Please make sure you log in your hours using the link above. Families who have reached the 40 hour commitment will be recognized in future editions of the newsletter and on this page of the PIVOT website.

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Summit Rainier YahooGroup

Diane Tom

If you would like to join the Rainier Parent listserve/ email group, you can join in one of three ways:

1. Go to the group home page and click Join

2. Send a blank email to this address and respond to the confirmation

3. Email group moderator, Diane Tom and she will send you an invitation to the group

Labels for Education

We are now collecting Labels for Education. Drop off your labels in the box in the Rainier office.

Bookmark our new Amazon link today and Amazon will donate up to 10% of your purchases to Rainier.

Traffic Safety

Reminder for Rainier drivers: do not double park on Marten during morning drop off or afternoon pick up. Double parking is illegal as well as creating unsafe conditions for students and other drivers. Please drive forward and use the passenger loading and unloading zone - marked with a white painted curb just past the Rainier gate.

We are still seeking volunteers to direct traffic in front of the Rainier gate during the morning and afternoon: Please sign up for your choice of day and shift here (scroll down to On-campus).

Message from the Directors

Dear Rainier Families,

The past few days have been very difficult for our Summit San Jose community, but we are extremely grateful for the outpouring of generosity and support you have shown. The Semana family remains very much in our hearts and minds. We will continue to have grief counselors on our campus this week and early next week for any students who would like to meet with them.

As a reminder, the Semana family has invited the entire Summit community to attend all of this week's memorial services, as outlined in the previous newsletter or in the link above. The Semana family kindly requests that all who participate in the services on Wednesday wear white (rather than black).

We will have the School Memorial for Justin on Monday, December 2 at 6:30pm in the Mt. Pleasant Theater. Donations for the Semana family are being collected in the Rainier and Tahoma offices. We are grateful to everyone who has already made donations to the Semana family through the t-shirt and bake sales sponsored but the boys' and girls' basketball teams.

We will be canceling our December 2 Teaching and Learning Tour, but hope that parents will be able to attend on December 12. Please see the next section for more information.

Respectfully,

Pamela Lamcke, Principal

Lia Pinelli, Assistant Director

Summit Public Schools: Rainier

Upcoming Parent Education Events

Pamela Lamcke, Principal

We know that students experience the most success in school when they have consistent support from their teachers, mentors, and parents. Therefore, we are always striving to improve our parent outreach and education to ensure that parents have all the information they need to fully partner in their students' education.

At 5:30pm on Thursday, December 5 before our PIVOT meeting on the Tahoma campus, we will be holding a training session on students' Personalized Learning Plan dashboard. This is the tool that parents and students can use to track academic progress through their current projects and playlists, grades, goals, and much more. Teachers and students will be available to help walk parents through all the information available on this tool and answer their questions. This information session is open to all parents and will be held in both English and Spanish, and we hope many of you will be able to stay and attend the PIVOT meeting right afterward.

In addition, we will be hosting a Teaching and Learning Tour for current parents to see our amazing teachers and students in action on a typical school day. We have one scheduled for Thursday, December 12 at 9:30am. We will explain our school model's skills-focused project-based learning and the technology platforms that support it, and will provide an opportunity to observe classrooms in action.

We are looking forward to all of these upcoming opportunities to connect with parents about your students' education. By strengthening our partnership, we know we can increase outcomes for our students. Thank you for all that you do for your students' education!

SAT and ACT testing - 11th grade

Yes, it's time to be thinking about those exams! Since you'll be taking an ACT & SAT Test Prep course during your next College Readiness Expeditions session at the end of January, you'll want to talk with your mentor about which test dates are most suitable for you. Check out test dates and registration deadlines for the SAT and ACT. It is the student's responsibility to register for tests. There is more information in the Student Parent College Handbook on the College Readiness website.

College Visits

University of Nevada, Las Vegas - representatives will be on the Tahoma campus on Thursday December 5 at 4pm. Rainier students are invited to attend. This is an excellent opportunity for students to meet with college representatives and find out about the school.

Students, even if this is not your first choice school, you can use this opportunity as a "practice" session for talking with other representatives. Here is a list of questions that you might want to consider asking as you determine your "right fit" college.

Upcoming College Visits (Rainier Campus)

California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) - January 21, 3pm

St. Mary's College - March 18, 3pm

Dominican University of California - March 25, 3pm

Academy of Art University - March 27, 3pm

More to be announced

Fundraising

Diane Tom

Amazon.com

Are you starting your Holiday Gift Buying? Make sure you use our Amazon link - we can earn up to 10% of your purchase price with no additional cost to you. Click on it first and remember to use it every time you purchase from Amazon. Please share this link with your family and friends.

Here is the link:

http://www.amazon.com?_encoding=UTF8&tag=rainpivo-20

Other ways to help

eScrip - Register your Safeway card, and a portion of your purchase comes back to Summit San Jose when you use your debit card, check, or cash. Credit cards will no longer earn contributions.

Shop at Target with a red card? Just indicate you'd like donations to go to Rainier here:

https://www-secure.target.com/redcard/tcoe/enroll

We have SHARES cards in the office for anyone who shops at SaveMart, Lucky, or FoodMaxx. Just slide your card before payment and we earn a percentage of each purchase, with no additional cost to you.

Biology Wish List

Drew Larson, Biology Teacher

Biology has some exciting projects next semester to support our DNA and Genetics curriculum. While some of our big items such as a PCR Machine, or Thermal Cycler, a machine used to amplify segments of DNA via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are on the way, we are still in need of items to support the projects we have planned. All five Summit schools teaching biology this year will be doing the project and any donated items will be really appreciated. Thank you for your help and support as we continue to build our science resources!

Items needed:

Ziploc Freezer Bags, quart size

Dawn Dishwashing Liquid - clear

95% Rubbing Alcohol

Salt

Coffee Filters 10/12 cup size, flat bottom

Rubber Bands

1 gallon Plastic Pitcher

Gloves - Nitrile

Gladware - at least 5x5x2 inches in size or gel staining trays

Plastic Spatulas

Sharpie Markers

Painter Tape Rolls

Fresh Strawberries

Items are needed by December 18 so we have time to inventory and acquire any remaining items. Donations can be brought to Ms. Larson's room (1211). Please sign up and check this list for more specific information. Contact Ms. Larson with questions.

Summit Rainier Yearbook

Alysssa Martinez, Editor in Chief

Rainier Yearbook

Yearbook Sales - Order Form Due December 3

Please order your yearbook by December 3. Order forms and payment are due to Ms. Larson in Room 1211.

Yearbook Artists Needed

Our yearbook needs both a front cover and a back cover. The deadline for artwork has been extended to December 2. Submit items to Ms. Larson. Show your school spirit and show off your artwork. Winning submissions will be featured in this year's edition of the yearbook.

Front cover can be any style but must include the school year 2013-2014. Surrounding the theme you pick:

- Out with Old in with the New

- Building a Road for a better Future

- And the Story Begins

- Dream Big

Back cover must have the Rainier Bulldog (and only the Rainier Bulldog/any style but not busy.)

Photos

Yearbook is also in need of photos including Camping Trip, Spirit Week, Expeditions and Campus Life.

Selfies

Did you know that "Selfie" is the Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year for 2013? So take a picture of yourself and send it in so that we can showcase it in the yearbook. Make it your own....send in a funny selfie, send in a serious selfie, send in selfies of you and your friends....be creative and have fun!

Please send your pictures to Yearbookpic13@gmail.com. Contact Alyssa Martinez for more information.

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

This Week

Wednesday-Friday, November 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break, School Closed

Next Week

Monday, December 2 - Rainier and Tahoma Memorial, all Summit community members are welcome to honor and remember Justin Semana, Mt. Pleasant Theater, 1750 S. White Road, 6:30pm
Tuesday, December 3 - Recruitment Open House, 6:30pm

Parent and Student Volunteers needed. Please sign up here

Thursday, December 5 - College Visit - University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Tahoma Campus, 4pm
Thursday, December 5

Training Session for Parents - PLP Dashboard, Tahoma Campus, 5:30pm
PIVOT meeting, Tahoma Campus, 6:30pm

Minutes from previous meetings available on the PIVOT website.

Mark Your Calendars

Thursday, December 12 - Teaching and Learning Tour for Parents, 9:30am
Friday, December 20 - Last day of semester
Friday, December 20 - Winter Dance
December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break
Monday, January 6 - School Resumes

Rainier's School Year Calendar Color / Black & White

School Events Calendar on the PIVOT website.

Newsletter Submissions

Is there something you would like to have included in a future edition? Rainier's newsletter comes out weekly on Wednesdays. The deadline for submissions is Monday at noon. Please email articles to the Rainier Newsletter Editor. Early submissions are welcome and appreciated.