Falcon Free Press - Montgomery County Public Schools

Falcon Free Press Poolesville High School PTSA Newsletter Issue No. 6 March 6, 2012

President’s Message IMPORTANT DATES

Dear Poolesville High School Community:

MARCH 2 6 8 10 14 16 20 22 27 27 29 30

Early Release/ No 8th Period Interims Mailed Mr. Poolesville Competition - 6:30pm SAT Senior Graduation Mtg for Students Staff vs. Student Basketball Game PTSA Meeting - 7pm College Night - 7pm Blood Drive Senior Parent Meeting - 6:30pm 3rd MP ends - No 8th Period No School - Professional Day

APRIL 2-5 6,9 12 17 19-21 23-27 24 27

Spring Break - No School Easter Holiday - No School Report Cards Distributed PTSA Meeting - 7pm Spring Musical - West Side Story Spring Spirit Week College Fair Pep Rally

1

Principal’s Letter

2-3

West Side Story

5-6

Post Prom

7-9

Selby’s Support

10

Reflections Winners - Update

10

Staff-Student Basketball Game

10

Cultural Arts

11

SSL Hours Update

11

Counseling/Career Center

12-13

MCCPTA News

14-15

PTSA Ornament Form

16

Pooleville Pulse

16

PTSA Member/Volunteer Form

Great news from our students! Three students were chosen to be the winners of the 2011-2012 Montgomery County Council Parent-Teacher Associations (MCCPTA) Reflections Award of Excellence for Outstanding Interpretation of the Theme in the following categories: Lauren Gross - Literature Sandow Sinai - Music Composition Rosalyn Xu - Visual Arts These students moved on to the MD State competition where the winners were: Lauren Gross - Literature Award of Merit Sandow Sinai - Music Composition Award of Excellence Additionally, MCCPTA will host a Reflections Gallery and Award Ceremony for the students and their families on Saturday, March 24th, at Clarksburg High School. Please join the PTSA in extending our congratulations to our students. A special thank you to our Reflections Chair, Holly Gaut, for helping and guiding them. Following the success of “The History of Hip Hop “ dance and music performance in February, the PTSA under the leadership of Beth Poss, Cultural Arts Chair, will be hosting an Artist in Residency program for our students in March. For this project, students will brainstorm, manage, create and document a large scale mosaic artwork that will be permanently installed in the Science building.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE President’s Message

I hope everyone enjoyed the mild winter as we await an early spring and many upcoming programs in our school community.

17-18

We are continuing to seek prize items or cash donations to purchase prizes for our Seniors and Juniors for Post Prom to be held on the evening of May 18/19, 2012 at Poolesville High School. Please contact our Post Prom Chair, Anne Corbeille, at (301) 349-0349 or via email: [email protected] if you can donate. Any donation is much appreciated! Thank you to the volunteers on our PTSA Nominating Commitee: Beth Poss (301-367-8763 or [email protected]), Yongzhang Leng (301-515-9672 or [email protected]) and Mrs. Bradshaw ( 301-972-7976 or [email protected]) The Nominating Committee is currently seeking nominees for the 2012-2013 PHS PTSA Executive Board. If you have any other questions regarding the duties and responsibilities of the positions, please contact any member of the Nominating Committee listed above. Please join us at our next PTSA meeting on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 7 pm in the Media Center. Thank you for your continued participation and I look forward to seeing you then. Mai Le President, PHS PTSA [email protected]

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March 6, 2012

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Poolesville High School 17501 Willard Road Poolesville, Maryland 20837 301-972-7900 Dear Poolesville Families,

March 2012

The sun is shining, the daffodils are blooming, a robin has been spotted and spring is on campus. This last semester of the year is a challenging yet exciting time for our seniors. College acceptances are being joyfully received, prom plans are being made, and plans for life after Poolesville High School are in the works. We are working on graduation and already missing this wonderful class of 2012. The freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, however, have more great years with us. On Monday, February 27, 2012, Maryland Delegate Aruna Miller visited Poolesville High School along with Mr. Wade Yost, Poolesville town manager, and Mr. Paul Kuhlman, president commissioner of Poolesville, where they were given a tour of the school by two of our outstanding senior class representatives, Ms. Kyria Danna and Mr. Alexander Pike. Delegate Miller ended her visit by saying that Poolesville High School is “the pride of Maryland schools and all delegates should visit”. Before I launch into an overview of our talented students’ amazing academic accomplishments, I must share with you our most exciting news. For the first time in the history of Poolesville High School, our Boys Swimming Team has captured the State title! We are thrilled with their success! Congratulations to the Boys and Girls Swim and Dive Team coached by Mr. Jonathan Leong, social studies teacher. The Poolesville Boys Swim and Dive team are the new 3A-2A-1A Maryland State Champions. At the University of Maryland the boys put on a commanding performance covering nearly every event with two top eight finishes. We had one individual event winner, Xavier Laracuente, son of Arnold Laracuente and Maria Nadal, – 100 free, and one relay place first 4x100 free (Matt Liu, son of Sichen Liu and Lan Wang; Xavier Laracuente, Jake Rubenstein, son of Dan and Meg Rubenstein; and Alex Lin). The overall depth and strength of our boys propelled us to victory by over 90 points over the second place team. Our girls placed second at the State meet, with fantastic swim times. Individual winners – Diana Hanson, daughter of Brooks Hanson, and Nancy Luckhurst, 200 IM and 100 Breaststroke and Dorit Song 100 free, gave the ladies a much needed point boost and a first place finish in the final relay (Cynthia Jih, daughter of Jinnlong Jih and Lifang Jin; Lindsay Knapp, daughter of Michael and Carrie Knapp; Diana Hanson, and Dorit Song, daughter of Guangming Song and Jingfeng Gao). Congratulations to Tishina Tittley, daughter of William and Ding Qi Tittley, for the prestigious 2012 Distinguished Scholars Award. Also, hats off to Myriyam Sheidu, daughter of Onimisi and Elene Sheidu, and Amos Kern-Perets, III, son of Joseph Pelzman and Linda Kern for the 2012 Community Leaders Award. Congratulations to winners of the 2011-2012 MCCPTA Reflection Award of Excellence and Award of Merit Winners. Award of Excellence, Lauren Gross, daughter of Brian and Sherri Gross, for Literature; Award of Excellence, Sandow Sinai, son of Peter Alhassan and Irit Sinai, for Musical Composition; Rosalyn Xu, daughter of Zhengping Xu and Qi Zhao, for Visual Arts. We just heard today that Lauren and Sandow were State winners. I want to recognize our Scholastic Art and Writing Award winners: Gina Lee, daughter of Sang Han and Jennifer Lee, Gold Key for photography; Haley Johnson, daughter of Andy and Carrie Johnson, Gold Key for Photography; Michelle Kim, daughter of Hyung Woo and Jeong Sook Kim, Silver Key for Photography; Melissa McElroy, daughter of Tom Powell and Meg McElroy Powell, Silver Key for Photography; Madeline Robinson, daughter of Mark Robinson and Sarah French, Silver Key for Photography; Bridget Van Nevel, daughter of David and Cindy Van Nevel, Honorable Mention for Photography; Nicole Jordan, daughter of Gregory and Denise Jordan, Honorable Mention for Photography; Elizabeth Byrd, daughter of Robert and Cheryl Burba, Honorable Mention for Photography; Julia Belenky, daughter of Vidim and Alina Belenky, Honorable Mention for Digital Art. Scholastic Creative Writing Awards recipients were: Julia Belenky, daughter of Vadim and Alina Belenky, Silver Key for “Instructional for Falling”; Eunice Chung, daughter of Michele and Eugene Chung, Honorable Mention for “The Tears of a Bird in a Cage”; and Michael Hatchett, son of Paul and Diana Hatchett, for Honorable Mention for “The Pitch”. Congratulations to the members of the PHS Forensics Team, coached by Ms. Lisa Kellert, English teacher, and Ms. Libby Hillard, registrar. On February 3, 2012, and February 4, 2012, six members of the PHS Forensics Team competed in the MCFL Finals Tournament. Due to their excellent scores they helped the team secure sixth place. Congratulations to: Keena Li, daughter of Jeff and Jin Li, second place Informative, sixth place Extemporaneous; Marissa Sharpe, daughter of Gary and Catherine Sharpe, semifinalists Serious Prose; Courtney Steininger, daughter of Scott Steininger and Diamond Melville, fourth place Serious Prose, Quarterfinalist Persuasive; Jessica Ting, daughter of Yan Tsang Ting and Becky Wur, second place Persuasive; Lauren Gross, daughter of Brian and Sherri Gross, Quarterfinalists Persuasive; and Emily Himmelfarb, daughter of Scott and Sandra Himmelfarb; third place Persuasive. Our Debate Team, sponsored by Mr. Daniel McKenna, English teacher, had an outstanding season. Our seniors, Beidi Luo, daughter of Wen Luo and Ling Hu; Keena Li, daughter of Jeff and Jing Li; and Mi Bao Xiong, daughter of Meixia Xiong; and sophomore Christina Kottooran, daughter of Shaji Joseph and Nisha Francis, secured top seeds for the county tournaments with 91 records. In addition, sophomores Vinay Sriram, son of Kotikalabudi Sriram and Annapooran Sriram; Edward Liang, son of Likan Laiang and Tong Han; Rahul Menon, son of Mohan Menon and Lekshmy Sekhar; Dhruv Shankar, son of Sundar and Kala Shankar; www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/poolesvilleHS

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Perry Ya, son of Naizi Ya and Weizhan Lu; Dennis Levin, son of Igor and Yelena Levin, also won spots in the county finals tournament to be held on February 29, 2012 and March 1, 2012. Congratulations to the Model UN Team, sponsored by Ms. Lisa Kellert, English Teacher, who participated in the 15th annual Johns Hopkins University Conference from February 9, 2012, through February 12, 2012. Our students competed against students from over 60 schools around the country and two international schools, from Kuwait. The vast majority of these schools hold tryouts for their teams and/or offer Model UN as a class, but our students held their own and everyone participated in their committee’s debates. Congratulations to the PHS Poms, coached by Ms. Cathy Hoponick, PHS school administrative secretary, and Ms. Tanya Ventura, Pom Captain at Towson University, for an outstanding season. The Poms brought home three spirit awards and tied fourth place at the MCPS Pompon Competition. Congratulations PHS Indoor Track team, coached by Mr. Michael Trumbull and assistant coaches Mr. Prasad Gerrard, science teacher, and Mr. Andrew Bortz, art teacher, for another excellent season. Claire Beautz, daughter of Patrick and Shannon Beautz; Chelsie Pennello, daughter of Gene and Chung-Chin Pannella; Chase Weaverling, son of Thomas and Michelle Weaverling and Jordan Psaltakis, son of Nicholas and Melanie Psaltakis, competed at the Maryland State Indoor Track Championship on Monday, February 20, 2012. The team set personal bests in four of the events. The Miss Poolesville event on Thursday, February 23, coordinated by former Miss Poolesville, Ms. Gina Grubb, was a smashing success. The program was beautifully designed; every detail was carefully planned. The audience (over 400 people) was enthralled with the entire program. Congratulations to Shannon Foy, daughter of David and Eileen Foy, first place winner, and our talented runners-up Jonique Lyles, daughter of Richard and Phymeon Lyles, and Joanna Grimes, daughter of Douglas and Linda Grimes. Congratulations to the 2011 Gladiator by SGI / NFHCA High School National Academic Squad. The National Academic Squad program recognizes those high school seniors who have achieved a cumulative, unweighted GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0 or the equivalent through the first quarter of the 2011-12 school year. The National Academic Squad includes the following Poolesville High School students: Allyson Dahlen, daughter of Garth and Melanie Dahlen; Kyria Danna, daughter of Jacqueline and James Danna; Amy Defnet, daughter of Mike and Sarah Defnet; Megan Flick, daughter of Hugh and Pam Flick and Lindsay Poss, daughter of Gregg and Catherine Poss. The PHS Varsity Girls basketball team, coached by Mr. Fred Swick, has completed another successful season! Winning 16 of their last 18 games, the girls finished with a 17-5 win-loss record. They finished second out of eight teams in the MCPS 3A/2A division. Their record also placed them as the #2 seed (out of 12 teams) in the Maryland 2A West region. Individually, Lindsay Poss, daughter of Gregg and Catherine Poss, broke the all-time points scored mark to become the PHS career scoring leader for girls’ basketball. With six returning players and eight newcomers, the Poolesville Boys Basketball team, coached by Mr. Tom Lang, physical education teacher, started the season off slowly before firing on all cylinders to complete another successful season. After starting the season 3-5, the boys won 10 of their next 12 games. This turnaround can be attributed to the fine leadership and play of seniors Erik Jansson, son of Gerard and Kathleen Jansson; Zach Sneed, son of George and Brenda Sneed; Ean Hill-Addison, son of Elvin Addison and April Hill-Addison, and Deandre Parrott, son of Tonya Parrott, combined with the outstanding play of returning players Kirby Carmack, son of Kevin and Laura Carmack; Andy Baker, son of Brant and Kris Baker; and Anthony Papagjika, son of Harry and Maria Papagjika. The Falcons concluded the season by finishing in third place in the Montgomery County 3A/2A Division with a 10-4 divisional record. The team also finished third (out of 12 teams) to earn the #3 seed in the 2A West Region and a first round bye in the playoffs and once again the Falcons represented Maryland in the annual Maryland vs. Pennsylvania tournament where they beat Boiling Springs High School (PA) helping Maryland win the event. Congratulations to all the boys on their efforts throughout the season. Congratulations to the PHS Varsity Wrestling Team, coached by Mr. Kevin Dorsey, for an outstanding season. Senior Robert Winning, son of Craig and Lillian Winning, placed third in the 160 lb. weight class at the Maryland Class 2A/1A state meet. Senior Ali Nejati, son of Hassan and Karen Nejati, (182 lbs.) and junior Will Korzeniewski, son of George and Kathleen Korzeniewski, (126 lbs.) finished in the top 12. Have a wonderful spring vacation with your family. Sincerely,

Deena Levine Principal Follow me @ Principal_PHS www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/poolesvilleHS

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March 6, 2012

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/poolesvilleHS

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“I feel pretty…” In a hallway near the dressing rooms Mrs. Linda Pepe, Mrs. Pappas’ assistant, is sitting at keyboard giving students extra help with the difficult music. In the makeup room, Costumer Ms. Nacni Niebauer is fitting the two Marias into their white dresses for the dance scene. She will be creating two costumes for each of the seventy plus cast members.

I would like to take you on a brief tour of the PHS auditorium area during the time after classes end for the day. It’s the time when West Side Story is being brought to life. “Maria. Say it loud and there is music playing…” Before we even get to the auditorium itself, sounds of music can be heard coming from the Band Room. On Monday and Friday we hear the sound of the singing of such songs as “Tonight” and “Maria”, and “Jet Song”, and “Cool” under the direction of Choral Director, Mrs. Christine Pappas . On Tues, Wed, and Thursday the music will come from the orchestra rehearsing “One Hand, One Heart” and “Gee, Officer Kurpke” and “I Feel Pretty”. Mr. Goldsborough is in fine form, as he conducts the players.

“Why do you live like there’s a war on?” In a classroom, the director, Gail Howard, is working through a scene with Doc and Tony that occurs in the cellar of Doc’s drugstore. Tony is tense, yet optimistic that the plans he has made will take him and Maria to a new life in the country; Doc knows that Tony dreams will not come true, and that he must tell Tony what has happened that will thwart his plans. Short scene. High drama. Order Tickets Early! What we have seen on the tour is only a part of all that must be done to have a successful show. One of the most important parts is to get people to want to come and see the production. All of us involved with West Side Story personally invite you to come. You may order your tickets in advance using the form provided in this newsletter. Please don’t wait. Order early and get the best seats to one of the best known shows in musical theatre.

“Mambo! Mambo! Go!” Opening the doors of the auditorium, we see the stage filled with performers rehearsing “The Dance At The Gym” . One of the longest numbers in the show, it has six parts including the Mambo and the Cha-Cha. The dancers whirl around the stage following the choreography of Ms. Nora Schaefer and Mr. Nathaniel Gordon. “Hold my hand and I will take you there…” Passing through the wings (the area adjacent to the stage) we see ‘techies’ painting large signs which will be placed around Poolesville and environs to let everyone know that West Side Story is being presented by the Midnight Players on April, 19, 20 and 21. Paint is also being applied to huge set pieces that have been completed. Moving through the big double doors at the back of the stage, we enter the shop where both male and female students are using all manner of tools to build even more set pieces. On good weather days they move out on to the driveway in order to have more space. Under the supervision of Mr. Matt Johnson, and Student Tech directors Logan O’Farrrel and Michael Knutson, the set is taking shape, but there’s lots more to be done. The question always comes up,”Will the paint be dry when the curtains part on opening night?”

Come out and see the PHS Midnight Players Performance of West Side Story!

Thursday, April 19 at 7 pm Friday,

April 20 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, April 21 at 2 pm & 7:30 pm Tickets: Adults: $12


Students: $7

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“NOT-TO-MISS” EVENT OF 2012! Coming to POOLESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL POOLESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL For All Juniors and Seniors immediately following PROM Date: May 18 to 19th

Time: Friday Midnight to Sat 5 AM PROM ATTENDANCE NOT REQUIRED. TICKETS GO ON SALE IN MAY !

CLASS OF 2012 AND 2013: PARTY THROUGH THE NIGHT!  Mechanical Bull ! ES T! Z I GH R I P N IN LL A ds S , R Car ND U t A S Gif HO OU Y nt e H R $ T S EVE ertainm $$ Y nt rs, hai de WA c n A a h s in g eac ard IVE

s, tor b C in c d , t e , e j f Gi ro ash leg &p is a Col  C V s r fo rie ! 00 s sso more $1 ials icycle e t 4 c n c d e  a B ss an d d ipo era m E bran r — o m s t a c ng  D Gian oni ital c thi r e t c 2 dig som ele of lets, ith w s e on ab hom  T VS, t s T oe e g n o y ve r  E

G

 Casino Games:Blackjack and Poker tables  Obstacle Course  Money Machine  Jousting  Photo Booth  Minute to Win-it!  Boardwalk themed food And we are just getting started!

[email protected]


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Dear Parents and Friends of Poolesville High School: On behalf of the Post Prom Committee of Poolesville High School, I would like to invite you to contribute to our 2012 Post Prom Event. The event will be held on the evening of May 18/19, 2012. Our prom is for all junior and senior students at Poolesville and their guests. PostProm events are the best way that we can ensure the safety of our children on what could be a very dangerous evening. As you may know, Poolesville High School is an all school magnet program which draws students from all over Montgomery County and not only from Poolesville. We are in need of special gifts in order to entice our students to attend. We would appreciate it if you would be able to make a donation for the event. A great idea from past events is having neighbors and friends getting together and donating a gift basket. Some examples would be "A night on the town" with a gift card to a restaurant, movies or sporting event, limo ride. "A day at the spa" with gift cards for lunch, a haircut, manicure, pedicure. "College Bound Basket" with items for a dorm room, gift cards for food, movie tickets. "Summer Vacation" with gift certificate for a night(s) at a hotel, beach items, gift cards. The possibilities are endless. We would also appreciate individual donations of money, gift cards, tickets to sporting events, clothing and apparel, electronics such as ipads, computers, navigational systems or any item that would interest a college bound student. We also need items for our gift bags for all the attendees. Please consider donating to our event in any way that you believe is appropriate. There is no contribution too big or too small and every little bit helps to make this event successful. Feel free to contact me with any questions, H: 301 349 0349 or via email: [email protected]. Thank you for your generosity.

Sincerely, Anne Corbeille - Post Prom Chairperson Note: Contributions can be sent to the High School, Att: Post Prom or Faxed to 301 349 3499


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March 6, 2012

Atlantic City Nights - Post Prom Volunteer Form


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MCCPTA & MD STATE REFLECTIONS PROGRAM WINNERS -

The MCCPTA and MD State PTA have announced the 2011-12 Reflections Award of Excellence Winners. Congratulations to our PHS Winners!

SUPPORT FOR THE SELBY FAMILY As many readers may know, Selby’s Market closed in January after 65 years of serving our community and supporting our school’s activities. While the loss is great for our community, this loss is greater for the Selby family and its extended family members and employees.



Literature

Lauren Gross

MCCPTA, MD Winner



Sandow Sinai Musical Composition

MCCPTA, MD Winner

If you would like more information on how to support the Selby family during this difficult time, please contact Poolesville Helping Poolesville Families (PHPF), a nonprofit organization recently established to do what small towns do best: “help each other”.



Visual Arts

PHPF P.O. Box 233 Poolesville, MD 20837 [email protected]

Rosalyn Xu

MCCPTA Winner

PAINLESS SHOPPING PROGRAMS

The Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church has also established a support fund for the Selbys and extended family. For more information on how to contribute, contact [email protected], or call: 301-349-2010.

We all have to shop, and this is the easiest way to earn income for PHS! The PHS PTSA has accounts with the following merchant loyalty programs. Please consider signing up and identifying PHS as the beneficiary of these programs: Giant Food

PHS ID #00694

www.giantfood.com

Harris Teeter

PHS ID #6337

www.harristeeter.com

Office Depot

PHS ID #70047152

www.officedepot.com

Safeway & Escrip

PHS ID #6553888

www.escrip.com

Target

PHS ID #58175

www.target.com

Don’t Miss the…

PHS Annual Staff vs. Student Basketball Game! Friday, March 16th @ 7pm. PHS Gym

Tickets: Adults $5

Students $2

Bring a Canned Good Donation for a $1 Discount! Sponsored by the PHS Music Boosters Contact Diane Yendrey for more information: 301-349-2213.


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PHS CULTURAL ARTS

CLASS OF

After a well received, energetic and exciting performance of The History of Hip Hop by IllStyle and Peace Productions on February 1st, students are moving on to work on a mural project under the guidance of Artist in Residence, Carien Quiroga, and Humanities Head of House, Ms. Emily Sigman. The program, Mosaic Mural Making: Collaborate! Construct! Create! will take place across the month of March and students will have the opportunity to learn the process of creating a mosaic mural using 21st century collaboration skills. During this residency, students will work collaboratively under the guidance of Teaching Artist, Carien Quiroga, to create a large scale mosic artwork. Student-led teams from the Humanities, Global Ecology, Science, Math and Computer Science and Independent Studies houses will plan, manage, create and document a lasting legacy that will be permanently installed in the new science building. Students who chose to participate in the project will brainstorm ideas, design the mural, develop a timeline, and manage the project, all while staying within budget and documenting the process. Look for the installed project to be in place later this spring.

2012 SENIORS - MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Senior Parent Meeting  Tuesday, March 27, 6:30pm - PHS Auditorium Senior Graduation Dinner  Thursday, May 24 , 7pm - 9:30 pm (Check-in at 6:30pm)  Maggiano’s 5333 Wisconsin Ave. NW Washington, DC 20015 Last Day for Seniors  Friday, May 25th (Final Clearance Procedures)

Student Service Learning (SSL) Notes

Give a Little Time…Make a Big Difference March 2012 All SSL organizations and opportunities must be preapproved. A graduation cap icon signifies SSL Approval at www.mcpsssl.org : “SSL Community Opportunities”. 

Students who have met the graduation requirement of 75 hours by the first Friday in April of a middle school year will be awarded the Superintendent’s SSL Award. This year due to spring break all documentation for this award is due to the SSL coordinator by Thursday, April 12.



Spring Break next month is a good time to get involved in service. Address real need in the community while gaining knowledge, developing skills, and earning SSL hours in a meaningful way.



Seniors who have documented 260 or more SSL hours by the first Friday in April will be awarded a Certificate of Meritorious Service. This year due to spring break all documentation for this award is due to the SSL coordinator by Thursday, April 12.

Memorial Day Holiday  Monday, May 28th Memorial Day Graduation Rehearsal & Senior Breakfast/Picnic  Tuesday, May 29th, 8:00 am at PHS MANDATORY ATTENDANCE  Tickets and Caps and Gown distributed  Senior picnic 1-4pm, Place TBA Graduation  Wednesday, May 30, 11 am Mount St. Mary’s  Students report at 9:45 am

IMPORTANT: Cap and Gown - If you have not paid your cap, gown and tassel fee, please do so as soon as possible to Ms. Grubb in Room 19. The fee is $24.35 made out to PHS. Please note that the dinner and picnic are optional, but if you plan on attending graduation, REHEARSAL IS NOT OPTIONAL!! Any questions please email Ms. Grubb at [email protected]

The Falcon Free Press (FFP) is published nearly monthly by the Poolesville Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA), and distributed electronically via the PHS website and a notice to our Yahoo group. Email submissions to Editor: [email protected] www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/poolesvilleHS

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COUNSELING & CAREER CENTER NEWS Ms. Pavlik, Resource Counselor; Mr. Cappuccilli, Counselor; Ms. Nagy, Counselor; Mrs. Martin, Counselor, Mr. Gysberts, Counselor; Mrs. Hornburg, Secretary, Ms. DeOto, College & Career Information Coordinator, Ms.Hillard , Registrar

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

AP Exams  May 7 - 18 (See Schedule on this page) Montgomery County College Fair  March 24,25. PHS attends March 24

Test Date 2012 May 7

AP EXAM  Chemistry: 7:30 am  Environmental Science: 7:30 am  Psychology: 11:45am

May 8

 Computer Science: 7:30 am

AP EXAMS On the test dates, students will be required to report at 7:30 AM for the morning exams and 11:30 AM for the Noon exams. Please contact the AP coordinator Ms. Hillard at 301-9727913 or e mail [email protected] if you have any questions.

AP EXAM ATTENDANCE POLICY AND PERMISSION SLIP – 2012 Students taking an AP exam may be excused from the remainder of the school day on their exam days with prior parent permission. Please note that this policy does not excuse students from classroom tests and deadlines. Students should check with their individual teachers to make sure they are current with their classroom and homework assignments.

Students need to submit this form to Ms. Young, the Attendance Secretary, at least 2 weeks before their first exam.

 Spanish Language: 7:30 am  Art History: 11:30am May 9

 Calculus AB & BC: 7:30 am

SENIORS ATTENDING MONTGOMERY COLLEGE IN THE FALL

 Chinese Language: 11:30 am May 10  English Literature and Composition :7:30 am May 11  US History: 7:30 am  Studio Art: 11:30am May 14  Biology: 7:30 am  Physics B: 11:30 am  Physics C: Mechanics 11:30am  Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism 2:30pm May 15  National, State and Local Government: 7:30 am May 16  English Language & Composition: 7:30 am  Statistics: 11:30am May 17  Macroeconomics : 7:30 am  World History: 7:30 am

The Accuplacer is REQUIRED for all MC students if they do not have SAT scores or ACT scores that meet the following criteria: SAT – a minimum of 550 in both the math and critical reading sections and ACT – a minimum of a 24 in both the math and reading sections. The Accuplacer is used to determine a students’ readiness to take college-level English and math classes. The test is un-timed and taken at a computer. Remember – if you are planning to attend MC in the fall you MUST either have SAT/ACT scores that match the minimums listed above or take the Accuplacer. For more information visit Montgomery College Placement Center at http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/edu/plain.aspx?id=2579. Additionally, if students wish to receive financial aid from MC, the FAFSA must be completed.

 Microeconomics: 11:30am May 18  Human Geography: 7:30 am  Spanish Literature: 7:30 am


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COUNSELING & CAREER CENTER NEWS Ms. Pavlik, Resource Counselor; Mr. Cappuccilli, Counselor; Ms. Nagy, Counselor; Mrs. Martin, Counselor, Mr. Gysberts, Counselor; Mrs. Hornburg, Secretary, Ms. DeOto, College & Career Information Coordinator, Ms.Hillard , Registrar

COLLEGE, SCHOLARSHIP & JOB INFORMATION COLLEGE FAIR IN APRIL

SCHOLARSHIPS/AWARD INFORMATION

Juniors should plan on attending the Montgomery County College Fair. The dates are April 24 and 25 and PHS students will attend the morning of April 24. Sign-ups will begin April 1 and the deadline is April 7. Students will be required to turn in a signed parental permission slip and $7 to cover the cost of bus transportation to and from the fair grounds. (PLEASE NOTE: Space is limited – sign ups on a first-come, first-served basis.) . Parents, you are encouraged to visit the fair on the evening of April 24 from 6:00 until 8:30 p.m. The college admissions representatives will be available to answer your questions. There will be hundreds of schools represented at this fair. It has grown over the years to become one of the largest in the nation. Please take advantage of this field trip. For a listing of colleges attending visit the website www.nacacnet.org/NCF.

JUNIORS! All juniors should have a list of schools that they are considering prior to attending the college fair, and doing a college search is a good way to construct that list. Use the Naviance software that was demonstrated during junior class visits in December and discussed in registration conferences with the counselor. If you have lost your user id or need help please stop in and see your counselor or Ms. Deoto in Room 10.

There are scholarship applications on file in the career center. Seniors should be checking the folders once a week. There are many more on the internet (FASTWEB).

COLLEGE CAMPUS VISITS --> GO AMTRAK! JUNIORS start making travel plans. Tickets must be booked well in advance. You may access the AMTRAK website for details on how to access this discount: www.campusvisit.com/ amtrak. Fill out a short form; hit Submit for special Amtrak promotion code; then book your ticket online or by phone with Amtrak using this special code. Pick up your tickets and travel in comfort to college campuses.

ACT/SAT PREP FOR MCPS STUDENTS – Free Online Practice Students should take advantage of the FREE SAT and ACT online prep offered by MCPS. To access this resource, visit the MCPS homepage, www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org, and click on the “for students” tab. The link for this test prep is in the top left hand corner. Directions for how to access the sites are clearly stated. Click on "Poolesville H.S." and enter your sixdigit student I.D. as both your username & password. Choose the test for which you wish to prepare. Students can pace themselves through the online course, but should set goals for themselves such as 1-2 hours per week for SAT/ACT Prep.

Register Online for the SAT and ACT SAT

ACT

TEST DATE

REGISTRATION LATE DEADLINE DEADLINE

TEST DATE

REGISTRATION LATE DEADLINE DEADLINE

05/05/12

04/06/12

04/20/12

04/14/12

03/09/12

03/23/12

06/02/12

05/08/12

05/22/12

06/09/12

05/04/12

05/18/12

SAT: COST $49.00

Late fee: +$26

Standby: +$43

ACT: COST $49.50 (with writing, recommended ) $34.00 (no writing section) Late fee: +$21 Standby: +$42

The ACT web site is WWW.ACT.ORG. The SAT site is WWW.COLLEGEBOARD.COM. PHS CEEB Code, which is required for both applications, is 210825 PHS CEEB Code. Juniors who are planning to attend college after graduation should take the SAT and/or the ACT during their junior year. www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/poolesvilleHS

Falcon Free Press

March 6, 2012

Page 14

Joyce Breiner, Jane Harris PHS PTSA MCCPTA Delegates

MCCPTA EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDARS! MCCPTA Operating Budget Forum Rebroadcast  March 3, 4, 10, 11 at 10am and 5:30pm Council President Roger Berliner to Tour PHS

BOE APPROVES FY 2013 OPERATING BUDGET REQUEST (Operating Budget = school programs, teacher slots - not building improvements) Amount Approved for FY13: $2.13 billion MCPS Operating Budget % Increase: 2% (smallest in 10+ yrs; allows for increased enrollments) Relationship to Maintenance of Effort (MOE): Minimum allowed by state law

 March 23rd County Council Operating Budget Hearings  Late March - April (Date TBD)

MCCPTA OPERATING BUDGET FORUM TO BE REBROADCAST -

Funding Breakdown by Source: $1.39 billion from Montgomery County, the rest from State/Fed. Background: Enrollment expected to increase by 2400 students countywide. Per-pupil investment same as FY12 at $9759/student & meets MOE. County has failed to meet MOE for past 3 years. BoE extended the hours-based staffing for Special Education to ALL Middle Schools (currently used at 31 of 38 middle schools) & paid for by state funding.

March 3, 4, 10, and 11 at 10 am and 5:30 pm Who understands the many aspects of the MCPS and Montgomery County Operating Budget? Our elected officials! We encourage you to watch the MCCPTA Operating Budget Forum (held on February 15), featuring insightful questions from our families, and informative responses from our Council and Board of Education members. This one and a half hour event is graciously again being televised on MCPS TV on Comcast channel 34, Verizon channel 36, RCN channel 89 on the Saturdays and Sundays listed above.

THE BUDGET PROCESS (Now until budget finalization - check PHS PTSA Yahoo group emails for updates) March 1st

MCPS BoE submits budget to County Executive and County Council

March 15th

County Executive submits his proposed budget to the County Council

April 2nd

MD Legislature vote on State-wide Budget Bill (April 9 is the end of the Legislative session)

April 10,11,12

County Council Operating Budget Public Hearings (Opportunity to advocate for school programs. Look for more to come.)

May 24th

County Council final vote on budget (this determines how much BoE has for school budget)

June 14th

MCPS BoE vote on the final MCPS Operating Budget (this determines how the allotted funds will be spent)

SAVE THE DATE! MCCPTA Leadership Training - June 6 Want to be more involved in supporting your child’s education through PTA participation but feel like you need to know more? MCCPTA training for all kinds of PTA leadership roles will be held on Wednesday evening, June 6, 2012. Details to follow. Whether you are new to a position, returning, or just interested in learning more, please plan to be there.


Falcon Free Press

March 6, 2012

Page 15

Joyce Breiner, Jane Harris PHS PTSA MCCPTA Delegates OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN... A proposal from Governor Martin O’Malley to shift a large portion of the state’s pension cost to local governments. MCPS BoE says this could have a devastating impact on the services provided by the county and the school district. Impacts would be felt by all Montgomery. County residents.

WHAT YOU CAN DO DO TODAY... 1) Go to http://www.mccpta.com/opBudg_dir/2011-2012/ No_to_pension_shift_letter.pdf for a sample letter to send to Governor O’Malley about the pension cost shift. Let Annapolis know: “No to Pension Shift!” 2) Sign the petition at www.stoptheshiftmd.com 3) Email state legislators (see www.stoptheshiftmd.com for eaddresses) MCCPTA (the county level PTA organization) asked members of local PTAs to attend a special County Council Briefing & Press Conference on the Pension Cost Shift to show opposition to the MD state proposal. The briefing was held on February 28th.

3) a proposal that would allow an employee to use unpaid leave in order to attend a parent-teacher conference. BoE Opposes: other pieces of legislation, mainly those that mandated changes to curriculum or assessment programs.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM (CIP) UPDATE (The part of the School Budget dealing with new buildings & modernizations) Heartfelt thanks to Jerry Klubukowski and Donna Lowell for speaking at the County Council CIP Budget Hearings on February 9 and to all community members who came out to support them. Did you see the article/pic in the Washington Post!? Poolesville ES PTA did a great job mobilizing people to attend the meeting. As a direct result, Council President Roger Berliner will be touring Poolesville High School on March 23rd! Note: Councilman Berliner is the new representative for the portion of the Poolesville cluster south of Rt 28 including all of Poolesville. The County Executive recommends delaying all high school modernizations.

The proposed pension shift

For Montgomery County, the proposed would cost $47 million in pension shift would cost $47 million in fiscal year 2013 alone and fiscal year 2013 alone and total over $300M over the next 5 years. How much total over $300M over the is $47 million? It pays for the jobs of next 5 years. nearly 500 teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other vital County personnel. MCCPTA PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON PREFERRED It is more than the County's general fund budgets for housing, CHOICE IN CONSORTIUM HIGH SCHOOLS transportation, and environmental protection combined. The County’s entire budget for libraries is less than $30 million. But As directed by PHS PTSA general membership at the February it is the state that sets the basic structure of pension benefits. meeting, your MCCPTA delegates voted in favor of the proposed To learn more about this issue, go to www.stoptheshiftmd.com . Resolution on Preferred Choice in Consortium High Schools at FYI, the MD legislature will vote on this issue in mid-March…just the February MCCPTA Delegates’ Assembly. In short, this 1-2 weeks from now. resolution supports continued funding of curriculum offerings at

BOE POSITIONS ON EDUCATION LEGISLATION UNDER CONSIDERATION BY MD GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

high schools in Consortiums (such as the Northeast & Down County Consortiums) that are, in effect, less popular so that they remain competitive in the consortium choice process. The full resolution is at http://www.mccpta.com/resolutions/20112012/Proposed_Resolution_Choice_in_Consortium_HS.pdf .

BoE Supports: 1) a bill that waives the $26.2 million penalty the state can impose because the Montgomery County Council did not meet Maintenance of Effort in FY 2012; 2) a bill that would raise the compulsory age for school attendance; www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/poolesvilleHS

Falcon Free Press

March 6, 2012

Page 16

Support your PTSA. Order your Poolesville High School Ornaments Now! POOLESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY ORNAMENT ORDER FORM YES! I would like to order the 100 year anniversary ornament. I understand that to fulfill this order my payment in full must be enclosed. The cost per ornament is $20. The 2010 Water Tower Ornament is also available for $15. Supplies are limited. Name:

_________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________ 2011 Poolesville HS 100th Anniversary Ornament. PHS as it looked 100 years ago!

City:

__________________________________ State: ___________ Zip: __________



I would like to order (#)______ 2011 100 Year Anniversary ornaments at a cost of $20 each for a total of $_________



I would like to order (#) ______of the 2010 Water Tower ornament at a cost of $15 each for a total of $_________ Please add $2.00 (flat rate) for shipping: $_________ Total payment enclosed:

$_________

Please make checks payable to PHS PTSA. Mail your order form and payment to: PHS PTSA – Ornament Orders 17501 West Willard Road Poolesville, MD 20837 2010 Water Tower Ornament

**Also available at the Poolesville Hardware Store for $23 (100 yr.) and $18 (water tower)

The Poolesville Pulse is a student-run and written publication, dedicated to the pursuit of scholastic journalistic truth, which presents the news and opinions that are most relevant to the Poolesville High School community.

The Poolesville Pulse would like to ask for your help in publishing the school newspaper! We need your help! The Poolesville Pulse relies on the support of local advertisers and patrons to raise money to publish every issue. By donating as little as $10 you can become a patron to the paper and help support the student voice at PHS. Please complete the attached information and return it along with your donation today to: Poolesville High School Newspaper Patron Form 17501 W. Willard Rd Poolesville, MD 20837 Name: ___________________________________________Telephone: _____________________ I want to be listed as a patron for the donation attached in the amount of ___________________ Please list patron as: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ If you have any questions please feel free to contact the newspaper sponsor, Ms. Gomer, at 301-972-7926


Falcon Free Press

March 6, 2012

Page 17

Poolesville High School PTSA Membership Form Parents, students, and staff may join at any time. We encourage you to join at the beginning of each school year. Membership Dues Parent/Guardian & Community Members – $11.00 Student & Staff Members – $5.00 (Dues include your membership in the County, State and National PTAs and a copy of the PHS Student Directory to be distributed this Fall.) Tax-Deductible Donations are greatly appreciated. Thank you! Please, make checks payable to Poolesville High School PTSA. Mail check and completed form to: PHS PTSA – Membership, 17501 W. Willard Road, Poolesville, Maryland 20837

Parent/Community Member Last Name

Student/Staff Last Name

First Name

First Name

Membership Dues: Parent/Guardian Community Member Student/Staff Member Tax-Deductible Donation Total Amount Enclosed ___ Yes ___ No

Street Address City, State, Zip (if different from student)

Grade

Street Address, City, State, Zip

Phone Number

Email Address

Phone Number

Email Address

$11.00 each # _____ $ 5.00 each # _____

$ $ $ $

_____ _____ _____ _____

Please add the above email addresses to the PHS PTSA Yahoo Group.

Questions? Please visit the PTSA page on the PHS website for membership chair contact info: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/poolesvillehs/ptsa/ptsa.html


Falcon Free Press

March 6, 2012

Page 18

Poolesville High School PTSA Volunteer Me! Yes, I would like to serve on the following PTSA committees (circle as many as you would like). Cultural Arts

PTSA Webpage Management

Electronic Communication

Reflections

Grade Level Liaison

School Improvement Plan

Membership

Staff Appreciation

Newsletter

Student Directory

Promotions

Volunteer Recognition

Our PTSA is looking for a few additional committee chairpersons. Please let us know if you are interested in chairing or co-chairing… _____

Cluster Representative (to represent our cluster before the Board of Education and MCCPTA)

_____

Nominating Committee (to develop slate of officer nominees and committee chair recommendations for the following year)

_____

Promotions (to organize and manage our direct donations and buy a brick program)

_____

Post Prom (to organize and manage our after-prom program)

Feel free to contact me/us if you need help with any of the following school events (circle as many as you would like). Awards Night

Homecoming

Graduation

Prom

General Help

Other Special Events

Name_________________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________________ Daytime Phone__________________________Email___________________________________ Ideas, questions? Write them here!
