Principal’s Message

February 18, 2005

Dear Parents,

On March 18^th we will honor students who are California Scholarship Federation (CSF) and California Junior Scholarship Federation (CJSF) members. I encourage parents to join us in the morning to acknowledge our students’ excellent academic achievement. The day will start in the auditorium at 8:00 a.m. with a breakfast for students and parents, followed by a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood for current CSF/CJSF members. Admittedly, we don’t always do the best job honoring students who work hard, challenge themselves each day in their classes, make sacrifices to spend more time on their studies, and earn good grades. Unlike an exhilarating athletic victory or applauded fine arts performance, the rewards for earning good grades come twice a year when students receive their report cards. We do a few events such as this breakfast, or hosting annual academic award ceremonies near promotion or graduation, but our infrequent celebrations don’t always affirm students’ good work in a way that sustains strong academic performances.

Right now we are in the midst of the second semester. For students and teachers Spring Break is still weeks away. When we return, the stretch from the break to the end of the year is a long one. Sustaining strong academic performances will be challenging. This is why it is important that we find ways to support our students. Ask your student how he or she did on a test. If you see them immersed in a project make sure to encourage and praise good hard work. And, if your student receives a satisfying grade, celebrate his or her accomplishments. Honoring small wins is important. We, school and parents, are often quick to call out when our students fall short: not working hard, turning in assignments late, not doing complete work, or putting forth less than their best effort. We don’t always do a good job of recognizing improvements, acknowledging good work, or understanding when a student’s work was his or her best but did not produce the desired grade. As we navigate through this term, I ask that we look hard at what are students are doing well and honor their achievements when they need to be honored. Celebrating many small wins is meaningful because it helps sustain performance over time. The time invested in recognizing and praising success is worth it.

This is for parents of all 10^th graders. Please remember that on March 15^th and 16^th, our 10^th graders will take the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). The two-day exam will test students in language arts and mathematics. It is extremely important that all 10^th graders attend school on both days. Please do not schedule appointments or make other commitments on these two days. Beginning with the Class of 2005, all students must pass the CAHSEE in order to receive a high school diploma. We want every student to pass the test, and score well enough above the passing score to ensure we reach our annual yearly progress targets required under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. We need every 10^th grader to give their very best effort. Students can attend CAHSEE prep tutoring classes after school Monday through Thursday up until the date of the Exam. Students should see Mr. Horvath for more information.

There are several curricular activities happening at MHS. The second Book Shark Turn-In day is scheduled for March 1^st. Keep encouraging your student to read books. Our target is to have students read 25 books per year. Read with your student, help them access good books and model reading for them. I am making progress but have a way to go to before finishing my 25 books by the end of the year. We have started a partnership with Santa Monica College where students can take college courses at MHS. This semester we are offering Design 1 Mondays and Wednesdays after school. It is a great program because students earn college credit right here at MHS. If the program continues its success we hope to add more courses next year. Also, thanks to the hard work from teachers our 6^th graders will be going to Astro Camp, 10^th graders will be going to the Museum of Tolerance, and seniors will visit the Malibu City Hall as part of Youth in Government day.

We are also busy planning for next year. We are thinking about what courses we will offer, and our counselors are preparing to meet with your students after Spring Break when they will start selecting classes for next year. The state budget picture continues to look bleak with money that was promised for education withdrawn and with the likely suspension of Proposition 98. At this time it appears as if we will not likely suffer staffing reductions, but we also will not likely gain additional staffing that could be used to reduce class size or add desperately needed custodial staff. Here at MHS we are fortunate that so many of you have given generously to support our programs. We still do not have 100% participation from all of our families to The Shark Fund. We still have needs and you can still give. Visit The Shark Fund website at www.thesharkfund.org, complete the donation card handed to you by volunteers as you dropped your student off, or leave a check in the office. Your contributions are what allow us to provide students with quality programs.

This is our last newsletter before Spring Break. I wish all of you a wonderful and restful break. Take time with your students, friends and family. It has been a rainy winter season and we all deserve to spend some extra time in the beautiful California sunshine that we all enjoy.