PTA: January 2011

Irene Luna, Editor-in-Cheif

January 26, 2011

President Martha Michael discusses many topics with parents and students at the PTA meeting in the theatre on Jan 10. Other speakers during the meeting included Liz Schlegel, fundraiser VP, Rosie Sanchez, Parliamentarian, and Mary Skill, Treasurer.

Parents and staff united yet again as the PTA met in the theatre on Monday, Jan 10 to discuss the rest of the semester. Principal Tom Houts began the meeting by outlining the rest of the school year’s major dates, including finals; which took place on the week of Jan 24. He also announced the CAHSEE make-ups on Feb 2, for juniors and seniors who did not pass the first time, and regular testing for sophomores on March 18 and 19. He then preceded to briefly discussing the winter sports, including girls water polo, girls and boys soccer, and girls and boys basketball.

Mr. Houts believes hands-on experiences are great ways to learn. In an effort to further enhance the education of his students, the school has initiated several new projects, including the creation of a greenhouse, planting of a citrus orchard, and gathering chickens. Mr. Houts is hoping that the architecture class will design the chicken coop, the construction class will build the coop, and the AP Biology students will care for the eggs and chickens. Anatomy & Physiology will also put any dead chickens to use by separating the meat from the bones and reassembling the skeletons. Mr. Houts also noted the success of the engineering program he initiated. Currently, freshmen can take a class called “Intro to Engineering”, and if they pass the class, they automatically earn credits for the engineering program at Cal State Poly Pomona.

PTA President Martha Michael proceeded to make an announcement involving the Mid-Winter conference. It will be held on Feb 3 at the Rio Hondo Country Club with the presence of Michael and the 3rd Vice President Liz Schlegel. Michael then lectured on the importance of signing up for FAFSA, different financial aid workshops, the California State PTA, and the secondary conference.

Guest speaker Julian Mendoza, an expert on drug/alcohol abuse, gang affiliation, and gang violence, was unable to attend the meeting due to a prior engagement but will be attending the next meeting on Feb 2 at 6 p.m.

ASB officers Justine Ayon, Brianna Rodriguez, Kristin Maranan, Stephanie Milioto, and Danny Montoro then reported on the current events taking place on campus. Winter Formal ticket sales were successful, and over 200 had been sold as of Jan 10. Also, a recently discovered band called The Caravan, comprised of DHS students, had been featured during lunch as entertainment.

The next meeting’s topic will pertain to credit recovery and interventions for struggling students.

About the Contributor

Irene Luna, Editor-in-Cheif

Being one of the returning members of The Downey Legend, senior Irene Luna takes pride in her recently acclaimed position as Editor-in-Chief. The ambitious student’s journey all started at the beginning of her sophomore year. Having an available spot for an elective, Luna was placed in the newly created newspaper class. Even though she started as a writer, the 10^th grader worked her way up the ladder as Co-Arts & Entertainment Editor. The following year she was appointed Co-Editor-In-Chief, all the while being trained to achieve her current position. She has only the highest hopes for this year’s group of individuals. “After the long process of picking out the different students, I have complete confidence in saying that the 2011-2012 newspaper group will achieve many goals which could not be achieved in the previous years,” Luna said. When she’s not doing work for newspaper, you can find the Editor-in-Chief readily preparing herself for the future. Her experiences throughout high school have motivated Luna to study the field of Journalism as a probable career. Taking everything step by step, she hopes to attend the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. If that plan does not follow through, her second option would be attending a California State University. Though schoolwork may be a big part of her life, Luna proves to be a diligent worker. Contrary to many teens, she values her family, friends, and education above all other things. As the school year brings a fresh start, this motivated individual is ready to take charge of The Downey Legend.