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Dear Miramonte Community,
Thank you for attending Open House last night! It was so great to be back together to celebrate our students and staff, and learn about all of our courses and programs. As you and your child complete the course registration paperwork and online registration for next year, please utilize the below two documents to better understand all of the available course options and registration instructions. Be sure to note the grade level deadlines, homework expectations, and graduation requirements as you go through all of this information, and reach out to your counselor if you have any questions.
As we look ahead to next year’s courses and programming, we want to introduce to you the work our Challenge Success Team is doing to tackle issues around academic stress and student engagement at Miramonte. Our Challenge Success Team is made up of students, staff, and parents and we meet monthly in an effort to improve the academic experience for all of our students. Please go here to learn more about Challenge Success, a non-profit organization out of Stanford University, and watch this fun video made by our fabulous students to learn more about the important work our team is doing here on campus:
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And, please join us in the Miramonte Theater on Monday, February 13, at 7:00 p.m. for a Challenge Success Parent Education Presentation: "A Healthier Approach to College Admissions”. The event will feature a presentation by Margaret Dunlap, Senior School Program Director at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education Challenge Success program, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with Miramonte Principal Ben Campopiano, Andie Nishimi from Wellness, Ellen Conners from Academic Advising, Stephanie Brady from the College and Career Center, teacher Meredith Hawkins, and student Faris Banaja. Mark your calendar and view all the event details HERE.
Thanks again, have a great weekend, and Go Mats!
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Dear Miramonte Families,
It was wonderful to see everyone in person at Open House last night! We hope you enjoyed all of the informative presentations, and the opportunity to see the many ways your donations to ONE-Miramonte benefit our entire student body. Many thanks to Kim Scheingart and Kim Washburn for hosting the Parents' Club reception to kick off the evening, and to all those who donated delicious goodies.
Believe it or not, we are already thinking about next year, and are looking for volunteers. We have many jobs, both big and small, and hope you will consider donating some of your time to Miramonte. It truly takes a village. Please click here to participate in our Volunteer Survey to be notified of opportunities that match your interests.
Best of luck to our Public Speaking students in their tournament tomorrow!
Have a lovely weekend, everyone.
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January 28: Public Speaking IE Speech 3 Tournament
February 1: AUHSD Governing Board Meeting; 7:00 p.m.; District office
February 3: All District "Night in New Orleans" Dance; 7:00-9:00 p.m.; Acalanes High School; Hosted by BSU (tickets)
February 6: Boosters Meeting; 6:00-7:30 p.m.; MHS Library
February 6: Spring Sports Begin
February 7: Parent Ed: Substance-Free Athletics; 6:30-8:30 p.m.; MHS Library and Zoom
February 7: Parent Ed: Beyond the Binary: Helping Parents Support Their Kids with Navigating Gender; Zoom
February 9: Class of 2025 Moms' Night Out
February 13: Parent Ed: Challenge Success "A Healthier Approach to College Admissions"; 7:00-8:45 p.m.; MHS Theater
February 15: Parents' Club meeting; 9:30 a.m.; location TBD
February 17-20: Presidents' Day Weekend; No School
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ONE-Miramonte Fundraising | |
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Why do your fellow Miramonte parents donate to ONE-Miramonte? Here are some of the many excellent reasons to donate to ONE-Miramonte shared by Miramonte parents in our recent survey.
“Because I know the school needs additional funding from parents in order to have all of the programs that it does.”
“Giving to the school/community in general. It is the right thing to do.”
“Because my child is getting a top notch education for free. I can afford to help, so I do. This should be a no-brainer.”
“I want to keep Miramonte and Orinda schools excellent, so I contribute (and match) the annual ask for each child.”
“Because it's my responsibility to help bridge the gap between state and local funding vs. costs incurred to meet budget. Glad MHS can provide college counseling, AP classes and arts classes, and wellness.”
“We give because we understand how important our financial contributions are. Having come from another district where parents did not give, we can see the difference. We are probably one of the few families who would like to see more life skill type classes rather than so many academic classes but overall we are very happy with what is being offered in the Orinda schools.”
“I believe that if my children are benefitting from ONE-Miramonte then we should be contributing. The school would not be as good as it is without the extra support. My kids take the honors and AP courses and are involved in other activities sponsored by ONE-Miramonte. I believe the College and Career Center and Wellness Center are invaluable to the students.”
“We give because it's the right thing to do.”
“We are so fortunate to have a 7 period day and electives and opportunities that other school districts do not have. My children have been involved in so many of the programs at Miramonte, including Public Speaking, Latin activities, sports, and both benefitted from our college counselors' help with their applications and essays.”
“Everything that ONE-Miramonte pays for is essential!”
“Our schools keep our real estate value high thus want to ensure we continue to have a top rated CA school.”
“I believe we all have to work together to offer all our students areas to excel, even ones where my own students don’t currently participate.”
“I give to support a private-school level education in a public school setting. I am so grateful my family didn't have to jump through application hoops to attend Orinda schools, and I knew I'd be an EFO supporter the minute I moved to Orinda in 2003. Most important to me at the high school level are the smaller English classes, the foreign languages through Level V (Latin!), and the math classes through Calculus BC. The range of electives, both academic and non-academic, gives all kids a chance to find something that appeals to them.”
“I like to donate to my community.”
“We love Miramonte!”
If any of these reasons resonate with you, please make a donation to ONE-Miramonte today! We need support from our whole community!
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Announcements & Parent Education Events | |
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Parent Education: Parent’s Presentation of Substance-Free Athletics
Please join us for a parent presentation, “Substance-Free Athletics”, which will be held on Tuesday, February 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the MHS Library and on Zoom. Register here whether you are attending in person or on Zoom.
Debbie Berndt, former Miramonte parent and Director for Parents Movement 2.0 and Substance-Free Athletics, will present the Substance-Free Athletics training for parents. This nationally recognized youth prevention program has already been presented to Miramonte athletes and coaches.
Parents with athletes of any kind will find this information very useful. Interested parents without athletes should attend, too – the science is easy to follow and extrapolate into other parts of student life.
Find more information at this link.
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Parent Education: Challenge Success Presentation: "A Healthier Approach to College Admissions”
Monday, February 13, 7:00-8:45 p.m., MHS Theater
Miramonte and OIS parents are invited to attend a presentation and panel discussion focused on supporting your student while reducing family stress during the college admissions process. The event is suitable for parents of middle and high school students in all grades.
The college admissions process can be a source of stress and anxiety for students and parents alike. This research-based workshop addresses many of the important questions we hear from families. What do college rankings really measure? Are students who attend more selective colleges better off later in life? What is “fit” and why does it matter? Participants will learn practical strategies to help reduce unnecessary pressure around the college admissions process and ways to support their student’s overall well-being and readiness for life in college and beyond.
The event will feature a presentation by Margaret Dunlap, Senior School Program Director at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education Challenge Success program, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with Miramonte Principal Ben Campopiano, Andie Nishimi from Wellness, Ellen Conners from Academic Advising, Stephanie Brady from the College and Career Center, teacher Meredith Hawkins, and student Faris Banaja.
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Schedule Changes
The deadline to drop a class without it appearing on the transcript is Friday, March 10.
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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.
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Class Registration for the 2023-24 School Year
All students have been 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 and are due online 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
We ask that students and families who have questions about courses for next year email counselors. Unfortunately due to the high volume of questions we get, we are unable to have individual 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!
Students have received math course recommendations from their current math teacher and are pre-enrolled in the class they have been recommended for. If a student wishes to take a math class they were not recommended for, they need to speak directly with their math teacher.
Students who do not complete their course registration by the above deadlines will be required to attend a make-up session during Academy.
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Miramonte Wellness Center | |
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It's hard to believe it is almost February! Go Mats Week was very busy for staff and students, and today’s therapy dogs were welcomed and appreciated!
February is Black History Month and the Wellness Center will celebrate the contributions of Black mental health professionals who have been pioneers in their fields. In addition, we will be creating awareness around two areas of mental well-being that are highlighted in February: healthy relationships and teen dating violence, and social media and screen time.
We will be tabling at lunch as well as holding presentations during Academy for all students who would like to learn more. To stay up to date on Wellness topics and events, follow us @miramonte_wellness on Instagram.
| A big thanks to Kevin Roebuck, MHS Class of '82, for donating a keyboard piano to the Student Union and Wellness Center. It is a much appreciated addition! | |
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The Miramonte wrestling team has more than doubled in size from last year and is poised for another incredible season under Coach Suba. During the fall of last year, Coach Suba and one of his seniors provided a wrestling demonstration for every freshman PE class. The result was almost 30 kids signing up for the team – many of them novices with no prior wrestling experience. The mix of ages and genders on the team creates a great pipeline for future Mats wrestling teams.
The team is enthusiastically supported by Miramonte alumni wrestlers as well as many local Lamorinda businesses. Last year, the team put together a fundraising campaign for new equipment, and in addition to donations, they received many letters from alumni who shared their memories of wrestling at Miramonte and what the program meant to them. When Coach Suba read some of the letters to the kids at the end-of-year banquet, there was not a dry eye in the room! Miramonte wrestling had an amazing finish last year with the first-ever female league champion and the first female wrestler to win a state medal!
Come out and support the Miramonte wrestling team! This year, the league championships are on Saturday, February 11. There are 12 teams in the DAL, and the boys need to finish in the top five (of their weight class) to make NCS. The NCS championships are on February 17-18 (boys competing at James Logan, girls competing at Albany). The top two boy wrestlers and the top four girl wrestlers, in each weight class, then qualify to compete in the state championships.
Follow them on Instagram @matswrestling or on the Miramonte Boosters website. Go Mats!
Want to support Mats Wrestling? Head to Gott’s Roadside in Walnut Creek (1275 S. Main St) on Wednesday, February 1. Gott’s will be donating 10% of the entire day’s revenue to our wrestling program, so please bring all your friends and family to enjoy a delicious and fun dinner.
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Boys Lacrosse Season is starting soon!
Mark your calendars for team tryouts: February 6-8. Boys Lacrosse is a no-cut sport, and tryouts are used for team placement.
If you haven’t already, please complete the athletic clearance form in time for the first practice on Monday, February 6.
Questions? Please contact team parents Sunny Bliss or Katharine Hawkins.
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Attention Families of Spring 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!
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Class of 2023
In case you missed last night’s Senior Parent meeting, here are the slides with lots of information about our exciting spring semester.
Make sure your students know about the Class of 2023 Pizza Party on Saturday, January 28. Meet on the Senior Lawn from 4:30-5:30 p.m. for free pizza and class bonding before the Mats vs. Campo basketball game.
It is time to sign up to volunteer and donate to the Senior Ball. Please click here to see all the exciting opportunities.
The College and Career Center is so grateful for our snack donations. Please click here to participate.
If you aren’t already following us on Facebook and Instagram, please do! Lots of important information will be shared via social media.
Our linktree is the place to find all of our important dox, signups, and websites. The linktree can also be found in the ‘link in bio’ on Instagram. Please “subscribe” to our linktree to be notified automatically when new items are added.
Questions? Contact the Class of 2023 Parent Advisors
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Class of 2025
The Class of 2025 Nation's Hamburgers Fundraiser is on Tuesday, January 31!
Time: 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. The event is from morning to night so you can order breakfast, lunch, and dinner :)
Location: 400 Park Street, Moraga (in the Rheem Shopping Center)
Ordering:
- In store/Phone: When ordering in-store or on the phone (925-376-8888) be sure to mention Miramonte 2025 Fundraiser
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App./Online: For app & online orders, click "More", then "Fundraiser", and select quantity "1" on the menu list. This will let Nation's know the order is a part of the fundraiser. Must order directly from the Nation's app or website.
20% of all sales will be donated to the Miramonte Class of 2025
2025 Moms, join us for Galentine’s Day!
Date and time: Thursday, February 9, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Hosted by: the fabulous Stacy Crinks!
Location: 75 Donald Drive, Orinda
Tickets: $50 includes beverages, apps, and 2025 love!
Questions? Contact the Class of 2025 Parent Advisors
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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
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Connect with the Parents' Club: | | | | |
