Hawk Talk

The Hawk Talk is published by Edmonds School District 15

20420 68th Ave. W. Lynnwood, WA 98036-7400

www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths

21801 44th Avenue West, Mountlake Terrace WA 98043 425-431-7776 Greg Schwab, Principal

Mountlake Terrace High School

Important Dates

Principal’s Corner

Jan 27 Terrace Idol #1 Jan 28 Early Release Jan 29 No School Jan 30 Cheer Clinic Feb 1 PTSA Meeting Feb 5 Terrace Idol #2 Feb 6 Beans & Rice Dinner Feb 10 Terrace Idol #3 Feb 11 TOLO Feb 12 No School Feb 15 No School Feb 16 No School Feb 17 Advisory Feb 23 CTE Electives Fair Feb 23 Jazz Night Feb 24 8th Grade Parent Night Feb 25 Honor Society Inductions Feb 26 Blood Drive Mar 1 • PTSA Meeting • First Day of Spring Sports Mar 3 Advisory Mar 4 Spring Band Concert Mar 5-6 “Putnam County Spelling Bee” Mar 9 • Advisory • Orchestra Concert • Spring Sports Parent Meeting Mar 10 Multi-Cultural Dinner Mar 11-13 “Putnam County Spelling Bee” Mar 13 WJEA Convention Mar 15-17 HSPE test Mar 18 Food Handlers Test Mar 19 No School Mar 24 Juniors/Sophomores College Planning Night Mar 24 Superintendant Meeting Mar 26 Spring Sports Assembly Mar 29 Spring Break - Apr 2

Winter/2010 Volume 28 Number 2

Notes and Reminders

Happy New Year! We are already halfway through the school year. I am always amazed at how quickly the school year passes and this year is no exception. As we wrap up the first semester and get ready to begin the second semester, I wanted to recognize some of the outstanding things are students and staff have been doing and also give you all some important reminders for the remainder of the school year.

Athletics- Our Fall Sports programs ended very well with many of our student-athletes moving to post-season and state competition. One of the highlights of the fall sport season was our football team qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in school history. It was very exciting and we are all very proud of the efforts of the student-athletes who were a part of making history. Our volleyball team made it to the District Tournament and Cross Country, Girls’ Swimming and Tennis were also represented at state competitions. We are now into the Winter Sport season. Boys and Girls Basketball, Wrestling and Boys’ Swimming are all competing right now. I encourage you to take in a game or match and see our student-athletes in action.

Activities- Drama, Music and ASB have been very active as usual. Our Drama program produced the fall play, “Exit the Body” and are now busy working on the musical, “Putnam County Spelling Bee” scheduled to be performed in March. Our vocal and instrumental music programs performed wonderful holiday concerts in December. Our ASB was very involved with Martin Luther King Day and Culture Week presentations in January. Robotics held a huge kickoff event here at MTHS on January 9th to start the “build” season. For the next 6 weeks, our students will be working very hard to complete their robot and get it ready for competitions in March.

Registration- As we begin second semester one of the main activities we will focus on is registration for the upcoming school year. Students in grades 9-11 will select the courses they want to take in the following year and we will use that information to help us create our master schedule of classes for the 10-11 school year. I would encourage you to be involved in the selection of courses for your student. More specific information about dates for course selection will be coming soon. If you have any questions about registration, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

HSPE/WASL- State testing is coming in March and April. Please check the school website for more information about testing dates, times and schedule changes that might result due to these tests.

Lastly, if you have any questions or concerns about your student here at MTHS, I would encourage you to contact any one of us here in Administration or Counseling. We very much want to work with you to help your student be successful and we want to know if there are things we can do to assist you.

Join us for Parent Club Meetings! First Monday of E very Month

7 pm Library February 1 March 1 April 5 May 3 June 7

Our counseling office telephone number is (425) 431-7787. We welcome questions during our office hours of 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Help with classes/grades If your student has encountered difficulty in his/her first semester courses, there is help available. Several resources we recommend to get over these rough spots are:

1. Tutorial with teachers in their rooms daily, from 7:20-7:40 am

2. Adult math tutor/Room 221, Monday – Friday; 7:00 – 7:30 am.

3. Sno-Isle Library real-time online tutors (www.sno-isle.org), in English and Spanish.

4. Study Hawks – Thursdays from 2:15-4:15 in the school library.

Course Registration 2010-2011Registration for next year is right around the corner. For the most up to date information, be sure to check out our MTHS Registration webpage: http://edmonds.wednet.edu/mths/registration . Dates to be aware of:

Feb. 17th Advisory Review Graduation Requirements

Feb. 24th 6:30 pm • Course Elective Fair • AP Honors Information Night • 8th Grade Parent Night

March 3rd Advisory Select Courses

March 3- 8th Students get teacher signature for classes that require teacher permission. Students should also get parent permission. March 9th Completed registration forms due with all required signatures. Students who fail to turn in a course registration by the due date will not be able to change their schedules.

March 9th Completed registration forms due with all required signatures. Students who fail to turn in a course registration by the due date will not be able to change their schedules. Our next step will be to work with the administration to build a master schedule for next year. Based on the number of students requesting each course, we will determine what classes will be offered and how many periods of the day the demand requires. If too few students request a certain course, that particular course will not run. When we run the master schedule the computer builds student schedules based on their requests.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS: Graduation requirement reports are available through Skyward Family Access.

• Seniors must have 19 credits after first semester to be on track for graduation;• Juniors must have 13 credits,• Sophomores should have at least 7.5 credits,• Freshmen 2.5 credits.

If your student is behind in credits, it is important to meet with his/her counselor and develop a plan of action. If summer courses were taken outside of the Edmonds School District, it is your responsibility to see that we have a transcript indicating credits earned.

2010-2011 RUNNING START INFORMATIONJunior and sophomore parents and students who are interested in learning more about Running Start are encouraged to attend the Edmonds Community College Running Start Information meeting on Tuesday, February 2 from 7-8:30 pm in the Triton Union Building on the ECC campus. Representatives from EdCC, current Running Start students and district counselors will be available to answer questions. Running Start allows juniors and seniors to take college-level courses for both high school and college credit. The Edmonds School District pays for the college tuition. Students are responsible for the application fee, course fees which are currently approximately $125 per quarter and textbooks which run approximately $150 per quarter. Registration for the 2010-2011 school year will begin in March 2010. Applications for the Spring Quarter at Edmonds Community College are accepted between Jan. 19 and March 5.

College anyone? Yes, there is still time to apply for quite a few colleges. Some schools operate on a rolling admissions basis and therefore will accept students until May 1. Also, students and parents need to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) ASAP. This federally funded student aid program becomes available yearly as

of January 1 and funds are given out to those who qualify on a need basis. We recommend all students fill it out if they have any intention of attending a two or four year college next year. Especially with these uncertain and trying economic times, the job market is tough and furthering one’s education is the best thing to do for the future. Consider post-high school education as an investment in your student’s quality of life. Graduation Status: P Will your student be able to earn the necessary 22 credits Has your student passed the Reading and Writing HSPE? P Is your student current in completing a High School and Beyond Plan? (completed in Senior Experience) P Has her/his Culminating Project Proposal been approved and determined to be adequate (Senior Project)? P Did he/she pass the Math WASL or an alternate assessment (SAT, ACT, AP), or will the student continue taking and passing math classes? (2.0 additional math credits required). Questions about HSPE? The OSPI website has info about graduation for the Class of 2010.

COUNSELOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Student Last Name

Counselor Email Phone: 425-431-xxxx

A - E Colleen Egger eggerc@edmonds.wednet.edu 5657

F - K Tanya Ummel ummelt@edmonds.wednet.edu 5665

L - Q Julie Petterson pettersonj@edmonds.wednet.edu 5658

R - Z Pam Salvatore salvatorep@edmonds.wednet.edu 5659

Seniors - Class of 2010

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Counseling Center Connections

Financial Aid Information!!!! It is time to get your pin, your documents and fill out the FAFSA! Beware of companies that promise to send college applications or fill out FAFSA forms for a fee – applying for Federal Student Aid is free and is done by completing the official FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Scholarships Be sure to have your student complete the MTHS Scholarship Application. Students must have a completed application and senior resume’ on file in order to be considered for the MTESA (Mountlake Terrace Endowment Scholarship Association) scholarship that is awarded by MTHS teachers. Occasionally we also use this form to nominate students for other scholarships. Be sure to go online to the MTHS website for a listing of other scholarships, for which you must apply. New Scholarship Resource! Check out www.thewashboard.org for scholarships that are tailored for students in the State of Washington.

PSAT Results are in! Students who took the PSAT met with their counselor during the first two weeks of January to receive their test results and to learn important information to help with college planning. Junior Interviews coming up! In March and April (during HSPE testing days) counselors will meet with juniors for interviews and post-high school planning sessions. For those who may be HSPE testing, we will schedule your appointment on your non-testing days.

HSPE (Formerly WASL): If your junior has not passed a particular portion of the HSPE he/she must take it or pass an alternate assessment (SAT, ACT, AP).

Who Needs to Take an SAT or ACT? If your junior has already taken the HSPE and has not yet passed one or more of the tests, and he/she would like to take an SAT or ACT as an alternate assessment, you may obtain a fee voucher in the Counseling Office for the SAT or ACT fee. Also, these tests are required for university admissions. They are not required for community college admission. We encourage all students who are interested in entering a four year college or university to take both the SAT and ACT. Colleges will accept the highest score from either test.

TESTING DATES The new state test, formerly known as the WASL and now called the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE), is scheduled by the state to be given on the following dates to all students in the tenth grade as well as eleventh and twelfth graders who need to retest. Please make sure your student is in school, having rested the night before and eaten a good breakfast on the necessary dates below. Studies show that when students sleep well and eat a good meal, they perform better in testing situations. This may mean not having access to the cell phone, computer or game controllers after a certain hour the night before testing.

March 16, Reading April 13, Math March 17, Writing Part I April 15, ScienceMarch 18, Writing Part II

Confused about the HSPE? Check out the OSPI website for answers to many Frequently Asked Questions --- http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/StateTesting/FAQ.aspx

Getting Involved: We always encourage our freshmen to get involved in at least one club, sport or activity at school so they will feel a stronger connection with a smaller community here. On the other hand at the high school level parents seem left out of the

connection. It does become difficult as your student gets older and wants to be left to him/her self. Regularly, we hear parents ask how they can be involved in their student’s school. In an attempt to connect more with our parents this year, Mountlake Terrace started a PTSA organization. This is a great way for parents to meet other parents involved with our school. It also gives you the opportunity to find out what is going on and to give input as to what you think might be helpful to our students and school. An administrator and counselor attend the meetings. The PTA meets the first Monday of each month in the school library. The next meeting is Feb 1st. Please come!

Juniors - Class of 2011

Freshman- Class of 2013

Sophomores - Class of 2012

AP Honors Information Night 6:30 PM - Library 8th Grade Parent Registration Night 6 PM - Theater Course Elective Fair 7:20 - 8:10 AM 6:30 PM - HUB

Wednesday • February 24

Seniors - Class of 2010 (cont.)

ACT Test Dates 2010Visit www.act.org for registration information

Test Date Registration Deadline Late Fee Required

February 6, 2010 January 5, 2010 January 6-15, 2010April 10, 2010 March 5, 2010 March 6-19, 2009June 12, 2010 May 7, 2010 May 8 - 21, 2010

SAT Test Dates 2010Visit www.collegeboard.com for registration information

Test Date Registration Deadline Late Fee Required

March 13, 2010 (SAT only) February 4, 2010 February 5 - 18, 2010May 1, 2010 March 25, 2010 March 26 - April 8, 2010June 5, 2010 April 29, 2010 April 30 - May 13, 2010

Counseling Center (cont.)

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Sno Isle TECH Skills CenterWhat is Sno-Isle? It is a technical high school operated by the Mukil-teo School District, which offers vocational skills training to high school JUNIORS and SENIORS.Students attend their regular school half a day and Sno-Isle TECH the other half of the day. Edmonds School district provides transportation to and from the school. To learn more about the 20 programs offered (ex. welding, culinary arts, CAD, dental assisting, fashion and merchan-dising, robotics, and more), see www.SnoIsleTECH.com, or attend the Open House at Sno-Isle on February 4, 2008 from 4-7PM. Interviews are scheduled for March 3rd and 4th, 2008. Stop by the MTHS Career Center for an appli-cation. Sno-Isle will also be presenting to students in the MTHS Career Center on February 23rd during 2nd and 3rd periods and will be available for questions at our Elective Fair on February 24th from 7:20AM-8:10-AM. Applications are due on February 26th or until programs are full.

Intradistrict Classes AvailableRegistration is just around the corner and your student has many quality choices! Edmonds School District offers over 20 different Career and Technical Education programs that your junior or senior student can enroll in. Programs include:

Construction Auto Technology Horticulture Health Care Professions and Fire Safety to name a few.

Busses are provided and application forms are available in the Career Center. Programs fill up fast, so sign up early in the Registration process. ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS: Testing will take place from May 3-14, 2010 at the ESC (district offices). Payment for AP exams is being accepted now by Ms. Roberts in the Career Center. Each test costs $86.00. Pay by individual test for easier budgeting or pay for all your tests at once. Please make your checks to ESD # 15. Deadline for payment is March 12th, 2010. Any ques-tions, please call Susie Roberts at 425 431-5590 or email to robertss@edmonds.wednet.edu.

FAFSA: Complete your FAFSA On The WEB at www.fafsa.ed.gov or go to http://www.fsapubs.gov/ to download a paper version of the FAFSA. For students seeking financial aid, the FAFSA is used to determine who is eligible to receive federal student aid from grants, loans, and other sources. LOOKING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS?? Check Weekly on the MTHS Web Site or go directly to the Scholarship website at (http://humid.edmonds.wednet.edu/scholarships/index.php) . There are 4 types of scholarships available:

1) National 2) Specific College 3) Local Organization 4) MTHS scholarships.

Other Services in the MTHS Career Center:Selective Service-Males who have reached their 18th birth-day but not reached their 26th, are required to be registered with the Selective Service. The quickest and easiest way is online at http://www.sss.gov or pick up an application in the Career Center.

Register to Vote Turning18? Register to vote in this Presidential Election year. Applications are available in the Career Center.

Outside Instruction Forms, Volunteer Forms –Taking private

lessons or volunteering?You may be able to earn .50 credit for your activity or lessons. Get the forms in the Career Center.

School to Work Authorization Forms are signed in the Career Center.

Career Center Update If you would like the Career Center Update emailed to you periodically, please send me your email address: robertss@edmonds.wednet.edu or call Susie Roberts, the School to Work Coordinator @ 425 431-5590.

From the Career CenterSusie RobertsSchool to Work Coordinator (425) 431-5590 robertss@edmonds.wednet.edu

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YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN

PTA/PTSA, an affilliated unit of the Washington State PTA and the National PTA. Make your check payable to: MTHS PTSA. Your annual memebership fees are $20 per parent/guardian and $10 for student or staff member. Please return payment and form in an envelope to the school with your student or mail to Mountlake Terrace High School, 21801 44th Ave W., Mountlake Terrace, WA 98036

LAST NAME FIRST NAME

LAST NAME FIRST NAME

PHONE EMAIL

ADDRESS

CITY ZIP

STUDENT’S NAME

STUDENT’S NAME

PTSA Update Driving School Referral Program Benefits PTSA

For every student who signs up for driving instruction through 911 Driving School at Alderwood Mall or Bellevue, $20 will be donated to the PTSA. Students willl need to present their MTHS student ID and a referral card. Donation monies will be applied to the class accounts to be used for graduation. All classes will benefit.

Referral cards are available in the Main Office.

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From the Library: Check Out What’s New!The biggest news in the Library is that the computers in one of the Library’s labs, the “Liblab”, were upgraded over break. Thanks to everyone who supported the last Technology Levy, students are enjoying faster connections and the lack of “out of order” signs. The Liblab is used by classes virtually non-stop every day. The computers that were in the lab will be used to replace older, more unreliable equipment in

the Library and some classrooms.

In December, local author Suzanne Selfors visited the Library for our second “Book Cafe”. Her latest novel, Coffeehouse Angel, is set in a fictionalized version of Poulsbo, WA. Funds donated to the Library by an MTHS family were used to purchase copies of Ms. Selfors’ books for the Library collection.

The new “for those who love literature” section is in place. An enhanced selection of classic novels and plays cited on the “101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers” list is seeing steady use. A third of this year’s Library budget was used to purchase these books in support of the AP English program.

I’ve been enjoying working with Social Studies and Humanities classes and helping them to recognize the joys doing research using District provided databases. ProQuest, eLibrary, Facts on File and other databases are well indexed and user-friendly. They’re a reliable source of information and well suited to a wide range of assignments. Better yet, these resources can be accessed anywhere an Internet connection is available. For links, go to the Library section of the MTHS website. User names and passwords can be obtained from me or classroom teachers.

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MTHS Athletics & Activities

Culminating Project Exhibition Needs You!

The Culminating Project Department is seeking volunteers to serve as evaluation panelists for the Senior Project Exhibition. “Why,” you ask, “ should I volunteer?”

Celebrate our students’ learning. This is a chance for our students to shine. They present their 1. work on projects that are of their choosing and design. You will be amazed by the diversity of these projects. They are proud of their accomplishments. We are proud of them, too.This is a golden opportunity for those with limited time to become involved in a school activity. 2. The exhibitions are in the morning only. It does not involve a long-term commitment or evening meetings. Discover what this graduation requirement involves. All students are required to complete a 3. Culminating Project. As a parent of a MTHS student, you will have an opportunity to observe the Culminating Project process.It’s fun! Many of those who serve as evaluation panelists ask to return.4. The exhibition this year is Thursday, May 27. 5.

If you are interested or have questions please call the the Culminating Project Office at 425-431-5732 or email andersondo@edmonds.wednet.edu

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MTHS has Free Language Classes!

Free Spanish Classes: It’s Not to Late to Sign-up

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN OR IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH? Free ELL night school classes available!The second term of the ELL parent program begins January 25th at Mountlake Terrace High School from 7:00pm - 8:30 pm every Tuesday and Thursday evening from January 25th through March 26th (excluding school vacations). We also have free child care available for children 3-10. Pick up registration forms at your school office or from your child’s teacher

¿QUIERE USTED APRENDER INGLES O MEJORARLO?¡Tenemos clases de inglés (ELL) gratis disponibles por la noche!

El segundo trimestre de clases de inglés del programa escolar nocturno para los padres del Distrito Escolar de Edmonds empieza del 25 de Enero al 26 de Marzo en la escuela preparatoria MountlakeTerrace High School de 7:00pm a 8:30pm cada martes y jueves por la noche. Este año también tendremos guardería para los niños de 3 a 10 años sin costo alguno. Recoja una planilla de inscripción en la dirección de su escuela o pídasela al maestro de su hijo.

Doctor Cogburn’s Free, Adult Spanish classes continue meeting every Thursday evening in room 133 of the high school, from 6:30 to 8. Please feel free to join the class even though you may have missed the first classes. Remaining classes will meet February 4, 11 & 18. The class uses comprehensible language in which anyone can participate and understand, and showcases the method with which students at MTHS experience French and Spanish: TPR Storytelling. Adult TPR Storytelling uses Spanish to engage in bizarre, unusual stories that use high frequency vocabulary, Total Physical Response, and comprehension based methods. Those attending can expect to acquire the 100 highest frequency words through stories and action. There is no pressure to speak or perform.

There are many reasons that adults should learn another language. 1) It can reduce the risk of age related symptoms such as memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s; 2) Learning a new language is a popular ideal hobby and a wonderful way to cultivate Curiosita. 3) “The demand for multilingual workers is growing.The growth of immigrant communities in states like Massachusetts, which gained

more than 200,000 foreign-born residents between 1995 and 2000. 4) The Need for Foreign Language Competence in the United States. In the words of Senator Paul Simon, the United States is a “linguistically malnourished” country compared with many other nations. Despite the large number of individuals from other language and cultural backgrounds who live in various communities throughout the United States, relatively few Americans can boast proficiency in a language other than English. While ample opportunities exist in many other countries to develop proficiency in a second language, exposure to foreign languages in the United States is far from adequate... (Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics Washington DC.

Why Spanish? Because Spanish is the default foreign language for U.S. Citizens. There are over 22 million native Spanish-speakers in the United States. Spanish-language media is one of the fastest growing U.S. media segments.

December 5 marked the launch of a new website for the Mountlake Terrace High School. A new Edmonds School District website debuted at the same time.

The new website was paid for by funds from the 2008 Technology/Capital Levy, and no General Fund dollars were used. Its purpose is to improve communication between our district and schools and our community.

Here are a few of the many new features that improve communication to parents, students, staff and the community: Navigation The new website has navigation that is easy to use no matter what internet browser you utilize. Each website in the district has the same layout, making it easier to locate standard features in each site.

E-Alerts Any website visitor who registers for our website will received district news emails and can sign up to receive E-Alerts, which are email notifications when a particular area of the website is updated. Now, instead of visiting the site multiple times to check for updates you are interested in, you can be notified via email. In addition to E-Alerts, registered visitors will also receive Edmonds School District News email messages, which include events, announcements, and messages from the district.

To Register:You need only to register once for the district or school sites, and this registration gives you access to all sites within our district. Click on the “Register” button in the top right corner of a web page. You will be asked to enter your birthday so that our site is compliant with the federal law under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Visitors 13 years and older are allowed to register. Your birthdate information is not stored. Then you will be asked to create a user account, including a sign-in name and password.

Please note: District staff members do not need to register for the website. All employees can sign in using their district email username and password.

Subscribe to E-AlertsOnce you are signed in to the site using your sign-in name and password, you will now see a button in the top right corner of the page that says “Access My Info.” This is where you can change your account information, including your subscriptions to E-Alerts. After you click on “Access My Info,” scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on the “Edit Subscriptions” button. You can check the boxes next to the sections you would like to subscribe to. You can also use the drop-down menu to select a different school website to add to your subscriptions. Once you have checked all the sections you would like, click the “Subscribe” button at the bottom of the screen.

Calendar If you have students at multiple schools, you know how difficult it is to keep your calendar straight. With this new site, you can create one calendar that merges all of the important school and district events you would like to know about. You can also download the calendar information to Outlook or your handheld device.

Customizing the View of Your Calendar by Using FiltersYou do not need to be a registered user to create a calendar that pulls together information from multiple school calendars. This information is stored in cookies on your computer, so cookies must be enabled for it to work properly. If you have customized the view of your calendar using filters on your computer, when you return to view the calendar again, this view will be applied. If you visit the calendar from another computer, you will need to filter your calendar view again. In essence, filtering the calendar is connected to the computer you are using. When you are viewing a calendar, you will see the words “Filter Options” at the top of the calendar month and below the “Export” and “Print” buttons. You can check boxes next to the names of the schools you would like to view at the same time. You can also click on the “Section Filters” or “Category Filters” tabs. These allow you to dig deeper into other calendars beyond just the school’s main calendar. Please use these options to tailor the calendar to fit your needs and interests.

Questions about the MTHS website? Contact Barb Brister at bristerb@edmonds.wednet.edu or call (425) 431 - 5607.

MTHS Launches New Website with Tools for Parents

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“GRADES” is a link to

Skyward Family Access

Complete Calendar listings can be found

here

Links to other schools in the Edmonds School District

Links to the Edmonds School District website

SEARCH for topics in the ESD & School sites

Sign-In Button

Register Button

These “Global” links can be found on each site in the Edmonds School District

Watch for timely events in the “Our

News” section

“Site Shortcuts” enables quick access to often used links

The next five calendar events are displyed

here

Watch for special ANNOUNCEMENTS above the

Mountlake Terrace High School banner: Snow Days will be announced here!

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Teryn Bouche Hector Richarte

November

Ciara Rink Nevare Kerr

December

Alexis Rios Brandon Crader

JanuaryStudent of the MonthStudent of the Month

On Saturday, January 5, the MTHS Robotics team hosted a local kickoff event for more than 48 robotics teams from western Washington. More than 1200 people met at our school to see a live video feed from NASA announcing this year’s challenge.

In last year’s challenge teams had only six weeks to design and build robots that would tow shopping cart-sized trailers. The robots had to pick up and put as many foam balls as they could into their opponents’ moving trailers while trying to keep from getting balls put into their own. It’s an incredibly difficult undertaking for any group of adults or students to take on, and this will be the fifth year MTHS has sent a team to Portland for regional competitions. Students always learn lessons in perseverance, teamwork, and creative problem solving that will last a lifetime. Please cheer us on as we begin 6 weeks of fun and no sleep! If you would like to help, the team would very much appreciate tax-deductible donations of any of the following:

• A Windows laptop 2 years old or less• Snack foods for the many late evening and weekend work sessions to come• Money for materials and transportation expenses• Volunteer time for coaching of teams in software writing, design, construction, or other.

Questions? Please contact Jonathan Tong at 425-431-5045 or tongj@edmonds.wednet.edu

Robotics Team Kick-off!! By Jonathan Tong

MTHS News & Notes

MTHS Robotics students David Krienke, left, and Raymond Lindberg, right, build their prototype robot chassis at the kick-off event.

New Hawk Art Adorns HUB

Alumnus Andrew Morrison designed and painted new murals on the stair walls entering the HUB. Senior Max Wicklander collaborated on the project.

Prevention involves understanding, awareness and taking an action to lower the risk.This month I would like to briefly speak about prescription drug abuse and some preventitive measures. While drug abuse on the whole has gone down the last 7 years when we look at the data regarding high school student use, there are some specific prescription drugs that are abused more than other medications. Learning to recognize these prescription drugs and what actions we can take as parents will help to lower the risk for abuse.

Which prescription drugs are the most commonly abused by teens?There are three that you need to be aware of: opioid pain medication, benzodiazepines, and psycho-stimulants. The opioid pain medications include Vicodin and OxyContin. Benzodiazepines include Valium, Xanax, and sleeping medications. Psychostimulants are drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta. These are all medications that commonly get prescribed. Some of them you may find sitting in your medicine cabinet. Because these are such commonly used medications, teens tend not to have a sense that these medications are dangerous or addictive: 2,500 12- to 17-year-olds will use opioids and prescription medicines for the first time today, and every day. These substances are highly addictive. Quite often we find that kids will look in their parents’ medicine cabinets and take a variety of pills, even if they’re not sure what the pills are. They think they’re safe because they are prescriptions, in fact, such arbitrary use results in a risk that can send them to a hospital or result in death.

Lower the Risk First of all, get the pills out of your medicine cabinet. Make sure that substances such as pharmaceuticals are treated in your household with the care and safeguarding that reflects your understanding as a parent of just how dangerous these substances are. Include your children in the information on why you’re doing this. They shouldn’t be able to open the medicine cabinet and see Vicodin left over from your wisdom tooth extraction or sleeping pills from your airplane trip. The medicine should be under lock and key, or out of your house.

Where are kids getting all of these prescription drugs we keep hearing about? Is there a stash of OxyContin around your house? What prescription medications do you have? Let’s understand there’s an awful lot of talk about drugs running across the border in the United States, but the prescription drug abuse problem we have is something that’s preventable and controllable. Yes, a percentage of these substances come from the internet, but the majority of these pills come out of parents’/relatives medicine cabinets. They may come from an extended care facility, or from the home of an elderly person who is being prescribed these drugs. That’s where we see a lot of the availability. Also, it’s helpful to know that most data showing students that have legitimate prescriptions for antidepressants, generally don’t abuse them. Again make sure that you as parents educate yourself about the medication(s) your children are taking. Again, if they include benzodiazepines, opioid pain medication or psycho-stimulants we can acknowledge that these substances have potential for abuse without over reacting.

Prevention/EducationAlthough some media news can be negative, parents can use the media events of someone overdosing or abusing drugs as an opportunity to educate their children on how cunning, treacherous, and deadly the disease of addiction really is. If a parent becomes aware of their child using or having non-prescribed drugs on them then this situation constitutes a very serious matter in my opinion. Reach out to a professional such as your doctor, school intervention specialist, or CDP professionals that can assist you with the appropriate intervention needed. Some other prevention measures include: families sharing meals together and a verbal and written staying safe or driving safe contract.

Thank you,

Michael Clune, NCAC II , M.H.S., CDPIntervention Specialist MTHS

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Students involved in Sports and Clubs have a greater sense of belonging and have better attendance! Contact Kim Stewart, Activities and Athletic Director for more information on how your student can get involved.424-431-5693 or stewartk@edmonds.wednet.edu

Chess Club Advisor: Michael Clune

CLUNE’S CORNER

Michael Clune NCAC II, M. H. S., CDP Prevention/Intervention Specialist

Mr. Clune is available to assist MTHS students and their families with mental health and alcohol drug issues. He is a Nationally Certified Addictions Counselor, a Mental Health Specialist and is Nationally Certified to deal with Domestic Violence/Anger Management and Relapse Preventions problems. Phone: (425) 431-5599

Office: Counseling Center clunem@webnet.edmonds.edu

Hours: 7:30 am - 2:30 pm M-F (except Weds.)

Music Department News and EventsThe MTHS music program continues to be very visible and well received at school and in the community. The bands participated in a powerful and poignant Veterans Day Assembly and their winter concert was an innovative “Songs and Stories.” The Orchestra and Choir Winter Concert featured “Gloria” with new instrumentation and music from individual groups for a large, appreciative audience.

The annual Music Boosters’ Breakfast with Santa December 12 was a very successful, fun and festive community event which served over 575 breakfasts. Thank you to the many volunteers and the donations from parents and businesses too numerous to list. Thank you also to photographer Jerry Mathers and “Santa.” There was also great entertainment from ESD music groups!

The Dynamics Vocal Jazz Ensemble was the invited and featured performer at the Lynnwood Martin Luther King Celebration at the Lynnwood Convention Center January 14th. They also performed at the January MTHS Showcase along with Accents, Orchestra, and Jazz Ensemble 1. Alan Garcia was the MC and individual musicians also demonstrated their talent in vocal solos, drama, comedy, and dancing.

Many MTHS musicians are preparing for upcoming festivals and competitions. Dynamics members are also very involved with the March musical. Jazz Ensemble 1 and 2 will be performing at Vancouver’s Clark College Jazz Festival on January 30. Chamber Winds will be at the U.W. Band Festival February 2. There is also the WMEA District Solo and Ensemble Contest at Lynnwood High School February 6. Orchestra is having a Solo and Ensemble Tea at 6:00 pm in the Choir Room on February 3.

Congratulations to band students Jack Walters, tenor sax, and Jessica Lindsay, oboe, who auditioned and were selected to WMEA All-State honor groups. Jack will rehearse for three days with the All-State Jazz Band and Jessica with the All-State Wind Ensemble over winter break in Yakima with concerts February 14th and 15th respectively.

The Dynamics and Accents will both be performing at the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival February 25-27 in Moscow, Idaho. The Dynamics hope to obtain the “Outstanding 4A Choir” award for the fourth time. They will have an intense rehearsal at a February 20 Shoreline Community College recording session. It should be noted the SE Quad Choral Concert is April 27th and not February 25th as shown on the ESD calendar.

Jazz Ensemble 1 and Jazz Ensemble 2 will also be attending and performing at Lionel Hampton February 25-28. Hopefully band members will remain healthy this year. Enjoy a preview at Jazz Night 3 on February 23 at 7:00 pm in the Theater.

The Orchestras have been busy planning and preparing for their Spring Break trip when 34 students travel to San Diego for a Heritage Festival which includes a performance, adjudication and clinic. The awards celebration and dance will be at Sea World. They will also perform at Disneyland and attend a workshop recording Disney music for a DVD of a Disney movie. Orchestra premiered two of their festival pieces at the MTHS Showcase. Orchestra will be working at the U.W. Men’s Basketball Concessions as a fundraiser until February 20th. All MTHS musicians may raise money for their groups by selling beautiful hanging baskets March 3rd to March 17th with pick-up before Mother’s Day. Contact a music student or MB President Shaunne Walters at John.Shaunne@verizon.net. Go to www.mthsbands.org for more events and updates.

Chamber Orchestra and Choirs at the Winter Concert

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March 4 Band Spring Concert at 7:00pm in the Theater

March 5 Chamber Winds to CWU Band Festival in Ellensburg

March 5-6 Musical “25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee” in the Theater

March 9 Orchestra Spring Concert at 7:00 pm in the Theater

March 11 Sno-King Orchestra Festival at Shoreline Center

March 11-13 Musical “25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee” in the Theater

March 19 Jazz Ensemble 1 performs at Hot Java Cool Jazz at 7:30 pm in the Paramount Theater as one of the area’s outstanding high school jazz bands. Contact Shaunne Walters for more info.

March 23 Chamber Winds at the Sno-King Choral Festival at Shoreline Center (not Choir!)

March 25 All bands except jazz at the Sno-King Band Festival at Shoreline Center

Upcoming Music Events

MUSIC ALERT!Please support the Edmonds School District Replacement Levy and mail in ballots by Thursday, February 9. If the Levy fails, the district will lose the entire music program! There will also be other devastating changes.

Mountlake Terrace High SchoolEdmonds School District20420 68th Avenue WestLynnwood WA 98036

Do We Have Your Correct Address?

We mail a number of things to par-ent homes throughout the school year. Please be sure your correct name, address and phone number are on file with us. If you have a cor-rection, please contact Mary Kikikis at 425-431-5662 or our attendance office at 425-431-7781.

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Lynnwood WA Permit No. 23

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Helpful information is available on MTHS’s website: www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths

Grad Night Party InformationThe number one cause of death for our seniors is automobile accidents. They are more likely to be involved in a fatal accident on graduation night than at any other time in their lives. (Information was taken from Grad Nights, Essential Party Guide). 6 great reasons why your graduate should attend their Grad Night Party

• Historically, graduation night claims the lives of more 18-year-olds than any other night.

• The seniors are together to celebrate, perhaps for the last time as a group, before going their separate ways.

• They are supervised all night.

• There will be no opportunity for them to use drugs or alcohol, so they never have to bow to peer pressure or make dangerous decisions. Ultimately, they will realize that it is possible to celebrate without alcohol or drugs.

• You will have peace of mind knowing where your kids are, and that they are having a great time on this special night.

• Throughout their lives, your graduates will look back on this party as a very special night to remember.

Tickets are on sale now for $95.00. Ticket price will go up on April 1st and could go up to $150.00. To purchase your tickets NOW, email Roberta Netz at bobbierae17@hotmail.com.

We will be having multiple fundraisers to help keep the ticket price down. If you have never received an email regarding the Class of 2010 please email Roberta to get on the list.

Together we can keep our kids safe!