Tuesday, February 24 - Teen sleep program for freshmen (see article)
Wednesday, February 25 - Special presentation by Stedman Graham, 8 - 9:15 a.m., PAC (see article)
Wednesday, February 25 - AP Exam Registration, PAC Lobby, at lunch (see article)
Thursday, February 26 - AP Exam Registration, PAC Lobby, at lunch (see article)
Friday, February 27 - Red Cross Blood Drive, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., New Gym (see article)
Friday, February 27 - M-A Drama Production, Bye Bye Birdie, 7:30 p.m., PAC (see article)
Saturday, February 28 - M-A Drama Production, Bye Bye Birdie, 7:30 p.m., PAC (see article)

SAVE THE DATE

Monday, March 2 - Winter sports awards night, 7 p.m., PAC
Monday, March 2 - The Mask You Live In (see article)
Tuesday, March 3 - PTA meeting, 8:45 a.m.
Thursday, March 5 - SDMSC meeting, 3:45 p.m., Staff Center
Thursday, March 5 - M-A Drama Production, Bye Bye Birdie, 7:30 p.m., PAC (see article)
Friday, March 6 - M-A Drama Production, Bye Bye Birdie, 7:30 p.m., PAC (see article)
Saturday, March 7 - M-A Drama Production, Bye Bye Birdie, 7:30 p.m., PAC (see article)
Thursday, March 12 - Teen Distracted Driving (Parent education) (see article)
Friday, March 13 - Cabaret Night, 6 p.m., PAC Cafeteria
Saturday, March 21 - M-A's Fashion Show, M-AKING FA5HION HISTORY (see article)
Saturday, March 28 - Auction kickoff party (see article)
Monday, April 6 - Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be (Parent education) (see article)
Sunday, May 3 - Big Bear Run, 9 a.m., M-A Campus (see article)

Administration

Watch M-A Soccer - If you haven't been able to make it to any soccer games yet, you're in luck! The final varsity games of the season will be streamed live on thecube.com. Watch the girl's soccer senior match against Hillsdale on Tuesday, February 17 at 4 p.m., and the boy's soccer senior match against Woodside on Wednesday, February 18 at 4 p.m. Just tune into thecube.com and search for Menlo-Atherton, both games should pop right up.

Show Love...Give Blood, New Pint for Pint Promotion - Register to donate and get a certificate for a FREE pint of Baskin Robbins ice cream! The Red Cross Blood Drive is on Friday, February 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the New Gym. Sign up at lunch on the Green or in the leadership room. Alternatively, email mablooddrive@gmail.com for an appointment to donate. Students 16 years old and up can donate (16 year olds need a signed permission slip.) Parents, teachers, and community members are very welcome to make appointments as well. Refreshments served. Just one donation provides blood for up to three premature babies. Be a lifesaver and come donate blood!

AP Test Registration - Registration for AP tests will take place on Wednesday, February 25 and Thursday, February 26 at lunch in the PAC lobby. The cost per test is $97. Payment may be in the form of cash or check (payable to MAHS). A single check for multiple tests is fine. Please write the following information on the front of your check:

Student's first and last name
The exact name of the AP test(s) you are taking ("AP English" is not sufficient, specify either "AP English Lit" or "AP English Language").

If you are unable to register at these times, you may have a friend or relative do so for you. If you need financial assistance, please see Lorry Orcutt in the front office prior to registering. If you register for a test and then do not take the test, there is a $20 cancellation fee per test.

Emergency Fundraiser - Steve Ready, a former teacher at M-A for many years, and now IVP at Sequoia, welcomed his new baby, Amaryillis Juniper Ready, into the world last Wednesday! Unfortunately, just hours after the baby arrived, the Ready's apartment building in San Francisco went up in flames. Sadly, everything that the family didn't have with them at the hospital was lost. The M-A staff has already begun to care for and help the Ready family. The staff would like to share the link to a funding site that was created for the Ready's and encourage the M-A community to join in helping them during this very hard time. Any contributions are greatly appreciated!

M-A/Stanford Teen Sleep Program - M-A's Sleep Ambassadors (24 Juniors) have produced an information sheet on the dangers of driving while sleepy. Teen Sleep Day is Tuesday, February 24; Stanford "Sleep and Dreams" students will present sleep facts to all freshmen in their classrooms. A follow-up discussion with your student would be great! Please email Maggie Betsock (mbetsock@gmail.com) with any questions.

Special Presentation - Please come to a special presentation on Wednesday, February 25 from 8 to 9:15 a.m. in the PAC. Author and motivational speaker, Stedman Graham, will discuss his book Teens Can Make It Happen - Nine Steps to Success, focusing on empowerment and leadership. Some students will have the opportunity to hear from Stedman Graham and musician Caroline Jones later in the day at special assemblies.

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PTA News

Need a New Computer? The PTA is sponsoring an essay contest for students titled "Why I need a really nice desktop computer." The prize is an all-in-one touchscreen desktop computer, loaded with Windows 8.1, Office 2013, wireless keyboard and mouse, and math and science programs. The deadline is Friday, February 20. Remember, the question is why you NEED (not just want) a desktop computer. Email essays to kayton@alum.mit.edu and make sure to include your name, phone number, and email address.

M-A's Fashion Show: M-AKING FASHION H15TORY - This year's fashion show will be held on Saturday, March 21, in the PAC. There will be performances at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. This annual PTA fundraiser showcases M-A seniors modeling fashions from local stores and dancing in a professionally choreographed fashion show. Tickets will be sold online later this month. Look for more announcements about ticket sales in upcoming editions of BearNotes. Currently the PTA is seeking business or family sponsors for the show. Donating to the Fashion Show benefits all students and faculty at M-A. Please contact Michele Culhane (michculhane@pacbell.net) or Nancy Kessler (nancykessler@velcap.com) for more information. It takes a village to put on this fashion show and an army of volunteers is needed.

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Foundation News

Announcing the M-A Auction Kickoff Party

GOLDEN STATE OF MIND

Saturday, March 28

6 to 11 p.m.

Please come to a California-style celebration of the great minds being developed at M-A! Enjoy California cuisine with a Mexican flair, live music by MPulse (the same fun, dance-inducing band that played last year's party), and dancing while you help keep M-A golden by donating to the Foundation for the Future.

Tickets will be on sale beginning Monday, February 16. Look for more details on how to buy your tickets shortly - you won't want to miss the best party ever!

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Parent Education

Hillview Middle School Parent Education

The Mask You Live In

Are we failing our boys?

Monday, March 2

6:30 p.m., Hillview PAC

Hillview Middle School's Speaker Series is honored to welcome the award-winning documentarian and Second Lady of California, Jennifer Siebel Newsom for a screening of the new documentary film The Mask You Live In. Commended for her groundbreaking documentary exploring the impact of the media's portrayal of girls in Miss Representation, Ms. Newsom now takes on gender stereotypes and the miseducation of young boys in The Mask You Live In. Following the viewing of this film, Ms. Newsom will share the story behind the film and answer audience questions. The film runs 90 minutes and will begin at 6:30 p.m. sharp. Because the event is likely to fill up quickly, we suggest you arrive no later than 6:15 p.m. to secure a seat.

Distracted Driving with Impact Teen Drivers, California Highway Patrol

Thursday, March 12

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

SUHSD Office, Birch Room, 480 James Avenue, Redwood City

Please register for this event at Eventbrite.

Automobile collisions are the leading cause of death for our nation's teens. The overwhelming majority of these crashes are caused by inexperience or distractions, not thrill-seeking or deliberate risk-taking. Teen drivers are at the highest risk; the crash rate for 16 years olds is four times that of adults. In this workshop, you will learn strategies to keep your teens safe on the road.

Impact Teen Drivers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the pervasive yet preventable crisis of "distracted driving." Impact's mission is to change the culture of teen driving.

SUHSD Parent Education Series events are free and open to SUHSD parents, faculty, staff, and community members. This mini-series is sponsored by the Sequoia Healthcare District and the Sequoia Union High School District.

For more information about parent education events, please contact Charlene Margot, M.A., Parent Education Series Founding Director, at cmargot@csmconsulting.net or 650-868-0590.

Where you Go is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admission Mania

Frank Bruni, New York Times Columnist and Bestselling Author

Monday, April 6

7 - 8:30 p.m., PAC

Please register for tickets.

Over the last few decades, Americans have turned college admissions into a stressful and occasionally devastating rite of passage, preceded by test prep, tutors, and a conviction among too many young people that their futures will be determined and their worth established by which schools say "yes" and which say "no." That belief is wrong. And in Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be, Bruni explains why, giving students and their parents a new outlook on this brutal, deeply flawed competition and a path out of the anxiety that it provokes.

Frank Bruni has been an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times since June 2011, focusing on a range of subjects including higher education. In two decades at The Times, he has also been the paper's chief restaurant critic, its Rome bureau chief, a White House correspondent, and the lead reporter covering George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign.

M-A Parent Education Series events are free, sponsored by the M-A PTA, the Sequoia Healthcare District, and the Sequoia Union High School District. This event is open to parents, students, faculty/staff and community members. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be available.

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Clubs and Activities

Make Dreams Come True...Donate Dresses or Accessories! - The Key Club is sponsoring a dress and accessories drive to benefit The Princess Project. The Princess Project promotes self-confidence and individual beauty by providing free prom dresses and accessories to high school girls who cannot otherwise afford them. With your help over 1,100 girls will be served by Princess Project Silicon Valley dress giveaways this Spring!

Ideal donations include formal gowns (long or short) from 2009 to new in excellent condition and in all sizes and colors. Accessories should be stylish, clean, and in excellent condition. Donations may be brought to M-A's front office on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the end of February. If you would prefer that the club pick-up your donations or if you would like a donation receipt please e-mail Sally Carlson at sally@carlsonland.com.

M-A Drama Winter Production- The Drama club presents Bye Bye Birdie (book by Michael Stewart, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams, originally produced by Edward Padula). When the U.S. Army drafts Conrad Birdie, a young rock star, his last publicity stunt before shipping out sends a small Ohio town into a frenzy. Women love him, men want to be him, and teenage girls around the country scream with glee at the mere mention of his name. Birdie's manager, Albert Peterson, and Albert's long-time love, Rose, select a super fan to receive a goodbye kiss from Conrad for the entire world to see on television. The super fan, Kim MacAfee, can't understand why her boyfriend would be upset by the kiss. Rose can't take another minute of Albert running away from marriage, and Sweet Apple, Ohio can't handle the teen rebellion inspired by the arrival of bad-boy Birdie. Will Sweet Apple ever be the same?

All performances are at the M-A Performing Arts Center, 555 Middlefield Road

Performance Dates and Times:

Friday, February 27 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 28 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 5 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 6 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 7 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $12 Adults, $8 Students and Seniors

Senior Group Tickets:

Groups of 8 or more, $6 per ticket
Groups of 16 or more, $4 per ticket

General Group Tickets:

Groups of 8 or more, $10 per ticket
Groups of 16 or more, $8 per ticket

Tickets can be purchased at the box office one hour before curtain or online at www.thecenteratma.org. For more information, please contact Ms. Zwicker-Sobrepena at dsobrepena@seq.org.

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Athletics

Check out the Athletics Calendar!

Get on the Shirt, Get in the Race, Get Enthusiastic!

The 10th Annual Big Bear Run

Sunday, May 3 at 9 a.m.

Get on the Shirt! Become a Big Bear Run corporate or family sponsor and get on the shirt. Go to boosters website to make a donation. Contact Kristin Spindt at (kspindt@msn.com) for more sponsorship information. Deadline to "Get on the Shirt" is Friday, March 20.

Get Enthusiastic! Every year M-A Boosters grants over $110,000 to fund the basic needs of M-A athletic teams. This effort ensures that students are provided an excellent education in and out of the classroom. Without this support, the continuity of these enriching athletic programs would be compromised.

Get in the Race! Rally your friends, come to compete, and show your school spirit! M-A students that run the race are eligible for amazing raffle prizes. Let's celebrate M-A Athletics with our families, neighbors, students, and athletes. Register here!

Boys Tennis - Parents of tennis players are invited to attend a parent-and-coaches meeting to discuss the upcoming season. The meeting will occur from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 19, in the library.

Swimming and Diving - Parents of swimmers and divers are asked to attend a parent-coaches meeting on Thursday, February 19 at 5:30 p.m. on the pool deck. Please note that the signed parent-athlete handbook is due on Tuesday, February 17. Go to Swimtopia for more information.

Weekly Sports Wrap-Up

Girls JV Basketball - The Bears ended their season this week with two more wins. Against Burlingame, the Bears were dominant from the start. Ashley Tiznado was a standout, scoring a personal best of 8 points. Natasha Auer also had 8, including a buzzer beater at the end of the half. Kyra Sheeper, Maddie King, and Emily Roberts each added a basket. Delilah Kline was a force to be reckoned with, coming up with 17 points for a final score of 43-15. In the game against Woodside, the Bears lagged early in the first period. Great defense by Woodside in the first half stopped most of the Bears offensive drives, and MA went to the locker room trailing by 16 points. The Bears showed no signs of giving up and battled back the second half. Angela Langhi made 2 free throws and a key three-point shot by Jaimie Kirkpatrick brought the Bears within range of Woodside. Kline stepped it up, scoring another 8 points and led the Bears with a total of 17 in the game. Auer hit 2 free throws tying the game with less than 2 seconds to play, and sending the Bears into OT. With fans going wild on both sides of the court, in what turned out to be the most heart-stopping game of the season, MA held Woodside during the overtime period and won 32-31. Thanks to Coach Mike Owen for leading the JV Girls (12-1) to their best season in recent history.

Girls Varsity Basketball - On Tuesday M-A faced a rising Burlingame team (6-4 league), but the Bears dominated the first quarter 21-0. The Bears could do no wrong in the first quarter with Megan Sparrow, Ilana Baer, and Maddy Kim scoring. Sarah Howell hit 3 of her career high 6 three-pointers in the first period; Erin Goode also hit a three-pointer. In all, 10 Bears scored to defeat Burlingame 53-29.

On Thursday, the Bears finished the regular season by defeating Woodside 61-32. Prior to the game, the Bears honored their 5 Seniors and the night was their show. The Seniors opened a 14-6 first quarter lead with Naomi Baer scoring 6 of her 7 points on the night, Maddy Kim driving and scoring and Caroline Watson defending and rebounding. Erin Goode hit the first of her 3 three-pointers. Sarah Howell sank a three-pointer and led all Bears with 10 points on the night. The Bears will be back in action for the PAL Tournament on Wednesday, February 18 at 7 p.m., hosting the 4th seed.

Boys Varsity Basketball - The Bears split their final two regular-season games to end up in 4th place in the PAL South with an 8-4 record, 14-10 overall. Hillsdale has the same league record, but M-A beat Hillsdale in the regular season to win the tie-breaker. The Bears advance to the PAL playoffs this week before CCS playoffs begin the following week. Last Wednesday, M-A traveled to Burlingame with the winner taking sole possession of 3rd place. The Bears were down 1 at the half, and gave up the first 2 points of the 2 half, but multiple steals led to a 12-0 run to put them up 31-22 midway through the 3rd quarter. The Panthers answered with 9 straight points to take a 2-point lead into the 4th quarter. Blake Henry did all he could to keep the Bears in the game, hitting all 5 of his shots, for all of the Bear's 4th quarter points, but it was not enough to keep Burlingame from pulling away, 52-42. Henry had a season-high 19 points plus 6 rebounds. Ryan Cole added 8 points. In the final game against Woodside, the 3 seniors and co-captains, Cole, Whittaker Jellins, and Danny LaPorte, along with senior and team manager Ondre Mitchell, were honored on a well-orchestrated and fun Senior Night. The beach-wear clad 6th man club was celebrating the team and their seniors all night long as the Bears romped over the Wildcats, 56-34. The first 2 shots of the game were three's made by Christian Fioretti, giving M-A a quick 6-0 lead which they would not relinquish. At the end of Q1, the score was 14-2, and Woodside never got within 10 points the rest of the night. Tim Andersen led the Bears with 14 points, while Henry added 9.

On Wednesday, February 18 at 7 p.m., M-A travels to PAL North champion Half Moon Bay for a PAL quarterfinal contest. The semi-finals and final will be held at Mills on Friday, February 20 and Saturday, February 21. The Bears will receive their CCS playoff schedule on Sunday, February 22.

Girls JV Soccer - The Bears won both league games this week to win outright the PAL South Championship. It is the Bears first Championship since 2009 and its first outright Championship of the North/South-only era since 2001.

On Tuesday, M-A hosted Aragon and stamped a 6-nil win into the recordbook. Five minutes into the match Teresa Amor floated a right corner kick that landed nicely at the feet of Joanna Vollrath, who made sure it found the back of the net. The Bears controlled the ball and had a 10-1 shot count advantage, but at halftime the score remained 1-nil. The second half started with Grace Brieger scoring to make it 2-nil off another well placed corner kick by Amor. At 52 minutes, Olivia Shane nearly made it 3-nil as she blasted a shot that ricocheted off the Aragon goalkeeper, but Holly Pounders was there to finish it. Shane soon got another chance and scored just 45 seconds later on a fierce shot from the left point to make it 4-nil. At 59 minutes a Jennifer Gormish corner kick was played back out to the top of the box by Alex Chang to a waiting Madison Nelson, who sent a rainbow shot under the cross bar and over the keeper's outstretched arms to make it 5-nil. The final goal came at 65 minutes as Nessa Fakrai dished a pass to Isabel Regonini, who blasted a rocket shot into the back of the net before the Dons' keeper could make a move.

On Thursday, the Bears suffered their first loss 1-3 at Carlmont. Despite losing Shane to injury in the 9th minute, M-A was first to score just a few minutes later when Pounders found the net on a right corner kick service from Amor. Carlmont equalized just before the half, dribbling through the middle and getting a shot off before the defense could recover. In the second half, both teams traded chances but Carlmont broke the deadlock at 52 minutes, shooting from the right point. The Bears pressed hard to climb back but the Scots took advantage of the space and counterattacked, scoring an insurance goal with 6 minutes remaining to put them safely in command and sending M-A home with a 1-3 loss. Next week, the Bears (10-1-1) will host Hillsdale Tuesday, February 17 and then travel to Woodside on Thursday, February 19 for the season finale. Both matches kick off at 5:30 p.m.

Girls Varsity Soccer - The Bears won their third straight PAL game - this time against Aragon - by a score of 2-0 on Tuesday. It was a tightly contested match for much of the game. The Bears had a scoring chance in the 17th minute when Kelsey Reed fed a ball to Katie Guenin down the right wing. Guenin was streaking toward the goal when she was taken down in the box. Guenin's subsequent penalty kick was saved by the Dons' keeper and the score remained knotted 0-0. It wasn't until the 38th minute that Sarah McLeod passed a ball through to Miranda Simes who hammered it in, putting the Bears on the board 1-0. M-A scored again in the waning minutes of the half when Reed sent a ball to Josephine Cotto in the middle of the field. Cotto found Guenin who used her speed to get through and beat the keeper and put the ball in the back of the net, giving the Bears a hard fought 2-0 victory.

On Thursday, M-A suffered a defeat at Carlmont. The Bears fought hard and actually out-shot the Scots for the match (10-7), but Carlmont made the most of its opportunities. After a shot in the 30th minute was saved just wide by keeper Jacqueline Foody, a corner kick provided the Scots with a chance to capitalize. The serve in was initially punched out by Foody, but Carlmont headed in the deflection to score the only goal of the afternoon and put the Scots up 1-0. The second half was a battle as M-A upped the intensity and both sides played very physically. The Bears had chances, including a fast break by Guenin in the waning minute of the match, but Carlmont prevailed 1-0.

The loss drops M-A to 6-4-2 in league play with its final 2 remaining PAL games next week. It's senior day on Tuesday, February 17 against Hillsdale at 4 p.m. The Bears then travel to face undefeated league leader Woodside on Thursday, February 19.

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Community News

Reading Tutors and Classroom Volunteers Needed Next School Year - Parents are needed to volunteer beginning in September for K-4 classrooms in Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. Either tutor students in a structured reading program or assist teachers in the classroom.
Volunteers make a difference for these students; classes have no parents helping, no PTA, 62% of students are below grade level in reading and 53% below grade level in math. Please volunteer one hour per week; we provide training and coordinate everything. For more information go to allstudentsmatter. Contact Carolyn Blatman (CBlatman@aol.com) with questions or to sign up.

Menlo Park Riekes Center Summer Camps - The Early Bird Summer Camp Discount ends on Friday, February 20. The Riekes Center hosts weeklong day and overnight camps throughout the summer for children ages 6 through 18. Please visit the Riekes Center website or contact the Riekes Center at 650-364-2509 or info@riekes.org.

Teen Events at Menlo Park Library - The Menlo Park library is sponsoring two teen events this:

Do you love graphic novels? Teens (ages 11-18) are welcome to enter their own comic or manga into the winter contest. Entries are due Wednesday, February 25. The public will vote for their favorite. Come by the library or email Sydnee at mardell@plsinfo.org for more information, including dimensions of the comic.
Celebrate your love for comics, mangas, and graphic novels with other teens (aged 12-18) at the Comic Party on Friday, February 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. DIY Comic/Mangas from the winter contest will be judged. Teens are encouraged to dress up (there will be a prize!) as your favorite character. There will be fun DIY crafts, food, and raffle prizes! Please see our Teen Library webpage for registration.

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Quote of the Week

My first wish is to see this plague of mankind,

war, banished from the earth.

~ George Washington

BearNotes Submissions

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, Dianne Child, Pam Fernandes, Sue Olson, Jenny Pont, Kelly Stewart, and Bobbie Wood