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 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).

Upcoming

Teaching and Learning Tour - Thursday December 12 at 9:30am on Rainier Campus

11th Grade - Family Meeting - Thursday, December 19, 6:30-7:30pm at Rainier Campus.

Message from the Directors

Dear Rainier Families,

As our fall semester winds down - the last day is December 20 - we want to make sure that all of our students are working toward being ready for college. We will be having a special 11th Grade Family Meeting on Thursday, December 19 from 6:30-7:30pm on the Rainier Campus.

Junior year is an incredibly important academic year for college, and we want to make sure that all 11th grade families have an accurate picture of their students' academic progress, know what they can do to help students stay or get back on track during winter break, and register for important college admissions tests like the ACT. Parents of 11th graders, please mark this date on your calendar!

It is critical that all 11th grade students and families attend. By strengthening our partnership, we know we can increase outcomes for our students. Thank you for all that you do for your students' education!

Our winter break is from December 23 through January 3 and all students should come back on January 6 ready to start the second semester. If there are any questions about what students should be working on during winter break to catch up on projects or playlists, please reach out to the student's mentor.

Respectfully,

Pamela Lamcke, Principal

Lia Pinelli, Assistant Director

Summit Public Schools: Rainier

Upcoming Parent Education Events

Pamela Lamcke, Principal

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.

College Corner

Pamela Lamcke, Principal

11th Graders - SAT and ACT registration needs to be done NOW for the January and February tests. Please do not wait until the last minute as the registration process takes time to complete. Students can take the test at any location where it is offered.

We suggest that students take the ACT and then choose whether they also want to take the SAT. Mentors will be checking in with all 11th graders over the next few weeks to discuss the differences between the tests and to make sure that students complete the registration process.

We strongly recommend that students take these exams in January and February. The SAT test date is January 25, so registration needs to be complete by December 27. Register for the SAT. The ACT test date is February 8, and registration needs to be complete by January 10. Register for the ACT.

To register for the exams, students need either a credit card to pay for the exam, or a fee waiver. Students can qualify for a fee waiver if they meet specific criteria, including receiving free or reduced lunch here at Rainier. Students who need a fee waiver must request the fee waiver from Ms. Lamcke prior to registering for the exam. Students can receive up to two SAT fee waivers and two ACT fee waivers total over the course of both 11th and 12th grades.

Please use Rainier's school code (054621) when registering to ensure that our school gets a copy of the results.

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/?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

Coffee Filters 10/12 cup size, flat bottom

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

Alyssa Martinez, Editor in Chief

Rainier Yearbook

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!

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

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

Winter Dance

Ms. Toyama, Tahoma

The Winter Formal (joint Rainier and Tahoma event) - A Night in Paris - will be December 20 from 6:30-9:30pm. Doors close at 7:30pm. (If you have to arrive late, you must confirm with Ms. Larson before the dance). Tickets will be on sale next week: Monday and Tuesday - $2, Wednesday and Thursday - $3, Friday - $5. Request a song when you buy your ticket! Snacks will be sold and Winter Court will be announced.

We would like to borrow the following items from our Summit community: clear Christmas lights, small non-breakable vases with artificial flowers, checkered table cloths, green Christmas garlands, and big red bows.

Please label items with Rainier + your student's name for ease of return before dropping them off at the front office. Items can be picked up after the dance or on the first day back to school on Jan 6th.

Additionally, any kind of party decorations or cardboard storage boxes (2'x2') that you can donate for this event and reuse in upcoming years are gratefully welcomed, donations may also be dropped off at the office.

If parents are interested in chaperoning the dance, please contact Ms. Toyama (email below).

For further information contact the Tahoma Director of Student Life, Ms. Toyama or Rainier teacher Ms. Larson.

Athletics

Coach J Bumagat, Athletic Director

Rainier encourages all students to complete 100 hours of physical activity per year. One way to accomplish this is to join one of our school sports. Sign ups are starting now for Spring Sports - Softball, Track and Field and Baseball. We also need parents to coach and help out with the teams. Sign up on these lists:

Softball

Track and Field (NEW)

Baseball (NEW)

Spring Sport athletes and parents will need to attend a mandatory meeting on January 16 at 6pm in the Tahoma Auditorium. Contact Coach J or Ms. Goddard with questions.

If you are completing your PE requirement in an approved outside activity or bike, walk or actively skateboard to school, please use this Form for Participating in Outside Physical Activities on the PIVOT website.

Rainier Varsity Boys Basketball

Coach J Bumagat

So far, we have played 2 games, both ending in a loss. However, there are some highlights which include the following stats:

Game 1 vs Everest - Brenden Nunes (Junior) led the team in scoring with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Som Ngeth (Junior) was the second leading scorer with 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. Braulio Garcia (Sophomore) consistently does his share of the work adding 10 points and 3 rebounds.

Game 2 vs Homestead High - Som Ngeth was on fire and our leading scorer with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Braulio Garcia was the second leading scorer with 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Brenden Nunes worked extremely hard for his 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 4 steals. Clay Machado (Junior) had 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Blaine Wiley (Junior) had 2 points an 1 rebound. Our next game is Friday, December 13, 2013 at San Jose High School at 7:00pm.

Rainier Junior Varsity Boys Basketball

Coach Christian Uychoco

We played our first game on Saturday, December 8 against Leadership. Though it was an intense game with continuous lead changes throughout the game, we lost by 2 points. You will be happy to know that this team never gave up. Jose Lopez had 6 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Kyle Del Real had 2 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Isaac Aronen grabbed 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Gabriel Estrada had 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Keep up the great effort guys! Come check us out on Friday, December 13 at 5:30pm at San Jose High School and/or Saturday, December 14 at 4:30pm against Summit Shasta at Mt. Pleasant High School.

Varsity Wrestling

SUMMIT GRAPPLERS OPEN THE SEASON STRONG!

VARSITY BRINGS HOME 2ND PLACE MEDAL FROM STOCKTON TOURNAMENT

Summit Varsity Wrestlers traveled to McNair High School in Stockton to battle tough varsity teams from the Central Section. Eddie Eaton brought home the silver medal at 126lbs after wrestling through a tough field to reach the championship match. AJ Silva secured his first varsity win and Sean Smith wrestled tough in his first varsity competition. Next Saturday, December 14, the varsity teams will be wrestling at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale. Competition begins at 9am.

JV Wrestling

JV TEAM PLACES WELL AT OVERFELT TAZ

Summit Rainier and Tahoma JV Teams competed against CCS teams at Overfelt High's Taz Tournament. Rainier Wrestler Sean Gage slams an opponent on his way to 4th place among the heavyweight group, Guillermo Villalobos (113lbs) wrestled hard for 5th place and Wyatt Ousey (170lbs) placed sixth. Forest Sironen recorded two victories in the 138lb class and Eric Lopez also wrestled tough for Rainier. Tahoma wrestlers Elijah Santa-Pena, Logan Parsons (160), Nathan McCray, and Vincent Sambrano (170) recorded valuable and aggressive mat-time and look forward to the next match on December 14 at Newark Memorial High School in Newark, California. Wrestling begins at 9:00am. Summit parents, students, and wrestling fans are welcome to watch and support your wrestlers.

The White House Student Film Festival

Here is your chance to make a video and have it shown at the White House. Contest is open to students in grades K - 12. Video should highlight the power of technology in schools and address how you currently use technology in your classroom, or the role technology will play in education in the future. Submissions are due by January 29, 2014. Please see the official website for additional details.

Santa Clara University High School Engineering

The School of Engineering at Santa Clara University is pleased to present two programs available to current high school juniors interested in learning more about the field of engineering. Each program brings students to Santa Clara University's campus to participate in introductory engineering workshops facilitated by our faculty. The goal of these programs is to provide students with a chance to explore the possibilities of engineering as a career with the hope of fostering a deeper interest in future engineering study.

These programs are very introductory in nature and will benefit students who have had little to no exposure to engineering related topics in high school and are not yet fully committed to the study of engineering. Women and other groups traditionally underrepresented in this field are highly encouraged to apply. Please see additional information about each program below:

Spring Engineering Education Days (SEEDs): The 2014 SEEDs program provides Bay Area high school students with a unique opportunity to explore engineering topics during April. Selected participants come to Santa Clara University over the course of three Saturdays (April 12, 19, 26) from 10am to 3pm and participate in workshops spanning the following engineering disciplines: Bio, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical and Web Design. Workshops are presented in a typical university format, with a mix of lecture and interactive experiences. There is no cost to participate in this program outside of transportation to and from the university, and lunch will be provided. To apply for the program, students must complete an online application and submit an instructor recommendation form by February 6, 2014. The application and full program details can be found at: http://scu.edu/engineering/undergraduate/seeds.cfm.

Summer Engineering Seminar (SES): In its 25th year, the SES program is an outstanding, five-day experience in late July/early August offering specially designed workshops taught by our engineering faculty. Workshops are presented as a mix of lecture and interactive laboratory work, spanning several fields of engineering. The SES program also provides students with a taste of university life, as they stay in university residence halls for the duration of the program, eat meals on campus and at neighboring dining facilities, and take part in afternoon recreational activities and evening projects. Funding from various grants and the University allow us to offer this program at no cost to participants outside of transportation to and from the University. To apply for the program, students must complete an online application and submit a recommendation form by March 13, 2014. The application and program details can be found at: http://scu.edu/engineering/undergraduate/ses.cfm.

Please note that due to the increasing popularity of the program and limited space, we are only able to accept junior student applications for 2014 and program acceptance is competitive. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact us at summerengineeringseminar@scu.edu or (408) 554-4728.

Brochures:

2014 Spring Engineering Education Days

2014 Summer Engineering Seminar

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

This Week

Thursday, December 12 - Teaching and Learning Tour for Parents, 9:30am

Next Week

Thursday, December 19 - 11th Grade Family Meeting at Rainier, 6:30-7:30pm
Friday, December 20 - Last day of semester
Friday, December 20 - Winter Dance, Tahoma Auditorium, 6:30-9:30pm

Mark Your Calendars

December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break
Friday, December 27 - SAT registration deadline for January test
Monday, January 6 - School Resumes
Thursday, January 9 - PIVOT meeting, Rainier Campus, 6:30pm
Friday, January 10 - ACT registration deadline for February test
Thursday, January 16 - Spring Sports meeting (mandatory for athletes and parents), Tahoma Auditorium, 6pm

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.