Monday, February 22, 2010

AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL
NOTAM 021510
15 February 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

Monday:
Presidents’ Day – NO School

Tuesday:
Mid-Winter Break – NO School

Wednesday
Welcome Back!
Periods 1-7 today (Monday schedule)
Peer Tutoring (sign-up) 3:35–4:45 p.m. in Room 10
Robotics Study Hall 3:45-5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Thursday
Periods 1-7 today (Monday schedule)
Sophomore Field Trip to UW
Consultancy during Advisory
Culture Club 3:45–4:45 p.m. in Room 24
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Friday
Periods 1-7 today (Monday schedule)
FULL DAY OF SCHOOL: 0900 – 1530 (9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.)
Clubs during Advisory

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
Welcome back from mid-winter break! I hope your days were filled with lots of laughter, relaxation, and good times with family and friends. Perhaps a few of you even had the opportunity to travel to Whistler or Vancouver for the Winter Olympics? Or…perhaps you joined the masses who were gathered ‘round a big screen, watching the excitement and wishing you were there? I was part of the masses, cheering on our U.S. athletes from the comfort of my family room. I took it all in—the victories of winning and the agonies of defeat. And, as I sat glued to the screen, I marveled at how little distance (in most instances) was between victory and defeat. Fractions of seconds made the difference between a gold, silver, and bronze medal. Oftentimes, it was hundredths of a second that also meant the difference between a 4th, 5th or 6th place finish.

I think that there is a strong correlation between what happens in schools and what happens in the Olympics. Olympic athletes train hard to gain the opportunity to represent their country and compete with other top athletes in the world. They are focused and goal-oriented. They are confident and willing to take risks—to push their own limits. And to get back up again when plans go awry. And, without a doubt, these Olympic athletes recognize that every second (or fraction!) counts—in preparing and in “winning”!

Every second counts in schools, too! As we prepare you for life, the tiniest fractions of time can make an incredible difference in your ability to reach your goals and dreams. In teacher talk, we know that teaching “bell to bell” is essential—for addressing subject content and discerning student understanding. As a student, what is your talk around use of your time? Olympic athletes hold themselves accountable; so do Aviation High School scholars. I encourage you to do an Olympic accountability check this week to assess how you are doing in working toward your goals and dreams. This could be a good topic of discussion in Advisory. As you do so, you can be absolutely sure that every aspiring athlete in the Winter Olympics is having a very similar conversation! Time matters!

And…speaking of athletes and the importance of time: Congratulations to Sam McClean, Andrew Garrido, and Jason Lemley who helped the Mt. Rainier High School Swim Team win the Seamount League trophy! Jason placed first in the 50 Freestyle, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay and 2nd in the 100 Backstroke! Andrew place 9th in the 50 free style and his relay team was second!

Congratulations are also in order for Mathew Russell, who was recently selected as the Engineering Design Student of the Quarter at Puget Sound Skills Center!

We are continuing to interview 8th graders who are applying to be part of AHS’s Class of 2014. Big thanks to the following folks who helped us interview 25 students last Friday: Danielle Graves, Casey Chandler, Kristina Ong, Robyn Zaches, Aaron Sbarra, Libbanos Redda, Amanuail Ambaye, Tessa Tweet, Zack Sattiewhite, Isaiah Bell, Matt Gilbert, for serving as student interviewers and office assistants; Mrs. Hiranaka and Mrs. Sanders for facilitating a parent information session; Mr. McComb & Ms. Pappas for serving on the interview team, and Ms. Stark for scheduling applicants and organizing all of us! Our next round of interviews is scheduled for this Saturday, February 20. If interested in helping, please notify Mrs. Hiranaka or Ms. Stark.
Enjoy this short but important week of learning! Honored to be your principal—Reba

AP STUDENTS
All students planning to take AP tests in May should make a down payment by
March 1. The final payment is due on April 1.

The test fee is $86 per test taken. A deposit of $15 per test is due on March 1; the balance is due on April 1, 2010. The deposit and fee for tests are reduced for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Students should contact Ms. Lefevre, the school bookkeeper, for more information.

THE PHOENIX FLYER
We want to hear from you! We welcome letters from our community to include in Aviation High School’s official newspaper. We believe that a newspaper is more than just a source of information; we hope to inspire and encourage constructive discussion and debate about the issues that affect us as a community.

Make your voice heard, and send us your letters. You can respond to an article from our last paper, raise an issue that you think people in our community should be aware of, or offer your praise, reflections, critique or ideas about events or issues concerning the newspaper, our school or our community.

A few guidelines that will help get your letter published:

Letters should be brief and to the point. No five-paragraph essays, please!
You must include your full name; no anonymous letters will be published.
No offensive, obscene or otherwise inappropriate content will be published. Use your common sense.

Letters will be selected for publication based on their relevance, professionalism and style.

Not all letters will be published. The Phoenix Flyer reserves the right to refuse publication of any letter. Letters may be edited for length, content or conventions by Phoenix Flyer staff.

We are working hard to create a newspaper that is interesting and relevant to you – contribute to the Phoenix Flyer and get your voice heard in the community.

With gratitude,

The staff of the Phoenix Flyer PTSA News

PTSA
The CPK fundraiser raised $495 for Grad Night! Thank you all who came out to support our Seniors.

Seniors - purchase your Grad Night ticket this month for the lowest price! Tickets are on sale Wednesdays in the cafeteria or send your paperwork into the office. Questions mail gradnight@aviationptsa.org

PTSA is partnering with Seafair to support the Blue Angels for the Seafair air show. We are looking for restaurant/food sponsors and are able to provide some great perks for sponsorship. Contact seafair@aviationptsa.org if you have a sponsorship opportunity we can pursue. We already have one restaurant and a bakery on board and are looking for three more restaurants to provide lunch for a Seafair day.

JAPANESE PROFICIENCY EXAMS
The following participants of the Japanese Proficiency Exams sponsored by the Japan Foundation of the Japanese government passed the exams with flying colors!!!

Ted Tagami passed level I (native level) which is equivalent to the 4th year college completion and beyond. Last May he also passed the AP Japanese exam with a score of 5

Justin Dubinsky, John Doty and Jonathan Adams passed level IV exams which are equivalent to college 1st year completion. They are preparing for the upcoming AP exams scheduled for May.

COLLEGE PRESENTATION:
Rocky Mountain College will be presenting on Monday, February 22 at lunch! Sign up in room 11 if you are interested in attending.

CONGRATULATIONS FROM PTSA…
To the following AHS students who participated in the 2009-2010 PTA Reflections Contest, “Beauty Is…” Danica Balsiger & Sarah DeWeese each received a Finalist award at AHS and Award of Excellence at the Highline Council for their literary entries.

Molly Torgerson received a Finalist award at AHS and Outstanding Interpretation from Highline Council for her literature entry entitled “In Plain Sight” earning it a spot in the state competition. Mariko Yoshino also received a Finalist award at AHS and Outstanding Interpretation from Highline Council for her visual arts piece entitled “Beach Babe” earning it a spot in the state competition. Good luck at state Molly & Mariko. We will be celebrating with all four participants this week with a special prize & lunch from Tuscany at Des Moines Creek Restaurant. Want to earn a free lunch and great prize too? Plan to participate next year when the Reflections theme for 2010-2011 will be “Together We Can...”

REACHING FOR THE STARS - 2010
A Premier Event at the Museum of Flight to Support Women Advancing as Scientists, Engineers, Astronauts, and Leaders

On Saturday, February 27, 2010, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), an organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research, will be hosting their annual Educational Foundation Benefit at The Museum of Flight. Ex-astronaut and current President and CEO of The Museum of Flight, Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, will speak on the topic, “Space Exploration in the 21st Century: Where are Hypatia’s Daughters?”

AHS freshmen Tyler Christopher, Danika Drugge, Yasi Zhong, Lea Ono, and Maddison Brinson will be the special guests of the Western Washington Chapter of the Ninety-Nines who will sponsor the students at this lecture and tea.

How did these students win this honor? In December 2009, Dr. Dunbar published an article entitled “Washington Must Inspire a New Generation of American Scientists and Engineers” in the Seattle Times about the need for STEM schools (like AHS) and the importance of training engineers in this country. Based on this article (see http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2010541689_guest20dunbar.html) all the ninth graders at AHS wrote an essay (in groups of four to five students) that focused on Dr. Dunbar’s overall theme and especially her idea that the skills engineers use are actually tools we all utilize in our everyday lives: math, science, rational reasoning, research, and deduction.

The students’ essays were then judged by the Ninety-Nines (spearheaded by member Eva Parks) and these students’ essay won! Congratulations Tyler, Danika, Yasi, Lea, and Maddison!

To learn more about the AAUW, check out their website at http://www.aauw-wa.org/.

To learn more about the Ninety-Nines, check out their website at http://www.ninety-nines.org/. Trivia question: Who was the first president of the Ninety-Nines? Hint: A recent movie was made about her life.

JUNIORS AND SENIORS
The Boeing/Junior Achievement job shadow day is coming up on Thursday, March 25th, at the Renton site. The focus of the demonstrations will be on linking what students experience and their school studies, involving as many interactive experiences as possible. Due to limited space, this will be a first-come, first-serve opportunity. Sign-up in room 11, ASAP! DEADLINE IS QUICKLY APPROACHING

Except for the Quote of the Week, the following announcements have been posted in previous editions of the NOTAM. They are still important and posted for your information and action, as appropriate:

NW AVIATION CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW FEBRUARY 20 & 21, 2010
This is a two-day aviation oriented event hosted at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup. Aviation High School will have a booth at this event. We will be displaying some of our students’ projects along with information and applications for students as well as mentors. This is a great exposure for us and a way to promote the school to the community at large. More information can be found at their website at www.washington-aviation.org. We will need students and parents to man the booth during the two days. Students can earn community service time for this work. Please sign up on the sheet in the office or contact Tamera Nason at 253-631-0191 or dtnason@msn.com.

MUSIC TO OUR EARS
This Saturday, February 20th, the Aviation and Highline Jazz Band will be performing their annual silent auction and big band dance from 7-10 p.m. in the Highline High School cafeteria.

Students will donate items and services to be auctioned off. All of the money made will be invested to this year’s annual band trip, where students will be traveling to Victoria, B.C. to perform on the parliament steps.

Please talk with Kirk or Paula Cieszkiewicz if interested in purchasing tickets, or Mr. Babcock with questions. Tickets are $8 each.

Scott Babcock, Band Director
Email: sbabcock@hsd401.org
Phone: (206) 631-6700

Quote of the Week:
“A lifetime of training for just ten seconds.” ~Jesse Owens, African-American athlete, 1936 Olympics.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL
NOTAM 020810
08 February 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

Monday
Ballroom Dancing for beginners 3:40–5:00 p.m. in the Gym
Robotics Team Meeting 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Room 7
Federal Way Recruiting 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Wednesday
Peer Tutoring (sign-up) 3:35–4:45 p.m. in Room 10
Robotics Study Hall 3:45-5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7
Federal Way Recruiting 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Thursday
Clubs during Advisory
Culture Club 3:45–4:45 p.m. in Room 24
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Friday
Mid Winter Break – No School!!!
Student Interviews 7:30 – 5:00 at AHS

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
If you are a sports fan, you most likely spent Sunday afternoon glued to the big screen, cheering for either the Saints or the Colts and enjoying all the hype that typifies Superbowl Sunday. And, if you are a ‘sports of the mind’ fan, you may have spent most of Saturday cheering on our Science Olympians as they competed with teams from Camas, Portland, Stanwood, Tacoma, Lakeside, and many others in an invitational that was organized by our own Olympians, Coaches McComb and Durrant, and our many parent volunteers. With more than 250 Olympians in attendance, our teams were well prepared and spirited, which resulted in much-deserved recognition.
Congratulations to:
Wendy and Daryl: 3rd place in Elevated Bridge
Wendy and Albert: 3rd place in Mission Possible
Andrew and Ryan: 4th place in Mousetrap car, 2nd place in Egg-o-Naut
and 3rd place in Trajectory
Danica and Cathryn: 3rd place in Health Science
Susan and Rebecca: 2nd place in Cell Biology and
4th place in Health Science, Disease Detectives
Allen and Andrew J: 3rd place Egg-o-Naut
Rebecca and Jenny: 4th place Chemistry Lab
Hayk and Jenny: 3rd place Dynamic Planet
Jenny and Libby: 4th place Forensics
Faiza and Michael: 1st place Ecology
Matt and Salina: 1st place in Remote Sensing; 4th place in Astronomy

A special thanks to Mr. Gudor, Ms. Lee, and Ms. Juarez for their help too!
Aviation High School made the news this past weekend.

The Sunday edition of The Seattle Times included a front-page article about how schools in our state are increasing the number of rigorous course offerings in hopes of better preparing students for college. Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate courses were cited as examples of “academic brand names” that college admission representatives use (in addition to g.p.a.) for determining how well students are prepared for college. The Times analyzed data from area school districts and the College Board to determine the top 10 high schools for AP participation. Aviation High School was rated #8, with 39% of our students taking an AP exam last year. The highest-ranking school is in Bellevue, with 91% of its students taking an AP exam. We have increased the number of our AP offerings this school year, so next year’s data will show a greater participation rate.
This article provides an opportunity for me to encourage you to consider taking at least one AP class while you’re at AHS. Doing so could make the difference in gaining admission to the college or university of your choice. Now is a good time to start thinking about your schedule for next year. A proposed menu of course offerings will soon be available for your selection. I encourage you to talk with your parents, school advisor, mentor, Counselor Carper, and other school staff as you plan for your next step in high school or in college. Careful planning does make a powerful difference in your long-term success!

Many AHS students will be traveling to Everett tomorrow for a field trip to the 787 gallery and Rolls Royce plant. Some reminders: (1) Do not take your backpack! You can leave it in my office if you bring it to school. (2) Bring a sack lunch, either from the cafeteria or from home! (3) At precisely 9:00 a.m., gather on the walkway between the main entrance doors to the school and the cafeteria, where roll will be taken prior to boarding the bus. Further details of the trip may be provided at this time, too. (4) Remember that school dress code is required—no jeans—and comfortable walking shoes are recommended. (5) Recommended: take a small notebook and pen with you to jot down notes while on the tours. You will be writing thank you letters after the trip!

Wishing you an inspiring week of learning, and honored to be your principal—Reba

SKUNKWORKS
Please come to the next Skunkworks parent meeting tomorrow, Tuesday February 9th at 6:30 PM in Mr. Joshi's room (right next to Coach Steele's room). Critical Information will be discussed for the team's first regional competition in Portland, Oregon coming very soon March 4th - 6th. See you there!

FOR ALL MENTORING PROGRAM MENTEES:
Don’t forget, the Mentor Cadre Meeting is this Wednesday morning! If you are planning to be there, please don’t forget to let your mentor know and RSVP to
Mrs. Kiser at kisermc@hsd401.org.

NW AVIATION CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW FEBRUARY 20 & 21, 2010
This is a two day aviation oriented event hosted at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup. Aviation High School will have a booth at this event. We will be displaying some of our students’ projects along with information and applications for students as well as mentors. This is a great exposure for us and a way to promote the school to the community at large. More information can be found at their website at www.washington-aviation.org. We will need students and parents to man the booth during the two days. Students can earn community service time for this work. Please sign up on the sheet in the office or contact Tamera Nason at 253-631-0191 or dtnason@msn.com.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
The Puget Sound Engineering Council will be hosting the annual Engineering Fair on Saturday, February 13, 2010. Any students who would like to volunteer for that event as a great networking opportunity and as a way to fulfill their community service hours, contact Ms. Pappas.

Except for the Quote of the Week, the following announcements have been posted in previous editions of the NOTAM. They are still important and posted for your information and action, as appropriate:

FROM THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Northwest Symphony Orchestra presents their Valentine’s Concert
Featuring
TANGO Dell Wade
CONCERTO IN E MINOR VIOLONCELLO and ORCHESTRA Edward Elgar with guest artist John Friesen
SYMPHONY No. 5 Alexander Glazunov

Friday, February 12th @ 7:30 PM
At the Highline Performing Arts Center

FREE STUDENT TICKETS are available for this concert on a first come, first serve basis.
To reserve tickets for your students, please Amy at the Performing Arts Center.

Special student tickets will be made and used only by students.
Thank you for not giving these tickets out to friends or family.

Ticket prices: $14.00 General Admission, $10.00 Seniors

For additional tickets you may purchase them from Brown Papers Tickets or at the door on the night of the performance one hour prior to start time. www.northwestsymphonyorchestra.org

MUSIC TO OUR EARS
On Saturday, February 20th, the Aviation and Highline Jazz Band will be performing their annual silent auction and big band dance from 7-10 p.m. in the Highline High School cafeteria.

Students will donate items and services to be auctioned off. All of the money made will be invested to this year’s annual band trip, where students will be traveling to Victoria, B.C. to perform on the parliament steps.

Please talk with Kirk or Paula Cieszkiewicz if interested in purchasing tickets, or Mr. Babcock with questions. Tickets are $8 each.

Scott Babcock, Band Director
Email: sbabcock@hsd401.org
Phone: (206) 631-6700

Quote of the Week speaking Superbowl:
“If it's the ultimate game, how come they're playing it again next year?"
~Cowboys RB Duane Thomas

Monday, February 1, 2010

AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL
NOTAM 020110
01 February 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

Monday
Ballroom Dancing Cancelled for today!!!
Robotics Team Meeting 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Tuesday
Port of Seattle Commission Meeting 12:30– 4:00 p.m. in the Gym
Information Night 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Wednesday
Peer Tutoring (sign-up) 3:35–4:45 p.m. in Room 10
Robotics Study Hall 3:45-5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Thursday
Clubs during Advisory
Culture Club 3:45–4:45 p.m. in Room 24
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7
Recruiting in Federal Way 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Friday
Early Release at 2:00 p.m.
Staff Professional Collaboration time 2:15-3:45 p.m.


MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
Today marks the start of second semester, which means that you may have some new classes, along with renewed opportunities for learning in all classes. I encourage you to refine your learning goals and stay focused on achieving at the highest levels possible. Time does seem to fly, and June will be here sooner than we realize. Make every minute of learning count!
We have another Eagle Scout! Congratulations to Penn Wright who earned his rank on January 20!

In last week’s NOTAM, I thanked several students who had served as ambassadors for two VIP visits on the same day. Ryan Sanders should have been included on the list. I apologize, Ryan! Your presence is always memorable!

On Friday, while many of you were enjoying a fun-filled day of ice-skating, several AHS students helped interview our first round of 8th grade applicants. We interviewed 26 students, using a three-step process that allowed us to get to know our future students. The applicants were stellar, as were the following AHS students: Casey Chandler, Kenny Albright, Zach Johnson, Isaiah Bell, Matt Iverson, Danielle Graves, Melissa Lewis, Kyra Sutherland, Scott Sluys, Matt Gilbert, Rashil Kholi, Daryl Phuong, and recent graduate Zach Sattiewhite. A big thanks goes to these AHS ambassadors, along with staff members and parents Ms. Stark, Ms. Hiranaka, Ms. Lefevre, Ms. Pappas, Mr. McComb, Mrs. Sanders, Mrs. Shafa and Mrs. Lemley who also assisted. We couldn’t have done it without you! Our interview process will continue through March, most likely. If you would like to assist, please let Ms. Stark or Ms. Hiranaka know.

As noted in previous editions of the NOTAM, a field trip is being planned for Tuesday, February 9 to the 787 plant and Rolls Royce in Everett. Fifty-one (51) students have expressed interest, and we hope to take all; however, we may need a parent driver or two in order to accommodate this many. If your name is on the list below and your parent may be willing to drive, please let Mrs. Hiranaka know ASAP. Parent permission forms will be distributed in your Advisory tomorrow and must be returned by Friday. Trip details will be included on the form. Reminders: school dress code will be required. Absolutely no jeans! You must also take a sack lunch, so if you normally eat in the cafeteria and want our wonderful Carla to prepare your sack lunch, you must let Mrs. Hiranaka know this, too!

Alex Campisteguy
Treyce Hart
Mustafa Mekhridze
Aaron Sbarra
D’Andre Cola
Jacob Hoag
Scott Sluys
Derric Smith
Graham Goodrich
Michael Marinkovich
Dain Wright
Taylor Barrett
Devon Gumke
Gerson Gutierrez
Lance Crawford
Max Wienke
Griffin Nicoll
Matthias Schneglberger
Rashil Kohli
Whalen Moreno
Sean Murphy
Adriana Lopez
William Delashmutt
Miranda Sita
Claire Fernandez
Steven Ponoosamy
Jordan Stiver
Phavene Mekonnen
Samantha Laaken
Naomi Rujoni
Robin Zaches
Chris Piehl
Kristina Ong
Nicole Hatheway
Krysten Walker
Cameron Jewell
Andy Hollands
Fatma Guled
Chanel Bumatay
Cyprus Richardson
Lydia Johnston
Tyler Escott
Matt Eaton
Hunter McSwain
Banks Hunter
Matt Iverson
Zach Johnson
Sean Romanczuk
Casey Chandler
Nick Schmidgall
Tyler Christopher
Chaperones: Ms. Gilman, Ms. Lee, Mr. Sluys, Mr. Hollands (?), plus one TBD

My best to all for an inspiring week of learning! Honored to be your principal—Reba

FROM YOUR ASB: FIND YOUR MATCH!
Starting February 1st ¬ to February 4th, you can find your matches in our school! Whether you are looking for a new friend or a more personal connection, the Data-Match service is for you! The process is simple: you pay $1 and take a survey to specify your interests and find your match! You receive a login number and then find out who most shares your interests. An exciting way to find your Valentine! Look for our table at lunch!

CURRENT WORLD PROBLEM CLASS – HAITI RELIEF FUNDRAISER
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Haiti Relief Fundraiser sponsored by the Current World Problem class. All you kind, generous students and staff raised $1355.61. The sophomore class was the winner, raising a final total of $116.39 in coins. The money will go to help the people in Haiti who are still in need of food, water and medical attention. You should all feel very proud of yourselves to have helped out others in such a big way by donating such small change.

From Victoria Le, Skye Reash, Jamie Wallin, Sarah Wydick, Penn Wright, Cole Sullivan, Arun Somasundaram, Sarah Canul, Jalen Barnes, Bill Corcoro, Sarah DeWeese, Alma Medrano, Joey Corrigan and Mrs. Wombold.

SENIORS
Please bring in copies of your college acceptance letters for our senior bulletin board. Submit them to Mrs. Hiranaka in the office.

FROM THE COUNSELOR
Second semester schedules: Students will be allowed to drop or add classes without penalty until Friday, February 12. Add/drop forms are available in the office. See Ms. Carper for more information.

FOR ALL MENTORING PROGRAM MENTEES
The next quarterly mentor meeting is coming up on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 7:30 a.m to 8:50 a.m. This is a great opportunity to meet with your mentor and enjoy a light breakfast. If you are planning to be there, be sure to let your mentor know, and RSVP to Mrs. Kiser – kisermc@HSD401.org.

SKUNKWORKS
Please come to the next Skunkworks parent meeting Tuesday February 9th at 6:30 p.m. in Mr. Joshi's room (right next to Coach Steele's room). Critical Information will be discussed for the team's first regional competition in Portland, Oregon coming very soon March 4th - 6th. See you there!

WASHINGTON AEROSPACE SCHOLARS IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE
The following students from Aviation High School have been accepted to participate in Phase One of Washington Aerospace Scholars for 2009-2010:

Jordan Cross
Banks Hunter
Matthew Eaton
Spencer Noble
Tyler Escott
Olivia Pham
Laura Hixson
Franco Spadoni
James Stone

The student(s) named above are among 247 talented juniors from across the state who have been accepted into the first phase of Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS). Phase One includes distance learning with a NASA-designed curriculum covering the history of space exploration, the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, the Moon, and Mars. From January through May, the Scholars will complete ten lessons – submitting quizzes, math solutions, essays, and graphics concerning these topics every other week. Scholars will independently select a topic of interest for a final project combining an essay with a graphic. Scholars are also competing for a space in one of four summer residency sessions.
Phase Two of WAS is a six-day summer residency experience for 160 students. Selection is competitive and centers around performance in Phase One of WAS. In each residency session, 40 Scholars are selected to work cooperatively to plan a human mission to Mars with support from professional engineers/scientists, university students, and certificated educators. Each session also includes briefings from aerospace professionals, tours of engineering facilities, and hands-on engineering challenges involving model rocketry, robotics, landing devices, and payload lofting. The daily schedule is quite full, and the students lodge in double rooms at a local hotel under the supervision of certificated teachers. Travel, lodging, and meal expenses are provided to participating students and teachers thanks to the WAS Foundation and many generous donors. Congratulations to our AHS students!!

FROM THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Northwest Symphony Orchestra presents their Valentine’s Concert
Featuring
TANGO Dell Wade
CONCERTO IN E MINOR VIOLONCELLO and ORCHESTRA Edward Elgar with guest artist John Friesen
SYMPHONY No. 5 Alexander Glazunov

Friday, February 12th @ 7:30 PM
At the Highline Performing Arts Center

FREE STUDENT TICKETS are available for this concert on a first come, first serve basis. To reserve tickets for your students, please call Amy at the Performing Arts Center.

Special student tickets will be made and used only by students.
Thank you for not giving these tickets out to friends or family.

Ticket prices: $14.00 General Admission, $10.00 Seniors

For additional tickets you may purchase them from Brown Papers Tickets or at the door on the night of the performance one hour prior to start time. www.northwestsymphonyorchestra.org

MUSIC TO OUR EARS
On Saturday, February 20th, the Aviation and Highline Jazz Band will be performing their annual silent auction and big band dance from 7-10 p.m. in the Highline High School cafeteria.

Students will donate items and services to be auctioned off. All of the money made will be invested to this year’s annual band trip, where students will be traveling to Victoria, B.C. to perform on the parliament steps.

Please talk with Kirk or Paula Cieszkiewicz if interested in purchasing tickets, or Mr. Babcock with questions. Tickets are $8 each.

Scott Babcock, Band Director
Email: sbabcock@hsd401.org
Phone: (206) 631-6700

Except for the Quote of the Week, the following announcements have been posted in previous editions of the NOTAM. They are still important and posted for your information and action, as appropriate:

CLASS OF 2010—MESSAGE FROM THE PTSA SENIOR CLASS COMMITTEE:
Plans are under way for an all-night 2010 Senior Class Party on June 17th – information will be sent out to the senior families and tickets will go on sale in February! We’re counting on our seniors and our AHS extended community to help with fundraising which will benefit the 2010 senior class and ALSO future senior class parties. Look for opportunities to participate and support our Seniors!

Enjoy a meal out in support of the Class of 2010 Senior Party!
The California Pizza Kitchen in Tukwila will donate 20% of the profits of your meal to the 2010 Senior Class Party when you present our flyer at the time of your order. Come in anytime on Wednesday, Feb. 3rd through Saturday Feb 6th and present this flyer to support the Senior Class Party! Let your friends and relatives know! Get the flyer at our PTSA website at aviationptsa.org or in the AHS office.

Quote of the Week from a very wise 8th grader whom we interviewed this past Friday:
“Anyone can start, and anyone can stop, but only YOU can choose to finish!”
AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL
NOTAM 012510
25 January 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

Monday
VIP’s on campus 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Ballroom Dancing for beginners 3:40–5:00 p.m. in the Gym
Robotics Team Meeting 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Tuesday
Visitors from Oklahoma on campus
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Wednesday
Peer Tutoring (sign-up) 3:35–4:45 p.m. in Room 10
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7
Recruiting in Federal Way 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Thursday
End of Semester and Second Quarter
Clubs during Advisory
Culture Club 3:45–4:45 p.m. in Room 24
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Friday
No School for Students! Enjoy your day!
8th grade Interviews

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
Congratulations to Matt Eaton for earning the Boy Scout Eagle Rank in December! This award represents a lot of hard work and commitment over a number of years. We want to recognize all students in the NOTAM who have earned this prestigious honor, so please let us hear from you if you are now an Eagle Scout.

Congratulations, too, to our outstanding Science Olympiad team who competed this past weekend in Camas, Washington. With the leadership of Mr. McComb and Ms. Durrant, our Olympiads earned recognition in the following categories:
Ryan & Andrew: 2nd place It’s About Time; 2nd place Trajectory; 3rd place Mousetrap Vehicle
Wendy & Daryl: 4th place Elevated Bridge
Wendy, Daryl, Michael: 2nd place Experimental Design
Susan & Rebecca: 2nd place Disease Detectives; 3rd place Health Science
Faiza: 3rd place Ecology
Miranda, Elizabeth, David: 4th place Mission Possible
Tony & Thomas: 3rd place Physics Lab
Caitlin & Jenni: 1st place Remote Sensing
Gina & Naomi: 3rd place Experimental Design
Rahmo & Kishan: 4th place Mousetrap Vehicle

While the individual awards were nice recognition, more important were the learning, the teamwork, and the team building. Our Olympians continue to serve as the capable ambassadors of the things we value: teamwork, persistence, and improvement!

We continue to have many important visitors who are interested in learning more about Aviation High School. This morning, we hosted senior executives from The Boeing Company that included Patrick Shanahan and John Roundhill. This afternoon, Dave Sabey, a graduate of Highline High School many years ago, a real estate developer, entrepreneur, and creative, innovative thinker was our guest, along with Rob Makin, a consultant with the Sabey Corporation, and Linda Lanham, Executive Director of Washington Aerospace Futures Alliance. Our friend, Mr. Peter Morton also joined the morning tour group, along with Bonnie Main who is serving as coordinator of our capital campaign. Student ambassadors today included freshmen Hunter McSwain, Tran Tonnu, Austin McHenry, and Naomi Smith; sophomore Sydney Miller; juniors Navid Shafa, Lydia Johnston; and seniors Andrew May, Lamond Le, Sam Swan, and Alex Campisteguy. Our ambassadors are to be commended for representing the entire AHS learning community in a most exemplary manner.

Last week, Sydney Miller and Michael Mondragon traveled with me to Olympia to testify in support of a new bill, HB 2621, which would recognize three high schools in Washington state as “lighthouse models” of best practices in STEM education. They presented to the House Education Committee, with the hearing room fully packed with other presenters and interested stakeholders. Sydney and Michael both did an outstanding job. Kudos to both!

We will begin interviewing eighth grade applicants this week. If you are interested in serving on an interview team, please let Lenore Stark know ASAP. We have many applicants this year!

On February 9, we will be taking a group of students to Everett to tour the 787 plant and Rolls Royce. We have room for approximately 50 students total, plus chaperones. Mr. Sluys, ACE Club advisor, has asked to take members of ACE Club (16 students), and I’ve heard from approximately 10 more students who would like to participate. If YOU would like to go on this field trip, please put your name on a request list in the main office that will be managed by Mrs. Hiranaka. If you have already told me you want to go, your name should already be on the list. Please check with Mrs. Hiranaka to ensure that it is! The list will be finalized this Friday so that we can get permission forms and important trip details to you next week. So…there’s no time to waste if you want to be included!

As the first semester of the school year comes to a close this week and you wrap up major projects and take final exams, I wish you the very best. I’m looking forward to the next part of the school year with you. Honored to be your principal—Reba

FROM YOUR ASB: FIND YOUR MATCH!
Starting February 1st ¬ to February 4th, you can find your matches in our school! Whether you are looking for a new friend or a more personal connection, the Data-Match service is for you! The process is simple: you pay $1 and take a survey to specify your interests and find your match! You receive a login number and then find out who most shares your interests. An exciting way to find your Valentine! Look for our table at lunch!

SPEECH AND DEBATE CLUB
The Speech and debate team went on an overnight trip to Mt. Vernon this past weekend and they represented the school very well. Two of our four teams, John Doty and Justin Dubinsky, Jenny Gao and Libanos Redda, made it to the semifinal round in Public Forum debate in a field of 18 teams. In addition, our team swept the finals for Novice Extemporaneous Speaking with Albert Ta in first, Hayk Saakian in second, Jenny Gao in third, and John Doty in fourth. Also note that the fifth person in that event was Ted Tagami, who ended in 6th place overall in a field of 11 students. Albert Ta also attained 1st place in Novice Impromptu out of 18 competitors his first time around. As a last note, if you were curious of what we do in Speech and Debate or you were wondering on how to join the team, come by Mr. Shiroma’s room to see what it’s all about.

HELP HAITI TODAY!
As many of you know, the capitol city of Haiti, Port Au Prince, is currently in ruins from the recent earthquake. This disaster is believed to have killed tens of thousands and has affected 3 million people, a third of the nation’s populace. Relief organizations from around the world are currently making their way into Haiti and funding of their efforts is desperately needed for the injured, homeless and hungry. We at Aviation High School will do our part to make a difference and offer assistance to the people of Haiti through a relief fundraiser. This event will be a competition between all four classes; jars for each class will be in the lunchroom starting Tuesday, Jan 19 – Jan 28. Coins placed in your class’s jar will count toward your class’s total. Putting dollar bills in another classes’ jar will subtract from their total. The class to get a positive $200.00 will win a pizza party (or the class with the highest total by Jan 27.) Have fun and get those coins flying! NOTE: All proceeds will be donated to charity.

CLASS OF 2010—MESSAGE FROM THE PTSA SENIOR CLASS COMMITTEE:
Plans are under way for an all-night 2010 Senior Class Party on June 17th – information will be sent out to the senior families and tickets will go on sale in February! We’re counting on our seniors and our AHS extended community to help with fundraising which will benefit the 2010 senior class and ALSO future senior class parties. Look for opportunities to participate and support our Seniors!

Enjoy a meal out in support of the Class of 2010 Senior Party!
The California Pizza Kitchen in Tukwila will donate 20% of the profits of your meal to the 2010 Senior Class Party when you present our flyer at the time of your order. Come in anytime on Wednesday, Feb. 3rd through Saturday Feb 6th and present this flyer to support the Senior Class Party! Let your friends and relatives know! Get the flyer at our PTSA website at aviationptsa.org or in the AHS office.

SPECIAL EVENT
On Saturday, 30 January, the Society of Women Engineering is hosting an event designed to introduce male and female K-12 students to the vast world of engineering! Students will have the opportunity to network and talk with local engineers and to take part in series of hands-on experiments and activities. Come join the fun at the University of Washington, Loew Hall on Saturday,
January 30, 2010, 10 am – noon. For more information visit http://sites.google.com/site/swepnwoutreach or email PNWSWE.Outreach@gmail.com to sign up.

Except for the Quote of the Week, the following announcements have been posted in previous editions of the NOTAM. They are still important and posted for your information and action, as appropriate:

FROM ASB:
For sophomores:
We will be having our first-ever movie watching, jammie(pj)-wearin', pizza-n'-popcorn-eating fundraiser! Sophomores and their guests* are invited to Ms. Durrant's room on January 28th (the last day of the semester, what a great way to unwind!) from 3:30-7:00 p.m. Feel free to bring your pillows, blankets, and snuggies to make our hang out as relaxing and comfortable as possible. All you need to bring is yourself and some money ($4) as a donation to help cover the cost of the food that will be provided! Proceeds go towards the Class of 2012, so come have fun and support us!
Guests = other AHS students.
Non-AHS students need to get a permission slip from the office.

ATTENTION ALL AHS STUDENTS!
This upcoming Wednesday, January 27th is your absolute last chance to purchase Wings on Ice tickets. Wings on Ice will be held on Friday, January 29th at Castle Ice Arena in Renton, WA. As you may recall, tickets were sold for $10 which includes the cost of skate rentals, pizza & pop, and rink time (11 AM- 3 PM). You won't want to miss this event so stop by the cafeteria on Wednesday to get your tickets!

Quote of the Week:
“The most wonderful thing was the freedom of getting into the air; most of the time, I flew solo. I loved the sound of the engines, the smell of aviation fuel. They told us to go home…go back to the kitchen and to keep our mouths shut…but we were extremely patriotic women who were there because we felt we could do something that assisted the men in combat.”
~Mary Jean Sturdevant, former WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilot) during World War II. Quote from January 23, 2010 edition of The Seattle Times.
Editor’s Note: Mrs. Sturdevant resides in Spanaway, WA, and will be among the surviving 11 Washington WASPs and 200-some WASPs in the country to receive Congressional Gold Medals this spring. Sixteen more medals will be given to local WASPs posthumously. This belated honor for these courageous, pioneering women is heartwarming!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL
NOTAM 011810
18 January 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

Monday
MLK Day – No School
Robotics Team Meeting 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Tuesday
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Room 7

Wednesday
Peer Tutoring (sign-up) 3:35–4:45 p.m. in Room 10
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Room 7

Thursday
Clubs during Advisory
Culture Club 3:45–4:45 p.m. in Room 24
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Room 7

Friday
Early Release at 2:00 p.m.
Staff Professional Collaboration time 2:15-3:45 p.m.

Saturday
Science Olympiad Invitational @ Camas, 5:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
I celebrated another birthday this past weekend, and it was a joyful one, made even better with an extra day to reflect on the past year, more fully envision the current year, and enjoy special times with my family and friends. Since I share my birthday weekend with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I also celebrated him and the courageous, important work that he led to create a more peaceful world. And, along with the birthday celebrations, I couldn’t help but mourn the loss of so many lives in Haiti and the devastation that is occurring due to an earthquake. I wonder about how they will recover from such a tragic event, much less celebrate. But in my heart of hearts, I know that recovery and eventual celebration will come through the generosity and commitment of all of us. As a school, I know that we will step up to the occasion by showing our Phoenix spirit, which, after all, means rising from the ashes to become even stronger. It is said that the cry of the Phoenix is that of a beautiful song. Let’s do our part, individually and collectively, to respond to the cries of help so that the Haitian people can once again enjoy their music and celebrate. The ASB has included more information in this edition of the NOTAM about our school’s efforts this week. Please read!

Hearty congratulations are in order for Melody Northcutt, who has been promoted to Cadet Chief Master Sgt. and appointed as Squandron Commander of her Civil Air Patrol unit, Cadets Seattle. Kudos also to Chris Piehl who earned the rank of Eagle Scout on January 13th! We’re proud of both of you!

Thanks to those advisories that have submitted your summaries of the article I asked you to read, written by Dr. Bonnie Dunbar. For those advisories that haven’t yet submitted, please get them to me this week.

My best for an inspiring week of learning! Honored to be your principal…Reba

THANK YOU AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL
For supporting patients in our community by donating
blood! We had 41 total donors last week with an incredible 12 first-time donors. A new AHS record! This is an incredible amount for a school your size, it approaches the number that much larger HSD high schools have. Since each donation helps save three lives, your donations have the potential to save up to 123 patients in our community, including cancer survivors, burn patients and trauma victims at area hospitals such as Highline, Valley Medical, Harborview, Children’s and 70 other Western Washington Hospitals. On behalf of these patients THANK YOU – from the Puget Sound Blood Center

HELP HAITI TODAY!
As many of you know, the capitol city of Haiti, Port Au Prince, is currently in ruins from the recent earthquake. This disaster is believed to have killed tens of thousands and has affected 3 million people, a third of the nation’s populace. Relief organizations from around the world are currently making their way into Haiti and funding of their efforts is desperately needed for the injured, homeless and hungry. We at Aviation High School will do our part to make a difference and offer assistance to the people of Haiti through a relief fundraiser. This event will be a competition between all four classes; jars for each class will be in the lunchroom starting Tuesday, Jan 19 – Jan 28. Coins placed in your class’s jar will count toward your class’s total. Putting dollar bills in another classes’ jar will subtract from their total. The class to get a positive $200.00 will win a pizza party (or the class with the highest total by Jan 27.) Have fun and get those coins flying! NOTE: All proceeds will be donated to charity

WANT TO EARN P.E. CREDITS?
If you still need your P.E. credits, the track would be a great place to visit. During lunch, Christian MacMillan and Kat Reese will be holding a walk club. This is a wonderful opportunity for easy credit, all you need to do is be there, sign your name, and walk. Remember, you must have a certain amount of P.E. credits to graduate, so if you are interested, for more information please email us: katherannereese@comcast.net.

Except for the Quote of the Week, the following announcements have been posted in previous editions of the NOTAM. They are still important and posted for your information and action, as appropriate:

FROM ASB:
For sophomores:
We will be having our first-ever movie watching, jammie(pj)-wearin', pizza-n'-popcorn-eating fundraiser! Sophomores and their guests* are invited to Ms. Durrant's room on January 28th (the last day of the semester, what a great way to unwind!) from 3:30-7:00 p.m. Feel free to bring your pillows, blankets, and snuggies to make our hang out as relaxing and comfortable as possible. All you need to bring is yourself and some money ($4) as a donation to help cover the cost of the food that will be provided! Proceeds go towards the Class of 2012, so come have fun and support us!

Guests = other AHS students.
Non-AHS students need to get a permission slip from the office.

FOR EVERYONE: WINGS ON ICE
Give yourself a mental break from the stress of finals and come celebrate the end of the semester with us! We will be having our first ever AHS ice-skating fundraiser on January 29th from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. The location has changed from the initial survey to Castle Ice in Renton, WA. The price for tickets is $10, and tickets will be sold from Monday, January 11, 2009 to Friday, January 22, 2009. Please note that tickets will NOT be sold during the week of the event, so be sure to buy your tickets on time! Ticket prices include the cost of skate rentals, rink time (3 hours), and pizza & pop. Join us by attending this inaugural, sure-to-be-fun-filled event!

FOR JUNIORS:
If you are a student who will graduate in June 2011 (current juniors), you can now apply for the BioQuest Academy. Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research and Resource (NCRR), this program gives students 60 hours of paid training and mentorship in biomedical research and global health. The Application is available at www.bioquestacademy.org. Please remember that SBRI does not provide housing for the 36 students that will be accepted and enrolled this summer.

FOR SENIORS
NATIONAL YOUTH SCIENCE CAMP: Applications are now available for high school students to apply for the 2010 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC).

Washington State high school seniors are encouraged to submit an application to attend the 2010 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC). Two Washington State high school seniors will be selected from the applicant pool to receive a scholarship to exchange ideas with scientists and other professionals from the academic and corporate worlds. The nearly month-long experience includes lectures and hands-on research projects presented by scientists from across the nation, overnight expeditions into the national forests, and a visit to Washington D.C.

The selected delegates must not only demonstrate academic achievement in science, but also show potential for thoughtful scientific leadership. The NYSC experience is hosted and operated by the National Youth Science Foundation (www.nysf.com) and is offered at no cost to its participants, so that selected delegates may attend regardless of their financial status. Educational and recreational programming, as well as meals, lodging, and round-trip air passage on scheduled airlines are provided free of charge. The NYSC is held near Bartow in the eastern mountains of West Virginia, within the Monongahela National Forest. Delegates arrive in Charleston, West Virginia, on Tuesday, June 29, and depart on Friday, July 23, 2010.

Application forms are available on the OSPI website at:
http://www.k12.wa.us/BulletinsMemos/memoranda2009.aspx and on the NYSC website at www.nysc.org.2010 and must be submitted directly to Washington’s selection coordinator at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction at the following address:
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Gilda Wheeler, Program Supervisor
PO Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
Applications must be received by Friday, January 22, 2010.
The deadline is March 31, 2010.

Quote of the Week: “We will overcome!” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Friday, January 15, 2010

AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL
NOTAM 011110
11 January 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

Monday
Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly 9:05 in the Gym
Ballroom Dancing for beginners 3:40–5:00 p.m. in the Gym
Peer Tutoring (drop in) 3:35–4:45 p.m. in Room 10
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team Meeting 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Room 7

Tuesday
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Room 7

Wednesday
Peer Tutoring (sign-up) 3:35–4:45 p.m. in Room 10
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Room 7

Thursday
Clubs during Advisory
VIPs on campus 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Culture Club 3:45–4:45 p.m. in Room 24
Robotics Study Hall 3:45 -5:00 p.m. in Room 16
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Room 7

Friday
Early Release at 2:00 p.m.
Staff Professional Collaboration time 2:15-3:45 p.m.

Saturday
Science Olympiad Study Day, 11:00 – 5:00 p.m.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
Last week, I asked you to read an article written by Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, CEO/President of The Museum of Flight. The article was titled Washington must inspire a new generation of American scientists and engineers, and along with reading the article, I requested that you identify the key themes of the article and think about what it would mean for Washington State, by Year 2020, to be #1 in Math and Science. I further challenged you to think about what it would mean (and take) for Aviation High School to be rated the #1 STEM+ school in the State, possibly the country.

During our staff collaboration time last Friday, I had the opportunity to gain a bit of feedback from staff regarding your thoughts; however, our time was limited for this discussion item, and I learned more about their thoughts than about yours. So…I am asking that you take some additional time this week to further discuss the challenge questions posed by both Dr. Dunbar and by me. This time, please appoint a recorder to jot down your thoughts and provide a written summary to me by Friday, at latest. Your insights will further guide our work as a staff to define both our short- and long-term strategic goals for ensuring that AHS will always be a top-rated school where the sky is NOT the limit!

The close of first semester is nearing, so I am providing information about events tentatively scheduled for the remainder of January and February:

January 18 — No school, in celebration of Martin Luther King
January 23 — Science Olympiad Invitational @ Camas HS
January 27—Recruiting at Thomas Jefferson HS, 6-8 p.m. If you reside in Federal Way and want to assist, please talk with Lenore! Parents can also volunteer.
January 21 – 28 — Semester projects and exams due
Your teachers will provide you with a schedule of due dates. Use that information to carefully budget your time over the next several weeks to make sure that you complete your assignments on time and to prepare well for your tests.

Families: Check the calendar online for timelines.
January 28 — End of First Semester
January 29—No school for students! This is a day for staff to review your semester projects and exams and to work on grades.
February 2—Port of Seattle Commissioners will be holding their meeting on campus in the afternoon
February 2 — Our 3rd and final Information Program for 8th graders & families is scheduled for 6:30-8:30 p.m.
February 4, 6-8 p.m., Recruiting at Federal Way HS, see Lenore if you can assist!
February 6, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Science Olympiad Invitational @ Aviation HS
February 8, 6-8 p.m., Recruiting at Decatur HS; see Lenore if you can assist!
February 9: All-day field trip for 50-60 students to Everett, WA to tour Boeing 787 Gallery, Boeing Production Line, Future of Flight Gallery, and Rolls Royce. Some of you have already let me know that you are interested in this field trip. Watch for more information next week regarding selection process.
February 10, 6-8 p.m., Recruiting at Todd Beamer HS, see Lenore if you can assist!

In addition to the events listed above, we will continue to have many VIPs on campus. Check the NOTAM to see who is scheduled each week. As always, I so appreciate all of you whom regularly interact with and present to our visitors. They always leave with a positive impression of our learning community, and it is because of YOU and your ability to demonstrate your learning. I’m grateful to all of you, and honored to be your principal. ~Reba

FROM ASB:
For sophomores:
We will be having our first-ever movie watching, jammie(pj)-wearin', pizza-n'-popcorn-eating fundraiser! Sophomores and their guests* are invited to Ms. Durrant's room on January 28th (the last day of the semester, what a great way to unwind!) from 3:30-7:00 p.m. Feel free to bring your pillows, blankets, and snuggies** to make our hang out as relaxing and comfortable as possible. All you need to bring is yourself and some money ($4) as a donation to help cover the cost of the food that will be provided! Proceeds go towards the Class of 2012, so come have fun and support us!

Guests = other AHS students.
Non-AHS students need to get a permission slip from the office.
If you bring a snuggie, Mr. McComb is going to mock you
The mockery is probably a product of his jealousy.

FOR EVERYONE: JUNGLE BOOGIE:
This Saturday is winter Tolo from 8:00-11:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. If you missed the Aviators’ Ball, this is your chance to redeem yourself!

Remember, it's girls-ask-guys. Girls: if you haven't found your date yet, the time to ask has arrived! The theme is "Jungle Boogie," so break out that leopard print, zebra stripes, or any other animal patterns you can find and we'll see you there!

Tickets will be on sale all this week. To prevent having to wait in long lines on Thursday and Friday, purchase early in the week! Price for singles is $10 w/ASB and $14 without; price for couples is $18 w/ASB and $26 without. Have you chosen your background for pictures yet? For this dance, you can choose from one of four backgrounds, so check out the posters around school. You might want to brainstorm some dance songs, too, because we'll be forming a request list for DJ Kinnex during advisory Tuesday and Wednesday this week!

Chaperones are still needed on the night of the dance, teachers or parents please let Mr. Dezember know ASAP if you would like to go.

FOR EVERYONE: SPIRIT WEEK
Make sure to participate in this week's spirit days:
Monday- Plaid Day
Tuesday- Stripes Day
Wednesday-Tie-Dye Day
Thursday-Neon Day
Friday- AHS Colors Day (Red, Black, and Yellow)

FOR EVERYONE: WINGS ON ICE
Give yourself a mental break from the stress of finals and come celebrate the end of the semester with us! We will be having our first ever AHS ice-skating fundraiser on January 29th from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. The location has changed from the initial survey to Castle Ice in Renton, WA. The price for tickets is $10, and tickets will be sold from Monday, January 11, 2009 to Friday, January 22, 2009. Please note that tickets will NOT be sold during the week of the event, so be sure to buy your tickets on time! Ticket prices include the cost of skate rentals, rink time (3 hours), and pizza & pop. Join us by attending this inaugural, sure-to-be-fun-filled event!

FROM THE COUNSELOR:
Harvey Mudd Presentation: Keiko Hiranaka, a beloved alum, will be presenting information about Harvey Mudd College during advisory on Tuesday, January 12. Sign up in Ms. Carper’s office if you are interested in attending!

SPEECH & DEBATE
This past weekend, the Speech and Debate team went to the University of Puget Sound and made a good showing. Both teams of Jenny Gao and Libanos Redda and Hayk Saakian and Ted Tagami were quarterfinalists in public forum debate. Ted Tagami also placed 3rd overall in novice Impromptu. Congratulations are also overdue for the two tournaments that occurred in December. At the Auburn-Riverside tournament, Hayk and John Doty got second place overall in public forum, while Jenny Gao and Justin Dubinsky got 3rd place overall. The Thursday before break was a tournament at Gig Harbor High School, and the Aviation team swept the ranks. We sent three teams and attained the top three places. Jenny Gao and John Doty got 1st place, Hayk Saakian and Justin Dubinsky and Albert Ta and Brian Chan tied for 2nd place in public forum debate. Congratulations to all who attended!

CONGRATULATIONS
Many, many thanks to TESSA TWEET, RASHIL KOHLI, and KARAN GREWAL for their amazing MC-ing skills! As mentees, these three students volunteered to develop the agenda and MC the most recent Mentor Meeting. During the breakfast event on December 9th, they welcomed over 80 mentors and students, shared program updates, provided great insight into their own mentor/mentee experiences, and challenged everyone in the room to network with someone in the room they’d never met. It was a spirited meeting, and wildly successful thanks to their professionalism and humor. ~Ms. Pappas

FOR JUNIORS:
If you are a student who will graduate in June 2011 (current juniors), you can now apply for the BioQuest Academy. Funded by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research and Resource (NCRR), this program gives students 60 hours of paid training and mentorship in biomedical research and global health. The Application is available at www.bioquestacademy.org. Please remember that SBRI does not provide housing for the 36 students that will be accepted and enrolled this summer. The deadline is March 31, 2010.

FOR STUDENTS 18+ IN JUNE 2010
If you will be eighteen in June 2010, you can apply for a paid ($9/hr) internship in SBRI's research laboratories. The Application is available at the SBRI jobs site: https://www2.ultirecruit.com/sea1003/JobBoard/

FOR SENIORS:
Helen Faundez is compiling a magazine and the main ingredient is YOU! She needs to interview all seniors in order to commemorate who all of us are, as individuals. If you don't do it, 20 years from now NO ONE WILL REMEMBER YOU. She will have a sign-up list for interview sessions any day of the week, whenever you would like. For just a moment of your time, you will receive a lifetime of memories in return. Contact her in person or at helen.faundez@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.

FOR SENIORS
NATIONAL YOUTH SCIENCE CAMP: Applications are now available for high school students to apply for the 2010 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC).

Washington State high school seniors are encouraged to submit an application to attend the 2010 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC). Two Washington State high school seniors will be selected from the applicant pool to receive a scholarship to exchange ideas with scientists and other professionals from the academic and corporate worlds. The nearly month-long experience includes lectures and hands-on research projects presented by scientists from across the nation, overnight expeditions into the national forests, and a visit to Washington D.C.

The selected delegates must not only demonstrate academic achievement in science, but also show potential for thoughtful scientific leadership. The NYSC experience is hosted and operated by the National Youth Science Foundation (www.nysf.com) and is offered at no cost to its participants, so that selected delegates may attend regardless of their financial status. Educational and recreational programming, as well as meals, lodging, and round-trip air passage on scheduled airlines are provided free of charge. The NYSC is held near Bartow in the eastern mountains of West Virginia, within the Monongahela National Forest. Delegates arrive in Charleston, West Virginia, on Tuesday, June 29, and depart on Friday, July 23, 2010.

Application forms are available on the OSPI website at:
http://www.k12.wa.us/BulletinsMemos/memoranda2009.aspx and on the NYSC website at www.nysc.org.2010 and must be submitted directly to Washington’s selection coordinator at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction at the following address:
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Gilda Wheeler, Program Supervisor
PO Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
Applications must be received by Friday, January 22, 2010.

Quote of the Week:
Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it.

Monday, January 4, 2010

AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL
NOTAM 010410
04 January 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

Monday
Welcome Back!
VIP – Senator Dale Brandland on campus
Ballroom Dancing for beginners 3:40–5:00 p.m. in the Gym
Peer Tutoring (drop in) 3:35–4:45 p.m. in Room 10

Tuesday
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Room 7

Wednesday
Peer Tutoring (sign-up) 3:35–4:45 p.m. in Room 10

Thursday
VIP – Susan Hutchison on campus
Clubs during Advisory
Culture Club 3:45–4:45 p.m. in Room 24
Robotics Team meeting 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Room 7

Friday
Early Release at 2:00 p.m.
Staff Professional Collaboration time 2:15-3:45 p.m.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
Welcome Back and Happy New Year! I hope your vacation was all that you hoped it would be, and that you are now ready to continue your learning journey. Well, actually…I hope your learning continued through break, as I’m certain it did!

January is named for the Roman god of beginnings and endings. He looked backward and forward at the same time, which seems like an appropriate task for all of us to do as Year 2009 has ended and 2010 is just beginning. Reflection and taking “stock” of what we have accomplished in the year just past provides keen perspectives of what we want our lives to look like in this new year, perhaps in this new decade. During advisory this week, I hope you will make this a topic of discussion, asking yourselves:

What do I want to celebrate (and perhaps continue) from Year 2009?

What do I want to achieve in Year 2010? This question is, of course, a prompt for goal-setting. I advise that you write your goals, using the SMART formula—Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-bound. Your advisors can help you with this process.

How will I celebrate when I achieve my goals? I heartily encourage you to carefully consider this aspect of goal setting. Motivation is always essential in achieving our goals, and it doesn’t have to be money, a new “toy”, trip, or party that serves as the primary motivator. Think about what will inspire you to stay the course in 2010.

And…if you are feeling visionary, think about the Year 2020. In fact, this may be the step you want to start with, since envisioning the future can be a powerful motivator for daily actions. Freshmen, what do you want your life to look like when you are 24 or 25? Sophomores, when you are 25 or 26? Juniors, what will your life look like at age 26 or 27? And seniors…what do you imagine yourselves to be experiencing by age 27 or 28? How will you get there? SMART goals? It may also be fun and insightful to ask your teachers what they were considering for their future when they were your age!

Have fun with the process. Make it work for you. We don’t all have to use the same procedures for establishing our goals, but writing them down and monitoring them carefully usually results in greater success!

During the holiday break, there was a very thought-provoking editorial published in the December 20 edition of The Seattle Times. It was written by Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, CEO/President of the Museum of Flight. The article is titled, “Washington must inspire a new generation of American scientists and engineers”, and I am asking that all of you read this article sometime this week. Your teachers will be reading it, too, and some will be assigning work related to the key elements of Dr. Dunbar’s message. You can locate the article at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2010541689_guest20dunbar.html?syndication=rss.
The link article will also be posted on our website as well as the PTSA website.

As I read Dr. Dunbar’s message, I found myself feeling reassured that Aviation High School is contributing to the solution of this national crisis. Our test scores in math and science are relatively high, and we have much to celebrate. At the same time, I kept wondering how we could enhance our own efforts to inspire more students to consider science and engineering-related degrees and career pathways. As an educator, I have always held firm to the belief that schools must be responsive to emerging needs within the workforce. I made a conscious decision early in my career to commit my life’s work to helping students pursue their passion for occupations that would fill their “cup” while simultaneously filling the economic “cup” that sustains us all. I’ve loved most every minute of my journey. Developing Aviation High School, a school with a very clear purpose—namely, to help create the next generation of scientists, engineers and other aviation and aerospace-focused professionals who can provide leadership in a global marketplace where the United States once dominated—has been invigorating, rewarding, and challenging. I love it all, challenge included. And I accept Dr. Dunbar’s challenge of “Let’s set a goal: to make Washington State No. 1 in math and science in the nation within 10 years.” Better yet…let’s set a goal to make Aviation High School the #1 STEM+ school in the State! What does that mean for all of us within the AHS learning community? As Dr. Dunbar asks in her concluding statement of the article, “If not now, when?”

I’m eager to hear your thoughts about Dr. Dunbar’s key messages, as well as her challenge (goal for 2020) and mine. Mr. McComb and I will be following up with staff to gather their thoughts and insights, which will include what they hear from you during class discussions. If you feel inspired to share your thoughts directly with Dr. Dunbar or with me, please know that they will be welcomed!

Again, Happy New Year! Best to all of you for an inspiring day, week, year, and decade of learning!
As always, I’m honored to be your principal. ~Reba

A GIFT THAT COUNTS
Attention students and staff! This month, members from leadership class will be holding a fundraiser. We encourage everyone to bring in slightly used, or unused winter wear for those in need. Bring your coats, hats, and gloves to the main office, where a donation box will be located. The donations will be given to the Regina House, and will be picked up on January 18th, so be ready to donate!

FROM PTSA
PTSA thanks parent volunteers Stephanie Hoag and Julie Zaballos and the office staff for their support and help during the Butter Braid fundraising project. You are all appreciated!

Except for the Quote of the Week, the following announcements have been posted in previous editions of the NOTAM. They are still important and posted for your information and action, as appropriate:

FOR AHS SENIORS:
Hopefully, you found time over the break to get your senior photo taken if you hadn’t already done so. The deadline for submission is this Friday, January 8 – no exceptions. All submissions should be sent to AHS Yearbook Staff or emailed to Juarezmm@hsd401.org. Please refer to the handout distributed in advisory for specific details.

Quotes of the Week:
Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.
Oprah Winfrey

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850