MEA Monday Message

Tuesday, Nov. 15

• Coop Group 9:30-10:15 Chicken Coop area (Grades 6-12)
• Covid Testing (8-11am)
• Music with Mr. Johnson

Wednesday, Nov. 16

• Yoga with Ms. Sink 8:30-8:55 in Auditorium

• PALS Tutoring 9:30-11:30 in Auditorium
• Open Coop Hour 11:30-12:30 at the Chicken Coop area
• Pumpkin Succulent Workshop 12:30-1:30 (1st session)
• Pumpkin Succulent Workshop 1:30-2:30 (2nd session)

Thursday, Nov. 17

• Yoga with Ms. Sink 8:30-8:55 in Auditorium
• Coffee with the Principal 9:00 in auditorium
• PALS Tutoring 9:30-11:30 in Auditorium

Upcoming

11/21-11/25- No school - Happy Thanksgiving!

11/29 See's Candies Order Forms Due

12/1 MEA Foundation General Meeting

12/1 Movie Night - The Nightmare Before Christmas

12/1 The Habit Burger Restaurant Day (All Day)

12/2 Charleston Wrap Fundraiser Ends

12/6 Winter Whimsey

Dear MEA Students, Families, and Staff,

As we enter the season of gratitude, I have been reflecting upon the community that we have created at our school. I am so thankful for all of the effort that parents, staff, and students put forth to create a learning environment that is warm and welcoming, yet academically rigorous. Mt. Everest is such a special place because of you. I'm not sure if you recall, but my "Back to School" message was all about the importance of reconnecting with one another after everything we went through during Covid.

Although MEA students are not on campus every day, my hope is that students feel very connected to their peers, teachers, and staff. It would be wonderful to see even more connections being made! So, I have a challenge for everyone... I challenge you to thoughtfully step out of your comfort zone and make 3 more connections than you normally would every week. These can be as simple as saying hello to others in the hallway, including someone you don't know well in a conversation or attending a school event or club meeting. A little effort can go a long way! I will be checking in with you over the next few weeks to see how the challenge is going. In the mean time, I hope everyone has a Thanksgiving week full of lots of connecting with friends and family. We have so much for which to be grateful.

Courtney Browne

Wednesday, Nov 16 in the Maker Space. Please sign up for one time slot: 12:30-1:30 or 1:30 to 2:30 (K-5 students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian; we will be using hot glue guns). Grades 6-12 may come on their own, but we encourage this as a family event! We will limit each session to 15 people due to materials and space constraints. Please follow the links to signup for the session you wish to attend. A $10 donation is suggested to help offset costs, but not required.

Feel free to BYOP (bring your own pumpkin) to decorate, but it is not necessary.

Nov. 16 12:30-1:30

Nov. 16 1:30-2:30

Two boxes of COVID-19 home test kits will be coming home with your student this week to test before returning from Thanksgiving break. Please note that testing for COVID is optional and not required. If your student is tested positive, please report to the Health Office by calling (619) 605-8700 x3050.

If your student misses receiving the testing kits, please stop by the office to pick up your COVID testing kits between 7:45 am to 3:45 pm before the office closes at 3:45 pm on Friday, November 18 for Thanksgiving break.

Senior Disneyland Trip is scheduled for Monday, January 23rd. The event is sponsored by MEA Foundation. Payment is required by end of day, Thursday, November 17th. Please make payment via Venmo (@MEA-Foundation, phone number's confirmation last 4 digits is 1057) or check to MEA Foundation. Be sure to complete the waiver & contact information form. We hope all seniors can join us and make some wonderful memories! Please contact info@meafoundation.org if you have any questions.

Dec 1st, ALL DAY, there will be a fundraiser at The Habit, located at 4175 Genesee Ave. Present The Habit Restaurant Flyer and 20% of the proceed go back to MEA. Grab lunch or dinner and support MEA at the same time.

On Dec 1st, come and join us for Movie Night at MEA. Head to The Habit first and bring dinner with you. Nightmare Before Christmas starts at 5:30. Free popcorn, everyone is invited to join!

Before the movie starts, from 5-5:30, MEA Foundation will have a general meeting. Please join us and learn how the foundation supports the students and staff at MEA and what we need to continue providing that support for future years.

A prom isn't a prom without great music. Do you know someone who is a deejay? If so, please let us know ASAP. Prom will be May 12, 2023, at Mission Bay Yacht Club.

Starting next month the Jam Room will be open to secondary students during lunch every Wednesday and Thursday, with the exception of Turn-In Week.

Looking for a fun and creative way to make you mark at MEA? Enter MEA's T-shirt Contest and help the school get a fresh new design for spirit wear. Details below.

Elementary students, parents and siblings are invited to the Winter Whimsy (whimsical fun for everyone) on December 6 from 12:30 - 2:00 in the cafeteria. There will be winter crafts, cookies, hot chocolate, music and fun! Parents must accompany their children to this family event, siblings are welcome!

There is no elementary art for month 4. Look for the month 5 art sign ups in the Monday Message during month 4.

Thursday, Nov. 17, 9:00am

Auditorium

Join Principal Browne to discuss school happenings. This is an informal opportunity to hear about school planning, ask questions, and provide suggestions to improve our program. Hope to see you there!

Our annual ASB See's Candy Fundraiser is starting! Please help support Mt. Everest Academy and the ASB by participating in this MEA tradition.

Order forms are going home with students, please check with your supervising teacher. Additional forms can be picked up in the office or select the link See's Winter Fundraising Items and/or See's Winter Order Form. Thanks for helping us raise money to support school events like dances, festivals, and clubs!

All orders and money must be returned to MEA by Nov. 29th so that we can fill them in time for Winter Break. Checks should be made out to MEA ASB. Prizes will be awarded to the top three sellers and prize of MEA water bottle for any seller with over $150! Top High School student receives Winter Formal Dance Ticket!

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ASB has raised just under $1700 with Charleston Wrap, but you can still place an order until December 2nd. Generic Order Site

Please check out this new video message, from 11/7, made by MEA student Kyra Boyd.

The November Health and Wellness theme is Gratitude. There is a bulletin board outside the textbook room. Please take a look! Take a leaf out of the envelope and write on it what you are grateful for. Put the completed leaf in the other envelope and see your leaf added to the Gratitude Tree soon.

Have you created an account for PowerSchool Parent Portal?

If you haven’t, please stop by the office between 7:45 am to 3:45 pm to receive access information. The access information is unique and confidential to be provided to only parents/guardians.

What is PowerSchool Parent Portal?

Creating your account allows you to enable to access to:

• Your Child’s Grades/Progress Report

• Attendance Record

• Student Schedule

• Forms: Some forms required by district are available to complete thru the portal.

• Update Your Information: You can view and update your contact information anytime via the Parent Portal. Keeping updated contact information of your phone number, email, and address is crucial to ensure you are receiving all important information from us as well as from San Diego Unified District.

Need help?

Individual support to set up Parent Portal account is available by calling to Support Line or contact Mihoko Ikeuchi at mikeuchi@sandi.net or call the office at (619) 605-8700.

All students who would like some extra help can come to the Auditorium every Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30-11:30. All grades are welcome, as WE HAVE TUTORS FOR ALL GRADE LEVELS! PALS is a great way to build community and academic skills!

Parents, K-5 students attending PALS must arrive with a check-in form so tutors know what to work on with your child and you receive a report about the session.

Check the PALS website for updates and process.

We have three tutors from UCSD working at our school! Come by and say hello and get some free tutoring from these highly qualified college students! Check Mrs. Sink's website at https://mrssinkmea.weebly.com/avid.html for updated schedules.

If you are in Mrs. Sink's AVID classes, there will be sign ups going out soon for one on one or small group tutoring with Martin, Diego and Josh.

Martin - Psychology major. Can help with most subject areas. Comes to MEA on Wednesday and Thursdays from 9:30 - 3:05 Schedule for both days:

9:30 - 11:30 PALS 12:30 - 1:45 Makerspace (drop-ins okay)

1:50 - 3:05 AVID class

Diego - Microbiology major. Diego is fluent in Spanish and could be helpful in both math and science. He is also quite good at both history and English (specializing in essay writing), as well as being able to help in performing and visual arts like art, music, etc. At MEA on Tuesdays 8:45 - 12:30 Schedule:

8:45 - 10:45 room 1 for Spanish and Biology help

10:45 - 11:45 room B16 for math help

11:45 - 12:30 Makerspace (drop ins okay)

Josh - Neurobiology major. Josh has taken many different AP courses and successfully passed them. His strengths are math and science, but he can be helpful in many subjects. Comes to MEA on Tuesdays from 9:30 - 2:00 and Thursdays from 9:30 - 2:30

Schedule on Tuesdays:

9:30 - 10:40 room 8 for history help

10:35 - 11:45 room B16 for math help

11:45 - 12:30 Makerspace for 4th grade math tutoring

12:30- 12:45 Lunch 12:45 - 1:45 Biology class with Mr Gough

Schedule on Thursdays:

9:30 - 11:30 PALS lab 12:30 - 2:00 Makerspace (drop ins okay)

2:00 - 2:30 room 3 for AVID help

Need to meet with Mr. Rubin?

His door is always open, but to ensure he is available when you can meet, make an appointment at the link https://calendly.com/mt_everest_counseling/meeting

College/Career Opportunities

The link below has some great opportunities for students in grades 9-12.

https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/ccte/student-opportunities

Mrs. Battin's 3rd and 4th grade classes were treated to stories, artifacts, and hands on experiences with a descendent of the San Luis Rey Indians. The students were able to use authentic pump drills to make shell necklaces and play authentic Native American games. This experience was made possible by a grant from the MEA Foundation, and was an educational and fun way for our students to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

A HUGE congratulations to Octavia Herai! She won a silver medal while competing last week, at the 2023 US Ice Dance Final in Norwood, Massachusetts. Well done Octavia, on becoming a national silver medalist in Ice Dance at the Novice level!

During this season of giving, consider a tax-deductible donation to MEA Foundation. Funds collected will be used for:

• Art/art supplies
• Classroom supplies
• Science
• Teacher Grants
• Field Trips
• Library

There are 3 easy ways to contribute to the Giving Tree: Venmo, PayPal, or check.

Mark your calendars for December 1st for the MEA Foundation General Meeting! MEA will be having a Restaurant Day at The Habit and a Campus Movie Night that evening too. Grab some food at The Habit and bring it over to MEA to enjoy a movie and see what the MEA Foundation has to offer. Come in PJ's if you wish. All are welcome.

• Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/84-2089378 and set your charity to "Mount Everest Academy Foundation".
• Then, always start your shopping at https://smile.amazon.com and shop as usual while supporting our school!

Elementary Extracurriculars/Club Schedule

Secondary Extracurriculars/Club Schedule

Cooking Club *New Club*

Cooking Club for middle and high school students! Come learn some life skills with Maverick, an experienced 8th grade chef. Maverick has a passion for cooking and would like to teach his peers and friends what he knows about creating in the kitchen! Please join us for our first meeting on Wednesday, November 30th, from 11:55-12:30. We will be making egg yolk pasta! The second meeting of month 4 will be on Wednesday, December 14th.

GSA

GSA Club - Gender and Sexuality Alliance - Everyone is welcome! Come hang out with us in an open, accepting, and loving environment - the more the merrier! Learn more about the LGBT+ community, plan and participate in actions and build community. Allies are encouraged to join.

Elementary Cosmic Yoga

Every Wednesday and Thursday all elementary students are invited to join Ms. Sink at 8:30 in the Auditorium as we wake up our bodies and brains with Cosmic Yoga! Parents are welcome to join.

Students who attend elementary class on those days will be walked to class after yoga. Students without class those days will need to be picked up by 8:55am.

Wear comfortable clothes. Yoga mats will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Coop Group (6-12) Tuesdays 9:30-10:15

Coop group leads the upkeep the coop area and serenity garden. Although they are 3 1/2 years old and aren’t laying eggs anymore, the chickens still appreciate the care and attention they receive from students. Come join us!

Open Coop Hour Wednesday 11:30-12:30

(all grades - K-5 must be supervised by a parent/guardian)

Get to know the chickens and new students! This is an open time without cleaning or structured topics.

Music with Mr. Johnson from VAPA (All Grades)

Do you like creepy crawlies? (K-8)

Do you want to be a mealworm farmer? Mrs. Sink needs help taking care of the mealworms we are raising for the chickens. If you are interested in helping, contact Mrs. Sink at vsink@sandi.net

Wonder and wander in nature with MEA friends! This MEA Nature Walk Meetup is a time to explore and enjoy our local open spaces, led by an MEA parent naturalist. Wear walking shoes and bring your sense of wonder. A water bottle and an extra layer can be useful. This is a community run event, students must bring a chaperone.

Upcoming events:

December Nature Walk Meetup in Tecolote Canyon

Thursday, December 1 @ 12:30-1:45

Meet at the MEA front entrance by 12:30pm. At 12:30, we'll walk as a group to the Mt. Etna Park entrance of Tecolote Canyon Natural Park. There, our group will meet a set of stairs or steep driveway to enter the ballpark, then explore the open space trail before returning to the MEA entrance together by 1:45.

Students with a 1:50 class will be back in time to attend.

December sights and sounds may include: wintering birds and berries and habitats.

January Nature Walk Meetup in Tecolote Canyon

Friday, January 13 @ 10:00-11:30

Meet at Tecolote Nature Center (outside front entrance) at 5180 Tecolote Road.

We'll walk as a group along a 1.5 mile even terrain, easy loop including Battle Trail and a main trail, with a return to the entrance at 11:30am. After, explore the native plant garden with an E'waa (model of a traditional Kumeyaay home) and Tecolote Nature Center's displays.
Picnic lunch + play option to follow: Pack a picnic and play at the playground nextdoor at Tecolote Recreation Center (around 12:00-1:00).

January sights and sounds may include San Diego "flurries", winter sage, and observations of Janu-where the wild things are!

Since 1950, JA San Diego has impacted over one million young people through Common Core-aligned K-12 programs guided by the three pillars of financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career readiness. JA programs enable students to make connections between what they learn in school and real-world applications. JA programs ignite the spark in young people to recognize the value of their education; be aware of and plan for their future; and realize the opportunities and realities of work and life in the 21st century through hands-on learning experiences. These early insights are essential building blocks for economic empowerment and self-sufficiency. If you are interested in learning more about their available programs for high school students please visit JA High School Experiences webpage for more information.

The St. Olaf Band, conducted by Timothy Mahr, will perform at Westview High School, on Monday, January 30 at 7:00 pm during its 2023 Winter Tour. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for students of all ages! We encourage you to purchase yours in advance to ensure admittance.

Founded in 1891, the St. Olaf Band, dubbed “one of America’s preeminent bands” by the New Yorker, performs the very best compositions and transcriptions for symphonic band, producing an exciting, crowd-pleasing style.

For tickets or more information go to St. Olaf Band.

Please send any information for the Monday Message using the Google form by end of day Wednesday for upcoming message.