trojan update - Curriculum and Resources

TROJAN UPDATE
Volume One
No. 3
March, 2011
On Thursday, March 3rd
eight members of the
Trojans football team,
accompanied by Head
Coach Sam Rolfe, traveled
to Cragin Elementary
School to participate
in the school’s Love
of Reading week. The
players who read to the
students included (left to
right) T.J. Morales, Jacob
Adams, Jordan Hitchye,
Ian Macomber, Anthony
Adun, DeMarco Grayson,
Kevin Cole, and Dominic
Rhodes.
In This Issue:
CMHS Women at UofA
Mr. Hanna
Wins Crystal
Apple
Winter Sports
Results
And Much,
Much More!
Dear Families and Friends of CatalinaAt the beginning of this school year, we conducted assemblies for each of our four grade levels
to talk to students about what they needed to do to be successful. There were three essential
tasks they were charged to take on:
1. Attend every class regularly. Consistently, we see that the students who struggle in
school the most are the students who have the worst attendance records.
2. Complete every assignment or test to the best of your ability. Nothing affects a
student’s grade more than failing to complete a required assignment.
3. Ask for help when needed. Teachers are here to assist students in any way they can.
Teachers are also available to tutor students before and after school every Monday,
Tuesday and Thursday.
If students are true to these three commitments, they should be able to achieve what they
want for themselves during their time at Catalina. Parents and guardians can help by:
• Setting a designated time and place for students to do
homework every night. If students say they have no homework
due the next day, tell them to use that time to read a book,
review class notes, or work on long-term assignments.
• Talk to your kids about the work they are doing in all their
classes, help them with assignments as needed and share
your own experiences as a learner, both now and in your past,
with them.
- Continued on next page
Catalina Magnet High School
3645 E. Pima
Tucson, AZ
85716
Principal
Rex Scott
232-8400
• Stay in touch with teachers. Every teacher at Catalina posts their
grades online. To see how to access your student’s grades, go to our
new school website (http://edweb.tusd1.org/Catalina/index.htm)
and click on the link for Parental Access Accounts at the top of the
page. You can also find phone numbers and E-mail addresses for all
Catalina staff members by clicking on the link for Faculty.
As a professional learning community, we are committed as educators to
doing all we can to improve the quality of teaching in every classroom and
to engage in focused professional learning that helps us to stay current
with best practices in our field. Catalina’s staff will be working this spring
and summer to create a new instructional framework for our school, with
the expectation that we will develop a school wide understanding of what
constitutes effective teaching and rigorous learning. We will also be deciding
the approaches to planning, teaching and assessment that should be
evident in each classroom, as well as determining the curricular standards
that our students most need to focus on.
Booster Club
Scholarship
All athletes are eligible to
apply for a $500 scholarship
from the Booster Club. The
scholarship application is
available in the Counseling
Office. It is a simple
application to fill out. In
addition to the application,
athletes need a letter of
recommendation from a
coach who can highlight the
athlete’s extra-curricular
activities in sports. They
also need to attach a resume
highlighting their goals for
college and life. They should
tell how they chose their
goals and give examples of
academic choices, clubs,
activities, volunteer work
and or internships they have
been involved in.
The Booster Club chooses
one female athlete and one
male athlete. Apply by April
29, 2011.
Catalina is a school where many of our students and their families struggle
with the daily realities of these tough economic times. Seven out of every
ten students qualify for the federal free and reduced lunch program, to cite
just one critical factor at play in the lives of the kids we serve. We know
that other high-poverty schools in the United States have done great things
on behalf of their communities and we seek to learn from their examples.
Towards that goal, I will be leading a team of staff members attending the
90/90/90 Schools Summit in early May. You can read more about the summit
agenda and the research underlying the work that goes on in schools that
follow this model by following these links:
• http://www.leadandlearn.com/conferences-events/909090schools-summit-st-louis (Summit Agenda)
• http://www.leadandlearn.com/test/909090-schools-study
(Research Study)
Everything we do every day at Catalina should tie in to the “shared vision” we
have developed for our school. Please visit the page on our website (http://
edweb.tusd1.org/Catalina/sharedvision.htm) devoted to our plans for
the school and let me know your ideas, suggestions and commitments. We
have taken some big steps towards fulfillment of our “shared vision” during
the last year and a half, but there is so much more to do! Actually, school
improvement is an ongoing task and its demands evolve with each new
group of students who enter into our care.
Please contact me anytime at 232-8404, or via E-mail at rex.scott@tusd1.
org. Together, we can accomplish everything we hope for at Catalina. As I
finish my second year leading this school, I am filled with pride and hope
every day. It is the highest honor of my professional life to be your principal.
Never hesitate to let me know how I can do a better job!
Rex Scott
Principal
March, 2011
Catalina Magnet High School
Page 2
What’s Cooking in Culinary Arts?
Advanced Culinary students have had a busy 3rd quarter. On January 25, 20 students participated in our Thai
cooking class. Students prepared 5 different dishes and shared in a great meal including; Sate Chicken, Tom
Yum Kung Soup, Papaya Salad, Beef Red Curry, and Coconut Fried Banana.
Third year students practiced knife cuts & apple crepes as part of the regional FCCLA competitions. Their next
section is stocks, soups and sauces. Second year students have
been learning the different cooking methods. They worked hard
in the computer labs writing their resume and cover letters
in preparation for their mock interviews on 2-17. Our JTED
counselor, Mary Cassidy, arranged for 15 business members to
interview our students. They received valuable feedback, and
according to the interviewers, the students did an excellent job.
The next day we attended an Etiquette Workshop and Luncheon
at Tucson Country Club. Students not only practiced table
settings but also networking techniques with table topics and
getting to know students from other schools. This was the first
time many of the students had tasted Chilled Cucumber Brie
Soup. The food was excellent.
Two students, Amber Poole and Emery Van Gilder, are competing in the Careers through Culinary Arts Program
competition for scholarship money. The preliminary was Feb. 12. Emery was in the top 10 juniors for the state
and Amber progressed through the preliminary and is preparing for the senior finals on March 26 by learning
to prepare an entire French meal in two hours by herself. We will also have two teams of three in the FCCLA
Culinary competition on April 9. The FCCLA competition is also a lot of fun and not the pressure of the C-Cap
Competition. We are celebrating “Fat Tuesday” with beignets and shrimp/oyster po boy sandwiches. Next up is
our Mexican luncheon on March 17 and plans for our awards luncheon at the end of the year.
- Connie Campbell, Culinary Arts Teacher
CMHS Marching
Pride Struts Its Stuff
The Trojan Marching Pride made its 2011 appearance at the
85th Annual Fiesta de los Vaquero Parade, also known as the
Tucson Rodeo Parade! Wearing our Catalina band shirts, jeans
and blue neckerchiefs we were greeted enthusiastically by
Catalina fans all along the parade route. The band played the
great standard western tune “Rawhide.” This year we were
accompanied by the Catalina Varsity Cheerleaders! It was a
great collaboration between the groups, and a fun time was had
by all.
On March 10th, the Catalina Orchestra hosted the ABODA/AMEA
(Arizona Band Orchestra Directors Association/Arizona Music
Educators Association) middle school orchestra festival. Catalina
Orchestra members served as hosts to visiting schools and
assisted the judges. We are proud to be active in the orchestral
world again!
Everyone put May 12th on your calendar for our 2011 Spring Concert! It will begin at 7pm in our Catalina
auditorium and will feature the Catalina Orchestra, Trojan Jazz Ensemble and Trojan Wind Ensemble. Plan a
family night out to enjoy some great music by our very own musicians!
- Tammy Stewart, Director of Bands
Page 3
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011
Ancient Greece and Rome Debates in English
Language Development World History
This quarter students in the ELD World History/Reading class had the opportunity
to flex their mental muscles by participating in the ancient tradition of debate.
As a final project for a unit on ancient Greece and Rome, my co-teacher Kyle
Pawlowski and I worked with the students on developing their critical thinking,
research, cooperative, and speaking skills so that they could create effective
arguments. After watching and analyzing videotaped student debates, learning
key debate vocabulary (such as opposition, proposition, and refutation)
formulating debates about topical issues like cell phone use at school, and
April Conway,
practicing the speaking format of debates, students were put in groups of three
ELD Teacher
or with a partner and assigned a topic related to Ancient Greece and Rome.
The three topics were presented in the affirmative for Rome: Ancient Roman art had a more lasting impact
than ancient Greek art; the Roman military was more effective than the Greek military; Roman inventions had
a greater impact on modern society than Greek inventions. Students were provided with articles covering
both sides and conducted their research by reading and filling out graphic organizers to keep track of reasons
and evidence for both sides. The research was difficult as students were introduced to new vocabulary
and concepts –astrolabes, arches, columns—but they persevered and once assigned a side to argue, they
developed exemplary arguments.
On the day of the debates the students had a diverse audience: their teachers and classmates, district
representatives, and judges that included Principal Scott, ELD co-chair Meg Riley, Learning Support Coordinator
Mary Morse, and a community volunteer, Javier Castillo, who also videotaped the debates. Though nervous,
the students spoke strongly and eloquently. The students and judges evaluated each team and the judges
gave their verdicts: teams who offered evidence directly related to their lives and who incorporated sufficient
evidence from their research won the debates.
CMHS Women at UofA
On Saturday, March 5, I had the pleasure of
accompanying nine young women from Catalina
to the Women in Science and Engineering Expanding Your Horizons event at the University
of Arizona. Rwa Rahal, Tosha Wilson, Mackenzie
Carr, Dallas Boies, Edna Macias, Jasanna Johnson,
Hailey Dukart, Luz Orduno, and Zeljka Klipic spent
the day hearing and seeing talented women from
many different organizations talk about their
successes. They also participated in hands-on
science experiments and demonstrations. The
purpose of this program was to show these young ladies that they can be successful in fields that have been
traditionally dominated by men. The girls were energized by the information and the encouragement they
received. On the way home I asked them if we should do this again and I got a resounding - Yes! Look out
world - here comes at least nine empowered young ladies who will be our future doctors, scientists, engineers,
and leaders!
- Mark Hanna, Career and College Readiness Counselor
March, 2011
Catalina Magnet High School
Page 4
Visual Arts
Students wax, the first step of their Batik project.
Visual Art students have been actively engaged in a variety of projects during 3rd
Quarter. They have glazed, built, stamped, waxed, dyed, painted, drawn, thrown,
printed, carved, constructed, planned, and designed all in the name of Art. Crafts
students designed, carved and printed Chinese chops for their Presentation Books
which have Batik fabric covers.
- Mary-Claire Ketchum, Fine Arts Chair
Fill ‘Er Up! (Your Body That Is)
I don’t have time. That’s the number one answer from our students
when asked: “Do you eat breakfast”?
As we’ve all heard forever, breakfast is the most important meal of
the day and studies have shown that students that fuel up in the
morning have energy to last through the day and perform better at
daily tasks and test performance. When the students tell me they
don’t have time, I counter with: “Then prepare something at night”!
They often look at me like I’m crazy, but I explain to them that
by simply boiling a few eggs, peeling them and storing them in a
container in the fridge, that makes for an excellent breakfast on the
run. Couple that with a piece of fruit and maybe some toast and
they are on the way to perfect.
I tell the students preparing a hot cereal
like Cream of Wheat or Oatmeal the
night before means heating up a bowl
can be done while they are brushing
their teeth.
I’ve stressed the importance of also
starting off your day with a food low
on the glycemic index, which affects
our blood glucose levels. Our bodies
will metabolize foods with a higher GI
number faster than those with a lower
Erica Addison,
GI number. Food choices that are
Health Teacher
whole grain, less processed and lower
in sugar will have a lower GI number and therefore fill up the kids
long enough to make it until lunch time. You remember when your
parents said that you needed to eat something that would stick to
your ribs? Well, this is what they were talking about.
So, the next time you are in the kitchen preparing your meal for the
night, why not call little Suzy or Sam into the kitchen and encourage
them to get not only that breakfast started for the next day, but
maybe even their lunch! Lunch, that’s a whole other subject, but for
now we focus on breakfast. Fill ‘er up!
Page 5
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011
Mr. Hanna Wins
Prestigious MEC
Crystal Apple
Award
We are pleased to announce
that Mark Hanna, Catalina’s
Career and College Readiness
Counselor, will be this year’s
recipient of a Crystal Apple
Award for counseling, presented
by Tucson’s Metropolitan
Education Commission, which
champions education in our
area. The award recognizes
outstanding counseling services
in a Tucson-area high school.
Award recipients, which include
teachers and administrators, will
be honored at the MEC’s 21st
Annual Crystal Apple Awards
Luncheon on Friday, May 6,
at 11:30 a.m. at the Desert
Diamond Casino & Hotel.
Congratulations, Mr. Hanna, and
thank you for all you do for the
students at Catalina!
Science News
We’ve Got Worms! - “Vermicomposting” is just one of the ways that
the Agriscience students learn about “sustainability”. Mrs. Elliott’s class
is home to a green bin that is labeled, “A worm friendly habitat”. It is
occupied by hundreds of slimy little residents. The Ag students make
occasional contributions to them, like the time that Rose Hebert (FFA
V.P.) rediscovered a banana that had been lost in her locker for weeks.
The overly fragrant and blackened fruit was tossed into the bin and the
worms began to transform it immediately. Worms will eat a variety of
food waste, turning it into a nutrient-rich soil additive (compost) that
can be used in place of synthetic fertilizers.
Another way that the Agriscience department practices sustainability
is with large barrels that capture rain water as it flows out of the
gutters on the greenhouse roof. The water harvesters are located
next to concrete raised beds that students built earlier in the year.
The students raised a variety of vegetables from seed in the raised
beds while the Catalina construction students were busy installing an
irrigation system inside the greenhouse.
Tomatoes and Herbs for Sale - As soon as they returned from the Christmas break, the Ag students planted a
variety of tomatoes and herbs. Their early start paid off with large beautiful tomato plants that are flowering
in the greenhouse now, just in time for spring planting in Early April. Varieties include: Celebrity, Cherokee
Purple (heirloom), Yellow Pear, Roma and Beefmaster .
Like last year, herbs are abounding in the hydroponic systems, and will provide fresh cuttings for the Catalina
community. You can buy basil for your spaghetti sauce and cilantro for your salsa starting in the later half of
April.
High-tech Labs in the Classroom - When Patricia Cramer (FFA secretary) was asked what she liked about
Agriscience labs she said, “You get the experience of learning in a fun way that makes you want to know
more about what’s going on around you.” Catalina students are using “labquests”. With this new hand-held
technology, students are measuring the amount of carbon dioxide that is being released and the amount of
oxygen that is being consumed when seeds germinate. With a press of a button, data that was previously
collected by attached probes is analyzed and a graph is created. Students can complete entire experiments in a
matter of minutes. The addition of a pH probe to the device enables students to measure and properly control
the pH of their hydroponic units.
The new digital microscopes that were purchased this year with special
funding, allow students to view specimens and manipulate their images on
computer screens. The images that Ag students captured were uploaded
from the microscopes and included in power point presentations. Anatomy and Physiology and Allied Health - Mr. Abate’s students will
benefit from his recent attendance at the Nutrition Expo in Anaheim. He
states that, “So much of good health depends on our choices in nutrition,
exercise, and the reduction of obesity in our society.”
- Tammy Elliott, AgriScience Teacher
March, 2011
Catalina Magnet High School
Page 6
Catalina
Foundation
Hosts Alumni
Art Show
Your Catalina High School
Foundation is hosting a show
of art by Trojan alumni and
friends, March 25 through April
27, at Northern Trust Bank,
3460 E. Sunrise Drive (at Camp
Abierto). Artworks will be on
display during normal banking
hours, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday
through Friday.
There are many, many
affordable pieces and many are
by people you may know from
Catalina. 25% of the profits go
to your Foundation.
This is planned as a biennial
event. During alternate years
the Foundation will coordinate
a juried Student Art Show,
with work by the many current
students at Catalina.
Questions? Online sales?
Contact Emily Kittle Morrison
‘60 at ekmorrison2@msn.com.
"Cellophane Man"
Sports Medicine Students Visit
Cadaver Laboratory in Mesa
On Monday March 7, the Catalina Sports Medicine classes took
their annual fieldtrip to A.T. Still University in Mesa to learn
human anatomy in their cadaver labs. About 40 students got the
opportunity to learn human anatomy from graduate and doctoral
students at the university. Included in this year’s event were
sessions on hardware/fixation of bones, an appendix surgery, and
hand’s on learning with human cadavers in which the students had
the chance to glove up and touch the ligaments, bones and muscles
that they have learned about in their classes.
For many students, it was an eye-opener for their future professions
in the field of health care. “This unique opportunity sometimes
seals the deal for these students,” says
Sports Medicine Instructor, Michelle
Gonzalez. “Students who really enjoy
learning about the body and have a
positive experience learning through the
use of human cadavers usually go on to
pursue careers in health care.”
This opportunity allows students to
take an up close look at how the bones,
muscles, vessels and nerves are located
within the body. “What I liked most
Michelle Gonzalez,
about the trip was seeing what actually
Sports Medicine Teacher
lies below the skin,” says junior Liliana
Moreno. A.T. Still University has opened their
doors to Catalina, and other TUSD
Sports Medicine Classes for this annual
event for the past 10 years and hope to
continue this relationship.
Watercolor by Lucy Masterman '61
Photo by Jeff Smith
March, 2011
Catalina Magnet High School
Page 7
Air Force Corps Values
Air Force Corps Values include the following: Integrity First, Service Before
Self and Excellence in all we do. Cadets are taught these corps values which
are posted on the wall and repeated on occasion at the start of each class.
The purpose is to develop a commitment and a willingness to make personal
sacrifices. To teach that a leader is willing to sacrifice individual goals for the
good of the unit.
Robert C.
Taking the third and final corps value of Excellence in All We Do, I will expand
Robert Maldonado, Lt. Col., upon its meaning. The term directs us to develop a passion for continuous
USAF (Ret.)
improvement and innovation that will help propel us in an upward spiral of
accomplishment and performance.
Product/Service Excellence. We must focus on providing services and generating products that fully respond
to customer wants and anticipate customer needs.
Personal Excellence. We must seek out and complete our JROTC/school education and stay in physical/mental
shape.
Community Excellence. Community excellence is achieved when members of an organization can work
together to successfully reach a common goal in an atmosphere free of fear that preserves individual selfworth. Some other factors influencing interpersonal excellence are:
Mutual respect. Genuine respect involves viewing another person as an individual of fundamental
worth. This means a person is never judged on the basis of his/her racial, ethnic, economic or gender-based
category.
Benefit of doubt: All coworkers or students are innocent until proven guilty. No one should rush to
judgment until we hear the whole story.
Resource Excellence: Demands we have an obligation to ensure all assigned equipment or property
(curriculum materials) asked for is required and accounted for. Under human resources excellence, we need to
recruit, train, promote and retain those who fit in and accept our standards.
Operations Excellence: Internal—involves the way we conduct business in the JROTC and school. It involves
respect and total commitment to maximizing a team effort. External—pertains to the way we treat the world
around us. Need to be sensitive to the rules that govern us.
2010-11 Finding My Voice is Here!
The annual Finding My Voice magazine is ready to read! Thank you
to all of the authors, their teachers, and the wonderful friends at
Catalina and in the Tucson community that make this publication
possible. The stories and art work of over 100 international students are
included. Congratulations Finding Voice students!
Get your copy now and learn about Catalina’s global community. Copies
are $6 and can be picked up in Ms. Kasper’s classroom, M219.
WRITING AND ART BY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
IN THE TUCSON COMMUNITY
CATALINA MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL – TUCSON, ARIZONA
SPRING, 2011
Page 8
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011
Winter Sports
Update
Catalina’s Winter Sports (Boys and
Girls Basketball, Boys and Girls
Soccer, and Wrestling) continued to
maintain an established “Tradition”
at the end of their regular season.
At all levels of competition, teams
strive to have the opportunity
to participate in post season
tournaments.
All of Catalina’s Winter Sport Teams
qualified again this year for State
Tournaments.
LEARN Center Holds Annual
Student Mock Job Interviews
The LEARN Center held its annual Mock Job Interviews in early
February in our Catalina Library. Prior to the interviews, the
juniors and seniors in Marge Gould’s English for the 21st Century
Workplace classes prepared Employability Skills Portfolios to
present to their interviewers. Each student selected two jobs to
interview for and then visited the websites of both employers
to learn about the companies or organizations . Students were
coached by Mr. Mark Hanna prior to the interviews. For the Mock
Job Interviews, the students, in business attire presented their
portfolios to their interviewers, who completed a brief evaluation
of each interview. Some of the students in Mr. Trumbull’s Aviation
classes were also invited to participate in the Mock Job Interviews.
Tucson area employers who participated in the interviews
included Raytheon, IBM, Cox Communications, Comcast, Jim
Click Automotive, Diamond Ventures, Pima County Juvenile
Probation, Lockheed Martin, Martin, Mesch, Clark, & Rothschild,
National Wright Realty, Sundt, Texas Instruments, Tucson Federal
Credit Union, Vantage West Credit Union, Tucson Medical Center,
University Physicians, Venus By Mars (plastic surgery) , U.S. Forest
Service, U of A Credit-Wise Cats, and others.
- Marge Gould, Catalina LEARN Center Director
Page 9
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011
The opportunity to participate this
year was largely due to a special
organization called “The Educational
Enrichment Foundation.” This
organization helped to keep all three
Winter Sports Team’s “Tradition”
alive. The Foundation sponsored 80
Catalina students that applied and
qualified for a $50.00 scholarship
to pay their Sports Participation
Fee. Catalina is thankful for the
community and to the business
owners in Tucson that donated
money to the EEF.
It is always appropriate to celebrate
and acknowledge the students that
participated on our Winter Sport
Teams. On behalf of Catalina and
its community, help us to celebrate
and acknowledge our Basketball
Coaches, Soccer Coaches, Wrestling
Coaches, Athletic Trainer, Booster
Club, Team Parents, Educational
Enrichment Foundation, and all
other support staff that helped
Catalina’s Winter Teams reach their
goal.
Thank you for your help with
keeping Catalina’s Athletic traditions
alive!
- Ken Harcus, Athletic Director
From the Math Department
We would like to remind you of the importance of homework and good
study habits.
Homework is a very important part of mastering math skills. Math is a
very complex subject, and it is important that the skills learned in class are
reinforced as soon as possible. It is usually helpful to do your homework
in a quiet, well lit place with minimal distraction. It is also helpful to set up
a routine of doing your homework at a certain time each day. If you keep
up with your math homework, the class will be easier and your grade will
benefit.
Michael McGlynn,
Math Department Chair
We have tutoring available:
Tutoring is available after school in the library on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursday from 2:45- 4:15.
You can also make arrangements with your regular math teacher for help before or after school. Help is always
just a question away. Don’t be shy.
If you are planning to go to the U of A or Pima College, you will need to take a placement test for your math
classes. This is a comprehensive test so it is important that you study before the exam. There will be material
on the test that you may not have worked with for quite awhile. See a math teacher if you need help. All you
have to do is ask.
Tidbits from the Gym
Testing Time: Things down in the gym are getting heated. As we speak
the PE department is in the midst of their mid semester testing. All of
the classes are testing in 11 activities including the mile run, sit-ups,
push-ups, and the 100 yard dash. At the conclusion of testing the PE
department will post a list of the top 5 individuals in each event by grade
as well as the top five overall. The tests will then be done again at the
end of the 2nd semester.
Rosa Lara,
Dance Dance Revolution: Ms. Lara and her dance classes are in the
PE Department Chair
process of preparing for a performance at the next Pep Assembly on April
8th. The class led by Mr. Rojas has been working extremely hard on moves to the dance that they call the MJ
Mix. The MJ of course stands for Michael Jackson and the dance includes moves from the Tango, Triple Time
Swing, Waltz, other ballroom dances, and of course, some moves made popular by MJ himself.
Way Beyond the Weights: The Body Conditioning classes are in full swing. The classes purpose is not only
to allow students to lift free weights but also to teach the classes about overall fitness. In the classes the
students alternate between lifting and cardio vascular activities. In Mr. Rolfe’s classes the students are working
with jump ropes, and stair steppers. The goal is to get the students interested in their own personal fitness
and it seems to be working.
March, 2011
Catalina Magnet High School
Page 10
Tucson Shooting Sparks Dialogue Between Catalina
Students and French Journalist
Back in early January, while watching the news and reading online about the horrific events of the
shooting, a column in one of France’s largest newspapers (www.lefigaro.com) caught my eye. I decided to
write to the columnist, and she decided to post my comment and then replied to it.
I thought it would be good to process some of this with the students the next day—so in my second year
French class we talked about international points of view and how Tucson, unfortunately, made frontpage news all around the world. So the students wanted to see some of the headlines—I showed them,
we discussed them, and then this column came up. The students were intrigued by the ‘conversation’
the journalist and I had. They thought it would be cool to write a
message back to the journalist, as a class.
And then, an hour or so later, the columnist in France decided to
post the class remarks on the newspaper’s website, and then to
e-mail the class with her commendation!
So--here’s what our students (with some grammatical coaching)
wrote, and below is the translation:
Nous avons pensé que tous ces commentaires ont été intéressants.
Nous sommes un groupe d’élèves dans une classe de français dans
une école secondaire ici à Tucson, et nous avons entre 14 et 18 ans.
Nous sommes choqés par les événements ici. Personne ne peut
vraiment expliquer toutes les raisons pourquoi ce qui s’est passé ici
s’est passé. Il est fascinant de savoir que tant de personnes de si loin
sont concernées.
Translation: We thought that all these comments have been
interesting. We are a group of students in a high school French class
in Tucson, and we are between 14 and 18 years old. We are shocked
by the events here. Nobody can truly explain all the reasons why
what happened here happened. It is fascinating to know that so
many people from so far away are concerned.
-Joseph Cyr, French/Spanish
teacher
The journalist and I hope that these students will start to make a
habit of getting an international perspective on things, using their
budding reading ability in a foreign language to see the larger world
from more than just one point of view.
Congratulations to AFJROTC Cadets Luke Lehrling and Sierra Perez.
They finished FOURTH in the Co-Ed Division of the Orienteering
Competition, February 26th at Bomboy Mine, AZ. Way to go, Trojans!
PAGE 11
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011
Catalina
Wrestling
Spanish class singing Juanes’ “Nada Valgo Sin tu Amour”
EEF Grant Awarded to World
Language Department
Natasha Escalada-Westland has extensive experience working
with the hearing impaired community in Tucson. Recently she has
been brainstorming how she could get her students to transfer the
signing skills they are learning in the classroom to a more authentic
setting. She approached the World Language Department with the
idea of developing a “Local Authentic Language Use Library” where
students will collect narratives and oral histories from local native
speakers. Together we agreed that such a library would be useful in
helping students to increase fluency in any language.
In February we were awarded a grant of $960 toward the purchase
of technology to help fund this project. Beginning in the 20112012 school year our upper level language students will begin to
collect the narratives and we hope to culminate the project with a
public forum to showcase the student work and library of real-world
language examples. Southern Arizona Language Fair
Another exciting upcoming event is the Southern Arizona Language
Fair to be held on Saturday, April 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at
the University of Arizona. Several second language students from
American Sign Language, French and Spanish will be participating
this year. The contests range from poetry recitation, drama and
art. Our American Sign Language classes will also be giving a
performance at the fair. There will be informational booths for
the U of A Modern Languages programs, cultural demonstrations
including music and dancing. A fun time will surely be had by all.
Come join us if you can!
- Alicia Lara, Spanish Teacher and World Language Dept. Chair
Page 12
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011
Congratulations to all 2010-2011
Trojan Wrestlers! During this past
season, eight standout seniors
wrestled their final matches and
a number of younger wrestlers
displayed their readiness for
varsity competition. The new
crop of freshman showed their
inexperience, but also their
willingness to compete, as Joey
Morales (135 lbs.), Ricardo Carranza
(112), and Sofus Nielsen (112)
all earned varsity letters. Junior
Kevin Cole (189) was the lone
underclassman to qualify for state,
narrowly missing an opportunity to
knock off the #1-ranked wrestler in
the first round.
Seniors Marcos Valles (152), Hilario
Rojas (215), Andres Carino (285)
and Ian MacOmber (171) also
made the trip to Prescott, where
they would finish their careers on a
strong note. Rojas came within one
match of placing, while MacOmber
wrestled the best tournament of his
career, placing 6th in only his third
year of wrestling.
All five state qualifiers were also
named “Honorable Mention” for
the Arizona Daily Star All-Southern
Arizona team.
- Eric Slabaugh, Wrestling Coach
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Have you purchased your all-color 2010-2011 yearbook? The cost is only $70! Put a $20 payment down
and reserve your copy today! See Ms. Herlein in the
Finance Office!
14
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011
Ms. Curtis Says: ATTENDANCE, ATTENDANCE!
Here we are at the final quarter of the 2010-2011 school year. I am sure you agree the year has gone by
extremely quickly and the remaining few months will fly by in the same manner. It is extremely important
that you focus on excellent attendance and being in school every day, every class on time. If you have 10 or
more unexcused absences you will receive a “NC” on your report card and will have to go through the appeal
process to see IF your credit and grades will be granted. Make sure all absences are reported to attendance
wuth 48 hours and make sure you are in school. It has been a great year and soon we will be talking
graduation and summer so let’s focus on hard work in all classes and fantastic attendance so we can move
forward.
- Susan Curtis, Dropout Prevention Specialist
Trojans Get Special Golf Lessons
This year, Ms. Fortier’s class was invited to a the Tucson
Conquistadores 4-Hole Tournament and Putting clinic along
with Ms. Fontain’s class from Flowing Wells High School.
This event was a special event for the Special Olympians
from Arizona. After we spent the morning receiving putting
and golfing lessons, we were treated to a lunch at the El
Rio golf course. The students had a great time socializing
with other schools and had a great learning experience.
The staff from Tucson Conquistadores were very kind and
helpful with the students.
- Jackie Fortier, Exceptional Education Teacher
Restorative Practices Update
Over the past two quarters, Restorative Practices has demonstrated great promise to alleviate teaching and
learning barriers. Many students, parents and teachers have come to recognize the role of the Learning
Supports Coordinator as an advocate to improve classroom climate and provide avenues to increase student
and teacher success. Classroom requests for restoring or assisting in building a strong community have
increased and demonstrated positive reception from the students and faculty involved. Additionally, student
requests for conferences with their teachers to address concerns for grades, attendance and behavior have
proven the self-reflective and mature approach to identifying their needs as responsible learners.
An increase in whole class and individual student teacher conferences are only two of the constructive shifts
occurring on the CMHS campus. In addition to moving toward building even more effective and positive
interactions between students and teachers, students are working hard toward establishing stronger
relationships with one another. They are taking the time to be proactive and requesting staff assistance in
eliminating conflicts or repairing harm to peer relationships that they recognize impact their ability to reach
academic goals. Parents have also done a wonderful job of providing support and helping to build community
by visiting campus, shadowing their student, and conferencing with school personnel.
Every day, Catalina proves to be an amazing example of teamwork, as students, families, staff and community
work to create an institution celebrated for its diversity, academics and collaboration. I am proud to play a role
in continuing to make our school a positive place for learning!
- Mary Morse, Learning Support Coordinator
PAGE 14
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011
Dodgeball is a, um, Hit!
The third annual Catalina Dodgeball Association of
Catalina (yes, we know it is redundant) was held on
Saturday March 12 in the Hines Gym. Eighteen teams of
students, alumni and staff made it the largest turnout in
the three years the tournament has been put on. The
teams were separated into three pools of six teams and
they each played all the members of their pool. After
pool play the teams were put into a single elimination
March Madness-style tournament. The finals saw an epic
battle between the Little Dudes and Dirty Meli and The
Boys. The game saw the Little Dudes jump out to a two
game to none lead but Dirty Meli and the Boys put on a
valiant comeback to tie it up after four games. In the fifth
and final game Dirty Meli and the Boys were able to hold off a tough challenge from the Little Dudes to to hold
on for the victory. In the consolation match it was the Clan versus the Junior Mafia with the Clan pulling out
the victory and taking the final spot on the podium. Overall the event was a huge success. Congratulations go
out to all the teams that participated but especially the top three teams. Student Council is looking forward to
next years event. Also stay tuned for the Student Council’s Karaoke Contest coming up in late April where all
proceeds will go to the Hole in the Wall Camps.
- Sam Rolfe, PE Teacher and Dodgeball Expert
From Your FBLA and Link Crew
FBLA and Link Crew have been busy this whole year. For FBLA, in the month of November we put together and
collected food for Stuff-A-Sack for Catalina’s families in need. In December we collected and put together shoe
boxes full of toys and supplies. Then we wrapped the boxes and donated them to Casa De Los Niños. Also in
December the students got a chance to go to Phoenix for the 3rd Annual Pursue the Passion Conference and
then attended a Phoenix Suns Basketball Game.
The up coming events in March are Fill-A-Closet
and our Go Green Campaign. For Fill-A-Closet
we are asking all of the homerooms at Catalina
to donate any pieces of clothing so we can stock
the Catalina Wellness Center. Our Go Green
Campaign is to make Catalina aware of the
different ways we can all Go Green. In April we
are attending an Etiquette Breakfast at Denny’s,
to learn and practice proper table manners.
For Link Crew, we have been in the freshmen
classes teaching them important life lessons.
As a part of the business classes, the seniors
had a chance to participate in Mock Interviews.
From what the interviewers said, they all did
excellent. As for the end of the year we are
having an awards celebration to celebrate the
great year we have had!
- Nancy Dettman, FBLA and Link Crew Sponsor
PAGE 15
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011
English department update
[ACADEMICS] - Students have been busy testing for the Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS)
reading and writing exams this March. The writing test was administered on March 1st and the reading test on
March 2nd. Results for these exams will be available at the end of May.
[THE YEAR AHEAD] - The English Department is excited to share some news about changes to the curriculum.
Starting next year, juniors and seniors will have more options when configuring their schedules. Juniors and
seniors are able to now register for newly offered English classes such as Mythology and Folklore, Holocaust
and War, and much, much more! These courses are district-approved alternatives to English 11 and 12. These
satisfy all requirements for college-bound students.
[REMINDERS] - Students are always in need of the following supplies: tissues, paper, pencils. Also, help is available! Students that need assistance writing papers or raising their grade in English can attend tutoring Monday,
Tuesday, and Thursday, 2:45-4:15 PM, in Catalina’s library.
[OUR THANKS] - The department would like to thank all the student teachers that have spent time with us
third quarter: Melissa Walker, Ms. McLeod’s English Class, and Evan English, Ms. Reilly’s English Class.
- Elizabeth McLeod, English Teacher
Library and Book Club News
The Book Club has been very busy the past few months collecting recipes for their Catalina Cookbook and
preparing for the Tucson Festival of Books. The Catalina Book Club sponsored a district-wide bookmark
contest, had the best bookmarks laminated and gave them away at the TUSD School Libraries and School/
Community Services booth. They also hosted a nationally renowned author of Young Adult books, Aprilynne
Pike, who came to Catalina and spoke to about 10 classes on Friday, March 11.
Members have also been busy doing fund-raising for a club trip in May – we want to visit the main public
library in Los Angeles and book publisher. Last year we went to the Burton Barr library in Phoenix. We had a
private viewing and presentation in the special collections room. We also visited the U of A’s new EBM. If you
would like to support the Book Club, please make a tax credit donation to our club. Ultimately, we would like
to go to Washington DC to see the Library of Congress, the Newseum, and the Smithsonian next year. That is
going to be a lot of bake sales, so if you support our goal, please donate.
Library information – Mrs. Beran is still collecting decent sofas, chairs, and coffee tables for our reading area
in the library. If you are thinking of remodeling, please consider us when looking for a new home for your
old furniture. We also accept donations of old magazines that we send to classrooms for class libraries and
projects. For more info on any of the above, call Mrs. Beran, 232-8424, or email cheryl.beran@tusd1.org.
- Cheryl Beran, Librarian
The Trojan Update
Volume One, No. 3
March, 2011
The Trojan Update is a quarterly publication of Catalina Magnet High School. All rights reserved.
Produced by Unicycle Press, a subsidiary of The Banana Group. Published on a Mac, of course, using Adobe
inDesign CS5, Photoshop CS5 Extended, and a 64 ounce bottle of La Costena Pickled Jalapeno Nacho Slices.
Staff members’ photos with backdrops by LifeTouch Photography.
View this edition in color at Catalina’s website: http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/Catalina/.
PAGE 16
Catalina Magnet High School
March, 2011