november 2019 the sy 1920, issue 4 grizzly growl · ferrari, daniela and michael fincher, debbie...

From the Principal

By Jay Salter, Principal, Galena High School

A t the end of October, the cold weather finally set in on the Galena campus, and my duty rotation for

Nutrition Break and Lunch changed and sent me from playing chess with the students in the lunchroom to patrolling the student parking lots. As a quick way of transporting around the giant areas, I started riding my bike so I could meet and spend time with students. I even convinced a Washoe County School District official to come and do bike patrol with me, and then one of our students put on a “wheelie” exposition with her bike, which was amazing. Since I began the list of “firsts” last month, I had to ask the students about the interesting practice of eating in or around their cars during breaks, almost like a daily “tailgate” party. This is truly a piece of Galena High School culture that I have seen nowhere else, and for which I have received a variety of explanations

from the students. Nevertheless, every day I see students laughing and smiling, and when I ride by and ask what everyone is having for lunch, they usually invite me to join them. As a final note, I’d like to send out some congratulations to a few of our students who recently received recognition from the National Merit Scholarship

Corporation. Max Schnelker qualified as a “Semi-Finalist,” and Jackson Bellard, Ty Demosthenes, and Isabel Peralta all qualified as “Commended Students” in the national competition for 2020. While they are being recognized for certain academic achievement, after meeting each of them, I was so

very impressed to learn about all the other things that made them individuals worthy of recognition as well because they are active citizens, athletes, philanthropists, and volunteers.

GALENA HIGH SCHOOL FIVE STAR BOOSTERS’ NEWSLETTER

November 2019 SY 1920, Issue 4

Grizzly Growl November 2019 SY 1920, Issue 4

Published monthly by Washoe County School

District Galena High School 3600 Butch Cassidy

Way Reno, NV 89511

Phone number: 775-851-5630

Website: www.galenahigh.com

Jay Salter Principal

Julina Colt

PTO President

Editors Ardis Parmer

[email protected]

Allison Combs [email protected]

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Booster News 2

Booster Forms 3

5 Star Boosters 4

Administration 5

Career Center 10

Counseling Corner 11

Athletics 17

Activities 17

Calendar 18

The

GRIZZLY GROWL

Important Curriculum and Testing Dates:

November 11th No School – Veteran’s Day

December 2nd Academic Warnings Notices Mailed

December 16th – 19th Semester Finals – modified schedule

January 16th First Semester Report Cards Issued

January 29th AP/College Night, 6:00 PM

February 18th Academic Warnings Notices Mailed

February 25th ACT – Career and College Readiness – Juniors ONLY

March 13th Nine-Week Grading Period – Progress reports issued April 9th

April TBD Nevada Science Assessment – Freshmen ONLY

May 4th – 15th Advanced Placement Exams

May 12th Academic Warnings Notices Mailed

June 5th Second Semester Ends – Reports Cards Mailed June 18, 2020

5-Star Booster News

PAGE 2

A Message From your Booster President

Academics Achievement Activities Arts Athletics

T he Dollar for Scholars Fundraiser held at Wolf Run Golf was a great success! Thank you to everyone who helped and came to support Galena

High School. It was a lot of fun! A huge thank-you to Christy Saute for stepping up again this year to chair the event, and the following families for their generous donations: Saute, Maury, Angella, Applebach, Braband, Johnson, Christy, “Doc” Watson, and the ‘’Kernal’’. Please say thank-you by patronizing the following business that graciously donated to the event: 10 Torr, Land Ocean, Rattlesnake Club, Teriyaki Maddness, Gengis Grill, Ruby River, Wild Wild Car Wash, Napa Sonoma, Win Co, Moana Nursery, The Nugget, Beautifully Zen, Duncan Golf, Reno Air Races, Mt Rose, Dr. Wilson/Nevada Vision Group, Skipolini’s, Reno Philharmonic, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare, Trader Joes, Elegant Avenue, GJ Rhodes, Reno Brew Bike, Johnny’s, La Cuccina, Peppermill Resort, Famous Dave’s, Boisset Wines/Allison Ribertson, The Find, Chipotte, Butcher’s Kitchen Char BBQ, ,Reno Aces and 1868, Concepts/Fine n Funky, Vibes Up, The Sidener Family with Reno Sport & Spine Institute, Bistro 7, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Starbucks, Urban Air, Fly High Trampoline, The Grill, Paris Nails, Mod Pizza, Healthy Tails, The Nugget, Orange Theory, Sports Clips, Natural Paws, In N Out, Los Compadres, Beer NV, National Automobile Museum, Raising Canes, Chick-Ful-A, Nothing to It, Port of Subs, Nevada State Museum, Lampost Pizza, Mel’s Dinner, Yosh’s, Burger Me, Vino 100, Pier 39, Board & Brush, Costco, Blaze Pizza, Total Wine, Halo Salon, Wild Island, Yogurt Beach, Galena 5 Star Boosters, and The Hagan Family with Goodmills Winery. A very special thank you “Doc” Watson form Raley’s, and Christine Fougis for pouring throughout the night! If your child is participating in a winter sport, remember it is not too late to purchase a GHS athletic pass that is good for attendance at all home games and supports student achievement and academic enhancements too. Please fill out the membership form on page 3 and return it to the office. Our annual “No Fundraiser- Fundraiser” is ongoing . Please consider making a donation to this one-time fundraiser. Without having to sell a thing, you can make a difference benefiting the students of Galena. We appreciate your thoughtful consideration. Please see and complete the form on the next page. Remember we are the sole organization that supports classroom learning and enables teachers to more effectively do their jobs. Many thanks to all those who have contributed to our efforts this year!! Please know your time and financial support is greatly appreciated by all. Do you want to get involved?? Galena 5 Star Boosters would love to have your help! Please feel free to call me and see what fits for you. Happy Holidays!!!

Julina Colt

(775) 772-6897

Galena High School

5-Star Booster

2019-2020

Meeting Schedule

PTO meetings are held in the front office’s Conference Room on the following dates:

November 20th 5:30 pm

January 22nd 5:30 pm

February 19th 5:30 pm

March 11th 5:30 pm

April 22nd 5:30 pm

May 13th 5:30 pm

All Booster members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

GRIZZLY ’S GROWL

GRIZZLY ’S GROWL PAGE 3

5-Star Booster News

Insert pdf page from October edition

NEW PTO Members and Donors

THE GRIZZLY ’S GROWL PAGE 4

5-Star Booster News

Abowd, Racquel and Baker, Scott

Adams, Zuzana and Michael

Altom, Christelle and Tyler

Alvarez, Nancy and Hsu, Rick

Anderson, Derah and Sam

Anderson, Heidi

Anderson, Janna and Joel

Anderson, Krista and Cal

Angella, Amy*

Armstrong, Christine and Tristan

Auger, Catherine and Kevin**

Baker, Jaime*

Baker, Lindsey and Matt

Bartholomew, Diane and Kent

Bell, Dorothy**

Bellard, Michelle Wise and Bret***

Benoy, Kari and Greg*

Black, Pat and Josh

Blasquez, Michelle and Mike*

Bloch, Melissa and Michael

Bogart, Erin and Dave

Bratcher, Gina

Bronander, Lisa and Kirk

Bruntz, Tracy and Lance

Buell, Joan and Duane

Buhrmann, Nikki and Dan*

Burns, Bridget and Brandon

Canepa, Gretchenand Jim

Carhart, Wendy and Mike

Cates, Annie

Chesney, Lisa and Bonnie Robertson

Childs, Julia and Orrin

Christy, Michelle and Scott***

Clark, Miah and Shawn

Cohen, Stacie and Greg*

Collins, Kimberly

Colt, Julina*

Combs, Allison and Rick*

Combs, Carol and Marcus

Compston, Michon and Brett

Conatser, Chrissy

Conway, April and Cotter*

Corcoran, Mary and Jeff*

Corrigan, Kelly and Jim Cryer*

Craddock, Ann Marie and Hal

Crecelius, Diane & Ronald Swanger***

Crow, Terri and Sean

Cuddy, Debra and Ryan*

Cutler, Niki and Justin

Day, Marsha and Alan**

Denney, Allyson and Bruce

Denton, Lorna and Joe

Depaoli, Lenni and Tony

Derifield, Becky and Shawn

Detton, Dawn**

DiNapoli, Julie and Jason Fairman*

Doenges, Colleen and Daniel

Dowling, Teena and John*

Dugan, Fether and Scott*

Dunn, Melita and Scott

Durrer, Laura and Dan

Edwards, Sandra and Tyler

Elgin, Blair and Brad

Erwin, Sally and Rob

Espinosa, Daniele and Shawn

Esslin, Kerry and Scott

Etter, Sheryl and Boyd

Evans, April and Brian*

Ferrari, Daniela and Michael

Fincher, Debbie and George

Fitzpatrick, Leigh and Rory*

Flocchini, Joanne and Chris*

Fontani, Julie and Roberto

Gagne, Clara and Michael*

Gajeski, Cheryl and Tom Heffernan

Galvin, Melanie and Jay

Gini, Renee and Ryan*

Gonda, Rebecca and Jeremy

Gotchy, Karen and Matt

Gravelle, Tracey and Ben

Grayson, Crystal and James

Greene, Patricia and Ken

Gregory, Wendy and Scott

Griffin, Kara and Fritz*

Gustafson, Cheryl and Rhea

Hadwick, Laurie and Bill Creekbaum*

Handelin, Catie and Mark***

Hansen, Kristina

Hardman, Marling and Charles

Harger, Mary and Richard

Harmer, Joylyn and Don*

Hartley, Shannon and Chad

Hartwig, Jessica and Aaron*

Henry, Desireeand Russell

Herrick, Tiffiny and Matt

Hess, Patty and Brian

Higashi, Lynell and Happ

Highley, Jen and Chris

Holback, Mandy*

Hollander, David

Hollander, Jennifer

Horgan, Amy and Nic

Hubbard, So Jin and Jim

Huene, Tricia and Don

Humes, Melissa and Tim**

Hutchin, Zarqa and Richard

Irvine, Katie and Brian

Jaksick, Dawn and Todd

Johnson, Lisa*

Jonkey, Ashley and Matt

Jukes, Constance***

Kardash, Angelika and Eugene

Kinne, Kristine and Paul

Klitzke, Bryn and Greg

Komar, Donna and James

Kosey, Amy and Crapo, Larry

Kosman, Kathleen and Cody

Krasner, Lisa and Charles

Krysztof, Erica and Mike*

Kulikowski, Jacquey

Kumar, Padmavathy and Victor

La Fountain, Claudia and Dan

LeMay, Monika and Steven*

Lenon, Tanya and Ron*

Lomoljo, Don and Karina

Long, Jana and Brandon*

Lundeen, Kim and Gregg***

Mates, Betsy*

McCaskill, Karen and Jeff

McClintock, Wendy and Kevin Ward

McKemy, Leah and Michael*

McKenzie, Colette and Brien**

McMaster, Tiffany

Mee, Margo and Jay

Meehan, Annette and Greg

Miller, Carrie and Mark*

Miller, Victoria and Jared

Mitchell, Clara and Craig Fraser*

Monaghan, Leigha and Ryan

Montella, Tina***

Moreno, Debbie and Mark

Morrow, Libbie and Jeff

Moschetti, Rhonda*

Muff, Janet and Dan***

Munro, Christine and Keith

Neal, Heather and Chris

Nebe, Sherri and Ty

Nelson, Amy and Loren

Nobis, Julie and Christian

Obert, Kelly and Robert

Olsen, Alison and Jon**

Olverholser, Jason*

Parmer, Ardis and Jay*

Partridge, Laura**

Pauly, Anne and Quinn**

Peterson, Paula and Matt*

Phinney, Cody and Jason

Pickett, Molly

Pitani, Keshav*

Primka, Melissa and Jim*

Puntoriero, Adriane and Mike***

Radoumis, Lori and Tony

Ramos, Kim and Garyn

Rasmussen, Denice and Brian*

Rathjen, Danny and Kaoru

Reilly, Krista and Chris

Renner, Carolyn and Tim

Revels, Angie and Patrick

Reyes, Maria

Rieli, Jenna and Rich

Rossiter, Kim

Rost, Christine and Eric

Rotary Club*

Rounds, Nicole and Chris

Rovig, Alison and Steve

Russell, Monique and Steve

Ruvalcaba, Maria and Juan

Salcedo, Sarah and Juan

Saute, Christy and Richard***

Schmauder, Theresa and Bill

Schroeder, Melissa and Jay

Shelley, Vickie

Shima, Rebecca*

Simmons, Michelle and Kevin

Smith, Jill and Rob*

Snelgrove, Barb and Dave*

Sohl, Lynda and Jim

Solaro, Megan and Dave

Squire, Lisa and Robert*

Stark, Carrie and Jim

Sullivan, Kris and Tom*

Talafuse, Tiffany and Steve*

Thomas, Barb and Rick

Tucker, Tina Ku and Aaron

Turri, Michelle and John

Vagujhelyi, George and Jennifer Racca*

Vanlobensels, Jeff and Mates, Betsy

Viets, Anne**

Wagner, Sangeeta

Watson, Chadd

Weber, Anita, Tim and Jim Robertson

Welch, James and Lisa Cieri-Welch***

Wells, Janet and Lutz, Nick*

Whipple, Jelaine and Jon

Wigmore, Jennifer and Grant

Wigmore, Jennifer and Grant

Wilde, Brooke*

Williams, Tammy and Richard

Winchester, Heather and Bill*

Wirshing, Tracy

Wittler, Aimee and Gabe

Wood, Angela

Wortman, Renee and Tom

Yokota, Sumire and Allen Liu**

Zaretsky, Elizabeth and Robert*

*Bronze Grizzly

**Gold Grizzly

***Platinum Grizzly

Administration

GRIZZLY BATTALION NEWS

The Grizzly Battalion Drill Team, Commanded by Command Sergeant Major Andrew Nielson, performed magnificently at Spanish Springs High School on 19 October 2019. This was the second of four Drill meets this year. We only placed in two drill competitions though; third in the Unarmed Regulation and second in Regulation with Arms. Other events we competed in were Regulation Without Arms and Color Guard. We have two meets remaining, and we plan to fight hard. We still have the Reed Drill Meet that is on 2 November, and the Northern Nevada Championship on 16 November.

Our October Cadet of the Month Board winner are Cadet Liam Hartman and Cadet Sadie Ward.

Michael E. Iratcabal

Lieutenant Colonel, Retired

Senior Army Instructor

W hat a productive fall we have had at Galena. We

have had several applications and FAFSA

workshops where many students and families attended, over

16 college/universities visited and a very successful Dollars

for Scholars event. Moving forward please continue to

watch deadlines required by your school of interest and

make sure all your documentation is being submitted. It is

not too late to apply to vocational schools or community

colleges as many of them have rolling admission programs.

Still interested in financial aid? Please apply for

FAFSA as soon as you can. We held our last workshop on

10/30, however, both financial aid departments at the

University of Nevada, Reno and TMCC will help students

submit their applications. Contact the financial aid office to

schedule a visit or check their websites to see if workshops

are being offered. Many times, they offer workshops on a

Saturday or during evening hours.

As November begins, you will receive more

notifications regarding local scholarships. Please continue to

check our website for updated information. In addition, our

Galena General Scholarship Application will be available in

late November. Announcements will be sent out in all

government classes encouraging students to apply. We

encourage all

eligible seniors to

apply and I give

you plenty of time

to complete the

application since

the due date this

year will be

February 14, 2020. If you ever have any questions or

concerns, please call or email me at

[email protected]. Have a wonderful fall.

Ms. Applebach

[email protected]

College Ready & Career Events

11/20 TMCC application workshop 7th period

11/6 UNR Question and Answer Session

during lunch in the Career Center

12/3 UNR Question and Answer Session

during lunch in the Career Center


Career Center—Sylva Applebach, College and Career Center Facilitator

Notes from the Den

Marcus Culpepper, Assistant Principal


Administration

Winter Ball

Our annual Winter Ball will be taking place on Saturday, December 14th from 7-10 p.m. This year we will be at the Terry Lee Wells Discovery Museum located at 490 S. Center Street Reno, NV 89501. The attire is semi-formal and tickets will be on sale in the coming weeks. Please note that parking is very limited. We highly recommend you give your child a ride to this dance. If you are not called to pick up your child early, please be at the Museum by 10:00 p.m. to pick him/her up. This dance is for all Galena students. If your child is planning to invite a friend who attends another high school, paperwork for a guest pass must be completed and submitted one week prior to this event. Please see Mrs. Schultz at the front office for more information on guest passes.

Tardiness

Tardies restarted on Monday, October 14. Students are allowed four tardies each quarter before receiving a consequence. The fifth tardy is one reflection activity (lunch detention) and the consequences increase after each additional tardy. Excessive tardiness, more than 30 minutes late, will result in a lunch time reflection activity (20 minutes), unless your student receives their 5th or more tardy (tardy consequence + excessive tardy). You can access your child’s attendance report on Infinite Campus to verify attendance. Please inform your student to keep in mind that the weather is beginning to change and plan accordingly when driving to school to make sure they are in their class before 8:00 AM.

Dress Code

With the cooling weather please be reminded that hoods and hats are not allowed to be worn inside the building. Dress code has changed this year, please refer to the student handbook for the dress code policy. New policy states that private or intimate parts of the body should not be showing and shorts/skirts should be at least to the mid-thigh. Also, no midriffs should be showing as well. Our administration team will continue to enforce our dress code policy. Double check your child’s attire in the mornings before they leave for school. Please help us by asking them to change if what they are wearing looks questionable. A violation of our dress code will result in changing into other clothes and possible additional consequences.

School Safety and Secret Witness

Our administration team and school staff are working hard to keep our students safe at Galena High School. If at any time a student feels they have witnessed or heard of anything that shouldn’t be occurring on school campus, they can make a tip to SafeVoice without anyone knowing their identity. The SafeVoice phone number is (833) 216-SAFE. Students can also visit the website at www.safevoicenv.org. SafeVoice also has an app that can be downloaded at the Apple or Google Play stores. With over 1500 students on the campus, we all need to work together to keep our students and staff safe.

Galena Winter Ball

Saturday, December 14th

The Discovery Museum

http://www.safevoicenv.org/

Administration


Curriculum and Testing Corner By Crystal Edwards, Assistant Principal, Curriculum & Testing

1-6 FINAL SCHEDULE

Tuesday – 12/17/19

8:00-9:45 1st Period

10:00-11:45 2nd Period

Wednesday – 12/18/19

8:00-9:45 3rd Period

10:00-11:45 4th Period

Thursday – 12/19/19

8:00-9:45 5th Period

10:00-11:45 6th Period

FINALS BELL SCHEDULE

7* FINAL “C” Day SCHEDULE

Monday – 12/16/19

8:00-9:45 7* Final (105 minutes)

9:45-9:55 Nutrition

10:00-10:35 1* Period

10:40-11:15 2* Period

11:15-11:50 Lunch

11:55-12:30 3* Period

12:35-1:10 4* Period

1:15-1:50 5* Period

1:55-2:30 6* Period

Our sophomores and some juniors took the PSAT in October. Galena HS tested 399 students on October 16th. Special thank you to all the staff that worked diligently that day with testing procedures, bell schedule flexibility, and adjustments to their classroom/curriculum plans. Students will be receiving the results approximately in mid-January, 2020. Our sophomore and junior counselors will be distributing the results to students upon receipt of the individual scores. National Merit and Scholarship information will come directly from College Board. The first semester is ending within seven weeks of this mailing. The nine-week progress reports are scheduled to be issued on November 1st. And December 2nd will be the last Academic Warning for the first semester. This is the time of year that students start to feel the pressure of finals fast approaching and the time crunch to make-up missing work and/or preparing themselves for finals. Start now by asking your teachers if there is anything you need to do prior to finals to ensure you are prepared for finals week. Know your goal – pass all of your classes – earn your credits for the semester and keep your education plan on track!!! Quick tips: 1. Students should go see the teacher before or after school. 2. Students should turn in all homework and study for tests, as well as, turn in those projects.

Advanced Placement Exams Fees. If you have not paid your $95 exam fee (per course), please pay your fees to the Galena bookkeeper. Payment for AP exams can be paid at any time to the Galena book keeper, prior to the exams. You can make payments on the $95.00 per AP Exams for your students. If your student is taking an Advanced Placement course an exam fee is required. Advanced Placement Exams will be given on May 4th – 15th, 2020. Advanced Placement/College Night will be held January 29th at 6:00 PM in the Galena Theater. The College Night portion of the evening will give students and parents a snapshot of what colleges are looking for and the best preparation for college. The Advanced Placement portion of the evening will give students and parents an opportunity to learn about Galena’s Advanced Placement Program. It is highly recommended you attend if you are planning on or considering taking an AP course(s). Currently, Galena offers 17 AP courses: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science and Principles, Environmental Science, Calculus, Statistics, Psychology, English Language, English Literature, US History, American Government, Human Geography, European History, Music Theory, Studio Art, French Language, and Spanish Language and Culture. Testing Information: All students are required to take a College and Career Ready (CCR) exam in order to graduate. This year the CCR is on Feb 25th, 2019 and is the ACT + Writing for 11th grade students.

Attendance, Athletics, Buildings and Grounds

Teresa Burrows, Assistant Principal, e-mail: [email protected]

Administration


Attendance Mandate:

NRS 392.122 establishes that minimum attendance is required for promotion to the next grade.

The Board of Trustees established WCSD Board Policy 5400 according to federal guidance that states students must not

be absent 10% or more of school days or they will be considered chronically absent and are at risk of retention or failure

of the course.

Chronically absent students include students who are absent for any reason (e.g., illness, doctor’s appointments,

suspension, the need to care for a family member), regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused.

Attendance Policy Changes for 2019-2020 School Year:

WCSD has adopted a new attendance procedure for the 2019-2020 school year.

Under the new process, students will be classified each day as “present” or “absent.” The reason for each absence will

no longer be considered; if a student is absent, they will be listed as “absent from school.”

All students should make up any missed work resulting from an absence to keep up with their classes. However,

make-up work will not remove the absence from their records.

Make-up work:

Teachers can still provide make-up work (Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed) for students who miss

school.

Students will have the number of days absent plus one to make up missing work beginning on the day the teacher

provides the missed assignments to the student.

Once the teacher has input that the Instruction Related Activities or Concepts have been returned/grasped and are

complete, the Instruction Related Activities Tracker will change the attendance code to reflect that the work has been

made up. But these absences will remain on the student’s record.

The change consists of two codes, Instruction Related Activities or Concepts Missed (IRA) and Instruction

Related Activities or Concepts Missed in Excess of 10 Days (MET)

Both codes will count against the student’s possible retention or failure as well as toward chronic absenteeism.

However, principals may review these entries and may take them into consideration when determining retention or failure.

• Attendance appeals are available at both the high school and middle school level for extenuating circumstances

and are at the discretion and approval of the principal.

• NRS states that a principal and teacher have the final decision on whether a student should be retained.

Make-up work can be considered in the final decision-making process.

Attendance Procedures

Families must call the school each day their student(s) is absent to acknowledge their absence and ensure their safety.

Families must provide a verbal or written excuse explaining the reason for the absence prior to, during, or within three

days after an absence.

All absences will count against the student’s chronic absenteeism.

Students have the opportunity to complete make up work from the absence, however the absence will still count

towards chronic absenteeism and possible retention or failure.

If the student is absent due to illness and is seen by a health care professional, families must provide a note from the

health care professional to the school. This absence will count against the student’s chronic absenteeism

If a student is going to be absent for 3 or more days, families must provide a note to school two days prior to their

absence. This absence will count against the student’s chronic absenteeism.

Families are encouraged to notify their school of any changes to their contact information, including phone numbers,

email address, home address, and emergency contact information.

As a parent you may receive an Attendance letter for your child’s absences if they have five or more in a period and/or full

days. The letter is to serve as a warning of the possible failure of the course. When the student makes up the work in the

class, the absence changes to an IRA or MET (see above) and will not count against Chronic Absenteeism. At the end of

the semester, if your student is passing the class, they can appeal the absences. When the appeal is approved, the student

will earn their credit for that course.

Counseling Corner


A s I write this, there are approximately SIXTEEN days of each class in the first

semester; thus, there is time to bring grades up to where students want them to be before final exams in December. Students need to stay diligent on their classwork and communicate with their teachers when issues arise. Now is the time for your senior to be thinking about what he/she will be doing next year. Since most jobs and careers do require additional training and education, we always keep students informed on post-high school educational options. We also have military recruiters on campus each week, and we do post jobs in the library. Seniors should RETAKE ACT/SAT exams BY DECEMBER for scholarship options and admissions. They can retake later in the year for PLACEMENT in English and Math courses if need be. The second quarter can be particularly stressful for many seniors as they are trying to stay on top of their classwork, complete multiple college applications, meet deadlines, and follow up on scholarship applications. We encourage students to stay as organized as possible through this process and for the remainder of the senior year. Students planning to go straight to work also need to manage classes and grades and graduate! The fall is the time to finalize college applications: applying online, deciding where to apply, gathering letters of recommendation (if required), and working on essays (if required) for college applications. It’s good to set a goal to complete all college applications by an early deadline, within a reasonable time frame (e.g. Winter Break). Some schools have application deadlines in NOVEMBER. Early action is also usually in November. If you have any questions about specific admissions requirements for any school, contact the Admissions Office directly (or their websites) at those colleges. Even though many seniors may want to attend college out of state, applying to a “safety” school (which may include Nevada) is fast, easy, and may kick-start students on the application process. Both the University of Nevada and Truckee Meadows Community College applications for fall 2020 are open. Most colleges, including Nevada, encourage students to apply online. STUDENTS APPLYING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA SHOULD APPLY NOW (November 15 is priority deadline with February 1st the scholarship DEADLINE; do not wait until January!).

Students who apply early will hear admission status earlier; Early Registration is a smart way to go at Nevada, so students get the classes they want. Applying to college is always a multi-step process: complete the application on the college’s website, order official transcript on the Galena website, (under

Quick Links--Scribonline is WCSD’s official transcript system) to be sent to each college, then also order test scores from ACT/SAT to be sent to each college. If your student plans to live on-campus, he/she should complete any applications for housing ASAP; Nevada, for example, has had wait-lists for housing the past five years. Many colleges, especially private universities, use the Common Application as their application. The Common Application allows students to enter their information just once, and it can be sent to multiple schools. For all “Counselor Recommendations,” I need a resume from the student detailing Activities on campus, off campus, community service, employment, honors and awards and TIME to write it (ideally three weeks!). I provided seniors with a “letter of recommendation” template. Keep in mind many colleges may also require a supplemental application and essays in addition to the Common App--students need to double check this! Each school is different! The FAFSA is the required application for federal and state financial aid programs and is used by colleges to determine financial aid packages; these include grants, scholarships, work study, and loan offers. The application is free. Please keep an eye on your student for signs of senioritis. We want every single senior to graduate in June 2020. Please use our Infinite Campus program to monitor your student’s grades and progress. The student should communicate with his/her teachers. The semester ends on December 19th, and final semester grades will be posted on transcripts shortly thereafter. Seniors cannot afford to fail any of their classes! It is critical to address any failing grades right now. Let’s keep those grades up and have a strong end to the first semester of the senior year!

Senior Notes Robin Rife, Senior Counselor


Counseling Corner

T he 2019-2020 school year is moving fast; once again semester final exams are scheduled for BEFORE Winter Break (December 16-19). The junior year is a challenging academic year, with Algebra 2 and many

students taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes for the first time. It is crucial at this point to make sure that your student is not falling behind in any classes, especially in their core classes and classes required for graduation. The first quarter ended on October 18; although those grades are only “progress” grades, it is very important that students take necessary steps to improve any low or failing grades immediately to ensure passing grades by the end of the first semester in December. December grades are permanently reflected on your student’s transcript.

For any and all students struggling in one or more classes, there are a few tutoring options available. Please encourage your student to talk to his/her teachers one-on-one to help the student learn to advocate for self. If more involvement is needed, you or your student can email your student’s teachers directly via Infinite Campus – click on schedule and each teacher’s name. Good communication with your student’s teachers is vital for student success. If you are not connected to Infinite Campus yet, please contact Dana Leslie in our office so that you can monitor your student’s progress regularly. We are also updating our system of STUDENT VOLUNTEER TUTORS. We have drop in tutoring 3 days a week after school at Galena (M, T, Th 2:45-3:45, rooms are posted). There is also a list of adult (usually paid) tutors on the WCSD website. I’ve even seen parents post a job in the Career Center to hire their own student tutors. Businesses also offer tutoring services for fees: Huntington Learning Center, for example. Again, the best place to start is with the student’s teacher.

DUAL CREDIT – TMCC’s SPRING SEMESTER CLASSES ARE LISTED on their website: www.tmcc.edu/schedule. Students who have never taken a class at TMCC need to apply via their JUMP START PROGRAM then once a student has a NSHE ID #, complete the Permission to Enroll Form.

Go to https://www.tmcc.edu/steps-to-enroll/high-school/jump-start. Students need to complete paperwork NOW for spring classes (and asap for Wintermester online classes held Dec 23-Jan 16) to ensure they get a seat if interested.

Many juniors recently opted to take the PSAT on October 17th; those scores will be back either right before or right after Winter Break. NOW IS THE TIME for juniors to register to take college admission tests (ACT and/or SAT) for actual test dates in the spring. Students can go online now to register for the spring exams: www.sat.org/register (SAT) and www.actstudent.org/start (ACT). We suggest college-bound students take EACH test next spring: April 4 or June 13 for ACT and SAT May 2 or June 6 (SAT Subject tests require an additional test date and should only be taken if required by

desired college). At each website, students create an account to register for future tests and then later to get scores and to send score reports to colleges next school year. Galena is a popular test site so sign up early! The SAT and/or ACT is a required admissions component for most four-year colleges, including the University of Nevada, Reno. ** The WCSD is providing an ACT for all juniors on February 25th during the school day! This school-based ACT can be used for enrollment in Dual Credit classes in late April for summer and Fall (that schedule of classes opens April 15 on TMCC’s website).

A strong academic transcript (good grades!) in a challenging and rigorous high school curriculum is a primary factor in college admissions decisions. Colleges absolutely are reviewing junior year grades in this process! Please continue to encourage your student to put in that extra effort in all of their classes to ensure their academic success, a timely high school graduation (June 2021) and to best prepare them for their post-high school goals. As we mentioned to the students in September when visiting all U. S. History classes, time is running out for them to make-up any remaining credit deficiencies for graduation as well as making sure they have their admission requirements met for their colleges of interest. Students also received detailed information regarding several components of the college/career planning process. We have placed on the Galena High School Website COUNSELING DEPT page grade level informational Powerpoint presentations as well as a How to Read a Transcript Video and WCSD Diploma Guide and Seals and Endorsements updates. CHECK IT OUT or email me, and I can attach the paperwork and PPT to an email.

Juniors should already be involved in the planning process for “life after Galena”! Whether your student is considering four-year or community college, a technical or trade school, vocational training, the military or even full-time employment in the workforce, planning for the future and taking control of their direction is a valuable process and life-long skill. NOW is the time to start planning and researching colleges and career programs. When your family takes trips over the holidays, check out different schools and/or other vocational or career training programs in your travels. There are lots of great options online as well; one great link is found at www.collegeboard.org and click on the BIG FUTURE link, and even the Finding your College Fit dropdown. We also offer many resources in our Career Center in the Galena Library; Mrs. Applebach is an amazing career/college resource person! The high school years tend to pass rather quickly and planning ahead may result in less stress and anxiety as graduation nears. Your child’s counselor would be happy to support your efforts in best preparing your student for his/her educational and future goals. Please feel free to contact me,

Galena Junior Class Counselor, Mandy Campbell at [email protected] this fall.

Hello to our Juniors Families!

Counseling Corner


A t this point in time, you should have already received your progress report card. The semester ends on December 19th so there is still time for you to

improve! As we discussed in our Freshman class presentations, the final semester grades in December (and June) “count” and will be permanently reflected on your high school transcript. Communicating with your teachers is the first and most important step to start improving your grades. Ask them what you can do to get your grade up and when you can come in for extra help (lunch, before or after school, etc.). Your teachers are here to help you, but it is up to you to be proactive, advocate for yourself, and take advantage of the help offered to you. We understand that starting high school can be a little bit intimidating and we are more than happy to help facilitate the process of getting your student extra help…..so please, do not hesitate to ask! Please note: we have tutoring Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. Please see the posted schedule for location information.

In addition to staying on top of your classes this year (remember: the goal is graduation 2023 and it starts by passing your classes your freshman year!), the ninth-grade year is a great time to explore the various ways to get involved (i.e. sports, clubs, volunteering, and leadership). Be sure to listen to the announcements each day for more information on the clubs here at Galena (announcements are also posted on our website: www.washoeschools.net/galena). One thing to keep in mind as you start to explore extracurricular options is that it is often more advantageous

to be dedicated and deeply involved in two or three activities that you really enjoy (i.e. soccer team, art club, volunteering with a program, etc.) than to have a bunch of activities that you started and eventually quit or gave only a slight bit of time and attention to. ** It is a good idea, however, to sample clubs and activities as a freshman to narrow it down and discover what activities or programs you want to devote your time and attention too.**

Freshmen students: You should start a folder/list called “Things to Brag About.” List and file away all of the activities, sports, clubs, volunteering, etc., that you are involved in. Also include any awards/recognitions you receive and be sure to update it regularly. This list will come in very handy in three years when you are filling out college and scholarship applications! Ultimately, participate in those sports, activities, and/or clubs that you love, are interested in, and can dedicate yourself to while keeping your grades up and not creating huge amounts of stress. Sometimes this can result in a balancing act and figuring how to successfully balance academics and extracurricular activities is a lifelong learning process! In the end, however, it is not about “how long the list is” of activities that you were involved in that is important; rather it is the level of involvement and commitment that you invested (and hopefully had fun too!). As the saying goes: it is about quality, not quantity!

Keep those grades up Freshman- only one more month and you have completed your first semester of high school. Way to go!!

Mrs. Dunne/Mrs. Silva-Deines

Sophomore Corner

D ear Sophomores and Parents of Sophomores,

All sophomores took the practice test for the SAT on October 16th at Galena. Scores return in January or February and results will be given to students in their English classes at Galena.

Nine week grade reports will be given to students in class (November 1st) and are a progress report for students. Those grades do not appear on student transcripts. If some grades were lower than you hoped for, you have eight weeks to raise those grades before they are on your permanent record! Parents, If you have questions about your students grades you can email teachers directly from the infinite campus portal or you can call the main office and leave a message for a teacher to phone you. If you are unable to login to your portal please contact Dana Leslie. [email protected]

Remember there is free tutoring for all subjects at Galena every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday after school for one hour.

The tutoring classrooms are posted throughout the building. Just drop in with your homework or any difficult concepts that you need clarified or re-taught! There is a 4 pm bus. Talk to the den for details on drop off locations.

Parents, I presented a power point to all sophomores in their History classes a few weeks ago. I posted the power point on the Galena High Website https://www.washoeschools.net/galena for you to view. Click on counseling on the right side of the page and you will find the link to the power point on that page. I cover diploma options, drivers ed, required courses, tutoring, community service, and scholarship and college searches. We are working on another link that describes every detail of your students’ transcript and that link will post on the counseling page also. Tracy Melcher Sophomore Counselor [email protected]

Greetings Freshmen!

November

2 SAT 7,8,9 Fall Play 11 JROTC Veterans Day Parade 11 Veteran’s Day No Classes 14 Blood Drive 15,16 Fall Play 20 PTO Meeting (5:30 p.m.) 21 Senior Spotlight (7:00 p.m.) 27-29 Thanksgiving —No Classes

December 2 Guitar Concert (Gym)

4 Theater Class Performances

7 SAT

9-13 Winter Fest

11 Winter Concert

12 Santa Wrap

13 Winter Assembly

14 ACT

14 Winter Ball

16-19 Final Exams

18 PTO Teacher Luncheon

20-1/3 Winter Break—No Classes

January

February

March

April

May

June

1 Senior Yearbook Ads due

6 Classes Resume—”A” Day

20 Martin Luther King Holiday No Classes

22 PTO Meeting (5:30 p.m)

1 Military Ball

8 ACT

17 President’s Day Observed

No Classes

19 PTO Meeting (5:30 p.m.)

25 ACT for Juniors

TBD Spring Dance (7-10 pm)

3 Band Zone Concert

4 Strings Zone Concert

5,6, 7 Spring Musical (7 pm 2:30 pm)

10 ACT make-up for Juniors


12-13 Spring Musical (7:00 p.m.)

13 End of Grading Period

14 SAT

16-27 Spring Break—No Classes

23-27 Intersession

30 Classes Resume -“A” Day

4 ACT

15 Drama Club Performance

18 Prom

21 Blood Drive


22/23 One Act Plays

TBD NHS Induction Ceremony

23-25 State Leadership Conference

30-2 Choir/Theater Trip

2 SAT

4-8 Teacher Appreciation Week

4-15 AP Testing

6 Mr. G

TBD JROTC Awards Night

6 PTO Teacher Breakfast


18 Spring Guitar Concert (GHS)

TBD Spring Choir Concert (GHS)

20 Underclassman Awards Night

21 Senior Assembly & Luncheon

21 Senior Sunset

25 Memorial Day—No classes

26 Senior Awards Night (Atlantis)

28 Spring Strings Concert (Atlantis)

2-5 Final Exams 3 Graduation Practice

4 Senior Parking Lottery 4 PTO Teacher Luncheon

5 Last Day of School 5-7 Senior Disney Trip

6 SAT TBD Graduation

13 ACT

EVENT CALENDAR

2019-2020

Calendar updated monthly in Growl. Additional events and early releases will be added as space allows. Plan for an early dismissal every Wednesday (1:45 pm) unless otherwise notified.

FROM THE OFFICE Do you have a new phone number or

have moved recently?

Are you receiving the Grizz Growl & other school-wide emails?

To update your information, please contact Dana Leslie in the office at 851-

5630x7

([email protected])

¿Tiene un número de teléfono nuevo o recientemente ha trasladado o

cambiado de lugar?

¿Está recibiendo el boleGrizz Growl y otros correos electrónicos de Galena

High School?

Para ponerse en contacto con nuestro intérprete, llame a Mario Ramos a 851-

5630 extensión #30514 (jrising@ .net)

november 2019 the sy 1920, issue 4 grizzly growl · ferrari, daniela and michael fincher, debbie...

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