Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee Application - Measure L

The Lammersville Joint Unified School District is recruiting applicants  to serve as representatives on the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) for the Measure L Bonds approved by voters in the District on June 7, 2016. The CBOC is tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the spending of general obligation bonds. Oversight includes the review of construction and financial reports for proper expenditure of taxpayer money. The CBOC is responsible for the yearly review of a financial audit and is required to present this information to the public each year. The CBOC is required to have at least 7 members and 3 must represent specific organizations/associations, including a business association, senior citizen’s organization, bona fide taxpayer association, and one member has to be a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the district. Members serve two-year terms and are allowed to serve 3 consecutive terms. Interested applicants should complete and submit the application found on our website  www.lammersvilleschooldistrict.net/measurel.

MHHS Debate Team

T

This weekend the Speech & Debate team, otherwise known as Forensics, competed at their very first tournament; needless to say, they talked their way into trophies!
Their competition was held at Lodi High school, against 15 other schools, and at the Home of the Flames, the only thing on fire was the Mountain House team! Literally burning down the house, the following debaters had a perfect record with (3) wins and (0) losses:

*Vishwas Shukla & Sawera Haq
*Zaid Umar & Passa Pungchai
*Jacqueline Azah & Seema Shaik

These debate students were required to debate on both sides of the topic:

Resolved: In United States public K-12 schools, the probable cause standard ought to apply to searches of students.

However it ought to be known, out of the 13 debate teams that went, every single one of them won at least one debate round, if not two ... perfect record or not, that was an awesome showing!

Also, making history the following students took unbelievable placings as well ...

Justin Frances - 2nd place Impromptu ...
Vishnu Pratik Vennelakanti - 4th place Impromptu ...
Vishwas Shukla - tie for 4th place Impromptu ...
For those of you who don't know, this is where the student is given three topics, they have 10 seconds to choose one and then two minutes to prepare a five minutes speech; and it has to make sense!

Aditi Sen & Misa Sanjan  - 1st place DUO...
Adya Mishra & Chinmayi Mutyala - 2nd place DUO ...
For those of you who don't know, DUO is a two person interpretive event; the students are to tell a story, 10 minutes in length, with NO costumes, NO props and they may NOT touch each other; they do this all while playing multiple characters, various voices and a ton of sound effects.

Tanaya Kollipara ... 2nd place DI
For those of you who don't know, Dramatic Interpretation is an interpretive event where the students need to find a script, play, book or short story and recounts the story from memory, 10 minutes in length, specializing in dramatic events. There are NO props, NO costumes and it can be one, or multiple, characters.

Anya Nayyar - 3rd place OI
Seema Shaik - 4th place OI
For those of you who don't know, (OI) otherwise known as Oratorical Interpretation, is reciting a speech that has been given publicly before, like a Ted Talk, closing arguments of a court case or a commencement address; the idea is to believe in the message of the speech so much that it needs to be said again. While it is not the students work, nor an acting piece, it combines the message they would want to write, with the presentation that is uniquely theirs.

These students did an unbelievable job this weekend, and despite first time jitters they know how to say what they gotta say ... and they say it well!

Well done Mustangs ...

Teens and Social Media: Avoiding Conflict and Reinforcing Responsible Use at Home

Over the past 5 weeks MHHS students have been working through an orientation course offered during our SUCCESS! Period. The content in the course is designed to give students a foundation in everything from working in our digital environment, to getting organized, what to do in the event of emergencies, and understanding our grading system. The final lesson today focused on conflict resolution and how to solve problems in a healthy and productive way.

At MHHS, the number one cause of conflict that we see among students are things that are posted on social media. Smartphones open up an amazing number of ways in which teens can communicate with each other and many are using them at all times of day and night. While we restrict the use of phones during class time, the ubiquitous and addicting nature of the connections that are possible with peers means that the urge to use them is great. Many teens use those tools in very positive ways but there is also a tendency to spread rumors, post negative comments, or share private and potentially embarrassing information about others. When teens decide to confront each other over things that are often not even posted during school hours, conflicts on campus arise.

The solution to this problem is not simple given that fact that social media use is integrated into the daily lives of most of us. At MHHS we focus on digital literacy and the responsible use of technology as a common theme in our weekly advisory classes. We also want to make sure that you are aware as parents and ask that you reinforce the responsible use of social media at home.

The following articles from Common Sense Media (a site that we get a lot of our digital literacy curriculum from) give information about many of the popular apps that teens are currently using. Many of the apps such as Twitter, SnapChat, and Instagram are well known but there are a variety of others that are used in ways that you may find surprising. As one of the articles states, “The more you know about each, the better you'll be able to communicate with your teen about safe choices.”

• 16 Apps and Websites Kids are Heading to After Facebook
• 9 Social Media Red Flags Parents Should Know About

NEW ! PLTW BioMedical Opportunities for Students

AP PLTW BioMedical Pathway

Students who complete the requirements of their chosen pathway earn the AP + PLTW student recognition from The College Board, a qualification that demonstrates to colleges and employers that the student is ready for advanced course work and interested in careers in this discipline.

To earn the recognition, the student must satisfactorily complete three courses in the pathway – AP Biology or AP Chemistry course; one PLTW BioMed course; and a third course, either AP or PLTW BioMed – and earn a qualifying score of 3 or higher on the AP Exam(s) and a score of Proficient or higher on the PLTW End of Course (EoC) assessment(s).  You can find more information at AP Students + Project Lead the Way

PLTW College/university opportunities:

Colleges and universities across the U.S. recognize and reward PLTW students for their great work. These post secondary institutions recognize PLTW students with scholarships, admissions preference, course credit, and more.  Learn about opportunities at PLTW Student Opportunities. Scroll down to Search for Student Opportunities. 

PSAT Registration Deadline

The PSAT/NMSQT test will be offered at Mountain House High School on Saturday, October 15th. Any interested sophomores or juniors are eligible to take this test to prepare for the SAT exam. The PSAT is a multiple-choice assessment of verbal, mathematics, and writing skills.

The PSAT/NMSQT is an optional test that provides practice for the SAT Reasoning Test through personalized feedback of student performance with suggestions for improvement. The SAT Reasoning Test, taken later in the junior year can be used as a standardized test in college applications and may be helpful for students wanting to pursue admission to highly competitive colleges or universities. PSAT also serves as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). Top performing juniors nationally (approximately 1%) may be eligible for money through National Merit, National Achievement, or National Hispanic Scholarship funds.

Seats for the exam are limited and students are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. The cost for taking the PSAT is $20 and can be paid for in person at the front desk or online at the MHHS webstore. The deadline for purchasing a place for the October sitting of the test has been extended and is now Friday, September 16th.

More information about the PSAT including sample test questions can be found here.

The College Board also has excellent resources, guides, and action plans to help students and parents plan for college: Big Future by the College Board

The PSAT 8/9 specifically designed for students in 8th and 9th grades will also be offered this year. More details will be coming out soon.

Canvas Parent Orientation

Thursday, September 8th at 7:00 PM we will be having a Canvas Parent Orientation Night for parents of students 6th through 12th grade in the multi-use room at the high school. This is your chance to learn about the parent portal, blended learning, and how Canvas can support your student.

Over this past weekend, August 27th & 28th, we unfortunately had our beautiful school vandalized. Suspect(s) spread graffiti throughout the school vandalizing numerous areas. If you have information regarding the person(s) involved in this crime we encourage you to make an anonymous tip to WeTip immediately at 800-782-7463. Someone knows who did this! Please help us catch the wrongdoer(s).

COLLEGE NIGHT for PARENTS of SENIORS

Thursday 9/1 7-8pm

MultiUse Room

Is your student graduating in the class of 2017 and thinking of going to 4-year college? Come to college night to get information about the college application process. Learn how to help your student get started and stay organized. Topics include 4-year college eligibility, deciding where to apply, managing applications, important deadlines, financial aid, and understanding how the MHHS counseling department can help. This night is for parents only, students will receive this information when counselors visit their English classrooms in the upcoming weeks.

PSAT Registration

The PSAT/NMSQT test will be offered at Mountain House High School on Saturday, October 15th. Any interested sophomores or juniors are eligible to take this test to prepare for the SAT exam. The PSAT is a multiple-choice assessment of verbal, mathematics, and writing skills.

The PSAT/NMSQT is an optional test that provides practice for the SAT Reasoning Test through personalized feedback of student performance with suggestions for improvement. The SAT Reasoning Test, taken later in the junior year can be used as a standardized test in college applications and may be helpful for students wanting to pursue admission to highly competitive colleges or universities. PSAT also serves as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). Top performing juniors nationally (approximately 1%) may be eligible for money through National Merit, National Achievement, or National Hispanic Scholarship funds.

Seats for the exam are limited and students are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. The cost for taking the PSAT is $20 and can be paid for in person at the front desk or online at the MHHS webstore. The deadline for purchasing a place for the October sitting of the test is Friday, September 9th.

More information about the PSAT including sample test questions can be found here.

The College Board also has excellent resources, guides, and action plans to help parents plan for college: Big Future by the College Board

Questions about the PSAT: bschum@lammersvilleusd.net

Back to School Night

Don’t forget this Thursday August 25th is Back to School Night at 6:30pm. The evening will start off by meeting in the gym, where you will get a chance to meet the school principal Mr. Ben Fobert and Vice Principals Brian Schum and Joni Hellstrom.  They will walk you through how to access Canvas, the resource used to view your student’s grades, assignments and much more. You will also get an overview of student centered blended learning and mastery based learning. The rest of the evening you will have the opportunity to attend each of your student’s classrooms, meet the teachers, and learn about the goals and expectations for each class. Back to school night is a great way to stay connected with your student’s education.   Students will be sending you a text or email on Thursday morning during their advisory period with their class schedule and room numbers so that you can be sure to get to all of the right classes.  We look forward to seeing you on Thursday Night starting at 6:30 P.M. in the gym.  

First Day Back To School

Welcome back to school Mountain House high schoolers! Tomorrow is the first day of school and we are so excited for a year full of exciting academics and activities. Tomorrow morning we will be handing out the final class schedules in front of the administration building, so please try and arrive early. Even if your student received a schedule during walk-through registration, some schedules have changed so we will have new schedules printed out for every student. Schedule pick-up’s start as early as 7:30am.

Make Up Walk Through Registration

Missed last week's Walk-Through Registration? Today's walk-through will be in the main lobby of the school between 9am-12pm and is mandatory for all student body. No registration is required and walk-through will be on a first come first serve basis.



Parents and students who do not make it to the make-up will not be able to receive their class schedule and their accounts will be frozen.

Band Family Potluck

August 6 End of Band Camp Family Potluck at MHHS MPR after the 1pm Mustang Brigade Band camp Field Show, MHHS Stadium.  Information on suggested food donations will be handed out towards the end of band camp.   

Walk-Through Registration

2015-2016 Walk-Through Registration is here.  
Walk-Through Registration will take place on August 1st from 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. and August 2nd from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.  You must sign up for a registration time ONLINE through our appointment maker.

You can CLICK HERE to make your appointment

You must also visit the Walk-Through Registration Website to review the annual notifications, fill out the Walk-Through Registration signature page, and review all of the important information before you come.  

CLICK HERE to access the Walk-Through Registration website.

Please note that all student Google Accounts will be frozen starting on August 1st until they have completed the Walk-Through Registration process.  

Fall Athletics Conditioning

Conditioning for the following Fall Sports has already begun:

Girls Volleyball
Football

Information about conditioning can be found on their websites that are linked above.  The links include calendars, coach information, game schedules, etc.

All students wishing to participate in any athletic activity must be medically cleared by having a current physical, and emergency release forms.  These forms can be found HERE.

Please visit the main Athletics website for information about other fall, winter, and spring sports.

Contact our Athletic Director, LeVinia Woods at lwoods@lammersvilleusd.net if you have any questions.