News from Rose and Alex Pilibos School

We hope to continue contact with parents via email as much as possible. It is our goal to minimize paper usage and traditional mailings. It is with your help that we can make this goal a reality.

Varsity Basketball Games @ the Staples Center

PILIBOS

FERRAHIAN

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December 8

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Girls' Varsity

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For more information, contact

Pilibos Athletics

0.5238095238095238

Long sleeved polos with the school emblem are now available for sale at Modella Clothing,

located at
3829 Foothill Blvd., La Crescenta 91214.

(818) 248-7798

or order them online at www.modellauniforms.com

Please Note:

First day of school for the 2011-2012 School Year will be August 22, 2011.

This Holiday Season...

If you shop at Target, Office Depot, Jamba Juice, The Americana at Brand, or The Grove, you can have a percentage of your purchases donated to Pilibos.

For Target, all you need to do is go

online to www.target.com/tcoe
to link your redcard to our school. All purchases made after that will automatically donate a percentage to our school.

For American and the Grove, keep your receipts and show them to the concierge upon your departure. They will credit our school as necessary.

For Office Depot, just mention our school name at the cashier and they will apply the credit.

For Jamba Juice, just flash your frequent user card and we will receive a percentage...on gift card purchases as well!We hope that with your help we can earn some extra income for our school!!!

School Spirit

The week of November 30 - December 3, 2010 is "Spirit Week". The student council has organized a variety of events to involve the students and bring about their school spirit, including a Pep-Rally on Friday, December 3.

Tuesday, November 30th- Wacky Olympics

Wednesday, December 1st- Steal the Eagle
Thursday, December 2nd- Quiz Bowl (3rd-11th ONLY!)
Friday, December 3rd- Pep Rally

(On Friday, students have the option of wearing blue polo shirts, t-shirts, or sweatshirts (without any writing or designs on them) along with their school uniform skirts or pants.)

THE ARF AT 120: HISTORY IN THE MAKING

The conference titled "The ARF at 120: History in the Making" will be held on December 4, 2010 at the Davidson Conference Center on the campus of University of Southern California. The conference will critically examine such key issues as socioeconomic aspects of ARF's activities in Armenia; role of women in the ARF; the challenge of functioning as state-based political party and a Diaspora-wide political movement; and assessments of historical developments and issues of current relevance.

Click www.arf120.com for more info.

December

P.A.S.S.

As you already know, we recently upgraded our existing grading software system and have thus adopted a web based grading program for grades K-12^th. As a result, parents can now stay informed with Schoolmaster's Parental Access Support System (PASS), which gives parents secure and confidential Web Portal access to student progress data they need, such as gradebook information, attendance, progress reports, schedules, and classes.

Each student was assigned a username and password that was sent to parents in a recent mailing. Parents can log onto www.pilibos.org and click on the PASS button on our homepage to access their child's information.

With just a click of a button, we hope to have strengthened the road of communication between parents, teachers, and students.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our office for assistance.

Open House

The first quarter Open House will take place on Thursday, December 9, 2010, from 6:00- 9:00 p.m. Please note that this will be a full day of instruction for the students.

This open house is primarily organized for the the parents of those students whose academic performance in the first quarter is of concern to us. However, any parent who wishes to attend to talk to any of his/her child's teachers is welcomed to so.

Baron Garbis

On November 23, 2010, Baron Garbis Chekerdemian passed away. Many of you may remember Baron Garbis, either as a teacher, a colleague, a mentor, or most definitely a friend.

Baron Garbis was an educator at Alex Pilibos for about 30 years. He taught various subjects throughout the years, Armenian, English, and Social Studies. But Baron Garbis is remembered here at Pilibos for more than that. He is remembered for all his contributions and years of service he provided to this school. He was the one of the originators of the annual 8th grade Washington D.C. trip, he headed the Student Council for many years, but most of all he was a mentor and friend to all who crossed his path.

Armenian Bone Marrow Registry Walkathon - Pilibos Students Volunteer

On Saturday, November 13th at 7:30 a.m., over 50 Rose and Alex Pilibos students, teachers, and parents gathered at the entrance of the Memorial Hospital in Glendale. At 9 a.m., they started their three-mile journey to Verdugo Park. The students took time out of their busy schedules to take part in the Armenian Bone Marrow Registry Walkathon. With their involvement and over $2000 donation, they believed they could make a difference in the research of a life threatening disease.

Many attendees look forward to participating and supporting future community activities.

Mock Trial

The case involved charges of assault and cyber-bullying, with the pre-trial arguing the constitutionality of a proposed cyber-bullying law.

Each team was divided into two parts, prosecution and defense. The prosecution pre-trial attorney was Anita Manuelyan. The prosecution attorneys were Sona Topalian, Nazeli Ekimyan, and Natalie Kalbakian. Sona gave the opening statement, and Natalie delivered the closing argument. The prosecution witnesses were Yeran Mansourian, Harut Stepanian, Harout Hamzoian, and Angelica Churchian. The clerk, who has the critical job of timekeeper, was Hasmik Geozalian. The prosecution competed on November 1.

The defense competed on November 8. The defense pre-trial attorney was Taron Torosian. The defense attorneys were Hayrapet Erganyan, Harut Dzhabrayan, and Haig Ter-Ghevondian. Hayrapet presented the opening argument for the defense, and Haig delivered the closing argument. The defense witnesses were Ani Nalbandian, Harout Hamzoian, Sona Topalian, and Nazeli Ekimyan. Christine Ter-Barseghyan served as the bailiff for the trial.

The Mock Trial program is an extremely popular one; approximately 70 high schools, both public and private, from all over Los Angeles County participate. Each year the Mock Trial program rewards 14 students for outstanding performance in their roles. This year Alex Pilibos students won two of those coveted awards: Haig Ter-Ghevondian won Outstanding Defense Attorney for his performance, and Harout Hamzoian won Outstanding Prosecution Witness for his performance as Chris Draper. These students received their awards on Monday, November 29, at the courthouse at the conclusion of the Mock Trial championship round.

"We are very proud of our students, and we are also proud to be the only Armenian school which offers this opportunity to our students," said Mr. Nazo Apanian, principal. "I would also like to thank our alumnus, Mr. Garo Daglian of the Daglian Law Group, for all of his help and support for our students and our Mock Trial program. He volunteered his time to guide our students in their presentations, and we greatly appreciate everything he has done."

Junior States of America - JSA

jsa jsa

On November 20th seventeen students gathered in front of the Pilibos gate's ready to embark on their long awaited trip to Fall State 2010 at the LAX Marriott. Fall State is the first overnight convention of the year, organized by Junior States of America where students gather from all-over Southern California to discuss and debate on issues relevant to today's society.

With over 1,200 delegates at this year's convention there was great excitement. Once the delegates reached the hotel, they were warmly greeted by the club moderator Mrs. Carolyn Sermeno. It is with her help and support that the Pilibos JSA chapter has permission to operate on the school campus.

After the opening session, the delegates proceeded to the debates and thought talks of their choice. Two of our very own delegates Haig Ter-Ghevondian and Hayrapet Erganyan gave subsequent speeches and all participated in thought talks.

The following day after the closing session the delegates gathered for a group picture and returned to school with better speaking skills, better social skills, and better sense of self, eager for the next convention.

Pilibos JSA Chapter

Talin Bagdassarian Co-President

Natalie Kalbakian Co-President

PTO

Giving Thanks For Thanksgiving Dinner!

Thanksgiving family dinner was a blast at Rose and Alex Pilibos! Parents, children, and their families gathered to celebrate thanksgiving together. The event was completely sold out and everyone had a great time. There was music entertainment, crafts for kids, great food and instant family pictures printed on the spot! Thank you to all who attended and participated!

Christmas Boutique Luncheon!

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We are excited to announce that our next event will be our Christmas Luncheon and Boutique. It will take place on December 4, 2010 at Anoush Banquet Hall in Glendale on Glenoaks. Ticket price is $ 50.00 and you can purchase them by calling (323)356-1750 to reserve your seat today. Come and enjoy lunch while you shop for Christmas gifts for the entire family. Get ready for a fantastic raffle that benefits school projects. Our grand raffle, amongst many raffle items, will be an iPad.

Come and see if you will be our lucky winner!

California Pizza Kitchen

We are also pleased to announce that on December 16, 2010 we will be having a fundraiser at California Pizza Chicken (CPK) in Glendale. Please come and support our school. We will be passing out flyers the week of the event that you must take with you. Good for carry out also. All proceeds go to school improvement projects!

In-n-Out Burger

On the last day of school before Christmas vacation, December 23rd we will be having the In-n Out truck on campus. Forms will be passed out at the beginning of the month. Please fill out the form and have your child return it to their homeroom teacher.

Once again we thank all the parents for the their continuing support to make our school the very best !!!!

Comedy Night

Save the date : February 4 and 5 2011 Comedy Night featuring Vahe Berberian !!!!!

pto@pilibos.org

COUNSELING OFFICE

Bookadventure.com LAUNCHES

The counseling office along with our AP English teacher Mrs. Mashelle Kirkman met with all K-5^th English teachers before the end of the first quarter to introduce this wonderful tool- Bookadventure.com. Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes!

After introducing it to the teachers, we presented the site to the students, browsed through selected titles with them, showed them a sample quiz and all the prizes they can potentially earn. Needless to say, the students were excited to start accessing the website. On November 15^th, all students who had parental consent were able to log on and browse at their convenience.

We all understand the importance of reading and this website encourages students to read independently while incorporating the use of technology into the learning process. We hope this is one of many ways we can motivate our students to read more often and earn some prizes on the way!

PLAN TEST

On November 23^rd, the 10^th graders took the PLAN test. As a "pre-ACT" test, PLAN is a powerful predictor of success on the ACT. At the same time, many schools recognize the importance of PLAN testing for all students, as it focuses attention on both career preparation and improving academic achievement. It is a comprehensive guidance resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school and post-graduation years. PLAN includes four multiple-choice tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science.

Once we receive the scores, which is sometime in mid-late January, we will go to all 10^th grade sections and help students interpret their results, explore career possibilities, and answer any questions they may have.

CAREER DAY

We are proud and honored to welcome professionals from various fields and backgrounds to our school on December 1, 2010 from 11:30am to 12:30pm for our 2^nd annual Pilibos Career Day. The Pilibos Alumni Association has graciously collaborated with the counseling office in organizing the event and will be providing refreshments and light brunch for the students and the professionals.

The professionals, many of whom are graduates of Pilibos will be introducing themselves and their particular field and will be discussing their academic and professional journey to our juniors and seniors. Afterwards the students will approach the professionals with their own specific questions.

This year we added careers that are not "mainstream", and our students seem very enthusiastic.

If you would like to participate in next years' Career Day, please email the counseling office at counselingoffice@pilibos.org or the alumni association at pilibosalumni@pilibos.org.

DRUG EDUCATION PRESENTATION

FOR HIGH SCHOOL

On Tuesday November 2 and Wednesday November 3, Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School welcomed Officer Joe Allen from the Glendale Police Department to address our high school students on the topic of drug education/prevention, drug identification, commonly abused illegal drugs and the real world consequences associated with drug use/abuse. We look forward to working with the Glendale Police Department in the area of drug education/prevention in the coming years as well.

Maral Babian - maralb@pilibos.org
Maral Tavitian - counselingoffice@pilibos.org

For more information on the counseling department and their programs, please email:

PILIBOS
Eagle

THE ANNUAL ALUMNI BASKETBALL GAME

The annual Alumni Basketball Game was once again a huge success! Students, parents, and alumni all showed up to support and cheer on our athletes! The energy was apparent, but the nostalgia was greater.

Once again our gym was filled with our extended Pilibos Family!

Varsity Girls vs. Alumni (2003-2010)

33-36 Alumni Won.

Varsity Boys vs. Alumni (1989-2010)

40-50 Alumni Won.

BOYS' SOCCER SEASON

Our High School Varsity Soccer Team was incredible this year. They worked hard all season and it showed! Their record was 9-5. They reached the quarterfinal game, where they lost to San Gabriel Academy.

VOLLEYBALL SEASON

The High School Varsity Girls' Volleyball team had a great year. They practiced all summer long, and preformed well throughout the season. They had many devoted fans cheering them on at their games. Their record was 9-10.

KAHAM GAMES

The Track and Field competitions have been tentatively re-scheduled for January 23, 2011.

The Volleyball Games are this weekend, as follows:

Saturday, December 4, 2010

5^th & 6^th Grade Girls

4:00pm vs. Chamlian

at Ararat Blue Gym

7^th & 8^th Grade Girls

6:00pm vs. Sahag Mesrob

at Ararat Blue Gym

Sunday, December 5, 2010

5^th & 6^th Grade Girls

12:00pm vs. Sahag Mesrob

at Pilibos Gym

Field Trips

1st Grade Field Trip:

Saint Andrews Playhouse
Pinocchio

On November 18, 2010 the 1st grade class went to the Saint Andrews Playhouse to see a musical production of Pinocchio. The students were excited as they embarked onto the bus ride to the theatre. They enjoyed the play greatly! Afterwards, the students headed to Griffith Park for a picnic and play time.

This day will surely be one they will remember for some time to come!

6^th and 7^th Grade Field Trip:

California Science Center

On November 23, 2010, the 6^th and 7^th grade classes had a joint field trip to the California Science Center. Sponsored by the Social Studies and Science Departments, the trip allowed the students to experience a unique exhibit of mummies from Egypt, South America and Europe. This exhibit, which was only at the museum for a limited time, helped to make the lessons in history and science come to life for the students. Accompanied by their Social Studies and Science teachers and aided by several parents, the students also were able to tour the rest of the museum, gaining information about eco-systems, the life cycle and other science related topics. The consensus from the students who attended the field trip? They loved it!

Thanksgiving Day Feast

The Kindergartners and 1st Graders had Thanksgiving Day Feasts in their classes. They dressed in Pilgrim and Indian hats and enjoyed a feast comprised of turkey sandwiches, corn, pumpkin pie and more. The students not only enjoyed themselves, but learned first hand how the Pilgrims and Indians came together centuries ago to give thanks for all they had.