Friday Notes - Feb 17, 2012

Have a Fun and Safe Vacation!

BASKETBALL SENIOR DAY

The last home games of the season are creeping up on us! The Boys Varsity team will play their last home game February 21^st. The Girls Varsity team will play their final home game February 28^th. Please be sure to invite friends and family to join us in thanking our senior players for their contribution to the team and the school.

MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER

The Leland and Gray Friends of Music is selling Joe Corbi's frozen foods. There is a wide selection of pizza and dessert items to choose from. The proceeds will go toward scholarships for students that are involved in the music department. Ask any music student about ordering. Orders are due by March 2nd with delivery on March 20th. Don't miss out!!!

WHY VACCINATE?
(Excerpted from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/howvpd.htm)
Vaccine-preventable diseases have a costly impact, resulting in doctor's visits, hospitalizations, and premature deaths. Sick children can also cause parents to lose time from work.
Each child is born with a full immune system composed of cells, glands, organs, and fluids that are located throughout his or her body to fight invading bacteria and viruses. The immune system recognizes germs that enter the body as "foreign" invaders, or antigens, and produces protein substances called antibodies to fight them. A normal, healthy immune system has the ability to produce millions of these antibodies to defend against thousands of attacks every day, doing it so naturally that people are not even aware they are being attacked and defended so often (Whitney, 1990). Many antibodies disappear once they have destroyed the invading antigens, but the cells involved in antibody production remain and become "memory cells." Memory cells remember the original antigen and then defend against it when the antigen attempts to re-infect a person, even after many decades. This protection is called immunity.

HEY! You!!
Once we get back from break, there will be a new activity beginning on Thursdays. Ms. Jones will be hosting a cooking class. Several of your teachers who have very personal experience with different cuisine as well as others who have, out of interest, learned to cook food from various cultures, will be joining her. On Thursday, Ms. Jones will be bringing you food from France--Quiche, French Onion Soup, and Berry Filled Crepes. In weeks following, Ms Chen and Hota will be offering food from some of their favorite places. Please consider learning to cook food you've never tried from places you've never been. 

As usual, activities will continue upon our return. On Mondays are a very cool fiber workshop called Spun Monkey (check out her website) and the new study skills workshop called Planning for Success in Middle School.  HEY! Help happens every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Tuesday brings Ceramics with Ms. Wilson, Robotics with Peter Golrick , Writing at Valley Cares, and D&D.  This Tuesday, and perhaps on Tuesdays to come, Jason Sperling and Guitar Club will meet with Joel Eisenkramer and Sound Scholars. Thursdays is another full line-up with Newspaper, Ms Wilson's Photography class, World Drumming, and Bowling. We still have high hopes that every one of you will try something new this year. Any questions, ask Susan Gunther-Mohr or Megan Altshuler. Have a wonderful break.

GIRLS 8^TH GRADE TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Congratulations to the 8^th grade girls team who placed third in their tournament!

UPCOMING GAMES