august 2015 bulldognewsletter - part of the edmond school ...€¦ · august 2015 edition what is...

BULLDOG NEWSLETTER A publication of the Edmond Memorial High School Parent Organization

August 2015 Edition

What is it about Edmond Memorial that provokes such a strong and distinct memory and sense of affiliation? We sincerely believe it is the feeling of family created and fostered by our caring faculty, staff, and administration. Our Edmond Memorial school community includes families whose relatives homesteaded parcels of this territory in the Land Run of 1889. Living next door to these original Bulldogs are military, corporate, and international families who as recently as this past summer chose Edmond to be their home. For each of these families, whether the homesteaders who have stayed or the new residents who have studied surrounding communities and purposefully chosen Edmond as their home, their choice seems singularly driven by one powerful force: the reputation of Edmond Memorial High School. Whether you are an original, pedigreed Bulldog or one of the new breeds recently transplanted to this patch of heaven on 15th Street, we invite you to get involved and support the Bulldogs in the classrooms, on the stage, on the fields, around the track, or on the courts. Your involvement will make our Bulldog family stronger and your bond more permanent. Ten, twenty, or thirty years from now, we hope your children will be coming back to EMHS for a reunion with the same warm, connected, deeply rooted sense of belonging that we sensed this summer when our 2015 graduates returned to pick up their diplomas. There’s no other high school in this town, this state, or this great country that has a more dedicated and

passionate group of alumni. Our annual Bulldog Bash will kick off all school fall functions on Saturday, August 15th, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at the EMHS stadium. Please come and enjoy the fun as we recognize our athletic programs and celebrate the beginning of another great year of Bulldog athletics. If you are unable to attend the Bash, we look forward to seeing you for open house on Thursday, September 10th beginning at 6:30pm. Nothing is more important to our shared children’s success than the engagement of their families in their daily lives and a healthy, hearty partnership between school and home.

Justin Coffelt Principal, Edmond Memorial High School

In This Issue August 2015

Important Dates 2-3

Administrative Notes 4-5

Counselor’s Corner 6-7

Freshman News 8

Senior Class 9

Clubs and Activities 10

MPO 11-12

Bulldog Campaign 13

“Whether you are an original,

pedigreed Bulldog or one of the new breeds recently transplanted to this patch of heaven on 15th

Street, we invite you to get involved and support the Bulldogs in the classrooms, on the stage, on the fields, around the track, or

on the courts. “

- Principal Coffelt

August 6 Freshman Schedule pick up 9:00am – 1:00pm

August 7 Senior Schedule pick up 9:00am – 1:00pm

August 10 Junior Schedule pick up 9:00am – 1:00pm

August 11 Sophomore Schedule pick up 9:00 am – 1:00pm

August 20 1st Day of School

August 21 - 26 Class Meetings

August 24 - 28 Howdy Week

August 29 School Picture Day

September 7 Labor Day – No School

September 10 Open House – 6:30pm

September 11 “Beat North” Assembly – 1:20pm

September 18 Last day to add class for credit

September 12 ACT

September 21 Professional Day – No School

September 22 Blood Drive

September 25 “Beat Santa Fe” Assembly - 1:20pm

September 25 End of 1st 6 Weeks

September 28 – Oct 3 Homecoming Week

October 3 Homecoming Dance

October 8 -10 Fall Play

October 12 -14 Order Senior Announcements

October 12 -13 Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30pm - 8:00pm both evenings

October 14 PSAT Test

October 15 -19 Fall Break

October 22 Group Yearbook Photos

October 24 ACT

October 23 - 25 Bulldog Leadership Training (BLT)

November 6 End of 2nd 6 Weeks

November 25 - 27 Thanksgiving Break

December 4 Winter Sports Assembly 9:30am

December 5 Winter Formal

December 12 ACT

December 17 & 18 Semester Tests

December 18 End of 1st Semester December 21 - January 1 Winter Break

January 4 Classes Resume

January 13 Mr./Miss. EMHS Assembly

January 18 No School - Martin Luther King Holiday

January 22 Last day to add class for credit

February 6 ACT

TBA Enrollment/Curriculum Night

February 15 Professional Day – No School

February 19 End of 4th 6 Weeks

March 2 Musical Matinee Performance

March 2 - 4 Musical Evening Performances

March 8 End of 5th 6 Weeks

March 7 - 11 Swine Week

March 14 - 18 Spring Break

April 8 Spring Sports Assembly

April 6 Follies Matinee Performances

April 7 - 9 Follies Evening Performances

April 9 ACT April 11 - May 13 EOI Testing

April 23 Prom – 8pm to Midnight

April 26 Underclassmen Awards

May 2 -13 AP Exams

May 20 Graduation Practice/Senior Awards & Picnic

May 21 Graduation 10am

May 19 & 20 2nd Semester Tests

May 24 Last day of school

May 30 Memorial Day

EMHS Calendar of Events for 2015-2016 Please make note of these important dates for the upcoming school year.

BULLDOG NEWSLETTER August 2015

Schedule Pick Up Days start this week

It’s hard to believe summer is already winding down! Students will start picking up their class schedules this week. Please find the appropriate day and time slot for your student(s):

Thursday August 6th 9am - 11am Freshmen with last names A-L 11am - 1pm Freshmen with last names M-Z Friday August 7th 9am - 1pm Seniors Monday August 10th 9am - 1pm Juniors Tuesday August 11th 9am - 1pm Sophomores

Freshmen will pick up their schedules in the Freshman Academy. 10th-12th graders will pick up their schedules in the main building in the commons area. You MUST bring a July/August utility bill in order to pick up your schedule! We still need a few more parents to help during Schedule Pick Up Days. Please click here to view the Sign Up sheet, or e-mail the MPO at [email protected]. If you could volunteer just a few hours of your time, we would love to have join us. It’s a great way to get involved!

During schedule pick up days, we encourage all 10th-12th graders to pick up their textbooks in the textbook room. Ninth grade students will check out their books during their English classes the first week of school. We encourage all students to check out their books, find their classes, and pick up their parking information to ensure a smooth first day, August 20th! If you have not returned your textbooks from the 2014-15 school year, you will have a financial hold placed on your file! Please turn in your textbooks or make payments at the finance office. Textbooks are students’ responsibility, and they are responsible for lost or textbooks. Please record your name in your textbooks each year and take good care of your textbooks. They are expensive!

Financial Holds Please be aware that students with financial holds will not be issued their schedule during schedule pick up days until they rectify the problem with the Finance Office. Please call the Finance Office (726-6814) if you have any questions.

Parking Passes To receive a parking pass, you will need: 1. 2015-16 class schedule 2. Driver’s License 3. Current insurance on the vehicle being registered 4. License plate (tag) number of the vehicle 5. Completed Parking Application 6. $60 cash or check made out to “EMHS” Please note that parking will not be assigned if your student has a financial hold.


Our Administrative and Counseling staff are here to help you and your student throughout the year We are so fortunate to have an amazing staff and faculty here at Edmond Memorial. These dedicated individuals work as a team to ensure our students get what they need to be successful in high school.

The Guidance (Counseling) Office of Edmond Memorial High School offers a variety of services for students grades 9 through 12. The staff consists of four academic counselors, a career counselor, a student assistance counselor, and a school psychologist. In addition, the support staff, including a registrar, scholarship secretary, and counseling secretary provide invaluable help to students and parents. Please reach out to any member of the Administrative or Counseling Team if you have questions or need assistance.

Administrative Team Justin Coffelt, Principal

Debreon Davis, Seniors and Juniors A-L Jeff Nemcok, Sophomores and Juniors A- L

Emily Steele, Freshmen Brandon Kysar, Curriculum and Instruction

Counseling Team Stacey Tate Paula Tate

Carol Doherty Kay Moore, Freshmen

Dawnetta Russell, Student Assistance Counselor Herkisha Hardy, Career Counselor Mieke’ Price, School Psychologist

Please make note of the District Attendance Policy. You will find detailed information on the attendance policy in your students’ handbooks, which will be available on the school’s website. Students are allowed 9 absences per semester. Medical or legal documentation must be provided to the attendance office to avoid an absence from counting toward the allotted 9. Also, 3 tardies in one class will equal 1 absence. Parents must call the Attendance office (or Freshman Attendance office for 9th graders) if your student will be missing all or even part of the school day.


Communication is one of our top priorities You may have noticed an increase in communication last year between the school and our families. We continue to receive excellent feedback on the creation of the Bulldog Weekly Blast, which is an e-mail sent out to families every Friday morning throughout the school year. The Bulldog Weekly Blast was designed by our own Memorial Parent Organization, and contains important information for the week ahead to help families keep up-to-date with activities, important announcements and shout-outs to our students. We will also continue to produce this publication, the Bulldog Newsletter, which is distributed every other month throughout the school year. This publication, provided in an article-based format, always starts with a letter from Mr. Coffelt and provides calendar information and an overview of events for the coming months. We also use this newsletter to highlight special achievements using articles and photos of events, teams, clubs and activities. Along with the Bulldog Weekly Blast and the Bulldog Newsletter, parents may also receive e-mails from the school, and will occasionally receive phone calls either for important taped phone messages or for the hopefully rare occasions of illness or accident. For this reason, it is imperative that the school has both current phone numbers and e-mail addresses for our families. Edmond Public Schools has a brand new website, just released last month. It is a beautiful new

site, and will be expanded in the coming months to replace our EMHS school website. For now though, please visit our existing school website as another excellent source for school information. If your child is involved in clubs or activities, those groups may also have websites, Facebook pages or Twitter accounts as well. You may also want to download the Edmond Public School’s SchoolConnect App to receive information and alerts from the District and for

Edmond Memorial. This app is for Apple or Android use, and can be found by searching for schConnect. Finally, all of the teachers have phones in their classrooms that they will answer during their planning period, before and after school. Many find email to be the quickest route to communication, so please be sure that your teachers have your updated e-mail information. All of the teacher phone numbers, as well as their email addresses can be found on the school’s website at www.edmondschools.net/memorial.

Edmond Memorial Contact Numbers

Welcome Center — 340-2850

Counseling Office—340-2938

Attendance Office—340-2861

Student Check-in/out —340-2861

Parent drop off/pick up—340-2850 Freshman Check-in & out—340-2851

website: www.edmondschools.net/memorial


Counselors’ Corner

9th Grade - Kay Moore - [email protected] 10th, 11th, 12th Grades A-G - Stacey Tate - [email protected] 10th, 11th, 12th Grades H-N - Paula Tate - [email protected] 10th, 11th, 12th Grades O-Z - Carol Doherty - [email protected] Student Assistance Counselor - Dawnetta Russell - [email protected] Career Counselor - Herkisha Hardy - [email protected]

Planning for the ACT and SAT Counselors strongly encourage students to begin taking the ACT or SAT exam during their junior year. This will allow plenty of opportunities for students to re-take the exam if necessary. The ACT

is given at EMHS. The SAT is not given at EMHS. To see the schedule and register for the ACT, go to www.actstudent.org. To view test dates and register for the SAT, go to www.collegeboard.org. Parents and students should watch the Bulldog Weekly Blast for the schedule of ACT and SAT prep classes that are offered by several of our EMHS teachers. Counselors also encourage students to use the free study guides included on the ACT and SAT websites.

Follow us on Twitter to see reminders of

deadlines and upcoming

academic events @emhscounseling

Edmond Public Schools rolling out a new Parent Portal to replace PIV This year, a new student information system, Infinite Campus, will replace PIV. It will provide parents, guardians and students with real-time access to course schedules, assignments, grades, attendance and report cards for grades 6-12. The actual go live date is yet to be announced, however, once the portal is live, it will allow parents/guardians to utilize one login to see information on one or multiple children. Also, students will have their own unique login to view their information. Look for additional communication about this new tool in the coming weeks.


The school is implementing a new online payment system this year

Edmond Public Schools has implemented a new online payment

system. The InTouch Online payment system makes it easy to pay student activity fees, make donations and pay fines or fees online. In addition, you can view your student’s open fees and fines online in real time and view your student’s payment (receipts) ledger as well. To access this system, please follow the steps outlined below:

1. Go to https://ok-edmond.intouchreceipting.com.

2. Use your student ID as your username

3. Enter your last name—capitalize the first letter of your last name as your password

This will bring you into the system to be able to see any unpaid fines and/or look around for items that you may need to pay throughout the school year. Please note that as of publication time the site was still being set up, so while you should be able to log in you may not find everything you are looking for just yet. It should be fully expanded in the very near term, and ready for our families to use as a convenient service this year.

Tips for Seniors from the Counseling Office

Seniors should begin applying to college and for scholarships! Counselors will meet in September with seniors to discuss valuable college application tips. If your senior is planning to apply to college and has not taken the ACT, he/she should register for the October ACT. Seniors and senior parents, please be sure to check the Counselors' Corner on our school website often for the monthly scholarship bulletin which contains new scholarships and leadership opportunities. Also, check out the senior handbook on this website! Seniors need to get a PIN number (for the electronic signature) to complete the FAFSA this year for students wishing to apply for scholarships. Go to www.pin.ed.gov and request your PIN number NOW! The FAFSA on-line form will be ready to complete January 1, 2016, but students must have a PIN number to submit. Seniors needing letters of recommendation from a teacher or counselor should pick up the Recommendation Letter Request Form from the Counseling Office. Students should request recommendation letters at least 3 weeks prior to the due date of the application.


Welcome Class of 2019

We look forward to getting to know each and every one of you! As summer winds down, we begin to prepare for another exciting and successful school year. Edmond Memorial is a school rich in tradition and excellence and we are confident the Class of 2019 will build upon our strong foundation. At Edmond Memorial, we believe in excellence, meeting our high expectations, providing an encouraging learning environment for everyone and the energy needed to accomplish our goals. We are thrilled to have you on our team! On Schedule Pick-Up Day, August 6th, students will have the opportunity to find their classrooms, test their locker and explore their new home at EMHS. Just a reminder, you will need a current July or August utility bill to pick up a schedule. We also want to invite you to Fantastic Freshmen Night on Thursday, August 13th at 6pm. We will be providing two opportunities simultaneously that evening - a parent orientation to answer questions about the transition to high school, as well as a student orientation. Parents will meet in the EMHS auditorium and students will meet in the gym. We look forward to working closely with you this year. Our hope is to assist you and your student, making the transition to high school an enjoyable and smooth one. We believe it is a privilege to work with your student. We look forward to meeting you August 6th at schedule pick-up and seeing you again on August 13th at Fantastic Freshmen Night! Welcome to the Bulldog Family!


Class of 2016 Calendar of Events

Aug 20 to Sept 2 Order Senior T-shirts in Room 213. $15 for shirts and $25 for sweatshirts. Aug 28 Senior pictures due to the school. See Elanna Killackey for more information. Sept 25 Early discount deadline for Senior Salutes; Room 209, contact Elanna Killackey Sept 29 Graduation presentation to the Senior Class, Auditorium, 9:15am. Information

to order caps and gowns will be presented and gowns will be ordered. Oct 12, 13 and 14 Graduation orders taken in the Commons from 9:30am to 12:30pm. A deposit

will be required. Oct 12 and 13 Graduation orders will be taken in the Commons during Parent/Teacher

Conferences from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. Oct 23 Senior Salutes due to Room 209. See Elanna Killackey for more information. Oct 23-25 Bulldog Leadership Training Retreat. See Elanna Killackey for information. Oct 27 Make-up day for gown and announcement orders from 9:30am to 1pm in the

Lower Commons. Nov 20 $75 late fee assessed for Senior Salutes. No salutes will be accepted after this

date. Dec 3 and 4 Last day to place graduation orders to avoid late fee assessment. Grad Gear

delivery from 9:30am to 12:30pm in the Lower Commons. This is NOT caps and gowns.

Dec 16 Last day to reserve 12 year senior cords and Edmond Legacy cowls. Dec 18 Last day to apply for scholarship to cover cap and gown for graduation. Jan 14 Last chance to order gowns with a late fee. Lower Commons from 9:30am to

12:30pm. March 2 and 3 Graduation announcement delivery from 9:30am to 12:30pm in Commons. April 10 Last day to order gowns in time for graduation. Must call SGS at 607-4343. April 22 Final Senior Assembly. Pick up cap/gown and take Senior class picture. May 15 Baccalaureate sponsored by Edmond Ministerial Alliance, includes all three

high schools. May 20 Graduation practice at 9:30am,

picnic will follow after; cost $5

May 21 Class of 2016 Graduation, 2 pm at Cox Convention Center

seniorclass

For more information please contact Christy Nieves, our Senior Sponsor at 405-726-6920.

The contact number for Stanley Graduation Services

(SGS) is 405-607-4343.

Orchestra News The EMHS Orchestra is looking forward to a great 2015-16 school year! Please mark your calendars with the following dates: Festivus - Thursday, August 13th, 7pm First OPUS meeting - Tuesday, September 15th, 6:30pm Carwash fundraiser - Saturday, September 26th, 11am - 2pm

The Big Bad Bulldog Band

The Bulldog Band proudly welcomes Jeff Jahnke as our new band director! Jeff is a native Oklahoman who has vast experience working with schools such as Moore, Jenks, and OU. He recently came from Lovejoy, Texas and we are excited he is here! Under the direction of Mr. Jahnke and an outstanding team of assistant directors - John Smith, Adam Basset, Kevin McDonald, Will Bishop - Band Camp started on July 20th and The Big Bad Bulldog Band has been hitting it hard in order to get ready for the 2015-16 marching season. The Color Guard has been working off and on throughout the entire summer - now that's dedication! This year's show is entitled "The Shining" and is based off of the bestselling novel by Stephen King. Lots of great music from the movie, lots of fantastic marching and lots of Bulldog Pride will be coming off the field for the audience to enjoy. Their first game will be on September 3rd against Southmoore and their first marching contest will be September 19th in Moore. Come on out to a game and support the band during halftime!

Come show your school spirit at the Bulldog Bash

Whether you are new to Edmond Memorial, or if you’ve been a Bulldog before, please join us at the annual EMHS Bulldog Bash Back to School Event! On August 15th, food and shopping for spirit wear begins at 5:30pm in the Commons and

cafeteria. Many EMHS teams and groups will have spirit wear and information for parents and students. Immediately following food and shopping, the EMHS Drum Line will escort you to the field for team introductions, entertainment from Cheer, Pom, and the Bulldog Band, all topped off with a scrimmage by the EMHS Bulldog Freshmen and JV/Varsity teams! This is a great way to get excited about the upcoming school year! Parents and students are able to reconnect with friends they haven’t seen over the summer, and it gets everyone pumped up for a fantastic start to the year. You don’t want to miss this!


BULLDOG NEWSLETTER

August 2015

Memorial Parent Organization Welcome back from summer, Bulldog families! We are excited that you have the opportunity to experience a school where all students and their families are valued and where excellence is pursued. Bulldog Pride runs rampant in our halls and flows over into our community and we're so happy that you are here and that you get to experience it firsthand with us. The MPO (Memorial Parent Organization) is a volunteer

parent/teacher organization that is active and engaged and looking forward to an incredible 2015-16 school year. We would like to encourage you to continue to be part of your student's education and high school experience. One way you can do that is by volunteering with and supporting the MPO. Membership is open to all Bulldog families and no membership dues are required. We seek to enhance the learning environment of Memorial by providing financial support in areas such as technology and classroom needs; and we have numerous volunteer opportunities such as Teacher Appreciation, Schedule Pick Up Days, Senior Awards Assembly, and test monitors. We are blessed to work with school administrators, faculty and staff who appreciate and support the MPO. Together, we strive to make your student's learning experience be first-rate. You may be wondering how the MPO used some of its funds last year. A few highlights include purchasing 9 Kodak Waterproof Action cameras and a 100" projector screen for the Media Center; providing tissue and hand sanitizers for each teacher; supplying periodic appreciation lunches for administrators, faculty and staff, and providing financial support for students in crisis. This year, our fundraising goal is $20,000 - and we have specific items we hope to purchase for the school (see campaign flyer on next page). BUT, we need you in order to accomplish that! We do not require dues, so our only source of funding is from our annual Bulldog Campaign and we invite you to support the MPO with your monetary gift of any amount. Donations are tax deductible and the MPO receives 100%. Your generous gift directly benefits EMHS - your student, your teachers, your school. Details are listed on the campaign flyer on the next page of this newsletter. Every family donating a minimum of $25 will receive a one-of-a-kind Memorial car decal to proudly display your support of our great school! Let's work together and help make Edmond Memorial High School continue its reign of excellence!

We invite you to join us for our first MPO meeting of the school year on September 17th at 12:30pm in the Counseling Center conference room. We look forward to seeing you and please feel free to contact either of us with your questions, comments or concerns. Have a great school year, Bulldogs! 2015-16 MPO Co-Presidents, Dorothy Offerman Lisa Bradford

Contact the MPO [email protected] Co-President Lisa Bradford Co-President Dot Offerman Ex Officio Kim Greiner Ex Officio Angela Cox Secretary Robbi Kinnaird Treasurer Pat Lebs Newsletter/Directory Jody Cordeiro Senior Rep Vicky Nance Junior Rep Denise Ebersbach Sophomore Rep Kim Shirley Freshman Rep Amberg Loberg Teacher Appreciation Miriam Teifke

Join us for our MPO meetings!

Each month we meet at 12:30pm in the

Counseling Office Conference room.

September 17th October 8th

November 12th January 14th February 11th

March 10th (at 11:30am) April 14th

We would love to see you there!

Platinum Sponsors ($500+)

Mary and Rox Boatright Max D’Souza

Jason and Traci Eliot Victor and Katie LaSaxon

Gold Sponsors ($250+) David and Jennifer Clarida

Barry and Angela Cox Jonathan and Melissa Day Mike and Nancy DePrang Calvin and Stacy Magee Tom and Kathy Oddie

Darci and Greg Oplotnik

Silver Sponsors ($150+) Charity Danker

Bill and Sherri Hale Kelly and Teri Ogle

Tim Popp David and Jennifer Reid

Bronze Sponsors ($100+)

Chriss and Bill Barnes Tim and Peggy Cain

Dick and Shelley Dutton Adam Judkiewicz

Scott and Robbi Kinnaird Lynda Loucks

Brian and Jennifer Mauck Hayden Mennella

Larry and Tracey Myers Dave and Janet O’Kresik

Angie Perry Sarah and John Rahnal

Cindy Richard Susie and Mike Sadler Nancy and Greg Ward Joe and Lisa Zuerker

Supporters Rick and Kathey Alvarez

Chrystal Bolling Brook Burke

Lisa and Jerry Burnstein Jeff and Gina Cox

Dianna Digoy Vicky Doidge

Kent and Nancy Dyer James and Nicole Emmons

Larry Forsythe Fouts Family

Sarah and Kermit Frank Lane and Mary Beth Griffing

Joey Harper Roger and Holly Helzer Diana and Gret Lindsey

Kambi Maddy Chris and Karen Mitchener

Kelly Osborne Jeff and Pat Peles

Nick and Annie Peterman Mike and Amy Peters

Steve and Michelle Preston David and Jill Ray

Darryl and Stacy Schmidt Lori Scott

Steve and Sherry Sharum Laurie and Hal Shofner Chris and Dayton Sitz

Thompson Family Brandy Tillman

Sheri Travis Sherri and John Wells

Kent and Nancy Williams Mei-Lin Yang

Thank you to all of our generous Bulldog Campaign donors. We are almost 50% of the way to our goal!

2015 BULLDOG CAMPAIGN Please help us thank our generous Sponsors!

If you have a student at Memorial, you are now part of the Memorial Parent Organization! For many years the MPO has provided support to our faculty and staff at Memorial, and it is time to take our support to the next level. With Oklahoma ranking 49th in the nation for spending on education, we believe as parents we should do all that we can to give extra help and support to the teachers, staff and administrators who do an amazing job with our children every day.

Our Bulldog Campaign has been developed to raise funds to support our school. Your tax deductible donation could help make possible such things as a classroom of LabPro 2s for Chemistry ($400 each), HP Design Jet Banner printer and cartridges ($4000), teaching tools and materials, classroom start-up supplies, books, and much more!

Support the Bulldog Campaign and have the opportunity to be

recognized by donor level in the Bulldog Newsletter, annual

school directory and various other publications throughout the year.

Donate $25 or more and receive an exclusive Memorial car decal that that you won’t find anywhere else! Support our

school.

Campaign Goal: $20,000

2015 BULLDOG CAMPAIGN Sponsored by the Memorial Parent Organization (MPO)

august 2015 bulldognewsletter - part of the edmond school ...€¦ · august 2015 edition what is...

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