August Newsletter

KEY FACTS August 2014

The official newsletter of the Cypress Woods High School Key Club

Are you READY? 3

President’s Letter Welcome back to school, Key Clubbers.

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Upcoming Events It is time to get back into Key Club

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Perspectives

Reflections on the first few months as officers

Volume 3, Issue 4 September 5, 2014

IN THIS ISSUE...

3 PRESIDENT’S LETTER 4 UPCOMING EVENTS 5 SUMMER WRAP-UP

STARTING THE NEW YEAR 6 OFFICER REFLECTIONS 8 CREDITS 10

Contact Information Cy Woods Key Club Officers President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Editor Representative Coordinator Historian Webmaster Junior Secretary K-Family Board

Natasha Solanki Matt Faga Jacque Chan Ashley Kawakubo Shannon Steele Kishan Solanki Gina Zhang Nick Nguyen Sharon Zhou Ashley Butterfield Grace Teoh Naomi Zavala Madelin Cowden Richa Patel Trenton Bird Daniel Campos

natasha.solanki@hotmail.com mattcfaga@me.com jacque.chan1019@gmail.com

(281) 904-7873 (713) 449-3307 (832) 349-4198

shannonjsteele@gmail.com kitchishere@gmail.com gina_zhang2008@hotmail.com nick.erik2010@yahoo.com happysharonzh@yahoo.com ashleybutterfield97@gmail.com gracelvo@gmail.com naomizavala@icloud.com madelin11@live.com richa928@hotmail.com

(409) 767-5316 (281) 904-8652 (832) 773-3228 (281) 849-4885 (281) 346-9218 (281) 312-9706 (832) 298-4772 (281) 974-7152

Division 3N Lieutenant Governor Amy Jiang

Cypress Falls

amyjiang.kc@gmail.com

Texas-Oklahoma District Staff Governor Secretary Treasurer Editor Convention Liaison Tech Producer

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Kaitlyn Wilson Samuel Kinnin Colin Gonzalez Emily Zhao Ashlyn Salvato Bobby Thakkar

governor@tokeyclub.com secretary@tokeyclub.com treasurer@tokeyclub.com editor@tokeyclub.com conventionliaison@tokeyclub.com

A letter from your

Club President Dear Key Clubbers, It seems like summer only started yesterday, yet here we are, two weeks into the school year. At this point I know most of you are worried about your growing mountain of homework, waking up early, and most importantly, preparing yourself for the new school year. Between all of these hectic activities it’s important to keep in mind that a new school year also means a new Key Club year! We have decided to have our first meeting the third week of school on Monday, September 8 in the Teaching Theater at both 6:45 and 2:45. We want all of our members, particularly the freshmen, to get accustomed to the Woods before we begin on our Key Club journey!

Although school just started, we have already begun service projects! Returning members should continue to check our Facebook page for updates on volunteering opportunities and events. Wildcats who are interested in becoming members are also welcome to join our Facebook page, as it is our main medium of communication. The page is constantly updated with links to new volunteering opportunities, and it is also where members can find important documents such as hours forms and membership forms. Any member is welcome to contact an officer through our Gmail account or on Facebook. We hope to diminish the gap between members and officers this year by creating an atmosphere in which members feel comfortable around their Key Club family, and here’s how we plan on doing that: - Ice breakers at meetings - Food parties - Ice cream social - Annual lock-in - Social committee run by rotated members - Inviting members to PCMs We hope that an increase in participation in Key Club will help not only improve our community, but also create friendships and strengthen bonds! So, here’s to all of the new Wildcats - ready to join the biggest and craziest volunteering organization on campus? You better be! We have a ton of things planned for you guys this year, and we hope to see you at every meeting, social, and event. And if you’re still confused on what Key Club is all about here’s a little description: Cy Woods Key Club is a student-led community service organization dedicated to connecting its members to service opportunities that benefit the local area and various non-profit groups, but we always have fun doing it! See you Key Clubbers soon!

Yours in service,

Natasha Solanki President of Cypress Woods Key Club

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Upcoming Events First General Meeting September 8 6:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.

Teaching Theater

Cy Woods Open House September 9 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.

Cy Woods HS

Shop ‘til You Drop September 11 September 12 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. 3:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Berry Center

September 11 6:15 to 9:00 a.m.

4:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Fall Training Conference (Officer & Reps) September 20 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Cornerstone Academy

Reminder

Members are allowed four absences per semester

- Missing an event without a substitute counts as two absences - Missing a meeting counts as one absence

Do you have a service idea?

email any information to: cywoodskeyclub@gmail.com

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Learning through Service.

Volunteer opportunities help students learn, too.

Leia George

Sophomore Representative

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y greatest summer volunteering experience was at the Technology Conference held at Cy Woods over the summer. It was a large, two-day event which invited administration and teachers from all over the school district. This event was a great way for teachers to learn about educational technology to use in the classroom, and I was able to meet up with other Key Club members that I had not seen all summer. I was surprised by the amount of people attending as well as the sessions at the conference. It was so much fun to spend time with many other Key Club members, from not only our club but Cy Ranch’s club as well.

The first day I volunteered, we met up with the volunteer coordinator who was so incredibly helpful and assigned our first job of setting up computers and helping the teachers around the school. My friends and I showed teachers around the many different classrooms so they could attend certain sessions (if we didn’t know our way around the school before, we certainly do now; we could tell you where the different room numbers are with our eyes closed.) In between classes we were invited to sit in on any of the sessions and learn new things ourselves.

One of the most interesting

sessions that we sat in was Augmented Reality, which was being held by two young gentlemen who used a projector to show us what this awesome technological device could do. Augmented reality is basically a type of virtual reality; an example would be these chemistry blocks that look like simple wooden blocks with a periodic table element. When you place the block under an iPhone camera, it appears as a kind of interactive clear block that explains everything about that certain element.

Even better, when you connect two of these blocks under your camera it shows the reaction on your phone.

This experience was phenomenal and

so interesting.

Then we would go downstairs and help the teachers with lunch. All of the members had fun stacking up the lunches into pyramids and figuring out what tecla bread is. We then would head over to the special volunteer table and eat Raising Cane’s together. It was a fun and great experience which was both informative and fun. I think that the Technology Conference was a great event to start off the Key Club fall semester right before the year started.

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Calling All New Members.

The future of Key Club starts with new members.

Nick Nguyen Webmaster

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very year, I volunteer at Wildcat Express and Freshman Orientation because that is the time for Key Club to showcase its merits and recruit new members. A club is nothing without its members, making them the most important and valued part of an organization.

I enjoy these two days of introduction because I get to talk to a lot of parents and future freshmen.

It reminds me of myself when I was a freshman stepping onto campus for the first time. I want to guide the new fish just as the former Key Club members guided me. It is an absolutely wonderful experience when students take initiative, come up of the Key Club stand, and ask what we do and what we stand for. I, along with everyone else volunteering, tell them our activities, our benefits, our requirements, our

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values, and all the fun events we have planned for the upcoming year.

Parents sometimes get interested and comically nudge their kids ahead to introduce themselves. We discuss with them what sort of events we hold, how often meetings take place, deadlines and opportunities. The moms and dads really appreciate what we do and always encourage their kids to try out the club that we say fosters good traits like character, responsibility, and connection.

Along with that, it is very interesting to see all sorts of potential members, ranging from students that are hyped at beginning the school year to students who have not become accustomed to the new environment.

We welcome all students and make them feel at home, explaining to them that diversity and culture is basically cherished. We appeal to the parents

as well as the new members, ensuring a good impression and exhibiting a good image on the club.

Tiring as it may seem since the orientation lasts all day from noon to sundown, it is remarkably satisfying and rewarding to see passing students take notice of our sign and banner and put their name down on the signup sheet. All the hard work that goes into the stand and decoration pays off when students join our wonderful club. Our purpose is to spread the ideals of Key Club and recruit as many members to accomplish that goal. With the focus and determination that all officers and members display, it is no surprise that every year we gain a ton of new wonderful members. Welcome to the Key Club family!

Starting with a The new year is upon us.

Victoria Luu

Junior Representative

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t the beginning of every school year Key Club starts with a bang, partly in thanks to the board members. Because Key Club is a student-led organization, as a representative it is my job to think of ways to make the beginning of the year run smoothly. I feel that the most essential tasks to be completed this year involve providing members with an enjoyable environment where they are comfortable with each other as well as finding more volunteer opportunities that will appeal to them so that they will avidly contribute to our community.

To anyone walking into our general meetings, it is plain to see the sheer number of members in attendance.

As one might expect, people tend to stick with their friends – sign up for events together, go to the same meetings, ride together – because it is easier to be friends with the people you already know than complete strangers two seats away. If we can incorporate “getting to know you” games into meetings while also having more parties and socials (thus, food) members might be able to open up with each other and make new friends.

Another way to create this type of atmosphere is to organize more icebreakers. This is an excellent way to stimulate cooperation and participation from members while encouraging them to develop social skills. In my opinion, one of the best icebreakers is ‘Would you rather?’

Questions can range from silly trivia

Key Club attracts new members at Freshman Orientation

to more serious subjects, but it’s a great way to learn new, interesting things about each individual.

Ideally, clubs should offer a variety of volunteer opportunities so that each member can find some enjoyment in what they are doing.

When you’re interested in the cause, you tend to be more diligent and willing to do the task. On that note, I plan to bring in more opportunities for club members to work. For instance, most hospitals and animal shelters are always looking to expand their volunteer staff. Another idea

would be food banks; they often work with homeless shelters, but they also serve to those in need who live in the community, especially around the holidays. These places are just a few examples of many volunteer opportunities that are available around us.

Being involved in Key Club is one of the best experiences a high school student can have. It is how I have made new friends while aiding in the improvement of my community. I can only hope that others the same outlook I have.

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World Changers Start Here.

Key Club’s lasting impact.

Lillian Trinh

Junior Representative

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have always known that I want to help others if only for a small portion of time. When I heard about Key Club and all the great things it does for the community, I could not wait to become a member. I enjoy every moment spent giving back to the community; each job, big or small, can make all the difference in someone’s life or organization. The feeling of being helpful and putting a smile on their faces cannot compare to any amount of money.

After two years as a member, I wanted to share my dedications and services by running for a junior representative position. In the first few months in my position, I have already begun to develop leadership skills and gain experience in running the club. I feel like in the future I will have experience for a higher position.

As a representative, I will escalate my involvement with Key Club to a higher level and demonstrate my commitments to Key Club’s goals of further serving the local and global communities.

During my term, I have learned many things required to be an officer as well as a member: leadership, caring, character building,

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inclusiveness and so much more. As a member, I acquired the knowledge needed to become a leader through experiences from peers and role models. By analyzing the leaders in each event, I feel as though I have attained the skills needed to become a better representative. My peers and role models have vision; they taught me to see the struggles that could be improved and goals that can be achieved. It could be something others simply do not recognize nor want to tackle. Whatever it may be, I will attack it with determination. They possess strong characters that are passed down. Some of these qualities may be the way they motivate others, their effective communication, determination, or integrity. As a result, being a leader, I am also a role model. I look for solutions and situations that have benefited others and implement them into my own style and uniqueness.

I have a deep yearning to help others, and Key Club has benefited me in showing how I can make a difference in an individual’s life just by an act of service above self. World changing has to start somewhere.

Why not Key Club?

Key Club is ready to change the world

How to be a Representative.

The importance of staying on top of responsibilities.

Gina Zhang Historian

Key Club attracts new members at Freshman Orientation

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eflecting on my experiences as a sophomore representative last year, I found a few areas where I can improve. I, like many high school students, am very good at procrastinating. Therefore, I have a word of advice for new representatives: do not put off your requirements to the end of the year. Since AP testing, STAAR and final projects take place the last two months of school, it can be very easy to put Key Club responsibilities aside until it is too late.

The requirement to attend at least one presidential council meeting [PCM] will actually be beneficial if you do it earlier in the semester because you can learn things about Key Club that may pertain to your position. It is also important to have a flexible schedule in case something for Key Club comes up. When I

attended a PCM last fall, I learned about what was happening in Key Club throughout the district, not just at my school’s club. Knowing about these events can help you get involved at a higher level in Key Club since other high schools in your area are also participating. Our LTG gave us information about Key Club week, which I was at first unclear about. On each day, Key Club does to a different activity, ranging from showing appreciation to Key Club supporters, connecting the family of Key Club by doing joint service projects, and bringing a friend to Key Club.

This week brings more awareness to what we do as a club and shows our community of what we’re really about. I had not known about these types of projects Key Club takes part in, but attending the PCM taught me more about them.

Another piece of advice for new Key Club representatives is to be an example to other members. For instance, during general (and board) meetings, listen attentively and do not talk when someone else is talking. Also, when volunteering at events, you have to establish good communication with the person in charge of the event. Make sure that all jobs are equally designated to the members who signed up so there are not any Key Clubbers playing around with nothing to do. Lastly, being a good example for other members can interest them in applying for representative or officer position next year. We have to make sure that future representatives and officers of Key Club show both diligence and respectable behavior.

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CONTRIBUTIONS COVER PHOTO

NICK NGUYEN

PHOTOS

ARTICLE AUTHORS

ARTICLES

LEIA GEORGE VICTORIA LUU NICK NGUYEN LILLIAN TRINH GINA ZHANG

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

NATASHA SOLANKI

KEY FACTS CYPRESS WOODS HIGH SCHOOL KEY CLUB AUGUST 2014