January

Mon., 1/22 Final Drake Tour for 8th Graders 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Tues., 1/23 5th Parent Tour 9:00 am
Site Council meeting 3:45 pm
Chorus Concert 7:00 pm
Wed., 1/24 Orchestra Concert 7:00 pm
Thurs., 1/25 Slime Day 2:15 pm

Tues., 1/30 Parent Education Night:
SafetyNet: Smart Cyber Choices® 7:00 pm

Thurs., 2/1 Parent Club meeting 8:30 am
Band Concert 7:00 pm

News

Aeries Mobile Portal App

The Aeries Mobile Portal is a mobile app for parents and students to use to access grades, attendance, and contacts, in a mobile-friendly format. Parents, guardians, and students can use their preexisting Parent/Student accounts to gain access to their data. If you do not already have an account, the Aeries Mobile Portal will guide you through the account creation process. The Aeries Mobile Portal App is available for both iOS and Android phones. For a basic overview that can be shared with parents, guardians, and students, please visit http://mkt.aeries.com/products-mobile-portal

White Hill Slime Day - January 25

As you know, the YES Foundation had a huge fundraising challenge and actually exceeded the $600,000 goal in district-wide contributions. As promised Mr. van Adelsberg along with a group of fabulous teachers and staff at White Hill, have agreed to allow a few lucky kids slime them on Thursday, January 25th. One or two students from Advisory classes will be randomly selected to be the SLIMERS and our teachers and staff will be the SLIME-EES! If you are free to join in on the fun, please sign up to help with a shift that day. We promise, you won't get dirty! www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0F45ABA92FA4F49-slime Again, many thanks to our generous community for stepping up and helping to fund the amazing programs in our schools. If you haven't made your contribution yet, please give whatever you can. Every dollar counts.

Glen Drive Parking

Just a reminder to please park on the school side of the street whenever possible. We want to help our neighbors across the street whenever we can. Thank you.

Art Room Request

The Art rooms are in need of corks. Please drop them off in rooms 501, 502 or leave corks in the office. Thanks so much. Ms. Ruzzier and Ms. Emma

Parent Education News

SafetyNet: Smart Cyber Choices® - Tuesday, January 30 at 7:00 pm

This is a presentation for parents at White Hill who wish to learn about digital safety. Our children need guidance to safely and responsibly use today’s rapidly changing technology. Get tools and resources to help you. White Hill students will have assemblies the same day with some of this information tailored to be age appropriate. This is an opportunity to learn the latest on technology trends to help your family, including: cyber bullying, online scams, plagiarism, sexting, social media and internet predators. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/safety-net-internet-safety-presentation-tickets-41911053088
Sponsored by the Ross Valley Healthy Community Collaborative. See the web site for more details: www.thecoalitionconnection.com

Parent Education Opportunity - Monday, February 5, 2018, 7:00 pm

“Understanding Anxiety: The biology behind it and its impact on our kids.” presented by Tracy Foose, MD. Dr. Foose is an expert in anxiety and has spent years as director of the Anxiety Disorders Program at UCSF. She is also a Ross Valley mom with three young daughters. Tracy has spent the last decade trying to answer some fundamental questions about anxiety: How does something so helpful for our survival cause so much distress? Why do traits like intelligence and drive seem to increase vulnerability to anxiety? How might our modern, connected world be exacerbating our anxiety? How can we teach our children not to fear their fear, but to harness anxiety as a motivating and protective force? This talk is for parents of all ages and will review:
• a brief evolutionary history of fear and anxiety
• family genetics of anxiety
• what fear reveals about how the brain learns
• fear and anxiety during stages of development: infancy, childhood, adolescence on to adulthood
• how to manage fear and anxiety in children of all ages, and in ourselves

Presentation at: Drake Student Center, 1327 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo, CA 94960

STEM Day: Targeted Audience - 7th through 9th Grade Girls
The College of Marin, with support from the Marin Branch of the Association of University Women (AAUW), will sponsor STEM Day aimed at seventh through ninth grade girls this coming February 3 from 9:00 am - 1:30 at the College of Marin, Kentfield Campus.

White Hill Principal Search - Last Opportunity for Community Input
Superintendent Rick Bagley and Assistant Superintendent Marci Trahan are soliciting input for in the selection process for White Hill’s new principal. The meeting is this Tuesday, January 23 at 3:45 pm in the Library.

Reminders

White Hill's Speech Club

The new Speech Club is a great opportunity for students to build public speaking skills and win prestigious awards at the Margie Burke Speech Tournament in Ross on April 28. The club will support students to prepare for the tournament and have a valuable experience taking on an academic challenge. The categories include:
• Dramatic Interpretation
• Persuasive
• Original Prose & Poetry
• Impromptu
Students who love creative writing, sharing their strong opinions, or have dramatic flair are great candidates, and all are welcome! If this sounds like a rewarding opportunity for your child, encourage him or her to join us! The Speech Club meets on Thursdays at lunch with Mrs. Frank & Ms. Pierce.

Additional Information about Programs for Students and Parents

FUN & EASY WAYS TO GIVE BACK!

Not into the traditional volunteer opportunities out there, but still want to do something with your family to give back? Here are some fun ways to model empathy and giving to your kids without a huge time commitment!

• Feb 10 & 11: Change for Good Weekend - This inspiring weekend of community and helping will include projects inspired, created and led by our C4C students. An effort to help animals of homeless individuals get vaccinated, a refugee focused experience and a card/canvassing campaign to get restaurants to eliminate plastic straws are just three of the ideas bubbling to the surface. Join us! Sign ups go live next week!
• February 6: Pizzalina C4C Giveback Night - Enjoy a night out with your family and support C4C at the same time! Pizza and doing good! A win win!
• April 29: C4C Challenge Fundraiser - Mark your calendars now for the biggest C4C fundraiser of the year. Challenge yourself and your family to climb for change. With entertainment, community and an amazing sense of achievement, this is a can’t miss event!

JOIN US! Don’t know much about C4C? Encourage your child to check out a meeting on Tuesdays at lunch in Room 206. AND if you have a hankering to give back in the new year, join us for our next Community Action Team meeting on Feb 13th, 7pm at Tam Realty OR just email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We would love to hear from you!!!:-) www.children4change.org

YES After School Programs

Yes! Lunchtime Clubs

Lunchtime Clubs will start again next week, January 22nd. A descriptive listing was sent to parents/guardians. Kids just show up to the first class, if interested! Here is a list of the clubs offered. If you have any questions or need the descriptions, please contact Activities Coordinator, Margo James, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Monday
Trivia Club (Vidal) in Room 212
Strategic Games (DeTore) Room 202
Gay Straight Alliance (Pelton) Room 402
Tuesday
Drawing Studio (Beauchamp) Room 502
Minecraft Club (Pierce) Room 403
Children for Change (Bauer) Room 206
Wednesday
Model UN (Drake) Room 204
Intro to Coding (Walden) Room 504
Knitting Club (Ruzzier) Room 501
French Club (LaFond) Room 403
Badminton (Desmond) Gym
Thursday
Innovators Club (Skinner) Room 216
Speech Club (Frank and Pierce) Room 213
Basektball (Barde) Gym
Friday
Be The One (Walden and Lamar) Room 106
Twilight Zone (Klemas) Room 404
Improv Club (Drew Merit) Room 215

Model UN with the YMCA

This Club started Jan 10th and will run every Wednesday until May 9th in Room 204. It's not too late to join! There is a parent information meeting on January 22nd at 7:30 at the Marin Y to learn more. Kids get to try the club all dates in January before a financial commitment is due at the beginning of February. Financial assistance is available. Contact Brendan Drake for more information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Golf Club

Sign up by Jan 31st to be in the Golf Club lead by Ken Coren. The 2018 Middle School League consists of Marin County students 8th Grade and younger who are eager to improve their skill level and learn the rules and etiquette necessary to enjoy the game of golf. The program is designed to give youngsters the chance to experience competitive golf and all that comes with it. This could be your first time playing competitively or you may have been competing for years. This is your opportunity to play for your school and represent the boys and girls of White Hill. White Hill Golf Club is not for students who have never played golf and simply want to learn how to play golf from the beginning, but a chance for golfers with basic fundamentals in place who want to improve their match playing skills. Our team, and the league as well, wants to remind the girl golfers among us that precision, focus and intelligent play are the keys to good competitive golf, and that you should seriously consider representing White Hill as part of this team. The season’s weekly matches begin on March 13, 2018 and continue for 8 weeks, with playoffs and finals in June. Our team will start practicing well before that, usually 1-2 days per week at McInnis Park or the Lefty Gomez Field behind our school. Coach Ken Coren wants to commit as a team, with at least 6 players from our school, by the last week of January. Please contact Margo James (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by Jan 31st, if your student is interested. There will be one game per week starting the week of March 13, 2018. Weather permitting, we will have weekly team starting in February. While parents will have to cover the cost of practice balls at the driving range, we have secured a 50% discount for buckets at McInnis Park. Team shirts may be purchased for $20.

--
Rick van Adelsberg
Principal
White Hill Middle School