Upcoming Events - Palm Valley School

December 5, 2014
Upcoming Events:
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December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
12 - Free Dress Day - LOWER SCHOOL ONLY
15-18 - Upper School Winterim
15-18 - Middle School Exam Week
17 - PA Holiday Luncheon - For Middle/Upper School Students
18 - Winter Sing - 8:45 am - Gym
19 - Parent Association “Hot Chocolate Treat” - Lower School
19 - Pajama Day - Preschool and Lower School
19 - Final Day of Classes - HALF DAY
High Honor Roll (3.75+/No C’s)
Grade 6: Lauren Adams, Deanne Bauer, Makena Behnke, Marianne Capetz, Angeline Carroll, Luke Chandler, Nima Dezfuli, Sarah Jefferson, Brendan Lowe, Charlotte Matterne,
Anthony Romo, Caroline Scheil, Taylor Schlicht, Elizabeth Shay, Jake Sonderman, Evan
Spry, Rory Struthers, Evelyn Thurman.
Grade 7: Sydney Armor, Robert Arzano, Juliana Burke, Lawrence Carroll, Jack Danforth,
Claire Jenkins, Carson Kessler, Luke Langlois, Lawrence Nelson, Brennan Nick, Charles
Schnell, Ava Sinha, Hannah Sloan.
Grade 8: Denali Archer, Chaya Chandrashekar, Connor Cook, Jackson Dean, Chynna Doremus, Holden Hartle, Emma Johansen, Amanda Laule, Cambria McCalla, Carson McCalla,
Jacob Mulé, Sarah Olson, Neeve Slee, Benjamin Snyder.
Grade 9: Harrison Katz, Amanda Morely, Lauren Piano, Christian Sadler, Sydney Scheck,
Chloe Sweeney, Izak Weintraub.
Grade 10: Jacob Barton, Kyler Deshpande, Nick Kaufmann, Guangran “Edawrd” Li, Christina Romo, Mary Anna “Mac” Spears, Trystan Swan, Masanori “Bryan” Tamura, Owen
Thurman, Zhaohan “Amelie” Wang, Hye Rim “Jade” Yoon.
Grade 11: Emily Neiderman, Yuting “Amber” Zheng, MingKang “Ashley” Zhou.
Grade 12: Yu-Ling “Winnie” Chein, Youn Jun “Ben” Cho, Cody Coleman, Thomas “Soren”
Craig, Kaleese Fountain, Joe Hall, Sam Kocen, Sam McDonald, Conor Morley, Rebecca
Rhoades, Jamie Wanless, Eliot Weintraub.
Honor Roll (3.0-3.7/No C’s)
Grade 6: Brandt Baskerville, Chase Carroll, Matthew Davidson, Kaydin Finan, Andrew
Hall, Hannah Hall, Kyle Mauerman, Michael Talbot.
Grade 7: Ethan Abrams, Shelby Armor, Michael Arzano, Julia Crockett, Angus Gregg,
Madison Heckmann, Alexis Pike, Joshua Tyer.
Grade 8: Jensen Jabara, Bazil Martinez, Rachell Rothstein, Hannah Segerson, Drew
Winkler.
Grade 9: Joseph Bolek, Anthony Bross, Xiaoyue “Zoey” Chen, Cameron Cronin, Paul
“Pablo” Drenning, Megan Jefferson, Chloé Katz, Carter Lawton, Xuanhe “Sylvia” Sheng.
Volume 2014/2015
Issue 11
Dec. 5, 2014
Grade 10: Guozheng “Gaven” Li.
Grade 11: Rongpu “Irene” Guo, Haoyu “Henry” Huang, Trey Lucatero, Jingsong “Jing”
Zhu.
Notes from the Head of School: The atmosphere in a typical classroom is a fragile thing. Not
the physical atmosphere as in the air students and teachers breathe, but in the intangible and
often unspoken relationship between students and teachers as they navigate their way through
the learning process. In good classrooms there is a delicate balance of give and take, questions
asked and answered, and the both groups have an unseen chemistry of mutual respect and
openness that makes the best classrooms hum like a well-oiled machine.
Outsiders walking into this daily interaction often unknowingly disturb this positive force. In
the Lower School in particular, an unknown visitor provokes at a minimum curious stares and
questioning. In most cases, as Head of School if I walk into the middle of a classroom, the
stares and glances are often put aside in favor of hearty hellos, and a kind of curious, unspoken wonderment: “What is he doing here?’ or the less positive thought: “Who’s in trouble?” If it
were I back in my elementary school days, a visitor to the classroom would lead me to immediately perform a quick inventory of my own prior actions as they related to the latter question.
Thankfully, a recent visitor to Mrs. Bajaj’s fourth grade classroom provoked none of these responses from the students. While the fragility of the classroom was definitely disrupted by their
new guest, all in all, it turned out to be one of the most unique and enjoyable days of their
young lives. For you see, the classroom visitor that day was a hummingbird that suddenly flew
into the room.
Imagine the looks of joy and wonderment on the faces of the students as their guest zoomed
from place to place in the classroom seeking a way out. Amidst the squeals of joy and delight,
several students immediately volunteered to lure the hummingbird back out of the classroom.
When such feats of novelty and thinking proved disappointingly unsuccessful, Mrs. Bajaj decided that this was a situation that required an expert – our own Middle and Upper School science teacher and noted bird expert, Mr. Buck.
Engaging his own ninth grade biology class in the rescue effort, Mr. Buck traveled down to the
Lower School to assess the situation. Having tried sugar water as a possible lure for the hummingbird, Mr. Buck was forced to reluctantly return to his classroom with the bird still an honorary member of the fourth grade class. After a few more hours of freedom, Mrs. Bajaj was
eventually able to capture the bird. This time, the fourth grade students took their new classmate – now secured in a box and named Harold by at least one student - to Mr. Buck’s science
lab.
With one of the fourth graders now gently feeding Harold sugar water from a tube, Mr. Buck
told them a little more about hummingbirds and their habitats. After awhile, and determining
that Harold had gained back some of his strength, the fourth graders walked him outside.
Gathering his energy, Harold took a few more seconds to pull himself together and flew to a
nearby branch. It almost seemed as though he wished to pause briefly before saying goodbye.
A disrupted day? Perhaps in the narrowest of definitions. More likely, it was a rather dramatic
example of what Palm Valley School offers its students on a daily basis. Not hide-bound by
state standards or testing restrictions, these fourth graders were able to take advantage of a
one time learning experience that literally flew into their classroom. Utilizing learning concepts
that included critical thinking – how can we catch it? – cooperative activity – working together to
make said capture – hands-on or experiential learning as they viewed up close their subject –
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and communication through the journaling
and research of their experiences, to name
just a few of the many educational concepts
at play, Mrs. Bajaj’s students encapsulated
the way students learn best.
More importantly, while I am certain the lesson plans for the day were strong ones, the
freedom to immediately shift gears and adapt
to a wonderful and exciting opportunity exemplifies Palm Valley School’s approach to
taking advantage of every learning opportunity. Cap all of this off with a mini-field
trip to Mr. Buck’s science lab and the resultant interactions and discoveries between
younger and older students, and you have
one of the biggest advantages of a Preschool
through grade twelve education – unique in
the Coachella Valley.
I am certain that by now Harold the Hummingbird is on to bigger and better things. At
the same time, the fourth grade and ninth
grade students involved in his rescue that
day experienced for themselves something
bigger and better as well. Their learning experiences that day were enhanced and made
memorable not only by Harold’s disruption of
their classroom, but also by their teachers’
willingness and ability to turn that disruption into a lesson they will never forget.
Just another great day at Palm Valley
School . . .
--Bob Graves
News from the Preschool: We are so thankful for all the children who brought in
canned goods to share with others who needed food. You definitely filled buckets! We had
a great time playing games and doing activities that children did long ago. Homemade
cornbread, made by Baker Miguel Amaya,
added the perfect touch to our lunches on
Tuesday.
We are beginning our Toy Drive for the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center. Please bring
in a new unwrapped toy by Dec.16. There
will be a box in the front of the Preschool office in Bldg. E10.
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December is the month we share Family Traditions. A flyer went home explaining how you
can participate. This is an exciting way for
children to learn what other families do together. Be sure to sign up. There aren't many
days left to choose from.
We would like to thank Caroline and Alexandra for the awesome scooters they donated.
We are having a fabulous time riding them!
News from the Lower School: With all the
parties, deadlines, and gifts to wrap December
gives us opportunities to practice tolerance.
This week our Fifth Grade students Josh Makkai and Ella Mauritzson each shared meaningful personal connections to the concept of
tolerance. Every student brings a wealth of
experiences that contribute to healthy growth
in character.
Congratulations to our Lower School students
for bringing in the most cans for our Canned
Food Drive. The Leo Club was able to bring
more than 1,000 cans to Martha’s Village due
to all of the generosity. As a reward, Lower
School students will be allowed a Free Dress
Day on Friday, December 12.
Our First Grade students learn about their
family’s history and traditions in a special social studies project. Guided by Mrs.
Bassanelli and Mrs. Deshpande in partnership with the students’ families, the children
learned about their personal history. The students discovered and explored the costumes,
foods, and traditions of their family then
shared their knowledge with their classmates,
and the larger learning community. Please
join us on December 18 at 8:45 in the gym for
their final activity on this project.
Under the guidance of our music teacher Miss
Jeri the Lower School students are joyfully
practicing a collection of songs for the Winter
Sing. Please make time to see our Kindergarten through Fifth Grade students perform onstage in the gym on December 18 at 8:45
am. Please invite grandparents, friends, and
neighbors. The children will steal your hearts!
This year our school community is contrib(760) 328-0861/www.pvs.org
uting new, unused toys to Santa’s Hayride
who will deliver the toys as gifts to children
in need here in Coachella Valley. You may
deposit the toys in the front office December
8-18. Please read your Shutterfly emails for
additional details from Parent Association.
A tradition much enjoyed in the Preschool
and Lower School is sharing new pajamas
with children in need. Every classroom is
collecting pajamas from December 8- 18. The
children look forward to wearing pajamas to
school on Friday, December 19. Please read
your Shutterfly emails for additional details
from Room Parents.
Yes, Santa, it’s true! We look forward to enjoying your visit on the morning of December
19. In keeping with the annual visit from
Santa, Parent Association has generously
agreed to serve hot chocolate to all! What
fun!
Some of my fondest memories as a child are
sitting by the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, and enjoying
a cozy, quiet read. I hope you and your children have the opportunity to deeply relax
with a book as our nights grow longer.
News from the Middle School: The Middle
School students enjoyed a Fun Friday treat
on November 21 as the Leadership Council
arranged for the Snow Cone truck to deliver
snow cones at no charge for all the students
along with music for dancing and singing.
Students were able to create their own multiflavored snow cones. This added an element
of fun and relaxation to our week. Thanks
you, Leadership Council, for your gift to our
students.
Now that our weather has turned colder,
students are routinely being reminded about
dress code jackets and footwear. Students
may wear any warm jacket outdoors; however, when they enter the building, the only
jackets that are allowed are solid red, white,
blue, or grey jackets with only the PVS logos
on them. Jackets with other commercial logos must be worn outside only. Additionally,
students in Middle School are not allowed to
wear boots as footwear. Athletic shoes with
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socks or closed-toed shoes are the correct footwear attire as per our Parent-Student Handbook guidelines. Please make a note of these
guidelines so the children arrive at school
properly attired.
Middle School Exam Week is approaching.
December 15-19, is our designated exam
week. All Middle School students will be taking
exams in their academic courses. The
Exam Schedule is printed in this week's
Phoenix newsletter and it is also posted in the
hallways for student reference. Teachers will
be providing review outlines for students to
use in preparation for their exams. Teachers
may choose to give chapter, unit, or cumulative exams in their classes. Students will be
reviewing with teachers during the week prior
to the exam week. This is an important component of our college preparation cornerstone
here at Palm Valley School.
After-School Study Hall continues to run daily, Monday through Thursday each week
from 3:30-4:30 PM. There is no supervision for
students after 4:30 PM so we encourage students to be picked up on time either after
school, after sports practice, or after study
hall. There is no After-School Study Hall
on Fridays. Students should be picked up
by 3:30 PM on Fridays.
Congratulations to Eight Grader Jensen Jabara, who has been transferred to play on San
Diego Soccer Club Academy Team. This give
Jensen the rare opportunity to compete with
the team in the “Little World Cup” in North
Carolina next month. Jensen travels to San
Diego on Mondays to practice with the San Diego Soccer Club to gear up for the National
Tournament December 11-14, and will continue to practice with Desert United on Tuesdays
and Thursdays. Way to go, Jensen!
News from the Upper School: Winterim week
is coming up! Winterim will be Monday, December 15 - Thursday, December 18. All Upper School students are expected to be on
campus from 8:30 - 3:20 each and every
day. Some students have free blocks, and they
can use this time as relaxation, or for study
hall to get a jump on any Winter Break homework they may have. All students have been
(760) 328-0861/www.pvs.org
emailed their Winterim schedules. As an added
reminder, there will be no hot lunch for Upper
School on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday.
Wednesday the Parent Association is providing
lunch for all Middle and Upper School students.
Save the Date! The Sophomore Retreat to San Diego is scheduled for February 8, 9, and 10. A letter home with details will come out before the Holiday Break.
As a fundraiser, The PVS Equestrian Team will be
selling Candy Cane Reindeers December 16-18.
Team members will be selling in front of the Lower
School office and during lunch in the Middle
School and Upper School courtyards. Please support the team and buy one for yourself, your
friends, your teachers, or anyone you want to
wish a Happy Holiday Season.
Canned Food Drive: Thank you to all students
and faculty that participated in the annual Palm
Valley Canned Food Drive. Thanks to your generosity it was a great success with a total of 1,146
cans donated to Martha's Village and transported
by the Leo Club. Every Lower School grade had a
100% participation and thus qualifies for a free
dress day. As well, the Middle and Upper School
grades that gave the most, the sixth and tenth
graders, qualify. Thank you everyone for making
the drive a great success and we look forward to
collecting even more next year!
Parent Association: The Palm Valley School Parent Association is in the midst of their first fundraiser for this school year – the sale of THE POWER CARD. All students, grades 3-12 have order
forms. We encourage you to ask your student how
to place your order. Also you can purchase the
$20 Card by contacting the Administrative Assistants at any of the school offices or at drop off at
the Lower School on Friday mornings between
now and Winter Break. So far our sales have been
less than stellar. But now is the time for a full
court press. These Cards are redeemable at 17
local merchants for discounts and/or BOGOs. Several of the merchants are related to our
school. The POWER CARD is also redeemable at
25,000 merchants nationwide for those of you
who travel a lot. They are redeemable for up to
one year and can be used numerous times at the
same merchant. These cards make excellent
stocking stuffers or gifts for the holiPage 5
days. Students who sell at least 2 cards are
eligible for gifts that graduate from candy
bars to T-Shirts, Cinch bags, hoodies and
Dr. Dre Headphones. Help your student sell
cards by jumpstarting them with your purchase of 5 cards. This is a great fundraiser
and a win-win for the school, our generous
merchants and YOU!!! Happy Holidays. May the Power Card be with you! Ordering or purchasing is simple, fast and
fun. For more information, contact Karen
Makkai at kmakkai4@gmail.com or Floyd
Rhoades at
760-296-7000 or floyd@vistacove.net
Gala: The Gala is looking for a class basket
coordinator from Grades 9, 10 and 11. This
is a fun, creative way to get involved and
help the gala's silent auction. Silent Auction Donation forms are now online
at www.pvs.org/annual-gala.
Bring in one auction item with a value of
$250 or more by December 19 to be entered in a drawing for 2 FREE GALA TICKETS!
Sports Events
Varsity Boys Basketball:
Mon, Dec. 8
West Shores
5:30 pm
@West Shore HS/Salton City
Thurs, Dec. 11
San Jacinto Valley Academy
6:30 pm
HOME
Tues, Dec. 16
Mesa Grande
7:00 pm
@Mesa Grande
Thurs, Dec. 18
Cornerstone
7:30 pm
@Cornerstone-Hemet
Varsity Girls Basketball:
Mon, Dec. 8
Xavier
6:00 pm
@Xavier
Tues, Dec. 9
Desert Mirage HS
5:30 pm
HOME
Tues, Dec. 16
Mesa Grande
5:30 pm
@Mesa Grande
Thurs, Dec. 18
Cornerstone
5:30 pm
@Cornerstone-Hemet
Varsity Soccer:
Thurs, Dec. 11
3:00 pm
Xavier
@Xavier
(760) 328-0861/www.pvs.org
Sports News:
Winter Sports Season has begun!!!
Top: Alumni from all years gather on November 28, after the Alumni Basketball Games. Left: Alums Daniel
Stewart, Matt Elliott, Sam Struthers, Ryan Lighthill and Jonathan Lighthill pose victoriously after their win
against the Boys Varsity team. Bottom: Firebirds Girls Varsity Basketball are intensely concentrating during
their December 1 game where they won 44-41. Right: The Firebirds Boys Varsity Basketball team warms up
for their game against the Alumni on November 28.
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Boys Varsity Basketball: The Firebirds lost
their opening game against West Shores by
the score of 62-56. Eliot Weintraub led the
Firebirds with 3-3 pointers en route to scoring
14 points. While making his Firebird debut,
Michael Ma and Senior co-captain Soren
Craig each scored 11 points, though a ferocious second half comeback fell short.
Girls Varsity Basketball: Palm Valley girls’
basketball team traveled to Desert Mirage
High School for their second game of the season and came away with a victory 5137. Jasmine Bosnino scored 17 points and
had 17 rebounds and Anna Kleckerova scored
19 points with 14 rebounds. The Lady Firebirds are 2-0 and travel to Xavier on Monday,
December 8 for their next game.
Spirit Squad Roster 2014-15:
Emily Feffer (1st Grade), Sareen Bhakta (1st
Grade), Ava Bagheri (1st Grade), Jordin
Goforth (2nd Grade), Ava Tethal (2nd Grade),
Brynn Shih (2nd Grade), Alleigh Danforth (4th
Grade), Natalie Saas (4th Grade), Alexandra
Saas (4th Grade), Maisy Borun (4th Grade)
and Jaqsin Goforth (4th Grade).
GO FIREBIRDS!
*All submissions to the Phoenix are due
Wednesdays at NOON. E-mail Phoenix Editorin-Chief Jessica Graves at jgraves@pvs.org.
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December 2014
Sun
Mon
1
Tue
2
Wed
3
Thu
4
All School PA
Meeting - 8:30
am - MPR
7
8
9
10
Fri
5
Sat
6
Free Dress
Day - All
School
11
12
13
Free Dress
Day - Lower
School Only
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
PA Luncheon Winter Sing- Final Day of
Classes - For MS/US 8:45 am First Night
HALF DAY
of Hanukkah
Gym
Upper School Winterim/Middle School Exam Week
21
22
23
24
25
HOLIDAY BREAK
28
29
30
31
HOLIDAY BREAK
26
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