Greetings Placerita Families,

Placerita Junior High School – Among the State’s TOP schools

The California Department of Education released its annual report this week comparing the performance of its public schools based on the performance of last year’s STAR exam. Two important indicators in this report demonstrate that Placerita is among the State’s TOP junior high schools. When measured against all of the other schools in the State of California, Placerita was ranked nine on a ten-point scale. When compared with one hundred schools of similar demographic make-up, Placerita ranked ten out of ten! We are excited to see these results, as they are an affirmation of our efforts to increase student achievement, and they serve as a motivator to continue in our quest to help all students learn.

The End is Near

. . . the end of the school year, that is. Within a few short days, the 2009-2010 school year will be completed and the Class of 2010 will be headed to Hart High School. This has been an exceptional group of 8th graders, as evidenced by the award recipients at our recent 8th Grade Awards Night. Please join us in celebrating the following recipients of the Placerita Miner Award:

• English - Saie Joshi
• ASB - Himani Sharma
• History - Luke Distad
• Math - Rachel Bax
• PE - Boys - Connor Wingenroth
• PE - Girls - Amy Arbuckle
• Dance - Hanna Ritchie
• Instrumental Music - Dena Giovinazzo
• Vocal Music - Ross Mayer
• Science - Alex Borsotti
• Citizenship – Boys - Francisco Herrera
• Citizenship – Girls - Ambrosia Kelley

End of the Year Activities

The last week of school is packed with activities to honor the accomplishments of our 8th grade class, including the 8th Grade Bash (June 1st), In-N-Out Burger Day (June 2nd), and the Disneyland Trip (June 3rd). Please note that students will be able to purchase tickets to each of these activities from May 17th through May 21st during lunch. The cost of each of these tickets is as follows:

• Bash $8.00
• In & Out only $3.00
• Bash / In & Out Combo $10.00 (save $1.00)
• Disneyland Trip $65.00

You may pay for all three events or any combination at once (one check).

Special Thanks

Placerita is blessed to have the support of many wonderful parents. Unfortunately, space limitations prevent me from highlighting all of those who deserve to be recognized for donating their time and resources this year to support the success of our students and our school. That being said, I would like to take the opportunity to express my personal thanks to the Placerita Parent Advisory Council Board which includes our President, Mrs. Stephanie Linn, our Vice President, Mrs. Ronda Chobanian, our Secretary, Mrs. Suzanne Stone, and our Hospitality Chairperson, Mrs. Michelle Tohill. From Registration, to PAC meetings, to Back to School Night, to ASB Activities, to Open House – each of you has helped us create an environment at Placerita that is warm, welcoming and encouraging for both students and parents. Now more than ever, I can say with all sincerity that “we couldn’t do it without you.” Thank you.
And one final note – this edition of the Prospector marks the final time that Mrs. Wendy Altman will be serving as the editor of our school newsletter. Mrs. Altman has served for five years in this capacity and has been a critical resource in our efforts to improve communication between the school and the home. All of us appreciate Wendy’s work on the newsletter and will most certainly miss her as her youngest moves on to high school. Thank you, Wendy.

Concluding Thoughts

At our recent 8th Grade Awards Night, I shared a few concluding thoughts with the class of 2010. We are sad to see them go, but are confident that great things are in store for this exceptional group of students. As they move to high school and beyond, I encourage them to consider the words of a great author:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." (Mark Twain)

Congratulations to the Class of 2010 – We encourage you to explore, to dream and to discover – and we look forward to hearing about all that you will do in the next four years – and beyond.

Best wishes,

Mike Kuhlman
Principal
Placerita Junior High School