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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I hope that all Panthers had a restful winter break and enjoyed the company of family and friends. Hopefully you feel rejuvenated and ready to take on 2017. The New Year is a time to celebrate another new beginning with the knowledge that anything is possible; so set your goals and pursue your dreams.
CONGRATULATIONS MELISSA WOO
The Panther Community is so proud of your accomplishment, and we will proudly wear your award winning design tee shirt!
SPEECH & DEBATE COACH EXEMPLIFIES PEN HIGH VALUES
Over Winter Break, I received the following communication praising our Speech & Debate Coach, Scott Wheeler. Integrity, kindness, and sportsmanship are important Panther values. Thank you Scott, for always representing our school community with class.
Dear Principal Cress,
Attached please find a letter commending Scott Wheeler, the Debate Coach at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. I am submitting this letter on my own initiative without any prior consultation of Mr. Wheeler. I have been very impressed by his success and collegiality, and I wanted to let you know how fortunate your school is to employ such a fantastic debate coach.
Best wishes to you and your staff this holiday season.
Sincerely,
Tom Lininger
Volunteer debate coach at South Eugene High School
Orlando J. and Marian H. Hollis Professor
University of Oregon School of Law
 WALK FOR LIFE
Our annual Walk for Life cancer fundraiser and carnival, benefiting City of Hope and the Cancer Support Community, is on February 24, 2017. This is always a very important and memorable day for our school community. During the Walk for Life carnival, students can choose to donate their hair to "Children with Hair Loss," a non-profit organization that makes wigs for children battling cancer and other diseases causing hair loss. After the carnival, our students, teachers and community members will walk together up to Highridge Park and back. All of the money raised by Walk for Life Participants will go to cancer research and support for cancer patients and their families. Later this month, students and community members can sign up to participate in the walk and/or having their hair cut. Girls: your hair must be at least 8 inches long, so please consider not cutting your hair between now and then.
In the meantime, we are looking for sponsors and hair dressers! Sponsors will have their logo or family name on the back of our Walk for Life shirts, worn by over 2,000 students and community members. A Walk for Life Sponsorship is $150, and is needed by February 2nd in order to have the logo on the back of the shirt. Sponsor donor form
HERE Hairdresser Information
HERE
We greatly appreciate your consideration and generosity. Last year our Panther Family came together to raise over $50,000, all of which was given to City of Hope and Cancer Support Community.
WINTER FORMAL IS COMING
This year's incredible Winter Formal is on Saturday, February 4th at the Natural History Museum! The theme is "
A Land Before Time: Prehistoric Elegance."
Tickets go on sale this Thursday, January 5, and are $95 with ASB and $100 without ASB.
All students must turn in a Contract/Transportation Form at the time the tickets are purchased; this document must be signed by students' parents/guardians, and will state whether the student will be taking the school-chaperoned chartered bus, or whether the parents will be taking responsibility for their son or daughters' transportation. Please download the Contract/Transportation Form from our school website,
pvphs.com
under 'Panther Picks'.
OPEN HOUSE - THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017 - SAVE THE DATE
PVPHS ARTS GALA - FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017 - SAVE THE DATE
Please join us for an evening of visual and performing arts presented by over 200 student artists on Friday, January 27, 2017 in the Peninsula High gym.
All of our talented and award winning art groups will be represented to share their talents and inspirations with our school and surrounding community. We hope you join us!
JAE WOO PARK AND JULIANNA YONIS NAMED 2017 Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalists 
Pen High is pleased to share that Jae Woo Park and Julianna Yonis have been named a 2017 Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalists! They are among 1,914 students who were selected from nearly 86,000 applicants from across the country to continue through the selection process. Semifinalist applications will be reviewed by the Selection Committee in January. After this review, 250 Semifinalists will advance as Regional Finalists, with 150 becoming Coca-Cola Scholars.
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HUMAN RIGHTS DAY AT PENINSULA HIGH
Peninsula High celebrated Human Rights Day by reminding everyone that "Hate Is Not a Peninsula High Value." Peninsula High School teachers have always been committed to helping ALL students feel comfortable and safe on campus. To emphasize this commitment, faculty members promoted their classroom as a safe zone for all students and wore ribbons of support. Our school community had the opportunity to pledge support of human rights by signing a commitment to end hate on campus, in the community, and in the world.
Thank you to our "LGBT United Club" for organizing the activities in honor of Human Rights Day.
 ADA REPORT
On Friday, December 16th, 182 Peninsula High students were absent, resulting in a $8,918 loss in ADA funding.
ADA (Average Daily Attendance) is only paid by the State if a student is present for at least 1 period per day or on an approved Independent Study. We lose $49.00, per student, for each day of absence.
If you would like to make a $49.00 ADA reimbursement donation for each day your child was 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, classroom supplies, and educational programs at PVPHS.
 MUSIC DEPARTMENT UPDATE
- January will be busy for the Jazz Band, as they reach out to the intermediate schools. The Jazz Band will visit and perform at all 3 intermediate schools during lunch periods.
RIS - January 11th
MIS - January 24th
PVIS - January 31st
- The after school program, Music Madness Enrichment Program will begin Monday, January 23rd. and continues until May. More information HERE
- Advance Jazz Band will also perform for the 8th Grade Open House on Thursday, January 26th.
- On Friday, January 27th all Music Department groups will be performing at the Gala.
PENINSULA HIGH MUSICIANS "LIGHT UP A LIFE"
Torrance Memorial Hospice hosted its 21st
annual "Light Up A Life" event Sunday, November 13,
2016 at Torrance Memorial Medical Center's Hoffman Health Conference Center.
At "Light Up A Life" names of loved ones are read and a light is illuminated on a holiday tree for each person being remembered. This year's event included a performance from Los Cancioneros Master Chorale and Students from The Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Symphonic Orchestra.
Many community members attend this annual event remembering lives loved and lost. Funds raised from the event support Torrance Memorial's Hospice programs and assist those who cannot afford hospice care. Services include medications, equipment and skilled nursing care, bereavement and spiritual counseling. Special thanks to the following Peninsula High Musicians: Alexandra Jacobson, Lauren Stapel, Leslie Castro, Moira Sheen, Kimia Ahmady, and Jonathan Fang.
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| PANTHER'S PERFORM AT "LIGHT UP A LIFE" |
DRAMA DEPARTMENT NEWS
Clara Cox. Pen High Class of 2012 will tour in 42nd Street. Clara was a very talented member of the Penhi Drama Department, and in 2012 played the mom in the outstanding Production of "Tommy." We are all so proud of this Panther!
Read about the tour here.
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Clara in the Pen High PAC 2012
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PEN HIGH DRAMA HEADING TO SCOTLAND
 Penhi Drama has again received an invitation to participate in the Fringe Festival in Scotland.
VARSITY DANCE
Varsity Dance soloists put in a great showing for their first solo competition at Esperanza High School on Saturday, December 10th.
Tara Weiman - 2nd place Sophomore Solos-B Division
Ione Ogawa and Emily Komatsu - 3rd place Sophomore Solos-A and C Divisions
Alice Li and Ailey Suzuki - 4th place Sophomore Solos-B and C Divisions
Nikki Swearengin - 4th place Junior Solos-C Division
Way to kick off the start of competition season!
PRINCIPAL'S ADVISORY EXPLORES VALUES
On Tuesday, December 13, 2016, the Peninsula High Principal's Advisory Council B met to discuss Peninsula High values as part of our preparation for WASC. Students worked in six groups to brainstorm, and the similarities of key words was very noteworthy! We know who we are!!!! #WASC2018
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| Principal's Advisory Council Preparing For WASC |
CONCIERGE SERVICE
On Thursday, December 15, the Peninsula High administrators offered Concierge Service to four Panthers who were selected in a drawing for all students who signed up for the Skechers Walk in support of the Peninsula Education Foundation. Congratulations to Ashley Wieland, Natalie Watts, Michael Valeri, and Scott Phillips. Thank you to all those who supported our Skechers Walk campaign.
FOUNDATION FOR KOREAN LANGUAGE HONORS PEN HIGH
Each year, during the last week of December, the Korean Language Teacher Training Seminar is hosted by the Foundation for Korean Language and Culture in Los Angeles. This year's training was attended by Korean teachers from various states including California, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Kansas, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Our dedicated Korean Language teacher, Mrs. June Choi, spent a week of her vacation participating in this year's training.
The winter training seminar started in 2005 with the goal of providing a place to exchange information with other professionals and to develop systematic methods of teaching Korean language, and effectively maintaining and expanding Korean language classes throughout United States.
The highlight of the event is the" Night of Appreciation Banquet," which honors educators and administrators who have contributed to the development of Korean language programs in their schools.
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"APPRECIATION NIGHT"
FOUNDATION FOR KOREAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE |
FBI SPEAKER COMING TO PENINSULA HIGH
In February, FBI Community Outreach Specialist Dr.Kay Ko, will be coming to Peninsula High to speak to our students about the importance of language acquisition in FBI and related careers.
HOST FAMILIES NEEDED FOR VISITING STUDENTS FROM KOREA
Fifteen students from the Dae Cheon High School in Korea will be visiting Pen High School from Tuesday 2/7/17 to Friday 2/10/2017 (3 nights and 4 days) to experience an American school and home life. We are looking for host families for the fifteen male students during their visit to Pen High School.
PEN PTSA ACKNOWLEDGED FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Thank you to our PTSA for arranging the Peninsula High Mock Elections that were held in October 2016. This opportunity for our students promotes civic engagement and encourages a lifelong commitment to voting.
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| Thank you to PTSA Leg Reps Allison Phillips, Rachel King, and Rosa Easton, for organizing our fall Mock Elections. |
SPIRIT WEEK RECAP!
The week before Winter Break, Panthers really got into the holiday spirit with fun dress-up days and activities. On Monday, our LGBT United Club organized a National Human Rights Day. Tuesday was a class competition, during which our students built gingerbread houses.
On Wednesday our school enjoyed performances by our pep squad and various dance teams.
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| NIA JOINED THE HOLIDAY FUN |
Thursday was an ugly sweater day and holiday grams were delivered; that night our students enjoyed a holiday-themed Coffee House. Then on Friday our students and staff wore their pajamas to school!
HOLIDAY CANNED FOOD DRIVE MAKES HISTORY
HUGE thanks to everyone who participated in and supported the holiday canned food drive sponsored by Service Learning Leadership. DRUM ROLL......Service Learning Leadership is excited to announce that Pen High collected over 8,000 cans!! This is the most cans ever collected at Pen High!
The winner of the Canned Food Drive Trophy was Ms. Johnson with 2,840 cans!!! Thank you to Ms. Johnson's students for their incredible effort in collecting canned foods. In addition, Service Learning Leadership students would like to give a very special honorable mention to Mr. Engle's classes for their second place effort with 2,406 cans.
Thank you to everyone who donated cans! The cans have been donated to the LA Food Bank. Every single can collected made the holiday a little better for a family in need. Service Learning could not have done it without support from the Panther Community.
FRENCH CLASS CELEBRATION
The Peninsula High French classes celebrated the Holidays by baking (and eating, of course) Belgian waffles! YUM!!!
RAPPING CLUB BRINGS HOLIDAY CHEER
The Peninsula High "Rapping for Smiles" Club brought smiles to Americare Nursing Home seniors by performing at their annual holiday function. They also passed out candy canes and sweet treats to the family and friends attending the event. Club members include Michael Fuhrman, Jason Phillips, Jacob Hangartner, Kaz Ogawa, and John Zuercher. Nice job Panthers!
PENINSULA HIGH ADMINISTRATION COOK BREAKFAST FOR STAFF
On Friday, December 16, the Peninsula High Administration worked through the night to serve our fabulous staff a homemade breakfast. The highlight of the morning was when Mr. Thompson's Spanish class surprised everyone with holiday songs.
CHOREO OUTREACH - DANCING THROUGH HISTORY
The Peninsula High Choreo team under the directions of Ms. Heather Horn participated in the district-wide, fifth grade "Dance Through History" program at the Norris Theatre. Lawrence, Hans, and Riyan were a big hit with the students.
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MEMBERS OF THE PEN BOYS' CHOREO TEAM
PERFORMED AT THE NORRIS THEATRE
FOR OUR PVPUSD FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS
- DANCE THROUGH HISTORY - |
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Have a great week! 