December Newsletter
Milwaukie High School & Milwaukie Academy of the Arts
Greetings Mustang Families,
As we close out 2024 and step into 2025, I want to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable energy, accomplishments, and sense of community that make Milwaukie High School and Milwaukie Academy of the Arts such a special place.
Every day, I am reminded of how truly incredible our students are—their kindness, sense of humor, and dedication inspire me constantly. One of the greatest joys of my role as principal is spending time with our Mustang community. Whether cheering together at sporting events, celebrating milestones, or having meaningful conversations at meetings, these moments of connection are what make our school so special. They reflect the strength, warmth, and heart of our Mustang family.
I want to say thank you to all of our families, for sharing your amazing students with us. Your support and partnership help create an environment where they can thrive. I look forward to watching them continue to grow, celebrating their achievements, and working together to make 2025 a year of success and joy for all.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a bright start to the new year!
As we look ahead to December, there are plenty of exciting events and activities coming up for our Mustang community. Here’s a snapshot of what’s on the horizon:
Upcoming Events in December:
Friday, December 6
Posada: 6:00 – 9:00 pm
You are invited to celebrate Posada 2024! Join us in the school commons for an evening filled with tradition and community spirit. Enjoy a vibrant mix of traditional and modern dishes, energetic dances, lively music, and fun games. Bring a dish to share and be part of this unforgettable cultural celebration.
Monday, December 9
Padres/Madres Meeting - Community Room: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
This meeting is a great opportunity for parents and guardians to connect with the school, discuss important updates, and learn how to support student success.
Tuesday, December 10
Wrestling Tournament: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Come out and support our Mustang wrestlers as they compete in an exciting tournament! It’s sure to be an action-packed evening.
Band/Choir Concert: 6:30 pm
Experience a beautiful evening of music as our band and choir students perform a variety of festive and classic tunes to celebrate the season. Tickets can be reserved here: https://teachtix.com/milwaukie/winter-vocal-and-instrumental-music-concert-2024
Tuesday, December 12
- NWOC Jazz Festival at Canby HS.
Monday, December 16 – Friday, December 20 - Winter Spirit Week (sponsored by Student Government)
Monday, December 16: Festive Flair Day (winter accessories)
Tuesday, December 17: Timber Tuesday (flannel day)
Wednesday, December 18: Look What My Grandma Got Me! (ugly or cute holiday sweaters)
Thursday, December 19: Winter Wonderland (class colors)
9th: White
10th: Red
11th: Blue
12th: Pine Green
Staff: Sugar Plum Purple
Friday, December 20: Baby It’s Cold Outside (PJ Day)
Monday, December 23 – Friday, January 3
Winter Break
A well-deserved break for students and staff to relax and recharge for the new year. Enjoy your holiday season!
November Student of the Month: Gustavo Barraza
We are thrilled to celebrate Gustavo Barraza, our November Student of the Month, honored at the City Council Meeting on November 19! Gustavo is an outstanding senior at Milwaukie High School, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while working toward an Honors Diploma. A member of the National Honor Society, he excels in challenging courses like AP Calculus, AP Biology, and AP Literature, and has explored diverse fields through Sabin Schellenberg programs, including Programming, Engineering, and Architecture.
Beyond academics, Gustavo is a leader in Student Government, a dedicated athlete in Soccer and Track, and an intern at Portland State University in Mechanical Engineering. His achievements and character make him a true role model. Congratulations, Gustavo, on this well-deserved honor!
Thank you again for your continued support—Let's finish out the year with Mustang pride.
Kim
MAA
Dear Milwaukie Academy of the Arts Families,
It’s that exciting time of year again—our Open House is just around the corner! This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the unique programs, creativity, and community that make MAA so special.
Our current students, staff, and parents will play an integral role in our Open House, serving on panels, leading tours, and sharing their experiences to showcase what makes MAA so special. Their insights and perspectives will help prospective families get a true sense of our vibrant community and the opportunities available at our school.
Thursday, December 12
MAA Open House: For Prospective Students - 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Our Philosophy: Milwaukie Academy of the Arts integrates the performing and visual arts throughout a rigorous, core academic curriculum in a nurturing environment. Together with parents and community, we empower students to reach their intellectual, artistic, and creative potential—ensuring they earn a high school diploma & are prepared for the joys and challenges ahead.
Thank you for the role you play in supporting our students’ success and helping us build a school culture where the arts and academics flourish. We wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season filled with creativity, warmth, and togetherness!
Kim
Counseling
Greetings Mustang Families,
Thank you to everyone who attended conferences last week. It was great to see so many families and students meeting with our incredible teachers to hear about all the wonderful things that are happening in class, and ways they can continue to improve and always be their best selves in and out of the classroom. As you know, once we hit December things really begin to pick up and before we know it, we will be out for winter break and rolling into January to close out the first semester. It's hard to believe, however we only have about six weeks left in this semester before we transcript grades at the end of January. It's incredibly important to make sure that we go into the break caught up on everything and are ready to hit the ground running when 2025 is upon us.
If you are not able to join us for conferences and have questions for your teachers, I highly recommend that you reach out, as I know they will be happy to hear from you and will always let you know exactly what we need to do in order to make sure that you Mustang is finishing out the semester strong. If you need anything outside of the classroom, you can always reach out to any of our counselors or myself, as we are always happy to help in any way possible. Another thing to keep on the horizon is forecasting will begin in February as we plan for the next school year, which will be upon us before you know it. Please keep a lookout for more information around forecasting in January's newsletter.
If you are a senior and a part of the class of 2025, obviously you will not be forecasting for next year as you will be moving on to your next journey in life. It is extra important for our seniors to be mindful of all of their credits, as we push towards the end of the first semester. Over the course of the last few weeks, all senior families should have received a credit update from their counselor Mr. Church. I highly encourage you to make sure you are on top of where seniors are with regard to their credits and are following along with the plan, to make sure that all of our seniors are walking across the stage in June of 2025.
Thank you as always for all of your support and please never hesitate to reach out should you need anything.
Happy holidays!
Greg
College & Career
Happy December Mustangs!
The College and Career Center is here to help students navigate the exciting journey to post-high school opportunities! Here’s what’s happening this month:
FAFSA Now Open!
Seniors, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open! This is your gateway to federal financial aid for college, including grants, scholarships, and work-study programs. We encourage all seniors to complete their FAFSA as soon as possible. Visit fafsa.gov to get started. For extra help navigating the FAFSA please reach out to Mr. C or Valentina.
College Application Priority Deadlines Are Approaching!
Many colleges have priority application deadlines in the coming weeks, often in December and January. Be sure to check each school’s website for specific dates and requirements. Completing your application early can increase your chances for scholarships and other financial aid opportunities. Don’t wait—start today!
College Visits in the College and Career Center
Interested in learning more about your college options? You can now sign up for college visits through your Naviance account! College representatives will be visiting Milwaukie High to meet with students and answer questions about their schools. Log into Naviance through your ClassLink on your Chromebook, and click “College Visits” on the Naviance College tab to reserve your spot and get more details on upcoming visits.
For any questions or assistance, stop by the College and Career Center and see Valentina or Mr. C!
Athletics
Hello Mustangs!
November Highlights & Looking Ahead to Winter Sports
November was a month full of excitement and achievement for our fall sports teams, and we’re so proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by our student-athletes. Here’s a recap of the season’s standout moments:
Football:
We had three players named to the All-League 1st Team! Congratulations to Damon Lang, Peyton Daffern-Schell, and Daniel Delgado for earning this prestigious recognition. Their hard work and leadership on the field were key to the team’s success this season.
Volleyball:
The Mustang volleyball team finished 10th in the state for GPA, showcasing their commitment both in the classroom and on the court. In addition, Harry Berry was voted 1st Team All-League—a well-deserved honor for her exceptional play!
Boys Soccer:
Though the team just missed the playoffs, we’re proud of their perseverance and effort all season long. Special congratulations to Daniel Asieve and Eric Gudino, who were both named to the 2nd Team All-League.
Girls Soccer:
Our girls soccer team also had a great season, with Sabina Hernandez, Lila Blake, and Rylie Croft each earning All-League Honorable Mention. Their dedication and teamwork were impressive throughout the season!
Boys Cross Country:
What an incredible season for our boys cross country team! Not only did they finish 10th in the state for GPA, but the team also qualified for both the State and Regional Competitions in Eugene and Boise. A special shout-out to Arlo Schmidt and Eli Levinsohn, who were named 1st Team All-Conference. What an achievement!
Girls Cross Country:
Our girls cross country team had an outstanding year, finishing 2nd in the state for overall GPA! This is a remarkable accomplishment that highlights their excellence both on the course and in the classroom. We couldn’t be more proud!
As we close out an amazing fall season, we’re excited to kick off our winter sports season with Boys and Girls Basketball, Wrestling, and Boys and Girls Swimming. Our first home event is Girls Basketball on December 7—we hope to see you there to cheer on our athletes!
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to an exciting winter sports season ahead!
Thank you
Tom
Health Center
Hi Mustangs!
The Health Center will be closed from Monday, Dec., 23rd through Monday, Jan. 3rd for Winter Break!
The Health and Wellness Center is open Monday-Thursday from 8:30am-4pm and Friday from 8:30am-12pm. Call 503.353.5847 or email haileym@outsidein.org to make an appointment. Virtual or phone language interpretation services are available.
We are located on Milwaukie High School’s campus directly to the left of the main entrance and across from Milwaukie Academy of the Arts.
Need help getting to your appointment? Call 503.353.5847 for assistance!
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¡Hola, Mustangs!
El Centro de Salud va a estar cerrado empezando el lunes 23/12 hasta el lunes 3/1 para las vacaciones de invierno.
El Centro de Salud y Bienestar está abierto de lunes a jueves de 8:30 am a 4 pm y los viernes de 8:30 am a 12 pm. Por favor llame al 503.353.5847 o envíe un correo electrónico kyrao@outsidein.org para hacer una cita. Servicios de interpretación virtuales o telefónicos están disponibles.
El Centro de Salud y Bienestar está en el campus de Milwaukie High School directamente a la izquierda de la entrada principal y enfrente de la Milwaukie Academy of the Arts.
¿Necesita ayuda para llegar a su cita? ¡Llame al 503.353.5847 para obtener ayuda!"
PTSA
Parent Teacher Student Association Meeting
Our next meeting is December 9th, at 6pm in the community room.
We hope to see you there!
Holiday Family Adoption
Locate your student's 5th period teacher below, then click the link to view the needs of the adoptive family. If you would prefer to make a monetary donation use the QR code above.
Antano-Alvarez, Bandstra, Brown, Cornell, Horntvedt, Isom, Law, Matthews, Fuller
Coleman, Dolan, Gilmore, Grindel, Hurlbut, Reynolds, Ryan, Steenson, Walker, Reingold
Milwaukie High School/Milwaukie Academy of the Arts
We are located one block east of the orange max line. Please consider using public transportation or carpooling as often as possible.
Website: www.nclack.k12.or.us/mhs
Location: 2301 Southeast Willard Street, Milwaukie, OR, USA
Phone: 503-353-5842