Dear Miramonte Community,

Welcome to 2023! I hope you had a great Winter Break with friends and family, and were able to recharge for the new year. As we launch the 2nd Semester, it’s important to know that January is a busy month for students, staff, and parents. A few details to know:

• COURSE REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR NEXT YEAR: Each January, AUHSD students register for the courses they want to take the following school year. This process is done over several weeks to ensure that students are properly informed and prepared to make these critical decisions about their class schedule. Please review our course registration process HERE, and remind your child about the importance of taking a thoughtful approach to selecting courses for next year.

• GO MATS! WEEK: During the week of January 23, our Leadership class will be hosting our inaugural “GO MATS! WEEK.” This will be a week of celebrating and highlighting the various programs, activities, clubs, sports, classes, and extracurriculars we have at Miramonte. The goal is to help our students learn more about the various opportunities available to them, and get involved in new and exciting ways. The week will culminate on Friday with an Academy Cohort focused on connection, and an extended lunch to provide time for fun activities and our Elective Fair.

• OPEN HOUSE: Open House is on Thursday, January 26, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with a Parents’ Club reception in the Quad/Gym. Please save the date and plan on bringing your entire family to visit classes, attend presentations, and mingle with students, staff, and parents. This is a great opportunity for us to come together as a community to celebrate our students, and learn more about all of our exciting programs, courses, and extracurricular activities.

Here’s to a great 2023 and very Happy New Year! Go Mats!

Mr. Ben Campopiano

bcampopiano@auhsdschools.org

January 6: Last day to order a 2022-23 yearbook (order here)

January 7: Public Speaking Debate 3 Tournament

January 9: Athletic Boosters Meeting: 6:00 p.m.; MHS Library

January 11: CCC: Class of 2024 Parent Q&A; 6:30 p.m.; MHS Theater

January 13: Public Speaking MLK Tournament

January 13: Shakespeare Showcase; 7:00 p.m.; MHS Theater

January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day; no school

January 17: Deadline to request to add a class

January 18: AUHSD Governing Board Meeting; 7:00 p.m.; District office

January 19: CCC: Class of 2025 Parent Presentation; 6:30 p.m.; MHS Theater

January 20 & 23-27: Counselors available for registration questions at lunchtime in front of Counseling office (for students)

January 21: Public Speaking Congress 3 & PF 3 Tournament

January 23: Club Day #2; lunchtime (for students)

January 24: Spring Sports Fair; lunchtime (for students)

January 24: Parent Ed: Sports and Wellness; 6:00-7:30 p.m.; Zoom

January 25: Volunteer Fair; lunchtime (for students)

January 26: Elective Fair; lunchtime (for students)

January 26: Open House; 5:30-8:00 p.m.

• 5:30-6:00 - Reception hosted by Parents' Club
• 6:00-6:30 - Principal's presentation
• 6:30-8:00 - Classroom visits (schedule coming soon)
• 7:30-8:00 - Class of 2023 Parent Meeting in Library

January 28: Public Speaking IE Speech 3 Tournament

Happy New Year from the ONE-Miramonte fundraising team!

Thank you to the 30 Miramonte families who made gifts in December to ONE-Miramonte! 

Because you give to ONE-Miramonte, our school is able to supplement what state funding alone would afford and offer seven periods a day, fund 14 additional sections of 11 classes, maintain small class sizes, and provide robust College & Career Center, a fully staffed Wellness Center, AP classes, and the academic programs that make Miramonte one of the best schools in the state.

If you haven’t given to ONE-Miramonte, join your fellow parents and make a donation today. 

Questions about Miramonte fundraising? Please contact our Miramonte fundraising team at VPFundraising@mhspc.org.

Yearbooks - final deadline to purchase is TODAY!

The final deadline to purchase a yearbook for the 2022 - 23 school year is TODAY Friday, January 6, 2023. If you have not yet purchased a yearbook for your student, use this link to make your purchase. If you are prompted to enter an order code or job number, use 6301. Please note that this is a FINAL deadline! No yearbooks will be sold after this date!

Orinda Union School District invites you to a Parent Education Series About Racial Consciousness With Dr. Lori Watson

Dr. Lori Watson, founder and CEO of Race-Work, will be leading a four-part series for parents/caregivers to explore issues of race and identity and help develop tools to speak to our children and others about this often-difficult topic. The "Parents for Racial Equity" four-part series is intended to educate and engage adult learners who wish to expand their personal knowledge and elevate their racial consciousness. 

The first session is on Tuesday, January 10, 5:00-7:00 p.m., in the OUSD Boardroom. Future sessions will be held on February 23, March 7, and April 19. OUSD asks all attendees to register prior to attending the meeting by completing this form. 

If you have questions about this event, please contact OUSD Superintendent Aida Glimme.

AUHSD Governing Board Meeting

The next AUHSD Governing Board meeting is on Wednesday, January 18, 7:00 p.m. at the District Office. The agenda will be available here on Sunday morning. You may view the live broadcast of the meeting here.

Parent Volunteers Needed for Mock Trial Beginning on Tuesday, January 24

Calling all legal professionals! The Contra Costa County Office of Education is seeking volunteers for the 42nd Annual Contra Costa County High School Mock Trial. This season, Mock Trial will be in-person, and your expertise is needed in scoring and inspiring the efforts of future attorneys. Find more information and sign up to volunteer here.

Parent Education: Sports and Wellness, Tuesday, January 24

The next topic in the AUHSD Parent Education series is Sports and Wellness. Dr. Doug Gardner will present this webinar on Tuesday, January 24, at 6:00 p.m. Register for this free webinar here.

If you missed any of the previous sessions in the AUHSD Parent Education series, you can view the recordings here.

Donations Needed for Open House

The Hospitality Team will be providing treats at the Parents’ Club reception at Open House on Thursday, January 26, and we need your help! Please consider donating food or drink items or helping out at the event. Sign up here to donate or volunteer. Thank you, generous Miramonte community!

If you have any questions, please contact Kim Washburn.

Media Contest for Students

The 2022-2023 CourAGE Media Contest is officially open! The theme this year is: Let’s Tackle Tobacco and Vanquish Vaping! Contra Costa public school students in grades 6-12 can enter their original work — video, social media, or drawing/art—for a chance to win a top prize of $200. Find more information and entry requirements here. The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 3.

Save the Date: Poetry Out Loud, Saturday, February 11

Contra Costa County Office of Education, in partnership with Contra Costa County, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, will be hosting a Poetry Out Loud competition. Students have the opportunity to interact with the words of the masters of the art through recitation, while also presenting their own creative techniques of delivery. California proudly boasts the largest Poetry Out Loud competition in the country, growing steadily since its start in 2005.

This county event will take place on Saturday, February 11. More information and registration details are here.

Schedule Changes

• The deadline to request to add a class is Tuesday, January 17.
• The deadline to drop a class without it appearing on the transcript is Friday, March 10.

FuelEd

Students who received a D or F in a graduation-required course should email their counselor to see if they are eligible for remediation through a FuelEd course. Ninth graders are not eligible for FuelEd.

Class Registration for the 2023-24 School Year

Registration for next year's classes will begin later this month. Students in 10th and 11th grade will be tagged in TeachMore and will be meeting by grade level during Academy sessions. Students in 9th grade will meet during their English class.

We ask that students and families who have questions about courses for next year email their counselor. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of questions we get, we are unable to have in-office meetings for every student to go over course selections. However, it is our experience that most questions can be answered via email. Of course, if a question cannot be answered via email, we will schedule a meeting.

Counselors will be available for students to ask specific registration questions during lunch in front of the counseling office January 20-27. Counselors will also be holding a Q&A session at Open House on Thursday, January 26. 

Students will be getting math course recommendations from their current math teacher and pre-enrolled in the class for which they have been recommended. If a student wishes to take a math class they were not recommended for, they need to speak directly with their math teacher.

11th graders: Registration begins on Friday, January 20. Classes are due in the computer Monday, January 30. 

10th graders: Registration begins on Wednesday, January 25. Classes are due in the computer by Tuesday, January 31.

9th graders: Registration begins on Monday, January 23. Classes are due in the computer by Thursday, February 2.

All students will be given a registration form to complete and return (with a parent signature) to their English teacher. Forms will be collected by counselors in English classes on the following days:

• 11th graders: Monday, January 30
• 10th graders: Tuesday, January 31 and Wednesday, February 1
• 9th graders: Thursday, February 2 and Friday, February 3

Students who miss their registration presentation will be required to attend the make-up session during Academy.

Seniors - Mid-Year Transcripts

As long as you have ordered an initial transcript, your counselor will send your mid-year report and you do not need to order it through the Web Store. If you have not ordered an initial transcript, you will need to do so before any transcripts can be sent. 

Junior Parent Q & A

As the college process officially launches for our juniors, we know you have questions. Please join us for a Junior Parent Presentation on Wednesday, January 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the Theater. We want to make sure we are addressing your most pressing concerns, so please take a moment to complete this quick survey. 

Sophomore Parent Presentation: Exploring The College Landscape

On Thursday, January 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the Theater, we will be offering a presentation to sophomore parents. This a great opportunity for you to get to know the College & Career Center and understand what we do and how we support students.

The Wellness Center welcomes all students back to school! We are open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every day to hang out before school, after school, and during brunch and lunch. We are here for drop-ins during class time and available for individual counseling services through referrals. Anyone can refer a student to the Wellness Center by completing the online referral form.

Follow us on Instagram to learn about upcoming activities, including therapy dogs, planting seeds, vision boards, and academy presentations on Wellness topics!  

And lastly, this year as you think about resolutions and intentions, consider this suggestion: Instead of having a resolution to change yourself, what if you had a resolution to be yourself? 

Happy New Year, Miramonte Families!

Attention Families of Winter Sport Athletes

Boosters Needs Your Help - Become Part of The Team Behind the Teams!

Miramonte Boosters Club is a critical funding mechanism for Miramonte Athletics. Thanks to member donations, Boosters is able to purchase much-needed equipment, gear, and supplies for all of our athletic teams. More importantly, the club helps pay for the salaries of personnel, such as the athletic trainer and strength/conditioning coach. 

The entire school depends on the Boosters’ Club to pay for big-ticket capital purchases!

Boosters donations are used to fund the following:

• Athletic Trainer
• Strength and Conditioning Coach
• Sports Medicine Supplies
• Weight Room Equipment
• Equipment for every Mats sports team including balls, nets, training aids, etc.
• Capital expenditures such as scoreboards, cheer mats, wrestling mats, ball boundary safety nets, gym wall pads, goals, and bench covers.  

We seek 100% of families with student-athletes to join the Boosters’ Club!

Class of 2026

The Class of 2026 Casa Orinda Fundraiser is on Monday, January 30. Purchase the famous fried chicken dinners here. Following your purchase, please select your pick-up time here. Orders close at noon on Friday, January 27. Dinner orders are open to all families in all grades.

Questions? Contact the Class of 2026 Parent Advisors

AUHSD Meeting Schedule, Broadcast, and Agendas

Upcoming Wednesday meeting dates: January 18, February 1, February 15, March 1, March 15, April 19, May 3, May 17, June 7 

Connect with the Parents' Club: