PRINCIPAL'S UPDATE

December 10, 2017
     

 
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WILLENBERG EXCHANGE
Peninsula High has a wonderful partnership with the Willenberg Special Education Center located in San Pedro. Willenberg aims to maximize every student's potential for success in adult life. These students are between the ages of 14 and 22. For nearly 50 years, our school has partnered with the Willenberg School, with both schools visiting each other during the holiday season.

Our partnership with Willenberg Career and Transition Center continued last Wednesday, December 6, when forty-five students from Willenberg joined us at Peninsula for the day. Twelve students from PVHS's Skills for Independence program and ten students from our own Skills for Independence program also joined in on the fun! One hundred thirty five Pen High students greeted our visitors as they came off of the buses, and then participated in games, crafts and tours of the school. Everyone ate lunch together and then joined the rest of the school in the gym during lunch for a heartwarming holiday show performed by the Willenberg students and their incredible teachers. The gym was packed! It was a memorable, festive and joyful day on our campus!

This Wednesday, December 13, busloads of Pen students will visit Willenberg for the day to provide a holiday program for all of the children attending that school. Pen students provide gifts, entertain, visit classrooms and play games with the students. 

 

CANNED FOOD DRIVE RESULTS
Service Learning Leadership completed another very successful canned food drive on Thursday - collecting 7,550 items! 
Thank you so much for your donations! All of the items collected have been delivered to the LA Food Bank - there are hundreds of families who will benefit from our donations. HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Engle and his 3rd Period class on their collection of 2,128 food items. They will be receiving our coveted trophy to display proudly for a year. Way to go! We also had 14 other teachers collect over 100 items in their room: Mr. Zambrano, Mr. Van Enk, Ms. Chaiyont, Ms. Logan, Ms. Tran, Mr. Lieberger, Mr. Bird, Mr. Fankwick, Mr. Chou, Ms. Okamoto, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Mirosovich, Ms. Albitz, and Mr. Snodgrass. So grateful for everyone's support. Way to go Panther Family and thanks again.

We would also like to give a huge shout out to Rancho Del Mar and Principal Farrell - they collected food items for our drive as well and delivered them to our campus!


Mr. Engle shows off some of the canned food brought in by his students

THIS WEEK IS HOLIDAY SPIRIT WEEK 

 


COFFEE HOUSE
This Tuesday evening, December 12,  ASB will be hosting the first Coffee House of the year in the amphitheater from 6pm to 8:30pm. Students and community are invited to bring a chair and a warm blanket, sit out under the stars, hear some wonderful voices and be among the chillest of vibes. There will be coffee, hot chocolate and brownies available for purchase. Bring your friends!

CONCERT BAND PERFORMANCE AND MORE
The Pen High Concert Band invites the Panther Community to a FREE concert this Wednesday evening, December 13, @7pm in the PAC. Come and enjoy the holiday music.

Also, Mr. Doctor and the choir students will stage a lunchtime performance outside the choir room (S33) on Thursday - don't miss it!

ART GALLERY SHOW
The Pen High art department, in conjunction with the PV High art department, is currently showing Not Enough Memory - A Student Show, in the Bradbury Smith Art Gallery on our campus. The show will be open each day this week at lunch. There will be a reception this Thursday evening, December 14, from 5pm to 7pm. The entire community is invited to come see our students' outstanding work. For more information please contact Mr. Karg at karg@pvpusd.net

Some of the artwork currently on display in the Bradbury Smith Art Gallery

A NIGHT AND A DAY OF COMEDY
Get your holiday break started with palooza! Our ComedySportz HSL team is headlining a 24 hour, non-stop laugh-a-minute DRAMAPALOOZA improv comedy event. Other groups scheduled to appear are PVPHS alumni, Peninsula faculty, and the Dream Team. Plus, who knows who will step up to the microphone during the open mic part of the show.  

The fun begins in the PAC this Friday, December 15 at 5pm and runs straight through until Saturday, December 16 at 5pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance from Mr. Cohen in the PAC or at the door - just $5 for any 3 hour block OR $30 for a 24 hour palooza-pass.   There will be plenty of snacks and drinks for sale to keep you going, including pizza, chili, pancakes, and, of course, coffee. 

The ComedySportz High School League® is the largest, most successful comedy improv training program for high school students in the country. Proceeds will benefit Pen High drama students' 2018 trip to Edinburgh Scotland.


AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION
All students are invited to participate in the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) which will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2018 at Peninsula High School from 3:00PM to 5:00PM. According to the Mathematical Association of America, AMC 10 and AMC 12 are "America's longest-running and most prestigious math contests. Many well-known colleges and universities request scores from these contests and use them for recruiting and admissions." You may learn more about these competitions at amc.maa.org

Last chances to sign up are this Monday, Dec. 11th and Wednesday, Dec. 13th at lunch in Room S45. Please bring $5 cash or check made payable to PVPHS Math Team. If you have any questions, please email penmathteam@gmail.com.

LIBRARY BARNES & NOBLE FUNDRAISER
This Thursday, December 14, our library is hosting an in-store book fair at Barnes and Noble Books, Del Amo Mall. You may also purchase online until December 19. 20% of purchases will benefit the Pen High Library. You must present THIS VOUCHER when you pay. The library relies on donations and fundraisers because we receive no money from the district so it is very important that parents and students know about our book fair.

SUPPORT SPIRIT SQUAD
Cleaning out your closets? Making room for Christmas gifts? We can HELP!! PVPHS Spirit is collecting Goodwill donations. If you would like to donate items, you can drop them to room P115 during school hours this week OR you can drop them at the front of the gym on Saturday, December 16 from 9am until noon. Everything is accepted except furniture, electronic waste or mattresses. Contact Loretta Alvillar at  alvillarl@pvpusd.net for further information.
SENIORS NEED TO SUBMIT BIO INFO FOR YEARBOOK
The yearbook staff is in the process of collecting senior activities and quotes for the yearbook. Senior Credits run adjacent to the senior photos. Seniors should enter their information online using this Senior Credits Info Form. The deadline is January 10, 2018!
Example of Senior Credits from the Rolling Hills High 1966 yearbook

TEDx IS COMING TO PEN HIGH

Service Learning Leadership will be hosting TEDxYouth@PVPHS here at Pen on the evening of March 23, 2018. As a branch of the TED organization, TEDx events spark conversation and connection through TED style talks. We are excited for this opportunity to showcase stories and ideas from members of our Peninsula community. If you are a student interested in inspiring others with a talk of your own, please email Riley Ng: imrileyng@gmail.com for more information and resources. Auditions will be held the week of January 8th. It's an honor to bring an event of this status to our campus, and we can't wait to hear what our student body has to share! We look forward to your audition RSVP.

PLEASE COME TO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15
Friday, December 15th is a minimum day. I ask that students please come to school that day so that we do not lose ADA . PVPHS lost approximately $10,000 of State funding on the minimum day before Winter Break last year! We lose $49 a day for each student that is absent, whether for illness, religious reasons, vacation, or personal days. ADA (Average Daily Attendance) is only paid if a student is present for at least 1 period per day or is on an approved Independent Study.  

If you would like to make a $49.00 ADA reimbursement donation for each day your child is absent, please turn it in to the Main Office. This donation will help ensure that PVPHS can continue to deliver the quality education that students and parents rightly deserve and expect. Your donation is used for instructional needs and classroom supplies at PVPHS. Thank you for considering the option above and thank you for your continued support of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School!

SHADOW DAYS FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL 8TH GRADERS
Tuesday, December 12, is the first of two Pen High Shadow Days for private school families. On Shadow Days we welcome private school students and their families to Peninsula High. The 8th grade visiting students 'shadow' current PVPHS students, while the private school parents have an opportunity to meet with the Peninsula High Administration to ask questions and tour the school. Transitioning from a private school to a public school can be daunting for parents, so this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about transitioning to a public high school. If you know a private school student who may be interested in experiencing a Shadow Day at Peninsula, please have them visit the PVPHS Incoming Students page on our website,
EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT ON CAMPUS
Thank you to Boy Scout Marcus Emmery who recently completed his Eagle Project on our campus. Along with scouts and parents from his Troop 128 and track team members and coaches, Marcus painted a beautiful pole vaulting mural on the side of one of the storage sheds by the track. Marcus said, "I am very happy to have collaborated with all of the people who came to help complete this project which will bring awareness to the awesome sport of Pole Vault." Great job Marcus, and best wishes as you complete your trail to Eagle.


Contact Associate Principal Toombs  toombsl@pvpusd.net

PSAT SCORES
Test scores for students who took the PSAT or PSAT 8/9 in October will be available online starting tomorrow. Scores can be accessed on the College Board website here: studentscores.collegeboard.org Students will need to log in with their College Board account or create a new account if they don't have one. For more information on accessing the test scores click here.

Students who have trouble accessing their score reports should see Mrs. Breitenstein in the Main Office during lunch. Students' exam booklets and scored answer sheets will be returned in early January.

HOUR OF CODE

Mr. Twiet's computer science students spent this past week helping other Peninsula High students as well as members of the community learn about the wonderful world of coding as part of the annual Hour of Code program organized by the nonprofit Code.org


2017 HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE - A HUGE SUCCESS
Thank you to Boutique Chair, Drina Semenjuk for a tremendously successful boutique. Thank you to the vendors, and to the hundreds of shoppers! Helping to raise funds for all Peninsula athletes - that's what it's all about!


ABC DECEMBER MEETING
The next ABC meeting  is this Wednesday, December 13, at 6:30pm in the CCC. Please join us! It's a great place to find out what's happening in the world of Panther sports. We will try to end by 7:00pm so that we can watch our boys basketball team - at home vs. North Torrance.

"THE BLACK & GOLD AFFAIRE" 
SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, March 17, 2018, A Black & Gold Affaire at the Palos Verdes Golf Club. The biggest fundraiser of the year for Peninsula athletics!

BECOME A SPONSOR! Sponsorship levels start at $150.For more information visit  pvphsabc.com/2018-black-gold-sponsorship

Panther

Thank you to our current ABC members for your continued support of PVPHS athletic programs.  Your support  does not go unnoticed.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN THE ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB
VARSITY SPORTS COMPETITIONS ON CAMPUS THIS  WEEK

Boys' Soccer - South Bay Tournament
Tuesday @ 3pm vs Wilson
Thursday @ 3pm vs Loyola

Girls' Soccer - South Bay Tournament
Friday @ 3pm vs Torrance

Boys' Basketball against North Torrance High
on Wednesday @ 7pm. 
Admission is $8 for adults, $4 12U, and free with ASB

Remember the Titans!
 
 


There are collection boxes outside the Main Office!

BELL SCHEDULES THIS WEEK
  
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
(Regular)

Period 0: 7a-7:55a
Period 1: 8a-8:53a
Period 2: 8:59a-9:52a
Panther Time: 9:52a-10:10a
Period 3: 10:15a-11:14a
Period 4: 11:20a-12:13p
Lunch: 12:13p-12:48p
Period 5: 12:54p-1:47p
Period 6: 1:52p-2:45p



Wednesday
(Late Start)

Period 0: 9a-9:40a
Period 1: 9:45a-10:25a
Period 2: 10:30a-11:10a
Period 3: 11:15a-11:45a
Period 4: noon - 12:40p
Lunch: 12:40p-1:15p
Period 5: 1:20p-2:00p
Period 6: 2:05p-2:45p


Friday
(Minimum Day)

Period 0: 7:20a-7:55a
Period 1: 8a-8:35a
Period 2: 8:41a-9:16a
Period 3: 9:22a-9:57a
Period 4: 10:03a - 10:38a
Period 5: 10:44a-11:19a
Period 6: 11:25a-noon


 Follow Pen High on the following official sites

                 @pvphs_principal

                 @pvphsasb

                 @pvphszoo

                 @pvphs_panthers

                 @pvphs_athletics

                 @pvphs_store

           
REFLECTIONS FOR THE HOLIDAY
It has been a great first half of the year and I want to wish the entire Panther family a wonderful winter break. I hope you are able to celebrate what truly matters and spend time with friends and family. Take care and enjoy these moments, they all go by way too quickly. tracks
 
The next Principal's Update will be sent out on Sunday, December 31.
 
 
Brent Kuykendall
Principal