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This Week
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Monday, November 3
- Hillview Speaker Series: Devin Prouty, Ph.D., "Sleepy Students", 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Hillview PAC
Tuesday, November 4
- Fall Choral Concert wth M-A Chorus, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m., Hillview PAC
Wednesday, November 5
- MPAEF Event, "Apply a Powerful Design Thinking Mindset to Your Everyday", 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Hillview PAC. Click here to register
- Hillview Service Club's "We Scare Hunger" campaign ends
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Monday, November 10 - Tuesday, November 11
- No School - Collaborative Planning Day and Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 12
- MPCSD Regular Meeting, 5:00 - 10:00 p.m., TERC, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton
- MPCSD Final Decision on Mandarin Charter Petition, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., TERC, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton
Thursday, November 13 - Friday November 14
- MPAEF Gift Boutique, Allied Arts Guild, click here for more info
Friday, November 14
- 6th and 7th grade Basketball Evaluations, Hillview Gym
Thursday, November 20
- Hillview Drama Presents The Miracle Worker at 3:30 p.m., Hillview PAC
Friday, November 21
- Hillview Drama Presents The Miracle Worker at 7:00 p.m., Hillview PAC
Saturday, November 22
- Hillview Drama Presents The Miracle Worker at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Hillview PAC
Sunday, November 23
- Jazz Band Performance at 9:00 a.m., Menlo Park Farmers Market
Monday, November 24
Wednesday, November 26 - Friday, November 28
- No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
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Hillview Speaker Series
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Sleepy Students: The Adolescent Circadian Shift
Devin Prouty, Ph.D., Researcher/Expert
Hillview Middle School, PAC
Tomorrow, Monday, November 3, 6:30 p.m. Join local researcher Dr. Devin Prouty, Ph.D. as he discusses practical strategies for dealing with adolescent sleep changes, and how to help your whole family get enough sleep. He will detail the biological mechanisms that affect sleep, biological changes that affect adolescent sleep patterns, the importance of sleep to overall health and academic achievement, and problems that are associated with insufficient sleep. Dr. Prouty is a local clinical psychologist who also studies adolescent brain development through NCANDA, the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence.
Free childcare will be provided during this event for all potty trained children.
Click here for the full speaker line-up. These events are open to all district parents and community members. For more information, contact Jennifer Allen.
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Hillview Technology Update
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6th Grade Parent Digital Drivers License Class: In order to share with 6th grade parents the lessons the students are receiving in the Digital Drivers License Program, and also to receive special "parent-only" information, Mr. Haug has created an Edmodo class for parents called "Hillview DDL Parent Class." To learn how to sign up and become a member, please watch this screencast. The group code to join the class is ecntnm.
6th Graders who have turned in the two required assignments (the Customizable Device Contract or Family Tablet Contract, and the "Media Habits and Multi-Tasking" assignment) will earn their "Learner's Permit" and will have the privilege of taking home their iPads on Monday, November 3. We will also be sending home the Family Tablet Contract on Monday so that you can reinforce those agreements that you established in September. We will keep a copy at school, so please let us know if it does not get to you.
Apple ID Alert for 7th Grade Parents: We want 7th grade parents to be on the lookout for an email from Apple (appleid@id.apple.com) inviting them to set up a special under-13 Apple ID for their students. This is how we have managed our 6th grade iPads this year, and this has proven to be a much more efficient way of deploying apps than the way we currently do so in the 7th and 8th grades. Mr. Haug will be sending an email with more details and instructions. To see a hard copy of this email in advance, click here.
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Become a Substitute For Our Schools
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Substitute teachers needed: Do you enjoy elementary and/or middle schoolers? Are you interested in a flexible and rewarding job? Menlo Park City School District needs substitute teachers! The improving economy has resulted in a smaller pool of great substitute teachers. If you are interested in substitute teaching in MPCSD classrooms, we want to hear from you. To be a substitute teacher, one needs a Bachelor's Degree or higher and passage of the CBEST (a standardized test of basic skills for teachers). If you are interested, please apply online with a letter of recommendation from someone who has seen you work with children.
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American Mathematics Competition
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Does your child want to get involved in this nation-wide math competition that involves problem-solving skills in a timed format? If they do, they can enter the AMC 8 contest which will be given on Tuesday, November 18 after school in Room B7. This is a timed math competition in an exam-like format that over 170,000 students from over 2,300 schools participated in last year. Students compete for both local and national awards. If your child is intereted, please have them contact Mr. Doroquez (Mr. D) or talk to him in classroom B7. Click here for more information.
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Turkey Trot
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The "Turkey Trot" returns to Hillview on Monday, November 24. This one mile run/walk through the Hillview neighborhood for all 7th and 8th grade students during their PE class begins at Hillview and ends with a triumphant lap on the school track. Students should return their signed permission slips to their PE teachers. Please watch for further information about volunteering or even joining in with the students on a little early Thanksgiving workout!
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The Miracle Worker
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Hillview Middle School's drama department presents The Miracle Worker on Thursday, November 20 at 3:30 p.m.; Friday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m.; and Saturday, November 22 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Based on the remarkable true story of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan, this inspiring play has become an unforgettable American classic. Please join the young actors of the Hillview drama department in their presentation of this timeless tale.
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Intramural and After-School Sports
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Intramural Sports: Lunchtime intramural sports will offer indoor soccer or hockey through the Thanksgiving break.
Burgess League and MPMSL (8th Grade): Basketball registration will close at midnight tonight for all Hillview students. Register at sportability.com/hillview. Students registering after November 2 will be waitlisted. For this program to work, we need parent volunteer coaches. Please let Mr. Bell know if you are able to help. Mandatory team placement workouts for 6th and 7th graders will be held on Saturday, November 15th. Players must attend team placement workouts unless they have notified Mr. Bell in advance. 8th grade teams will be selected without a workout.
Tournament Team Basketball: Practices continue.
Flag Football: Annual jamboree will be held Monday and Tuesday.
Monday, November 3: Blue vs. Gold at Hillview at 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 4: 8th graders at Corte Madera at 3:45 p.m.
Please do not wear red or yellow shorts to games. Participants must wear a mouthguard to play.
Players will be asked to return their jerseys after their final game.
Volleyball: This is the final week of league play. There are no games scheduled next week due to the Veteran's Day Holiday. Playoffs will take place on November 17 for 7th and 8th graders and November 18 for 6th graders. Click here for practice and game schedules.
Fencing: Class continues.
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Safe Routes to School
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Give Feedback to the County About Safe Routes to School: MPCSD has a county grant for Safe Routes to School programs such as traffic safety assemblies, bike/walk rodeos, free safety vests, KangaDo carpool smartphone app, expanded yellow school bus routes, International Walk/Bike to School Day and web resources. Click here to learn more about the Safe Routes to School programs in MPCSD. Questions?
We apologize that last week's link did not work correctly. The survey deadline has been extended to November 10.
Safety Vests: Safe Routes to School program in MPCSD includes free safety vests for students and parents. In bright daylight, a child who peddles into shaded road under trees becomes invisible. Please take some vests and get your student to wear one along with you.
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MPAEF Design Thinking Event
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MPAEF Presents: "Apply a Powerful
Design Thinking Mindset to Your Everyday"
Wednesday, November 5th: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
A Design Thinking mindset has the powerful potential to change many aspects of our personal, family and professional lives, as well as the personal, emotional and academic lives of our children. In fact, our kids have already been discovering its positive impact in classroom and school activities.
Since 2012, our school district has been collaborating with design thinking influencers and innovation-focused leaders. Now, the MPAEF is bringing these individuals together to engage district parents and the larger community in a panel discussion about how this innovation-based, problem-solving practice is applicable and purposeful to all of us.
The panel of design thinking and innovative leaders includes:
- Erik Burmeister, Principal of Hillview Middle School and Lead of MPCSD Design efforts
- Leah Kessler, Vice Principal of Oak Knoll and experienced design thinker and educator
- Guido Kovalskys, Founder and Co-CEO of Nearpod, Fellow in the K12 Lab at Stanford's famed d.school
- Branko Lukic, Founder of Nanobject, the award-winning design firm in Palo Alto and author of design book by the same name, and MPCSD Encinal and Hillview parent
- Suzanne Pellican, Chief Design Strategist at Intuit and Intuit's former Director of "Design for Delight and Innovation Catalsts" and MPCSD Laurel parent
- Lisa Solomon, Lecturer on "Innovation" at California College of the Arts in an MBA in Design Strategy Program, and best-selling author of Moments of Impact
With Maurice Ghysels, MPCSD Superintendent and Panel Moderator.
Join over 90 fellow parents who've already confirmed their seat and learn these key pillars of design thinking as our children experience them in their classrooms. Discover how they extend and apply to areas of our every day life: Empathize first! Design for delight! Fail fast; fail often!
This is event is free and open to the entire community! Seating is limited; be sure to reserve your spot today! Light refreshments will be served. Click here for your online ticket.
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MPAEF Annual Campaign
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Commit Your Support to the MPAEF Annual Parent Campaign
18 days remain in the MPAEF Annual Parent Campaign! As a parent community, we need to come together and stand strong to show our commitment to our schools and our students. This community-funded district of ours needs our collective support before the close of the November 20 campaign. If you have already pledged or donated, thank you! If you still need to contribute, please do so today via one of these three options:
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MPAEF Gift Boutique
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MPAEF Gift Boutique
Thursday, November 13 & Friday, November 14
Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park
Featuring well-known designers and well-loved local vendors, there will sure to be something for everyone on your shopping list. We invite you to preview our vendors here, and recommend purchasing advance tickets to our special events here.
Sips, Sweets & Shopping: Enjoy wine and sweet treats while you shop the boutique on Thursday, November 13, from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. $30 per person advance purchase, $40 per person at the door.
An Evening with the Experts: We've partnered with the highly-regarded caterers and masterful mixologists of Palace Cafe and Catering, and fabulous florist Amanda Thorne to teach you the tricks of the trade and turn you into the hostess with the mostest. Event held Thursday, November 13, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. $75 per person includes entrance into MPAEF Gift Boutique. This event is limited to 30 guests.
Boutique Brunch and Lunch at the Blue Garden Cafe: Seatings Friday, November 14 at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m or 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person, space is limited, advance purchase required.
Boutique Shopping: Complimentary entrance Friday, November 14 from 8:30 - 2:30 p.m. Invite friends and family. All are welcome! 20% of boutique proceeds benefit the MPCSD schools. Learn more about this event here.
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MPAEF Spring Auction Help
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Spring Auction Volunteers Needed: Have you enjoyed participating in the MPAEF Annual Spring Auction? Are you new to the District and excited to get involved? Join us and help us raise $250,000+ for our schools!
We are currently seeking a parent volunteer to be the Auction Co-Chair for the 2015 MPAEF Spring Auction to be held on Saturday, April 11, at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club. Cyndy Hogan is returning as the Event Co-Chair, so you'll be working with a seasoned partner. We are seeking an auction-side co-chair to oversee the online and event-night auction. If you are someone who has good project management skills, data management skills, and an interest in organizing a large-scale event to support our schools, we need you!
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MPCSD Mandarin Immersion Charter School Petition Meetings
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On September 12, our District received its first charter school petition for a Mandarin Immersion Charter School. Click here to see the entire charter petition, including petition signatures.
The MPCSD encourages parents and community members to attend the following public School Board Meeting:
- Final Decision on Wednesday, November 12 at 6:30 p.m. at MPCSD Office, TERC Building, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton
A presentation on charter school fundamentals was made to the Board on September 3, and is accessible: Click here.
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High School Information
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8th Grade Parents: Want to get the scoop on M-A from current M-A parents? The M-A Foundation for the Future is sponsoring a coffee - join parents with current M-A students for an informal conversation on Wednesday, November 12, from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the home of Roxy and Chet Bozdog, 33 Irving Avenue, Atherton. Coffee and refreshements will be served. Please r.s.v.p. if you plan to attend.
High School Information has been posted to the Hillview website about M-A, Summit, Everest, and the private school application process. Please email Ms. Watts if you have any questions. M-A Shadowing Program: The M-A Shadowing Program pairs prospective 8th graders with a 9+ grade host so they can attend classes during a typical day at the school. The program runs from October 3 - February 27. Shadowing is very popular and appointments fill up fast, so sign up early on the website. Please visit www.mabears.org for program details and frequently asked questions.
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Community Speakers
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The View from High School for Students with Learning and Attention Differences:
11 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Children's Health Council, 650 S Clark Way, Palo Alto. The cost is $20 for PEN members. Please register.
Are you in the midst of the high school search? Do you wonder what programs are available and what kind of support they offer? Come hear a panel of high school administrators and learning specialists from a variety of schools discuss resources and what's expected of students and families in different programs. This background information can help a student determine the best fit for their learning profile. Panelists include:
- Jason Bradeen, Assistant Director, Compass High School
- Alysse LeValley, Interim Head of High School, Chartwell School
- Marilyn Lynch, Head of School, Stanbridge Academy
- Lisa O'Hearn-Keck, Dean of Students, Palo Alto Preparatory High School
- Erin Powers, Learning Specialist, Kehillah Jewish High School
- Gayle Rosenberg, Academic Resource Center Director, Junipero Serra High School
- Dr. Douglas C Thompson, Head of School, Mid-Peninsula High School
PEN-Silicon Valley's Speaker Series is a membership-based series of lectures and workshops on various aspects of parenting and educating children with learning and attention differences. Click here for more information.
Sequoia Parent Education Series "Performing Gender": Join Anthony Ross from Outlet on Thursday, November 6 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Sequoia High School, MPR for an eye-opening conversation about "performing gender" and the role gender plays in developing teens' identities. In this workshop, parents will learn how to support their teens' gender identity and sexual orientation by creating a welcoming environment for all kids to thrive.
Founded in 1997, Outlet empowers Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ) youth and builds safe and accepting communities through support, education, and advocacy. Outlet envisions a world that embraces, empowers, and celebrates LGBTQQ youth. Register here.
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Special Coffee Talk! M-A Parent Education Series:
"Get Connected! Talking to Your Teen
About Sexual Health". Talking about sexual health can be one of the most difficult and anxiety-provoking parenting tasks. Join Abi Karlin-Resnick, Executive Director, and Perryn Reis, Director of Research & Innovation, from Health Connected (formerly Teen Talk Sexuality Education), the SUHSD's provider of comprehensive sexuality education, in a fun and interactive workshop to learn how you can create an environment of comfort and trust with your child to discuss their emerging sexuality. The event will be held Wednesday, November 5, from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. in the M-A PAC Cafeteria.
Get tips on how to talk about sexuality in the context of your family's values about sex and relationships, and create clear boundaries for your children while allowing them to explore this important developmental milestone. Attendance will be limited to 25 parents on a first-come basis. Sign up today! Coffee and refreshments will be offered.
M-A Parent Education Series "A Conversation About College Admission": On November 12, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the M-A PAC, the M-A Parent Education Series hosts this special event with Alice Kleeman, M-A College Advisor, and Kirk Brennan, Director of Admission at USC. The open-ended discussion with two college experts promises an insider's look into the college admission process. According to Director Brennan, "We in college admission work to change the world every day". Don't miss this great opportunity for juniors and seniors to learn about the college admission process! Parents, students, faculty/staff, and community members welcome. Register here.
M-A Parent Education Series "The Perseverance Process: Strategies for Strengthening Academic Motivation and Persistence" (Search Institute): For parents who missed Dr. Kent Pekel in "The Perseverance Process," here is a link to the video of this excellent presentation.
This event and video-recording were made possible through a generous gift from The Esther Ting Foundation.
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Woodside Parent Education Series: The Woodside Parent Education Series welcomes Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) in "The Second Goal Parent®: Developing Winners in Life through Sports," Thursday, November 13, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at Woodside High School MUR. In this interactive workshop (60-minute presentation followed by 30-minute Q & A), parents learn how they can help ensure their student's athletic experience yields healthy, developmental (physical, social, mental) outcomes that will serve them far beyond the playing field.
Positive Coaching Alliance is a national non-profit developing "Better Athletes, Better People" by working to provide youth and high school athletes with a positive, character-building youth sports experience. Register here.
The M-A, Woodside and Sequoia Parent Education Series events are free, sponsored by the Woodside PTSA, the Menlo-Atherton PTA, the Sequoia Healthcare District, and the Sequoia Union High School District. Parents, students, faculty/staff and community members welcome! For more information, contact Charlene Margot, Parent Education Series, Program Director or call (650) 868-0590. For Spanish, contact Maricela Lopez, 650-367-9750, Ext. 45323. Spanish interpretation and refreshments will be provided.
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Community Events
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Home Run Derby Fundraiser Today: Swing for the fences! Join us Sunday, November 2 at noon at Nealon Park in Menlo Park to raise money to send two Xtreme Baseball teams to Cooperstown, NY next summer! Please spread the word and encourage the community to come out and support our Cooperstown-bound kids. Anyone can sign up for this event.
Ready, Set, Can! The students at Menlo-Atherton High School are kicking off their annual Canned Food Drive on Tuesday, November 4. This is a chance for the greater community to rally around the growing number of San Mateo County residents who cannot afford enough food to provide for themselves and their families. According to the Second Harvest Food Bank website, 1 in 4 people in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties are at risk for hunger. Many of them are children, and some are our neighbors, classmates, or acquaintances.M-A has partnered with Second Harvest again this year to ensure that families continue to have access to food beyond the Canned Food Drive. Here's how you can help:
- When you are shopping at Bianchini's, Draeger's, Safeway and Trader Joe's, please add a few extra cans to your cart and drop them into the Second Harvest Food Bank barrels. M-A students will be handing out the list of most needed items requested by SHFB.
- Consider donating. Type "high school" in the Online Food Drive box and select Menlo-Atherton High School so that your gift is properly credited to the M-A outreach effort.
Questions? Thank you for your support!
Menlowe Ballet kicks off their fall season with Legend, a performance that shows how legends are made. Performances are November 8 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., November 9 at 2:00 p.m., and November 15 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available for purchase.
Love & Logic Parent Education Class: Looking for practical parenting tips to win homework battles? Want to see increased cooperation and responsibility from your tween? Would you like some effective strategies to decrease the arguing and power struggles? Love and Logic, founded by Jim Fay, is a parenting and positive discipline stategy. A 5 week Love & Logic class series is being hosted on Saturday mornings beginning November 1 at St. Denis Parish in Menlo Park. This class is appropriate for parents of middle schoolers. For more information contact the instructor Janada Clark MA or visit her website. Woodside High School Harvest Festival: Woodside High School will hold their Harvest Festival on Saturday, November 8 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Arts and crafts vendors will be on site, and refreshments and door prizes will be available for great family fun.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth: Applications are being accepted for its annual Talent Search for academically talented students in grades 2-8. CTY offers testing through the Talent Search and a wide array of services for academically talented students, including summer and online courses for students with qualifying test scores. For more information, visit cty.jhu.edu or call CTY at 410-735-6278.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas will be presented by Dancer's Repertory Theatre and Menlo Park Academy of Dance at the Woodside Performing Arts Center. Performances are Saturday, December 6 at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, December 7 at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Saturday, December 13 at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 14 at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase.
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Newsletter Details
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This newsletter is published by PTO parent volunteers every Sunday of the school year, except for Sundays preceding a full week of vacation.
Submissions: The deadline to submit for the Sunday Hillview Newsletter is Wednesday at noon. Please email your submission to newsletter@hillviewpto.org. Please note that submissions may be edited for content and/or length. Submissions received after the deadline will be eligible for inclusion the following week.
To submit an announcement for an off-campus community event, please email your announcement to communitynews@mpcsd.org. The submission deadline is Wednesday at noon for the following Sunday newsletter. Archives: Missed an exciting edition of the Hillview newsletter or letters from the school or PTO? Look up past mailings in our online archive.
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