Modified Schedule (January 16-20)

January 16, 2012: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

No school. This will be where students are encouraged to research community service opportunities for our Stellar family. Continue independent studies for midterms.

January 17, 2012: Friday (Minimum Day) Schedule

Students will be released at 12:30pm. They will not have physical education after school. Students are encouraged to go home and prepare/study for the following day. They should also get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast before coming into school the next day!

Midterms: January 18, 19, and 20th will be modified schedule days where each class has 2 hours to conduct their midterm. In each period, all 27 students will be present for test.

Wednesday, January 18th:

8:30 – 10:30 Spanish
10:30- 11:00 Break
11:00- 1:00 Biology
1:00- 3:00 Gym
Thursday, January 19th:

8:30 – 10:30 Algebra
10:30- 11:00 Break
11:00- 1:00 Fine Arts
(Early Release & Basketball game vs. American Canyon @ 4:30pm)
Friday, January 20th:

8:30 – 10:30 English
10:30- 11:00 Break
11:00- 1:00 Skill Sets for Scholar Athletes
(Early Release – No Practice)

It's hard to believe we are already half way through the school year. That means semester exams are coming up next week. I just wanted to give parents a heads up and give parents some hints to pass to the boys to help deal with the stress of exams. The Biology exam is scheduled for this coming Wednesday 01/18/12 at 11am, so there is plenty of time to prepare.

• With 5 days remaing, spend time EACH day devoted to studying a set amount of material from each subject. Don't wait and spend an all-nighter on Tuesday and expect to do well. Studies show that cramming is not beneficial and oftentimes detrimental. Sleep helps the brain to process & retain information.
• Read the Chapter Summaries found in the book and also the Chapter summaries attached to the Worksheets. They provide quick, easy information to review. When you discover a topic that they are unsure about, go to the textbook and notes to get the details.
• Review key vocabulary terms from each chapter.
• Retake the old tests. Many of the questions are multiple choice. Cover up the answers in the margin, and see how they do. If they miss it, then they need brush up on that topic.
• Use time wisely. Spend time on the van studying. Quiz each other while on the road. Surely someone will know the answer. If something comes up that no one can answer, then ask the teacher. Studies show that students teaching students is an effective way for students to learn.

On a personal note, I appreciate everyone in the Stellar family. It has been a pleasure teaching the boys this first semester and am looking forward to an even better 2nd semester. I hope they have learned as much as I have. It has been a steep learning curve for all of us, but we all are well on our way to becoming "Stellar".

Mr. Garland

Each student recieved a copy of Crispin by Avi. Their homework over the break is to read the book!

They will be tested on the content/characters of the novel the day they return, January 9th, 2012.

(Any handwritten notes that they take on the novel may be used on the test. I encourage note taking! The test is not intended to trick students or confuse them; it is simply to ensure that the book has been read.)

See attached for the Thanksgiving Break Project on Archetypes.

It is due the day you get back from break, Monday, November 28, 2011.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

-Ms. Pierce

1st Quarter Report Card Pick Up

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Portable 19, 22, & 23 from 5:30-6:30 pm

Parents and students are welcome to come to Stellar Preparatory High School to pick up student first quarter report cards!

At this event you can…

• Pick up your student’s report card personally.
• Meet with teachers. (We try to limit conversations to 5 minutes so that every parent and teacher has a chance to meet. If necessary we can schedule additional meetings for another date.)
• Get your new Thunder ThinkWave parent and/or student login/password. (ThinkWave is a new link on our website that is available to Stellar parents and students. It allows them to go online anytime to see student grades, assignments, messages from teachers, and more.)

This feature has just been enabled, and I am checking to see if it works. If you read this, please respond and that way I will know who is reading this. We might even try doing more stuff online.

Greetings Stellar Family,

I am excited to announce that Back to School Night will be scheduled for 5:30 - 7:00pm Monday, September 26, 2011! See attached for the flyer. We encourage all parent/guardians to attend. It will give you an opportunity to meet teachers, learn about class goals, and view early student work.

Below you will find short bios of all of our Stellar teachers. Notice that we are very pleased to have a new Biology teacher, Mr. Garland, whose enthusiasm for Biology makes him a great addition to our team.

Sincerely,
Principal Pierce

Biology Teacher: Mr. Garland
Mr. Garland has lived in the Bay Area over the past 15 years where he has worked in various capacities in the information technology sector ranging from general technical support to network administration. He had the opportunity to reattend college where he knew from the start that he wanted to be a Science teacher. He will earn his B.S. degree in Biology and his Teaching Credential from California State University East Bay this Winter quarter. While not very athletic himself, he does enjoy hiking with his Boxer, Des, and is training with her to enter in dog agility competitions.

Algebra Teacher: Mr. Goodlett
Mr. Goodlett has 25 years of experience as an educator in the Bay Area teaching grades ranging from preschool to high school, and has taught in the San Francisco and Oakland Unified School Districts as well as charter and private schools in the East Bay. Most recently Mr. Goodlett served as math instructor, dean of students, and manhood training coordinator at ASA Academy in Oakland, CA. He was a walk-on basketball player at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota where he earned his B.A. and he attended the San Francisco State University teacher credential program.

Spanish Teacher: Ms. Muller
Ms. Muller grew up in the Easy Bay and received her BA at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she studied a wide range of subjects, from linguistics and language studies to geology and chemistry. She has studied in Ecuador, where she immersed herself in the Spanish language and Ecuadorian culture. While there, she spent most of her time in a small town on the edge of the Amazon building a playground for the local school children and teaching the community about conservation. Ms. Muller spent the past summer living in Kings Canyon National Park working with kids and families with Type 1 diabetes. She is honored and excited to be a part of Stellar Prep, where she can pass on her passion for language to her students.    

Fine Arts Teacher: Ms. Nzinga
Ms. Nzinga, MA, MFA, is an Artist Educator and a Candidate for a PhD in Transformational Education and Change at the California Institute for Integral Studies in San Francisco CA. A published author, essayist, and poet she has a passion for lifelong learning. She is a performing artist and the Founding Director of, The Lower Bottom Playaz, a community based theater troupe. She is the Director of the Sister Thea Bowman Memorial Theater in West Oakland, CA. She is the Founder Director of The Sister Thea Bowman Memorial Summer Theater Day Camp, a multi generational arts camp, hosted by The Prescott Joseph Center For Community Enhancement, and staffed by the School of Education at University of California at Berkeley. She has taught at, consulted with, and designed arts programing for schools though out the San Francisco Bay Area for the last decade. Nzinga is pleased and excited to be a part of the Stellar team.

Principal/ English Language Arts Teacher: Ms. Pierce
Ms. Pierce earned her BA, MA, and Teaching Credential from Stanford University. She then assumed numerous leadership positions as both a teacher and an administrator at some of the most difficult academic institutions in Oakland and was one of only two Middle School teachers to receive Oakland Unified School District’s High Achievement award in 2009. As a multiple sport athlete herself, her Stanford Varsity Lightweight Crew team placed 5th in the nation. As principal of Stellar Prep, she continues to explore her passion for multidisciplinary education within the fields of both academia and athletics.