• AWAY: JV Boys Soccer vs. Soquel, 1:00 PM
  
• AWAY: Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Soquel, 2:00 PM

Tuesday, January 7th:

• HOME: JV Boys Soccer vs. Santa Cruz, 4:30 PM
• HOME: Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Santa Cruz, 6:00 PM

Wednesday, January 8th:

• HOME: JV Girls Basketball vs. Aragon, 4:30 PM
• HOME: Varsity Girls Basketball vs. Aragon, 6:00 PM
• AWAY: JV Boys Basketball vs. The Kings Academy, 5:30 PM
• AWAY: Varsity Boys Basketball vs. The Kings Academy, 7:00 PM

Thursday, January 9th:

• AWAY: JV Girls Soccer vs. Sequoia, 4:30 PM
• AWAY: Varsity Girls Soccer vs. Sequoia, 6:15 PM
• AWAY: Wrestling, 3:30 PM

Friday, January 10th

• HOME: JV Girls Basketball vs. Carlmont, 3:15 PM
• HOME: JV Boys Basketball vs. Carlmont, 4:45 PM
• HOME: Varsity Girls Basketball vs. Carlmont, 6:15 PM
• HOME: Varsity Boys Basketball vs. Carlmont, 7:45 PM
• AWAY: Boys Freshman Basketball vs. Mills, 5:00 PM

Saturday, January 11th:

• HOME: JV Boys Soccer vs. San Lorenzo, 11:00 AM
• HOME: Varsity Boys Soccer vs. San Lorenzo, 1:00 PM
• AWAY: JV Girls Soccer vs. Woodside, 1:15 PM
• AWAY: Varsity Girls Soccer vs. Woodside, 1:15 PM
• AWAY: Freshman Boys Basketball vs. South San Francisco, 1:00 PM

• No events scheduled
  
  

Tuesday, January 7th:

• PTO Meeting, Library, 5:00 PM
  
  

Wednesday, January 8th:

• Seniors FAFSA Workshop, MU, During Advisory
  
  

Thursday, January 9th:

• No events scheduled
  
  

Friday, January 10th

• No events scheduled

Late Registration for AP Exams is open until February 28th, 2025. College Board charges a $40 non-refundable fee for late registration. Students need to contact Mrs. Tower at towerd@cabrillo.k12.ca.us to register for an AP Exam.

Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Time: 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Location: Half Moon Bay High School

We are excited to host Challenge Day—a transformative, day-long workshop where students build community, have fun, learn about each other, and embrace their authentic selves. It’s a powerful experience that can even be life-changing. For more details about Challenge Day, please visit their website.

We need adult volunteers to help make this day a success!

Volunteer Role Details:

• Volunteers will lead by example, participating in activities and guiding small groups.
• Volunteers must arrive 40 minutes early to assist with checking in Challenge Day staff and school counselors.
• Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please complete this Google Form. To participate, volunteers must be cleared as Tier I or Tier II volunteers. If you’ve already been cleared, no further action is needed.

Volunteer Clearance Requirements:

Tier I Volunteers (non-student contact and/or supervised):

• Examples: Front office/copy volunteers, committee volunteers, or those working under direct supervision of district staff.
• Required documents for application:
  • Copy of identification
  • Certificate of completion for Mandated Reporter Training
    
    

Please review the Parent Resources and the Volunteer Handbook (available in English and Spanish) before completing your application. For additional details, refer to this flier.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to support our students and make Challenge Day a meaningful experience!

We hope you all enjoyed a fun and enriching holiday break! Although the school has been on break, there has been a lot of activity in and out of the gym.

Unfortunately, our Basketball teams were not allowed to practice in the home gym during the break. The good news... it's because the gym FINALLY received a fresh paint job. Thank you to CUSD staff and Valencia Painting for getting this done for our HMB students during this busy holiday season.

Coach Ronnie Ekis was invited to the SF 49ers game vs. Detroit this week to be honored for his epic inaugural season as Varsity Head Coach. We are thrilled to know the larger football community sees our outstanding athletes and staff at Half Moon Bay High. Congratulations, Coach Ekis!

Boys Basketball stayed busy on the road at the Annual Aptos Tournament last week. The boys bested last year's foe St. Mary's in the opening round. In round two they were the victors vs. Santa Teresa, taking them to the championship game. The elusive game ball was reluctant to cooperate in the final two quarters and bounced off the rim one too many times to collect the final win vs. Aptos. The boys brought home the second place trophy once again in 2024, a great accomplishment among great talent. Congratulations to Rahul for his well deserved all tournament recognition!

Girls Basketball also participated on the Aptos Tournament. The girls came out strong defeating Aptos 61-29 in round one. The second round they faced a tougher opponent in the American Eagles. The team battled fiercely throughout the game, but ultimately couldn’t overcome the Eagles’ strong defense and consistent scoring. In a battle for third in a tournament finish, the Cougars prevailed. Senior Delaney Dorwin and junior Zoey Lemoge continued to be a dominant force, combining for 26 points and 20 rebounds. Dorwin showcased her all-around game with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, while Lemoge added 13 points and 11 rebounds in a 43-30 finish vs. Mills.

Girls Wrestling is a small but mighty team! Pluto Halterman collected a San Mateo Daily Athlete of the Week! The sophomore captured the championship in the 190-pound division Saturday Dec. 21, going 3-0 on the day, with a big finish by pinning Pittsburg junior Cecilia Chatman in the final minute of the third period. Pluto has now become the program’s third wrestler all-time to win a title at the Dennis Solis Classic. The previous two — sisters Taylor Micallef and Jamie Micallef — both went on to medal at the CCS championships.

Kat Abramenko isn't willing to let Pluto have all the fun. Kat followed up an incredible performance at the Dennis Solis Classic with a 1st place podium at this year's Trojan Wrath Tournament. Kat is on fire and we look forward to more of the same throughout season. Congratulations, Kat!

Boys and Girls Soccer have been practicing and preparing for league season. They will be wrapping up preseason this week. Catch the Boys at home this week, Tuesday AND Saturday. The Girls will be on the road at Sequoia and Woodside, easy travel for our fans!

Jay and Leo will be offering free tutoring in math and science every EVEN (Black Bell Schedule) Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Room G8, from 3:00 to 4:30 PM.

Drop by, and we'll assess how we can assist your child in math or science!

Need flexible hours? If these hours don’t fit your student’s schedule, they can arrange a Zoom or one-on-one appointment with Jay or Leo either during or outside school hours. Just follow these steps:

How to Connect via Remind App:

1. Text 81010.
2. Send the message @ljlaux (for Leo) or @tutorjayt (for Jay) to connect with the tutor of your choice.
   
   

Contact Information for Parents: Students may also reach out to Jay or Leo via personal email, as Cabrillo student emails won’t work for this purpose.

Grad Night 2025: The new year is here and Grad Night is just five months away. We need a few more volunteers - check out this video and pass the word along to friends and other parents.

Silent Auction Coordinator - the auction venue is already set, we need someone creative to focus on the experience (or just duplicate what we did last year!

Silent Auction Attendance - this position focuses on getting the word out on the auction through social media (we have helpers!), our email list, etc. for ticket sales.

Our next meeting is a Zoom call later this month - date TBD - but we're already busy moving head. Don't wait to ask questions and volunteer for one of our open spots.

Grad Night only happens for our seniors with your support and participation because we are a 100% volunteer nonprofit organization. Check out open positions at https://www.hmbhsgradnight.com/volunteers/, email us at hmbhs.gradnight@gmail.com, or call Dawn at 650.438.7937 with questions and to volunteer.

Cougars! Now that you’ve volunteered, make sure you get credit for those hours!

Check that your service logs have moved from Pending to Approved.

IF they have not, go back into the log and make sure the supervisor’s email is spelled correctly. When all looks good, click Update Log and then contact your supervisor to ask them to look for the email from MobileServe to verify your hours so they can get approved. If needed, email Ms. Hoffman for support.

***

***

Cougars! Do you like being outdoors and active? Do you like plants and animals? See below for two great service opportunities for THIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 11!

I’m Ms. Kling, and if we haven’t met yet, I’m a professional screenwriter, author, director, and teacher. I’m thrilled to be your Director this spring for Into the Woods, the Musical!

We’re assembling an amazing team with Maya Gillen as my Assistant Director and Mr. Anderson returning as our Musical Director. Now all we need is YOU—talented actors and performers—to make this show a success!

Audition Week Information:

• When: The first week back to school, including Monday (optional audition practice, as it’s not a school day).
• What to Expect: At auditions, you’ll have the chance to share any schedule conflicts (sports, appointments, etc.) so we can plan accordingly.
  
  

Stay updated by following our Instagram: @HMBHS_Performing_Arts. For the latest details, including dates and times, visit this link: Audition Week Details.

Dear Senior Families,

Be on the lookout for important information that has been mailed to you! Take advantage of the starting prices for senior items—they will increase throughout the school year, so don’t miss out!

Graduation Slideshow Baby Picture Submission
If you haven’t already uploaded your student's baby picture for the graduation slideshow, now is the time! It’s never too early to submit, and we'd love to include all baby pictures to celebrate the Class of 2025.

Diploma/Legacy Form

Please complete the Diploma/Legacy Form (mailed to you in early September) at your earliest convenience. Your student should turn it in to Mrs. Alvarez or Mrs. Acosta in the front office.

For further details and helpful links, please refer to the attached letter.

Thank you for your attention to these important matters as we prepare for a memorable senior year!

Here are a few important dates:

• January 27th, 28th, and 29th: Senior Portraits in the MU
• January 31, 2025: Senior Portrait - Last Photograph Date in a Studio
• February 15, 2025: Yearbook Pose Selection Deadline
• March 31, 2025: GradNight - Last Day Before Next Price Increase
• May 15, 2025: Senior Service Hour Deadline
• June 5, 2025: Graduation & GradNight ($145)

The Center of Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California has reported that youth in San Mateo County voted at significantly lower rates than the general population during the 2020 Presidential Election. This trend continued in the 2022 Gubernatorial Election and the 2024 Presidential Election, as confirmed by official data.

To address this disparity, the formation of the Youth Voting Advisory Committee (YVAC) is being formed. This committee aims to improve youth participation in voter pre-registration, registration, and voting by advising the County Registration and Elections Division on effective outreach strategies.

Who Can Join?
Students, if interested in joining the YVAC you can apply online at www.smcacre.gov.

Meeting Details

• The YVAC will meet virtually via Microsoft Teams every other month.
• During election seasons, meetings will occur monthly.
• The committee will develop policy recommendations and strategies to encourage youth voter participation, which will be reviewed for potential implementation by the County's Chief Elections Officer.

Prestige has opened the dates of January 27th/28th/29th, 2025 for your student to take their Senior Portrait if they missed the opportunity in November. Please go to:

https://prestigeportraits.com/

and follow the prompt to get your student's 8-digit ID code. You may also email Ms. Baker to access the code. Suggestion: add your cell phone number to get a reminder of your student's appointment. There is a sitting fee, depending on the number of poses you select for your student.

If you have already taken Senior Portraits or you made alternate arrangements, you can disregard any messaging about scheduling!

Check out the Yearbook Tab under Student Life on the HMBHS website for all information related to the 2025 yearbook!

To ensure a copy of the Yearbook, please purchase NO LATER than January 24th. After this date, we will be submitting our final yearbook order #s to the company, and will have a limited supply of extras for purchase in the Spring.

www.yearbookordercenter.com

School code: 16344

If you would like to pay in person, please see Ms. Acosta in the front office, and she will have you fill out this form.

We always welcome photos that you share with us!

You can upload them at hjeshare.com using the school code: HMBHS25

Or feel free to email photos directly to: BakerC@cabrillo.k12.ca.us

Parents of Seniors: Upload a Baby Photo here: https://forms.gle/jAnVRUYsMbwLsn3MA

Alternatively, you can email the baby photo to Ms. Baker or Ms. Acosta.

In order to ensure the Baby Photo makes it in time for our Yearbook deadline, please send us a baby photo NO LATER than January 8th. We will also be using this photo for the Graduation slideshow. Thank you to all those who have submitted your photo!