 Menlo-Atherton High School BearNotes
Published by M-A PTA May 19, 2014 |
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En Español
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Calendar
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THIS WEEK
- Monday, May 19, Foundation board meeting, 7 p.m., Library
- Tuesday, May 20 - Spring Concert, 7 p.m., PAC (see article)
- Wednesday, May 21 - Spring Sports Awards Night, 7 p.m., PAC
- Thursday, May 22 - SDMSC, 3:45 p.m., Career Center
- Thursday, May 22 - Drama Awards Ceremony, 3:15 p.m., PAC
- Thursday, May 22 - Student Art Show, Reception and Awards Ceremony, The Great Frame Up, 6 p.m.
NEXT WEEK
- Monday, May 26 - Memorial Day, no school
- Tuesday, May 27 through Friday, May 30 - Dead week, finals preparation
- Tuesday, May 27 - PTA general meeting, 8:45 a.m., PAC Cafeteria (see article)
- Wednesday, May 28 - SUHSD board meeting, 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 29 - Last day to purchase Senior Week tickets
- Thursday, May 29 - Senior Farewell, 6 p.m., PAC
- Friday, May 30 - Last day for 2014-15 class change request
- Friday, May 30 - AVID Senior Send-Off, 5 p.m. PAC Cafeteria
SAVE THE DATE
- Monday, June 2 through Thursday, June 5 - Final exams for non-seniors
- Monday, June 2 - Seniors: last day to submit graduation clearance forms
- Tuesday, June 3 - Election Day
- Tuesday, June 3 - Senior Picnic, 8 a.m., Huddart Park
- Tuesday, June 3 - Senior Awards Night, 7 p.m., PAC (see article)
- Wednesday, June 4 - Senior Breakfast, 9 a.m., small gym (see article)
- Wednesday, June 4 - Senior graduation rehearsal, 10:30 a.m., Coach Parks Field (see article)
- Thursday, June 5 - Last day of school
- Thursday, June 5 - Class of 2014 Graduation, 4 p.m., Coach Parks Field (see article)
- Friday, June 13 - Deadline to request final senior transcripts for fall 2014 college admissions
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Administration
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 GRADUATION CEREMONY - The class of 2014 Graduation Ceremony will be Thursday, June 5 at 4 p.m. on Coach Parks Field. The gates to the field will open at 3 p.m. and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please enter the field through the main entrance by the I building. Carpooling is highly recommended as parking is limited. Parking is available in the senior and staff lots and at Stanford Research Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey. The gym and tennis court lots are reserved for handicap and VIP parking. Graduates must report to Ayers gym by 3 p.m. All senior week activity and graduation information is on the M-A website. Click on "Senior Information for the Class of 2014" on the home page.
SPRING CONCERT - The M-A Music Program invites you to the Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 20 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the PAC. There will be performances by the concert band, orchestra, jazz bands, and other small ensembles, featuring a range of music from classical to modern. Admission is free.
TEXT BOOK RETURN - Students will turn in their textbooks soon and the library staff needs a few volunteers over the course of three days to help process the books. Please consider signing up here if you have an hour or two to spare. Thanks!
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PTA News
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FINAL PTA GENERAL MEETING OF THE YEAR - Please come to the final PTA general meeting of the year on Tuesday, May 27 at 8:45 a.m. in the PAC Cafeteria. Your help is needed to approve PTA's site council contribution for next year, vote on the proposed budget, and make Student Service Awards. The PTA co-presidents Becky Flanagan and Elizabeth Katz hope to see you there.
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Foundation News
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TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK
The clock is ticking and the end of the school year is near, but you still have time to support education excellence at M-A. Your donation of any size helps the Foundation fund:
- Smaller class sizes
- Strong and broad curriculum
- Excellent teachers
- College and career success
- Critical programs
Please hurry and give, or you just might turn into a pumpkin! To donate online, go to the Foundation website and click on "Donate Now." You may also mail a check to Foundation for the Future, P.O. Box 1228, Menlo Park, CA 94026.
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Senior News
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SENIOR AWARDS NIGHT, HONORING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS - The annual M-A Senior Awards Night will be held on Tuesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. in the PAC. During this inspirational evening, sponsored by the M-A PTA, many hard-working and talented seniors (and a smaller number of juniors) are honored for outstanding academic and extracurricular performance as well as service to the school and community. Some of the awards will be a surprise, while many will be recognition for awards already received. Students will be recognized for a wide variety of scholarships, prizes, and commendations awarded by school and community groups. Last year, more than 200 individuals were recognized. Invitations will be mailed to families of students who will be receiving recognition. Awards to junior students will be presented early in the program (so juniors can go home to study for finals!). Refreshments will be served.
GRADUATION REHEARSAL AND CEREMONY - All seniors graduating and participating in the ceremony are required to attend the graduation rehearsal on Wednesday June 4 at 10:30 a.m. (immediately following the Senior Breakfast). Seniors need to report to the Ayers Gym for rehearsal. On graduation day (Thursday, June 5), seniors must report to Ayers Gym by 3 p.m.
M-A'S BEST GRAD NIGHT EVER! Senior Grad Night for the Class of 2014 will take place on Thursday, June 5 after the graduation ceremony. Seniors will check in at Ayers Gym at 7:45 p.m., will be whisked off to a secret location, and will return at 3 a.m. the following morning. The top-secret venue offers non-stop entertainment for every type of personality, as well as lots of music and food.
GRAD NIGHT TICKETS - Tickets are on sale through Thursday, May 22 and will be sold on the Green Monday, May 19 and Wednesday, May 21. Thank you to all the generous senior families who helped underwrite this year's Grad Night! Because of you, this year's ticket price is $85. Registration forms are available online at the M-A website and the PTA website. You can also pick up forms from Karina Escobar-Weaver or Lorry Orcutt. For scholarship information, please see Karina Escobar-Weaver in the Guidance Office.
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Measure A
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VOTE YES ON MEASURE A ON JUNE 3 TO KEEP HIGH SCHOOLS STRONG - The Sequoia Union High School District has a bond on the June 3 ballot. If passed, it will fund the additional classrooms, labs, and updated technology that students will need as enrollment grows and schools reach capacity. Enrollment has grown by 20% in the last 12 years and is expected to grow another 20% in the next 7 years. Visit the Measure A website for more information. Your help is needed:
- Register to vote: 18-year-olds, please register to vote and help pass Measure A!
- Volunteer: Make calls at a phone bank and help get out the Yes on A vote. Volunteers only call likely yes voters and don't need to change anyone's mind. You will be trained and given a script. Click here to sign up.
- Contribute: Help get the message out to voters in the SUHSD. Click here to donate.
- Endorse Measure A: Join the list of supporters by clicking here to support Measure A today.
If you have questions, please email Julia Horak at juliahorak@hotmail.com.
Measure A has been endorsed by the M-A PTA.
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Volunteer Opportunities
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CLASS OF 2017 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! It is a tradition for the freshman class to contribute baked goods for Senior Awards Night, held at the PAC on the evening of Tuesday, June 3. Awards Night is an evening where seniors (and a few juniors) are celebrated for their high school achievements. Baked goods should be finger food, without nuts and ideally homemade. Examples include lemon bars, cookies, brownies, and cookie bars. Please contact Nancy Kessler at nancykessler@velcap.com if you can contribute two dozen baked goods. Drop-off will be at the PAC, from 6 to 8:15 p.m. Drop-offs earlier in the day can be arranged. Thanks in advance for your help.
PARALYMPIC TRACK & FIELD - The U.S. Paralympic Track and Field National Championships will take place at the College of San Mateo from Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 22. This event is put on by the U.S. Olympic Committee in conjunction with the Pacific Association of USA Track & Field. Some of the best athletes in the world will be competing! Many volunteers are needed; if you are available, please sign up here. For more information, contact Sharon Kelleher at 650-364-2509.
PARENTING AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA - Researchers at Mental Research Institute, a leading nonprofit family therapy institute, invite you to participate in a survey on parenting and electronic media use in families. Please consider sharing your views by completing this survey. The survey code is MA1. Please submit only one participant per family. If you take the survey, you may qualify for a paid follow-up interview. For more information, email Diane Schiano at djs.recherches@gmail.com.
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Athletics
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CHECK THE SPORTS ACTIVITY CALENDAR HERE!
SPORTS WRAP-UP
BADMINTON - The Bears finished the regular season this week with two games on the road. On Tuesday, the Bears defeated Terra Nova 10-5. The individual winners were Emmett Lee, Jonathan Lam, Trenton Hall, Gray Perrone, and Erin Sanchez. Double team winners were Arash Afsarifard/Matthew Vollrath, Alfonso Yap/Christopher Tam, Katrina Wijaya/Amara Trabosh, Celina Chow/Camilla Calmasini. The mixed couble team of Patrick Tam/Molly Davis also won; Davis was playing her first varsity match.
On Thursday, M-A lost to Burlingame 6-9. Individual winners were Perrone and Sanchez. Double team winners were Afsarifard/Vollrath, Neil Schott/Brian Snyder and Yap/ Terrence Woo, Kimberly Klustner/ Lizzie Ocon. The first and second players for each category will go to the PAL championship meet on Tuesday May, 21 and Wednesday, May 22.
BOYS VARSITY BASEBALL - The Bears had a great week, advancing all the way to the championship game of the inaugural PAL postseason baseball tournament before falling to Menlo 7-6. In the opening game, senior Lawson Joos' perfectly executed squeeze bunt scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 10th inning as M-A edged Aragon 6-5 to advance to the semifinals. After Aragon scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning, M-A rallied to capture one of the most thrilling - and exasperating - games of the season. Matt DeTrempe got things started in the bottom of the 10th by earning a base on balls. Charlie Cain followed with a single to center (his second hit of the game), and both base runners moved into scoring position on a balk. Aragon chose to walk Erik Amundson intentionally, loading the bases with one out. Joos then laid down a textbook squeeze bunt, scoring DeTrempe to tie the game. Cain never hesitated in rounding third base and scored the winning run when Aragon threw to first base to record the out on Joos. The return throw home was too late to nab Cain at the plate. AJ Lemons earned the victory for M-A, pitching 4 innings of relief to improve his season record to 3-1. Lemons allowed just 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 5. M-A starting pitcher Matt McGarry held Aragon to 3 earned runs over the first 6 innings, striking out 9, walking just 1, and allowing 5 hits. The Bears collected 8 hits in the game, led by Amundson's 3-for-4 performance (including a double), with 2 walks and 2 runs scored. Cain had 2 hits and scored 2 runs, while Joos, Brett Moriarty (2 RBIs), and Jordan Long also had hits for M-A.
In the semifinal game, Amundson fired a complete-game 5-hitter with 10 strikeouts as M-A defeated host Terra Nova 6-2 to advance to the tournament championship game. The UC San Diego-bound right-hander didn't allow his first hit - an infield single - until the bottom of the fourth inning. Amundson (7-5) was especially tough on the first four hitters in Terra Nova's lineup, who went a combined 1-for-12 with 7 strikeouts. As if his pitching weren't enough, Amundson also sparkled with the bat, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs and a run scored. His 2 RBIs came on a squeeze bunt that scored both McGarry and Cain in the top of the 4th inning. Cain also had a memorable day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a solo homer, ground-rule double, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. Joos, Long (double), Daniel Kollar-Gasiewski (RBI single), and McGarry also contributed to M-A's 9-hit attack.
In the tournament championship game, M-A's 3-run 7th-inning rally fell 90 feet short as the Bears lost to Menlo School 7-6 in Half Moon Bay. The defeat dropped M-A's season record to 16-12-1, while Menlo improved to 17-12. Trailing 7-3 in the top of the 7th inning, the Bears roared back as 5 consecutive batters reached base. Cain ignited the rally with a single to left, and Amundson followed with another single. A walk to Joos loaded the bases, and consecutive walks to Long and Moriarty made it 7-5. Kollar-Gasiewski's sacrifice fly cut Menlo's lead to 7-6 with just one out, but the Bears were unable to draw any closer. Long (1-1) took the loss for M-A, allowing 5 runs (just 1 earned) on 4 hits and 3 walks, striking out 2. After surrendering 4 runs in the first inning, Long shut out Menlo over the next 4 innings until yielding a leadoff single in the 6th that eventually resulted in a Menlo run (unearned). The Knights added 2 more unearned runs in the 6th inning against the Bears' bullpen. M-A outhit Menlo 8-to-5, led by Cain's 2-for-2 performance (the Bears' right fielder also had an RBI sacrifice fly). Amundson, Max Gardiner, Long (2 RBIs), Moriarty (2 RBIs), Kollar-Gasiewski, and Matt Johnston also had base hits for M-A.
The Bears now prepare for the first round of the CCS playoffs, which begin this week.
BOYS VARSITY LACROSSE - The Bears played in the WBCAL championship tournament this week. Wednesday night, after digging themselves into a 6-1 hole, the Bears came back to beat Palo Alto 11-10, moving into the championship game for the third consecutive year. For the second consecutive year, the Bears faced Sacred Heart in the championship game Saturday night at Woodside. Unfortunately, M-A lost 12-7, and finished in second place in the league.
GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE - In the first round of WBAL playoffs, the Bears defeated Notre Dame (San Jose) 15-2 at M-A on Tuesday. M-A was up 6-0 six minutes into the game on 3 goals from freshman Grace Tully, and the Bears never looked back. Sophomore center Sally Carlson had 5 goals, 2 assists, and 8 self-draws. Freshman attacker Izzy Regonini had 5 assists and 2 goals. The Bears got great defense from Hannah Wilson, Sydney Frame, and Gianna Prainito. Also scoring for the Bears were Cathrine Petersen, Emma Easton, Emma Roellig, and Amanda Wiseman.
With the win, the Bears advanced to the semifinals where they lost to Menlo 13-2 on Thursday. Amanda Wiseman scored both goals, and goalkeeper Allie Bayne kept the Bears in the game with 14 saves. Under first-year coach Juliet Mittlemann, the team finished in third place in WBAL, the program's best finish since 2009.
BOYS VARSITY TENNIS - The tennis team achieved more than any M-A tennis team since 1985, when the Bears won the only CCS tennis title in school history. No team since 1985 had been to the CCS semifinals until this year. To get there M-A had to get past Serra in the quarterfinals. The Bears lived up to their #3 seed, trouncing the #6 Padres, 6-1, at home. Nick Fratt clinched the victory with a straight set win at #3 singles after the 3 doubles teams of Saul Menjivar-Axel Brenner, Drew Mathews-Danny LaPorte, and Alex Iyer-Zach Novak won easily to give the Bears a 3-0 lead. Casey and Scott Morris at #4 and #1 singles, respectively, also won to provide the final margin. The win over Serra coupled with an earlier mid-season win over #4 Bellarmine meant M-A had beaten the best of the WCAL. In the semifinals against #2 and unbeaten Saratoga, the Bears faced a team that had beaten them soundly early in the season. M-A improved vastly over the season and gave Saratoga all it could handle. The Bears won 4 first sets of the 7, which brought out tremendous frustration from Saratoga players and parents in the form of very poor sportsmanship at the thought of their first loss of the season. After the first 4 matches were finished, the team score stood 2-2, with Casey Morris at #4 singles and Saul-Axel at #1 doubles having won. The remaining 3 matches were all going to 3rd sets, so the outcome was completely up for grabs.
That's when the poor sportsmanship from Saratoga hit its peak - Reed Fratt was awarded a game by the roving official for his opponent's tantrums. The Bears eventually succumbed 5-2, but most importantly showed class and respect despite the antics of Saratoga. The M-A community can be very proud of this group of young men who fought very hard and were gracious in defeat. Congratulations to the players and coaches for an outstanding and memorable season.
VARSITY SOFTBALL - Although the Bears fell to San Mateo in their last game of the season, they ended up with a record of 16-10, 6-6 in league, one of their strongest finishes to date. The girls want to thank Coach Rick Vujovich and Assistant Coach Jaclyn Vujovich for a great season. Good luck to graduating seniors Lili Huerta (co-captain), Tanya Lazaro, and Selena Diaz, and a huge thank you to all the parents who provided so much support this season
SWIMMING AND DIVING - This weekend, qualified swimmers participated in the CCS championship meet. Trials were on Friday, with the top 16 in each event going on to finals on Saturday. At finals, Vincent Busque placed 10th in the 500 free and 13th in the 200 free. The team of Gordon Williams, Evan McClelland, Busque and Zach Goland placed 12th in the 200 free relay.
The girls brought home another 4th place trophy this year, earning 163 points. They started with 27 valuable points scored by divers Talbot Paulson (4th place) and Mia Paulson (7th place). The first swimming event was the medley relay; seniors Nicole Zanolli, Maddie Pont, Kindle Van Linge, and Sierra Sheeper earned 6th place. Pont placed 5th in the 200 free and 7th in the 100 free. Pont set a new M-A record in the 200 free (1:52.50) on Friday. Zanolli placed 4th in the 500 free (close to the M-A record) and 8th in the 200 free. Van Linge placed 6th in the 100 fly and 9th in the 100 back. The 200 free relay team of Sophie Murff, Kate Denend, Maddie Worden and Faith Dunn finished in 13th place in the 200 free relay. The meet came down to a strong showing in the exciting 400 free relay. The seniors (Pont, Sheeper, Van Linge, Zanolli) swam furiously and finished in 5th place, locking in the 4th place overall win (by one point over Sacred Heart). Congratulations to all the swimmers and coaches for a memorable season.
TRACK AND FIELD - The PAL Championship meet was Saturday; the boys finished third overall and the girls became PAL champions for the third time in four years! 12 girls and 6 boys became all league (top 6 in any event). 10 girls and 7 boys qualified (top 5 in any event) for CCS trials next week. Here are some of the highlights:
- Deverick Meacham won the long jump and the 100m.
- Zach Plante finished second in both the 200m and the 400m, with a best time of 49.09 in the 400 (second in school history).
- Adam Scandlyn finished second in the 800m and fourth in the 1600m.
- Freshman Rohan Depuy finished fourth in the 800m.
- The boys 4x400 team (Meacham, Kevin Conrad, Scandlyn, Plante) won the PAL championship for the 3rd consecutive year!
- Kathryn Mohr won the pole vault and the 100m.
- Annie Harrier finished second in both the 200m and the 400m.
- Taylor Fortnam finished second in the 1600m and won the 3200m.
- Madeleine Baier finished third in the 800m and fourth in the 1600m and 3200m.
- Annalisa Crowe won both the 1600 and 800.
- The girls 4x100 relay team (Jordan Olesen, Mohr, Miranda Simes and Harrier) won the league title.
- The girls 4x400 relay team (Harrier, Simes, Olesen, Crowe) won the league title.
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Community News
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BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF THE PENINSULA (BGCP) - This summer, your son or daughter can earn more than 100 community service hours interning with BGCP. Through BGCP's summer internship opportunity, interns will be responsible for leading engaging enrichment activities, inspiring BGCP youth, adding to the positive culture of BGCP, and giving back to their community. Please join BGCP to make an impact on today's youth. Visit the Careers page to learn more. To find out how your student can get involved, please visit the website or contact Paitra Sharp Houts at psharp@bgcp.org or 650-646-6131.
SUMMER LIBRARY EVENTS FOR TEENS - Readers can learn, discover and create at the Menlo Park Library this summer! Read at least five books and create a collage to win a free book and be entered into a drawing to win one of many cool prizes. Check out the teen-only events and programs at the library this summer. Don't miss these great events:
Potluck and Games on Friday, June 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Love food and having fun? Come to a teen night picnic. The library will provide sandwiches and light refreshments. Bring a dish to share with others. Registration required.
Scooby Doo Marathon on Friday, July 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Come to a Scooby Doo marathon and relive your childhood. The library will provide Scooby snacks and light refreshments. Registration required.
Work on Collages, select Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m.
Get a head start on your summer reading collage by attending Betsy Halaby's Collage Workshop sessions. Learn about the history of collage and see some great examples that will inspire you to create your own works of art in future sessions. No registration required.
Book Club, select Saturdays from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Love books? Love movies? Join the teen book club as members discuss a book that has been made into a movie. Registration required.
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Quote of the Week
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Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.
~Sam Ewing
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BearNotes Submissions
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- Email proofread submissions to BearNotes@mabearspta.org by Thursday midnight.
- Please keep submissions concise and include the organization name, event, date, time, location, and contact information, including website URL.
- All submissions are subject to editing by the PTA.
- For the PTA policy on BearNotes publication, please go to the M-A PTA website.
- M-A PTA does not endorse third-party events or submissions, nor take responsibility regarding the content of any third-party websites.
Go Bears. Grrrr!
Thank you from the BearNotes Staff - Cindy Butler, Jenny Pont, Kelly Stewart, Linda Strober
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