of the school. Cost is $3.00 per cup and sup-

ports PTSA. Yummy, too!

RECYCLING: Drop off your usedprinter cartridges, laptops, digital cam-eras, and cell phonebroken or other-

wise in the office recycle box.

RALPHS & E-SCRIPT: Go to the PTSA website atwww.thhsptsa.org and sign up your Ralphs Club Cardor Vons/Pavilions card with the Ralphs CommunityContribution Program or EScript program. Its easyand a percentage of all your purchases will go back tothe school/PTSA. It costs no money and doesnt takeaway from your own rewards. Don t wait! Do it to-

day. Families can raise thousands of dollars this way.

Eat Out, Help the School!Eat Out, Help the School!Eat Out, Help the School!Eat Out, Help the School!

The PTSA has another win-win fundraiser. Simply by eat-ing out or picking up some take-out, you can raise moneyfor our school to help purchase paper/soft supplies. Now,through June 2011, the PTSA will be hosting Restaurant

Week the first week of every month. Our next Restaurantweek will be May 2-6, so mark your calendar!

If you plan to eat out the first week of the month, why notconsider dining at one of these fine restaurants? Visithttp://www.thhsptsa.org, click on the Restaurant Weeklink on the left. Scroll down to Attachments and print outthe restaurant flyer and present it when you order andearn 15% of your bill (pre-tax) back to the school. Mostflyers will be available at the school reception desk, too.

Monday: Trabuco Oaks Steak-house, 20782 Trabuco Oaks Rd, Tra-

buco Canyon. AND Mimis Caf,22651 Lake Forest Dr., Lake Forest

Tuesday: Peppinos, Foothill Ranchin food court near movie theatre. Pick Up Stix, RSM byLowes and Mission Viejo (Trabuco and Alicia near Mobil).

Wednesday: Oggis Pizza, 23641 Via Linda, MV (offAlicia across from baseball fields) or Red Robin Gour-

met Burgers, Foothill Ranch, near Walmart.

Thursday: Claim Jumper, Mission Viejo in HenrysShopping Center or Phillys Best, RSM in the Lowesshopping center.

Friday: Baja Fresh, RSM, next to Kohls, or Del Taco,Foothill Ranch (near Target).

By Karyn Bower,PTSA Secretary & Restaurant Night [email protected]

How Can YOU Help Support Our PTSA, Students & Teachers?How Can YOU Help Support Our PTSA, Students & Teachers?How Can YOU Help Support Our PTSA, Students & Teachers?How Can YOU Help Support Our PTSA, Students & Teachers?

$500 PTSA Continuing Education Scholarships for Seniors$500 PTSA Continuing Education Scholarships for Seniors$500 PTSA Continuing Education Scholarships for Seniors$500 PTSA Continuing Education Scholarships for SeniorsPTSA is offering four $500 senior scholarships this year2 Volunteer/Service Awards, 1 Arts Scholarship

(Art, Photography, Dance, Theater, Video/Film, Music) and 1 for Students with Financial Need.. All

applications are due May 13th. Please see Bridget Mondt in the Career Center for info and an application.



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STATISTIC OR SURVIVORWhat will your Child be?STATISTIC OR SURVIVORWhat will your Child be?STATISTIC OR SURVIVORWhat will your Child be?STATISTIC OR SURVIVORWhat will your Child be?The reality is that teens are injured and killed every day driving cars.

More than 6,000 teens die in car crashes in this country every year, andover 300,000 are seriously injured! Every parent should be rightfullyconcerned about their child becoming a safe driver in this dangerousdriving environment!

LHHS PTSA is teaming up with Trabuco Hills High School to bringyou a seminar that addresses this important subject.

On Monday, May, 2, 2011 (6:30-8:30 PM in the Laguna Hills High Schools MPR)

MasterDrive of Orange County will provide a seminar for new drivers and their parents

with very specific survivor strategies.

This two-hour program is designed to equip parents with strategies for teaching their teen to become a compe-tent driver. Come learn about today's driving dangers, the licensing process, essential car control skills andresponse maneuvers, financial liabilities, cars for new drivers and much more.

Each family at the seminar receives a complete packet with information and strategies for teaching teen driv-ing. Also, MasterDrive is offering free Drivers Education Classes (a $169 value) for all teens that attend witha parent! Spaces are limited at this free seminar so reserve your spot now by emailing Stephanie [email protected]

Meet your Newly Elected 2011Meet your Newly Elected 2011Meet your Newly Elected 2011Meet your Newly Elected 2011----12 THHS PTSA Board12 THHS PTSA Board12 THHS PTSA Board12 THHS PTSA Board

Front Row:Gayathri Sivadas,

Parliamentarian

Cindy Johnson, TreasurerCarol Byrnes,

Financial SecretaryLinda Boud, SecretaryRachel Ward,VP MembershipAlexis Witkins,Student Leader

Back Row:

Craig Collins,PrincipalAndrea Padian,PresidentVanessa Braaksma,

Executive Vice PresidentBrenda Hanrath,VP Ways & Means

Not Pictured:Louise Robertson, AuditoLisa Semons, Historian

Congratulations All

Trabuco Hills High


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SVUSD BoardSVUSD BoardSVUSD BoardSVUSD Boardof Educationof Educationof Educationof Education

MeetingMeetingMeetingMeetingApril 12th &April 12th &April 12th &April 12th &

May 10thMay 10thMay 10thMay 10th6:15 PM6:15 PM6:15 PM6:15 PM

SVUSD Board RoomSVUSD Board RoomSVUSD Board RoomSVUSD Board Room

page 11Trabuco Hills High PTSA Pony Express

Special EducationSpecial EducationSpecial EducationSpecial EducationBest Buddies ReportBest Buddies ReportBest Buddies ReportBest Buddies ReportLexi Witkins

Junior PTSA Representative &Big Buddy [email protected]

Last month THHS participated in the national movement campaign, Spread the Word to End the Word.Every day for a week students watched and listened to different commercials on their morning announcements,and posters created by the Best Buddies Club were placed around campus as a reminder. This movement stemsfrom the hurtful words used to describe something derogatory by saying thats so retarded. How many timeseach week do you say or hear someone say that? Its like, like. Like is not the correct use of the word. Theyuse Fire Retardant to SLOW a fire. Retard(ed) means slow. It does NOT mean Stupid, Silly or Insane. As acommunity as a whole, we are encouraged to use a better R wordRESPECT! We all can be guilty of usingwords without thinking, so this week was dedicated to making students and staff aware that using the wordretarded to describe situations or as a joke is not only disrespectful, but hurtful as well. Pass the word on topledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from every day speech and promote theacceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities at www.r-word.org.

With the year almost done, I would like to thank all those par-ents, students and teachers who became THHS PTSA members.Without your support we would not have been able to do allthat we have done for Trabuco Hills High this year. With mem-bership support, we were able to maintain our school's high aca-demic standards and programs. We were able to provide mini-grants to the teachers and to the classrooms to help cover ex-penses no longer provided by the district. Your PTSA member-ship also allows us to support student programs such as: Reflec-tions (Art Program); the Consequences of Drunk Driving As-

sembly speaker; Experts to help guide students through withcolleges and financial aid; senior scholarships and much more.

Most importantly, the PTSA is an advocacy group that pro-motes the education for all students all year round. If you didn'tbecome a member this year, I encourage you to please do so fornext year and for those who did - please continue to be a mem-ber of THHS PTSA. With the budget crisis our schools are fac-ing next year, we need all the support we can get to make surethe students of Trabuco Hills High continue to receive the besteducation we can offer. Go Blue!

MembershipMembershipMembershipMembershipMattersMattersMattersMattersBy Vanessa BraaksmaVP [email protected]

Dont miss the nextDont miss the nextDont miss the nextDont miss the next

THHS PTSATHHS PTSATHHS PTSATHHS PTSAMeetingMeetingMeetingMeeting

April 25, 2011April 25, 2011April 25, 2011April 25, 2011MondayMondayMondayMonday

7 PM7 PM7 PM7 PMLibraryLibraryLibraryLibrary


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Upcoming THHS PTSAUpcoming THHS PTSAUpcoming THHS PTSAUpcoming THHS PTSAVolunteerVolunteerVolunteerVolunteer

ActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivities Grad Night: The PTSA is looking for

volunteers to sell Grad Night tickets onFridays during snack through June. Wewill also need parents (non senior par-ents if possible) to help check studentsin on Grad Night, to chaperone their all-night party, to take photographsthroughout the evening for their GradNight Scrap Book and security (police,fire, or suchboth woman and men) to

search the students before they get onthe buses to leave. All these positionswill be volunteer positions. ContactLisa Bauer at [email protected] you are interested in helping or wouldlike more information. Grad Night willbe held June 21st and we will need helpat different times between 7 PM, June21, and 6 AM, June 22nd.

Taste of the Hills: We need volunteersto serve on this planning committee or

help out at this event to be held June 11,from 3-8pm: Selling Tickets, Set Up/Clean up, Work Food booths, Sell CarRaffle tickets before drawing, Decora-tions, Silent Auction, Solicit Sponsors/RestaurantsAnd More!Vendor Opportunities: Peoplewishing to sell merchandise duringthe event. ($50 + a minimum $20silent auction gift) Club opportunities too!!! Especially dessert sales!

Donate Silent Auction Items/Baskets:club opportunities, too!!!

Donate Entertainment

Email [email protected] more

information on how to help our school

and get involved today.


City of Mission Viejo LeadershipCity of Mission Viejo LeadershipCity of Mission Viejo LeadershipCity of Mission Viejo LeadershipOpportunities for Students &Opportunities for Students &Opportunities for Students &Opportunities for Students &

AdultsAdultsAdultsAdultsBy Trish KellyMission Viejo City Council [email protected]

The City of Mission Viejo offers opportunities for our youthto serve on three city committees. The Student AdvisoryCommittee meets the second Sunday of each month at 3:00p.m. at the Murray Community Center. The Community ofCharacter Subcommittee for youth meets the 1st and 3rdWednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in the Saddleback Room at City

Hall.We are also looking for parents or students for the regularCommunity of Character Committee, which meets the 4thTuesday of each month from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Theseare great opportunities to become involved in programs thatare helping to make a difference in our schools and ourcommunity, and to build your high school resume! For moreinformation and an application, please contact City CouncilMember Trish Kelley, 470-8476 [email protected].

Mission Viejo Arts Alive FestivalJanice Gagnon works with the United Nations and has over4,000 murals worldwide representing the UN. She is plan-ning on putting up 100+ murals at the upcoming MissionViejo Arts Alive Festival on April 28-30 at the Norman PMurray Center in Mission Viejo. Any students that needcommunity service hours and would like to help put up themurals for the Art Miles event at the Arts Alive Festivalwould be greatly appreciated. She needs six students tohelp on April 28 -29, between 9-5pm, to help put up 100

murals for Art Miles event at the Arts Alive event in Mis-sion Viejo on April 30th. She also needs students to helpthe day of Arts Alive Festival (Saturday) April 30th. Notonly does she need volunteers to help install murals, itwould be a great experience for the THHS community to bea part of this event. Stop by. You can find out more about

the event at: http://cityofmissionviejo.org/

artsalivefestival. Contact our Arts Advocate, Tish Wit-kin, at [email protected] you would like to help. Teamwork divides the tasks and doubles

the successes. Unknown Author


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GRAD NIGHT 2011GRAD NIGHT 2011GRAD NIGHT 2011GRAD NIGHT 2011By Lisa BauerGrad Night [email protected]

Our seniors graduate in two and a half months. Where does the time go? Weare planning one last hurrah for them before they venture off on their own to college, trade school, jobs, or perhaps a trip around the world!

The senior Grad Night Party is being held off campus in a remote location and will feature a variety of enter-tainment, food and beverages. Best of all, it is a night for seniors to be with friends from their senior class on anight to remember. Activities include rides, carnival game booths, sport games, roving entertainment(magician, balloon and caricature artists), a hypnotist show, laser tag, and DJ with dancing and karaoke. Din-ner and breakfast will be served and there will be unlimited snacks and beverages throughout the entire party.

To make this a successful event for our graduates, we need many, many volunteers:

Photographers (you dont have to be professional), at check in and at the event Security staff for check-in and at the event Volunteers to work the check-in tables (20) Volunteers (2 each) to chaperone the buses to the event and remain at the event for one shift (total 20)) Volunteers for second shift at the event (20) Water bottles and cup cakes, cookies, brownies, individual chips or granola bars and other food donated for

the students while they wait on campus for bus departure Goody bag assemblers Friday snack helpers at the Grad Night table to answer questions, help senior class sign their surf board, to

gather missing parent and student signatures, to give out Grad Night forms or to take Grad Night payments. Set up and Clean up for Check In

Music for Check-in More to follow!

If you are interested in assisting, please contact Lisa Bauer at [email protected] or you can call me onmy cell at (949)910-9318. Also, we are having volunteer meetings every two weeks at THHS on Wednesday,7:00 p.m. We hope to have it in the MPR room. We will have a table at Open House near the Rally Stage.Please contact me for further information. Thank you so much for your continued interest and support.

THHS College FairTHHS College FairTHHS College FairTHHS College FairNext Fall, October 3, 2011Next Fall, October 3, 2011Next Fall, October 3, 2011Next Fall, October 3, 2011Trabuco Hills is scheduled to host its first college fair in several years this coming October 3,2011. All of thehigh schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) will participate. For those of you not

familiar with the concept, college fairs are a wonderful opportunity to meet representatives from colleges anduniversities, large and small, public and private, from around the country.

By all means you should check-out schools on line, download the latest rankings from US News & World Re-port, understand financial aid options, and review curricula. However, complementing your efforts by meetingwith representatives at a college fair is a great way to round out the research process.

There are lots of options available to college bound seniors, and with the challenges confronting the UC andCal State systems, out of state options are all the more viable.

We will need volunteers to assist with the planning and staging of the event. If interested, please contact ChrisBurns at [email protected].


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2011 Toyota Corolla Raffle!2011 Toyota Corolla Raffle!2011 Toyota Corolla Raffle!2011 Toyota Corolla Raffle!For just $50, you can purchase a raffle ticket for a chance to

win a new 2011 Toyota Corolla LE 1838 .

No more than 600 tickets will be soldno less than 410!

The odds are outstanding and all proceeds will benefit theTHHS PTSA and Trabuco Hills High students. Dont let thischance slip away. For details visit www.thhsptsa.org. To

purchase a ticket, email [email protected].

Sign up or renew your participation in Ralphs and Vons/Pavilions

Value Customer Community Support Programs

ITS EASY! ITS FREE! ITS POWERFUL!

www.ralphs.com

Org. Number

92164

Or

Name: Trabuco Hills

High School PTSA

Register your grocery club card(s) and the rest is done by

Ralphs and eScrip. The instruction for how to sign up

for these great fundraising opportunities are posted at

http://www.thhsptsa.org. Click on Ralphs Club Card In-

structions. The icon for each program on the above men-

tioned website will lead you directly to a Sign-In screen

for that particular program. Then just follow the prompts

and use the group/organization numbers from this ad.

Even if you sign up for these fundraisers in the past, youHAVE

to renew your participation every year.

The Ralphs program runs from September 1 to August 31.

eScrip (Vons/Pavilions) program runs from Aug. 1 to July 31.*

DONT WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW.

LET OUR SCHOOL EARN MONEY TOO.

www.eScrip.com

Group ID

10482514

Or

Group Name:

Trabuco Hills PTSA

Coffee with the PrincipalCoffee with the PrincipalCoffee with the PrincipalCoffee with the Principal

Brought to you by the PTSA

April 12th, May 10th, June 14th

*Meet in Building 500 conference room between 7:30-9 AM. Starbucks and the PTSA will supply coffee & atreat. Open discussions about anything on your mind.


PTSA PresentsPTSA PresentsPTSA PresentsPTSA Presents

A Taste of the HillsA Taste of the HillsA Taste of the HillsA Taste of the Hills at Trabuco Hills High School at Trabuco Hills High School at Trabuco Hills High School at Trabuco Hills High SchoolJune 11, 2011June 11, 2011June 11, 2011June 11, 2011

33338 pm8 pm8 pm8 pm

Food, Entertainment,

Sales Booths, Silent

Auction, Car Raffle,

Fun! Fun! Fun!


15/15

Mark Your Calendar...Mark Your Calendar...Mark Your Calendar...Mark Your Calendar...

April 12th Coffee w/the Principal Meeting 7:30-9 AM April 12th SVUSD Board of Education Meeting

6:15 PM SVUSD Board Room

April 14th Minimum DayTHHS OPEN HOUSE

April 18th-22nd Spring BreakEnjoy!!!

April 25th PTSA Executive Board Meeting 6 PM, Library *Special Date

April 25th PTSA Association Meeting 7 PM, Library * Special Date

April 28th-May 1 California State PTA Convention Longbeach

May 6th Teacher of the Year Dinner

May 10th SVUSD Board of Education Meeting6:15 PM SVUSD Board Room

May 16th THHS PTSA Executive Board Meeting 6 PMLibrary

May 26th SVPTA Training for 2011-2012 Board/Committee Members

May 30th Memorial Day

June 6th THHS PTSA Executive Board Meeting 6 PMLibrary *Last Meeting!

June 6th THHS PTSA Association Meeting7 PMLibrary * Last Meeting!

June 11th Taste of the Hills @ THHS 3-8 PM (Car Raffle)

June 17th,20th, 21st Minimum Days

June 21st Last Day of School June 21st Graduation Ceremony 7 PMTHHS Stadium

June 21st Grad Night PartyTennis CourtsCheck in at 9-9:30 PM

GRAD NIGHT 2011 Mardi GrasGRAD NIGHT 2011 Mardi GrasGRAD NIGHT 2011 Mardi GrasGRAD NIGHT 2011 Mardi GrasUnder the StarsUnder the StarsUnder the StarsUnder the Stars

June 21stFollowing GraduationDownload forms at

www.thhsptsa.org

Buy tickets NOW for $175.00*Rates go up in May

Turn forms & payment in @ the reception desk infront office or on Fridays at the Grad Night table

Trabuco Hills HighTrabuco Hills HighTrabuco Hills HighTrabuco Hills High

PTSA Discount Card sPTSA Discount Card sPTSA Discount Card sPTSA Discount Card s

*ONLY $5.00! 27 Vendordiscounts you can useevery day until the end ofAugust You can earn your$5.00 back after just onepurchase!!! [email protected] infor-mation, a full list of ven-dors, &/or to buy a card to-day. Help PTSA and SAVE!


50% OFF

April 2011 PTSA Pony Express Newsletter

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Transcript of April 2011 PTSA Pony Express Newsletter