CHS Banner.jpg

  

        HOME & SCHOOL ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER            February  2013

In This Issue
International Day
Blogging on Huff Post
"Dear Mr. President"
RoboLancers in DC
Hairspray!
Party Central!
Quick Links 

Join Our Mailing List
Join Central's
Home and School
Association
We're here to support
Central students, parents and staff with our time, talents and dollars. Let's help
each other make Central High School
an even greater place for our students to learn and grow.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

 

Early Dismissal:
Thursday, 
March. 7, noon
 

Hairspray!

Thursday - Sunday, 

March 11 - 14

 

HSA Meeting: Wednesday, 

March 13, Spain Conference Center, 6:30 p.m.


274 Soph Hop: Friday, 

March 15, 

7 - 11 p.m.

 

Womens Day: Thursday, 

March 21

 

Spring Break:

Monday - Friday, March 25 - 29

 

Party Central!

Saturday, 

April 20, 

7 - 11 p.m.

 

HSA Meeting:

Wednesday, 

March 13, Spain Conference Center, 6:30 p.m.

 

273 Junior Prom: Friday, April 26

  

HELP WANTED
Newsletter staffers:  
Interested in working  
on the newsletter? Contact  

Dave Kalkstein 

Bring Your Photo ID
Just a reminder:  
When you come to visit Central High School, you must have a photo ID.
Main Office
215-276-5262

Welcome!

 

A big month at Central:

 

Congratulations to Larry Lewis, 273, and the wrestling team for capturing the first Public League championship for Central since 1996, beating Northeast 31-28.

 

After receiving nearly 8,000 entries from 7th through 12th graders across the country, Rand McNally chose Elvin Luna, 272, as one of the 10 finalists in its "Dear Mr. President" short essay contest.

 

A while back we reported on NO GIRLS ALLOWED, a documentary by Darlene Craviotto about the first girls to get into Central 30 years ago. On March 21, the film will be shown during a special Women's Day assembly for Class 274. (There will be additional screenings for other students throughout the day.) The DVD of NO GIRLS ALLOWED is available for purchase. Net proceeds will go to the Nathaniel M. Kirkland Young Filmmakers Fund at Central High School. Nathaniel "Nate" Kirkland, 266, was the producer of the school's television station, president of the audio/visual club and Junior Prom king. He died in 2009 while on a Dickinson College service trip in Guatemala.

 

Enjoy the newsletter, and keep in touch. 

 

Follow us on Twitter   

International Day Rocks Central


Dragons roaming the halls? World maps festooning the walls? Drumbeats reverberating in the basement? Bollywood-style moves on stage? What can all this mean? If it's Feb. 21, only one thing: International Day!

  • Seniors Danielle Williams, Glexdy Rodriguez and Sherry Yuen huddled around a map of the world, placing pushpins to show their native countries.
 
  • The African American Student Union provided a well-decorated, colorful hallway, which was both mysterious and alluring. 
  • Seniors Shana Rajan, Sabbir Odudh, Troy Campbell and Amber Gill volunteered for a photo op while Central's Albanian student community danced in the alcove. 
 
  • In classrooms throughout the school, speakers made presentations to students about their own story or culture.
  • Juniors Callan Powell and Hannah Lin reclined in the hallway, smiling Callan representing the Irish. 

     

  • Entertainment reigned in the auditorium as students mesmerized a captivated audience with dance, music and colorful attire, including a stirring, flag-waving finale by the IPCO 272 ensemble. 
IPCO 272- International Day 2013
IPCO 272 - International Day 2013

 

And out of chaos, the gym was filled with the mouthwatering sights and smells of cuisine from around the globe, drawing students, faculty, alumni and parents - a day much anticipated by anyone who is or has ever been associated with Central.

 

Nowhere else can you find something so harmonious, celebrating all of the world's cultures, history and heritage but at Central High School on International Day!

Blogging on the Huffington Post
 

Remember when "blog" wasn't even a word, neither a noun nor a verb? Well, for those of us who need to get current, a nice way to start would be to read Zuliesuivie Ball, 272, on the Huffington Post website.

 

Zuliesuivie came to blogging in a roundabout way, but says she "loved that her thoughts and ideas were published in such a well known forum." She's a member of MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement) at Temple University. MESA's goal is to inspire city kids in grades 6-12 to consider these disciplines as they move on in their education. All students are invited.

 

Zuliesuivie meets with MESA at Temple every Saturday from 9 to 2, participating in problem-solving exercises and meeting with professionals in math and science. Zuliesuivie has been especially inspired by her encounters with female professionals. "There aren't traditionally a lot of women in these fields, but after working with MESA, I want to go to Temple and major in Engineering."

 

MESA recently took part in a White House Challenge with groups from around the country to create new mobile phone apps. While participating, Zuliesuivie was asked if she would like to blog about it for the Huffington Post. And a blog star was born!

 

Zuliesuivie believes her newfound confidence in science and math has made her a better writer and communicator, and credits MESA. As she said in her blog, "MESA opened my eyes up to a new world that I find extremely interesting." Read more of Zuliesuivie's work here.

'Dear Mr. President,' He Wrote 
 

Congratulations to Elvin Luna, 273, one of 10 finalists out of 8,000 entries in the Rand McNally "Dear Mr. President" contest. "Dear Mr. President" challenged student authors to present a 400- to 600-word persuasive essay, "What important issue would you like the President to address?" Elvin wrote about global warming, titling his essay "Save Our Dying Planet." He and the other finalists spent three days in Washington earlier in February, and will have their essays published in a free Nook e-book.

 
A Couple of RoboLancers STEM D.C. 
 
On the heels of President Obama's State of the Union commitment to expand math, science and high-tech learning for high school students, the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab invited Mr. Daniel Ueda and two RoboLancers, Nadia Tran, 274, and Dale Kallas, 272, to Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13.

 

There they joined about 50 other students for SoSTEM - "State of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math" - a conference to discuss the Obama Administration's science, technology and innovation education priorities. It was held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House.

 

Nadia said she was honored to be invited to the event, explaining, "So STEM allowed students to act as the press and gave us the opportunity to ask special guests questions related to their fields of work or study and the State of the Union Address."

 

Among the speakers were Dr. John P. Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Todd Park, U.S. Chief Technology Officer; Lori Garver, Deputy Administrator of NASA; Bobek Ferdowsi, Flight Director on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Mission; Peter Hudson, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of iTriage; and Jack Andraka, 2012 Intel Science Fair grand prize winner.

 

"Meeting some of the world leaders in science, technology and engineering was phenomenal," Dale said. "I was able to approach each representative and ask the questions I had prepared, face to face. When I had the opportunity to talk to Lori Garver, I thanked her for NASA's contribution to our robotics team with their sponsorship.  Lastly, I asked Mrs. Garver for a job in about five years when I graduate from college."

 

(For another perspective on the CHS Robolancers, check out their take on the Harlem Shake)

HARLEM SHAKE v321 The RoboLancers
HARLEM SHAKE v321 The RoboLancers
Travel Safely!
 
The Feb. 13 meeting of the Central Home and School Association was highlighted by a presentation from SEPTA Police Officer Bob O'Brien, who shared good news about transit police staffing but emphasized that when it comes to safety on public transportation, students need to help themselves.

 

"We tell them, 'Pay attention to what's going on around you, keep your phone in your pocket when you're waiting,' " he said, describing the familiar-to-most-parents scenario of a kid with head down, earbuds in and music blasting as an easy target for a grab-and-run thief. He added that SEPTA police have had success recovering stolen phones that have tracking apps and suggested parents make sure their kids download them.

 

A training class of 50 new transit police officers is on the verge of being deployed to beef up SEPTA platforms, including the Olney transit center, where throngs of Central and Girls High students pass daily, he said. In addition, more cameras are being installed at high-traffic platforms and other areas and the few SEPTA buses that don't already have them will be "cameraed" by the end of the year.

 

In response to questions, O'Brien also said SEPTA police are ramping up their undercover efforts. "Uniformed cops on the platform deter crime, no doubt about it," he said. "The plainsclothes guys catch those who wait for us to leave."

 

Before beginning his report, President Timothy McKenna endorsed O'Brien's emphasis on getting students to pay attention when they ride public transit. "We tell them that every day," he said.

 

In his comments, Mr. McKenna discussed the new building safety program he's rolling out, with updated procedures for fire drills and evacuations, lockdowns and other emergency situations. He noted that scores from the state's new Keystone assessments are supposed to be back by the end of March. And he reported that Central has accepted 1,087 students for Class 277, out of 4,500 applicants from 201 schools. 

Central Night at the Phillies
 
This exciting event has been a huge success for the past 5 years and we plan on continuing the tradition with another night at the ballpark. Join us May 17 at 7:05 p.m. to cheer on the Philadelphia Phillies as they battle the NLC Champion Cincinnati Reds. Students, parents and alumni are welcome to purchase tickets for $25 until May 1. After that, tickets are $30. 

Don't miss this opportunity to show your support for the Phillies and our Central High community. Act quickly, tickets are limited and will sell out fast!
 
 
Contact Mr. Horwits (251) for ticket sales information. 
Save the Dates - for Hairspray!

  

This year, Central is proud to present the Broadway musical "Hairspray!" Shows are scheduled for 7 p.m. April 12 and 13, with matinees April 11 (3:30 p.m.) and April 14 (2 p.m.).

 

Based on the 1988 John Waters movie, "Hairspray!" is a fast-paced flashback into the much different society of 1960s Baltimore. Tracy Turnblad is about to turn everything upside down and takes advantage of wonderful and challenging opportunities. Throughout her groundbreaking journey, she finds love, changes the face of the media and establishes a new normal that teaches acceptance and tolerance. 

 

You can purchase tickets online or in the Music Department (Rooms 323 and 324). 

 

Note to would-be advertisers: Space is available in the program. If you would like to place an ad for your business or acknowledge a student performer, this is an excellent way to support the Central community and insure that these kinds of activities remain available to the students. For more information, contact the Music Department or music chairman Stephen Wilensky.

 

Don't miss the show - save the dates today!

Save the Date - Saturday, April 20, for Party Central!

  

The Commodore Barry Club in Mount Airy (6815 Emlen St.) will be the venue for Central High School HSA's 2nd annual social for parents, teachers, staff, alumni, and friends. From 7 to 11 p.m., this special fund-raising event will be an evening of fun with a purpose with all proceeds to benefit Central High School. But, the main focus of the evening will be the chance to win some fabulous auction and raffle prizes, door prizes, 50-50 chances, and themed baskets.

 

There are three ways you can help:

 

Buy a ticket and attend the event.

$45each      2/$80     Table for 8-$300

 

Purchase an ad in the event program book.

FULL page-$100      HALF page-$50    QUARTER page-$25

 

Donate or solicit an item that we can use for an auction or raffle prize.

Restaurants, sporting events, hair/nails/spa, jewelry, retail shops, professional services, museums, concerts, theater, household items, sports memorabilia, vacation stays, art work, fine cigars & wines, basket of cheer, we love everything!

 

Like us on Facebook! Help us get the word out. We hope to see you at the Commodore Barry Club on April 20!

Help Wanted

 

Newsletter staffers: Interested in working on the newsletter? Contact Dave Kalkstein.

Thank You 


Many thanks to Kathie Conrad, Nancy Winter and Mary Sweeten for their great reporting, and again to Mary for her polishing of our material. Our thanks also to the President and staff of Central High School.

This newsletter is a volunteer effort on behalf of the Central High School 
Home and School Association

If you have news and would like to share,
email us any time.

 

Dave Kalkstein and Dan Cason, Co-Editors

 

Follow us on Twitter