Millard West News 5710 So. 176th Ave. Omaha, NE 68135 402-715-6000 402-715-6060 fax http://mps.mwhs.schoolfusion.us/
December 2013
Year 19, Issue 5
Millard West Administrators Dr. Greg Tiemann – Principal Dr. Jennifer Allen – Asst. Principal, Curriculum & Instruction & 10th Grade Students Mr. Harry Grimminger – Asst. Principal, Student Services & 9th Grade Students Mr. Robert Lamberty – Asst. Principal, Assessment & 12th Grade Students Mrs. Stacy Longacre – Asst. Principal, Safety/Security & 11th Grade Students Mr. Chris Loofe - Asst. Principal, Activities Director
Millard Board of Education Mr. Dave Anderson Mr. Mike Kennedy Mr. Paul Meyer Mr. Mike Pate Mrs. Linda Poole Mr. Pat Ricketts Dr. Keith Lutz – Superintendent
Mission Statement Millard West, a continuously improving professional learning community, investing in each learner through an inclusive environment, guided by high expectations, guarantees personal and academic growth and the ability to successfully compete and positively contribute to an increasingly globalized society. Index Second/Third Semester Info ......................... 2 AP & Dual Enrollment Info Night................... 3 Academy Open Houses ................................ 6 Dual Enrollment Opportunities ..................... 7 AP Dual Credit Options .................................. 7 ACT/SAT Test Dates ....................................... 10
Music Dept Information... ............................. 11 Activities & Athletics.…………………………………..12-15 On-Line Sites and Apps Information ............. 16-18 Post Prom...................................................... 19 Yearbook Order Form ................................... .20 Booster Bash ………………...……………………….....21
2013 CLASS A STATE RUNNER-UP VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Team Members: Sydney Stockfleth, Morgan Rademacher, Eve Baird, Bridget Petersen, Emily Leighner, Kamesha Young, Alexis Anderson, Talia Guido, Alexy Woodward, Sydney Yong, Cassidy Loberg, Kira Shapiro, Erin Sosnowchik, Tiffany Wentworth
INFINITE CAMPUS PARENT PORTAL
SECOND SEMESTER PROGRESS CHECKS & GRADES
Millard Public Schools provides parents/guardians access to student information via the District’s web accessible student database, Infinite Campus, Parent Portal. To register log on to: http://mps.schoolfusion.us/ Click on Infinite Campus Select Parent Portal Available information includes daily attendance, student schedules, grade book information, progress reports and high school transcripts.
Second Progress Check Tuesday, December 3 Semester Ends Friday, December 20 Winter Break begins at 3:15 p.m. on Friday, December 20 Remember to ask your student for the Progress Check which is to be brought home by the student. Semester grades are mailed home. You may also look at grades via your Parent Portal account. THIRD SEMESTER Our third semester will begin on Monday, January 6. Students should print their schedules from the Student Portal. Individual student schedules may have changed for 3rd and 4th semesters. JANUARY /FEBUARY CALENDAR Mon., Jan. 6 ............ School Resumes Tues., Jan. 15 ......... AP Information Night 7 p.m. Mon., Jan. 20 .......... No School for Students Wed., Jan. 22 .......... 10th gr- AWA 8-10am 11th gr - NeSA Writing 8-9:45 Classes for all grades begin at 10:00am Thurs., Jan. 24 ........ 10th gr—AWA— 8-10am 11th gr—NeSA Writing 8-9:45 Classes for all grades begin at 10:00am Tues., Feb. 11 ......... Advisement Conf— 4:30-8pm Thurs., Feb. 13 ....... NO SCHOOL Advisement Conf -1:00-8:00pm Fri., Feb. 14 ............ NO SCHOOL Mon., Feb. 17 ......... NO SCHOOL Thurs., Feb. 27 ....... Incoming 9th gr Night Registration- 6:00-6:45pm Activity Fair—7:00-7:30pm PARKING AT MILLARD WEST
There is no parking along the east, south or west main drive on the Millard West Campus. These are fire lanes. If you are attending any Millard West event at any time, please park in one of the parking lots. Illegally parked cars will be ticketed and towed. 2
YEARBOOK SALES ALL YEARBOOK SALES END DECEMBER 20! After this date, you will no longer be able to reserve your copy of the 2014 Prowler Yearbook. Buy early to guarantee you have a copy. See the enclosed flyer on a later page to place your order. POST PROM The Post Prom party is hosted by parents to provide a safe, alcohol-free night of entertainment for our students following the formal Prom. Please see the attached flyer to see how you, as a parent, can be part of this event through your volunteer work and donations. GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS ORDERS School Traditions will be here one last time on Friday, December 6th from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. over the lunch periods to pick up any remaining orders for cap & gowns and graduation announcements. A limited number of order forms are available in the Administration Office.
Numbers to Remember Attendance 402-715-6010 Activities 402-715-6025 Pupil Services/Guidance 402-715-6015 Administration Office 402-715-6000 *Please call the Attendance Office at 402-715-6010 to report all absences, early releases for appointments or late arrivals. Attendance does not accept written notes. Thank you.
Advanced Placement And Dual Enrollment Information Night
HOLIDAY SHOPPING EVENT
What: Information on Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment Programs
Mark your calendar: The Scratchin Post will be open the evening of Monday, December 2 from 4:00—6:30 p.m. Check out the new Underarmour and Nike items! Gift certificates available
Holiday Concerts December 5—Band December 10—Orchestra December 17—Choir
When: Tuesday, January 14 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Where: Millard West Auditorium For Whom: Parents and Students interested in knowing more about these two important programs We will provide information about each Advanced Placement Course that is offered. Teachers from many of these classes will be present to share information about expectations, curriculum and testing. They will also be available to answer questions. We will give an overview of qualifications for enrollment and success in these important college bound courses. It is recommended that all four-year college-bound students enroll in at least one Advanced Placement Course. AP courses help students to be better prepared for college and might help a student to enter college having already earned college credits. We will also give information on AP testing: the benefits, the costs and the timelines. Information will also be provided about UNO’s Dual Enrollment program including benefits, costs and timelines. We encourage any interested parent and student to come to this information session to find out more about these worthwhile programs.
All concerts start at 7:00 p.m. MOCK JOB INTERVIEW VOLUNTEERS Each semester, the Millard West Oral Communications Do you have an old laptop lying around students (those in Speech, Debate or Forensics) go that you no longer use and/or it may not through a Mock Job Interview. Students apply for parteven work? Consider donating it to our time jobs and have a one-on-one interview with a busicomputer science classes. They are in ness professional from the community. We are always need of old laptops (do not need to be in working order) for a computer rebuilding actively looking for new Mock Job Interview Volunproject. You can remove the hard-drive before donating teers. The interviews run from 7:30 a.m. until noon. If if you would like. Please bring them to the Administra- you are interested, please contact Jennifer Jerome at jmjerome@mpsomaha.org for more information. tion Office to donate. Thank you!
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Congratulations to Dr. Jen Allen Assistant Principal Dr. Jennifer Allen has been named Assistant Principal of the Year by the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals, Region II. NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year award program annual recognizes outstanding school leaders who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students. These assistant principals are acknowledged by their peers for the exemplary contributions they have made to the profession.
Have you or your family ever considered hosting a student visiting from another country? The exchange of cultures, traditions, foods, and friendship can be a very rewarding experience! Rotary Youth Exchange has arguably the best, most developed, and safe youth exchange program in the United States. Omaha West Rotary participates with Rotary Youth Exchange every year by hosting one outbound student and one in-bound student. A major responsibility for Omaha West Rotary is to find terrific host families with whom our inbound student will live while they are here in Omaha. The stay can vary in length, but two to three months is typical. It goes by way too fast! We are looking for host families now as well as into the first half of 2014. If you or your family are interested in being a host family and would like to learn more, please reach out to Kendall Scheer or Jeff Ziemba. Kendall and Jeff are members of and serve as co-coordinators of the Youth Exchange Program with Omaha West Rotary. Kendall can be reached at (402) 953-9184 or kscheer@fnni.com. Jeff can be reached at (402) 238-5445 or jziemba@smithhayes.com. Thanks for your interest!
BECOME A TEAMMATES MENTOR The Teammates Mentoring Program of Millard is looking for a few good mentors. If you have the desire to make a difference in the life of a child and can give one hour per week, we need your help. This school based mentoring program started by Tom and Nancy Osborne is presently in 23 Millard Schools. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer mentor, you can apply with TeamMates at www.teammates.org or contact Terri Connell, TeamMates Millard Program coordinator, at mtconnell@mpsomaha.org or 402-715-8768. Make sure you tell them that you want to be a mentor in Millard Public Schools. Together we transform lives.
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Attention All Seniors: Important College/University Deadlines If you have any transcripts or college materials that need to be submitted for college applications that have any deadlines through January 8, 2014, your request must be submitted to the Guidance Office by Tuesday, December 10, 2013. Any requests submitted after December 10, will not be guaranteed to be completed by your deadline. January 15, 2014 is the priority deadline for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Your application must be submitted if you want to be considered for UNL scholarships Please check all of your admissions deadlines carefully. Counselors are unable to process any transcript requests during Winter Break. If you have any questions, see Mrs. Munoz or Mrs. Reoh in the guidance office. Important Dates for Seniors Seniors Honors Night—Tuesday, May 6, 7:00 p.m. In the Auditorium Senior Banquet—Monday, May 19, 6:30 p.m. in the Commons Graduation 2014 - Sunday, May 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, 1804 Capitol Avenue.
WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE A BUSINESS CLASS?
Business is the number one major course of study for high school graduates.
According to the 2008 Millard post-graduate survey, students taking business ethics/business classes was the second most important item in helping students for employment.
Business Administration is the most popular major of business degrees.
Among the top 10 Business majors they include: Business Management, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources and International/Global Business.
Of 1,292,000 Bachelor degrees earned in 2008, the largest number of degrees belonged to business (281,000)
Among Master degrees, business is the second most popular major.
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MILLARD CAREER ACADEMY NEXT STEP:
Attention: Sophomore Students and Parents Any Millard student who will be a Junior in 2014-2015 and is interested in Culinary Skills, Education, Entrepreneurship, Health Sciences, and Distribution and Logistics Management should go online to www.mpsomaha.org/academies and fill out an application and hand it into the Counseling Center to Mrs. Brewer, by Friday, December 20, 2013. Bring your parents to the Informational Meeting, Tuesday, December 3 at DSAC either at 6:30pm to 7:30pm or 8:00pm to 9:00pm. Then attend the Academy Open House on Thursday, December 12, 2013 at the host sites. Interviews will be held the week of January 13-17 at Millard West. Acceptance Notification letters will be mailed to applicants by Wednesday, January 22, 2014. Students accepted into the academies should register for the academy through their normal school registrations process.
Parent Information Meeting Tuesday, December 3, 2013 6:30-7:30 pm or 8:00-9:00 pm Don Stroh Administration Center
Academy Open Houses Thursday, December 12, 2013 6:30-7:30 pm Education Academy, Room 321 Millard West High School 5710 S. 176 Avenue Culinary Skills Academy, Room 1404 Distribution & Logistics Management Academy, Room 1303 Health Sciences Academy, Room 1402 Horizon High School 5300 George B. Lake Parkway
Entrepreneurship Academy, Room 128 Millard South High School 14905 Q Street
Interviews will be held the week of January 13—17. 6
Dual Enrollment Opportunities Millard West 2013-2014 Students taking specified Advanced Placement Courses are given the opportunity to dual enroll for college credit as well as high school credit. Currently Millard Public Schools is working with the University of Nebraska at Omaha. UNO determines which of Millard’s courses align with their college curriculum and which of Millard’s teachers qualify as adjunct professors. Only those courses and teachers approved by UNO offer the option of dual enrollment credit. Students must have a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or greater in order to qualify for dual enrollment credit. Students must also sign up for dual enrollment credit while enrolled in the corresponding Millard course. Students will not be allowed to retroactively pay for dual enrollment credit. Enrollment requirements are set by UNO and may be changed by them prior to any registration period. Students will earn credit from UNO and will need to have a transcript from UNO sent to the university they plan on attending. As with all transfer credit, the attending universities decide if and how they accept the transfer credit from UNO. It is recommended that students call the attending college and ask about the acceptance of the specific transfer credit before enrolling in the dual enrollment course. If a student is enrolling in a science or math program, the attending university may not accept dual enrollment credit in science and math. Most dual enrollment credits will transfer as general required courses rather than as major-specific course work. Students should call the admission’s office at the university they are planning on attending to check for specific information on transfer credit acceptance. All Advanced Placement Courses offer Advanced Placement Testing through the College Board each spring. All students enrolled in AP courses are expected to take the corresponding AP exams. Students may qualify for college credit depending on the grade they earn on the exam(s) and the university they are attending. A list of Advanced Placement credits granted by all colleges/universities is available at: http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp UNO’s Enrollment Process A UNO representative will visit the dual enrollment courses two weeks prior to the registration deadline. Students are then to turn in their registrations to the Millard West Administration Office within the two week window. The cost for each course, each semester will be $250 whether it is for a three-credit, four-credit, or five-credit class. Millard West will send the registrations to UNO. Each parent/student will receive a bill from the University and will pay UNO directly. No money should be given to Millard West. The $250 fee is a significant reduction in the normal tuition for a UNO class. UNO dual-enrolled students are required to take the AP test in May; however, UNO will pay for the AP exam costs (an $89 cost per exam in the spring of 2013) in the dual-enrolled subject. By turning in the enrollment forms, the parent/student is agreeing to a financial obligation and agreement with UNO. All of UNO’s policies apply. Students must pass the dual enrollment course with a grade of C or better to earn college credit. The grading scale will be the same as for all Millard classes. Grade weighting for advanced placement classes is for Millard’s GPA purposes only and does not apply to the UNO grade report. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Bob Lamberty or Kim Coleman at Millard West at 715-6001. For UNO specific questions, please contact Ms. Kelly Malone of the UNO Academic Affairs Office at 554-3810 or e-mail her at: malonek@mail.unomaha.edu or check http://dualenroll.unomaha.edu/studentqa.php
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University of Nebraska
AP Dual Credit Options for 2013-2014
UNO
Millard West High School
At Omaha
Students must have a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or greater in order to qualify for dual enrollment credit. Students must also sign up for dual enrollment credit concurrently with enrollment in the corresponding Millard West course. Students will not be allowed to retroactively pay for dual enrollment credit. Enrollment requirements are set by UNO and may be changed by them prior to any registration period.
English A.P. English Literature (Ms. Sandoz or Mr. Mercer) UNO English 1010: Introduction to Genre Studies- prose (3 credit hours) UNO English 1020: Introduction to Genre Studies- poetry, drama, film (3 credit hours)
A.P. United States History (Mr. Heys or Mr. Bull) UNO History 1110: American History to 1865 (3 credit hours) UNO History 1120: American History since 1865 (3 credit hours)
World Languages
Math
A.P. French (Ms. Johnson) UNO French 2120: Intermediate French 2 (3 credit hours)
A.P. Calculus AB (Mr. Hall only) UNO Math 1950: Calculus I (5 credit hours) A.P. Calculus BC (Mr. Hall only) UNO Math 1950: Calculus I (5 credit hours) UNO Math 1960: Calculus II (5 credit hours)
A.P. German (Ms. Langer) UNO German 2120: Intermediate German 2 (3 credit hours)
A.P. Statistics (Mr. May or Mrs. Delehant) UNO Statistics CIST 2500: Introduction to Applied Statistics (3 credits)
A.P. Spanish (Ms. Ehrke) UNO Spanish 2120: Intermediate Spanish 2 (3 credit hours)
Science Music
A.P. Biology (Mr. Carlson or Dr. Hylok) UNO Biology 1450: Biology I (5 credits) UNO Biology 1750: Biology II (5 credits) A.P. Physics (Mr. Berzina) UNO Physics 1110: General Physics (4 credits) UNO Physics 1120: General Physics (4 credits)
A.P. Music Theory (Mr. Keith) UNO Music 1420: Music Core Curriculum II (3 credit hours)
A.P. Environmental Science (Ms.Ord) UNO Biology 1330: Biology (3 credits)
Other Dual Enrollment Options Athletic Training and Sports Injuries Internship UNO PE 3040: Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries
Social Studies A.P. Comparative Government (Ms. Bragg) UNO Political Science 2500: Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 credits) A.P. European History (Mr. Fields or Mr. Royers) UNO History 1510: Western Civilization 1453-1789 (3 credit hours) UNO History 1520: Western Civilization since 1789 (3 credit hours) A.P. Psychology (Mr. Stauffer) UNO Psychology 1010: Introductory Psychology (3 credit hours) 8
Academies: Education, Finance and Entrepreneurship Each academy offers dual enrollment opportunities through UNO and Metro. Students must be enrolled in the academy to take advantage of these opportunities. See district website on Academies for more information.
MILLARD WEST LIBRARY We are sure that many of our avid student readers will be happy to know that there are hundreds of new books in the library! We have voracious readers at West, both students and staff. That’s what makes it exciting for the library staff! Students can find the new Millard Reads list on the library website link. We’re also very big on technology, and enjoy helping students through the intricacies of software and hardware use. It is a very good idea for all students to invest in a flash drive for project storage. As always, we’re asking students to save everything in two places, and we’re trying to remember to follow our own advice. The Library hours are: Monday 7:30 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. Tuesday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
TESTING CENTER - LOCATED IN ROOM 100B (inside the Library) This center is for students who have missed a test or quiz and need to make it up. The student needs to make arrangements with the teacher to report to the Testing Center to make up the work. Testing Center Hours Monday 7:15 - 8:30 a.m. in the Lecture Hall Tuesday 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. in Room 100B Thursday 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. in Room 100B STUDY CENTER HOURS - LOCATED IN THE LIBRARY Staff members are available to assist students in the following subject areas during our after school Study Center on Tuesday and Thursdays from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. English, Social Studies Tuesdays Spanish and Math Tuesdays and Thursdays Science In Room 214 on Tuesdays and Thursdays
SCRATCHIN POST For all your apparel needs, come visit us at the Scratchin Post. We are located in the Millard West commons area. The Scratchin Post is operated by Millard West DECA. Monday Store Hours 7:50 - 8:45 a.m. 12:07 - 1:53 p.m. 3:20 - 3:45 p.m.
Tuesday - Friday Store Hours 7:10 - 8:00 a.m. 11:34 - 1:37 p.m. 3:20 - 3:45 p.m. 9
GUIDANCE NEWS Students planning to attend four year colleges and universities should take a college entrance exam a minimum of three times during their junior/senior year of high school. Students should also research their possible post-secondary institutions in order to review admission testing requirements. Please contact the Millard West Guidance Department if you have questions.
2013-2014 ACT Test Dates Students may register by going to the following website: www.actstudent.org Test Date
Registration Deadline
Late Registration Period
Photo Upload Deadline
December 14, 2013
November 8
November 9-22
December 6
February 8, 2014
January 10
January 11-24
January 31
April 12, 2014
March 7
March 8-21
April 4
June 14, 2014
May 9
May 10-23
June 6
2013-2014 SAT Test Dates Students may register by going to the following website: www.collegeboard.com/students/testing
Test Date
Tests Offered
Regular Registration Closes
Late Registration Closes
Dec. 7, 2013
SAT & Subject Tests
Nov. 8, 2013
Nov. 22, 2013
Jan. 25, 2014
SAT & Subject Tests
Dec. 27, 2013
Jan. 10, 2014
Mar. 8, 2014
SAT Test Only
Feb. 7, 2014
Feb. 21, 2014
May 3, 2014
SAT & Subject Tests
Apr. 4, 2014
Apr. 18, 2014
June 7, 2014
SAT & Subject Tests
May 9, 2014
May 23, 2014
Additional fees apply if you register late or make changes to your test type, center or date after registering.
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BAND DEPARTMENT NEWS The Wildcat concert bands are in full swing! The Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band will perform the Holiday Band Concert in the Auditorium Thursday, December 5 at 7:00pm. Speaking of swing, the jazz band will hold their auditions before and after school December 2-4. Informational packets can be picked up in the band room. The pep band will welcome in the basketball season Saturday, December 7 with the Green Band. The Black Band will play Friday, December 13, and the Green Band will finish off the December schedule Friday, December 20. December is the final month of the Hy-Vee cash back program. Any Omaha or Council Bluffs Hy-Vee receipts from September 1-December 31 can either be turned in to the band office or Customer Service at the 180th & Q location. It's an excellent and easy way to give straight to the band! Local Pizza Huts will be hosting the second Millard West Band Night: simply say you want to support the Millard West Band at the Millard Ave. & Q, 168th & Q, or 180th & Pacific locations on December 27 from 4-8pm and 20% of the sales go directly to the band. The bands are also selling tickets for the Camaro Raffle - all sales will be collected outside the band room the mornings of December 4 and 18. Thanks for your continued support of the bands!
CHORAL MUSIC DEPARTMENT HAIRSPRAY AUDITIONS: Auditions for this years all school musical Hairspray are December 2-6. We need a large cast and excited dedicated people. Dec. 12 & 13 is choreography rehearsal 4:15-6:00pm for all cast; Dec. 16 Nicest Kids in Town Choreography from 4:15—6:00 p.m. On Dec. 16 is the Wildcat Showcase at 7:00pm If you have any questions please see Mrs. Simpson or Mr. Marquez in the Vocal Music Room. CHECK OUT THE MILLARD WEST SHOW CHOIRS IN DECEMBER! Show Choir Premiere is Monday, December 9th with performances at 6:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. These shows are FREE, so please come early and help us kickoff the show choir competition season! CONGRATULATIONS ALL-STATE MUSICIANS!! The Millard West Music Department would like to congratulate the following students on being selected to perform at the Nebraska Music Educators Association All-State Convention. These 33 students were selected from thousands of auditions statewide and performed at the Lied Center in downtown Lincoln November 23.
Band Hannah Harrison—Trombone Kelsey Keith—French Horn Alex Kolomaya—Euphonium Spencer Lau—Trombone Torri Leighty—Tenor Saxophone Rebekah Stelzle—Flute Jenna Vigal—Flute
Choir Ashley Fechner—Soprano Andrew Firkins—Tenor Connor Gelvin—Tenor Beth Hamilton—Soprano Katelyn Hinderer—Soprano Mackenzie Lambert—Bass Casey Largent—Bass Jordan Murman—Tenor Corey Osborne—Tenor Jacob Pfeiffer—Bass Deanna Richard—Alto Kyrstin Schomberg—Alto
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Orchestra Becca DeLay—Cello Francisco Garcia—Cello Megan Gehle—French Horn Kristen Hinz—Violin Timothy Kerkhove—Cello Nadia Maudhoo—Violin William Muller—Violin Christian Schuerman—Double Bass Katlyn Schulz—Violin Regan Sindelar—Violin Richa Sirohi—Viola Lindsey Stalhein—Violin Skyler Steffey—Cello Monica Swenson—Cello
CROSS COUNTRY Max Kurz GIRLS GOLF Kent Speer FOOTBALL Kirk Peterson
Activities Department 5710 S. 176th Ave, Omaha, NE. 68135 402-715-6025 http://mps.mwhs.schoolfusion.us/ and @Loofe33 December 2013
SOFTBALL Don Brummer
Friends of Millard West High School Activities;
BOYS TENNIS Noel Hoig
I recently had the opportunity to hear Dr. Greg Dale, Professor of Sport Psychology and Sport Ethics, from Duke University speak. Dr. Dale’s message centered on helping parents maximize their child’s potential. As you know, you, the parent, play a crucial role in determining whether or not your children have a positive experience in their respective activities. His message focused on the role parents play in their son or daughter’s activities. He also encourages parents to analyze the type of environment you are creating for your children.
VOLLEYBALL Erin Byrd BOYS BASKETBALL Bill Morrison
My goal is to summarize topics from his presentation and from his book titled, The Fulfilling Ride, and share with you the highlights in the monthly addition of the MWHS Newsletter.
GIRLS BASKETBALL Kip Colony
The topic this month is “Assessing Your Effectiveness”.
SWIMMING Tracy Stauffer
On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being Strongly Disagree and 5 being Strongly Agree, please rate your effectiveness as a parent of a child in activities….
WRESTLING Scott Townsley
___ I model good sportsmanship at all competitions in the way I interact with other parents, athletes, coaches and officials.
GIRLS SOCCER Jacque Tevis-Butler
___ I conduct myself in a manner such that my family and friends enjoy sitting next to me at competitions.
BOYS SOCCER Ron Beernink
___ I encourage and allow my child to talk to the coach/sponsor if he/she has an issue with the them before intervening myself.
GIRLS TENNINS MJ Robertson
___ I do not criticize my child’s coach or sponsor in front of my child.
BOYS TRACK Max Kurz GIRLS TRACK Seth Turman BOYS GOLF Eric Little BASEBALL Frank Ryan ________________________ PRINCIPAL Dr. Greg Tiemann ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR Chris Loofe ACTIVITIES SECRETARY Patti Ferguson ATHLETIC TRAINERS Jim Johnston & Katie Voth ASSISTANT A.D.’S Maggi Recob, Lance Smith
___ I do not give technical or strategic instructions to my child or other students during competition. ___ I provide total and unconditional love and support for my child regardless of how he/she performs. ___ I conduct myself in a manner that makes my child proud to have me in attendance. _____ TOTAL SCORE: 30-35 25-29 20-24 1-19
Excellent: You are a model activities parent Very Good: Communicate with your child to maintain your current perspective. Cause for Concern: Be willing to listen and make changes to regain a proper perspective. Out of Control: You have lost perspective. You could be in danger of ruining your child’s experience in activities.
Things to think about: Children of all ages participate in activities primarily because it’s fun. As a parent of a child in activities, you can create a situation where your child enjoys participating. Be willing to make changes as you assess your effectiveness as an activities parent. Allow your child to provide you with feedback regarding his/her perception of your effectiveness. Be willing to make the necessary changes to ensure you are creating an environment where your child can flourish. For more information regarding Dr. Greg Dale’s book, The Fulfilling Ride, please visit www.excellenceinperformance.com Chris Loofe Activities Director Millard West High School 12
ACTIVITIES & ATHLETIC NEWS WINTER ATHLETICS Winter sports are right around the corner, with practices beginning on Monday, November 18th. Sports offered are boys and girl’s basketball, boys and girls swimming and diving, and wrestling. Any student, who is planning on participating in winter sports, and not already competing in a fall sport, must have a physical and parent consent form on file in the activities office in order to practice and check out equipment. There is a one time $60.00 participation fee required of all participants who try out. This fee is non-refundable –included is a student activity pass, good at all West High athletic events. ATHLETICS FOR THE 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR All students and parents are reminded that in order to participate in interscholastic athletics, all students must do the following: 1. The Nebraska State Athletic Association has two check points for eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics. The checkpoints are in January and August. The rules state that a student must pass a minimum of 20 credits during the prior two terms, i.e. a student participating in a winter or spring sport must have passed a minimum of 20 credit hours from August through December. Millard West students must be enrolled in a minimum of two classes in each nine week term and we strongly recommend a minimum of three courses and encourage students to register for four classes each nine weeks. 2. Have a physical exam by a licensed physician after May 1, 2013 and have the required forms completed. 3. Complete the student Participation/required forms and return them into the Millard West Activities Office. 4. Millard Public Schools has an annual non refundable participation fee of $60.00 for each student participating in NSAA sponsored interscholastic competitions. All students participating who have paid the $60.00 fee receive the Millard West student athletic admission pass. All forms are available in the Millard West Activities Office. They may be picked up Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 3:45 P.M. They will also be available on our website under Activities. PLEASE! Don’t put off getting your physical or completing and turning in the necessary forms. Get them turned in well ahead of the first scheduled practice.
DECEMBER 22-26 FIVE DAY COMPETITION/PRACTICE MORATORIUM (No teams may practice, workout, or play. Our facility is closed)
WINTER SPORTS COACHES INFORMATION
EMAIL ADDRESSES
Boys and Girls Swimming - Tracy Stauffer Girls Basketball - Kip Colony Boys Basketball - Bill Morrison Wrestling - Scott Townsley
tstauffe@mpsomaha.org kcolony@mpsomaha.org wtmorrison@mpsomaha.org setownsley@mpsomaha.org
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WILDCAT ATHLETIC & ACTIVITIES NEWS ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETICS EVENT INFORMATION To view up-to-date athletic schedules go to: http://www.mhsaaconference.org/g5-bin/client.cgi?G5genie=72&school_id=13
Congratulations to the following All-State student athletes: Katelyn Strudthoff—Girls Golf Austin Post—Boys Cross Country Seth Hirsch—Boys Cross Country Emily Klosterman—Softball
Millard West's coaches and athletes want to extend a big “thank you” to all of our parents and fans for your interest and support of all the Millard West programs. The coaching staff appreciates your patience and support of the early season practices, odd hours and late meals. Special “thanks” to all of our Athletic Booster Club members for your great support and also those parent reps for your communication and assistance to all of our programs. We encourage all of our fans and most especially parents of our athletes to join our Athletic Booster Club. Your involvement and support is a tremendous asset to our athletic program.
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WILDCAT ATHLETIC & ACTIVITIES NEWS 2013-2014 admission prices are as follows: Varsity Football and Basketball Adults = $6.00 Students = $4.00
All Other Varsity Sports Adults = $5.00 Students = $3.00
Non Varsity Events Adults = $3.00 Students = $1.00
FUTURE WILDCATS NIGHTS
Millard West is again sponsoring “Future Wildcat Nights” at our home basketball games. This year we will feature one night for Elementary Feeder Schools and one for Middle Schools. Students from the feeder schools will receive free admission, a coupon for the concession stand and entered in a drawing for prizes. We ask that you please sit in the East, middle bleachers. GAME NIGHT SCHEDULE Tuesday, January 21, 2014 Elementary School Night MW vs. OMAHA BRYAN Ackerman, Black Elk, Reagan, Reeder, 5:30 p.m. & 7:15 p.m. Rohwer, Upchurch, Wheeler, Willowdale Tuesday, February 11, 2014 MW vs. MARIAN/PREP 5:30 p.m. & 7:15 p.m. Regular Admission Price:
Middle School Night Beadle & Russell Middle School Adults $6.00 Students (K-12) $4.00
2013 CHEVY CAMARO CAR RAFFLE Millard West Booster Club is excited to announce our 2013 Chevy Camaro Car Raffle beginning October 1st and ending December 31st. If you are interested in buying a ticket to win this car, please see one of our student athletes, band members or email: mwbcpresident@yahoo.com. We will have the drawing at the Millard West boys basketball game on January 10th. Please see the attached flyer with this newsletter.
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How Much Do You Know About On-Line Sites And Apps Your Kids Are Using? Next-generation apps that let user’s text, video chat, shop, and share their pics and videos are attracting teens. Remember My Space? Not so long ago, practically every teen in the world was on it and then many left for Facebook – now Facebook is on the decline with teens. You might be wondering what the new "it" social network is. But the days of a one-stop shop for all social networking needs are over. Instead, teens are dividing their attention between an array of apps and tools that let them write, share, video chat, and even shop for the latest trends. Instagram is a platform that lets users snap, edit, and share photos and 15-second videos – either publicly or with a network of followers. Why it’s popular: Instagram unites the most popular features of social media sites: sharing, seeing, and commenting on photos. Instagram also lets you apply fun filters and effects to your photos, making them look high quality and artistic. What parents need to know: • Teens are on the lookout for "Likes." Similar to Facebook, teens may measure the "success" of their photos – even their self-worth – by the number of likes or comments they receive. Posting a photo or video can be problematic if teens post it to validate their popularity. • Public photos are the default. Photos and videos shared on Instagram are public and may have location information unless privacy settings are adjusted. Hashtags (#) can make photos even more visible to communities beyond a teen's followers. • Inappropriate can and often times slips in. The terms of service specify that users should be at least 13 years old and shouldn't post partially nude or sexually suggestive photos – but they don't address violence, swear words, or drugs. Snapchat is a messaging app that lets users put a time limit on the pictures and videos they send before they disappear. Why it's popular: Snapchat's creators intended the app's fleeting images to be a way for teens to share fun, light moments without the risk of having them go public. And that's what most teens use it for: sending goofy or embarrassing photos to one another. Snapchats also seem to send and load much "faster" than email or text. What parents need to know: • Many schools have yet to block it. • It's a myth that Snapchats go away forever. Data is data: Whenever an image is sent, it never truly goes away. Snapchats can be recovered or saved by another. • It can make sexting seem OK. The seemingly risk-free messaging allows teens to share pictures containing inappropriate content.
Tumblr is like a cross between a blog and Twitter. It's a streaming scrapbook of text, photos, and/or videos and audio clips. Users create and follow short blogs, or "tumblelogs," that can be seen by anyone online (if made public). Why it's popular: Many teens have tumblrs for personal use – sharing photos, videos, musings, and things they find funny with their friends. Tumblelogs with funny memes and gifs often go viral online, as well (case in point: "Texts from Hillary"). What parents need to know: • Porn is easy to find. Pornographic images and videos, depictions of violence, selfharm, drug use, and offensive language are easily searchable and found on this site. • Privacy can be protected, but only through a difficult bypass method. The first profile a member creates is public and viewable by anyone on the Internet. Members who desire full privacy have to create a second profile, which they're able to password protect. Vine is a social media app that lets users post and watch looping six-second video clips. This Twitter-owned service has developed a unique community of people who post videos that are often creative and funny – and sometimes thought-provoking. Why it's popular: Videos run the gamut from stop-motion clips of puzzles doing and undoing themselves to sixsecond skits showing how a teen wakes up on a school day vs. a day during summer. Teens usually use Vine to create and share silly videos of themselves and/or their friends and family. What parents need to know: • It's full of inappropriate videos. Ranging from clips of full-frontal male and female nudity, to kids blowing marijuana smoke into each other's mouths. There's a lot of funny, clever expression on Vine, but much of it isn't appropriate for kids. • There are significant privacy concerns. The videos you post, the accounts you follow, and the comments you make on videos are all public by default. But you can adjust your settings to protect your posts; • Parents can be star performers (without knowing). Pheed is best described as a hybrid of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube – except that you can require others to pay a premium to access your personal channel. Why it's popular: Pheed's multimedia "all in one" offering seems to be capturing teens' attention the most. Some teens also like the fact that they have more control over ownership and copyright since Pheed allows its users to watermark their original content. What parents need to know: • It's hot! According to Forbes, Pheed has swiftly become the No. 1 free social app in the App Store, thanks in large part to teens. • Users can make money. Users can charge others a subscription fee to access their content. Note that a part of all proceeds goes to Pheed. • Privacy updates are in the works. Kids should be aware that their posts are currently public by default and therefore searchable online.
Ask.fm is a social site that lets kids ask questions and answer those posted by other users – sometimes anonymously. Why it's popular: Although there are some friendly interactions on Ask.fm – Q&As about favorite foods or crushes, for example – there are lots of mean comments and some creepy sexual posts. This iffy content is part of the site's appeal for teens. What parents need to know: • Bullying is a major concern. There are reports that the site has been linked to the suicides of several teens. Talk to your teens about cyberbullying and how anonymity can encourage mean behavior. • Anonymous answers are optional. Users can decide whether to allow anonymous posts and can remove their answers from streaming to decrease their profile's visibility. If your teens do use the site, they'd be best turning off anonymous answers and keeping themselves out of the live stream. For more sites and apps kids are using click on this link: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/11sites-and-apps-kids-are-heading-to-after-facebook#.Um67-FV4wOg.facebook
The Excitement is Building!
The “Party of the Year” planning is going on now, but we need your help! We are short about 50 volunteers in the planning process. We have over 1100 students that attend Post Prom each year and the party is put solely on by parents. This means we have over 2200 parents that could be helping us today. WE NEED YOUR HELP!! This is a great way not only to give your kids a fantastic memory but keep them safe on Prom Night and meet other parents in the process. Decorations committee will be meeting Monday, December 2nd, 5th, 12th ONLY in December! We are also looking for parents to design the 2014 Texas Hold em’ Tournament, work on games, follow up with donors in January, put raffle baskets together, and more. No special skills needed, We just need people with the willingness to help. Please contact Kim Gagne, Head Chair (millardwest_postprom@yahoo.com) at 402-850-0989. Check out Post Prom’s website and Facebook for schedule updates: www.millardwestpostprom.com
Donation & Volunteer Sign-Up Parent Name____________________________Email_____________________________ Phone____________________ Student Name________________________Grade______ Make Checks Donation Attached: $_________ Payable to Millard West Post Prom. YES! I would like to help! Mail to: Post Prom O Decorations (Painting, cutting and more) Millard West High O Donations (Donor follow up, pick up items, raffle baskets) School O Entertainment (Plan games, Texas Hold em’ Tourny) 5710 S 176 Ave O Please contact my business for a donation Omaha, NE 68135
L s AL ENT UD ST
remember & celebrate the memories by purchasing your 2014 Prowler Yearbook introductory PRICE ends
Friday, aug. 30, 2013 buy now to reserve your copy
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Yearbook order information:
Student Name: _____________________________ Date: _______ Phone number: ________________ Grade: ______
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(please use a seperate form for each student)
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Questions??? Mr. Mark Hilburn (Prowler Yearbook Adviser)
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QT Teacher: __________________
Yearbook prices: $60 $65
Introductory Price: (valid through August 30, 2013) August 31, 2013 - December 20, 2013.
ALL Yearbook sales end Friday, December 20, 2013. A limited number of yearbooks will be sold during distribution for $75
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Introductory yearbook price ends Friday, august 30, 2013