NOTAM 032811

28 March 2011 Principal’s Message This Friday marks the first day of April (and April Fool’s Day!) and the last day of third quarter. It’s hard to believe there is only one quarter remaining in the school year, although it may well be my advancing age that makes each year seem to pass more quickly! For you, our students, I would imagine that you are looking forward to next week when school is not in session and it is officially Spring Break. I wish you all the best for whatever you may have planned for the week. Until then, I am encouraging that you give your all to quarter exams, projects, and presentations that will take place this week. Speaking of giving your all: the college acceptance letters for the class of 2011 are flooding in! Seniors: remember to submit a copy of your acceptance letters to the office as we prepare this year’s wall of fame. Others: remember that you committed to applying to two or more institutions of post-secondary education. As you look to become a competitive applicant, continue to do well in school, get involved, and prepare to do well on standardized tests. The Des Moines Public Library is offering a free five-week SAT prep course starting on Saturday, April 2nd, at 2 p.m. Registration is required; you can register by calling 206-824-6066 or stopping by the library, located at 21620 11th Ave South in Des Moines WA, 98198. Since space is limited, you must commit to attend all five sessions if you enroll. Our newspaper staff is releasing the latest edition of the Phoenix Flyer today. Copies will be sold before school and during lunch in front of the office and in the cafeteria, all week this week. The newspaper staff asks that you support student journalism and buy your copy for only fifty cents! And…what about those Skunks?! After a trip to Portland to compete again this past weekend, Coach Steele reports: The Robotics team was very successful this past week going having 9 wins and 1 loss during the qualification rounds and were ranked 3rd out 58. We were picked by the #1 Alliance. We lost in the Quarter finals 2-1. The team put on a great show, winning more trophies than any other team at the event. We won the Engineering Excellence Award (for the 2nd time this year) and the Website and Safety Awards. The team is getting ready to go to the World Championships in late April where we will be very competitive this year. Congratulations, Skunks! We are immensely proud of you! Our Ultimate Frisbee team also competed this past weekend, sporting new uniforms that proudly identified them as Aviation High School athletes (special thanks to the Luomas for their creativity and support). Our team played together well, challenging teams from Cleveland High School (losing 4-14 and learning lots) and Chief Sealth (winning 15-7 and learning lots). Our Frisbee-flinging Phoenix displayed great sportsmanship in both games. Our next game is on Saturday, 2 April at 1630 at Magnusson Park versus Eastside Prep. That’s it for this week. Make it a scholarly week of learning! I’m honored to be your principal and immensely proud of all of you! ~Reba Message from the PTSA: Dear Aviation Family, Thank you to all who participated in the 8th Annual Dan Hartley Potato Dinner and Auction Friday March 11th. One of the many things we appreciate about AHS is the family participation and this was certainly a true family event. The evening could not have happened without all the effort of the volunteers getting there, seeing what needed to be done and making it happen. We would like to thank the students who did a fantastic job decorating, without much direction, making the place look very festive! They also were attentive and respectful servers. Next time, we’re looking for more dancers in the jig contest! (erhm, Mr. Hoehne, Matt Petroske) There were many families and AHS staff who stepped up to help with this event. Whether it was donating items for the auction, to setting up tables and chairs, or preparing and serving food, this event would not have been a success without your willingness to volunteer. Special thanks goes to Joan Lazo, Tamera Nason, the Whittiwers, the Shafas, Kathy Herold, Elizabeth Chayer, the Dowds, Robert Britschgi, Liz Campisteguy, Bonnie Lefevre, Karen Wilson, the Hiranakas, Reba Gilman, Sarah Fitzpatrick, Troy Hoehne, Eiko, Linda, Amy, Joan, the Balsigers, Janie & Kristen, Scott…we apologize if we have left any names out. Again, thanks to all of you! It was a fun evening, and you are truly appreciated! Thank You, ~Mary Zaches and Stephanie Hoag Message from the Green Schools: Preparing for college is important; so is preparing for citizenship. As a proud member of King County’s Green Schools initiative, we excited to pass along the following message: More than half of what ends up in King County’s landfill could have been recycled. It’s easier than you think to recycle more at home. By recycling more and recycling better, you may be able to reduce the size of your garbage can and your garbage bill. · Get to know your garbage – From plastic tubs to milk cartons, you can now recycle more materials than ever. · Make recycling a family affair – Your children are learning about recycling at school, so get them and other family members on board at home. · Recycle food scraps and food soiled paper For more recycling know-how, visit www.kingcounty.gov/recyclemore. NOTE: Continue checking the AHS website or logging on to school computers to get updated information on events and meetings. Quote of the Week: Science stands for Success, Technology for Transformation, Engineering for Empower, and Math for Magic! Our fellow citizens...let STEM help us to achieve Success in life, Transform society, Empower people, and make Magic for the benefit of all humankind. ~Written by student applicant, Class of 2015

NOTAM: 21 March 2011

21 March 2011

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE:

“Crazed Regional for Teens, Robots” was the headline for a story featured in yesterday’s edition of The Seattle Times. Our Skunkworks Robotics team was part of the FIRST organization’s version of March Madness this past weekend, rebounding from a tough first match on Friday in which their robot stalled due to some programming challenges. True to their style, though, they were back on the field for their second match, leading their alliance to victory with a 21-0 score. The rest was history as the Skunks continued to use their engineering acumen, coupled with gracious professionalism, to finish the three-day event in style. As 5,000 people cheered from the sidelines and bleachers, the Skunks were awarded the Engineering Inspiration Award, which now qualifies them to compete at the World Championships in St. Louis April 27-30. Out of 100 competing teams this past weekend, only 11 teams qualified for this honor!

Other awards included:

• Seattle Regional Excellence in Engineering.
• FIRSTWA Volunteer of the Year Award to Coach Steele for his visionary contribution to all FIRST teams. Coach was introduced as the “Skunkfather”, a title that honors his role in starting the team and leading the Skunk family to such amazing accomplishments.
• Coach Steele was also recognized as a Seattle Cascade Regional Woody Flowers Finalist. He was nominated for this award by the team and selected from hundreds of nominees. He now will be considered for the national award, the highest honor for volunteers in the FIRST organization.
• And, Lydia Johnston was recognized as a Seattle Cascade Regional Dean’s List Finalist, selected by national judges and from hundreds of nominations submitted by mentors. Lydia now qualifies for the national Dean’s List award.

Congratulations, Skunks! You have worked hard to earn all of these prestigious awards and recognition as “the powerhouse team from Aviation High School…the Duke of local robotics…for its high-scoring pneumatic arm.” (Seattle Times 3/20/11)

The Skunks are on the road again this week to compete in the Portland, Oregon regionals. Then...it’s on to St. Louis. While most of us won’t get the chance to travel to Portland to cheer you on, know that we will be with you in spirit, watching the webcasts. Go Skunks!

Over the past two weeks our Speech & Debate team has been competing in the state tournament held at the University of Puget Sound. Last week in speech, Hayk Saakian was a finalist in Foreign Extemporaneous, and Albert Ta just barely missed qualifying for the final round. This past Friday and Saturday was the state debate tournament. Albert and Hayk competed in Public Forum Debate where they won first place out of a field of 32 teams obtaining the title of state champions. Wow! We are proud of you, Albert and Hayk, as well as the entire team! You are making history and leaving a legacy as you continue to develop Aviation High School’s first Speech & Debate team!

Our very first athletic team is also on a roll. On Saturday, our Ultimate Frisbee team had their first meet of the season, competing against Nova High School in Seattle. The score: AHS 11, Nova 7! This team will also be competing again next weekend, so you may want to watch the action. They play two games on Saturday, first against Cleveland at 2:30, then Chief Sealth at 5:15 p.m. Both games will be played at Delridge Field. Yea, Ultimate!! We’re very proud of you!

We’re also very proud of our AHS students who participate on the MRHS Swim Team! They just finished State competition with Troy Neklason placing 2nd in diving. Jason Lemley and the Rams took 4th in the 200 Medley Relay, and Jason qualified for finals in the 100 free, taking 8th place; 10th in the 100 backstroke. Jason’s relay team also made it to finals. The Rams placed 10th in the 4A Divison. Other AHS students who participated on the MRSH team were Nathan Rencher, Sam McClean, and Quinn Walters. Congratulations, swimmers!

Congratulations, too, to our freshman class for sponsoring a successful dance this past Saturday evening! The music was great (thanks, Austin McHenry & co.!), the decorations were ghoulish (thanks, Leadership), and the costumes were, in some cases, over the top. Thanks, Royce Le, Francis Britschgi, and the rest of the ASB and leadership for organizing the dance. We appreciate the help of our chaperones too: Ms. Lee, Ms. Fitz, Mr. Ward, Ms. Lefevre, Mr. and Mrs. Hiranaka, and Mr. McComb.

Interviews are now being conducted for the Class of 2015. Mr. Carey, Mr. McComb and I led interview teams this past Saturday accompanied by AHS students Katie McConville, Jacob Wagner, Lauren Crom, Natalie Carmichael, Beemnet Workeneh, Austin Turnidge, Amanuail Ambaye, Sureetha McCain, and Jenny Gao. It’s inspiring to meet such enthusiastic and engaging students who want to be part of our learning community! Our goal is to complete first ‘round interviews by March 31 and issue letters of invitation on April 1. Stay tuned for an announcement of the Class of 2015.

That’s it for this week. My best to all for a great week of learning! Honored to be your principal—Reba


P.S. Last week, I reported that one of our Science Olympiad teams placed 4th place at Regionals. In fact, they placed 3rd! We’re even prouder of your accomplishments.

Quote of the Week:
“Please accept me to Aviation High School…I will be the best investment you have ever made.”
~Student Applicant, Class of 2015

NOTAM 031411

14 March 2011

Principal’s Message

I have great news to share with you about our journey to have a permanent home at the Museum of Flight! Last week, the Boeing Company pledged $4,000,000 towards construction of our new school, along with Esterline Corporation at $1,000,000, Scott and Linda Carson also at $1,000,000 (Scott is the former CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and has visited our school many times), TECT Aerospace $250,000, and the Charles Simonyi Fund for the Arts & Sciences $300,000. Additionally, Alaska Airlines increased their donation from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 and Peter and Sarah Anderson raised theirs from $250,000 to $300,000. Added to donations that have already been made by James and Sherry Raisbeck and others, we are now within $1.5M of reaching our target of $15,000,000 in private donations. We have also made another request to the WA State Legislature, which we hope will add to our public donations and push us over the finish line. Our campaign to build a new school is truly a collaborative effort with support from the State and Federal governments, the Highline School District, the Port of Seattle, private industry, nonprofit organizations and many individual donors. We believe that we are the only public school in the country that has undertaken such an initiative!

We have reached these major milestones because of YOU—students, staff, parents, AHS board members and everyone associated with our learning community! Students, I will be forever grateful for all the times that you showcased your learning and shared your goals for college and career. You inspired our visitors to believe in the vision and mission of the school.

Boeing CEO Jim Albaugh characterized our effort to construct a new school as an opportunity to build a legacy for future generations. Stressing the importance of students preparing for STEM fields, Mr. Albaugh stated, “The United States is at a crossroads—I call it the intellectual disarmament of our nation. One-half of the engineering employees at Boeing will retire in the next five years. I worry about how we’re going to keep the aviation industry and our country strong. Aviation High School is key to filling the pipeline of new engineers for the Puget Sound area.”

Thank you, one and all, for your amazing support! Students…you ARE the future, and the sky is NOT the limit! We all believe in YOU!

Mike Borfitz was honored this past Friday evening at the PTSA-sponsored Dan Hartley dinner and auction. Mike received the Break of Day Award for his outstanding support of AHS. And…our amazing PTSA again made this annual event fun and inspiring…and hopefully, profitable in supporting student scholarships. A big thank you goes to Stephanie Hoag and Mary Zaches for organizing the event and doing such a stellar job of keeping everyone well fed and well entertained!

A reminder to all: This Friday is our all-school field trip to Qwest Field to watch the FIRST Robotics competition and cheer for our Skunks. Your permission forms MUST be turned in no later than end of day Tuesday! Everyone will appreciate your cooperation in meeting this deadline, but no one will appreciate it more than Mrs. Hiranaka in the main office! Please help make her job a little easier! We like it when she is happy! J

Congratulations, Science Olympians! This last Saturday our Science Olympians competed at our Regional Event. They all worked very hard and had some impressive performances! We are proud to say our Phoenix team came in 4th place and is headed to state.
Forensics: Jenny Gao and Libby Redda, 1st place
Towers: Jacob Sotl, 1st place; Wendy Au and Daryl Phuong 3rd place
Remote Sensing: Matt Petroske and Salina Abraham, 1st place
Experimental Design: Michael Phuong, Daryl Phuong and Conor Marsten, 2nd place
Ecology: Sarah DeWeese and Michael Phuong, 4th place
Mission Possible: Wendy Au, Tony Truong, and Conor Marsten, 2nd Place
Sumo Bots: David Hartranft and Andrew Johnson, 4th place
Chem Lab: Daryl Phuong and Jenny Gao, 3rd place

Congratulations to our entire Science Olympiad team for such a successful weekend

Kudos to Jonathan Adams who just received notice that he passed the Level III Japanese Proficiency Exam! According to Mr. Kumakura, this accomplishment is equivalent to completion of the second year college program! Jonathan…we are very proud of you!

The Solo & Ensemble is held by the WMEA every year, each league competes and one winner in each category goes on to state. Four Aviation students qualified for the State Solo & Ensemble Contest:
Corey Ndifon & Kirk Ciszkiewicz, Brass Quintet
Robyn Zaches, Brass Quartet
Betsy Smith, Cello & Euphonium solos
Another astonishing set of accomplishments!

Okay, Scholars…my best to you for another inspiring week of learning! I am honored to be your principal. ~Reba


NOTE:
o Continue checking the AHS website or logging on to school computers to get updated information on events and meetings.

Quote of the Week:

I refused to take “no” for an answer.

~ Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman to become an airplane pilot, 1921

NOTAM 030711

07 March 2011

Principal’s Message:
Happy Monday! I have much to share with you this week, so information is bulleted as follows:

Q First…a big THANK YOU to everyone for participating in and supporting our Boeing and Alaska Airlines-sponsored Showcase of Learning last Thursday! We have received many compliments from guests. Students: You were a hit! Thanks for rising to the occasion yet again.

Q Congratulations to Jenny Gao, one of our mighty juniors who entered the Profiles of Courage competition this year and has just learned that her essay is one of the top 10 in the nation! The sponsoring organization received 2,002 essays from fifty states, so it is an astonishing accomplishment to make it into the top 10. The Profile in Courage Award Committee was scheduled to meet this past weekend to select the winner from the top 10 group of finalists. The first-place winner receives $10,000 and is invited, along with his or her parents and nominating teacher, to the JFK Library in May to be honored at the Profile in Courage Award ceremony in Boston. While we hope that Jenny’s essay is selected as #1, Jenny deserves a standing ovation regardless of the outcome!

Q Our Skunkworks Robotics Team is headed to their first competition of the season on March 17-19 at Qwest Field. I’m pleased to announce that EVERYONE in grades 9-12, along with teachers and staff will be attending on Friday, March 18! You will check in to your first period class that day, then we will load the busses as quickly as possible to get to Qwest Field in time to see our Skunks perform on the field. We’ll be back at school in time for you to catch buses home. Complete details will be provided on the permission forms that you all must sign, along with your parents, and return to your first period teacher by this Friday. Go Skunks!

Q Message from the PTSA: Our annual Dan Hartley Potato Dinner & Mini-Auction is being held this Friday! This event benefits each class of students by providing scholarships. The doors open at 5:45 p.m. and the event should end by 8:00 p.m. If you haven’t yet purchased a ticket, they are on sale this week during lunch from 12:30-1:15 in the Main Office; or online through the PTSA’s website: www.aviationptsa.org

Adults $10 & Staff /Students $6 (Price will go up at the door to $12 & $8). The Hartley family will once again celebrate with us in honor of Dan Hartley—a key supporter, campaigner, and one of the founding champions of our school. We will also be honoring Mike Borfitz with the Break of Day Award. Enjoy an evening of great food & entertainment with silent & live auction items. All donations to scholarship fund are welcome regardless of attendance. Cash or check made payable to “AHS PTSA.” Visa or MC accepted at the event, or online. Don’t forget your corporate match!
Contact Mary Zaches at mjzaches@gmail.com - phone 206-444-0486

Q Attention, AHS Junior Women: A fabulous opportunity for you with NASA!

NEON - Nasa Educators Online Network - Dream. Engineer your dream job. WISH: Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars. The adventure begins Spring 2011 with an online community and culminates with a summer experience at NASA Johnson Space Center. Collaborate with female high school juniors from across the country and female NASA engineers. Applications are due 14 March. Check school calendar for details.

Q Students!! Remember that you can get homework help after school with subjects like math, science, and even writing essays. Take advantage of a wonderful opportunity in Dr. K’s room. Tutoring is available Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. It’s after school, so come any time until 4:30 and you’ll receive help with homework. Snacks will be provided, transportation will not.

Q Mr. Hoehne submitted the following: Congratulations and best wishes to Mrs. Hiranaka as she celebrates her birthday on 10 March, and enters her eighth decade.

With that last note from Mr. Hoehne, I will end by wishing our dear Mrs. Hiranaka a lovely 29th birthday! And to everyone else in our learning community, I wish you an awesome week of learning! I hope to see many of you at the Dan Hartley dinner this Friday evening. I am honored to be your principal. ~Reba


NOTE:
o Continue checking the AHS website or logging on to school computers to get updated information on events and meetings.

Quote of the Week:
Aviation is proof that, given the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible.
~ Eddie Rickenbacker