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Principal's Update

Nick Stephany, Principal
Administration Office
Phone: 310-378-8471 Ext. 200
stephanyn

January 20, 2012

Dear Sea Kings,

The first semester is over.  Congratulations on making it through half of the school year. 

A few announcements…

AVID
Over 70 AVID students celebrated the end of the semester at Knott's Berry Farm this afternoon.  AVID thanks teacher chaperones: Jennifer Kim, Jennifer Egan, Mike Spalding, Marie Kuhn, Jim Whalen and Gailene Lancey.

GALAPGOS RESEARCH
Announcing the 8th year for the Summer Galapagos Research Trip!!

This is an intensive course in the use of field-based and general research methods related to Galapagos wildlife. The aim of this course is to help participants acquire skill and gain experience in using research techniques and give an in-depth study into the history and biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands. The emphasis of this course is on the collection, management, analysis and interpretation of data and information about the Galapagos Islands with relevance to evolution, natural selection, and adaptation.

Students earn dual credit: 10 high school credits for Science Research and 3 college units from Marymount College for a Field Seminar Course.

Galapagos Informational Meetings for students will be held at lunchtime in Room 210 on Tuesday, January 24th and Wednesday, January 25th. A Parent Informational Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 31st at 6:30pm also in Room 210.

Contact Julie Munoz for more information: chuppj@pvpusd.k12.ca.us
Julie Munoz (Chupp) and Marie Kuhn

PVHS BOOSTER CLUB – CATCH THE WAVE
Cowabunga! Catch the Wave 2012 Surfin’ Safari

Catch the Wave takes place on Friday, March 9 at Trump National Golf Club. This annual fundraiser sponsored by the PVHS Booster Club is always a sell-out!  CTW raises 30 percent of the annual dollars Booster Club contributes to the school’s needs for supplemental funding in the areas of academics, arts and athletics. Let’s have fun and raise funds for our kids!
Save the date! Mark your calendars for a fun-filled, casual, beach-themed evening that includes a sit-down dinner with a choice of two entrees, a silent and live auction and dancing to the band The Surftunes!!!  This year you’ll be able to request seating with friends at a reserved table. Our cocktail reception will feature several bars serving cocktails, wine and beer. 
Be a Sponsor!  There are a variety of sponsorship levels to suit everyone!  Check the Booster Club website and click on Catch the Wave 2012 for sponsorship information. 
Donate an Auction Item!   Do you have a vacation home? Would you like to host a special party in your home? Do you have a box at Staples Center? Sports tickets? Wine??? These items are always top sellers in the CTW Auction. For more information and an auction donation form please see the Booster Club website. Our online auction opens February 25 and ends March 5.  We’ll have additional items at our silent and live auctions at the event including our fifth annual wine auction! 
It's been an overwhelming response from our PVHS families for CTW Surfin' Safari Sponsorships!

Thanks to our most recent Sponsors below:
Dan & Marnie Gruen
Alyson & Dean Decker
Tina & John Quinn
Jody & Ilka Rice
Lucia & Mark Bucklin
Eric & Margaret Wong
JP & Deborah Jones
Laura & Marc Schenasi
Sandra & Mark Fisler
Larry & Cindy Percz

If you'd like to sponsor or a have questions about sponsorships, please contact Mel Semel @ marewit@cox.net

www.pvboosterclub.com
For more information contact event co-chairs Chrysa Brothers at brokids@msn.com, Laurie Maslauski at LBMaslauski@cox.net, Sponsor Chair Mel Semel at marewit@cox.net and Auction Chair Stefanie Forsey.

GIRLS WATER POLO
We had a great effort last weekend at the TYR Tournament at El Dorado HS.  We won 3 out of 4 games and took 3rd place in the Tournament.  Junior Ellie D'Ambra won a medal for All Tournament Team 2012 TRY Tournament.  We beat Redondo 7-2 this past Monday.

Next week we play Pen at PV on Monday Jan 23rd and Costa at PV on Jan 25.  Would love to see a show of Sea Kings in support!!

ADMISSIONS TO PRESTIGOUS COLLEGES PANEL
Please join us for a unique workshop is designed to empower 10th and 11th grade students and parents with need-to-know information to take complete control of the admissions process. 

Topics will include:
• Understanding your academic credentials
• The impact and importance of what you do outside the classroom
• A strategic approach to choosing standardized tests (PSAT®, SAT®, ACT®, SAT Subject Tests)
• Choosing a topic and writing a standout essay
Date: Monday, February 13th
Time: 6:45 – 8:00 PM
Location: Rolling Hills Covenant Church
2222 Palos Verdes Drive North
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

On a final note, please feel free to send any information to me to be included in these updates.  I do my best to feature all student groups, but it is difficult to keep track of everything on campus.  Occasionally, I need a few reminders.  Please email any ideas for upcoming updates with specific information to be included.

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

January 13, 2012

Dear Sea Kings,

I hope that everyone has a nice three day weekend and everyone gets ready for finals.  The finals schedule is posted at www.pvhigh.com

• PVHS students Ellen Cammarano, Sophmore, and Melissa Lee, Senior, are nationally ranked competitive figure skaters.   They are both part of California Gold’s Senior Synchronized Figure Skating Team, and both have skated for that team for several years.  Last March,  Ellen and Melissa skated with California Gold to a strong Fourth Place finish at the U.S. Figure Skating Association National Championships.   This is a remarkable accomplishment for a West Coast team.  As a result of this 4th place finish,  the team was selected by the US Figure Skating Association to represent the United States as Team USA in the French Cup International Skating Competition the week of January 30-February 4.   
  These two young women train with their team 4 mornings each week at 4:45 am, and individually train with private coaches several hours per week.   They are dedicated scholar athletes. They skate at the highest level of their sport.
• Brendan Weaver qualified out of the Los Angeles Region for two events (55m hurdles and high jump) at the California HS Indoor championships in Fresno later this month.  There's a blurb about it in the Breeze Prep Notebook.  http://www.dailybreeze.com/preps/ci_19710111
• Sea Kings Surf Team dominated the All Star Event on 1/10/12 and today, 1/11/12. Coach Kirk has inspired these kids to compete hard without taking the joy and sportsmanship out of the sport.  We will miss Coach Kirk!
• On January 7 & 8 Palos Verdes High school sailors attended the nationally famed Rosebowl Regatta, hosted by the Los Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and USC Varsity Sailing Team. As many as 30 collegiate teams  (such as Boston College, Princeton University and Georgetown University) from 11 states and 60 high school teams from the West Coast were entered.
  PV High Gold Fleet A + B =  6th Place (out of 27 High school Teams) Chris Vilicich ’12, Ariana Amberg ’14, Casper Poiesz ’13, Alex Smith ‘14
  PV Silver Fleet A + B combined = 21st Place (out of 332 Highschool Teams) Jessica McJones ’15, Caroline Salas ’15, Jazz Cobian ’11, John Frank ’11, Trudie del Ponti ’15, Will Nodvik, Vanessa and Jocelyn Foust, Claudia Lambert and Erin Murphy
• The Girl's Varsity WP team had two wins this week: West and Villa Park.  We have the TYR Tournament at Esperanza HS today and tomorrow.  Another game against Redondo at RUH on Monday.

Cowabunga! Each year our Booster Club holds its major fundraiser, Catch the Wave, supporting academics, arts and athletics at Palos Verdes High School. This year’s theme is Surfin’ Safari! We’ll hang ten at Trump National Golf Club on Friday, March 9. Our fun-filled evening features a silent and live auction, a sit-down dinner and dancing. We will also have an online auction prior to the event.

This year we’ve added a few new features to our event:

• A sit-down dinner with a choice of two entrees
• Drink tickets and dinner wine that may be pre-ordered 
• Would you like to sit with friends? You may request your seating preferences and your seats will be reserved for you! 

Please join us by supporting Booster Club and PVHS! Consider being a Surfin’ Safari sponsor or auction donor. Please click on the link to the Booster Club website for sponsor and auction donor information: www.pvboosterclub.com

Invitations will be mailed shortly.

Let’s have fun and raise funds for our kids!

Catch a Wave and You’re Sittin’ on Top of the World,

Chrysa Brothers,  Event Co-Chair
brokids@msn.com                                         

Laurie Maslauski, Event Co-Chair
LBMaslauski@cox.net

Stefanie Forsey, Sponsor Chair
stefanie.forsey@cox.net                                  

Mary Ellen Semel, Auction Chair
marewit@cox.net

Have a great weekend and study hard!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

January 6, 2012

Dear Sea Kings,

Welcome back to PVHS for 2012.  I hope that everyone had a great break and enjoyed their time off.  While we were away from school, there was a lot going on at our campus.  Most students have noticed that many of the trees around campus were trimmed and that the front of the school is starting to look much better with landscaping work.  I’d like to thank the booster club and PTSA for donating the funds in order to make this happen. 

As we enter 2012, it is exciting to think that our seniors are about to embark on their last semester of high school.  While this is a very special time in our students’ lives, it can also be a difficult time for our seniors to focus on the task at hand.  As a gentle reminder, seniors’ performance at PVHS does count for College.  Kids need to keep attending class, perform well on their exams and make sure that they are not developing bad habits that will be detrimental to their success at the next level.  To help with a common disorder known as “senioritis” I recommend that senior students and their parents read the article at the following link: http://middleearthnj.wordpress.com/tag/senior-year-of-high-school/

A few updates…

ATHLETICS
Brian Shapiro was named the Daily Breeze Coach of the Year for our state championship cross country teams along with assistant coaches Jeff Atkinson and Alex Broughton.  In addition to the coaches recognition Rebecca Mehra, Skylar Thiel and Casisdy Webber were named to the all-area team on the girls side and Jonah Diaz, Justin Unno and Ryland Dreibelbis were named to the boys all-area team.

Girls golf coach Ray Rivera was also named as the Daily Breeze Coach of the Year.  In addition to this honor, Ray will be taking over the boys’ golf program this year.  Leith Emery resigned from this position earlier this week.  We would like to thank Leith for his hard work in developing the boys’ golf program.  Jacqueline Cootes, Elizabeth Doty and Mackenzie Perez for making the Daily Breeze all-area Golf team.  Congratulations to all of our incredible athletes.

PVHS had a strong showing at The Oaks in San Juan Capistrano and  won  overall School Champion ribbons at both OCIEL shows, December 10th and 11th.  Saturday’s tally was 464 points, Sunday’s  512.  Due to inclement weather in November Friday saw the makeup rounds for the Nov 6th show, the final results saw Taylor Moore winning the JV Jumper Individual Reserve Champion ribbon and Terra Wallace the Varsity Jumper Individual Reserve Champion ribbon, and PVHS winning the overall School Champion ribbon for the Nov 6th show.
On Saturday, the Western Novice riders (Julianna Farrow and McKenzie Baxter) won the School Western Novice Champion Ribbon, and Julianna won the Individual Reserve Champion ribbon on both days. On both days Rebecca Tenenbaum was the Western  Walk/Jog Champion.
On Saturday the JV Team Riders (Taylor Moore, Lauren Heimer, Brendan Froom and Nicole Simeral) earned the School JV Reserve Champion ribbon and on Sunday the School JV Champion ribbon,  with Taylor winning the Individual JV Jumpers Reserve Champion ribbon on both days.  On both days  the Varsity Team riders (Terra Wallace, Elysse Inferrera and Amanda Stefan) won the School Varsity Champion ribbon with Terra and Elysse winning the Individual Varsity Jumper Champion and Reserve Champion ribbons respectively on  Saturday, and then on Sunday  Elysse won the Individual Varsity Jumper Champion ribbon, and  Amanda Stefan won the Individual Varsity Hunter Champion ribbon.
On both days the Novice riders (Taylor Golden and Dominique Russo) won the School Novice Reserve Champion ribbon,  with Taylor Golden winning the Individual Novice Hunter Champion ribbon on Sunday.  Isabelle Collins, our lone Freshman division rider won the Individual Freshman  Hunter Reserve Champion ribbon along with a first place in the Freshman Medal.  The next OCIEL shows are January 14th and 15th.

Congratulations to Chris Vilicich who won the Sportsmanship Award overall  for the Orange Bowl International Youth Sailing Regatta in Florida on December 30. It is the largest International Youth Regatta in the US and South America where he was recognized out of 750 sailors.

The boys JV soccer team gets a shout out for winning the Christmas Tournament held during the break.  They won all 5 games and we are so proud of them!!  Kudos to Coach Gaylord and all the players for taking time out of the Holiday break to play ball.  The varsity soccer team is still undefeated and will start league play in very good shape.

PVHS girls’ water polo got a great win over Esperanza, 16-4.  Keep up the great work!

PVHS BOOSTER CLUB
COWABUNGA!!! Catch the Wave-Surfin' Safari 2012 takes place Friday, March 9th at Trump National Golf Club and we've already had a terrific response to our request for Sponsors!

We'd like to thank the following Sponsors for their support!
1.  Buddy & Kathleen Parks
2.  Oarsmen Foundation
3.  Tori & Jim Schladen
4.  Tracy & James Scharffenberger
5.  Tom & Lori O'Hern
6.  Darrin & Michelle Del Conte
7.  Heidi & Manoj Kashyap
8.  Chrysa & Craig Brothers
9.  Laurie & Steve Maslauski
10.  Christy & Jay Abraham
11.  Mel & Steve Semel

If you'd like to become a sponsor for CTW- Surfin' Safari 2012 or have questions, please contact Mel Semel at marewit@cox.net or call 310.926.4542. 

MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Prior to the Winter Break, the Choir, Jazz Band and Orchestra put on tremendous performances.  From all accounts, these shows were very well attended and were an excellent display of our students’ talents.  I’d like to thank not only the students for all of their hard work and dedication to their programs but also the advisers, Shelly Parkinson, Nic Anikouchine and Michael Schlotter.

Also from the instrumental music department, congratulations to the following PVHS Orchestra members have auditioned into the California All-State Band/Orchestra:
Wesley Booth
Rosie LaPuma
Caitlin Lohman
Enoch Park

PEF IS PARTNERING WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT
This holiday, please save your old electronics for a HUGE E-Waste Recycling
event to benefit our schools!

ThePeninsula Educational Foundation is partnering with Waste Management on a HUGE E-Waste recycling event to benefit our schools on January 20th and 21st at three school sites; Peninsula High, Palos Verdes High and Miraleste Intermediate.  100% of the list value of old phones, computers, etc. will go the PEF, so we stand to make a LOT for our schools.

ELECTRONIC WASTE RECYCLING will benefit our schools!

ASB NEWS
All group photos for clubs will be taken January 10th-12th at nutrition/pathways, lunch, and after school. If your club fails to attend the group photos, your club will not be present in the yearbook. Call slips will be sent out to individual presidents regarding specifics including: clothing attire, props, time/date, and location. Thank you.

Finally, there will be a memorial service for 2008 graduate Alex Richardson at PVHS tomorrow at 1:00. Alex was a phenomenal lacrosse player and the service will be held on the PVHS Stadium Field.  Alex passed away unexpectedly right before New Year’s.  Our hearts go out to his mom, dad and two brothers.  The Richardsons have always been incredible supporters of our school.

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

December 16, 2011

Dear Sea Kings,

We have made it to the break.  Congratulations on a great start to school this year.  PVHS has much to be proud of.  We have achieved phenomenal test scores, but more importantly, we have maintained a strong sense of pride in our school.  Our teachers and students are working together and the hope is that PVHS is a place that each and every person loves to come.  It was very evident today for our first ever Lip Dub.  We had the whole school dressed in red and black and representing the team/club/organization that they are in.  It was very, very cool to see what our kids did today and I can’t wait to see the final product.

This week, we have hired a new boys' water polo coach.  After seven great seasons, Chris Murin resigned.  Today, we made the decision to hire Patrick O’Brien as our next coach.  Over the course of the last two weeks, we have taken an incredible amount input, spoken to many different people and we have truly weighed all of the options.  In the end, this was a very difficult decision.  We had three very well qualified applicants and we would have had a successful program no matter what decision we made.  Knowing this would be a very difficult decision, we had an extensive formal process with two rounds of interviews.   The interview panels were comprised of current and former coaches in other sports, PVHS administrators and the PVPUSD human resources department.  All three candidates showed us that they are student centered and knowledgeable of the game of water polo.  In the end, I decided to go with the committee’s recommendation in selecting Patrick.  Patrick set himself apart as a successful assistant coach at PVHS for the last five years in addition to serving as our head coach for the girls program.  He is very well liked by his players and I have every confidence that he will take our program to the next level.  Congratulations to Patrick.

Girls’ Water Polo – Varsity defeated El Segundo 14-6, and defeated Costa Mesa yesterday  18-7.  They also beat Huntington yesterday in sudden death overtime.  This was a huge win for our program.  We are excited to see how girls water polo does in their league play and into playoffs.

Football coach Guy Gardner is NOT resigning.  There have been a number of weird rumors out there to this effect.  Coach Gardner is an asset to our school and loves being here.  He is not going anywhere.

Congratulations to the following PVHS Musicians for auditioning in the SCSBOA All-Southern Honor Ensembles:

Austin Young- Symphonic Band
Enoch Park- Symphonic Band
Caitlin Lohman- Wind Ensemble
Rosie La Puma- Orchestra

LAST MINUTE SHOPPING?  SHOP at the eScrip Online Mall, where more than 1,000 stores support Palos Verdes High Booster Club!   Use the link to shop at Amazon, Best Buy, Delta and more with up to 16% of purchases credited back to PV High to support Art, Academic and Athletic programs.   
https://secure.escrip.com/jsp/group/onlinemall/groupmallredir.jsp?gid=235459  Any questions call Cheryl at 310-569-1764.

PSATs WERE DISTRIBUTED THURSDAY  AT NUTRITION AND LUNCH
Students who were unable to pick up their score sheets may do so after Winter Break in the CCC.
Included with the score sheet is information from PVHS on “next steps”, including test preparation and a College admission test guidebook compliments of Compass Education  Group.                     

As part of NAVIANCE at PVHS, students have free access to Method Test Prep.  On Monday, December 19 from 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. (11:00 EST) a free webinar for parents will be available on your computer.  This webinar will be geared to parents. They will go over the most intelligent way for parents and students to take advantage of Method Test Prep's SAT and ACT web-based courses. They will also go over the SAT and ACT tests and the smartest times for students to take either exam.
To register for the Method Test Prep Webinar, go to:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/737076680

Cheryl Douglas qualified for the US National Junior Figure Skating Championship. She and her partner, Kevin Leahy are one of the top 14 pairs in the US and will be competing in East Lansing, Michigan for the Intermediate Ice Dance Title.  They qualified by winning the Pacific Coast Sectional Bronze Medal in Salt Lake City Utah last month.

ALUMNI DAY #2  Former PVHS students will return to campus to share their College experiences.   Today we welcomed a group of students home for the holidays as part of Alumni Day #1.  Plan to stop by their tables in Senior Park during lunch on Thursday, January 5, 2012.

I hope that everyone has a great holiday with their families and enjoys their time off.

See you in 2012!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

December 9, 2011

Dear Sea Kings,

One more week until Winter Break… I know that we are all looking forward to it.  We have had a busy week at PVHS.  On Wednesday, our students were able to attend an assembly that addressed the dangers of substance abuse.  There have been several activities on this topic this year and it is a priority for our administration to keep driving this message home.  Our kids face a lot of pressures and our job as a school is to educate them, not only in on the academic content standards, but also in real life situations.  We are working very hard to compile resources and provide answers for students and their families going forward. 

We are into eighth grade “recruitment season.”  It is important that we market our school and show off all of the positive aspects of our students.  PVHS is a special place, and we need to show that.  We have our first “Principal’s Forum” next week on Tuesday at 6:30 in the CCC.  I will be there to answer questions that any parents, especially 8th grade parents, may have.  On Wednesday, we will hold a “Shadow Day” for the private school students.  I am sorry that public school kids cannot attend. 

The reason that we must market our school is that it is important to keep our enrollment up.  Ideally, I would like to have around 1,800 students.  This allows us to keep all of our programs, all of our current teachers and explore new opportunities.  If enrollment drops, we start losing some of that ability.

While it is important that our school puts together events, mailings and positive public relations materials, it is more important that people in the community speak highly of PVHS.  Parents and students should not hesitate to brag about our school, our positive programs and the overall experience our students are having.  Please pass the word that PVHS is a strong academic school and good place to be.

We have a few announcements:

• I’d like to congratulate Augie O’Hern for a successful donation drive in support of the Toberman House of San Pedro. 
• Our boys and girls soccer teams are off to great starts.  Our boys beat St. John Boscoe yesterday in a 5-4 game.
• We are attempting the first ever PVHS LipDub on Friday.  If you don’t know what a LipDub is, you can look it up on YouTube.  Many high schools have performed these and theya re great ways to build school spirit and showcase our kids.  It will be posted on the website sometime over the break.  We will have a special bell schedule Friday as it is a minimum day.
• Interims will be mailed home next week for students in danger of getting a D or F.

Thank you for another great week at PVHS.  Have a good weekend.

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

December 2, 2011

Dear Sea Kings,

I am very proud to highlight the numerous achievements of our students this week.  In most schools, principals would be happy to have this all happen in a year.  PVHS students impressed us in just about every possible way this week and I want to take a moment to recognize all of them. 

As many of you may have heard, the Cross Country teams won the Division III state championship last weekend in Fresno.  This is only the sixth time in CIF history that this has been done.  Our teams were led by coaches Brian Shapiro, Jeff Atkinson and Alex Broughton.  I cannot say enough about the hard work, dedication and class with which these teams conduct themselves.  Tomorrow, seniors Rebecca Mehra and Jonah Diaz will represent PVHS at the National Cross Country Championships in Oregon which is sponsored by Nike.  We wish them the very best of luck and know that they will make PVHS proud.  For more information on the Cross Country team, please go to:
http://www.pvhigh.com/athletics/athletics_XC_champions.html

Equally as impressive, senior Kelsey Lee was recognized by the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts as a National Finalist in the YoungArts program.  Kelsey’s work has been in the area of architectural design.  Out of 5,000 applicants, Kelsey was one of 150 selected to be finalists.  Even more impressive, Kelsey is the first finalist in the Visual Arts category from California since 2005.  Kelsey will attend a week long workshop in Miami taught by some of the most renowned artists in the country, including Frank Gehry.  If Kelsey is selected to be a national winner, she will be given a significant scholarship as well as the opportunity to meet President Obama.  We are all very proud of Kelsey and the strong work that she is doing. 

In Mock Trial, our very own Senior, Nick Spelta earned Defense Attorney of the Year for the County of Los Angeles! This is a huge honor. The County Board of Supervisors will formally recognize this accomplishment. Although the team did not advance as far as anticipated, having the ONLY DEFENSE ATTORNEY OF THE YEAR from Palos Verdes High School is pretty remarkable. Spelta exemplifies the talent of the 29 team members.

On November 26 and 27 the two PVHS students sailed in the Honolulu Bay in beautiful waters and gusty winds (38 knots windshifts) in 17 races against 17 other high schools.  After two days of intense sailing, Casper Poiesz and Ariana Amberg made 2nd Place in the Gold Fleet, four points behind the 1st place winner, Corona Del Mar. Casper and Ariana managed to continuously stay in the race at the heels of Corona del Mar. With heavy gusty wind shifts the race course was challenging but due to focus, intense hiking (which requires sailors to be in top physical condition), and good team work the Sea Kings ended 2nd Place overall. 

This past Tuesday, November 29, the Sea King Surf Team defeated Redondo 91-78 in a South Bay Surf League event at Torrance Beach.  Top performers of the day for the surf team were:

• Luke Petty - 1st place boys shortboard
• Justin Palmer - 2nd place boys shortboard
• Michael Willigrod - 2nd place boys shortboard
• Jessie Rowan - 1st place girls shortboard
• Max Allen - 2nd place boys longboard
• Will Borzi - 1st place bodyboard
• Joe Marian - 1st place boys shortboard
• Jessie Rowan - 1st place girls longboard
• Will Borzi - 1st place boys shortboard
• Derek Daigneault - 2nd place boys shortboard

During your holiday shopping, keep in mind the option of buying from American companies. If interested, you can visit www.madeinusa.org for more information on locations of stores and companies that manufacture in the United States.

This week, PVHS also held its second activity to follow up on the great progress made during Challenge Day.  During the 12 Days of change, students are making a pledge to positively impact the PVHS campus such as saying hi to at least one new person on campus each day, pick up trash on the ground, stop the gossiping and simply treating people better.  Students have been great about keeping the messages of Challenge Day alive and I believe that it continues to make a definite positive impact on our school culture.

Thank you for a great week at PVHS!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

November 23, 2011

Dear Sea Kings,

Three day weeks are great.  Sometimes I wish they could all be like this!

Really quickly, congratulations to the PVHS Cross Country teams.  Both the Boys and Girls teams won their CIF Section Championship last weekend.  This is only the second time that one school has held both the boys and girls championship at the same time.  Congratulations to Coach Shapiro, Coach Atkinson and Coach Broughton and of course, all of their great kids.  We wish them all the best of luck this weekend when they both compete for a state championship in Fresno on Saturday.

A few quick announcements…

• The Drama Department announces auditions for this year's spring musical The Wedding Singer December 12 th and 13 th. Info meeting at lunch on Wednesday, November 30 th, in the OAR. For more information, visit www.pvhsdrama.com. Hope to see you there!
• Good luck to the PVHS sailing team who has qualified to compete in the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association's Invitational Regatta on November 27 and 28 at the Hawaii Yacht Club in Honolulu Hawaii.  Go Sea Kings!!
• Hats for the Homeless – Los Hermanos Green is donating hats, socks and gloves for the homeless in Los Angeles.  They will be delivering items December 11th.  Please drop off items you wish to donate to the PVHS ASB room.

I would also like to thank the PVHS PTSA.  This week, they approved over $60,000 in donations to go directly into our classrooms.  Each year, PTSA is directly responsible for keeping our outstanding programs going.  Everything from art supplies, to new books to science experiment materials is generously paid for by the PTSA.  We are very grateful for their support and every other person and organization that donates to make PVHS better.

I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

GO SEA KINGS!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

November 18, 2011

Dear Sea Kings,

We were very fortunate this week to host an assembly that addressed distracted teen driving.  The assembly, which was sponsored by the CHP, featured a very moving speaker who lost her son in a distracted driving accident.  Her son was a football star, honors student and very popular.  He died in a car accident two weeks before his senior year of high school started.  It was amazing to see our students as they listened to her story.  We had about 1,000 kids in the gym and each one of them was silent while she spoke.  Later that evening, she spoke to a group of parents.  There has been a lot of positive feedback from both presentations.  I hope that this assembly showed our students how split second decisions have huge consequences on a great number of people’s lives, especially when it comes to driving cars.  We are very grateful to Martha, the CHP and Impact Teen Driving for bringing this assembly to PVHS at no cost.  We hope to have them back soon.

I would like to recognize our boys’ water polo team for making to the semifinals of CIF playoffs.  They lost a hard played game to Damien.  As everyone hopefully knows, our football team has their first playoff game tonight at Mira Costa High School.  The game starts at 7:00 and we are playing Hart.  Please come out to support the Sea Kings.  Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for kids.  ASB cars DO NOT work.

The cross country CIF championships are tomorrow at Mt. SAC.  The races start at 9:45 for girls and 10:45 for boys.  Are teams are very, very good and it should be a great day for the Sea Kings.

In the music department, jazz plays on Friday December 2nd.  Orchestra is on Thursday December 8th.  Both are at 7PM in the MPR.  Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for students, children and military. Our drama department has three more performances of Lend me a Tenor.  They have done an amazing job on this play!  Visit www.pvhsdrama.com for tickets.

The surf team is doing great…

Wednesday, 11/16, the Sea King Surf Team defeated El Segundo 103-65 at the Hermosa Pier.  It was another solid performance by Palos Verdes.

Top finishes of the day went to:

Mike Willigrod - 1st place boys shortboard
Will Borzi - 1st place boys shortboard
Luke Petty - 2nd place boys shortboard
Jessica Duston - 1st place girls shortboard
Jessie Rowan - 2nd place girls shortboard
Derek Daigneault - 2nd place boys longboard
Will Borzi - 1st place bodyboard
Joe Marian - 2nd place bodyboard
Jessie Rowan - 1st place girls longboard
Jessica Duston - 2nd place girls longboard
Joe Marian - 1st place boys shortboard
Derek Daigneault - 2nd place boys shortboard
Justin Palmer - 1st place boys shortboard
Zach Klein - 2nd place boys shortboard
The Sea King Surf Team scored some super fun waves Monday at the SBSL multi-team event in Hermosa Beach.
We finished 2nd overall out of the top 6 schools in the league.
Top individual heat finishes of the day go to... 
Jessie Rowan - 1st place girl's shortboard
Derek Daigneault  - 1st place boy's shortboard
Zach Klein - 2nd place boy's shortboard
Brendan Heffernan - 2nd place boy's longboard
Keenan Skelton - 2nd place boy's shortboard
Jessica Duston - 1st place girl's shortboard
Mike Willigrod - 2nd place boy's shortboard
Derek Daigneault - 1st place boy's longboard
Jessie Rowan - 2nd place girl's longboard

Have a great weekend!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

November 4, 2011

Dear Sea Kings,

Today at 2:45, our varsity football team will take on the Redondo Sea Hawks.  PV and Redondo are the last two undefeated teams in the Bay League and today’s winner will likely win the league.  Come out to the stadium this afternoon to support the Sea Kings.  Yesterday, the freshman football team beat Redondo to improve to 9-0.  The future is indeed bright for PVHS football.

In other sports, girls volleyball team finished 3rd in the Bay League and will move on to the first round of CIF playoffs next week.  Girls tennis also did very well this season, finishing 2nd to Peninsula in the Bay League.  Riley Morgan, Nicole Scotten, Daron Wong and Hannah Rees competed Wed at the Jack Kramer Club with Riley making it to the semi finals.  In the doubles matches, Riley Morgan/Nicole Scotten and Andrea Gerber/Ali Mar both made it to the Semi Finals.

Boys Cross Country won the Bay League and promises to make a run at the state title.  Girls Cross Country finished 2nd place in the Bay League to state powerhouse Redondo.  This was the first time our girls finished ahead of Mira Costa and they too will make a great run at CIF and state titles.  Girls golf finished first place in the Ocean League.  We are very proud of all of our Sea King athletes.

Boys Water Polo also won the Bay League yesterday with a win over Peninsula.  They should make an impressive run at a CIF title as well.

It is important to remember that our students represent our school in their daily lives, not only when they are on campus, but at all times.  It disappointed me to hear that several of our PVHS students were involved in an ugly incident on Halloween night at a private home.  While there is an ongoing investigation, it is apparent that alcohol played a significant role in the behavior of the students.  I cannot give specific details, but I have been assured that there will be severe consequences for the students involved.  Not only am I disappointed in the students for their actions, I am extremely disappointed in the parents that allowed a group of students to drink alcohol at their home, while they were present, on a Monday night.  I hope that we can all learn from this and avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

A few updates:

• The PVHS newsletter, volume 1, is available at http://www.pvhigh.com/pdf/PVHS_Newsletter_Issue_01_201110.pdf

• On Tuesday the Girls' F/S, JV and Varsity Volleyball teams played their last league games of the season and each team won their games against Peninsula High School! Their final standings in the Bay League are fantastic. F/S came in 2nd place, Varsity came in 3rd place and for the first time in the history of PV High Girls' Volleyball, the Junior Varsity team took first place in the Bay League! Congratulations to everyone for an outstanding season.

• Lend Me a Tenor – The PVHS fall play will open November 11 and run through November 20.  Please go to www.pvhsdrama.com for more information.

• On a blustery day at the River Course in Solvang, PVHS battled to a third place finish in the CIF-Southern Section Team Finals and secured their first trip to the CIF-WSCGA next week. Elizabeth Doty shot a 1-under-par 71, the beat score of the tournament, to propel PV to a 394, just 3 strokes behind the winner, Palm Desert. In addition Roxanne Mata shot a 78, Mackenzie Perez a 79, Sophie Bergland and Jacqueline Cootes both shot 83s.  The CIF WSCGA Southern California Regional will be held on Thursday. 11/10/11 at the Golf Club at Rancho California, in Murrieta.

• Free Tutoring! National Honor Society Students will be offering free tutoring to students on a drop in basis at lunch every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in room 202.

Finally, I would like to thank our students and staff for a successful Halloween at school on Monday.  Students consistently following the guidelines in all areas and teachers were great about enforcing them.  I realize that there may have been some costumes that pushed the limits of our rules, but overall, our kids did a great job compared to past years.  If any parents or students have any questions about why some costumes were allowed, please feel free to e-mail me to set up an appointment to discuss your concerns.

Have a great weekend and GO SEA KINGS!!!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

October 28, 2011

Dear Sea Kings,

This has been yet another fantastic week at Palos Verdes High School.  It is a privilege to work with these students and teachers on a daily basis.  Our students’ passion to learn and make their school and world a better place is truly inspiring and I thank them for that.  They make my job fun each and every day.  As we close the first quarter of school, it is healthy to reflect back at all that we have done in the last two months and celebrate the wonderful school we have.

I would like to remind people to make sure you vote on November 8th.  There are critical issues on this election’s ballot to our school district and our school specifically.  It is very important that no matter what your opinion on the issues, people make their voices heard through their votes.  Please make sure that you get you, your friends and your 18 year old children to get out there and vote on November 8th.

A few updates:

• SKECHER’S PIER TO PIER WALK FOR PEF THIS WEEKEND, SUNDAY 10/30, 8am/9am.  IF YOU REGISTERED, YOU MAY PRE-CHECK IN AT EQUINOX AT THE PROMENADE MALL FRIDAY OR SATURDAY 10AM-7PM AND GET AN EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP SUNDAY MORNING!  PLEASE JOIN THE PVHS TEAM ~ Come out for a day of exercise (at the beach no less!), fresh air, camaraderie with PVHS students, staff and families, and support a great cause: The Friendship Circle and Peninsula Education Foundation.  If you haven’t yet registered, visit the website www.skechersfriendshipwalk.com and join the "PVHS Team." If you can't physically be there on the day of the walk, register to "virtually" walk in spirit and still help us out! Remember to designate PEF as the charity of choice so the $25 registration fee will come directly back to PEF, our schools! Day of event registration goes up to $30. Sign up now!
• SAVE THE DATE!  Financial Aid Night is Thursday, November 3 at 6:30 pm in the Gym.  This presentation will cover four main topics relating to financial aid: the types of financial aid that are available, how schools determine eligibility for financial aid, how to apply for financial aid and scholarship searches.  Jessica Medina from the Financial Aid Office at USC will be presenting this important information. This event is targeted for parents of juniors/seniors but all are welcome.
• Equinox has partnered with dance team and from 8am to 8:45am we have yoga.  $5 donations and healthy food and drinks will be sold after for breakfast.
• The Girls' JV Volleyball team did it again and walked away with a win against Mira Costa in three games last Wednesday. This outstanding JV team is the first of any of the PV Girls' Volleyball teams to beat Mira Costa in about 10 years! Way to go Sea Kings Last Friday, F/S, JV and Varsity all won against West High on our home court. The most nail-biting game came from the F/S team as they came from behind in the third game serving six straight points to take the game.  On Tuesday, all three teams played some exceptional volleyball matches against Redondo Union. F/S won in two games, JV won in three games and Varsity pulled a stunning victory in four very exciting games!  The last volleyball matches of the year will take place at Peninsula High School on Tuesday, November 1st starting at 3:15. Let's rally Sea Kings and cheer our girls onto victory!
• Varsity Girls Tennis - Bay League -  PV High finishes a strong season in 2nd Place.  This past weekend at the Dana Hills Tennis Coastal Championships - Team placed 7th out of 16 Teams.
• Today, the Girls Varsity Golf Team played in the first round of CIF-SS Central Team Divisional at Jurupa Hills Country Club in Riverside.  Only 4 out of 25 teams advance and I am happy to say we came in 2nd Place with an overall score of 384.  Mackenzie Perez lead the team with a 73, Elizabeth Doty 74, Sophie Bergland 77, Jacqueline Cootes 78, Natalie Mu 82, and Roxanne Matta with a 84.  The girls played great and now we advance to the next round which will take place in Solvang, CA on Thursday, November 3rd. 
• AVID Car Wash tomorrow (Saturday) from 9am to noon. Bring change for homemade bake sale items. Stick around for some live music at the Car Wash Concert as well. AVID thanks everyone for purchasing tickets. Proceeds help pay for tutor expenses throughout the year.
• Independent study time logs and essays are due to Ms. Stevenson in the main office ASAP.

Halloween, like Homecoming, can be another way to show that PVHS is making positive strides in the way of school culture.  I expect that all students are respectful and courteous to each other, that they come to school to learn and that they follow instructions on Halloween.  Last year, everything went great.  I hope to keep up the same great work this year.  For a list of Halloween regulations and rules, please see the following: http://www.pvhigh.com/student_life/pdf/life_Hallowen.pdf

We have a football game at West tonight.  Our team is ranked #3 in the area by the Daily Breeze.  After beating Mira Costa last week for the first time in three years, we are on track to do amazing things this season.  Please come out and support your Sea Kings (unless you are a student who ran on the field last week) tonight at West Torrance High School.

Have a great weekend!

Thank you,
Nick Stephany, Ed.D.

October 21, 2011

Dear Sea Kings:

It has been a very eventful week at PVHS. Before I talk about Challenge Day, I would like to let parents and students know that there was a small fire on campus today. The fire occurred in the patio area outside of the ceramics room. Students and teachers were immediately evacuated to the football field. The upper part of campus was cleared within two minutes. The fire department arrived within about five minutes and made sure that the fire was out and there was no danger. Students were back to class about 15 minutes after initially being evacuated. I would like to thank our staff and faculty for their professional response. The students were great as well, following all directions and staying clam. The evacuation went better than any drill.

This week, we had three days of Challenger Day at PVHS. Challenge Day was probably the most amazing experience I have been through on a high school campus. While it is difficult to describe what happens during Challenge Day, I have received many, many emails and phone calls from students and parents thanking PVHS for the experience of Challenge Day. I would like to thank Kristen Huber and Trista Ramirez for all of their incredible work to not only bring Challenge Day to PVHS, but to organize the event over the last three days. It was a major undertaking and these two people made it look easy. Challenge Day would not have been possible without the financial support of the PTSA and Booster Club. These organizations went above and beyond to bring a quality, worthwhile program to PVHS. In addition to PTSA and Booster Club, Mary Fujisaki personally fundraised over $3,500 to assist with the different costs associated with the program.

A few updates:

• PVHS GOLF IS THE OCEAN LEAGUE TITLE HOLDERS!!! WE DID IT!!!! WE BEAT TORRANCE TUESDAY AT PALOS VERDES COUNTRY CLUB!!
  Our Varsity Girls Golf Team defeated Torrance 180-188. Unbelievable rounds by Sophie Bergland shot 2 under par for a 33, Elizabeth Doty and Mackenzie Perez shot 35's, Natalie Mu shot 38, Jacqueline Cootes 39, Roxanne Matta 41, Leslie Robertshaw 44 and Haley Lundberg 58.
• Thursday, we played at Lakewood Country Club for Ocean & Bay League Individual Finals. Our team had a great showing today. Palos Verdes had 3 of our girls advance to the next level of CIF Individuals, which take place on October 31st. Some really great scores but only 9 spots out of 24 from the Ocean League advance. Elizabeth Doty took 2nd place with a one under par 73, Mackenzie Perez took 7th place with a 75, and Jacqueline Cootes took 8th place with a 76. Other players Sophie Bergland lost 9th place in a 6 hole playoff with a 77, Roxanne Matta with a 83, Natalie Mu with a 84, and Leslie Robertshaw with a 93.
• P.V. High School, 2010-2011's 1st Place and Overall Champion School in the Orange County Interscholastic Equestrian League (OCIEL), continued collecting winning ribbons competing in the first two shows of the season, Saturday, October 8th and Sunday, October 9th at the Oaks in San Juan Capistrano, resulting in first place team finishes for both days. The 21-member team, made up of English Hunter/Jumper riders, Dressage, and Western riders in Novice and Limit, are competing against 58 schools and hundreds of riders from all areas of Orange County and the South Bay. Other South Bay schools include Peninsula H.S., Chadwick, and Mira Costa H.S. Due to solid team member performances all around, P.V. won the Novice Hunters Division School Champion ribbon on both Saturday and Sunday, the Western Novice Division School Champion on both Saturday and Sunday, and JV Division School Reserve Champion on Saturday and Champion on Sunday. Standout team member performances include Julianna Farrow, who won Western Novice Individual Champion on both Saturday and Sunday, Taylor Golden winning the Novice Medal on Saturday and the Novice Hunter Individual Reserve Champion on Sunday, and Taylor Moore the JV Jumpers Individual Reserve Champion on Sunday. The next OCIEL shows are scheduled for November 5th and 6th.
• FINANCIAL AID NIGHT is Thursday, November 3 at 6:30 pm in the Gym. This presentation will cover four main topics relating to financial aid: the types of financial aid that are available, how schools determine eligibility for financial aid, how to apply for financial aid and scholarship searches. Jessica Medina from the Financial Aid Office at USC will be presenting this important information. This event is targeted for parents of juniors/seniors but all are welcome.
• PVHS Marching Band placed 3rd at their final marching competition of the season at Rowland High School.

The "challenge" of Challenge Day will be to keep the momentum going. Every student and adult that participated pledged to do everything they can to make PVHS a more accepting, compassionate and kinder school. It is easy to make this pledge after an emotional day; it is quite different to live it. Our goal, for the 2011-2012 school year, will be to keep the lessons we learned in Challenge Day at the forefront of our thinking. PVHS invested too much time, money and effort into this to let it be a passing fad. It is important that PVHS starts to "be the change" that we all discussed in Challenge Day. Again, I'd like to thank the supporters, students and staff members that made Challenge Day a reality. I hope that the lessons learned in Challenge Day can become a permanent part of the PVHS culture.

Our football team is playing Mira Costa tonight. Mira Costa was the Bay League champion last year. This will be a big game for our team and school tonight. Please come out to support the Sea Kings at 7:00 tonight at Mira Costa.

Have a great weekend!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.
Principal

October 14, 2011

Dear Sea Kings,

The Homecoming football game and dance are nearly upon us.  This has been a very spirited week at PVHS with two pep rallies, the nominations and elections of the homecoming court as well as the wonderful decorations that the ASB kids have put up.  There has been great participation in school activities this year and I encourage all of the kids and families to come out to the football game today to support our Sea Kings.  The game will begin at 3:00.  We are playing the Leuzinger Olympians.  Following the football game, there will be a dance for students in the PVHS gym.  This year, we are asking that students dress and act appropriately.  While we want kids to have fun and enjoy themselves, we need to remember that this is a school function.  Kids that are not dressed appropriately or are acting poorly will be asked to leave the dance.  Parents, please speak to your children about conducting themselves in a respectable manner and representing themselves and their families in the best possible way.  While the dress code is new to PVHS this year, it is not different than any other school in the area.  My hope is that the kids come to the game and the dance, participate in the activities, have fun but do so in a safe, respectful and appropriate manner.

General Announcements

1. Reminder:  picture retakes from Lifetouch on Monday, October 17 from 7:00-9:30 in the MPR.

2. Challenge Day is coming to PVHS Oct 18, 19 & 20.  Please see Mrs. Huber in room 301 if students would like to participate.

3. Late Start on Wednesday, Oct 19.  WASC focus groups will be meeting.

Athletics

1. Yesterday was a great day for PV cross country. Just a few days after a race in Texas, the Sea Kings had a banner day in a competition against all of the Bay League schools on our home course in the heat. The girls were lead by Rebecca Mehra who won the race and Cassidy Webber, Sierra Ponthier, Kylie Butler, and Skylar Thiel scored well for the girls team which finished 2nd, their best finish ever and they recorded their first ever win against Mira Costa. The boys were dominant in winning the 2nd league meet. The boys have not lost a league race since 2008. The day belonged to Jonah Diaz as he beat the course record by 30 seconds! Justin Unno, Ryland Dreibelbis, Mark Sidor, and Daniel Rieger rounded out the scoring for the boys team.
2. What a great day for the Sea King Surf Team on Saturday at the South Bay Surf League Kick-Off Classic.  The surf team competed against the other high school teams here in the South Bay.  Making it to the finals in their respected divisions were:  Boys Longboard - Max Allen - 2nd Place, Capt. Derek Daigneault - 4th Place Girls Shortboard - Jessica Duston - 1st Place, Jessie Rowan - 3rd Place Bodyboard - Joe Marian - 5th Place Girls Longboard - Jessie Rowan - 2nd Place, Jessica Duston - 4th Place.
3. Junior Elizaberth Doty shot 2 under par 34, Cootes and Perez shot 39, Bergland and Matta shot 40, Mu 43 and Robertshaw 46.  Total score was 192-187.  Wednesday, October 5th was cancelled to due rain and so the match is rescheduled now for Tuesday October 18th at PV Country Club.  Also last Thursday, October 6th we participated in the Debell Burbank Girls Invitational Golf Tournament.  Our team took 1st Place with Sophomore Mackenzie Perez shooting 2 under par 34, Sophomore Sophie Bergland shooting even 36, Doty with a 39 and Cootes with a 43.  October 10th we participated in the Ayala Girls High School Golf Tournament at Los Serranos Golf Course.  Our team took 2nd Place in the Tournament with Sophie Bergland shooting 3 over par 77, Jacqueline Cootes and Natalie Mu shooting 79, Mackenzie Perez 82, Roxanne Matta 83 and Leslie Robertshaw 95.
4. The PVHS Volleyball team had a great match against Peninsula last night winning 3 games to 0.  Peninsula played a great match and we were fortunate to come away with a win. 

Band

1. The PVHS Marching Band placed 3rd out of 5 in the John F Kennedy High School SCSBOA Marching Band Competition. They will be attending competition at Rowland High School on Saturday, October 15th.

2. The PVHS Advanced Jazz Band performed at the Peninsula Music Fair at the Botanic Gardens on Sunday. If you missed it, the next opportunity to see them perform with be at their Winter Concert in the MPR on December 2nd.

Some of you may have noticed our brand new electronic PVHS sign in front of our school.  We would like to thank the PVHS Booster Club for covering the cost of this sign and its installation.  The sign is a welcome addition to our campus that not only cleans up the front of the school, but gives the administration yet another way of communicating information to our students.  I would like to thank Tom O’Hern for all of his help in deciding on the sign and arranging the installation.  I would also like to thank JP Jones for all of his help with the technical parts of the sign.  Not only has JP helped us with the sign, he was instrumental in the sound system for the football field.  Both JP and Tom continue to go above and beyond to help our students. 

Have a great weekend!

Go Sea Kings!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D
Principal

October 7, 2011

There are certain things that happen in the course of the year that have a profound effect on students both in a positive and negative way.  This week, our community of Palos Verdes experienced a tragic event that claimed the life of one of our own.  Although Annamay was a student at Peninsula High School, her loss has had a significant effect on our students and staff.  As a Rancho Vista and PVIS student, Annamay made friendships with many students that are now Sea Kings and we all realized how easily this event could have happened to any one of us.  I hope that through our grieving process, we take the time to be thankful for what we have, to cherish relationships between parents and students and to recognize that we are all one community.  Our collective heart goes out to the Naef family for their loss.

While there is absolutely no definitive word on whether the driver could have prevented this accident, we must constantly remind ourselves to use extreme caution when driving.  In recent weeks, there have been numerous reports of PVHS students and parents driving poorly around campus and on the way to school.  It should not take a tragic event to remind us to be safe behind the wheel.  Parents, please talk with your kids about safe driving.  More importantly, model good driving for your kids.  There is nothing worse than what Annamay’s family is going through and I want to make sure we do everything we can to prevent future tragedies. 

A few updates:

Arts

• The art department will be hosting the "SeaKing Artists" Festival on Saturday, November 5, 2011 from 10am-12:30 pm. This free event is open to students 6-12 grade and pre-registration is required. Visit http://www.pvhigh.com/academics/seaking_artists_festival.html for information on the seminars that will be offered that day and to register. Participants will get hands on experience in the visual and performing arts. This will be a fun event for all involved. If you have questions regarding the event, e-mail Kathleen Mastan at mastank@pvpusd.k12.ca.us.
• The PVHS Marching Band placed 3rd at the South Bay Marching Band Field Tournament on October 1st, Colorguard earned a 2nd place trophy.  They will be competing at the John F Kennedy Marching Band Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 8th.
• PVHS Music Department Ruby's Night is on Thursday, Oct. 13th.

Athletics

• The PVHS Equestrian Team met for its Annual Fall Family Dinner Get-Together at Coach Rob Stefan’s house on Saturday, Sept. 24th to kick off the 2011-2012 riding season.  This year the team has 21 members who will represent PVHS in the Orange County Interscholastic Equestrian League (OCIEL) sponsored horse shows held at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano.  Upcoming show dates are: October 8 & 9, November 5 & 6, December 10 & 11 and January 14 & 15, 2012.  The PVHS Equestrian Team members, Coach Rob Stefan and the team parents are all looking forward to a great year of competing in both Western, English and Dressage riding disciplines
• PV High Sailing Team competed in their first regatta of the season last weekend in Monterey at the PCISA Sea Otter Regatta.  Gold Team came in 5th place out of 26 High Schools.  Congrats to Chris Vilicich, Arianna Amberg, Casper Poiesz and Alex Smith.  Silver Team placed  19th out of 27 teams thanks to Jessica McJones, Jocelyn Foust, Vanessa Foust, Will Nodvick, Caroline Salas, Jazz Cobian, and John Frank.  Great job Sea Kings!
• Our Varsity Girls Golf Team shot their best low round league match ever against Beverly Hills at Palos Verdes Country Club.  Junior Elizaberth Doty shot 3 under par 32, Sophomore Mackenzie Perez shot even 35, Sophomore Sophie Bergland 37, Senior Jacqueline Cootes shot 38, and Natalie Mu and Roxanne Matta 40's to beat Beverly Hills by 70 strokes with 182-252.  Pretty impressive match!!   Tuesday, there is a match at Los Verdes and Wednesday at Palos Verdes Country Club for a shot at the league title.
• Kelsey and Palos Verdes High School is listed on the ESPN website below because she has been ranked the #4 girls basketball player in the state of California.  Click on the website, then scroll down and it will be listed near the bottom on the right side.  Go Sea Kings!  http://espn.go.com/losangeles/teams/preps/index
• Freshman football improved their record to a perfect 5-0 in non league games!  League games starts next week.
• Girls Tennis - Varsity - Strong League Play this week. Won against West Torrance 13 -5. Won against Redondo 16- 2 !
  NEXT WEEK - BIG RIVALRY MATCHE AGAINST PEN at PV HIGH - THURS OCT 13, 2:30... COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE GIRLS !!!!

Other Announcements

• We will be doing Vision and Hearing for all 10th grade students on Monday October 17th. If you do NOT want your child tested please inform the health office in writing prior to Oct 17th.
• College Day is Wednesday, October 12 (NO LATE START
• The level down deadline is Friday, October 14.
• Challenge Days are October 18, 19, 20.

REFLECTIONS 2011-12

The deadline is approaching! All entries are due next Friday, October 14, 2011, 3:00 pm sharp!  The theme is "Diversity Means…."
There are 6 categories to choose from - Visual Arts, Music, Dance/Choreography, Photography, Literature, and Film/Video.  Entry forms and guidelines are available on EDLINE and on CAPTA.org. A limited number of forms will be available in the school library.  Certificates of participation and awards will be given. A Reflections award will enhance your College applications!

For more information contact the Reflection Co-chairs:
Irene Alvarai   alvarai@yahoo.com
Kelly Ely         Kelly.j.ely@cox.net
TinTin tintindel@aol.com

I would like to thank our College and Career Center staff, consisting of Teri Kuwahara and Teresa Hoffman for all of their incredible work in helping our students to have the best opportunities possible for higher education.  This week alone, 38 Colleges visited PVHS to showcase their schools to our students.  Often, the Colleges send the actual admission officers, which will read our students’ actual applications, to meet our students, explain their programs and assist our kids in the process.  Teri and Teresa both work tirelessly to not only bring in 38 Colleges this week, but to then put on College Day next week.  Without their help, our students would not have the same opportunities that they do. 

Have a great weekend!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.
Principal

September 30, 2011

Dear Sea Kings:

This has been yet another fantastic week at PVHS.  Our football team has a bye this week, but was ranked #4 in the area in the Daily Breeze today and we learned that 27 of our students were National Merit Scholarship Commended students and Semifinalists.  We are very proud of all of our students’ achievements on the fields and in the classrooms.  We have truly remarkable students, teachers and coaches. 

Our WASC accreditation self study is moving along very nicely.  We had our Focus group meetings for the second time this week.  These meetings were very productive.  As we move through the WASC process, it is important to remember that the self study is an honest look at our school and an opportunity to identify areas of improvement.  Your input is vital to this process.  Please take 5 minutes to complete our WASC student and parent survey.  It can be found at: 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PVHSWASC

I would like to thank the PTSA for their amazing lunch today that they served for our staff.  Our staff is very thankful for the support and care of our parent community.

There are a lot of announcements this week and I have tried to organize them by department.

PTSA

1. The manager of Casa Playa (which supplied the burritos for back to school night) also runs Pedone's in Riviera Village.  He has offered to hold a PVHS night on October 4, 2011, and give back 20% to the PTSA. the address to Pedone's Pizza and Deli,  1819 South Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach.

2. REFLECTIONS 2011-12 - Unleash your artistic talents and send in your entry NOW!  Deadline for entries is Friday October 14, 2011.  The theme is "Diversity Means….".  There are 6 categories to choose from - Visual Arts, Music, Dance/Choreography, Photography, Literature, and Film/Video.  Entry forms and guidelines are available on EDLINE and on CAPTA.org. A limited number of forms will be available in the school library.  Certificates of participation and awards will be given. A Reflections award will enhance your College applications!

For more information contact the Reflection Co-chairs:
Irene Alvarai   alvarai@yahoo.com
Kelly Ely         Kelly.j.ely@cox.net
TinTin tintindel@aol.com

MUSIC/ARTS

3. Congratulations to Nick Harrington and the PVHS Marching Band Food Drive. In just two weeks, they collected around 1500 lbs. of food, and raised over $2000. All of the food and proceeds will go to the L.A. Food Bank, which will use their donations to feed hundreds of hungry families throughout L.A. County this year. Since every dollar donated can pay for four meals, they have created roughly 8,424 meals through cash donations alone.  Thank you so much for the support we received from PVIS’s Music Department, the PVHS football community, and the local community

4. The PVHS Marching Band will be competing at the West Field Tournament at West High School on Saturday, October 1st. This is the first marching competition our PVHS Marching Band has ever attended.  Everyone is encouraged to attend their performance at 5pm on the West High Football Field.

5. Auditions for the Fifth Annual PVHS Music Department Honors Recital are being held on Wednesday, Oct. 19th in room 321. An informational meeting is being held in room 321 on Tuesday, Oct. 4th at lunch. Please direct any questions or comments to Shellie Parkinson at Parkinson@pvpusd.k12.ca.us. More information can be found on the PVHS Music Department website: www.pvhsmusicdepartment.webs.com

6. Come out this Sunday, October 9th, at 11:00 am, to South Coast Botanic Garden to support your jazz bands as they participate in The Peninsula Music Promenade.   Jazz and pep bands from Peninsula High, PV High, South High, Narbonne High and Young Musicians Performance Academy will all be there to entertain you.  The Peninsula High School Intermediate Jazz Band will perform at 11am and the Advanced Jazz Band II will perform at noon.  Palos Verdes High School Jazz Band II will perform at 1pm.  To add to the fun, Twist Burgers gourmet mobile food truck will be there offering its delicious burgers and franks for sale.  Admittance to the performance is free to everyone 18 and under, $10 for those over 18.  Check www.pvpen4LAPhil.org for more details.  Let’s show our school spirit and support our bands!

ATHLETICS

7. Well we are starting off our week very nicely, the Varsity Girls Golf Team had one an amazing low score round yesterday, Tuesday, September 28th against Beverly Hills at Rancho Park in Los Angeles.  Senior Jacqueline Cootes and Junior Elizabeth Doty each had two birdies each and finished with a one under par -  35's.  We defeated Beverly Hills with a 186-242.  Also adding to our score, Perez with 38, Matta and Bergland with a 39.  We are currently 3-0 for the league and 6-0 for non-league matches.  We will be having a non-league match this Thursday against Diamond Bar at Palos Verdes Country Club and continue with our league matches week against Beverly Hills at home on Monday.

8. Girls Tennis - Varsity- Impressive League opener win at Mira Costa 14 - 4!

9. Cross country will host a home meet tomorrow at 12:00.

COUNSELING/CCC

10. Grade change final date has been moved to Monday, October 3.  Please get all grade changes in by this date.

11. The deadline to level down in classes is October 14

12. College Admission Test Night, Thursday, October 6, 6:30 in the MPR - Parents and students are welcome to come learn about the College admission tests SAT and ACT, taken during Junior and Senior year, new requirements for Subject Tests, and how the EXPLORE (9th Grade), PLAN (10th Grade) and PSAT/NMSQT (11th Grade) make a difference in preparation for the ACT and SAT.  Guest speaker Adam Ingersoll from Compass Education returns to PVHS for this annual presentation. Questions contact Teri Kuwahara in the CCC: kuwaharat@pvpusd.k12.ca.us 

13. College Essay Workshop with Collegewise, Tuesday, October 18, 6:00 – 8:00 in the MPR - Seniors interested in seeking help with their College essays may enroll in this workshop package for PVHS students.  The fee is $199 per student that includes a 2-hour seminar, expert feedback on your first draft and final proofreading.  To register by credit card, go to: http://palosverdesessay.eventbrite.com or call Collegewise at (949) 417-1299.  Space is limited.

I hope that our students are having a positive experience at PVHS this year.  We are working on several different new and exciting programs and projects that will help improve the day to day lives of all of our students and teachers.  As we move through this year, I encourage you as parents and students to provide feedback to the PVHS administrative team.  We are relying on you to help guide the school forward to greater heights. 

Have a great weekend!
Nick Stephany, Ed.D.
Principal, PVHS

September 23, 2011

Dear Sea Kings:

Thank you to all of the parents and teachers that attended Back to School Night last night.  I hope that the night was informative and gave both teachers and parents the chance to get to know each other, put faces with names and set the ground work for a successful year at PVHS.  Back to School Night is only one of the steps that PVHS is taking to reach out to parents in order to provide open lines communication between the school and home.  A big thank you goes out to the Link Crew and ASB students that provided snacks and treats for everyone as well as Casa Playa.  The Casa Playa burritos were a big success for our PTSA and hopefully helped our parents out as they rushed from work to school.  Song Klein did a terrific job organizing this and we are very appreciative of her efforts.

This week, our Triton Yearbook was recognized with two of the most prestigious yearbook awards given by the American Scholastic Association and the National Scholastic Publications Association.  We won First Place with Special Merit, which is the highest award given and the First Class Award for the second year in a row.  I am very proud of our 62 yearbook students and Ms. Pavelka for their work that goes above and beyond to produce an excellent yearbook.  The yearbook is a great example of students writing, editing, and working together as a team in order to create a final product that is second to none.  Last year’s yearbook was very special and this year’s promises to be just as good if not better.

A few reminders:

1. Please turn in proof of verification of Tdap to health office. Deadline Friday Sept. 30th.
2. The English Department and National English Honors Society is hosting an informational workshop to inform parents and guardians about the PVHS writing process and the expectations of the English Department.  This will be held October 11 from 6:30 to 7:30.
3. The Varsity Girls Golf Team had their first League match this Tuesday, September 20th against Marlborough at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles.  Once again, they did FANTASTIC!!  Sophomore Mackenzie Perez shot 2 under par 34.  Junior Elizabeth Doty shot even 36.  Also adding to our score, Bergland with a 39, Cootes with a 40, Matta with a 44 and Mu with a 45.  Our team overall shot 193 and Marlborough had a 273. 
4. Cross Country opened it's Bay League season this Wednesday. The boys team won with an impressive perfect score taking the top 5 spots. Jonah Diaz won the individual title. Boys JV and Boys freshmen also won on the strength of individual wins from Zach Diaz and Bennett Gagnon. The boys are currently ranked 4th in the nation.
   The girls finished 3rd in the ultra-competitive Bay League just a matter of seconds behind Mira Costa and Redondo who are both ranked in the top 20 in the nation. Rebecca Mehra was the girls' individual race winner. The JV girls finished 2nd and the freshmen girls finished 4th.
   The cross country teams will next be in action at our home course for the Palos Verdes Invitational next Saturday. Come on out at 3pm and cheer on the Sea Kings!
5. The PV Rugby will host and exhibition game on Sunday, September 25 at 2:00 between USC and CSULB at the Peninsula High School football field.  The PV Rugby club is an excellent example of PV and Peninsula students working together on a common team.
6. There will be a PTSA General Meeting next week on Tuesday, September 27 at 9:15 in the PVHS MPR.  Superintendent Walker Williams will be there to discuss Measure M, the upcoming Parcel Tax measure.  All are welcome to attend.
7. The PV Chapter of the League of Women Voters and the PV PTSA Council will hold a PVPUSD School Board Candidate Forum on October 4 at 7:00 PM.  This event will take place in the community room on the Palos Verdes Main Library on Deep Valley Drive.
8. PV will be hosting a Blood Drive on Wednesday, October 5 from 8:30am to 2:30pm.  Students 16 and over, teachers, staff, parents and neighbors can all sign up to donate. All students will need to have a permission slip to donate so please go by the ASB room 301 to pick up permission slips.
   When students return the permission slip they will be given a donation time  and a pass to get out of class to donate. 
   Teachers, staff and parents who want to donate can sign up at www.redcrossblood.org.

Important Dates:

• Sept 30 – Last day to request letters of recommendation
• Oct 1 – Last day to petition for a grade change
• Oct 4 – Mini College Day (College fair) at lunch in Senior Park
• Oct 6 – College Test Information Night, 6PM, MPR
• Oct 12 – College Day
• Oct 30 – PEF Sketcher’s Pier to Pier Walk for PEF

I would like to take a minute to address some recent developments regarding our stadium field and our bleachers.  Last week, the PVPUSD Board of Education voted 5-0 to not go through with a proposal to modify the bleachers.  This means the bleachers are staying the way they currently stand.  It is our responsibility as good neighbors to work with the community to minimize the impact of the school on the neighborhood.  The PVHS staff will be holding a series of meetings to discuss the current issues that the community and PVHS can address together to develop solutions to ongoing issues.  I appreciate the community’s support of our school and look forward to better relationships going forward.

Have a great weekend,

September 16, 2011

Sea Kings:

We are on the eve of our first game in the newly completed stadium field.  Tomorrow, our Sea Kings will take on a very strong Central Fresno High School team.  This will be the first varsity football game in our new bleachers; there will be BBQ sandwiches for sale as well as other booths and activities for the fans.  Please, if you are attending the game, try to park in the upper parking lots near the school.  There will be limited parking along Epping and the residential parking zone restrictions will be in place in the surrounding neighborhood.  Please remember to be respectful of our neighbors and to represent PVHS in the best possible light.

The 2-0 freshman team will get started at 10:30 followed by JV at 1:00 and the varsity will begin at 3:30.  The Daily Breeze ranked our Sea Kings #6 in the area this morning.  We have a tough team and it will be a great game tomorrow.

A few updates and events going on around campus:

1. 29 students AVID students are in Colorado visiting Universities including Univ. of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado State University, University of Denver, and the Air Force Academy. Students also attended a Rockies game last night and will go to 6 Flags before flying home Saturday evening.  Thank you teacher chaperones Broughton, Morales, Scheerle, Kuwahara and Whalen.
2. REFLECTIONS 2011-12:  Unleash your artistic talents and send in your entry NOW! Deadline for entries is Friday October 14, 2011.  The theme is "Diversity Means…."  There are 6 categories to choose from - Visual Arts, Music, Dance/Choreography, Photography, Literature, and Film/Video. For entry forms and more details, see CAPTA.org.  Certificates of participation and awards will be given. A Reflections award will enhance your College applications.
   For more information contact the Reflection Co-chairs:
   Irene Alvarai   alvarai@yahoo.com
   Kelly Ely         Kelly.j.ely@cox.net
   TinTin tintindel@aol.com
3. The Girls Tennis team had a strong week.  They lost to Dana Hills 5-13, but beat Harvard Westlake 10-6 and OC powerhouse Corona del Mar 12-6.
4. Mr. Pinkelman, our sculpture teacher, would like to build a shaping bay near our art rooms for his surfboard shaping class.  If anyone has any expertise or experience with framing a small shed, or materials to donate, please contact Mr. Pinkelman at pinkelman@pvpusd.k12.ca.us.

Following the game tomorrow afternoon, the PVHS Booster Club will host its annual Kick Off Party at Bob and Linda Perry’s house on Paseo del Mar.  All Booster Club members are admitted at no cost.  Please help our kids and join our Booster Club.  Go to www.pvboosterclub.com to become a member.  If you can sponsor our Kick Off party for $300, we are two sponsors away from reaching our goal of 40.  Thank you so much to all of the sponsors of the party below.

Thank you to:
The Semel Family
Bill and Linda Spelta
The O'Hern Family
Karen Mills &  Kevin Hudspith
The Delcarson Family
Jeff and Christyne Watson
Peter &  Jennifer Morgan
Lucy &  Chuck Huebner
Bob &  Emiley Daly
Linda and John Tulchin
The Hazelrigg Family
Yvonne&  Bill Liu
Eric&  Margaret Wong Family
The MacLean Family
Song and David Klein
Rick and Mary Fujisaki
Tim and Carey Romer
Brian and Maureen Takahashi
The Kirkpatrick Family
Heidi and Manoj Kashyap
Helaine and Steve Lopes
Brian and Kathy Johnson
The Soldant Family
Lisa and Jeff Carter
Steve and Lisa Donahue
Frances Martin
Luana Branigan
John and Cessie Moody
Jay and Christy Abraham
The Rhendon Family
Bruce and Jaye-Jo Cooperman
Bob & Linda Perry
The McCann Family
Golden Lion Liquor
Allison and Rick Mayer
Scott Whitlock, State Farm Insurance
The Quinn Family
Katrin and Gib Cooper

Your support makes PVHS a successful place for providing the best possible education for all of our students. 

See you all tomorrow at Sea King Stadium,

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.
Principal, PVHS

September 9, 2011

Dear Sea Kings:

I am proud to announce that PVHS has made it through our second week of the new school year.  Our kids are doing a great job getting to class on time and following the school rules. 

There is a very positive atmosphere on our campus this year and in large part, this is due to our students’ performance on last year’s standardized testing measures.  I received a question about what an API score of 898 really means and a request to put this score in context.  As some may know, the API score is derived from our students’ performance on the Exit Exam, taken in the tenth grade, as well as the California Standards Tests (CSTs) taken by 9th through 11th grades in April and May.  Both high schools in PVPUSD had the same API score this year, the first time that has happened.  Our schools out-performed other schools in the area.  We were higher than Torrance schools, El Segundo and Redondo.  However, we still trail Mira Costa, which scored 911 and other high-performing schools such as La Canada, San Marino and Oak Park.  These schools scored at about 920 or higher.

My goal as principal is to work in a collaborative nature with Peninsula High School and the district office so that we can both raise our scores to the 900 level and beyond.  These scores are not a competition; the education of children is not a contest.  We must all work together in order to share best practices, collaborate and deliver the best possible education for all students.

There are a few updates to cover:

1. PV Marching Band is holding a food and fund drive starting Monday, September 12th, through Friday, September 23rd to help the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. This is a fantastic chance to make a difference in our community. They will be collecting non-perishable food items and cash donations. Look for the Food Bank Donation bins in the counseling office, main office, library, and music room, and at our home football games. You can also donate funds online in their Virtual Food Drive. Go to the PVHS website for the link. Thanks for your help!
2. Please continue to turn in proof of your child's Tdap vaccine TO THE HEALTH OFFICE. You can also sign a waiver in the health office if you do not want your child to receive the vaccine. Deadline is Sept. 30th
3. Tuesday, the Girls Varsity Golf Team (Ocean League) won their first practice match against Peninsula (Bay League) with a total of 213 and Peninsula 224 at Palos Verdes Country Club.  Thursday, September 8th the Girls Varsity Golf Team (Ocean League) won their second practice match against Peninsula (Bay League) with a total of 206 and Peninsula 224 at Palos Verdes Country Club. Also yesterday was the very first time our Junior Varsity team defeated Peninsula with a total 210 and Peninsula 218 at The Links at Terranea.  The team has many returning players and looking forward to another great season and a CIF Title. 
4. The PVHS Booster Club meeting has been moved to Monday, September 12.  The meeting starts at 6:30 and will be held in the PVHS Library.
5. PVHS has completed a brand new school profile.  This document is used by our counseling department to showcase our school’s academic and extra curricular accomplishments.  It can be found on our website at http://www.pvhigh.com/pdf/info_PVHS_Profile.pdf
6. The brand new PVHS stadium will hold its first varsity game on September 17 as part of Sea King Saturday.  The varsity game will start at 3:30.  The booster club kick off party will follow.  I would like to thank some additional sponsors for the party: David and Song Klein, Heidi and Manoj Kashyap, Steve and Helaine Lopes and the MacLean family.  A big Sea King thank you goes out to all of our sponsors that make our Booster Club and school successful.
7. College Day will be held October 12.  The 2nd annual College Day is brought to our school with the support both the PTSA and the Booster Club.  9th, 10th and 11th graders will take pre College admission tests.  Data from these tests not only assesses our students’ College readiness, but helps our teachers to tailor their instruction to our students’ needs.  Seniors will have the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops that are designed to help them get ready for the College admissions process.  Thank you to Teri Kuwahara for making this vision a reality!

Finally, I would like to end with a brief message about or Wednesday Late Starts.  These Late Starts are providing the staff and faculty with time to collaborate and prepare for the upcoming WASC visit.  I have received mixed messages about these Late Starts.  I would like to clarify that our school is meeting and exceeding the state requirement for instructional minutes by about 8,000 minutes.  The school community will be taking a hard look at this staff development model over the course of the year, evaluate its effectiveness and make a decision going forward as to how best serve our students.  Your input is always appreciated.  Please e-mail me at stephanyn@pvpusd.k12.ca.us.  If you have questions or need clarification, please do not hesitate to ask.

Have a great weekend and GO SEA KINGS!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.
Principal, PVHS

September 2, 2011

Dear Sea Kings:

It has been a tremendous first week at PVHS.  I would like to thank our teachers and staff for a smooth opening of the new school year.  It has been an eventful week at PVHS.  We held the first annual freshman retreat yesterday where our students heard motivational speaker, Scott Greenburg; discuss strategies for success in high school.  Scott gave a similar talk to our new parents last night in the MPR.  The event was very well attended and we have received rave reviews from parents and students alike.  In addition to Scott, our freshman also heard from our ASB president, Lizzie Stapleton, Associate Principal, Brent Kuykendall and counselor, Dirk Eldredge.  The goal of freshman retreat was to give our new students an introduction to critical members of our staff, to inform them of the various resources we have to offer and to set high expectations for the next four years.  Thank you to Brent Kuykendall, Kristen Huber and Jama Maxfield for making this happen.

A few quick updates from around PVHS:

1. The Booster Club Kickoff Party will be held on September 17 following the varsity football game.  The game starts at 3:30.  All are invited.  Please visit www.pvboosterclub.com for more information.  I’d also like to thank all of the sponsors for this event.  Your support is so critical to our students’ success. They include:  the Perry family, the Semel family, the Spelta family, the O’Hern family, Karen Mills and Kevin Hudspith, the Delcarson family, the Morgan family, the Hubener family, the Daly family, the Tulchin family, the Hazelrigg family, the Liu family and Eric & Margaret Wong.  Thank you!
2. Participation Donations:  For the 2nd year, PVPUSD is asking for donations for extra curricular activities.  These donations help to make up the shortfall in state and district funding.  These are only donations, they are not fees.  While there are suggested donation amounts, they are not required and PVPUSD is happy for any financial help.  These funds are specifically used for your child’s activity.  Many of the programs we have are due in large part to these donations.
3. All students are required to have their TDAP vaccine this year (state law).  Please provide proof of this vaccine to our nurses office or fill out the waiver.  Thank you!
4. Our football team takes on Moorpark tonight in Moorpark.  Over 50 students are taking the Rooter Bus to cheer on our Sea Kings.  I love seeing the school spirit.  Good luck Sea Kings!

Obviously, the buzz around PVHS is our phenomenal API scores.  Again, I’d like to congratulate our students and teachers.  But this is only one measure of student achievement.  Our students are also performing at incredibly high levels on their AP exams, their ACTs, their SATs and nearly every other measure of student achievement.  They show steady, consistent growth.  The API score is derived from the CST and CAHSEE tests.  These tests examine our students understanding of the fundamentals taught in our school.  Last year, our staff and students were challenged to raise these scores.  I am much more proud of our students’ and teachers’ ability to rise to the occasion and meet the challenge than of API score.  The key to success is continuous improvement and a desire to get better.  This is a quality in every Sea King and I know that this year will show even better results. 

GO SEA KINGS!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.
Principal, PVHS

August 31, 2011

Sea Kings:

Today, at 12:00, the California Department of Education released the 2011 API scores.  The official API score for 2011 is 898.

I would like to congratulate the PVHS students and teachers for their excellent work last year.  This is an amazing feat and I could not be more proud of our school.  This score is among some of the top schools in the area and the state.  Combined with the AP scores and ACT scores, PVHS has compiled a strong record of student success.

While this achievement is tremendous, we must continue to strive to get better. 

Congratulations PVHS!

View the Standardized Testing Results Presentation

August 25, 2011

Dear Sea Kings:

Registration - It is an exciting time at PVHS and we have less than one week until school starts.  Tuesday, over 1,550 students registered and we anticipate about 150 more to register on the first day of school.  Let me start by thanking Julie Robinson, Jeanette Van Amburgh, Holly Brunett, next year’s Registration Chair Sue Wilkinson and the rest of the PVHS PTSA for all of their help setting up, running and taking down registration.  The whole process was incredibly efficient.  There were over 50 PTSA volunteers that assisted with registration all day on Tuesday and schedule changes for most of the day Wednesday.  With the incredible support of our PVHS parents, the school staff has been able to focus on supporting our teachers, students and instructional programs. 

• IMPORTANT!!!   PVHS will host a late registration for approximately 150 students on the first day of school.  This late registration will begin at 7:30 August 30.  I need to ask for our parents help again.  We need about 25 volunteers to run late registration.  If you are able to help, please contact Jeanette Van Amburgh at unclebillspancakehouse@cox.net.  Thank you in advance for your help!

Link Crew - We are very excited to announce that Link Crew has arrived at PV High. Link Crew is a program whose sole purpose is to help freshman feel more comfortable as well as help them achieve success in their first year of high school. This transition program is designed to both welcome and support freshman by assigning them a junior or senior Link Leader as a mentor during their first year. On Tuesday, nearly 85% of the freshman class attended the freshman orientation where they were linked up with their Link Leaders. The Link Leaders led the freshmen through a series of activities to help them get to know each other and the school, finishing with a themed tour of our campus. Link Crew will continue throughout the year with various academic and social activities. If you have any feedback on freshman orientation, please do not hesitate to contact Nick Stephany or Allyson Klabe (klabea@pvpusd.k12.ca.us).

Schedule Changes - As soon as our databases got up and running, schedule changes went very smoothly Wednesday.  I truly appreciate students not asking for teacher changes.  We do our best to accommodate student preferences, but it is not always possible.  Mrs. Ramirez and the counseling staff have done a truly remarkable job in making every student’s schedule work and giving most students their ideal schedule.

Campus Beautification - Some of you may have noticed that the front of PVHS along Cloyden Drive has been painted and landscaped.  A big thank you goes out to PVHS juniors Stephanie Chou and Sam Gong for spearheading this campus beautification project.  Stephanie, along with other students, under the advisement of the Audobon YES! Society, has planted native plants and shrubs along the planter near the school’s entrance and really improved the PVHS image in the community.

In addition to the efforts of Stephanie’s group, the Los Hermanos Navy Blue Class of 2015 spent a good portion of their summer cleaning the undergrowth and weeds along Epping Drive near our football stadium.  This group of seven freshman young men have not only made the campus look much nicer, but made a great statement to the community surrounding PVHS in showing pride and ownership of our school.  I would like to thank Lance Brown, Joey Chenoweth, Alec Dahle, Steven Delcarson, Stanton Gilbertson, Conor Markley and Graham Walker for their efforts.  These young men truly embody the Sea King spirit.

Campus beautification will be a major emphasis going forward at PVHS.  We are in the process of developing an “Adopt-A-Plot” program in which each PVHS athletic team and student organization adopts a portion of campus.  It will then be their responsibility to clear that area of weeds, trash and keep the area clean and presentable.  Mr. Kuykendall will be working with the PVHS PTSA and Booster Club to make this program a reality.  It is our hope that our students will take ownership of the campus and keep it looking spectacular year round. 

Kick Off Party - Last but not least, our PVHS Booster Club Kickoff party will be held after the varsity football game on Sea King Saturday, September 17.  Mr. and Mrs. Perry have graciously offered their house for another year.  The party promises to be a great fundraiser and a good time for all.  Several families have already sponsored this party: The Perry Family, The Semel Family, Bill and Linda Spelta, The O'Hern Family, Karen Mills & Kevin Hudspith, The Delcarson Family, Jeff and Christyne Watson, Peter & Jennifer Morgan, Lucy & Chuck Huebner and Bob & Emily Daly.  If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact Jennifer Morgan peterjenmorgan@cox.net or Christyne Watson christyne.watson@gmail.com.  Thank you to all of those that support our PVHS students.

New Parent Night - There will be a new parent night on Thursday, September 1 in the PVHS MPR from 6:00 to 7:30.  The night will have a guest speaker that highlights the challenges that kids and parents face in high school and discusses strategies to overcome them.  He is a tremendous speaker and I know that all will benefit from his presentation.  All parents are welcome to attend, but freshman parents are especially encouraged.

I look forward to seeing all of the students next Tuesday on the first day of school.  It will be an exciting week and an exciting year at PVHS.  There is a definite feeling of enthusiasm on campus and I know that 2011-12 will be one of the best years in the 40 year history of PVHS. 

Enjoy the last weekend of summer and Go Sea Kings!

Nick Stephany, Ed.D.
Principal